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Fun & Electric? – The BMW Concept CE 02 Eyes the Honda Grom

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BMW Motorrad must have some jealousy over what Honda has achieved with its miniMoto lineup, particularly with the Honda Grom, as the latest Bavarian machine takes direct aim at the pint-sized moto market.

Not quite a motorcycle, not quite a scooter, the mini-moto segment has been a surprise hit in the United States and abroad, mostly because of the unassuming and fun machines that flood the market’s ranks.

BMW Motorrad wants in on the action (unsurprisingly) and is looking a bit to the future though, building its Concept CE 02 as a youth-focused electric model.

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Dirt

New Triumph Tiger 1200 on the Way with “Significantly Lighter” Weight and More Power

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Triumph continues to churn out teasers for upcoming models, first showing us the half-fairing Triumph Speed Triple RR, then the street-focused Triumph Tiger Sport 660, and now the Triumph Tiger 1200.

Appearing to be an all-new model, the British marque is making big boasts about a reduced weight figure on the chassis, and added horsepower from the 1,200cc three-cylinder engine.

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Reviews

Riding the BMW R18 B & BMW R18 Transcontinental, A Review

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The American dream is alive and well in Berlin right now, as BMW Motorrad has pushed itself into the American touring market with two heritage-based motorcycles for the 2022 model year: the BMW R18 B bagger and the BMW R18 Transcontinental dresser.

Built around an air-cooled boxer-twin platform, these two machines are built for one purpose: to take some marketshare off of Harley-Davidson – the company that defines the category.

Many brands have attempted this exact feat, and few (if any) can lay claim to success, which makes the entire R18 lineup a bold move from the Bavarians, and one that has our focused attention.

Ready to see if the Germans can learn to speak American, we headed to Denver, Colorado to ride both the R18 B and the R18 Transcontinental on the open roads of The Rockies.

After a long day in the saddle, and with nearly 200 miles on the trip computer, the result? A mixed report card. Come read our review, and let me explain.

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Bikes

Honda Africa Twin Gets Updated DCT Settings for 2022

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For the 2022 model year, the Honda Africa Twin 1100 family isn’t getting too many updates, save for one that might turn a few heads – Honda is updating the settings on its dual-clutch transmission.

According to Honda’s release, both the Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adventure Sport with the DCT will see “refined” settings on the ECU, which Big Red says will bring smoother handling in the first two gears when starting and at low speeds.

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Bikes

Absurdly Ultra High-Resolution Photos of the KTM RC 8C

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It is the end of the week, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the weekend than to ogle some ultra high-resolution photos of the KTM RC 8C.

Zie Austrians uploaded these to their media site well after the fanfare of the track-only bike had settled, so I don’t think they have really been seen until now – the fact it sold out in less than 5 minutes probably didn’t help that fact either.

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Reviews

Gone Riding: BMW R18 B & BMW R18 Transcontinental

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Hello from a mile-up, as Asphalt & Rubber is in sunny Denver, Colorado to ride two bikes from the BMW Motorrad lineup: the BMW R18 B bagger and the BMW R18 Transcontinental dresser.

Two birds of the same feather, both bikes are built off the BMW R18 platform, which means that they have a mammoth 244-pound air-cooled boxer-twin engine at their core.

Built to tackle the American v-twin touring scene, the BMW R18 bikes have Harley-Davidson squarely in their sights.

Can the Germans take on one of America’s most iconic brands? That is what we are here to find out, with a day’s ride through The Centennial State.

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