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This year’s IMS kicked off in Long Beach, signaling the start of the consumer motorcycle show season in the United States. The three-day show was a mix of both excitement and disappointment.

On one hand, the show was an opportunity to see many models for the first time in North America.

On the other hand, many of the amazing offerings from EICMA, such as the KTM 790 Duke and 790 Adventure prototype, the Husqvarna Vitpilen 701, Yamaha’s futuristic three-wheeler, the Niken, and the Kawasaki Z900RS and H2 SX, were curiously absent at the Long Beach show.

Besides missing motorcycles, there were some missing manufacturers as well. Triumph did not have a factory booth at the show, but rather, used a local dealer to provide a small representation of the British marque’s lineup.

Additionally, Can-Am pulled out of the show completely, with neither a show display, nor demos outside. Conversely, it was great to see the Piaggio Group back at the show with a display of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi motorcycles, as well as Piaggio scooters.

Just like Steve Martin’s 1977 album, one of the main themes of this years’s International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach was “let’s get small”.

Almost every major manufacturer unveiled a bike in the 300cc category. BMW showed off its G310R standard and G310GS dual sport, Honda showed its CRF250L Rally, Suzuki introduced its GSX-250R, and Kawasaki unveiled its Versys-X 300.

Additionally, Honda had its world introduction of the 300 and 500 Rebels. It’s definitely a good time to be shopping for smaller motorcycles!

It would be hard to count the number of motorcyclists who got their start in the two-wheeled world on a Honda Rebel motorcycle, with the line going back through decades of time. The number is certainly a large one.

Now, a new generation of rider can begin their two-wheeled journey on a new generation of Rebel, with Honda debuting the all-new 2017 Honda Rebel 300 (above) and 2017 Honda Rebel 500 (after the jump) ahead of the IMS Long Beach show.

The Honda Rebel 500 and Honda Rebel 300 use the same power plants found on the CBR500R (471cc parallel-twin)  and CBR300R (286cc single-cylidner), respectively, repackaging those engines into a cruiser platform that is friendly to new and shorter riders, with a 27″ seat height.

Available starting in April 2017, tentative pricing for the Honda Rebel 300 is set at $4,399, while the Honda Rebel 500 is priced tentatively at $5,999, both sans ABS, though ABS models will be available as well.

In September of this year, EBR Motorcycles let it be known that the American brand was working on new models for the 2017 model year, in addition to a sub-$10,000 platform that would be available in 2018.

Teasing that we would see something “quick, dark, and low” by the year’s end, we subsequently saw EBR trademark the name “Black Lightning” for use as a new motorcycle model. This certainly got our imaginations turning, wondering what the folks in East Troy had up their sleeves.

Unfortunately, it would seem we alone had our imaginations at work, since EBR Motorcycles has given us a glimpse of its Black Lightning project today, which shows a true lack of inspiration, as it turns out to be an all-black EBR 1190SX that sits about an inch lower than before.

The excitement is back! After many years of somewhat somber motorcycle shows, the 2015 Long Beach International Motorcycles Show (IMS) did not disappoint. The crowd was large, the vibe was great, and the manufacturers brought lots of new machines to dream about.

Though EICMA occurred just last week, many of the bikes that were introduced in Milan had their American debut in Long Beach. Not only that, but the manufacturers upgraded their displays with new materials and concepts that made viewing more enjoyable.

The overall feel of the show was one of positive energy and excitement. It felt as though the post-recession doldrums are finally subsiding within the motorcycle industry.

The manufacturers pulled out all the stops for IMS, bringing some of their top executives for media presentations before the show opened to the public.

With INTERMOT behind us and EICMA only a few weeks away, we are deep into motorcycle expo season, if you haven’t already noticed. We of course have the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows here in the US, with the first IMS stop being in Atlanta, GA November 2nd-4th.

Helping us gear-up for the expos, IMS has decively dressed-down for the occasion, and is running a promotional campaign that features body-painted contortionists making the shapes of motorcycles. Featuring the work of San-Francisco-based body painter Trina Merry, this is about as close as you will get to seeing naked girls (and men, for that matter) on A&R.

Photos of the finished result and a behind-the-scenes video are waiting for you after the jump.

Unveiled for the American market at the New York IMS Show, the Honda NC700X is officially coming stateside for 2012. The more off-road oriented version (6″ of travel up front, 5.9″ of travel in the rear) of the boringly practical 2012 Honda NC700S, the NC700X features Honda’s new 670cc parallel twin motor, which was built with fuel consumption and rideability in mind. The numbers won’t blow your hair back, with Honda’s new urban motor making 47hp and 44 lbs•ft of torque, but at 65 mpg, more practically minded riders will appreciate what the NC700X & NC700S have to offer.

Husqvarna continues its push into the on-road market, and has debuted another concept while at the New York IMS show today. Already showing us the Husqvarna Moab Concept in Milan, the folks at Husky have continued the thought process with the Moab, and built a more off-road capable dual-sport, which they are calling the Husqvarna Baja Concept. Another modern-take on retro design, the Baja concept carries over with it many of the Moab’s bigger design features, while sporting a 19″ knobby front tire for better off-road use.

Husqvarna simply states that the concept uses a four-stroke liquid-cooled 650cc single-cylinder motor (same as the Moab), which surely will be sourced from BMW’s G650GS. The Baja is also being fitted with a five-speed wide-ratio transmission, fuel-injection, perimeter frame, and Brembo brakes. The design from Husqvarna looks fairly polished, and we wouldn’t be surprised if some form of the Baja or Moab made it into production (or a fusion of the two).

With the Swedish brand already releasing the Husqvarna Nuda 900, and set to bring the Huqvarna Strada into production sometime this year, BMW’s want-to-be rogue street bike company could have a robust line-up if it brings the Baja and/or the Moab into produciton. We hope they do, because out of all the street bikes we’ve seen from the brand, these two seem the most intriguing, and also happen to better fit the Husqvarna name as well. Photos after the jump.

Fresh from the International Motorcycle Show’s stop in New York, Harley-Davdison has released a new motorcycle for its 2011 line-up that’s set to be another entry point into the Milwaukee brand. Based off the Softail platform, and a part of Harley’s Dark Custom thought process on design, the 2011 Harley-Davidson Blackline has that hardtail bobber look, and that features a new asymmetrical fuel tank styling and split drag handlebars.

At the core of the Blackline is a rigid-mounted, counter-balanced Twin Cam 96B v-twin motor that makes 89 lbs•ft of peak torque at 3,250 rpm, which is mated to a six-speed transmission. New from the Harley-Davidson parts bin are the split drag handlebars that connect directly to the top yoke, giving a near shoulder-height arm position.

If you’re looking for that old-school bobber look on a Harley-Davidson this summer, when gas prices will surely climb to ridiculous levels once again, the Blackline with its $15,499 MSRP, and 54 MPG highway / 35 MPG fuel economy rating might be the place to start. Photos of noticeably rebellious 20-somethings and press release highlights after the jump.