Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Tag

cruiser

Browsing
Bikes

This Is The Most Powerful Production Triumph Motorcycle Ever

By 1 Comment

What you are looking at is the most powerful motorcycle ever created by Triumph. It has 168hp, and makes 163 lbs•ft of peak torque from its three-cylinder engine. A massive 2,458cc of fire and pistons, this rocket ship isn’t a new Daytona or Speed Triple, instead it is the new Triumph Rocket 3 TFC.

There is perhaps a commentary to be made that the most powerful Triumph ever created by Hinckley is in fact a cruiser, or that such a bike is the second machine to get the “Triumph Factory Custom” treatment from the British brand.

Such is the state of affairs from the marque that brought us the original production streetfighter. But nonetheless, the Triumph Rocket 3 TFC offers the cruiser-loving realm a machine that boasts some impressive performance figures.

Keep Reading
By
News

1,800cc BMW Cruiser Confirmed for 2020 Model Year

By No Comments

One of the highlights at the Handbuilt Show in Austin, Texas was the a custom bike built by hosts Revival Cycles, which is called the Birdcage. You may have seen the Revival Birdcage making the rounds on custom sites. It is quite striking.

The bike features a large air-cooled boxer-twin engine (more on that in minute), with a web of titanium rods welded together to make the frame and basic body outline. It is a very minimalist approach, and it is designed to showcase the giant 1,800cc engine that is at the bike’s core. There is a good reason for that too.

The purpose of the Revival Birdcage is to help tease a new motorcycle model from BMW Motorrad, which will use this giant push-rod powered lump as the basis for a proper cruiser motorcycle, which will debut in 2020.

This little tidbit at the end has seemingly been missed by many, but it is a big, big deal – both literally and figuratively.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Harley-Davidson Livewire Priced at $29,799

By 1 Comment

Later this year, the Harley-Davidson Livewire electric cruiser will finally be available, and today the Bar & Shield brand dropped some details on what we can expect from the revolutionary machine (as well as two more fleshed-out electric concepts).

First up, the obvious. The 2020 Harley-Davidson Livewire will be priced at $29,799 – which is a princely sum for an electric motorcycle, but not an unreasonable figure for a motorcycle from Harley-Davidson.

In addition to having the all new “Revelation” electric drive train, the folks at Milwaukee have packed the Livewire with a number of cutting edge features.

This includes an LTE-equipped media center, as well as traction control and ABS that are assisted by an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

Keep Reading
By
Podcast

MOTR Podcast #4 – Reid Wilson, Indian Motorcycle

By No Comments

In Episode 4 of the MOTR Podcast, I sit down with Reid Wilson, Senior Director of marketing and planning at Indian Motorcycle.

Our conversation comes just hours after I rode a pre-production version of the Indian FTR1200 street bike, which serves as a jumping off point for a conversation about where Indian is headed as a company and a brand.

The FTR1200 is a pivotal motorcycle for Indian, as the machine helps mark the transition occurring at the American motorcycle company. Up until now, Indian had wanted to be the next Harley-Davidson…and now it wants to be the next Honda.

Reid’s insights into the Indian FTR1200 and the company’s overall positioning help us understand what is going on behind-the-scenes at Indian, which makes for an interesting conversation. I think you will enjoy his insights.

You can find the latest episodes of the MOTR Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, SoundCloud, or via your RSS feed, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well.

If you’re not already, you should also listen to our sister podcasts, the Two Enthusiasts Podcast and The Paddock Pass Podcast.

Source: SoundCloud

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

XXX: So Many Hi-Res Photos of the Royal Enfield KX Concept

By No Comments

If you are like us, you probably just finished drooling over the Royal Enfield KX concept, and were bummed that there weren’t any more hi-res photos to drool over and scrutinize from EICMA.

We feel your pain…that is why we have got close to 100 more photos for you. Booyakasha!

The bulk of the photos attached in the photo gallery concern the design process of creating the KX concept, which are interesting to see, though a little to “marketing focused” for our taste.

But, the real value comes as you scroll down and see the Royal Enfield KX concept in detail.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

The Royal Enfield KX Concept Puts This Indian Brand on Our Radar

By No Comments

When it comes to the Royal Enfield brand, I wouldn’t say that it is exactly on our radar. Filling a niche within a niche, Royal Enfield’s offerings seem quaint, but impractical to us…despite their affordable price tags. We just don’t have enough mechanical masochism to want one in our garage.

That all being said, our ears perked up this year at the EICMA show, with the debut of the Royal Enfield KX concept. Finally, there is something from this Indian company that appeals to our senses, and I personally hope they build it for production.

A retro-looking bobber with modern finishes, the Royal Enfield KX concept takes the perfect mixture of new and old that pleases us in a very specific way. 

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

The All-New Ducati Diavel 1260 Is One Mean-Looking Cruiser

By No Comments

The third of Ducati’s all-new machines for the 2019 model year (check out the Panigale V4 R and Hypermotard 950), the Ducati Diavel 1260 takes an original concept, and cranks it up to 11. Part streetfighter, part power-cruiser, the Ducati Diavel 1260 is the sportier cousin to the Ducati XDiavel, with mid-controls for the feet.

The two Italian cruisers now share a power plant, the Testastretta DVT 1262 engine, which means 157hp  (117 kW) on tap, with a peak torque figure of  95 lbs•ft (117 Nm). Tipping the scales at 480 lbs wet (218kg), there is plenty of “umpf!” to launch one down the street, which is good considering that the 2019 Ducati Diavel 1260 comes with a power launch feature.

Keep Reading
By
News

Harley-Davidson Livewire Will Make European Debut at EICMA

By No Comments

The Harley-Davidson Livewire will show at EICMA, says an awkward press release to the European and Canadian markets. Our sources confirm that news though, and as such the Livewire will make an official public debut, at the trade show in Milan next week.

The Harley-Davidson Livewire is expected to make a late-2019 arrival, likely as a 2020 model year machine. This makes this debut announcement an interesting one from the Bar & Shield brand, which has seemed over-eager lately to explain and show its future plans, though we can’t imagine why.

Keep Reading
By
Rumors

Ducati’s Project 1309 Reveals a New Diavel Coming

By No Comments

We didn’t hear too much about “Project 1309” from World Ducati Week 2018, which is surprising considering what the past has shown us about Ducati’s secret reveals, but the Bologna brand was once again giving a teaser to fans in Misano.

In the past, World Ducati Week has been the place where Ducati showed us the first Scrambler model, and last year the event debuted the return of the Ducati SuperSport. This year, it is another new bike. A new Diavel, to be precise.

Set to compliment the current XDiavel model, the new Diavel features the same 1,262cc DVT engine with variable valve timing, but puts it into the more sport Diavel riding platform.

Keep Reading
By
Rumors

BMW Plans To Launch Nine New Motorcycles

By No Comments

It might be still be summer, but our eyes are looking ahead to the new bike season in the fall and winter, where the major motorcycle manufacturers will debut their new motorcycles for the future.

The big trade shows to watch are INTERMOT and EICMA, as these have traditionally been the venues of choice for new model unveils, prototype teasers, and concept debuts.

One brand that is certainly going to be showing us some new motorcycles is BMW Motorrad, with the German company saying that it plans to launch nine new models in 2018.

What those nine models will be is up for conjecture, though we have some good ideas, and some bad ideas, on what they could be. Let’s take a look.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Harley-Davidson Livewire Gets Closer to Production Form

By No Comments

Harley-Davidson made a big push today, showing a number of bikes and concepts that it plans to bring to market by 2022. All of them were a big surprise, but one of them we already knew about: the Harley-Davidson Livewire.

While not as big of a shock as the adventure-touring Pan America concept, or the Harley-Davidson Streetfighter or Custom models (to say the least about its upcoming electric lineup), Harley-Davidson has given us something to talk about with this electric power cruiser.

Namely, the Harley-Davidson Livewire looks ready in production and in form, even though its official debut is still a year away.

Keep Reading
By