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Moto Guzzi V85 TT Priced Aggressively at $11,990

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When we first saw the Moto Guzzi V85 TT, details on the retro ADV bike were scarce – we knew only what we could see. But, slowly the Italian company has shed light on its creation, bit by bit.

Today, we learn what is perhaps the most important aspect of this 2019 model year machine: its price.

Aggressively positioned in the market, the Moto Guzzi V85 TT will start at $11,990 MSRP with its grey paint, while the Moto Guzzi V85 TT Adventure (which comes with bags and red/yellow/white paint job) will retail for $12,990 at the dealership.

With both bikes available in the United States starting in May 2019, adventure riders will have a new middleweight to choose from when they consider adding a new bike to their stable…and the offering from Moto Guzzi is very strong.

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Bikes

This Is SBK, By Walt Siegl Motorcycles

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We have drooled over Walt Siegl’s work before. First, it was the forged carbon Bol d’Or made in collaboration with David Yurman, which was followed by the Leggero model.

Our love affair ramped up with Walt’s Dakar-inspired Hypermotard, which was then followed by an even more adventure-ready machine built off the same platform, aptly named L’Avventura.

These bikes have helped to solidify Walt Siegl as one of the great motorcycle builders in the United States, and today’s addition only further bolsters that notion. As such, we bring you the simply named SBK models from Walt Siegl Motorcycles.

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News

The Final “Final Edition” Ducati V-Twin Superbikes are Finally Here

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The Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition was made to be the very last example of the Superquadro-powered motorcycles from Borgo Panigale, and it is one of the finest examples of v-twin superbikes that the Italian company has ever made.

Giving way to the four-cylindered Ducati Panigale V4, the Final Edition was supposed to be a special edition machine that Ducati would make for as long as there was demand for it. That day has come though, with Ducati saying that only 1,299 units of the motorcycle will be produced, with production now coming to an end.

The end of an era, we will be sad to see the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition go…in all likelihood, it is the very last v-twin superbike from Ducati Motor Holding.

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Bikes

Ducati Monster 1200 Tricolore by Motovation

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This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Ducati Monster, one of the most important motorcycles in the Italian company’s lineup. To mark the occasion, Borgo Panigale produced the Ducati Monster 1200 25° Anniversario – a machine that is finally set to be in Ducati dealerships this month.

But, what if you wanted another historic paint job to celebrate this silver jubilee for the Monster? That is where this Ducati Monster 1200 Tricolore from Motovation finds its niche. We have posted photos of Motovation’s Tricolore work before, when the aftermarket house tarted up the Multistrada 1200 in an Italian flag livery, and the effect on the Monster is no less.

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Bikes

Goodbye Honda CBR650F…Hello Honda CBR650R

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For the 2019 model year, we say goodbye to the Honda CBR650F, a fine enough machine in its own right, but one that didn’t exactly set the world on fire, and instead we say hello to the Honda CBR650R, which gets a more aggressive styling and a bevy of features, to help it earn that “R” designation at the end of its name.

Easy to sport is that the new bodywork, which draws a direct line to the Honda CBR1000RR superbike, the Honda CBR650R comes also with a sportier riding position, and the electronics and feature package to match.

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Bikes

When “Bold New Graphics” Really Means Bold New Graphics

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It is not uncommon for manufacturer to merely update a motorcycle’s graphics package for a new model year, even if no other mechanical changes are coming. It helps keep the bike fresh in the consumers’ eyes, and perhaps it is just enough to lure some would-be buyers into a purchase.

This started the marketing phrase “bold new graphics” to be uttered when such visual refreshes occurred, but in the past decade or so, the phrase has taken on more of an ironic meaning to show that no new changes are coming for a particular motorcycle model, leaving only the color change to be touted.

In the case of the MV Agusta F3, however, the phrase “bold new graphics” is quite literal, as the graphics are indeed bold in color and application, and they are a bit of a departure from what we would expect from the Italian brand.

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Bikes

More Details and Photos of the Honda CRF450L Rally Concept

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Yesterday, we brought you photos of the Honda CRF450L Rally concept – a machine that Big Red was quietly debuting at the EICMA show in Milan.

And now today, thanks to our friends at American Honda, we have not only a bunch of new high-resolution photos for you to drool over, as well as a few details on this machine.

Before we get to it though, we want to make an above-the-fold plea to anyone who might be reading in Honda factory back in Japan…

Please Honda, please pretty please, make this motorcycle a production model. Don’t change a thing. Just build it. Thank you.

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Bikes

Honda CRF450L Rally Concept Quietly Debuts in Italy

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When the Honda CRF450 Rally debuted for rally raid competitors in 2012, there was a cry for a production model of this Dakar-ready dirt bike. It took a while, but Big Red finally answer…sort of.

The Honda CRF250L Rally wasn’t exactly the bike that we expect to see in 2015, and it took over a year (and many, many teasings) for the concept to become a reality for the 2017 model year.

The 250cc platform was an interesting choice for Honda to make for its race-replica dirt bike, especially with the underwhelming debut of the CRF250L model, and thus the want for a 450cc version continued.

Now with the potent CRF450L on the market, it looks like that idea is starting to take shape…though, you would hardly know it from the Japanese brand’s actions at EICMA.

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Bikes

The Arc Vector Is an Electric Superbike Whose Big Plans Are Backed by Jaguar Land Rover

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One of the more interesting developments announced at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy was the debut of the Arc Vector electric superbike, which is being back by InMotion Ventures, the investment arm of Jaguar Land Rover. Yes, as in the car manufacturer.

The link to Jaguar Land Rover was an easy one, as Arc founder Mark Truman was formerly part of the company’s skunk works team, called White Space. Other funding partners include Mercia Fund Managers, the Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund which is part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, and a number of industry specialist angels.

Arc has been teasing the Vector for the past several weeks, with plenty of buzzwords to go along with its electric motorcycle offering. The company plans a multi-pronged approach to get into the motorcycle industry, which includes creating a line of smart apparel (co-developed with Knox) that includes a helmet with a heads-up display (HUD).

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Bikes

Ducati Panigale V4 RS19 Is Ready for Racing Duty

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In case you missed the launch of the Ducati Panigale V4 R superbike, the 998cc fire-breathing 217hp (162 kW) beast of a motorcycle, Ducati Corse is dead serious about returning to winning form in production superbike racing. In other words, the Bologna brand is all-in when it comes to WorldSBK next year.

Helping them to that object is the Ducati Panigale V4 RS19, a bike that is available only to the racing customers of Ducati Corse.

Dripping in carbon fiber, this track-only weapon is what Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista will use next season, as they aim to unseat Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki from their superbike dominance.

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Bikes

Fantic Caballero Rally 500 Is a Minor Work, But Still Gorgeous

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We are big fans of what boutique Italian brand Fantic Motorcycles is doing with its 450cc lineup. To our eye, the Fantic Callabero 500 is modern vintage done right. It almost makes us wish we lived in Europe, so we could go ride the big thumper in anger.

New for this year’s EICMA show is another 450cc bike from the brand, the Fantic Caballero Rally 500. It isn’t an earth-shattering design, and it obviously borrows very heavily from the Fantic Caballero 500 scrambler, but we still enjoy it.

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