#special

With the exception of the Road Glide Limited, none of the other Road Glide and Street Glide variants have been confirmed as yet. Considering the significant updates to the 2023 CVO Road Glide and CVO Street Glide (which earned them the runner-up nod for our Motorcycle of the Year MOBOs), it’s a no-brainer to expect some of those changes to trickle down to the non-CVO models. Indeed, Harley-Davidson released a teaser image for its Jan. 24 announcement, showing three models and the tagline “The Dawn of a New Era”. Two of the models are equipped with the new Road Glide and Street Glide fairings with the integrated lighting. The image of the Road Glide has relatively basic-looking mirrors compared to the CVO Road Glide, so very likely the teaser shows the non-CVO Street Glide and Road Glide.

Earlier this year, we wrote about how signs of a Pan America 975 were mistakenly mentioned in an official Harley-Davidson web page for an accessory locking fuel cap. Up until shortly after our article went live, the page listed the fuel cap as being compatible with the RA1250 (Pan America 1250) and RA1250S (Pan America 1250 Special) as well as two unannounced models: the RA975 and RA965S, which we assumed to be Pan America models powered by the 975cc version of the Revolution Max engine, like the one equipped on the Nightster.

Last week, we broke the news confirming Harley-Davidson‘s next Sportster will be equipped with a 975cc version of the liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine, after spotting the model code “RH975” mentioned on an official Harley accessory page.

When we think of baggers, we think V-Twin engines. Yes, there are some exceptions, the BMW K1600B and the Moto Guzzi MGX-21 (with its unusual transverse V-Twin) come to mind, but aside from those outliers, baggers from all manufacturers are solidly in V-Twin land. However, with the chassis, a couple of choices exist. Do you want a fork-mounted or frame-mounted fairing? In the frame-mounted category, there is one, big-daddy model that dominates the class, the Harley-Davidson Road Glide. For 2020, the grizzled veteran has been called out by a young gun that wants to prove its mettle. The Indian Challenger clearly has its sights on the Road Glide. In a classic battle reminiscent of the Old West, these two gunslingers have stepped onto the street, and the outcome will be determined on Route 66.

For a company priding itself on racing and performance, there’s an irony in the fact that, since its introduction in 2014, the Scrambler has been Ducati’s best selling model. Eschewing performance in favor of simplicity and riding enjoyment, the Scrambler charts a different path for Ducati, and the folks in Borgo Panigale have embraced this concept wholeheartedly.

We here at MO often cite a “more is more” attitude, so perhaps we should’ve seen this coming: a new Ducati Scrambler fitted with a large 1079cc air-cooled Desmodue V-Twin that’s been retooled from the old Monster 1100. And not only is the engine bigger than the 803cc mill in the earlier Scramblers, but so is its new trellis frame, which opens up the riding position to better suit larger riders. And joining the standard version will be a Scrambler 1100 Special (“which draws its inspiration from the custom world”) and the Scrambler 1100 Sport, which is equipped with Öhlins suspension.

Piaggio has filed a trademark application for a new logo, suggesting a new line of Moto Guzzi V7 models is on the way. The trademark application, filed July 20 with the European Union Intellectual Property Office suggests Moto Guzzi is preparing a V7 III lineup, which we’ll likely see announced this fall at either Intermot or EICMA.