Motorcycle Blog on 2040Motos

Kawasaki to Release New KLR650S Variant for 2023 (UPDATED)

Variant appears in Australia certifications Kawasaki surprised us all a year ago when it brought back the KLR650, resurrecting the venerable adventure bike with fuel injection, updated styling, and a new one-piece frame. For the U.S., the third-generation KLR650 was available in a few different flavors, the base model, the Traveler model with a top case and the Adventure model with side cases, auxiliary lighting and engine guards, not to mention ABS versions of the base and Adventure models. Kawasaki Australia offered two versions for 2022, the KLR650 (model code KL650F) and the KLR650 Adventure (model code KL650H).

2023 Triumph Modern Classics Range Get New Colors, New Names

Speed Twin 900 and Scrambler 900 name changes are now official Triumph announced updated color options for its Bonneville “Modern Classics” range, as well as new names for the Street Scrambler and Street Twin. The 2023 paint schemes are generally more vibrant than the 2022 colors, a change brought about in part from the popularity of last year’s Gold Line edition models. Confirming the news we first reported in May, the Street Scrambler has been renamed the Scrambler 900, while the Street Twin will now be called the Speed Twin.

Evidence Suggests New Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Z650 for 2023

Updates expected to include traction control With the calendar flipping over to July, we are now officially in the second half of 2022. That also means motorcycle manufacturers are starting to make their model announcements for 2023. Around this time of year, we typically hear about updated models returning with the always-popular “Bold New Graphics,” such as last week’s news of 2023 BMW paint options.

Ducati 848

Ducati 848 In 2008, after a model year with no mid-displacement superbike, Ducati brought to market the Ducati 848. Like its predecessors, the Ducati 748 (1994-2003) and Ducati 749 (2003-2006), the new Ducati 848 is, more or less, a smaller-displacement-version of the 1098 introduced the previous year. The Ducati 848 shares its fuel tank, bodywork, frame, wheelbase and other components with 1098.

Showdown: 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster Vs Indian Scout Rogue

A classic rivalry has now gone in different directions. Credit: Photos by Evans Brasfield. Video by Paisley Zerr, Nico De Prato, Sean Matic The Harley vs Indian rivalry is up there with some of the biggest rivalries in modern pop culture.

Showdown: 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster Vs Indian Scout Rogue

A classic rivalry has now gone in different directions. Credit: Photos by Evans Brasfield. Video by Paisley Zerr, Nico De Prato, Sean Matic The Harley vs Indian rivalry is up there with some of the biggest rivalries in modern pop culture.

BMW Announces 2023 Colors and Model Updates

New colors and packages for returning models 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.

Official Triumph Owner's Manual Confirms Speed Twin and Scrambler Name Changes

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. The cover for the 2022 manual for Triumph’s Modern Classics is on the left and the updated 2023 cover is on the right.

2022 BMW K1600 B Review First Ride

The best American bagger is the Bavarian one with the Inline-Six Have I at long last, no sense of decency? Road test after road test, I shamelessly fawn and toady over all these $30,000 motorcycles loaned to me by the masters of the universe who produce them… I do feel some guilt, but this is really the only job skill I’ve got. Thankfully, sometimes the motorcycle makes it really easy to gush, which is the case with BMW’s freshly overhauled K1600 line.

2022 Kawasaki Versys 650 LT Review - First Ride

A perennial favorite gets a few upgrades. Credit: Photos by Kevin Wing 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.

Is A New Yamaha R1 Coming for 2023?

FIM approves track-only YZF1000W model 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.

Church of MO: 2002 Ducati 998 First Ride

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.

2022 Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP First Ride Review - Video

See and hear Ducati's most track-focused Streetfighter yet, complete with a dry clutch! 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.

BMW is Working On An Electric Boxer Motorcycle

BMW's electric future may have a nod to its past 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.

Church of MO: 2002 Aprilia Mille R

Photos by Robert Pandya 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.

2023 BMW G 310 RR Sportbike Confirmed

Entry-level sportbike based on the TVS Apache RR 310 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.

2023 Kawasaki Elektrode First Look

Designed for kids ages 3 to 8 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.

2022 Indian Challenger Elite and Chieftain Elite Baggers Rolling to Dealers Soon

If you have to ask... 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.

Honda Reminds Us It's Working On A New Hornet

Expect the production model at EICMA in November 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.

Church of MO: 1997 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard

How many 25-year old motorcycles are still around, and still in the same basic form? 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.

2023 Piaggio MP3 Three-Wheeled Scooters – First Look

New range-topping 530cc engine 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. The 2023 MP3 models receive a new, larger front end. The bodywork is wider and now looks a bit like a hockey goalie’s mask.

2022 Indian Pursuit Limited Premium Review

Behold the Performance Dresser 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.

Why are British motorcycle brands coming back to their homeland?!

Last year can easily be called the year of British motorcycles, without a doubt. Norton, Royal Enfield, BSA and many others are returning to their homeland with new forces and resources to develop. But how did it happen that all of these brands did it at the same time?

2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R Review

A long-legged beast Credit: Photos by Evans Brasfield 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 Recalls 68,770 Tires Including TKC 80, ContiGo!, K62 and LB

Tires may develop cracks that can result in tread separation 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.

Continental Recalls 68,770 Tires Including TKC 80, ContiGo!, K62 and LB

Tires may develop cracks that can result in tread separation 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.

Continental Recalls 68,770 Tires Including TKC 80, ContiGo!, K62 and LB

Tires may develop cracks that can result in tread separation 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.

Kawasaki Elektrode Electric Balance Bike Designs Leak Ahead of Reveal

Full details will be revealed June 7 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. Japan’s intellectual property office has published designs for a balance bike from Kawasaki, and though it doesn’t say it outright, the designs we can only assume will be for the Elektrode.

2022 Yamaha XSR900 Review - First Ride

The sportiest Sport Heritage Credit: Photos by Adam Campbell | Videos by Sean Matic 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.

Showdown: 2022 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited Vs Indian Pursuit Limited Premium

Hollister on The Big Ones, via San Andreas Fault: Will California slide into the sea? 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.