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Husky Goes Electric, Here Comes the 2020 Husqvarna EE 5

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Another established manufacturer is signaling its electrification, this time with the OEM being Husqvarna Motorcycles. The Swedish brand is tied in ownership to KTM, which has its own EV program, so perhaps the news isn’t that shocking, but nevertheless, here we are.

As such, you can expect the first electric Husqvarna dirt bike to come during the 2020 model year, as the Husqvarna EE 5 was put on display at this year’s EICMA show.

The motorcycle is a bold step forward, though not a big one, as the 2020 Husqvarna EE 5 is designed with young riders in mind.

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Bikes

MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Concept Shows Off a Retro-Modern Supersport That’s Soon to Come

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After seeing the gorgeous MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro, we thought we were done with the Varesini brand, but MV Agusta continues to surprise us at EICMA, showing off a new concept model it calls the Superveloce 800.

Giving a glimpse of a model yet to come in the second-half of 2019, the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 takes the F3 800 supersport, and builds a truly unique motorcycle from it that pays homage to the Italian brand’s racing history.

MV Agusta starts the Superveloce 800 concept by taking an F3 800 chassis and engine, and then wraps it in a set of carbon fiber bodywork that takes its cues from the 1970s.

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Bikes

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Will Be a 2021 Model for the USA

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We have been waiting a very long time for the Yamaha Ténéré 700, with the machine first debuting as a concept in 2016. A no-show at the 2017 EICMA show, the Yamaha T7 concept instead went on a worldwide promotional tour.

So, surely we thought that the 2018 EICMA show would announce the Yamaha Ténéré 700 as ready to go…yes and no. The Yamaha Ténéré 700 is finally coming as a production motorcycle…but not quite yet.

Expected as a Fall 2019 model in Europe, off-roaders eager for a middleweight adventure-touring bike will have to wait another year. If you happen to live on this side of the pond however, we have even worse news for you.

The Yamaha Ténéré 700 will be a 2021 model year machine in the USA, debuting in the second-half of 2020, making this perhaps the most disappointing new model release at the Milan trade show.

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Rumors

This Week’s Honda CBR1000RR Rumor, The 2020 Edition

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Another week, another rumor about a new Honda CBR1000RR. You can almost set your clock to the rumors that surround Big Red’s future superbike offering, and there are several factors for this.

First, the Honda CBR1000RR is a woefully old machine, even in its “all-new” guise, the current model can trace its lineage back to the 2008 model year. Second, the Honda CBR1000RR is obviously underpowered when you make spec sheet comparisons, by a palpable 20hp/10% margin.

The Honda makes up for this by being one of the lightest superbikes on the market, and it is easily the best handling of the bunch. But even still, in our tests, we found it to be a second a lap slower than the rest of the superbike class…and the stopwatch decides all in this segment.

Despite all this, the real reason that we keep seeing rumors about a new CBR1000RR likely stems from one simple reason: Honda is working on a new machine. Will that new bike debut for 2019? 2020? 2021? Well, that’s the debate, and even a broken clock is correct twice a day, so…

Here we are, another week, and another rumor about a new Honda CBR1000RR.

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News

Dani Pedrosa Signs Two-Year MotoGP Test Rider Deal with KTM

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It had been widely rumored, and long expected, but KTM has finally confirmed that Dani Pedrosa will be a test rider for the Austrian factory for the next two seasons. Pedrosa will take on the role alongside current test rider Mika Kallio.

Rumors that Pedrosa would take on a testing role with KTM have been circulating for some time, ever since it became clear that Pedrosa would not be part of the Repsol Honda team.

The Spaniard had been linked to the Petronas Yamaha seat as well, but in the end, he felt that some of the joy had gone out of racing, and he didn’t feel he had the intensity to keep racing beyond the end of this year.

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A&R Pro

INTERMOT Round Up – Digesting What We Saw in Cologne

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The INTERMOT show is done and dusted, and we have had some time to chew on the models that we saw in Cologne, Germany…or didn’t see, as the case might be. The second largest trade show in the motorcycle industry, one can wonder though whether the INTERMOT show is the second most important.

Having two major shows on European soil, with INTERMOT coming every other year, creates a Sophie’s Choice for motorcycle manufacturers. EICMA might draw the crowds and the press, but it is also a maelstrom of new models, and it is easy for a bike’s launch and debut to be lost in the chaos.

To that vein, INTERMOT provides an opportunity for manufacturers to see the forest for the trees. It is less pressure, with most manufacturers choosing to debut more minor releases at the German show, but this makes it ripe for some surprises as well. For 2018, things were no different.

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Bikes

Honda Teases a 650cc Retro-Modern Concept Model

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While we were busy running around Cologne, Germany for the INTERMOT show, Honda Motor Europe was busy in France, for the Paris Motor Show. Debuting there another “Neo Café” concept model, the Japanese brand seems set to release a middleweight version of this popular trope.

Based off the Honda CB650F, the latest Honda Neo Café concept promises a 650cc inline-four engine package in a retro-modern style, similar to what Big Red has done with the Honda CB300R and Honda CB1000R. As such, we are very likely looking at an early version of the Honda CB650R.

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Bikes

Up-Close with the Suzuki Katana

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One of the highlights from the INTERMOT trade show in Germany was the new Suzuki Katana. Set to be an early 2020 model, the Suzuki Katana takes the GSX-S1000F platform, and brings a unique retro-modern look to its chassis.

This means that the heart of this sport bike comes from the 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000, which has been re-tuned for street duty.

Though Suzuki is light on details, this should mean a 147hp sport bike, with basic electronic aids. This should also mean an attractive sport bike for under $12,000 here in the USA, if our math is correct.

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Bikes

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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Rumors

So, Is There a New Honda CBR600RR Coming for 2019?

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If you read publications from our colleagues in Europe, then you will know that Honda must surely have plans for a new CBR600RR for the 2019 model year. The proof that they offer is that the recent CARB filings by American Honda show a CBR with a significant weight drop for next year.

First spotted by our friends at Nieuwsmotor, the CARB filings quote a 10kg (22 lbs) weight difference between the listed Honda “CBR600RA” and Honda “CBR600RR” motorcycles, which makes it seem like a lighter and more focused supersport is on the way.

It is an interesting dream – and a funny one for European journalists to spot, since the CBR600 series is all but dead in Europe. But what is the reality of this discovery?

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Bikes

Harley-Davidson Outlines Its Future Electric Lineup

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The biggest announcement from Harley-Davidson today wasn’t its adventure-touring motorcycle (though it looks interesting), and it wasn’t its new Streetfighter or Custom models either (one of these I like, the other not so much).

The big news wasn’t the Livewire getting closer to production, though that is close to the mark, and where this story is ultimately headed.

All of these announcement would have been worthy of their own day in the press cycle, but the real news from the Bar & Shield brand is a look at Harley-Davidson’s upcoming electric lineup, which is coming across as very robust, and shows a decisive plan for the future.

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