2011 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS Preview

Well, that time became this weekend at the Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana, when Mr. Buell rolled out his new 1190RS streetbike. After Harley-Davidson killed the Buell Motorcycle Company, it restricted Buell from building streetbikes, allowing construction solely of racing motorcycles based on the previous production bikes. That agreement has now ended. Buell’s vision of producing an American sportbike enters a new chapter with the 1190RS, a serious evolution of the 1190RR racebike privately campaigned during the 2010 AMA Superbike season with rider Geoff May.

Buell’s RS is cloaked in fresh new skin, now with a full fairing in a slim and edgy new design constructed of carbon fiber. Its nose is now much pointier, fitted with a pair of projector lens headlights stacked atop each other similar to Ducati’s 999 but in a more streamlined layout.

BMW K 1600

The star feature of the BMW K1600 is its inline six-cylinder engine. It’s not the first transversely-mounted inline six-cylinder engine to power a motorcycle, Honda’s CBX, Benelli’s Sei and Kawasaki’s KZ1300 all came and went decades ago, but the BMW engine is the most impressive. Measuring less than 22” in width, the liquid-cooled, 1649cc inline-six is incredibly narrow, weighs only 126 lbs. but produces a claimed 160 hp at 7,750 rpm and 129 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,250 rpm.
The fully-loaded BMW K1600GTL weighs 767 lbs., which is substantially less than the Honda Gold Wing’s 900-plus wet weight. The relatively light weight of the BMW K1600 allows the touring bike to handle like a much smaller, sportier motorcycle. Slowing the BMW K1600 down is a triple-disc set-up utilizing BMW’s ABS as standard equipment. The K1600’s braking system also includes linked brakes (where both front and rear brakes are employed when applying pressure to either hand or foot levers and controlled by the bike’s ECU).

2011 Aprilia RS4 125 Review

Everybody knows that 2-stroke engines can produce more power than a comparably sized 4-stroke. The RS125 can be tuned to around 33 horsepower, whilst the RS4 125 can only get to about 25 horsepower with a 180cc kit. The RS4 125 can’t replace the RS125 performance-wise, but it does benefit from a reliable torquey 125cc four-stroke engine that doesn’t need a rebuild every 10,000 miles. The RS4 125 is also more environmentally friendly using less fuel and oil compared to the 2-strokes.  I, however, tested on a race track, so I spent pretty much all the time testing in the range between 10,000 and 11,000 rpm where the engine pulls much better than anywhere else in the power range. It’s a narrow range for riding fast, and I quickly found out that losing revs must be avoided at all cost. Compared to a 2-stroke, though, there’s plenty of midrange. I had lots of fun slipstreaming the other journalists on the circuit just like they do in the 125 GP championship, but it got slightly boring as soon as I found myself without anybody to chase down.

2011 Aprilia Tuono V4R APRC Review

I start my first session with the traction control set at level six and then reduce by one for each lap until I’m down at level one. The Aprilia 2011 Tuono V4R is a bit of a shock to the system as it just pulls like an angry bull everywhere and stops as if a freight train suddenly started pulling it in reverse. When I’ve finished my second 20-minute session I’m experiencing arm pump and a threatening cramp in my left leg each time I brake hard. My mechanic made some rear-suspension adjustments which changed the bike a lot and made my hard riding much easier.  With the APRC traction control I can accelerate early from great lean in safety, and even on level one it feels safe despite some nice sliding action out of most corners.

2011 Suzuki GSX-R750 Review

The GSX-R750 – arguably the bike that started the replica racer revolution – marked its 25th anniversary in 2010. Oddly, Suzuki decided to celebrate the noteworthy birthday last year by creating a limited edition GSX-R1000, designated by little more than special paint and “25th Anniversary Edition” on the mufflers and wheel rim striping. For us in the States, 1986 was the first time we could zip down the road on a Gixxer, so this year is something of an unofficial 25th anniversary for the 750 in America. Thankfully, we at least have an upgraded and lighter weight GSX-R750 in 2011 to celebrate with – even if we’re the only ones partying.

2012 Kawasaki ZX-14R Review

It’s neither easy nor politically correct to build the most powerful streetbike ever offered to the public for mass consumption, but that’s what Kawasaki has done with the incredibly potent new ZX-14R.

The ZX-14 has been a major player in the hyperbike wars since its introduction in 2006, becoming the only machine that could hold a candle to Suzuki’s mega-powerful (nearly 160 hp) Hayabusa that was introduced back in 1999. The ZX-14 cranked out a remarkable 171 hp on the dyno and must’ve worried Suzuki’s marketing department and engineering team, as they released a more powerful Hayabusa in 2008 with a bigger engine that produced around 165 horses.

Kawasaki surprised us with a revised ZX-14 in 2008, just two years since its debut, to meet the revitalized Suzuki challenger. While the Kawi remained the smoother and more accommodating choice, emissions regulations took a chunk out of the ZX’s top-end performance.

2011 Aprilia RS4 125 Review

The all-new Aprilia RS4 is Aprilia’s first step away from the 2-strokes that made them famous. The RS125 2-stroke will still be sold (in Europe), but the emergence of this new 4-stroke 125 shows Aprilia’s direction for the future. Everybody knows that 2-stroke engines can produce more power than a comparably sized 4-stroke. The RS125 can be tuned to around 33 horsepower, whilst the RS4 125 can only get to about 25 horsepower with a 180cc kit. The RS4 125 can’t replace the RS125 performance-wise, but it does benefit from a reliable torquey 125cc four-stroke engine that doesn’t need a rebuild every 10,000 miles. The RS4 125 is also more environmentally friendly using less fuel and oil compared to the 2-strokes.
I tested the RS4 125 in a learner-legal version that generates 15 horsepower at 10,500 rpm. Peak torque of 8.1 ft-lb occurs at 8500 rpm.

2012 Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Convertible Review

CVOs are notably pricier than the standard models they’re derived from, but by comparison to many high-end, high-priced cruisers from independent shops with low-volume production, the CVOs offer some serious value. Attempting to build something close to a CVO one piece at a time would lead to a sum total cost well beyond a CVO’s MSRP.
And in terms of value, what revs most folks’ engines is getting more than what was bargained for, especially when the deal nets you something on the order of two-for-one. The $29,699 Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Convertible is just such a two-for-one deal.  Model-year 2012 is the third year for the Softail Convertible in the CVO lineup. When it first surfaced in 2010 we discovered how crafty and practical Harley could get.

2012 BMW S1000RR Review

That BMW is a company with huge engineering resources shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. After all, it’s been building motor vehicles for more than 90 years and has a German stereotype to uphold. Nevertheless, my biggest surprise at the launch of the 2012 S1000RR was the boundless enthusiasm each engineer, no matter if gray hair or no hair, showed in regard to sportbikes. There’s a lot more to this performance-driven crew than just building transportation appliances, as we found out at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain, where the bike’s 2012 edition was sampled by the world’s media last week.
For example, Ralph Schwickerath, the S1000’s chassis project manager, is not only a mechanical engineer but a former racer who is nearly as quick as Jurgen Fuchs, a BMW test rider who has raced in 250cc and 500cc Grands Prix. And the RR’s dual project managers,

2012 Honda CBR1000RR

The rear suspension is still of the Unit Pro-Link architecture, but a new shock body promises big improvements in responsiveness. The old single-tube shock gets tossed in favor of what Honda calls a Balance-Free damper which incorporates a double-tube design. Instead of the damper piston using integral valves, the damping oil is forced through a separate damping component. The Balance-Free shock uses just a single circuit rather than main and secondary valves like most shocks. Honda says this allows better control via a larger body of oil, resulting in smoother and more responsive damping action, especially through the transition from compression to rebound. Damping adjusters are easily reached at the top of the shock body. 

2012 Ducati 848 Streetfighter Review - First Ride

With the world launch of the 1199 Panigale superbike at the EICMA show in Milan still a month away, Ducati filled the interim with an international press launch of the 2012 848 Streetfighter. The combined street and track ride in and around Modena, Italy, exposed the newest naked performer to Sunday morning twisties and trackday duties.

Nearly identical in appearance to the larger 1098 Streetfighter, the new 848 is meant to provide motorcyclists a more affordable and less extreme option to the superbike-powered S model, which is the only other Streetfighter available for 2012 as the standard Streetfighter is being discontinued.

The most obvious difference between the two 2012 Streetfighter models is engine displacement.

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.