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What Is Old Is New Again, Say Hello to the Suzuki Katana

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The wait is finally over. The Suzuki Katana is back. Breaking cover at this year’s INTERMOT show, the 2019 Suzuki Katana takes an old classic, and makes it new again.

True the to concepts we have seen in previous years, the new Katana is a stylish modern take on the iconic lines from the the 1980s. 

Essentially a Suzuki GSX-S1000F with new bodywork, the new Katana isn’t perhaps all-new, in the truest sense of the word, but the bike evokes strong emotions for those who remember its past; and for a new generation of rider, the 1980s styling fan is just now becoming a thing, making this a well-timed launch.

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A&R Pro

The Story About How Asphalt & Rubber Got To Ride the Indian FTR1200 Before Everyone Else in the World

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Today, I am going to share with you a look behind the curtain - a look at several sides of the motorcycle industry that you don't usually get to see. Our story concerns the Indian FTR1200 street tracker motorcycle, which just debuted in Cologne, Germany at the INTERMOT show...but really, this story started three months ago, back in the United States.

It starts with a leaked photo of the Indian FTR1200, taken from a production event in Los Angeles, which was then sent to Asphalt & Rubber by a loyal reader. This turned into A&R finding its way to Minnesota to ride a prototype of the FTR1200, and us being amongst the first to ride this highly anticipated motorcycle.

An exclusive media event, Indian's plan was to have the largest publication from each critical market present, to give an early evaluation of this ground-breaking machine for the American brand.

While there were sole-representatives from the UK, Italy, Germany, Australia, Asia, etc - because of our efforts, from the United States there would now be two publications. Sorry for partying.

I have no doubt that the coverage from these other publications will read like initial reviews, part critique and part marketing pieces for the Indian Motorcycle Company. That's not a slight to my colleagues, that is just the reality of the situation. How do you evaluate a prototype motorcycle?

"I have no idea what they are talking about," I told an Indian staff member, while our post-ride video reviews/debriefs were being filmed. We had just ridden for a half a day on a motorcycle that we knew nothing about, and now we were expected to stand in front of a camera, and espouse our impressions of it.

Because of the looming weather, our tech briefing was after the ride, which is a frustrating thing when it comes to evaluating a motorcycle. As such, our impressions would be limited and relative. The power felt "good"...the brakes were "ok"...this exhaust looks like the work of a drunk plumber.

With no specs, no prices, no production volumes, no set list of features...what were these journalists talking about in their videos? I still don't know.At $9,000, the FTR1200 could be one of the best motorcycles on the market, but at $20,000 Indian would have clearly missed the mark.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the $13,000 / $15,000 price points for the base and S models, respectively. It feels high...but we will get to that in a minute.

To continue reading this story, you need to have an A&R Pro subscriber account. If you have an A&R Pro account, you can login here.

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Dirt

Moto Guzzi V85 TT Breaks Cover a Little Early

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Last year, Moto Guzzi intrigued us with its V85 Enduro concept. The bike was based around a new 850cc, 80hp, longitudinal v-twin platform, and promised to be the basis for several new models for the Italian brand – the first of which would be an adventure-touring model.

Now, that wait is over, and we get our first glimpse of the 2019 Moto Guzzi V85 Tutto Terreno a few hours earlier than expected. True to expectations, the Moto Guzzi V85 TT is a middleweight ADV machine that promises some solid adventuring capabilities in a retro-styled package.

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Bikes

Behold, The Indian FTR1200 Street Tracker Is Here

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They did it. They actually did it. Debuting today at INTERMOT, the Indian Motorcycle brand released its newest motorcycle, the 2019 Indian FTR1200.

The only production street tracker currently available on the market, the Indian FTR1200 takes its inspiration from the Indian FTR750 Scout race bike that is dominating the American Flat Track series, and in the process brings the company’s first non-cruiser motorcycle to market.

Answering the calls of many, the FTR1200 production bike is visually very close to the FTR1200 Concept we saw several months back, and it will come in two flavors: the base model Indian FTR1200, and the up-spec Indian FTR1200 S. Expect it to drop, Q1 2019.

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Bikes

Your Definitive Guide to All the New Motorcycles Expected for 2019

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It’s that time of the year again, where Christmas comes early to the motorcycle industry, and we get to see all the new motorcycles that will be coming for the next model year, and beyond.

For the 2019 model year, we expect to see new models debuting at the INTERMOT, AIMExpo, and EICMA trade shows, which are in Cologne, Las Vegas, and Milan.

With things kicking off in Germany next week, we thought we would put together a guide for all the new motorcycles that we expect to see in the coming weeks. There are a bevy of new models that we know will be released at these three trade shows, and there are more than a few rumors of new bikes as well, which may surprise us.

Without wasting anymore time, let’s get down to it. We have broken down the new models and rumors by each manufacturer. Enjoy!

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Dirt

Big Updates Are Coming to the KTM 690 Enduro R for 2019

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When it comes to big trail thumpers, the KTM 690 Enduro R is tough to beat, and because of that reason, the bike has seen few updates over the course of its long product cycle. Seeing that the popular dual-sport could use some love, leaked details from Europe show that KTM plans to update the KTM 690 Enduro R for the 2019 model year.

From the looks of things, the Austrians are going big with the 2019 KTM 690 Enduro R, as the leaked info tips the arrival of a new engine, chassis, and styling, as well as a bevy of new features.

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Bikes

The KTM 450 Rally Replica is Ready for Your 2019 Dakar Dreams

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Do you have eyes on starting your rally raid racing career? If so, we suggest KTM’s updated privateer model, the 2019 KTM 450 Rally Replica. There is one slight problem, however…it’s already sold out.

Built off the same machine that took Matthias Walkner to the winner’s circle during the 2018 edition, the Rally Replica model is still built for racers only, but it keeps in mind those who are competing without the budget of a factory team.

For 2019, KTM says that it has redesigned the Rally Replica from the ground up, to provide an excellent racing platform for the company’s racing customers.

As such, the 2019 KTM 450 Rally Replica has a completely new chassis, which has improved mass centralization.

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Bikes

Mega Gallery: BMW R1250GS

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For the 2019 model year, BMW Motorrad is updating the venerable GS with a revised boxer engine, and thus is giving birth to the BMW R1250GS with ShiftCam technology. With that, the new engine makes a stout 134hp and 92 lbs•ft of torque.

To earn its name, the new ShiftCam motor uses a shifting camshaft on the intake valves (hence the name), which provides one set of valve duration and lift for cruising and city speeds, and another set for full-power applications. This should make the BMW R1250GS more well-mannered, while also improving fuel efficiency and engine response.

The R1200GS is easily the German company’s best-selling motorcycle in the US market, not to mention the world, which makes the R1250GS an important update for BMW Motorrad, and for 2019 BMW Motorrad has brought some smart updates to the bike.

For our money, the red/white/blue “HP” version looks the business, and ready to hit the trails. It includes more than a few bits from the aftermarket parts bin, including a solo “rally” seat, crash armor, shorter windscreen, wire wheels, and of course an Akrapovic exhaust.

It’s not clear when the 2019 BMW R1250GS will hit American dealers, but we’re expecting at least a $1000+ increase to accompany the updated GS when it finally arrives. Until then, we have almost 200 hi-res photos for you to drool over.

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Rumors

Ducati CEO Tips Winglets for the Panigale V4 R

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When the MotoGP rules moved to ban winglets in the premier class, it was clear that this cut deeper at Ducati than any other brand, and that this simply wasn’t just a loophole closed technical regulation. The Italian motorcycle manufacturer had invested heavily in aerodynamic aids on motorcycles, with an eye on bringing the technology to its production machines.

This led us here at Asphalt & Rubber to speculate for over a year now about the addition of winglets to Borgo Panigale’s upcoming homologation special, the Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Fueling the fire has been the World Superbike Championship’s allowance for winglets, so long as they come on the homologation bike, all but sealing the deal that we would see manufacturers following suit. As such, we have already seen Aprilia dabble in this arena, and now it seems Ducati is about to show its hand.

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Bikes

Up-Close with the 2019 Honda CRF450L Dual-Sport

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Much was said about the 2019 Honda CRF450L before it even debuted in the United States, and the resounding collective opinion of the moto-journalists in attendance at its press launch was that the 450cc dual-sport is potent off-road, and well-mannered on the street.

Our own thoughts on the new Honda CRF450L are quite positive, and it rises to the top of the list of dual-sports that we would put in our garage. Getting an up-close look at the machine, you can see Honda’s quality shine through, from the engine to the switchgear, and even the body panels.

Making roughly 45hp at the crank, the CRF450L isn’t the most powerful bike in the category, put the torque curve on the Honda is tabletop flat and without holes. This makes the machine easy to hookup on the dirt, and refined for street riding…all the way to 85mph or more.

One of five new 450cc dirt bikes from Honda, the CRF450L is a true dual-sport – letting bikes like the CRF450RX and CRF450X fill the enduro niches for racing and pure trail riding. Thus having a weapon for every use, Honda smartly focused the CRF450L to be a dual-sport that can actually handle on street riding, instead of just compromising an exist dirt-focused machine.

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