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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).