Photo recap: 2023 Makina Moto Show

Whether you just wanted to gawk at cool bikes or get great deals, the Makina Moto Show did not disappoint. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Business is booming in the motorcycle industry, and nowhere is this more evident than taking a look at this year’s 2023 Makina Moto Show.

Held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, the show was jam-packed from the opening day as throngs of visitors lined up to score great deals on bikes and gear, as well as see firsthand how many brands unveiled their latest models.

There was no better time to get discounts on gear and apparel than during the weekend. PHOTOS BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Manufacturers and distributors didn’t disappoint as they took the opportunity to showcase some of the year’s most awaited models.

BMW Motorrad celebrated a hundred years of riding with a limited-edition R nine T 100 Years, as well as bringing out its radical CE 04 electric scooter.

BMW's classic R nineT gets even more desirable with the limited-edition 100 Years. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD

We might be seeing a lot of the BMW CE 04 in the near future. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Motostrada threw a one-two punch—first with the reveal of the CFMoto 800NK sport naked, and then with the Peugeot XP400 maxi-scooter.

At P488,800, the 95hp, 186kg CFMoto 800NK seriously undercuts the middleweight competition. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Peugeot Motocycles adds the rough road-ready XP400 to its lineup. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD

Honda let loose a trio of new big bikes: the Rebel 1100, the CL500 scrambler, and the XL750 Transalp middleweight ADV.

The Honda Rebel 1100 has, shall we say, polarizing looks. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Honda is a bit late to the scrambler party, but better late than never with the CL500. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

The Honda XL750 Transalp looks like a good alternative to the popular Yamaha Ténéré 700. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Yamaha didn’t have anything totally new to launch, since it had just released the XMax 400 and the updated Mio Gravis at Inside Racing Bike Fest a few weeks previously.

We had to look closely to verify that this really began as a stock Yamaha XSR155. PHOTOS BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Nonetheless, Big Blue held an impressive display with updated colors for the Ténéré 700, and a bunch of impressive customized XSR155s as entries for the upcoming Moto Builds Pilipinas competition.

The Husqvarna Norden 901 looks like nothing else. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Husqvarna showed off the strikingly unique Norden 901. Proudly assembled at the KAMMI plant in Laguna, the futuristic-looking ADV bike comes with a P950,000 price tag, and an 889cc parallel-twin engine. It will be sold both here and abroad.

The Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE packs a lot of power and features while being priced at just P899,000. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

The upgraded Burgman Street 125 EX gets a bigger 12-inch rear wheel for those who are hung up on wheel size. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Suzuki launched both a big bike and a small one with the off-road optimized V-Strom 1050DE and upgraded Burgman Street 125 EX.

The former uses the familiar V-Strom platform but now has a longer wheelbase and rake, long stroke suspension, a bigger 21-inch front wheel, semi-knobby tires, and a ‘Gravel’ riding mode for just P899,000.

Meanwhile, the latter addresses past criticism of the initial model having a small 10-inch rear wheel by now being fitted with a 12-incher, while gaining useful upgrades such as engine start/stop, a silent starter, and an Eco Drive indicator. It’s priced at P92,400.

The V100 Mandello's active aero winglets are an industry-first. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Bikerbox unveiled the V100 Mandello sport tourer with its 1,042cc V-twin engine and industry-first active aerodynamic winglets.

Priced at P1,150,000 for the standard model and P1,350,000 for all the bells and whistles including Öhlins semi-active suspension, this premium Italian tourer will be a hit among riders who like to be different.

The Bajaj-manufactured Kawasaki Pulsar N250 drew a lot of attention from the small bike market. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

QJ Motor showed off its, um, intriguingly styled big bikes. PHOTO BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Elsewhere, Kawasaki unveiled its Bajaj-manufactured Pulsar N250, a 250cc sports commuter bike that should appeal to the younger market.

Chinese manufacturer QJ Motor, distributed locally by Bristol, also showcased some of its models along with Benelli.

Several manufacturers also had their existing offerings on display. PHOTOS BY ANDY LEUTERIO

Even though many other brands didn’t actually have anything new to flaunt, Makina Moto Show was too important to not have any presence in at all. Hence, all the large and the smaller brands were represented—from Harley-Davidson to Royal Alloy.

Even Angkas's many rider advocacies were reflected in its participation at the moto show. PHOTOS BY ANDY LEUTERIO

As more than one exhibitor happily told us, they were getting so many inquiries and orders during the weekend that they could hardly sit down to get a break. That’s always a good problem.