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The KTM 790 Adventure R Prototype in Action

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I am always kind of amazed that when KTM shows its hot new bikes at a trade show like EICMA, the Austrian brand does such a bad job sharing the media it creates. Such is the case with the KTM 790 Adventure R prototype.

As such, only a handful of studio shots were released to the public upon the bike’s debut in Milan, Italy. But yet, KTM has clearly gone through the trouble of doing photo shoots with the middleweight ADV machine, and still the “Ready to Race” brand isn’t spreading the love.

Fortunately, we do have a couple photos of the KTM 790 Adventure R prototype, lifted from KTM’s Facebook page, and they do entice.

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Bikes

The Montesa Cota 300RR Looks Good for 2018

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When it comes to the Montesa Cota 300RR, not too much changes for the 2018 model year, but that’s not going to stop us from sharing a gallery of 50 or so photos of this trials motorcycle.

A bike built for trials competition, the Cota 300RR is two-pounds lighter than the “consumer” focused 4RT260, and it features a number of components for that task, like HRC carbon fiber parts for the clutch cover protector, exhaust pipe guard, and headlight visor.

It also has an anodized chassis, as well as lightweight D.I.D aluminum rims that feature black-anodized machined hubs and Michelin tires.

The Montesa Cota 300RR is of course powered by a Honda four-stroke, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 288cc single-cylinder engine, which has both a longer stroke and bigger bore than the Montesa Cota 4RT260.

Capable of only holding half a gallon of fuel in its tank, the 2018 Montesa Cota 300RR tips the scales at a paltry 162 lbs at the curb. A bike built to do a single task, very well, we think its red and black color scheme looks rather fetching as a bonus. Don’t you think?

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Bikes

Valentino Rossi’s Special Yamaha XJR1300 Flat Tracker

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It is good to be Valentino Rossi. Not only do you have nine world championships to your name, legions of yellow-crazy fans, but you also get pretty nice gifts from your friends.

Take “Mya” for example – a special Yamaha XJR1300 custom flat tracker that the folks at VR|46 built for their fearless leader.

Now, when you think about bikes that should be the basis for a custom project, the Yamaha XJR1300 doesn’t exactly come to mind. It probably doesn’t help that this decades-old model is only Euro3 compliant, and set to sunset at the end of this year.

The XJ1300 certainly doesn’t strike us as the appropriate starting point for a flat track bike either, especially with its 530 lbs weight figure.

That all being said, the VR|46 crew have done a pretty good job of spiffing up the old girl.

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Bikes

The KTM 790 Duke’s Killer Feature? Its Price Tag

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The KTM 790 Duke launches a new platform for the Austrian brand, based around an 800cc parallel-twin engine.

As such, we already know that we can expect the twin-cylinder platform to spawn an adventure version of the bike, with the KTM 790 Adventure R prototype debuting at EICMA as well.

We can also expect other “790” models in the coming years, both from KTM and likely from Husqvarna as well. That is a good thing, because the KTM 790 Duke is a potent bike, rich with features.

A class-leader in electronics, the KTM 790 Duke comes with IMU-powered traction control, cornering ABS, launch control, ride-by-wire throttle modes, and an up-and-down quickshifter – all as standard equipment.

Throw in niceties like a color TFT dash, slipper clutch, and an LED headlight, and the KTM 790 Duke is easily the new standard in the category when it comes to features, but that is only part of the equation.

The real kicker though – if early indications about the pricing can be believed – is the KTM 790 Duke’s price tag, as KTM has been quoted as pricing the 790 Duke at below €10,000. This would put US pricing around the $11,000 mark, if not cheaper.

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Bikes

Yamaha 07GEN, Because You Need a Steampunk Tricycle

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Let’s just say that Yamaha’s concepts are a bit…ambitious. Take the Yamaha 07GEN concept, for example – a three-wheeler from the Tokyo Motor Show that we seemingly overlooked.

What a colleague called like a “tribute to Miyazaki“, this oddly styled electric three-wheeled motorcycle for urban travel is a interesting mix of new-world technology with old-world aesthetics. It might even be too hippy for the hippest of hipsters…maybe.

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MotoGP

Marc Marquez is the 2017 MotoGP World Champion

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The 2017 MotoGP Championship has finally come to a close, and it took racing under the Valencian sun for us to crown a victor.

Though he was easily the pre-season favorite, this year was a long season for Marc Marquez to claim his sixth world championship, and his victory seemed far from certain as the races ticked by.

A DNF for three races this season, Marquez left the door open for a number of would-be usurpers, with Andrea Dovizioso rising to the top of that list. With the pair fighting head-to-head on a number of occasions, the Ducati rider put up a strong fight against the Spaniard.

Though Marquez’s three race scratches – one due to a mechanical failure – showed a return to his old ways of aggressive riding, when Marquez did finish a race, he was able to grab crucial points, with 12 podium finishes and 6 race wins.

This consistency was vital to his championship success, and it should be noted that he finished the season with the same number of points as last year’s more “conservative” championship bid.

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Bikes

Yamaha MT-09 SP Brings Some European Bling

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The Yamaha FZ-09…pardon us…the Yamaha MT-09 is a top-seller for the Japanese brand, mixing a solid motorcycle, with decent features, all for a reasonable price.

Hoping to appeal to riders more “up-market” though, Yamaha has a conundrum, and the hope is that the Yamaha MT-09 SP is the solution.

Taking its potent three-cylinder street bike, Yamaha has taken the MT-09 and added an Öhlins rear shock and fully adjustable front forks to the package – which are not from Öhlins, I might add.

If this sounds familiar, it should. The Yamaha MT-09 SP follows in the same vein as the Yamaha MT-10 SP.

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Bikes

ARCH KRGT-1 Power Cruiser Gets Updates for 2018

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ARCH Motorcycle’s first model, the KRGT-1, is getting a host of updates for the 2018 model year. The big changes come in the form of ergonomic refinements, and modifications to the bodywork.

Other changes include updated front suspension, in the form of Öhlins FRGT series forks, and an ARCH proprietary rear shock; updated ISR Brakes with an optional ABS module; and Euro4 compliance for riders on the other side of the pond.

At the center of the ARCH KRGT-1 remains a 124ci (2,032cc) air-cooled v-twin engine, which is held in a steel frame with an aluminum subframe. Wheels are five-spoke carbon fiber pieces from BST.

Forward controls are standard on the ARCH KRGT-1, though mid-controls are available as an option, as well. 

We can expect to see the 2018 ARCH Motorcycle KRGT-1 early next year, available in the USA and Europe.

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Bikes

ARCH 1S Debuts a Sportier Performance Cruiser Design

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In case you can’t be one of the lucky 23 who own the carbon-fiber-everything that is the ARCH Method143, the ARCH Motorcycle has a bike for the rest of us.

Debuting today at the EICMA show in Milan, the ARCH 1S takes the American brand’s performance cruiser offering found in the ARCH KRGT-1, and ups the ante.

ARCH Motorcycle’s second production model, the ARCH 1S is built with CNC’d aluminum and carbon fiber parts, all of which tie together around the bike’s 124ci (2,032cc) v-twin engine.

Noticeably, this includes an aluminum single-sided swingarm design, that holds a BST carbon fiber wheel.

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Bikes

No One Seemed to Notice that the MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR Is New for the 2018 Model Year

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We had to search high and low for information about the 2018 MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR – it doesn’t help that MV Agusta’s press site is offline right now – but it seems just about every news publication missed the fact that this attractive roadster got some serious changes for the 2018 model year.

These unnoticed changes certainly are partially due to the fact that MV Agusta went without a press introduction at this year’s EICMA show, but it is also due to the company’s never-ending line of “bold new graphics” changes, one-off customs, and special livery designs, which only muddy the waters for when actual changes occur.

As such the motorcycling media, ourselves included, were caught off-guard by the fact that the MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR is a new machine for the 2018 model year.

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Bikes

BMW C400X, A Luxury Middleweight Scooter

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We here at Asphalt & Rubber are all about the scooters. Mmm…yes, we love us some scooters! Scooters. Are. The. Best.

Ok, I will admit that it is hard to get excited about a scooter, even if it is from a luxury brand like BMW Motorrad. So loath is the lowly scooter to the modern rider, most motorcyclists won’t even extend a wave when one passes by in the other direction.

This will probably be the case with the new BMW C400X, but don’t be so quick to judge this 400cc class scoot, as it is an integral part to BMW’s urban mobility plan, and it compliments the German brand current lineup of 650cc scooters.

More importantly, we need to embrace the fact that transportation is changing, and the truth is that the more two-wheelers there are on the roads, the better it is for all motorcyclists…even if those bikes are maxi-scooters like the BMW C400X.

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