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Jensen Beeler

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Details Emerge About the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR

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Our colleagues at NieuwsMotor have been up to their usual trade show tricks today, and seemingly they have gotten ahold ofthe technical specs for the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR.

They are reporting that the venerable superbike will get an increase of roughly 10hp, along with a diet of 33 lbs (15kg). Other features include Öhlins semi-active suspension, different riding modes (likely via ride-by-wire), and traction control (HSTC – Honda Select Torque Control).

The new Honda CBR1000RR is of course Euro4 compliant, and Honda is apparently touting that 90% of the machine has been redesigned for the 2017 model year.

To be certain, out of all the machines set to debut at the INTERMOT show tomorrow, the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR is the one we are looking forward to seeing the most.

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Bikes

Ducati SuperSport Photos Leaked

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The big reveal for Ducati, at INTERMOT, will be the Ducati SuperSport. Bologna already teased this machine at this year’s World Ducati Week gathering at Misano, giving hardcore Ducatisti a first look at the sporty street bike.

Naturally, photos of the machine promptly leaked from WDW2016, which coupled with eyewitness reports, means we have a pretty good idea what to expect in Cologne, Germany this week.

Because of all that, we can confirm that the following are indeed photos of the 2017 Ducati SuperSport, though we will obviously have to wait until tomorrow to see high-resolution images and tech specs released.

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Bikes

A Pint-Sized ADV Bike Spotted, The BMW G310GS

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When the BMW G310R debuted, we knew that the Germans would use its small-displacement machine as a platform for other models.

There have been hints that one of those models could be a 300cc-ish adventure bike, and now we get out first glimpse of the so-called BMW G310GS, thanks to Italian magazine Motociclismo.

It’s not clear if we’ll see the 2017 BMW G310GS at this week’s INTERMOT show, or if BMW Motorrad will save the bike for November’s EICMA show, in Italy. Either scenario is equally plausible, and this is something we’ve already covered here at Asphalt & Rubber.

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Bikes

This Looks Like the New BMW R nineT Racer

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INTERMOT is this week, which means that we will see a few “advanced” previews of some of the machines we can expect at the trade show coming in the next 48hrs or so.

The Germanic brands, BMW and KTM usually debut a number of machines at INTERMOT, and the Japanese manufactures usually have a few bikes for us there, as well.

This means new bike season is upon us in earnest, and the first machine to get leaked, teased, or previewed — however you want to define those words as a marketer — appears to be the BMW R nineT Racer – a café racer styled version of the BMW R nineT platform, which we spotted in CARB filings a couple weeks ago.

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Bikes

The Ducati SuperSport Gets Teased Ahead of INTERMOT

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The start of “New Bike Season” is nearly here, with various brands getting their teaser campaigns ready for next week’s INTERMOT show. One of the best in the business at this, Ducati is ready to unveil its long-awaited Ducati SuperSport model.

The rebirth of one of Ducati’s more popular models in the past, the 2017 Ducati SuperSport works on the same idea of making a sporty street bike, which is not only good for spirited weekend rides, but also capable of doing some short-distance touring.

As such, the SuperSport fits a narrow niche in Ducati’s lineup, somewhere between the Hyperstrada 939, the Monster 821, and the Panigale 959.

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Bikes

New Honda CBR1000RR Videos Confirm Inline-Four Engine

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After seeing the spy photos of the Honda CBR1000RR filming in Croatia, we already have a pretty good indication that Honda isn’t going to stray too far from the current Fireblade design. The chassis looks almost exactly the same as the current generation model, as does the engine.

The most recent teasers from Honda confirm this notion, with the Japanese brand showing us four glowing header pipes off an inline-four engine. The exhaust note should end speculation that a crossplane crankshaft has been added to the CBR1000RR, with a distinct “screamer” tone coming from its pipes.

Honda’s next video gives indication that the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR will have an LED headlight, a tip to the likely robust electronics suite that Big Red is bringing to its new superbike, which will compliment the major fairing design upgrade

With the tagline “Total Control” being touted by Honda, we can expect the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR to come with the bevy of electronic rider aids that we have come to expect from this segment: ride-by-wire, traction control, wheelie control, launch control, etc.

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Recall

Recall: Honda Grom & Honda Forza

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American Honda is recalling two machines for problems with their fuel pump internals, the Honda Grom (MXS125) pocket bike and the Honda Forza (NSS300) scooter.

The recall affects 2014-2015 model year machines, and centers around the resin bracket inside the fuel pump, which may swell and cause the pump impeller to seize.

As a consequence of the resin bracket swelling, the fuel pump may seize, which would stall either motorcycle. Because a stalled vehicle can increase the risk of a crash, a safety recall has been issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Bikes

2017 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto Updated with New Motor

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The Husqvarna 701 Supermoto and Husqvarna 701 Enduro will be getting an update for the 2017 model year, with both bikes receiving the updated 690cc single-cyliner engine that is currently found in the new-generation KTM 690 Duke.

The biggest highlight of the new engine is its secondary balancing shaft, which reduces vibrations to the rider, and also allows the big thumper to rev higher and thus create more power.

This means that the 2017 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto will have 74hp (+6hp), as well as 52.6 lbs•ft of peak torque (+4.4 lbs•ft) – a modest gain for this already stout package.

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Podcast

Two Enthusiasts Podcast #34 – Doohickey

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Episode 34 of the Two Enthusiasts Podcast starts off by using the two new Ducati Scrambler models, which were spotted in CARB filings earlier this month, as a jumping off point to talk about how motorcycle manufacturers are chasing the post-authentic biker movement.

We then opine a bit about the apparent decline in the number of scrambler and café racer builds we are seeing in the custom motorcycle scene right now, and how we think that superbikes from the 1980s could be the next platform of choice for bike builders.

This takes the show into a discussion about the rise of electronics, and how they not only affect the motorcycle hobbyist, but also custom motorcycle builders. We then finish up the show with a listener question that asks about for selling advice on a heavily customized Japanese motorcycle.

There might be a revolving KLR joke in there as well…all in all, it’s another classic Two Enthusiasts Podcast show.

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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