Dakar organizers decided in June that professional riders will be limited to 450cc motorcycles from 2011. The organizers hope this move will make Aprilia, BMW and the Japanese manufacturers more competitive, but KTM might have a thing to say about that. The Austrian company gives us a sneak preview about their new 450cc machine, which is being tested in the company’s private test track in the Pyrenees mountains. Behind the handlebars: Cyril Despres three-time Dakar winner. Read the full article »

Moto Guzzi’s parent company, Piaggio told investors that the new strategic plan includes a „full renewal of the range of engines and products for the Moto Guzzi brand.” This means the age of overweight, under performing bikes has come to an end. The press release says, “On the European market, the Plan aims to consolidate the Group’s leadership in scooters and boost motorcycle market shares for the Aprilia and Moto Guzzi brands. New engines will be developed for Aprilia, accompanied by a full renewal of the range of engines and products for the Moto Guzzi brand.” The Italians also announced that they will expand their manufacturing facilities in India and Vietnam. Read the full article »

After seeing the Agni Z2 and the Citroen Survolt take to the track, here’s another bikes vs. cars comparison video. The BMW S1000 RR is without doubt one of the biggest hit in the supersport category in 2010, while the GT-R even managed to compete on equal terms with Porsche of late. We already know how well the Bimmer against its Japanese and Italian two-wheeler rivals performs, but what about cars? The guys at Bike Channel thought the Nissan GT-R could be a proper rival at Brands Hatch race track. Who do you think came out top? Read the full article »

Triumph will reveal shortly an updated version of its long running Speed Triple model. The manufacturer filed new documents with the California Air Resource’s Board (CARB) to certify the new bike emissions and weights. This document reveals a significant change to the models emissions. The 2011 Speed Triple will feature a 1050cc engine – the same as its predecessor, however the new model has more fuel going into the engine, meaning it has been fine tuned for more performance. Read the full article »

Reliable source close to Suzuki have leaked an artist rendering of what the rumoured all-new 2011 GSX-R 600 and possibly the GSX-R 750 might look like. The Japanese company didn’t confirm when the new GSX-R will be available. The current GSX-R 600/750 was last updated in 2008 so it’s no surprise that the two models will get only minor updates. The biggest changes are the four new air intakes stacked to the sides of the slimmer headlamp. Mechanically, we expect a small weight reduction and an equally small increase of power. We'll have the full details on the new models from Intermot '10 in Germany. Read the full article »

Iconic British brand MINI unveils its exciting MINI Scooter E Concept today in London. The MINI Scooter E Concept comes almost ten years to the day since the new MINI was first shown at the Paris Motor Show. There are a total of three interpretations of the MINI Scooter E Concept conceived by Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design: two of which will be shown at the Paris Motor Show next week, while the third concept, inspired by the swinging sixties, the hey day of classic Mini is being shown exclusively in London. Read the full article »

The Japanese manufacturer has released a single official illustration of the new GSR 750, a stylish naked middleweight bike that will make its debut in just three weeks. The new model will use a slightly detuned version of the company’s GSX-R 750’s engine. Besides the detuned engine, the bike will miss out the GSX-R 750’s radial-mount brake calipers, and most of the chassis will probably be pared back to meet lower price point. The bodywork and tank design is largely angular, providing the bike an agressive image. Read the full article »

Electric racecar faced electric superbike for the very first time as Citroën’s striking Survolt concept and an Agni Z2 went head-to-head at Thruxton race circuit. In the capable hands of two professional female racers – Vanina Ickx and Jenny Tinmouth – car and bike battled it out to test speed, agility and performance in the all-electric shoot-out of four wheels against two. Piloting Survolt was Vanina Ickx – Le Mans Series and Touring Car racing driver and daughter of Formula One driver, Jacky Ickx. Riding the Agni Z2 was Jenny Tinmouth, the fastest woman around the Isle of Man TT course and championship leader in the 2010 TTXGP. Read the full article »

Daimler AG has released the first official photos and technical details of the Smart electric scooter which will be unveiled at the 2010 Paris Auto Show next week. The Smart escooter is addressing customers living in big cities who are looking for a practical, unconventional way of transport. For those who might be concerned about safety issues, the Smart escooter is offered with pioneering features like an airbag, ABS and Blind Spot Assist. Read the full article »

Kawasaki’s new Z750R has a lot of good things going for it. The „R” version has some design tweaks, new fully adjustable forks and a revised rear shock. But you don’t need to know any of this to start your $/€, all you need is the official video. Kawasaki says of the bike “The Z750R is an impressive package. It has been designed to take the handling, braking and overall specification of the hugely popular Z750 to a totally new level, justifying the exclusive R status of our new mid-weight naked contender for the coming year,” Read the full article »