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November 2010

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2011 Honda CB1000R – Paint That’s Too Cool for the USA

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The 2011 Honda CB1000R gets only minor revisions for 2011, but still the naked version of the CBR1000RR continues to be “too cool” for the United States is finally coming to the United States, and flaunts that fact with its revised color scheme and revised LED front head lamp. While Europe will get the cool tri-color paint scheme, Honda America will only be importing the black version of the CB1000R. CB fans have been clamoring for the Honda CB1000R to be brought to the US, especially with the growing popularity of the street-naked segment.

The fact that the CB1000R’s biggest rival, the Z1000 is available in the USA as well, has helped fuel that fire, and it appears Honda has finally comes to its senses, and pulled the trigger. The CB1000R looks great in black (once you ditch that exhaust rain gutter of an exhaust pipe), but we’re partial to the heritage behind the tri-color paint. We’ll just have amuse ourselves by drooling over these photos. Check them out after the jump.

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2011 Honda Crossrunner

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Finally unveiled, this is the much-hyped 2011 Honda Crossrunner that Honda has been releasing sketches of for the past month. A 782cc 90° V4 that’s derived from the VFR800 series, Crossrunner’s liquid-cooled, DOHC motor makes 102hp and 54 lbs•ft of torque. Honda hopes the Crossrunner will fill in a gap that is a cross between a naked street bike and an adventure bike, but has been very clear that it intends the Crossrunner to be a road-only machine (the Honda Crosstourer Concept should fill the off-road need just fine).

Sans a shaft-drive, the Honda Crossrunner will come with a chain final drive, uses an evolution of the VFR’s VTEC valve system for its 16 valves, and features Honda’s combined-ABS braking system. Road warriors get excited because the 2011 Honda Crossrunner comes with a 5.68 gallon tank. The only downside? The Honda Crossrunner is 530lbs when its on the curb. Photos and technical specifications after the jump.

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Officially Official: 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200

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After first making the 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200’s owner’s manual available to Aprilia owners, then showing a photo of the Dorsoduro 1200 during Piaggio’s HQ launch in Milan, along with a subsequent video, Aprilia is now ready to officially tell us about its 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200. Available with Aprilia Traction Control (ATC) and anti-lock brakes (ABS) as an option, the Dorsoduro 1200 makes 130hp and 83 lbs•ft of torque with its 492lbs curb weight (a figure Aprilia conveniently leaves out of its press release). The maximoto to the Shiver’s street-naked, the Aprilia’s 1197cc liquid-cooled platform is under-powered and over-weight when compared to the other bikes in the 1200cc category.

While Aprilia positions the Dorsoduro as a maximotard, we’re not sure how the lack of umpf and extra heft will go over with the sporty crowd. With rumors of a Shiver 1200 still circling about, and an early glimpse of the Tuono V4R already showing a 162hp machine, we’re still not sure how this 1200cc street-only motard fits into Aprilia’s model line-up, and how it will differentiate itself to potential buyers.

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The Ducati Diavel Photo Gallery

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If you fall into the camp of people who love the Ducati Diavel, we’ve got a special treat for you as there are 80 hi-res photos waiting after the jump (there’s a video too if you haven’t seen that already). However if the new performance cruiser from Ducati isn’t your cup of tea, well…here is a movie about rejection (so you can understand how the Diavel feels about your position) and a photo of a basket full of puppies, which should make everyone feel a lot better (who doesn’t like puppies?).

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First Video of the Ducati Diavel

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Want to see how the Ducati Diavel‘s 240mm wide rear-wheel handles the tarmac? The Bologna company has a video for that. With it we get a better idea of what the Diavel will look like in motion, along with a glimpse at the bike’s other features (keep an eye out for the secondary dash).

While there is parts of the bike that we are still coming to terms with, there is certainly aspects of the Diavel that come across as pure genius, one of which has to be the signal integration into the bodywork.

After looking at the Diavel, every other bike on the planet looks out of date with its black plastic Christmas tree hanging off the tail section, and boring orange marker lights up front. You’ll know the scene we’re talking about when you see it, after the jump.

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2011 Ducati Monster 1100 EVO

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Ducati has updated the Monster 1100, giving it the EVO treatment, which brings with it +5hp on top (for a total of 100hp), while keep torque at 76 lbs•ft. The 2011 Ducati Monster 1100 EVO also benefits from Ducati’s electronics package, which now includes standard ABS, Ducati Traction Control (DTC), and Ducati Data Acquisition (DDA) as standard OEM equipment.

Fitted with a two-canister side exhaust (you can debate if this is being channeled from the Diavel or the Streetfighter), the Monster 1100 EVO tips the scales at 373lbs, 4lbs less than the 2010 Monster 1100 ABS. In addition to these goodies, Ducati has also revised the sitting position by adding a new seat and a 20mm higher bar-riser, there’s some nice rally stripes thrown into the mix.

Diehard Ducati fans will be sad to hear the Monster 1100 EVO is fitted with the APTC wet clutch, making for smoother transmission work, but perhaps less Italian soul (this means the entire Monster line will now have wet clutches). Photos after the jump.

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Banter

EICMA Intermission – The Trials of Fred Crosset

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It’s Monday, and EICMA hasn’t even officially started yet, but that hasn’t stopped coming out of the Milan venue. To give us you a break from the madness, here is a video of Belgian trials rider Fred Crosset doing what he does best. We’ve been known to do a lot of stupid things here at A&R, but riding a bike on top of the support beams of a bridge is not one of them. Chalk one point up for Belgium, and watch it all the way through for the surprise ending.

Source: The Kneeslider

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First Look: Honda Crosstourer Concept

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While Honda won’t release more info on its new 800cc V4-based adventure bike and 1,200cc V4 adventure concept until a day or two from now, the folks at Oliepeil snapped this photo of the Honda booth, which shows a bike very similar to Honda’s teaser image. Looking very GS-esque, it will be interesting to see the results on Honda’s foray into the adventure bike segment with a V4 motor.

Source: Oliepeil.nl

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2011 Aprilia Tuono V4 R: Proof That Some Bikes Should Leave Their Clothes On [UPDATED]

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UPDATE: Larger photos and more details have been added.

Well here’s your first look at the 2011 Aprilia Tuono V4 R. While we don’t have official information, the Tuono V4 line seemingly comes equipped with the Aprilia Performance Rider Control package. Sharing its frame with the RSV4 superbike, the Aprilia Tuono V4 R receives a de-tuned motor with performance figures coming in at 162hp and 81 lbs•ft of torque. Like the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE, the Tuono V4 R will be fitted with APRC system, which will bring traction control, anti-lock brakes, wheelie control, launch control, quick-shifter, and rider-selectable driving modes to the naked V4.

Braking power comes from radial Brembo monobloc calipers mated to 320mm discs up front. Suspension is done by Sachs, with 43mm titanium nitride (TiN) forks and a four-way adjustable (compression, rebound, pre-load, and ride height) rear shock with piggyback reservoir. The 2011 Tuono V4 R comes with new wheels that are 5 lbs lighter than the ones that come on the Aprilia RSV4 R. We apologize for the small photos after the jump, but perhaps that’s better so as to help you avert your eyes from this abortion of a motorcycle.

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More Photos and Details about the MV Agusta F3

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The new MV Agusta F3 is supposed to be unveiled until tomorrow, but you wouldn’t know it by the rate at which information is leaking from the Varese-based company. With more photos showing off the lines of the F3, will also get details on its design and mechanics. We already know the MV Agusta F3 will use a compact three-cylinder design for its supersport inspired 675cc motor. Helping achieve that compact design though is a counter-rotating crankshaft, which when combined with the elongated swingarm, should help keep the front wheel down when on the gas.

MV Agusta is also including a variety of electronics for the F3, with ride-by-wire, traction control, and multiple rider-selectable engine maps being available. The chassis is comprised of steel tubing mated to aluminum side panels, while suspension comes from Marzocchi Forks and Sachs shocks. Photos after the jump.

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