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2016 Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro – More ADV

By 7 COMMENTS

This is Ducati’s first real foray into the adventure-touring segment of motorcycles, and the 2016 Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro promises to up the ante on the Multistrada 1200’s off-road ability, with a purpose-built trail stomper.

As we can see from the photos, there have been several changes to the Multistrada 1200 to make it more ADV capable, the most important of which is the double-sided swingarm, for added strength and rigidity.

Other changes include a 19″ front wheel, shod with knobby tires, a skid plate, and a higher-mounted single exhaust can. We are told the fuel tank has been punched out to 30 liters, which is almost 8 gallons – certainly enough fuel to get you properly lost in the great outdoors.

Of course, with any ADV bike, the scales are the machine’s worst enemy, as the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro weighs a hefty 516 lbs.

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Bikes

Benelli Teases the Return of a “Legend” – A Scrambler?

By 3 COMMENTS

Benelli is very much the forgotten Italian marque in the motorcycle industry. The brand has made some fantastic modern models, like the Tornado, TnT, and Tre, and of course Benelli is steeped in a rich history that has some classic motorcycles. However, ownership under the Qianjiang Group has proved difficult for motorcycle enthusiasts, with the company’s sexy Italian-designed motorcycles giving way to practical simple people movers. The Benelli TnT25 proves that point. It seems though that things are slowly coming around for Benelli and its Chinese owners though, with the Italian-born brand sending the above teaser with the message “The Legend is back…” So we dug a little deeper.

Bikes

Would You Rock This Electric Dirt Bike from Yamaha?

By 7 COMMENTS

Astute readers will realize that if there’s a Yamaha PES2 electric concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, then surely there must be a Yamaha PED2 concept as well, as the two electric concepts were two-sides of the same coin, back in 2013. Yes Virginia, there is a PED2 concept, and while it looks closer to being production ready than its predecessor, Yamaha seems content to simply call this electric motorcycle a concept…for now. Yamaha says that the PED2 is designed for hitting mountain trails, where riders can capitalize on its clean and quiet performance characteristics. Like the PES2, the Yamaha PED2 is supposed to make similar power to a 50cc-125cc moped or motorcycle, so it isn’t going to blast your socks off.

Bikes

Yamaha DT-07 Flat Track Concept – Turn Left, Slide, Repeat

By 11 COMMENTS

There has been some talk about how the Yamaha FZ-07 platform is well-suited for flat track racing. The parallel-twin engine produces tractable power, and the FZ-07 (that’s MT-07, to our European readers) is an affordable starting point for would-be racers. Yamaha Motor USA has heard that chatter, and run with the idea, producing what it calls the Yamaha DT-07 Concept to tackle the American dirt track scene. The concept is the work of Jeff Palhegyi Design, in conjunction with Yamaha’s US race shop. As you would expect, the Yamaha DT-07 features a race-tuned engine, 19″ wheels, no front brakes, and a custom exhaust system that was created by Graves Motorsports. The DT-07 features a special race-tuned FZ-07 twin-cylinder engine with an exhaust system created by Graves Motorsports.

Bikes

Honda Grom 50 Scramblers Are the Cutest Dirt Bikes Ever

By 21 COMMENTS

The Honda Grom has been a huge success for Honda, with the unassuming pocket bike basically selling out in its inaugural year, and it is still selling strong to this day. With two Grom concepts debuting alongside two other concepts of the Honda Super Cub, it is easy to draw some parallels between the iconic Cub line, and its modern-day equivalent, the Grom. Pint-sized, lovable, and affordable…come on, you know you want one. If you don’t, well first off, we think you’re lying, secondly you should see what Honda is set to show off at the Tokyo Motor Show. Creating two concepts that take the Honda Grom off-road, Honda has turned the Grom into more of a scrambler, with a modern version as well as a more retro variant. New or old, you take your pick, but we like them both.

Bikes

Husqvarna 701 Enduro Coming for 2016

By 16 COMMENTS

I had the supreme pleasure of being a guest at the KTM factory last week, touring the Austrian company’s headquarters at Mattighofen. Seeing some things that I should have perhaps not have seen, Asphalt & Rubber can now confirm two things: the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto looks awesome in person, and that there will be a Husqvarna 701 Enduro for the 2016 model year. News of the Husqvarna 701 Enduro is perhaps not shocking, given that the 701 platform is based off the KTM 690 Enduro and that an off-road 701 would surely accompany the on-road model that Husqvarna has been teasing us with lately. Sources say that we can expect both models for the US market, dropping some time in Spring 2016. Judging from KTM’s development process, the spied Husqvarna 701 Café Racer will likely be a 2017 model.