#videos

It was another busy year in Milan, Italy, at the world’s biggest motorcycle show: EICMA. The world’s moto manufacturers unleashed their latest wares last week, and we furiously pounded out more than 30 articles about every new bike seen at the convention.

2016 EICMA Show Coverage

Prowling the show floor was our own Evans Brasfield and videographer Brett Colpitts, who together produced 13 videos from the show. Now comes number 14, in which Evans whittles down all the new bikes into our favorites. They range from the supremely exotic to inexpensive new wheels for searching out new adventures. The video below actually includes eight motorcycles, so you get a three-bike bonus!

Triumph’s new generation of Bonneville models gets expanded to four with the introduction of the T100 Bonneville, and we were one of the first publications on the planet to take it for a spin.

2017 Triumph Bonneville T100 First Ride Review

Full details of the T100 can be seen in the link directly above, but the condensed version is that it uses the Street Twin’s 900cc parallel-Twin engine in the T120 Bonneville chassis, splitting the difference in cost with an MSRP that begins at $10,300, a $1,200 saving over the nearly identical T120. The two-tone version seen in this video retails for $10,800.

The latest trend among in motorcycling is introducing a new superbike alongside a higher-spec premium versions. European manufacturers like Ducati and MV Agusta had been doing this for a while but the Big Four Japanese OEMs are now joining in, first with Yamaha and its YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M. Earlier, Tom Roderick gave us a look at Honda’s CBR1000RR SP and SP2 and now he takes us through Suzuki’s new 2017 GSX-R1000 and GSX-R1000R.

Suzuki drew inspiration from its classic DR-Z Dakar racer and its production version the DR-Big, in updating its V-Strom 650 and 1000 models. Each available in regular and wire-spoke XT versions, the 2017 V-Strom 650s are available in dealerships now while the V-Strom 1000 models will arrive in showrooms early next year as an early 2018 model.

2017 Suzuki V-Strom 650 and 2018 Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Previews

Tom Roderick walks us through the updates from AIMExpo in Orlando.

Some of you may not be familiar with SSR motorcycles, but with 200 dealerships across America, the company is steadily establishing itself within the industry. At AIMExpo 2016, Tom Roderick visited the SSR booth, where he saw first hand some of the cool new models the company will be releasing soon, including the Buccaneer Cafe and Buccaneer Classic. Both are powered by 250cc, air-cooled V-Twins with stylish designs and attractive price tags. Other models include the scrambler-style XF250-DT and custom-looking XF250 Snake Eyes. Both are powered by a 250cc Single. Rounding out the range are the Lazer 6 moped and SEEV-800 electric scooter.

In other news, select SSR dealers are also distributing Benelli motorcycles in North America. It’s great to see the iconic Italian brand making a return to the U.S., and it’s doing so with 300cc and 600cc versions of its Tornado TNT naked bikes that are available now, along with a 302R fully-faired sporty bike to be available soon.

See Tom’s video below where he gives his impressions on the SSR and Benelli lineup.

We already wrote about Honda’s new CBR1000RR SP and SP2 when they were first announced a little while ago and now Tom Roderick offers his impressions after seeing Honda’s new special production CBR1000RR SP and SP2 in the flesh at AIMExpo.

2017 Honda CBR1000RR SP and SP2 Preview

Earlier this month, Yamaha revealed an updated MT-09 at the Intermot show in Germany. At AIMExpo, Yamaha presented the revised Triple again, this time under its North American market name as the FZ-09. Key updates include an upgraded fork, assist and slipper clutch and a restyled headlight based on the FZ-10’s unit.

The biggest news out of this year’s AIMExpo is the world premiere of the 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6. With a proven track record in MotoAmerica and World Supersport racing, the R6 gains new aerodynamic styling inspired by the R1 as well as the superbike’s KYB fork and brakes. The new R6 also receives selectable ride modes, traction control, ABS, a lighter aluminum tank and a magnesium subframe.

Sometimes it seems as if the term “history was made” is overused to the point of cliché, but it’s about the only way to describe the competitive rollout of the all-new, purpose-built Indian Scout FTR750 flat-tracker at the series finale of the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track Championship on September 25, 2016.

Yamaha has gotten good use out of its popular Bolt line, giving us the Bolt, the Bolt R-Spec, and the C-Spec. Now, the tuning fork company has recast the Bolt as a Scrambler. The SCR950 shares much with its Bolt brethren. The same engine and frame are used throughout the line. All sport a 19-inch front wheel and a 3.2 gallon tank – though the SCR’s is now seamless. You can bet this change will make it to the remainder of the line at some point. Still, you get the picture. Yamaha built a platform to support a line of models that could be created with minimal change to components and parts manifests in an effort to keep the price of the bikes down. With the MSRP ranging from $7,999 for the base Bolt to $8,699 for the SCR, the strategy appears to be successful.

2017 Yamaha SCR950 First Ride Review

2015 Star Bolt C-Spec First Ride Review + Video

2014 Star Bolt Vs. 2013 Harley-Davidson 883 Iron – Video

What makes the SCR950 different from its Bolt brothers is an all-new sub-frame that lifts the seat height 5.5 in., compared to the Bolt. The pegs are located in the same place as those on the C-Spec instead of the Bolt’s more forward position. The handlebar is a steel unit with a crossbar brace. Most importantly, the rear wheel grows to 17 in. and is shod with Bridgestone Trail Wing tire. All of these make the SCR an ideal mount for urban life and light off-road exploration. Only the limited suspension travel brings the SCR up short in its quest for all-around utility.

I’ve already covered the 2017 Suzuki SV650 quite a bit since I rode the new bike in mid May. Of course there was my First Ride Review, where I basically confessed my love for the bike, and in my Top 10 Features of the 2017 Suzuki SV650 I explained specifically which aspects of the bike I like the most.

That’s all well and good, but watching a new motorcycle in motion can be far better than reading some words written about it. Suzuki were kind enough to have a video crew at the launch of the SV, and thanks to the editing skills of our friend Sean Matic, we present to you this short and sweet SV650 video review.

If your occupation is testing motorcycles there’s a certain measure of accepted risk that comes with the job. When cornering ABS (C-ABS) arrived a couple years ago, the general consensus among the motojournos was, Hey that’s awesome, we’ll take your word for it working as described, because no matter how professional we try to be, grabbing a fistful of front brake mid-corner to evaluate this new technology is a line few were willing to cross. Just thinking of the action conjures images of impacting asphalt at a rate approaching lightspeed.

Yamaha’s 847cc Triple hasn’t failed to impress since its 2014 introduction powering the FZ-09. In either FZ-09 or FJ-09 guise, the frisky engine combined with the bike’s light weight and modest MSRP has helped both models to win numerous MO shootouts and Best Of awards:

I didn’t pay to watch Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice because I’m failing to see the struggle. College Humor best surmises my disposition of the movie. Besides, why go the make-believe DC Comics route when we have a real-world shield and spear paradox between two super-powered nemeses right here before us: Aprilia’s Tuono V4 1100 Factory and KTM’s 1290 Super Duke R.

2016 Ultimate Streetfighter Shootout Prelude

These two bikes are so equally matched E-i-C Kevin Duke and I nearly resorted to jello wrasslin’ in an effort to determine a winner. Even then we didn’t do such a good job, nitpicking over a few subjective personal preferences is what it came down to in the end. The microbial pubic hair of difference in the ScoreCard is nary worth mentioning, and probably begs a rematch with different editors aboard to see if there’s a change in outcome. But if you’re curious as to how this fight went, here’s the blow-by-blow account.

From the undeniable truth in the blanket statement “Motorcycles Don’t Suck,” one can journey down many a rabbit hole and come to many a contradictory conclusion, depending on what you want from your bike or where you happen to be riding. However, just as much as the answer to ‘Do Choppers Suck?’ tends to be a resounding “Yes!” for most situations, the answer to “Do Adventure Touring Bikes Suck?” almost always tends to be “No!” This is a fact more and more riders are learning first-hand as sales in the category continue to outperform the broader motorcycling landscape. And it’s no mystery why, really, as today’s adventure-touring formula relies on the strengths of several platforms to produce vehicles that can convincingly perform in every non-competition role for which a motorcycle can be used. There be bags, and performance, and comfort, and wind protection and maneuverability, and ground clearance, oh my!