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Here It Is, The Norton V4 RR Superbike

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It has been a long time coming for the Norton V4 RR, but the British firm has finally debuted its 1,200cc, 72° V4-powered, 200hp superbike. The actual machine looks pretty close to its concept sketches, which in turn are based closely to Norton’s TT race bike.

Norton has made a pretty stout machine, with the V4 RR coming with a robust electronics package that was developed in-house, which includes traction control, wheelie control, launch control, and cruise control, augmented by a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU); a 7″ high-definition display that includes a rear-facing camera; and a up-and-down quickshifter and datalogger.

Key chassis components include the twin-tube “shotgun” frame, and a single-sided swingarm with a fully adjustable pivot point (the steering head angle is also adjustable). The fairings, no matter which finish you choose them in (mirrored chrome fairings are available as an option), are made from carbon fiber.

Suspension is handled by Öhlins NIX30 forks and an Öhlins TTXGP rear shock. That being said, the Norton V4 RR is a bit on the heavier side, with the Brits claiming a dry weight of 394 lbs.

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Finally, A Better Look at the Upcoming Norton V4 Superbike

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It seems like we have been talking about the Norton V4 superbike for ages, with not much to go on beyond concept sketches and vague promises. Well, this unicorn of a machine seems closer to reality now, with Norton giving us another teaser that we can sink our teeth into.

Debuting in three weeks’ time, it seems that we will finally get to see this 1,200cc V4-powered machine. The British brand says it has already sold out of the Norton V4 SS model (~£40,000), while you can still get your hands on one of the 250 units of the Norton V4 RR, which will cost £28,000.

Details on the bikes are still very much in short supply, which makes it hard to believe Norton has found already 200 individuals who are willing to buy the sold out SS model, sight unseen. Stay tuned though, the Brits are supposed to give us the full monty on November 19th.

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Bikes

Yet Another Teaser of the 1,200cc Norton V4 Superbike

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It looks like Norton wisely waited until after the bevy of press releases from the INTERMOT show, before teasing its V4 superbike again. Actually, it looks like we will have to wait until after the EICMA show as well, since Norton’s new teaser video promises a November 19th debut.

Norton’s V4 superbike has been coming for a long time, so the unveiling should be something interesting to finally see. The British firm has been targeting 200hp from its 1,200cc V4 engine.

The Brits over at MCN say that there will be two versions of the machine, a base model that costs roughly £28,000, and a higher spec version that will be limited to 200 units and cost closer to £40,000.

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Norton Announces V4 Superbike, Again

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A year ago, to the day, Norton announced that it was working on a street-going superbike that featured a 200hp, 1,200cc, V4 engine. Now, Norton confirms that news, saying that we will see the limited-production (200 units) machine later this fall. Yay.

On the bright side, Norton posted a concept drawing of the new bike to its Facebook page, giving us at least something new to whet our appetites on the new motorcycle.

The concept looks very similar to the sketch we saw last year, making today’s new a little bit about nothing. But, our friends at MotoFire report that Norton is still working on a 650cc project, which will debut later this year as well.

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Ducati Debuting Two New Bikes at World Ducati Week

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If you’re attending this year’s World Ducati Week, then you’re in for a treat, as Ducati is set to debut two new bikes at the gathering in Misano.

Details are thin at the moment, but we do know that one of the machines will be a limited-edition motorcycle that celebrates Ducati’s 90th anniversary.

Meanwhile the other bike is a new model to the Ducati range, which will be shown in a “closed room” setting as a sort of sneak peak before its official launch.

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Triumph Thruxton Gets Updated for 2016

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It is only logical that if there’s a new water-cooled Triumph Bonneville T120 for the 2016 model year, then the 2016 Triumph Thruxton should get an update as well, right?

Accordingly for 2016, the Triumph Thruxton gets the same more powerful 1,200cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine that is debuting on the Bonneville T120.

Triumph is also adding the Thurxton R to the lineup, a more cafe racer inspired design that comes with a larger front fairing, Öhlins suspension, and Brembo brakes. An optional “Thruxton Inspirational Pack” is available as well, which adds a bevy of cosmetic changes, as well as a Vance & Hines exhaust system.

Like on the Bonneville, the chassis and other components have been improved upon as well, though you would have a hard time seeing those changes, as Triumph has been careful to retain that heritage look on the Thruxton.

We expect that retro-riders who are looking for a reliable café racer out of the box will need to look no further than the 2016 Triumph Thruxton. Expect to see the machine officially debut tomorrow, October 28th.

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LEAKED: Liquid-Cooled Triumph Bonneville T120

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It’s been no big secret that Triumph is about to add liquid-cooling to the venerable Bonneville and its ilk. The cult classic hasn’t changed much in its long and storied past; and don’t worry, beyond the liquid-cooling, it hasn’t changed much for the 2016 model year either.

Thankfully, Triumph has kept the Bonneville aesthetic well inline with what discerning retro-riders and hipsters are looking for in their motorcycles, discretely hiding the machine’s blacked-out radiator.

While the 865cc Triumph Bonneville T100 will still come to the USA for the 2016 model year (free of the EU’s new stricter emission standards), the 2016 Triumph Bonneville T120 will travel worldwide, with its 1,200cc parallel-twin engine.

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First Sketches of Norton’s 200hp 1,200cc V4 Superbike

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Norton Motorcycles recently got £4 million in grant funding from the UK government, funds that will go towards creating a new manufacturing facility, more jobs, and new models. All-in-all, it’s good news for the British marque and its suppliers, who will also benefit from the grant.

The good news for us though is that Norton plans to bring to market a 200hp V4-powered sport bike, not too dissimilar to the “SG” models that have been raced at the Isle of Man TT.

Adding to the good news is that British site Bike Social has gotten their hands on the sketches, and had a chance to talk to Norton’s Head of Design, Simon Skinner, about the new model and Norton’s future.

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2012 Triumph Tiger Explorer Breaks Cover

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Officially breaking cover now, the 2012 Triumph Tiger Explorer continues the British company’s revamping of its adventure-tourer line. Featuring a 1200cc three-cylinder motor, the Tiger Explorer is the bigger brother of the popular mid-sized Tiger 800, which debuted last year after much build-up. Sans a few spy photos and some rumormill, Triumph has taken a decidedly different and more low-key approach in getting buyers excited about the new Tiger, though we think Triumph fans will like what they see.

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Rumors

2011 Aprilia Tuareg 1200 Rumors Heat Up

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After letting the cat out of the bag about the 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200, speculation almost immediately began about what other machines in the 2011 Aprilia line-up could be using the 1200cc mill as well. While we still await word on a Shiver 1200, the company from Noale seems set to debut a restart to its well-aged Tuareg line. Expected to be unveiled at the EICMA show later this year, the 2011 Aprilia Tuareg 1200 was hinted at by Roberto Colaninno, head of the Piaggio Group, during the company’s Milan HQ launch party.

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Horex VR6 1200cc Supercharged Concept

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Out of stealth mode today in Munich, Horex Motorcycles is back after getting the axe from Daimler-Benz back in 1960. To help usher the company back into the motorcycle industry, Horex has developed a V6 1200cc supercharged concept bike that uses a VR6 cylinder configuration. A solid looking street-standard, the Horex VR6 concept is expected to begin production late in 2011, and make somewhere between 175hp-200hp, and over 110lbs•ft of torque.

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