A2 naked motorcycles have been steadily improving in recent years, as manufacturers constantly refine their specifications, looks and performance. With an A2-licence conforming sub-47bhp, light weight and upright, roadster gait, this type of machine is brilliant as a ‘first big bike’ being both unintimidating but entertaining performers yet also being some of the most versatile bikes on the market, with striking designs, a good level of comfort, and, perhaps best of all – nice accessible price tags!

In this blog, we pick 10 of the latest and best versions available for 2026 for those riding on an A2 licence and present them in price ascending order.

Thanks to a big ‘sale’ price cut of over £1000 the Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 is currently not only one of the best, but also best value A2 naked bikes available.

Essentially a restyled version of the already impressive KTM 390 Duke (KTM also owns Husqvarna), the Vitpilen is a stylish, punchy roadster and also has a ‘sister’ scrambler variant, the Svartpilen 401.

It received a major overhaul in 2024 when it gained an all-new steel-trellis frame, revised ergonomics, updated single cylinder engine and the introduction Bosch 9.3 MP ABS. Other updates included a new full TFT colour display with smartphone connectivity, WP Apex cartridge fork suspension, and ‘Easy shift’ gear changes, all designed to give the bike a far smoother (and enjoyable) riding experience.

In short, at its current pricing, the Vitpilen (or Svartpilen) is a very compelling A2 option, offering class leading performance and spec, bags of style and brilliant value.

 

Launched in 2025 this cute, affordable, retro-styled roadster became an instant best seller – and it’s not hard to see why.

The Honda GB350S was brought in to rival very popular Royal Enfield models including the HNTR 350 (£3,899), as well as the Meteor and Classic 350 (£4,459) and, at an initial £3,949 it was priced very competitively, something that has only risen by £50 for 2026.

No, its 348cc, air-cooled SOHC engine, producing just 20.8hp and 29Nm of torque, isn’t the most powerful and exciting – if you want to exploit the A2 class’s allowance of 47hp you’re better off looking elsewhere. But if instead you want a pleasing, gentle retro with lots of charm, you won’t be disappointed.

Being a Honda, the GB350S also has excellent build quality, Britain’s best dealer network, is almost certain to be durable, reliable and have great residual values and, while not the ‘most’ in any way, if you like retro style is a great introduction to motorcycling.

 

Indian-owned heritage British brand Royal Enfield have launched a huge variety of A2-compliant, great value smaller bikes in recent years, ranging from the 350 HNTR single to the 650 Interceptor twin but one of the most recent is the Guerilla 450.

It’s a 450cc single cylinder sporty naked based on the same liquid-cooled engine and tubular steel frame as the popular Himalayan 450 adventure bike. As such it’s got better than average performance, decent handling from its monoshock chassis, aggressive style and adequate equipment, and all for a very tempting price

The result may not have quite the punch or slick quality of, say, Triumph’s Speed 400, but is a great all-round compromised between smaller, less powerful retros and more sophisticated, more modern and expensive Triumphs and KTMs.

 

Launched in 2024 Triumph’s all-new 400cc single has proved to be not just one of the very best bikes in its category but also a global sales hit.

Designed by Triumph in Hinckley and built in India via a collaboration with Bajaj Auto, the Triumph Speed 400 was joined by a Scrambler version, the Scrambler 400X and also more recently the Scrambler 400 XR, café racer Thruxton 400 and flat track inspired Tracker 400.

All, based on the same punchy yet flexible single and typically fine-handling Triumph chassis, are brilliant A2 bikes, offering that rare blend of big bike feel yet novice-friendly manners

The 398cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine is capable of pumping out 39.5hp and 37.5Nm of torque at 6,500rpm which, when Alex got to review the Speed 400 in sunny Valencia, he said that this bike produces just the right amount of power - all whilst making some lovely noises too!

It impresses equipment-wise, too. There’s an inlaid LCD display, clean switchgear, a USB port and more. No, it doesn’t have some of the high-tech features or smartphone capabilities some other bikes have, but thanks to its quality and clever design it never feels lacking, either. Best of all, it’s only £50 more expensive than last year, too!

 

BMW’s offering for the A2 roadster class might not be the most impressive on paper but thanks to that enviable badge, easy manners, great dealer network and reasonable residual values (and finance schemes) it’s a great introduction to the whole BMW family.

First launched 2016, the G310R is a fairly straightforward single-cylinder roadster that shares much of its mechanicals with its sister bike, the G310GS adventure, with both being built in India via BMW’s long-standing collaboration with TVS. It was then updated with a slight styling tweak in 2021.

In truth, with just 34bhp from its 313cc liquid-cooled single and a fairly basic (but adequate) spec’, the G310R has few standout features. But nor does it particularly disappoint. It’s smart, decently put together, it’s a little smaller all-round than many rivals (which may or may not be an attraction), is ridiculously easy to ride and in isolation is a sufficient performer – and, of course, it’s a BMW!

On the flip-side, being a BMW, it’s also a little pricier, like for like, than some rivals, is outpaced by larger capacity, more powerful versions and it’s difficult to justify the premium. But if you fancy the BMW ‘experience’ with all that goes with it…

 

One of our favourites here at BikeMatters - the KTM 390 Duke!

The 390 version of the Austrian marque’s definitive Duke sporty super naked (there are also 125, 790, 890 and 1290 Dukes!) remains one of the liveliest and entertaining A2 class roadsters and last received a significant makeover in 2024.

Those updates included a revised, bigger engine, new chassis and frame setup, new style, larger 15-litre metal fuel tank, new wheels, a smartphone-connectable TFT dash, rider aids (rider modes, ABS and switchable rear ABS, cornering traction control and launch control) plus uprated WP Apex adjustable suspension with side-mounted rear shock.

The riding fun, however, stayed the same (if not better), all thanks to that LC4c, 399cc liquid-cooled motor that pumps out a punchy 45.3 bhp at 8,500 rpm and 39 Nm of torque at 6,500rpm - 2hp more than the previous edition, as well as complying with the new Euro 5+ regulations.

The result is great fun, well-equipped, striking to look at and yet reasonably versatile, too. On the downside, though, it’s also fairly pricey and, with the similar but restyled Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 now significantly less, is arguably hard to justify.

 

Kawasaki’s offering in the A2 roadster class was introduced in 2024 as an updated, enlarged version of the preceding Z400.

Its updated, liquid-cooled parallel twin engine was increased to 451cc and adhered to Euro5+ regulations whilst still adhering to A2 licence restrictions. And although its overall power output is the same as the previous model at 44.7hp, maximum torque was increased to 42Nm, to give it a little more bite and flexibility. On top of that, the addition of a slipper clutch as standard was a nice touch to get effortless gear changes.

Elsewhere, the frame is a familiar tubular steel trellis with monoshock rear, styling is smart and follows Kawasaki’s generic, angular ‘Zed’ family, it’s nicely finished and with proportions that’ll suit slightly smaller riders and it’s decently priced, too, at just £100 more than last year.

And while it may not be the fastest, most stylish or cheapest, it is the most affordable twin, Kawasaki also offer the option of a higher spec ‘SE’ version and it ticks a lot of boxes for reasonable money.

 

All-new in 2025 the Tuono 457 was built specifically for the A2 class, was (like other Tuonos) the naked/roadster version of a sports sibling (in this case Aprilia’s RS 457 sportster) and proved such a good all-round performer it was one of the best A2 bikes of all.

None of that has changed for 2026 except for the fact that it’s now actually slightly cheaper than before!

As such it’s powered by a 457cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine with Ride-By-Wire throttle capable of producing 47.6hp and 43.5Nm of torque at 6,700rpm.

In terms of looks and styling, you will find (in true Aprilia style) a triple full-LED cluster headlight, small spoiler, low seat height and 159kg aluminium frame. All pays homage to the original, legendary Tuono 1000 R, whilst packing an excellent power-to-weight ratio.

Best of all, though, at £455 LESS than last year, although still not cheap, its all-round brilliance is now also more affordable than ever!

 

Since 2025 Honda’s roadster version of its A2-specific 500cc twin family has been known as the CB500 Hornet, whereas previously it was the CB500F. (By the same token, the old adventure CB500X is now the NX500 and the sports CBR500 is now the CBR500R.) 

All date back to 2014, have had repeated updates and remain among the best A2 bikes you can buy. That’s largely because all are based on the same willing yet flexible 471cc parallel twin engine which in its latest updated form puts out 46.9hp, bang on the A2 limit, with 43Nm torque peaking at 6,500rpm. Other goodies include a neutral, well-sorted chassis which include excellent, unchanged Showa USD forks and Nissin radial mounted brakes. 

One of our favourite things about the Hornet is tech it comes with. There’s a full colour 5” TFT display, smartphone connectivity, a Honda Road sync app for turn-by-turn navigation and torque control all as standard. And if you want to add a quick shifter, you can (but at an extra cost).

What’s more, for 2026, it is also offered (for £100 more) with Honda’s clever, novice-friendly E-Clutch option, which does without the need to use the clutch lever when setting off or coming to a stop (or when changing ratios on the move) and which you can also switch off when more experienced.

All in all, one of the very best A2 nakeds you can buy even if, being a Honda, it’s not as saucy as an Aprilia or KTM!

 

Also unchanged for 2026 is another of the very best A2 roadsters and another we have managed to get our hands on in the BikeMatters HQ, the Yamaha MT-03.

The MT-03 saw some significant updates in 2025. Aside from the usual Euro 5+ engine retuning, the smartphone connectivity and rider applications/controls have been improved. This means that MT-03 riders can be notified of incoming calls, as well as messages (that can be seen on the LCD dash).

This latest MT-03 also sports a unique front end with a sleek triple LCD headlight setup, while the rest of the design fits in nicely with the muscular street vibe the MT (‘Masters of Torque’) range is famous for. 

It also emulates the riding style of its bigger brothers, with some nice low-down torque and strong engine braking from its willing motor to create that hooligan style, albeit with considerably less power. It might not have the 47hp and 471ccsx of the Honda, but Yamaha’s twin-cylinder, 321cc unit puts out a decent 42hp, which combined with its 168kg wet weight means there is plenty of fun factor for any A2 rider.

Riding position-wise, the MT-03 has a slightly forward-leaning stance which offers the comfort of an upright naked but with a bit more added aggression.

So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed our rundown of the top 10 best A2 naked motorcycles for 2026.

For those of you who have your full licence, why not check out our top 10 middleweight naked bikes for 2026 list?

Last but not least, if you are in need of insurance for your very own naked motorcycle, then make sure to get a quote direct with Lexham!