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KTM 790 SMC Spotted Out Testing

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We knew it was coming, a supermoto version of KTM’s 790 platform. The KTM 790 Duke filled the streetfighter niche quite well, and the KTM 790 Adventure has similarly blown the doors off the ADV market, and now the Austrian brand is looking to give hooligan riders something fun for the street.

As such, spy photos have spotted what is being called the KTM 790 SMC in action, likely testing outside the city limits of Salzburg, Austria.

Readers should remember that the maxi-motard segment isn’t a large one, with the Ducati Hypermotard 950 being really the main player in the space.

The Italian bike has long been a niche machine in Borgo Panigale’s lineup, but this latest edition has been a strong seller for Ducati, which shows the changing tastes of motorcyclists.

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Hazan Motorworks Is Making A 950cc Supermoto – It’s Rad

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There simply are not enough big-displacement supermotards in this world we live in. There is the Ducati Hypermotard 939, the Aprilia Dorsoduro 900, then there is the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto, and well…that’s about it.

Thankfully, I am not alone in feeling that this is a big travesty – a crime against motorcycling itself, even. That is where Maxwell Hazan (the man behind Hazan Motorworks) comes in, with his “HazanSMR” project.

It starts with a 942cc LC8 v-twin engine from KTM, and it ends with a ~310 lbs motorcycle that spits 110hp to the rear wheel. Go ahead, we’ll give you a moment to compose yourself before continuing onward.

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Bigger Is Better, Behold the 2017 Aprilia Dorsoduro 900

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For the 2017 model year, the Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 gets an upgrade to 900cc, making it the 2017 Aprilia Dorsoduro 900. Aprilia says that the new 896cc 90° v-twin engine is a stroked out version of the 750cc motor (from 56.4mm to 67.4mm), which allows Aprilia to meet Euro4 emission standards while also giving the Dorsoduro 750 a much-needed upgrade.

Despite the 150cc increase in displacement, the 2017 Aprilia Dorsoduro 900 makes only an additional 3hp, with peak power now set at 95hp at 8,750 rpm.

While that change in horsepower is underwhelming, there is somewhat better news to be found in the torque curve, which sees a 6 lbs•ft torque increase, for 66 lbs•ft at 6,600 rpm.

Aprilia says that the torque curve for the Dorsoduro 900 is flatter than that of Dorsoduro 750, and at all rpm points higher. That is at least modestly reassuring.

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2013 Ducati Hyperstrada – $13,295 & Ready to Tour

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With the rumors of the liquid-cooled 2013 Ducati Hypermotard, there was also talk of a midrange Multistrada model at EICMA as well. This rumor then morphed into three distinct Hypermotard models, with one model set on the task of bringing touring to the maxi-motard line. In essence though, what we have is a cross between the Ducati Hypermotard and a Ducati Multistrada 1200 — Bologna just calls it the 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada.

On the outside, the Ducati Hyperstrada is a Hypermotard with revised suspension and a few more goodies to aid in those long-distance trips. However, on its inside, the Hyperstrada really wants to be the Multistrada 1200’s smaller counterpart.

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