2011 Ducati Monster 796 announced

Ducati have now announced a new Monster – the 796 – which slots in between the 696 and the 1100. The bike weighs 167 kilos dry and packs 87 horsepower from its air-cooled V-twin. ABS is optional and the bike is priced at $10,000 in the US, £7,695 in the UK and around 9,000 euros in Europe. The Monster 796 will be in showrooms by May this year.

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2008 Yamaha R6 and R125 Shown

Lighter, more powerful, faster and more high-tech: The 2008 Yamaha R6

Yamaha have released these pics of the 2008 R6 and R125 bikes. The 2008 R6 gets a mild style makeover, new chassis and swingarm, freshly fettled 599cc engine with titanium valves, slipper clutch and better front brakes.
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With the new YZF R6, Yamaha are going all out on the performance front – they’ve increased the engine’s compression ratio from 12.8:1 to 13.1:1 and fitted their YCC-I (Yamaha Chip-Controlled Intake) system found on the 2007 R1. This system essentially comprises of a variable-length air-intake system which boosts power at higher revs. The 2008 R6 also gets remapped fuel injection for better throttle response.

2008 R6 paintjobs look good, but we're still undecided about the gold painted wheels....

The new R6's chassis gets a magnesium alloy subframe, which is supposed to improve mass centralization. Other changes are increased brake rotor thickness for better heat dissipation, and new colour schemes. The 2007 Honda CBR600RR had thrashed the Yamaha R6 in most bike magazine shootouts this year. Whether the 2008 R6 can claw its way back to the top remains to be seen...

The learner legal 2008 Yamaha YZF R125

For those who are just starting off with bikes, Yamaha have also shown the new YZF R125, which is learner legal. The bike is fitted with a liquid-cooled, four-valve, 124cc, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine, which is mated to a six-speed gearbox. Styling cues are taken from the latest R6, which is so important when there are teenaged girlfriends to impress…

This is a US-spec colour scheme for the 2008 R6...

...and this is the 2008 Yamaha XV1900 Raider, which will only be sold in the US. Read more about this bike on the Motorcycle-USA website here

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New paintjobs for the 2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.

(From left) The 2008 ZX-6R is also available in blue and black, the 2008 ER-6n goes green and the 2008 Z750 gets a black painted engine and chassisPics:

Motoblog After the 2008 ZX-10R, pictures of which we posted earlier in the day, here are the 2008 ZX-6R, ER-6n, Z750, Versys 650 and Z1000 (see below) models. Kawasaki have released these pictures, which show new colours and graphics, but other details are not yet available. We doubt if any of these bikes have got as radical a makeover as the ZX-10R, but we should know for sure in another day or three...

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Ducati Hypermotard 110 Tidings

‘supernatural’ one for Ducati to enter until recently. Ducati has neither significant off-road heritage nor engines suitable for dirt bikes, but in the last few years supermotos have become both more powerful and hardnosed, moving the class towards Ducati to the point where the hardware and its sports bike heritage began to rhyme.

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Designed by Pierre Terblanche, a concept version was shown in Milan 2005 and in response to an eager public; the Hypermotard is now a production reality. Worth mentioning is the fact that it wasn’t just the public which went bizarre, even the experts thought likewise as it bagged the ‘Best of Show’ at the same event.

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It went into production and is now a bike which ‘thrills’ you with its solid credentials. It uses Ducati’s outstanding 1,100cc air-cooled motor. A theme is carried on in the chassis which in total gives the bike a 17 kg advantage. The 90-degree V-trim power unit’s design is pure Ducati right through, as are the tubular steel trellis frame, a single-sided swingarm and high specification running gear.

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Suzuki B-King

Suzuki’s new concept bike B-King looks like it could leave every other bike way behind at the traffic lights. And I’m pretty sure it could do that, too. Imagine Suzuki GSX1300 Hayabusa with a super charger - that’s exactly what B-King engine is. There’s no exact engine data available but we know that Hayabusa gives 175 bhp and a super charger could easily add 50% more power. 240 bhp has mentioned. Holy cow!!! That’s about twice as much as what the GSX1400 engine delivers.

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GSX1400 has the same tire dimensions as Hayabusa. 120 at the front, 190 at the rear. B-King uses 150 and 240 tires! They must have created a new tire model just for B-King…

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Materials like carbon fiber, stainless steel, aluminum and leather were used building this awesome superbike. An advanced computer system is integrated to the bike. There are self-diagnosis systems, advanced telemetry, which can use a mobile phone for remote maintenance, setup options, and even a GPS-based weather warning system, in case you are heading for a rained out area, and much more. The engineers at Suzuki are supposed to design a helmet with a GPS navigation system using the visor as a display.

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US MotoGP Babes

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Moto Guzzi Norge 850

Moto Guzzi has released some limited information on the new Norge 850 touring bike. The motorcycle is very similar to the new Norge 1200 in many ways.

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The "Norge" name for both the Norge 1200 and the Norge 850 is in honor of a 4000 mile test ride from Mandello del Lario to Lapland in northern Norway that Moto Guzzi undertook with their first shaft drive swingarm design. This was a monumental enterprise, considering the disastrous condition of European roads at that time.

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But in four weeks, the destination was reached. The elastic frame of the early Moto Guzzi motorcycle with rear suspension was so successful that it was introduced in production machines and the G.T. was named "Norge" in memory of that unprecedented feat. This is why Moto Guzzi decided to name the first "Gran Turismo" of the new era the "Norge".

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The Norge 850 has the same "elegant and dynamic" design of the 1200 version, with excellent ergonomics and comfort and short wheelbase to make it competitive even in the traffic. Moto Guzzi says that both the Norge 850 and the Norge 1200 are "dynamic and responsive ... a modern Gran Turismo which makes flexibility its main strong point as it crosses city centers and boundless distances with the same ease".

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If more information becomes available, we'll post it here; in the meantime, enjoy these photos of the new Moto Guzzi Norge 850.

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Aprilia Falco SL 1000

Launched two years after Aprilia’s RSV Mille, the Falco used the same 60º V-twin engine used in the RSV range. Since not every rider wishes to ride a committed sports machine like the RSV Mille, the Falco offers a more relaxed sports-touring ride. Its 998cc engine has a lower stat of tune, producing 9kW (12bhp) less than the RSV Mille. But despite the lower power output and relaxed riding position, the Falco’s chassis is a highly specified as the RSV. Showa upside-down forks and a Schas rear shock are both fully adjustable, and the Brembo brakes are rave-spec items. In some ways, the Falco has rather fallen between the two stools of the firm’s RSV and Futura. The RSV is more suitable for track work, while the Futura is a better tourer.

About SL 1000 Falco:

Top speed: 256km/h (160mph)

Engine type: 998cc I/c 60º V-twin, eight-valve, DOHC

Maximum power: 88kW (118bhp) @ 9250rpm

Frame type: twin spar aluminium/magnesium alloy

Tyre size: front 120/70 17, rear 180/55 17

Final drive: chain

Gearbox: 6 speed

Weight: 190kg (418lb)

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