MV Agusta’s new Russian boss has promised new “premium and medium-capacity” bikes under a five-year business plan financed by his family.
The company has not mentioned what the new models will be, but they have confirmed they will start production of 300 limited edition models of the Brutale 1000 Serie Oro and Superveloce 800 Serie Oro.
Since the 675cc/800cc triples in 2012, there have been no all-new models, only limited-edition versions.
Timur set up the Nevada Burning Man festival and is the son of oil tycoon Rashid Sardarov who was mentioned in the Panama Papers and has links to Russian mafia lawyers.
The five-year plan is entirely financed by the Sardarov family.
Previous CEO Giovanni Castiglioni will “maintain an advisory role”, an MV Agusta press release says, ending the Castiglioni family’s control of the company.
They will be developed and produced by MV Agusta and marketed by MV Agusta and Loncin’s upmarket brand VOGE.
However, we doubt these are the “medium-capacity” bikes to which they refer.
It will be interesting to see if there really are “new models” or just more limited edition variants.
Current models are more than five years old.
The five-year plan also aims to reach sales volume of more than 25,000 motorcycles with “strong investment in the global distribution network, focused primarily on Europe, Asia and the USA” over the next three years.
There is no mention of a plan to fix notoriously slow parts deliveries.
Massimo Bordi, 62, who developed the four-valve Desmo engine that made Ducati famous and designed and engineered the Ducati 851, moves from GM to executive vice-chairman.
“Over the next five years, MV Agusta’s attention will be focused on developing the sales and service network, while investing in product development and maintaining its efforts in digitalisation and technological innovation,” says Timur.
“We are committed to deliver the best products and continue to be a benchmark in motorcycle industry in quality, design and technology. Finally MV Agusta has all the tools to do so.”
Alessandro, who is a designer at exotic car company Pagani Automobili, says his “desire would be to work for Ducati”.
After reading that Ducati wants to make an electric motorcycle, I thought the Monster project could be ideal,” the Panigale 959 rider says.
“Monster is the Ducati icon, so it could be a new beginning. I hope Ducati can see my idea and be inspired by it.”
An electric Monster also makes a lot of sense as most electric motorcycling in the near future is expected to be short distance and commuting, because of the limited range and long recharge times.
“Given the rumour of a Ducati interest in making an electric motorcycle, I wanted to imagine how this could appear if it became a reality,” Alessandro says.
Noticeably, he has retained chain drive, but it must be one gear as there is no clutch.
Electric Ducati Monster
Here is Alessandro’s video and his electric concept in his own words:
Mixing the vintage style of the Cafe Racer, the beauty of the Ducati brand and the architecture of an electric motorcycle, I designed the Ducati Monster Electric Concept.
Aesthetically appealing; to give the sensation of speed, most of the volumes fall on the front.
This means that the tank is very low and almost invades the front wheel and the rear has no tail, so as to give greater optical lightness and make the tire appear even larger.
This presents the typical trellis frame fixed no longer to the engine but to the battery which, placed inside a carbon cover, becomes structural.
The tank, of considerable size, no longer has the traditional fuel reserve function. This becomes a convenient trunk to store the helmet and various objects. In addition, the “fake” tank is composed of two easily interchangeable side covers to update the style.
The bike, with the combination of materials such as ABS, brushed aluminum and carbon, creates distinct “zones” that at the same time form part of the same assembly.
The meticulous research of the details (like the components milled from full with angles of 45 ° and brushed) must give the perception of “premium”. A luxury that is now present in cars but not in motorcycles.
The cycling odds are more like a sport bike than a naked one, to make the most of a powertrain with lots of torque.
Ducati amps up
At a student event in Spain this year, the Ducati boss told the crowd: “The future is electric, we’re not far from starting series production.”
It’s no news that Ducati has been considering an electric model since about 2017 when a Ducati executive revealed they had electric plans for a motorcycle and a scooter by 2021.
In the same year, VW Group Chairman Matthias Mueller upped the ante saying Ducati would have an electric motorcycle “by 2020”.
BMW Motorrad has applied for trademarks for the model names M 1000 RR, M 1000 XR and M 1300 GS which hints at performance versions, possibly with superchargers.
Their car division has been using the M model code for performance models for years.
They have more power, better suspension and brakes, plus styling differences, usually including their motorsport division logos and colours.
The same could be coming to their motorcycles.
So the M 1000 RR and XR could be performance versions of their S 1000 RR and S 1000 XR.
However, the unusual name here is the M 1300 GS.
Is it a bigger-capacity performance version of their boxer-powered R 1250 GS which has only recently increased engine capacity from the R 1200 GS?
Or will it be a GS version of their K 1300 four-cylinder models that they retired a few years ago?
Will M mean superchargers?
While these trademark applications hint at performance updates with some cosmetic changes, BMW could also be considering supercharged versions.
Supercharging and turbocharging could be the future as motorcycle manufacturers such as Kawasaki and Suzuki have also applied for patents.
Forced induction makes sense as it allows the manufacturers to get the same power from smaller-capacity engines and still meet tougher emissions regulations.
More spy photos have emerged for the upcoming Challenger bagger from Indian Motorcycle believed to be powered by a liquid-cooled 1770cc engine called the Powerplus.
We are not allowed to tell you where the blurry photos came from, but the bike looks like a “challenger” to the Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
Like the Road Glide, it appears to have a big, frame-mounted fairing.
While it may look bulbous and ugly, a frame-mounted fairing has less weave effect on the bike’s stability at high speed.
Earlier this year, a video from the company dealer conference in the USA emerged showing the Powerplus engine.
The video was taken down, but is still available on Motorcycle.com.
The worst-kept secret in motorcycling has been confirmed with Honda unveiling the full tech specs for the bigger, narrower and higher-tech Africa Twin CRF1100L at the AIMExpo motorcycle show in Ohio, USA.
Of course, the biggest news is that the engine has gone from 998cc to a longer-stroke 1084cc with power up from 70kW to 75kW. All details that had already been tipped.
Yet weight has dropped from 243kg to 226kg and 236kg for the ducal-clutch transmission (DCT) model.
It’s largely thanks to a lighter engine and gearbox and a slimmer and lighter frame, subframe and swingarm inspired by the CRF450.
With the extra tech and power, we expect a price rise, but there is no word yet on pricing or availability.
They currently cost about $A17,499 for the standard and $A19,999 for the DCT (plus on-road costs).
Bigger engine
The bigger Euro5-compliant engine will now make it more competitive with the BMW, Ducati, KTM and Triumph adventurers.
It not only has 6% more power, but also 7% more torque at 105Nm.
Stroke has been lengthened from 75.1mm to 81.5mm but the bore remains the same at 92mm.
Honda has made the CRF1100L 2.5 lighter (2.2kg in the DCT version) with aluminium cylinder sleeves and redesigned engine casings.
It features a larger 43mm throttle body, smoother air intake profile, new ECU and more direct fuel injection to improve efficiency.
Exhaust gas flow is controlled in a similar way to the CBR1000RR for a better note.
Better tech
To compete with the current crop of big adventurers, Honda has added a raft of electronic rider aids to the CRF1100L.
It’s all thanks to a six-axis inertial measurement unit-managed.
Rider aids include optimised off-road “torque control” (basically traction control that manages power and engine braking), three-level wheelie control, two customised riding modes and now four default riding modes.
The new mode is “off-road”.
It also has an LED headlight, automatic indicator cancel and a USB port.
The new touchscreen instrument panel has Bluetooth audio and Apple Carplay which only works when your phone is plugged in, not via Bluetooth.
That means the screen will show your phone’s satnav and call details as well as some apps such as Spotify.
Cosmetics are slightly changed, but the suspension and wheels are the same.
Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin specs
ENGINE
Type
SOHC liquid-cooled 4-stroke 8-valve parallel twin with 270° crank and Uni-cam
Displacement
1084cc
Bore & Stroke
92mm x 81.5mm
Compression Ratio
10.1:1
Max. Power Output
75kW at 7,500rpm
Max. Torque
105Nm at 6,250rpm
Noise Level
73dB
Oil Capacity
4.8/4.3 (5.2/4.7 DCT)
FUEL SYSTEM
Carburation
PGM-FI
Fuel Tank Capacity
18.8L
CO2 Emissions
112g/km MT
110g/km DCT
Fuel Consumption
4.9L/100km (20.4km/L) MT
4.8L/100km (20.8km/L) DCT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Starter
Electric
Battery Capacity
12V-6Ah Li-ion battery (20hr)
ACG Output
0.49 kW/5,000rpm
DRIVETRAIN
Clutch Type
Wet, multiplate with coil springs, aluminium cam assist and slipper clutch
DCT – 2 wet multiplate clutches with coil springs
Transmission Type
6 speed manual (6 speed DCT)
FRAME
Type
Semi double cradle
CHASSIS
Dimensions (L´W´H)
2330mm x 960mm x 1395mm
Wheelbase
1575mm
Caster Angle
27.5°
Trail
113mm
Seat Height
850/870mm (low seat option 825mm, high seat option 895mm)
Ground Clearance
250mm
Kerb Weight
226kg (DCT 236kg)
SUSPENSION
Type Front
Showa 45mm cartridge-type inverted telescopic fork with dial-style preload adjuster and DF adjustments, 230mm stroke
Type Rear
Monoblock aluminium swing arm with Pro-Link with Showa gas-charged damper, hydraulic dial-style preload adjuster and rebound damping adjustments, 220 mm rear wheel travel
WHEELS
Type Front
21M/C x 2.15 wire spoke with aluminium rim
Type Rear
18M/C x 4.00 wire spoke with aluminium rim
Rim Size Front
21″
Rim Size Rear
18″
Tyres Front
90/90-21M/C 54H (tube type)
(Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross Tourer/
AX41T Metzler Karoo Street)
Tyres Rear
150/70R18M/C 70H (tube type)
(Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross Tourer/
AX41T Metzler Karoo Street)
BRAKES
ABS System Type
2 channel with IMU Selectable ABS MODE with on-road and off-road setting
Type Front
310mm dual wave floating hydraulic disc with aluminium hub and radial fit 4-piston calipers and sintered metal pads
Type Rear
256mm wave hydraulic disc with single piston caliper and sintered metal pads. 2-channel with rear ABS OFF mode.
INSTRUMENTS & ELECTRICS
Instruments
LCD Meter, TFT 6.5inch touch panel multi information display
Security System
Immobiliser, security alarm (optional)
Headlight
LED
Taillight
LED
Electrics
Daytime running lights, Bluetooth audio and Apple Carplay, USB socket, auto turn signal cancel, cruise control, emergency stop signal, IMU, HSTC, wheelie control
With its aggressive knuckles-to-the-wind riding position, 114-cube Milwaukee-Eight engine and sharpened steering, the Harley-Davidson Low Rider S really does mean business.
And Harley-Davidson Australia will be hoping it means lost of business as did the original, short-lived 2016 Low Rider S with its 110-cube Screamin’ Eagle engine.
That was a twin-shock Dyna. Now it’s part of the updated Softail family with a stiffer and lighter frame and improved handling.
Price is now $A27,995 ($NZ29,995), up from $25,995 in 2016 when it had a 110 engine and $3500 more than the standard Low Rider.
Standard Low Rider
Apart from the extra cubes — and there is no replacement for displacement, right? — riders get a cruiser that looks the business. That is, if Sons of Anarchy business is your business! That little headlight fairing, aggressive mid-control riding position, blacked-out finishes and solo seat is very SAMCRO.
Harley calls it the “SoCal West Coast” look, but we all know they are going for that popular SAMCRO style.
It’s knuckles to the wind for Jax with the 2.5cm (one-inch) diameter motocross-style handlebars mounted on 10cm (four-inch) straight risers.
The Low Rider S powertrain, primary cover and tank console are finished in Wrinkle Black, the derby cover, intake, and lower rocker covers are Gloss Black, the mufflers and exhaust shields are Jet Black and the forks, triple-clamp, riser and handlebar, and rear fender supports are Matte Black. Even the LED layback tail lamps have a smoked lenses.
It sits on very tasty bronze cast-aluminium wheels and comes in Vivid Black and Barracuda Silver.
Harley flew me to Sydney for the media launch which was truncated by wet weather to a half-day ride from Manly about 30km to Akuna Bay in Ku-ring-Gai National Park with about 40km of riding along West Head Rd for photos.
It was just enough to get an introductory feel for the Low Rider S. A longer review will come in the next month.
The business end
The business end of this bike is the 114 M8 engine.
While the counterbalanced 107 M8 is a refined and sophisticated engine that feels like two hippos bouncing on a trampoline, this has more thump, more grunt and a little more “character” — like two elephants on a trampoline!
It pulls from low down in the rev range and surprisingly revs out without losing a lot of puff.
Yet for all that mechanical thump, it feels smooth, doesn’t jolt when switched on and clicks into first gear without a lot of clunk.
Clutch pull is fairly heavy, so you will be glad at every set of lights that neutral is quite easy to find.
Low Rider S media launch (Image: Lyndon Marceau / marceauphotography)
Click through the gears and it rides around town in fourth. It will even go into sixth as low as 80km/h with enough roll-on acceleration for overtaking without changing down.
At the end of the day, I suspect you’ll return decent figures of around 5-5.5L/100km.
Handling upgrade
To harness the extra oomph of the 114 M8, Harley has swapped out the traditional telescopic forks for inverted 43mm Showa forks with a steeper 28-degree rake compared with 30 on the standard and 32 on the older Dyna.
This set-up sharpens the steering so you feel more connected to the road with lighter and more precise turn-in.
Yet on the joyously swooping corners of West Head Rd, it still feels balanced and stable thanks to the 19-inch front wheel and long 1615mm wheelbase.
You also have the ability to safely correct your line mid-corner and dodge those water run-off lurking around blind corners.
Together with the underseat single coil-over monoshock hydraulically adjustable for preload, it should have reasonable ride even though it’s a short 11cm spring.
I couldn’t tell because the roads were all fairly smooth.
As we rode back and forth along West Head Rd, my confidence grew and the bike complied with extra throttle in an exciting, but reassuring way.
The Michelin Scorcher tyres have plenty of grip, even across the wet and dry patchy surface.
As the speed climbed, so did the turbulence from the sporty fairing. Either no fairing or the optional larger fairing might be better.
As it is, there is a blank behind the fairing that is bland and ugly. Perhaps Harley should decorate it with another bar-and-shield logo!
The analogue speedo and tacho dials sit on top of the tank and are angled toward the rider for a reasonably clear view.
However, the accompanying LCD screen is a little small and difficult to read in bright sunshine.
All the info is available via the usual toggle on the left switchblock.
Target market
The target market market for this bike is obviously not ageing Baby Boomers like me.
I found the riding position more like a yoga position with my knees sitting high and akimbo which put pressure on my dodgy hip nerve.
Even though I’m 183cm (6’) tall, it is still a bit of a reach to the bars.
The overall effect is like sitting on a potty while holding on to the towel rail.
Not very comfortable for the duration of the expected 380km from the 18.9-litre fuel tank.
That’s a strange tank size for this “coastal cruiser”.
While I often criticise modern bikes for having small tanks, this is one that could have got away with less fuel capacity.
At least the solo low 690mm saddle is very comfortable with an extra hump of lower back support.
All the same, I would probably go for the optional forward controls to ease the hip pressure and make it easier to flick the side stand up.
They might also improve the already generous (for a cruiser) 33.1-degree lean angle.
However, I’m not the target market for this bike.
Harley is targeting a younger, hipper (no pun intended), more nimble and supple rider who is genuinely excited by the SAMCRO looks and the 155Nm of elephantine grunt.
But not too young as they might not be able to afford it!
Harley-Davidson Low Rider S
Ride-away price: $A27,995 ($NZ29,995)
Engine: MilwaukeeEight 114 (1868cc) V-twin
Power: N/A
Torque: 155Nm
Bore x stroke: 102x114mm Compression: 10.5:1 Length: 2355mm
Even before a production model R 18 cruiser has rolled out of the Spandau factory gates, BMW Motorrad is taking orders and deposits on the handsome bike.
That seems to confirm that they are most definitely returning to the cruiser market after their mildly received R 1200 C back in the 1990s.
Dealers have long taken orders and deposits for limited-edition models but a recent trend is to take also orders and deposits for highly anticipated production models even before they are production models.
Indian did it with the FTR 1200 and Suzuki with the resurrected Katana.
Indian FTR 1200
Suzuki Katana
Now BMW Motorrad is following the trend.
BMW Group Australia spokesman Nick Raman says customers are champing at the bit for the cruiser.
“Orders have been taken at a dealer level for a production equivalent of the R 18,” he says.
“The deposit amount is at the dealer’s discretion, bearing in mind pricing and specification detail have not yet been released.
“We are however very pleased with how the pre orders are tracking.”
A third BMW R 18 cruiser concept model was unveiled at the 90th the Concorso d’Eleganza show at Lake Como in Italy.
There are no details, no tech specs and not even a confirmation that it has an 1800cc boxer engine, but it does look big enough.
The biggest Beemer boxer engine yet is believed to be 1798.4cc in an over-square configuration (107 x 100mm) which means the pistons are wider than they are long. So it will be difficult to lane filter!
Concept R18 cruiser was built for BMW Motorrad by Unique Custom Cycles of Sweden, so it’s not the final version that BMW is expected to release.
This is a simplistic model with minimalist design.
No doubt the Germans will give it some Bavarian hi-tech and quirky design as they did with the R nineT after Roland Sands designed the Concept 90.
Cruiser return
BMW R 1200 C
BMW built the R 1200 C cruiser from 1997 to 2004. It was a flop, but in recent years has become a collector and customiser favourite.
Over the years I have asked BMW executives whether they would ever return to the cruiser market and they have never said they wouldn’t.
A teaser video from Kawasaki showing a supercharger and the letter “Z” seems to indicate the company is about to expand its supercharged lineup, possibly the Z1000.
Currently the company supercharges its H2, H2R track-only model and H2 SX super tourer.
Kawasaki H2 SX SE supercharged tourer
Super Z1000
The video shows a “Z”, not a “ZX”, so it is likely to supercharge the top of the Z fleet, the Z1000, rather than the ZX-14R, although that would be hoot!
We don’t expect they would supercharge their Z900RS and Z900RS Cafe retro models.
Kawasaki Z900RS
Z900RS Cafe
But they could also introduce it in the Z900 or even the Z650, although that would rule it out of learner-approved status.
Kawasaki is no stranger to forced induction with the GPZ750 turbo way back in the 1982.
With the success of the retro Z900 RS models, maybe the Japanese manufacturer is bringing back the 750cc displacement to honour the GPZ750.
Kawasaki GPZ750 Turbo
The new supercharged Kwaka could be introduce at the Tokyo Motor Show next month or at EICMA motorcycle show in Milan in November.
The bigger engine capacity will make it more competitive with the BMW, Ducati, KTM and Triumph adventurers.
Performance is expected to increase slightly from 70kW to 75kW, but weight may also be up from 243kg to about 250kg.
It is not expected to have direct injection as Honda has only recently applied for that patent, albeit with a drawing of an Africa Twin.
The bigger engine will meet the coming tough Euro5 emissions regulations and be 3dB quieter.
Leaked photos
Standard
What the leaked photos do show, apart from some subtle styling changes, is that the standard model has been stripped down a little.
It now has a smaller bash plate, flatter seat, less rear bodywork, a shorter windscreen and spoked wheels with tubed tyres.
The standard also doesn’t feature any pannier mounts, so this is obviously a lighter and more adventurous model.
Standard
Meanwhile, the Adventure model looks set for more adventure touring.
Adventure
It has a taller windscreen, the extra LEDs, bigger fuel tank, bigger bash plate, pannier mounts, possibly a lower seat and cross-spoked wheels with tubeless tyres.
They are also expected to get a new horizontal TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and a bolt-on subframe.
CFMoto continue to offer some of the cheapest learner bikes in Australia with the 300NK arriving next month at just $4990, ride away.
We could not find a 300cc motorcycle on the market for less. In fact, the Chinese-made motorcycle is about the same price as a couple of 150cc bikes on the market.
And it includes an unlimited kilometre, two-year factory warranty.
It rounds out their NK (naked) road bike range: 150NK ($3490 with free jacket and helmet worth $350); 250NK ($4290) and 650NK ($5990).
Despite the cheap prices, we have found all the CFMoto models we’ve tested to be reliable and great value.
This latest variant is powered by a new 300cc four-valve DOHC, water-cooled engine with 25kW of power in its lithe 151kg frame.
The EFI engine has a balance shaft and a sixth gear to reduce vibration in the footpegs and hand grips.
Braking is handled by Spanish J Juan brake callipers and a Continental Dual Channel ABS controller.
The frame is narrow making it easy for most riders to get a foot on the ground and the seat is split for rider and pillion.
Modern features include a full-colour TFT instrumentation panel, LED headlight and daytime running lights.
Like all NK motorcycles, styling has been outsourced to Kiska, the Austrian design house responsible for many KTM models.
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