We already had a pretty good idea what to expect from the 2022 KTM RC390, but that perhaps only whet our appetite for the pint-sized road bike.
Getting the full monty today, we can see explicitly what changes the Austrians have brought to the KTM RC390, which will debut in the United States in March 2022.
Suzuki’s lineup of “new” motorcycles continues to be iterations on established machines, and the 2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000 does not deviate from that plan.
That being said, the updated streetfighter brings a number of refinements to the GSX-S1000 name, along with some distinct styling choices.
With a lineup of popular choices for sport bike enthusiasts, Pirelli is now bringing out the next generation of its street-focused tires, debuting the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV.
As the name implies, the tire is the successor to the venerable Diablo Rosso III, which is billed as a performance street tire for sport bike riders, suitable for mixed weather conditions and higher mileage uses.
The Rosso III sat below the Diablo Rosso Corsa II tire (one of our favorite street tires) in terms of performance, with the DRC2 being a street tire that also performs well on the race track.
Editor’s note: Breaking my collarbone just a couple weeks before the press launch of the new Ducati Monster in San Francisco, I asked the most discerning Ducatisti I knew to take my place and test this new street bike fro Asphalt & Rubber.
Colin has seen more than a few Ducati’s in his garage over his many, many years, so he knows the history of this iconic motorcycle name, and yet he has enough “other” bikes in his garage so as not to be a complete Italian snob. Enjoy his words, and the properly English accent they were written in. -JB
First a confession: I feel like an imposter. I am neither a moto-journalist nor a professional rider. But, I do have some qualifications.
I own an eclectic collection of Ducati icons from the 80s and 90s, and many other newer Ducatis have passed through my hands over the last 30 years including a beautiful, raucous, guttural, black Monster S4RS in the late aughts.
Now a second confession: that Monster was the only bike that ever really scared the crap out of me.
The ferocious power and torque and no electronics meant the front wheel needed no excuse to leave the pavement; usually when I least expected it and was not paying attention. This was a design feature not a fault.
It was…is…the reason people wanted that Monster. For me, it was exciting but exhausting. It had to go.
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R is a crazy machine. Maybe not quite as crazy as the small-displacement screamers from the heyday of sport bike design, but still crazy enough in a world of tightening regulations and budget-focused OEMs.
Of course, we know that the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R was made for markets where the Kawasaki Ninja 400 was too expensive to own, primarily because of taxes, insurance, and licensing structures.
This is also part of the reason why the 50hp 250cc machine doesn’t come to the USA or Europe, but instead finds a home in the Asian markets.
Now, we get word that rumors have begun about an encore to Kawasaki’s craziness – a four-cylinder 400cc machine that could be called the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R.
The speculation and rumors can finally end in the middleweight-twin category, because the 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 has finally debuted.
Taking the name from an iconic predecessor, this 689cc parallel-twin sport bike aims to bridge the gap left behind by another icon, the YZF-R6 – filling in Yamaha’s lineup between the R3 and R1 models.
Built off the MT-07 platform, Yamaha has incorporated some smart enhancements on the naked bike’s design in order to make the YZF-R7 and affordable, and also potent, package for track and street riders.
We know that Yamaha is readying a full-fairing version of the MT-07 street bike. We know that Yamaha is going to call this parellel-twin powered motorcycle the YZF-R7. And, we know that the Yamaha YZF-R7 is going to debut very soon.
Today, we get our first look at the 2021 Yamaha YZF-R7, ahead of its official debut. The two photos might not spill the full monty about this machine, but they do provide some key insights into this new track wannabe.
We could probably save a lot of pixels, and a lot of headlines, if we just wrote one story saying that updates have come to MV Agusta’s 800cc three-cylinder lineup…but where’s the fun in that?
Continuing the trickle of reveals, we have on the offer today the MV Agusta Brutale line, which includes the base model Brutale Rosso, the up-spec Brutale RR, and the auto-clutched Brutale RR SCS.
Were you one of the lucky 500 people who plans to put a KTM 1290 Super Duke RR in their garage this year?
If you weren’t quick to act, then the answer is probably no (the same answer should be given for those of us living in the North American market as well – sad trombone), as the Super Duke RR sold out in a mere 48 minutes when it became available for pre-order.
The stylish MV Agusta Superveloce model is getting some updates for the 2021 model year, along with an extra letter.
The big news is the Euro5 homologation for the 800cc sport bike, with a plethora of small changes to get the MV Agusta Superveloce across the finish line for the stricter European emission standards.
There is also the new white-clad MV Agusta Superveloce S model, which adds a few stylish flares for its extra letter.