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.