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Harley-Davidson Livewire Gets Closer to Production Form

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Harley-Davidson made a big push today, showing a number of bikes and concepts that it plans to bring to market by 2022. All of them were a big surprise, but one of them we already knew about: the Harley-Davidson Livewire.

While not as big of a shock as the adventure-touring Pan America concept, or the Harley-Davidson Streetfighter or Custom models (to say the least about its upcoming electric lineup), Harley-Davidson has given us something to talk about with this electric power cruiser.

Namely, the Harley-Davidson Livewire looks ready in production and in form, even though its official debut is still a year away.

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Triumph All But Shows Us the New Speed Triple RS

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We continue our wait for the updated Triumph Speed Triple, which our sources say will be getting a mild refresh (more power, less weight, electronics, etc), similar to what we’ve seen with the rest of Triumph’s modern sport bike lineup (Street Triple, Tiger 800, and Tiger 1200).

To help tease us into this “new” model, Triumph has enlisted the help of two pretty famous blokes: Carl Fogarty and Gary Johnson.

In their teaser video, the two racers duke it out in some sort of race through an airfield, which is fine and all, but in the process of it, Triumph gives a pretty good glimpse of the 2018 Triumph Speed Triple RS.

The overall design of the new RS model is pretty close to the 2017 edition, though a couple subtle changes are noticeable. We will get full details next week. Until then…

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A New Triumph Speed Triple is Coming…Finally!

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I never thought this day would come, a day where Triumph finally updates its venerable Speed Triple. The three-cylinder streetfighter has long held its own, but it has also seen the super-naked category walk away from the British model over the past 13 years of its sloth.

Yes, there have been updates over the past decade or so, but the model hasn’t strayed too far from its original form from 2005. That is set to change however, as a teaser video and CARB filings give us word that a new Triumph Speed Triple is on the way.

Judging from the video that Triumph released, we don’t think that the new Speed Triple will be a revolutionary change. The chassis seems relatively similar to the previous edition, and the overall design seems roughly the same.

Meanwhile, CARB filings show that the engine size will remain 1050cc and that the trim levels will be designated as “R” and “RS”. We can expect more power and other internal changes though, as Triumph chases machines like the KTM 1290 Super Duke R and Aprilia Tuono V4 1100.

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The TVS Apache RR 310S Is Finally About to Drop

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We have been patiently waiting for the TVS Apache RR 310S (formerly known as the TVS Akula 310) to debut in India, though probably not for the most obvious of reasons. Now, with only a matter of hours before it officially debuts, we have some thoughts on the newest sport bike from India.

While we are intrigued by the new motorcycles that debut in India, the TVS Apache RR 310S is a bit more special for Western riders.

Built in collaboration with BMW Motorrad, the TVS Apache RR 310S gives us our first glimpse into what the German brand’s 300cc-class sport bike will look like, which should hopefully debut late-2018.

Based around the same 313cc engine (34hp) that is found on the BMW G310R and BMW G310GS, that TVS Apache RR 310S is expected to be a BMW G310RR wrapped in different bodywork.

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Husqvarna 701 Svartpilen Concept to Debut at EICMA Too

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To compliment the Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen becoming a production model, Swedish marque Husqvarna will show a new concept bike at this year’s EICMA show in Milan. Unsurprisingly, that bike will be the Husqvarna 701 Svartpilen.

We know this because Husqvarna had not-so-subtley teased the new model on its Instagram account: giving us the name, size, and numerous detail shots of the motorcycle concept.

As such, we know that the Husqvarna 701 Svartpilen will carryover many of the design elements found on the Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen. Like the other Svartpilen models though, the 701 Svartpilen will be a scrambler-styled bike, complete with Pirelli MT60 RS tires.

Given its preamble in Milan, we can expect that Husqvarna 701 Svartpilen to be a 2019 model year motorcycle…that is, if Husky can get its act together, as we are long overdue on the two 401 models becoming available, after their release at the 2016 EICMA show.

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Husqvana 701 Vitpilen Finally Going into Production

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On its Instagram account, Husqvarna is teasing the fact that its next Vitpilen model is finally going prime time. That’s right, the Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen will be unveiled tomorrow at EICMA as a production.

This shouldn’t be too big of a surprise for anyone following the Swedish brand (or who read our EICMA preview story), but considering the reception that the Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen concept got at last year’s show, we would expect the Husqvarna stand to be pretty crowded in Milan.

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BMW F850GS Teased for EICMA Debut

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BMW Motorrad is set to debut four new motorcycles at this year’s EICMA show, and surely one of those news machines will be the BMW F850GS.

How do we know this? Well, BMW was pretty obvious about the new model in its latest teaser video (watch it, after the jump). It also helps that the revised middleweight ADV bike has been caught numerous times by spy photographer.

Also helping this conjecture is the fact that the BMW F800GS was last updated for the 2013 model year, with a visual refresh for the 2016 model year. As such, the model is due for an overhaul. 

Expected to have a bit more punch than the outgoing F800GS, the 2018 BMW F850GS should provide a bit more stratification in BMW’s adventure-touring range, which gets a bit confusing when you get to the models below the venerable BMW R1200GS.

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Honda Teases More Off-Road Capable Africa Twin Model

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Honda seems set to update the Africa Twin, its plucky ADV model, with a more off-road focused machine. Teasing the new model online, the Honda Africa Twin “Big Tank” – nicknamed for its supposedly larger 22-liter fuel tank – is expected to debut next week at the EICMA show in Milan.

Not too much is known about the machine, but we expect it to borrow heavily from the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Concept, which debuted at the Osaka Motorcycle Show last year.

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Triumph Teases New Tiger for EICMA Debut

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Triumph looks set to update its ADV range, as the British marque is teasing a new Tiger adventure bike in its latest YouTube video.

Touting that the three-cylinder platform has been “transformed” and is packed with more “technology”, Triumph’s teaser is deliciously vague.

What we do know is that Triumph has fallen behind greatly with its modern motorcycles, with the Hinckley brand hyper-focused on its heritage lineup of Bonneville variants.

As such, the Triumph Tiger 800 has remained largely the same, since its 2010 debut, though was updated in 2015 with an improved engine, ride-by-wire, and traction control. The Tiger Explorer 1200 on the other hand was released in 2012, and given modest updates for the 2016 model year.

Both machines however have been overcome by continued pressure from other brands in the middleweight and heavyweight ADV categories, with BMW, Ducati, and KTM all releasing competing models that have been refreshed since the Tigers’ inception date.

Hopefully this teaser video signals that we will see Triumph’s entire lineup overhauled for the 2018 model year. It desperately needs it.

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This Is Surely the Suzuki SV650X, A Café Racer

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We are pretty confident that Suzuki has some interesting motorcycles for us at this year’s EICMA show. This is not one of them.

Part of the “me too” movement that the Japanese manufacturers are going through in order to have heritage motorcycles in their lineup, the 2018 Suzuki SV650X is exactly what you think it is: the company’s popular street bike, dressed in a vintage aesthetic.

There isn’t anything wrong with that, per se, as we have seen some great builds using the same formula, like the Yamaha XSR900 and more recently the Kawasaki Z900RS and Honda Neo Sports Café concept.

However, we know exactly what we are getting with the Suzuki SV650X, and it’s not pretty. With the concept already getting unveiled at the Tokyo Motor, we expect its debut for the Western markets to happen in Milan, Italy. Look for it next week.

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Is Honda’s Neo-Sport Café a New Retro-Styled CB1000R?

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If we had to guess at a unifying theme for this year’s new bike launches, it would have to be “what is old is new again” as several brands are working on modern-engineered retro-styled motorcycles for the Tokyo and Milan expos.

Big Red is throwing its hat into the ring for this game as well, teasing what it calls the “Neo-Sport Café” on its YouTube channel. The videos center around Honda’s design and engineering team working on a new motorcycle, which will debut next month at the EICMA show in Milan.

In the teaser videos, we see a retro-looking motorcycle, with modern flares, such as an LED headlight, single-sided swingarm, and bazooka shaped exhaust can.

And then of course, there is the name” Neo-Sport Café and Honda’s description that it is true to “the spirt of the café racer.

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