That’s “S” for Sport. The last one of these we rode was a 2016, when it was built upon the now-defunct Dyna platform, ie., twin shocks out back. This 2020 Harley-Davidson Low Rider S is new from the nubs up. It’s now built upon the new Softail frame that debuted in 2018, with a single shock cantilevered under the seat, and joins ten other 2020 Softail models.

Honda officially confirmed that a new Africa Twin will be announced on Sept. 23, releasing a new teaser video offering a glimpse of the front of the updated adventure bike. Though obscured by shadow, what we can see of the 2020 Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L appears to match the photos from Australian certification documents Motorcycle.com was first to report earlier this week.

Back in July, Honda released a video teasing a new “ True Adventure” model, expected to be an upsized Africa Twin CRF1100L.  Thanks to new vehicle certification documents published in Australia, Motorcycle.com can confirm the 2020 Honda Africa Twin will have a 1084cc engine, a choice of manual or dual clutch transmissions, and be offered in both a regular and Adventure version. According to the documents, the 1084cc engine produces 101 hp at 7500 rpm, whereas the previous 998cc engine is certified at 94 hp.

A week after announcing its 2020 Scout lineup, Indian announces its updated air-cooled cruiser and touring model lineup, including an upgrade to a larger Thunder Stroke 116 engine for select models, a new Ride Command infotainment system, a redesigned Springfield Dark Horse. a new Roadmaster Dark Horse and the return of the Chieftain Elite.

Indian Motorcycle has announced its 2020 Scout lineup, including an array of new touring accessories and two special edition models celebrating 100 years of the Scout’s debut in 1920. Confirming our report from last week, the two models are the Indian Scout 100th Anniversary and the Indian Scout Bobber Twenty.

Watching the sunset from the British Racing Drivers’ Clubhouse aside the Silverstone circuit was one I won’t soon forget. Of course, I wasn’t there to enjoy the sunset and hors d’oeuvres. Motorcycle.com had the North American exclusive coverage of the media launch of the new Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 ahead of the MotoGP weekend at the British circuit. 

A new executive order published by the California Air Resources Board confirms two new 2020 models celebrating the 100 years of the Indian Scout. The CARB document certifies a new Indian Scout 100th Anniversary model as well as a new Indian Scout Bobber Twenty.

Twenty years ago, Harley-Davidson was still on the cutting edge with its Convertibles – motorcycles with ingenious removable windshields and bags that let one wander the desert for 40 years, or cruise through Sodom and Gomorrah in equal style. The FX had been in since 1971, the dial-up modem allowed you to read this review in only a few hours, and if you’d said the LiveWire will be here in 20 years, they’d have laughed you right out of the asylum.

It’s been a pretty busy week for Harley-Davidson, announcing its 2020 model lineup and holding its annual dealer meeting in Milwaukee. Judging from our readers’ comments, the news hasn’t been too impressive, with the highlights including the return of the Low Rider S, a new $48k CVO Tri Glide and the disappearance of a few notable models. For most of Harley’s returning lineup, the only updates are new colors and, for touring models, a new, optional suite of electronic rider aides. Those hoping for news of the Pan America or Streetfighter will be disappointed to hear Harley’s new liquid-cooled DOHC platform is still not ready for production.

Well that didn’t take long. Yesterday, we reported on 2020 Harley-Davidson models receiving certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and today, Harley-Davidson has officially announced its 2020 lineup. As the certification documents suggested, Harley-Davidson announced a new Road Glide Limited, Low Rider S and a CVO Tri Glide for 2020. Also announced was a “re-styled” Heritage Classic.

A couple of weeks ago, we reported that a couple of Harley-Davidson Sportster models were missing from model year 2020 certification documents released by the California Air Resources Board. Today, we can confirm that the Harley-Davidson Superlow, 1200 Custom, and Forty-Eight Special were also omitted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s latest 2020 certification data. And they’re not alone. Motorcycle.com can confirm that the Electra Glide Ultra Classic, Ultra Limited Low, Road Glide Ultra, and CVO Road Glide are among the models that were not re-certified for 2020. (UPDATE: shortly after this post was published, CARB released executive orders confirming the EPA’s information.)

A couple of weeks ago, Triumph announced it would debut a new limited edition Daytona 765 at next weekend’s Silverstone MotoGP round. A newly-published executive order from the California Air Resources Bard reveals an updated Street Triple is on its way for 2020 as well, possibly using the same three-cylinder engine as the Daytona with updates derived from Triumph’s Moto2 race engines.

I’ve long maintained that riding a supermoto is one of my favorite forms of motorcycling. I’ve also maintained that I have no desire in owning one with headlights and a license plate. The reason is simple: they are one-way tickets to jail. The idea of a dirtbike – a small, nimble, light, and relatively powerful motorcycle made to jump over things – on road tires is batty. It’s an absolute riot, but it’s also batty and crazy. All this is a way to say I wouldn’t be able to control myself if one ended up in my hands. Which is why I relegate myself to riding supermoto on tracks, or when the occasional press bike comes my way.

As I’ve progressed my way through this 790 Duke project, I’ve mostly concentrated on parts that improve the KTM’s function or provide some sort of protection. Since I’m typically a function over form kinda guy, this is to be expected. However, there are some features of the Duke that, despite their utility, I thought needed replacing. For example, the stock mirrors, while performing their intended job quite well, broke up the angular lines of the bike and looked like rubber flippers mounted on the handlebar. And don’t get me started on the stock turn signals! 

Admit it: hooning around on little motorcycles and scooters is fun. At least Ryan and I think so, anyway. And so it was; the two young pups at MO (well, Ryan anyway) went about dreaming up things to do outside our usual testing regimen. Because, you know, even though we have great jobs, the daily grind gets a little routine at times. After a little internet browsing we discovered the glorious sight of Vespa scooters tackling the Dakar. Yes, that Dakar. Thus, the wheels were set in motion.

The official line whenever I’ve spoken to Zero reps is that the company is in the business of making street bikes, not racers. But the hot rodding spirit is alive and burning when you look into the eyes of some of the people who work there, and so it only comes naturally that a core group of enthusiasts would take an SR/F and push its limits.

And in that pixellated time two decades ago, BMW said let there be a 125cc scooter with a roof on it, and seat belts, so people in cars will feel safe riding it and won’t even have to wear a helmet – and can feel good about preserving the planet. And it was kind of good, but not good enough. BMW slew the C1 in 2002, after just two years of production. In Europe, now and then, an ancient C1 still pokes its aluminum roll-cage out above the rows of scooters. 
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Usually when we have a shootout here at Motorcycle.com, the participants are somewhat defined for us. First, we choose a class of motorcycle, and then, we put the latest versions of those bikes in a head-to-head-competition. This time we’re doing something a little different. Each MO editor chose whatever bike they wanted to ride to Monterey, CA, for the U.S. round of World Superbike. The only caveat would be that the bike had to be capable of participating in the annual Pirelli Track Day that takes place the day after the races finish at Laguna Seca. Okay, there was one other rule that I tried to enforce, but the one editor just couldn’t bring himself to choose a bike that had OEM bags available for it.

If I was happy with how EBC brake pads improved the KTM 790 Duke’s binders, why would I install the PowerParts Wave Discs? First, I was curious if the discs really would deliver KTM’s claimed 25% increase in braking power, and after our recent trip to Laguna Seca, where I found myself coming into the corners at increasingly higher speeds and requiring more and more from my brakes throughout the day, I realized that perhaps more power at the lever would be a good thing. So, I decided to check out the waves, front and rear. 

During the dark of night, these photos appeared in the MO inbox, and we’re trying to make sense of them. From the number of wires, cables, and data equipment visible, the shots appear to be of a Triumph Tiger in the very early stages of development, and from the details we can make out, we think it lies somewhere between the Tiger 800 and the Tiger 1200. Since Triumph appears to be targeting the Honda Africa Twin, we predict a displacement between 900cc and 1000cc, with the lower end being a bit more likely.

Alright folks, let’s do some math! If we take the sum of S+V multiplied by 650 we find the factor is equal to or greater than a standard or naked bike. If we then take SV(650X) we see the coefficient of X, 650 in this example, being equal to… Who am I kidding? I was always terrible at math/algebra/statistics, all of it. But what Suzuki’s telling us is that X equals cafe. Simple as that. Don’t question your teachers kids; just put your head down and conform.

By now I’ll assume you’ve already read my First Ride Review of the 2020 BMW S1000RR. In it, I mention how this new version of BMW’s flagship sportbike is a decade in the making and comes totally revamped from the ground up compared to its predecessor, with more power, Shiftcam technology (aka variable valve timing) for more power earlier in the rev range, updated and revised electronics, and a host of weight-saving measures to drop total weight by 25 pounds over the outgoing model. And guess what – the asymmetrical headlights are gone! In this video supplement to my written review, you now get to see and hear me talk about the changes to the new RR and see how the bike works around the glorious Barber Motorsports Park – including a bit where it protests and almost bucks me off!

In 2004, Triumph introduced the Rocket III, and it stood unchallenged as the largest displacement motorcycle in production. Well, the folks from Hinckley have decided that 15 years without a complete overhaul is enough. We’re excited, but we can’t say we’re surprised.  Way back in January, we received some spy photos that showed the work in progress. We were impressed and curious then, but now that we’ve actually got some specifications along with some official photos of the two Rocket 3 models, all we can say is, “When can we ride them!”

You never know what bikes will end up garnering a cult following. This can be based on so many variables, one of which is the aftermarket. The Honda CB500X was a nice enough little adventure-styled 471cc motorcycle when it was introduced in 2013, but when aftermarket manufacturers like Rally Raid Products out of the UK started providing accessories to bring the CB500X into dirt-worthy territory, interest in the bike took off. You can now buy full suspension kits and spoked wheels among other serious off-road accoutrement to fit to your CB500X. When Honda went back to the drawing board to redesign its littlest adventure touring bike, it began with a look at what current owners and prospective buyers wanted in a light(ish) weight touring bike and how to make the CB500X easier and more fun to ride. The result? Read on.

A video teasing a new 2020 Indian Challenger and its liquid-cooled engine has leaked out of this past weekend’s Indian dealer meeting. The 42-second video was uploaded to Facebook by a dealer (which will likely receive a panicked call from Polaris any minute now) and offers look at the engine and how it sounds.

The California Air Resources Board has released executive orders certifying a number of returning 2020 Harley-Davidson Sportster and Street models, but it’s the models that were not included that has caught our attention.

Honda is teasing a new “True Adventure” model for 2020 which is expected to be a large Africa Twin displacing around 1100cc. Honda Motorcycles Europe has released a video to hype the new model (you’ll have to take Honda’s word for it, as no bike actually appears in the teaser) while Honda UK has opened a mailing list for people to receive updates on the new adventure bike and other 2020 models.

It seems like the motorcycle industry is on the verge of changing and Piaggio is at the forefront. Piaggio deserves kudos for trying to lead the way in many new areas in the two wheeled world. Piaggio is trying to make three wheeled motorcycles and large capacity motorcycles with automatic transmissions mainstream – some serious hybrids are on the way too. But is the world ready for the Mana yet?

(7/30: Updated to include gear reduction ratios, final drive ratios, and calculated motor torque at the wheel).