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Benelli Leoncino Makes Its Return at EICMA

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Benelli piqued our interest when it said that a legend was returning, and now we know what machine the Italian brand was referring to: the Benelli Leoncino. A historic name for Benelli, the Leoncino (Italian for “lion cub”) was the model that defined the Italian company after World War II.

Like many motorcycles during that time period, the Leoncino offered Italians an affordable way to get around town, when many families could not afford a car, nor could the Italian infrastructure support four-wheeled mass transport.

As a result, many of Italy’s iconic names go their start in this manner (the same can be said of Japan’s motorcycle brands), so the hyper is certainly worthy of a legend’s return. The model teased of course, is a different story.

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BMW to Show Five “New” Models at EICMA

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The EICMA season is clearly upon us, with the first fruits of the Milan show to debut on Monday, an actual day ahead of the expo’s doors opening. Dozens of motorcycle will debut in Italy, from all of the major brands.

BMW Motorrad will of course be at EICMA, and the German brand has telegraphed that five new models will debut at the show, including one world premiere.

The big news for BMW is that a new R-series model will be unveiled, which will almost certainly be the BMW R nineT Scrambler.

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MV Agusta Brutale 800 Gets a Visual Overhaul for 2016

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The crafty folks at Moto.it have gotten their hands on a video that shows the 2016 MV Agusta Brutale 800, which will be getting a modest facelift for the upcoming model year. Details on the model are non-existent at this point, but we can spot obvious style changes on this bike  when compared to the 2015 model.

As such, the tail-section has been replaced with one that uses negative space, like on the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce. Similarly, the fuel tank, exhaust, taillight, and headlight have all been swept backwards, while the intake ducts, and radiator fairings have all been changed.

The chassis and three-cylinder engine seem to be unchanged for 2016, but we’ll have to wait for official word from MV Agusta on that front. Expect to see the 2016 MV Agusta Brutale 800 officially drop on Monday, and be on display at the EICMA show in Milan.

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Moto Guzzi V9 Gets the Teaser Treatment

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The joke might be that Moto Guzzi riders are a little “touched” in the head, but we think anyone who isn’t that concerned about getting from Point A to Point B in the fastest manner possible can appreciate the Italian brand’s latest model.

Getting teased ahead of the EICMA show, this looks to be the first photo of the Moto Guzzi V9 – a stylish retro-cruiser type of machine. The photo comes not from some leaked source, but instead from Moto Guzzi’s own website, where the teaser is displaying prominently (shown above, and enhanced after the jump).

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BMW R nineT Scrambler to Debut at EICMA

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In addition to the electric BMW eRR and learner-focused BMW G310R that we will see at the upcoming EICMA show, BMW Motorrad has confirmed that the highly rumored and expected BMW R nineT Scrambler will become an official model, debuting at the trade show in Milan, Italy.

“With the countless possibilities for individualisation offered by the BMW R nineT and the BMW R nineT Scrambler, we see tremendous potential in the US market, in particular,” said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Board Member of BMW Motorrad.

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2016 BMW G310R Debuts for New Riders

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When BMW Motorrad showed us the BMW G310R Stunt concept, we knew that a small-displacement model from the German company was just around the corner, and sure enough here is the 2016 BMW G310R street bike – project undertaken by BMW with help from India’s TVS Motors.

A 313cc single-cylinder engine with four valves and a dual-overhead cam, the BMW G310R makes 34hp, and tips the scales at 350 lbs. Of note, the cylinder is racked rearward and has been rotated 180° from normal, with the intake facing forward, and the exhaust ports facing rearward, like some more advanced thumpers on the market.

The frame is made-up of tubular steel, with a long swingarm used for better handling characteristics. Suspension is done by upside down forks, and a linearly mounted rear shock, the latter having an adjustable preload. ABS is of course standard.

All-in-all, the BMW G310R should be ideal for the A1 tiered license structure found in the European Union, and the G310R should slot in well with its small-displacement counterparts for markets like the USA.

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2016 Triumph Speed Triple Models Revealed

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We already showed you leaked photos of the 2016 Triumph Speed Triple, and now the British marque is ready for you to officially see its streetfighter model.

Though Triumph is speaking too much about technical details, we can see that the now-called Triumph Speed Triple S and Speed Triple R don’t deviate too far from the previous iteration of the venerable street-bike model. They do boast some important improvements though.

As is readily apparent, the two Speed Triple models have an updated look, but a closer inspection of the spec-sheet reveals an updated engine as well.

Triumph says that it has made over 100 changes – 104, to be precise – to its 1,050cc three-cylinder power plant, which include a new combustion chamber, new cylinder head, new machined crank, new piston design, and new ‘ride-by-wire’ throttle bodies.

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The Ducati Scrambler 400 Spotted?

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Italian magazine Motociclismo has what it says are the first spy shots of the rumored Ducati Scrambler 400, the small-displacement sibling to the current Ducati Scrambler.

While normally it is easy to distinguish a new motorcycle model when it’s on the street, the photos from Motociclismo offer us little insight into how the Scrambler 400 is different from its 803cc kin. Checkout the photos on Motociclismo.it, and you will see what we mean.

This would suggest that we can expect to see a very familiar looking motorcycle make its debut at EICMA in two weeks’ time, with the most noticeable different being the Scrambler 400’s lack of upside-down forks.

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Here’s a Walkaround of the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R

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The 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R might just be an “update” to the WSBK Championship winning superbike, but Team Green has put enough new tech and features into the machine to get us pretty excited about its debut.

Boasting a revised chassis and motor, more electronics, more aerodynamic fairings, Kawasaki not only surprised us, and the rest of the motorcycle media, with its the midlife model refresh, but we think Kawasaki surprised even themselves with the machine, making a bike that potential-R1 buyers will definitely have to consider when they make a trip down to their local dealership.

Team Green has changed so much on the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R that we will let them list all the changes in the video, after the jump. If you can get past the techno music and hyperbole, it is actually pretty interesting.

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Triumph Thruxton Gets Updated for 2016

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It is only logical that if there’s a new water-cooled Triumph Bonneville T120 for the 2016 model year, then the 2016 Triumph Thruxton should get an update as well, right?

Accordingly for 2016, the Triumph Thruxton gets the same more powerful 1,200cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine that is debuting on the Bonneville T120.

Triumph is also adding the Thurxton R to the lineup, a more cafe racer inspired design that comes with a larger front fairing, Öhlins suspension, and Brembo brakes. An optional “Thruxton Inspirational Pack” is available as well, which adds a bevy of cosmetic changes, as well as a Vance & Hines exhaust system.

Like on the Bonneville, the chassis and other components have been improved upon as well, though you would have a hard time seeing those changes, as Triumph has been careful to retain that heritage look on the Thruxton.

We expect that retro-riders who are looking for a reliable café racer out of the box will need to look no further than the 2016 Triumph Thruxton. Expect to see the machine officially debut tomorrow, October 28th.

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