UK Modern Classic Motorcycle Market Brief | Coverage period: 15th-22nd September 2026
M.C.M. News — UK Motorcycle Editorial Briefing
22 September 2026 | Changes since the previous briefing
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1. Royal Enfield sharpens the Guerrilla 450 with new Apex version
Publication-ready headline: Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex Arrives with Sportier Riding Position, New Tyres and Riding Modes
Royal Enfield’s UK site now presents the Guerrilla 450 Apex, a more sporting derivative of its 452cc roadster. The engine remains the 40PS/40Nm Sherpa single, but the Apex gets an aluminium handlebar positioned 56mm lower and 57mm farther forward, Vredestein Centauro ST+ road tyres, front cowl and a detachable rear seat cowl.
More significantly, Royal Enfield says all Guerrilla 450 variants now get Street and Sport riding modes, replacing Eco and Performance, together with mode retention. The Apex also retains the 4-inch Tripper TFT with Google Maps-powered navigation.
UK position: The Apex is now presented on Royal Enfield’s UK product site in Apex Red and Apex Black, the regular Guerrilla range currently starts at £4,999 with the Apex Red and Black sitting at £5,049
2. KTM confirms £7,999 UK price for 2027 790 Duke
Publication-ready headline: 2027 KTM 790 Duke Lands at £7,999 as KTM Updates its Middleweight Naked
KTM’s UK site is now listing the 2027 790 Duke at £7,999, including VAT, dealer delivery, PDI, registration and 12 months’ road fund licence. It retains the 799cc LC8c parallel twin but is being positioned as a sharper, more technologically developed evolution of the middleweight Duke. The bike continues to be designed and developed in Austria and assembled in China.
UK position: Confirmed UK model and confirmed £7,999 price.
The price makes it an important benchmark for machines such as the Triumph Trident 660 and other middleweight roadsters. It also gives useful context when assessing how much buyers are being asked to pay for retro styling versus outright specification.
Electric/industry watch
There is no sufficiently significant fresh Zero or LiveWire UK model announcements; Zero is currently promoting savings of up to £2,000 on selected 2026 machines through 30 September—£2,000 on DSR/X and SR/F, £1,000 on DS and £850 on S—but this is a retail promotion rather than a product launch.
KTM’s 2027 Freeride E remains notable in the wider electric picture: the road-legal electric off-roader is listed in Britain at £8,999, with 19.2kW peak output and a removable 5.5kWh battery remains on the watchlist.
Catch up
Triumph’s UK, still has the 18 August Speed Twin 1200 TFC as its latest actual new-model announcement; subsequent September news is primarily racing, promotions and Sam Sunderland’s Tiger 1200 circumnavigation attempt.
(original post on modernclassicbikes.co.uk/)
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Original post on modernclassicbikes.co.uk and published by Frank Duggan. Frank is the Founder and Editor of Modern Classic Motorcycle News, an independent motorcycle publication covering modern classic motorcycles, roadsters, scramblers, cruisers, electric motorcycles and the wider motorcycle industry.
