Unsurprisingly, BMW Motorrad debuted an updated BMW S1000RR superbike at INTERMOT — building upon the company’s already stout package.
Revising the frame geometry for better handling, massaging the engine for an additional 6hp (peak power is now 199hp, while torque is at 83 lbs•ft), and reducing weight by 9 lbs (449.7 lbs with a full tank of fuel and ABS), the Germans hope that the 2015 BMW S1000RR remains the superbike to beat in the coming years.
It is finally time for the Kawasaki Ninja H2R to become officially official. No more teaser videos with weird chirps, no more fake news stories for pageviews, no more leaked photos (x2)…now we finally get to see what all the hype is about with this hyperbike.
Though now that the time is here, it is hard to say something new about the 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2R that hasn’t already been said. Rebirthing a name that is synonymous with the original superbike war between the Japanese manufactures, Kawasaki has reinstated an old game, and made a bold first move.
At the heart of the new Ninja H2R is a supercharged 998cc inline-four engine which produces 300hp horsepower. You did not read that figure incorrectly. Wrapped around it is a fetching steel-tube trellis frame.
Building a machine that conformed only to Kawasaki’s own desires to make the ultimate motorcycle, it is perhaps refreshing to see a sport bike that isn’t constrained by the rules of a racing series — though Kawasaki has some racing in mind with its carbon-fiber dripping Ninja H2R model.
Essentially a rolling showcase for Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the Japanese OEM hopes that the H2R will serve as a halo product for the rest of the company’s motorcycles, similar to what the Ducati 1199 Superleggera does for the Italian brand, as well as the Japanese firm’s work with its other subsidiaries.
We have long been critical of Zero Motorcycles and the motorcycles they produce, but you have to give the electric motorcycle manufacturer credit where it’s due: each year they improve their product, which is more than you can say about a lot of motorcycle OEMs.
Take the 2015 Zero Motorcycle lineup for example: for the upcoming model year, Zero’s bikes get proper motorcycle suspension from Showa, anti-locking brakes (ABS) from Bosch, tires from Pirelli, and a 10% battery increase from Moore’s Law.
For the 2015 Zero SR, this means a 185 mile range, when the optional Power Tank battery pack is installed. Similar gains can be seen with Zero’s other 2015 models, the Zero S & Zero DS.
While the added battery pack helps with the range anxiety, anyone who has ever ridden a Zero will welcome the addition of Showa suspension, as the company’s previous bikes have suffered from th forks and shocks that were used, which woefully were not up to the task of hard motorcycle riding.
In five hours the Kawasaki Ninja H2 will officially debut at INTERMOT…of course, the internet waits for no motorbike. In addition to the first leaked photo we brought you, we now have a bevy of high-resolution images of the Kawasaki Ninja H2R, the racing sibling to the H2.
Several sites now are tipping the Kawasaki Ninja H2R as making 300 horsepower from its 998cc inline-four engine, a number that is achieved by the H2 & H2R’s centrifugal supercharger. That figure is much larger than some publications were reporting from their “sources” inside Kawasaki — or were just fabricating wholesale to get pageviews.
In addition to the leaked photos of the 2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000, our friends at Nieuwsmotor have also received photos of the 2015 Kawasaki Versys 650, which we can see here is an all-new revamp of the popular bike for Kawasaki that will debut at INTERMOT tomorrow.
Visually similar to its 1000cc counterpart, the 2015 Kawasaki Versys 650 has been completely overhauled for the next model year. Obvious is the dual-headlight setup, the 5.5 gallon fuel tank, and the revamped chassis; though the 649cc parallel twin engine appears to be the same.
We should get more photos and details tomorrow when the 2015 Kawasaki Versys 650 officially unveils. Until then, we can chew on how the new Versys 650 compares to the soon-to-be released Suzuki V-Stron 650 Adventure.
It’s the day before the INTERMOT press day, which means leaks are coming left and right, as the villainy and scum that are moto-journalists get their hands on embargoed information from motorcycle manufacturers. Kawasaki seems to be the biggest leaking sieve, as a photo of the Kawasaki Ninja H2 has already surfaced.
Now our friends at Nieuwsmotor have gotten their hands on the photos of the 2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000 and 2015 Kawasaki Versys 650. First up is the updated Kawasaki Versys 1000, which has mostly revamped bodywork, when compared to the 2014 model. We are expecting there to be few technical changes for 2015, though an adjustable windscreen has obviously been added.
Yamaha’s MT platform (that’s the FZ platform to us Americans) continues to spur variations from its three and two-cylinder machines. Called the Yamaha MT-07 Moto Cage, Yamaha’s latest bike seems ready for stunters and street-hooligans.
Think of it as the younger kid-brother to the Yamaha FZ-09 Street Rally, which we saw in the form of the Yamaha Cage-Six concept, and you will have a pretty good idea on what the MT-07 Moto Cage is all about.
At the core of the 2015 Yamaha MT-07 Moto Cage is the same 689cc parallel twin motor, which is good for 74hp, but Yamaha have added engine crash cage, skid plate, radiator guard, and supermoto-style hand protectors. Akrapovic also has a very fetching slip-on for the machine, as an aftermarket item.
Available in November 2014, for the European market, pricing is set at a very cheap €6,690. We doubt very much that Yamaha will bring the Moto Cage to North American soil, since it didn’t do so with the Street Rally…but we can dream.
Yamaha has debuted three machines ahead of the INTERMOT show, and the first two birds of the same feather: the Yamaha XJR1300 and Yamaha XJR1300 Racer. Based around Yamaha’s 1,300cc air-cooled inline-four engine (98hp / 80 lbs•ft), the XJR1300 and XJR1300 Racer take on the lines of the classic “naked bike” aesthetic — building upon Yamaha’s previous offering.
Yamaha says that it has worked closely with motorcycle customizers to update the 2015 Yamaha XJR1300, and the result is an addition to its “Sport Heritage” line, with a decidedly sporty twist coming from the 2015 Yamaha XJR1300 Racer, which has carbon fiber bodywork and clip-on handlebars.
