We have been waiting for Ducati to make this motorcycle for literally years. Ever since the Ducati Streetfighter 1098 debuted, we have begged the Italian brand to follow-up this mean machine with models from its new superbike lines.
Now with the Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine, our prayers have been answered, and the 2020 Ducati Streetfighter V4 is ready for public consumption.
Based obviously on the Panigale V4 superbike, the DNA from the track is obvious in this street-focused machine.
The Suzuki Katana isn’t even officially out yet for the US market, and already there are rumors of an up-spec version of the classic-inspired sport bike coming from Japan.
The news centers around Suzuki wanting the Katana to compete better with the high-performance naked models already on the market, namely the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100, Ducati Streetfighter V4, KTM 1290 Super Duke R, et al.
The move then is an “R” spec machine, rumored to see its 999cc four-cylinder engine bumped out to 1,135cc. Other go-fast parts are likely to be included (read: brakes, suspension, wheels, etc), and perhaps some updates to the styling to make it more aggressive looking.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that on the day that Ducati shows us its Streetfighter V4 prototype at Pikes Peak, that we see our first spy photos of the updated KTM 1290 Super Duke R (for bonus points, MV Agusta has gotten in on the action, releasing pricing on its Brutale 1000 sport bike as well).
Rumors of an updated Super Duke have been hitting our eardrums for a while now, though the details on the machine have been sparse. In fact, we were simply told “everything is better about it.”
That’s a little light on details for our tastes, but it does bode well for the street fighting machine, as the current KTM 1290 Super Duke R ranks as one of our favorite motorcycles right now.
We have already told you as much as this headline conveys, so apologies to our more loyal readers if this story seems redundant, but we wanted to definitively tell you that the Ducati Streetfighter V4 will debut later this month, at Pikes Peak.
The news comes fresh after a teaser that Ducati posted, which says to us that “the gloves come off at Pikes Peak” and then gives the date June 13th, which is the day of the motorcycle tire test for the historic hill climb.
“The gloves” is surely a nod to the “Streetfighter” name, though we have seen more than a few hints from Ducati and its CEO that we should expect such a model before the year’s end.
I had planned on sharing these photos with you at a much earlier date, and now with the fire at the MotoE paddock in Jerez, it feels a bit macabre.
But, on the same token, the moment for electric motorcycles seems never more ready for a pivot, and we would be remiss to share an opportunity to examine one of the more high-level efforts in greater detail.
As such, I bring you details on what is beneath the fairings on the Energica Ego electric superbike.
Zero Motorcycles has begun teasing its newest electric motorcycle model, the Zero SR/F. The company’s teaser on YouTube doesn’t reveal too much, though it does offer the date 2/25/19 for another announcement.
In the teaser’s video description, we get a little bit more from Zero, with it saying the following: “more than a new model, SR/F is an entirely new platform. The SR/F provides an effortlessly powerful experience in the naked street bike category.”
Another model that we expected to see debut at the 2018 EICMA show, the Kawasaki Z400 is a logical evolution of the small-displacement lineup that Team Green is creating.
Built in conjunction with the Kawasaki Ninja 400 sport bike, the Z400 is the naked option for the street for new riders, short riders, and riders that want to do more with less.
This means that the 2019 Kawasaki Z400 has a 399cc parallel-twin engine, that produces 45hp (33.4 kW), which is a 6hp increase over the 300cc model that it replaces.
Nestled deep in the announcement that MV Agusta has raised €40 million and has a new CEO is a slightly less business-focused news item, one which concerns the soon-to-be-released MV Agusta Brutale 1000.
The new streetfighter will make 212cv – making it the most powerful production naked bike on the market, with a top speed of 193 mph. Do we have your attention? Good.
While we were busy running around Cologne, Germany for the INTERMOT show, Honda Motor Europe was busy in France, for the Paris Motor Show. Debuting there another “Neo Café” concept model, the Japanese brand seems set to release a middleweight version of this popular trope.
Based off the Honda CB650F, the latest Honda Neo Café concept promises a 650cc inline-four engine package in a retro-modern style, similar to what Big Red has done with the Honda CB300R and Honda CB1000R. As such, we are very likely looking at an early version of the Honda CB650R.
Kawasaki has two new motorcycles for young riders in Europe, the Kawasaki Ninja 125 and the Kawasaki Z125. We have already shown you the fully faired Ninja 125, and now here is the naked version of that platform, the Z125.
As you would expect then, this A1/A2 license compliant machine features a 125cc, water-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes 15hp and 8 lbs•ft of torque. Wrapped in a steel trellis frame, the 2019 Kawasak Z125 tips that scales at 323 lbs at the curb, fueled and ready to go.
Debuting at INTERMOT, the Kawasaki Z125 represents Team Green’s commitment to new two-wheeled enthusiasts, and the motorcycle looks like a solid choice for beginners, as well as veteran riders who are looking for something smaller in their garage.
They did it. They actually did it. Debuting today at INTERMOT, the Indian Motorcycle brand released its newest motorcycle, the 2019 Indian FTR1200.
The only production street tracker currently available on the market, the Indian FTR1200 takes its inspiration from the Indian FTR750 Scout race bike that is dominating the American Flat Track series, and in the process brings the company’s first non-cruiser motorcycle to market.
Answering the calls of many, the FTR1200 production bike is visually very close to the FTR1200 Concept we saw several months back, and it will come in two flavors: the base model Indian FTR1200, and the up-spec Indian FTR1200 S. Expect it to drop, Q1 2019.