Well it didn’t take long for news of Triumph’s pricing information for the United States to surface, after the European pricing came out last week. Announced to Triumph dealers in the United States, the 2011 Triumph Tiger 800 will hit dealership floors with a MSRP of $9,999, while the 2011 Triumph Tiger 800 XC will cost $10,999. ABS for both Tigere 800 models will be an additional $800 option.

Compare that to the BMW F650GS (still an 800cc motorcycle mind you), which has a base price of $9,255 ($10,155 with ABS), and the BMW F800GS’s starting price of $11,395 ($12,295 if you want ABS). We’ll let you decide how Triumph has positioned itself against the two BMW’s, but also bear in mind that it’s hard to find a BMW without the standard options package (a $1,500 package that includes ABS, heated grips, and a ride computer).

News

Two months ago when Harley-Davidson stuck an ultimatum to its union workers, the company asked for work force concessions while it threatend to move production out of its Tomahawk and Menomonee Falls. Hoping to help sway the vote and keep Harley put, the State of Wisconsin extended Harley-Davidson a $25 million tax incentive to help lure the company into keeping production at its Wisconsin facilities. While the unions eventually caved to Harley-Davidson’s will, the Bar & Shield company announced today that it will not be taking Wisconsin up on its offer for tax breaks.

News

If you’ve heard any loud thuds while visiting A&R the past two weeks, it’s been us falling over ourselves over the 2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R. For 2011, the new RC8 R gets a number of refinements to its already stout package, and for the spec sheets racers the most drool-worthy stat perhaps is the bike’s modest power boost to 175hp, up from its base of 167hp. There’s a kicker to that power figure though, it comes from switching the base engine map, which is designed for 91 octane (AKI rating, which is what we use here in the USA), to a 93 octane map.

Bikes

We don’t know if the whole dirt bike into street bike club racing thing is more than just a fad, but the BeOn SXV 450 sure looks like it would be a blast during our local track day excursions. Based around an Aprilia SXV 4.5 supermotard, BeOn has constructed a body kit that includes roadracing fairings, fuel tank, and seat with rear tail. While the motor and frame remain stock, other amenities include road oriented suspension, wheels, gearing, and single-disc brakes.