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Updates Coming to the Ducati Multistrada Line for 2018

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In a couple weeks, we will see what new bikes Ducati has coming for the 2018 model year – five new bikes, to be precise – debuting at the 2017 EICMA show in Milan, Italy.

We already have a pretty good idea on what those motorcycles will be, however, as Ducati has already shown us the updated Monster 821, and of course there will be the Panigale V4.

Now we have an idea about two more models from Ducati, as the Italian brand is set to update its adventure-touring lineup, with both the Multistrada 950 and Multistrada 1200 getting some love for the upcoming model year.

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Bikes

Honda Debuts Hybrid and Electric Scooters for 2018

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It can be hard to get excited about a new scooter design for the 2018 model year, especially when so many other crazy machines are being unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show today (new Honda Gold Wing, Yamaha’s three-wheeled motorcycle of awesome, and the Kawasaki Ninja 400…just to name a few), but give us a minute here.

One of the less-publicized releases from Big Red caught our attention today, two scooters in fact: the Honda PCX Electric and the Honda PCX Hybrid. As the names suggest, both machines are built off the same basic concept, though they differ in their drivetrain.

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Bikes

No It’s Not April, But Yes This Is the New Yamaha Niken

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Those bastards at Yamaha actually did it, they actually did it…the Yamaha MWT-9 leaning trike concept has been made into a production model. As such, say hello to the new 2018 Yamaha Niken.

Powered by the familiar 900cc three-cylinder engine found on the Yamaha FZ-09, that is all that is familiar about Yamaha Niken, as this isn’t your ordinary motorcycle.

This is because the Niken is based on a leaning-chassis design with three wheels, as it explores a different type of motorcycling fun.

Yamaha isn’t saying too much about the model, though it does appear to be coming to the United States. What the tuning fork brand has relayed to us is that the Yamaha Niken will use 15″ wheels up front, with dual-tube upside down forks.

The Niken is long too, just a touch over 7 ft. long (2,150mm), while staying just under 3 ft. wide (885mm). Debuting today at the Tokyo Motor Show, we expect more details on the 2018 Yamaha Niken to emerge at the EICMA show in Milan, in two weeks’ time.

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Bikes

The Sixth Generation Honda Gold Wing Is Finally Here

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Enthusiasts of the Honda Gold Wing motorcycle have waited a long time for this day, and now it is finally here, as Honda has finally brought a new Gold Wing to market – the sixth generation of this iconic motorcycle.

The 2018 model comes in two flavors, a bagger version which Big Red is calling the Honda Gold Wing, and a touring version, which is aptly named the Honda Gold Wing Tour.

Both of the 2018 models are all-new motorcycle designs, with virtually no part of the machines being shared with the previous generation bike, and both built around a brand new six-cylinder engine.

Focused around a more compact design, the 2018 Honda Gold Wing is staggeringly lighter than before, with roughly 90 lbs of bulk removed from its mass.

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Bikes

Kawasaki Ninja 400 Coming to the USA for 2018

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It looks like Kawasaki’s small-displacement family is about to grow, as Team Green is set to add another model to its Ninja lineup. Spotted in the California Air Resources Board (CARB) filings by the eagle eyes at Motorcycle.com, the 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 400 is surely coming to US soil.

The model was first spotted during shooting for a advertisement, by a local TV station in Milwaukee. With Kawasaki already having a 300cc version of the Ninja for the American market, it’s not clear how a 400cc model will fit into the Japanese company’s scheme.

Either the 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 400 will replace the popular Ninja 300 for the US market, or both bikes will be offered to American riders. Both options are hard to fathom however.

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MotoGP

GP Commission Restricts MotoGP Testing from 2018

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MotoGP testing is to be further restricted from next season. At the meeting in Motegi of the Grand Prix Commission, MotoGP’s rule-making body, the teams, factories, FIM, and Dorna agreed to limit the amount of testing which can be done next year and in 2019.

The 2018 testing season will look largely familiar, with a two-day test at Valencia on Tuesday and Wednesday after the race, then three three-day tests at Sepang, Thailand, and Qatar ahead of the start of the MotoGP season, and one-day tests after three of the European rounds (Jerez, Barcelona, Brno).

In 2019, the number of preseason tests will be reduced, with testing taking place only at Sepang and Qatar before the start of the season.

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Bikes

Electric KTM Freeride E-XC Enduro Debuts for 2018

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KTM just doubled-down on its electric motorcycle offering, debuting today the 2018 KTM Freeride EXC – an electric enduro model that builds out further the current Freeride E platform.

This isn’t just the old KTM Freeride E with a few extra enduro parts added to it though, instead the KTM Freeride E-XC launches the next iteration of the Austrian brand’s electric motorcycle lineup, coming with significant changes.

For starters, KTM has beefed up its electric package, with a more powerful motor and a larger capacity battery pack, not to mention more of the off-road prowess that you would expect from the “Ready to Race” brand.

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Bikes

Ducati Monster 821 Gets Updated for 2018

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Ducati is set to release five new models at this year’s EICMA show, and it is giving us a sneak peak at one of the first of those machines: the 2018 Ducati Monster 821.

The basic mechanics of the previous Monster 821 remain the same, but for the new year, the Italian brand has revised the Ducati Monster 821 to look more like its bigger sibling, the Ducati Monster 1200.

As such, the fuel tank and tail of the Monster 821 have been changed, along with the bike’s exhaust and headlight. Ducati has also added a full color TFT display to the Monster 821, which shows selected gears and fuel status.

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News

WorldSBK: Leon Camier Switches to Honda for 2018

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If you didn’t catch the hint in Leon Camier’s interview with us (for our A&R Pro subscribers), the British rider has switched teams for the 2018 World Superbike season, signing today with the Ten Kate Honda team for next season.

The move is a bold one for Camier, who has made a name for himself in the WorldSBK paddock by putting the MV Agusta F4 well beyond the ranks that many insiders expected it to achieve.

With Ten Kate needing similar helping developing the Honda CBR1000RR SP2, Camier’s presence in the garage next season is surely a welcomed sign for Big Red, but one has to wonder if its the best idea for Camier.

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MotoGP

KTM Confirms Smith & Espargaro for 2018 in MotoGP

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After months of speculation of an impending rider change at KTM, the Austrian factory has issued a press release clarifying its 2018 line up in MotoGP.

The KTM factory team will continue with both Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith as their contracted race riders, while Mika Kallio remains contracted as a test rider. 

The move will be welcomed inside the team, restoring stability and removing the uncertainty which had surrounded Bradley Smith and his future as a factory rider.

The Englishman had struggled badly to be competitive in the first part of the season, while his teammate Espargaro seemed to go from strength to strength.

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Bikes

Kawasaki Begins Teasing New Supercharged Motorcycle

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It appears that the rumors are true, and that Kawasaki is set to debut another supercharged motorcycle at the upcoming EICMA show.

We have reported already that Kawasaki is rumored to have a sport-touring model of the supercharged Ninja H2, and it seems that rumor is close to the mark.

Releasing a teaser video today, the new Kawasaki model appears to be less about outright performance, and more about enhancing the journey. In short, it sounds a lot like a sport-touring model is nigh.

Whether or not this new supercharged model, the third in Kawasaki’s lineup, is based off the H2 platform remains to be seen, however.

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