RED 238978 Honda XR Motorcycles, page #42

Moto blog

Honda Raises MSRP for 2013 NC700X But Lowers Price for DCT Option

The big news from Honda last week was the introduction of the new CTX700 and CTX700N cruisers. Flying a little under the radar however was a change to American Honda‘s pricing structure for the 2013 NC700X which sees a price increase for the base model but a price cut for combined anti-lock brakes and a dual clutch transmission Honda introduced the NC700X last year at an impressively low price of $6999 for the base model and $8999 with ABS and DCT. The low price point was one key advantage we awarded the 2012 NC700X over the $7899 Kawasaki Versys in our recent Middleweight Multi-Tool Shootout.

Asia-Only Honda VTR250 Gets Half-Faired Variant for 2013

Honda‘s CBR250R has done fairly well for itself since its introduction in 2011, helping to revitalize the entry-level segment of the market in the U.S. What some people may not realize is Honda has been producing a 250cc-class called the VTR250. Available in its current form since 1997, the Honda VTR250 is a naked standard with a Ducati Monster-esque trellis frame offered in the Asia-Pacific region.

2013 AMA Supercross San Diego Race Report

Davi Millsaps captured his second main event win of the season and expanded his AMA Supercross championship lead to 19 points with a wire-to-wire victory at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. The Rockstar Energy Suzuki rider jumped ahead at the start for the holeshot and held that lead for the entire 20-lap race for the win. Finishing 2.386 seconds back was Team Honda Muscle Milk‘s Justin Barcia while Red Bull KTM‘s Ryan Dungey finished 10.300 seconds back for third place.

Team Mugen Returning to TT Zero with Shinden 2

Noted Honda tuner Mugen announced it will compete in the 2013 TT Zero on the Isle of Man with an updated version of its Shinden electric sportbike. Mugen entered the Shinden at last year’s TT Zero, with Isle of Man veteran John McGuinness finishing second with an average speed of 102.215 mph. Team Mugen managed to break the 100mph barrier but fell short to the race winner Michael Rutter who rode the MotoCzysz E1PC.

2014 Honda CTX700 and CTX700N Revealed, the First in a New Series Focused on Comfort, Technology and Experience

Honda pulled the covers off a new streetbike series aimed at younger, shorter riders. The Honda CTX700 represents the first in a new series from Honda combining the three tenets of Comfort, Technology and Experience. It’s a platform “specifically engineered to make motorcycling more approachable, affordable and fun than ever before.” Our own Troy Siahaan is at the CTX700 models’ launch in Chicago and will have a full first-hand report next week, but for now here’s a quick look at Honda’s new streetbikes.

Marc Marquez's crashed RCV

This is the aftermath of MotoGP 'Rookie' Marc Marquez's crash in the third day of testing at Sepang. The Repsol Honda rider lowsided into the final corner at Sepang, a hairpin. He returned to the track shortly after and went on to set his fastest time of the day.

Honda Announces 400cc Version of 500-Series Engine

Honda has revealed a new, smaller-displacement variation of the 470cc parallel-twin engine introduced on its new CBR500, CB500F and CB500X models. The new engine has a bore of 67mm, just like Honda‘s 500-series engine, but a stroke of 56.6mm instead of the longer 66.8mm. The result is an engine displacement of 399cc, which makes the new engine a better fit for markets such as Japan license restrictions are much stricter for engines larger than 400cc.

2012 US Motorcycle Sales Results – Industry Reports 2.6% Increase

The Motorcycle Industry Council reported a 2.6% increase in motorcycle sales in the U.S. market for 2012. According to the industry group’s figures, American consumers purchased 452,386 motorcycles in 2012 compared to 440,899 motorcycles in 2011.

Honda Announces Strong Third Quarter

Honda Motor Co., Ltd., has announced its consolidated financial results for the fiscal third quarter which ended December 31, 2013. Honda’s consolidated net income attributable to Honda Motor Co., Ltd. for the fiscal third quarter ended December 31, 2012 totaled $894 million, an increase of 62.5% from the same period last year.

Villopoto, Roczen Dominate AMA Supercross in Oakland

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto dominated the 450SX Class on Saturday night in front of a record crowd in Oakland, CA.   In front of a record crowd of 46,896, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto raced to his second-consecutive AMA Supercross victory, an FIM World Championship, 450SX Class Main Event win at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, CA on Saturday night. Rockstar Energy Racing’s Davi Millsaps finished in second, and Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey followed in third.