Motorcycles

KTM’s RC390 has always flown under the radar, being overshadowed by the company’s larger and brutal naked sports bikes. But it still remains KTM’s biggest-capacity faired sports bike. Not that it should be seen as anything other than a brilliant motorcycle in its own right, with 44bhp in a featherweight chassis. New Euro5 emissions regulations mean that the new model is unlikely to have more power but, crucially, won’t have lost any, either.

Valentino Rossi has announced that the 2021 season will be his last as a rider in the MotoGP world championship. It wasn’t an unexpected announcement, even though there were rumours that he would carry on in 2022 with his VR46 Aramco Ducati team. Now we know that this will not happen and we have the few remaining races of the 2021 season to enjoy watching him in action in the heat of competition.

Back in the 1970s, Italdesign of Italy designed the VW Golf and the Lotus Esprit. Ducati then asked them to design a new model, to be called the 860GT. When it arrived, it had none of the rounded beauty of previous Ducatis and was squarer than a matchbox. Time has softened the design and Italdesign has resurrected it for an electric bike concept, dubbed the 860-E. it’s not clear whether Ducati commissioned the concept but could it point to an electric future for the brand?

A really cool re-imagining of the Yamaha XT660 trail bike into a flat tracker by French company Motorieep. Keeping the chassis and motor virtually stock, the suspension has been fully upgraded and changed to a twin-shock set-up at the rear, as have the brakes. Bodywork and exhaust are custom made and the bike has shed a huge 94 lbs of excess weight. Not only is it very cool, you’re not likely to see too many on the road.

Yamaha’s latest corporate strategy document shows that the Japanese company aims to be carbon neutral by 2050. However, it also projects that only 20% of its motorcycles will be electric by 2035, the deadline for banning of sales of ICE-powered vehicles in many countries. Yamaha’s vision of future personal urban mobility might not be what the consumer is envisioning.

Anything with Steve McQueen’s name attached to it will always add a couple of zeros to the asking price. That’s understandable when it’s a rare and desirable motorcycle or car, but when it’s a moped, aren’t we all going a bit mad? This 1970 Solex was used by McQueen on the set of the movie ’Le Mans’ and is now up for auction with an estimated price of $40-50,000. Would you be tempted?

The Yamaha T7 Tenere was a new direction in adventure bikes when it was launched. Missing the extreme size and weight of other large adventure bikes, it was also refreshingly simple. Not the obvious basis for a customisation project, Deus of Australia obviously thought otherwise and came up with this brilliant homage to Paris-Dakar racers of the late 1970s/early 1980s.

Electric motors are getting better all the time and this new development from Energica promises more power, lighter weight and greater range. It will be fitted on all new Energicas from now on.

The Indian Scout has proved itself to be a favourite of customisers around the world. None have been quite so successful as this pair from French Indian dealership Indian Motorcycles Metz. Two distinct influences have shaped them and they are both beautiful examples of the custom builders’ art.

Yamaha bills its Tricity 300 as an all-new model that accommodates a wide range of riders, including those who are clawing their way through the tiered-license nightmare found in places like GB and the EU. In the Tricity, find comfort in the stability inherent in three-wheel rides while retaining that feeling of flight we get when we lean into a corner. Best of all, the cleaner engine meets Euro-5 emissions requirements and turns out a top speed that should accommodate travel on any and all public roads, plus it can be driven with a full B car license.

Aprilia has finally revealed its Tuareg 660 adventure bike. 660cc, 80bhp, 51.5 lb ft and 187kgs puts it directly head-to-head with Yamaha’s Tenere 700 although the electronics are more sophisticated and extensive. No word on price or when it will be available in the showrooms, but the Italian/Japanese battle has been joined.

The BMW G/S was born out of success in the Paris-Dakar rally of the early 1980s. It has since gone on to be the best-selling adventure bike around the world. When the RnineT was launched in 2014, it was seen as a blank canvas for custom builders around the world and many have been turned into replicas of those early Paris-Dakar racers. None quite so well as this one, however.

It’s the ultimate shoot-out; which is faster in a drag race - the fastest production motorcycle in the world or a Formula One car. But wait, let’s spice things up a bit. Let’s add in an F16 Jet Fighter, a Challenger 605 Private Jet, an Aston Martin Vantage, a Lotus Evora GT430 and a Tesla Model S P100DL. Now, we’ll admit that is some pretty stiff competition, so how does the bike fare against the planes and the cars?

Star of Top Gear and The Grand Tour, Richard Hammond is auctioning off some of his collection of bikes and cars to help fund a new classic car restoration business, an undertaking that will be the subject of a new Disney/Discovery TV series, called The Smallest Cog. But does he really need the money?

Honda believes it is responsible for the safety of all its drivers and riders and is introducing new tech that will prevent collisions between cars and bikes. The Japanese company wants it to be fitted to all its new models by 2050, which might be possible in developed countries but raises questions about emerging countries where a vast majority of its products are sold. As many of these are in the budget range, is it viable to fit expensive tech to them?

The motorcycling world is going electric whether you like it or not and the latest manufacturer to jump on the bandwagon is Swedish brand Husqvarna, now part of the KTM group. In effect, the E-Pilen is a Svartpilen with an electric motor in place of the petrol engine. Swappable battery technology is no surprise, given KTM’s partnership with Piaggio, Honda and Yamaha in developing such tech. You can’t buy it yet, but it won’t be long!

There is an argument that says only a custom bike that has been built by yourself and not bought from a dedicated custom shop is a true custom bike. But that argument criticises anyone who hasn’t the skills, time or space to build a custom bike. It also criticises many businesses that have been built up through either supplying off-the-shelf parts or complete bikes to customers who want to pay rather than getting their hands dirty.

Husqvarna showed the concept Norden 901 at the EICMA show back in 2019. Since then, nothing much has been heard of it, until now. The first in a series of videos introducing the bike before an imminent launch has been released on Husqvarna’s website and its Youtube channel. It doesn’t show the bike, but talks to the two designers responsible for taking the bike from concept to production-ready.

BMW extends the R18 line-up with two full touring models: the R18 B and the R18 Transcontinental. Featuring the same mechanicals and chassis as the R18 but with vast fairings and hard luggage - saddlebags on the R18 B and saddlebags and a top box on the R18 Transcontinental. Available in BMW Motorrad dealers from August.

Recent spy shots show what could be a new KTM Duke 990 to boost power in the face of new Euro5b emission controls. Could it also form the basis of a new range of middleweight bikes from the Austrian manufacturer?

So, you think your wheelies are pretty good? Or your stoppies? Well, think again. Arttu Stenberg is from Finland and can make his KTM 450 EXC dance. In this video, he shows off some of his chops and also shows us how to go through a rear tyre in no time at all.

Are you a beginner rider or have you had a break from riding for a while? There are lots of things you can do to make your riding safer and more enjoyable, from simply practicing riding to taking part in a track day or some off-road training. The important thing is to not think you know it all and be prepared to learn. Hopefully this list will help you.