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In case you haven’t noticed, the Supersport 300 class is heating up, and perhaps most interestingly with virtually zero machines with a 300cc displacement…but that is a subject for another time.

This has put pressure on KTM to remain at the pointy end of business in the small-displacement category, which has lead the Austrian company to the release of a homologation special for the 300cc class. As such, say hello to the 2018 KTM RC390 R sport bike.

A street legal motorcycle, the KTM RC390 R aims to sharpen the points where the entry-level KTM RC390 is a bit dull, namely by using better suspension and new intake trumpets that widen the powerband, but also with a new triple clamp, clip-ons, and levers.

With an MSRP of $8,499 for the RC390 R, the “ready to race” model commands a $3,000 premium over its lower-spec sibling. Of course, if you are really serious about your racing, you will want KTM’s Supersport 300 race kit as well, which will set you back another $11,000.

That’s right, for nearly $20,000, you can race in the “affordable” 300cc race class with KTM.

Yamaha is gearing up to go racing in the FIM World Supersport Championship, finally bringing back once again a factory team to the 600cc class, and it plans to do so with the 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6.

At EIMCA today, Team Blue gave us our first glimpse of the bike that factory riders Lucas Mahias and Federico Caricasulo, and factory-supported riders Niki Tuuli and Sheridan Morais, will compete with next season in World Supersport.

World Supersport rules don’t allow much in the way of modification to the Yamaha YZF-R6, so while the bike you see here is still just a gussied-up production bike, the actually race bike that the teams will use will differ in only minute ways.

Changes made to the R6 shown here include a set of race fairings, an Akrapovi? Evo full titanium exhaust, 320mm Brembo T-drive front brake discs, 43mm forks with Öhlins cartridges, and Pirelli Diablo DOT race tires.

The 2017 Honda CBR1000RR was easily one of the most talked about machines at the 2016 INTERMOT show in Cologne, Germany.

The new CBR1000RR is still the same platform that we have seen from previous model years, though it is also a big step for Honda, keeping the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer relevant in the superbike segment.

This mixture of old and new has certainly lead to some intrigue from the sport bike community, so in effort to answer some of the questions posed by our readers, we reached out to American Honda for some answers.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is a perfectly capable superbike on the track, but as with any bike available for the street, compromises have to be made. That’s why Kawasaki always makes special factory racing parts, available right from your local Kawasaki dealer.

For the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, things are no different, and now Kawasaki has released this year’s go-fast parts catalog. If you are a privateer, looking for some factory-backed performance, this should be your first stop before your racing season begins.

Tasty items include an adjustable ECU that optimizes fuel, ignition, timing, over-rev, traction control, launch control, etc. There is also an ABS dongle that can disable anti-locking brakes for one or both of the wheels.

Of course, you can also get the usual chassis adjustment pieces and engine performance parts that you would expect from an OEM racing kit…just be sure to bring your wallet, winning isn’t cheap.

Have you ever wanted a 2010 MV Agusta 1099RR, but thought the bike’s 144hp just wasn’t enough umpf for you. Well MV Agusta has you in mind with this “track only” Cannonball Kit that adds 21hp (165hp in total) to the top of the 1099RR’s peak horsepower figure.

Not an actual new bike from MV, the Cannonball Kit features a new ECU, cylinder head, camshafts, valves, and titanium exhaust system, which boosts horsepower on the Brutale 1090RR without sacrificing any of the bike’s down low torque, which remains at 84.81 lbs•ft.

The intention is to make the Brutale 1090RR a track day weapon, however we think most of the kits will find their way onto daily riders…but keep that on the down-low, it’s not exactly street legal.

After a strong showing at this year’s Dakar Rally, Aprilia has seen a growing demand from non-factory backed teams who are interested in running the Aprilia RXV 4.5 Rally bike in the Dakar and other adventure racing series. Bending to this demand, Aprilia, in conjunction with Team Giofil, will be making available ready-to-race RXV 4.5 Rally motorcycles to private riders.