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MV Agusta Brutale 800 Gets a Visual Overhaul for 2016

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The crafty folks at Moto.it have gotten their hands on a video that shows the 2016 MV Agusta Brutale 800, which will be getting a modest facelift for the upcoming model year. Details on the model are non-existent at this point, but we can spot obvious style changes on this bike  when compared to the 2015 model.

As such, the tail-section has been replaced with one that uses negative space, like on the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce. Similarly, the fuel tank, exhaust, taillight, and headlight have all been swept backwards, while the intake ducts, and radiator fairings have all been changed.

The chassis and three-cylinder engine seem to be unchanged for 2016, but we’ll have to wait for official word from MV Agusta on that front. Expect to see the 2016 MV Agusta Brutale 800 officially drop on Monday, and be on display at the EICMA show in Milan.

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Bikes

Bimota Impeto “Hyper-Naked” Debuting at EICMA

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In addition to the Bimota Tesi 3D RaceCafe that will debut at the EICMA show in Milan next week, the boutique Italian brand has another new model for our two-wheeled consumption, the Bimota Impeto.

Bimota is calling the Impeto a “hyper-naked” model, which we take to mean a nasty-fast streetfighter machine, which will take over from the Bimota DB9. We say this because sometimes things get lost in translation when it comes to Bimota press releases.

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Bikes

2016 Triumph Speed Triple Models Revealed

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We already showed you leaked photos of the 2016 Triumph Speed Triple, and now the British marque is ready for you to officially see its streetfighter model.

Though Triumph is speaking too much about technical details, we can see that the now-called Triumph Speed Triple S and Speed Triple R don’t deviate too far from the previous iteration of the venerable street-bike model. They do boast some important improvements though.

As is readily apparent, the two Speed Triple models have an updated look, but a closer inspection of the spec-sheet reveals an updated engine as well.

Triumph says that it has made over 100 changes – 104, to be precise – to its 1,050cc three-cylinder power plant, which include a new combustion chamber, new cylinder head, new machined crank, new piston design, and new ‘ride-by-wire’ throttle bodies.

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Bikes

LEAKED: 2016 Triumph Speed Triple R

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Triumph is set to debut most of its 2016 line on October 28th, but that hasn’t stopped a French dealer from posting photos of the company’s lineup onto the internet. Since we’re not part of the party, and thus handcuffed by an embargo, we thought we would share the photos with you, dear readers.

First up is the 2016 Triumph Speed Triple R, which gets a modest face lift for the new model year. Beyond the reworking of the bodywork, with the most obvious changes done to the face of the machine, the revised Triumph Speed Triple R will be Euro 4 compliant, which means there is likely a reworking to the streetfighter’s three-cylinder engine.

Rumors have the Triumph Speed Triple R coming with 140hp out of the box, with the “R” model getting the obviously higher-spec suspension and wheels over the base model, per usual.

We will have to wait and see what other changes Triumph brings to this fantastic street bike. Hopefully they have updated the Speed Triple enough to keep it relevant in this increasingly competitive segment, but hopefully they have also retained what makes the Speed Triple such a joy to ride. More photos after the jump.

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Bikes

Spy Photos: KTM 800cc-Class Parallel-Twin Duke

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It looks like KTM is getting ready to add another Duke to its street bike line, as spy photos of the above machine have broken cover.

Said to be roughly 800cc in displacement, the new Duke would slot in well between the KTM 690 Duke and the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, which is a fairly obvious base to cover.

What is interesting about the KTM 800 Duke (our name, not KTM’s) though is that at the heart of the machine is a parallel-twin engine, which breaks from KTM’s general affinity for single-cylinder thumpers, and v-twin monsters.

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Recall

Recall: KTM 1290 Super Duke R

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Attention 2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke R owner, KTM North America is recalling 640 units of “The Beast” for a fuel leak that may occur from the threaded inserts at the rear of the gas tank.

Obviously, a fuel tank poses a safety hazard to the rider, not only for its propensity to combust, but its ability to degrade traction to the rear tire. As such, KTM will notify affected owners, and KTM dealers will seal the threaded inserts to prevent future fuel leaks.

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Bikes

Rumors: Ducati 1299 Streetfighter & New Engine Coming?

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If you believe everything you read on the internet, then surely you know that Ducati is allegedly getting ready to release a Panigale-based Streetfighter in the next few months. Another potent rumor making the rounds is that Ducati is working on a totally new v-twin engine, which will meet Euro 4 emission standards.

The first rumor got its start from Visordown, which says that it has received an invitation for press launch in September that will consist of “a track test for a road bike.”

The British publication deduces that the new model must be a sport-oriented machine to warrant the track time for journalists, and the only model in Ducati’s lineup that’s long-in-the-tooth that fits the bill is the Streetfighter 848, and the recently discontinued Streetfighter 1098.

The second rumor comes from Moto-Station, with the French site getting word from a source that Ducati has an all-new Euro 4 compliant engine that it will debut at EICMA this November. They go on to speculate that the engine could have Ducati Variable Timing (DVT), and would fit a sport-touring bike.

Let’s examine these two rumors a bit further, in turn.

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Bikes

2016 Kawasaki Z800 ABS – Coming to 49 States of the USA

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Back in 2012, Kawasaki debuted the Z800 naked bike, as a 2013 model. Featuring an 806cc inline-four motor, the European Z800 comes in two flavors: the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800 & the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800e.

In Europe, the Kawasaki Ninja Z800 makes 111hp and 61 lbs•ft of torque, while the Kawasaki Ninja Z800e gets a bit more watered down with 94hp and 56 lbs•ft of torque, though it saves 6 lbs over its more burly counterpart.

Now making the Kawasaki Z800 ABS available in the American market, of course not to the USA’s largest state for motorcycle sales (California), the middleweight streetfighter is any early look at Kawasaki’s model lineup for next year.

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Bikes

Kawasaki Ninja H2R Streetfighter Concept by AD Koncept

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As owners take receipt of their purchases, 2015 will be marked significantly by the arrival of the Kawasaki Ninja H2/R supercharged sport bikes.

Kawasaki has assured us that it won’t take much tinkering for the H2 street bike to meet the performance specs of the H2R, a fact many deriders of the machine seem to forget when spec-sheet racing.

We are perhaps disappointed that Kawasaki made owning a Ninja H2 and Ninja H2R such an exclusive process, as it robs us of the chance to see some extreme concepts and customizations from the motorcycling community.

Take this streetfighter concept of Kawasaki Ninja H2R by AD Koncept, for instance. Pure brawny muscle, the H2 surely has the makings of being the ultimate streetfighter.

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Bikes

The Ducati Streetfighter 848 Is Spared the Axe for 2015

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The Ducati Streetfighter lives for another year, as Ducat is showing off the Ducati Streetfighter 848 as a 2015 model year machine at the EICMA show in Milan.

There had been doubts about the Streetfighter 848 continuing to be a part of the Ducati lineup going forth, especially as the Italian company has moved away from the 849cc v-twin platform, favoring the 821cc engine variations for the Hypermotard the Monster lines, and the 899cc Superquadro for the Panigale.

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Bikes

Energica Eva – Electrifyingly Naked

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Loyal readers will remember that we already tipped you off to the folks at Energica debuting at EIMCA a naked version of the Energica Ego electric superbike, and here is your first glimpse at what the Italians are calling the Energica Eva.

The Eva will share the same 136hp / 143 lbs•ft PMAC motor and 11.7 kWh battery pack as the Ego, though with a more upright and relaxed seating position.

As can be seen, the Eva is without fairings and sports a tall handlebar setup. The Ego’s projector headlights remain, though perhaps in a more palatable housing than on the Ego.

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