You Pick It. We Test It! Vote for the First Motorcycle We Road Test

● NextWave Featured Ride · Voting Open

You Pick It. We Test It!

The spec sheet tells you horsepower, seat height and tank size. It won’t tell you what your back says at mile 300, how the bike feels two-up in a crosswind, or whether you’d still want it after a month of real life.

So we’re going to find out. And you decide which bike goes first.

Vote for the First Bike →

How the Featured Ride Works

1. You vote. Pick the brand and model you want us to ride, and tell us why.
2. We ask the manufacturer. The top picks go to the brands as press-bike requests, with your votes as proof people want it.
3. We live with it. Commutes, highway miles, back roads and a full weekend away. No staged photo laps.
4. Everyone hears the verdict. It airs on NextWave radio first, then the full road test lands here.

What Kind of Rider Are You?

Every rider has a type. Find yours, then vote for the bike your crew would actually buy.

• The Adventurer: pavement ends, the fun starts. Think BMW GS, KTM Adventure, Triumph Tiger, Honda Africa Twin.
• The Tourer: 500-mile days with the music on. Think Honda Gold Wing, BMW RT, Harley-Davidson and Indian baggers.
• The Sport Rider: corners first, coffee second. Think Ducati Panigale, Yamaha R-series, Kawasaki Ninja, Aprilia, MV Agusta.
• The Cruiser: low, loud and in no hurry. Think Harley-Davidson, Indian, Triumph Rocket 3.
• The Modern Classic: old-school looks, new-school reliability. Think Royal Enfield, Triumph Bonneville, Moto Guzzi, BMW R nineT.
• The Electric Early Adopter: instant torque, zero gas stations. Think Zero Motorcycles and Energica.

Make your vote count twice: drop the brand and model in the comments, then share this page and tag the manufacturer. Brands notice when riders ask for them by name.

The 30-Day Truth: Day 1, Day 7, Day 30

A test ride tells you what a bike is like for 20 minutes. We tell you what it’s like to own one. The Featured Ride runs in three episodes:

• Day 1, First Ride: the honeymoon, first impressions, and the first thing that surprised us.
• Day 7, Real Life: the commute, the quirks, and the stuff the brochure skipped.
• Day 30, The Verdict: would we buy it with our own money?

What We’ll Put It Through

• A highway day long enough to find out if the seat is a friend or an enemy
• Back roads, stop-and-go traffic, and a parking lot U-turn test
• Real fuel or battery range, measured, not quoted
• Wind, heat, and rain if the weather cooperates (or doesn’t)
• Luggage, passenger comfort, and phone and comms setup
• The one thing that annoyed us most, because there’s always one

Three Verdicts. No Fence-Sitting.

🟢 Crank It Top pick. We’d buy it with our own money.

🟡 Keep It On Good, with trade-offs we spell out so you can decide.

🔴 Skip It Not for our riders, and we’ll tell you exactly why.

Want to Ride It Too?

Here’s where it gets better. A lucky NextWave listener may get the chance to experience the Featured Ride bike as well. Details, eligibility and official rules will be announced once the first bike is confirmed. Vote now and tick the updates box so you don’t miss the announcement.

Motorcycle Manufacturers: Your Riders Are Asking

We’ve invited leading brands to provide press bikes for extended evaluation, including Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW Motorrad, Ducati, Triumph, Harley-Davidson, Indian Motorcycle, KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas, Royal Enfield, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, Moto Morini, CFMoto, Benelli, QJMotor, MV Agusta, Zero Motorcycles, Energica and Can-Am.

Your bike gets 30 days of real-world riding, original photos and video, and a verdict heard across NextWave’s network of music fans. You supply the bike. The verdict stays ours.

Offer a Press Bike →

Featured Ride FAQ

Which motorcycle will NextWave test first?

The one listeners vote for, as long as the manufacturer can supply a press bike. BMW Motorrad, Triumph and Ducati currently lead the vote.

Can I vote for a brand that isn’t on the list?

Yes. Choose “Other” in the voting form and type the brand and model.

Do manufacturers pay for the review?

No. Brands may loan a press bike, and we disclose that in every review and on air. They don’t see the verdict before it’s published.

Where will I hear the verdict?

On NextWave radio first, then in full here and in the NextWave Tested.

Music. Motorcycles. Freedom. The Open Road.

The leaderboard moves every time someone votes. Make sure your bike is on it →