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A Closer Look at the Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Pikes Peak

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For the 2018 model year, we see one of our favorite bikes in the Ducati lineup getting the 1260 update. We are of course talking about the 2018 Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Pikes Peak.

The Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Pikes Peak takes its name from one of America’s oldest racing venues, and as a result it is the sportiest version of Ducati’s adventure-touring machines.

Now fitted with Ducati’s Testastretta DVT 1262 engine, the Multistrada 1260 S Pikes Peak makes 85% of its torque below 3,500 rpm on the v-twin engine. That is a good thing, because Ducati says the bulk of Multistrada owners rarely get above 6,000 rpm on their machines.

This makes the 1,262cc engine the perfect candidate for low-revving excursions, like the ones you would take down a dusty fire road. For the sports-focused Pikes Peak model, the choice is a little bit more curious, but we won’t scuff at the 158hp on tap.

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Ducati 959 Panigale Corse Debuts for 2018

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What you are looking at is the Ducati 959 Panigale Corse, a special edition version of the Italian brand’s “middleweight” superbike, which is coming for the 2018 model year.

Debuting today, just ahead of the 2017 EICMA show in Milan, the new Ducati 959 Panigale Corse draws an obvious visual line to Ducati’s MotoGP program with its matching livery, but it also comes with a few smart upgrades as well, making it worth more than a second glance.

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That 226hp Ducati Panigale V4 Speciale Though…!

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While today’s big reveal at the 2017 EICMA show was the new Ducati Panigale V4, what will surely be in our dreams tonight is the the limited-edition version of Italy’s new superbike. Say hello to the Ducati Panigale V4 Speciale, and its big fat 226hp peak horsepower figure.

Now, the 12hp bump over the Ducati Panigale V4’s 214hp crank figure comes courtesy of an included Akrapovic titanium exhaust, which means the entire Panigale V4 line can reach this amazing horsepower number, but the real beauty in the 2018 Ducati Panigale V4 Speciale comes in the details.

With its optional magnesium wheels installed (you’re gonna want to buy the wheels), the Ducati Panigale V4 Speciale tips the scales at 164kg dry – that’s a full 10kg (22 lbs) lighter than the base model Panigale V4.

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Ducati Panigale V4 – A New Generation of Ducati Superbike

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If you are a hardcore Ducatisti, you will probably mark today down in history, as Ducati has moved on from its v-twin superbike design, adopting its first production four-cylinder superbike*.

Today, the 2018 Ducati Panigale V4 officially debuted in Milan, Italy for the EICMA show, and the new 1,103cc machine boasts some impressive figures: 211hp (157.5 kW) at the crank, 88.5 lbs•ft of peak torque, and a paltry 384 lbs weight when dry (436 lbs at the curb).

Considered more of an evolution of the Ducati 1299 Panigale superbike design by the Italians, the big changes to the new Panigale is its “Desmosedici Stradale” engine, which has a 70° crank pin offset and a “Twin Pulse” 0-90-290-380 firing order for its pistons.

This makes the Desmo Stradale V4 engine more like two v-twin engines mated next to each other – a bid to make the power and character of the Panigale V4 more recognizable to loyal Ducati owners. A nod to Ducati’s MotoGP program, the Desmosedici Stradale engine is counter-rotating as well.

Of course, Ducati doesn’t leave the changes to just the engine, as the Ducati Panigale V4 is truly an all-new machine beneath its fairings.

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Here is the Ducati Scrambler 1100

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Ducati’s media event for the 2017 EIMCA show is just under a day away, but photos of the Italian company’s 2018 model year bikes are starting to leak on social media. As such, here is your first look at the Ducati Scrambler 1100, one of five all-new motorcycles from Borgo Panigale.

As you can see, the Ducati Scrambler 1100 is exactly as our sources said it would be, and it features the air-cooled, 1,087cc, v-twin engine that Ducatisti know and love, wedged into larger chassis and platform than the original Scrambler model.

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Why You Should Own a Monkey

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The Honda Grom is a motorcycle I cannot explain. I don’t know why Honda built it; I don’t know who that bike is for; and I don’t know where you would actually ride a Grom…I just know that I want one.

Interestingly, the Honda Grom shares an ancestry with the Honda Monkey lineup – a series of small-displacement, and curiously sized, Z-series motorcycles from the 1960s and 1970s.

Now paying homage to the Monkeys of yore, Honda has one last concept from the Tokyo Motor Show that we need to cover: the obviously named Honda Monkey 125 concept.

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KTM 1290 Adventure S Finally Coming to the USA

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The KTM 1290 Adventure S seems finally set to come to the United States, after debuting last year at the EICMA show. Ever-tentative about new model releases, KTM North American only brought in the KTM 1290 Adventure R this year, leaving its road-focused ADV counterpart for the rest of the world.

First spotted in filings with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) by the folks at Motorcycle.com, it looks like the KTM 1290 Adventure S has proven its worth abroad, enough so that KTM feels comfortable bringing it into the largest ADV market in the world.

As such, this news surely means that the 2018 KTM 1290 Adventure S is coming to the USA. It features cast wheels (19″/17″), cornering ABS, semi-active WP Suspension pieces, and 158hp of fun on tap.

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More Details About Yamaha’s AI-Powered MOTOROiD

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Artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR)…these are the three bid buzzwords of Silicon Valley right now. So, it shouldn’t surprise us to see the motorcycle industry blindly latching onto them, in order to keep some sort of relevance in the space.

From the manufacturers, we have seen more than a few mentions of how the motorcycles of the future will use artificial intelligence to improve the two-wheeled experience, though with virtually none of the brands talking about how an AI-powered motorcycle would be better…or even work.

Yamaha has finally made the jump though with its MOTOROiD concept, taking AI and viewing the technology through the company’s long-term focus with “kando” – the Japanese word for the simultaneous feelings of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that we experience when we encounter something of exceptional value.

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Mega Gallery: Honda Gold Wing

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Every time we write a story about the Honda Gold Wing, we end up using the word “iconic” as a descriptor, but why is that? Is it because there are over 250,000 Gold Wings on the road today, putting down miles?

Is it because the model was so important to the American market, that it was the only Honda motorcycle that has been built on US soil? Or is it the legion of loyal fans, that continuously replace their old Gold Wing with a new one, rather than stray to another brand?

It is probably a combination of all these things, and now for the 2018 model year another chapter of the Gold Wing story is about to be told.

Big Red has made considerable changes for the 2018 Honda Gold Wing, most notably putting the giant tourer on a diet (roughly 90 lbs). Now a more compact machine, Honda has made space savings by switching to double-wishbone front suspension.

In person, the Gold Wing (bagger) and Gold Wing Tour (tourer) retain the obvious lines of the previous Gold Wing motorcycles. We think Honda has walked a fine line too in making the 2018 edition look more edgy and modern, while still being true to its classic shape.

The fit and finish on the new Honda Gold Wing is impressive as well, with there being strong attention to the details. When you consider how many miles, and how many years, a typical Gold Wing must endure with a single owner, Honda has to build the Gold Wing to a standard beyond the typical motorcycle.

For next year, Honda hopes to sell upwards of 14,000 Gold Wing motorcycles worldwide, most of which will be here in the United States. Nearly a doubling of the current sales volume, this goal is a tall order. But, the new Gold Wing seems up to the challenge.

Don’t worry, we’ll swing a leg over one in January and see for ourselves. Until then, we have got about 120 high-resolution photos for you to peruse of this iconic motorcycle. Enjoy!

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The Honda Neo Sports Café Concept Is Quite the Looker

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After much teasing, Honda quietly debuted its Neo Sports Café concept at the Tokyo Motor Show today. Releasing nary a detail about the simple but modern motorcycle design, we are left to draw our own conclusions about the machine.

We had hoped that the Honda Neo Sports Café would lead to a retro-styled version of the Honda CB1000R, much in the same vein that the new Kawasaki Z900S is a hipsterfied version of the popular Z900 street bike.

It’s not clear if Honda intends to produce the Neo Sports Café concept, but its design is intriguing, especially when you consider the now ancient four-cylinder engine that resides in its chassis, which is of course derived from the previous generation Honda CBR1000RR.

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Retro-Styled Kawasaki Z900RS Debuts in Tokyo

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As expected, at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Kawasaki unveiled a new retro-syled model based off its popular Z900 street bike, thus creating the 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS.

As the core of the bike is the same four-cylinder, water-cooled, 900cc engine that is found on the Kawasaki Z900, but Team Green has completely revamped the styling to have a more heritage look and feel to the “RS” model.

Peppy motorcycle meets trendy aesthetics, the Kawasaki Z900RS truly lives up to its “Retro Sport” moniker. Equipment includes LED lighting, new spoke-looking wheels, and a revised exhaust design.

The paint scheme is meant to mimic the design found on the 1972 Kawasaki Z1, one of the Japanese brand’s more classic motorcycles, while appealing to the features that modern motorcyclists rely upon.

Set for sure for the European market, it will be interesting to see if Kawasaki brings the Z900RS to the USA. We would expect so, but stay tuned for more information.

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