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KTM 790 SMC Spotted Out Testing

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We knew it was coming, a supermoto version of KTM’s 790 platform. The KTM 790 Duke filled the streetfighter niche quite well, and the KTM 790 Adventure has similarly blown the doors off the ADV market, and now the Austrian brand is looking to give hooligan riders something fun for the street.

As such, spy photos have spotted what is being called the KTM 790 SMC in action, likely testing outside the city limits of Salzburg, Austria.

Readers should remember that the maxi-motard segment isn’t a large one, with the Ducati Hypermotard 950 being really the main player in the space.

The Italian bike has long been a niche machine in Borgo Panigale’s lineup, but this latest edition has been a strong seller for Ducati, which shows the changing tastes of motorcyclists.

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This Week’s KTM 390 Adventure Rumor

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It feels like the longest rumored machine in KTM’s future lineup. We are of course talking about the KTM 390 Adventure.

The missing link in the Austrian brand’s adventure-touring model range, which we have talked, rumored, and speculated about for well…quite a long time.

About a year ago though, Bajaj SVP and KTM India boss Amit Nandi tipped that we would see the KTM 390 Adventure in 2019. Well, that time is now, and rumors are once again heating up about this small-displacement ADV.

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Rumors

Ducati 959 Panigale Gets a Facelift for Next Year

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The next two model years will be big ones for the motorcycle industry, as manufacturers prepare their offerings for the upcoming Euro5 emission regulations.

Existing models will get their new emissions gear for 2021, while new models will have to make the grade starting in 2020. That being said, most manufacturers are getting a head start on the process. One such company is Ducati.

As such, we have seen our first glimpses of the updated Ducati 959 Panigale, which will get makeover to bring its look more in line with what is on offer with the Panigale V4 superbike.

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Rumors

Is a Four-Cylinder Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R Really Coming?

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The headline shares our thoughts on the matter. Is there really a four-cylinder Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R in the works? That is the rumor coming out of Asia, and not exactly a new one.

The bike is expected to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this year, in October, with an eye on reviving Japan’s lost history of screaming small-displacement machines.

While there seems to be some evidence that the bike will debut – sightings of a prototype have already been published – our reservations for excitement come from similar rumors that have failed to pan out.

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Rumors of Honda CRF850L Come from Japan

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While we continue to hear news that the Honda Africa Twin will get a displacement bump to 1,100cc for next year, now we are starting to hear a new rumor from Big Red’s adventure lineup – namely, that a Honda CRF850L is in the pipeline.

The obvious play here is that the baby Africa Twin model would slot in under the 1,100cc version, as a proper middleweight option to go against the BMW F850GS, KTM 790 Adventure R, and the Yamaha Ténéré 700 (whenever it finally comes to market).

The middleweight ADV segment is very hot right now, and it makes sense for Honda to want to get in on the action. As such, this rumor makes a great deal of sense…but then, it also really doesn’t pass the smell test either.

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Rumors

Is an All-New Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR Coming for 2020?

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Team Green could bring a new superbike for the 2020 model year, or at least that is what the scuttlebutt from Europe is saying.

The news of a new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR comes from comments made by KRT Senior Engineer Ichiro Yoda while talking to Germany’s Speedweek website.

In responding to the dominant force laid bare by the Ducati Panigale V4 R and Alvaro Bautista, Yoda-san signals Kawasaki’s response to the Italian manufacturer – namely that a new bike could debut for next year.

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Is an 890cc Twin Coming from KTM?

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KTM CEO Stefan Pierer has already publicly tipped that the Austrian brand is hard at work on a new middleweight engine, one that will exist alongside the current 790 platform.

From those comments, the notion is that KTM is working on a 500cc platform for a range of models, which is likely to debut in a few years’ time. We also expect to see a KTM 790 SMT supermoto-styled bike debut later this year at EICMA, which should round out the 790 platform.

But, could another engine platform be in the works? That’s what our Bothan spies are telling us.

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Is Honda Set to Upgrade the Africa Twin for 2020?

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If you believe the latest internet gossip, a new updated Honda Africa Twin is on the way. The news comes from UK site BikeSocial, which says that the potent adventure bike will get a displacement bump for the 2020 model year, among other upgrades.

More specifically, the 2020 Honda Africa Twin is said to target a new displacement of 1,080cc, which should be good for a 5hp increase in peak power, bringing the machine to just shy of 100hp.

Perhaps more importantly though, the new displacement size will help the Africa Twin deal with the power-sapping Euro5 regulations, which will make tailpipe emissions for motorcycles much more stringent going forward.

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Rumors

The Triumph Daytona 765 Is On Its Way…Soon

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Though we were disappointed to see that the Triumph Daytona 765 wouldn’t come to us as a 2019 model, rumors about the motorcycle’s arrival have begun to swell.

Alleged spy photos of the bike popped up on the web last week, and out Bothan Spies have been reporting details of what to expect from this middleweight sport bike, which seems set for a 2020 model year debut…perhaps as early as later this year.

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The Internet Thinks Ducati Is Working on a 450cc Motocross Bike

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It is curious that the past couple of weeks have been rife with internet chatter about Ducati working on a 450cc motocross bike. It is a strange rumor, and if true it would be big news for Ducati.

Of course, for the very same reason that it would be big news, this rumor is also hard to believe, if for no other reason than Ducati getting into the MX scene would be a huge jump for the Italian brand.

What is more curious though is the timing of the story, as it comes only two weeks after we published some thoughts about how Ducati can expand its lineup, through the acquisition of a brand like TM Racing.

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