Indian is preparing to release a 1000cc version of the Scout Bobber, or, to look at it another way, a bobber version of the Scout Sixty. The new variant was recently certified by both the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the 2020 Indian Scout Bobber Sixty, which, as if it weren’t confusing enough, will have a smaller version of the engine powering the anniversary edition Indian Scout Bobber Twenty.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his Keihin FCR the breath of life (with accelerator pump); and man became a living soul. There was also the street version that first year, the DR-Z400S, but our man Mark Kariya would not have been caught dead on that, not when Suzuki invited him to ride the new “E” at Soboba with Malcolm Smith. Twenty years on, Suzuki still stocks the DR-Z400S and SM; now with the breath of life via Mikuni BSR36. When men were men, amen.

I didn’t like the Ducati Panigale V4 S when I rode the first-generation version a few years ago. Despite the fact the Panigale has been the best selling superbike in the market for two years running, to the tune of one-in-four superbikes sold worldwide is a Panigale, I just never got on with it. In our head-to-head test of the Panigale V4 S and the Aprilia RSV4 RF, I noted how the Desmosedici Stradale 1103cc 90º V4 is an absolute monster of an engine. Unfortunately, it was wrapped in a chassis completely unable to provide any feedback to the rider. Where the RSV4 could carve a racetrack with scalpel-like precision, the Panigale was more like a butcher knife, chopping up swaths of racetrack with brute power instead of agility and precision. Sure it could set a fast lap, but trying to repeat that performance over the course of a 20-lap race would be next to impossible. 

The world has come to grips with saddlebags on Ducatis now, my friends, but that wasn’t always the case. First came the ST2 with the air-cooled motor and it was good. Then a few years later, the ST4 with the liquid-cooled 916 engine: 99.5 horsepower were more than enough then, though frankly we usually preferred the nearly equal torque of the ST2 a couple thousand rpm sooner. Twenty years later, we’re waiting not-so patiently for the 200-hp V-four Multistrada to get here. There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.

Triumph and Indian manufacturer Bajaj formally commenced plans to collaborate on a range of mid-capacity motorcycles. The key word there is “formally,” as the partnership between the two companies was first announced in August 2017, but nothing had come of it in the last 29 months. Today, however, the two companies say their partnership has officially begun, with plans for a new engine and vehicle platform spanning from 200cc to 750cc displacements.

Triumph has brought out another modern classic motorcycle and, once again, hasn’t skimped on the performance. We liked this trend in the Speed Twin, and we applaud its continuance with the Thruxton RS. You get your vintage style, your upright riding position, and your smile-inducing handling. Then add to that the slight bump in horsepower, but more importantly, internal upgrades and weight savings that results in a claimed 20% reduction in rotational inertia. These updates allow the RS to spin more freely throughout the entire rpm range. Oh, and you get a 500-rpm higher redline. Woohoo!

Triumph announced two special edition versions of the Tiger 1200 inspired by desert and mountain landscapes. The Desert Edition and Alpine Edition models are based on the mid-tier Tiger 1200 XCx and XRx, respectively, but add titanium Arrow exhaust, shift assist and, of course, special edition paint and graphics.

This all started with our recent Bagger Battle between the two juggernauts in the field: The Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special and the Indian Challenger Limited. In just nine days, that story garnered enough views on MO to make it our ninth-most read story of 2019 – and it was posted on December 23rd!

The Thruxton namesake is one that has described Triumph’s racing efforts throughout the middle of the past century. Now, the name designates a model that harkens back to those days that’s thoroughly modern while being meticulously designed to look the part of cafe racers from the 1960s. This new Thruxton RS continues to refine and develop Triumph’s factory cafe racer into a machine that will properly haul the mail and look smashing while doing so.

Polaris Industries has updated its Slingshot three-wheeler for 2020, giving it a new 1997cc four-cylinder engine, an automatic transmission, revised suspension and a redesigned cockpit. In all, Polaris says the 2020 Slingshot features “70% new vehicle content” in its first major update since its introduction in 2015.

Is an ebike cheating? Of course. But would I be sitting on the beach now after a strenuous-ish 15-mile ride from my house without it? No. I’d be napping on the couch in my usual after-lunch tradition. I had a regular nice $500 Specialized hybrid bicycle there for a while, until it got stolen, and I did the 30-mile round trip to the Santa Ana River mouth quite a few times on it (and wrote about it here). But it took a lot out of me and the biggest part of a day by the time I was done lying around for a couple hours afterward, recuperating and rehydrating.

You read the review, now see the movie! Filmed in an exotic location in full Technicolor last November, and featuring an all-star cast of one, it shouldn’t be too painful to watch because it’s only barely four minutes long. No animals were harmed, though my right ankle still hurts from being yanked off the Triumph Rocket 3 GT’s forward-set footpeg.

A little over a year ago, Harley-Davidson revealed two electric two-wheeler concepts, an electric mountain bike and a scooter that resembled an old Briggs & Stratton minibike. Today, the European Union Intellectual Property Office published multiple design filings that give us a peek at what the production version of that electric scooter may look like.

Generally speaking, finding bikes to pair up for comparison is a bit more direct; throwing the R6 against the CBR600, or building out our adventure bike shootout is mostly a no-brainer, but sometimes bikes that roll through for testing end up revealing unexpectedly similar personalities. Late this past year, I faced exactly that. Both the Honda CB650R and Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 found their way into my driveway from their respective manufacturers at the same time (due to poor scheduling and limited availability of the Svart, more than anything), and I instantly found myself playing a game of spot the similarities.

Taking this job with Motorcycle.com has opened up an unbelievable set of opportunities for me. I’ve had the chance to ride some amazing motorcycles in some of the most awe-inspiring places. If you’d asked me when I moved from the Midwest ten years ago if I thought I would’ve had the experiences I’ve had so far, even though I’ve always been hopeful, I couldn’t have imagined just how incredible it has been. Not a day goes by, even the long ones in front of a computer, that I’m not truly grateful for this.

So far in this celebration of 2019 on Motorcycle.com, we’ve turned to the staff MOrons for their choices of the best first rides and best shootouts of the year. Now, we gaze into the magic ball of Google Analytics to see what you readers selected with your finger taps, mice, and trackpads. While in the past we’ve typically had to adjust the clicks by the number of months that the articles have been live, I chose not to do that this year because the oldest article that made this list was from August. If it had been January, I would have thought that it had an unfair advantage. The other reason I decided to go with total clicks rather than an adjusted for time number was that the number four article of the year was posted only a week ago. Wrap your head around that. Now, just to really mess with you, that article has a decent amount of comments but nothing terribly eye-opening. So, if you’d asked me, I would have never guessed at the article’s popularity. The rest of the list is an interesting snapshot into the minds of you MOrons.

Hah, I’ve drawn an easy holiday assignment here, since we really barely did any multi-bike comparisons in 2019. Not sure why? Probably because the traditional “shootout” takes up a lot of manpower and man-hours (read, $$$) – things we have less of in the current era than in days gone by. Also, is it just me, or are there a lot more new motorcycles coming out lately than in years’ past? It seems like the whole MO crew is so busy spanning the globe to bring you new model introductions, there’s barely time to gather a bunch of like models to compare back home before the new-model cycle starts all over again. 

I’ve been reviewing BMW’s flat-Twin boxer powered bikes since I started testing motorcycles in the late ’80s and have burbled around on historic versions too, dating back to a beater ’64 R60/S my now ex-husband gave me to ride (quite possibly because it was less traceable then cyanide). Through it all, the boxer, with its punch-punch rhythm and unique seesaw jig always felt like an old friend, no matter the sprinkling of magic German engineering dust, or the ambition of the motorcycle BMW built around it.

When we think of baggers, we think V-Twin engines. Yes, there are some exceptions, the BMW K1600B and the Moto Guzzi MGX-21 (with its unusual transverse V-Twin) come to mind, but aside from those outliers, baggers from all manufacturers are solidly in V-Twin land. However, with the chassis, a couple of choices exist. Do you want a fork-mounted or frame-mounted fairing? In the frame-mounted category, there is one, big-daddy model that dominates the class, the Harley-Davidson Road Glide. For 2020, the grizzled veteran has been called out by a young gun that wants to prove its mettle. The Indian Challenger clearly has its sights on the Road Glide. In a classic battle reminiscent of the Old West, these two gunslingers have stepped onto the street, and the outcome will be determined on Route 66.

OMG, has it really been ten years since the three wise men Duke, Brissette and Fonzie, mounted their modern-day dromedaries to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far? All three have left MO, but their hard work remains in the form of this scripture, and even a recently (this-morningly) unearthed not-bad video. We know if we’ll only be true to their glorious quest, that our hearts will lie peaceful and calm when we’re laid to our rest, and the world will be Better for this. What? Amen.

The Cake Kalk OR is the first in the line of a quartet of stylish Swedish electric… motorcycles? Yeah, they’re motorcycles. No pedals over here. But after a quick couple of days getting acquainted with the Kalk OR – the company’s off-road model – in Moab, UT, I came away surprised not only by how much fun was had, but also with the riding experience itself. The Cake Kalk OR is a veritable amalgam of two-wheeled fun. It’s a bit mountain bike and a bit off-road moto and a total blast to ride.

The author of the acclaimed Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance died at age 88 in 2017, and now the Honda CB77 Super Hawk that served as the catalyst for the book is headed to the Smithsonian. After being stored for decades in the family’s New England garage, the bike’s been recently restored and is a gift from Pirsig’s widow, along with his leather jacket, maps, shop manual, toolboxes, and other gear from the 1968 ride.

Motorcycle categories have gotten a bit widespread, haven’t they? Companies like Ducati aren’t making things any easier when they call its 955cc Panigale V2 – an update from the 959 Panigale – a “Super-Mid.” Ironic, especially considering Ducati’s iconic 916 was formerly the cream of the sportbike crop. I think the proper way of looking at the current nomenclature is to consider the machine’s performance. With 1100cc V4s skewing the definitions of what a Superbike is, it seems natural for the Panigale V2 to follow along and break the middleweight rules, too. Because, looking at it from a performance aspect, this is the new level of middleweight performance. Time marches on, everyone, and technology just gets better and better.

How it happened I know not, but in the excitement of new Indians, Svartpilens, and whatever else I rode this past year, the freshly upgraded 2019 Honda PCX150 escaped my attention. When my mistake hove into view, I immediately alerted the Honda authorities and borrowed one up.

The 2019 KTM 690 Enduro R fills a niche within a niche. Ask riders of different disciplines where the 690 Enduro R falls among motorcycle segments and you’re likely to get two different answers. To off-road riders, the 690 is an adventure bike. Its big Single is smoothed out by dual counterbalancers, and a nice electronics package sets it apart from the 350 or 500 EXCs and two strokes available in KTM’s enduro/dual-sport range. Ask the same question to a street rider and you get, “It’s a dirtbike”. Dirtbike ergos, dirtbike looks, a big ol’ 693 cc Thumper, and its relatively small size – compared to 1290s – place the Enduro R in off-road territory for asphalt-locked motorcyclists.

A management presentation prepared by Pierer Mobility reveals a roadmap to future KTM models including a five-bike 490 platform and 890 versions of the Adventure, SMC and Enduro R.

UPDATE: We’ve discovered a similar presentation from August for the prior fiscal quarter that had an even larger list of future Husqvarna models including 901 and 1301 (!) versions of the Norden adventure bike and for the naked category.

A management presentation prepared by KTM‘s parent company Pierer Mobility reveals GasGas will introduce at least three streetbikes, including two 800-class models, a naked bike and an adventure-tourer, plus a 250-class naked bike.

As we come to the end of 2019 and the conclusion of the first MotoE season, I think it’s fair to say the debut of Energica’s Ego Corsa MotoE electric racer was a success. Each race produced close battles (usually for the lead), the bikes go plenty quick, and though the sound of internal combustion is missing, it’s replaced with a soundtrack all its own. I like to think of it as the racing soundtrack of the future.

And in those days when the MOites traversed the digital divide after Ashley parted the waters, many fantastic road tests made it into the modern age, but some without their accompanying stunning photography. This review for instance, written by His Dukeness on the occasion of the amazing new Star VMax a decade ago. But fear ye not, as by that time we’d also begun making stunning videos, which may last on Youtube long after we’ve all departed this mortal coil. Actually the vid shows what the mighty Max was capable of beyond what words can convey anyway, not to mention Kev in all his youthful glory.

Let’s just get this out of the way right up front: If you can’t immediately dismiss the $85k price tag, you’re not the target customer. So far Arch has only produced 45 motorcycles, and there are plenty of potential customers around the globe who could purchase all 44 without blinking an eye. The KRGT-1 is motorcycle as designer watch or collectible artwork, and if the whole point isn’t exclusivity, a huge chunk of it probably is. I wouldn’t know, since I can’t get past the price tag.

When I was 49, it was a very good year for long-legged bikes of independent means who lived under the stairs, with all those perfumed valves. We’d ride through the night, and the tank was green. Now I think of this Guzzi as vintage wine from fine old kegs, from the shaft drive to the dregs. I’m sure it still runs sweet and clear, it was a very good year. 

Triumph sprang a 3500-word manifesto re: its new Tiger 900 on us just before the press introduction of the new bike last Tuesday in St. Louis, which we ran in its entirety. Now that we’ve had a few days to digest all the newness of the thing (five things really: Tiger 900, Tiger 900 GT and GT Pro, Tiger 900 Rally and Rally Pro) here are our main take-aways.

There’s a lot to unpack in the Lightfighter story. This is why Part 1 was dedicated to the concept and build of the electric sportbike. As a quick refresher, the Lightfighter was born because Brian Wismann and Ely Schless wanted to prove an electric racing motorcycle could exist – and thrive – with a geometry-first design. They did just that, building an electric motorcycle around a Yamaha YZF-R1 swingarm, not a big battery. Knowing Wismann and Schless though, simply building the bike wasn’t enough. It had to be good. Hence why they equipped it with Öhlins suspension, Brembo brakes, and OZ Racing magnesium wheels. Further technical support came from Parker Hannifin, in the form of the GVM 210 motor, Kramer Motorcycles and their svelte bodywork, and Pirelli tires, who made sure the bike had the stickiest Diablo Superbike slicks available.

Well what did you expect? Faster, lighter, torquier, more technologically advanced and cleaner, that’s what you get – and in five different flavors: Your regular Tiger 900 is the new “road-focussed” Tiger, with a major step forward in capability beginning with a heavily revised 888 cc inline triple complete with new firing order.

“The GS for the rest of us” was a good subhead, because by 2009 very few of us weren’t already riding one or another version of the pre-existing boxer-powered GS, leaving the new parallel-Twin only to fill in the gaps. Aboard it, the Apostle Pete was able to traverse territory where even action photographers feared to tread. Ten years on, the F850GS and F850GS Adventure soldier on for BMW, and Moab is still in Utah. Whirled without end, amen.

We were expecting BMW to debut its new “Big Boxer” cruisers at EICMA but were left disappointed with yet another concept model. We don’t have anything against concepts, really, but the R18/2 shown at EICMA was already the fourth to incorporate the new engine, and despite the spy photos that have popped up, it seems like BMW’s new cruisers just aren’t quite ready for full production yet.

There are lots of motorcycles trying to get your sport-touring attention. Somewhere in that space Ducati is fighting to grab some attention, drawing upon a name from its past in hopes to lure those who may recognize it. The name, of course, is the Ducati Supersport, and though we’ve featured the bike on the MO pages before – most recently during our staff trip to Laguna Seca – we’ve only ever tested the S model Supersport, complete with Öhlins suspension and the quickshift up and down feature. 

Verily, we said unto you, “If Victory stays its current course of producing high-quality products, and is willing to flex and adapt to a market that will likely shift and morph, there’s no foreseeable reason why we shouldn’t anticipate Victory’s 20th anniversary.” I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Go home and get a nice quiet sleep. MO proposes, God disposes. Pass the giblets, amen.

Polaris is preparing to update its Slingshot three-wheeler with a new engine design and an automatic transmission. The new engine will be designed by Polaris itself, unlike the General Motors 2.4L Ecotec engine that’s been powering the Slingshot since its introduction in 2015.

Well, you always want more, don’t you? That’s how Triumph Chief Engineer Stuart Wood justifies the world’s biggest-engined production motorcycle, and that’s what the new Rocket 3 wants to deliver. From the 2294 cubic centimeters of the original Rocket to 2458 cc, now there are three 4.3-inch pistons producing a claimed 163 lb-ft. of torque and 167 horses at 6000 rpm, and that’s what it’s all about.

For the past few years, the collective motorcycling world has lost its minds with the Ducati Panigale V4. Understandable, considering how much of a departure it is for Ducati to abandon the V-Twin for its flagship sportbike, but also because the Panigale V4 and V4R are absolute knockouts in the engine department. Lost in the hoopla of the Ducati V4 engine sat the lowly 959 Panigale, a pleasant and capable machine, it serves as a gentle reminder to everyone that Ducati hadn’t completely abandoned the V-Twin. A part of the “Super-Mid” category of sportbikes (“Standard-Mid” being something in the 750cc-ish category, we assume?), it’s a little funny to think Ducati’s lower-displacement sportbike, at 955cc, is now larger than it’s former legendary flagship, the 916 family.

EICMA has come and gone, but at least one manufacturer still has a major model announcement to come.

Last week, Kawasaki presented an electric motorcycle concept at EICMA, but did no reveal many details about it during the show. Today, Kawasaki finally released more information, confirming that the company has been researching electric vehicles for quite some time, including testing both on a race track and in urban environments. Unfortunately, Kawasaki says it remains purely a research project with no plans of releasing an electric motorcycle in the near future.

Stelvio, Stelvio, wherefore art thou, Stelvio? Tis but thy name that is my enemy, and what’s in a name? That which we call a big adventure bike by any other name would smell as sweet; so Stelvio would, were he not Stelvio call’d, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Sorry, but Tor riding around in Italy brings out the Shakespeare in us. The Stelvio was ten years, ago: Now there’s a brand new and even more fair Moto Guzzi adv bike, the V85TT. Swoon. Take all myself, and let God sort them out.

Honda unveiled its major EICMA models, led by the new CBR1000RR-R, a day before the show, but it did have something new to show visitors at the Milano Rho Fiera. In what’s now an annual tradition, Honda presented a concept bike produced by its Rome R&D Centre called the CB4X.

Ducati usually makes a big splash at EICMA, Italy being its home market, of course, but in recent years, Ducati has been moving its product reveals farther and farther ahead of the show, with this year’s launch taking place two weeks ahead of the Milan show.

News flash: OEM suspensions are designed to a price point. So, unless you’re riding a flagship literbike, those suspenders are full of compromises. The stock suspension on the vast majority of bikes out there is designed for an average rider, going an average pace, over an average road. Get outside of those parameters, and the suspension’s performance is compromised.

Kawasaki is acquiring a stake in Bimota, breathing new life into the Italian brand best known for its hub-steering motorcycle designs. Once the deal is completed and passes regulatory approval, Kawasaki Motors Europe, through its subsidiary Italian Motorcycle Investment, will purchase a 49.9% share in Bimota, with the controlling 50.1% being retained by its current owners (formerly Bimota S.A. but officially renamed B and Motion S.A.).

It’s safe to say the collective motorcycling world gasped when they first caught a glimpse of the 2019 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro. We sure did. Boasting 208 horses (212 hp with a pipe!) and some drop-dead gorgeous styling, MV threw a grenade on the streetfighter category a year before Ducati officially unveiled the new Streetfighter V4. And let’s not forget, the Brutale Serie Oro put wings on a naked bike before that other Italian brand, too. But the Serie Oro was limited to just 300 units, all of which were snapped up quickly. Thankfully, like it did with the Superveloce 800, much of the Brutale 1000 Serie Oro is trickling down to its mass-produced sibling, the Brutale 1000 RR.

MV Agusta has decided to streamline three key models – the Brutale 800, Dragster 800, and Turismo Veloce 800 – in order to bring costs down and provide consumers more affordable options into the MV family. The trio of models are part of the MV Agusta Rosso Range and will come in any color you want as long as it’s…red.

In July, MV Agusta announced the Superveloce 800 Serie Oro was going to be made in extremely limited quantities – 300 units to be exact. Those units sold immediately. We can only imagine feedback for that gorgeous piece of motorcycle art went through the roof; enough so that MV Agusta announced at EICMA 2019 the mass production of the Superveloce 800, minus the Serie Oro accoutrement.

The Beverly’s been around the block more than once, starting way back in 2001, but it retains its place at the head of the world’s largest scooter manufacturer’s table. Piaggio showed three versions of the latest Beverly at EICMA – Beverly, Beverly S and Beverly 350 Tourer – but only the Tourer will be coming to America, complete with a sporty smoked windshield and a capacious 36-liter top box. And make no mistake: With its 30-horsepower 330 cc single and 16/14-inch tires, these scooters can scoot. 

Earlier this year, BMW unveiled the Concept R18. Centered around the 1800cc air/oil-cooled boxer Twin, the surrounding bodywork was very historically-inspired, producing a themed motorcycle that would look right at home in the 1930s as it does today. Fast forward to EICMA 2019 and BMW has followed that up with its second concept – the R18/2. Stylistically opposite from the Concept R18, the big 1800cc boxer is still in the middle, but everything around it is BMW’s interpretation of performance cruiser.

The hot news coming from the Aprilia camp at EICMA 2019 was clearly the official debut of the RS 660. Aprilia’s middleweight Twin is sure to be a firecracker, but much like the RSV4 also gave us the brilliant Tuono V4, Aprilia has wasted no time teasing the world with this baby Tuono powered by, you guessed it, the RS 660 Twin. Officially Aprilia is calling this a concept bike, but let’s be real – it’s coming here sooner or later.

Husqvarna revealed an adventure bike concept called the Norden 901. If that alone wasn’t enough to get our juices flowing, there’s the fact the Norden is based around our Motorcycle-of-the-Year winner, the KTM 790 Adventure R.

When Ryan Adams finished riding the 2019 Vespa Elettrica, he came back with one glaring complaint: it’s too slow. Vespa must have taken his words to heart, because at EICMA 2019 there’s a new version – the Vespa Elettrica 70 km/h – upping the top speed to, you guessed it, 70 km/h (or 44 mph for the US crowd). Vespa says this new top speed is the result of optimizing the current components already on the Elettrica and not through any change of hardware. Speaking of hardware, here’s a refresher. It can deliver a continuous 3.6 kW of power, with a peak at 4 kW, putting it roughly on par with 50cc scooters. Where it far surpasses a little scooter is with its 200 Nm of torque. And it’s all completely silent. Maximum range is roughly 100 km, and full recharge can be done in four hours (with 220v).

What happens when you take the already potent KTM 790 Duke, bump its displacement to 890cc, add in fully-adjustable suspension components, and add top-notch brakes? You get the KTM 890Duke R! First the bad news, though: The KTM 890 Duke R will not come to the United States until the fall of 2020 as a 2021 model. Deal with it. Now, onto the cool stuff.

We’re fans of just about any motorcycle Kawasaki’s venerable 649 cc parallel Twin comes in contact with, including the heavily revised but still Sugomi-styled Z650 for 2020 – now available with ABS.

Announced at EICMA 2020, Moto Guzzi has unveiled the V85 TT, a touring-oriented version of the popular V85 adventure bike made up of items plucked from the Moto Guzzi parts catalog – not that that’s a bad thing. Up front, a higher touring windscreen offers greater protection from the wind, thanks to a surface area 60% larger than the standard V85 screen. Out back you’ve got two panniers, capable of holding a ton of stuff – 37 liters for the right case (big enough for a full-face helmet) and 27.5 liters for the left – both lockable with the same key. The panniers were designed along with the overall bike, so there are no unsightly brackets exposed when the bags are off the motorcycle, allowing the V85’s lines to remain true and consistent with or without luggage. Clever.