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The New BMW S1000RR Superbike Is Finally Here

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The wait is finally over. The 2019 BMW S1000RR is finally here. Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated motorcycle for the next model year, the BMW S1000RR is so important that it is taking the German brand back into WorldSBK racing, with help from Tom Sykes and the Shaun Muir Racing team.

There is reason to be excited too, as the 2019 BMW S1000RR makes a big splash on the spec sheet. Most notable is the 204hp (152 kW) at the crank, with 83 lbs•ft of torque, which is aided by the new ShiftCam valve train that debuted on the BMW R1250GS and other “R” models from BMW Motorrad.

This marks an 8hp increase over the outgoing generation of the BMW S1000RR superbike, but that’s not all. The 2019 BMW S1000RR also does away with 25 lbs of bulk at the curb (albeit, with a liter less of fuel onboard), for a wet weight of 434 lbs (197kg).

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Bikes

MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Concept Shows Off a Retro-Modern Supersport That’s Soon to Come

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After seeing the gorgeous MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro, we thought we were done with the Varesini brand, but MV Agusta continues to surprise us at EICMA, showing off a new concept model it calls the Superveloce 800.

Giving a glimpse of a model yet to come in the second-half of 2019, the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 takes the F3 800 supersport, and builds a truly unique motorcycle from it that pays homage to the Italian brand’s racing history.

MV Agusta starts the Superveloce 800 concept by taking an F3 800 chassis and engine, and then wraps it in a set of carbon fiber bodywork that takes its cues from the 1970s.

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Bikes

The Yamaha YZF-R1 GYTR Superbike Celebrates 20 Years of the R1, So Only 20 Will Be Made Worldwide

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The Yamaha YZF-R1 clocked its 20th anniversary this year, a monumental achievement for the original 1,000cc superbike.

Potent from its first debut in 1998, the YZF-R1 is still at the top of the heap, winning the 2018 MotoAmerica Championship, as well as an unprecedented four-in-a-row victories at the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hours endurance race.

To help celebrate this birthday, Yamaha Motor has been touting a throwback livery on its racing machines, and now the Iwata brand is making that red and white livery available to its European fans.

More than just a paint job though, this 2019 Yamaha YZF-R1 GYTR superbike has some very trick parts, which will make the 20 lucky souls who buy one very happy.

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Bikes

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Will Be a 2021 Model for the USA

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We have been waiting a very long time for the Yamaha Ténéré 700, with the machine first debuting as a concept in 2016. A no-show at the 2017 EICMA show, the Yamaha T7 concept instead went on a worldwide promotional tour.

So, surely we thought that the 2018 EICMA show would announce the Yamaha Ténéré 700 as ready to go…yes and no. The Yamaha Ténéré 700 is finally coming as a production motorcycle…but not quite yet.

Expected as a Fall 2019 model in Europe, off-roaders eager for a middleweight adventure-touring bike will have to wait another year. If you happen to live on this side of the pond however, we have even worse news for you.

The Yamaha Ténéré 700 will be a 2021 model year machine in the USA, debuting in the second-half of 2020, making this perhaps the most disappointing new model release at the Milan trade show.

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Bikes

MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro – A New Generation of Style

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It’s here. The next generation of four-cylinder sport bike from MV Agusta just broke cover at this year’s EICMA show in Milan. As such, say hello to the 2019 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro. This is likely as close as you will ever get to one, as only 300 will be built.

An evolution of Massimo Tamburini’s original Brutale design, the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro does not disappoint, especially with its 205hp (152 kW) peak power figure – the highest performance figure of any production streetfighter.

With the special race kit installed, power on the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro increases to 209hp (156 kW), with the 4-1-4 titanium exhaust from SC Project highlighting the change in peak horsepower.

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Bikes

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

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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.

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Bikes

Ducati Panigale V4 R Debuts with 217hp, Wings, & More

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The big reveal at Ducati’s live stream event for EICMA 2018 is surely the Italian brand’s new homologation racing machine, the Ducati Panigale V4 R. A 998cc version of its potent street bike, the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R takes full advantage of the homologation rules for the WorldSBK Championship.

As such, the Ducati Panigale V4 R will surely hit the top limit of the World Superbike pricing cap, which is €40,000. For that price though, you get the pinnacle of Ducati’s superbike technology, including the company’s first use of winglets on a street-legal machine, which come straight from Ducati Corse’s MotoGP program.

Of course, the real show-stopper for the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R are the tech specs: 217hp (162 kW), with 83 lbs•ft (112 Nm) of peak torque, wrapped up in a 425 lbs (193kg) package, when fully fueled at the curb.

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Bikes

Spicy Meatballs! 2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory Makes 214hp with 1,078cc

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The 2019 EICMA show in Milan is next week, and there we expect to see a bevy of new models, including a few from Aprilia, but those crafty Italian have gotten a jump on things, releasing today the 2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory.

As we predicted, the new top-spec superbike is getting a displacement increase to 1,078cc on its 65° V4 engine (we wonder why), which gives the new Aprilia RSV4 Factory a class-leading peak power figure of 214hp (159.6 kW), and 90 lbs•ft (122 Nm) of torque.

Matching that substantial gain in power, the 2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory gets a solid weight reduction, tipping the scales at 439 lbs when fully fueled. Helping cut the weight down is a lithium-ion battery from Bosch and a street legal titanium exhaust from Akrapovic.

For those doing the math, we will save you the trouble: the 2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory weighs 11 lbs lighter than its predecessor, and makes 16hp more power, and 5 lbs•ft more torque as well. Win, win, win.

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Bikes

The New MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Will Have Over 200hp

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Nestled deep in the announcement that MV Agusta has raised €40 million and has a new CEO is a slightly less business-focused news item, one which concerns the soon-to-be-released MV Agusta Brutale 1000.

The new streetfighter will make 212cv – making it the most powerful production naked bike on the market, with a top speed of 193 mph. Do we have your attention? Good.

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News

MV Agusta Gets €40 Million in Cash…And a New CEO

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MV Agusta has raised an additional €40 million in funding, the Italian firm reports, bringing its total in fundraising to €50 million over the last 12 months, as the company moves past its previous financial troubles.

With the capital increase comes a change in the leadership structure at MV Agusta, with Giovanni Castiglioni continuing as the company’s President, while investor Timur Sardarov takes on the role of the company’s new CEO and Chairman of the Board.

This arrangement should mean that Castiglioni will focus on the day-to-day business of MV Agusta and its product lineup, while  Sardarov will mind the company’s financial future and big-picture strategy, including the company’s new business plan.

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WSBK

Eugene Laverty and the Politics of Racing

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“When the music stops you need to grab a seat,” is a kids game, but in the grown-up business of the paddock, it is still just as relevant as if you were at a birthday party.

Unfortunately for Eugene Laverty, he’s been left as one of the last riders chasing a seat for 2019, and with Marco Melandri, Loris Baz, Jordi Torres, and Xavi Fores all also running in circles, the clock is ticking until the music stops for good.

Having thought that he’d be sticking with Shaun Muir Racing for next year, as the team switches to BMW machinery, the Irishman now finds himself on the outside looking in. From feeling secure that he would have a good ride for 2019, he suddenly finds himself staring at limited opportunities.

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