For the 2021 model year, we are happy to say that the Honda CB1000R is getting a bit of a makeover.
Not a new motorcycle per se, but the 2021 Honda CB1000R does get some refinements in areas where it was lacking before, not to mention the roadster is now ready for the Euro5 homologation.
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.
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.
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.
BMW Motorrad is beginning the release of its new motorcycles for the 2021 model year, and first up is the new BMW R18 Classic.
Calling this air-cooled 1,800cc cruiser a “new” model might be a stretch, since the bike is heavily based off the BMW R18 that is just now getting to dealerships.
Next week, we will be in Santa Barbara, riding the new Aprilia RS 660 on the street.
We have been waiting a long time to ride this Italian middleweight twin, as it promises to bring a great deal of sophistication to a segment of motorcycling that has primarily been stagnant.
The upside to no motorcycle shows is that a new motorcycle model can debut at a moment’s notice. Such is the case with the 2021 KTM 890 Adventure R, which just dropped on the internets.
As the name suggests, KTM has taken the very competent 790 Adventure R, and dialed things up a notch by 90cc. As if that wasn’t enough, there is a KTM 890 Adventure R Rally for 700 lucky owners worldwide (200 in the USA).
When we first got to get up-close with the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, it was a hastened affair. Honda Motor Europe invited the world’s press to see the model at its EICMA debut, and then hired security guards to keep us away from it. Bizzare.
Now, almost a year later, we finally get to a proper face-to-face with this new Fireblade, thanks to American Honda’s ride debut at Thunderhill Raceway (read our full review here).
With only the top trim level coming to the United States, Honda creates an interesting situation with the Fireblade SP – one that we will explore in the next day or two with our A&R Pro readers, but both bikes share the same core features.
When you talk about the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, the conversation starts with several predictable openers.
First, there is the name, which is like some sort of crazy Gilbert & Sullivan routine about majors who are generals or some other thing. The term “Triple R” was floated at our launch, and I hope it catches on – I’m starting to get a TMJ disorder from saying the full name from Honda.
Then, there is the incredible duration of time that has passed since Honda last debuted a truly new sport bike model (the year was 2008, for those keeping count). For comparison, it took J. K. Rowling less time to make the entire Harry Potter movie franchise than Honda could come out with a proper new Fireblade.
Throw in a quick repartee about the addition of winglets on modern superbikes, and you have your basic bike night bro-dude conversation about the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP all figured out.
The conversation should turn around a different narrative though – one that focuses on how Honda has come back to the superbike market with an absolute beast of an offering.
If you don’t mind, I would like to have that conversation about the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP with you now, as this machine is not only a landmark for the Japanese brand, but also now the new reference point in the superbike segment.
As we thought, today sees us getting our first glimpse of a new motorcycle from BMW Motorrad, but even so, give a proper hello to the BMW M1000RR superbike.
Of course with the “M” name now on a motorcycle, we see that the S1000RR package has been cranked to 11 in order to make the M1000RR a reality.
First off, you will see the prominent carbon fiber winglets attached to the front of the fairing, which is very en vogue right now, and thus obligatory. They provide 36 lbs (16.2 kg) of downforce at 187 km/h.
Underneath the hood, things are more rowdy with the BMW M1000RR, with peak power coming in at 209hp (156 kW) and peak torque at 83 lbs•ft (113 Nm).
With only 500 units coming worldwide, BMW Motorrad has already made its indication of homologating the BMW M1000RR for WorldSBK use, and to make the bike potent and ready for Superstock racing. Accordingly, pricing is set at €30,000 in Europe.
As if waiting for the debut of a new superbike from Honda wasn’t a marathon event in itself, the arrival of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP onto US soil took its time in its own right, thanks in part to the coronavirus outbreak.
But, the new Fireblade is finally here in the United States, and Asphalt & Rubber is among the first to ride this new superbike.
Our ride test takes us to smokey California, at the Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, CA. With fires smoldering not too far away, we consider ourselves lucky to ride this popular Californian track, and the new Fireblade should feel right at home on this undulating circuit.