Triumph Street Triple R vs. Ducati Streetfighter 848

Last year was an exciting year for motorcycle enthusiasts. Three of the four Japanese manufacturers released updated literbikes, Kawasaki an all-new ZX-14R and Ducati its groundbreaking 1199 Panigale. In the testing that ensued, however, none of these bikes had us grinning as much as the unmentioned Triumph Daytona 675R and Ducati 848 EVO Corse SE, two bikes that were arguably less innovative, but drastically more charismatic. Was it by chance, or by design, then, that we’ve all but replicated that test this year, only this time around supplanted the supersport models for their equally entertaining naked-bike counterparts, the Triumph Street Triple R and Ducati Streetfighter 848? Hint: we don’t believe in coincidences.

Honda has released the first of its 2014 models, and included in the lineup is the Grom 125. While the compact Grom may look like an oversized scooter or pit-bike, it is in fact street-legal and listed as a sportbike by Honda. The Grom is powered by a fuel injected, single-cylinder 125cc engine that has a four-speed gearbox and manual clutch. Running gear includes an inverted 31mm fork and 12-inch tires, and the Grom has a 29.7-inch seat height and weighs a claimed 225 pounds. List price is set at $2999. More information from Honda's press material follows:

In the last issue, we directed a great deal of attention toward our recently completed pride and joy, a 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650 display bike turned Sport Rider racebike. In the article that accompanied the build (“Green Streak,” March ’13), we briefly made mention that we’d be racing the Ninja in a forthcoming event at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. Due to a vague understanding of how the bike would work in race trim however, we’ll admit that we went to press equally as anxious as you to see how our weekend at the track would play out. Naturally, the last thing we wanted to do was introduce you to one of our better-looking project bikes, only to follow up by saying that we’d turned the Ninja into nothing more than a moving obstacle for CVMA (Chuckwalla Valley Motorcycle Association) frontrunners.

Long derided by many in the general sportbike crowd as "newbie" bikes, the lightweight 250 sportbike class has exploded in popularity in recent years — and that's a good thing. This is because it signals that a new generation of riders is finally beginning to take hold in the motorcycle market. For the past two decades, the average age of the American motorcycle rider was steadily climbing, from the mid-20s back in 1981 to a peak of 43 years old in 2008; this showed that the same aging baby-boomers were the ones fueling the market, without any younger generation to replace them. Luckily, the mean age dropped to 40 years old in 2009, and anecdotal evidence of the latest data shows that the average is continuing to fall as newer, younger riders continue to join the ranks.

Kawasaki's Kenan Sufuoglu won four World Supersport races in 2012 and finished the season atop the points standings. This in itself is hardly news, as Sufuoglu and Kawasaki have separately proven strong contenders in any series. What's interesting though is that Sufuoglu's success last year came on a bike that Team Green will not ship to the U.S. in 2013 — the 600cc ZX-6R, which will be offered overseas as a 2013 model. The U.S. market instead gets access to Kawasaki's new 636cc ZX-6R, a bike that the manufacturer has built with the everyday rider in mind.

In an interview early last year, Ducati's Claudio Domenicali announced that the company would not homologate its 1199 Panigale for 2012 World Superbike competition, preferring instead to wait due to the "far more extreme change in parts and extreme development" in the superbike class compared to the FIM World Superstock support class, which the Panigale was homologated for. Sport Rider finally got the opportunity to test the homologation special of the Italian manufacturer's superbike, the 2013 1199 Panigale R, and will argue that the wait has paid dividends; the Panigale R is a clear-cut evolution of the lineup and among the quickest production bikes to ever sport Ducati badges.

The Panigale R is not the first homologation special to roll off Ducati's production line (think 888 SP2, 996R, 1098R et al), and like those that came before it, this higher-spec model's sole purpose is to give World Superbike teams like Ducati Alstare a better platform to work off of.

In an economy that has dealt a major body blow to motorcycle sales, there are a few categories that have weathered the storm better than most. One of them is the sport-touring market, which has been grabbing an increasing share of total sportbike sales since the economic crisis initially struck in 2008. This is an expected trend, as sport-touring riders tend to be more affluent and thus have expendable cash that makes them more likely to continue buying bikes.

Triumph has announced the impending release of two Special Edition models for 2013: the new Speed Triple SE and Bonneville SE.

The April issue of the magazine features a full test of Kawasaki's new 636cc middleweight sportbike, the Ninja ZX-6R. As part of the story, we ran our test unit on our SuperFlow CycleDyn dyno. The chart here shows horsepower and torque values for the new 636cc machine as well as a 2012 600cc ZX-6R for comparison. Check out the chart here as well as some images from our track day at the Streets of Willow Springs, where we rode both bikes. Look for the full test in the April issue - our 20th anniversary issue! - which goes on sale officially tomorrow.

Honda has announced two new 2014 models that are part of an entire new range of products that will be expanded in the future. The CTX series (Comfort, Technology and eXperience) utilizes "new Honda technologies that focus on class-leading comfort, easy-to-operate features and versatility." The first models, the CTX700ND and fairing-equipped CTX700D, are powered by the same 700cc parallel twin engine found in the NC700X; both are offered in standard and DCT/ABS versions with a host of accessories. The CTX700N will retail for $6999 ($7999 with DCT and ABS) while the CTX700 has an MSRP of $7799 ($8799 with DCT and ABS).

Also included in the announcement is the return of the NC700X as a 2013 model, in two color options.

The April, 2013 issue of the magazine includes a lightweight sportbike comparison test, including the Honda CBR250R, Hyosung GT250R and the Kawasaki Ninja 300. As part of the test we ran the three bikes on our SuperFlow CycleDyn dyno. Check out the horsepower and torque charts here, along with some images from the track-day portion of the test; look for the full comparison in the April issue of the magazine, which goes on sale next week.

BMW released pricing information for its 2013 HP4, providing a better look at how the bike will stack up against its similarly equipped competition in terms of cost. MSRP for each individual package is as follows:

Aprilia USA has developed a limited edition version of the 2013 RSV4 Factory model, in honor of its 2012 World Superbike Championship. The new bike features special livery along with all the upgrades available on the 2013 RSV4 Factory, including ABS, new front brake calipers and updated electronics. The new bike will be available at dealers in April; pricing will be announced on Feb. 1. More information is available on Aprilia's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ApriliaAmericas.

The full text of Aprilia's press information follows:

Rules are meant to be broken, bent or otherwise thrown out the window. If they weren’t, well, Kawasaki never got the memo. Case in point: Team Green’s 2013 ZX-6R, a bike that rips the middleweight-class convention to shreds by means of a 37cc displacement advantage. Anyone with a soft spot for Kawasaki’s middleweight platform and a decent memory will recognize the 636 moniker that goes along with the change; its (re)introduction comes just ten years after the launch of the original six-three-six. The ZX-6R’s design brief has been entirely rewritten for ’13 however, and two days spent riding the bike gave us a good indication of what that meant for the middleweight class: suffice it to say the other manufacturers are in for a rude awakening.

As a Japanese OEM, Kawasaki has never been one to be shy. The company has a long history of groundbreaking motorcycles that not only set new standards for performance, but are also remembered for their audacity. Many of these bikes basically threw convention out the window, and made their own rules when it came to class warfare. The H1 500 and H2 750 three-cylinder two-strokes, the original 1972 Z1, the turbocharged Z1R TC of 1978 and 1983 GPz750 Turbo, the 1984 Ninja 900 and 600R of 1985…the list goes on.

KTM has announced its 2013 sportbike lineup, which includes updated 1190 RC8 R and 990 SM T models and the new (to the U.S.) 690 Duke. The 1190 RC8 R benefits from the addition of a mechanical slipper clutch, and new graphics include black wheels, while the 990 SM T is now equipped with semi-hard luggage and offered in a new black paint scheme.

The new 690 Duke is powered by a single-cylinder fuel injected engine with dual spark plugs, ride-by-wire throttle, a slipper clutch and a counterbalance shaft to reduce vibrations. Running gear includes WP suspension and Brembo brakes with Bosch 9M+ ABS. The 690 Duke will be offered in black and white for 2013.

KTM's press material for the 690 Duke follows:

Aprilia

• RSV4 Factory ABS

The third page of BMW’s HP4 press material says everything you need to know about BMW Motorrad in one short sentence; it reads, “Even the S 1000 RR left some room for improvement...” Few journalists, racers or consumers would have the guts to throw these eight words together in a sentence, and yet here stands BMW itself, admitting that the overly successful RR has yet to reach full potential. The Bavarian manufacturer isn’t simply talking the talk either; this year it sent a group of engineers back to the drawing board to create an even better package than what was already offered. The result of their efforts, dubbed the HP4, is hands down the most sophisticated sportbike to be sold on showroom floors.

KTM showed this prototype Super Duke R model at the EICMA show in Milan, and announced that development is already underway on a production version. The 1290 Super Duke R has an overbored RC8R engine with ride-by-wire throttle control, top-shelf WP suspension and a single-sided swingarm. Electronics include ABS and Traction control. Very little additional details were released, although it's clear from the attached specification list that this will be a fun bike. Torque, for example, is listed only as "very, very much," while top speed "depends on the rider’s courage and figure."

More humorous specifications and KTM's press material are below:

Triumph has launched all-new Daytona 675 and 675R models for 2013, which feature new engines with more power and an extended rpm range, and lighter chassis with improved weight distribution. A new, switchable ABS is standard on the R model and available as an option on the base 675.

The engine has more oversquare cylinder dimensions, with bore and stroke now measuring 76.0 x 49.6mm compared with the old model's 74.0 x 52.3mm dimensions. The cylinder block is now separate from the crankcase and has ceramic-coated aluminum bores, which enables the assembly to be stronger and better able to cope with the increased power; previously, individual liners were assembled into the upper crankcase half. Twin injectors per cylinder are now used, and a "slip-assist clutch" reduces lever effort and helps prevent rear wheel hop under braking; . Peak power is claimed to be increased by two horsepower, with the peak now earlier in the rev range at 12,600 rpm, while the rev limit has been raised to 14,400 rpm.

American Suzuki has released its lineup of 2013 sportbikes, which includes an updated Hayabusa, a special-edition GSX-R1000 commemorating more than 1 million GSX-R models sold, and an all-new 250cc standard, the GW250.

MILAN, ITALY, NOV 12 – Ducati again took center stage on the eve of EICMA, the world’s biggest motorcycle show on the outskirts of Milan, Italy, by trumpeting a record year and introducing three new models and several updates.

“2011, it was a very good year, well actually the best year ever for our company under many perspectives,” Ducati CEO Gabriele del Torchio said at the start of the presentation in the Centro Congresi Auditorium at the Fiera Milano. “Starting from our growing market share, growing turnover, better financial results and sales results and visibility of the company, so an excellent.

“We started 2012 and the big question was will be able to do exactly what we did last year? Now, you know that in terms of economy and the financial world is kind of in a meltdown in many countries. So we did have some worries that we just didn’t know what would happen. But once again we’ve been so resolute and we decided to do even better than 2011. So I’m proud to say that 2012 will be yet another excellent year, a record year for Ducati. Well, actually it will be much more than a record breaking year.”

Ducati has announced the addition of a fourth model to the Panigale line of Supebike models, the R. Developed with World Superbike Homologation in mind, the R model incorporates all the features of the S model - including forged Marchesini aluminum wheels and electronically controlled Ohlins suspension - and adds engine modifications, an adjustable swingarm pivot, carbon fiber trim and a full Termignoni exhaust system.

Upgrades to the engine specification include lightweight titanium connecting rods, DLC-coated rocker arms, a lighter flywheel and a 500-rpm-higher rev limit of 12,000 rpm. A race kit included with the bike has the full Termignoni exhaust system, "up-map key" with dedicated ECU mapping, a racing windscreen and caps for the fairing mirror cutouts. The exhaust system is claimed to offer three percent more top-end power and 15 percent more midrange. The swingarm pivot location is adjustable using two eccentric inserts that can be placed in various orientations to give offsets 2mm higher, 2mm lower and 4mm lower than the stock position.

The R model is equipped with ABS as standard equipment, in addition to Ducati's GPS-enhanced Data Acquisition system.

American Honda released another wave of its 2013 model lineup, including four all-new models and some major updates for the CBR600RR. One of the new models is the CB1100, a classic-look naked bike with an air-cooled, four-cylinder engine that brings to mind the original air-cooled big-bore CB models. The remaining three models are all based on a liquid-cooled, 500cc twin-cylinder platform; the CBR500R, a sporting model intended to be a step up for riders from the CBR250R; the naked CB500F, essentially the same model with less bodywork and a more upright riding position; and the CB500X, an adventure-style bike with a larger fuel tank, longer-travel suspension and even more upright ergos.

Manufacturer pairings are nothing new in the two- and four-wheel markets, although some partnerships make a definite amount more noise than others — think Audi and Ducati. BMW and Husqvarna’s affiliation falls on the less profound end of the spectrum, but with an increasing number of Husqvarna-labeled street bikes already hitting the road, it appears that the collaboration has been successful thus far. The TR 650 Strada in particular stands as Husqvarna’s second street-oriented model and is more dual-purpose structured than last year’s non-U.S.-bound Nuda 900 and Nuda 900 R. Like both Nuda models, however, the TR 650 is one part German engineering, one part Italian design; another match made in two-wheel heaven, clearly.