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2013 Honda CBR600RR – Botox for an Aging Supersport

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It is hard to believe that the Honda CBR600RR will turn five-years-old in 2013, but the Japanese supersport has long been neglected in the Honda line-up. Actually, the phonomenon has not been limited to the 600cc sport bike, as the Honda CBR1000RR has also been left to whither in the sun for far too long. With the 1,000cc superbike getting a makeover for 2012, it looks like the CBR600RR is finally getting its turn, as well.

As such, the 2013 Honda CBR600RR gets a set of new fairings, which we must admit are rather fetching (the bodywork is good for a 6% reduction in drag, according to Honda). The Japanese company also says that the revised front section improves RAM-air, and thus midrange torque. We won’t being to tell you what’s wrong with that statement, but suffice to say the design helps the 599cc motor breath better.

Other changes include a revised ECU package, 12-spoke wheels, Big Piston forks (BPF), and re-tuned rear shock. Honda is even throwing its “Electronic Combined Anti-Lock Braking System” (C-ABS) on the 2013 CBR600RR. Wowzers. Colors are Red, Repsol Edition, & White/Blue/Red. Pricing hasn’t been released yet, which surely means a price increase is headed the Honda CBR600RR’s way.

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Bikes

2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B – A Tourer Minus the Touring

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The last of Honda’s six new models for the 2013 model year (checkout our coverage of the 2013 Honda CBR500R, 2013 Honda CB500F, 2013 Honda CB500X, & 2013 Honda CBR600RR), the 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B is in a class of its own.

If the traditional Honda Gold Wing is the Cadillac of the motorcycling world, then the Honda Gold Wing F6B must be what the bike looks like with a drop-top. Taking the huge weekend touring machine, Honda has made the Gold Wing F6B more of a day-to-day cruiser…but not in a horrible Honda Rune sort of way.

Using the same chassis and 1,832cc flat-six motor that is found in the Honda Gold Wing, the 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B not only looks like less motorcycle than its predecessor, but it also sports 62 lbs in less heft than the base tourer model, for a “curvy” 842 lbs curb weight.

Coming in two models, the Honda Gold Wing F6B will cost $19,999, while the Honda Gold Wing F6B Deluxe will cost $20,999, and will include a center stand, passenger backrest, and self-cancelling turn signals. Color choices are simple: black or red. Photos and tech specs are after the jump.

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Bikes

2013 Honda CB500X – Eats Potholes on a Budget

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If you haven’t caught on yet, American Honda has announced a trio of 500cc machines, just ahead of the upcoming EICMA show. Featuring the fully-faired 2013 Honda CBR500R sport bike, and its fairing-less sibling the 2013 Honda CB500F, the slightly taller 2013 Honda CB500X completes the trifecta, and adds an adventure-esque dimension to Honda’s midrange options.

Like the Honda CBR500R & Honda CB500F, the Honda CB500X uses the same modest liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC, 180° crank, parallel-twin motor that will put down 54hp at the wheel for the US market (tiered-license countries will see a 47hp machine).

A slight variation on the chassis that is shared with the other 500cc machines, the CB500X has a bit more travel to its suspension (5.5″ on the front forks), and the seat height is a full inch higher (31.9″ to be precise). Visually the philosophically similar to the Honda NC700X, the Honda CB500X is also a tad heavier than its relatives, sporting 430 lbs of fully-fuel heft at the curb, which is likely due to its larger 4.5 gallon tank (4.1 gallons on the other models).

Building three motorcycles from one versatile core design, American Honda has some aggressive prices on the CBR500R & CB500F, but the American subsidiary of the Japanese brand has yet to release a price on the CB500x. We would expect something in the $5,000 range though when it hits dealer floors in July 2013, with the ABS version getting a $500 price increase over the base model. Full technical specifications are after the jump.

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Bikes

2013 Honda CBR500R – Priced at $5,999 for the USA

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More news on the 2013 Honda CBR500R, as details about Honda’s 498cc paralle-twin budget sport bike continue to unfold. A part of a larger effort to saturate the markets with 500cc-class motorcycles for the price sensitive, we can now confirm that the Honda CBR500R is one of three bikes (checkout the Honda CB500F & Honda CB500X) in the genre that will be coming to the USA next year.

Based around  a modest liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC, 180° crank, 54 rwhp, parallel-twin motor for the US market (tiered-license countries will see a 47hp machine), the Honda CBR500R is a sporty-styled no thrills sort of motorcycle. A graduation step from the Honda CBR250R, it makes sense then that the CBR500R has twice the cylinders, and thus twice the displacement — but it doesn’t come with twice the price tag.

At $5,999 for the American market, the 2013 Honda CBR500R commands less than a $2,000 premium over the $4,199 CBR250R. That price will go up to $6,499  though if you want the optional ABS package (and we know you do). Click after the jump for full tech specs.

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Bikes

2013 MV Agusta Rivale 800 Breaks Cover

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MV Agusta continues to push out details and photos of its 2013 models ahead of next week’s EICMA show, giving us our first proper look of the 2013 MV Agusta Rivale 800. Sharing its 798cc three-cylinder motor with the MV Agusta Brutale 800, the MV Agusta Rivale 800 is the Varese brand’s take on the niche hypermotard market.

Giving us already a glimpse of the MV Agusta Rivale with the company’s concept sketch of the machine, it is clear from the finished product that MV Agusta has channeled a great deal of the Ducati Hypermotard in the Rivale, with the two bike’s sharing a very similar visage.

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Racing

MotoGP: Filippo Preziosi out of Ducati Corse?

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A revolution is about to take place at Ducati, several reliable sources are reporting. The Bologna factory’s new owners Audi are pushing through wholesale changes, both MotoSprint and Moto.it are reporting, which include relieving Filippo Preziosi of his responsibility for Ducati’s MotoGP project and embarking on a parallel project to have Suter build a new chassis for the bike.

Who is to take the place of Preziosi at the head of Ducati Corse is unclear, but the name of Paolo Ciabatti, currently involved in World Superbikes and previously head of Ducati’s WSBK team, is being mentioned.

According to the reports in the Italian press, the removal of Preziosi is part of a wholesale reorganization of Ducati’s MotoGP project. The structure is to be altered to make it more ‘Japanese’ with the work divided up into separate divisions, and without tight central control of all aspects.

Suter has been commissioned by Audi to build a new chassis for the Ducati as part of a separate, parallel project to try to improve the bike.

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KTM 1290 Super Duke – First Look at the “Beast”

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KTM’s pre-EICMA marketing machine continues to churn along, after the company first released a sound clip of its new Super Duke revving its engine in a garage. Today we get a glimpse of KTM’s new street-naked machine, the KTM 1290 Super Duke — a bike KTM is calling a “Beast” on its blog.

More of a concept bike teaser than a reveal, the bike in question appears to be a stunting prototype of the 2013 KTM 1290 Super Duke production model, but KTM has give us some clues what to expect next week: ride-by-wire throttle control, a new chassis, WP suspension, and  a bored-out 1290cc v-twin motor. Your mother already hates it.

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Say Hello to the 2013 Aprilia Caponord 1200…Again

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Leaked well ahead of the 2012 EICMA show, the Aprilia Caponord 1200 again finds its way to the interwebs, albeit in a clearer and more official way. Taking heavy styling cues from the Aprilia RSV4 sport bike, which has become something of the paterfamilias of design at the Italian brand, the 2013 Aprilia Caponord 1200 shares a chassis and motor with the Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200, and will be the Noale brand’s big offering against the sportier side of the adventure-touring market.

Featuring 17″ wheels, selectable fuel mapping, traction control, and ABS brakes, the new Aprilia Caponord 1200 has all the basic amenities you would expect in increasingly competitive adventure bike market — and if rumors are to be believed, Aprilia will offer a Caponord 1200 with semi-active suspension as well (Aprilia Dynamic Damping, or ADD…no seriously).

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Racing

Yamaha Considering Leasing M1 Motors to MotoGP Teams

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The battle for the future of MotoGP continues to gain intrigue, as Yamaha is reportedly considering leasing to private teams the motor found on the Yamaha YZR-M1. The news is being reported by MCN, which heralds the event as the end to the CRT experiment, and while that last part seems a bit hyperbolic, Yamaha’s move could have a profound affect on the series if it comes to fruition.

Currently on proposal for the 2013 MotoGP Championship is a grid comprised of 12 prototype machines (four from each of the three remaining factories), with the rest of the grid comprised of CRT entries (production motors in prototype chassis). That landscape could change however in 2014, as HRC has tipped that it has a production-racer, based off the Honda RC213V in the works, which it will sell to teams for around €1 million.

Adding yet another dimension to the bike line-up, Yamaha is said to be considering leasing the M1 motor to private teams, who in turn could use the prototype-based engine design in their own chassis design, much in the same manner that is currently being done with the production-based motors.

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News

KTM Teases New Motorcycle with an Audio Clip

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KTM is lined-up to release a few new models at the upcoming EICMA show, namely the KTM 390 Duke and the KTM 1190 Super Duke. Both bikes will be naked street machines, though the KTM 390 Duke will feature a 373cc single-cylinder engine, while the KTM 1190 Super Duke will get a de-tuned version of the KTM 1190 RC8 R’s v-twin lump.

Helping promote its new releases, KTM has teased out an audio clip of one of the bike’s exhaust note. Whether to you it sounds like a Super Duke or baby Duke, our sources say it is one mean machine. Listen to this kitten purr after the jump, and leave your guesses in the comments section.

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Racing

Max Biaggi Officially Retires from Motorcycle Racing

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True to speculation, Max Biaggi’s media presentation today announced the retirement of the reigning World Superbike Champion, at the ripe age of 41. A six-time World Champion, Biaggi’s latest stars to his leathers have come from his involvement in the factory Aprilia Racing team in WSBK, with the other four stars coming from his consecutive 250GP World Championships.

Winning his crown by half a point, in what will surely be the narrowest margin ever in World Superbike history, Biaggi’s last season went right down to the wire until the end of the season at Portimao, as the Roman Emperor had to fend off strong contentions from both Tom Sykes and Macro Melandri throughout the 2012 Championship.

“It ‘s been the longest night, but I’m happy to leave now. I do not want to be like politicians attached to the chair. I thought about it a lot, I said to myself continuous 1 or 2 years or I stop? And I decided to leave now,” said Biaggi during his announcement at Vallelunga, the circuit where he started his racing career.

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