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Ninja’d: BMW S1000R Streetfighter Caught on Camera

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Our friends at Oliepeil.nl have some serious “lef” going on, because through some “enhanced journalism” those crazy Dutch moto-enthusiasts have managed to grab a couple photos of the BMW S1000R as it waits in the BMW Motorrad exhibit, ahead of its official EICMA debut tomorrow.

A streetfighter version of the venerable BMW S1000RR, the BMW S1000R drops an “R” from its predecessors name, but still features the same inline-four engine as it superbike counterpart –though the motor has likely been detuned to a more sane level.

Unfortunately, we don’t have word on specs or features for the 2014 BMW S1000R, but we do have an idea now of what its finished form looks like. Photos after the jump, but be sure to see more photos and watch the the walk-around video on Oliepeil.nl…just don’t eat the mayo while you’re there.

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Bikes

2014 Honda CBR1000RR SP – A Better Fireblade

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The Honda CBR1000RR is a great street bike, albeit a little long-in-the-tooth in the fast-paced liter-bike category. The big hope and rumor for the 2013 EICMA show was that Honda would have its V4-powered superbike finally ready for debut, though plans for that machine seem to have been delayed…again.

Instead, Big Red has for us the 2014 Honda CBR1000RR SP, which is basically your standard Fireblade with premium kit bolted onto it, along with a very gentle engine massaging.

This sort of dual-pronged approach is fairly standard fare for the European brands (did you see what Ducati just did with the Monster 1200 and Monster 1200 S?), but for a Japanese OEM like Honda, it is a pretty revolutionary approach to model segmentation, but we digress.

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2014 Ducati Monster 1200 S – Moar Monster

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True to Ducati form, we cannot have a base model 2014 Ducati Monster 1200 without also having a higher-spec 2014 Ducati Monster 1200 S. As usual, the addition of a single letter signals the addition of more power from the 1,198cc Testastretta 11° engine, as well as high-spec suspension and braking components. Also true to form, Ducati has made some aesthetic differences between the two models.

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Bikes

2014 Ducati Monster 1200 – Water-Cooling an Icon

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With the Ducati 1199 Superleggera already shown ahead of the 2013 EICMA show, the big news from Milan for Ducati is the long-rumored 2014 Ducati Monster 1200.

Saying goodbye to the Monster’s air-cooled v-twin, the Monster 1200 takes a page of history from the Ducati S4/S4R, and uses Ducati’s water-cooled Testastretta 11° motor (as seen on the Ducati Multistrada 1200 and Ducati Diavel) for its locomotion.

Surely to ruffle a few feathers with the hardcore Ducatisti, the water-cooled engine isn’t the only big innovation for the Ducati Monster 1200, as the motorcycle is the continuation of Ducati’s chassis philosophy, as seen on the Ducati 1199 Panigale. As such, both the steel trellis main frame, and steel subframe, attach directly to the Testastretta 11° engine’s cylinder heads.

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Bikes

2014 Benelli BN302 – How to Learn Italian?

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Next up from Benelli is the 2014 Benelli BN302, a pint-sized two-cylinder machine that continues the Italian company’s quest to bring in new riders to the brand. As such, styling is taken obviously from the Benelli BN600, though shrunken down into a smaller format for younger riders.

We assume that the BN302 uses 300cc parallel-twin motor, though the Italian company failed to mention engine capacity in its press release. Nonetheless, we do know the lump has fuel-injection and that the key power figures are 36hp and 20 lbs•ft of torque.

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Bikes

2014 Benelli BN600GT – Entry-Level Sport Touring

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Benelli has a couple new models waiting for us at EICMA this year, and first up is the 2014 Benelli BN600GT. Based on the Benelli BN600 that debuted last year (which the company is now confusingly calling the Benelli BN600R since it added Brembo Brakes, Marzocchi forks, and Sachs rear shock to the machine), the Benelli BN600GT is a more touring-friendly approach, with the same 80hp inline-four engine.

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More Photos and Video of the 2014 Kawasaki Z1000

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We already showed you the first glimpse of the 2014 Kawasaki Z1000 two weeks ago, but with just a few days until the start of the 2013 EICMA show, Kawasaki’s new naked bike is giving us the full monty, courtesy of Japan’s Mr. Bike. Getting a chance to film the new Kawasaki Z1000 with up-close panning shots, we are even treated to the new Z’s exhaust note.

For the new model year, things seem to be mainly an aesthetic overhaul — the great internet debate is now whether the new Z1000 retains its predecessor’s 136hp motor, or whether the machine gets the 140hp lump from the Kawasaki Z1000SX. One would presume the latter, though both engines are of the same ilk and difficult to distinguish from visually.

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Bikes

48 Hi-Res Photos of the MV Agusta Rivale 800

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The only way to describe the machines that come out of Varese, Italy is to call them rolling pieces of art, as the name MV Agusta has become synonymous with iconic motorcycle design. The latest from the Italian marque may cause some controversy in that regard though, as you either love or hate the lines of the 2014 MV Agusta Rivale 800.

For us, there are many aspects of the machine that we find exquisite, though if we had to draw one criticism, it would be the triangular headlight shape. Still, looking at the lines that comprise the three-piped exhaust, the shape of the “stinger” tail, and the proportions of this maxi-motard, we find great comfort in the Rivale’s aesthetics.

Our friend Iwan van der Valk from Testmotor.nl recently tested the MV Agusta Rivale 800, and called it “an exclusive product which will never sell in great numbers…which will probably suit the Tifosi of this brand perfectly fine.”

We are inclined to agree. Whereas the F3 was built with mass-consumption in mind, the Rivale is aimed at the already small hypermotard market. A bike for  discerning few, we have 48 high-resolution photos of the 2014 MV Agusta Rivale 800 after the jump.

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WSBK

WSBK: Ducati Signs Davies and Giugliano to Factory Team

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Ducati has announced its World Superbike lineup for the next two seasons. For 2014 and 2015, Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano will race the Ducati 1199 Panigale for the Italian factory, though details of the team structure are still pending. Testing is due to start for Davies and Giugliano at the end of October, initially with the Ducati test team.

After Alstare split from Ducati after the final round of 2013, there has been much speculation on who would take over the running of Ducati’s World Superbike squad. It is believed that it will come down to a choice between Feel Racing, who ran BMW’s WSBK entry in 2013, and have a long association with Ducati, or an internal Ducati team. The internal team is rumored to be the preferred option at the moment.

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Bikes

First Photos of the KTM RC125 & KTM RC200

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If it is connected by a series of tubes, we will find it; and thus here are photos of the still unreleased KTM RC125 & KTM RC200 street bikes — the kid-siblings to the recently leaked KTM RC390. Like the RC390, the RC125 & RC200 are visually similar, and share a common vein in their Made-in-India single-cylinder engines.

No word on specs, but we foresee the 125cc and 200cc iterations sharing similar technical listings as their Duke counterparts. We should know more at EICMA, where all three of these street bikes are expect to debut. More photos after the jump.

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