A2 naked motorcycles have been steadily improving in recent years, as manufacturers constantly refine their looks and performance. These are some of the most versatile bikes on the market, offering a fun but easy-to-manage ride experience, with striking designs, a good level of comfort, and, perhaps best of all - nice accessible price tags!

The accessibility doesn't end at the price though, these bikes are aimed at providing new riders with a great first motorcycle experience, while still giving veterans a fun machine that is easy on the wallet! All the naked bikes on this list can be ridden with an A2 motorcycle licence, and I have tried to include as much variety as possible to cover all tastes!

Now let's get into it, here are the top A2 naked motorcycles you should be considering in 2024!

The Svartpilen 401 made its debut back in 2018, alongside its 801 counterparts. Almost 6 years later, the larger bikes are gone, and Husqvarna are purely focusing on the 401 models, and they are still a great option in this category.

The Svartpilen 401 uses the same 373cc single cylinder engine as the 2023 KTM 390 Duke, as well as its premium components like the Bybre brakes and adjustable WP Apex suspension. With the Duke getting a fresh update for 2024, I would expect the Svartpilen to be upgraded in the near future as well, but for now you are essentially getting the previous Duke with a very unique visual design.

The looks have always been one of this bike’s big selling points and nothing has changed there, it has an interesting neo-retro style that you will either love or hate, but for me it’s a fabulous looking machine. One interesting feature the Svartpilen 401 does have that sets it apart in this class, is a built in quick shifter as standard, so gear changes are going to be completely hassle free.

Previously this was a bike that felt like a bit of a fashion statement, with its price a bit on the high side compared to its rivals. However, the current model is now one of the cheapest bikes on this list, starting at £5,499. There is still a lot to like about this A2 naked motorcycle in 2024!

Engine	373cc, Liquid-cooled, Single cylinder, 4-stroke
Fuel tank	9.5L
Brakes	Front: 300 mm Four-piston radial fixed calliper, brake disc Rear: 230 mm Single-piston floating calliper, brake disc
Suspension	Front: WP upside-down Ø 43 mm Rear: WP monoshock
Seat height	835mm
Weight	152kg

Fantic has been making some excellent bikes of late, and the Caballero 500 Deluxe is a real standout. The Italian design is clear and striking with a gorgeous finish and some lovely extra details like the leather padded crossbar and seat.

Retro-inspired motorcycles are still as popular as ever, so if you like this style, the visuals on the Caballero speak for themselves. When it comes to the engine, it is a Chinese-built 40hp liquid-cooled single-cylinder produced by Zongshen. They have been working with a lot of major manufacturers to help keep costs down and generally do a great job, so don’t let that put you off. The Caballero 500 Deluxe is punchy and responsive, with the latest model receiving improved engine mapping for increased pull across all rev ranges.

Fantic bills this model as a true dual sport, it's comfortable in urban commuting, while the knobby tyres from Pirelli and the 19” front wheel will let you go for a spin in the mud as well, if that’s your thing. That’s some versatility! It keeps things pretty simple in terms of tech features, but the dual-channel ABS can be switched off for a rawer experience, which is a nice touch, especially if you want to go off-road for a bit.

The price on the Fantic Caballero 500 Deluxe is £6,750 brand new but at the time of writing - they are offering a £800 contribution to purchase as well as an extended 4-year warranty. That is a great package!

Engine	449cc, Single cylinder 4 stroke, liquid cooled
Fuel tank	12L
Brakes	Front: Floating brake disc ø320mm Rear: Brake disc ø230mm
Suspension	Front: ø41mm upside down Rear: Rebound damping regulation
Seat height	820mm
Weight	150kg (dry)

The Interceptor is a bike that should be on everyone’s radar by now, it has been a huge seller in the UK for years and makes for a motorcycle that is fun to ride, looks fantastic, and has an appealing budget price tag!

The latest 2024 Interceptor 650 has had its inline twin-cylinder engine updated to meet Euro 5 standards and maintains its 46.9hp output, putting it right at the top of the A2 allowance. It isn’t quite the standout bargain it once was, with the price starting at £6,399, new models like Fantic’s Cabellero and Honda’s Hornet 500 are right there in the same price range.

Still, it’s a great lightweight bike with a wonderful retro visual design. The new models offer the option of a blacked-out engine and some tasty new livery which makes it look better than ever. If you like this style, there isn’t much that can compete with the Interceptor in this category. It may be a little rough around the edges, but still offers great A2 performance and an attractive price tag. Well worth a look in 2024!

Engine	648cc, Inline twin cylinder, 4 stroke / SOHC
Fuel tank	13.7L
Brakes	Front: 320 mm disc, ABS Rear: 240 mm disc, ABS
Suspension	Front: Telescopic forks Rear: Twin gas charged shock absorbers with adjustable preload
Seat height	805mm
Weight	217kg

Although no major updates for 2024, the MT-03 from Yamaha remains an excellent A2 bike, and one of the tastiest looking options in the category.

The latest MT-03 has its own unique front end with a sleek triple headlight setup, while the rest of the design fits in nicely with the muscular street vibe the MT range is famous for.  It also emulates the riding style of its bigger brothers too, with some nice low-down torque and strong engine braking to create that hooligan style, albeit with considerably less power. Still, the 2-cylinder 321cc engine puts out a decent 42hp, which combined with its 168kg wet weight, gives it plenty of fun factor for any A2 rider.

Similar to the 07, the MT-03 has a slightly forward leaning ride stance, which still offers the comfort of an upright naked but with a bit more added aggression. In terms of fancy rider aids, Yamaha keep it light. There is ABS and a high-quality LCD display but not much else. That is fine and dandy when a bike is this well put together and easy to ride and, at £6,005 brand new, it’s still a force to be reckoned with in this category.

Engine	321cc, 4-stroke, Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-valves
Fuel tank	14L
Brakes	Front: Hydraulic single disc, Ø298 mm Rear: Hydraulic single disc, Ø220 mm
Suspension	Front: Telescopic forks, Ø37.0 mm inner tube Rear: Swingarm
Seat height	780mm
Weight	167kg

Kawasaki has been steadily improving and evolving their A2 Z model since its release, growing from a 300cc to a 400cc and now for 2024, the Z500 has reached its final form!

As with all these A2 machines, the manufacturers have recognised that riders still want a bike that looks cool despite the smaller size. As a result, the Z500 is designed to fit right in alongside the other bikes in the Z range and shares the aggressive angular design that works so well. This latest model comes with the new triple headlight design and is the sweetest looking yet.

The new liquid-cooled parallel twin engine has been increased to 451cc and now meets Euro5+ requirements, while still adhering to A2 licence restrictions. The overall power output is the same as the previous model at 44.7hp but the maximum torque has been increased to 42Nm, which should give it a little more bite. The addition of a slipper clutch as standard is a nice touch to get some effortless gear changes in.

After unveiling at EICMA in November, the new Z500 will arrive in 2024 alongside the faired Ninja 500 and both will come with an SE edition that adds a full-colour TFT dash with Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a unique SE livery. As soon as we know more, I’ll update this list with the full details!

Engine	451cc, Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Parallel Twin
Fuel tank	14L
Brakes	Front: Single semi-floating 310 mm petal discs Rear: Single 220 mm petal disc
Suspension	Front: 41mm telescopic fork Rear: Bottom-Link Uni-Trak, gas-charged shock with adjustable preload
Seat height	785mm
Weight	172kg

Freshly unveiled at EICMA, Honda have the new CB500 Hornet entering the mix for 2024 and it looks like a fantastic option in the lightweight naked category!

The sharp Hornet styling perfectly matches the larger versions and comes in a variety of colourways that all look fantastic. Underneath the new look, the Hornet is largely based on the previous CB500F with the same 471cc parallel twin engine, putting out 46.9hp with 43Nm torque peaking at 6,500rpm. The excellent Showa USD forks and Nissin radial mounted brakes remain the same too but if it isn’t broke, no need to fix it.

The 2024 Hornet 500 does get a bunch of updates over its predecessor however, and I think one of the main standouts of this bike is the number of features it manages to pack into a very reasonably priced motorcycle! There is a new backlit 5” TFT display in full colour, with smart connectivity and the Honda Road sync app for turn-by-turn navigation among other things. There is also the new selectable Honda Torque Control, as well as improved mapping for more acceleration. An optional quick shifter is available if you really want to push the boat out, but you will have to pay a bit extra for that.

The price on a 2024 CB500 Hornet starts at £6,199 and considering the high spec and suite of features, I think it could well become a top contender in the category.

Engine	471cc, Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, parallel twin
Fuel tank	17L
Brakes	Front: dual ø296mm disc with radial-mounted Nissin four-piston callipers Rear: single ø240mm with single-piston calliper
Suspension	Front: ø41mm Showa SF-BP USD forks Rear: 5-stage preload adjustable pro link mono
Seat height	785mm
Weight	188kg

KTM's 390 Duke has been one of the gems of this category since its first release all the way back in 2013. It was one of the models that really pushed things forward in terms of what you could expect from a lightweight A2 naked. Over the last decade, the 390 Duke has been steadily refined but 2024 marks its first major update, with a new engine, new chassis and new visuals.

The new chunky, angular bodywork makes the 390 look like a little Superduke, and that is a very good thing considering how great that bike looks. A slightly longer wheelbase and improved frame geometry increase the bikes cornering and agility and, despite all these updates, the 390 Duke is actually lighter than the previous version at just 165kg!

The latest LC4c single-cylinder engine is slightly larger than before at 399cc and offers increased performance with 44hp and 39Nm of torque. It also now falls in line with Euro 5.2 regulations and in fact, almost every aspect of the bike has been improved from the gearbox to the foot pegs.

One of the main selling points of the 390 Duke is just how many boxes it manages to tick. With a huge amount of tech included to match its sharp performance. The 2024 edition still offers all the gubbins, with ride modes, adjustable WP Apex suspension at the front and back, a full-colour TFT display, Bosch ABS, and traction control, the 2024 Duke has it all.

We don’t have the official price just yet but traditionally, KTM has undersold their rivals so I expect them to bring a lot of value for money with this one, we will update you when the official UK price is here, but this could be the A2 naked bike to watch in 2024!

Engine	399cc, Liquid-cooled, 4-valve, 1-cylinder
Fuel tank	13.4L
Brakes	Front: Four-piston radial fixed caliper, brake disc Ø 320 mm Rear: Two-piston floating caliper, brake disc, Ø 240 mm
Suspension	Front: Adjustable WP upside-down Ø 43 mm Rear: WP mono shock with adjustable preload
Seat height	830mm
Weight	167kg (dry)

We will finish up this A2 naked list with a preview of Benelli’s Tornado Naked Twin 500, due for release in the UK in the first half of 2024. We don’t have all the details or pricing just yet, but I will update this list once we know more. Fortunately, the mechanical base of this bike comes from the Leoncino 500, so we do have a lot of the tech specs already.

The engine is a Chinese-built, 500cc liquid-cooled twin with 47hp and 45Nm of torque, which is one of the strongest on the list, at least on paper. Obviously, the Tornado will have updated mapping for the new aggressive style and will be fully Euro5+ compliant. It’s also getting a new exhaust system and a slipper clutch as standard, which seems to be a popular choice among these A2 bikes now, thanks to how user-friendly it makes them for beginners!

The Tornado Naked Twin 500 is also getting a full colour TFT display with full connectivity, so it definitely is going to be a step up in spec over Benelli’s previous offerings.

The Italian visual design is the star of the show here, with the new TNT breaking cover in EICMA last month and standing up well against the likes of the 2024 390 Duke and MT-03. The current Leoncino 500 retails brand new for £5,299, I would expect the cost of the TNT to be a bit higher due to the overall improvements, but my guess is that it will still occupy the more budget friendly part of this category. Time will tell, and I will keep you updated as we learn more!

Engine	500cc, 2 cylinders, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled
Fuel tank	14L
Brakes	Front: Twin semi-floating disk Ø 320 mm with 4 piston radial caliper, ABS Rear: Single disc Ø 260 mm with single piston floating caliper, ABS
Suspension	Front: Upside-down forks Ø 50 mm with rebound brake adjustable Rear: Rear swing arm with central shock absorber
Seat height	784mm
Weight	195kg

So there you have it! Here are my top 10 naked A2 picks, ready to take 2024 by storm...

Which one was your favourite? Make sure to me know in the comment section below!