BMW released initial details on its 2023 model lineup, including new colors and minor updates. BMW also announced the base MSRP for most of its models, though that information is rather moot, as it also announced additional packages which will automatically be added on to all models in the U.S.

Not all models are included in this announcement, however. The S 1000 RR is conspicuously absent, as is the M 1000 RR. Both models are expected to return and be part of a later announcement. The R 18 family were also not mentioned, though we suspect they will be announced later with some new additions to the lineup.

We’re less certain the same is true for the R 1250 RS and R 1250 R, which were also not mentioned. The C 400 X scooter was also not mentioned for the U.S. market, though it was announced for other markets.

It should also be noted that some of the models listed here may still receive more substantial updates for the 2023 model year. BMW has historically been pretty cagey about its initial model announcements, seemingly confirming just updated colors but launching heavily revised models a few months later.

Back in early May, MO broke the news that Triumph is giving the Street Twin and Street Scrambler models new names for 2023, renaming them the Speed Twin 900 and Scrambler 900, respectively. We have now uncovered further evidence of the name changes, plus confirmation that the models are otherwise identical to the 2022 versions.

Editor Score: 93.75%

A few years ago, I took a break from my lovely MO family and decided to get a real job, complete with an actual commute. Without the pick of the litter to choose from anymore, I had to actually buy a bike to get to work on. The pick? A Kawasaki Versys – anecdotally, the number one motorcycle actually owned by motorcycle journalists (or former ones, in this case). When asked, Brad Puetz (pronounced like the Fight Club actor but not nearly as famous), Kawi’s PR guy, spouted off a series of names of folks in this job who own the VERsatile SYStem. 

A recently updated list of FIM-approved competition vehicles indicates that a new track-only Yamaha YZF-R1 is on the way for the 2023 model year. And if this is true, then we may also expect a significantly updated street legal 2023 R1 too.

The International Motorcycling Federation maintains a spreadsheet titled “FIM Recognized Competition Vehicles” that includes approved racing-only models. The list is mostly comprised of motocross, enduro, trial, and cross country racing motorcycles as well as ATVs and side-by-sides. The document does include a few track-only sportbikes, such as the Honda NSF100 and NSF250R, and a non-homologated Yamaha R6 Race that continues to be offered after the street-legal model was discontinued.

The latest version of the FIM spreadsheet added one more model that caught our attention: a new-for-2023 Yamaha YZF1000W. For those who may not be familiar, the YZF1000 is Yamaha’s internal name for the YZF-R1, while the up-spec YZF-R1M is known as the YZF1000D. The spreadsheet was updated on June 15, and it notes Yamaha submitted its 2023 registration on June 9.

Post-916 and pre-999, Ducati hit a sweet spot in the form of the 998. Still taking the form of Massimo Tamburini’s 1994 masterwork, but powered by the greatly evolved Testastretta V-twin that powered Troy Bayliss to the 2001 World Superbike championship, the 999 was the best of old and new, the apogee of the 916 curve. Well, now it’s just old. But you know what I mean.

Silverstone-shire-derby-flamoozle, England, 12 January 2002

Unbelievably, the 916 has been around since 1994. That’s way back in the time when Yamaha’s FZR1000 was still the big dog in the show rooms.

When released, the 916 didn’t revolutionize the sport bike sector, Honda had already done that with their Fireblade. What it did, however, is put that new definition of performance into perhaps the prettiest package of the decade. The 916 is still with us and it looks much the same as it did back in ’94. Most people generally agree that, almost ten years later, it looks up-to-date. The Ducati has enjoyed gradual updates year by year, and is still arguably at the top of its class.

Now that the history lesson’s over, what’s it like to ride? In a word, brilliant!

Yes, that’s it – BRILLIANT!

At this point I could save this file and end my report – anything said from now on is simply a variation of brilliant. But, OK, you probably haven’t ridden the bike so I’ll be sensible and run through this test from start to finish, starting with the engine.

When a manufacturer stumbles upon a winning formula, it tends to milk it for all it’s worth. A perfect example can be found under the Ducati umbrella. The Panigale V4S has been one of the company’s best-selling models, and when Ducati decided to give it the SP treatment and fit it with carbon fiber wheels, a dry clutch, and some other premium parts, all of them sold out within a week.

BMW released its second electric scooter earlier this year in the CE 04, and has made clear it plans to produce more electric two-wheelers in the near future. Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management for BMW AG, recently went as far as to say BMW Motorrad will introduce a new electric two-wheeler every 18 to 24 months, with the next model coming in 2023.

While the initial models will be scooters or “urban mobility vehicles,” BMW is expected to eventually add electric motorcycles to its lineup. The company has already registered multiple trademarks for the names DC 01 through DC 09 for use with motorcycles, with the expectation they will be electric.

And now, thanks to a recently published patent application, we have evidence that BMW is working on an electric motorcycle that borrows a key element of its heritage: a Boxer engine.

Shut UP, no way was this 20 years ago! Maybe this 2002 Aprilia Mille R stands out in memory because the year after 911 was so uneventful? First we invaded Afghanistan, then Congress approved the Iraq War Resolution – and Dick Cheney was acting POTUS for a few glorious hours while George W. Bush had a colonoscopy. In other words, the crazy hadn’t really even begun. Anyway, the first four-cylinder Aprilia was still way off in the future – along with a host of unknown knowables – and if you’d asked Minime or me if the world needed a four-cylinder Aprilia, we’d have probably given you a blank stare. Why?

BMW is adding a new small displacement sportbike to its lineup, with the company’s Indian subsidiary already accepting pre-orders for the new 2023 G 310 RR. Expected to be based on the TVS Apache RR 310, the G 310 RR should be formally announced shortly for international markets.

We’ve been waiting for a G 310 RR sportbike ever since BMW introduced the G 310 R roadster and G 310 GS adventure bike in 2015. Both models were developed by BMW and produced by Indian manufacturer TVS Motors, which introduced the Apache RR 310 sportbike for the 2018 model year.

Why the wait? We can’t say for certain, but it’s possible BMW’s arrangement with TVS included a window of exclusivity for TVS to produce a sportbike using the platform. Whatever the reason, we won’t have much longer to wait.

Kawasaki’s November 2019 acquisition of a 49.9% shareholding in Bimota has brought the Italian boutique manufacturer back from oblivion, to the point that despite a slowdown caused by component supply issues, it’s now constructed all 250 examples of the its limited edition kickoff model unveiled at the 2020 EICMA Milan Show, the supercharged hub-centre Tesi H2 now being shipped to its dealers around the world – but mainly in Japan. As Bimota’s strapline for the bike succinctly puts it – “The Revolution Continues!”

The Tesi H2 has now been joined by the KB4, a less obviously radical but nonetheless innovative follow-up model, which having previously been shown as a concept bike at EICMA 2020, was displayed in production-ready guise at last November’s show, with a retail price in Japan of 4,378,000 yen including 10% tax (3,980,000 + 10% tax 398,000) which is currently 31,200 euro, or 28,400 euro tax free. But there’s still no word of a European price, nor of availability despite production being in full flow in Bimota’s new 2,500m² factory in the born again company’s Rimini birthplace housing its 13 employees. With 105 examples already manufactured at the time of my recent visit there, and 30 of the bikes already shipped to Japan, I was honored to be the first journalist anywhere in the world to be able to ride the result. Despite having tested almost all the different motorcycles Bimota has produced in its half-century of existence – it’ll be celebrating its 50th birthday next year – and even raced some of them, after a full 215km/135mi day of riding the KB4 on the challenging roads of the hilly hinterland behind Bimota’s Rimini factory, I was surprised to discover this wasn’t at all the bike I thought it was going to be, after seeing it make its debut at last year’s Milan Show.

Kawasaki pulled the covers off its first ever electric vehicle, and as we expected, it is a new powered balance bike for young riders called the Elektrode. Designed for riders as young as three years of age, the Elektrode is positioned as an entry point for future motocross riders.

The Elektrode is powered by a 250 W air-cooled, brushless motor mounted in the rear wheel. The motor is completely sealed and has no exposed moving parts, increasing its durability and protecting it from water.

Our Indian spokesperson says she’s excited to share that Indian Motorcycle is unveiling two new limited-edition baggers within its premier “Elite” class, and that makes us excited. “With limited availability, and an exclusive, custom-inspired design, the 2022 Indian Challenger Elite and 2022 Chieftain Elite deliver the ultimate in style and exclusivity,” we’re told. The Challenger of course rolls with Indian’s latest 108-inch PowerPlus liquid-cooled V-twin that we love, the Chieftain with the more traditional air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 motor, complete with pushrod tubes. Horses for courses. Either way, these bodacious high-tech, high-end baggers will definitely flip some wigs and/or furrow some brows straight off the factory floor.

Pricing for the Indian Challenger Elite starts at $34,999, while the Chieftain Elite begins at $32,999. Both models will begin shipping to dealers this month.

Indian Press Release:

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE LIMITED-EDITION, ‘ELITE’ BAGGERS COMBINE SHOW-STOPPING STYLE WITH SOPHISTICATION & RELIABILITY 

New Indian Challenger & Chieftain Elite Deliver the Ultimate in Style & Exclusivity                    

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (June 7, 2022) – Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, today unveiled two new limited-edition baggers within its premiere “Elite” class. With limited availability, and an exclusive, custom-inspired design, the 2022 Indian Challenger Elite and 2022 Chieftain Elite deliver the ultimate in style and exclusivity.

“From factory-custom details to premium amenities, and advanced ride-enhancing technology, we left no stone unturned when designing our new Elite baggers,” said Aaron Jax, Vice President of Indian Motorcycle. “Whether you prefer the liquid-cooled power and performance of the Indian Challenger, or the more organic growl and unmatched air-cooled power of the Chieftain, these two Elites elevate both platforms with gorgeous custom-inspired design elements straight from the factory.”

One of the biggest surprises at the 2021 EICMA show last November was the news Honda is working on a new Hornet model.

At its booth in Milan, Honda presented a sculpture with an elaborate light show projecting a hint at what to expect from the new Hornet. In the six months following EICMA, however, there has been very little, er, “buzz”, coming from Honda.

Honda looks to rectify the situation, releasing several sketches of the Hornet along with a short video about the design process behind the concept.

You kind of have to give Harley-Davidson credit. In 25 years, the Electra Glide Standard has only gone up by $6934 (to $19,429), and in that time H-D’s best-selling bagger has gotten about a thousand times better. Okay, maybe not a thousand times, but way better. And you get like 40 more pounds of it, too. Makes you wonder how many 25-year old motorcycles are still around, and still in the same basic form? Salute.

Piaggio announced an updated MP3 lineup, giving its three-wheeled scooters a number of technological upgrades, as well as a new range-topping MP3 530 hpe Exclusive model.

If you wanted a Harley-Davidson Road Glide that wasn’t a Harley, Indian’s been offering that for a while now in the form of its Roadmaster line of full-dress V-Twin touring bikes. If you want an American V-Twin full dresser that looks the part, but goes like stink, now Indian also offers the Pursuit. The traditional American V-Twin buyer has always been highly skittish prey, easily frightened off by overhead cams and lack of cooling fins. But with its Challenger of two years ago, Indian decided it was time to take the high-performance plunge, developing a revver instead of a chuffer, an oversquare engine instead of an undersquare one. Along with that new engine comes the increased horsepower those changes have brought to the internal combustion engine since, well, for a very long time.

2020 Indian Challenger First Ride Review

What a beast, I thought to myself as I put my first few miles on the 2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R. In retrospect, that thought kind of made sense given the fact that the mill tucked beneath the 1290’s new tank design is an iteration of the Super Duke’s 1301cc V-Twin – the naked bike dubbed by KTM marketing folks as “the beast.” And beastly it is. Even in larger ADV garb coming in at 542 pounds dripping wet, the SA-R is still an absolute ripper of a motorcycle that is fully capable of serially killing rear tires.

Continental Tire is recalling 68,770 motorcycle tires because they may develop cracks that can result in tread separation. The recall includes the popular TKC 80 dual sport tires, ContiGo! tires for lightweight motorcycles, plus K62 and LB scooter tires. The recall may also include tires that were installed as stock equipment on certain BMW, KTM and Husqvarna models. The recall affects tires manufactured between Jan. 6, 2019 and April 30, 2022. The full list of tires and specific sizes affected is posted at the bottom of this article.

According to the recall report released by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem was first noticed in February after a separate recall on ContiScoot scooter tires for potential tread groove cracking. That initial recall led Continental to conduct endurance testing on other tires. From February to April, testing revealed the TKC 80, ContiGo!, K62 and LB tires may be prone to develop groove cracks.

Last week, Kawasaki dropped a teaser for a new electric two-wheeler, and we uncovered evidence that the teaser is for an electric balance bike called the Elektrode. Kawasaki is set to reveal the Elektrode on June 7 alongside some side-by-side models, but we’ve already got an idea what the balance bike will look like.

Some of us were a bit surprised when Yamaha’s newly overhauled 2021 MT-09 snagged first place in last summer’s 900cc(ish) Naked Bike Comparison, against such more-expensive heavy hitters as the new Ducati Monster and KTM Duke 890. And all of us were a little surprised when the XSR900 defeated Indian FTRs 1200 and 1200S, and the now-defunct Monster 1200S, in an only slightly unfair 2019 comparo. (Slightly unfair because our test route was really nothing but tight, twisty roads.) Now, the 2022 XSR900 is newly overhauled just as last year’s MT-09 was, using all the same parts from the waist down, including the new super-sized 890 cc version of that most excellent CP3 three-cylinder and all its electronic controls.

Who are we to question the motorcycles red-blooded Americans love most? Harley-Davidson sells more Street Glides than it does Road Glide Limiteds (which basically adds the frame-mounted fairing and trunk), but the song remains the same. Indian’s new Pursuit adds the same things to its Challenger – though its fairing was already a frame-mounted design. Who doesn’t want more storage? More closet space? Nobody. And that goes double for people who travel in pairs. In every couple, there’s at least one shoe hound.

Here at modern MO, we probably wouldn’t publish a road test of a new Honda without a few photos of the thing in action. Twenty years ago, though, there was probably a perfectly reasonable-sounding excuse: My dog ate the film, a bear ate the photographer… Most probably, somebody slud the shiny new Honda 919 down the road on the way to the shoot, and the show had to go on. Who knows? They shouldn’t have called the color “Asphalt.” In any case, this CBR900RR-based naked has become something of a cult classic, well loved by people who love Hondas. Enjoy the tiny studio photos and full spec chart.

BMW has released an exclusive anniversary edition of its road-going superbike, the M 1000 RR, to celebrate nearly a century of motorcycle production, but more specifically, to celebrate 50 years of BMW M vehicles. 

Harley-Davidson announced it is pausing assembly and shipments of all motorcycles for a two-week period due to a problem with a component from a third-party supplier. Production halted as of May 18, the day after Harley-Davidson was notified about the problem by the supplier.

The official statement was brief, and offered very little in the way of detail. It reads:

This is going to be awkward. You see, you’re about to read a piece about Ducati’s most focused Streetfighter V4 yet. You’re going to expect it to be a highly refined and special machine, worthy of the Sport Production suffix. And you know what – you’re right. It’s good. It’s very good. 

Kawasaki has dropped teasers for its first electric two-wheeler, with an announcement date of June 7. The 15-second teasers released on social media channels show images of a young rider and a dirt course, ending with the tag line: “The Good Times are electric.”

The Good Times are Electric ⚡️Stay tuned for June 7th. Sign up to learn more at: https://t.co/sNf6sioczE#GoodTimes #Kawasaki pic.twitter.com/T0qP6qmqJG

— Kawasaki USA (@KawasakiUSA) May 18, 2022

The two-wheeler will be part of a larger launch event that will include several side-by-sides and ATVs, some of which may also be electric. Last October, Kawasaki announced plans to release 10 electric or hybrid motorcycles by 2035 plus five four-wheelers by 2025. The June 7 announcement may be the beginning of Team Green’s electric push.

The teaser doesn’t reveal much, with the only glimpse of the new bike appearing in the reflection of the rider’s goggles. All we can tell is that it will be green and white, which isn’t exactly surprising news from Kawasaki.

We’ve been waiting for news of a model from Zero called the DSR/X for nearly two years now. Despite trademark filings and vehicle identification filings, however, there’s been no indication from the Santa Cruz electric motorcycle brand about the mysterious model.

Regular readers know we love getting to the bottom of a good mystery here at MO. Thanks to some new VIN decoder documents from Zero, we have an idea of what to expect from the DSR/X.

LiveWire officially revealed its new S2 Del Mar, the brand’s second electric motorcycle and the first to use its new S2 Arrow architecture. Pre-orders for the Launch Edition model are now open, with an MSRP of $17,699 with deliveries to begin in Spring 2023. A full production run will also begin in 2023, with LiveWire targeting an MSRP of $15,000. (UPDATE: Reservations for all 100 units of the Launch Edition got scooped up within 18 minutes of the pre-order window opening.)

“The S2 Del Mar model represents the next step in the evolution of the LiveWire brand,” says Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson. “The Arrow architecture underpinning the Del Mar, developed in-house at LiveWire Labs, demonstrates our ambition to lead in the EV space and establish LiveWire as the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world.”

Last week, we wrote about trademark filings that suggest Honda was working on a CL500 scrambler and an NX500 dual sport/adventure bike. We’ve now uncovered design filings that may offer a hint at what the NX500 may look like.

In 1997, Harley-Davidson owned 49% of Buell Motorcycles and a lien on Erik Buell’s house; outwardly, the relationship appeared to be somewhat symbiotic. The M2 Cyclone was almost the last of the tube-framed Buells, while the first turbocharged XB fuel-in-aluminum-frame bike was on the drawing board. It was close, but sadly, none of it quite went according to plan…

Honda has filed new trademark applications for the names “CL500” and “NX500“, suggesting it may be preparing to expand its 500 range with new scrambler and dual sport models.

The trademark for CL500 was filed March 17 with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, while the NX500 trademark was filed May 2 with the EUIPO as well as with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The 500 in the names suggest the two models will use the same 471cc Parallel-Twin engine as the Rebel 500 cruiser, CB500F standard, CBR500R sportbike and CB500X adventure bike. The engine claims about 50 hp (with a bit less on the Rebel) and has already proven itself to be versatile, applied across different segments.

The engine hasn’t been used thus far in a scrambler, but the CL500 moniker may fill that role. The CL name goes back pretty far in Honda’s history, starting with the 1962 Dream CL72 Scrambler (pictured below), a 247cc model based on the CB72 Hawk but beefed up to handle off-road usage. Honda produced several more CL models over the years, most recently with the CL400, a 397cc Single-cylinder model introduced in 1998. With this lineage, it should be apparent the CL500 name is intended for a scrambler.

In my opinion, Suzuki hit a home run with its new for 2022 GSX-S1000GT and GT+. Seeing a market that was slowly shifting towards adventure bikes pulling double duty as tourers, Suzuki sought to revitalize the sport-touring segment for those who prefer 17-inch wheels and strafing twisties. The result is what you’d expect from the company some tout as building the first “real” sportbike in the GSX-R750. 

Although I was born and raised in Virginia and North Carolina, I’ve done relatively little riding in the two states. When I got my first motorcycle license, I literally packed my belongings on my bike and set out for California the next day for a three-month, 11,000-mile tour. So, when I received the invitation to my 40th high school reunion (OK, 41st. Thanks, Covid.), thoughts of spending some quality, two-wheeled time in the mountains of my home states immediately came to mind.

After reaching out to Ducati, I was informed that I could pick up a 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4S in Charlotte, NC. Although the bike was a 2021 model, it has been upgraded with the 2022 firmware for the smartphone-powered infotainment system and now features a new, button-operated suspension lowering mode among other changes. Since Ryan has already written an in-depth review of the Multistrada V4, you should read that article first if you’re unfamiliar with all of the bike’s technical details or you want to know how the V4 did in the dirt. As I envisioned this tour, I figured that five days would give me ample time to see how the big Ducati would behave on your typical sport tour. In retrospect, maybe I should have set aside seven. Or ten.

LiveWire announced it will reveal its next electric motorcycle on May 10. Dubbed the S2 Del Mar LE, the new model will be powered by a new modular Arrow EV architecture and slot in under the LiveWire One as a new middleweight-level model.

Harley-Davidson Takes LiveWire Public, Announces New Arrow Powertrain

The announcement was accompanied by a brief video released on social media channels that shows some flat track racing footage and the tag line “The Next Victory Lap.” The footage appears to be of Harley-Davidson factory rider Scott Parker racing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Oct. 11, 1998, for his fifth straight national championship.

The Sportster hasn’t been all that sporty for some time now – that is aside from the 2021 Sportster S that the Nightster shares more than a handful of tricks with. It’s been 65 years since Harley-Davidson introduced the Sportster as America’s answer to the British invasion of bikes that had begun to increase in popularity Stateside around that time. Back then, folks used their motorcycles for everything – drags, trials, enduros, scrambles, hare and hounds, road runs, and Sunday cruising. You could do it all on a Harley according to the 1958 ad for the Sportster CH and C models below. The market wasn’t so segmented.

The Triumph Trident 660 isn’t the first middleweight naked I would consider taking to the racetrack. Then again, sometimes I forget that some people only own one motorcycle that they use for everything. But, that didn’t stop Akrapovič from developing and manufacturing a closed-course only race-line full-system exhaust for it. I suppose if someone had to do it, it may as well be the Slovenians with their in-house titanium foundry and metallurgical laboratory.

The US motojournalist/influencer corps doesn’t look much at all like the people in the ads for Indian’s new Scout Rogue and Rogue Sixty. Carey Hart did meet us for lunch in Ojai during our ride, and he’d fit right in. The former MXer/freestyler not only looks the part, he actually builds custom motorcycles in his own big shop.

GasGas officially revealed two new single-cylinder streetbikes, the ES 700 dual sport and the SM 700 supermoto. Both models will be released internationally as 2022 models, but North American consumers will have to wait for the 2023 model year.

GasGas is preparing to reveal its first street-legal models tomorrow, but photos of one of the models have already leaked online.

As we were first to confirm back in February, GasGas will be adding two street legal models to its lineup, the SM 700 supermoto and the ES 700 dual-sport. Over the last week, GasGas has been teasing an announcement on social media, hinting at two new models. Most notably, the teaser shows one bike equipped with mirrors, which suggests a street legal model, a first for the Spanish brand.

Naturally, I reached for my Aerostich. The sport-tourer’s uniform of choice, it seemed like the right thing to wear when the invite to test Suzuki’s newest sport-tourer – the 2022 GSX-S1000GT+ – popped up in my inbox. It offers full-body protection from both the ground and the elements, is easy to take on and off, has loads of pockets, and has room underneath for layers (including an airbag, in my case). I felt like I made the right decision when I hopped on the bike. 

In hindsight, maybe I should have grabbed my leathers. 

Things move at their own pace in the South. When it’s not stifling, the warm, humid breeze gently blowing through the Spanish moss-strewn southern live oaks relaxes in a way that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. It puts you in a southern state of mind – one where slowing down and living in the moment just feels like the thing to do. Royal Enfield’s new Classic 350 is the perfect pairing for such a place. A historic setting for a historic machine. 

It’s good to be the king. At least, that’s what it feels like to anyone racing a Kawasaki Ninja 400. When it comes to small-bore track or race bikes, what is a field of several – Yamaha R3, Honda CBR500, and KTM RC390 included – has been whittled down to a field of one: the Ninja 400. Virtually anywhere in the world that has a class for little bikes of this size will see a field dominated by the little green machines. Heck, we called it the winner back in 2018 during our Lightweight Sportbike Shootout, too.  

How many 25-year old motorcycles are still being sold anyway? The Honda XR650L springs to mind, but other than it, it’s too early on Easter Sunday to investigate further. Granted, the Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic has undergone enough changes as to really not be the same machine anymore, yet that indelible American profile, architecture, and riding experience remain the same. Roll away the stone…

“I’m not a fan of the Darth Vader looks.”

It’s a line we hear often whenever we test one of Kawasaki’s sporty bikes, especially from the Z family of naked bikes. Internally known as the Sugomi design language, Kawasaki says “Someone, or something, possessing sugomi inspires awe, leaves an indelible impression, is daunting in stature or ability, and commands respect.” Maybe it does, or maybe it doesn’t, but angular lines and sharp creases also alienate a section of the motorcycling world who like the modern tech and power from Kawasaki’s Z line, but could do without the sugomi styling. 

Perhaps what I love the most about the English language is its flexibility, how you can bump disparate words together and create something with an entirely new meaning. When it comes to motorcycles, the words sport and touring bring to mind two very different kinds of motorcycles. Sporting motorcycles place an emphasis on handling, acceleration, and braking, while touring bikes tend to focus on cargo capacity, rider comfort, and long-range capability. Butt those words together, as in sport-touring motorcycle, and you get a spectrum of bikes that ranges from sportbikes with bags to tourers that can corner better than you think they should. The reality of sport-touring motorcycles is that most favor the middle ground, compromising both sporting capability and touring chops, to create a supremely flexible motorcycle. What happens when you throw a third word into the mix? What would you expect from a sport-touring cruiser? Well, the folks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin have done their level best to define this category of motorcycle with the 2022 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST. 

Let’s break it down, shall we?

After a brief teaser campaign, Harley-Davidson officially revealed the Nightster, a new Sportster model powered by a 975cc version of the liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine. Arriving in dealerships this month, the 2022 Harley-Davidson Sportster is priced at $13,499 for Vivid Black and $13,899 for the Gunship Grey or Redline Red color options.

Visually, the Nightster hits all the traditional notes of classic air-cooled Sportsters with twin rear shocks, chopped fenders, a round air intake cover, and a walnut-shaped fuel tank. Dig a bit deeper, however, and you will notice some significant changes that modernize the newest Sportster.

Last week, we broke the news confirming Harley-Davidson‘s next Sportster will be equipped with a 975cc version of the liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine, after spotting the model code “RH975” mentioned on an official Harley accessory page.

It turns out the next Sportster wasn’t the only new model accidentally leaked by Harley-Davidson. Another accessory product listing, this time for a Pan America locking fuel cap, revealed two more model codes: the RA975 and RA965S.

The saying is massively overused, but there really is no replacement for displacement. Such is the case with the updated 2022 Piaggio BV 400 S – BV being the abbreviation for Beverly. For a few years now, Europeans and Americans alike have been doing just fine with Piaggio’s BV 350, but stricter Euro 5 regulations have forced manufacturers to comply with the rules if they want to keep doing what they do; sell product.

We are less than a week away from the official reveal of Harley-Davidson‘s next Sportster, but we’ve managed to confirm the new model will use a 975 version of the Revolution Max engine.

Harley-Davidson has been slowly revealing details of the new model, first with a teaser video and a number of social media posts. We’ve previously speculated that the new model will use a smaller displacement version of the Sportster S‘ Revolution Max 1250T engine, with clues such as the telescopic fork, twin rear shocks and single front disc hinting at a less performance-oriented focus. The shelved Bronx streetfighter was originally supposed to use a 975cc version of the liquid-cooled engine, so we assumed it would be a candidate for the next Sportster.

Since its debut in 2015, the KTM RC390 has represented the pointed end of the lightweight sportbike spectrum. Aggressive in its styling, and dedicated to its Ready to Race brand promise, the RC390 has always been pitched as a fun little track bike that also happens to be street-legal with enough comfort for daily duty. This has caused the little KTM to be lauded with praise at the track in our previous comparisons, but at the same time, that attitude has caused the Kawasaki Ninja 400 to come out on top as a better well-rounded motorcycle in our last two comparisons.

For a while there it looked like Triumph wanted to play the superbike game with the rest of the world. But slimming down the 955i Daytona by losing its original one-sided swingarm, and other weight-saving measures, sometimes seemed more like cost-cutting ones. And maybe Triumph sensed the imminent demise of the superbike a bit earlier than some others. Screw it, let’s build Speed Triples instead, and maybe a smaller one as well… Herein, T. Rozenfeld damns the Daytona with faint praise: “Long live the British eccentricity!”

Ah, Los Angeles. The city of angels and Dodger dogs, beaches and mountains. It’s the land where everyone is famous – or trying to be. People from all over call LA home, and the result is a really amazing place, steeped with rich traditions and cultures from all over the world. 

Last summer, we published photos of a very raw BMW GS prototype undergoing testing. The test mule was heavily disguised, to the point of having panels with a fake trellis covering the real subframe.

The prototypes were so raw, it was difficult to tell exactly how much of it would make it to a production model. About the only thing we could be sure of, is that the engine was brand new. The test bike had covers over the cylinder heads, obscuring their appearance. While they did accomplish that job, they also prevented the cylinders from getting much air cooling. Along with the larger radiators, we concluded that the engine was entirely liquid-cooled, which would be a first for a BMW R model.

Harley-Davidson will announce its next Revolution Max-powered Sportster model on April 12. The Motor Company dropped a short music-themed teaser video titled “Instrument of Expression,” to promote the announcement, and offer a few tantalizing glimpses of the new model.

It’s always fun to read the armchair quarterbackings of our beloved MOrons in the Comments whenever a new motorcycle springs into view, and the latest iteration of Suzuki’s naked GSX-S1000, harumph, was no exception. Some hate the angular new styling, some defend it. Some lament the demise of Suzuki in general, some admire the company’s resourcefulness in doing less with more. Repeatedly. And everybody knows how they could do it better.

Bombardier Recreational Products announced Can-Am is returning to the motorcycle business with a new range of electric two-wheelers. A teaser video suggests at least four different models are in the works, with BRP expecting to reveal the full lineup in mid-2024.

The teaser offered several glimpses of one model, a naked motorcycle with upright bars, a large digital display and a single-sided swingarm. At the end of the video, the roadster is joined by three other models. Though they are shrouded in darkness, we see enough of their silhouettes to infer the range will include an adventure bike, a bobber and a touring or sport-touring model. In a press release (included in full below), BRP says “riders can expect these new state-of-the-art electric Can-Am motorcycles to be perfect for everyday commuting and, to stay true to the track & trail heritage of the brand, recreational on- and off-road riding.”

Triumph’s open-class ADV bike, the Tiger 1200 (or Tiger Explorer depending on what era we’re talking about), had begun to get a little long in the tooth. The big cat hadn’t received a major overhaul since its introduction in 2012 – only receiving incremental upgrades to keep the machine relevant over the past 10 years. The Brits did give the bike some refreshes and new tech over that time, but nothing compared to the latest iteration that I was lucky enough to get a proper two-day test of around the backroads and trails of the Iberian Peninsula.

This weekend, at the 2022 Osaka Motorcycle Show, Honda revealed the new Hawk 11, a new café racer based on the Africa Twin and NT1100 sport-tourer platform. And while Honda released several details about the Hawk 11, there is still a lot of vital information that has not been provided.

Officially, Honda says the Hawk 11 has only been confirmed for the Japanese market as a “planned commercial vehicle.” Honda made no mention about whether the Hawk 11 would be released in the U.S. or Europe, but given the site of the launch, that wasn’t unexpected. The Hawk 11 isn’t even mentioned on Honda’s official consumer-facing website for Japan yet, so we also don’t know how much the Hawk 11 will cost.