Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Tag

EICMA

Browsing
Bikes

2013 Ducati Diavel Strada – Now We’ve Seen Everything

By 10 Comments

What happens when you take a Ducati Diavel and raid the Ducati Performance parts bin? You get the 2013 Ducati Diavel Strada. After seeing the 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada, it is clear that the Bologna Brand has touring on the brain, and thought that the Diavel should get some extra attention at this year’s EICMA show (although, maybe not as much as the 2013 Ducati Hypermotard, 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada, & 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R).

Designed with longer trips in mind, the Diavel Strada features improved wind protection, higher handlebars (15mm) that are also swept farther back (60mm) making for a more comfortable sitting position. Other additions include a gel seat and heated grips, as well as two auxiliary power outlets that are fed by a higher-output generator. For the pillion, a backrest has been included, and of course there is 41 liters of side luggage available.

Not exactly our cup of tea, but then again we have never been a big fan of the Diavel’s styling (riding the beast is a whole different matter though), but we imagine there are some would-be Diavel owners who would jump at the chance to tour on Ducati’s sport-cruiser. Photos and video after the jump for you intrepid souls.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

2013 Honda CBR600RR – Botox for an Aging Supersport

By 16 Comments

It is hard to believe that the Honda CBR600RR will turn five-years-old in 2013, but the Japanese supersport has long been neglected in the Honda line-up. Actually, the phonomenon has not been limited to the 600cc sport bike, as the Honda CBR1000RR has also been left to whither in the sun for far too long. With the 1,000cc superbike getting a makeover for 2012, it looks like the CBR600RR is finally getting its turn, as well.

As such, the 2013 Honda CBR600RR gets a set of new fairings, which we must admit are rather fetching (the bodywork is good for a 6% reduction in drag, according to Honda). The Japanese company also says that the revised front section improves RAM-air, and thus midrange torque. We won’t being to tell you what’s wrong with that statement, but suffice to say the design helps the 599cc motor breath better.

Other changes include a revised ECU package, 12-spoke wheels, Big Piston forks (BPF), and re-tuned rear shock. Honda is even throwing its “Electronic Combined Anti-Lock Braking System” (C-ABS) on the 2013 CBR600RR. Wowzers. Colors are Red, Repsol Edition, & White/Blue/Red. Pricing hasn’t been released yet, which surely means a price increase is headed the Honda CBR600RR’s way.

Keep Reading
By
News

Bimota BB2: The BMW S1000RR Powered Bimota Cometh

By 2 Comments

Holy motorcycle lust Batman! BMW has just announced that it will be supplying Italian boutique brand Bimota with engines from the BMW S1000RR superbike. The Bimota BB2 will break cover at EICMA in a concept bike form at Milan, and likely ruin Christmas for everyone in attendance.

BMW says Bimota chose the S1000RR engine because of its extremely low weight (132 lbs) and high power output (193 hp). No word yet if the the Bimota BB2 will be a fully faired sport bike, or naked wheelie monster of doom (check out these concept sketches by Oberdan Bezzi), but the news is a welcomed turn of events for Bimota fans who wanted a little variety in the Ducati-heavy model line-up. Press release after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B – A Tourer Minus the Touring

By 9 Comments

The last of Honda’s six new models for the 2013 model year (checkout our coverage of the 2013 Honda CBR500R, 2013 Honda CB500F, 2013 Honda CB500X, & 2013 Honda CBR600RR), the 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B is in a class of its own.

If the traditional Honda Gold Wing is the Cadillac of the motorcycling world, then the Honda Gold Wing F6B must be what the bike looks like with a drop-top. Taking the huge weekend touring machine, Honda has made the Gold Wing F6B more of a day-to-day cruiser…but not in a horrible Honda Rune sort of way.

Using the same chassis and 1,832cc flat-six motor that is found in the Honda Gold Wing, the 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B not only looks like less motorcycle than its predecessor, but it also sports 62 lbs in less heft than the base tourer model, for a “curvy” 842 lbs curb weight.

Coming in two models, the Honda Gold Wing F6B will cost $19,999, while the Honda Gold Wing F6B Deluxe will cost $20,999, and will include a center stand, passenger backrest, and self-cancelling turn signals. Color choices are simple: black or red. Photos and tech specs are after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

2013 Honda CB500X – Eats Potholes on a Budget

By No Comments

If you haven’t caught on yet, American Honda has announced a trio of 500cc machines, just ahead of the upcoming EICMA show. Featuring the fully-faired 2013 Honda CBR500R sport bike, and its fairing-less sibling the 2013 Honda CB500F, the slightly taller 2013 Honda CB500X completes the trifecta, and adds an adventure-esque dimension to Honda’s midrange options.

Like the Honda CBR500R & Honda CB500F, the Honda CB500X uses the same modest liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC, 180° crank, parallel-twin motor that will put down 54hp at the wheel for the US market (tiered-license countries will see a 47hp machine).

A slight variation on the chassis that is shared with the other 500cc machines, the CB500X has a bit more travel to its suspension (5.5″ on the front forks), and the seat height is a full inch higher (31.9″ to be precise). Visually the philosophically similar to the Honda NC700X, the Honda CB500X is also a tad heavier than its relatives, sporting 430 lbs of fully-fuel heft at the curb, which is likely due to its larger 4.5 gallon tank (4.1 gallons on the other models).

Building three motorcycles from one versatile core design, American Honda has some aggressive prices on the CBR500R & CB500F, but the American subsidiary of the Japanese brand has yet to release a price on the CB500x. We would expect something in the $5,000 range though when it hits dealer floors in July 2013, with the ABS version getting a $500 price increase over the base model. Full technical specifications are after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

2013 Honda CB500F – The UJM Returns to America

By 1 Comment

Where there is a full-faired 2013 Honda CBR500R, there must be a naked 2013 Honda CB500F — and thus the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) makes a proper return to American soil. Priced at a vey modest $5,499 ($5,999 with ABS brakes), the Honda CB500F is an affordable, dependable, and stylish street-naked or “standard” motorcycle for the masses.

Like the rest of Honda’s 500cc line, the CB500F is based around  a modest liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC, 180° crank, parallel-twin motor that will put down 54hp at the wheel for the US market (tiered-license countries will see a 47hp machine).

At 420 lbs ready to ride with a full tank of fuel, the 2013 Honda CB500F saves 8 lbs off its clothed sibling (click here to read our full description of the new CBR), with the lack of fairings being the real distinction between the two machines.

Available in either black or pearl white, expect the Honda CB500F to be at your local Honda dealer in April of 2013 (the ABS version is available only in black). Full technical specifications are after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

2013 Honda CBR500R – Priced at $5,999 for the USA

By 6 Comments

More news on the 2013 Honda CBR500R, as details about Honda’s 498cc paralle-twin budget sport bike continue to unfold. A part of a larger effort to saturate the markets with 500cc-class motorcycles for the price sensitive, we can now confirm that the Honda CBR500R is one of three bikes (checkout the Honda CB500F & Honda CB500X) in the genre that will be coming to the USA next year.

Based around  a modest liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC, 180° crank, 54 rwhp, parallel-twin motor for the US market (tiered-license countries will see a 47hp machine), the Honda CBR500R is a sporty-styled no thrills sort of motorcycle. A graduation step from the Honda CBR250R, it makes sense then that the CBR500R has twice the cylinders, and thus twice the displacement — but it doesn’t come with twice the price tag.

At $5,999 for the American market, the 2013 Honda CBR500R commands less than a $2,000 premium over the $4,199 CBR250R. That price will go up to $6,499  though if you want the optional ABS package (and we know you do). Click after the jump for full tech specs.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

2013 MV Agusta Rivale 800 Breaks Cover

By 14 Comments

MV Agusta continues to push out details and photos of its 2013 models ahead of next week’s EICMA show, giving us our first proper look of the 2013 MV Agusta Rivale 800. Sharing its 798cc three-cylinder motor with the MV Agusta Brutale 800, the MV Agusta Rivale 800 is the Varese brand’s take on the niche hypermotard market.

Giving us already a glimpse of the MV Agusta Rivale with the company’s concept sketch of the machine, it is clear from the finished product that MV Agusta has channeled a great deal of the Ducati Hypermotard in the Rivale, with the two bike’s sharing a very similar visage.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

First Official Shots of the 2013 Honda CBR500

By 8 Comments

We are still a few days away from the official unveiling of Honda’s 500cc line-up, which will include the 2013 Honda CBR500, 2013 Honda CB500R, and 2013 Honda CB500X motorcycles. Based around a 469cc parallel-twin motor, Honda’s new mid-range bikes are for the budget-oriented rider, and produced a modest 54 hp in their non-restricted state for tiered-licensed countries (47hp in restricted form).

Expected to be the big new thing from Honda at EICMA, we have seen quite a bit already on the Honda CBR500 and its siblings ahead of their debut at the trade show in Milan, Italy. The Honda CBR500 is the logical progression of the Honda CBR250R, which is a budget-focused single-cylinder sport bike that’s available worldwide, including the US.

We’ll have to wait and see which of the 500cc machines American Honda brings to the USA, but the CBR500 is heavily expected to come to both the American and Canadian markets. Time will tell as to whether the Honda CB500R (not likely) and Honda CB500X (more likely) come to North America as well. Photos after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

2013 MV Agusta F4 Gets Traction Control, Öhlins Electronic Suspension, Ride-by-Wire, & More

By 6 Comments

MV Agusta is teasing its 2013 MV Agusta F4 line ahead of the upcoming EICMA show next week, and the company from Varese, Italy has massaged in some extra goodness into its premier superbike. Not giving us the full monty, MV Agusta is willing to admit that the F4 will come in three flavors: the MV Agusta F4, MV Agusta F4 R, & MV Agusta F4 RR.

For 2013, the key feature updates include upgraded Brembo M50 monobloc brakes, Öhlins electronically controlled suspension, ride-by-wire throttle control, and the MV Agusta MVICS electronics package with eight-way adjustable traction control.

We don’t have word on the F4’s key performance specs, but in its teaser video MV Agusta lets it slip that at least some versions of the 2014 MV Agusta F4 will have titanium con-rods and a redesigned crankshaft (by the way, did you see the new running lights in the photo above?).

Thus, expect the F4 to get a power boost that puts it properly in the 200+ hp realm (many media outlets fail to realize that the current F4 Corsacorta motor makes 201 CV, which equals 198hp). One of the most beautiful motorcycles you could hope to own, MV Agusta may be getting a bit derivitive with the F4’s design, but the company lives up its “Motorcycle Art” tagline, as always.

We have got a bunch of screen captures and a teaser video for you after the jump. Stay tuned next week for the 2013 MV Agusta F4’s official launch, where we’ll bring you all the photos and technical spec available.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Say Hello to the 2013 Aprilia Caponord 1200…Again

By 11 Comments

Leaked well ahead of the 2012 EICMA show, the Aprilia Caponord 1200 again finds its way to the interwebs, albeit in a clearer and more official way. Taking heavy styling cues from the Aprilia RSV4 sport bike, which has become something of the paterfamilias of design at the Italian brand, the 2013 Aprilia Caponord 1200 shares a chassis and motor with the Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200, and will be the Noale brand’s big offering against the sportier side of the adventure-touring market.

Featuring 17″ wheels, selectable fuel mapping, traction control, and ABS brakes, the new Aprilia Caponord 1200 has all the basic amenities you would expect in increasingly competitive adventure bike market — and if rumors are to be believed, Aprilia will offer a Caponord 1200 with semi-active suspension as well (Aprilia Dynamic Damping, or ADD…no seriously).

Keep Reading
By