The Best Supermoto Motorcycles [2024 Edition]

Why We Picked It:

When it comes to supermotos, a lot of manufacturers will release one as a version of one of their dual-sport bikes. With the KTM 690 SMC R, the only thing that is carried over from any of the other bikes is the gigantic 693cc thumper. Everything else has been made for this bike, to make it the best supermoto it can be.

Cradled in a lightweight chrome-molybdenum frame, it produces 74 HP and 54 lbs-ft of torque, motivating a scant 324 lbs fully wet. The light weight combined with the low down torque of the engine means that the 690 SMC R accelerates nearly supersport fast, while also being just as nimble, and in some cases, even more agile.

It is also a transforming bike, in that it has a "Street" riding mode and a "SuperMoto" riding mode. The difference between the two is that Street mode has all the safety features and rider aids dialed up to max, while in Supermoto mode you get the full hooligan, allowing for rear wheel slip and keeping most of the rider aids off or down to their lowest settings.

Almost as fast a supersport and more agile... that sounds like a recipe for a lot of fun!

Why We Picked It:

The Suzuki DR-Z400SM has been around for just a few years less than the standard DR-Z400, meaning it's old enough now in the legal age of 18 states to buy a beer. Well, as the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The DR-Z400SM has been powered by the same 398cc four stroke single its entire life, and is one of the very few bikes that you can buy in 2023 that still uses a carburetor instead of electronic fuel injection. The reasoning there is that if the reliable little tank of an engine works, why not just keep it as it is?

The same applies to the whole bike, really. It follows the "Keep It Stupidly Simple," or K.I.S.S., school of thought, so it doesn't have any fancy rider aids, or even ABS! Like it's dual-sport brother, it is meant to be ridden hard and across unfriendly terrain, and if for some reason it breaks down, it can be fixed with a hammer, duct tape, and a few muttered curse words.

That isn't to say, however, that it isn't insanely fun to ride. With no electronics in the way, you feel connected to the road in a way that very few bikes do these days. You are the safety system, you are your own rider aid, so it's up to you to push the DR-Z400SM as far as you want (sensibly, of course!).

Why We Picked It:

The Kawasaki KLX300SM is, as the name suggests, the supermoto version of their stalwart and almost-unkillable KLX300 dual-sport. What Kawasaki have done with it, however, makes it probably one of the best entry-level bikes for anyone new to riding that wants a supermoto, or for veterans to give supermoto riding a good old college try.

With its beating heart a 292cc four-stroke thumper, it puts out a friendly 33 HP and 21 lbs-ft of torque, but the real magic is that it has perhaps the most linear torque curve of any bike on this list. It is very, very light at 304 lbs wet, but it feels planted and sure, thanks to the stiff but compliant suspension. It also has a very communicative clutch, transmitting so much information it's almost telepathic.

As with most Kawasaki bikes, it is also modular with its parts, so if you break the front guard, or the seat gets worn out from so much fun going sideways at the track, the parts are rider replaceable with your toolkit and an afternoon in the garage. It also follows the Kawasaki idea of giving you superb value for money, and is by far the least expensive (not cheapest) supermoto on today's list.

Why We Picked It:

The Ducati Hypermotard 950 is styled like a supermoto, even rides and feels like one, but is more appropriately a sport naked. It's the result of what happens if a Panigale and a dirt bike were smashed together at the molecular level, and it is much more at home on the track than it really even is on the street.

The argument for it being a sport naked comes from the powerplant, as it doesn't have the "traditional" single cylinder. Instead, it features the 937cc Testeretta L-Twin that features in many other 950-labelled bikes from Bologna, putting out a massive 114 HP and 71 lbs-ft of torque.

The argument for it being a supermoto, however, comes down to it having 17 inch wheels, a long travel Ohlins front shock that can handle trail, dirt, and gravel road surfaces, and it does have a riding mode where you can swing the rear wheel out with a bit of a lean and some throttle.

It really is a bike that is between classes, and yet somehow has managed to find its own identity. It goes like stink, handles like a razor, and trades luxury in rider aids and a plush saddle for the thin body, bench seat, and can carve a corner with the best of them.

Why We Picked It:

This is a bit of a controversial choice, but it does belong on this list. Zero Motorcycles has been at the forefront of E-Motos for quite a while now, with their first bike being the original FX dual-sport. That frame, slightly modified, with a newer motor in it became the FXE, the only supermoto option at the moment in the E-Moto market.

With the Z-Force 75-5 DC motor as its powerplant, the FXE puts out the equivalent of 46 HP and a mighty 78 lbs-ft of torque. That is guaranteed to get the rear wheel spun up, and the bike is surprisingly light and agile, with most of its weight at or just below the midline.

The flipside of it all is that the range on the FXE can be generously called "short." Zero claims about 70 miles combined city/highway, but real world reviews have that more to the 40 to 50 mile range, despite the 7.2 kWh battery pack. This means that the FXE is a great city bike, even a commuter, but if you're planning on going to a supermoto track that is outside of the city limits, it might be better to take the FXE on a bike trailer than to ride it out there.

Why We Picked It:

The KTM 450 SMR is what happens when you combine the engine out of a 450 SX-F supercross bike, the frame of a 450 XC-F enduro bike, and fit it with 17 inch wheels and tires. It is an absolute hooligan of a bike, but it is also very easy to ride "normally."

The thumper at the center of the bike, a 449.9cc four-stroke affair, does put out decent power at 63 HP and 34.4 lbs-ft of torque. The thing about it is, even though you can access a lot of that torque in the lower half of the rev range, it is surprisingly linear. The bike is also very planted, and since KTM uses their own in-house WP Shocks for the suspension, they have it absolutely dialed in for riding comfort as well as being stiff enough to get your fun on when at a supermoto track.

We consider the 450 SMR to be one of the two entry-level bikes on this list for those that want to see what the SM life is all about. The biggest thing about both of the entry level options is that they have friendly throttles, compliant suspension, and won't try to fling you off their back at the first sign of a corner. As well, for the bigger and taller rider that might want to get into supermotos, the KTM is the better choice for them as it can haul around a 200 to 300 lbs rider without feeling like it's chugging.

No matter who rides it, however, it is an extremely lightweight, very agile, but ultimately friendly hooligan that can be as tame as you'd like one moment, and be sliding around a corner the next.