#SpyPhotos

We’re getting our first look at the sportbike that will mark the end of an era. This new V-4-powered Ducati will eventually elbow aside V-Twin Ducatis from the Superbike series.

When Husqvarna introduced the production models of the Svartpilen 401 street-scrambler and Vitpilen 401 café racer last November, which are based on KTM’s 390 powertrain, we figured it was only a matter of time before we saw larger versions using Husky’s 701 engine. Husqvarna had already presented a Vitpilen 701 in concept form a year earlier, so we were not entirely shocked when we received spy photos of a near-production version (above right) alongside its sibling, a Svartpilen 701.

KTM fans in the U.S. might not be familiar with the Austrian brand’s electric motorcycles, but KTM has a line of electric off-road machines – the Freeride E-SM, E-SX, E-XC – available in other markets. KTM claims the performance of its e-bikes is similar to internal-combustion competitors.

It was all the way back in 2008 when the CBR1000RR got its last full overhaul, but new photographs from the Grobnik racetrack in Croatia reveal a heavily revised CBR apparently ready to launch at this fall’s motorcycle shows.

Ducati’s Monster 821 has been overshadowed by the more recent introductions of the ultra-successful Scrambler lineup and the range-topping Monster 1200. New spy photos shot in Italy suggest that the 821 may be on its way out.

Many a Ducatisti bid a sad farewell to the air-cooled Monster when Ducati introduced the liquid-cooled 1200 and 821. Those same traditionalists might be happy to learn Ducati is developing a new Monster using an air-cooled engine.

Right on the heels of yesterday’s 2017 Super Duke R spy photos, we have another surprise apparently based on the same platform. The lucky SOB who was spotted tooling around on KTM’s updated SDR is the same guy aboard this Husqvarna using a version of the same chassis and engine. How similar? Let’s take a looksee…

One of our favorite motorcycles is getting a facelift, as spy photos reveal an updated KTM 1290 Super Duke R with revised bodywork and a new LED headlight design.

Triumph’s investment in its all-new liquid-cooled engine family continues to pay dividends, with a new Scrambler the latest beneficiary of the parallel-Twin. The prototype seen in these photos reveals several commonalities with the new Street Twin 900 but adds typical scrambler features like a high-level exhaust and wire-spoke wheels with semi-off-roady tires.

We’ve heard the rumors of a new parallel-Twin from KTM for a long time, and now we have pictures of the new motor in a new Duke chassis. And this platform will surely also be adapted into an Adventure model that will fill the hole between KTM’s 690 Enduro and the 1190 Adventure.

It’s sunny and 65 here today in SoCal, but that doesn’t stop us lusting after the new 900cc Triumph Bonneville, spotted testing near Triumph HQ in Hinckley in the UK on what doesn’t look like a very pleasant day.

There’s a lot to like about Triumph’s Explorer, including excellent comfort, rugged styling and an amiable three-cylinder engine. However, our recent nine-bike comparison test of adventure bikes revealed the Explorer falls short of competing on level terms with the latest and greatest in this rapidly evolving category.

What we have here are a bunch of Moto Guzzi spy photos and not much else. But we’re not going to let that stop us. Putting our collective MO thinking caps together, we can say a few things with certainty. The rest is an educated guess. (Or wishful thinking if we end up being completely wrong.) Clearly, these two motorcycles are based on the V7 platform that has given us the current V7 II Stone, V7 II Special, and V7 II Racer.

Well that didn’t take long. Just a week after we first broke the news that Ducati is introducing a new 959 Panigale, the new model has now been spotted undergoing testing (i.e. posing for spy photographers).

The idea of Ducati creating a cruiser-style motorcycle seems odd, but the Diavel, introduced in 2011, was an attempt to expand the appeal of the Italian brand to riders who value style and low seat heights over ultimate sporting potential. Diavel sales were initially decent but seem to have tailed off in recent years.