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    RiderBOT
    Royal Enfield’s Australian distributor has announced that it will soon open the order books for its Goan 350 – a limited-edition version of the brand’s popular Classic 350. 
    The Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350 takes inspiration from the 70s, notably setup with ape-style handlebars and white wall tyres. Also distinguishing the Goan 350 are chopped up guards, and a leather single-seat (dual seat as standard).

    The Goan will be available in three colour schemes, Shack Black, Trip Teal and Rave Red, in all cases fitted with wire-spoked wheels and white-wall tyres.
    Pricing has yet to be confirmed, though it is expected to come at a small premium over the standard Classic 350, which is now offered from $7990 rideaway.
    Mechanically the Goan 350 is unchanged, continuing on with a familiar 15kW/27Nm 349cc single-cylinder engine.
    1 of 5
    Spencer LeechSpencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
    The post Royal Enfield Goan 350 confirmed for Australia appeared first on INFO MOTO.
    RiderBOT
    Second version of Honda’s retro four cylinder appears as a concept – but it’s really an upcoming production model
    Back at the Osaka motorcycle show in March this year Honda took the wraps off its four-cylinder, CB750F-inspired CB1000F Concept – a machine that despite its ‘concept’ billing was quite obviously a near-production prototype. Now the company is cementing that idea even further by showing a part-faired CB1000F SE Concept.
    Making its public debut at the Suzuka 8-Hours on Friday 1st August, the new CB1000F SE has only been revealed in silhouette form at the time of writing but it’s already abundantly clear that it’s essentially the same CB1000F design that was shown at Osaka, with the addition of a bar-mounted nose cowl.
    The fact that the CB1000F shown in Osaka is really an upcoming production model was all but confirmed by the fact that Honda presented not one but three examples: the standard model, finished in a silver-and-blue scheme with overtones of Freddie Spencer’s 1981 AMA superbike racer, plus a Moriwaki-tuned version and a garish yellow, silver and black variant made in association with a Japanese fashion house.
    The non-bikini fairing CB1000F concept was revealed in March Even in silhouette, we can see that the new CB1000F SE shares virtually everything with March’s naked version. Same wheels, same brakes, same exhaust, same tank and seat unit. Honda hasn’t even lowered the bars for a sportier riding posture. And that makes sense. The production version of the bike will essentially replace the ancient CB1300 Super Four and the part-faired CB1300 Super Bol d’Or, bikes that can trace their heritage back to 1992 and Honda’s CB1000 Super Four Project Big-1. The existing CB1300 models are ending production this year, following the demise of the smaller CB400 Super Four a couple of years ago. The CB1000F and CB1000F SE will replace the larger bike, and Honda is expected to launch a new 400cc four-cylinder to supersede the smaller one later this year.
    Under its retro skin, the CB1000F and the new SE version are mechanically identical to Honda’s CB1000 Hornet, with a 150hp four derived from the 2017 FireBlade’s engine and the same suspension, chassis, wheels and brakes as the Hornet. A different, chromed exhaust and the retro-style tank and seat unit are all that differentiates the CB1000F and SE, so putting the new bikes into production will be cheap and simple for Honda. And unlike the old CB1300 Super Four, the Hornet is approved for road use all over the world, opening up the potential to sell the bike in a broad array of markets – even though the launch plans so far have been very Japan-centric.
     
    The post Honda CB1000F SE ‘Concept’ Teased appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.
    RiderBOT
    Single-cylinder range grows with the addition of more off-road Scrambler 400
    We snagged spy pictures of Triumph testing a more off-road version of its Scrambler 400 X back in February and now the finished bike has been added to the range in the form of the Scrambler 400 XC.

    In fact, while it’s new to us, the XC has been available in the Indian market for a couple of months, having been launched there back in May, but it’s now become a global model for the brand. That Indian head-start comes in part because, like the rest of Triumph’s 400cc single-cylinder models, the Scrambler 400 XC is made in partnership with Indian brand Bajaj, the company that’s also recently bailed out KTM and is responsible for manufacturing the Austrian brand’s single-cylinder street models up to the 390 Duke and Adventure.

    What’s new on the Scrambler 400 XC? The changes are more cosmetic than anything else. Most notably, the standard Scrambler 400 X’s cast alloy wheels are ditched in favour of alloy-rimmed wire wheels, which are compatible with tubeless tyres and retain the existing 19-inch front and 17-inch rear dimensions and 100/90-19 and 140/80-17 rubber.

    Other tweaks include the addition of a high-mounted front fender and a colour-matched cowl on the nose, both updated versions of components already offered as extras for the Scrambler 400 X, and a set of new colour options including yellow, dark grey, and white, each with retro block graphics on the tank and paired to black side panels and tail sections. There’s a new bash plate under the engine, too, but it’s also a part that can already be found in the options catalogue for the existing Scrambler 400 X.

    The specs are unchanged, including the same 398cc liquid-cooled single with 29.4kW at 8,000rpm and 37.5Nm at 6,500rpm, and identical dimensions except for weight, which rises from 179kg to 186kg thanks to the additional components.
    The bike’s price, at $11,390 AUD, is $1400 higher than the standard Scrambler 400 X.

    The post Triumph Scrambler 400 XC appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.
    RiderBOT
    Motorrad skunkworks crew create mad one-off sprint racing Boxer 
    BMW Motorrad has pulled the covers off a one-off custom, and it’s a serious piece of kit. Dubbed the R 1300 R “TITAN,” it’s a sprint-focused special built by a small group of BMW’s own staff who clearly live and breathe bikes.

    The TITAN came together away from the boardroom, created by a team of genuine enthusiasts including project leader Philipp Ludwig, designer Andreas Martin, graphics and colour specialist Theresa Stukenbrock, and prototype builders Paul Summerer and Thomas Becker. Together, they whipped up a bruiser of a bike that combines modern design with motorsport aggression, while still staying true to BMW’s roots.

    Built around the new 1300cc boxer engine – the same one found in the R 1300 R – the TITAN takes the standard roadster as a starting point and cranks up the agro to face-biting levels. The signature tank shape is still there, but smoothed into a compact monocoque design that looks more racebike than roadbike. Weight’s shifted forward to help keep the front down off the line, and the whole thing looks ready to launch even when it’s parked up.

    Akrapovič got in on the action, developing a full titanium exhaust system specifically for the bike. Running under the engine before splitting into two stubby underslung mufflers pushed high under the tail, the setup gives the bike both a standout look that no doubt sounds as serious as it looks.

    And in case the 1300cc boxer wasn’t punchy enough, there’s also a nitrous oxide system bolted on. Hit the button, and the TITAN is given a temporary hit of extra grunt down the drag strip. A specially-made Wilbers chassis with a long swingarm keeps everything planted, and the spike-like rearsets give the rider a solid base to tuck in and go full tilt.

    The chassis backing all that crazy is just as tough, with Wilbers custom-built suspension incorporating a lengthened swingarm to stop the front wheel launching into orbit and massive rear-set footpegs for full-send launches. It’s all channelled through BMW’s familiar shaft drive setup, which has been proven to handle serious torque, and pulling up at the other end is handled by a Magura HC3 brake setup. It might be a custom, but nothing here is for show—this is a strip-ready weapon.

    While it’s extremely unlikely we’ll ever see a production version, the R 1300 R TITAN shows what’s possible when passion is let off the chain and the rules are thrown out the window — we certainly wouldn’t mind seeing what this thing does on a quarter mile!

    The post BMW Unleashes Nitrous-Powered R 1300 R “TITAN” appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.
    RiderBOT
    Documents reveal high-performance electric sports bike
    Electric motorcycles haven’t hit the mainstream yet despite the efforts of both major manufacturers and endless startups but there’s a feeling of inevitability about the technology: as soon as lighter, faster-charging and more energy-dense batteries become widely available to bring performance parity with ICE bikes we could see a rapid shift towards electric powertrains.
    As such, it’s essential for forward-thinking bike makers to be ready. With developments like solid-state batteries and sodium-ion chemistries expected to become commonplace by 2030, improving energy-density while reducing costs and charging times, the moment when the balance tips in favour of electric motorcycles could come in the next handful of years.
    Honda clearly isn’t sleeping on electric power, and as well as launching battery-powered scooters like the CUV e: and promising an upcoming motorcycle based on last year’s EV Fun Concept, it’s filed patent applications depicting a FireBlade-style electric superbike.

    Honda isn’t without experience in this field. It backed the Mugen Shinden project that competed at the Isle of Man TT Zero races from 2012 until the race was cancelled after the 2019 running, winning for six years on the bounce from 2014, and there are distinct similarities between the new Honda design and the last generation of the Mugen electric racer, which took a one-two finish the 2019 TT Zero in the hands of Michael Rutter and John McGuinness.
    The clearest similarity is the motor and transmission, which are mounted unusually far back, behind the swingarm pivot, with the front sprocket above and in front of the motor’s output shaft. The last versions of the Mugen Shinden used the same layout, which clears more space in the bike’s main chassis for batteries and electronics while also allowing for a longer swingarm and shorter wheelbase than you’d be able to use if the motor was more conventionally positioned.
    Honda’s new patent, however, shows an evolved version of the idea, combining the motor, swingarm and rear suspension into a single, bolt-on assembly that could be attached to a variety of different main chassis designs. To do that, there’s an ultra-compact rear suspension linkage with the rear shock mounted horizontally above the motor, almost enclosed within the upper section of the swingarm. Rearranging the usual, triangular rising-rate linkage into the top of the swingarm where it’s actuated by a pull-rod that pivots it to compress the shock as the rear wheel rises, is key to the design. The motor, the swingarm pivot axle and the front of the rear shock are all mounted on an alloy casting that bolts onto vertical mounts on the back of the main frame, using just three large bolts to attach the whole rear suspension and powertrain to the rest of the bike. Even the electronic connections to taking high-voltage electricity to the three-phase DC motor are included in the same mounting, which incorporates a quick-release plug into its front face.

    Although most of the patent drawings show a conventional, beam-style alloy chassis, that’s not an essential element of the patent and some of the drawings show a revised version of the powertrain/suspension unit incorporating small outer swingarm pivot castings and footpeg brackets, designed to bolt onto the back of a box-like alloy or composite battery housing that would double as the bike’s main structure. Honda’s patent points out that because the drivetrain and swingarm pivot are mounted into a single casting, there’s no increase on stress to the main chassis section if, for example, a larger, more powerful motor is fitted.
    Although the new patent is far from rock-solid confirmation that an electric Honda superbike is on the verge of production the level of detail in the illustrations suggests that there’s almost certainly a real prototype of this bike kicking around somewhere in the company’s R&D vaults. As of right now, in the middle of 2025, it’s hard to imagine Honda launching such a bike into a distinctly flaccid market for electric motorcycles. But give it a couple of years and it probably won’t look like a long shot anymore.
    The post Honda patents electric FireBlade appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.
    RiderBOT
    Triumph Motorcycles Australia will this August release its Scrambler 400 XC, a higher-spec version of its off-road-capable single, priced from $11,490 rideaway. 
    The Scrambler 400 XC will sit above the standard Scrambler 400 X ($9990) which debuted early last year, distinguished by key off-road upgrades including lightweight wire-spoked wheels shod in tubeless Metzeler Karoo Street tyres, a high-mounted front mudguard and fly-screen.
    Also new are three fresh colour schemes – Vanilla White, Racing Yellow and Storm Grey –  with the latter two coming at a slight premium of $200.

    The Scrambler 400 XC is the third product to launch based on Triumph’s Indian-built single-cylinder platform, joining the Speed 400 ($8990) and Scrambler 400 X ($9990).
    The Triumph Speed 400 is arguably best positioned to compete with Royal Enfield’s Guerrilla 450 ($8590), while the Scrambler 400 X should take on the Indian brand’s Scram 411 ($7990), among other small-capacity retro-themed models. The new Scrambler 400 XC, may rival more off-road-focussed models like the Royal Enfield Himalayan.

    Compared to the Speed 400, the Scrambler 400 X and the new 400 XC are taller and feature longer-travel suspension, a 19-inch front wheel, wider handlebars and an upright seating position suitable for off-road riding. The Scrambler model also benefits from a 320mm front brake disc.
    Notably, both the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X/XC feature a ride-by-wire throttle and traction control as standard, while an LCD dash, an imobiliser and LED lighting round out the tech features.

    “The Triumph Scrambler 400 XC has been a huge hit with customers in India and there is clear demand for this model across the rest of the world too,” said Triumph Motorcycles chief commercial officer Paul Stroud.
    “With improved off-road capability and Scrambler attitude, plus three new, stylish colour schemes, we hope this model will appeal to even more riders, further enhancing and extending the appeal of the Triumph brand for the next generation.”
    2025 Triumph Scrambler 400 XC. 1 of 11
    Spencer LeechSpencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
    The post 2025 Triumph Scrambler 400 XC price and specs confirmed appeared first on INFO MOTO.
    RiderBOT
    New approval paperwork confirms Y-AMT version of Tracer 7 and Tracer 7 GT
    The sports-touring Yamaha Tracer 7 twin was updated for 2025 with new tech and styling but Yamaha left us baffled by not including the option of the Y-AMT automated manual transmission that’s already available on the MT-07 naked bike that the Tracer is based on.

    Yamaha’s Y-AMT is literally an automated version of its normal six-speed box, with actuators to engage the clutch and shift the gears at the command of the bike’s on-board computer or the rider at the touch of bar-mounted shift controls. It debuted on the MT-09 triple and the Tracer 9 GT that uses the same powertrain, as well as appearing on the twin-cylinder MT-07. Since the transmission seems so well-suited to a sports-touring application, it was surprising to see that Yamaha didn’t include the option on the new 2025 Tracer 7, despite the fact it shares the same engine as the MT-07 so adding Y-AMT would be incredibly simple.

    Now, a few months later, Yamaha is set to make that move. The Tracer 7 Y-AMT hasn’t yet been announced but new type-approval documents in Europe show the company has put four new versions of the Tracer 7 through the required testing – the standard Tracer 7 and the Tracer 7 GT, each with two power levels, 54kW or 35kW (the latter for European learner licence law compliance) – for the 2026 model range. The differences from the existing 2025 Tracer 7 are limited to a tiny change in the paperwork where the transmission type is specified, with the stock bike’s ‘M6’ designation, for ‘manual six-speed’, replaced by ‘M6a’ meaning an automated version of a six-speed manual.

    To confirm the update, there’s also a slight increase in weight, with the Tracer 7 Y-AMT coming in at 206kg instead of the manual version’s 203kg, while the luggage-equipped Tracer 7 GT Y-AMT is 214kg compared to 212kg for the manual model.
    With approval complete, the Tracer 7 Y-AMT is likely to be announced officially in the very near future.
    The post Yamaha Tracer 7 to get auto option in 2026 appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.
    RiderBOT
    New retro models based on GSX-8S platform
    We’ve been expecting Suzuki to launch more models based on the GSX-8S’s 776cc parallel twin for its 2026 model range, but despite rumours of a GSX-8GT sports tourer, the company has opted to add a pair of retro roadsters to the range.

    The GSX-8T and GSX-8TT are closely related siblings, both mechanically identical to the GSX-8S but trading that bike’s razor-sharp 21st-century styling for 1970s-inspired shapes and colours evoking bikes like the GS1000S. Both add all-new bodywork, including a larger 16.5-litre fuel tank instead of the 8S’s 14-litre unit, new side panels, new tails, and a retro face dominated by a new, circular LED headlight.

    The GSX-8TT gets a sportier edge by surrounding that lamp with a bar-mounted nose fairing and low screen, while the GSX-8T takes a naked approach, but aside from their colour options and a more retro, rolled seat material on the 8T, these two new models are otherwise inseparable.

    By borrowing all their mechanical parts from the GSX-8S, Suzuki has minimised development time and cost, while also simplifying the production process, expanding its range to appeal to more riders without making a huge R&D investment. The decision means that the 776cc parallel twin is already familiar, and makes the same 61kW peak at 8500rpm, along with maximum torque of 78Nm at 6800rpm, that we’ve already experienced on the 8S.

    Similarly, the new bikes have the same tubular steel frame, aluminium swingarm and KYB suspension as the GSX-8S, with non-adjustable upside-down forks and a preload-adjustable monoshock. Unsurprisingly, the brakes are also unaltered, with the familiar Nissin four-pot calipers and 310mm discs at the front and a single-piston caliper and 240mm disc at the back.


    The shared parts mean the new GSX-8T and TT get standard-fit bidirectional quickshifters, traction control and ABS, as well as a trio of riding modes and the same 5-inch TFT display that you’ll find on the GSX-8S. The pegs, seat and bars are also positioned much the same as those on the GSX-8S, so the big difference is one of styling rather than the riding experience.

    Suzuki hasn’t tried to mirror the appearance of a specific old model, instead offering a modern interpretation of general 1970s styling themes, most notably the GSX-8TT’s nose cowl, which has overtones of the Yoshimura GS1000S racers of the late 1970s. The new bikes’ profiles, though, are 21st-century, with short, high seat units and underbelly exhausts. Bar-end mirrors – rarely used on real 1970s bikes but often appearing on modern retro models evoking that era – are also added to the mix.

    For equivalent models from other manufacturers, the GSX-8T and TT come closest to Yamaha’s XSR700 and XSR900, as well as Kawasaki’s Z650RS and Z900RS. But in terms of power, performance and price, the Suzukis slide in a notch above the smaller, two-cylinder models from its rivals, but below the larger, three-cylinder XSR900 and four-cylinder Z900RS, plugging a niche that means they don’t have many one-for-one competitors. Honda’s ageing CB650R is perhaps the closest in terms of its neo-retro appearance and its performance, but its four-cylinder engine means it’s quite a different prospect to the twin-cylinder Suzukis from a mechanical point of view.

    If you’re holding out for that GSX-8GT sports-tourer, don’t fear: Suzuki’s dedication to spreading its parallel twin platform into as many market segments as possible means just such a bike is likely to be added to the range at some stage in the future to compete with Yamaha’s Tracer models. We might just have to wait another year before it’s ready for launch.

    The post Suzuki launches GSX-8T and GSX-8TT appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.
    RiderBOT
    Suzuki Motorcycles has tonight revealed its new GSX-8GT and GSX-8GTT pair, the newest members to join the brand’s 776cc parallel-twin family, this time taking on a modern retro form.
    Both the Suzuki GSX-8GT and the GSX-8GTT are built on a familiar platform that underpins the GSX-8S naked bike, GSX-8R sportsbike and V-Strom 800 adventure bike, but bring retro design cues like a round headlight, tuck-and-roll seat, bar-end mirrors, a unique fuel tank design and side covers, as well as a stainless steal muffler cover.

    The ‘TT’ version plays as an up-spec variant, gaining a headlight cowl which is said to pay homage to late 70s and early 80s mini-faired bikes, among other minor touches.
    The GSX-8T will be available at $17,990 rideaway, while the GSX-8TT is priced at $18,990. Both models are expected to arrive at Suzuki dealerships across Australia in the fourth quarter of this year.

    Motivating both bikes, which tip the scales at just 201kg (wet), is a 776cc parallel-twin engine generating 61kW and 78Nm.
    New is a lithium-ion battery and a fast-charging USB-C port, while familiar equipment from the family include a 5.0-inch TFT dash, an up-down quickshifter and KYB suspension.
    1 of 11 Spencer LeechSpencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
    The post Suzuki GSX-8GT, GSX-8GTT pricing and specs confirmed appeared first on INFO MOTO.
    RiderBOT
    Triumph Motorcycles will enter one of the world’s most notorious hard enduro events, the 2025 Red Bull Romaniacs, aboard Tiger 900 middleweight adventure bikes. 
    The event will take place from 22-26 July in Sibiu, Romania, where Jonny Walker and Sam Sunderland will attempt to complete the grueling course on ‘near standard’ Triumph Tiger 900s fitted with ‘only a small number of race parts’.

    “I’ve raced Romaniacs plenty of times,” said Jonny Walker.
    “So it’s cool to be going back in a completely different way racing the Tiger 900 which I’m really excited about. I’m pretty confident, I think it will be fun and of course the main goal is to win the Adventure Ultimate class.
    “It’s going to be totally different to anything I’ve done before, and probably a bit more enjoyable on the big bike!”

    Triumph Motorcycles Brand Ambassador Sam Sunderland, a two-time Dakar Rally winner and former FIM World Rally-Raid Champion, will contest the Adventure Lite class, marking his competitive debut on Triumph machinery.
    “It’s super exciting to be taking on such an iconic hard enduro race,” said Sunderland.

    “The adventure classes are a great way to get involved and I can’t wait to get out to Romania to get stuck in.
    “It’s more similar to what I have done in rally-raid in the past, especially with the five-day format, and I’m looking forward to getting into race mode again.
    “My Triumph Tiger 900 will be pretty much standard, so it’s going to be cool to put it to the
    test.”

    Spencer LeechSpencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
    The post Triumph to tackle grueling Romaniacs hard enduro aboard Tiger 900 adventure bikes appeared first on INFO MOTO.
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