Every year, KTM offers a handful of lucky racers the chance to own a rally raid race bike that is as close to the factory-spec as possible. For the 2022 racing season, this offer is no different.
The 2022 KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica has been built with the direct inputs from Dakar Rally racers Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland.
One of our favorite bikes is getting a modest update for the 2022 model year, as the Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP is getting some bold new graphics to match its new Euro5 compliant v-twin engine.
For those models that will be landing in Europe, the entire Hypermotard 950 range will be Euro5 compliant, but the Italians say that the peak power and torque figures for the Ducati Hypermotard family will remain at 113hp (84 kW) and 71 lbs•ft (98 Nm).
Aprilia is continuing its curious launches for its 2021 motorcycles, trickling out information about the machines over multiple “debut” releases.
While we still wait for a glimpse of the right-hand side of the 2021 Aprilia RSV4, today we are getting some new information about the soon-to-be-released Aprilia Tuono 660, which is going to change how this bike is perceived in the US market.
When the KTM 890 Duke debuted two weeks ago, we were impressed by what the Austrian brand was bringing to the table with this 890cc naked bike.
The KTM 790 Duke had been our sweet spot for price and performance in the sport, and while the KTM 890 Duke promised more “bang” than its predecessor, we wondered at what cost on the “buck” side of the equation.
This is because KTM North America didn’t release pricing information when the 2021 KTM 890 Duke was unveiled – thankfully our Bothan spies have been busy on the job.
When it comes to motorcycles with a cult following, at the top of the list has to be the Kawasaki KLR650.
This durable dual-sport has won over the hearts and minds of legions of adventuring types, despite its unchanged architecture and questionable aesthetics.
So, you can imagine the backlash that occurred when the venerable KLR650 was rumored to be on the chopping block, especially as the Euro5 homologation loomed.
For these loyal riders, the news was like a family member had died, and that Team Green had abandoned a core constituency to the cold dark night of ADV riding on another model.
Fear not, loyalists. The Kawasaki KLR650 lives to fight for another day, and the iconic machine re-debuts today as a 2022 model year machine, with a number of smart updates to its rugged design.
After teasing some details, and seeing some others leak ahead of today’s debut, we finally get to officially see the all-new Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS.
The original streetfighter, the Triumph Speed Triple is the OG standard when it comes to the naked sport bikes segment, but the British brand has seen this iconic model soften in recent years when compared to the competition.
In fact, our review of the last generation of the Triumph Speed Triple demoted the three-cylinder machine to the “roadster” category, as its teeth had clearly lost their edge over the years, leading it to become a more subdued ride for the street.
The folks in Hinckley must have taken exception to that kind of comparison because their response for the 2021 model year was to build an all-new Speed Triple with a serious focus on performance.
When we first saw the Aprilia RS 660, we knew that the parallel-twin platform would be used on a variety of bikes, one of which being a “naked” Tuono 660 model (as well as an ADV-styled Tuareg 660).
While the RS 660 took a little longer than expected to go into production, thanks largely to the coronavirus outbreak, the Italians in Noale have caught back up with things, and today we see the Aprilia Tuono 660 debuting as a 2021 model – ready in dealerships in just a couple months.
Announcing deliveries of the bike for the “end of Q1 2021”, the Aprilia Tuono 660 is a model that we have been eagerly awaiting for this year.
Pricing starts at $10,499 in the USA ($12,795 for our Canadian readers), and you can tack on another $200 if you want it in the “Acid Gold” color scheme (Canadians are looking at $13,095 for this Mountain Dew green livery).
Another juicy news item that comes to us straight from the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast, we get word that Kramer Motorcycles is working on a cheaper version of the Kramer HKR Evo2 race bike.
Based around the 690cc single-cylinder engine from KTM, the Kramer HKR Evo2 R is current available for a gasp-worthy amount of $22,500, which is obviously a lot of coin for a lightweight-class race bike.
Hoping to make that entry into the brand a little easier, and to provide racers with a platform that they can develop and customize themselves, we get word that Kramer is looking at a cheaper version of the Evo2, which will cost south of the $15,000 price point in the USA.
As we get closer to the debut of the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 for the 2021 model year, information about this adventure bike is making its way into Harley-Davidson’s various channels, which means it’s making its way into the ears of our Bothan spies.
First reported on the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast, our initial news is that the Pan America will debut at a fairly affordable price for the category, starting around the $17,000 mark.
With all the bells and whistles installed, the bike is still expected to be a sub-$20,000 machine, which makes it one of the more affordable luxury ADV bikes on the market.
The 2021 model year sees another refresh coming to the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, as Team Green has given its WorldSBK-winning superbike a facelift and some updates to keep things at the pointy end.
As we predicted a few weeks ago, this is an update to the current Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, not an all new machine, with the most obvious changes coming to the bike’s bodywork, which features an integrated winglet design…and a face only a mother could love.
If you took a look at the all-new Yamaha MT-09, and were left wanting something with a bit more of a premium punch, then Yamaha Motor USA is picking up what you’re putting down.
As such, say hello to the more premium-spec 2021 Yamaha MT-09 SP.
The concept here is simple: take the value-positioned Yamaha MT-09 that just debuted a few days ago, and put on it better suspension and visual features. Pricing starts at $10,999 MSRP.