Eicma

We were mightily impressed by BMW's S1000RR superbike the first time round, now the German manufacturer has announced the S1000RR mark II. Power and maximum torque figures remain at 142 kW (193 hp) and 112 Nm on the revised superbike with the mostly subtle changes centered on improving response, power delivery and handling. The torque curve, throttle response and suspension have all been tweaked along with the (very effective) ABS and Dynamic Traction Control systems. Externally, the 2012 SS1000RR gets an upgraded instrument cluster, revised rear-end, redesigned side panels with the addition of two winglets for improved aerodynamics and a new range of colors. Read More

Three distant shots of a disguised prototype have emerged as the latest evidence that longtime dirt bike manufacturer Husqvarna is to begin building road bikes. We’ve previously covered the rumors and staged releases from BMW-owned Husqvarna here and here, but these are the first images yet seen of the naked streetfighter which will use a new 900cc version of the Rotax parallel twin used by BMW. Read More

Husqvarna has released sketches of what is to be the dirtbike manufacturers' first ever street machine. The naked streetfighter will use the recently announced 900cc parallel twin-cylinder engine developed by Husqvarna in conjunction with its owner BMW ... and if you like your streetfighter with strong lines and sharp angles, it looks like you're in for a treat. Read More

Faced with ever-increasing adventure touring competition from KTM, Yamaha, Ducati and Honda, BMW is ramping up new model development at subsidiary Husqvarna with a view to developing more dirt-orientated large capacity off-road and semi-off-road models that will not be in direct competition with its class-leading R1200GS. Several new models will be unveiled at EICMA in November, all based on the Rotax 800cc parallel twin engine used in the BMW F800R. The Rotax engine, for those not familiar with it is a pearler, with throttle response so acutely calibrated that it can be ridden like this, so the newly developed 900cc variant can be expected to be even better. Read More

The star of the 2010 EICMA motorcycle show held in Milan this week was undoubtedly the new MV Agusta F3. Though many of the specifics of the new three cylinder 675cc F3 have not yet been revealed (such as weight), it has more horsepower (138 bhp) than any supersport category motorcycle bar the Ducati 848 V-twin. The engine uses a counter-rotating crankshaft (claimed to partially balance the gyroscopic effects of the wheels to make a more nimble machine), and comes with ride-by-wire, traction control and multiple engine power maps – all firsts in the class. Most of all though, it has impeccable breeding. Read More

Ducati's supermotard-on-steroids, the 1100 Hypermotard, has been terrorizing the streets for a couple of years now, a concept bike that became reality after it made a sensational splash at the 2005 EICMA show in Milan. Aimed at marrying some of the soft-suspension, short-wheelbase, low-weight feel of a motard with the grunt of a 100-horsepower L-twin motor and unmistakeable Ducati streetbike style, the Hypermotard is an absolute giggle machine. It's also fairly pricey though, which is why Ducati have just given it a much more affordable little brother. The Hypermotard 796 will sneak in under US$10,000, using a torqued-up version of the 696 Monster engine and boasting both less weight and a lighter clutch than the 1100. Read More