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Rumors

The Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Will Start Around $17,000

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As we get closer to the debut of the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 for the 2021 model year, information about this adventure bike is making its way into Harley-Davidson’s various channels, which means it’s making its way into the ears of our Bothan spies.

First reported on the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast, our initial news is that the Pan America will debut at a fairly affordable price for the category, starting around the $17,000 mark.

With all the bells and whistles installed, the bike is still expected to be a sub-$20,000 machine, which makes it one of the more affordable luxury ADV bikes on the market.

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Rumors

Is a Suped-Up KTM 1290 Super Duke RR Coming Soon?

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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.

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Rumors

An Updated Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Is Coming Next Month

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In 41 days, Kawasaki plans on unveiling six new motorcycles for the 2021 model year, and no ink has been wasted trying to speculate what those bikes could be.

Could there be a new KLR to rival the Yamaha Ténéré 700 and help Team Green back into the ADV category? Another supercharged model to keep the H2 and H2 SX street bikes company? One more retro-modern play? It’s hard to say.

One thing that did seem for certain was that we would see a new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R superbike, and that is where today’s story takes us.

Now, our Bothan spies have reported in, and given us some clarity on what has only been speculation so far.

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Bikes

Here Are Photos of the Production Version of the Bimota Tesi H2

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The arrival date of the Bimota Tesi H2 is getting closer, so it doesn’t surprise us that today a Bothan spy dropped off these photos in our inbox, showing the supercharged sport bike in its final production form.

Not too much has changed since we first saw the Bimota Tesi H2 at the EICMA show in 2019, as the basic lines from the Italian boutique have remained throughout the machine.

The bike is still built around the Kawasaki Ninja H2 power plant, with the addition of an iconic and unique hub-center steering design chassis, which itself is clad with carbon fiber bodywork.

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Bikes

The KTM 200 Duke is Coming to the USA, And It’s Going to be Cheap

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The Bothan Spies of Asphalt & Rubber have been hard at work during the recent months, and they bring us news from Austria: the KTM 200 Duke will be coming to the USA as a late 2020 model.

The KTM 200 Duke is not a new model in the Austrian brand’s lineup, as it is available in various markets world, and most notably in the Asian markets where tiered licensing and cost-of-ownership constraints make the 25hp motorcycle a great choice for street riders, but it is a new and curious model for the United States.

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Recall

Get Ready for Another Big Brembo Brake Worldwide Recall

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Our Bothan spy sources are telling us the the Ducati 1299 Superleggera recall from yesterday is just the tip of the iceberg of what is coming from Brembo, as the Italian brake supplier’s affected brake pads are in multiple makes and models throughout the USA and worldwide (editor’s note: we see Triumph now making the same recall today as Ducati).

For those keeping track, this is the second time that Brembo has seen a large recall for its brake pads because the friction material might become separated from the backing plate. And like the Brembo recall for its master cylinder piston failure, this is something that is going to affect a number of motorcycle brands, as Brembo is a large OEM supplier.

Our sources are telling us that thousands of bikes in the United States will be affected by this recall, though thankfully the fix for the brake pad failure is pretty easy – one only has to change out the brake pads for new ones.

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Bikes

KTM 890 Duke R Coming to the USA with a $11,700 Price Tag

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Want some good news to start your weekend? Thank your favorite Austrian motorcycle brand, because the KTM 890 Duke R is not only coming to America, but it will be here (in limited numbers) very, very soon.

This is because KTM North America has been able to import a small number of KTM 890 Duke R motorcycles into the United States, which will be ready for purchase in Spring 2020, instead of Fall 2020 (as 2021 model year bikes) as was originally planned.

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News

US Motorcycle Sales Were Flat for 2019, And Other Bad News

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Official data on the US motorcycle industry for 2019 isn’t out yet, but Asphalt & Rubber has seen preliminary numbers, encompassing the first 11 months of the year on new motorcycle sales, and those numbers show that the USA continues to have essentially zero growth.

According to the documents supplied to us by our Bothan spies, from January to November of 2019, the US motorcycle industry grew a whooping 0.1%, with most of the major brands posting moderate single-digit losses for the year on new bike sales.

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News

A New Polaris Slingshot Cometh…with an Automatic?

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Polaris Industries has begun teasing the next iteration of its three-wheeled sporting machine, better known as the Slingshot.

First debuting for the 2015 model year, Polaris in 2020 is finally bringing an update/new edition to the Slingshot line, which will hopefully help spur sales for this autocar.

The American brand isn’t saying too much about their new Slingshot right now, but our Bothan spies have tipped us to an automatic transmission option for the reverse-trike car.

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