10 Modern Classics That Bring Retro Cool Without the Headaches

Modern tech is great, but style still matters. That’s why modern classic motorcycles are thriving by blending vintage charm with today’s reliability. These bikes attract both longtime enthusiasts and younger riders drawn to retro cool. Some are faithful throwbacks, others simply capture the spirit of an era, but all prove one thing: what’s old always becomes new again. The 10 models below show exactly why classic style never goes out of fashion.

Triumph Bonneville T120

A timeless classic blending retro styling with modern technology

Triumph Motorcycles

Some manufacturers go further down the faux-antique rabbit hole than others, and British giant Triumph definitely lands toward the more faithful side of things design-wise. The Bonneville T120 carries that particular torch with aplomb in its British Standard Cruiser build that occupies a similar slot to the Universal Japanese Motorcycle in bike history with similar proportions and looks.

Not only does the Bonnie T120rock the bench seat, tapered fuel tank, and old-school wheels, but the factory went to the trouble of disguising the throttle bodies so they look like the old mechanical-slide carburetors from back in the day. This shows an impressive level of attention to detail and commitment to a historical-looking ride that performs like a contemporary model. Even the engine toes the historical line with its parallel-twin layout, cooling fins, and classic right-side cover design. While those fins undoubtedly remove some waste heat, it’s actually a liquid-cooled engine with excellent thermal stability. ABS protection comes standard equipped.

Triumph Bonneville T120 Performance Specifications

Royal Enfield INT 650

A modern take on the classic twin-cylinder roadster

Royal Enfield

Indian marque Royal Enfield has an interesting history with ties to British firearm production that outlived the colonization which brought it to that region. Originally built to avoid the cost of shipping units to an area with a very robust motorcycle culture, it remains in operation to help fill the needs of a ravenous national rider base. With all that said, it should be completely unsurprising that the INT 650 is very Bonneville-esque in its looks with many of the same design hallmarks that endeared the Triumph original to the masses. It does have a small radiator mounted under the steering head, but that’s an oil cooler. The real heavy lifting is done by cooling fins on the cylinders and heads. Laced wheels, fork gaiters, and a bench seat join with the tapered fuel tank to complete the package.

Royal Enfield INT 650 Performance Specifications

Moto Guzzi V7 Special

Marries Italian flair with modern engineering

Moto Guzzi

Italian brand Moto Guzzi has been at it for a while now, so it has its own deep historical roots in bike design, and it more or less sticks to the proven format that is very Bonnie/UJM-like overall, but with some distinct brand-specific features that are relatively rare overall. The flyline of the V7 Special is a little chunky due to the shape of the gas tank, but it’s still fairly common-looking in profile.

That changes when you get a different perspective, where you can see the engine with its usual transverse arrangement that leaves the cylinders and heads protruding from each side of the bike for a rather unique look. The fuel tank bears a shoulder on each side to sort of visually fair out the jutting engine parts like a little shed roof over each head, and this is a feature that is characteristic of this brand. Traction control, ABS, and Ride Modes add lots of safety to the stock equipment package.

Moto Guzzi V7 Special Performance Specifications

Ducati Scrambler Icon

Inspired by Ducati’s scramblers from the 1960s

Ducati

Ducati gets in on the action with the Icon model from its Scrambler lineup. For this bike, the past is more of a guideline than an actual rule, so the overall look is more modern than some of the others on this list. As a genre, the scramblers got started as a home-job custom bike that took some sort of Brit/ UJM cruiser and off-roadified it with suspension, wheels, and tires that are able to handle riding on both the brown and the black. That’s where you’ll find the Icon with its street flats and large front wheel that tackles rough/ soft terrain like a boss.

The seat is bench-like in its build, which allows for carrying a passenger, or if you’re into technical off-road shenanigans, you’ll have room to shift weight fore and aft dramatically. Ducati currently offers it in the ’62 Yellow colorway in a nod to its old-school roots as well as a Van Orton-inspired package for the hipsters out there. An L-twin engine delivers the goods with cornering ABS, traction control, and riding mode protection all standard equipped.

Ducati Scrambler Icon Performance Specifications

Kawasaki Z900RS

A modern homage to the legendary Z1 of the 1970s

Kawasaki

Like the Brits, Japan had its own standard on Standard motorcycle design back in the day, and this is borne out in the Z900RS in the current Kawasaki lineup. Less a replica and more an homage piece, it brings a Seventies-tastic vibe that is right on target in my opinion. The seat is more or less a bench with a straight backbone and dual bullet gauge housings, plus the fenders are bobbed for a sporty mien.

Concessions were made to modernization with inverted front forks that rock the full trinity of tweaks, and the inline-four engine comes liquid-cooled for that fabulous thermal stamina you get with a water jacket and radiator. The transverse engine arrangement is a definite throwback as well, that fits with the same era. Traction control, ABS, and a slipper clutch add significant safety to the mix as part of the standard-equipment package.

Kawasaki Z900RS Performance Specifications

Yamaha XSR700

Part of Yamaha’s “Faster Sons” philosophy

Yamaha

Yamaha has its own entry into this genre in the XSR700that brings retro style to the table along with modern performance numbers. A stepped seat joins with a tapered fuel tank with knee-dents that are unique and quite different from the British style, but they serve the same purpose: to pull the pilot’s legs into the bike for aerodynamics.

The classic round cyclops headlight uses modern LED technology to split the night, plus it comes with stock ABS protection. A parallel-twin engine powers it with a 270-degree firing order that gives it a lope at idle like a V-twin might have, giving it some extra character on the road and a torquey nature that is fun to ride. As one of Yamaha’s “Faster Sons” lineup, it pays appropriate homage to the past, but is clearly modern and capable.

Yamaha XSR700 Performance Specifications

BMW R 12 nineT

A customizable modern classic

BMW Motorrad

BMW cashes in with its Heritage lineup of bikes from which the R 12 nineT springs. The factory strikes a balance between old-school and modern-mien with a classic flyline, stepped seat, and tapered fuel tank sides. Modern inverted front forks lead the way with the progressive damping and the full spread of adjustments. The electronics are extensive with ABS Pro and riding modes, plus Dynamic engine brake control and traction control to complete the package.Power comes from a very classic source: the air- and oil-cooled Boxer-twin engine with its WWII-era design and smooth power delivery. A full array of accessories lets you set it up just how you want for your intended purposes.

BMW R 12 nineT Performance Specifications

Kawasaki W800 ABS

Built to resemble the original W1 of the 1960s

Kawasaki

Kawasaki makes the list twice with its retro-tastic W800 ABS model. Clearly another attempt at harnessing that UJM magic from back in the day, it rocks the classic proportions and form that is sure to trigger a wave of nostalgia even if you aren’t old enough to actually remember the ’70s. The kneepads and chrome badging on the tank combine with the bellow gaiters on the front forks and laced wheels to reinforce its classic chops.

The parallel-twin engine is air-cooled with no radiator to mess up that old-school look, but it’s the external cam driveshaft on the right side that really puts the cherry on top. The tank shape and slightly-stepped tuck-and-roll seat strike a classic flyline with room to share the fun with a friend.

Kawasaki W800 Performance Specifications

Janus Halcyon 450

A handcrafted American classic

Janus Motorcycles

Like the nascent airplane sector, pre-war motorcycles were rather rudimentary, even still completely charming, and there’s one manufacturer with the gumption to jump into truly antique motorcycle design with the . This bike is right out of a history book with its old-school design that embraces the old frame-tank style with an actual long fuel tank that makes a straight flyline all the way back to the hinged-and-sprung solo seat. The front end is a leading link with coil-over shocks for support and damping, while out back, a faux-rigid frame articulates with another shock under the seat, kind of like one of the new Softails, so you get antique looks with a modern ride.

This is a hand-made motorcycle, and it has a surprising number of options and accessories that let you make your own mark on your machine. Power comes from a modern, air-cooled thumper for reliable operation.

Janus Halcyon 450 Performance Specifications

Triumph Speed Twin 1200

Combining retro styling with contemporary performance

Triumph

Turns out that Triumph is a double-dipper on this list with its new Speed Twin 1200. This plucky little British Standard takes the Bonneville design and brings it into the 21st century in subtle ways that nonetheless come together in a fairly modern package. The parallel-twin engine is water-cooled with a 270-degree crank that gives it a nice lope at idle. Tuned for performance, this bike rocks inverted Marzocchi forks and powerful brakes with Metzeler Sportec M9RR hoops to make the connection to the concrete. Lean-sensitive traction control and ABS put a bow on the package, as if the performance wasn’t enough.

Triumph Speed Twin 1200 Performance Specifications