What happens when you take a Ducati Diavel and raid the Ducati Performance parts bin? You get the 2013 Ducati Diavel Strada. After seeing the 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada, it is clear that the Bologna Brand has touring on the brain, and thought that the Diavel should get some extra attention at this year’s EICMA show (although, maybe not as much as the 2013 Ducati Hypermotard, 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada, & 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R).

Designed with longer trips in mind, the Diavel Strada features improved wind protection, higher handlebars (15mm) that are also swept farther back (60mm) making for a more comfortable sitting position. Other additions include a gel seat and heated grips, as well as two auxiliary power outlets that are fed by a higher-output generator. For the pillion, a backrest has been included, and of course there is 41 liters of side luggage available.

Not exactly our cup of tea, but then again we have never been a big fan of the Diavel’s styling (riding the beast is a whole different matter though), but we imagine there are some would-be Diavel owners who would jump at the chance to tour on Ducati’s sport-cruiser. Photos and video after the jump for you intrepid souls.

The last of Honda’s six new models for the 2013 model year (checkout our coverage of the 2013 Honda CBR500R, 2013 Honda CB500F, 2013 Honda CB500X, & 2013 Honda CBR600RR), the 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B is in a class of its own.

If the traditional Honda Gold Wing is the Cadillac of the motorcycling world, then the Honda Gold Wing F6B must be what the bike looks like with a drop-top. Taking the huge weekend touring machine, Honda has made the Gold Wing F6B more of a day-to-day cruiser…but not in a horrible Honda Rune sort of way.

Using the same chassis and 1,832cc flat-six motor that is found in the Honda Gold Wing, the 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B not only looks like less motorcycle than its predecessor, but it also sports 62 lbs in less heft than the base tourer model, for a “curvy” 842 lbs curb weight.

Coming in two models, the Honda Gold Wing F6B will cost $19,999, while the Honda Gold Wing F6B Deluxe will cost $20,999, and will include a center stand, passenger backrest, and self-cancelling turn signals. Color choices are simple: black or red. Photos and tech specs are after the jump.

Before yesterday afternoon, I had a hard time getting excited about Polaris. I think they make snowmobiles…but I’m not sure. This is how engaged with their brands I was, but of course this has all changed with the news that Polaris Industries, Inc. has acquired Indian Motorcycle for still undisclosed terms. Covering the business strategy side of motorcycling for the past two and a half years, I can tell you that there are few moves or decisions that strike me as truly inspired, but that events of the past 24 hours are surly Mensa-worthy.

Before I can talk about Polaris and Indian, I have to talk about another motorcycle company: Harley-Davidson. Kingdoms are fated to topple, but looking at Harley-Davdion and its dominance in the American motorcycle scene, let alone in popular culture, the legacy of the Milwaukee company seems assured to endure the test of time. So many companies have tried to be the next Harley, and all of their failures reinforce that concept that no company does “Harley” better than Harley-Davidson. Virtually creating the the legacy cruiser segment, and Harley-Davidson’s success in this regard is also the double-edged sword that is slowly prostrating the Milwaukee brand.

If I had to give one piece of advice to a company wanting to compete with Harley-Davidson, it would be real simple: don’t. Seemingly at the risk of painting itself into a corner, Harley-Davidson has refined its marketing message so thoroughly that it has honed in on a particular type of rider, and exhibits such a distinct persona of motorcycling that the company’s identity has found itself heading full-speed down a one-way street of branding. Thus the low-hanging fruit of competing with Harley-Davidson is to go after the brand where it cannot go.

Polaris Industires has just announced its acquisition of the historic Indian Motorcycle company. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but the deal sees one of the most historic names in American motorcycling finding a home with a major player in the motorcycle industry. The move is an interesting one for Polaris, as the company already owns cruiser and touring motorcycle manufacturer Victory Motorcycles.

According to the company press release, Indian will function as an autonomous business unit, but will likely gett help from Polaris’s engineering department, along with the obvious supply chain and purchasing power of the larger brand.

Our favorite brand from Milwaukee continues to surprise us, as we’ve gotten confirmed reports that Harley-Davidson is considering an electric model to its line-up. Details are scarce on the project, but the company has made a poor secret out of its desire to return as an industry innovator (yes, there was in-fact a time when you could call a Harley-Davidson a trendsetter in the motorcycle industry…it just hasn’t been in this blogger’s lifetime). Likely eyeing the next big trend in motorcycling, internally the Bar & Shield brtand has been exploring the idea of an electric or hybrid ICE/electric drive train.

Here’s to starting Monday morning off right as we bring you the Spanish-made Sbay Flying 1800 custom café racer from Sbay Motor Company. If cruisers from a certain American manufacturer could look like this, we imagine that talks of an aging demographic would cease to exist as the Flying 1800 has ample doses of eye-candy, sportiness, and innovation.

Between the 3.7 gallon carbon fiber tank that is hangs below the oil-holding frame and above the motor, the rear taillight that integrates into the tail section like a Ducati GP9/GP10, and the tasteful use of copper pipes that we liked so much on the Confederate Fighter, there’s plenty to get you drooling on this bike as it borrows from some of the best ideas in motorcycle design.

Kawasaki is recalling some 2009 & 2010 Kawasaki Vulcan cruisers because of a faulty ECU issue. Apparently when riding the motorcycle, if a rider pulled-in the clutch and coasted down the road, some Vulcan’s were stalling the motor because of an improper setting in the bike’s software. Since a stalled motorcycle at speed could cause an accident, Kawasaki is issuing a recall for these affected Vulcan’s, which will see dealers replace the bike’s ECU with one that has the correct software settings.

MotoBlog.it has snagged some spy shots of the rumored Ducati power cruiser, or Mega-Monster as it’s now being called in the press (the Ducati Vyper nomenclature has seemingly been dropped). Aimed to take on Yamaha V-Max and it’s crew, the Mega-Monster is a big step for Ducati in tackling new market segments.

Taking a page from the Multistrada 1200 campaign, which saw a plethora of “leaked” images, we don’t really know if you can call these photos true “spy shots”. As with that release, these photos are clearly being staged by Ducati PR people, and then being leaked to motorcycle magazines.

With each rider clearly wearing Ducati apparel, the dots are being connected for us as we can see that the Bologna brand has indeed been working on a cruiser-styled bike, despite saying the project was canned last year. Photos and more after the jump.

After leaking out ahead of EICMA, we were excited to go check out the CR&S booth to see their new Duu cruiser. With an S&S v-twin motor, the bike is a mixture of American street muscle, and Italian styling, which makes for an interesting effect. While we like the concept overall, there are certainly elements of the bike we crinkled our nose at, despite the obvious master craftsmanship. More on the Duu, and a plethora of photos after the jump.

Breaking cover ahead of Milan, CR&S has finally taken the curtain off their Duu street cruiser. The bike, which features an S&S 1,916cc v-twin motor, is expected to hit European soil in 2011 with a price tag around €20,000. Photos and more after the jump.