The name “DesertX” should be a familiar moniker for Ducatisti, as the Desert X concept was the belle of the ball at the 2019 EIMCA show.
Back then though, the Desert X was a concept bike built under the Scrambler Ducati name, and it featured a 1,079cc air-cooled v-twin engine.
Oh, how things have changed! Now being teased for a December 9th debut, it would seem that the Italians have done more than reformat the name, and that makes us very happy.
The folks at Suzuki have a surprise for us today, showing off one of their 2022 models a bit earlier than expected. The bike is the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT – a long-distance sport-tourer built off the GSX-S1000 platform.
That pedigree means that the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT is built off the “K6” GSX-R1000 engine, and should make about 150hp in US trim, with 78 lbs•ft of torque on tap from its inline-four engine. Wet weight is set at 498 lbs (226 kg).
It was only a few hours ago that we were talking to you about the upcoming plans for the new World Supersport regulations, and now MV Agusta gives us a glimpse of the machine that they will be offering this reimagined middleweight category.
Built for the purpose of winning races, say hello to the 2022 MV Agusta F3 RR.
The World Supersport field is ripe for change, and that shouldn’t be new or surprising information for anyone following the space.
This is because the 600cc inline-four market has disappeared, especially in Europe, leaving the middleweight class with an uncertain future in racing.
Where there is an absence, there is a vacuum, and the space being left behind by the Japanese supersports is being filled rapidly by European twin and three-cylinder offerings.
Last year, Yamaha announced that it was ceasing production of its popular YZF-R6 sport bike for the street, effectively killing the most popular 600cc supersport on the market.
The move was a sign of the times, and a glimpse into the Japanese brand’ unwillingness to update the platform for the stringent Euro5 emission standards in Europe.
With no European market to help bolster sales, the news also meant that the Yamaha YZF-R6 would cease for production as a street bike in the United States as well. But, there was a silver lining.
Talk of a v-twin middleweight Ducati Streetfighter V2 have been percolating ever since the Italian brand debuted its V4 motorcycle with a similar name.
With the Ducati Streetfighter V4 a hit. with the Ducati-loyal and sport bike enthusiasts alike, clearly the folks in Bologna can sense the moment approaching for an encore at a lower price point.
This is where the rumors of a Ducati Streetfighter V2 come into play, and the basics are fairly easy to guess: take the Ducati Panigale V2 sport bike, and strip away the fairings for the classic streetfighter look.
After a fair bit of teasing, the wait is finally over, and we can see the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR for what it is – and what it is, is not that surprising.
Early on, we pegged the new “RR” model as a half-fairing, café racer inspired, variant of the Speed Triple RS – and that is exactly how one suscinctly describes the 2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR.
Built off Triumph’s new Speed Triple platform, the RR shares the same engine, chassis, and components as its RS sibling, but with a more retro-modern aesthetic.
Do you mount your phone to your motorcycle? You might want to rethink that practice, especially if you have a newer Apple iPhone.
This is because of a new Apple support post that warns that the vibrations from a motorcycle could damage the image stabilization gyros on the iPhone’s camera system.
Moto Guzzi is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, and the commemorate the occasion, the Eagle brand has a special motorcycle debuting at this year’s EICMA show.
We are getting an early look at the machine though, as Moto Guzzi also announced today that it was going to undertake a massive overhaul of its headquarters in Mandello del Lario, and is using the bike’s teasing to help communicate that message.
The Italian brand isn’t giving away too many details on the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello just yet however, beyond what we can see, which isn’t an inconsequential amount.
When the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR debuted, it was herald as a bold, raw, and fast street bike. A true streetfighter in the sense that it was a superbike sans fairings, and not for the weak of heart.
With 205hp (153 kW) on tap from its 998cc inline-four engine, the only thing more audacious than the Brutale 1000 RR (other than the über-extravagant Brutale 1000 Serie Oro) was its $32,000 price tag.
That put the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR out of reach for many riders, and now the Italian brand hopes to widen its base with a “more affordable” model. Notice though, we still did not use the word “cheap” to describe this new machine.
Say hello to the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RS – Varese’s newest motorcycle for the 2022 model year.
At the end of Oregon’s failure to pass a lane-sharing law, we asked those behind the effort to share their tips and commentary about the matter, so that those in other states could benefit from their successes, and learn from their failures. -JB