Every year in early November, Milan becomes the epicenter of the motorcycle industry, the place where manufacturers gather to showcase their latest products. New Atlas was on the ground at EICMA 2107, catching all of the production model debuts – the ones that we will be dreaming of, talking about and hopefully buying next year.
As is the case with every industry, it's the big exhibitions that offer a clear view of where things are heading, and the 75th edition of the Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo e Motociclio (EICMA) at the industrial metropolis of the Italian north is no exception.
The 2017 show seemed to host more exhibitors than ever before. All the big motorcycle manufacturers were there with very few exceptions, like Zero for instance, although on the other hand we were very happy to finally see Norton setting up its own booth. Keanu Reeves' Arch Motorcycles was also at the show with a new model launch and, understandably, a lot of publicity.
The modern classic trend is still going strong, with more and more manufacturers betting on the hottest class of recent years. It seems that neo-retro bikes cut through capacity classes, as they do through countries and continents. Motorcycles like the new Royal Enfield twins and Ducati's Scrambler 1100 just keep on showing how wise and successful Triumph was when investing in the Bonneville family.
On the other hand, the ever popular Adventure class seems to be moving towards smaller capacities. The big beasts have grown over 1,200 cc and there's not much more room to go from there, but there is a large market with shallower pockets eager for a piece of the action. It's no surprise that both BMW and Triumph invested in updating their mid-sized GS and Tiger series, while other manufacturers like Benelli and SYM joined the fun at the lower end.
Electric two-wheelers are finally starting to make their presence felt at EICMA. As country after country plans to abolish fossil-fueled engines in the next decade, manufacturers are taking electric mobility more seriously, as Piaggio has demonstrated with the production version of the Vespa.
Jump into our gallery for a taste of all the new production models that debuted at EICMA 2017.