Suzuki unveiled a new 1462cc touring cruiser at the  2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. The Intruder C1500T comes with broad windscreen, footboards and ABS plastic saddlebags.

The 2013 Suzuki Intruder C1500T is powered by a 1462cc liquid-cooled 54-degree V-Twin engine Suzuki claims is the most powerful engine in the 1000cc-1600cc cruiser class. No specific numbers were released but the engine is likely the same as the powerplant used in the Boulevard M90. We’ll have to see for ourselves when we get our mitts on the Intruder.

Gear shifting on the C1500T’s five-speed transmission is aided by a slipper clutch and the Suzuki Clutch Assist System which reduces the force needed to pull the clutch lever. Power is transferred to the 200mm rear tire through a shaft drive. Continue Reading »

Current World Superbike points leader Max Biaggi was on hand as Aprilia announced a number of updates to its RSV4 flagship sportbike at the 2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany.

The Aprilia RSV4 Factory returns with its impressive APRC electronics package and 1000cc V4 engine, but adds anti-lock brakes, and a larger fuel tank.

Aprilia also gave the RSV4 a performance boost, claiming 181.5 hp and 86.3 ft-lb. at the crank, both up from the previous model’s claims of 177 hp and 84.8 ft-lb. (our dyno test from our 2012 European literbike shootout measured 156.9 hp and 73.2 ft-lb.) Continue Reading »

Yamaha announced it is developing a new three-cylinder engine using a crossplane crankshaft inherited from the company’s YZR-M1 MotoGP bike and its YZF-R1 sportbike. Yamaha says the new Triple will play an important role in the company’s future.

The Japanese manufacturer unveiled a concept sculpture with the new three-cylinder engine at the 2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. The sculpture is abstract, showing little beyond the engine, wheels and front fork, but the tires and wheels would suggest the first model to use the new engine will be a streetbike.

Yamaha trumpets the benefits of its crossplane crankshaft which has been used in bikes that have won championships in MotoGP, World Superbike and AMA Superbike. Yamaha claims the engine offers linear driving power and more efficient torque output. Yamaha hopes the crossplane crankshaft can work additional wonders as a platform for a new generation of models. Continue Reading »

BMW pulled the covers off the latest iteration of its popular R1200GS, revealing a number of updates including a new boxer engine at the 2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. The German manufacturer has sold 170,000 units of the R1200GS since it was introduced in 2004, making it the world’s top-selling adventure-tourer, so BMW obviously has a lot riding on the new 2013 model.

The biggest change for the 2013 BMW R1200GS is its new 1170cc engine. The engine still uses a combination of air and liquid cooling but instead of coolant oil, it uses a glycol-water mixture BMW claims offers a high level of heat absorption capacity. Using a principle similar to one used in Formula 1 called “precision cooling”, only the elements of the engine being particularly strained by thermal stress are targeted by the coolant system.

The result is a boost in performance with BMW claiming an output of 123 hp at 7700 rpm and  92 ft-lb. at 6500 rpm, both up from the previous model’s claim of 110 hp and 89 ft-lb. Continue Reading »

Triumph has redesigned its Street Triple for 2013, revealing the updated 675cc naked bikes at the 2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany.

2013 Triumph Street Triple and the slightly more up-spec Street Triple R receive an all-new chassis featuring aluminum beam twin-spar frames and two-piece die-cast rear subframes. According to Triumph, the new chassis optimizes agility and handling with fewer welds than the previous frame and helping reduce the overall wet weight by 13 pounds to 403 pounds. Continue Reading »

Back in March, Piaggio Vice President of design Miguel Galluzzi revealed the Italian firm would release several versions of the new Moto Guzzi California 1400 including a full touring version. We’ve seen photographs of the new California in prototype form from Piaggio‘s North American dealer meeting, but we’ve now come across a picture of what looks like the final production version in full touring trim.

The picture,  appears to have been leaked from an official catalog photoshoot, shows the new Moto Guzzi California 1400 with hard bags, engine bars, extra lighting and windscreen. Unlike the prototype we saw in March, the one in this photograph has a slightly larger front fender, passenger grab handle, blacked-out engine, two-tone seat and longer pipes. Continue Reading »

Suzuki announced another wave of models returning for the 2013 model year. The 2013 Suzuki lineup includes the return of the Boulevard M90 and a rebadging of the Gladius, but perhaps the big news is what models have yet to be confirmed.

We’ll have more on that later, but let’s look at the announced 2013 Suzuki lineup. The 2013 Boulevard cruiser line will include the C50, its more touring-oriented C50T variant, the S40 and the M90 which last appeared in Suzuki’s U.S. lineup in 2009.

The Boulevard M90 (pictured above) is the largest of these models, powered by a 1462cc V-Twin engine. It is joined by the 652cc single-cylinder Boulevard S40, the 805cc V-Twin Boulevard C50 and the C50T which adds a windscreen and leather saddlebags. Continue Reading »

Honda announced it is following up on its NC700 series with a new large-sized model, with sales expected to begin in North America in 2013. Honda first announced plans for its NC700 models in at the 2010 EICMA show with a concept it called the “New Mid“, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise Honda would follow it up with a “New Large” series.

The new models were announced in a presentation by Honda Chief Executive Officer Takanobu Ito alongside plans to develop a new MotoGP-derived sportbike. The larger NC models won’t be nearly as exotic as the new V4 sportbike, but more of an extension of the NC700 series’ philosophy of a practical, efficient motorcycle.

Like the NC700 series, Ito says the new models will be designed for daily commuting and weekend touring. Ito also says the new models will also offer low seat heights and “torqueful” engines with a focus on ease of handling and comfort with high stability in maneuvering. Continue Reading »

When news broke yesterday of leaked details of the new 2013 KTM 1190 Adventure, the first question that crossed our minds was “when do we find out about the R version?” The answer, it turns out, is today, with a new photograph of the 1190 Adventure R now surfacing.

Members of ADVForum, where we found the original leaked KTM brochure, have uncovered new a studio photo of the R model as well as the non-R version.

The 2013 KTM 1190 Adventure R is equipped with larger wheels than the base model, likely a 21-inch wheel up front and an 18-inch wheel at the rear (the non-R 1190 Adventure appears to sport a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel.) We are surprised the tires appear to be street tires and not knobby off-road rubbers. Continue Reading »

Pictures and details of an all-new 2013 KTM 1190 Adventure have emerged from a brochure that briefly appeared on KTM‘s official website. The document has since been removed but not before we got our hands on them.

Expected to be unveiled at the 2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany, in just a few weeks, the latest adventure touring bike from KTM will be powered by a 1190cc V-Twin engine, not a 1290cc powerplant as initially expected. The engine is based on the engine powering the RC8R sportbike, though it has been tamed somewhat, with the brochure claiming 148 hp (150 PS for in metric) compared to the 173 hp claimed by the RC8R.

Still, that is an upgrade to the 113 hp claimed by the KTM 990 Adventure R and its 999cc engine. Other highlights revealed by the leaked document include four engine maps plus one for off-road, ride-by-wire throttle, an adjustable windshield, multifunctional display, ABS, slipper clutch and traction control, a first for KTM. The brochure also claims a weight of 235 kg (518 pounds) fully-fueled. Continue Reading »