#streetfighter

The KTM 1290 Super Duke R is getting a new EVO variant for 2022, adding semi-active suspension to what was already a very potent package.

Barreling down the back straight at triple digit speeds on the 2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS feels surprisingly comfortable. It could be the reminiscent nostalgic comfort in having owned two of this machine’s predecessors – one of which, the Speed Triple 955i, was my first street bike. Or perhaps it’s the fact the Speed Triple has always been an upright street bike first with its performance refined and enhanced over the decades (nearly three, at this point). Or maybe still, it’s the high-level componentry working in harmony with the 2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS keeping the chassis composed as I’m hard on the brakes, trailing off as I dip into the second gear left-hander.

KTM is taking its flagship naked bike to the next level with a limited edition 2021 1290 Super Duke RR. KTM will produce only 500 units of the Super Duke RR, but haven’t confirmed whether it will be offered in North America.

It says something when the biggest talking point about an updated motorcycle is the electronics package, but that’s exactly where we’ll begin as today MV Agusta has announced its updated Brutale and Dragster lineup for 2021.

The OG naked/ hooligan/streetfighter has received a ground up redesign for the 2021 model year. Triumph tells us it has left no stone unturned with every single component new from tip to top. From the chassis to the new 1160 cc Triple, the latest Speed Triple RS is said to be the, “Fastest accelerating, most powerful, highest torque Speed Triple ever with a hair-raising new sound.”  

The good news is Aprilia has given the 2021 RSV4 and Tuono some major updates. The bad news is these two photos are all we currently have of the two bikes.

The naked bike wars have gotten a little spicier today, as BMW announced the all-new S 1000 R – a complete redesign from the previous model. The changes are many, but some might call it a retuned version of the S 1000 RR sportbike. Not that that’s a bad thing. So, let’s get right into it.

A couple of weeks ago, Harley-Davidson provided an update on its Rewire strategy, including a commitment to releasing the Pan America 1250 adventure tourer in 2021. Harley-Davidson did not, however, provide the same vote of confidence to the Harley-Davidson Bronx, leaving the fate of the streetfighter unclear.

On Wednesday, March 25 at 10:30 am PST (1:30 pm EST), Ducati will be live-streaming a presentation about the new Streetfighter V4, straight from the designers, engineers, technicians, test riders, and everybody else involved with making it come to life.

A couple of weeks ago, you had the opportunity to read the book. Now, thanks to the tubes of the internet, you can see what the introduction of the 2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R looked like in all its HD glory. See the day start in pea soup fog before moving to scenic coastal highways. Later, watch the SDR handle the challenges of the Portimao circuit. Finally, watch Evans tie it all together in the end-of-day briefing in front of a picturesque backdrop. There’s even some talk about this being the film to beat in next year’s Oscar race.

The KTM 1290 Super Duke R has always been a sledgehammer of a motorcycle. While the blunt instrument approach to producing power has its fans, there is something to be said about using a little finesse when dishing out a gut punch. With the development of the 2020 model, which KTM has dubbed “The Beast 3.0,” the focus was on refining the techniques the Super Duke R uses as it brutalizes the laws of physics. And I think that it will produce even bigger smiles on the hearty souls who choose this mount to beat their local tarmac into submission.

It’s safe to say the collective motorcycling world gasped when they first caught a glimpse of the 2019 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro. We sure did. Boasting 208 horses (212 hp with a pipe!) and some drop-dead gorgeous styling, MV threw a grenade on the streetfighter category a year before Ducati officially unveiled the new Streetfighter V4. And let’s not forget, the Brutale Serie Oro put wings on a naked bike before that other Italian brand, too. But the Serie Oro was limited to just 300 units, all of which were snapped up quickly. Thankfully, like it did with the Superveloce 800, much of the Brutale 1000 Serie Oro is trickling down to its mass-produced sibling, the Brutale 1000 RR.

The hot news coming from the Aprilia camp at EICMA 2019 was clearly the official debut of the RS 660. Aprilia’s middleweight Twin is sure to be a firecracker, but much like the RSV4 also gave us the brilliant Tuono V4, Aprilia has wasted no time teasing the world with this baby Tuono powered by, you guessed it, the RS 660 Twin. Officially Aprilia is calling this a concept bike, but let’s be real – it’s coming here sooner or later.

Harley-Davidson announced the Pan America adventure bike and Bronx streetfighter are nearing production, both powered by the company’s new Revolution Max engine. The Pan America 1250 and Bronx 975 will be arriving in late 2020 as 2021 models.

Today, surprising no one, Ducati unveiled the Streetfighter V4 and Streetfighter V4 S naked hyperbikes. Still, it’s good to finally get a gander at the latest winged V4 beast that will be gracing showrooms in model year 2020. We’ve known the general scope of the Streetfighter for a while – a Panigale V4 shorn of bodywork – but now that we get an official look at it, it seems like much more.