Motorcycles

When the Brits’ launched the Tiger 900 recently with more power, aggressive modern styling, brilliant standard specs, and new state-of-the-art riding enhancements, it was the big brother 1200’s stars to shine next.

But Triumph decided to have a swansong attempt instead and has added some fancy trinkets to make their mid-range 1200 XCx and XRx posher and special. It’ll include new paint jobs inspired by the world’s more arid climates and locations, and some fancy equipment that takes the functionality quotient of the already capable machines to new levels.

MV Agusta built the Rush 1000 with a single purpose in mind: drag strip domination. The factory took its 200-plus horsepower Brutale engine and mounted it in a bike that, in true dragster tradition, carries only what is needed to function. No weight is wasted on superfluous equipment or body panels to convert as many of those ponies as possible into brute acceleration. Those weight-savings measures extend to the engine and include the use of titanium to reduce the reciprocating mass of the mill and deliver faster revs. The electronics suite is all about that drag-tastic life to deliver the safety and control you’ll need to manage the power and keep the thing rubber-side down.

As part of its brand new “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” growth plan through 2022, HD made inroads with the LiveWire electric streetfighter. It is the first in a broad, no-clutch “twist and go” portfolio of products that will put the company right in the center of the electric race.

A run through their US website today gave us a glimpse of the Milwaukee brand’s flat-track-inspired electric motorbike concept sketched out. This street-tracker is said to be developed to bridge the gap between the “lightweight urban” bike concepts showcased at the 2019 EICMA and the premium, high-power, halo model-the LiveWire.

We here love the laid-back reclined riding styles that make covering vast expanses of arrow-straight asphalts a pleasure. Being the closest thing to flying without leaving the ground, Cruisers have been the incarnation of the ‘30s to ‘60s American lifestyles. Large motors with plenty of low-end torque, forward set footpeg position define any modern-day cruisers.

Here is our list of new cruiser motorcycles under $10,000 for you and me to buy in 2020 that gets us to cruise, be at one with our bike, taking in the sights and the scents, fresh air washing over, and supposedly cleansing the soul. All this, without breaking our bank.

For 20 many years, Indiana based Tuscany Motor Company would often give us enthusiasts Harley-Davidson special limited-edition trucks based out of Ford’s most famous pickup, the F-150. Ford never had a factory kit directly, but Tuscany customized these cosmetic packages under the direction of the Milwaukee firm, reflecting notable and iconic features of a cruiser almost every year.

For 2020, Tuscany has shed the Ford badge to a brand new GMC Sierra and have launched the Harley-Davidson GMC Sierra Truck, with the Fat Boy being the inspiration for this build. The limited run of 250 examples will include over 65 proprietary components designed alongside Harley-Davidson to uplift the vibe and the character of the already striking Sierra truck.

Newly revised in 2018, the Monster 821 from Ducati benefits from some trickle-down engineering from its big brother, the Monster 1200, and a host of new design touches all its own. A new tank, tail section, headlight and muffler gives it an all-new variation on the classic Monster look with due consideration for the original Monster 900. Duc’s Testastretta L-twin powerplant serves up streetfighter performance with 109 horsepower tucked away in the stable and a host of safety systems to aid the rider in keeping it all under control. Not an entry-level ride by any stretch of the imagination, the Monster 821 does offer an experienced rider a mercurial platform that can shift personalities at the touch of a button for a wide range of conditions and skill levels.

Many of the major players offer a pure-D racetrack hypersport for the public’s consumption, and for Kawasaki, that honor falls to the freshly updated Ninja H2 R. The H2 R brings to the table the best Kawi has to offer along with top-flight aerodynamics and a supercharged engine on top of a full electronics suite making it a threat on the track right out of the box. That’s about the only place it’s a threat though, since the H2 R is far too awesome to be street legal, and as a track-only bike, it wastes not an ounce on any silly old mirrors, headlights, or turn signals. Carbon-fiber components complete the package with their own brand of lightweight strength.

It’s finally coming. Leaked information and pictures from a special event hosted by Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali gave us the first glimpses of the Panigale V4 Superleggera. And the specs are going to blow your mind.

What goes into moving a particular motorcycle into the “Historically Significant” category? That depends upon whom you ask, of course. What their priorities are, how far back in history they are interested in delving and even upon which surfaces the bikes are built to travel. Verily I say unto thee; the possibilities are legion. With that in mind, I want to tackle that question myself today, but first I will qualify what it means to me for the purpose of this article. Some will be mechanical marvels of their time, and some will be rather mundane yet have astronomical sales figures as an indicator of consumer popularity. I’m going to stick to street/road bikes and exclude off-road machines, plus I’m going to leave scooters alone as well ’cause they have their own history and deserve to be looked at as a major branch on the two wheeled-tree unto itself. As far as how deep I’m willing to go into the annals of history, I’m going to say “all the way.” Let’s get to it.

Reminiscence of the Supermarine Spitfire, a British fighter aircraft from the times of World War II, the CCM Spitfire is the brainchild of a specialist division within the shackles of CCM called ‘the SkunkwerX team’. Launched first in 2017, all 150 of them were sold in the first week itself. The Bobber variant that came in 2018 had a butch floating leather seat to represent the Americas in the 30s’, and it too was a steal.

For 2020, CCM has decided to go all black, and have released Stealth editions of the Spitfire models, including this Bobber craving for constant attention. The bike was built with a custom hand-built chassis setup and a bespoke tank, which now comes in a murkier appeal, courtesy the dark paint job and rims. Chassis components also see an upgrade for the Stealth model.

Italian marque MV Agusta throws its hat into the retro-tastic ring in 2020 with its Neo-Classic Racer model, the Superveloce 800. Clearly a modern machine, the factory managed to incorporate the flavor of the old café racers to deliver an interesting blend indeed. A high-compression triple delivers 148 horsepower with an electronics suite that gives the machine multiple personalities to match your own attitude and skillset. Make no mistake, this is a racebike through and through, but one built for the road rather than the racetrack, just like the original café racer bikes.

Unveiling the brand’s FTR1200 street tracker back in 2018, Indian begun the onslaught of looking elsewhere for their inspirations other than just making vintage charmers and majestic cruising machines. Writers have been poetic on the FTR’s performance capabilities and how beautifully different it looks with the aggressive stance, and just about everything else.

From an optional “rally” package, which came along with that 1200 FTR, Indian deemed fit to unveil a product on its own for 2020. This RALLY is a grownup FTR 1200 developed for both everyday ride comfort, as well as, to muck up some dirt. It does all of it while rolling with an authentic retro styling, modern performance, responsive handling, and upright ergonomics.

P.S. This FTR RALLY is only for India’s European, Middle East, and the Asian markets.