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Moto Guzzi V85 TT Priced Aggressively at $11,990

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When we first saw the Moto Guzzi V85 TT, details on the retro ADV bike were scarce – we knew only what we could see. But, slowly the Italian company has shed light on its creation, bit by bit.

Today, we learn what is perhaps the most important aspect of this 2019 model year machine: its price.

Aggressively positioned in the market, the Moto Guzzi V85 TT will start at $11,990 MSRP with its grey paint, while the Moto Guzzi V85 TT Adventure (which comes with bags and red/yellow/white paint job) will retail for $12,990 at the dealership.

With both bikes available in the United States starting in May 2019, adventure riders will have a new middleweight to choose from when they consider adding a new bike to their stable…and the offering from Moto Guzzi is very strong.

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Bikes

The Honda CB125X Concept Makes Us Think Dirty Thoughts

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We are not sure how big the market is for a 125cc adventure-tourer, especially in the European Union. Close to zero, perhaps? Yet, we are very excited about the Honda CB125X concept (along with its fraternal twin, the Honda CB124M concept).

Maybe the Honda CB125R platform is the wrong starting point for this project, but we like where the Honda Motor Europe R&D team finished with this build.

The CB125X is a clean and attractive motorcycle, and we would romp through every river crossing we could find on this small-displacement thumper.

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Bikes

BMW F850GS Adventure Brings the Middleweight ADV

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As we predicted, the 2019 BMW F850GS Adventure made its debut at the EICMA show in Milan, giving the German brand another adventure bike in its arsenal on the segment. Obviously based upon the BMW F850GS that we saw debut last year, the F850GS Adventure takes the middleweight’s off-road capability to a higher level.

At the core of the machine is the same 853cc parallel-twin engine that is in the F850GS model, which means a 94hp (75 kW) peak power figure, along with 68 lbs•ft (92 Nm) of torque. It also means a 538 lbs (244 kg) wet weight at the curb, which is absurdly heavy, if we do say so.

Of course, some of that bloat comes from the 6.07-gallon (23 liters) fuel tank that has been added to the mix, which BMW Motorrad says is good for 340 miles (550 km) of riding, which is no joke. So, there are trade-offs to be made there.

Feature-wise, there is also a larger touring windscreen, which is taller and wider. BMW has also included adjustable shifter and brake levers, for better ergonomic adjustment.

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Bikes

KTM 790 Adventure Debuts in Two Flavors of ADV

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After a year of waiting, we finally see the production version of the 2019 KTM 790 Adventure and the 2019 KTM 790 Adventure R motorcycles. Two flavors of ADV bike, the 790 Adventure series is KTM’s way of owning the dual-sport space.

In addition to the revised KTM 690 Enduro R for the 2019 model year, KTM has created a path from 250cc to 1301cc for adventure and dual-sport riders, with the KTM 790 Adventure being a critical bike in that lineup.

Much has been said about this machine already, so here are the basics to cutdown on the chatter: 94hp (70 kW), 65 lbs•ft (88 Nm) of torque, 5.3 gallons (20 liters) of fuel, 448 lbs wet with fuel.

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Bikes

BMW R1250GS Adventure Officially Debuts with ShiftCam Engine

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It is not like the BMW R1250GS Adventure was a big surprise for the 2018 EICMA show. It’s debut was telegraphed in emission documents filed with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and photos of the machine recently leaked onto the internet.

But, the GSA has always been an important motorcycle to the German brand, and as such, the debut of the 2019 BMW R1250GS Adventure is a bit of a thing.

As expected for the 2019 model year, the big feature on the R1250GS Adventure is the addition of BMW Motorrad’s “ShiftCam” boxer-twin engine. Getting a bump to 1,254cc, this increase in displacement means that there is a modest performance increase of 134hp and 92 lbs•ft of torque.

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Rumors

A BMW F850GS Adventure Cometh Tomorrow

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Even as the official opening of EICMA rapidly approaches, our Bothan Spies are hard at work looking for clues to next year’s motorcycle debuts. As such, they bring news from Milan, where BMW Motorrad is set to unveil a bevy of new motorcycles.

Most of these new bikes we know of, with the BMW R1250GS Adventure and BMW S1000RR already leaking, and the BMW R1250R and BMW R1250RS obviously tipped by CARB filings for the new ShiftCam boxer-twin engine.

With BMW Motorrad telling us that we will see nine new motorcycles this new bike season, all that is left is simple math on what remains, now that the BMW R1250GS and BMW R1250RT debuted ahead of the INTERMOT show.

So far, our total is six…but we’re about to make it seven, as our Bothan’s report that the BMW F850GS Adventure will debut tomorrow morning in Milan.

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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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Bikes

More Details Drop on the Moto Guzzi V85 TT ADV Bike

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For the last year, Moto Guzzi has been trickling out its newest ADV machine. As such, we have had a long time to get the know the Moto Guzzi V85 TT, without actually knowing the machine at all.

Released as a concept at last year’s EICMA show, the V85 became production-ready at this year’s INTERMOT show, but even at that time, Moto Guzzi was mum on details. That all changes today though, as we finally have some tech specs on the 2019 Moto Guzzi V85 TT, and we like what we hear.

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Bikes

Ducati Multistrada 950 S Brings More Features to the Budget ADV

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One of Italian brand’s lesser reveals for the 2018 EICMA show is the Ducati Multistrada 950 S, which as the name implies is an upscale version of the “middleweight” adventure-touring machine.

Adding more features to the Multistrada 950 package, the “S” model brings Ducati’s semi-active “Skyhook” electronic suspension into the mix, as well as an up/down quickshifter, full LED headlight, TFT display, and backlight switchgear.

Like all the 2019 Ducati motorcycle models, the 2019 Ducati Multistrada 950 S also comes with cornering ABS from Bosch, and other noticeable changes include a fairing design that borrows from the Multistrada 1260.

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Rumors

Updates Coming to the KTM 1090 Adventure

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Spy shots from Europe suggest that the KTM 1090 Adventure is getting some updates. The changes appear to be a mix of cosmetic and functional, with the biggest difference on the new model being its front bodywork design.

While giving the KTM 1090 Adventure a bit of a makeover for what we assume will be the 2019 model year, this refresh also seems to include a new fuel tank design, borrowed from the soon-to-be-released KTM 790 Adventure R.

This means that low-slung side-mounted fuel tanks are coming to the KTM 1090 Adventure, which should dramatically help handling and lower the center of gravity on this big ADV bike.

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Dirt

Bridgestone Finally Gets into the ADV Knobby Tire Game

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We heard rumors of this tire at the beginning of the year, and finally we can talk about the new Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tire. A knobby dual-sport tire made for adventure-touring machines, the AX41 means that Bridgestone finally has an offering for ADV riders.

It is surprising to think that the Japanese brand has been without a tire for such an important market segment for so long, but that is water under the bridge now, with the Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tire debuting at INTERMOT and coming to American dealers at the start of next year.

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