Japan is home to the so called Big Four motorcycle manufacturers who dominate international market nearly unopposed when it comes to the sheer magnitude of sales numbers. This oligopoly could be explained by several factors: unprecedented reliability, affordable pricing and readiness to innovate without sacrificing the aforementioned parameters. During the 2021 model year, the Land of the Rising Sun will continue to strengthen its positions in the segment via necessary upgrades to the best sellers and implementation of new development strategies spearheaded by amazing newcomers.

Latest news and bike releases that made it to previous #AutomotiveTerritory videos:

Newest motorcycles by manufacturers from Italy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtornr7IA7c

Upcoming electric bikes of today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDVsX_Jxfpk

List of all motorcycle models that were shown in this #ATmotorcycles episode:

Kawasaki Versys 1000 S and 1000 SE: kawasaki.eu/en/products/Dual_Purpose/2021/Versys_1000_S/overview

By the end of November Kawa promises to unveil 6 new models for international markets. The exact details are yet unknown, so lets instead explore the most recent arrivals to the European market, a revised SE flagship and all-new mid-range S trim.

220 Suzuki GSX-R1000R 100th Anniversary: suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/GSX-R1000/2021/GSXR1000RZ.aspx

To mark the company’s 100th year on the market, Suzuki launches a limited production run of the GSX-R1000R superbike. Its key feature is the historically inspired exterior with traditional blue and slate silver paintjob, which resembles Suzuki’s early race bikes from the 1960s.

Yamaha Tenere 700 Rally Edition: yamaha-motor.eu/ie/en/products/motorcycles/adventure/t-n-r-700-rally-edition-2020/

Yamaha decided to build on the success of the latest Tenere 700 by releasing a Rally Edition that pays tribute to the brand’s legendary Dakar rally racers. Apart from blue and yellow livery, this model differs from the standard 700 by a number of additional features and higher standard specification.

Yamaha MT-03: yamahamotorsports.com/hyper-naked/models/mt-03

Once sold as a single-cylinder motorcycle, this hypernaked was fully overhauled in 2016, getting a new chassis and engine derived from the YZF-R3. In 2020, the MT-03 received a comprehensive facelift, that includes more modern styling, a new MT-Series exhaust and a revised dashboard.

Kawasaki KX250 & KX450: kawasaki.com/products/2021-kx250

The KX Series by Kawasaki is the most titled line of dirt bikes in their respective classes. In order to stay relevant, the KX250 model arrives all-new for 2021 and acquires a slate of upgrades inherent to the bigger 450 sibling.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R: global.kawasaki.com/en/corp/newsroom/news/detail/?f=20191023_0946

Initially revealed back at the Tokyo Motorshow, the all-new ZX-25R supersport has been finally presented in its production-ready form. As promised, this bike is the only representative of its class to come powered by a 4-cyllinder engine. The 250cc mill is claimed to peak at 50 horsepower, though Akrapovic tests indicate 41 hps at the rear wheel.

Kawasaki Endeavor: kawasaki.co.uk/en/news/Electric_powered_bike_unveiled_by_Kawasaki

So far besides Harley Davidson, traditional manufacturers have preferred to stay away from electric models and left the field for the startups to advance. The Endeavor project, however, is about to fast forward Team Green to the future.

Honda CRF 450R: powersports.honda.com/off-road/competition/crf450r/gallery

During its twenty-years on the market, Honda CRF 450R has evolved into one of the best-selling models in the motocross segment. This year, it arrives lighter, offers optimized power delivery and follows the brand’s latest Razor-Sharp Cornering design philosophy.

Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP: powersports.honda.com/street/supersport/cbr1000rr-r-fireblade-sp/gallery

The new generation Fireblade SP raises the bar for the model in terms of performance, styling and, of course, pricing. Inspired by the MotoGP racing, this street-legal two-wheeler sits on a more compact aluminum twin-spart chassis with revised geometry, has a longer swingarm and gets clean-sheet bodywork.

Honda CBR600RR: honda.co.jp/CBR600RR/

2021 brings us a long-awaited redesign for the mid-range model on the CBR series family. This is the first update for Honda CBR600RR since 2013, and it means Fireblade-inspired styling and a couple of premium tech features.

Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin: hondanews.eu/eu/en/motorcycles/models/africa-twin

Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin is one of the most capable motorcycles in the adventure bike segment, and in 2020, it received a comprehensive redesign, both on the surface and under the bodywork. In 2021, the model also gains the iconic Pearl Glare White Tricolor exterior, that was previously only available on the Adventure Sports version.