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Bimota About to Debut a “TERA” Supercharged Adventure Bike?

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In addition to leaking us a plethora of photos and details about the Bimota BX450 enduro model (the first dirt bike from the Italian brand), our Bothan spies tell us to expect another debut at EICMA from this iconic motorcycle brand.

As such, we are getting indications that the third pillar to Bimota’s on-road lineup will be more of an adventure-sport machine, and use the supercharged inline-four engine found on the Bimota Tesi H2.

With semi-active suspension, a variable ride height, and probably more horsepower than you can shake a stick at, the Bimota Tera has the ingredients to be the King Kong of the ADV space.

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Rumors

Bimota BX450 Dirt Bike Leaks Ahead of EIMCA Debut

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Another EICMA show is on the horizon in Italy, so that means no sleep for the wicked and our Bothan spies, as they scour the corners of Milan for information about next year’s bikes – ahead of their official release.

Already it seems that Bimota is going to be the talk of the show, as the boutique Italian brand is making a foray into the off-road world, first with a limited-series Kawasaki-powered enduro.

Dubbed the Bimota BX450, this enduro model is an intriguing offering. The power plant comes from the 2023 Kawasaki KX450X “cross-country” dirt bike, and we can see that much of the chassis comes from the green machine as well.

That makes sense considering Kawasaki’s sizable investment in Bimota, and the obvious ability to tune an already stout package. Bimota takes the trail bike and adds a proper headlight, tail light, and larger fuel tank to the offering.

Looking beyond the surface, we understand that Bimota has also added a robust electronics package to the green machine, offering an adjustable traction control setup and selectable throttle maps.

A fatter 140/80 profile 18″ rear tire is another change, and it is mated to 80/100 profile 21″ front tire – both featuring Metzeler 6 Days Extreme rubber.

For more details, we will have to wait for Bimota’s official unveiling at the 2022 EICMA Show, but if our report of a possible ADV model is true, then it is an exciting day to see the Bimota brand getting its feet dirty.

Source: Bothan Spies – More photos and analysis available below to our A&R Pro readers.

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A&R Pro

Harley-Davidson Sold 2,500 Pan Americas in the USA Last Year

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The debut of the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 was the headline event from 2021 - with the Bar & Shield brand offering its first motorcycle that truly deviated from the company's cruiser lineup.

An integral part of Harley-Davidson's "Hardwire" plan to restructure the company for the future, the Pan America 1250 is a conquest bike for the American bike-maker, with an eye on scooping up some sales from rival European brands.

Was it a success? That depends on whom you ask. American publications certainly seemed to think so, with the Pan America 1250 taking top honors in several of their shootouts last year. Meanwhile, the European press was less-enthused.

We will let you decide if home-team bias, on both sides of the pond, are at play there. For our money, we'd put the Ducati Multistrada V4 S in our garage before the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250, but reasonable minds can easily disagree on this thought.

Shootouts don't balance the account's books however, and for the bean-counters, the true measure of a motorcycle's success is on the showroom floor.

To that end, Harley-Davidson sold just over 2,500 units of its Pan America lineup in the USA last year, according to our Bothan spies.

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Bikes

A KTM 1290 Super Duke R EVO Is Coming to the USA for $19,600

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Two years ago, we saw the KTM 1290 Super Duke R getting a bevy of upgrades for the 2020 model year. Then last year, the KTM 1290 Super Duke RR broke cover, with no shortage of go-fast parts for 2021.

Now, we are getting ready for next year’s machines, and our Bothan spies have been busy searching for clues for what we could see during the new bike season.

With that, we can confirm that “The Beast” will get another upgrade, coming as the 2022 KTM 1290 Super Duke R EVO.

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Rumors

Here Is Our First Glimpse of What the New KTM RC390 Will Look Like

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The KTM RC390 is set for a major overhaul for the 2022 model year, with the pint-sized platform getting a serious makeover   next year and a bevy of mechanical improvements as well.

While we expect the 2022 KTM RC390 to debut officially later this year, a blogger out of India has scored what looks to be official studio photos of the KTM RC390, KTM RC200, and KTM RC125 models.

The photos show the bikes’ massive overhaul visually – a look that we think will be more palatable to the two-wheeled masses than its predecessor.

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Rumors

When Will We See a Full-Fairing Suzuki SV650?

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Go to any motorcycle racing club, and you will surely see a fleet of Suzuki SV650 race bikes. The 650cc v-twin sport bike has been a mainstay for track enthusiasts and sport bikers alike for over two decades. The bike is an icon.

And yet, the venerable Suzuki SV650 finds itself under attack from all sides, no more so than by Suzuki’s Japanese rival Yamaha, which now has a two-pronged approach with its MT-07 and YZF-R7 offerings.

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Rumors

No New 1290 Models Are Coming to the USA from KTM

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If you liked what you saw with the 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, and you live in the United States, well…we have some bad news for you. The new 1290 ADV bike will not be coming to the USA this year, and instead will be a 2022 model.

This news comes to us from our Bothan spies, and the indication is that none of KTM’s upcoming 1290 bikes will see US soil until next year, including the KTM 1290 Adventure R and KTM 1290 Super Duke GT – two models we are expecting to see updated soon.

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Bikes

2021 KTM 890 Duke Priced at $10,999 for the USA

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When the KTM 890 Duke debuted two weeks ago, we were impressed by what the Austrian brand was bringing to the table with this 890cc naked bike.

The KTM 790 Duke had been our sweet spot for price and performance in the sport, and while the KTM 890 Duke promised more “bang” than its predecessor, we wondered at what cost on the “buck” side of the equation.

This is because KTM North America didn’t release pricing information when the 2021 KTM 890 Duke was unveiled – thankfully our Bothan spies have been busy on the job.

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News

Ducati North America Office & Employee Homes Raided by the FBI

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On December 17th, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) raided with armed tactical agents the offices of Ducati North America in Mountain View, California.

Though only a handful of employees were in the Mountain View office because of COVID restrictions during the time of the raid, it is being reported that roughly 30 agents stormed the building with a search warrant in hand.

An account of this happening was posted by a Ducati North America employee to the Bay Area Riders Forum, with RoadRacing World subsequently publishing the news.

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