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KTM 790 Cafe Racer Concept by SKK AutoDesign

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When it comes to using platforms for motorcycle design, KTM is definitely the brand at the top of the game – they launched a whole separate brand using KTM bikes as their basis, after all.

Husqvarna digs aside, the Austrians are very skillful at building a variety of motorcycles from a single power plant, the 790cc line being a prime example of this

The KTM 790 Duke is our pick for sport bikes on the market, and the KTM 790 Adventure is head-and-shoulders above anything else in its category when it comes to off-road ADV bikes.

We know from investor documents that KTM has more 790/890 bikes in the pipe, the most likely of which is a 17″ shod SMT version with long-travel suspension. But, what if the company had a neo-café racer in mind?

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BMW M1000RR Superbike Concept by Nirjar Mardal

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Nirjar Mardal’s concept of the rumored BMW M1000RR superbike is blowing up the internet right now, and we can tell why. It looks really good.

Taking the pleasing, but safe, lines of the BMW S1000RR and then cranking them up to 11, these renders from Mardal make for a lurid idea.

The bike is much more angular than the S1000RR model, and numerous upgrades can be spotted in the render’s design.

The most notable one though is what appears to be an electric supercharger, which is appropos since the Bavarian brand was spotted last year patenting ideas around this concept.

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The Nito N4 Concept Is a Little Gem for City Riders

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This little gem, the Nito N4, has been burning a hole in our to-do list for far too long, ever since we saw it at the EICMA show in Milan last year. It’s not a big fancy superbike, and it’s not even a proper supermoto.

Instead, the 15hp Nito N4 is just an attractive people-mover that extends the Italian brand’s offering of urban-use two-wheelers.

On that vein, Nito says that the N4 is good for over 90 miles of range, can reach a top speed of 90 mph (150 km/h), and tips the scales at 385 lbs.

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A Honda CB1000RR-R Streetfighter Needs to Happen

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The Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade is one of the most anticipated motorcycles for the 2020 model year, and once Big Red finishes up its con-rod recall on this brand new superbike, eager speed-fiends will be able to test their mettle on the race track.

But what about those who prefer to stay on the streets? Sure, you can ride the Honda CBR1000RR-R as a street bike. But, for the first time in its superbike-making history, Honda has focused on making a race bike first, and a street bike second.

Riding the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade as a dedicated street bike is certainly possible – it has all the lights, mirrors, and plate holders for such a job – but there has to be a better bike for the task.

As such, we would be very disappointed to learn that Big Red doesn’t have plans for a streetfightered version of the CBR1000RR-R in its product roadmap.

And after today’s concepts from Kardesign, we would be very, very disappointed if that were the case.

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Moto Guzzi V90 TTR Concept from Oberdan Bezzi

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The Moto Guzzi V85 TT motorcycle has been a big hit for the Italian brand, exhibiting the happy merger of Moto Guzzi’s retro flare with the popular ADV bike scene.

Moreover, the Moto Guzzi V85 TT is a solid bike to ride, and we gave it solid reviews when we rode in Sardinia last year. But, what if you want to hit the dirt a bit harder than this 90/10 bike provides?

Italian designer Oberdan Bezzi has been thinking this thought (as have many of you), and he has penned what he calls the Moto Guzzi V90 TTR concept.

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This Akira Motorcycle Concept by James Qiu Is Fire

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I am, and forever will be, a complete sucker for a good rendition of Kaneda’s motorcycle from the cult Japanese anime movie Akira. Growing up as a kid (versus growing up as an adult, which is my current state), Akira‘s portrayal of motorcycles was one of the few things that got me interested in two-wheels.

I was a “car kid” growing up, with pictures of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche automobiles hanging on my walls. But, Kaneda’s bike was an influence too, and judging from the comments section when we post about this bike, it was a transformative machine for many others as well.

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Is This the Future of the Ducati Scrambler Design?

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If you want to design motorcycles for a living, the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California is the premier place to begin your studies, and attending the school could very well lead to a position as a designer at a two-wheeled or four-wheeled manufacturer. There is no better proof of that than today’s story.

Partnering with the Ducati Scrambler brand, the ArtCenter had students working on designs that explored the future of the Scrambler lineup, and the winner of the competition was rewarded with a training internship at the Ducati Design Center in Bologna, Italy.

In total, 10 projects were submitted for review, and it was Peter Harkins who took home the winning prize. While many students explored electric concepts for the Scrambler brand, Harkins thought of a more classic approach for Ducati’s heritage-based sub-brand.

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Design Patent Submitted in Europe for the Honda CB4X Concept

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One of the more lust-worthy motorcycles seen at the 2019 EICMA show may have just gotten closer to coming to reality, as design patents for the Honda CB4X have been spotted. 

The patents come from the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and while many are pointing to their filing as a sure sign that the Honda CB4X is headed for production, we reiterate our usual caution about reading too much from a patent application.

That being said, if there was a candidate for motorcycle concepts coming to real life, the Honda CB4X (which is based off the Honda CBR650R), is high on our list.

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The Bimota KB4 Begins to Take Shape with More Classic Lines

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The Bimota story is about to get another chapter added to its pages, this time in the form of the the Bimota KB4 motorcycle.

It seems like a lifetime ago since we first heard about the KB4, though the bike was only briefly talked about at the EICMA show in Milan, just a handful of months ago.

An eventful week for the Italian brand, the headline for EICMA was Kawasaki’s purchasing of 49.9% of Bimota’s stock, and the unveiling of the Bimota Tesi H2.

While the Tesi H2 was on display for all to see, and was very provocative with its hub-center steering layout and supercharged inline-four engine, there was also a very quiet murmur about a second bike that would come from the business acquisition, the Bimota KB4.

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Dear Ducati, Can You Please Make A V4 Version of the MH900e?

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Ducati MH900E V4 Cafe Racer

The Ducati MH900e is a special bike in the brand’s history. It is a model that this author lusts over often, with its unique modern take of the old classic aesthetic.

The bike was ahead of its time, in many ways, and we can see now brands imitating in 2020 what Ducati made two decades ago.

The Ducati MH900e might be the best thing that Pierre Terblanche ever penned, and if you can find one in good shape these days, be prepared to spend some coin if you want it in your garage.

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Honda CB-F Concept Debuts with Retro-Modern Flare

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The Tokyo Motorcycle Show and Osaka Motorcycle Show have had to scratch this year because of coronavirus concerns in Japan, but some motorcycle brands that would have been attending are taking a more “virtual” approach to their exhibits. 

That is bad news for our Japanese readers, who were hoping to go to these shows for a super dosage of two-wheeled goodness, but for us here in the United States, it means that more of the shows will be accessible from across the Pacific.

First on the docket comes to us from Big Red, which just launched its own virtual expo website, and first on the list is this Honda CB-F concept, which just dropped with its retro lines and modern chassis and engine.

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