#SportTouring

While we're all awaiting official word of a new R 1300 GS, BMW surprised us with a teaser for an entirely different model: a new M 1000 XR.

Astute readers are probably wondering why Motorcycle.com is publishing a First Ride of a bike that’s not coming to the States this model year. Our reasoning is that, thanks to the sleuthing of Dennis Chung, we suspect the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ will be coming to the U.S. in 2024. (Read about it here.) So, we thought our fellow MOrons might be as interested as we are in how well the new technology incorporated into the GT+ performs. We hope you enjoy this taste of what it has to offer. –EB

Only three motorcycle manufacturers in the world can claim to have been in continuous production for more than 100 years, and Moto Guzzi is one of them. When it comes time to make a historic transformation to the brand, that change carries a lot of weight on its shoulders. With the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello, the manufacturer alludes – twice – to that long history in the name alone. First, the V100 honors the century of production and maintains form with past naming conventions, while the last part of the name refers to Mandello del Lario, where all Moto Guzzi motorcycles have been made since 1921. When looking at the V100 for the first time, the Moto Guzzi lineage is unmistakable. So, where’s the risk?

Moto Guzzi Teases V100 Mandello And Reveals Plans For New Factory

2022 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello First Look

Remember sport-touring motorcycles? Maybe you don’t, thanks to the rise of adventure-touring bikes cross-pollinating the genre. Well, before the craze of wanting to explore both the paved and unpaved paths of the world, there was a subset of motorcyclists who felt the call for exploration without the need to play in the dirt. Asphalt touring was one ingredient necessary to satiate the exploration hunger, but being able to get from Point A to Point B via the longest, curviest path possible was the other. Having the ability to pack a co-pilot on the back and/or assorted gear in saddlebags was further accoutrement to make the dish even sweeter.

This has always been the essence of sport-touring, and while adventure-touring bikes can get very close to the sensation, something about those big front wheels and long-travel suspension just isn’t the same.

BMW revealed an updated R1250RT for 2021, making the sport-tourer Euro 5 compliant and adding linked ABS brakes, an optional active cruise control system and a 10.25″ TFT screen, the widest full color display yet on a production motorcycle.

Nope, this is not a First Ride review. Yes, I’m annoyed too. But hey, COVID-19 is affecting everyone in different ways. I won’t whine about not getting to ride new motorcycles for X number of weeks if you folks promise not to whine about, “Where’s the Ninja 1000 SX review!” I understand your anticipation, we feel the same way over here. When our comprehensive Ninja 1000 SX data dump (basically just a giant Kawasaki press release) was published last November during EICMA 2019, Kawasaki spilled all of the beans on the new model. Last week we had a “virtual press launch” which was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, there was no new information to publish since Kawi had already released it all.

When that press release was posted on the site last Fall, the 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX was one of the most popular motorcycles our readers were interested in during our 2019 EICMA coverage. Since we don’t anticipate Kawi opening its press fleet doors to the motorcycling media anytime soon, we (Evans) thought I’d distill down those previously posted 2,300+ words into a concise list of what’s actually new for 2020. 

BMW introduced a new “Adventure Sport” concept model at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este previewing a new mid-sized sport-touring model. The eventual production version of the BMW Concept 9Cento would, essentially, be a smaller version of the S1000XR with the frame and engine of the F850GS.

The BMW Motorrad Concept 9cento is our interpretation of a modern all-rounder for the new mid-range segment,” says Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad. “Functional properties such as touring capability, storage space and wind/weather protection are relevant to most motorcyclists but they’re rarely included in the design of a concept vehicle. In this year’s concept bike we’re demonstrating that all these rational aspects can be coupled with a dynamic design to create something really exciting and highly emotional.”

In 2015 I wrote a column about how Sportbikes Are Terrible. In short, I felt (and still do) that production sportbikes have become so focused on the racetrack that riding them on the street anywhere other than a curvy road is borderline torture. Take either of the Ducati Panigale variants, for example. Rolling works of art, on a track they are some of the most fun you can have on two wheels. But would I want to ride one a few hours to the track, do a trackday, then ride home?

Motorcycle.com is on the ground at the 2017 Ducati Supersport and Supersport S intro in Seville, Spain, where Troy “Trizzle” Siahaan will get to ride Ducati’s latest creation both on the street and on the Circuito Monteblanco. Expect Troy’s review in a few day’s time, but while you’re waiting, here are seven things you didn’t know about Ducati’s Not-Quite-A-Panigale sporty-bike.

At Intermot 2016, Kawasaki announced the Ninja 1000 sport tourer would receive a host of upgrades to enhance both the sport and touring sides of its dual personalities. While there are obvious design changes to make the bodywork fresh, chief among those updates is the addition of a six-axis IMU from Bosch. With it, the 2017 Ninja 1000 electronics suite is now able to offer much more sophisticated levels of control. Both the Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC) and Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System (KIBS) utilize the IMU to get a real time picture of the motorcycle’s chassis orientation, which it can then use to intervene if needed, and the level at which intervention is applied.

Specifically, the IMU enables the KTRC system to offer more precise wheelie control, while KIBS now offers rear lift mitigation and minimal lever kickback during operation. The ECU also takes into account feedback from the IMU, throttle position sensor, clutch actuation, and gear position to account for back torque while using the rear brake and downshifting.

We’ve traveled down this path before when we asked what types of bikes our readers have owned. What we learned there, frankly, didn’t surprise us too much. You’ve owned a bunch of different motorcycles. That makes you a lot like us. We like motorcycles – all motorcycles. As an industry friend once said about our profession, “All motorcycles good; we investigate.”

Within this simple truth – being that there are no truly bad motorcycles anymore – there lies another truth: All motorcycles are good; some are more good than others. (With apologies to George Orwell.) All of the MO staff have their personal favorites. You may even suspect that you know our writing well enough to surmise our leanings. Thank you for reading so closely.

Now, we want to turn the lens towards you, our readers. What is your favorite type of motorcycle? It may be a hard choice, but sitting down and thinking the prospects over will probably remind you of all the good times you’ve had on two wheels. So, where’s the harm in that?

So, go ahead. What is your favorite type of motorcycle? FYI, there is a correct answer.

We’re going back six years for this year’s Church feature, to the 2009 Triumph Sprint ST. Right around this time Sport-Touring rigs were starting to usher in the electronic age, with bikes like the 2010 Kawasaki Concours getting traction control and ABS. Meanwhile, the Sprint ST was trudging along, relatively archaic in its tech features. But does that necessarily make it a bad motorcycle? Not according to Pete Brissette. Here he is, explaining the virtues of Triumph’s aging – but still relevant – Sport Tourer.

With the news of Erik Buell Racing closing its doors, this week’s Church feature pays homage to one of Erik Buell’s most popular models: the Buell Ulysses. In this particular case, it’s the 2008 Buell Ulysses XB12XT. Separating the XT from the standard X version of the Uly is its sport-oriented tires and slightly tweaked suspension to suit riders who prefer twisty pavement to dirt roads. Penning this story is MO’s Pete Brissette, who might have left the MO crew a fews years back, but is always welcome along these parts. Read along as he goes for a ride aboard the new, sportier Ulysses. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and Erik Buell, if you’re reading this, we hope to see you back on your feet soon. Lastly, be sure to check out our photo gallery for more pictures of the Ulysses XB12XT.

“I think you’re really going to like this bike,” E-i-C, Kevin Duke, says to me, handing over the keys to the then just introduced 2010 Multistrada 1200. “We’ll see about that,” I thought, “but it at least looks a helluva lot better than its predecessor.” Turns out I did like it – a lot. In fact, were I not shackled with the responsibility of riding whatever new model press bike is currently residing in my garage, I’d own a Multistrada.