EICMA 2026: The New Motorcycles Heading for South Africa

EICMA, the world’s biggest motorcycle show, opens in Milan today. The press days run on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November and the public days from 5 to 8 November, and most of the motorcycles you will see in South African showrooms next year are shown here first. Several makers did not wait for the doors to open: Honda, Yamaha and Ducati all revealed new bikes on Monday evening, and Triumph and Kawasaki showed theirs in October.

This page follows the show from a South African point of view. For each new bike you will find what it is, the numbers that matter, what the changes mean on our roads and gravel, and who sells the brand here. None of the bikes below has a South African price or arrival date yet; when the local importers announce them, we will add them. We will keep adding to this page through the week as the reveals land.

Last updated: Tuesday 3 November 2026, 10:34 SAST.

EICMA 2026: the new bikes at a glance

Bike	What is new	South Africa
Honda Africa Twin	1,131cc, 117 hp (87.5 kW), new Enduro Sports, radar on the top Adventure Sports	Not announced; R20,000 off the current range now
Triumph Tiger 1200	156 hp (116.2 kW), radar front and rear, 19-inch front on every version	Not announced; UK dealers from December
Ducati DesertX Rally	890cc V2, 110 hp (81.1 kW), 209 kg without fuel	Not announced
Kawasaki KLE650	649cc twin, 70 hp (52 kW), 21-inch front	Not announced; the KLE500 SE is on sale
Kawasaki Versys 900	948cc four, 120 hp (89.6 kW), ARAS rider aids	Not announced
Yamaha Ténéré 4 Concept	New single-cylinder adventure concept	A concept for now
Honda Fireblade	215 hp (160 kW), new frame, 199 kg	Not announced
Royal Enfield Himalayan 750	743cc twin, 54 hp (40.4 kW), 224 kg, 19-inch front	Not announced
CFMOTO	Two unveilings today; the 550MT is expected but unconfirmed	To follow

2027 Honda Africa Twin: a bigger engine and three versions

Honda showed its new Africa Twin on 2 November, the evening before the show, and this is more than a new set of colours. The parallel twin grows from 1,084cc to 1,131cc and now makes 117 hp (87.5 kW) at 7,500 rpm and 119 Nm at 5,750 rpm, up from 75 kW and 112 Nm: Honda puts the gain at 16% more peak power and nearly 7% more torque. The frame is new, the swingarm is lighter, and semi-active Showa suspension with 49 mm forks is now standard on every version. Part of the 18.8-litre fuel load moves into a sub-tank under the seat, which lowers the centre of gravity, the thing you feel most when a heavy bike gets loose on gravel. Cruise control, heated grips, an electric screen, a keyless ignition and a 7-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are all standard.

There are three versions. The Africa Twin keeps its 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels and weighs 237 kg ready to ride, or 247 kg with Honda’s DCT automatic gearbox. The new Enduro Sports is the one built for gravel and sand: 240 mm of travel at the front and 230 mm at the back, 260 mm of ground clearance, CRF450RALLY-spec forks and a weight of 228 kg. Honda estimates its range at about 370 km, which matters on routes where the next fuel stop is a long way off. The Adventure Sports is the long-distance tourer, with a 24.2-litre tank and a 19-inch front wheel, and its top model, the Adventure Sports Honda SENSING RIDE, is Honda’s first motorcycle with radar. Radar front and rear brings adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind spot information and forward and rear collision warnings, which is most useful on the long national roads that make up so much South African touring. That model comes with the DCT gearbox only.

In South Africa: Honda Motor Southern Africa sells the current Africa Twin through its dealers and is offering R20,000 off the outgoing Africa Twin range at the moment (terms apply), which is worth weighing up if you are deciding whether to buy now or wait. Honda has not said when the new range arrives here or what it will cost, and it calls all of the figures above provisional. Details: Africa Twin, Enduro Sports and Adventure Sports (Honda Europe), and Honda South Africa.

2027 Triumph Tiger 1200: radar front and back, and smaller wheels

Triumph revealed its new Tiger 1200 on 27 October, ahead of the show. The 1,160cc triple makes 156 hp (116.2 kW) at 9,250 rpm and 130 Nm at 6,750 rpm, with more torque low in the rev range, and Triumph has refined the gearbox and shaft drive. Front and rear radar, developed with Bosch, now run the adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist and the other rider aids, and a new 7-inch touchscreen brings Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The change gravel riders will notice is the wheels. Every version now runs a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear with 200 mm of suspension travel, including the Rally models, which used a 21-inch front before. That suits tar and fast gravel and opens up the choice of road tyres, but riders who spend real time in sand or on rocky two-track usually prefer a 21-inch front and an 18-inch rear, the sizes with the widest choice of off-road tyres. The other big change is the seat: it drops by 30 mm as you stop in the road riding modes, and with the accessory low seat it can be as low as 790 mm at a standstill. There are four versions, the GT Pro, GT Explorer, Rally Pro and Rally Explorer, weighing from 250 kg to 268 kg wet, with a 20-litre tank on the Pro models and 30 litres on the Explorers. Service intervals are 16,000 km. In the UK prices run from £18,295 to £20,575, with bikes in dealers from December.

In South Africa: Triumph’s dealers here, including Triumph Cape Town on Daily Rider, sell the current Tiger 1200. Local prices and timing for the new one have not been announced. Sources: Triumph’s press release, Triumph’s Tiger 1200 page and Motorcycle.com.

2027 Ducati DesertX Rally: the off-road DesertX moves to the new V2

Ducati showed five new models on Monday evening, and the one that matters most to adventure riders here is the new DesertX Rally. It moves to Ducati’s 890cc V2, which makes 110 hp (81.1 kW) at 9,000 rpm and 92 Nm at 7,000 rpm, and it weighs 209 kg without fuel. This is the version of the DesertX built for serious off-road riding: long-travel suspension, an Öhlins steering damper, tubeless Takasago Excel spoked wheels and a Termignoni exhaust are all standard. The seat is tall at 900 mm, or 880 mm with the low seat, and in the UK Ducati gives it a 48-month warranty with unlimited mileage.

In South Africa: Ducati is imported here by Volkswagen Group South Africa, whose Ducati dealers sell the DesertX. The new Rally has not been announced locally. Sources: Ducati and The Citizen.

2027 Kawasaki KLE650: a 650 twin with a 21-inch front

Kawasaki announced the KLE650 on 27 October. It uses Kawasaki’s 649cc parallel twin, which Kawasaki rates at 70 hp (52 kW) and 64 Nm, with a 21-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheel and 210 mm of travel at the front and 196 mm at the back. Traction control and cruise control are standard. The SE adds a quickshifter, a colour TFT screen, tubeless tyres, hand guards, an aluminium skid plate and a bigger screen. In the UK it costs £7,499, or £8,899 for the SE, from April 2027.

That puts it into the busiest part of the South African adventure market, the middleweight twins with a 21-inch front. On CFMOTO South Africa’s own price list the 450MT sells for R125,900 and the 700MT for R140,900, and Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 is the benchmark many riders measure the class against.

In South Africa: Kawasaki South Africa sells the smaller KLE500 SE, currently on promotion at R129,995 (normally R164,995), and has not announced the KLE650 yet. Sources: Kawasaki UK, Kawasaki Europe, Kawasaki USA and Kawasaki South Africa.

2027 Kawasaki Versys 900: a four-cylinder Versys with rider aids

The KLE650’s bigger, road-going sibling was announced on 13 October. The Versys 900 uses a 948cc four-cylinder engine inspired by Kawasaki’s Z naked bikes, making 120 hp (89.6 kW) at 9,500 rpm and 97.3 Nm at 8,000 rpm, in an all-new trellis frame. It is the first Versys with Kawasaki’s ARAS rider aids: adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and blind spot detection. A 5-inch TFT screen has turn-by-turn navigation. In the UK it costs £10,899, or £11,799 for the SE, from April.

In South Africa: Kawasaki South Africa has not announced the Versys 900. Source: Kawasaki UK.

Yamaha Ténéré 4 Concept: a lighter Ténéré

Yamaha opened the week on Monday evening with the Ténéré 4 Concept, shown at its own event in Milan. It is a development project rather than a bike you can order: a light, agile adventure bike with an all-new single-cylinder engine and a new frame, designed to suit Europe’s A2 licence. Yamaha has not given its capacity, power, price or launch date, and says it plans to expand its adventure range in the coming years. A capacity of 430cc has been reported in France, but Yamaha has not confirmed it.

South Africa has no A2 class (a code A licence covers every motorcycle over 125cc), so here a bike like this would be about low weight and ease off-road rather than licensing. That is the space the CFMOTO 450MT and KTM’s 390 Adventure R fill today.

In South Africa: Yamaha South Africa’s adventure bike is the Ténéré 700, and a smaller single would sit below it. Source: Yamaha Motor Europe.

2027 Royal Enfield Himalayan 750: a twin-cylinder Himalayan for the long road

Royal Enfield unveiled the Himalayan 750 in Milan on 3 November, the first Himalayan with two cylinders. Its new 743cc air- and oil-cooled parallel twin makes a claimed 54 hp (40.4 kW) at 7,000 rpm and 63 Nm at 5,000 rpm, through a six-speed gearbox with a slip-and-assist clutch, in a new steel frame that uses the engine as a stressed member. Showa suspension is adjustable at both ends, with 190 mm of travel at the front and 175 mm at the back, and the bike runs a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel, spoked or cast, with tubeless tyres. Twin 280 mm front discs, cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control work off a six-axis IMU, and cruise control, five riding modes, tyre pressure monitoring and a round 4-inch TFT screen with Google Maps are standard. It weighs a claimed 224 kg, carries 17.8 litres of fuel and has an 815 mm seat, and the top version comes with GIVI luggage, heated grips, hand guards and a skid plate.

The numbers tell you who it is for. It is 30 kg heavier than the Himalayan 450, with less suspension travel and a smaller front wheel, so this is a road-biased adventure tourer for long distances, often two-up, rather than a bigger trail bike. Riders who want the 450’s lightness on gravel will stay with the 450, while riders who wanted more in reserve for long days on the national roads now have a Himalayan with a twin. Royal Enfield opened European bookings on 3 November, and prices for most markets, along with an India launch at its Motoverse festival later this month, are still to come. Our earlier article covers what was expected before the reveal.

In South Africa: Royal Enfield is sold here through its dealers, including Moto Royale, which has a page on Daily Rider; read how Royal Enfield came back to South Africa. There is no South African date or price yet. Sources: TopSpeed and ZigWheels, both from Royal Enfield’s own figures.

CFMOTO: two unveilings today

CFMOTO has two unveilings on its stand in Hall 10 today and has not said what they are. The bike South African adventure riders are waiting for is the 550MT, a bigger brother for the 450MT, but it has not been confirmed. Our 550MT article has everything known so far, and we will update both pages when CFMOTO shows its hand.

CFMOTO’s MT range already covers a lot of ground here: on its South African price list the 450MT is R125,900, the 700MT R140,900, the 800MT-X R180,900 and the 1000MT-X R199,900. A 550MT would sit between the two smallest.

In South Africa: CFMOTO is distributed here by the Powersport Group, and CFMOTO South Africa has its own page on Daily Rider with its full range and prices. Source: motorcycles.news.

2027 Honda Fireblade: lighter, with a new frame

Honda’s other headline in Milan is a new Fireblade. The 1,000cc four makes 215 hp (160 kW) at 14,000 rpm and 114 Nm at 10,500 rpm, with new pistons, valve train and two-stage variable air funnels for a stronger mid-range. The frame, swingarm, geometry and wheels are new, the fuel tank is titanium, and the redesigned fairing makes the same downforce as before without winglets. It weighs 199 kg ready to ride. The Fireblade SP adds Öhlins semi-active suspension and Brembo Hypure brakes, and the track-focused HRC Works Edition has a single seat, carbon-fibre parts and its own winglets.

In South Africa: Honda has not announced the new Fireblade for South Africa. Source: Honda Europe.

Also new at EICMA 2026

Honda also showed the production version of its V3R 900 E-Compressor, a naked bike with an electronically controlled compressor that Honda says gives its 900cc engine the performance of a 1200, with no production date yet. The CBR500R FOUR, a four-cylinder middleweight sports bike with Honda’s E-Clutch, was shown in Europe for the first time, and the Rebel 500 now gets the E-Clutch too. Ducati’s other new models are the Diavel V4 S, the Panigale V2 SP, the Panigale V4 SP and the Streetfighter V4 SP. Yamaha revealed the RW700, RW700 Explore and RW350, which it calls the first true adventure scooters: the RW700 uses the 689cc twin from the Ténéré 700 and MT-07 in a steel frame.

Still to come at EICMA today

KTM and Husqvarna hold their joint press conference at 10:45 in Milan, 11:45 in South Africa, and have promised a surprise from the off-road side without naming a model. Spy photos have shown a new KTM 690 Adventure, but KTM has not confirmed it; our KTM 690 Rally article covers the single-cylinder rally bike KTM sells today. We will add KTM and CFMOTO here as each one is unveiled.

Quick answers

When is EICMA 2026?

EICMA runs in Milan from 3 to 8 November 2026. The first two days are for the press and the trade, and the public days are 5 to 8 November.

Is the new Honda Africa Twin coming to South Africa?

Honda Motor Southern Africa sells the current Africa Twin, but it has not yet said when the 2027 range arrives or what it will cost. Honda is offering R20,000 off the current range in the meantime.

Which of the new bikes have adaptive cruise control?

The Africa Twin Adventure Sports Honda SENSING RIDE (DCT only) and every version of the new Triumph Tiger 1200 have radar front and rear, and the Kawasaki Versys 900 brings Kawasaki’s ARAS rider aids to the Versys for the first time. All three offer adaptive cruise control and blind spot warnings.

What are the Royal Enfield Himalayan 750’s specs?

A 743cc air- and oil-cooled twin with a claimed 54 hp (40.4 kW) and 63 Nm, Showa suspension, a 19-inch front wheel, cornering ABS, traction control and cruise control, at a claimed 224 kg. South African pricing has not been announced.

Has CFMOTO revealed the 550MT?

Not yet. CFMOTO has two unveilings on its stand today, and we will update this page and our 550MT article as soon as it shows them.

When will these bikes reach South Africa?

None of them has a South African date or price yet. The local importers announce their own timing, and we will add each one here when they do.

Sources

• Honda Europe: Africa Twin, Africa Twin Enduro Sports, Africa Twin Adventure Sports, Fireblade and EICMA 2026 line-up
• Honda South Africa
• Triumph: press release and Tiger 1200 range
• Motorcycle.com: 2027 Triumph Tiger 1200 first look
• Ducati: DesertX Rally and new models
• BRM: Ducati’s five new models
• The Citizen: Volkswagen Group South Africa to import Ducati
• Kawasaki: KLE650 (UK), KLE650 (Europe), KLE650 SE (USA) and Versys 900 (UK)
• Kawasaki South Africa
• Yamaha Motor Europe: Ténéré 4 Concept and RW adventure scooters
• Yamaha South Africa
• Royal Enfield Himalayan 750: TopSpeed first look and ZigWheels
• motorcycles.news: EICMA 2026 schedule
• CFMOTO South Africa on Daily Rider