Best Beginner Motorcycles for 2023
Getting your first motorcycle is anxious; there’s no getting around it. But, if you ask any self-respecting motorcycle rider what they value most about motorcycling, many will tell you it’s the feeling they first had when they threw their leg over the seat of their very first motorcycle for the very first time, and permanently cemented a relationship with the open road, through their motorcycle.
But, choosing a motorcycle can be daunting, especially if you are a beginner, or maybe haven’t ridden a motorcycle in years.
This article will help to dispel some of the anxiety around choosing a motorcycle, and we will go through the criteria that you should consider, as well as go through some options from different brands, and then ultimately, give you the Best Beginner Motorcycle for 2023.
If you are just starting to ride motorcycles, there are a few things that you need to consider when hopping on a bike. But, before we get started, let’s assume you have a basic understanding of how motorcycles work, you have some basic training, and have the proper safety gear.
After all of that is out of the way, you’re going to need to do the most exciting part, pick out your new motorcycle!
When choosing a motorcycle, we have considered a number of things that we think are good entry criteria for choosing a beginner motorcycle in 2023.
First, we consider the price of a motorcycle.
Chances are, if you are just getting into riding, you probably don’t want to go spend $40,000 on a Harley-Davidson CVO, or even $30,000 on a fully-loaded BMW K1600 GLT. You probably want something that is say, sub-ten thousand dollars (USD), that you can either purchase outright with cash, or finance and have inexpensive monthly payments. We couldn’t agree more.
We think the perfect beginner motorcycle is one that doesn’t break the bank, and let’s be frank, won’t crush your spirit if you tip it over going 2mph at a gas station (we’ve all been there).
Next, you’re going to want a motorcycle that isn’t too aggressive. While everyone like’s the idea of ripping through canyons like the next Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha R1M, chances are, if you’re just starting out, you’re going to want a motorcycle that sits you more upright, than hunched over. Trust us, your back will thank you later.
On that same note, starting off with a bike that doesn’t have 200hp and can’t take you 0-60 in mach-speeds is probably a decent idea while you’re just starting out. Now, a common misnomer is that smaller bikes are going to be “dull” and “sluggish”. All of the bikes we are going to list have ample power. Take our word for it, we would never recommend a bike that won’t give you an ear-to-ear grin as you rip the throttle and speed down the road.
The next thing to consider is the technology on the motorcycle. In recent years, motorcycles have become interwoven with technology, and that technology is often times represented in a smorgasbord of buttons and dials on your handlebars. The best motorcycle for beginners will have easy-to-use, clear controls for electronics on your motorcycle.
Then last but not least, you should be looking for a motorcycle that is relatively lightweight. The heavier the motorcycle, the harder it’s going to be to maneuver down the road, and control at slower speeds. Inversely, the lighter the motorcycle, the easier those things are going to be to do, and that ease of use will give you more confidence.
So based on those criteria, here are some options from popular brands that we believe are great beginner motorcycles in 2023.
(If you don’t need options and want to hear what we think is the best motorcycle for beginners in 2023, go ahead and skip to the end!)
2023 Yamaha MT-03
Arguably, one of the most approachable motorcycles on the road today, the Yamaha MT-03 motorcycle has been in the US market since 2010 and is no doubt riding on the coattails of their popular MT-07, MT-09, and MT-10 motorcycles.
This motorcycle comes in under $5,000 MSRP ($4,999 USD) and has all of the bells and whistles you would expect from a beginner motorcycle.
The bike has plenty of power to zip around town, and still has enough get up to be a daily commuter.
Yamaha MT-03 www.yamahamotorsports.com
Yamaha offers a variety of storage options on their website, including a top box, side cases, and luggage options that make this bike a little more practical if you’re doing anything other than weekend warrior-type trips.
It is worth noting, that the majority of these motorcycles are going to fit riders up to 5’11, somewhere around 250lbs.
If you’re a larger human, you might consider going up a size, to the MT-07, or MT-09, but consider the price and power differences between the two.
Yamaha MT-03 Stats
| Engine | 321cc Liquid Cooled, Inline 2-Cylinder |
|---|---|
| Top Speed | 112 mph |
| Seat Height | 30.7 Inches |
| Fuel Capacity | 3.7 Gallons |
| Fuel Economy | 56 mpg |
| Wet Weight | 373 lbs |
| Price | $4,999 USD |
2023 Honda CB500X
If you are searching for the perfect bike for beginning motorcycling, you would be foolish to overlook the category of adventure bikes. Now, we aren’t necessarily recommending going off on a death-march, single-track trail off-road right away, but adventure bikes do offer a wide range of functionality that make them great motorcycles for beginners.
The Honda CB500X is, in our opinion, one of the best beginner motorcycles, provided you are tall enough to flat-foot the motorcycle. If you are around 5’9 and above, you should be fine on this motorcycle.
First introduced in 2013, the Honda CB500X is a utilitarian motorcycle that has enough travel on the suspension to handle bumps in the road well, while offering a very upright riding position that is ideal for the rider that is going to be riding more than 30-60 miles a day.
The seat is low enough, and the windscreen high enough, that the rider is offered optimal protection from the elements, which is a major plus if you’re just getting started. Not having a windshield might get you more brownie points at the local biker bar, but every experienced rider will tell you that getting abused by the wind to your chest going 60mph for hours on end gets old, fast.
The CB500X is an all-around great motorcycle, that we think deserves a spot whether you’re carving canyons, commuting in the city, or want to get your feet wet (or dusty that is), on some off-road adventures.
Honda CB500X Stats
| Engine | 471cc Liquid Cooled, Parallel 2-Cylinder |
|---|---|
| Top Speed | 113 mph |
| Seat Height | 34.3 Inches |
| Fuel Capacity | 4.7 Gallons |
| Fuel Economy | 66 mpg |
| Wet Weight | 439 lbs |
| Price | $7,299 USD |
2023 BMW G 310 GS
2023 BMW G 310 GS - BMW Mottorad, US
When you see the name “BMW”, several things probably riddle through your mind. Maybe you think about performance, maybe superior engineering, or maybe sophisticated technology. Probably non-existent on your list of things that you think of are the words “inexpensive”.
Well, we are here to tell you that you can have the best of both worlds. BMW is making a motorcycle in their lineup of motorcycles that both checks the boxes of features, as well as cost-savings.
The BMW G310 GS is one the most fun bikes on this list for zipping around town, getting to accelerate through canyons, and even some off-road options! The bike, albeit with a smaller engine, packs a punch that leaves people surprised. This motorcycle has the ability and suspension to carve canyons, and do a little off-roading, should you decide to.
The motorcycle also comes with a ton of storage options for the bike, making it very versatile as a commuter, adventure bike, or weekend warrior machine.
2023 BMW G 310 GS, BMW Mottorad, USA
You get all this, and more for just $5,695 USD. For any BMW motorcycle, that is the deal of a century.
The motorcycle is light, and zippy, has good ergonomics, and will be perfect for the beginner rider who wants a little adrenaline mixed in with their motorcycle journey.
BMW G 310 GS Stats
| Engine | 313cc Liquid Cooled, Single Cylinder |
|---|---|
| Top Speed | 89 mph |
| Seat Height | 32.8 Inches |
| Fuel Capacity | 3 Gallons |
| Fuel Economy | 69 mpg |
| Wet Weight | 386 lbs |
| Price | $5,695 USD |
2023 Honda Rebel 500
*2022 Honda Rebel 500 Model Shown
Most kids grow up wondering what it would be like to cruise down the road on a motorcycle that has the styling of old Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but unfortunately with Harley’s entry point at north of $14,000, most people are left with that dream never manifesting in reality.
For those just starting out, or those wanting to save a few bucks, Honda offers an alternative cruiser motorcycle that checks all the boxes for an excellent beginner motorcycle. This bike has one of the lowest seat heights of any motorcycle, helping the rider, regardless of size to feel in command of the motorcycle. That, coupled with its lightweight design helps this motorcycle to be agile and peppy.
This bike has one of the coolest designs of any of the motorcycles on this list.
If you throw on a leather vest, and a cool bandana, you might get mistaken for a Sons of Anarchy member. If that kind of thing appeals to you, or you just want a cool cruiser to get started on, this bike is going to be perfect for you.
For a few extra dollars, you can add on things like ABS, which we think would be a great investment for a newer rider.
Honda Rebel 500 Stats
| Engine | 471cc Liquid Cooled, Single Cylinder |
|---|---|
| Top Speed | 95 mph |
| Seat Height | 27.2 Inches |
| Fuel Capacity | 3 Gallons |
| Fuel Economy | 73 mpg |
| Wet Weight | 408 lbs |
| Price | $6,449 USD |
2023 Kawasaki Z400
2023 Kawasaki Z400, Kawasaki USA
The green team was going to find their way onto this list one way or another. Kawasaki is one of the often overlooked motorcycle brands when talking about motorcycling. But, serious motorcycle fans will tell you that they have a bit of a cult following, and those people who fall in love with Kawasaki, often love the brand for life.
Kawasaki has a few different entry-level motorcycles in their current 2023 lineup, and we feel the Z400 deserves a seat at this table.
With 400ccs (approximately), features like a slipper clutch, and an engine that is shared with the Ninja 400, this motorcycle is nothing to be overlooked.
For the beginner motorcycle rider that wants to get a little spicy on the weekends, this bike might be for you. The parallel-twin engine on it propels you with an impressive amount of torque at relatively low RPMs and will be a ton of funs for years to come.
Kawasaki Z400 Stats
| Engine | 399cc Liquid Cooled, 2-Cylinder |
|---|---|
| Top Speed | 112 mph |
| Seat Height | 30.9 Inches |
| Fuel Capacity | 3.7 Gallons |
| Fuel Economy | 60 mpg |
| Wet Weight | 363 lbs |
| Price | $5,399USD |
2023 Kawasaki KLR 650
Every once in a while, you hear about some overly intense motorcyclist that traversed the globe on his motorcycle, with relative ease, and little in the world of breakdowns or reliability issues. He/she might not have done the trip in record time, but they got there.
If you’ve heard of stories like this, chances are, like me, you hear that they chose to do this on the legendary Kawasaki KLR 650 (which I and my friends have nicknamed, the dirt-donkey). She might not be the most stylistic of motorcycles, while Kawasaki is trying, she is darn near the most reliable.
First introduced in 1987, and redesigned in 2008, this motorcycle is one of the best beginner motorcycles and experienced motorcycles alike on the open road.
You might not get where you’re going as fast as you’d like, but you can rest assured, you will get there.
There are not a lot of frills or electronics on this motorcycle, but that helps to keep the price down and give the riders what they need, not necessarily what they want.
This bike has all the storage options you need to use as a daily commuter, weekend warrior motorcycle, or just all around good cruising bike. Are there other bikes that are faster? Sure. Are there bikes that are better suited for highway trips? Absolutely.
Are you going to find a bike that checks all the boxes, and even comes close to the price of the KLR? Not likely.
One of the secrets that most salespeople won’t tell you, is that you are going to outgrow your first “beginner motorcycle” in a year or two. We think that’s why the KLR 650 is so unique. This is a bike that you could realistically keep for years and years to come.
Its versatility, reliability, and simplicity all factor in to make it one of the best beginner motorcycles for 2023.
Kawasaki KLR 650 Stats
| Engine | 652cc Liquid Cooled, Single Cylinder |
|---|---|
| Top Speed | 90 mph |
| Seat Height | 34.3 Inches |
| Fuel Capacity | 6.1 Gallons |
| Fuel Economy | 47 mpg |
| Wet Weight | 456 lbs |
| Price | $6,899 USD |
Best Beginner Motorcycle for 2023?
The 2023 BMW G 310 GS!
While all of the motorcycles on this list are absolutely amazing motorcycles, one bike consistently stood out.
The BMW G 310 GS is the best beginner motorcycle for 2023 for a few simple reasons, it does a lot of things really well.
This motorcycle has a low enough seat height, with a long suspension travel to make it very approachable for most people. BMW says, “this bike is built for every day adventures” and we completely agree. It takes design hints from the larger GS 1250, but it can be used in a number of different ways.
This bike makes a great commuter motorcycle, and has the ability to go off road. The luggage options allow you to carry things with you, and chart of whatever adventure comes your way.
The instrument cluster and all of the technology is intuitive, easy to learn, and user-friendly. The motorcycle has inverted forks, an aluminum swing arm, and a lot of other build-quality items. All of this, coupled with the price of this bike, makes it our top pick, for the best beginner motorcycle for 2023.
Regardless of the motorcycle, you end up choosing, the most important part of the motorcycle journey is that you get a motorcycle that is right for you. Don’t get pressured into one brand or the other, and please get a bike that is within your means. Bikes are replaceable, you aren’t. Be safe out there and enjoy one of the greatest feelings on the planet, riding motos.