An unveiling we expected at the EICMA show last year, Ducati has chosen the new year to unveil the updates coming to its Scrambler 1100 lineup, which now come with a “Pro” moniker.
Late last year, there was much speculation regarding what the tipped” Pro” name would entail exactly, and today we learn that it is a modest upgrade to the Scrambler 1100 line, with mostly aesthetic changes being the name of the game.
In what has to be one of the most protracted business arrangements in motorcycle industry history, Triumph and Bajaj have finally officially announced the signing of their non-equity partnership to make motorcycles together.
The plan is exactly that, a long-term plan to jointly create mid-sized (200cc to 750cc) motorcycles for the Triumph and Bajaj brands, using the strengths of both companies.
While both parties will be bringing resources and expertise to the table, Triumph and Bajaj will extract very different things from their new relationship.
It might still be the winter time, but things are beginning to thaw for the MotoGP Championship, as we have our first team reveal for the 2020 season.
Ducati Corse is the first factory to reveal its machine for this year, but of course we all know that what shows up in Qatar is likely to differ to what is seen here, making this more of a livery unveiling and a bit of hype for the upcoming season.
That being said, we are still suckers for some good MotoGP machinery, and the Ducati Desmosedici GP20 is arguably the best bike on the grid right now in grand prix racing.
Thanks to some intrepid and lucky individuals, more information about the upcoming Ducati Superleggera V4 is trickling out of Ducati’s special website, which shows the 234hp / 335 lbs (dry) motorcycle in all of its elemental detail.
Today’s data stream comes from a leaked video off of the Superleggera microsite, which shows in detail the different mechanical bits and bobs that will feature on this exclusive superbike.
When you think of race bikes to use for battle on the race track, an old air-cooled BMW boxer twin is probably not the machine your mind immediately lands upon. Though, custom builder Scott Kolb is making a strong case to change that opinion.
This is because his latest creation is a 310 lbs purpose-built racing machine, with 82hp on tap for good measure.
Built around a 1976 BMW R90/6 boxer-twin engine, this blend of something new and something old would certainly be potent – and legal – in most lightweight club racing classes, and that tickles us in all the right places.
When Harley-Davidson showed its design concepts for its future electric motorcycles, we were struck by the Bar & Shield’s plans for a road-going flat track bike…for two reasons.
For starters, the design and vehicle format seemed promising. In fact, it was surprising that it took an electric powertrain to get Harley-Davidson hip to its flat track roots and then apply them to the company’s street-bike offerings.
The second reason our interests were piqued was because of the bike’s very obvious use of Alta’s EV powertrain components, which made sense at the time since Harley-Davidson was a major investor in the electric motorcycle startup.
Another recall from Triumph Motorcycles America, this one affects 3,244 units of certain Triumph Thruxton motorcycles – specifically the 2016-2018 Thruxton, 2016-2019 Thruxton R and 2020 Thruxton TFC.
The recall concerns the bikes’ kickstand spring, which may fracture and possibly allow the kickstand switch to activate and shut off the engine. If this occurs while riding the motorcycle, it could lead to the rider crashing, hence the recall.
Triumph Speed Twin motorcycle owners should take note that their steeds are going in for a winter recall, as it has been discovered that there could be issues with shifting through the gears on the bike.
The recall affects both 2019 and 2020 models of the Speed Twin, with just over 1,300 motorcycles in the recall group.
If you were an American hoping to buy the new Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, you better hold onto your butt because we just got pricing on this incredible new superbike, and it will cost $28,500 in the United States.
The US pricing is a considerable break from Honda’s normal pricing scheme (and our own predictions here at A&R), and is more in line with the currency costs found in other markets.
For example, the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP will retail for £23,499 in the UK and €27,000 on mainland Europe – both of those prices equaling roughly $30,000 in US dollars.
Episode 28 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and as always, it is packed with some interesting motorcycle discussions…and some strong opinions.
Our show starts with news from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where we saw the new Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 airbag vest, and the electric superbike from Damon Motorcycles.
The latter provides quite a bit of fodder for a frank conversation about this motorcycle debut, and the lofty promises the Canadian company is making about its product.
In case you haven’t been following every day of the Dakar Rally – held this year for the first time in Saudi Arabia – you might want to keep your eyes on this iconic off-road racing tonight/tomorrow.
This is because American rider Ricky Brabec is on the verge of winning The Dakar, as he holds nearly a 14-minute lead over his next-closest competitor, Pablo Quintanilla.
A win from Brabec would be a huge disruption to the order of things, for several reasons.