MV Agusta teased its four-cylinder Brutales last week with a video, and today, the Italian manufacturer released official details on its three-model 2013 Brutale 1090 line. Despite the 1090cc labels shown in the teaser, it appears the new Brutales will keep the 2012 models’ 1078cc engine displacement.

The base-model MV Agusta Brutale 1090 will be joined by a slightly pricier 1090R version and an even higher level 1090RR (pictured above). All three models feature an eight-level traction control system, tubular steel trellis frame with aluminum plates, single-sided swingarms, ten-spoke wheels, 50mm inverted forks and radial-mount Brembo calipers.

Though all three models are equipped with 1078cc four-cylinder engines with double overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder in a radial arrangement. MV Agusta will offer two different versions of the engine however, with the 1090 and 1090R getting an engine claiming 142hp and 82.6 ft-lb. The 1090RR meanwhile, sacrifices some torque for more horsepower, with MV Agusta claiming 156hp and 73.8 ft-lb. All three models use cassette-style six-speed transmissions, while the RR version equipped with a slipper clutch. Continue Reading »

As we expected, Honda announced it will bring its retro-styled CB1100 to Europe at the 2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. Previously only available in Japan and Australia, the CB1100 will be available in Europe for 2013, though there is still no sign it will ever be offered in North America.

Though it sounds close in name to Honda‘s CB1000R, the two naked standards reflect two differing philosophies. While the CB1000R has an aggressive, modern look, the CB1100 reaches back into the past, taking influences from the 1969 CB750 which harkened the rise of the Inline-Four engine configuration.

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As expected, Kawasaki unveiled a new mid-sized model to its Z lineup at the  2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. The new 2013 Z800 slots into Kawasaki’s European lineup replacing the Z750 below the Z1000. The Z800 also arrives as Kawasaki celebrates the 40th anniversary of the original Z1.

The Kawasaki Z800 is powered by a 806cc liquid-cooled Inline-Four engine. Kawasaki claims a maximum power output of 111 hp at 10,200 rpm and 61 ft-lb. at 8000 rpm. The engine is framed by a tubular backbone chassis and subframe.

Suspension is provided by a 41mm KYB upside-down fork with adjustable rebound damping and preload. The rear suspension system uses a KYB shock with a piggyback reservoir also offering rebound damping and preload adjustability. Continue Reading »

Ducati will introduce three new models built around an 820cc platform at the 2012 EICMA show, reports French site Moto-Station.

Moto-Station reports the three new models will be a Multistrada 820, a Hypermotard 820 and an as-yet unnamed roadster. Over the last couple of months, spy photos of a new mid-sized Ducati model has been making the rounds, with many people claiming it will be a new liquid-cooled Hypermotard while others, like our own Kevin Duke, believe the new model would be a Multistrada.

If the new report is true then they may both be right. Previous reports believed the new mystery model(s) would use Ducati’s 848 engine but Moto-Station claims it will be an all-new 820cc 90-degree V-Twin powerplant producing 113 hp (115 hp in metric) and 66 ft-lb. Continue Reading »

[Ed.: The original spy photos have been taken down by request. Instead, here is a picture of the current R1200R model.]

BMW is preparing to launch the ground-up redesign of its iconic R1200GS in a new 1250cc-or-so liquid-cooled Boxer powerplant, a speculative profile of which you can read about here.

But there’s more Boxer-oriented news to come from BMW for 2013. Pictures have now surfaced of a roadster-styled naked in the same vein as the existing BMW R1200R but with a tidier rear end reminiscent of a café racer or streetfighter. More notably, the bike includes several big updates, including what looks like a new and lighter Telelever front end and possibly a new engine.

The chassis appears to be a complete departure from the current R1200 series, led by what seems to be a much lighter front end. It at first appears to be a traditional (although not for BMW) inverted fork, but there’s more than meets the eye. Continue Reading »

[Ed.: The original spy photographs have been removed by request. Instead, here is a picture of the S1000RR without a fairing.]

Spy photographers have captured photos of a new naked roadster believed to be based on the BMW S1000RR. Shot at a BMW test facility, the photos reveal a half-faired motorcycle with the S1000RR’s engine.

Published on French site Motorevue, the photos show a slight resemblance to the Aprilia Tuono V4, though knowing BMW, the headlights are likely to be asymmetrical like those on the S1000RR and most other models in BMW’s lineup.

The photos show a more upright riding position as expected for a naked streetfighter. The RR’s class-leading powerplant will be retuned to give it more midrange grunt at the expense of some top-end power, but we still expect rear-wheel horsepower numbers higher than the 154 hp we saw from the class-champion Aprilia Tuono V4R in our Literbike Streetfighter Shootout. Continue Reading »

Brammo announced it will launch the production version of its much-anticipated Empulse electric motorcycle in May, nearly two years after the prototype was first unveiled.

The production version of the 2012 Brammo Empulse will be unveiled May 8 in Los Angeles, with a live webcast for all pre-order customers.

When it was first announced, the naked streetfighter-styled Empulse was described as a “game changer”, promising 100 mph performance and up to a 100-mile range. Continue Reading »

Suzuki announced the 2012 edition of its GSR750 naked middleweight will get ABS as an optional add-on. What it still doesn’t have? U.S. homologation.

Introduced to Europe in 2011, the Suzuki GSR750 is the naked GSX-R750, using the 2010 edition of the Gixxer’s inline-Four engine re-tuned for low- and mid-range power. According to Suzuki, the GSR750 has been a popular model in Europe and the U.K., winning awards from MCN and Zoo Magazine.

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Hot on the heels of the release of full specs for the F3 675 supersport, MV Agusta has unveiled the naked version featuring the same engine and MVICS electronics package and a claimed weight of 163 kg (359 pounds).

The 2012 MV Agusta Brutale 675 is the smallest member of the Brutale line, but it’s also the most high-tech. The Brutale 675 gets the same ride-by-wire throttle control and traction control system as the new F3. The MVICS (Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System) gives riders a choice of  eight levels of traction control and four selectable engine maps (plus a fifth customizable map).

Powering the new Brutale is the high-revving 675cc three-cylinder engine used on the F3, but toned down a bit. Instead of the F3′s claimed 126hp, the Brutale 675 peaks at 113 hp at 12,500 rpm. Torque is said to be the same 52 ft-lbs at 10,600 rpm as the F3. According to MV Agusta, the engine offers linear power delivery while the torque curve is more like that of a literbike than a supersport.

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Kawasaki announced its 2012 street model lineup this week announcing a number of updates to its ZX-14R, as well as the Vulcan 1700 Voyager, Ninja 1000 and Ninja 650. Absent from Kawasaki’s U.S. offerings is the naked version of the Ninja 650, the ER-6n which has also been updated and will be available in other markets such as Europe and Canada.

Last offered as a 2010 model, the 2012 Kawasaki ER-6n gets the new twin-tube steel frame and swingarm used in the updated Ninja 650. The fuel-injected parallel Twin 649cc engine has been revised to increase low-mid range torque while the underslung exhaust is the same as the new unit on the 2012 Ninja 650.

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