If the riding public wanted a shiny and new Yamaha MT-07 for the 2021 model year, then the tuning fork brand wasn’t listening.
For all the hype and chatter that there was online for a “new” Yamaha MT-07, for next year we see a bike that gets primarily Euro5 homologation and some basic refinements, which is probably what should have been expected.
The folks at Motociclismo.it are reporting that a KTM 1290 Super Duke RR is going to drop in the coming days – news that our own Bothan Spies are giving good vibrations about as well.
The concept behind the KTM 1290 Super Duke RR is pretty simple: it will be a version of the current streetfighter, complete with a bevy of farkles and go-fast parts from the Austrian brand to make it even more of a hooligan machine on the street and track.
That Harley-Davidson has been working on a small-displacement motorcycle for street rider is not a well-kept secret.
The project involves a collaboration with Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Qianjiang Motors, but the fruits of that labor have been slow to reveal themselves.
Like many of Harley-Davidson’s planned future models, the alleged “XR338” is at best MIA, and at worst DOA.
No one seems to know the next move from Harley-Davidson, including the Bar & Shield brand itself, which has been extremely terse about the details of its “Hardwire” business plan.
To help nudge them along the way, A&R contributor Michael Uhlarik has been working with Italian design show Engines Engineering (E&E) on an XR338 flat track concept for the street.
Episode 40 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and this one comes to us deep, deep within the Brap Talk vault of lost podcast episodes.
Recorded alllllll the way back on a trouble August afternoon, the show isn’t exactly talking about the latest and greatest news, but we thought it would be fun to listen to Jensen and Shahin prattle on, knowing full well the outcomes of some of their predictions and thoughts.
After a teaser campaign that left little to the imagination, the Triumph Trident 660 is finally here, and we we like what we see.
For those not in the know, the Trident 660 is a budget-focused middleweight from Triumph, with an emphasis on value – and we like what we see.
As the name implies, the bike features an 660cc three-cylinder engine (loosely based on the old 675cc triple, with over 60 new parts) that makes 80hp (60 kW) and 47 lbs•ft (64 Nm) of torque.
Boasting true linear power, 90% of that torque is available starting at 3,000 rpm, mind you. The Triumph Trident 660 also has a slip-assist clutch installed.
Harley-Davidson continues to hemorrhage motorcycle unit sales in 2020, with the Bar & Shield brand reporting an 8% loss worldwide on its third-quarter numbers.
This Q3 result means that Harley-Davidson is down 18% for the first nine months of the year, compared to the same point in time as last year.
The news isn’t all bad however, as Harley-Davidson is also reporting that the net income for the third-quarter was up 39% for a total of $120 million – the company’s highest Q3 income since 2015.
The airbag revolution continues in the motorcycle industry, as Alpinestars has just released its Tech-Air Off-Road airbag system to professional rally-raid racers.
Used by Alpinestars-supported riders since 2018, the new consumer-facing version is being offered to all professional racers now, just ahead of the Dakar Rally mandating airbags for all of its entrants.
Updates are coming to the popular Honda Grom mini-bike for the 2021 model year.
Honda Motor Europe is showing that the newly named “Honda MSX125 Grom” will get a power boost (now 9.6 hp), a fifth gear, and a modest restyling for next year.
Episode 171 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one comes to us once agin from the MotoGP paddock in Motorland Aragon, as we switch names for the Teruel GP.
On the mics, we have a trio of hosts: Steve English, David Emmett, and Neil Morrison, as they discuss the race weekend’s events, and what they mean for the 2020 MotoGP Championship.
Zero Motorcycles is recalling a bevy of its electric motorcycle models, though only 64 units are affected by this recall with the NHTSA.
As such, the recall concerns the 2021 model year SR, S, DSR, DS, FX and FXS motorcycles, built between August 19th, 2020 and October 5th, 2020.
At the core of the issue is the DC-DC converter on these affected models, which may have insufficient power output margin to operate effectively.
If you had to draw up a list of motorcycles that provide excellent bang for the buck, the Yamaha MT-09 would have to rank high on that list, as the tuning fork brand has put together a potent motorcycle for the price with this three-cylinder machine.
Now for the 2021 model year, the Yamaha MT-09 is getting a massive overhaul, with virtually every piece of the bike changed for next year. This means more power, less weight, and certainly more features.