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Dale Franks
2012 Husqvarna Nuda 900R
The long awaited big bike from Husqvarna has been unveiled. It’s a 900cc Parallel-twin–based on the BMW F800 motor–dual sport known as the Nuda 900R. Husqvarna claims the powerplant peak output is greater than 100HP, with 73lb-ft of torque coming in a 386lb (dry) package. Suspension and forks are top-notch Sachs and Öhlins components.
Styling owes more to Austria’s KTM than Bavaria’s BMW, although the term “styling” is used pretty loosely for duel-sports. If, indeed, it is a dual sport. True off-roading with the Nuda will require a significant investment in skid plates to protect the exhaust and radiator, it looks like.
Motorcycle USA has more.
The Griso comes to America
Moto Guzzi Griso 8V SE
Moto Guzzi isn’t the easiest brand to find over here, and dealerships are few and far between. Yet, Moto Guzzi still has a dedicated fan base, who’ll probably be a little happier knowing the Griso 8V SE is coming to America. The Griso itself isn’t new over here, of course, but the SE model, with its distinctive styling, has only been available in Europe.
Some might say the engine looks a bit too…agricultural, and, well, I guess I’d be among them. The Griso’s air/oil-cooled 1151cc slant twin does put out a respectable 95hp and 73lb-ft of torque, which combined with the responsive steering and chassis will have you surprising supersports in the twisties–assuming you put on some stickier tires than the EOM Pirelli Scorpions. And that’s even counting the fact that, at 555 lbs–mainly thanks to a big, honkin’ shaft drive–it’s a bit on the portly side.
On the other hand, a day of canyon carving won’t leave you with a notched back and stiff knees.
Ride into the Danger Zone…
Motorcycle vs. passenger vehicle death chart
It’s a dangerous sport we’ve embraced, folks. Indeed, looking at this graph, it’s hard to make any other conclusion. Motorcycle fatalities per passenger mile are 37 times higher for motorcycles than for cars.
What irks me about this report, though, is that we, as a community, don’t seem to be making it much safer. Sure, there are cars that turn in front of us, or change lanes into us…I get it. In fact, my last crash was a guy that T-boned me after running a stop sign.
But I notice two salient facts from this report.
22% of motorcyclists that died in 2009 did not have a valid license.
If you’re riding without a license, there’s a couple of things that could be going on. You can’t ride well enough to pass the test. You don’t want to be inconvenienced with getting a license. But, I presume a significant portion of those people without licenses don’t have them because they got taken away after getting caught doing something stupid. That doesn’t stop them, because…well…they’re stupid and/or reckless, and the odds caught up with them.
30% of fatal motorcycle crashes involved a driver with a BAC greater than .08.
Speaking of stupid and reckless. If you tie one on and get on a bike, then you’re just a moron.
Overall, those two numbers tell us that somewhere between 30% and 52% of all motorcycle fatalities are stupidity-related. Frankly, I don’t have any sympathy for these people. Good riddance.
Not only do they kill themselves, and cause their families pain, they make those of us who have licenses and don’t drink and ride look bad.
Just not drinking and riding would lower motorcycle fatalities by 30%. Maybe that would help stop other morons from arguing that motorcycles should be banned.
I’d like some tikka masala…and a Daytona 675, please
Triumph Motorcycles announced that they will be entering the Indian market in 2012. Marketwatch reports that the british brand plans to import bikes directly to India, rather than building them there. As India has a 100% tariff on imports, that’s going to make the Trumpets a bit less of bargain than they usually are.
Triumph is, however, studying the feasibility of opening a plant in-country–which seems like it would be necessary for any sort of long-term growth, considering India’s unreasonable import rates.
“India is a very important motorcycle market and Triumph has assessed it carefully before deciding to step in,” said Nick Bloor, Triumph’s chief executive. “We see it as the next step in our global business model.”
Triumph has appointed Ashish Joshi, the former head of European operations for Indian motorcycle maker Royal Enfield as its managing director for India.
Triumph currently has two manufacturing facilities in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and three in Chonburi, Thailand. It produces about 50,000 motorcycles each year, selling them in about 35 countries.
Taylor said Triumph has been getting several inquiries from prospective customers in India and plans to initially sell its motorcycles in six to eight cities in the country.
Triumph now joins the Big 4 and Harley-Davidson in India.
BMW K1600R?
Photoshop of a rumored BMW K1600R
Where would we be without new model rumors, and the photoshops that make them seem true, or, at least, plausible.
In this case, the rumor is of a coming roadster version of BMW’s new flagship sports-tourer, the K1600GT, which would be called the K1600R. It would look something like the photoshop image here. Or not.
It sounds attractive. Still, there are some questions that would have to be answered:
But… The K1600GT starts at £15,300, a full £1800 more than the old K1300GT (which it effectively replaces, as well as superseding the mammoth K1200LT). Would it be possible to make a six-cylinder machine that could match, or even come close to, the K1300R’s £10,450 price? And would the bigger engine offer a significant advantage over the existing four? Finally, could a six-cylinder BMW out-pose and out-muscle the Ducati Diavel that’s scrambled the “big naked” market this year?
Having said that, BMW doesn’t really compete on price, much. and if they can pump up the power of the K16, the same way they did with the K13 for the S model, I can foresee a 180HP+ version making its way into the lineup as an S or R model.
I can dream, anyway.
2012 Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS
2012 Suzuki V-Strom 650
Suzuki has released the details–some of them anyway–about the new V-Strom 650 ABS.
First of all, the ABS system is new, and is supposedly better and lighter than the old system. In addition, Suzuki has made lots of other styling changes and other tweaks. The seat is a bit higher, although with optional lower and higher seats, you’ll have a wider range of choice and ergonomics now. The slightly smaller gas tank is also narrower between the knees. The muffler is excitingly modern, as is the new composite resin luggage rack. The windshield is 3-position manually adjustable, too. New headlights and instrument cluster round out the redesign.
The powerplant is where some big changes come in. The displacement is still the same, but midrange power and torque has been increased with new cam profiles, and the use of single, instead of double, valve springs. Air cooling has been replaced by liquid cooling for the oil cooler. A new crankshaft and primary gear are said to smooth the engine out a bit. Fuel economy is better, too, with a claimed 10% improvement on gas mileage.
The US Market will receive the orange model shown here, as well as an all-black version.
The V-Strom has always been a highly regarded bike, and the new changes seem like an improvement to an already well-loved bike.
Performance Cruiser Smackdown
Motorcycle USA took the power cruisers out for a spin and then chose the one they liked best. In the running were the Victory Hammer, Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special, Triumph Thunderbird, Star Raider S, Suzuki Boulevard M109R, and Ducati Diavel. One of these bikes isn’t even a power cruiser–and was the slowest of the five–and still won.
The Diavel, by the way, got the highest score, 170/200, and the reviewers still didn’t pick it.
Beginner’s riding gear
So, you want to ride a motorcycle, but you don’t know what riding gear to wear with your new scooter? Well, look no further. Motorcycle.Com is ready to help.
What to do with a spare $33,000
Buy one of these: the 2012 MV Agusta F4 RR.
2012 MV Agusta F4 RR
It doesn’t look much changed from last year, but under the plastic, it’s a new beast with an ultra-short-stroke 1000cc Inline-4 that MV says will release 201HP. No top-speed-limiting governors for the Italian chaps at MV. The engine puts at the top of the superbike heap in terms of power.
Supporting the new bike are top-shelf Öhlins suspension components, and forged aluminum wheels.
Everything is top-of-the line on this bike. Sadly, that includes the price.
I’m back
After a tough month of a slammed schedule, I’m finally getting some room to come up for air.
2011 Aprilia Tuono V4
Aprilia has released a whole mess of photos of the brand new 167HP Tuono V4. Derived from the RSV4, the Tuono’s V4 engine shaves pounds off the old model, while adding 41 more HP than the old V-Twin. It also puts out 82 ft-lbs of torque, comes with a whole mess of electronic goodies like traction control, wheelie control, and launch control, and has a curb weight of 402 lbs.
I think it may be a fast bike.
This is just a fraction of the pictures Aprilia released today, but if you want to see more, A&R has the whole bunch of them, plus an irritating promotional video.
The most
Honda Crosssrunner First Ride
2011 Honda Crossrunner
Motorcycle Daily has taken the new , VFR800-based 2011 Crossrunner out on the road to put it through its paces.
The Crossrunner was introduced last fall as a 2011 model at the EICMA show in Italy as bike with offroad pretensions–and pretensions is pretty much all they are. Really, this is a street bike, although one powered by the 782cc V-4 VTEC mill that powers the European version of the Interceptor. That’s not a bad heritage for any streetbike.
Unlike the VFR, however, the Crossrunner sports comfy, upright ergonomics to go along with its V-4 character.
The pluses appear to be a bike that, like the Suzuki Bandit, offers you a torquey engine with 100HP, a relaxed riding position. The down side for the sporting enthusiast, is the 530lbs wet weight, but in general it seems like it would be a fun bike.
2012 Triumph Street Triple
The gentlemen in Hinckley have unveiled pics of the all-new, updated styling for the early release of the 2012 Triumph Street Triple. For some reason, most of the pics are in blue and white.
I’m not sure what, other than some styling changes, the new bike has to offer. In terms of styling, however, the Street Triple gets new headlights like the Speed Triple, aluminum handlebars from the Street Triple R, as well as a spiffy new engine cover. Oh, and a new Triumph logo.
I’m not sure I’m on board with the purple model color.
A New “Corse” version of the Multistrada? No.
The motorcycling press got into a bit a of a tizzy today, heralding the arrival of a new version of the Multistrada, the “Corse” package, for the 2012 model year.
As it happens, however, that model already exists as the “Pike’s Peak” edition. Ducati was just using “Corse” as a fallback name in case they couldn’t acquire the rights to use the “Pike’s Peak” name. Nothing to see here. Sorry.