Bikesrepublic

Amirul Azreen

How to put a word out there that your new motorcycle has one of the best touring capabilities?

Well, take it for a ride across 11 countries within 24-hours.

That is exactly what MV Agusta just did with their all-new Turismo Veloce, who just set a motorcycle world record by visiting 11 European countries in just 24-hours.

The bike was ridden by an Italian journalist, Valerio Boni, who also etched his name in the record books alongside MV Agusta.

Boni and the Turismo Veloce kick-start the event in Sweden before travelling through Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria before completing the feat at MV Agusta factory in Varese.

The journey took 2,003km, and the duo had to overcome torrential rain and some diversion along the way before eventually making it in time.

“Everything went according to plan, or almost. We reached our objective also thanks to the Turismo Veloce, which proved to be extremely reliable and comfortable, two qualities that certainly were key in this situation.

“The comfortable saddle, the good protection provided by the windshield, the absence of vibrations and the cruise control function are the most important elements that helped me ride the Turismo Veloce for 2.003 km in 24 hours across 11 countries. It was an unforgettable experience and a not too tiring one either,” explained Boni.

(source: Moto.it)

Valentino Rossi’s new VR46 MotoGP team is set to race in the premier class with Ducati as both sides have penned a 3-year deal.

Despite not naming its official riders for the 2022 season, Luca Marini is sure to stay, as Saudi Aramco owner HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Saud confirmed.

VR46 has also confirmed a five-year deal with Dorna Sports to race in the premier class.

Aramco Racing Team VR46 will be an Independent Team riding on two Desmosedici machines for the next three years.

SKY Racing Team VR46 also announced the current Moto2 and Moto3 team manager, Pablo Nieto, as the MotoGP setup team manager next season.

Meanwhile, Luigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager, is pleased with the partnership.

“We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with VR46 for the next three years. Their Academy has always worked seriously and with great professionalism, giving many riders the opportunity to gain experience in Moto2 and Moto3, and today they can be proud to have brought three young riders of great talent.

“VR46 has also shown that it is able to competently manage the a successful team in Moto3 and Moto2 and therefore we will strive to provide the maximum technical support to their new team in MotoGP, convinced they have found in VR46 an ambitious and motivated partner like us, with a common goal to achieve great results together,” he said.

(source: MotoGP)

Bajaj Auto may be planning to introduce another electric two-wheeler to join the current Chetak range available in the country.

This was based on a new trademark filed with the name ‘Freerider’ under Class 12, which covers various mobility types, including electric vehicles.

*KTM Freerider E-XC

Since KTM has its own electric motorcycle coincidentally holds the same name, the Freerider E-XC, it further fuels speculation that the Bajaj Freerider will be an electric motorcycle.

According to reports in India, the Bajaj Freerider is likely to use the same platform from the Husqvarna E-Pilen concept, including the chassis and suspension systems.

The E-Pilen is equipped with a 10.73hp electric motor with a range of around 100km, making it suitable for urban rides.

Petronas Sepang Racing Team (SRT) announced Garrett Gerloff as a replacement for the injured Franco Morbidelli at Assen this weekend.

The GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider will step in for Morbidelli, who suffered a knee injury in training on Tuesday.

Gerloff took part in MotoGP free practice session at last year’s European GP in Valencia, standing in for Valentino Rossi, who was waiting for his PCR test result.

The American will jump onboard the YZR-M1 in exchange for his production R1 starting with FP1 on Friday.

However, it was understood that the offer went to Toprak Razgatlıoğlu before the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK rider turned down the opportunity in favour of remaining focused to challenge the WorldSBK crown.

The 2021 MotoGP calendar has just been modified again due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the latest updates, FIM, IRTA, and Dorna Sports have announced a new date for GP of the Americas, with the circuit will now host the MotoGP from 1 to 3 October 2021.

Meanwhile, MotoGP will also be held in Thailand from 15 to 17 October, a week later than the previously scheduled.

However, the organizers are forced to confirm the cancellation of the Japan GP due to current Covid-19 restrictions and travel complications.

Nonetheless, FIM and Dorna Sports aims that the world championship will return in Japan for 2022.

The 2021 MotoGP will resume this weekend at Assen.

Royal Enfield Himalayan are one of the most successful models since its launch in 2016.

Despite powered by a small 411cc engine producing just 24hp, the Himalayan proved to be a reliable adventure that can tackle almost every terrain, just not that fast.

*Royal Enfield Himalayan

However, recent reports suggest the next generation of Himalayan might take you on an adventure with more power and speed.

According to the latest updates, Royal Enfield plans to carry the 650cc twin-cylinder engine from the ever-popular Continental GT and Interceptor onto the Himalayan.

*Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

Interestingly, the new Himalayan is currently being developed at Royal Enfiled’s UK development centre located at Bruntingthorpe.

Royal Enfield is yet to disclose any further details but based on the current demands on a middleweight adventure bike, we might catch a glimpse of the new Himalayan soon enough.

Franco Morbidelli will not feature at this weekend Dutch GP after sustaining a left knee injury at training.

The Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (SRT) has confirmed the Italian rider will not compete in Assen; instead, he will set to undergo a medical assessment to determine the best course of action for recovery.

The 26-year old remained as the only Yamaha rider not to race with a factory-spec YZR-M1 this season.

Just a few months ago, Morbidelli expressed his disappointment for not getting the factory support he deserved despite finishing the 2020 MotoGP season behind the world champion, Joan Mir.

The former VR46 Academy graduates currently sit at 11th place in the championship with 40 points after eight rounds.

Pol Espargaro revealed that he needs to start copying his Repsol Honda teammate, Marc Marquez, as soon as possible.

Marquez was back to winning ways after securing another MotoGP win at the Sachsenring.

The Spaniard produced a sensational ride throughout the 30 lap race to claimed his first win after 581 days.

The victory was an eye-opening moment for Espargaro, who lost 14 seconds behind Marquez.

“From now on, I think I’m going to just try to copy Marc’s setting, Marc’s chassis because he’s using different than us.

“I’m going to copy his line (direction). Until that moment, we were not very far away from rhythm, from lap times, but this race, it’s a step.

“For sure, I’m very happy for the team and for all the guys that have been working so much, even for Marc. But the point is that for sure Marc shows the performance today of the bike, and I need to be on the level.

“So the only way I see is to copy his setting, his bike, his chassis as soon as possible,” said the 30-year old rider.

According to Espargaro, all four Honda riders, including Alex Marquez and Takaaki Nakagami, do not share the same package.

(source: Crash.net)

Known as the Honda CB350 in India, Japan was the next recipient of the retro-modern, air-cooled single-cylinder motorcycle earlier this year.

However, the Japanese manufacturer decided to expand the range of the GB350 with an ‘S’ version.

The GB350 S offers a slightly sportier character than the standard GB350, which also comes with a new colour option for 2021.

While the GB350 S maintain the same 348cc with 19.7hp @ 5,500rpm and 29Nm @ 3,000rpm, there are slight changes in riding ergonomics.

The GB350 S comes with a sportier handlebar, a sleeker plush seat, and a slimmer rear fender.

The new model is also slightly lighter than the standard GB350, thanks to the used of resin instead of metal for the front and rear fender. Interestingly, the GB350 S also comes with full LED lighting.

Honda will launch the GB350 S on July 15.

Just months after successfully unveiling the all-new Pan America, Harley-Davidson plans to introduce another new model.

The new model will be launch on July 13 as the next in line to be powered by the all-new Revolution Max engine.

*Harley Davidson Pan America 1250

According to Harley’s CEO, Jochen Zeitz, while the Pan America is an ADV behemoth, the new model will be on the sportier side.

“Following the successful launch of our first adventure touring motorcycle, the Pan America, we are excited to reveal another all-new motorcycle, built on the Revolution Max platform in the sports segment, showcasing unmatched Harley-Davidson technology, performance and style.”

There is no confirmation on how the new model will look, but we can assume it will portray the company’s DNA of making it a “proper” Harley-Davidson.

LiveWire reportedly will introduce its first electric model with the name LiveWire One in July.

For those who are not in the loop, LiveWire is a spin-off electric brand from Harley-Davidson that was inspired by the company first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire (obviously).

According to reports, LiveWire has submitted the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with the launch scheduled at July 8.

According to the VIN documents, the LiveWire One will have a power output of 101hp, 4hp less than the Harley-Davidson LiveWire.

However, the VIN filing did not reveal further details except the claimed horsepower.

Nonetheless, we are excited to see how will the LiveWire One turn out to be.

The motorcycle market was buzzing ever since Yamaha introduced the YZF-R7.

The new R7 now joins Aprilia RS660 and Honda CBR650R as a middleweight sports bike powered by the same CP2 engine found on its naked siblings, the MT-07.

*Yamaha YZF-R7

While it delivers the same 73hp and 67Nm, the R7 will entice young and new riders around the globe.

Suzuki once held the title with the SV650. Affordable to own and maintain by the likes of every new and experienced rider on the planet.

However, rumours have it that the guys at Hamamatsu are planning to get in on the action to go head to head against the all-new R7.

*Suzuki SV650

According to reports, Suzuki plans to take the SV650 and put a full fairing around it and make it an affordable sport-focused machine.

*2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000

While we are not sure how long it would take for Suzuki to introduce the new motorcycle but based on the company’s new effort to introduce a new range of 2022 models starting with the GSX-S1000, GSX-S950, upcoming GSX-R1000 and GSX-S1000T, we might catch a full-fairing SV650 soon.

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