Spy photographers have snapped shots of what appears to be a near-production prototype of the KTM 1290 Super Duke. The test mule in the pictures show some differences from the 1290 Super Duke R prototype revealed at the 2012 EICMA show.

The spy pictures reveal a stacked headlight design similar to the component used on KTM‘s smaller naked models such as the 390 Duke. Also notable is the rather large exhaust canister mounted on the right side of the rear wheel. The EICMA prototype had a custom Akrapovic system with one small silencer running up along the subframe and a second, more subtle underslung exhaust. The new larger exhaust is disappointing in comparison, though it was unlikely the EICMA bike’s exhaust would make be retained in a production model, even for the inevitable R version. Continue Reading »

With the new 2013 BMW R1200GS now launching worldwide, it really should be no surprise BMW is working on more models using the GS’s new liquid-cooled boxer engine.

A contributor to French site MotoMag happened upon a crew of test riders on heavily camouflaged test mules of what appears to be the 2014 BMW R1200RT. The swirly camo pattern does little to hide the new “precision cooling” liquid-cooled engine, easily identified by the pipes exiting from the bottom of the cylinders.

The fairing appears to be new, with a different nose and front air intake ducts. The headlights have also been updated to resemble the K1600GT‘s headlight. It’s appears the 2014 R1200RT may inherit the K16′s Xenon adaptive headlight with dynamic leveling. Continue Reading »

Spy photographers have captured Honda‘s new three-bike 500-series in the midst of filming for a commercial at the Piazza Garibaldi in Naples, Italy.

The images, published on Il Centro, reveal Honda‘s new sportbike-styled CBR500, the naked CB500R which we first revealed in September, as well as an adventure-styled model bearing the name CB500X.

The three new models are expected to share the same  engine, believed to be a 470cc parallel twin. Horsepower should be about 47hp to fit under European licensing regulations, though units destined to other markets may have different specs. Continue Reading »

UPDATE: Two new images have emerged.

A photograph of a production-read 2013 Triumph Daytona 675 has emerged, weeks before the revised three-cylinder sportbike’s expected introduction at the 2012 EICMA show in Milan, Italy.

The photograph popped up on the Triumph675.net forum, a member of the Motorcycle.com forum network. The picture shows a new subframe, revised bodywork and the absence of an undertail exhaust.

We’ve previously seen video of the updated D675 undergoing testing in 2011, revealing the new underslung exhaust. The Daytona also likely receives the same new frame and subframe as on the updated 2013 Triumph Street Triple recently revealed at Intermot. Triumph claims the new frame and subframe have fewer welds and weigh less than the previous components. Continue Reading »

Spy photos have emerged out of Thailand depicting two new Honda motorcycles reputed to be a new CBR500 and a second, naked version, possibly to be named a CB500.

The photos were posted on the CBR250.net forum by someone claiming to have inside knowledge of the new 500cc Honda models which would be produced in Thailand where the CBR250R is currently manufactured.

The faired version is equipped with dual headlights like the Honda CBR600RR instead of the VFR1200-derived Y-shaped light used on the CBR250R and its smaller siblings the CBR125R and CBR150 offered in some markets. Continue Reading »

Kawasaki is reportedly set to unveil an updated Ninja ZX-6R for he 2013 model year with a return to a 636cc engine displacement.

According to Motorcycle News, the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R will receive a styling refresh to resemble the ZX-10R while bringing back the larger 636cc engine displacement used from 2002 to 2006 (the 2003 ZX-6R is pictured above).

The British publication has gotten a hold of spy photos of the new ZX-6R being filmed for a Kawasaki promotional video on the Isle of Man. The photographs published online are grainy and shot from a distance, but the print edition shows a more detailed image revealing the new fairings, longer headlights and the larger displacement. Continue Reading »

New spy photos have emerged of what appears to be either a Ducati Hypermotard 848 or perhaps an 848 version of the Multistrada. Photos of the new liquid-cooled Ducati emerged last month but these new images show the motorcycle in motion and from the left side.

At this point, we’re still not sure if this is Ducati‘s new Hypermotard or Multistrada. The beak front fender resembles that of the Hypermotard family but the rear more resembles the Multistrada. The new model is also liquid-cooled while the Hypermotard line is air-cooled, and we’re not convinced Ducati would introduce a single liquid-cooled model to that family. 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 »

Spy photos have emerged of what appears to be a new liquid-cooled Ducati model As you can tell from the utilitarian-looking exhaust, it’s still a prototype, but the production version could be ready for this fall’s EICMA show. It’s not clear at this point whether this new model will be a new Hypermotard or possibly a new mid-sized Multistrada.

At first glance, the front “beak” fender and hand guards evokes the existing Ducati Hypermotards, but existing Hypermotard 796 and 1100EVO are both air-cooled and this model is liquid-cooled.

The Multistrada 1200 is liquid-cooled and also sports a side-mounted exhaust while the Hypermotards use twin underseat exhausts.The Multistrada has been far more successful than the Ducati’s Hypermotard line, and it seems odd to add a new liquid-cooled model to the air-cooled Hyper line. A new, smaller Multistrada slotted under the Ducati Multistrada 1200 makes more sense than another Hypermotard. Continue Reading »