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Honda X-ADV, A Scooter You Didn’t Know You Wanted

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You have to admit, the idea of an ADV scooter is less than obvious. That hasn’t stopped Big Red from dreaming it, though.

Finally debuting at EICMA, we get the full monty on the Honda X-ADV, a step-through scooter design that’s designed to tackle more than just city traffic and potholed tarmac.

Based off the 745cc parallel-twin platform that powers the Honda Integra scooter and Honda NC750 progeny, the Honda X-ADV makes 54hp, features a dual-clutch transmission (DCT), and gets 65 miles per gallon in fuel consumption.

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Bikes

Honda CRF250L Rally Finally Debuts

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We have been waiting for the Honda CRF250L Rally to debut for a long time now.

It has been 20 months since Big Red first showed us the Honda CRF250 Rally concept in Japan, and today in at the EICMA show Italy, the 2017 Honda CRF250L Rally finally broke cover.

The idea behind the Dakar-inspired machine is pretty simple. Take the venerable Honda CRF250L platform, and add pieces to make it mimic the design for the Honda CRF450 Rally race bike.

The result is a lightweight adventure bike that appeases those riders who feel ADV machines are to big and heavy.

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Bikes

Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled – Got Roost?

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As expected for EICMA, Ducati has two new models to add to its Scrambler sub-brand, the first being the 2017 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled – a long-suspension Scrambler model with some added off-road chops.

The name is of note, giving a nod to the scrambler-style street bikes that competed in events like the iconic LA-Barstow-Vegas races several decades ago.

Picking up on that vintaged past, Ducati has unsurprisingly created its own modern riff on the dirt sled style, and produced a proper scrambler at the same time.

Now with five models in its Scrambler lineup, Ducati finally has a machine that is ready to get its feet properly dirty. We expect this bike to be a big hit with a wide gamut of riders who are looking for back-to-basics dual-sport machines.

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Dirt

Alta Motors Beats Gas Bikes at Red Bull Straight Rhythm

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A bit of history was made this past weekend, at the Red Bull Straight Rhythm event in Pomona, California.

Amongst the star-studded lineup of riders who competed head-to-head in the straight-line supercross races, we were also treated to the return of Josh Hill, who pulled himself out of retirement to ride the electric-powered Alta Motors Redshift MX.

Winning his quarter-final heat, Hill gave Alta Motors its first national-level supercross win, the first for an electric motorcycle. However, succumbing to Mitchell Oldenburg in the semi-finals, Hill finished the day fourth overall, meaning Alta Motors narrowly missed out on a podium debut.

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Bikes

Checkout This Historic Suzuki DR-Z Dakar Rally Race Bike

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One of the gems on display at the INTERMOT expo in Cologne, Germany this year was this Dakar Rally race bike, built off the Suzuki DR-Z dual-sport model. A predecessor to the bikes that share its name now, these DR-Z750 and DR-Z800 bikes were the OG of adventure bikes.

The modern-day equivalent now is the DR-Z400, which comes to the US both in a dual-sport and supermoto trims. Despite closing in on its second decade of service, the DR-Z400 remains a popular model, offering a reliable motorcycle package at an affordable price.

As a rally raid racer, the Suzuki DR-Z400 offers a reliable and affordable racing platform for privateers, and if you look far enough down the entry list of races like the Dakar Rally, you will find this venerable dirt bike listed.

This particular DR-Z800 was raced by Belgian Gaston Rahier, a two-time Dakar Rally winner (’84 & ’85) on the BMW R100GS, but during the 1989 Dakar Rally, he campaigned this Suzuki with the Hessler Rallye Team.

Rahier’s race bike is a cool piece of history, and it is an interesting glimpse into a piece of Suzuki’s past that should be remembered.

The headlines out of INTERMOT have been about the return of the King of Superbikes, so its easy to forget that Suzuki’s success go beyond the road racing paddock. Hopefully we’ll see a follow-up on great bikes like these from Suzuki, now that the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has awoken from its slumber.

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Bikes

KTM 1090 Adventure R – A Milder Insane ADV Bike

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If the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R is too much beast for you ADVness, then might we suggest the milder 2017 KTM 1090 Adventure R for your overlanding needs?

With KTM retiring the 1190 Adventure line, in favor of a dual-pronged attack with the 1090 and 1290 models, it makes sense then to see that the KTM 1090 Adventure will get an “R” badge for next year.

Typical for the Austrian brand, the KTM 1090 Adventure R makes its “R” distinction by being more off-road capable. That means 21″/18″ tubeless wire-spoke wheels, shod with Continental TKC 80 tires, along with other dirt-focused goodies.

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Bikes

Behold, The KTM 1290 Super Adventure R

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We like it when OEMs go big with their ideas, and that’s exactly what the Austrians have done with the 2017 KTM 1290 Adventure R.

The more svelte and off-road focused cousin to the KTM 1290 Super Adventure, this R model is meant to defend KTM’s domain in the ADV world against would-be competitors…like perhaps, Ducati.

The plan here is pretty simple, take the base model KTM 1290 Super Adventure, but add in crash protection, tubeless wire-spoked wheels (21″ in the front, 18″ in the back), and even more travel in the WP suspension pieces (22omm, front and back).

2017 also sees the Super Adventure line getting a makeover, which you will either love or hate, as KTM’s lineup continues to read like a Spy vs. Spy comic.

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A Pint-Sized ADV Bike Spotted, The BMW G310GS

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When the BMW G310R debuted, we knew that the Germans would use its small-displacement machine as a platform for other models.

There have been hints that one of those models could be a 300cc-ish adventure bike, and now we get out first glimpse of the so-called BMW G310GS, thanks to Italian magazine Motociclismo.

It’s not clear if we’ll see the 2017 BMW G310GS at this week’s INTERMOT show, or if BMW Motorrad will save the bike for November’s EICMA show, in Italy. Either scenario is equally plausible, and this is something we’ve already covered here at Asphalt & Rubber.

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Bikes

2017 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto Updated with New Motor

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The Husqvarna 701 Supermoto and Husqvarna 701 Enduro will be getting an update for the 2017 model year, with both bikes receiving the updated 690cc single-cyliner engine that is currently found in the new-generation KTM 690 Duke.

The biggest highlight of the new engine is its secondary balancing shaft, which reduces vibrations to the rider, and also allows the big thumper to rev higher and thus create more power.

This means that the 2017 Husqvarna 701 Supermoto will have 74hp (+6hp), as well as 52.6 lbs•ft of peak torque (+4.4 lbs•ft) – a modest gain for this already stout package.

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Dirt

Sidi Crossfire 3 SRS Boots Set to Debut

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There might be no finer off-road boot than the Sidi Crossfire 2 SRS, which boasts superb design, riding versatility, and modular parts. And yet, the Italian company endeavors to improve upon that design, teasing this weekend the debut of the Sidi Crossfire 3 SRS.

I am not sure if the debut of an off-road boot needs to be drawn out over several teaser videos — I can hardly stand it when the same is applied for a new motorcycle launch — but we might forgive such a marketing scheme for such a worthy piece of kit.

To that end, the Sidi Crossfire 3 SRS continues the trend of the Italian brand, with replacement parts and pieces readily available for owners. This makes repairs from heavy spills an easy affair, it also makes the SRS line of boot highly adaptable for different types of riding.

This is because like its predecessor, the Sidi Crossfire 3 SRS has a variety of replacement soles available, which can be easily installed for riding motocross, enduro, adventure-touring, and supermoto.

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Bikes

2017 Montesa Trials Bikes Available in the USA

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American Honda will once again be importing a range of Honda-powered Montesa trials bikes into the USA, which is music to our ears. As such, both the  and the 2017 2017 Montesa Cota 300RR will be available for order at Honda dealerships.

For the 2017 model year, the Montesa Cota 4RT260 gets mostly bold new graphics, though it does have a longer kickstarter lever, for easier starts. The Montesa Cota 300RR (above), however, gets more substantial changes for this coming model year

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