The Ninja 1000 has been a great sport tourer ever since it appeared on scene in 2011. In recent years, though, it’s been let down by a lack of what are now considered sport-touring must-have amenities. Not anymore. The price is right too, Bob. This one will be a great do-everything motorcycle for a lot of enlightened people.

Honda‘s entry-level Rebel cruisers are getting updates for 2020, including a new assist-and-slipper clutch, updated suspension and LED lighting. Both 500 and 300 versions of the Rebel are getting the same updates, while Honda is also introducing an S version of the Rebel 500 for Europe which comes standard with several factory-fitted accessories.

The Yamaha TMax is getitng a displacement bump up to 560cc, and a new Tech Max variant. Unfortunately, the new TMax does not appear to be coming to the U.S., which isn’t entirely as surprise as it has only made sporadic appearances here since it first debuted in 2001. In Europe, however, the TMax has been immensely popular, with Yamaha selling more than 275,000 units in total.

Yamaha unveiled an updated Tracer 700, giving the MT-07-based sport-tourer a new look, improved suspension and Euro 5 compliance. Like the previous version, unfortunately, it does not appear that the 2020 Yamaha Tracer 700 will be offered in the U.S.

Not every model needs a complete makeover every year, and today, Yamaha released the information about its 2020 carryover models. Here, you’ll find three classes of motorcycles. First, the Touring models of adventure and sport persuasions. Then we get Yamaha’s Hypernakeds. Finally, the Sports Heritage models for you Faster Sons (and Daughters) out there. 

Before there was S1000RR or R, before anyone thought BMW would ever compete in World Superbike, before the six-cylinders and at the dawn of ESA and a thousand other acronyms, there was this 560-pound beast. From Flying Brick to HP4 trick, this powerful sport-tourer bridged the gap. Cue Ride of the Valkyries. Amen. 

How do you make a sportbike go faster? Just add another R to it’s name.

Aprilia confirmed it will present the RS 660 at EICMA, releasing an image of the sportbike cloaked in shadow over its social media channels. The production model 2020 Aprilia RS 660 has the potential to shake up the moribund supersport class that in recent years has consisted mostly of small updates like the Kawasaki ZX-6R and limited edition models like the Triumph Daytona 765.

What exactly the hell is the meaning of this, letting a 30-year old kid be the Powertrain Project Engineer for an all-new bagger? What could a callow youth who roadraces a 15-year old GSX-R600 and rides a Tuono on the street, possibly know about the bagger mentality? When they’re not tearing around on sportbikes (and Indians!) because the snow’s too deep up in Minnesota, that 30-year old engineer (who only spoke to us on condition of anonymity) and Product Director Josh Katt are plotting mostly legal routes to get to work on Polaris snowmobiles. If that’s not heretical enough, Indian put a Swedish guy who designed BMW motorcycles for 15 years in charge of design – Ola Stenegard.

The history book (or Wikipedia page, if that’s your thing) on electric motorcycles is rather slim, especially compared to its internal combustion counterparts, but what you’ll find is a myriad of ideas and concepts. Such is the beauty of a technology in its infancy. The section on electric racing motorcycles is even thinner. If you discount the inaugural MotoE championship running alongside MotoGP this year, the biggest stage for electric racing motorcycles has been the Isle of Man TT Zero race, wherein each entry tries to complete one full lap around the 37-mile course as fast as possible. Well, it was until the event was put on hold for at least two years. The machines you would have found at the TT Zero are full of ideas and concepts to win the race, but the one constant is the fact the batteries dominate the vehicle’s overall design. It’s understandable, considering you need a lot of battery to travel nearly 40 miles at 150-plus miles per hour.

The California Air Resources Board has published executive orders certifying a number of unannounced 2020 Triumph models. These include the Thruxton RS, which Triumph has already started teasing, a couple of Bud Ekins tribute Bonnevilles and two new versions of the Tiger 1200.

While the new supercharged Z H2 and retro-styled W800 grabbed the spotlight in western markets, Kawasaki quietly dropped a bombshell for its Asian customers, announcing a new four-cylinder Ninja ZX-25R at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Today, surprising no one, Ducati unveiled the Streetfighter V4 and Streetfighter V4 S naked hyperbikes. Still, it’s good to finally get a gander at the latest winged V4 beast that will be gracing showrooms in model year 2020. We’ve known the general scope of the Streetfighter for a while – a Panigale V4 shorn of bodywork – but now that we get an official look at it, it seems like much more.

Lost in the buzz Ducati’s Panigale V4 stirred since its introduction was the fact its baby brother, the 959 Panigale, had remained untouched. Squashing any concern that the model was going away (at least for now), Ducati today announced the Panigale V2 – the new name for the 959 Panigale – featuring updates and technology from its V4 sibling. While they were at it, the V4 family received some updates too, which we’ll get to later.

The Ducati World Premiere held in Italy’s motor valley brought with it the unveiling of a couple of new e-bikes, a new Panigale V2, slightly tweaked Panigale V4s, and the highly anticipated Ducati Streetfighter V4/S. Other models such as the Diavel and Scrambler received additional color options while the Multistrada 1260 family received a new lux trim package aptly named the Grand Tour. Let’s take a closer look at what Ducati calls “new versions” of these existing models. 

Kawasaki announced a new W800 variant, the third model in the line joining the W800 Cafe and the W800 Street (offered in markets outside the U.S.). We expected a third variant for a while now, as it had shown up in various certification documents, but what’s odd is this W800 model is supposedly the “base” model, with more retro-styling to resemble the original 1966 Kawasaki W1. To be honest, I was kind of hoping for a scrambler variant, and it’s a little curious why the W800 didn’t come out first ahead of the Cafe and Street variants. Product strategy aside, let’s take a look at the new 2020 Kawasaki W800.

After a series of teaser videos, Kawasaki has delivered its new supercharged 2020 Z H2, calling it the arrival of a new generation of Z models. Priced at $17,000, the 2020 Kawasaki Z H2 is the least expensive of all the supercharged H2 models, by a significant margin, though it is also a hefty premium over the rest of the naturally aspirated Z models.

What’s old is new again in the American V-twin wars. The original Indian PowerPlus ran from 1916 to 1924. The new PowerPlus isn’t a bike at all; it’s an engine – an all-new 108-cubic inch (1769 cc) liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twin, and it’ll be powering a new fixed-fairing bagger called Challenger, “the highest-performing American V-twin ever developed,” says Indian. We’ve probably already seen the bike due to a leaker! at a dealer meeting, and our in-house eye that never sleeps, Dennis Chung (see below Indian’s press release). Matter of fact, DC already uncovered even more information, last April, about the new engine than is contained in Indian’s official release (also see below), which just flew in over the transom.

Earlier this summer, Harley-Davidson announced plans to get into the electric bicycle business, and a new trademark application gives us a potential name for an e-bike: “Rude Boy“. Harley-Davidson filed the application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Oct. 15, for use with “electric bicycles; electric bicycle parts and accessories.”

Yes, I know this is a motorcycle magazine. But here’s why you should be interested in and maybe even excited about a $4,500 Chinese-built electric bike that looks like a Puch moped from the 23rd Century: This kind of vehicle is hands down, no question absolutely, the most fun and fastest way to get around a congested urban environment. So, shut up and start reading.

Update: Production has resumed on LiveWire, after tests confirmed a “non-standard” condition was a singular occurrence. The bikes may now again be charged using any method previously available. Below is the statement, direct from Harley-Davidson Motor Company:

Earlier this month, Kawasaki announced an updated Ninja 650 for 2020, along with a number of street bike models returning unchanged except for new graphics. One model that was conspicuously left out was the 650’s larger sibling, the Ninja 1000. We now think we know why, as the California Air Resources Board released an executive order certifying an updated 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 1000.

Newly released filings from the California Air Resources Board confirm the BMW S1000XR is getting updates for 2020, likely including the ShiftCam variable-valve timing system added on the new S1000RR. Those looking for similar updates to the S1000R may be disappointed, however, as CARB documents suggest the naked bike is not getting the same updates.

How much do we like the 2019 KTM 790 Adventure? How about enough to name it Motorcycle.com’s Motorcycle of the Year. That’s high praise. So, when we found video assets from the 790 Adventure’s introduction kicking around the MO Video Archives, we thought that time was right to share Ryan’s firsthand experience with those who don’t like to read. But first a little refresher.

Brazil’s intellectual property office has published a design registration for what appears to be a BMW F800R replacement equipped with the F850GS’ parallel-Twin engine. The leaked design was originally spotted by Motor1 Brazil, which published a few of the diagrams from the filing, but we’ve dug up the complete set in higher resolution of what we’ll assume will be called the 2020 BMW F850R.

Let us open our hymnals to the song of the 60-degree liquid-cooled Porsche-designed V-Rod engine, whose 2001 launch represented the last Radical Departure for Harley-Davidson. With its hydroformed frame and underseat gas tank, this bike was the way to the future, one that sadly ended after 2017. In this review of the new V-Rod Muscle from 10 years ago, you can feel Pete “the Rock’s” pain as he struggles to produce faint praise. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

How about giving incremental updates a little love? So many riders seem to immediately dismiss mid-cycle revisions of motorcycles as being BNG (bold, new graphics) or, as with one comment this week, BNH (bold, new headlights). In the case of the 2020 Triumph Street Triple 765 RS, the comment completely misses the point. Sure it would be great if every model year was a complete makeover year after year, but there’s something to be said for incremental refinement. Model year 2020 is one of those fine-tuning times, and Triumph has delivered a Street Triple that is better in two very practical ways. Additionally, there have been some appearance changes that are bound to appeal to many riders. And all this comes at no increase in cost to the buyer. Sounds like pretty good news to me. 

BMW has made no secret about plans to produce a new 1800cc cruiser. The company has confirmed as much, and commissioned several concept models built around the massive boxer engine. Heck, BMW France is already taking orders, based only on the R18 Concept BMW showed off in May at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

Kawasaki released another video teasing its latest supercharged motorcycle, showing a glimpse of the bike’s silhouette and confirming it will be called the Z H2.

It was only a matter of time before Triumph’s involvement as the engine provider for Moto2 started trickling down to its production models (the Limited Edition Triumph Daytona 765 aside), and for the 2020 model year that association takes the form of the Triumph Street Triple RS. The top tier of the Street Triple family, the RS version benefits from a host of upgrades and updates to make it even more lust-worthy for those in the middleweight streetfighter market. MO’s boss-man, Evans Brasfield, is at the press launch for the Street Triple RS and will return with a full ride report soon, but in the meantime, let these five nuggets hold you over until then.

Kawasaki announced some changes to the 2020 Ninja 650, including new LED headlights and a TFT color display plus new bodywork that brings its styling more in line with the company’s Ninja sportbike lineup.

For whatever reason, American motorcyclists have been very slow to adopt electric motorcycles, ironic since the most innovative and interesting e-motos are built here in the USA. Zero and Harley-Davidson are both in the electric motorcycle game, and two start-ups – Brammo and Alta Motors – delivered hundreds of motorcycles to paying customers before succumbing to tough market realities.

Yamaha today announced the latest addition to its Hyper Naked lineup, the 2020 Yamaha MT-03. The announcement of a new, baby MT to round out the family really shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who’s taken a close look at the company’s three current offerings – the MT-10, MT-09, and MT-07. Providing an entry-level MT model opens up the possibilities of a rider entering, and staying, within the Yamaha family as they progress up the riding ladder.

It’s an interesting time in sportbike land, as displacement limits have gone up, technologies are ever-improving, and in general, motorcycles are getting better and better. But one fact of life no manufacturer can escape is the looming Euro5 emission regulations. The toughest standards to date, Euro5 rules are said to be significantly more stringent than the Euro4 rules that preceded it. To meet the new standards, some OEMs have simply added displacement to engines to offset the increase in the number (or size) of catalyzers.

Kawasaki released a second video teasing a supercharged Z model, showing a few glimpses of the naked bike and confirming it will be revealed Oct. 23 during the Tokyo Motor Show.

KTM has come to the rescue of GasGas, forming a joint venture with the Spanish off-road brand that will see it continue to produce motorcycles in Girona, Spain.

Last fall, BMW introduced a line of upgrades and accessories for the S1000RR, under the company’s M performance brand. BMW may be planning to expand that concept with a line of high performance M models, as the company has filed trademark applications for M 1000 RR, M 1000 XR and M 1300 GS.

Similar to the street-legal KLX230 we covered last week, the 2020 Kawasaki KLX230R is designed purely for the trails. Changes are minimal between the R and it’s dual-sport sibling, though they make all the difference when riding off-road. We’re happy to see Kawasaki starting to bolster its off-road lineup with models like the new KLX230R and the KLX300R (keep an eye out for that review on the horizon as well) and hope to see the trend continue to bridge the gap between these recreational models and Kawasaki’s closed-course counterparts.

Honda unveiled the new 2020 Africa Twin, revealing a larger engine, lighter weight and a number of electronic rider aides including the much requested cruise control. The 2020 CRF1100L Africa Twin will be offered in regular and Adventure Sports ES models, both available with a choice of manual or DCT versions.

One of these, my friends, is still with us, and the other moved onto its reward, far too soon, the year after this little comparison starring Pete and Riding Man Mark Gardiner. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Crusher Man cometh.

You really do need a program to keep track of all the players at Harley-Davidson. I’m still in a constant state of bewilderment even after all these years trying to keep track of the Glides and Ultras and FXRs and things as they come and go. After passing summary judgment on the new Low Rider S last week, it’s time to move on to the new Touring models, all of which at least still carry the prefix “FL.” (As do some Softails, possibly a Dyna or two – now retired – and possibly a trike. Let’s move on.)

Indian rolled into the octagon with a newly pumped-up Thunder Stroke 116 powerplant that threw down 126 lb-ft of torque, riding off with the 2020 Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (MMA) American V-Twin Muscle Grudge Match.

Rubbin’ elbows, backin ‘er in, and general tomfoolery. That’s what small displacement dual-sports are for, right? What? I’m doing it wrong?! You’re doing it wrong! The truth of the matter is that you get out what you put in. You’re your own fun limiter. If you can’t have a good time on a motorcycle, maybe take up something lame like ball sports. Our time spent in the lush green marijuana-strewn countryside of southern Oregon was an absolute blast onboard Kawasaki’s latest KLX models. Proof that absolute world-class motorcycle journalists (I’m sure there were some there) and newbies alike can jump on the 2020 Kawasaki KLX230 and have all of the fun.

Clearly, I’m not going to turn down an opportunity to ride two of my favorite sportbikes – the Yamaha YZF-R1 and R1M – around one of the best circuits in the world, the Circuito de Jerez. But an evolution, not revolution, of the current R1 platform first introduced in 2015 (which, coincidentally, I was also present for) seemed hardly a reason for Yamaha to spend a sizeable chunk of cash to rent the world-renowned track, fly journalists in from all over the world, feed them, and put them up in a fancy hotel. What was up?

Kawasaki Europe dropped a video teasing a new Z model – and it’s supercharged!

That’s “S” for Sport. The last one of these we rode was a 2016, when it was built upon the now-defunct Dyna platform, ie., twin shocks out back. This 2020 Harley-Davidson Low Rider S is new from the nubs up. It’s now built upon the new Softail frame that debuted in 2018, with a single shock cantilevered under the seat, and joins ten other 2020 Softail models.

Honda officially confirmed that a new Africa Twin will be announced on Sept. 23, releasing a new teaser video offering a glimpse of the front of the updated adventure bike. Though obscured by shadow, what we can see of the 2020 Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L appears to match the photos from Australian certification documents Motorcycle.com was first to report earlier this week.

Back in July, Honda released a video teasing a new “ True Adventure” model, expected to be an upsized Africa Twin CRF1100L.  Thanks to new vehicle certification documents published in Australia, Motorcycle.com can confirm the 2020 Honda Africa Twin will have a 1084cc engine, a choice of manual or dual clutch transmissions, and be offered in both a regular and Adventure version. According to the documents, the 1084cc engine produces 101 hp at 7500 rpm, whereas the previous 998cc engine is certified at 94 hp.

A week after announcing its 2020 Scout lineup, Indian announces its updated air-cooled cruiser and touring model lineup, including an upgrade to a larger Thunder Stroke 116 engine for select models, a new Ride Command infotainment system, a redesigned Springfield Dark Horse. a new Roadmaster Dark Horse and the return of the Chieftain Elite.

Indian Motorcycle has announced its 2020 Scout lineup, including an array of new touring accessories and two special edition models celebrating 100 years of the Scout’s debut in 1920. Confirming our report from last week, the two models are the Indian Scout 100th Anniversary and the Indian Scout Bobber Twenty.

Watching the sunset from the British Racing Drivers’ Clubhouse aside the Silverstone circuit was one I won’t soon forget. Of course, I wasn’t there to enjoy the sunset and hors d’oeuvres. Motorcycle.com had the North American exclusive coverage of the media launch of the new Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 ahead of the MotoGP weekend at the British circuit. 

A new executive order published by the California Air Resources Board confirms two new 2020 models celebrating the 100 years of the Indian Scout. The CARB document certifies a new Indian Scout 100th Anniversary model as well as a new Indian Scout Bobber Twenty.

Twenty years ago, Harley-Davidson was still on the cutting edge with its Convertibles – motorcycles with ingenious removable windshields and bags that let one wander the desert for 40 years, or cruise through Sodom and Gomorrah in equal style. The FX had been in since 1971, the dial-up modem allowed you to read this review in only a few hours, and if you’d said the LiveWire will be here in 20 years, they’d have laughed you right out of the asylum.

It’s been a pretty busy week for Harley-Davidson, announcing its 2020 model lineup and holding its annual dealer meeting in Milwaukee. Judging from our readers’ comments, the news hasn’t been too impressive, with the highlights including the return of the Low Rider S, a new $48k CVO Tri Glide and the disappearance of a few notable models. For most of Harley’s returning lineup, the only updates are new colors and, for touring models, a new, optional suite of electronic rider aides. Those hoping for news of the Pan America or Streetfighter will be disappointed to hear Harley’s new liquid-cooled DOHC platform is still not ready for production.

Well that didn’t take long. Yesterday, we reported on 2020 Harley-Davidson models receiving certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and today, Harley-Davidson has officially announced its 2020 lineup. As the certification documents suggested, Harley-Davidson announced a new Road Glide Limited, Low Rider S and a CVO Tri Glide for 2020. Also announced was a “re-styled” Heritage Classic.

A couple of weeks ago, we reported that a couple of Harley-Davidson Sportster models were missing from model year 2020 certification documents released by the California Air Resources Board. Today, we can confirm that the Harley-Davidson Superlow, 1200 Custom, and Forty-Eight Special were also omitted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s latest 2020 certification data. And they’re not alone. Motorcycle.com can confirm that the Electra Glide Ultra Classic, Ultra Limited Low, Road Glide Ultra, and CVO Road Glide are among the models that were not re-certified for 2020. (UPDATE: shortly after this post was published, CARB released executive orders confirming the EPA’s information.)

A couple of weeks ago, Triumph announced it would debut a new limited edition Daytona 765 at next weekend’s Silverstone MotoGP round. A newly-published executive order from the California Air Resources Bard reveals an updated Street Triple is on its way for 2020 as well, possibly using the same three-cylinder engine as the Daytona with updates derived from Triumph’s Moto2 race engines.

I’ve long maintained that riding a supermoto is one of my favorite forms of motorcycling. I’ve also maintained that I have no desire in owning one with headlights and a license plate. The reason is simple: they are one-way tickets to jail. The idea of a dirtbike – a small, nimble, light, and relatively powerful motorcycle made to jump over things – on road tires is batty. It’s an absolute riot, but it’s also batty and crazy. All this is a way to say I wouldn’t be able to control myself if one ended up in my hands. Which is why I relegate myself to riding supermoto on tracks, or when the occasional press bike comes my way.

As I’ve progressed my way through this 790 Duke project, I’ve mostly concentrated on parts that improve the KTM’s function or provide some sort of protection. Since I’m typically a function over form kinda guy, this is to be expected. However, there are some features of the Duke that, despite their utility, I thought needed replacing. For example, the stock mirrors, while performing their intended job quite well, broke up the angular lines of the bike and looked like rubber flippers mounted on the handlebar. And don’t get me started on the stock turn signals!