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BMW Concept Stunt G 310 Hints at 300cc Models to Come

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At EICMA this year, BMW Motorrad is expected to unveil its first of many 300cc motorcycles that it is developing with Indian partner TVS. While we have known about this news for some time, the German company is just now giving us the official nod, showing today the BMW Concept Stunt G 310 in Brazil

At the core of the Stunt G 310 concept is a single-cylinder engine, likely punched out to 310cc in capacity, given the name. Making things interesting, the cylinder head has been reclined back towards the rider, and rotated 180 degrees in order to create a super-short wheelbase, with an extra-long swingarm, for the concept.

Also of note is the placement of the exhaust silencer, which is mounted vertically, right next to the rear shock. BMW says this is to protect the exhaust can from getting damaged in a crash, though we imagine it’s at the expense of suspension fade.

We doubt much that BMW will keep much of the Concept Stunt G 310’s colors and styling when the German brand’s small-displacement bikes arrive, but clearly BMW Motorrad has younger riders on its brain with the design. Having Chris Pfeiffer help one last time hock the company’s wares helps too.

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Bikes

2016 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Finally Revealed

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We have been seeing for some time now evidence that KTM was set to bring a more touring-focused variant of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R to market, and now today we have confirmation of that fact.

Releasing photos of the still camouflaged 2016 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT, KTM is leaving a little something to the imagination and EICMA, but the company is also confirming that another touring model will enter its lineup.

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Bikes

60th Anniversary Yamaha Models Coming to the USA

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In addition to the priced-to-own Yamaha YZF-R1S debuting today, Yamaha has also announced that its 60th Anniversary livery will be headed to the USA as well.

Yes, this means that yellow & black “speedblock” Yamaha YZF-R1 that you drooled over a month ago will be available for purchase for a cool $16,990 MSRP, along with the Yamaha YZF-R6 ($11,490 MSRP) and Yamaha Super Ténéré ($15,590 MSRP).

As you can tell, the speedblock paint is commanding a $500 premium from Yamaha; and disappointingly, only only the base model R1 and Super Ténéré will get the special livery.

This means that if you have an R1M, R1S, or Super Ténéré ES you will have to figure out some way to swap the plastics out on your machine, if you want to help Yamaha celebrate its 60th anniversary of being in business, that is.

Still, as always, the yellow and black liveries are fetching and attractive on these three machines. If you don’t believe that statement, we have the proof in the high-resolution photos, found after the jump.

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Bikes

2016 Yamaha YZF-R1S – A Poor Man’s R1

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All the conjecture can finally be put aside, as Yamaha has finally pulled back the curtain on its rumored third variant of the current YZF-R1 – we simply know it as the 2016 Yamaha YZF-R1S.

As was rumored, the Yamaha YZF-R1S sits below what we used to call the “base model” R1, offering an even more affordable option for riders who couldn’t quite afford the current R1’s hefty $16,490 price tag.

Yamaha made no qualms about saying that the current YZF-R1 was a track bike first, a street bike second. Now replacing some of the more exotic parts on the R1, the R1S keeps much of the R1’s track-oriented DNA, but offers it in a more paltry $14,990 price tag, on a bike that is directed at more price-conscious street riders.

The end result is a machine that loses many of its magnesium parts for aluminum ones (oil pan, engine covers, wheels), as well as its titanium ones for steel ones (connecting rods and exhaust headers), which cause the YZF-R1S to gain 9 lbs over the YZF-R1.

Furthering the watering-down trend, the Yamaha R1S loses some power too, thanks in part to the steel con-rods, as well as a revised valve design.

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Bikes

Ducati 959 Panigale Spotted – Not Much Has Changed

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Ducati was all the talk of last week, after its Ducati 959 Panigale and Ducati Hypermotard 739 were outed in filings with the California Air Resources Board.

According to the CARB documents, the new “middleweight” Ducati sport bike is set to get a 955cc displacement increase, though we wondered what else would change.

Now we have a pretty good answer, as “spy photos” of the production machine are floating around the internet now, which show that the 959 Panigale is very similar in shape to the 899 Panigale it replaces.

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MotoGP

Will Inertial Measurement Units Allow Cheating in MotoGP?

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The move to a standard electronics package, both hardware and software, had raised the hopes of fans, teams and organizers that a more level playing field could be established, and costs cut.

The ideal sketched by Dorna and IRTA when the plan first came out has proven to be impossible to achieve. The manufacturers have resisted calls for a completely spec hardware and software package, and so a compromise has been reached.

The ECU hardware and software will be built, updated and managed by official electronics supplier to MotoGP, Magneti Marelli. Factories will be free to choose their own sensors, but those sensors will have to be homologated, and made available to any other manufacturer which wishes to use it at a reasonable price.

Not quite all of the sensors, however. In response to a request by the factories, the inertial platform will remain what is called a free device, i.e. any manufacturer can choose to use whichever inertial platform they like, without first submitting it for a approval to Dorna, or making it available to their rivals at a price.

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MotoGP

MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo Sprains Shoulder While Training

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Jorge Lorenzo has sprained his left shoulder in a training accident. The four-time world champion was training on a minibike with some other riders, when he fell heavily on his left shoulder.

The pain was severe enough for him to travel to a medical center in Barcelona, where he was diagnosed with grade 1 sprain of his left shoulder.

Grade 1 sprains are the lowest level injury, a mild sprain. Sources speaking to both Motocuatro and GPOne.com classified the injury as “not serious, nothing to worry about.”

Lorenzo is already underway to Japan, and intends to race at Motegi, the first of three back-to-back flyaway races. How much the injury will hamper him remains to be seen, but given the mild nature of the injury, it should not trouble him too much.

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News

Guy Martin Turns Down Top Gear Show Offer

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It seems Guy Martin won’t be a BBC Top Gear host after all, according to Britain’s Commercial Motor magazine, as the mechanic from Lincolnshire has seemingly turned down the job offer to be one of the hosts of the infamous British show.

Though a disappointment, Martin has seemingly reached this decision because the rigors of hosting Top Gear would have required him to quit his day job of being a mechanic, and interfered with hit motor bike racing pursuits.

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News

Yamaha Is Seriously Using LOLcats to Promote Its New Bikes

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We couldn’t make this story up if we tried, but Yamaha Motor Corporation is using the internet meme “LOLcats” to promote its product launches at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, complete with a kitten-written speech and internet-generated cat-meme photos.

Apparently this all started because in Japan, cats say “nya” instead of “meow” – this of course lead to the name “NYA-maha”…a ham-fisted bit of word play that should have never evolved beyond witty water cooler banter, or the best scene from stoner-favorite Supertroopers.

We seriously don’t know who pitched this idea, or how they fit their giant cojones in that conference room, but they must have been the voodoo master of marketing pitches, because here we are. You win Yamaha. You’ve robbed us of our innocence, but you win.

You cannot un-see this dedicated website, which has a prominent link on Yamaha’s global website. You also can’t un-read this “President’s Address”, or un-see the “product descriptions” for the Tokyo Motor Show, shown after the jump.

It’s all like looking at a solar eclipse of catnip, while getting Rickrolled by a giant multi-national motorcycle corporation that also happens to sell pianos.

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Bikes

Honda Grom 50 Scramblers Are the Cutest Dirt Bikes Ever

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The Honda Grom has been a huge success for Honda, with the unassuming pocket bike basically selling out in its inaugural year, and it is still selling strong to this day.

With two Grom concepts debuting alongside two other concepts of the Honda Super Cub, it is easy to draw some parallels between the iconic Cub line, and its modern-day equivalent, the Grom.

Pint-sized, lovable, and affordable…come on, you know you want one. If you don’t, well first off, we think you’re lying, secondly you should see what Honda is set to show off at the Tokyo Motor Show.

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