As we reported last month, Honda is introducing a new bagger version of the Rebel 1100. The 2023 Honda Rebel 1100T adds a fork-mounted fairing and color-matched hard panniers. For the U.S., the bagger model will only be offered with DCT, while some markets may offer a manual transmission option.

Ducati revealed its new “Next-Gen” 803cc Scrambler lineup, featuring new styling, a new ride-by-wire throttle, a 4.3-inch TFT display, and an updated chassis. For 2023, Ducati will offer three 803cc Scramblers: the Icon, the Full Throttle, and the Nightshift. The 1100 Scrambler range will also return, unchanged, with three models: the Scrambler 1100 Dark Pro, Tribute Pro, and Sport Pro.

It seems like all the splash lately has been about the ADV category and all the wonderful things they can do and destinations they can reach. We’re not going to deny adventure bikes their time in the sun, either. They’re definitely fun and capable bikes worthy of all the bandwagoning.

Triumph has announced a shakeup to its ever-popular Street Triple range today, introducing not one, but three evolutions to the family, creating what it says is “the most powerful Street Triple range ever.” Building off the success it has forged by being the sole engine supplier for the Moto2 racing category, Triumph now introduces the Street Triple R, Street Triple RS, and the Street Triple 765 Moto2 Edition – the latter of which will be relegated to just 765 units worldwide.

Yamaha Motor Europe announced updates to the Ténéré 700, giving the middleweight ADV bike a TFT display, smartphone connectivity, a new ABS mode and other small updates. As of this writing, the 2023 Ténéré 700 has not been announced for the U.S., though we expect to receive official news soon. The Ténéré 700 Rally Edition variant offered in Europe (pictured below with the Heritage White livery) also received the same updates, but we don’t expect that it will be offered on these shores.

Someone’s not done bitchin’ in the kitchen ’bout Dyna; when H-D dropped the twin-shock classic after 2017, there was more than a little wailing and gnashing of gears. The first Dyna rolled out in 1991 in the form of the FXDB Sturgis, which I think is the one I rode to Sturgis. Ten years ago, Pete and Fonzie rode the FXDC Super Glide. If you want one, expect to pay about the same $12,999 you would’ve in 2012. Which feels like a million years ago.

Ducati announced a brand new Diavel V4, replacing the previous 1,262cc V-Twin model with one powered by its 1,158cc V4 Granturismo engine.

Ever since we first uncovered evidence of a YZF-R7 based on the MT-07, people started to ask when Yamaha would do the same to the MT-09 and release an YZF-R9 sportbike using the same 890cc Crossplane Triple. The questions picked up a few months later when we dug up trademark filings for a whole range of model names from an R2 to an R9.

KTM announced updates for its RC 8C sportbike, including a reworked, more powerful engine, a new exhaust, updated electronics, and the latest WP suspension. Produced once more with the help of Krämer Motorcycles, the RC 8C will have a limited run of 200 numbered units, with a suggested retail price of US$39,599.

Nobody does modern classics quite like Triumph, and today, the famed British marque is taking full advantage of its position within the modern classic space by unveiling its new, 10-bike strong limited edition Chrome collection of motorcycles. How limited? Each bike will only be available for one year.

In 1973, I was beginning to look at the streetbike magazines as well as the dirtbike ones on the magazine rack at Lyons Drug; there must’ve been 20 or 30 of them, and plenty of time to browse as there was no www, and very little hope of obtaining any motorcycle at all anytime soon. The 1973 BMW R90S was a chunk of pure unobtanium, from a planet far, far away, that knocked my striped tube socks completely off. Ian Falloon wrote an entire 128-page book about it.

When Ducati revealed the 2023 Panigale V4 R last week, we raised an eyebrow when we saw its $44,995 price tag. As we noted in our First Look article, this exceed the price cap to be eligible for World Superbike racing. According to 2022 regulations, sport production machines were capped to a price of €40k, and the previous Panigale V4 R fit snugly below that price cap. The 2023 model, however, comes in at €43,990 in Ducati’s home market, Italy. We figured another shoe had to drop.

Only three motorcycle manufacturers in the world can claim to have been in continuous production for more than 100 years, and Moto Guzzi is one of them. When it comes time to make a historic transformation to the brand, that change carries a lot of weight on its shoulders. With the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello, the manufacturer alludes – twice – to that long history in the name alone. First, the V100 honors the century of production and maintains form with past naming conventions, while the last part of the name refers to Mandello del Lario, where all Moto Guzzi motorcycles have been made since 1921. When looking at the V100 for the first time, the Moto Guzzi lineage is unmistakable. So, where’s the risk?

Did we really need the Ducati Streetfighter V4 to be even trickier and more refined than the one that won last year’s Open Nakeds Shootout with ease? The one that out-horsepowered even the mighty Kawasaki Z H2 – 177 rear-wheel horses to 163? Actually there was room for improvement, as the mighty V4 S finished third in the Track portion of that seven-bike slugfest. But hey, if it’s a track bike you want, maybe you should just go ahead and get the Panigale. Nay, the Streetfighter is the stripped-down street version, and as such we were all bowled over by not just its scintillating performance, but maybe even more by its unexpected boulevard civility. Like having your cake and riding it too.

Earlier this year, we wrote about how signs of a Pan America 975 were mistakenly mentioned in an official Harley-Davidson web page for an accessory locking fuel cap. Up until shortly after our article went live, the page listed the fuel cap as being compatible with the RA1250 (Pan America 1250) and RA1250S (Pan America 1250 Special) as well as two unannounced models: the RA975 and RA965S, which we assumed to be Pan America models powered by the 975cc version of the Revolution Max engine, like the one equipped on the Nightster.

Ten years ago, Tommy, Trizzle, and the Duke were feeling their oats as they manned about town on a trio of naked torpedoes. “When it came to forming a mental picture of riding one or the other, we also agreed the sexy Speed Triple will pick up more chicks than the Aprilia. The Tuono’s manufacturer claimed it was for  “the rider who, given the chance, would use a race bike just to go for a coffee.” Meanwhile, the MV Agusta’s combination of short wheelbase and mid-range torque keeps the Brutale’s front wheel in the air, aided by the shortest overall ratios in the first two gears. `It leaps off the line like a hot poker was stuck up its gorgeous pipes,’ raves Duke… “for those who appreciate its tight tolerances, beauty of design, historical namesake and can disregard the practicality of purchasing the other bikes, the Brutale remains an appealing and exotic Italian option.” Picking a winner was, as always, a fight to the end.

After a one week delay due to “organizational reasons,” Ducati released the fourth part of its 2023 World Première series, “This is Racing”. To the surprise of absolutely no one, the subject of the episode is the new 2023 Ducati Panigale V4 R. We knew the V4 R would represent the pinnacle of Ducati’s racing development, so we eagerly awaited the official details.

The universal truth about children is that you feed them, and they grow. So, after an extended time with the Honda CRF125F, my daughter started to look like a giant on the bike and needed to move up. A year prior, she’d tried the Kawasaki KLX140R L and found it intimidating because she couldn’t easily touch the ground when astride it. Well, adolescence took care of that issue, and along with growing, she expanded her riding skills, making her first reaction to throwing a leg over the KLX one of “Wow, it fits!” before heading off to ride in our favorite desert OHV area. 

BMW did it! It answered the calls for a naked version of its flagship sportbike! No, we don’t mean the S 1000 R, we’re talking about this – the 2023 M 1000 R. Inevitably, whenever a new sportbike is introduced, the people who have no interest in racing clamor for a streetable version with all the power, all the electronics, all the badassery, but just with handlebars. For the longest time manufacturers have responded with dumbed-down versions of said sportbikes. Often the frames, suspensions, and even the electronics will be the same (or similar), but the engines are neutered in the interest of what the OEM thinks makes for a better streetbike.

Hot off the heels of the newly updated S 1000 RR, BMW today unveiled the 2023 M 1000 RR – the basis of its racing programs all over the world. With the new M model, focus wasn’t placed on increasing power, but rather on making the most of the aerodynamics to use the existing power as efficiently as possible. As you’ll see in the full press release below, countless hours were spent in the wind tunnel and on the track to take full advantage of the aero package – and improve upon it where necessary. BMW says top speed has gone up to “189+ mph” (the legal department surely stepped in and said the actual number couldn’t be published), and so has total downforce from the wings. This helps keep the bike from doing wheelies when it really should be accelerating, so the traction control doesn’t have to work as hard. It also helps mid-corner to keep weight on the front tire for better mechanical grip through the turn.

And speaking of Japanese motorcycles with looooong shelf lives, how about the DR-Z400S? Suzuki sold the first one in 2000 as a serious enduro machine you could ride around on the street, too. And they’ll sell you one today, complete with 36mm Mikuni carburetor, for just $7,099 – which is $1750 more than 22 years ago. That nicely tracks the price of real estate. Wait, that’s not quite accurate… Take it away, Tommy Roderick:

Dear MOby,

Honda is preparing to launch new touring variant for the Rebel 1100 and Rebel 1100 DCT. The proof comes to us via vehicle emissions data from the California Air Resources Board and vehicle certification data from Switzerland.

Kawasaki is bringing back both the Ninja 650 and Z650 for 2023 with one significant update – traction control. Formerly a rider aid only for the most powerful sportbikes on the planet, the safety benefits of traction control reach far beyond trying to go quickly around a racetrack. The two-step KTRC system does not feature the exotic IMUs that flagship sportbikes use, but a more modest system. In mode 1, KTRC allows the rear tire to slip a little more and doesn’t intervene as early. It’s a sport setting designed to allow the rider maximum drive and acceleration off a corner.

Kawasaki presented an electric prototype at Intermot, providing a glimpse of what an eventual production model may look like. The EV prototype was part of a wide-ranging speech from Masaya Tsuruno, managing director of Kawasaki Motors Europe, discussing the company’s approach to reaching carbon neutrality.

I was all Pavlov dogging when I read that the KX450SR “features elite-level racing components, special tuning and design elements inspired by the Monster Energy Kawasaki race team,” only to suffer slight cotton mouth when I learned that consists of nothing more than new SHOWA suspension components front and rear. I mean, obviously great suspension is critical to motorcycles that leap 40 feet into the air, but I felt like I was led to believe there’d be more. In fact, the rest of the 2022 package was already so blinged out, there wasn’t much more Kawasaki could add. It’s even got push-button starting.

Honda officially revealed its new CB750 Hornet, a new middleweight naked claiming a class-leading power-to-weight ratio. Unfortunately, the new Hornet has only been confirmed for Europe thus far, with no indication of U.S. availability. Pricing varies from country to country, but they generally hover around US$7,800.

In celebration of 60 years of James Bond flicks, Triumph – which was featured in the 2021 hit No Time To Die – has released the ultra-limited edition Speed Triple RR Bond Edition. How limited? Only 60 units will be made, to commemorate the anniversary.

Ducati revealed a new Multistrada V4 Rally in the latest episode of its 2023 World Première web series. And while the model name hints at improved off-road capability, the V4 Rally’s feature list leans more for long distance travel and passenger comfort than tackling Dakar.

Update: Pricing for the various packages is now included below.

We’re now a couple of episodes into Ducati‘s 2023 World Première launch series, but there are still another five parts to go. Ducati has already started teasing this week’s episode, which we expect will be for a GSA-battling Multistrada V4 variant, with a new Panigale V4 R, a Diavel V4, and a next-generation Scrambler expected in the weeks ahead.

Honda‘s been teasing its new Hornet for several months now, first with a concept at EICMA, some design sketches in June, and more recently, details about its new Parallel-Twin engine. While we wait for Honda to officially reveal the the bike, we’ve managed to get further specifications for the 2023 Honda Hornet, thanks to vehicle certification data from Switzerland.

Like your Eskimos and snow, we here in California have 100 different words for sand. Regular sand. Powder sand, silt, chonky sand, fine sand, &, blowing sand, deep sand, you get the picture. The stuff’s all over the place, which makes sense as it’s a desert. So it’s nice to have a vehicle able to traverse it. Enter the SSR Sand Viper eMTN bike.

It’s been nearly two years since BMW first debuted the M 1000 RR, its first motorcycle to carry the company’s high-performance M brand. We knew it wouldn’t be the first, though, after we broke the news that BMW had trademarked the name along with “M 1000 XR” and “M 1300 GS.” What we didn’t expect was for the next M-branded motorcycle to be based on the S 1000 R.

The thing about any of the electric motorcycle companies actually taking product development seriously is that, more often than not, each new model they introduce is markedly better than any model before it. Considering the EV market is still in its early stages, you expect a marked advancement with each new model. 

I’m a big fan of scramblers that can actually Scram, ya dig? When a production scrambler has the chops and capability to do what those customized rigs did back in the good ol’ days, well, that’s the real deal. Isn’t it? Royal Enfield has based this latest machine on its highly popular Himalayan ADV bike so, in theory, the new 411 should be nearly as capable as that machine while being imbued with its own style. A tweak here, some new paint there, a smaller front wheel, viola! Welcome to the Scram 411. 

Honda announced plans for a carbon neutral future and a goal of introducing 10 or more electric motorcycles by 2025 including three mid-range models and a youth model for North America.

Following our recent Falloon File about the lovely and talented little Ducati Supermono, Commenter Bob wanted to know: “Why did Bordi use an extra connecting rod instead of the usual balance shafts? BMW had a parallel twin with a third con rod for the same reason. I would be interested in reading a technical analysis of those motors.”

Honda provided an update on the development of its new 2023 Hornet streetfighter, releasing test footage and details about its new engine.

These days, any manufacturer with pretensions to being a global player at whatever level in the marketplace has to have a dual-purpose Adventure model in its range, and MV Agusta is no exception. Italy’s most historic trophy brand – the so-called Ferrari of motorcycles, with 270 Grand Prix road racing victories and 75 World Championship titles in its locker, including 17 successive 500GP crowns – actually has a notable off-road heritage, too. Company founder Count Domenico Agusta’s dirt demons won successive Italian MX/Enduro titles in the 1950s and ’60s, as well as equipping the Italian team in ISDT events abroad. But after the Castiglioni family acquired MV 30 years ago, their focus for the brand was exclusively on the hard stuff – a focus which the company’s current owner Timur Sardarov is now in the process of changing.

Suzuki announced updates for the V-Strom 1050, as well as a new off-road oriented version for 2023. The new 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE replaces the 1050XT model, and adds new features to make it a more capable off-road machine such as a 21-inch front wheel, longer-stroke suspension, and a larger aluminum bash plate.

In a move further supporting my argument that R1s are purpose-built racebikes with lights and mirrors to make them legal on the roads, for 2023 Yamaha is introducing the R1 GYTR – an R1 prepared specifically for track duty, without any of the homologation pieces for roadworthiness (don’t worry, the standard R1 isn’t going anywhere). Yamaha similarly does the same thing with the R6, offering it for sale exclusively as a track-only model.

What’s that? You want a simple, lightweight adventure bike with LCD instruments and no cruise control that won’t break the bank? Something Japanese, with a huge dealer network so you won’t be afraid to leave the neighborhood? Well you can’t have it now, and you couldn’t have it 25 years ago either, cause I’m pretty sure Suzuki never imported the XF650 Freewind to the US did they? You can probably blame the Freemasons or whoever it was that also quashed the 200-mpg Rochester Quadrajet. But Yossef got to ride it in Europe or somewhere, and five years later the wind theme continued with the first V-Strom.

To celebrate 30 years since Aprilia won its first world championship title, Aprilia (or, more appropriately, the racing division) is introducing this, the RSV4 Xtrenta. Encompassing the same basic profile the RSV4 has carried since its birth over a decade ago, the Xtrenta is defined by the level of aerodynamic work the Noale factory has applied from its MotoGP program.

As we expected earlier this week, Ducati kicked off its 2023 World Première series with a limited edition Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini model. This marks the second tie-in between the two Volkswagen Group brands, following the Diavel Lamborghini model in 2021.

Spy photographers have snapped images of two new Suzuki prototypes powered by a new Parallel-Twin engine. The two motorcycles, an adventure bike and a naked model, appear to be the eventual successors to the V-Strom 650 and SV650, and the culmination of a long development path for Suzuki’s new middleweight twin-cylinder engine.

As we reported a few weeks ago, GasGas is releasing a new replica based on its 2022 Dakar-winning race bike. The 2023 GasGas RX 450F Replica is a limited-edition model that comes as close as you can get to Sam Sunderland’s and Daniel Sanders’ factory rally-raid bikes.

If there’s one thing KTM knows how to do, it’s how to get dirty. The company obviously has its long history of off-road competition, and victories, to its name, and that success has transferred nicely into the adventure bike market. You can even argue KTM’s adventure bikes (along with the BMW GS family) are responsible for this boom in the ADV market.

Harley-Davidson unveiled the latest member of its Icons Collection with a devilish take on the Low Rider ST. Limited to a production run of just 1,500 models, the 2022 Harley-Davidson Low Rider El Diablo introduces a custom red paint job and a factory-installed Rockford Fosgate audio system for a price of $27,999.

Ducati released a teaser image ahead of its first World Première 2023 episode, with all signs pointing to a new Lamborghini tie-in model based on the Streetfighter V4.

Looking back upon it through 20-year thick vino rosso-colored glasses, I remember really liking the 2002 Ducati 999. Probably because so many others did not; following that 916 shape was never going to be easy. But reading the old road test, the faint praise is palpable. Oh well, at least there’s a gratuitous crash pic of our new intern, Sean Alexander, on some other motorcycle. The look of Terblanche’s design has only grown on me over the years, but that could be because I haven’t seen a 999 in probably a decade. I do still have the t-shirt.

As we motored slaunchways across Utah, the late daylight stretched our shadows and cast golden hues against the tall canyon walls, further accentuating the contrast between the rust colored ancient seabeds peppered with lush green juniper and muted sage. The lavender sky over Bryce faded as we continued westward on Hwy 12. Refusing to pack a second visor for my Shoei Hornet X2, I lifted the dark smoke shield as I led our crew into the dark dense forest, keeping my line of sight just above the Ténéré’s windscreen in an attempt to protect my peepers from the onslaught of kamikaze insects. In a further showing of stubbornity, I refused to roll back off the throttle while the only bit of light left – aside from what the Ténéré’s quite ample quad headlight offered – was a thick crimson band at the horizon, the bottom punctured by spire-like tree tops.

Hey! I got to ride one of those once. My old 608cc Yamaha SRX-6 singles racer was built not quite to the hilt and made 52 horsepower. The Ducati Supermono made more like 70 hp from 502cc, and was about a 3/4-scale model of the Yamaha. 

Back in May 2021, MO’s resident sleuth Dennis Chung took a dive into the rumor mill surrounding a possible mini-Africa Twin coming from Honda. Trademark filings for the name Transalp were filed in several markets around the world, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Tommyguns Roderick has left the building. Well, not like Elvis; he’s still alive and well. But he’s left the MO building. Not that we have one anymore. Ten years ago, though, TR was at Auto Club Speedway riding a pair of tasty KTM RC8 R sportbikes, which at the time were a small but interesting part of the Austrian lineup. At the time, electronic niceties like traction control and quickshifters were novelties; now they’re ubiquitous, and we’re all the safer for them. Or are we? As the great Donald Canet once observed, “rain tires simply allow you to crash at a higher rate of speed.” 

When the DesertX prototype hit the scene at EICMA in 2019, it was portrayed as a Dakar-inspired Scrambler variant – that was the initial idea anyway. As you’re likely already aware, the production DesertX is anything but. Powered by the proven 937cc Testastretta 11° Desmo engine, the 2023 Ducati Desert X has been designed from the ground up as a purpose-built adventure machine.

GasGas is preparing to launch a new model called the RX 450F Replica that we believe will be based on the machine Sam Sunderland rode to victory in the 2022 Dakar Rally.

Heaping praise upon Yamaha’s naked bikes has become all too easy lately. Yes, the MT-07 did get dethroned in last year’s Middleweight Naked comparison, but not by much – and it took brand-new motorcycles from Aprilia and Triumph to do it. When it came time for the 900cc(ish) Nakeds last August, the newly revamped MT-09 surprised a couple people by taking the cake against KTM Duke 890 and five other very nice and mostly more expensive motorcycles. Sadly, when it was time for the Open Class Nakeds shootout last November, the MT-10 got left out. We thought it was too old, and couldn’t win. Plus, we knew the 2022 Yamaha MT-10 was on its way. Possibly to save the day.

After teasing us in March, Bombardier Recreational Products officially revealed its first two Can-Am electric motorcycles, the Pulse roadster and the Origin dual-sport. Both models were presented as prototypes, meaning they are very close to what will eventually be the final product, which will enter production in the summer of 2024.

All we learn from history, goes the current cynical wisdom, is that we learn nothing from history. Then again, maybe we do? For instance, I just learned this morning that Yamaha is still stamping out the FJR1300ES 20 years after the original 2002 FJR1300 hit our shores. Well, they’re still selling them anyway. I remember FJ1100 very fondly, FJ1200 was the tool for inhaling great draughts of western landscape at ludicrous speed… all before this first liquid-cooled FJR blew our moldy sport-touring socks off. (Note Minime’s acting out by spelling three of four names wrong in only the first 2.5 lines of copy. Is there an Editor in the house?)