Motorbikes don’t have to be ancient and leaking oil to be classed as classics these days. Motorcycle specialist Carole Nash has dedicated insurance policies for motorcycles which are as young as 10 years old. After a decade on the road, machines are classed as Future Classics, before becoming bona fide Classics at 20 and Vintage at 30. At each of these milestones, the policyholder can enjoy features and benefits like agreed values and salvage retention rights, and these ‘classics’ are often more modern than we might think.

So which motorcycles are celebrating landmark anniversaries in 2025? Here are five iconic bikes from the ages…

2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2

The Ninja H2 was born a classic. Expensive, powerful and fitted with a supercharger from the factory, the H2 was the road going sibling of the 300+bhp, track only, H2R. It grabbed headlines and came with a specification normally only found on heavily modified specials.

The H2 is the road legal version. Packing a ‘mere’ 200bhp, it features less trick bits, for example it forgoes the more expensive H2R’s carbon fibre bodywork and has traditional mirrors in place of aerodynamic wings, but even today it still looks like a motorcycle which has arrived from the future – and it still has that grin inducing supercharger ‘chirp’ when you knock off the throttle.

Sure, if you can afford the H2R and are happy to have a work of art you can rarely ride, you’ll most certainly have one of the biggest talking points in all of motorcycling. In all likelihood that H2R will be parked up in your living room, or as part of an exotic collection. But if you want a special bike you can actually ride on the road, the H2 is a surprisingly  usable Future Classic.

2015 Ducati Scrambler Icon

More affordable than the Ninja H2, and more practical for most, the Ducati Scrambler was arguably the bike of 2015. Ten years ago we were at biking’s peak ‘bike shed’ era and this Ducati fully embraced this culture, with styling echoing a bygone era and a list of factory modifications helping owners personalising their bikes.

Bright and breezy, albeit with a cringe inducing marketing campaign which transported us to ‘the Land of Joy’ its retro styling meant it looked like a classic motorbike straight out of the box. It introduced Ducati to a whole new audience and worked well too, thanks to a combination of light weight and a characterful version of the iconic air-cooled V-twin ‘Desmodue’ engine.

This tribute-to-a-classic is now a future classic in its own right, which is very appropriate as it will go down as one of the big selling motorcycles which helped shape Ducati into the success it is today.

Inspired by Ducati’s 1960’s Scrambler model, the 2015 version still feels fresh today. Many will have been modified with accessories like panniers, fancy mirrors and exhausts, which help give a more individual look and sound to an already distinctive machine. It’s also a bike which has changed little over the years (even though the 2023 version is a virtually new bike, the look and feel remains very similar), so riding this Future Classic should mean you’re giving nothing away in terms of performance compared to the latest models.

2015 Honda RC213V-S

Looking back, 2015 was a time for decadent motorcycles. We’ve already mentioned the Kawasaki Ninja H2/R, while Ducati also gave the world the 1299 Panigale. Trumping them all was Honda, who did the most Honda of things by dropping the RC213V-S – a roadgoing version of it’s all then conquering MotoGP racer.

It was the most typical of Honda showcases, breaking up a run of middle-of-the-road new model launches with an absolute masterclass in engineering to remind the world just why they are the world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer.

Only 250 examples of this £150,000 masterpiece were to be made, but the final production run is thought to be less than 200. Based on the bike ridden so dominantly by Marc Marquez to the MotoGP title, the street version made a modest 159bhp in standard road legal trim – with a factory sports kit unlocking the full 210+ ponies for track use.

Not that many saw road (or track) use. Snapped up by collectors, most find themselves cosseted in private museums – although some have been raced at the Isle of Man TT races. It’s a motorcycle which makes Ducati’s MotoGP replica, the Desmosedici RR, seem common as muck. A truly special machine…

2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000

Hard to believe now, but two decades ago we witnessed the peak of sportsbike mania in the UK. Every other year the big four Japanese manufacturers updated their 1000cc superbikes, with the mantle of top dog changing regularly.

In 2005 that honour went to Suzuki, with the second update of its iconic GSX-R1000 ruling the roads and the track.

Often known by its factory code, K5, the 2005 Suzuki represented the pinnacle of this breed of analogue superbike. It made 180bhp, handled superbly and was the bike which powered Suzuki to its first (and so far only) superbike world titles. Australia’s Troy Corser won the riders’ title on the Corona Extra branded machine, with team-mate Yukio Kagayama also winning a race and helping Suzuki win the manufacturers’ title too.

The impending global financial crisis saw sales of superbikes fall off a cliff, while adventure bikes simultaneously soared in popularity. The introduction of electronic aids saw the next generation of litre bikes take on a new dimension, with near 200bhp engines tamed by features like traction control, wheelie control and switchable ride modes. Suzuki took a while to enter this new arms race, but by the time the class leading L7 model came along in 2017 the world had tired of extreme superbikes.

Technology from the K5 remains in the Suzuki line-up today, with the GSX-S1000 range featuring an engine based on this iconic model. While the sheer numbers built means it is unlikely to be a highly sought after classic for many years yet, its track record and usable performance makes it a brilliant every day classic superbike which history will no doubt look favourably upon in years to come.

1995 Triumph Thunderbird 900

Although the term ‘classic bike’ refers to age in insurance terms, some machines become instant classics in the eyes of their owners. That possibly wasn’t the case when the first Hinckley-era Thunderbird was released by Triumph, but it quickly gained a cult following and generated a strong demand on the second hand market.

Reborn under the stewardship of John Bloor in the early 1990s, Triumph took a modular approach to building its early bikes. All models shared the same basic engine design (albeit using a combination of three or four cylinder motors with long or short stroke cranks) and the Thunderbird was based on his same concept, even though it featured many unique components.

Unashamedly built for the US market (its launch coincided with the brand’s return to America) the evocative name came from one of the most legendary models of the 1950s, while the styling was the reborn company’s first attempt at retro – featuring classic ‘60s design elements and lashings of chrome.

Powered by a softly tuned version of the three-cylinder long stroke engine (displacing 900cc and easily the pick of the bunch) it had a lukewarm reception when new. Only when it dropped out of the range did the Thunderbird (not to be confused with the later 1600cc Thunderbird, which was an out-and-out cruiser) start to gain its loyal following.

The relative rarity and strong demand means they now command strong prices. Thirty years on the Triumph Thunderbird 900 earns it place as a true classic motorbike and early examples become eligible for Carole Nash Vintage Motorcycle insurance policies. It looks the part, rides well and plays an important role in the story of this legendary brand, all vital components when it comes to determining iconic status.