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While we have quite a large offering of Aprilia motorcycles in Malaysia, there are several models missing from the line-up, namely the Aprilia RS125, Tuono 125, RX125, and SX125. These are available in Europe especially since the continent has A1 and A2 license rules. They seem to be selling well over there and Aprilia has refreshed them for 2025.

Starting with the engine, the single-cylinder, four-valve, liquid-cooled powerplant (shared among the four models) has now been overhauled to meet Euro5+ standards. The engine produces 14.8hp at 10,500rpm and 11Nm at 8500rpm, which at the limit of A1 license regulations. For comparison, the Aprilia 125cc engine’s power output sits in between the Yamaha 135LC’s (12hp) and Y15ZR’s (15.1hp).

The sportier pair in the foursome, the RS125 sportbike and Tuono 125 naked continue to use the same aluminium twin spar frame as before – making them the only bikes in their class without steel frames. They come with upside-down forks, aluminium swingarms, radially mounted front brakes, and LED lighting all-round.

Colour choices for each are now Kingsnake White or Cyanide Yellow for the RS, and Viper Yellow or Mamba Grey for the Tuono.

The other two variants in the Aprilia 125 lineup are the SX125 supermoto and RX125 dirtbike. The former uses 17-inch wheels front and back, while the latter has a 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear wheel. Both these use steel frames. Both machines come in Cubozoa White or Varanus Black.

Prices for the Aprilia RS125, Tuono 125, SX125, and RX125 have not been revealed. Wonder if these will be in Malaysia some day.

Aprilia had won the Africa Eco Race rally in 2023 in their first attempt with the Tuareg 660. And now, they will be back to defend the win with a 2025 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally.

The race will take place from 28 December and conclude on 12 January, again with Jacopo Cerutti, Francesco Montanari and Marco Menichini. It was Cerutti who won last year’s race.

The Rally version of the Tuareg 660 is new for 2025 and features new distinctive race graphics, going alongside the standard 660 which receives the usual Aprilia Racing colourway and several other variants including a ‘Dakar Podium’ colour scheme, Martian Red, Acid Gold, Indaco Tagelmust and Canyon Sand.

Montanari is no stranger to the Africa Eco Rally as he joins the fold for the 2025 edition, while Menichini is a new entrant to the race and will feature as part of the ‘Junior class’ which is designed for riders under 25 years of age.

Ahead of the event, Cerutti said: “The dream is to win again, in spite of the fact that there are almost 4,000 km of timed sections extremely demanding along the way where anything can happen. In the Africa Eco Race, navigation is always a huge challenge and each day can hold surprises all the way to the last mile.

Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola also spoke about the upcoming event as the Noale-based brand is keen to make another statement. “After last year’s outstanding performance, it’s hard not to be optimistic about this edition, although being defending champs comes with great responsibility. It won’t be easy to repeat the performance, partly because our rivals are even more prepared. Jacopo is in grand form and he is determined to demonstrate his full potential.

We are also counting on Montanari’s experience, who showed us his value last year, and on Marco Menichini’s skills in the Junior class. We are confident in the Guareschi Team’s great performance.”

Benelli has launched a slew of new models for 2025, including these interesting-looking small capacity ones, called the Benelli BKX 125 and Benelli BKX 125 S.

Both are built around the same platform i.e. shared engine, frame, suspension, and brakes. The differences are the BKX 125 is a lightweight adventure motorcycle, while the BKX 125 S is a naked/supermoto type of bike. Hence, the the former has a 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear wheel with wire spokes, while the latter uses cast 17-inch wheels on both ends. There is a single 280mm brake disc up front.

The engine is a 125cc, single-cylinder, SOHC, liquid-cooled unit, which produces a humble 14hp at 9,500 RPM and 12Nm of torque at 7,500 RPM. Compression ratio is 12.0:1, and complies to the Euro5+ emission standard. Its peak power is at the limit of the European A1 license.

The exterior asserts a unique style that is typical of Benelli, and is equipped with a vertical LED headlight and a triangular position light. In addition, the BKX 125 comes standard with a rally tower-like meter visor, a large shroud on the tank side, and a handlebar cover, giving it a silhouette that is just like an adventure machine. The fuel tank has a capacity of 12 litres.

The Benelli BKX 125 and Benelli BKX 125 S actually look similar to the BKX 300 and BKX 300 S. Prices have not been announced.

Despite a slowdown in the global motorcycle market, Royal Enfield (RE) surprised everyone by selling 21% more motorcycles from the start of 2024 to October compared to the same period last year. In terms of figures, that was 565,353 motorcycles, of which 52,624 were exported.

In fact, RE sold 110,574 motorcycles in October 2024 alone, which was almost double of Ducati’s annual sales in 2023. It marked a 31% increase compared to October last year.

The increase can be traced to the several new models in the middleweight segment, as well the increase in production facilities around the world.

Although the core of RE’s production facilities are located at Oragadam and Vallam Vadagal near Chennai, India, they also have five Completely Knocked Down (CKD) assembly facilities in Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nepal with a new CKD facility just opening up in Thailand, bringing the number up to six.

Enfield’s new Thai plant, which is located at Samut Prakan province in Bangkok and has the capability to make 30,000 bikes a year, is the firm’s first in the region and will give them even greater access to the lucrative Asia-Pacific markets, which is a hotbed for the mid-sized bikes Enfield are focused on making.

Our strategic intent is to have an international expansion strategy of investing in markets with huge potential to grow. Thailand assembly plant caters to this vision,” CEO, B. Govindarajan said.

Royal Enfield CEO, B. Govindarajan

The Benelli Leoncino Bobber 400 has been launched. It sports a V-Twin engine, and slots in between the single-cylinder Leoncino 125 and parallel-Twin Leoncino 500.

Highlights:
  • The engine is a 385cc, SOHC, 60° V-Twin which produces 34.5hp at 8,000 RPM, and 36.6Nm at 4,500 RPM. This is what you would expected from a V-Twin cruiser.

  • Engine power is sent through a six-speed transmission and belt final drive.
  • Designed by the Centro Stile Benelli in Italy, the maker is trying to instil a powercruiser styling in the Leoncino Bobber 400. Although it looks like a combination of the Fat Boy and XR1200 to us.

  • 16-inch wheels, front and rear. The front has a width of 130mm, the rear is 150mm.
  • Each wheel has a single disc brake, the front ius 300mm while the rear is 240mm. ABS is standard.

  • Seat height is just 735mm, curb weight is 180kg.
  • The tank holds 15 litres of fuel.

  • Classic style, round TFT screen.

That is all the data that was released and the it is a simple bike, anyway. The price of the Benelli Leoncino Bobber 400 has not been revealed.

The Benelli TRK902 Explorer has been launched as the company’s entry into the rugged middleweight adventure segment.

Although technical details are scant at the moment, we do know that the TRK902 Explorer uses a new engine, based on the old 754cc 4-valve. The stroke and bore have been increased to take it up to 904cc. Benelli claims the engine produces 98.6hp and 90.0Nm of torque. Not bad.

Benelli has adventure bikes prior to this but the TRK902 Explorer is the most rugged TRK thus far. The frame is the usual tubular steel trellis type, with fully-adjustable 50mm upside-down forks. The rear monoshock is adjustable from spring preload and rebound damping. Both ends have 200mm travel, which in turn gives the bike a generous 230mm ground clearance. However, Benelli gives the bike 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels instead of a 21-inch and 18-inch combo.

Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres are standard fitment and the twin 320mm discs are gripped by Brembo four-piston monobloc calipers with an ABS system that has a dedicated off-road mode.

There is no mention of a traction control system or variable power modes, but they are likely to be fitted as it runs a ride-by-wire throttle. Benelli claim a dry weight of 235kg with a seat height of 865mm.

When it comes to practicality, the Benelli TRK902 Xplorer features a 7-inch TFT colour dash with connectivity and a navigation function, two fog lights integrated into its design, tyre pressure monitors, a 22-litre fuel capacity and even an electronically-adjustable screen.

Its price has not been revealed.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Team will drop VR46 Racing Apparel as their team apparel’s supplier beginning the 2025 MotoGP season. It is the end of a 4-year partnership.

Instead, Italian sportswear brand Macron will be the team’s official apparel partner. Macron will take on the role of sponsor and official supplier of team clothing, designing and producing official products and corporate uniforms, including racewear and travel gear. The company will also provide new uniforms for the Yamaha Motor Corporation and Yamaha Motor Racing.

This separation with VR46 Apparel adds to the list of Yamaha’s severance with Valentino Rossi’s various business projects. Previously, Yamaha also announced the termination of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, a young racer development program based at the VR46 Riders Academy facility for their Moto2 racing team.



As a step forward, Yamaha will rely on cooperation with its new satellite team, Pramac Racing, to develop young talent at pre-MotoGP level.

This decision also breaks rumors that the VR46 Racing Team will become a new Yamaha satellite team. On the other hand, VR46 chose to stay with Ducati, considering that the performance of Ducati motorbikes is much more competitive than Yamaha.

In fact, the relationship between VR46 and Ducati is increasingly close. Starting next season, VR46 will be the only Ducati satellite team that is supplied with the latest motorbikes, on par with the factory team. Full support will be given to Fabio Di Giannantonio, while Franco Morbidelli, a former Yamaha racer, will use a Ducati motorbike from this season.

Looks like the Chinese motorcycle makers know that sportbikes represent the pinnacle of engineering prowess, despite the ever growing popularity of adventure and sport-touring motorcycles. Just look around and you will see every Chinese motorcycle manufacturer having at least one sportbike in their line-up: Benelli, QJMotor, Kove, Zontes, and of course, CFMoto. Among them, the latter is the most aggressive, and has since filed the type approval for a CFMoto 750SR four-cylinder sportbike.

The new bike would probably be called the 750SR or 750SR-R (and 750SS in the US) has been filed as “CF750-2” in the type approval documents. Notice the “-2”? It could very well mean there will also be a naked 750NK variant.

What tips us off that this will be a four cylinder engine is due to the engine’s codename of “472MV.” Under Chinese type-approval conventions, the first digit – “4” in this case – alludes to the number of cylinders, while “72” here tells us about the engine’s bore size of 72mm. The CFMoto 675SR’s three-cylinder engine also has 72mm bores, so it may well mean the 750SR’s engine shares the smaller engine’s pistons, valves, and combuster chamber design.

CFMoto says that the 749cc engine produces a certified 110hp. Apart from that that, curb weight is listed at 213kg, and a maximum speed of 230km/h. Its ABS system is the Continental MK100. There is also a linkage to suggest a quickshifter.

That is all the information we have now. We are sure that it will not take long for the CFMoto 750SR to be launched.

 

 

The Bonneville Bobber became Triumph’s best-selling model when it was launched at the end of 2016. It has gone through several refreshers besides spawning the Triumph Factory Custom (TFC) model along the way. So, here is another Bobber TFC to usher in the new year, the 2025 Triumph Bobber TFC.

Of course, the TFC variant receives some high-end bling and components such as carbon fibre bodywork, two-tone gold black finish, retuned 1200cc engine, suspension, and electronics.

The engine’s mapping is more aggressive, moving the peak horsepower point down to 6,000 RPM from 7,000 RPM. Likewise, the peak torque of 106Nm was also moved to 3,750 RPM from 4,000 RPM. This is what is called a “cruiser” powerband – more tractable torque and power at lower RPMs. Capping off the performance shift, Triumph fitted a pair of Akrapovič silencers.

The 2025 Triumph Bobber TFC also receives Brembo M50 radially-mounted calipers, 310mm brake discs, and Brembo master cylinder. Up front are fully-adjustable Öhlins 43mm NIX 30 upside-down forks. The monoshock at the rear is adjustable for preload and rebound.

The standard Bobber has Road and Rain riding modes, so Triumph added a Sport mode for the TFC. The rear lights are integrated into the signal indicators. The front wheel is 19-inches and the standard handlebar is replaced with a clip-on type.

Apart from these, there are find hand-painted marble gold elements on the tank and side panels, with the underside of nine-litre fuel tank hand signed on the by the artist that painted it.

Other touches further include an embossed leather seat, carbon fibre mudguard stays, gold fork lowers, billet machined engine cover badges, and even a gold chain.

Price of the 2025 Triumph Bobber TFC in the UK is £17,195 (RM96,807.35) and it is limited to 750 units only.

Since its birth in 2011, the Diavel has aroused enthusiasm and achieved great success for its unique design, at once muscular, sporty, exaggerated and elegant, as evidenced by the numerous awards from important design institutions. So, for the new year, the Ducati Diavel V4 Black Roadster Livery was unveiled at Intermot.

Created by the Centro Stile Ducati, the new graphics are based on colours linked to the history of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and the Diavel. The Racing Yellow, featured on the tank and in the stripes on the tail and side panels, “lights up” a colour scheme featuring black and titanium tones, creating a livery that puts the Diavel V4 even more at the centre of attention. The new seat covering completes an uncompromising design, giving the Diavel even more character.

Inspired by muscle cars, the 2025 Diavel V4 Black Roadster Livery reinterprets the image of an athlete ready to take to the starting blocks, with masses concentrated at the front and an agile, slim tail. The signature of the front and rear light clusters and the direction indicators, naturally full-LED, also contribute to the unmistakable look of the Diavel V4. The rear light cluster, in particular, is made up of a matrix of point-shaped LEDs positioned under the tail: a unique, unprecedented and spectacular solution that makes the bike immediately recognisable.

The Diavel V4 adopts the 1,158 cc V4 Granturismo engine (shared with the Multistrada V$), a central element of its design and at the same time a highly sophisticated technical solution, derived from the Desmosedici that Ducati uses in MotoGP. Powerful (168 hp), rich in torque but also extremely light and compact, it is at the same time fluid, smooth and usable even at the lowest revs. Thanks to the timing control with spring return, it also has benchmark maintenance intervals: the valve clearance is checked every 60,000 km.

The Twin Pulse firing order, together with the exhaust system specific to this model, with a four-exit silencer, characterise the exhaust’s unmistakable timbre. Another distinctive element of the Diavel V4 is the massive 240/45 rear tyre. The five-spoke alloy wheels with a profile embellished with machined surfaces are one of the most refined elements of its appearance.

In just two years of life, the Diavel V4 has won the Good Design® Award, attributed by the “Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design”, the Special Mention in the Excellent Product Design category at the German Design Awards 2024, and was elected “Best of the best” in the prestigious Red Dot Award 2024. Awards that add to those already won by previous Diavel models and that confirm Ducati design as the most appreciated in the world. The Diavel has also proven itself capable of captivating fans of four-wheel luxury, with the numbered and limited series of Ducati Diavel for Bentley, a collector’s model born from the collaboration between Ducati and Bentley presented with the seventh episode of the World Première 2024.

Price in the UK is £24,495 (RM137,681.08), which is £500 (RM2,810.39) more than the £23,995 (RM134,870.69) for the standard red version.

The 2025 Moto Guzzi Stelvio Duecento Tributo special edition has been launched to celebrate the model’s homage to the famous mountain pass which is the highest paved road in Italy.

The Stelvio is an important part of MG’s history, which also brought them to launch a new Stelvio adventure-tourer in 2023.

Back to the special edition, the 2025 Moto Guzzi Stelvio Duecento Tributo, only 2,758 units will be produced. That number alludes to the Stelvio Pass’s highest elevation of 2758 metres above sea level.

Each unit gets a production number engraved on the handlebar riser. It also gets an eye-catching livery of white, red, and blue elements. Moto Guzzi says that the livery is meant to encapsulate the curves of the Stelvio Pass, while coordinates on the fairings of the bike give it an adventurous feel.

As for electronic features, there is a 4D radar system from Piaggio Fast Forward that handles safety features like Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Information, and Lane Change Assist. Heated grips and seats come as standard, and there’s even a built-in TPMS. A built-in multimedia system pairs to your smartphone.

Its price has not been revealed.

In another saga about KTM’s financial struggles, there have been reports to suggest that KTM dumps MV Agusta just after 9 months of ‘marriage.’

Neither KTM’s owner, Pierer Mobility Group (PMG) nor MV Agusta has confirmed the move at the moment but there multiple sources have reported that MV Agusta had been effectively cut loose by KTM. KTM has acquired a 50.1% stake in the Italian luxury motorcycle brand.

The sources including Motorrad and GP-One, said that KTM officials had met with the Italian trade union CISL. KTM officials were reported to have said that MV Agusta is no longer a “strategically important asset.” On the other hand, it was also reported that an Agostino Casati from CISL had said that “KTM is completely withdrawing from MV Agusta,” and that “MV Agusta must stand on its own two feet again in the future.”

If it becomes true, KTM’s decision is somewhat expected, given that they had made the acquisition just prior of their current state of affairs. The Austrian firm would need to invest heavy sums of funds to invigorate and produce more MV Agustas in the future.

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