American Honda released a video teasing a new 2014 off-road model which will be revealed in May 14. The 2:21 video was shot with an action camera mounted along the top of the swingarm as the mystery model races around a motocross track.

The most obvious conclusion is the teaser is for the 2014 Honda CRF450R or CRF250R. Honda already updated the CRF450R for 2013, so it’s unlikely to be the model in the video, but the CRF250R hasn’t had a serious update since 2010 making it a more likely candidate.

Of course, it’s possible Honda may have something different in store. Why else would you hold a teaser campaign if there weren’t something unexpected? Perhaps Honda decided to follow KTM’s route and introduce a 350 model. Honda’s also ramping up its racing efforts by competing in the Dakar Rally again, so it’s possible this is a production version of its rally racer which itself is based on the CRF450X.

That being said, off-road motorcycle sales in the U.S. have been on a downward slope the last few years. The sales decline is only recently starting to flatten, but is this a good time to offer something drastically different? Continue Reading »

Last month, we published spy photos of what appeared to be some prototypes of the 2014 BMW R1200RT sport-tourer undergoing testing somewhere in southern France. Unfortunately, the photographs were captured from far away, preventing us from seeing many details apart from the new water-cooled Boxer engine from the new GS and what appears to be the adaptive headlight from the K1600GT and GTL.

Thankfully, a new video has surfaced, providing an up-close look at the new R1200RT. The German blogger who captured the video calls these new models the R1200GT, which may turn out to be the name of the new model. BMW may opt to use this new name to create a brand connection with the K1600GT as the two models share the same headlight design.

At EICMA, BMW revealed a new F800GT which replaces the F800ST in BMW’s 2013 lineup, so it’s conceivable BMW would change another model’s designation to be another “Grand Tourer”. The RT is the only current BMW touring model to use  “Reise-Tourer” (German for “Travel-Touring”) designation, so changing it to GT would bring it in line with the other models. On the other hand, BMW may do exactly what it did with the new R1200GS and keep the existing R1200RT name. Continue Reading »

Yamaha recently announced it is adopting a new slogan to go with its “New Medium-Term Management Plan” for 2013-2015: “Yamaha Revs Your Heart“. The new slogan connects two key themes for Yamaha, the sound of its engines racing and the passion its products instills in its customers.

To introduce its new brand slogan, Yamaha Motor produced a video featuring thousands of cascading dominoes. The video features several segments: city, sea, snow mountain and the race track. Each segment representing different aspects of the company’s business, including motorcycles, marine, snowmobiles and, of course, racing.

The new slogan and video mark the start of Yamaha’s new plan, which calls for 250 new products to be introduced in the next three years, starting with the recently unveiled Star Bolt. Continue Reading »

Are you tired of the Harlem Shake yet? The Internet meme has been around for a couple of weeks now with what seems like everyone and their third cousin producing their own take on the theme.

For those lucky few who have no idea what the Harlem Shake is, it’s a new fad based around a track by the same name produced by Brooklyn DJ Baauer. The concept is simple. The videos usually begin with a room full of people, with one of them (usually masked) dancing to the Harlem Shake song. Everyone else goes about their business ignoring the lone dancer. After about 15 seconds however, the music changes and then everyone in the video is now dancing – perhaps “flailing” would be a better term for it – usually dressed in different costumes or holding various props.

It’s a simple concept and fun at first, but it’s already getting to the point of annoyance. There’s already the makings of a backlash against the Harlem Shake, perhaps enough to make a meme of its own. Yes, it’s silly and somewhat stupid, but there’s no denying the viral appeal. The song itself makes its debut this week on the Billboard Hot 100 holding the very top spot, just the 21st time since 1958 that a song has debuted number 1 on the weekly chart.

To mark the occasion, we’ve compiled a list of the five best motorcycle-themed Harlem Shake videos. To be honest, most of the Harlem Shake videos out there are horrible, but then again, that’s probably part of the fun. These five videos were a bit more interesting. Enjoy. Continue Reading »

The Rockstar MotoSport.com Suzuki Team has proven that not only do they have staying power but have the ability to lead one of the most hotly-contested points chases in the history of motocross. In episode one, we take a look into what drives Davi Millsaps, Jason Anderson, and Nico Izzi (who will make his return a few rounds into the 250 East class) to keep racing, keep pushing, and keep progressing. Continue Reading »

Brazilian police made what they thought was a breakthrough in an investigation into a string of carjackings. The key evidence was a baseball cap bearing what police believed was the suspect’s name: Harley Davidson.

Sergeant Cunha, chief of police in the town Guapo in central Brazil, appeared on a television news station Goiania with an appeal to the public for help in finding a Mr. Harley Davidson after investigators found a black Harley-Davidson baseball cap and a gray T-shirt linked to the suspect.

“He left a grey T-shirt which he had used to cover his face, and also a baseball cap with a skull embroidered on it, along with the name Harley, and the citizen’s surname, Davidson, who is probably the miscreant we’re looking for,” Cunha told Goiania (as translated by the Daily Mail.) Continue Reading »

The Royal Malaysian Police has upgraded its motorcycle patrol squad with a fleet of police-spec 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 250 sportbikes.

The law agency’s Unit Rondaan Bermotosikal (Malaysian for motorcycling patrol unit) will receive 1000 units of the Ninja 250 which received a substantial update for 2013. Essentially, it’s the same as the Kawasaki Ninja 300 with ABS and fuel injection but with a 249cc engine.

The URB will use the Kawasaki Ninjas to patrol different hotspots around the country. The URB received an initial batch of 560 Ninjas from a total 1000 on order, and had a parade to celebrate the new fleet a few weeks ago (video below). Continue Reading »

Earlier, we looked back at some of the most notable motorcycle news stories of 2012, ten tales that helped define the motorcycle industry this past year.

It’s probably safe to say that none of the items in this top ten list will do that. This is a compilation of some of the strangest, dumbest, and funniest oddball stories we’ve seen this year.

Here’s to a great 2012. We can only hope 2013 will be just as entertaining.

Accidents happen. All motorcyclists should be well aware of that. I’m certainly no exception. And with the high risk of serious injury motorcyclists face, it feels a little bad finding enjoyment in another rider taking a spill. But every now and then, someone has an accident so spectacular, you just have to step back and marvel at it. This is one of them.

A contributor to French motorcycle publication Moto-Journal thought it’d be a good idea to take a 2013 Yamaha FJR1300 to a pier for a photoshoot. The beautiful vistas, tall rising sails and a multitude of interesting background objects make for a good setting for motorcycle photography.

It was one of those interesting background objects that proved to be this motojournalist’s downfall, as he misjudges the width of the FJR1300′s panniers. The case strikes a bollard, ripping the bag from the motorcycle. The sudden impact surprises the rider and he promptly veers right off the pier. Continue Reading »

We had a treat last month at the AMA Pro Flat Track season finale, joining the packed grandstands in Pomona, California, for some thrilling dirt-track racing you can read about here. The action on the half-mile dirt oval was intense, with Kenny Coolbeth taking the checkers, but it was Jared Mees who won the championship after his eighth-place finish.

While most of the tracks in the series are on simple ovals, there are two TT circuits on the schedule. The TTs are raced on motocross-based machines on a track that includes a jump and a right turn that adds a literal added dimension to dirt-track competition. Seen below is an excellent video from this year’s Peoria TT round in Illinois, the longest running dirt-track race in the world. Continue Reading »