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More Photos of the New Ducati Multistrada 939

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For the 2017 model year, Ducati will release a smaller version of its popular adventure-tourer, dubbed the Ducati Multistrada 939. As the name suggests, this new Multistrada will use the 937cc v-twin engine that is found on the current Ducati Hypermotard, and recently released Ducati SuperSport.

Photos reveal that the 2017 Ducati Multistrada 939 will have a double-sided swingarm, helping to distinguish it from the Multistrada 1200, which uses a single-sided swingarm.

What is harder to glean from the photos though is that Ducati is said to have made the Multistrada 939 physically smaller than the Multistrada 1200, offering a lower seat height and overall lower riding height than its larger sibling.

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Bikes

BMW Says That This Is the Future of Motorcycles

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Fresh as an MBA graduate, in the very early days of Asphalt & Rubber, I had an interview with a prominent Fortune 500 company that was well-known for its 100 year plan.

This was a topic of conversation during my job interview, as I found it intriguing that a company could even pretend to predict what the world will look like in 100 years.

To find the arrogance in this notion, imagine the trying to predict things like social media, cell phones, the internet, automobiles, commercial flying, and space travel…all at the turn of the 20th century.

With the rate of change we have seen in the past 100 years, apply that same trend to the next 100 years, and you will see how futile such a prediction can be. What don’t know what we don’t know, in this regard.

So, it’s with some amusement that we share with you today BMW Motorrad’s vision for motorcycling in the next 100 years.

The German brand calls its the BMW Motorrad VISION NEXT 100, and says that the concept “embodies the BMW Group’s vision of biking in a connected world – an analogue experience in a digital age.”

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Bikes

XXX: High-Resolution Photos of the 2017 MV Agusta F3 RC

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We have talked before about the limited edition models of the MV Agusta F3 675 RC and MV Agusta F3 800 RC, special edition machines that carry the livery of MV Agusta’s World Supersport effort.

Nothing significant has changed for the 2017 model year, which means this is yet again another exercise primarily in aesthetic. Still, we imagines the 350 owners who are fortunate enough to purchase one of these RC machines will be happy with their acquisition.

For our part, we couldn’t pass up sharing these 23 high-resolution photos of these gorgeous machines. Enjoy them, after the jump.

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Bikes

BMW Lac Rose Concept Going into Production for 2017

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In addition to updating the BMW R1200GS for the 2017 model year, our sources tell us that the BMW Lac Rose concept will debut as a production model at the EICMA show next month in Milan, Italy.

Based off the BMW R nineT platform, the Lac Rose (not the name that BMW will use once it debuts) will serve as the Bavarian brand’s heritage ADV bike, keeping its obvious themes to the Dakar Rally in place, with the proper amount of nostalgia for the category.

This should give O.G. airheads a proper air-cooled throwback ADV bike option (say that three times fast), which will serve as a counterpoint to the updates we can expect from the 2017 BMW R1200GS and the revisions we have already seen for the 2017 BMW S1000XR.

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Bikes

BMW R1200GS Getting Updated for 2017

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We call our inside sources in the industry “Bothan Spies” because they work tirelessly to provide us with good information, and today is no different. As such, Asphalt & Rubber can confirm that BMW Motorrad will update its best-selling motorcycle at the EICMA show in Milan, the BMW R1200GS.

Our sources tell us that the 2017 BMW R1200GS will see a host of improvements over its predecessor. The most notable changes will be the revised bodywork, though changes have also been made to the suspension and electronics as well.

What remains to be seen though is whether BMW massages in some more power to the boxer-twin on the R1200GS, to help it keep up with the more powerful offerings coming from other manufacturers.

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Bikes

BMW K1600B – Germany’s Six-Cylinders of Bagger

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We’ve expect for some time to see BMW Motorrad debut a bagger model, based off its K1600 touring bike platform, and now the wait is over. The attractive BMW Concept 101 teased this much to us, and today that speculation can be put to rest, with the release of the 2017 BMW K1600B.

Like the Honda Gold Wing F6B, the concept behind this six-cylinder motorcycle here is pretty simple, and its hope is to go after a large motorcycle segment that is dominated by one brand: Harley-Davidson.

As has been BMW’s playbook for the 2017 model year, the K1600B floods a space that BMW is already a heavy-hitter in, offering even more options to riders who are looking to pound some pavement, this time with some bagger appeal.

Helping make that appeal, BMW’s inline-six engine will make 160hp for the 2017 model year, thanks to Euro 4 regulations. The BMW K1600B will also see a 2.75″ seat height drop, fixed side cases (hence the “bagger” name), and various subtle styling changes from the GT/GTL models.

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Podcast

Two Enthusiasts Podcast #35 – No Brainer

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Episode 35 of the Two Enthusiasts Podcast comes to us right after my trip to Los Angeles for the Arai Helmets press launch for the Quantum-X and Signet-X helmets. The show covers these new helmets, as well as what it’s like to ride the Piaggio MP3 500 – a three-wheeled leaning scooter. Spoiler alert, it’s pretty fun.

The conversation about helmets eventually evolves into a discussion about helmet design and construction, how the business side of this part of the industry works, and what the future holds for helmet designs.

There’s a fair bit of debunking going on in this part of the show, with helmets being a subject where conjecture and bad information exist in too large of quantity.

The show ends with a listener question from the folks at Rizoma, who was about air injection for emissions controls. This leads into a pretty lengthy conversation about how motorcycle control the gases they emit, and also how valve timing affects how motorcycle make power and handle emissions.

As always, you can listen to the show via the embedded SoundCloud player, after the jump, or you can find the show on iTunes (please leave a review) or this RSS feed. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well. Enjoy the show!

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Bikes

New Base Model Honda CBR1000RR to Debut at EICMA

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If the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR SP is a little out your superbike budget, with its roughly $20,000 price tag (actual MSRP to be confirmed soon), then you will be happy to hear that a base model version of the updated CBR1000RR will be debuting at the upcoming EICMA show in November.

There is no word on the base model Honda CBR1000RR beyond the bike’s debut, at this moment, though we can make some guesses about what to expect from Big Red in Milan, based off what we’ve seen with SP and SP2 models.

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Bikes

BMW G310GS Spied, Again

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BMW Motorrad’s pint-sized adventure, the BMW G310GS, has been spied again, this time in motion on a public road. Looking ready in production trim, we surely will see the small-displacement model debut next month at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy.

This is the second time that the 2017 BMW G310GS has been spied in recent days, giving us a good idea of what to expect from this ~300cc ADV machine.

The styling takes a strong resemblance to the BMW R1200GS, likely to help forge a relation between the iconic adventure bike with its new smaller sibling.

At the core of course is the same 313cc single-cylinder engine that powers the BMW G310R street bike. This should give the BMW G310GS roughly 34hp at the crank, and a mass that is around the 350 lbs mark, wet and fully fueled.

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Bikes

Checkout This Historic Suzuki DR-Z Dakar Rally Race Bike

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One of the gems on display at the INTERMOT expo in Cologne, Germany this year was this Dakar Rally race bike, built off the Suzuki DR-Z dual-sport model. A predecessor to the bikes that share its name now, these DR-Z750 and DR-Z800 bikes were the OG of adventure bikes.

The modern-day equivalent now is the DR-Z400, which comes to the US both in a dual-sport and supermoto trims. Despite closing in on its second decade of service, the DR-Z400 remains a popular model, offering a reliable motorcycle package at an affordable price.

As a rally raid racer, the Suzuki DR-Z400 offers a reliable and affordable racing platform for privateers, and if you look far enough down the entry list of races like the Dakar Rally, you will find this venerable dirt bike listed.

This particular DR-Z800 was raced by Belgian Gaston Rahier, a two-time Dakar Rally winner (’84 & ’85) on the BMW R100GS, but during the 1989 Dakar Rally, he campaigned this Suzuki with the Hessler Rallye Team.

Rahier’s race bike is a cool piece of history, and it is an interesting glimpse into a piece of Suzuki’s past that should be remembered.

The headlines out of INTERMOT have been about the return of the King of Superbikes, so its easy to forget that Suzuki’s success go beyond the road racing paddock. Hopefully we’ll see a follow-up on great bikes like these from Suzuki, now that the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has awoken from its slumber.

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Recall

Recall: BMW G650GS & BMW G650GS Sertao

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BMW of North America is recalling certain model year BMW G650GS & BMW G650GS Sertao motorcycles, manufactured March 8, 2013 to October 12, 2015. In total, 1,398 motorcycles are affected by this recall.

The recall centers around a software issue in the bikes’ engine control unit (ECU), which cause an affected motorcycle to stall, thus increasing the risk of a crash.

To rectify the situation, BMW will notify affect G650GS owners, and BMW dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge. This recall is expected to begin November 18, 2016. Owners should note that this recall supersedes recall 15V-537.

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