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Jensen Beeler

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The third of Ducati’s all-new machines for the 2019 model year (check out the Panigale V4 R and Hypermotard 950), the Ducati Diavel 1260 takes an original concept, and cranks it up to 11. Part streetfighter, part power-cruiser, the Ducati Diavel 1260 is the sportier cousin to the Ducati XDiavel, with mid-controls for the feet.

The two Italian cruisers now share a power plant, the Testastretta DVT 1262 engine, which means 157hp  (117 kW) on tap, with a peak torque figure of  95 lbs•ft (117 Nm). Tipping the scales at 480 lbs wet (218kg), there is plenty of “umpf!” to launch one down the street, which is good considering that the 2019 Ducati Diavel 1260 comes with a power launch feature.

One of our favorite machines in the Ducati lineup is about to get a big upgrade for the 2019 model year. As such, say hello to the Ducati Hypermotard 950. We have seen a teasing of photos and details on the new Hypermotard already, and now today at EICMA we finally get to see this new supermoto for the street.

It is evolution, not revolution, for the 2019 Ducati Hypermotard 950, with the bike getting a modest 4hp increase (now 112hp / 84 kW), thanks to its renewed 937 cm³ Testastretta 11° engine, along with a 6.6 lbs weight reduction. Ducati has also blessed the Hypermotard 950 with more features, which include a large TFT dash and robust electronics suite.

The big reveal at Ducati’s live stream event for EICMA 2018 is surely the Italian brand’s new homologation racing machine, the Ducati Panigale V4 R. A 998cc version of its potent street bike, the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R takes full advantage of the homologation rules for the WorldSBK Championship.

As such, the Ducati Panigale V4 R will surely hit the top limit of the World Superbike pricing cap, which is €40,000. For that price though, you get the pinnacle of Ducati’s superbike technology, including the company’s first use of winglets on a street-legal machine, which come straight from Ducati Corse’s MotoGP program.

Of course, the real show-stopper for the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R are the tech specs: 217hp (162 kW), with 83 lbs•ft (112 Nm) of peak torque, wrapped up in a 425 lbs (193kg) package, when fully fueled at the curb.

By now, true motorcycle enthusiasts should be familiar with MV Agusta’s lineup of “RC” models from its sport bike lineup. These race inspired machines are limited in quantity, feature a unique race-inspired livery, and arrive with extra go fast parts that come in a special wood box.

The RC models are strong sellers for MV Agusta, so it is not surprising to see that the concept has permeated from the company’s superbike offering to virtually every machine in the Italian company’s lineup. For the 2019 model year, this idea is no different.

The EICMA festivities kick off tomorrow, with Ducati preempting the Milan trade show with its own media unveil event. The new model debuts will be live-streamed, of course, and we expect to see a bevy of new models from the Bologna brand.

Before we uncover even one bike though, Ducati is sending a clear message of what we can expect to see, teasing a winglet on its live stream promo photo. This aerodynamic aid surely belongs to the Ducati Panigale V4 R, which is expected to be the Italian brand’s big reveal for EICMA.

The 2019 EICMA show in Milan is next week, and there we expect to see a bevy of new models, including a few from Aprilia, but those crafty Italian have gotten a jump on things, releasing today the 2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory.

As we predicted, the new top-spec superbike is getting a displacement increase to 1,078cc on its 65° V4 engine (we wonder why), which gives the new Aprilia RSV4 Factory a class-leading peak power figure of 214hp (159.6 kW), and 90 lbs•ft (122 Nm) of torque.

Matching that substantial gain in power, the 2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory gets a solid weight reduction, tipping the scales at 439 lbs when fully fueled. Helping cut the weight down is a lithium-ion battery from Bosch and a street legal titanium exhaust from Akrapovic.

For those doing the math, we will save you the trouble: the 2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory weighs 11 lbs lighter than its predecessor, and makes 16hp more power, and 5 lbs•ft more torque as well. Win, win, win.

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.

MV Agusta has raised an additional €40 million in funding, the Italian firm reports, bringing its total in fundraising to €50 million over the last 12 months, as the company moves past its previous financial troubles.

With the capital increase comes a change in the leadership structure at MV Agusta, with Giovanni Castiglioni continuing as the company’s President, while investor Timur Sardarov takes on the role of the company’s new CEO and Chairman of the Board.

This arrangement should mean that Castiglioni will focus on the day-to-day business of MV Agusta and its product lineup, while  Sardarov will mind the company’s financial future and big-picture strategy, including the company’s new business plan.

It started life as the Benelli 2ue, debuting at the 2009 EICMA show as a follow-up model to the gorgeous (but horribly flawed) Benelli TnT 1130 series. The next year, the concept stayed the same, though the name changed to the Benelli Due – the “two” referring to the parallel-twin engine of this middleweight, distinguishing it from its three-cylinder sibling.

Since then, Benelli’s 750cc-class naked sport bike has popped up here and there, teasing us relentlessly. Last year at EICMA, the machine showed up again as a concept, slightly changed from its previous incarnation, though largely the same.

Now, we are being told that the 2019 Benelli 752S is ready for primetime (we have heard that before, mind you), and seemingly still, the Italian designed motorcycle continues to intrigues us.