RiderBOT

Electric motocross pioneers aim to beat the best ICE street bikes Electric bike specialist Stark Future has already found remarkable success with its Varg off-road machines in a tough market for battery-powered motorcycles and has now revealed plans to delve into the street bike market in the coming years. A new YouTube video published by the company outlines its plans, starting with a supermoto version of the Varg, expected to be launched later this year. While that machine, previewed in the video, follows the usual format of adding 17-inch wheels and street tyres to an existing enduro model, the company’s next steps will be more extreme. In the video, company founder Anton Wass speaks about an upcoming range that starts with an adventure bike targeting the 800cc capacity class – presumably including the likes of Suzuki’s V-Strom 800, Honda’s XL750 Transalp, BMW’s F800GS and Yamaha’s Tenere 700 – with plans for “50% more power at lower weight, and a charging time as fast as you can drink a cup of coffee.” Called Älg – Swedish for Moose (following on from the off-road Varg, which means ‘Wolf’) – the adventure bike is intended to compete head-on with combustion-engine machines, without the weight, range or cost penalties normally associated with electric models. Stark ambitiously believes that hitting those targets will be the recipe to make it the best-selling adventure bike in the world. It will be followed by a sports model, using the same powertrain, called Lo, which means ‘Lynx’ in Swedish. It’s previewed with a café-racer-style styling buck in the video, complete with a bullet-shaped nose cowl. That will be followed by a more mainstream offering, targeting Asian markets, as a platform to compete in the 100cc-500cc classes, again using an electric powertrain. It’s further in the future, and the plan is to combine an aggressive price with better performance than equivalent ICE bikes, along with ultra-rapid charging. Other plans include a ‘freeride’ bike and, further in the future, an electric ATV. The post Stark Future Embarks on Roadgoing Projects appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article

Uber-Exclusive track weapon packs GP tech and 238hp for $150K Aprilia has unveiled the RSV4 X‑GP at the Catalunya GP, a limited run of 30 bikes marking 10 years since the RS‑GP’s premier‑class debut. It continues the brand’s “X” series (RSV4 X, Tuono X, RSV4 X Trenta, RSV4 X ex3ma) and is aimed squarely at serious track riders, and collectors with deep pockets. The headline is aerodynamics lifted straight from the RS‑GP25, with Aprilia claiming five times the straight‑line vertical load of a standard RSV4 and triple the load at lean, targeting better stability, reduced wheelie and more corner grip. The rear subframe is a structural carbon unit from PAN Compositi that doubles as an aero element and uses a lightweight sandwich lay‑up. All bodywork is carbon, built using the same processes as the GP bikes, and the bike wears RS‑GP25‑inspired livery. There’s no road gear, so don’t expect rego—this is a track‑only proposition. Under the carbon is an 1099 cc 65‑degree V4 in race trim, claiming 238 hp at 13,750 rpm and 131 Nm at 11,750 rpm, with a 14,100 rpm ceiling. Upgrades include a higher compression ratio, Sprint Filter racing air filter, racing intake trumpets, an SC‑Project titanium twin‑pipe system with compensator, and an STM dry clutch. Electronics are run by the Aprilia Racing APX ECU—the same architecture used in RSV4 race programs—offering per‑gear mapping of power delivery, wheel‑lift mitigation, traction control and engine‑braking, plus built‑in GPS and data logging. The aluminium double‑spar frame is matched to mechanically adjusted Öhlins suspension, including a pressurised fork with a dedicated setup. Braking is top‑shelf Brembo gear: a 19×16 front master cylinder, billet GP4 MS calipers with Z04 pads, and 330 mm T‑Drive discs, with a nickel‑plated rear caliper. Forged magnesium Marchesini wheels are fitted with Pirelli WorldSBK‑spec slicks—125/70 SC‑1 up front and 200/65 SC‑X at the rear. Extras include carbon mudguards, Jetprime right‑hand race switchgear, Spider rearsets, lever guards, clutch lever, fuel cap and a numbered top yoke, oversized WSBK‑style water and oil radiators, plus a PBR titanium rear sprocket, lightened front sprocket and an RK 520 chain. The double‑pipe SC‑Project exhaust comes standard. Only 30 units will be offered, priced in Europe at €90,000 plus VAT. At current rates that’s roughly AU$145–155k before shipping, insurance, import duty and GST. As a non‑ADR, track‑only machine, it will come in via private import; budget for around 5% duty on EU bikes and 10% GST calculated on the landed cost. Local dealer support will be limited, so factor in your own spares and data support. Ordering opens in September via factoryworks.aprilia.com. Buyers can opt to collect from Noale with a look through Aprilia Racing. The package even includes a laptop preloaded with ECU software, IRC tyre warmers, RCB titanium front and rear stands, a floor mat, bike cover and a digital certificate of authenticity. MASSIMO RIVOLA, CEO APRILIA RACING “Ten years after their return to MotoGP, Aprilia Racing wanted to celebrate the occasion with a truly special X, drawing as much as possible from MotoGP and transferring many concepts of the RS-GP25 to a factory derivative bike. This is certainly a unique, beautiful, and extremely intriguing product capable of providing special sensations – those that only racing riders know how to take full advantage of, but which even an amateur enthusiast can clearly perceive. It is a product for a select few which houses all of Aprilia Racing’s passion, technology, and artisanal love for racing.” FABIANO STERLACCHINI, DIRETTORE TECNICO APRILIA RACING “With the RSV4 X-GP, we wanted to take another step forward in our project of placing the most advanced technology in the hands of our customers. Our engineers created something that is much more than an evolution of the extraordinary X project. It is a bike truly born out of MotoGP DNA. Several features demonstrate this: the aerodynamics with leg and tail wings derived directly from the RS-GP25, the structural carbon seat support, with technology like that used on the MotoGP bikes and an exceptional weight/power ratio. Numerous components – both visible and not – are new or have been optimised with the goal of ensuring performance and a riding experience in line with the highest standards of motorsport.” SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE: V4 65°, 1099 cc with SBK racing specifications EXAUST: SC-Project Titanium Full-System Exhaust MotoGP Replica 4×2 with balance pipe between cylinder banks AIRBOX: MY25 Throttle body and dedicated intake trumpets AIR FILTER: High permeability racing – MotoGP technology – Sprint Filter ELECTRONIC CENTRAL UNIT: APX Aprilia Racing with specific settings and GPS system RADIATORS (WATER AND OIL): Oversized Racing – SBK technology TRANSMISSION: Titanium rear sprocket and lighter front sprocket by PBR (designed by Aprilia Racing) CHAIN: RK 520 MAX. POWER @ CRANKSHAFT: 238 CV @ 13.500 Rpm MAX. TORQUE @ CRANKSHAFT: 131 Nm @ 11.000 Rpm MAX. ENGINE RPM: 14.100 Rpm RIMS: Marchesini in forge Mg M7R GENESI (front 17’’x3.5’’ – rear 17’’x6’’) BRAKING SYSTEM: Brembo Monoblock caliper GP4 MS, Brembo master cylinder PR19x16, pads Z04 FRONT BRAKE DISKS: Brembo DP 330 “T Drive”, thickness 5,5mm REAR BRAKE CALIPER: Nikel-plated FRONT FORKS: Pressurized cartridged Öhlins FKR with mechanical control. Adjustable in: spring pre-load, hydraulic (with dedicated setup) compression and rebound damping. REAR SHOCK ABSORBER: Öhlins TTX monoshock mechanically managed piggyback derived from MotoGP, fully adjustable in: spring pre-load, wheelbase and hydraulic (with dedicated setup) compression and rebound damping. STEERING DAMPER: Öhlins, adjustable CLUTCH: Dry clutch by STM UPPER TRIPLE CLAMPER: Racing, lighter, CNC machined HANDLEBARS SWITCH: Racing by Jetprime CLUTCH LEVER: Racing by Spider FOOTRESTS KIT: Racing, adjustable, by Spider FAIRING: MotoGP specifications, full carbon by PAN Compositi AERO PACKAGE: Carbon front and under wing, cornering wings, leg wings, tail wings, by PAN Compositi SEAT SUPPORT: Structural carbon seat support, by PAN Compositi MUDGUARD AND CHAIN GUARD: Full carbon LIVERY: “RS-GP25” CNC PARTS: Fuel tank cap, engine crankcase and brake lever protections, by Spider TYRES: Pirelli Slick Diablo SBK ant. SC-1 125/70 post. SC-X 200/65 DRY WEIGHT: 165 kg The post Aprilia Unveil MotoGP Inspired RSV4 X‑GP appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article

Self-balancing electric scooter-with-a-roof concept revisits the C1 Quarter of a century ago BMW launched a bike that’s become something of a legend in the ‘ambitious failures’ category – the C1 scooter. Not only did it enter a market segment that was entirely new for the company but it added a car-style roll cage and seatbelt so you could theoretically ride without a helmet or other protective kit but still be safe in the event of an accident. Buyers stayed away in droves but the idea has lingered on at BMW and now the company has revealed a modern take on the idea in the form of the Vision CE. The ‘Vision’ element of the name is important. In BMW-speak, ‘Vision’ is applied to more speculative concept vehicles, unlikely to see production in the form they’re shown but giving a more general hint at upcoming projects. Show vehicles carrying the name ‘Concept’, meanwhile, are usually previews of upcoming production models, the most recent example being BMW’s Concept F450GS. In other words, don’t expect a showroom version of the Vision CE in the near future, and realistically if any of its ideas do reach production, they’re likely to appear in a very different package. So, what is the Vision CE? Under the skin, it’s largely similar to the existing CE-04 electric scooter, with the same long, low chassis setup and similar styling cues with flat surfaces and crisp edges – a far cry from the egglike outline of the original C1. Its most distinctive feature is that box-like safety cage that surrounds the rider, along with a high-backed seat with four-point, harness-style seatbelts to keep them pinned in place. BMW says that, like the original C1, the Vision CE’s design means you don’t need riding kit or a helmet: if there’s a crash, you stay inside the safety cell and let it absorb the impacts. Although initially shown as an open cage, BMW’s sketches also illustrate how the Vision CE could be fitted with a full-height screen and a transparent roof section, adding at least a bit of weather protection and further eliminating the need to wear motorcycle-specific clothing. The idea, just like the C1 25 years ago, is to create a machine with the small footprint and traffic-busting abilities of a motorcycle but the safety and convenience of a car, letting owners get from A to B without having to worry about getting changed or what they’ll do with their riding kit on arrival. The cage also acts as a mounting bracket for accessories, and BMW’s illustrations show the Vision CE in multiple forms, from a mobile barista with a coffee machine lashed to the back to a plumber’s transport with pipes on the roof and toolboxes behind the seat. The glaringly AI-generated ‘photos’ of the concept are more leisure focused, including an adventure version with knobbly rubber and camping kit attached, and a variant that’s bizarrely kitted out as a mobile DJ. The publicity images might have the uncanny valley look of AI, but BMW has built a real mock-up of the Vision CE. There’s little explanation of its technical elements, but it’s clearly electric, probably with the CE-04’s powertrain, and claims to be able to self-balance, even when stationary. BMW has previously demonstrated an autonomous R1250GS, so the tech isn’t out of the company’s reach. A box behind the seat is labelled ‘Radar’ – so we know there’s a rear-facing sensor for blind spot monitoring at the very least. While the Vision CE is unlikely to reach production as seen here, BMW has spent several years filing patents around roofed motorcycles, long after production of the C1 ended, and clearly still believes that the convenience of a helmet-free machine could be a winning idea in the market. At one stage the company considered offering a removable, bolt-on safety cage for its now-discontinued C Evolution electric scooter, so extending that idea to the current CE-04 that replaced it is well within the bounds of possibility. The post BMW Unveils Vision CE appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article

ZERO Motorcycles’ local arm is liquidating its assets, signaling the end for the fledgling electric motorcycle brand distributed under Peter Stevens Motorcycles. ZERO Motorcycles Australia’s remaining stock will be sold off by Pickles over four liquidation auctions, a move seemingly forced by the recent Peter Stevens retail group break up. Approximately 420 ZERO electric motorcycles will be offered, and are expected to sell at a heavily discounted price. According to Pickles, the lots are located across its branches in VIC, NSW, ACT, SA, WA and QLD, with bids to be accepted from anywhere in Australia and Internationally exclusively via its website. ZERO Motorcycles relaunched in 2023 in Australia under distributor Peter Stevens Motorcycles, though INFO MOTO understands that the brand struggled to break through in an EV-resistant Australian motorcycle market, with some customers citing price and range-anxiety as major deterring factors. The four concurrent Pickles auctions will run from Thursday 11 September to Tuesday 16 September. Click here to find out more. 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 ZERO Motorcycles fire sale signals electric brand demise in Australia appeared first on INFO MOTO. View full article

Rebranded Chinese company target the custom market with radical-looking machine Marshal is the new name for a Chinese company – Guangdong Jianya – that previously sold its machines under the Hanyang and Xiangshuai brands, and it’s out to challenge Benda as the wackiest cruiser maker in China. The new name appeared alongside a new factory earlier this year, and while its existing range mainly consists of fairly conventional 800cc V-twins with Harley-ish styling, the indications are that Marshal intends to take a more ambitious approach in the future. This new design patent from the company, for example, could never be said to be copying a Harley. The design takes the unusual step, particularly in the cruiser realm, of entirely covering the engine. At first glance you might even think it’s an electric bike, but there’s an exhaust tucked into the belly and an engine of unknown size and configuration hiding behind the panels that cover each side. Other unusual elements include the wheels, with a solid disc wheel at the back and an odd design at the front with just two, wide spokes connecting the rim to the hub. It’s not the only upcoming novelty from the company, either. It’s also planning a 1200cc V4-powered trike that appears to borrow its engine design from Benda’s largest V4 – even though Benda has yet to launch its own 1200cc model – that takes its styling inspiration from Harley-based trikes made by famous Japanese car tuner Liberty Walk. Under the Hanyang name, before its Marshal rebrand, the company had a stand at last year’s EICMA show in Italy, pointing to its international intentions. The post Marshal Cruiser Design Leaked appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article

A day to remember as we are handed the key* to Toprak’s priceless, 250hp BMW M 1000 RR Like so many of us, I was a wide-eyed teenager when I became besotted with World Superbikes. In 1995 I’d saved up just enough cash to attend my first race meeting and rode my Kawasaki KR-1S to Donington Park in the English midlands to watch the gladiators of the time do their thing. Carl Fogarty, Aaron Slight, Anthony Gobert and Troy Corser were like gods as they snaked down Craner Curves with a ferocity and bravery that remains etched on my mind. I was hooked. Brave smile. Check. Big boy pants fitted. Check. Now just get out there and go for it! Now, decades later, I found myself in the paddock at Cremona, about to throw a leg over the actual BMW M 1000 RR of reigning WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu. Riding any WSBK machine is intimidating. But doing so in front of the entire ROKiT BMW Motorrad WSBK team and the ridiculously talented, double world champion Toprak himself is another level altogether. The team had even left his pit garage as it had been over the race weekend, letting me experience not only the bike, but also what it feels like to be in Toprak’s boots. This was going to be a day like no other. Time to dig out those big boy pants. Yet another thing to remember: there is no rear brake pedal but a lever on the left handlebar THE UNTHINKABLE Although the BMW World Superbike is based on the 2025 M 1000 R, it’s not a case of thumbing the starter button, flicking up the sidestand and tootling down pit lane. For starters, there is no sidestand, and that’s only the start of a long list of oddities and protocols I had to get used to. I was given a detailed briefing from Christian Gonschor, Technical Director of BMW Motorrad Motorsport. He was acutely aware that I was about to ride his near-perfect and possibly priceless factory machine in something close to full race trim. Unsurprisingly, I was given detailed instructions on what and what not to do. There was a mountain of information to digest. The race dash is confusing, the cockpit has more buttons than the Millennium Falcon, there’s no foot-operated back brake – just a thumb lever on the left ‘bar – and no ABS or braking rider aids. The M 1000 RR punches out between 250-260hp but weighs just 168kg. There are some rider aids, like TC, and the gearbox is not only raceshift, but first gear is down – meaning there’s no neutral between first and second. So that’s down for first, second and third, and so on… and don’t select a gear until the wheels are turning (which is why riders are pushed by mechanics). Oh, and don’t forget the pitlane limiter – which button was that again? And if you crash it… it’s just unthinkable. Remember, there’s no neutral and don’t select first gear until the mechanic has pushed it to get the wheels turning The tyre warmers came off to reveal steaming Pirelli slicks. My technician wheeled the BMW out of the garage, pointed it down pitlane and I climbed aboard, feeling every eye trained on me. I tried to absorb all that was front of me, but she can’t be left ticking over for too long. I got the nod, the tech pushed me to get the wheels moving. Then it was down for first gear, a few more revs, release the clutch – please don’t stall – and we were away. Thank God I didn’t mess that one up. Oh dear! Which button was the pitlane limiter again? As the limiter popped and the Akrapovic exhaust spat fury, I fumbled for the limiter release button – then remembered it deactivates automatically in second. Now it was just me and the fastest BMW motorcycle ever built. LEARNING TO FLY The golden rule when riding a WSBK bike is, of course, don’t crash. But ride too slowly and the tyres cool, the brakes fade and the bike becomes unstable. I’ve raced the Isle of Man TT, but I knew this experience would be another beast entirely. Lots of very expensive carbon fibre everywhere you look From the first few corners, the M 1000 RR felt very strange. Toprak runs a very low seat and high ‘bars, so you sit in the bike, not on it. It’s a relaxed position, almost cruiser-like, compared to the nose-down aggression of most pure race machines. Out of Turn 6 for the first time, I gave the throttle a tickle. It’s a short, straight blast to Turn 7, a fast right-hander taken in third or second. The BMW is quick, obviously, but even as the revs built and I was propelled to the next corner, it wasn’t as scary or brutal as anticipated. Not yet. Gotta say Chad looks pretty relaxed, but then again he has raced at the Isle of Man TT Now it was time to unleash the BMW’s full power; in second, pushing the bike upright as I aggressively dialled in the power, trusting the grip from the Pirelli slick as well as Toprak’s electronics. Again, the result wasn’t as violent as expected and I was beginning to suspect BMW may have turned down the power in the lower gears. Then, in third gear, those 250 horses kicked in hard. Cornering brought several features into play, modifying engine braking and power output according to the lean angle, gear and other parameters All the air was driven from my lungs. It was so frantic I was momentarily stunned. But to my surprise, the front wheel remained planted. Not a hint of a wheelie as those huge wings and stunningly effective electronics did their work. The shift from third to fourth and into fifth was done faster than you can finish this sentence. The 750m straight was consumed in what felt like two seconds or less. The gear changes were beyond rapid – just seamless. The large fairing is so effective and the riding position so low that there’s very little windblast compared to other race bikes I’ve ridden. But when I popped up to apply the Brembo stoppers, I was hit by a wall of air that smashed me in the chest. Toprak’s riding position had Chad sitting low in the saddle I was expecting the stoppers to bite harder than a Great White shark, but they are actually progressive and full of feel. Toprak is regarded as the supreme braker in WSBK, so I was expecting something dramatically fierce. But while the Brembos are very strong, the lever feel was friendly, with more travel than I was expecting. Meanwhile, the bike remained impeccably stable as the front slick tyre bit into the asphalt. DANCE PARTNER By lap two, things were beginning to click. Despite the unconventional riding position, the BMW felt light, flickable and agile. I expected it to steer like a truck, but instead it turned like a sweetly set-up SuperSport 600. It shouldn’t work but it does, and in just a few corners it felt natural, like it was my bike, not an angry monster that wanted to kill me. The world champ is doing it all again for the second year in a row In some ways, I was thankful I only had a handful of laps as my brain couldn’t compute any more information, and my lack of fitness was starting to show. Not only are you thinking about apexes, braking points and apex lines but also about the bike: Why does it do that? Can I feel or hear the TC? What’s happening mechanically? All this while trying to look fast and competent without crashing. It was an intense few laps. How the pros do this for half an hour or more is unimaginable. Back in the pits, I was just relieved to hand the priceless bike back in one piece. Both physically and mentally exhausted, it took me a while to soak everything in. Chatting with the team in the pits revealed that what I’d been feeling in Turn 7 in particular was the engine braking and power output changing in response to the lean angle, gear and other parameters. I’d been given a safe base setting, while the pros can have changeable power and engine brake strategies for each corner. VERDICT I’ve tested WorldSBK and TT-winning machines before, but nothing quite like this. Toprak’s M 1000 RR has the seating position of a Harley, the bodywork and stability of a sports-tourer, the handling of a SuperSport 600, and the acceleration of a rocket ship. Again, it should not work, but does. Toprak Razgatlioglu was on hand to make sure his pride and joy didn’t get scratched It’s also a lot easier to ride than expected – with the caveat that BMW dialled down its ferocity for me. In theory, a skilled rider could take it to a track day without issues, as long as you remember what the buttons do and which way the gears go. And you would need a pit crew. Half of me wishes I’d had more laps to play with the electronics and adapt to the bike’s quirks, but the other half is just pleased I got it back to pit lane unscathed. Three key takeaways? First, how unusual it is in terms of riding position and feel. Second, how talented, skilled and intelligent top-level riders are – managing pace, strategy and machine feedback at warp speed. Finally, and possibly most importantly, how vital the team is. Getting this bike to work perfectly, corner by corner, takes experience, intelligence, data crunching time and a clear understanding with the rider. The team effort to get the bike to work, not just on lap one but the last lap when the fuel is almost gone and the tyre is shot, is an incredibly difficult task. The M 1000 RR might have Toprak’s name on it, but it takes a village to make it fly. It takes a small village of technicians and boffins to keep this beast at the front of the pack PROS – Set up for a world champion to ride to the limit and win, the M 1000 RR was deceptively easy to ride to the limits of a mere mortal CONS – The ride of a lifetime that will leave you wanting more but happy to return this priceless piece of mobile history to its makers in one piece. SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Type Four-cylinder 999cc four-stroke Performance 186kW-plus above 14,000rpm (est), 320km/h-plus (est) ELECTRONICS Rider aids Traction control, engine maps and engine braking, varying per track and possibly per corner. Stock frame has adjustable rake and tale WHEELS & BRAKES PVM forged wheels, Pirelli WSBK slicks, front 3.5 x 17, rear 6.0 x 17. Brembo 4-piston caliper brakes (front 2 x 338mm discs, rear 218mm disc) DIMENSIONS Weight 168kg (dry min for WSBK) Width 561mm (718mm with wings) Wheelbase 1450mm (variable) Length 2080mm Fuel capacity 21L (per regulations for season 2025) BUSINESS END Colour options Rokit Price Probably priceless The post QUICKSPIN | Toprak Razgatlioglu’s World Superbike appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

Brave attempt by CFMoto to develop a battery-powered sportsbike in a cynical market Motorcycle brands are facing a dilemma. They know legislation and technology is edging towards the eventual elimination of combustion engines so investing in the development of electric models is a safety net for the future. However they also realise that global sales of electric motorcycles aren’t big enough yet to give a return on that investment. Get started too early and they might be wasting time and money creating machines that will be outdated before they ever have a chance to recoup their development costs. But leave it too late and their rivals get an invaluable head-start that they might never overcome. Could CFMoto’s 450SR be the inspiration for an electric sportsbike to complement the new CF-X MXer? In China, CFMoto already has its own electric bike brand for scooters, ZEEHO, and it’s dabbled with larger electric models like the 300GT-E that was developed in response to a Chinese police tender for a zero-emissions patrol bike. It’s also due to launch a production version of last year’s CF-X electric motocross bike in the near future, and now a new patent has revealed how it could build a future electric sportsbike. The designs, like recent patents from Honda for the Japanese firm’s own electric sportsbike, shift the motor and transmission rearwards, moving the main part of the power unit behind the swingarm pivot, underneath a banana-shaped swingarm, to clear more space in the main frame for batteries. The patent shows an alloy frame that uses the battery packs – two of them, each slim units mounted vertically – as its sides to provide additional structural strength. Unusually, the two batteries have a void between them, sealed in by the perimeter of the frame, and that area is filled with coolant. Fins on the battery packs protrude into that coolant to increase the surface area in contact with the fluid. There’s no mention of a radiator or water pump to circulate the coolant and expel heat, but presumably those components would also be fitted. The patent shows that the electronics for the battery control system, as well as the charger unit, are mounted above the frame, where the fuel tank would normally sit, allowing those parts to be housed under a tank-shaped cover so the bike retains a familiar silhouette and riding position. The frame extends rearward to support the seat without a separate subframe, and the upper mount of the rear shock is farther back than normal, within that extended section, again to clear more space for the batteries in the main part of the chassis. As with other companies’ electric projects, there’s no clue as to whether the design being patented here is going to make the leap to production, or if it’s simply a case of experimenting with different layouts and getting intellectual property protection on ideas in preparation for the battle for electric motorcycle supremacy that seems sure to take place at some point in the future. The post Will This Be the Bike Nobody Wants to Buy? appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article

The Tracer 7 and GT step up in spec and ability while staying true to their value-packed roots In a perfect world we would have a garage full of bikes for every occasion. Sports bike for the track, adventure bike for the occasional off-road foray, something cool and retro for summer evenings, a large scooter for commuting and a big tourer for that week-long holiday. The real world, however, is rather different. If we’re lucky, we might have two bikes but, for the majority of us, just one bike is what we can afford or have room for. That machine needs to be an all-arounder that can do it all on a budget. Which is where bikes like Yamaha’s 2025 Tracer 7 and Tracer 7 GT step up and make all the difference to us mere mere mortals. The updated Tracer is based on the popular MT-07. Fun, light and able to be ridden hard, the MT-07 is also great at darting around the city and cutting through congestion. The Tracer carries those virtues forward but adds more practicality, while the GT version has genuine touring potential. At under £9k (Aussie prices TBC) for the Tracer and just over £10k for the GT, both machines look like outstanding value for hard-earned cash, especially as they’re likely to be used all year round. At the heart of it all is the familiar 689cc CP2 parallel twin engine, complete with 270-degree crank and the same outright power as before. For 2025, Yamaha has added Y-CCT ride-by-wire throttle, which allows the introduction of switchable riding modes – Sport, Street and Custom – along with improved fuelling and an even more linear power delivery than before. There’s also cruise control and traction control as standard. The fork is now an inverted KYB 41mm item with rebound damping and spring preload adjustment. The swingarm gains 40mm in length, and the main frame is beefed up. Brakes are now radially mounted, while both bikes gain a bit of weight: the Tracer 203kg (plus 5kg), the GT 212kg, (plus 10kg). Bodywork and styling are new, there are dual bi-focus LED headlights, a new rear taillight and indicators in the knuckle guards. The 2025 Yamaha was designed in Italy in partnership with Yamaha Japan and produced in France, which helps explain both bikes’ distinctly European feel. The fuel tank gains an extra litre, taking it out to 18 litres in capacity. The ’bars are both higher and wider, with a new 5-inch TFT display. The seats on both bikes are also new and sit at 830mm on the Tracer and 845mm on the GT, both with more padding. The switchgear and a taller screen are new, while luggage comes standard on the GT, along with a centrestand and heated grips. The seat has been redesigned on the GT to make it plusher, raising the height slightly It’s clear Yamaha has worked weekends to improve the Tracer and GT, which is why we were so looking forward to a day in Portugal jumping between the standard bike and the tourer. THE RIDE We’ve always been a fan of Yamaha’s CP2 twin, whether it’s in the R7, Tracer or MT-07. It’s punchy, fluid and powerful, and although the on-paper figures aren’t that impressive, it feels stronger than its quoted 54kW (73hp) peak. For 2025 Yamaha, has added Y-CCT ride-by-wire, first seen on the R6, I believe, nearly 20 years ago and, as you would expect, Yamaha has got it spot-on, too. The throttle response is immaculately smooth and easy in the lower rpm, especially in the dedicated Street mode. So smooth it feels more like a multi than a twin. The seat has been redesigned on the GT to make it plusher, raising the height slightly Although peak power and torque remain the same as the previous model, the spread of torque is (and feels) wider. The CP2 seems even more eager from 3000rpm to 6000rpm. It’s lively and grunty and, as noted, punches well above its 689cc capacity. Switch off the TC and it will happily loft the front, despite that extra weight and longer wheelbase. Engine retains original spec but has been retuned for a more linear power and torque delivery It lacks the top-end power of larger-capacity bikes but delivers more than enough to have a blast. The revs flow, the delivery is deliciously linear and that superbly metered fuelling makes it responsive without a hint of sharpness. The 212kg GT is 9kg heavier than the stock Tracer, meaning the engine doesn’t feel quite as perky, and I expect when fully loaded two-up with luggage you might find yourself dreaming of a Tracer 9 GT triple – but the smaller engine has always been fun and arguably the most enjoyable in this category. Add a pleasing rasp from the Euro5-plus exhaust and it’s easy to see why the CP2 has so many fans. In the past handling has been a relative weak point of ‘entry-level’ Yamaha streetbikes, and after listening to the technical presentation on the eve of the press test, I found myself questioning Yamaha’s chassis updates: a longer wheelbase, more rigidity in the frame, beefed-up fork, a fraction more weight… More rigidity usually means a reduction in feel, and a longer wheelbase usually results in slower steering. But, thankfully, I was wrong; Yamaha has produced a plucky, easy-handling Tracer equipped with decent Michelin Pilot Road GT rubber. Despite opting for a racier, stronger inverted fork from KYB, suspension is still relatively basic, with just preload and rebound damping adjustment. It’s the same adjustment on the rear, but the GT gets a handy remote pre-load adjuster knob. Our tester liked the joystick but didn’t find other aspects of the switchgear were as intuitive There’s a sweet, natural balance to the Tracer, which makes it feel like your bike from the off. In tricky early morning conditions, I was getting excellent feedback from a damp surface and was able to trust the quality Michelin rubber. The taller ’bars and wider stance allow you to lever the 200kg-plus Tracer around with relative ease, which in turn makes it enjoyable to ride. Later in the afternoon, on an almost deserted dry section of switchback mountain roads, I upped the pace, expecting to soon hit the limitations of the handling, but I didn’t. The pegs will tickle the road from time to time, but you have to push the handling to do so or be heavier than the average rider. I’m relatively light (81kg in kit) and only touched the pegs down on the very odd occasion. The heavier GT sits farther into its suspension, meaning the pegs do touch down a fraction sooner. Some heavier riders present added rear spring preload via an easily accessible adjuster. But even carrying decent lean angle at pace, the Yam is planted and stable, offering excellent feedback for this type of bike. Sure, there are limitations, but they’d only be felt on a racetrack. Sidestand is standard and tucked in for improved cornering On the road, the standard set-up – despite being more set to comfort over sport – is hard to fault. A £10k tourer should have handling limitations but they are not apparent. Yamaha has certainly not saved on suspension, which was questionably on the limit a few years ago. SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE When riding both bikes back-to-back, the standard Tracer feels a little sportier and firmer. Both bikes, however, share the same set-up and only differ in weight and the seat cushioning and height. Improved seat comfort means a 400km+ range is rideable in one hit The GT coped with the poorly surfaced roads in Portugal way better than I was expecting. I could see upcoming imperfections in the road and was expecting some complaints from the suspension – but there weren’t any. Its ride quality is excellent: plush but still able to be ridden reasonably hard. The brakes, too, have certainly taken a step forward and are now radially mounted and bolted to a stiffer inverted 41mm fork. At everyday speeds, you only need one finger on the lever. When the pace hots up, you need a little more leverage, but the four-piston calipers are still up for the job. Even on the 9kg-heavier GT they were faultless for this type of bike. I’m sure even when fully loaded with pillion and luggage, the stoppers will be up for the challenge. Our tester found the display easy to read and relatively simple to navigate The ABS is not lean sensitive as there is no IMU fitted to the 2025 Yamaha. You can’t change the ABS level and there is no engine braking strategy, but in dry and perfect conditions in Portugal this wasn’t a problem; the rear ABS just kicked in a few times when pushed hard. But would I want lean sensitive ABS in winter when it’s cold and horrible? Maybe so. Traction control can be changed on the move and deactivated at a standstill. Riding and power modes can also be changed but I’d argue there’s no reason to change from the standard riding mode. Brakes are now radially mounted and sit on a stiffer inverted 41mm fork There’s a neat little USB Type C charger up front, and the 5-inch TFT dash has connectivity and four themes to play around with. The display is easy to read, relatively simple, and we even tried the connectivity and navigation, which again is relatively straightforward. I’m undecided about the new switchgear, which we also see on similar Yamaha models. The five-way joystick is easy enough but less so the auto-cancel and ‘tap’ indicator. Screen is manually adjustable on both models We had the opportunity to bash out a few motorway miles, during which the standard cruise control came in handy (there’s no radar and you wouldn’t expect it at this price). The screen is manually adjustable on both bikes, but larger on the GT, and Yamaha claims its increased thickness reduces buffeting. But while the screen, hand guards and riding ergonomics are good, it was a little noisy. The seat is higher with more cushioning on the GT; therefore, there’s slightly more room, but both bikes offer excellent comfort. However, we only got a taste of its long-distance potential and didn’t get the opportunity to test the new wider pillion seat. Frame geometry has been revised for improved handling Hard panniers come standard on the GT and are colour coordinated and operated by the same key. The centrestand is also a welcome touch on the GT and has been neatly redesigned to tuck away for improved cornering clearance. My only gripe is that the panniers are not the most attractive and are wider than the ’bars, which means being careful when filtering if you’re to avoid collecting car wing mirrors. The GT looks the business and proved it could well be all you need in an affordable tourer Easily missed but most welcome is the new ‘ergonomic’ fuel tank, which jumps up from 17 to 18 litres. Yamaha quotes 4.1L /100km, which is incredibly frugal. That equates to a theoretical range of around 440km until bone dry. In the real world, 360 to 400km between stops is impressive, and three to four-hour stints are more than possible, more so on the comfier GT. For short, regular commuting you might only need to fill the Tracer once a week. New inverted fork, which is fully adjustable, is part of a much improved suspension package Some may categorise the GT as an entry-level tourer, but a 400km-plus range, excellent suspension and good comfort mean this isn’t just a weekend toy and is more than capable of taking on a few weeks in the saddle, matching much pricier, heavy-duty designed tourers. VERDICT I’m still on the fence regarding the new facelift. From some angles, the front for example, it’s a yes. But the rear, with those huge panniers… the GT is a maybe not. I’m also not in love with the indicators, and should the rider aids be lean sensitive and a quickshifter be standard at this price? But when the only real niggle I have is the indicator stalk, then you know Yamaha has done a great job improving an already good Tracer 7 and Tracer 7 GT. This is what touring is all about. A competent, easy-to-ride bike that won’t break the bank to buy and own At this price, the standard 2025 Tracer is an excellent do-it-all bike. If you need a machine that’s great at almost everything – will commute, is comfortable, easy to ride, frugal, relatively cheap to run and maintain, yet can offer fun evening rides – then look no further. It’s way more entertaining than its on-paper power figures suggest, and offers more practicality than its naked sibling, the MT-07. GT suspension can be remotely adjusted to compensate for added luggage weight But for me, the real surprise is the Tracer GT. What an excellent all-round package. It’s so good, you ask the question: Why would you want more? Okay, if you’re touring two-up fully loaded over a week or more then it might be lacking in power, but solo touring will be no problem. It’s not intimidating like some heavy tourers and is easy to manage at slow speeds. The fuelling is superb, there’s a reasonably high level of spec and hard panniers are a standard fit along with a centre stand, cruise control, heated grips, USB… It’s ticking a lot of boxes before you even consider its big tank range. Furthermore, it’s fun, agile and handles way better than its entry-level label suggests. The UK pricing (£9000/£10,000) is starting to get a bit high for an entry-level bike with just 54kW. That’s getting into middleweight money. (Aussie pricing will be confirmed closer to the expected release date here around November.) The flipside is that the GT comes fully equipped, ready to tour. Only time will tell if Yamaha has got the pricing correct, but the Tracer and GT have hit the mark. I didn’t even want to fly back to the UK from Portugal but ride home on the GT instead. Tracer 7 standard vs GT Both bikes share the same chassis, suspension, brakes and rider aids. However, the GT comes with gold forks, not black. Engine power, torque and characteristics are the same on both models. Essentially, the GT is more tailored to longer journeys, so the seat has more padding and is slightly higher, 845mm compared to 830mm. The manually adjustable screen is 90mm taller than the current model as well as 1mm thicker with less tint than the Tracer. The knuckle guards are a fraction larger, and the centrestand and heated grips are standard on the GT, optional on the Tracer. Colour-matched solid panniers are standard on the GT, which are on a floating system designed to improve stability at high speed. Yamaha claims you can fit a full-size helmet in each pannier. As you’re more than likely to be adding weight to the GT, there’s an easily accessible remote preload adjuster, only found on the GT. Both bikes have the same ergonomics, the same new higher wider ’bars and pegs located in the same area. On the scales, the GT comes in at a claimed 212kg fuelled, compared to 203kg on the standard Tracer. Competition BMW F 900 R/XR From $17,310 (ride away) Honda NC750X From $14,700 (ride away) Kawasaki Versys 650 $14,086 (ride away) CFMoto 700MT $10,490 (ride away) SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Type Liquid-cooled, 4 valves per cylinder, 689cc parallel twin Bore & stroke 80mmx68.6mm Compression ratio 11.5:1 Fuelling Electronic fuel injection, Ride-by-Wire TCI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multiple disc Power 54kw (73hp) @ 8750rpm (claimed) Torque 68Nm @ 6500 rpm (claimed) Top speed 217km/h (est) Fuel consumption 4.1L/100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type YCC-T (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) Rider aids Three rider modes, three power maps, traction control, ABS Rider modes Sport, Street, Custom Frame Diamond steel tube backbone Rake 25.2° Trail 99.1mm Wheelbase 1495mm (std) SUSPENSION Type KYB Front 41mm, USD fork, preload and rebound adjustable,130mm travel Rear Single shock, rebound and preload adjustable (remote GT), 139mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium multispoke Front 3.5 x 17in Rear 5.5 x 17in Tyres Michelin Pilot Road 6 GT Front 120/70/x17 Rear 180/55/17 Brakes ABS Front: Twin 298mm discs, four piston radial calipers Rear: 245mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 203kg, 211kg GT Seat height 830-850mm, 845-865mm GT Width 875mm Height 1330-1390mm, 1424-1480mm GT Length 2135mm Ground clearance 140mm Fuel capacity 18L BUSINESS END Price (£9k/£10k, AU TBD) Colour options Midnight Black, Redline Red, (GT Icon Performance, Tech Black Contact yamaha-motor.com.au The post WORLD LAUNCH | Yamaha Tracer 7 and Tracer 7 GT appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

Why riders love the open road – Hundreds of AMCN readers responded to a very simple question, and revealed just how profound motorcycling can be There’s something about a motorcycle that stirs the soul in a way few other machines can. As part of a recent BMW Motorrad competition, for the chance to win two passes to a Level 1 California Superbike School training day of your choice, we asked our readers a simple question: “What do you love most about riding motorcycles?” The responses we received were raw, heartfelt and inspiring. For some, like reader Matt Fernandez, riding is “the most freeing thing I’ve ever done”, a personal escape hatch from the pressure cooker of everyday life. “A few hours in the saddle makes it all manageable,” he wrote. Reader Ben Sykes waxed poetic about the sensory richness of two wheels: “Every sense is alive,” he wrote. “The scent of the bush, the rush of the wind, the bite of cold morning air. It’s pure presence.” That immersion was echoed by Salim Aljunied, who described it as “meditation at 100km/h”. For others, riding is about connection – to the road, to a machine and even to strangers. Graham Ball said it best: “I’ve made more lifelong mates at roadside stops and servo forecourts than I ever did at parties. It’s a brotherhood on wheels.” Several readers tapped into the therapeutic value of a ride. Andrew Dowling called it “therapy with no office”, and Sheryar Bhesadia likened it to a spiritual detox: “No traffic jams in the mind when you’re gliding between trees or along the ocean. Just peace, and adrenaline.” Not all reflections were quite so abstract, either. Some, like Ian Pickett, celebrated the tactile pleasure of a perfect run on a beloved machine: “My BMW R 1250 RS hums beneath me, the curves roll out like ribbon in the countryside – it’s joy on two wheels.” And sometimes, the joy is simply in being truly, utterly present. “There’s a complete, beautiful silence in my mind when I ride,” wrote Seumus Andrews. “It’s a stillness I find nowhere else.” Even nostalgia made an appearance. Richard Paul King recounted his love affair with bikes starting in 1977: “My friend lent me a 350cc Honda and said, ‘Give it a go.’ I was hooked from that first twist of the throttle. Motorcycles have taken me places cars never could – geographically and emotionally.” Of all the hundreds of frankly impressive entries, however, the one from reader Melvin Rivera stood out for its lyrical honesty and emotional depth: “Every time I ride, I remember who I am,” wrote Melvin. “Not the worker, not the husband, not the student, but the person who just wanted to be free. Riding brings me back to my core self – joyful, fearless, alive. The road doesn’t care about your job title, your problems, your status. It just invites you to dance with it. That’s what I love most.” So, a huge congratulations to Melvin for capturing the spirit of motorcycling in one unforgettable paragraph, and an equally huge thanks to all the other passionate riders who sent in their entries – they were tremendous fun to read, and very inspiring. Other responses “Back in 1977 I was racing my Formula Vee at a club meeting. My friend lent me a 350cc Honda and said, ‘Give it a go.’ I was hooked from that first twist of the throttle. Motorcycles have taken me places cars never could – geographically and emotionally.” – Richard Paul King “It’s the most freeing thing I’ve ever done. Riding clears my head, lets me escape stress, and resets my soul. No matter what I’m facing, a few hours in the saddle makes it all manageable.” – Matt Fernandez “What I love most is how the machine and I become one. I’m not just riding it – I’m in it, feeling every vibration, tilt and pulse of the road. It’s meditation at 100km/h.” – Salim Aljunied The post BMW MOTORRAD COMPETITION WINNER appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article

Superbike performance wrapped in carbon, aero and attitude. This is what happens when BMW’s M division cuts loose on a naked bike Born out of the idea that street riders wanted the performance of a superbike without the commitment of full fairings and trackday ergonomics, naked bikes have traditionally skimped a little from the spec sheet of their more serious siblings. Reduced peak power, softened suspension, more upright stance – a recipe built, supposedly, for the real world. Then someone, somewhere, yelled “what if we didn’t?”, and the hypernaked was born – bonkers machines like Ducati’s Streetfighter V4, KTM’s Super Duke 1390 and MV Agusta’s Brutale 1000 RR. But until recently, BMW had held back from going all the way. That all changed when Munich at last brought their famed M brand from the automotive world to us two-wheeled heathens. ‘M’ in this context stands for Motorsport, and when you slap the blue, purple and red badge on a standard Bimmer, like say a 3 Series sedan, you basically double the horsepower and end up with a vehicle that wants to destroy Nordschleife instead of depositing passengers around Berlin. In-line-four engine is a screamer that revs like an F1 car, however, its variable intake valve timing tames it for urban riding So what happens when you wave the M division’s wand over an already spicy machine like an S 1000 R? You can picture the engineers in Munich gleefully rubbing their hands together as they plotted what insanity they could get away with. “Fritz, what if we put the RR engine into the R chassis…” “Nein, Hans! That sort of power in a naked bike is completely unnecessary!” “Too late, Fritz! I already have board approval!” Cue maniacal laughter, presumably. Things that make you go MMMMM… Because that’s exactly what BMW has done. The M 1000 R gets the full-fat superbike engine from the S 1000 RR, together with the kind of race-grade componentry normally reserved for WorldSBK paddocks. Yes, there is provision for a pillion, if one is brave enough All that juicy performance comes at a cost though. The M 1000 R will set you back $36,274 ride away, and this particular version also comes with the ‘Competition’ add-ons, taking the price up to $42,590. That figure might seem steep, but if you want cutting-edge electronics, exotic materials, a full-power superbike engine and world-class German engineering in a naked chassis, this is what it costs. Given it’s got a power-to-weight ratio that makes any Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini on the planet look positively malnourished, you could even say it’s a bargain. Bright blue, radial ‘M’ calipers have been developed in-house What do you actually get? Well, rather a lot. But let’s start off with the changes for 2025. Aside from the obvious styling move to dual LED headlights, the new M R also gets a quick-action 58° throttle (previously 72°), revised DTC and Race ABS Pro, along with larger aerodynamic winglets – said to provide over 10.8kg of downforce at 220km/h. The devil’s in the abundance of carbon-fibre details The headline act is still the screaming 999cc inline four, deploying BMW’s patented ShiftCam system with variable intake valve timing to lift power from the S 1000 R’s 121kW (162hp) at 11,000rpm to 154kW (206.5hp) at 13,750rpm, with a Formula 1-esque 14,600rpm redline. The beauty of the ShiftCam tech is that, despite the huge top-end mumbo, torque and midrange pull aren’t sacrificed, with the peak 113Nm figure virtually identical to the S model. Can’t get cooler than carbon winglets, eh? The increase in engine potency is matched by a commensurate augmentation in the stopping department, with bright blue, in-house-developed radial ‘M’ calipers chomping on 300mm discs at the front, and a 220mm disc at the rear. Suspension duties are carried out by BMW’s electronically controlled Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) system. It adapts on-the-fly in just 10ms to road surface and bike dynamics changes, and can be set for racetrack duties, trips to the milkbar and everything in between. Up front lives a 45mm fully-adjustable USD fork, and out back an aluminium swingarm with a preload-adjustable monoshock, also electronically regulated. It wasn’t that long ago that the famous M logo was only found on high-end BMW cars, making this model almost feel like a bargain On top of all that, the Competition version adds lightweight M Carbon wheels, a selection of M billet milled aluminium parts, such as adjustable footrests and levers, and various M Carbon components like the front fender, tank shroud and chainguard. M is for magic Electronic rider aids are par for the course on modern bikes, but the M 1000 R is so advanced it makes it feel like you’re riding with cheat codes enabled. The core of its capabilities stems from a sophisticated six-axis IMU that measures lean angles, pitch, steering inputs, throttle position, braking pressure and more, helping the onboard gizmos to Control-Z your sloppy mistakes before you know you’ve made them. Form follows function but it all works visually Three fully customisable ‘Race Pro’ ride modes are included on top of the standard Rain, Road, Dynamic and Race settings, allowing you to create personalised presets for virtually every parameter you can imagine. Want sharp throttle, mild engine braking, lenient wheelie control and tighter rear damping at the touch a button? Done. All those settings can be adjusted via the bike’s premium 6.5in TFT dash, in conjunction with the spinny-wheel jigger on the left handlebar, which seems a bit gimmicky until you realise how easy it makes navigating through the plethora of menu options. Anodised aluminium swingarm has been developed especialy for this model A quickshifter is standard, the alertness of which can also be customised, providing military-grade, clutchless shifts up and down the gearbox. Other standout features include a Sport display mode, a launch control system, pitlane limiter and lap timer. While it’s hard to imagine using many of those items away from a racetrack, the lean angle readout on the Sport configuration is quite illuminating, mostly when you discover that, no, you weren’t emulating Jorge Martin (2024 spec) through that last left-hander. Everytime you sling a leg over this beast the embossed handlebar mount reminds you it’s going to be a pretty special ride What’s it like to ride? Sitting kerbside, the carbon fibre additions and winglets combine with the metallic Titanium White paint to imbue the M with the brooding lethality of a bared blade. I was disappointed at first when BMW elected to ditch their distinctive single headlight for a twin arrangement, but in the metal it certainly lends the R some steely-eyed personality. The riding position feels racier than on the standard R, because it is. The ‘bars are situated lower and farther forward, with higher, adjustable footpegs letting the rider know immediately that the M means business, while still being kinder on the joints than an out-and-out sportsbike. That purposeful vibe continues when you press the keyless ignition, with the inline-four settling into a fast, angry buzz as though it resents being idle. An exploratory throttle blip reveals a scalpel-like precision to the new M quick-action throttle. Every micro-movement of your right hand is converted into revs without hesitation, with zero fluff in the fueling, and on the move if you so much as breathe on the go-grip, the bike responds. It’s not jerky at all but provides exactly what you ask for, exactly when you ask for it. Front and rear suspension is electronically controlled. Our tester reckons the adaptive suspension reacts to road conditions and cornering dynamics in real time to provide the perfect level of rider support exactly when it’s needed The M will still cruise through traffic and pretend to be civilised around town, particularly if you deploy Road mode with its softer throttle and damping settings. Even with the damping wound back the suspension feels pretty taut though, taking the edge off sharp undulations without really disguising the fact that it would prefer to be on a racetrack. But the M 1000 R is built to deliver feedback, not filter it out. Carbon fibre rims reduce rotational mass noticeably When BMW sticks an M badge on something, compromises are wound back to a minimum, so the fact my toe got a bit sore from the bare metal shift lever, or my head acted as an extended air brake at speed are forgivable. You want creature comforts? Buy a K 1600 GTL. That said, I did appreciate the cruise control and heated grips as I passed signs in the hills suggesting it might be an idea to fit tyre chains due to low-level snow. It’s well worth spending some quality time to fine-tune the rider aids to suit your weight, style of riding and the expected road conditions. The seat is also fairly firm, but BMW must have stuffed it with unicorn fur or something because at the end of a day in the saddle my posterior didn’t feel like it had been taken to with an oar, which is borderline miraculous on a bike this focused. You can almost feel the M rolling its eyes through the urban mundanity though; it wants to be unleashed, and when you do, all hell breaks loose. Let the M 1000 R off the chain and it doesn’t surge so much as detonate between each gear. You think it’s pulling hard, and then the ShiftCam kicks in and you realise there’s a whole other, psychotic level to go to as the digital tacho howls up to its stratospheric red line. The exhaust note from the titanium muffler tears through your skull like a mechanical banshee, a spine-tingling wail that’s equal parts fury and precision, and the impression of speed is dialled to 11 with wind protection that’s roughly equivalent to what a clothesline might provide in a tornado. You can tailor the electronics to allow for varying levels of front wheel lift, or just turn them off As you might expect, with Wheelie Control off and Stability Control off, monos are only ever a snap of the wrist away, especially with the throttle in Race setting. In the name of science, I discovered that the least amount of engine brake combined with max engine power and softest DDC worked best for me – which became Race Pro setting 2. With wheelie control on a low setting, you can apparently use the ECU as a kind of electronic failsafe, but I find it a strange feeling trying to negotiate with the electronics while keeping the front aloft. M badges everywhere you look Mind-reading chassis Remember how I said there’s no fat built into the throttle response? The steering feels exactly the same, with every ounce of force applied to the wide, flat ‘bars translated to instant turning – not so much telepathic as downright prescient. It took a little while before my brain had recalibrated itself to the M’s hyper-alert reflexes, but once I got used to it, tipping in felt smooth and effortless. In fact, there’s a fluidity to the way the M turns that feels graceful whether you’re changing lanes or attacking a high-speed flip-flop – no doubt aided by the carbon fibre rims reducing unsprung rotational mass by around 1.6kg. With overnight rain and freezing temperatures leaving a wintery, moist sheen over the mountain pass roads, I was happy to leave the electronics set to the more conservative Road mode but, through corners with more trustworthy levels of grip, the quality of the chassis starts to really shine through. As with the S 1000 RR Race and M 1000 RR, the adaptive suspension reacts to road conditions and cornering dynamics in real time to provide the RIGHT level of support at the RIGHT times. You can’t really feel it working, beyond the fact that both ends of the bike just feel super planted, giving you increased levels of road holding and therefore confidence. It’s a revelation, particularly on real-world roads that are far from billiard-table smooth. Navigating the premium 6.5in TFT dash is no brain teaser, with the help of the rotating handlebar selector The stopping power afforded by the blue eloxal coated calipers is immense, with the kind of instant chomp and feedback that feels like almost too much for road use. But it’s nice knowing you’ve got Great White levels of bite combined with sophisticated cornering-optimised ABS when you need it. There’s even Slide Control and Brake Slide Assist functions. While I could feel the TC balancing rear traction on exit at times though, exploring those kinds of parameters requires a clear racetrack with temperatures hopefully above the single digits. Still, there’s a precision-engineered competence in the way the M carves roads that feels a level above any other naked I’ve ridden. Verdict In some ways the M 1000 R is a rolling, super-badass contradiction. It comes loaded to its winglets with track-dissecting weaponry, but anyone who’s serious about smashing out laps at their local circuit will eventually want proper wind protection, and $43k is a lot of moolah to flush down the drain if you misjudge your braking marker. Seat is supportive without being punishing Yet for road use, the mirrors blur hopelessly at speed, the suspension is firm to the point I suspect I’d never use anything bar the softest setting and, while the M canards are functional chunks of aerodynamics, you’re risking torching your licence long before you get to the sort of velocity required for them to provide useful downforce. Titanium Akrapovic muffler looks and sounds the business But motorcycles don’t have to make logical sense. The M’s quality and purity of purpose give you the smug satisfaction of knowing that you’re piloting something very special – as well as a huge hit of adrenaline whenever you’re feeling brave enough. It delivers performance at levels that make the meat sack in the saddle the biggest limiting factor for everybody not named Toprak Razgatlioglu, along with high-velocity theatre that literally makes your heart beat faster just thinking about going for a ride. It might not be sensible, but greatness rarely is. PROS – This level of performance in a naked chassis is intoxicating and mind-scrambling, especially when combined with top-notch electronics. M Competition additions give the bike a rarefied aura. CONS – Fairly hard-edged for road use. For most people, the standard S 1000 R provides more than enough road performance for much less cost. Competition Ducati Streetfighter V4 S Cost: $43,100 Weight: 189kg wet Power: 157.4kW at 13,500rpm Torque: 120Nm at 11,250rpm MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Cost: $59,295 Weight: 203kg dry Power: 156kW at 13,000rpm Torque: 116.5Nm at 11,000rpm KTM 1390 Super Duke R Cost: $31,995.00 Weight: 200kg (wet, no fuel) Power: 141.7kW at 10,000rpm Torque: 145Nm at 8000rpm SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Type Water/oil-cooled, 999cc in-line four-cylinder, four-stroke with four titanium valves per cylinder and BMW Shiftcam variable intake camshaft control Bore & stroke 80mm x 49.7mm Compression ratio 13.1 : 1 Fueling Electronic intake pipe injection / digital engine management system: BMS-O with throttle-by-wire Transmission Claw-shifted 6-speed gearbox integrated in the transmission housing Clutch Multiplate in oil bath, anti-hopping with self-reinforcement Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 154kW (206.5hp) at 13,750rpm (claimed) Torque 113Nm at 11,100rpm (claimed) Top speed 280km/h (claimed) Fuel consumption 6.4L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type: Ride by wire Rider aids Dynamic Damping Control (DDC), BMW Motorrad ABS Pro, Riding modes Pro, Pit Lane Limiter, Launch Control, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) +/- Shift, Wheelie Control, Slide Control, Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), Shift Assistant Pro, Automatic Hill Start Control (HSC), Cruise Control, Keyless Ride Modes Rain, Road, Dynamic, Race, Race Pro 1–3 CHASSIS Frame material Cast aluminium Frame type Bridge-type Rake 24° Trail 96.5mm Wheelbase 1,455 mm SUSPENSION Type: Marzocchi with DDC Front Upside-down telescopic fork, 45mm diameter, electronic self-adjusting Dynamic Damping Control (DDC), spring preload, rebound and compression stages adjustable Rear Aluminium twin-sided swingarm, Dynamic Damping Control (central shock absorber), adjustable spring preload, rebound and compression stages electronically adjustable WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels M Carbon Front 3.50in x 17in Rear 6.00in x 17in Tyres Bridgestone Battleaxe RS11R Front 120/70 ZR17 Rear 200/55 ZR17 Front brake Twin discs, 300mm diameter, 4-piston fixed calipers Rear Single disc, 220mm diameter, single-piston floating caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 199kg (wet) Seat height 830mm Width 996mm Height 1176mm Length 2085mm Fuel capacity 16.5 litres SERVICING & WARRANTY First service 800km Minor 10,000km, Major 30,000km Warranty 60 months/unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price $45,445 ride away Colour options Light White / M Motorsport, White Aluminium Metallic Matt, Black Storm Metallic / M Motorsport CONTACT Bmw-motorrad.com.au The post ROAD TEST | 2025 BMW M 1000 R Competition appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

$349 gets you on track with a Streetfighter or Panigale Ducati Australia is rolling out a new Ducati Superbike Experience in partnership with Pirelli and ASBK, giving riders the chance to sample the latest seventh‑generation Panigale V4 S and Streetfighter V4 S on three of Australia’s headline circuits: Phillip Island, One Raceway and The Bend. Rather than a standard demo ride, the format drops participants into 20‑minute curated on‑track sessions guided by Australian Ducati Superbike Team principals Craig McMartin and Ben Henry. Each booking also includes a technical/product briefing, a track familiarisation session, refreshments, personalised photography, and spectator access to the ASBK round on the same weekend. A one‑day Motorcycling Australia track licence is included in the $349 fee. Riders will need to bring their own kit: one‑piece race suit, back protector, helmet, race boots and leather gloves. Alana Baratto, Head of Marketing for Ducati Australia and New Zealand, said the aim is to let riders experience the new models where they make the most sense: on track alongside the country’s top road racing paddock. “Every rider dreams of laps at Phillip Island, The Bend and One Raceway… It’s a chance to discover the latest in technology from Borgo Panigale and meet the all‑new Panigale V4 S and Streetfighter V4 S in their natural environment,” she said. Event details Ducati Superbike Experience — Phillip Island When: Friday 5 September 2025, from 9:30am Where: 381 Back Beach Rd, Ventnor VIC 3922 Ducati Superbike Experience — One Raceway When: Thursday 2 October 2025, from 10:00am Where: 4770 Braidwood Rd, Tirrannaville NSW 2580 Ducati Superbike Experience — The Bend When: Saturday 8 November 2025, from 3:00pm Where: 543 Dukes Hwy, Tailem Bend SA 5260 What to expect on the day Product presentation and setup walk‑through for the Panigale V4 S or Streetfighter V4 S Track familiarisation session before your own laps Guided 20‑minute on‑track session Refreshments and event photography One‑day MA track licence included Spectator access to the ASBK round Full details on how you can reserve your spot at the Ducati Superbike Experience can be found here. The post Ducati Superbike Experience Comes to ASBK appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article

Rapidly-growing Chinese brand has type-approved another three intriguing machines It’s all but impossible to keep up with the speed at which China’s QJMotor brand is launching new bikes – it’s already got a range of over 140 models on its website only five years after unveiling its first bike – and even more have been leaked in the latest batch of Chinese type-approval documents to be published. These include a heavily revised version of the SRK800RR that currently competes in World Supersport racing, a huge 700cc scooter with a manual transmission, and a production version of the shelved MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 5.5 that was developed with the help of QJMotor’s parent company back in 2021. The updated SRK800RR features revised styling including all-new bodywork, different headlights, a new fuel tank and a slimmer tail compared to the existing version, and it uses the aluminium beam frame that’s currently offered as an optional extra on the Chinese-market SRK800RR, replacing the pressed steel design of the standard bike. The approval document shows that its 778cc four-cylinder engine is essentially unchanged, with the same 92kW as the current model, while weight rises by 3kg to 205kg wet – perhaps an indication of a larger fuel capacity, as the bikes are measured with their tanks full. The 1410mm wheelbase is unchanged, as is the claimed top speed of 260km/h. Second, we have a massive scooter, finished in Gresini-style colours, which might look familiar as it’s identical to the Italjet Dragster 700 that was shown at EICMA last year. Rather than being a copy, it looks like QJMotor’s parent company, Qianjiang, may be behind the Italjet-branded model, as the engine is the Chinese company’s existing 693cc parallel twin that’s already offered in a broad array of bikes under the QJMotor and Benelli brands. Putting out 56kW, it’s tied to a conventional six-speed transmission, so this isn’t a twist-and-go automatic scooter but a real motorcycle that just looks like a scooter thanks to 15-inch wheels front and rear. An ultra-long, 1550mm wheelbase means the engine is positioned under the seat rather than between the rider’s legs. It’s likely that the bike will be Qianjiang-made and offered under the Italjet brand, although a QJMotor-badged version could appear on some markets. Finally, there’s the machine badged ‘ADV600’ on its sides, which is essentially identical to the 2021 MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 5.5 concept bike. That concept was developed as a joint effort between MV and Qianjiang, using mechanicals from the QJMotor SRT550 but wrapped in styling shared with the three-cylinder MV Lucky Explorer 9.5, which has since reached production as the MV Agusta LXP. MV dropped the smaller, Chinese-made version from its plans after KTM took a stake in the company, but it reappeared at last year’s EICMA show under another guise as the Rieju Xplora 557, using the same 554cc twin used by the Lucky Explorer 5.5 and QJMotor SRK550, and the Xplora 707 with Qianjiang’s larger, 693cc twin, as seen in the Benelli TRK702 and QJMotor SRT700. The new approvals, and particularly the 700cc scooter and ‘ADV600’, show that Qianjiang is forging ahead with a growing number of cooperations with other brands, essentially using its manufacturing expertise, components and powertrains to build bikes that can be sold under different names around the globe, while still forging ahead with the growth of its own QJMotor range of models sharing many of the same elements. The post Yet More Upcoming QJMotor Bikes Revealed appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article

Supercharged triple is edging closer to production There’s no question that the star of last year’s EICMA show in Milan wasn’t a complete bike but an unfinished chassis and engine – Honda’s ‘ICE’ concept that previewed its upcoming V3 engine complete with an electric supercharger. The bike utterly overshadowed the rest of Honda’s display, including the ‘EV FUN’ electric concept that’s winging its way to showrooms in the near future as Honda’s first full-sized battery-powered motorcycle, and proved that the people who matter the most – riders themselves – are still far more invested and interested in combustion engines than in futuristic electric machines. Not that the V3 concept wasn’t futuristic, as it also packs Honda’s first electric supercharger which uses battery power to provide maximum boost immediately at any part of the rev range, giving it a notable advantage over both exhaust-driven turbos and mechanically-driven superchargers. The electric supercharger, or ‘E-Compressor’ to use Honda’s terminology, also means the V3 can be smaller than a similarly-powerful normally-aspirated engine, promising improvements in emissions and efficiency as a result. While Honda was always open about the V3 being destined for a production model, the company has now reinforced that with a teaser video shot inside the R&D department that gives a few more clues about the upcoming bike. Elements in the video include a shot of a wall filled with design sketches – all depicting full-faired sports bikes. Some show designs that have gone on to become production models, resembling machines including the current FireBlade, but a couple of the sketches closest to the camera depict a modern sports bike with a trellis frame very similar to the design seen on the V3 concept, with a distinct ‘X’ shape made in the tubular side rails. Perhaps a hint of what to expect? Such a design would certainly tie in with Honda’s registration of trademarks including ‘V3R’ and ‘V3R E-Compressor’ recently, with the ‘V3R’ section reminiscent of its ‘VFR’ (V Four Race) and VTR (V Twin Race) designations of previous generations of V-engined sports bikes. Honda has never made a four-stroke V3 motorcycle before, and nor has any other mainstream manufacturer, but it did offer a two-stroke, the NS400R, using the V3 layout in the 1980s. As well as the sketches, Honda’s video shows heavily redacted shots of the engine on a workbench and a dyno, albeit blurring all the elements that might give away any tasty morsels of information about the motor. There’s a snatch of engine sound – think V-twin, but with an added element of complexity to the note thanks to the third cylinder – and a brief glimpse of a dyno readout that looks like it shows the number 147Nm, although again it’s partly obscured in the video. That’s the sort of torque you’d expect from a 1200-1300cc bike, whereas the V3 is rumoured to be in the region of 850cc, with the addition of boost to give the performance of a larger engine. Another shot depicts Honda’s test riders behind the bike, which is again largely obscured but with a heavily-stepped tail section visible, showing the pillion pad is much higher than the rider’s seat. While that indicates a sports bike, a rider then climbs aboard and spreads his arms relatively wide to grab bars that are out of the picture, hinting that the prototype might actually be more like a streetfighter in its stance. With the teaser campaign now underway, we’re sure to be drip-fed more information in the coming weeks, with a more complete unveiling of either the finished bike or a nearer-production prototype expected at this year’s EICMA show. Meanwhile, Honda is also teasing the production version of the EV FUN electric bike, revealing a video of the machine under test. Despite distraction camo graphics, it’s clearly near-identical to last year’s concept, including the CB1000R-style single-sided swingarm and an overall size similar to that litre bike. The concept’s nose shape, with a slit-like headlight across a small nose cowl, also remains, along with a TFT dashboard. The EV FUN is expected to have performance in the region of a 650cc four-stroke and a short range of around 100km that’s offset by the ability to rapid-charge in a matter of minutes using DC chargers with CCS2 connectors, as favoured by most electric cars. The post Honda V3R Teased in New Video appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article

But only in India so far… We’ve known for a while that Triumph has been planning a part-faired café-racer version of its hugely successful Speed 400 single – spy photos have been circulating for months depicting a prototype on test alongside the recently-launched Scrambler 400XC – and now it’s been confirmed in the Indian market. Why India before the rest of the world? Because that’s where Triumph’s 400cc singles are build and, at least in part, developed with the help of the company’s manufacturing partner Bajaj. The same pattern occurred with the Scrambler 400XC that was revealed earlier this year: it was launched in India six weeks before it was confirmed as a global model. Be in no doubt, the Thruxton 400 will be getting a wider release very soon. Although it would have been simple to screw a Speed Triple 1200RR-style nose cowl to the front of the Speed 400 along with some low, clip-on bars, and then head to the pub for an early lunch, Triumph has taken a more in-depth approach to the changes to make sure the Thruxton 400 is a distinct model and not just an accessorised Speed 400. Sure, the basics of the engine, frame and parts like the fuel tank are carry-overs, but there’s a host of subtle changes. Notably, the engine itself, despite no change to its 398cc capacity, the bore, stroke or compression ratio, gets more power, with a rating of 41.4hp (30.89kW) instead of the Speed 400’s 39.5hp (29.4kW), arriving 1000rpm higher at 9,000rpm instead of 8,000rpm. Max torque, while still peaking at 37.5Nm, is also higher in the rev range at 7,500rpm rather than 6,500rpm as on the Speed 400. Similarly, while the chassis still uses 43mm Big Piston forks and a rear monoshock, the nose is dropped by 5mm, with a matching reduction in fork travel from 140mm to 135mm compared to the Speed 400 that we get here. That changes the rake from 24.6º to 24.5º and reduces the wheelbase from 1377mm to 1376mm. It’s worth noting, though, that the Indian market Speed 400 has a different setup to the global version, with a lower rear suspension setting that stretches its rake to 25.1º and its wheelbase to 1386mm, so there’s a chance that the global Thruxton 400 will be more aggressively set up than the version seen so far. The changes continue with new footpegs – higher and further back than the Speed 400’s to match the low-set bars – and a new seat and tail bodywork, including different side panels and trim around the fuel injection system. At the back, the taillight is set further forward and sits above a fender-shaped section that’s not found on the Speed 400, while the pillion seat is hidden under a humped cowl. The Indian bike’s weight is rated at 181kg wet, which seems a lot compared to the 170kg of the Speed 400 we’re sold here, but it’s worth noting that in India the Speed 400 is measured at 179kg – presumably the result of different rules around how bikes are weighed – so the real difference between the two models is just 2kg. The post Triumph Thruxton 400 Launched appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News. View full article