Motorcycles

Teaser videos are becoming all the rage and Honda is the latest manufacturer to introduce us to its latest model, the 2022 Africa Twin adventure bike. It’s short on details but big on inspiration.

New electric motorcycle from Finland features radical hubless rear wheel with electromagnets providing forward propulsion. With no chain, belt or gearbox to sap power, it is extremely efficient.

Honda is rumoured to be ready to launch an updated CBR1000RR-R Fireblade to chase World Superbike Championship glory after the current model has failed to do just that.

The sound a Harley Davidson engine produces is one that can be traced right back to the very beginning of the company. Fondly referred to as ’potato-potato’, this video shows how little the sound has changed from the very first F-Head right through to the Milwaukee Eight of the present day.

It’s one of those phrases that people throw out into conversations - ’Oh, yeah, the Yamaha R1: it’s got a cross-plane engine’ - and you just know they have no idea what that means. So, what does it mean?

Husqvarna has been open about the existence of the electric E-Pilen but this is the first time it has been seen in the flesh.

New transverse v-twin-engined semi-faired sport bike from the famed Italian manufacturer. Liquid cooling, shaft drive through single-sided swing arm, electrically adjusted screen and aero flaps in fairing. No word on ultimate specifications yet.

Triumph has officially revealed the brand new Speed Triple RR, the semi-faired version of the Speed Triple RS. New look, new semi-active Ohlins suspension, new riding position to turn it into the ultimate sports road bike.

Aprilia takes the RS660, removes a bit of the bodywork and relaxes the riding position to create the semi-naked Tuono 660. A little less power but revised gearing to make it feel just as fast, electronics normally only seen on larger bikes and a dynamic chassis make a convincing argument. The only blot on the landscape is the price.

Kawasaki’s Vulcan 1700 line is well established with the Vaquero and the Voyager — a bagger and full dresser, respectively — both come with ABS and, as the name suggests, the 1700 cc engine in the V-twin configuration with liquid cooling and a six-speed transmission. Ready for a cruise around town or hitting the open road, the Vulcan 1700s are well fitted and all-around solid.

Indian Motorcycle’s famous “Chief” branding first saw light of day way back in 1921, so the factory put together an all-new, 100-year-anniversary model Chief to mark the occasion. A post-war panache joins classic-custom chops and contemporary technology to complete the antique-looking package and ensure modern performance parameters. Indian powers this platform with its powerful Thunder Stroke 111 engine.

Harley-Davidson updated its sharknosed Road Glide in 2017 and replaced the little-loved Twin Cam engine with its new Milwaukee-Eight powerplant, a combination that persists into model-year 2021. There were a handful of aesthetic adjustments made over that span, but the model remains pretty much as it was when it hit the showroom floors in MY17. On the current-year model, top-shelf infotainment capabilities join with a plush suspension system and premium paint packages to deliver the comfort and style H-D riders expect, and the Mil-8 107 engine turns out the torque that we demand.

Indian Motorcycle rolled into MY2020 with an all-new model family – the Challenger – that comes complete with a new look, powerful 122-horsepower PowerPlus engine and improved safety equipment to keep America’s oldest bike builder competitive against challengers domestic and abroad. The inaugural year sees a trio of packages ready for public consumption, but it’s the sinister, boulevard-bruiser blackout Dark Horse version we’re going to look at today. Like the rest of the Dark Horse category, it makes a visceral connection to the custom-life underbelly of American motorcycling and brings a showroom-custom vibe to the new Challenger line.

By the early 1970’s the writing was on the wall for the British Motorcycle Industry. Just three names remained: Triumph, BSA and Norton and they were all owned by the same umbrella company. It was a large and unwieldy conglomerate, with too many factories. When Meriden, the traditional home of Triumph, was threatened with closure and all production moved to the BSA factory at Small Heath, the Triumph workers held a two-year sit-in, before forming a cooperative to continue production of the Bonneville.

No doubt about it, Indian Motorcycle entered a new chapter with its all-new Challenger line and PowerPlus engine, and so far, the toppest-shelfest example of that combination is the Challenger Limited. It has that custom bagger style that Americans like so much along with a host of electronic goodies that improve safety and comfort over the long haul. Of course, the 120-plus pound-feet of torque it brings to the table doesn’t hurt at all, neither does all the historical Easter eggs the factory scattered about to tie into its own storied history.

Based on the success of its Chieftain Dark Horse, Indian Motorcycle expanded its Dark Horse lineup in 2020 with the new Roadmaster Dark Horse. It brings blackout treatment to the table along with Indian’s newest technological treats. Touring amenities and comfort features join with the Ride Command electronics and 200-Watt sound system for your riding enjoyment. If you’re into power, then the Roadmaster Dark Horse has you covered with Indian’s Thunder Stroke 116 engine that churns out over 120 pound-feet of grunt.

Kawasaki delivered the 2015 Concours 14 ABS with a whole slew of improvements over the prior year — some cosmetic and some for performance — and carried that over to 2021. At the core, the Kawasaki kept the 1,352 cc engine derived from the Ninja® ZX™-14R in a chassis tuned for touring. The sportbike DNA is quite evident in the overall styling, so whether you love it or hate it, you don’t ignore the Concours 14 ABS.