Amid bated breath from show-goers, KTM have unveiled the new 390 Duke at the ongoing EICMA show, and details from the press briefing provide more information on what to expect ffrom this pocket rocket from Austria.

The bike will have a 373.2cc single-cylinder engine with the same chassis as the 125 Duke and the 200 Duke. The short-stroke cylinder (89mm x 60mm) has a max power output of 43.5PS at 9,500RPM and max torque of 35Nm at 7,250RPM. The bike also features a six-speed manual transmission, WP suspension, Brembo brakes, and optional Bosch ABS.

The bike falls into the A2 licensing system of Europe and will compete with the Honda CBR500R and the Kawasaki Ninja 300. It will be built in India by KTM’s minority shareholder Bajaj Auto and is expected to be launched in India in early 2013, with parts and technology likely to be seen in future Pulsars from Bajaj.

Just like Korean rapper PSY’s viral hit on YouTube, ‘Gangnam Style’, the CBR500R is currently the most talked about set of wheels in biking circles currently.

Honda have officially unveiled the specs & price of this 500cc liquid cooled baby CBR which is stated to hit the US market pretty soon. The baby CBR is all set to roar with an all new fuel injected parallel twin 500cc liquid cooled engine, capable of producing 54.7PS of power. Adding to the CBR’s arsenal of drool are an all-new set of petal disc brakes on both wheels, a monoshock rear shock absorber, new alloy wheels, new twin slat headlamp design, a new exhaust muffler and fatter tyres at the front and rear.

Sources at Honda have hinted that the CBR500R might follow its siblings, the 1000RR and the 250R in coming to the Indian market. Well we are keeping our fingers crossed as of now. Given that the CBR250R is already being manufactured in India – plus with the increase in competition with the likes of the 390 Duke – it is possible that the 500R’s next possible destination might strongly be India. The 2013 Honda CBR500R will sell for about $5,999 approx or $1,800 more than the smaller engined CBR250R in the US Market. To put it in an Indian perspective, about a lakh rupees higher than the CBR250R. Honda have also finally revealed the much-needed upgrade to the CBR600RR for 2013. No info has been provided regarding technical changes as such, but the motorcycle gets a comprehensive makeover as part of Honda’s 5^th anniversary celebrations of the CBR600RR.

Looks like all the manufacturers are playing peek-a-boo with the enthusiast before EICMA show which is scheduled next week.

Aprilia have released the first official pictures of their new 2012 Aprilia Caponord sports tourer. The Caponord shares its chassis with the Dorsoduro 1200, while it also incorporates the semi-faired front end of the RSV4. This new sports tourer will be the Noale-based brand’s big offering for the adventure-touring market of Europe. Well, the Coponord is introduced to compete with the likes of the Ducati Multistrada and the KTM 1190 Adventure.

The bike is loaded with techno-bits like selectable fuel mapping, traction control, and ABS brakes and also features 17″ wheels at both ends. The Caponord 1200 has all the basic amenities you would expect in an increasingly competitive adventure bike market, and if rumors are to be believed, the Italian marquee will offer the Caponord with semi-active suspension as well.

Although majority of the features related to the bike’s engine and other important elements have been kept under wraps till EICMA, it will be quite interesting to see how the 2012 Aprilia Caponord 1200 will fare in the Adventure-touring market of Europe.

Austrian motorcycle heavyweights KTM have stated that the upcoming EICMA event is very important to them, with the likes of the 390 Duke & 1190 Super Duke to be unveiled at the event.

Both these ‘Orange Maniacs’ are ready to take the streets by storm. The 390 Duke will feature a 373cc single-cylinder engine, while the bigger and badder 1190 Super Duke will get a de-tuned version of the KTM RC8 V-twin mill.

Well, looks like KTM wants to bring Christmas quite early for their fans and other bike enthusiasts. KTM’s official blog has released an audio clip of one of the bike’s exhaust note, and we’re pretty sure that it belongs to the smaller 390 Duke. Hit the link to listen to or download the sonorous burble of this single cylinder screamer and stay tuned for more updates on the same.

Source: KTM Blog

Over the years, Italian motorcycle brands have left us awestruck with the amazing art they create on two wheels.

Benelli has been the sort of master craftsmen which keeps on surprising bike enthusiasts like me, asking for more. The marque have made some extremely gorgeous motorcycles in the past but since the Qianjiang Group acquired the brand, it has gone into some sort of hibernation. But now Benelli is all ready to showcase the world their latest work of art, the Benelli BN600 motorbike.

The stage is all but set for this beauty come the EICMA show next month. Featuring a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected DOHC four-valve 600cc engine, this inline-four street-naked which produces 81PS of power is all ready to rumble. Look’s like Benelli are making a move from their quirky triples to new “Japanese” four-cylinder power plants.

The chassis of the BN600 is a steel trellis/aluminum plate design, with 50mm USD forks and 320mm radial brakes. Rounding out the specs are the BN600′s 17″ wheels with 120/70 & 180/55 tires, front to back respectively. The fuel tank capacity is of 16 liters, and white, black, and orange are the colours in which the BN600 will be draped in.

The BN600 is still a sharp looking machine which will be all set to be available by mid-2013. Pricing thought have not yet been confirmed.

Hero MotoCorp is launching a new commuter bike – the Passion X-Pro 110 – this Diwali.

The company has already started dispatching the bike to its dealers across the country.

The Passion X-Pro 110 would be using the same 110cc engine found in the Honda Dream Yuga and the Honda Twister, both products of its erstwhile partner. The engine offers a peak power output of 9.1 PS and peak torque of 9Nm, and the bike is likely to be equipped with disc brakes, alloy wheels and self start, and will be positioned as a premium commuter bike.

The commuter segment of the market is highly competitive with the incumbents Suzuki Hayate, Bajaj Discover 100, Honda Dream Yuga and CB Twister offering stiff competition. Though Hero MotoCorp will be announcing the prices tomorrow, we believe the Passion X-Pro 110 could be priced around Rs 50,000 to be competitive in its segment.

British motorcycle marquee Triumph have unveiled their 2013 Speed Triple lineup and colour options in the UK market.

The Speed Triple has always been one of the brightest jewel in the Triumph crown along with the super sexy Daytona and the monstrous Rocket III. The 2013 lineup includes both the standard and the R versions of the speed triple and both the bikes have been heavily revised. Meanwhile the big-wigs at Triumph are keen on stressing the fact that these are new models and not just mere tweaks of the current versions.

The new version of the Speed Triple has shed weight and is almost 6kg lighter than its previous model. Majority of the weight saving has been done on the rear-end of the bike, which includes shedding-off a whooping 3.6kg from the exhaust system alone! Engineers at Triumph have also claimed to have improved the Speed Triple’s fuel efficiency by almost 30% in urban riding conditions. The new versions also features a new gear box in which the first gear is taller than the previous variants, this has been in order to make the bike more user-friendly and fun to ride.

Triumph have also revealed the 2013 clolours as well, the Street Triple will be available in Phantom Black, Caribbean Blue and Crystal White. The Street Triple R will be available in Matt Graphite, Crystal White and Phantom Black. Meanwhile both the Street Triple and the R versions are also due to have optional ABS, which will cost £350 (INR 30,000) extra. These new bikes will be available at UK dealers by mid-November with the ABS version expected to be released before the end of the year. The Street Triple will be priced at £6,999 (INR 6.10lakh approx) while the Street Triple R will cost £7,699 (INR 6.72lakh approx).

Austrian heavy weights KTM have churned out some of the most radical sets of two wheels like the RC8 and the Duke series etc.

Here’s the low down regarding a 250cc offering from KTM, the first thing which strikes a mind is ‘pocket rocket’. Well many bikers will argue to my saying that “it has every right to be an enthusiast’s dream bike” even thought it’s just a mere kid if compared with its 1000cc KTM big brothers.

This ‘KTM Moto3 Racer’ based production motorcycle churns out a mere 49PS from its 250cc mill, might not sound so appealing but my thoughts are a bit different regarding the GPR. For starters the looks of this pocket rocket simply put is stunning, embodied with amazing lines and killer curves. The fun element on this bike kicks in when its on the track, it’s far from being some motocross engine shoehorned into a steel trellis frame. The KTM 250GPR is just a small step down from Sandro Cortese’s world championship winning Moto 3 machine.

It is a state-of-the-art GP machine with its chassis and suspension totally adjustable, souped up with electronic tidbits like traction control, pit lane limiter etc this pacer is one for the track. Astonishingly its just a mere 85kg in mass and flickering this pocket dynamo is very easy in straits as well as corners. The KTM 250GPR boasts of an impressive top speed of 209+ kmph. Even though it is more of a track bike, the GPR is a fun too ride motorcycle on the streets as well. The KTM 250GPR is priced around £45,000 (INR 39 lakhs approx) in the UK.

The Jakarta Motorcycle Show was witness to the unveiling of the 2013 Honda CB150R Streetfire

Is Honda’s (HMSI) thinking of bringing the Streetfire in India? Could this bike replace the existing CB Dazzler in the near future? We have to admit that it sure looks like an interesting option.

Unlike the premium Honda CBR150R available in India, CB150R Streetfire seems to have been built for a price. It has streetfighter styling, and the sporty nature is embellished by a new and good looking trellis frame. Like most other 150-cc bikes from Honda, this one also features telescopic front forks, monoshock rear suspension, cast wheels, and a belly pan.

The small single cylinder hints at a 150cc engine, which is oil-cooled to meet strict emission norms, and also sports Honda’s celebrated PGMI fuel ignition (FI) system. The Indian version could shed the FI and oil-cooled systems to make it more cost effective. The Streetfire uses an exhaust similar to the ones on CB Dazzler and interestingly has a kick-starter lever as well. The low seat and a new handlebar would offer an upright riding stance, ideal for city commute.

Indonesia is a price-sensitive market like India, and the CB150R Streetfire will be competitively priced giving it huge potential in Asian markets, if the dominance of small capacity bikes is an indicator.

Picture Courtesy: Jakarta Motorcycle Show 2012

There it stood the masterpiece in blood red, I couldn’t take my eyes on it! Like some Picaso masterpiece I was just spellbound with its aura.

Well my fellow bikers, I ain’t diverting from motorcycles to sculptures, but my introduction to this story is truly about a new masterpiece by another Italian art lover like Pablo Picaso, the MV Agusta motorcycle company have officially unveiled the Rivale at the ongoing EICMA show.

MV have unveiled this ‘hypermotard-styled’ motorcycle in Milan – this will be the Italian marquess third addition to its three-cylinder range and boy it sure looks a stunner. It is the new eye candy from MV, engineers from MV have carried over their iconic three-exhaust pipe system. But when it comes to the rear end of the bike specially with the turn indicators, the bike has a lot in common with the Ducati Diavel which might be a big turn-off to MV Agusta loyalist.

However, the overall package looks quite stunning so far, and if the Varese brand ends up delivering a motorcycle close to what is represented here, it should have another clear winner on its hands. Sources have said to expect the MV Agusta Rivale to feature a stroked-out 800cc three-cylinder mill on similar lines like the Agusta Brutale 800, while availability date and price have not been revealed as of yet.