2012 Honda NC700X Preview

American Honda has finally relented and decided to import its most recent all-new model, first seen at last fall’s EICMA show in Milan. Unveiled today at the New York International Motorcycle Show, the NC700X is a multi-purpose, versatile machine with a big emphasis on utility, perfectly timed for today’s tight economic climate.

Most impressive is the NC700X’s price, starting at an incredibly low $6999! For perspective, consider the NC-X’s most obvious competitor: Kawasaki’s Versys. It retails for an extra $900.

Like the Versys, NC700X wears an adventurish costume that hints at off-road capability but doesn’t quite fulfill it. Both share a similar powerplant, a parallel-Twin engine.

2012 Confederate X132 Hellcat Preview

The X132 is the third generation of the Hellcat model from boutique manufacturer, Confederate Motorcycles. According to Confederate founder and CEO, Matt Chambers, it’s the most significant Hellcat to date. “This is our 911 moment,” Chambers says referring to Porsche’s iconic and eternal 911 sports car. “We have achieved with the X132 Hellcat a foundation that isn’t simply this year’s girl.”

Chambers’ statement implies that from the Hellcat’s new powerplant an assortment of models can be produced which gives the engine design a lengthy shelf life. Sharing this common format also creates a familial line of models, instead of one-off designs with no recognizable indication of Confederate heritage.