Developed as part of the partnership between Aston Martin and Brough Superior, the AMB 002 joins the track-only AMB 001 and AMB 001 Pro superbikes introduced in 2019 and 2022.

The new road bike targets both “discerning road riders and automotive collectors,” which may or may not be a hint that it could be bundled with some special edition Aston Martin cars.

Designed By Aston Martin With Nods To Some Of Its Cars

Styled by the Aston Martin Design Studio, the AMB 002 Roadster uses fluid lines, compact proportions and precisely sculpted carbon fiber body elements to create a dramatic and dynamic silhouette.

Highlights include the pebble smooth shape of the carbon fiber fuel tank and side fairings—which rise to meet the rider when tucked out of the slipstream—the crescent-shaped side gills that aid engine cooling and streamline the airflow, and the wire-design stalks for the low-slung mirrors.

There are also many details that pay tribute to iconic Aston Martin cars. Those include the reimagined side strake that pierces through the side fairing and extends forwards to encapsulate the headlamp, the twin oval exhausts with ribbed heat sinks that echo the exhaust finisher design of the Vanquish, DB12 S and DBX S, as well as the rear light blades that remind of those seen on the tails of the Aston Martin Vulcan, Valkyrie and Valhalla hypercars.

To make it worthy of the Aston Martin badge, the AMB 002 Roadster also gets luxury features like the hand-crafted saddle leather seat pads, a backlit ignition button and keyless function.

Brough Superior Handled The Engineering Part

The engineering side of the AMB 002 Roadster is equally spectacular, as we’re talking about an all-new machine designed and engineered by Brough Superior from scratch without carry-over components.

Power comes from an all-new 1,083cc four-stroke water-cooled V-Twin engine delivering 130 horsepower and 81 pound-feet of torque. The motor is tuned for strong low and mid-range torque and is said to have a smooth and thrilling top-end. No acceleration specs were provided, but the press release notes that it delivers “exhilarating performance.”

Aston Martin’s first road bike features a low center of gravity achieved with the help of carbon fiber body panels and fuel tank, an ideal 50:50 weight distribution, as well as a lightweight build—the AMB 002 tips the scales at just under 419 pounds.

The AMB 002 also features interesting technical solutions such as an 11-pound titanium frame milled from a solid billet for the V-Twin engine and a double-wishbone ‘Fior fork’ front suspension that’s said to separate steering and braking forces while maintaining precise control of the front-end geometry.

Aston Martin and Brough Superior claim the front suspension leads to “outstanding steering precision and agility” as well as stability through high-speed corners and under braking— especially when braking while leaned over into a corner.

Given the exquisite design, materials and craftsmanship—the AMB 002 will be hand-built—the road bike will be made in a limited run of just 300 units. Initial orders are now being taken, with the first deliveries expected in the third-quarter of 2027.

What started as an internal engineering challenge eventually became one of the strangest concept vehicles ever created. To this day, it serves as a showcase of Mazda’s creativity and remains one of the company’s most fascinating forgotten projects.

A Suitcase That Transforms Into a Vehicle

The Suitcase Car was born from Mazda’s “Fantasyard” competition, an internal contest held between 1989 and 1991 that encouraged employees to dream up imaginative mobility solutions. One team of seven engineers from the company’s manual transmission testing and research division came up with the winning idea after imagining a quicker way to get around large airports.

Instead of designing something from scratch, they bought a pocket bike and squeezed its mechanical components into a large 57 cm x 75 cm (22.4 x 29.5-inch) Samsonite suitcase. The finished machine could be assembled in about a minute by unfolding the front wheel, fitting the rear wheels, and attaching the seat. Voilà! An ordinary piece of luggage had transformed into a functioning three-wheeled vehicle.

The Miata Philosophy

Despite its comical appearance, the Suitcase Car was a living, breathing car, albeit a painfully slow one. Much like the first-generation NA Miata that was on sale at the time, it featured a low center of gravity and very little power. The original Mazda MX-5 Miata was powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 116 hp, which isn’t exactly a huge figure by modern standards.

The Suitcase Car, however, took things to another level – a lower one that is. Its tiny 34 cc (0.034-liter) two-stroke gasoline engine produced just 1.7 hp. In turn, that was enough to propel the 32kg (70.5 lb) trike to a top speed of 30 kph (18.6 mph), making it somewhat more than a simple novelty.

Mazda’s Quirky Spirit Lives On

The Suitcase Car was never meant for production, but it attracted worldwide media attention. Mazda even built additional examples for Europe and the United States, although only the American version is known to have survived. The original was reportedly destroyed by accident, while the European replica mysteriously disappeared over the years.

More than three decades later, Mazda’s willingness to pursue unusual ideas hasn’t disappeared. Although it still builds objectively great but boring cars like the CX-5, the company is working on other endeavors, too. Some of the most noteworthy include researching eco-friendly concepts that allow cars to capture CO2 while driving. With emissions tightening, Mazda has also opened up to the idea of making an all-electric MX-5 if internal combustion engines are pushed out of the market.

The Suitcase Car may have been one of Mazda’s strangest creations, but it perfectly represents the inventive mindset that exists in the brand today.

The “Hamba” Three-Wheeler

The “Hamba”, a rugged, solar-charged electric three-wheeler developed by MFA, is at the center of the dispute. Founded by UNICEF veteran Shantha Bloemen, MFA didn’t just build a trike; the organization engineered a localized logistics ecosystem. The Hamba features an 880-pound payload capacity and uses off-grid battery swapping hubs tailored specifically for rural women farmers to transport goods to market. To date, MFA has deployed roughly 600 of these vehicles across Zimbabwe, with women accounting for up to 70 percent of the customer base.

The lawsuit outlines a classic David versus Goliath scenario, but with a modern intellectual property twist. According to the federal complaint, TMF initially approached MFA as a partner, providing approixmately $380,000 in grant funding in 2019. MFA claims this partnership was a Trojan horse. The enterprise alleges that TMF and EXA used their access to extract MFA’s proprietary operational data, technical blueprints, and localized business models.

Rather than scaling MFA’s existing network, TMF and EXA abruptly cut ties and launched their own identical venture in Kenya called Songa Mobility. Songa’s value proposition is that it is deploying “Africanized eTrikes”, solar charging hubs, and battery swapping infrastructure for rural farmers. Sounds suspiciously familiar. The plaintiffs allege that the defendants are now using MFA’s own operational data to compete directly for the same pool of international grant funding, effectively starving the original creators of critical capital.

Legal Struggles

“Toyota was happy to learn from our years of work building off-grid rural e-mobility in Zimbabwe,” Bloemen stated following the filing. “But rather than investing in African entrepreneurs who built it, they chose to copy, replicate, and control what we created.” Toyota is already facing intense scrutiny stateside from environmental groups lobbying against stricter emissions regulations and lagging in its rollout of battery-electric vehicles. Now, its foundational arm is accused of treating grassroots African innovation as an open-source R&D lab for its own PR gains.

Representatives for the TMF have yet to file a formal legal response to the claims, but as the EV race intensifies globally, the case raises a critical question regarding corporate accountability – when multinational automakers look to the Global South, are they looking for partners, or just innovation to claim as their own?

Four-cylinder engines may be the obvious motor of choice for large-capacity, performance-oriented motorcycles today, but this wasn’t always the case. It was British twins that dominated the world of high-speed motorcycles and the motorcycle industry as a whole, through most of the 20th century. Mainstream manufacturers like BSA, Triumph, and Norton ruled the mass market with their ubiquitous parallel twins, while more prestigious marques like Brough Superior and Vincent built highly exclusive V-twin-powered machines that were the fastest production bikes of their time. 

Enter the Japanese

As the British motorcycle industry reached its peak in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Japanese bike manufacturers were carving out their own niche with small-capacity, affordable, and reliable two-wheelers aimed at commuters and first-time riders. Honda set up their first US dealership in 1959, closely followed by Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki, all offering an array of simple, lightweight, and utilitarian motorcycles. Extremely popular was the 50cc Honda Cub, whose ‘You meet the nicest people on a Honda‘ advertising campaign did away with the leather-clad rebel biker stereotype, and instead presented motorcycles as a fun mode of transport for just about anybody. 

Going Bigger

Having established a strong presence in the U.S. market with an array of 125, 250, and 300cc machines by the mid ‘60s, Honda now wanted to tap into the growing demand for performance-oriented motorcycles — a segment so far dominated by Triumph and BSA with their 650cc twins. Their first attempt to break into this space was with the 1965 Dream CB450, powered by a DOHC parallel twin. While smaller in capacity than the British 650s, the Honda motor was technologically more advanced, and hence delivered comparable performance while being more refined and reliable than the competition. Unfortunately, the belief that bigger was always better ran strong through the American biker community, and riders couldn’t imagine picking a 450 over a 650. As a result, the CB450 wasn’t the success Honda envisioned, and it was back to the drawing board. 

Setting Targets 

Yoshiro Harada, head of the CB450 project, wasn’t too happy with the lukewarm reception his creation received and was still looking for a way to break into the American performance bike market. He knew that they had to go bigger this time, especially having received information that Triumph was working on a high-performance 750-cc triple for the upcoming Trident. By late 1967, the decision was finally made; Honda’s large-capacity challenger would be powered by a four-cylinder 750-cc, air-cooled motor that would make no less than 67 horsepower, achieve a top speed of 120 mph, and cover the quarter mile in 13 seconds. 

The Four-Cylinder Challenge

While mainstream production motorcycles with more than two cylinders were practically unheard of at the time, Honda was no stranger to lightweight, multi-cylinder engines. The brand’s racing department had built a reputation as masters of engineering innovation, developing the high-revving four- and even six-cylinder competition machines that dominated the Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing World Championship through the 1960s. The high cost and complexity involved with designing and building multi-cylinder engines kept them confined to the racetrack, but now Harada and his team of engineers were faced with the daunting task of translating Honda’s enigmatic motorsport developments into a reliable, road-going motorcycle that could be mass-produced, affordably priced, and usable by everyday riders. 

Creating the World’s Best Bike

Harada’s brief for the CB750 was simple: better handling, braking, comfort, and refinement than any of the competition, while also being more reliable and offering longer service intervals. In essence, the team was instructed to build the best motorcycle that the world had ever seen. The landmark engine, while inspired by Honda’s Grand Prix machines and sharing their air-cooled, inline-four-cylinder architecture, was designed for comfort, refinement, and everyday usability rather than outright power and high revs. 

From Race Engine to Production Engine

Creating the CB750’s four-cylinder engine was a lot more complicated than simply scaling up Honda’s championship-winning race motor. After all, race engines are high-strung beasts that are designed to work best close to the limit, sacrificing real-world usability and durability in the pursuit of every last horsepower. 

Honda’s four-cylinder Grand Prix engine from the early ‘60s was a masterpiece at the cutting edge of internal combustion technology, revving up to over 14,000 rpm and generating approximately 45 horsepower from its diminutive 250cc capacity. On the other hand, the engine that Harada and his team created for the CB750 was a much simpler machine, designed specifically for everyday usability. While the short-stroke race engines that it was descended from were designed to rev to the moon, the new motor was intentionally undersquare with the stroke length longer than bore diameter — an architecture that prioritizes low-rpm torque generation. Similarly, the race engine got dual camshafts and four valves per cylinder to manage breathing at high rpm, while the CB750, designed to rev no higher than 8,500 rpm, made do with an SOHC, two-valve-per-cylinder layout. Also, the complex and expensive to produce gear-driven valvetrain employed in the race engines was foregone in favor of a traditional cam chain. 

The Superbike is Born

It was at the 1968 Tokyo Motor Show that Honda revealed the machine that would redefine performance motorcycles. The Honda CB750 drew massive crowds to the Honda stand, its wide, heavily-finned, four-cylinder engine mounted transversely within the bike’s frame looking downright futuristic compared to the singles and twins that had dominated so far. Aside from the motor, the CB750 was also among the first mainstream motorcycles to get a disc brake and an electric starter, while its modern styling immediately made the existing British twins look extremely outdated. And they were outclassed, too. The bike was extremely well received by the pubic as well as the motorcycle press, with Cycle World magazine referring to it as a ‘superbike’, acknowledging how far ahead of the competition it was in terms of performance, refinement, and technology, and coining the term that is used to this day to describe high-performance sport motorcycles.  

Taking Over the Market

When the CB750 hit the American market in 1969, it was an instant success that soon transformed the motorcycling landscape. That big lump of a motor with four carburettors and a row of shiny headers leading to four individual exhausts was like nothing the world had ever seen before. Sure, German bike manufacturer Münch beat Honda to a production four-cylinder motorcycle with their Mammut, powered by a 1.2-liter, four-cylinder NSU car engine, but the CB750 brought this exotic layout mainstream and made it accessible to the common man. Riders who had long accepted British twins with all their quirks now had access to a motorcycle that was faster, smoother, more reliable, and easier to live with and maintain. The smaller Japanese bikes had already proven themselves to be better built and less prone to oil leaks than their British rivals, and the CB750 brought these attributes to the large-capacity performance bike segment. 

CB750 Legacy

Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki soon followed Honda with their own large-capacity inline-four-powered motorcycles, effectively ending decades of British and European bike market dominance. What began as Honda’s ambitious attempt to break into the performance bike space ultimately reshaped the entire industry, establishing the transverse inline-four layout as the default formula for high-performance motorcycles for over half a century. 

Breather Port Defect Explained

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 88,039 motorcycles from the 2024 to 2026 model years are included in the recall. The problem originates in the airbox backplate, where a breather port may become blocked by residual material left over during production.

If that passage is restricted, pressure can build inside the engine’s crankcase. In certain situations, removing the dipstick without first easing that pressure may cause oil to be expelled from the fill opening, potentially injuring riders. At the time of writing this article, Harley-Davidson has identified one incident that could be connected to this fault.

Affected Models And Warning Signs

The recall covers a broad mix of nine different models, including the Breakout, Road Glide, Street Glide, and Fat Boy, produced between October 2023 and February 11, 2026. Motorcycles built after that date were checked under a revised inspection process to ensure the issue was addressed at the factory. These models are: FXBR, FLTRXL, FLTRX, FLTRT, FLHXU, FLHXL, FLHX, FLHLT, and FLFB.

Riders may notice several warning signs if their bike is affected, although the defect is estimated to impact only 0.4% of units. Possible indicators include smoke from the exhaust, higher than normal oil consumption, or a breather hose that has come loose. Another clear sign is a release of pressure when removing the dipstick.

Recall Timeline And Dealer Fix

Harley-Davidson began notifying dealers at the end of April, with owner notifications scheduled between May 11 and May 20. VIN lookup tools are already live, allowing owners to confirm whether their motorcycle is part of the recall. If your Harley is part of the recall, a dealer will inspect the breather port and carry out repairs if required, with most cases not needing new components.

What is the 2026 Polaris Slingshot?

The Polaris Slingshot is one of those machines that has always been easier to understand emotionally than in categorical terms. It has three wheels, side-by-side seating, no roof in most trims, no doors in the traditional sense, and the visual subtlety of a nightclub entrance. Polaris refers to it as a three-wheeled autocycle, though its technical characterization will depend upon which state or province you live in. It lacks airbags and does not meet automotive safety standards, so although a regular driver’s license is enough to get yourself behind the wheel of one of these in most jurisdictions, some places may require a motorcycle license for drivers. Helmets and visors are also required.

The 2026 lineup starts with the Slingshot S at $24,999 with the manual transmission or $26,849 with AutoDrive. From there, the range moves through SL, SLR, R, Grand Touring, and the new limited-production Signature Edition. The Slingshot R starts at $34,999 with the manual or $37,149 with AutoDrive, while the Grand Touring starts at $41,999 with the manual or $44,149 with AutoDrive. The Signature Edition, meanwhile, starts at $36,999.

Every Slingshot uses a naturally aspirated Polaris-built 2.0-litre ProStar four-cylinder engine—which replaced the GM-sourced EcoTec unit in 2020—though output depends on trim. The S and SL make 180 horsepower, while the SLR, R, Grand Touring, and Signature Edition make 204 hp. In the higher-output versions, torque sits at 149.8 lb-ft. That may not sound especially outrageous in a world where family SUVs now make 500 horsepower, but context is key. The Slingshot weighs roughly 1,600 to 1,700 pounds, depending on trim and transmission, and you sit low enough that your elbows feel like they’re skimming the pavement. For reference, a 2026 Mazda MX-5 weighs about 2,300 pounds and makes even less power.

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The Slingshot makes Miami feel even less subtle

In most cities, the Slingshot might look a bit deranged. But in Miami, it feels perfectly at home. The Grand Touring’s Viper Black and Green Venom paint made it appear radioactive under the sun, while the new Signature Edition’s Golden Steel and Black Crystal finish played a different role, its metallic flake shifting with the light and wearing its gold pinstriping like jewelry. Through the streets of South Beach, the Slingshot immediately drew a crowd. Every pedestrian had their phone out to film us, and at one point, one of Miami-Dade’s finest actually dropped his police bike, but I don’t blame him—seeing a Slingshot drive by is not unlike witnessing a purple Ghost fly past Master Chief in Halo 3. If you understand that reference, we’re getting old, man… But that’s really how polarizing they are to see in person.

I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to the Morgan Three-Wheeler here. I mean, the Slingshot is sort of an Americanized alternative to that old thing, in some sense. Where the Three-Wheeler is the gentlemanly and sophisticated Brit, the Slingshot is the American that just wants to “go fast, and be free.” And man does it ever deliver. The Slingshot is like if Spring Break were a car. Motorcycle? Autocycle… Whatever, the point is this: Every time I approached the Slingshot, I became overwhelmed with a childlike giddiness, and every time a passerby’s jaw dropped as they pulled out their camera phones, I felt proud to be in one.

Down Route 1: where the Slingshot no longer feels alien

Out on Route 1, the Slingshot’s true colours began to shine through. The numbers are not shocking by modern performance standards: a Polaris-built 2.0-litre ProStar four-cylinder, 204 horsepower in the higher trims, and 149.8 lb-ft of torque. But Polaris offers something far more pure than massive power figures or sharp-shifting dual-clutch gearboxes—it, instead, offers drivers an expert-level dancing partner. You see, the Slingshot doesn’t make the whole experience about itself as a machine. Instead, it makes it about the driver. Variable-speed-sensitive electronic power steering gives your hands complete control over the Slingshot’s front axle, and electronic throttle control gives your feet complete control over the single rear wheel. Driving the Slingshot is like dancing a salsa duo with a partner you have excellent chemistry with. Toe the line, and it’ll rock your world. Misstep, and it’s surprisingly forgiving.

Perhaps my greatest compliment of the Slingshot is that it drives like a mass-produced car. Though it may sound like the opposite of what most would perceive as praise, getting into a tiny roadster with just one rear wheel and no doors can seem like a pretty frightening proposition to a lot of people. The real beauty of the Slingshot is that you don’t need to be a motocross expert just to tame one of these things. They are surprisingly friendly and intuitive to drive. Most of the time, you completely forget that it has just three wheels, and in the Florida spring sun, its lack of doors and, in some cases, a roof, is a feature which quickly becomes more of a blessing than a source of anxiety. Whether you’re on a six-lane interstate or a narrow backroad, driving the Slingshot just feels like driving.

Manual vs AutoDrive: choose the manual unless traffic makes it a problematic chore

Naturally, the Polaris Slingshot will never be most people’s daily driver. It’s designed for the weekend, or for the holiday, when you can finally leave the keys to your hybrid crossover at home and take to your favourite streets with something far more playful. So, when it comes down to choosing between the manual and the AutoDrive gearbox, why compromise engagement for the sake of having to do less work? With the added gratification of being more involved with the driving experience, piloting the Slingshot is far more rewarding in every aspect. Simply put, the manual gearbox makes the Slingshot a better dance partner. It communicates better with you, familiarizes drivers with what’s happening beneath the body panels, and actually makes for faster shifting than the automated gearbox, which is essentially the same unit but with a hydraulically actuated clutch subbing in for my left Adidas Samba, instead letting my right shoe have all the fun.

Still, the AutoDrive gearbox is not necessarily worth ruling out entirely. With its paddle shifters, the AutoDrive unit still lets drivers shift for themselves, but with the added convenience of asking the car to figure it out while you creep through the occasional traffic jam. Like an older BMW SMG gearbox, it actually shifts better if you still treat it like a traditional manual gearbox, briefly removing your foot from the throttle through each shift, and even blipping it occasionally to help rev match downshifts. Still, with as much fun as I had using the Slingshot’s AutoDrive option, I always felt the urge to get back into a model with a proper three-pedal setup whenever I had the chance.

Grand Touring: the one that makes the Key West trip possible

The Grand Touring is the trim that kept the whole Miami-to-Key-West drive route concept from transforming from suntan to sunburn. The colour-matched Slingshade doesn’t exactly convert the Slingshot into a coupe, but it does give you just enough shelter from the Florida sun to feel like you might actually survive a whole day in it. The inclusion of ventilated seats sounds almost comical in such an application until you are deep into the Keys, when the black leather seats you left exposed out in the parking lot suddenly become bun burners. Of course, this is still no Lexus LC or Bentley Continental GTC. Wind fatigue is real, noise is constant, storage requires discipline, and conversation requires radio frequencies. Pack ibuprofen and stay hydrated. But still, the Grand Touring trim gives the Slingshot enough comfort and convenience to make any journey feel playfully adventurous rather than physically taxing.

Key West arrival: the Slingshot as an event machine

By the time we made it to Key West, the roads were mostly straight, and they were littered with golf carts and scooters. Here, the rev-happy ProStar engine and the grabby Aisin gearbox were no longer the stars of the show. Here in Key West, the Slingshot’s sound system became the ultimate party trick. The available Rockford Fosgate Stage 3 Max + Lighting system uses two 8-inch side-panel speakers and two 6.5-inch headrest speakers, delivering 700 watts of power. Translation: Park one in central Key West, crank up some Vanilla Ice, and watch as the crowds gather to join the party. The Polaris Slingshot brings people together—people of all cultures, creeds, and religions—in our universal love of fun. Because that’s what the Slingshot is for, really. It’s certainly not practical, nor is it always comfortable. But it is always fun, whether you’re driving one or just happen to see one passing by. Like the bright Florida sun, the Slingshot will never fail to brighten your day.

Final verdict: not rational, but extremely memorable

The 2026 Polaris Slingshot is not a car for people who want the best car in the traditional sense. It is not even a motorcycle for those who want the best motorcycle. It is less rational than either, less practical than almost anything, and more exposed to the elements than many buyers will expect. It is loud, strange, compromised, attention-hungry, and expensive once you climb into the trims I would actually want. It is also unforgettable.

From Miami to Key West, the Slingshot did what few modern vehicles manage to do anymore: it made the journey feel like a real adventure, full of twists and turns, freshly caught fish, panoramic vistas, seven-mile bridges, and a bonding experience that brought us all together in the end like kids laughing and telling stories around the campfire. It turned strangers into spectators, bridges into scenes, traffic into theatre, and a simple road trip into something worth retelling. I would not recommend it to everyone. In fact, I would not recommend it to most people. But for the right kind of person—someone who perhaps enjoys watching Indiana Jones or Long Way Round and is always up for a new adventure, purely for the sake of adventure itself—the Slingshot makes a case for itself unlike anything else out there. Somewhere between Miami, Key West, the fresh oysters, the endless ocean, and the convoy of alien roadsters chasing the sunset, I found myself incredibly grateful for it.

BMW M2 RR Edition Gets Updated Looks with Fresh Aero

All the M2s and all the liter bikes come with black paint and red accents, with the former finished in fan favorite Black Sapphire Metallic and the latter in a hue called Black Storm Metallic. The M2 RR Edition also gets a 20-millimeter drop thanks to M Performance suspension with red springs, bringing its 20-inch front and 21-inch rear M Performance wheels in Jet Black closer to the arches. The car also gains red inserts on its front and rear splitters, and both a roof spoiler and a wing on the trunk. To round the exterior treatment off, a specially developed Akrapovič exhaust has been produced, though there are no changes to the output of the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six S58 engine, which makes 473 horsepower.

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Inside, BMW has sadly elected not to fit the M Carbon bucket seats from the M2 CS, instead upholstering the standard perches in black and red leather with red contrast stitching, matching the noon marker and M buttons on the steering wheel. Perhaps as a nod to the feeling of freedom provided by a superbike, the M2 Edition RR also gains a sunroof, adding roughly 50 lbs of weight compared to the carbon roof. Finally, buyers will get to choose from either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission, with five of each being offered.

BMW’s M2-Inspired Bikes Get Light Touches

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Like the M2 RR Edition, the S 1000 RR M2 Edition and M 1000 RR M2 Edition get Akrapovič exhaust systems but no extra power. The former adds to its sinister look with red-accented front fairings, a tinted windshield, an M-embossed seat, a red-accented passenger seat, and red-accented Design Option wheels. The latter is a little fancier, with red accents on its M Carbon wheels and tank, as well as red M front winglets that make the bike look ready for MotoGP. Pricing for the S 1000 RR M2 Edition is set at R406,950 (~$24,580), while the M 1000 RR M2 Edition will cost R882,100 (~$53,280). Pricing for the M2 Coupe RR Edition hasn’t been revealed, but it probably won’t be cheap.

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The Pre-War Years

BMW was founded on March 7, 1916, when an aircraft producer began doing just that. Bayerische Flugzeugwerke didn’t quite roll off the tongue like Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW), though, and so the brand changed its name to the one we know today in 1922. That name itself, though, has a separate history, dating back to the old Rapp Motorenwerke, which changed its name to BMW.

The brand, of course, went on to produce aircraft as the initial name suggests. Its first straight-six ever, in fact, was for an aircraft. Following the close of WWI, BMW was able to keep the lights on by making a variety of items. Something of a general manufacturer, the brand made everything from motorcycle engines to farm equipment to household items.

Cars didn’t come along until a few years later, when BMW bought Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, which built British Austin Sevens under licence. BMW’s first car was actually a rebadge, a Dixi called the BMW 3/15 (pictured above). Other big firsts included the brand’s novel BMW R32 motorcycle, featuring an integrated gearbox with recirculating lubrication and an air-cooled design.

On into the 1930s, BMW would become known for producing airplane engines, motorcycles, and cars until the Second World War.

BMW’s darkest era: WWII and the Post-War years

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In BMW’s own words, it aided the National Socialist regime that rose to power out of decades of economic hardship brought on by the Treaty of Versailles following Germany’s defeat in World War I: “Under the National Socialists, BMW turned from a mobility company into an armaments manufacturer and became a key player in Germany’s war economy. Production of motorcycles and cars continued, but the lion’s share of revenues was generated by aero-engines. As the country armed itself, BMW set up new plants and ramped up production significantly.”

The brand needed people to staff its factories, as did so many other German automakers still in business today, from BMW to Mercedes-Benz, to Porsche, and more. Germany had an ample supply. From prisoners of war to persecuted minority groups like Jews and more, BMW staffed its factories with forced labor. Now, the brand attempts to make amends, making reparations and working to acknowledge this dark chapter in its history. Of Mercedes-Benz, itself, and Porsche, BMW’s exhibit on these horrors is by far the most comprehensive. The brand provides a decent primer on this part of its history, which you can read here.

Postwar changes marked a period of expansion for BMW, but the first few years were lean. The Allied war machine bombed BMW’s factories, and its ability to produce much of anything was deservedly hampered following the end of the war. It turned to an old strategy, producing pots, pans, bicycles, and just about anything to turn a profit. Motorcycle production started again in 1948, with cars following in 1952 with the 501.

It was the brand’s first real era of expansion since the end of the war, and iconic models like the Isetta followed through 1955. However, another downturn in its luxury car and motorcycle department put the brand in trouble. In 1959, BMW was nearly absorbed by neighboring Mercedes-Benz. Herbert Quandt and Harald Quandt acquired a controlling interest in BMW instead, largely based on the sales prospects of the upcoming BMW 700. The bet paid off.

BMW in the modern era

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Recovering from decades of uncertainty, plagued by its Nazi past, BMW looked to the future using a format we now know to be a familiar one. In 1962, the brand’s first Neue Klasse, or New Class, compact sedans debuted. These were hugely successful, with nameplates like the famed 3 Series and 2002 spawning from the original Neue Klasse. The 5 Series range arrived in 1972, the 3 Series in 1975, and the famed M division in 1978.

The 1970s were a massively successful decade at BMW, thanks largely to these three items. Here, the brand’s reputation for sporty luxury cars was solidified. The 3 Series has gone on to become an icon, and the same can easily be said of the 5, 7, and 8 Series models introduced during the decade.

Today, the brand continues to evolve. Its first hybrid debuted in 2010, the i3, its first EV, followed in 2013. The brand continues to transition towards electrified vehicles, largely in response to our worsening climate and the regulations imposed by the European Union and other nations as a result.

Honda in the 1960s were an engineering pioneer in the internal combustion space, driven by founder Soichiro Honda’s ‘engineering first’ philosophy. The proving ground for the company’s creations during this time was the Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing World Championship, where the realisation that several smaller, lighter pistons can be made to accelerate and change direction much faster than fewer larger and heavier ones led to the development of landmark engines like the 250cc inline four motor in the 1961 RC162 race bike, and the 250cc inline six in the 1966 RC166. These engines could spin way faster than the singles and twins of the time and dominated their classes — the RC166 made about 60 horsepower at 18,000 rpm, and won all 10 races it was entered in through 1966. It was with these high-revving, small-displacement, multi-cylinder motorcycle engines that Honda cemented their reputation for technical innovation and engineering excellence.

From Racetrack to Road

Honda used racing as a rolling laboratory of sorts, applying innovations developed in the heat of battle towards inspiring and refining their product line. The 1969 Honda CB750 Four, often considered the first ‘true superbike’, was a product of this philosophy. It was powered by an across-the-frame, four-cylinder, overhead-cam motor — a formula perfected on the racetrack with the RC162 earlier in the decade. The CB750 was highly sophisticated for its time and an instant success, once again reinforcing Honda’s reputation as an innovator and master of high-performance engines.

While the company continued to refine the CB750 through the 1970s, it didn’t introduce another exciting, high-displacement motorcycle through the decade. Instead, it relied mostly on the booming sales of its smaller commuter motorcycles and focused more on developing the automobile side of the business. Motorcycle enthusiasts, however, expected more high-performance innovation from Honda and wanted to see something special from the brand known for its engineering excellence. Honda took note and, in 1976, started working on a special project just to silence the critics. 

Creating the CBX

Honda’s goal with the CBX project was simple — create a large-displacement sporty street bike to showcase Honda’s technological superiority and engineering prowess, just as the CB750 Four had done a decade ago. Helming this project was lead engineer Shoichiro Irimajiri, the genius behind several of Honda’s multi-cylinder race engines of the ‘60s, including the dominant six-cylinder RC166. And just as the CB750 brought Honda’s four-cylinder tech from the racetrack to the road, Irimajiri decided that it was now time to really flex Honda’s engineering capabilities and create a six-cylinder road bike, using expertise gained from racing the RC166 all those years ago. When the Honda CBX1000 was finally revealed to the world in late 1978, all eyes were on that wide,1,047-cc six-cylinder engine mounted transversely across the simple steel frame.

Reputation Rebuilt

The CBX1000 marked Honda’s return to cutting-edge innovation in the motorcycle space, renewing its reputation as a builder of performance machines. At its heart was a 24-valve, DOHC, inline six-cylinder engine that put out 105 horsepower at a lofty 8,000 rpm. The motor was fed through six 28mm Keihin CV carburettors and featured an innovative jackshaft design to position the alternator and clutch basket behind the block, rather than at the ends of the crankshaft. This kept overall width in check, and the finished engine was just about two inches wider than the CB750 motor, even though it sported two more cylinders and 250cc more displacement.

The engine, with its GP racing lineage, was powerful for the time, but also let riders experience the smoothness and refinement that only a perfectly balanced inline six can provide, and howled like a 1970s Formula 1 car when on the boil. Its oversquare design let it rev freely all the way to a 9,500 rpm redline, propelling the hefty 600 lb motorcycle to a 140 mph top speed in the process. 

CBX Evolution

At its launch, the CBX1000 was positioned as Honda’s halo sport bike, but over the years, it evolved into more of a tourer. It received a fairing, saddlebags, and a more relaxed riding position. The engine was also detuned to 100 horsepower, in favour of stronger midrange torque, and the twin-shock layout was scrapped in favor of a more modern monoshock layout. 

CBX Legacy

Honda sold its six-cylinder CBX1000 from 1979 to 1982 and while it may not have set sales charts on fire, it accomplished what it set out to do — restore Honda’s image as an innovator and creator of unique, high-performance engines. The CBX was a big, heavy motorcycle and not always practical, but it wasn’t meant to be. It was created to prove a point, without regard to practicality, and to give riders a taste of what Honda was capable of. Today, examples of the CBX1000 are highly sought after collector’s items, especially since well-maintained bikes in original condition are becoming extremely rare. Ultimately, the CBX1000 serves as a rolling reminder of what happens when Honda’s engineering first philosophy is given free rein. Few bikes before or since have made such a bold mechanical statement. 

What Changes Could Be Coming to the Law

The current federal definition of what constitutes a motorcycle is rather broad: a “motor vehicle with motive power having a seat or saddle for the user of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground.” This allows manufacturers like Polaris to provide a car-like seating position and controls without the rigorous testing that four-wheeled cars are usually saddled with. The new bill would exclude any three-wheeler with a steering wheel, requiring the use of handlebars for steering and braking. It would also mandate that the seat or saddle be of the sort that the rider “sits astride,” and these rules would mean such comprehensive changes that the abovementioned autocycle manufacturers would need to redesign almost everything about their vehicles.

Related: The Most Extreme Thing on the Road Just Got More Luxurious for 2026

If they were to add a fourth wheel, their USP would be gone, and they’d need to conform to even more stringent car regulations. If they were to redesign the seating and control solutions, the relative convenience of their operation would be nullified, too. Different states currently have different definitions, with Minnesota, for example, defining autocycles as three-wheeled vehicles that the user sits in, rather than on, and that have a steering wheel. This new law would essentially change the laws, making the existing three-wheelers we’ve mentioned illegal to operate.

New Bill Faces Pushback

Hagerty reports that the Motorcycle Industry Council has expressed “strong opposition” to the new bill in a letter to the heads of the subcommittee debating the new legislation, arguing that it could “eliminate an entire category of innovative American-made products from commerce and jeopardize thousands of domestic jobs.” Manufacturers have also argued that this new bill could deprive consumers of choice.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade has referred bill H.R. 3385 to the full Energy and Commerce committee in the lower house of Congress, so there is still a long way to go before the bill is approved, with amendments and clarifications likely.

It’s 1999, and Ducati has won eight out of the last 12 Superbike World Championship (WSBK) riders’ titles. Over the preceding decade, their unique V-twin-powered machines proved to be a dominant force in a field otherwise populated by V-fours and inline fours. Honda, on the other hand, with their reputation for engineering excellence and legendary motorsport heritage, struggled to match the Italians. The Honda RC45 race bike, powered by a 750-cc V-four motor, was an excellent machine in its own right, but struggled to compete with the larger-capacity Ducati V-twins. Larger capacity because the WSBK regulations of the era capped displacement at 750cc for four-cylinder motors, while twins were allowed up to 1,000cc. 

Twins vs Fours

At the time, Ducati was known for its lightweight, short-stroke V-twin engines while Japanese motorcycle brands had spent years perfecting their high-revving four-cylinder motors. The smaller and lighter pistons in these four-pot motors, combined with the more frequent power pulses, allowed for higher rpm and consequently higher peak power than a twin-cylinder engine of similar capacity. The regulations were designed to even out this peak power deficit and level the playing field, but didn’t take into account the V-twin’s inherent character — strong, instantly-accessible torque through the midrange. The kind of torque that aggressively accelerates you out of a corner and towards the next one, without having to wait for the motor to spin up into the stratosphere. On most racetracks, peak power doesn’t mean much without the ability to efficiently put that power down, and Ducati’s dominance demonstrated just that. 

If You Can’t Beat Em…

While Ducati celebrated its 1999 championship victory, Honda was already preparing for some big changes. Acknowledging that it would be impossible for their 750s to match the Italian machines, which had grown in size from 851cc in 1990 to 996cc in 1999, Honda Racing Corporation’s (HRC) top bosses made the decision sometime in the mid ‘90s to take a page out of Ducati’s book and develop a big-bore V-twin of their own. While this would give Honda engineers the freedom to go beyond the 750cc cap, successfully building a competitive engine with a whole new philosophy on the first attempt would be a formidable task. They would also be going toe-to-toe with a manufacturer with a lot more experience, as Ducati had been refining the art of building high-performance V-twins since the ‘70s. 

Uncharted Territory

Honda had spent the last two decades perfecting its V-four engines; the decision to abandon this configuration and start a whole new development journey from scratch could not have been an easy one. The goal? Direct the might of Honda’s R&D, vast technical knowledge, and engineering expertise towards creating a competent superbike with a V-twin heart to take on the Ducati 996 in the 2000 WSBK season. Essentially, the team behind the project was tasked with building a better Ducati than Ducati themselves!

What they finally came up with was a 999cc V-twin with a 90-degree angle between cylinder banks, four valves per cylinder, a 100mm bore, and a 63.6mm stroke. The dual overhead camshafts were driven by a series of gears for Swiss-clockwork-like precision, the perfectly-balanced forged steel crankshaft was designed to handle sustained high-rpm operation, short-skirted cast-aluminium pistons and aluminum composite cylinder sleeves were given friction-reducing coatings, and forged steel connecting rods featured a unique ‘nutless’ bolt-through-rod design to reduce weight and improve durability.

The Honda RC51

In early 1999, Honda’s American factory rider Colin Edwards was spotted testing a pre-production, V-twin-powered superbike at Australia’s historic Philip Island circuit. This was the motorcycle would be revealed to the public a year later, officially designated the RC51 and marketed in the U.S. as the RVT1000R. In other markets, including Europe, Japan, and Australia, it was sold as the VTR1000SP1. It was also what Edwards would ride in the 2000 WSBK season. 

Going Racing

The RC51 proved to be a resounding success in its inaugural year, outperforming the Ducatis and bringing Honda and Colin Edwards the 2000 WSBK constructors’ and riders’ championship titles. Ducati hit back the following year and snatched the title back, but Honda’s engineers were already busy refining the RC51 with various minor alterations, including larger throttle bodies, smoother fuelling for more predictable throttle response, better injectors, a different swingarm, and changes to chassis geometry to fine-tune the bike’s handling. Back to the races with this new SP2 version of the RC51 in 2002, Honda proved once and for all that they had built the superior V-twin superbike by reclaiming the rider’s championship, with the RC51 earning the ‘Ducati Killer’ nickname in the process. 

Unfortunately, the RC51’s reign did not last very long; 2003 saw a reworking of the WSBK rules that finally allowed 1,000-cc four-cylinder motorcycles to compete. Honda had by then done what they had set out to do — prove that they have the engineering chops to adapt, innovate, and outdo the competition at their own game. Prioritising the development of Valentino Rossi’s RC211V MotoGP prototype race bike, the company opted out of the championship that year. They did, however, return in 2004 with the all-new CBR1000RR Fireblade, but that is a story for another day. 

Aside from these two WSBK titles, the RC51 had many more racing successes. These included a victory at the 2000 Isle of Man TT, the top spot at the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, top spot in the 2002 AMA championship, victories at the Daytona 200 in 2002 and 2003, and four consecutive victories at the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race from 2000 onwards, culminating in a podium lockout in 2003. During its short time in the sun, the RC51 was raced by legends including Joey Dunlop, Valentino Rossi, Colin Edwards, Nicky Hayden, Daijiro Kato, and many more. 

RC51 Legacy

Although Honda officially stepped away from racing the RC51 after 2003, the road-going version of the bike remained on sale till 2006, when it was finally replaced by the CBR1000RR as the brand’s litre-class flagship and halo product. Today, the RC51 has achieved legendary status, is highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike, and has left an indelible mark on motorcycle racing history. 

2025 was home to some intriguing, world-changing stories. From new tariffs to huge new car announcements, the headlines that dominated weren’t always the most popular. We’ve consolidated a year’s worth of our most popular posts into one place. Each is loosely summarized below, but follow the link to go deeper and gain a greater understanding of what made each of these so popular among your fellow readers.

Blue traffic lights aren’t green for a reason

It turns out those little boxes above the traffic lights in some states and cities are for the boys and girls in blue. They’re called “confirmation lights,” and are used by law enforcement nd first responders. But be careful, their job is to help law enforcement spot red-light runners more easily and more safely. You’ll find them in parts of Florida, including Gainesville, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Collier County, as well as in states like Colorado, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Kansas.

Read On: Noticed Blue Lights Above Traffic Signals? There’s a Reason

China bans retractable door handles

Premium automakers, especially those deep in the EV space, have developed a notable affection for retractable door handles, famously found on all Tesla models. They look clean, reduce drag, and fit the futuristic image many electric cars aim for. But while the design wins style points, safety concerns have piled up. Over in China, the government finally decided it was going to step in, banning the electric-only mechanisms that regulators say can trap occupants.

Read On: China Is Banning Tesla-Style Retractable Door Handles Over Safety Concerns

Honda’s strange V3 engine

Honda’s new three-cylinder engine has a clever new kind of forced induction, allowing for more power via a new electronically controlled compressor. Rather than relying on mechanical parameters to spin a turbine (as a supercharger or turbocharger does), the compressor now uses the bike’s ECU to make the call. Built for use on one of the brand’s latest motorcycles, the three-cylinder engine is so efficient that the 900cc unit will reportedly produce as much power as a conventional naturally aspirated 1.2-liter engine.

Read On: Honda’s New V3 Engine Ditches Turbos and Superchargers for Something Smarter

The Honda Prelude continues to generate buzz

At the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, we saw a wide variety of automotive spectacles, from brand-new EVs to hypercar classics. But one of our favorite cars to make an appearance was a name we haven’t heard in decades: the Honda Prelude. Honda brought its new coupe to the FoS and drew quite a crowd in doing so. It was our first look at the Prelude, and the impressions made then still resonate with us now. The Prelude’s specs were under wraps then, as was the hybrid sports coupe’s pricing.

Read On: Seeing the New Honda Prelude Up Close Reveals Its Retro Magic

Our recent article about Ferrari’s pill-shaped piston patent had a lot of readers commenting that Honda did it decades ago with their NR engine project. While Honda had their distinct reasons for going this route, and their execution was markedly different from what Ferrari is exploring, it is a fact that the Japanese manufacturer was the first to envision oval pistons and combustion chambers way back in the ‘70s. 

Racing Drives Innovation 

Innovation in the internal combustion space today usually revolves around creating cleaner, more efficient engines. The focus is on efficiency, emissions, downsizing, electrifying, or uncovering means to hold off obsolescence. In the mid-20th century, though, racing was the driving force behind motorcycle development, and Honda was one of the great innovators. 

New Racing

The brand dominated the sport with technologically-advanced, multi-cylinder, four-stroke machinery in the 1960s, eventually stepping away from motorcycle racing in 1968 to focus on developing and building passenger cars. In the late ’70s, after a hiatus of over a decade, founder Soichiro Honda wanted back in and set up the NR or New Racing project with the aim of competing in the Grand Prix Motorcycle World Championship, which is now MotoGP, the premier class of motorcycle racing.

There was one problem: the sport was then dominated by two-stroke machinery. Soichiro Honda strongly disliked two-stroke engines, considering them noisy, inefficient, and unsophisticated, and set about attempting to create a revolutionary four-stroke motor that could outperform two-stroke engines of equal cubic capacity. The oval-piston engine, while legendary, is the result of this ultimately unsuccessful experiment.

Two-Stroke Supremacy 

Pound-for-pound, two strokes can make much more power than four strokes simply because they fire twice as often and complete the entire combustion cycle twice as fast — in one rather than two full crank rotations. To put this into perspective, the last time we saw two- and four-stroke machinery compete in the same class, it was 990cc four strokes and 500cc two strokes sharing the grid in 2002 and ‘03. But four strokes didn’t get these displacement allowances back in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

The rules were simple: no more than four cylinders, no more than 500cc in displacement. And the team of engineers at Honda’s NR project was faced with the problem of how to build a four-stroke motor that could ingest, combust, and expel air (and fuel) twice as fast as previously thought possible.

Valve Area Woes

The answer to Honda’s problem was simple, on paper at least. A two-stroke engine sees twice as many power strokes as a four-stroke engine spinning at the same RPM. So, to match a two-stroke motor’s power output, a four-stroke would have to spin twice as fast. The successful two-stroke race machines of the time were spinning up to over 10,000 rpm and creating upwards of 120 hp; Honda set itself a target of 23,000 rpm and 130 hp, and got to work. 

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There are many physical limitations standing in the way of how fast an engine can spin, but to even stand a chance, Honda’s engineers had to first come up with a way to pump enough air through a 500-cc four-cylinder motor to sustain itself at stratospheric revs. More valve area was the need of the hour, but space was limited within the confines of a round, capacity-limited cylinder. Honda couldn’t increase the size of the combustion chamber to accommodate more valves, but the rules didn’t say anything about its shape. And so the oval combustion chamber was born, crafted to accommodate eight lightweight valves per cylinder for a total of 32 valves for this unique V4 motor with the breathing capacity of a V8.

Reinventing the Wheel

Piston engine combustion chambers have always been round, simply because this smooth, uniform shape offers the best seal. Trying to change this tried and tested design to accommodate more valves was akin to reinventing the wheel, and threw up a whole lot of issues during development. One was maintaining a seal within the cylinder for the duration of a race — oval piston rings had to be developed to tackle this, and their manufacture at the required tolerances pushed the limits of the time’s machining capabilities.

Another issue was the excessive rocking of an oblong piston as it changed direction; this was countered by the incorporation of two connecting rods per piston, but an undesirable side effect was more weight and reciprocating mass. Even the piston wrist pins had to be inordinately long to cover the distance between the two connecting rods, and these longer pins could flex under the extreme forces of high-rpm operation. 

Going Racing

The first time Honda’s NR500 saw the grid was at the 1979 British GP; unfortunately, both bikes entered failed to complete the race, and were utterly outclassed by the two-stroke competition. The bike continued racing for the next two seasons as the engineers attempted to further refine and make it more competitive, ultimately getting the motor to rev up to 19,500 rpm and generate 130 hp. This, however, was not enough to make up for the weight of the complex motor, and the experimental NR500 failed to leave a mark on the championship. Honda finally gave in, retired the oval-piston NR500 in early 1982, and focused on developing the NS500 three-cylinder two-stroke machine that eventually won the 1983 championship. 

A Failed Experiment?

Yes, Soichiro Honda failed at proving that a four-stroke motor could compete with two strokes on equal footing, and spent an inordinate amount of time and money in doing so. While the NR project didn’t have the desired impact on racing, it did make massive contributions to motorcycle technology. The need to manufacture small parts to extremely precise tolerances drove the development of better machining technology, while the NR500 also pioneered the use of exotic metals, like magnesium and titanium, to save weight, as well as the use of a slipper clutch — something we see even on beginner bikes today. While the oval-piston NR500 engine wasn’t the racing success it was intended to be, its existence is a showcase of internal combustion innovation at its best.

The Oval Piston Road Bike

Honda may have abandoned their oval-piston race project in the ‘80s, but their engineers had successfully proved that the concept worked. And what better proof of concept than bringing this technology to a road-legal motorcycle. In 1992, Honda launched the NR750 — a limited-run halo product and tribute to the NR500 race project, equipped with the oval piston technology developed at the track over a decade ago. 

Only around 300 were built, not for profit but to make a statement. Not as high-strung and hence less fragile than the 500cc race engine, the NR750 revved to 16,000 rpm and made 125 hp. Priced at around $60,000 in 1992 (around $138,000 in today’s money), it was one of the most expensive and exclusive motorcycles of the ‘90s, aimed at collectors who wanted to own a unique piece of engineering excellence. Today, this motorcycle commands almost mythical status and six figures when, and if, one comes up for sale. 

V3 engines are about as rare as unicorns, having made only sporadic appearances through motorcycling history. The first known example of such a layout, with two cylinders in one bank of the V and a single on the other, was created by German motorcycle manufacturer DKW in 1955 to power their two-stroke grand prix race bikes. 

Suzuki dabbled in this configuration in the late ‘60s for a 50cc race bike that never saw the light of day due to regulation changes, after which V3 engines surfaced again only in the ‘80s, powering Honda’s 500cc two-stroke grand prix race machines from 1982 to 1984, as well as 250cc and 400cc road-going two-stroke models up to 1987. The compact V3 engine configuration then faded into obscurity and was replaced in subsequent decades by the extremely popular inline four and V4 layouts. Well, the elusive V3 is now all set to make a 21st-century return. 

Honda Revives the V3 After Four Decades

At last year’s EICMA, the annual Milan Motorcycle Show, Honda surprised us all with their latest innovation — a modern 75-degree V3 engine, equipped with forced induction. The engine was presented mounted within a steel trellis frame with an inverted fork up front, single-sided swingarm at the rear, and 17-inch alloy wheels shod with Pirelli tyres, all of which signalled sporty intentions for this platform. This year, the Japanese manufacturer has taken things a step further by presenting the camouflaged V3R 900 E-Compressor Prototype, indicating that a production version is closer than we initially thought. 

What makes this motor special?

All previous V3 engines through history have been two-stroke. Honda’s latest creation is a liquid-cooled four-stroke, with a 75-degree angle between cylinder banks and a claimed capacity of 900cc. But what really stands out is the incorporation of forced induction, something rarely seen on motorcycles. 

While the 1980s saw all the big four Japanese manufacturers create turbocharged bikes, this trend was short-lived, killed off by unpredictable power delivery due to lag, weight, complexity, and cost. The only mainstream forced induction motorcycles in the modern era are Kawasaki’s H2 series of supercharged inline-four machines. Honda is now looking to change this with their V3 creation that casts aside turbocharging and supercharging, and instead takes a novel approach to forced induction — an electronically-controlled compressor mounted atop the forward bank of cylinders feeding the airbox.

Why This Matters

Honda’s system allows boost pressures to be controlled independently of engine speed or exhaust gas velocity, meaning that the engine can deliver high torque even from low rpm. The ECU can instruct the compressor to spin up and help the engine produce the power being demanded by the rider’s right wrist at a moment’s notice, eliminating the lag associated with turbos and the parasitic losses of a supercharger, while saving a great deal of weight in the process. The whole motor is extremely well packaged and slim, and Honda claims that this compact 900cc three-cylinder motor will make as much power as a conventional naturally-aspirated 1,200cc motor, which we imagine to be in the region of 200 horsepower. 

The Bottom Line

Honda has always been at the forefront of motorcycle engine innovation. They created the howling inline-six-cylinder CBX 1000, the oval-piston 32-valve V4 in the NR500 and NR750, and the highest revving production motorcycle engine ever — the little inline-four in the CBR250RR that screamed to 20,000 rpm. With most manufacturers today focused on building small, economical twins and developing EV technology, it seemed that the days of innovation in the internal combustion space were behind us, but here comes Honda to the rescue with something that the world hasn’t seen before. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Very few manufacturers have even attempted developing such an engine for series production, the only one of note being British motorcycle brand Ariel, who produced square four engines in various capacities from 1931 to 1959. Japanese manufacturers Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki also experimented with this layout in the 1980s, primarily for their two-stroke grand prix race bikes, but the design soon faded into obscurity. 

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Fast Forward to 2025

Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta, known for building some of the most exotic machines on the planet, has now revived the dual-crank U engine architecture, almost a century after Ariel first brought it mainstream. The high-end boutique brand, whose exclusive creations are often considered rolling pieces of art, revealed their creation to the world at EICMA 2025, this year’s Milan Motorcycle Show. The engine in question in a five-cylinder take on the square layout with three pistons driving the forward crank and two pistons driving the rear, so its more trapezoid than square — something that has never been attempted before. 

What We Know So Far

At the moment, this engine exists only as a concept, but MV Agusta has shared a few details, as well as their future plans for it. The company states that its five-cylinder quadrato (Italian for square) engine platform will be offered in varying displacements ranging from 850 cc to 1150 cc, and will power models across various segments, from supersport motorcycles to naked street bikes, and even tourers. MV Agusta also claims that the platform will be capable of generating over 240 horsepower and 96 lb-ft of torque, and rev to over 16,000 rpm — all while weighing under 132 lbs. 

Square Engine Pros and Cons

The square engine architecture offers several inherent advantages over more common high-performance motorcycle engine designs of similar capacity. They offer a smaller overall footprint, being narrower than an inline four and shorter front to back than a V4, allowing for easier packaging within the frame. They also offer excellent balance and refinement, while MV also states that the five-cylinder firing order will ensure a wide spread of usable torque across the rev range, eliminating the need for variable valve timing. 

While all of this sounds great, square engines did come with some drawbacks, which ultimately saw them fade out of existence. These included issues keeping the rear cylinders cool in the old days of air-cooling, and the complexity and cost involved with building an engine with two crankshafts and four camshafts. Of course, modern liquid cooling takes care of the first issue, and your average MV Agusta buyer isn’t really concerned with cost, so it’s quite possible that we could see this concept turn into a reality in the coming years. 

The Bottom Line

In an era when innovation and development in the internal combustion space seems to have ground to a halt, it’s always refreshing to see a manufacturer directing time and resources towards coming up with something that nobody else thought of trying. While MV Agusta’s new engine platform is probably years from production, it gives petrolheads hope and the promise that the days of screaming exhausts aren’t done yet. 

Recent global auto theft rates are mixed, with increases in areas like Latin America and stabilization in the United States. While this crime isn’t going away anytime soon, one company’s technology is giving drivers and fleet managers more peace of mind. Ituran, a telematics/connected-car solutions company with hardware and software, has increased stolen-vehicle recovery rates for 2.6 million worldwide subscribers.

Autoblog spoke with Ituran co-CEO Eyal Sheratzky about how his company is serving as a unified stolen-vehicle recovery solution amid competitors offering partial services, how his organization is meeting modern demands, and more. Ituran has 24/7 control centers in every country where it operates, along with its own enforcement and intelligence units and technology. Many of Ituran’s competitors have technology but rely on third parties for enforcement and vehicle recovery. 

Sheratzky expanded on how Ituran differs from vehicle manufacturers’ embedded telematics: “We are looking for a long relationship with our customers. They see us as a service provider. Somebody needs to provide a service to answer the customer to recover the car. Ituran has a dual solution for this. One, we’ll provide hardware and services, and if the hardware isn’t needed, we integrate our services with the car and units.”

The numbers show that Ituran’s efforts are paying off

According to Sheratzky, Ituran has an almost 85% recovery rate within 30 to 60 minutes — totaling $3 billion in vehicle value — while police generally succeed in fewer than 10% of cases. Ituran’s success rate is also over four times the global average without specialist tracking. Ituran is the leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) service provider in its niche in Latin America, with Nissan as a major customer. Companies like Nissan, General Motors, and others have incorporated Ituran’s technology into their plans and production lines, and this week, Ituran signed a three-year service agreement with Renault across at least four countries in Latin America. Ituran will deliver its advanced SVR and telematics solutions to Renault vehicles across key Latin America countries, with potential for expansion to additional markets and extended service periods.

Related: Gen Z Designers in Japan Have a Weird Vision for the Future of Kei Cars

Ituran is also expanding into racing, as in March, the company was selected by the Porsche Cup to analyze data. Sheratzky said: “This started as a technology we brought from the street to the Porsche Cup, one of the most famous touring car categories in the world. At the start of the project, Microsoft had a digital transformation challenge for the Porsche Cup Brazil. Then Microsoft approached us, and through our technology, we were able to capture the data from the Porsche cars. We sent it in real time to the Microsoft Cloud, and this data is then processed and presented right there for the engineering team. So we can get this data from the car, from high temperatures, from low oil pressure, or even a tire that’s leaking a little bit of air. We can see all of this in advance.”

How Ituran adapts to today’s thieves while leveraging AI

When asked how automotive thieves are operating in recent years, Sheratzky replied: “So they [criminals] always have to, in order to keep their industry alive, find more solutions. For example, today they’re coming with jammers. They’re coming with alternative car computers so they can try to convert [and override a car’s original computer system].” In addition to increasing stolen-vehicle recovery rates, Ituran’s service helps police apprehend thieves, reducing repeat offenses. 

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With artificial intelligence (AI) technology becoming increasingly prevalent, Sheratzky told Autoblog how Ituran is using AI to optimize its service: “I think, the most useful thing that we’ve done recently [with AI] is that our system learns the habits of the anonymous drivers.” The Ituran CEO gave an example: the company’s system recognizes a driver’s habits, and if a thief tries to jam the driver’s unit while the driver is sleeping, it’s easier to identify the event as illegal.

Final thoughts

Sheratzky shared his thoughts on what lies ahead for Ituran, highlighting the car rental market, leveraging AI and big data, and carbon cash credits as three key areas of focus. The company’s app, IturanMob USA, provides a shared all-in-one mobility management service for small-to-medium car rental parties to remotely control vehicle doors, send secure links to clients for vehicle access, access detailed data reports, and more. 

The Ituran co-CEO said: “Small companies that trade [rent] cars have a lot of expenses, and they need customer satisfaction. So, by providing them with [IturanMob USA] technology, they can do it remotely with confidence and reliability. I think that this is something that we can do in the US because we found that there is not really sufficient technology, and those rental companies have strong means.”

Ituran plans to leverage AI and big data to benefit customers, including road operators, cities and municipalities, and retail stores. Telematics data from Ituran helps electric vehicle (EV) drivers receive carbon credits that can translate into cash incentives for reducing emissions.

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Los Angeles-based custom motorcycle builder Maxwell Hazan has built a bike powered by the V8 engine from a Ferrari F355. Dubbed the HF355, it’s been in the works since early 2024, and still isn’t quite finished, but recently turned a wheel for the first time.

“The goal was to create a V8-powered sport bike that still had the proportions of a normal motorcycle and it was definitely a challenge,” Hazan said in an Instagram post first spotted by Hagerty.

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Eight Cylinders, Two Wheels

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Motorcycles with large car engines have been built before—perhaps most famously by Dodge, which stuffed a Viper V10 into its Tomahawk concept bike—but that doesn’t mean the task has gotten any easier.

Hazan built a custom frame to house the Ferrari engine and a six-speed transmission, shrouded in handmade bodywork, with brakes and suspension capable of handling the engine’s estimated 400 horsepower. That’s pushing just 590 pounds of weight with fluids and four gallons of gasoline onboard. The engine and transmission make up 319 pounds of that total.

A former interior designer and contractor, Hazan began building motorcycles in his father’s woodshed in Brooklyn, before moving to L.A. and going into the bike-building business full time with his own company, Hazan Motorworks. His previous builds include an eclectic mix of customized classics such as BSA and Vincent, some more modern designs, and a salt-flats racer dubbed the Salt Shaker. But the Ferrari-powered HF355 might be Hazan’s most distinctive build yet.

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Lamborghini and Ducati are collaborating on a new project, appropriately announced at Milan Design Week. The third of its kind, this joint effort sees the two famous Italian motoring icons bringing a special version of the Ducati Panigale V4 S to market. Drawing on design elements borrowed from the Lamborghini Revuelto, the automaker’s latest V12-powered monster, it’s a pairing that’s certain to make deep-pocketed enthusiasts salivate.

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Dubbed the Panigale V4 Lamborghini, the new superbike borrows liberally from the Revuelto with which it shared the stage. Hardware upgrades start with forged aluminum wheels that mirror the Lamborghini’s design. Ducati also re-shaped the tail piece and winglets to more closely resemble the Revuelto’s silhouette, along with a generous helping of carbon fiber bits. The heat shield, instrument mounts, heel guards, radiator duct, chain guard, and more are all made with the same carbon fiber weave that decorates Lamborghini’s cars. The entire bike is a seriously nice bit of kit, and it’s all tied together with some of the best colors from Sant’Agata Bolognese’s palette, including Verde Scandal, Grigio Telesto, and Grigio Acheso, matching the Revuelto it debuted with.

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All the carbon amounts to a total savings of around five pounds over the standard Panigale V4, which normally weighs around 413 pounds. That makes this the lightest of the Panigale family yet—fitting, considering who Ducati’s collaborating with. Sources indicate that the Panigale V4 Lamborghini won’t be cheap, which will likely shock nobody. The bike starts at $78,400, while an even more exclusive Speciale Clienti version will demand you part with an eye-watering $100,400.

This marks the third Lamborghini and Ducati collaboration

This isn’t the first time the two Italians have joined forces. Back in 2020, the two brought the Ducati Diavel 1260 Lamborghini to market, which drew inspiration from the Gea Green and Electrum Gold paint of the super-exclusive Lamborghini Sian SKP 37. Two years later, the Ducati Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini burst on the scene, debuting at the 2022 San Marino and Rimini Riviera MotoGP with design cues borrowed from the Huracan STO. As with all Ducati/Lamborghini projects, the Panigale V4 Lamborghini is very exclusive. Only 630 versions are available, with 63 even more exclusive Speciale Clienti versions offered to existing Lamborghini customers only.

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Speciale Clienti versions of the bike can be fully color-matched to their respective owners’ Lamborghini because, well, of course, they can. Whether or not you opt (or are allowed to purchase) a Speciale Clienti bike, all Panigale V4 Lamborghini owners can “complete the look” with an exclusive helmet, jacket, and leather riding suit available in the special Panigale V4 Lamborghini color scheme. If that wasn’t eye-roll-inducing enough, don’t worry—it gets better. Speciale Clienti customers will also be able to paint-match their leathers to their bike (and, ergo, their Lamborghini) if desired.

Final thoughts

We’re not sure anyone has ever made an argument for Lamborghini being the value brand—and this limited-edition bike doesn’t really change that. A “regular” Panigale V4 S starts at $33,895, so unless you value the aesthetics and five pounds of weight savings for an extra $45,000, we’re not sure you’re destined to get your money’s worth. That said, the Ducati Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini apparently sold out in a matter of hours, so we’re pretty sure the Italians will have no trouble at all moving these high-dollar and ultra-exclusive bikes.

The Can-Am Ryker Rally is a conundrum masked as a three-wheeled motorcycle. It looks rad — we wanted to call it a tadpole in mid-frog metamorphosis, but it turns out they get their back legs first — is generally comfortable on the road and quite a bit more capable off-road than we expected. It doesn’t do a single thing better than a more traditional two- or four-wheeler, but it gets close enough in several categories that it’s a worthwhile addition to enough garages to make sense as a viable purchase decision.

But let’s be very clear: The Can-Am Ryker Rally is not a product designed to appeal to everyone. Or even most people. It’s more like a well-aimed dart for a small contingent of the population.

Power comes from a 900cc inline-three engine. It sends 82 horsepower and 58 pound-feet of torque through a continuously variable automatic transmission to the single rear tire, which is sufficient thrust to smoke both the 205/55R15 rear rubber and pretty much all other traffic from a standing stop. The brakes are very powerful, and the anti-lock system, which is activated both front and rear from a single foot-mounted lever, feels confident and secure.

The Ryker Rally is a quick little thing in the city, scooting away from stoplights to 35 miles per hour in true hooligan style. Things slow down drastically from there as the Rally’s CVT settles into its desired rev range, so passing times at highway speeds aren’t anywhere near as impressive as a launch from zero. It’s not slow, but it could certainly use a bit more upper-rpm horsepower. The Akrapovič exhaust system lets out enough of the guttural sounds of the Rotax-supplied engine that it’s still audible even on the highway.

Owners may not want to spend a whole lot of time at highway speeds anyway. While its ergonomics are good — adjustable handlebars and peg positions are certainly helpful here — and the saddle is plenty comfortable, the Ryker’s tripod design doesn’t lend itself well to long and straight stretches of road. It often develops a bit of a wiggle as the two front tires fall into and out of grooves on the asphalt, the sail-like riding position means wind gusts can be disconcerting and require frequent steering correction, and no matter where a bump in the road may lie, it’s often impossible to avoid due to the three contact patches. Steering the Ryker is also a chore that takes strong pressure on the handlebars, and since it doesn’t lean, sweeping corners require that hefty heave for their duration. The faster you go, the more these issues become tiresome. Fortunately, cruise control helps remove one variable from the rider’s brain.

Stick to around-town speeds and most of these complaints are no longer a problem. The suspension — double wishbones up front and a massive single swingarm housing the shaft drive at the rear — boasts KYB shocks that are adjustable in four positions. Loosen the preload and turn down the compression to offer a softer ride and surface imperfections become less likely to bump and jar the Ryker Rally off course. Its abundant low-end torque is perfect for turning pavement into playground.

Perhaps most surprisingly, there’s plenty of fun to be had off the pavement. Keeping the compression damping clicked down, the soft suspension setup works well on bumpy dirt roads. Rally mode, selectable through the digital display directly in front of the rider, allows a much greater degree of slip from the rear than the street-oriented Standard or Sport modes. It doesn’t completely turn traction control off, and ABS programming remains active on the brakes. We found the Rally very entertaining and controllable on loose surfaces, and it’s able to cover ground much more quickly than we’d have guessed. With just under 5 inches of ground clearance, the Ryker Rally is not meant for climbing rocks or traversing muddy trails, but dirt or gravel roads are definitely in play.

An under-trike skid plate is a welcome piece of standard kit. We also appreciate the sweet rally-inspired wheels, intake prefilter, front pushbar and hand guards. Not only do they complete the aggressive look, they’re all functional.

There’s a small trunk at the front of the Ryker, and our test model was also equipped with a single piece of luggage. Neither was large enough to hold a full-face helmet, but we were able to place a large camera up front and a wadded-up jacket and gloves in the side bin. We wouldn’t recommend the Ryker Rally as a vehicle to fully replace a small car, but even a limited amount of storage space is useful. There are quite a few additional storage options available from Can-Am that would make the Ryker more useful for commuters, but we weren’t able to test them.

For riders well accustomed to life on two wheels, the Ryker Rally is going to feel odd at first, and probably eventually limiting. Its acceleration and road-holding performance, while entertaining, are not up to the levels that experienced motorcyclists will demand. It’s not great as a mount to watch the miles stack up in the rearview mirror, and it’s not particularly practical as a daily commuter.

So, who is it for? There’s a sizable portion of the fun-loving population that is averse to life on two wheels, whether due to the need to balance a large bike or because shifting is a difficulty. Some due to physical limitations, others due to fear and uncertainty. All are valid. The Ryker lineup offers such riders a glimpse into the motorcycling lifestyle, and it does so in a much more bike-like package than something like a Polaris Slingshot. To wit, in our experience riders of other motorcycles will wave to someone on a Ryker but not to a Slingshot driver.

The Ryker Rally is also potentially appealing to the small subset of buyers who want to have a little bit of off-pavement chops but need something comparatively comfortable and reliable to get from their driveways to their dirty destinations. It’s not a replacement for a proper dual-sport bike, but it might pull double duty for some riders who might otherwise be looking at a side-by-side UTV but are put off by the lack of street-legal options.

Another part of the Can-Am Ryker Rally’s appeal is its reasonable price. The model line starts at $9,599 with a twin-cylinder 600cc Rotax engine; the larger 900cc engine is optional on this base model. For $12,499 Can-Am offers the Ryker Sport that comes standard with the larger engine and adjustable suspension. The Ryker Rally model we tested comes in at a still acceptable $14,599.

We weren’t expecting the Can-Am Ryker Rally to be as entertaining as it is. It may be limited in scope, and it would not replace a two-wheeled motorcycle in our own fantasy garage, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to ride. Considering the equitable cost of entry, we think the smiles-per-dollar quotient adds up well for would-be buyers looking for a plaything that can pull double duty in town and on the trails.

Both bikes share most of the basics. They each get the same powertrain, which includes a Rotax electric motor making 47 horsepower and 53 pound-feet of torque. It’s integrated into the combination swing-arm and enclosed chain case. The enclosed chain case contains oil and an automatic tensioner, drastically reducing chain maintenance. Like most EVs, the powertrain is a single-speed. On the Pulse street bike, which weighs in at 390 pounds dry, the motor will get the bike to 60 in 3.8 seconds. The Origin adventure bike, weighing 413 pounds dry, will do the same in 4.3 seconds.

Powering both bikes is an 8.9-kWh battery pack mounted within the frame and occupying the space normally used for both an engine and fuel tank. It only supports Level 1 and Level 2 AC charging, with the latter filling up the bike from 20% to 80% in 50 minutes. That’s quicker than either a Zero FX or a LiveWire S2, though the latter does have a larger battery pack.

Range isn’t especially impressive on either bike, but still comparable to the aforementioned competition. The Origin has a claimed city range of 100 miles, and 80 in combined riding. LiveWire claims 113 miles in the city on the S2 Del Mar, and 86 miles in combined riding. The Zero FX bikes don’t have a combined riding rating, but they’re both just over 100 miles in city riding.

Where the Pulse and Origin obviously differ is in styling and chassis. The Pulse is very road-oriented and has a lower seat height of 30.9 inches. It looks chunky and sporty, and has 17-inch wheels. Up front is an upside-down non-adjustable fork and a single coilover rear shock with adjustable preload, and travel is 5.5 inches. The Origin sits significantly higher with a seat height of 34 inches, and 10 inches of suspension travel. The suspension layout is basically the same, but in addition to the extra travel, it also gets adjustable compression and damping settings on the rear shock. It also gets larger wheels, an 18-inch rear and an 21-inch front, both wrapped in knobbier tires.

Both bikes also get a decent bit of technology. They’re each fitted with enormous 10.25-inch touchscreens for instruments and infotainment. Bluetooth connectivity and Apple CarPlay are included, and each bike has a USB charger in the glove compartment where you’d normally find a gas tank. ABS and traction control are standard, along with different riding modes. The Origin gets exclusive off-road modes.

Between the Pulse and the Origin, the Pulse is more affordable. It starts at $13,999 (before destination, and Can-Am doesn’t list destination) for the base model, available in either white or black, and the ’73 trim starts at $15,999. That version comes with extra stickers, a silver paint scheme and LED accent lights. The Origin starts at $14,499 with the same white and black color options, and the ’73, again with the same extras as the Pulse, starts at $16,499. For comparison, the LiveWire S2 starts at $15,499 for the Del Mar, and the Zero FX starts at $12,495 (though that crosses the $13,000 mark when adding the faster Level 2 charger).

Can-Am is taking orders for the Pulse and Origin now. Production will start later this year, and deliveries will start early next year.

Can-Am’s range includes four basic types of vehicles: motorcycles, side-by-sides, three-wheelers, and ATVs. If they all merged into one, the final product could look a lot like the new Canyon. It blends a three-wheeler layout with the off-road capability of side-by-sides and ATVs.

There are two ways to look at the Canyon. It’s either the answer to the question no one asked, or one of those “Duh, why didn’t someone think of this sooner?” moments. There might be a third way to look at it if you’re a member of GMC’s legal team, but that’s besides the point.

Back to the road: The newest addition to the Can-Am portfolio is shaped like the brand’s existing three-wheelers, but it’s taller and fitted with more fairing. It puts a noticeably more rugged spin on the design cues that characterize other trikes, including the high-mounted headlights. Can-Am added anti-slip foot pegs, a handlebar riser that makes the Canyon easier to control while standing on the pegs, and a drive belt protector. The 10.25-inch, Apple CarPlay-compatible touchscreen doubles as the instrument cluster and the infotainment system display.

Power for the Canyon comes from a 1.3-liter water-cooled three-cylinder engine rated at 115 horsepower. It’s linked to a six-speed semi-automatic transmission that has a reverse gear, so you won’t need to push yourself backwards, and it lets the three-wheeler tow or haul up to 400 pounds, which should come in handy regardless of whether you’re setting off for work or play. We’d bet that it stops pretty well, too, thanks in part to Brembo brakes and ABS. Riders have four modes, called Sport, All-Road, Rally and Normal, to choose from, while the semi-active suspension system features 10 inches of front-end suspension travel and about nine inches of rear-end travel. 

On sale now, the 2025 Can-Am Canyon is available in three trim levels called Standard, XT, and Redrock, respectively. Pricing starts at $25,299, $29,799, and $32,299, respectively, excluding transport and preparation. Buyers who want to customize their three-wheeler have 25 factory accessories to choose from including a rear-view camera, an Akrapovič exhaust system, LED fog lights, and a trailer hitch.

Ford is leveraging two of its best-known nameplates, Bronco and Mustang, to enter the electric bike segment. It unveiled a range of e-bikes that includes a Mustang-themed model developed for road use and a Bronco-inspired model designed to take riders off the beaten path.

Like most carmakers that dabble in e-bikes, Ford didn’t start from scratch. It enlisted the help of a company called n+ that has previously worked with Mercedes-AMG, among other brands. Using off-the-shelf components saves time and money, so the two models feature the same 750-watt hub-mounted motor that develops 62.5 pound-feet of torque. Ford quotes a top speed of 28 mph and up to 60 miles of range.

Just to clarify, 28 mph is how fast the motor will take you. You can go faster, but you’ll need to enlist the help of your legs.

Whether you’re staying on the pavement or going off-road, you’ll need to wait about 3.5 hours for the battery pack to charge and you’ll be able to count on four-piston hydraulic brakes to slow down. There’s also an LCD screen that looks a lot like a digital instrument cluster. It provides information such as the bike’s speed, the battery’s state of charge and the riding mode selected. It even has an odometer.

The similarities end there, and each bike stands out with specific styling. Visually, the Bronco more closely resembles trial motorcycles than the SUV it’s named after. It rides on 27.5-inch Pirelli Scorpion Enduro M hard-wall tires and has what Ford describes as a motorcycle-inspired seat. The Mustang model is characterized by a more traditional design, and it ships with Pirelli Angel GT semi-slick tires for on-road use.

Pricing for the Bronco e-bike starts at $4,500. It comes standard in Area 51, a color sourced from the Ford palette, but buyers can choose from 10 additional colors if they pay an extra $390. The Mustang model costs $4,000 and comes standard in Carbonized Gray Metallic. Again, buyers can unlock 10 more paint colors for $390 more. Both bikes are on sale now, and deliveries will start later in 2024. 

Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki has invested a substantial amount of money into electric drivetrains, but it’s not ready to ditch the internal combustion engine. It unveiled a prototype powered by an experimental, hydrogen-burning supercharged four-cylinder engine.

Development work started in 2022, according to enthusiast website Motorcycle, and Kawasaki became the first company to publicly test a hydrogen-burning motorcycle when it showcased its prototype on the Suzuka track in Japan. Power comes from a 998-cubic-centimeter supercharged four-cylinder that’s related to the engine found in the Ninja H2, but it has been modified to burn hydrogen. On paper, this sounds a lot like what Toyota is testing. In contrast, companies like BMW use hydrogen to generate electricity in a hybrid-like drivetrain.

While the experimental Corolla looks a lot like the model sitting on your nearest dealer’s lot, the Kawasaki prototype stands out with a highly futuristic design characterized by sharp curves. It’s more difficult to integrate hydrogen storage tanks in a motorcycle than in a car. In this application, hydrogen is stored in a pair of luggage case-like tanks positioned behind the rider. It’s lighter than gasoline, so the location of the tanks shouldn’t have a catastrophic effect on weight distribution, but it’s not as dense so Kawasaki needs bigger tanks to achieve the same range. We’re told that the prototype’s chassis is entirely new; it was developed from the ground up with hydrogen technology in mind.

Technical specifications such as horsepower, riding range, and weight haven’t been released. However, project leader Satoaki Ichi noted that the prototype should feel and sound a lot like a regular gasoline-burning motorcycle with a few added benefits. “Hydrogen burns more quickly and under a wider range of conditions than gasoline, making it possible to create a more responsive feeling than ever,” he said.

Hydrogen-powered motorcycles face the same major hurdle as hydrogen-powered cars: the lack of an infrastructure. With that in mind, there’s no word yet on what the future holds for Kawasaki’s prototype, let alone when we’ll see it in showrooms. Kawasaki is working with rivals Suzuki, Honda, and Yamaha on the technology, but Ichi stressed that the project remains at the embryonic stage of development.

Honda’s motorcycle-building division has announced a range of changes to its CB and CBR range. It also confirmed that the convenient E-Clutch technology already available in Europe will be offered on some American-market models, including the CB650R, for the first time.

The E-Clutch system relies on a pair of electric motors to let the rider shift up or down without having to pull the clutch lever. It doesn’t turn a motorcycle into an automatic: the rider still needs to operate the shifter. Honda argues that its E-Clutch system makes riding simpler and more enjoyable regardless of whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider. It also notes that the clutch lever can still be operated.

E-Clutch is initially offered on two models: the 2024 CB560R and the 2024 CBR650R. Both models also feature an array of styling updates, and Honda also included LED lighting as well as a redesigned thin-film transistor (TFT) digital instrument cluster.

The updated CRB1000RR-R Fireblade SP is making its American debut. Marketed as a 2025 model, it benefits from the lessons Honda has learned on the track. It features a higher compression ratio, shorter gear ratios, updated Öhlins parts in the suspension system, and revised Brembo brakes, among other improvements. Power comes from a 1.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 214 horsepower at a screaming 14,000 rpm. The CB and CBR range also includes the CBR1000RR, the CBR600RR and the CB300R. Honda didn’t mention the CB500R.

Pricing for the updated CB and CBR range is as follows:

• 2024 CBR650R: $9,899
• 2024 CB650R: $9,399
• 2025 CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP: $28,999
• 2025 CBR1000RR: $16,999 ($17,299 with ABS brakes)
• 2025 CBR600RR: $12,199 ($13,199 with ABS brakes)
• 2025 CB300R: $5,149

Deliveries will start in September 2024. The 2025 Monkey will be available at the same time with a base price of $4,349. Offered only in red, it stands out with a fun, retro-inspired look but it offers modern features such as ABS brakes and a 125-cc, air-cooled single-cylinder engine.

Meet the motorcycle many consider the end of Ducati’s L-cylinder middleweight sport bikes: The 2025 Panigale V2 Superquadro Final Edition. The Italian two-wheeler concern has been revamping its engine catalog, starting by introducing its first-ever mass-produced four-cylinder in the 2019 Panigale V4. Then came a non-desmodromic version of Ducati’s V4 in 2020, this one called the Granturismo. Eliminating the complicated twin rocker and spring setup for a more traditional cam-rocker-spring setup extends the factory service interval from 15,000 miles to 37,000 miles. Last year Ducati launched its new Superquadro Mono single-cylinder engine in the Hypermotard, sold alongside a larger Hypermotard with an L-Twin. With the 2025 Panigale V2 Superquadro Final Edition, the theory is that Ducati will retire the L-twin from use in sport bikes and perhaps introduce a smaller V4 or maybe even a parallel-twin. Why? Because this feels like the playbook Ducati used when retiring the V-twin in the Panigale 1199, creating a limited-edition Final Edition bike for 2017 before launching the Panigale V4 a year later.

For the sendoff, there are special features from front to back. The front and rear fenders, shock and swingarm protectors, chain guard, clutch cover, and silencer end are made from carbon fiber. Ohlins’ familiar gold finish appears on the front fork and rear damper. Adjustable billet aluminum footpegs come from Rizoma. There’s more billet aluminum for the triple clamp, the four-gallon tank and gas tank cap, and for owners that only plan on using the bike at a track, Ducati’s offering a billet mirror delete kit and a license plate holder removal kit. The 955-cc twin-cylinder makes the same 155 horsepower and 76.7 pound-feet of torque as in the standard Panigale V2, but the aluminum, carbon, and lithium-ion battery help shave six pounds, getting the Final Edition to 419 lbs. 

Ducati Centro Stile worked with Drudi Performance on a special livery, combining the red, white, and black traditional to the brand with a monochome motif on the fairing that bears a schematic of the engine exactly as it sits behind the cover. Each unit comes with a special cover to protect that finish, plus a certificate of authenticity.  

Ducati’s making 555 of these, the serialized number etched into the triple clamp. Deliveries for U.S. allocation begin in December, pricing starts at $28,000, about $9,500 above the standard Panigale V2.

The L-twin still rocks hard in the Ducati Supersport. In the Panigale pen, Motorcycle.com found info on next year’s Panigale V4 filed with Swiss authorities, previewing a slightly more power and less torque, a longer wheelbase, and a touch less weight.  

Ducati flew into London for the Bike Shed MotoShow with two second-generation Scrambler-based concepts, one of them an English special. As with previous concepts based on the trail-hound bike, Ducati Centro Stile designers used these to showcase how much personalization is possible with the Scrambler, repeating the phrase “post-heritage” to stress being free of tradition’s shackles. The first concept, the RR24I, emphasizes the bike’s basic nature. Cued off the “aesthetic of recent post-apocalyptic cinema and TV sagas,” this is the one you hop on with your go-bag and your Louisville Slugger. Almost anything that isn’t necessary to get to the next town — undoubtedly named something like Haven or New Eden — got left on the garage floor.

What’s left has been burnished to highlight materials, metal, leather, glass, and rubber. To help a rider reach the next town, a jug mounted at the back on the left is made from recycled jerry cans, the pillion seat can be removed to install a luggage rack, and a tank bag hangs off the frame where the Scrambler’s tank-side panels normally reside. The Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 50/50 tires on cross-spoke wheels will get an Apocalypse raider through most of what’s left after civilization, the high and minimal mud guard won’t keep the rider from wearing the terrain, though.      

The other concept, the CR24I, was inspired by much more informal London bike shows of many years ago, the kind held outside cafes and full of cafe racers gunning it from one coffee spot to another. You can smell the leather and Lavazza just taking a gander at the bikini fairing, clip-on bars with underslung bar-end mirrors, tank fairing, and slender seat with a fairing over the passenger’s quarters. Ducati designers didn’t change any performance aspects of either concept, however, they did shrink the front wheel on the CR24I by one inch to 17 inches, matching the rear.

The Italians gave no indication either of these would make production, which is no surprise. If the question were considered, we’d be fine with the CR24I as is, whereas instead of the RR24I, we’d prefer Ducati gave Alex Earle a call about an after-Earth bike. His Desert Sled concept, built on the first-gen Scrambler and introduced at Villa d’Este in 2018, was something we could enjoy outrunning zombies on. 

Ducati goes way back with the late, three-time Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna. In 1990, then-Ducati owner Claudio Castiglione gifted the Brazilian driver a Ducati 851 SP. Senna apparently became such a fan of the brand that he showed up to the 1993 Monaco Grand Prix weekend gala on a Monster 900. One year later, Senna worked with Ducati to design a livery for a limited edition 916. Ducati announced the bike in March 1994 in a run of 300 units, a portion of the proceeds going to the Senna Foundation that Ayrton had set up to donate to causes in his native Brazil. Senna died on May 1, 1994 during the San Marino Grand Prix, putting the bike in limbo until his family decided to see the project through. Thirty years after that first collaboration — and two more runs of the 916 Senna in 1997 and 1998, plus a Panigale 1199 S Senna in 2014 — the Senna family and Ducati are doing it again with the Monster Senna.

Ducati Centro Stile worked with Senna Brands on the livery for this one, clearly drawn from Senna’s iconic helmet. that means splashes of yellow, green and blue all over, like the yellow front fairing and Brembo brake caliper, green stripes on the tank and rear fairing, and the blue seat with the “S” logo. More exclusive touches include the footrests milled from a block of aluminum, Termignoni silencers with yellow stripes, a special animation on startup for the cockpit screen and an individually numbered plaque on the clip-on bars. A pair of forged aluminum wheels, also special to this model, cut more than three pounds. They help the Monster Senna come in at 385 pounds without fuel, which is ten pounds less than a standard Monster. The ride also comes with a special cover in matching livery.

Presented at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Imola, the Monster Senna is limited to 341 units; the three represents Senna’s championship victories, the 41 the number of F1 Grands Prix Senna won. (Ducati produced 161 units of the 2014 Panigale 1199 S Senna, one for every F1 Grand Prix Senna took part in.) Orders are open now, each example starting at $25,000.

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But what really piqued our interest was when Ola Stenegard, director of product design for Indian Motorcycle, focused our attention on the art of turning design sketches into clay models. A decidedly old-school approach, we thought. It turns out Stenegard could talk for days about the art of motorcycle design, and much of what he has to say traces its roots all the way back to the famed designer Harley Earl.

“The use of automotive clay was a very American thing. It started way back in the ’20s actually, but I think it got big in the ’30s when Harley Earl went to General Motors,” Stenegard told us. “He brought clay with him.”

And it turns out the method of clay modeling “is actually still the main way to develop shapes in the automotive as well as motorcycle industries,” says Stenegard. “A lot of people think that computers or AI have taken over, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.”

It’s not that computer-aided design techniques aren’t useful, however. “Doing the details, that’s where CAD is superior,” Stenegard told us. “Badges, triple trees, wheels. … Today, those details — that’s where we use the computer power, the modeling.”

“When I was still designing hands-on, we learned how to clay model as part of our education,” Stenegard told us. “But there’s a saying that you can’t be a good sketcher and a good clay modeler, and it’s true. The modelers are the hands of the designer. There’s a symbiosis. We have clay modelers, CAD modelers too. They are phenomenal. They translate [design sketches] into reality, and that’s important to highlight.”

Just as interestingly, Stenegard and his team didn’t just rely on old-school techniques. They were also inspired by classic American car designs.

“That’s why the clay process was important — it enabled Detroit to explore a whole new era of surfacing,” said Stenegard. “And for me, the American cars were absolutely stunning. Look at the late-’30s Zephyr, or if you go into the end of the ’50s — a ’59 Cadillac — if you look at the surfacing, the fins, the details, it’s just phenomenal. Or with Lincoln, a ’64 or ’65 Lincoln, the slab-sided cars. To do the whole bodyside clean, there’s not one inch that’s flat or boring. It’s a clean car. If you examine that, it’s a beautifully modeled surface, but there’s no edges.

“So that was our inspiration. Keep it clean, keep it simple. But to really put the work into the surfacing, to make it beautiful.

“The more you simplify it, the harder it gets. Doing a super bike with a lot of edges and creases is almost easier than something clean and clear.”

Indian’s redone its Scout lineup, the midsize cruiser model’s first generational overhaul since Indian reintroduced the name in 2015. Indian remade everything about its top-selling bike, from the frame to the trims and the accessories catalog.

The previous range started with the Bobber Sixty, Rogue Sixty, and Sixty — versions with smaller, 60-cubic-inch engines with 78-hp — then moved through the Bobber, Rogue, Scout, and Bobber 20. That smaller engine is no more, as is the 69-cubic-inch (1,131-cc) V-Twin that powered the rest of the lineup. A new steel tube frame cradles a new 1,250-cc (76.3-cu.-in.) V-twin called the SpeedPlus that makes up to 111 horsepower and more than 82 pound-feet of torque. Indian using the phrase “up to” leads us to believe the five new trims won’t share the same output, but the company didn’t get into output specifics. 

• The 2025 Indian Scout took inspiration from classic American car designs

The new trims are the Bobber, Sport, Classic, Super, and 101. All come with ABS, and Indian makes it sound like seat heights throughout are a uniform 25.6 inches to help accommodate the widest range of riders; the previous lineup went as low as 25.3 inches and as high as 26.6. Here are the key differences:

• The Bobber emphasizes the low, solo seat and classic, low-profile looks with a “slammed” suspension offering two inches of travel.
• The Sport Scout is a different kind of vintage inspiration, with moto handlebars atop six-inch moto-style risers, a sport seat with back support, a quarter fairing, and a 19-inch front wheel.
• The Scout Classic is a blast through another past, with more relaxed seating, more chrome, more bodywork, and a set of wire wheels.
• The Super Scout is designed for the long haul for two, fitting a windshield, saddlebags, pillion seat, and three inches of suspension travel, plus chrome and “flawless paint” for proper road vibes.
• Finally, the 101 Scout stands atop Scout mountain, “built to be the highest performing Scout ever offered,” with inverted adjustable forks, piggyback rear shocks, Brembo dual disc brakes, and a “gunfighter-style” solo seat.

The equipment steps focus on technology, one of the big differentiators among motorcycles now, but not all models come in all trims:

• Standard is the entry-level affordable version available on the Bobber, Scout, and Classic, sticking to an an analogue gauge and an LED light to keep the price friendly.
• Limited, available on the same three models, gets traction control, cruise control, a USB charger, and three riding modes in Sport, Standard, and Tour.
• The Limited + Tech equipment spec splurges on keyless, pushbutton ignition, a four-inch, round touchscreen display with the excellent Ride Command system we know from higher-end Indians and Polaris’ side-by-sides (Polaris owns Indian). Ride Command installs a configurable screen, navigation with weather and traffic overlays, and opens access to subscription services including Bike Health and Bike Locator. Limited + Tech comes standard on Super Scout and 101 Scout, and can be optioned on the other three trims.

An accessories catalog with more than 100 items is also broken into themes: Commuter, for the daily grind; Overnighter, for short trips; Open Roads, for the iron butts; and Stealth, for premium gear. All accessories can be purchased individually.

The Scout Bobber Standard starts at $12,999, the Scout 101 Limited + Tech starts at $16,999, shifting the entire Scout price range up a few thousand dollars. The new bikes begin heading to dealers in May. 

Harley-Davidson has a couple of new special edition lines of bikes. One of them focuses on the history of Harley-Davidson, and the others take inspiration from musical instruments.

We’ll start with the one that has bike-related history, the Hydra-Glide Revival. It’s the fourth model in the Icons Motorcycle Collection, and it’s celebrating the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the Hydra-Glide front suspension design. While the suspension design launched in 1949, the design cues of this bike are all based on mid-1950s Harley bikes, with red and white paint, and vintage instrument graphics both being inspired by bikes from 1954 to 1956. It also features plenty of chrome badging, as well as chrome wheels and air cleaner. It has a solo seat with fringed leather, white piping and red stitching, with matching locking saddle bags. Plus it gets a two-tone removable windshield. Only 1,750 of them will be built, and there’s special edition badging on top of the handle bar risers.

That brings us to the other special edition, which encompasses three models. They’re the Tobacco Fade Motorcycle Enthusiast Collection. It’s not the most brilliant name, but it is fairly descriptive of what makes the bikes unique. They all get a faded paint scheme that’s similar to what you’ll find on guitars and drums. The paint scheme is applied to various panels, and the faded sections are surrounded by matching pinstripes. Driving the music theme home are a fuel tank medallion designed like a music record, and a graphic on the front fender based on a guitar pick. This special edition is available on the Low Rider ST, Ultra Limited and Tri Glide Ultra, and 2,000 of each will be built.

Pricing and availability haven’t been announced, but all these bikes will be on display at Daytona Bike Week from March 2 to March 9.

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When was the last time someone riding something other than an Indian won the top class in the American Flat Track series? That would be 2016, when Harley-Davidson broke a four-year streak of Indian domination — which Indian has since bettered with its current seven-year streak. The only ‘regular’ motorcycle Indian makes is the FTR, a naked, 1,200-cc two-wheeler inspired by the company’s FTR 750 flat track racer. The company hooked up with Roland Sands Design, sending the Long Beach, California custom shop an FTR in R Carbon trim for a makeover dubbed the FTR x RSD Super Hooligan.

Thing is, the FTR’s already so loaded with special gear that RSD didn’t need to do much; standard kit for the $18,499 MSRP includes Ohlins front and rear suspension, Brembo front and rear brakes, red wheels, four-inch Ride Command infotainment system, three riding modes, and cruise control. Indian even added the usual favorite bits from Gilles Tooling sold as options in the factory configurator, including the oil and radiator caps, bar-end weights, and adjustable rear sets for more flexibility with foot peg placement. The number plates and seat cowl are also on the options menu, usually unpainted, though. 

The “Indian” logo on the tank comes from the racing bike, the #1 number plates above the front light and beside the seat represent factory rider and multi-time champion Jared Mees, the sponsor logos on the seat cowl represent those who help pay the bills.

RSD made the package pop a little more, thanks to highlights such as black metallic paint for the bodywork and gold accents on the wheels that match the Ohlins forks and shock.  The exhaust is now an Akrapovic unit with a heat shield, the seat’s been stitched up with an RSD logo where the FTR logo usually goes.

The light redo might be why this bike costs just $1,250 more than a stock FTR R Carbon. Even better, when we tried to configure a stock FTR Carbon as close to the FTR x RSD Super Hooligan, our concept bike came out to $18,819, making the Super Hooligan a bargain any way you look at it.   

Assuming you can get one: Indian’s only making 300 examples for world consumption, each with an individually numbered plaque atop the gas tank. Indian’s also throwing in a set of graphics owners can apply to the forks, front fender, and radiator shroud for even more verisimilitude. Pricing starts at $18,499, orders are open now.

Kawasaki has one of the most interesting powertrain lineups in the motorcycle world right now. At the top of the range are supercharged four-cylinder bikes with the H2 line. And slotting elsewhere in the lineup are the electric Ninja and Z E-1 models and the tiny screaming 400-cc four-cylinder Ninja ZX-4R. This year, Kawasaki is adding its first production hybrid motorcycles, the Ninja 7 and the Z7. And Kawasaki claims they offer between 650-cc and 1,000-cc bike performance from just a 451-cc parallel twin with an electric motor.

The engine is, as we just mentioned, a two-cylinder displacing 451 cc, but it also features both a traction motor and a combination starter-generator. The traction motor regularly outputs 7 kW, or just over 9 horsepower, but can also briefly put out a maximum of 9 kW, or 12 horsepower. That motor is supplied with electricity via a 28.6-pound lithium-ion battery under the seat. It stays charged from engine power and from regenerative braking. The starter-generator combo also frees up a bit of space and enables start-stop. The bike can actually run in full-electric mode briefly in gears one through four, and that’s available in EV mode. The standard Eco-Hybrid mode picks between electric and gas engine modes as needed, and the Sport-Hybrid mode keeps the engine on always for maximum power. An E-Boost button that’s active in Sport-Hybrid mode will get 5 seconds of that peak output from the electric mode for the most power. Both the electric motor and engine are liquid cooled, and there’s an oil cooler on top of the regular liquid cooling.

Kawasaki only provides torque, but that comes in at 44.2 pound-feet of torque. That’s just 4 shy of what the Z650 puts out while being down 200-cc of displacement.  Kawasaki also says that, from a standstill with E-Boost active, the hybrid models can even get the jump on 1,000-cc bikes, though it provides no specific numbers, and obviously that wouldn’t last long.

Beyond the powertrain, the Z7 and Ninja 7 get an interesting transmission, too. It’s a six-speed automated manual. It can run in full automatic, or can be manually shifted with buttons on the left handle. The electric motor also allows the hybrid bikes to have a 2 mph walk mode and even a reverse for easier maneuvering for parking or storage.

As for the rest of the bike, it has a steel trellis frame with conventional upright forks at the front and a single rear shock with adjustable spring pre-load. Curb weight is 498.3 pounds for the Z7 and 502.7 pounds for the Ninja 7. Both bikes have a seat height of 31.3 inches, though the Ninja has lower clip-on handles compared to the Z7’s more upright handlebar. The Ninja also gets an aerodynamic fairing. Brakes for both feature dual front discs and a single rear.

Both bikes are available now, and they aren’t particularly cheap. They both go for $12,499. A Z900 with a 900-cc four-cylinder, starts under $10,000, and would definitely be quicker with more than 70 pound-feet of torque and about 30 pounds less. Though on the Ninja side, a 1,000-cc Ninja starts at more than $13,000. It seems like the target market for this bike will be an unusual niche of someone looking for performance and fuel economy all in one place, or people looking for a unique piece of technology, both of which these bikes seem to deliver.

Honda’s motorcycle division has detailed the 2024 Africa Twin range, which benefits from a long list of design, chassis and mechanical changes. The adventure model will be offered in two trim levels that put a focus on off-road capability and on-road comfort, respectively.

Shown above in Grand Prix Red, the base Africa Twin gets a five-position windscreen, tubeless tires, and redesigned fairing. Honda also tweaked the valve timing, redesigned the intake and exhaust systems, increased the compression ratio, and updated the electronics. The brand tells us that these updates make the Africa Twin more capable in the wide variety of terrain conditions enthusiasts normally ride it in.

Pictured below in Pearl White, the Adventure Sports ES is marketed as the more versatile choice in the range. Honda expects it will spend more time on the pavement than the base version so it lowered the seat height, reduced the suspension travel, and fitted a 19-inch front wheel. The ES also offers an electronically-controlled suspension system, heated grips, and a larger fuel tank for more riding range.

Both variants receive the same updated 1.1-liter parallel-twin water-cooled engine. Honda hasn’t released specifications yet, but it points out that the mechanical changes made increase horsepower and provide a 7% increase in torque. Regardless of the model chosen, buyers can choose between a six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed dual-clutch unit linked to shift paddles. Cruise control is available as well.

Technology is also part of the package; even motorcycle riders want connectivity in 2024. Both variants of the Africa Twin ship with a 6.5-inch touchscreen that displays a configurable instrument cluster, and they feature Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth connectivity. The latter is more useful than it might sound: It allows the rider to communicate with other riders using a compatible wireless headset.

Pricing for the 2024 Honda Africa Twin starts at $14,799 when buyers select the manual transmission. Going for the dual-clutch transmission bumps that figure to $15,599. The manual and automatic variants of the Adventure Sports ES cost $17,599 and $18,399, respectively.

Motorcycle manufacturers are increasingly offering limited-edition models with a custom-look design to fight back against the aftermarket. Indian Motorcycle lumps these bikes under the Elite label, and it’s adding the stylish Roadmaster to the portfolio for the 2024 model year.

Limited to 350 units globally, the Roadmaster Elite is characterized by a three-tone Indian Motorcycle Red Candy, Dark Indian Motorcycle Red Candy, and Black Candy paint job inspired by some of the company’s classic models. The brand joined forces with two well-known paint shops called Gunslinger Custom Paint and Custom Painted Vehicles, respectively, to achieve a true custom-like finish, and it notes that each bikes takes over 24 hours to complete. The Championship Gold pinstripes that add a finishing touch to the look are notably applied by hand.

The list of standard features almost reads like a car’s. There’s an adaptive LED headlight, a 12-speaker sound system, as well as a heated and cooled seat that extends the riding season. LED lights integrated into the saddle bags increase visibility at night, and footrests that are big enough to earn the name “floorboards” increase comfort on the kind of long road trips that the Roadmaster was developed for.

It doesn’t sound like Indian made significant mechanical changes to the Elite, so power comes from a 1.9-liter V-twin engine that develops 126 horsepower at 2,900 rpm. Air-cooled, the engine spins the lone rear wheel via a six-speed transmission. Keep in mind this is a relatively big bike: In its standard configuration the Roadmaster weighs 909 pounds, measures about 105 inches long, stretches around 40 inches wide including the two saddle bags, and sits approximately 56 inches high including the windshield. It’s taller than a Subaru BRZ!

The custom-like look comes with a custom-like price tag: Indian charges $41,999 for the 2024 Roadmaster Elite. For context, the standard, Dark Horse, and Limited variants of the Roadmaster all carry a base price of $32,999. Deliveries are scheduled to start in the spring.

Wired says that Wendsor Zhou Wei combined the words “horizon” and “win” to create his company name Horwin. Based in China and recently expanded to Europe, Horwin’s launched its U.S. bid for two-wheeler market share at the Consumer Electronics Show with three bikes. Let’s deal with the form factors first. Horwin calls these motorcycles, but in the U.S. they’re between a small bike and a scooter. Compared to a Honda CB300R motorcycle and Suzuki Burgman 400 scooter, the Horwin’s 16-inch front and 14-inch rear wheels are smaller than the 17-inchers on the Honda, but one inch larger than the Burgman’s wheels. The Horwin’s step-over height is noticeably lower than the Honda’s, but the Horwin’s 31.3-inch seat is just a few inches under the Honda, 1.6 inches above the Suzuki. It’s the bar height and placement relative to the seat, which we don’t have a spec on, that gives the Horwin that trademark scooter look like the Burgman instead of the Honda. So we’re going to call it a bike or maxi scooter.

That out of the way, the Horwin range is called Senmenti — which sounds like another portmanteau word — consisting of a near-production bike and two concepts. The version closest to delivery is the Senmenti 0 that the company calls a “high-performance electric urban adventure ADV,” or adventure bike. The model debuted at last year’s EICMA Show in Milan, Italy, and although it’s said to have been put on a diet that delivers better handling and agility, the maxi scooter still weighs 507 pounds. This is due in large part to the honking, liquid-cooled, 16.2-kWh lithium-ion battery, That’s just down from the 17.3-kWh pack in the Zero Motorcycles DSR/X electric adventure motorcycle, which weighs 545 pounds. That pack powers an electric motor claimed to make 98 horsepower and an even-more-honking 659 pound-feet of torque good for doing the 0-to-60 in 2.8 seconds, a 125-mph top speed, and a range of 186 miles on the WLTP cycle.   

Horwin says the maxi scooter is compatible with most home charging stations, and that getting the battery back to 80% happens in 30 minutes.

On the go, riders get a seven-inch TFT display, four riding modes, niceties like heated seats and handlebars, and safety features like ABS and front and rear cameras. Communication tech includes the Senmenti 0 talking to other local Horwins “to personalize experience for each individual rider based on behaviors and preferences,” part of an Advanced Riding Assistance System (ARAS) “designed to increase personalization as the system collects data to understand the rider, preventing accidents and enhancing rider protection and confidence.”

We don’t have much info on the concepts, the Senmenti X Hyper GT and Senmenti 11. The former is called an “ultimate-performance touring model” with an estimated WLTP range of 250 miles, the latter “a futuristic city explorer of high-performance, style, and technology.” We’re looking forward to more information on all the products, especially the 11 and that yo-yo-style back wheel.

The pre-order page is open for all three rides now. For the Sentimenti 0, a slot in the build queue asks for a refundable $100 deposit, placed toward a base MSRP of $16,800 (the Zero DSR/X starts at $22,995). Test rides won’t start until about Q3, though. For interested shoppers, Horwin says it will reward early pre-orders that turn into purchases with three years of free charging nationwide, lifetime OTA upgrades, and $800 in bonus cash of $900 to go toward the final purchase price. Wired says the Senmenti X is planned for market release in 2025, the Hyper GT in 2026.

Broken out by state, California beat all for the overall number of crashes between cars and bicycle riders or motorcycle riders, followed by Texas. This isn’t a surprise, California and Texas being the nation’s two most populous states. But California’s 3,423 such crashes were 18.9% of its total fatal vehicular crashes, putting it 12th on the list when ranked as a percentage. Texas’ 2,656 such crashes weren’t just a dramatically lower number, they composed only 15.1% of the states fatal vehicular crashes, putting the state 35th on the list when ranked by percentage.

Hawaii topped the list. Although the islands saw just 151 fatal incidents with bikes in five years, when compared to 483 fatal crashes overall, that equals 31.3%. Florida, the nation’s third-most-populous state, posts gaudy numbers in taking the No. 2 slot. Its 3,797 fatal crashes between cars and motorcycles and cars and bikes in five years is more than any other state. Lined up against the state’s 15,342 overall fatal vehicular crashes — second-most after California — Florida’s percentage comes to 24.8%. 

If you ride anything on two wheels, have a look at the chart below. And perhaps think about planning a spring tour to Alabama or Mississippi. Alabama’s 446 crashes were just 10.29% of its total, but according to the data dump, Mississippi can claim to be the state where fewer than one in 10 fatal road incidents involved a powered or a pedaled two-wheeler.

Fatal bicycle and motorcycle accidents by state:

The IIHS study found that front crash prevention systems cut collisions with medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 38 percent and motorcycles by 41 percent. At the same time, the systems’ effectiveness jumped to 53 percent with rear-end crashes involving passenger vehicles.

IIHS’ VP of Research, Jessica Cicchino, noted that the reductions are promising across the board, but more can be done. “These reductions are impressive for all vehicle types, but the safety benefits could be even larger if front crash prevention systems were as good at mitigating and preventing crashes with big trucks and motorcycles as they are with cars.” Improvements to ADAS and front crash prevention systems could cut as many as 5,500 truck crashes and 500 motorcycle crashes each year.

Motorcycles and trucks present challenges to crash prevention systems and can be physically more dangerous to the people involved. Smaller two-wheel vehicles don’t have the structure and protection offered by cars and other vehicle types, and they’re harder to see. That makes collisions more likely and deadlier when they do occur. Large trucks are the opposite scenario, as they’re generally more dangerous to people in other vehicles.

Earlier this year, the NHTSA released a proposal that would mandate automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection for all new light-duty vehicles, which would raise the baseline performance standard for new systems with improvements to high-speed effectiveness. Tesla has also struggled with large stationary vehicles on road sides, as its vehicles have been involved in crashes with emergency irst responder vehicles and large trucks while operating in semi-autonomous driving modes.

The bike is expected to be self-balancing, and some have guessed that Yamaha is aiming for a riderless function in the future. While it lacks handlebars, they’ve been replaced by stationary hand grips.

But we’re unlikely to see such a futuristic two-wheeler from Yamaha anytime soon. Like many automotive concepts, Yamaha probably views the bike as a test bed for new technologies and functionality, so while it’s improbable that a riderless bike will hit the market soon, some of the concept’s features could trickle down to production bikes.

Electric motorcycles have become increasingly popular, and several companies are popping up to serve the market. That said, the space isn’t particularly innovative, and the bikes we’ve seen so far don’t do much to move the needle on excitement and tech, so a format change could be the spark electric bikes need to jump into the mainstream of motorcycle culture.

Yamaha’s electric efforts are currently mainly limited to scooters, but the company has developed drivetrain components, electric dirt bike prototypes, and other models in recent times. While the Motoroid 2 concept probably won’t make it to production as-is, it could be a good sign for things to come from Yamaha. The company also offers e-bike conversion kits and has its hands in several power sports and mobility categories, so it’s only a matter of time before we start to see more electrification.

Sister companies Ducati and Bentley have joined forces for the first time to create a limited-edition version of the Diavel motorcycle. Inspired by the Batur, which is also a limited-edition model, the bike stands out with an elegant design that incorporates several Bentley styling cues.

Although this is the first time Bentley’s winged logo appears on a Ducati, it’s not the first car-themed Diavel to come out of the Italian brand’s design studio; it collaborated with Lamborghini on a Sián FKP 37-inspired 1260 Diavel in November 2020. Drawing inspiration from the sold-out Batur, designers added mesh inserts and red accents to the side air intakes, edition-specific fairing made with carbon fiber, and forged wheels shaped like the ones Bentley put on its limited-edition coupe. Scarab Green paint from the Bentley palette completes the look.

The rider sits on an Alcantara-upholstered seat with red accents that echoes the Batur’s interior and faces a redesigned instrument cluster. Ducati notes that buyers will receive the bike in a personalized wood case along with a certificate of authenticity, a motorcycle cover, and a passenger seat. The two companies also collaborated on a range of accessories that includes a helmet and a limited-edition jacket.

Fitting the Diavel with Bentley’s 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine seemingly wasn’t an option, so power comes from a stock, 1.2-liter V4 rated at 168 horsepower and 93 pound-feet of torque. If neither figure sounds impressive, keep in mind the standard Diavel weighs 520 pounds. Put another way, its power-to-weight ratio approaches that of a Bugatti Chiron. It’s the two-wheel equivalent of a supercar.

Ducati will build 500 units of the Diavel for Bentley. If that’s not rare enough, it will make 50 additional examples of a version named Diavel for Bentley Mulliner that’s reserved for Bentley customers. They’ll notably have a broader scope of customization options to choose from.

The Polaris Slingshot is ready to fly into 2024 with cosmetic updates all around the three-wheeler. Only the base S and the 2.0-liter ProStar engine are left out of the makeover. Starting from the top, the Roush Edition gets another year of life. Built on the otherwise premier Slingshot R, this is primarily a graphics package; output holds steady with 203 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque, the 0-60 time unchanged at 4.9 seconds. An exclusive Racetrack Red colorway enhances everything from the vented hood to the Roush-branded seats, the center stripe on the steering wheel, and the color-matched instrument panel. There’s also black badging, the Roush “R” on the shift knob in Slingshots with manual transmissions or composite paddle shifters in Slingshots with AutoDrive. 

Polaris threw a few options at the model as well. The $1,900 Slingshot Excursion Top comes standard, as well as the the $110 Sparco billet pedal covers on the throttle pedal and chunkier brake and clutch pedals. Because the base is the R trim, the Roush Edition comes with the Technology Package 3 that installs Polaris’ Ride Command+ infotainment, controlled on a seven-inch touchscreen and including navigation, weather, traffic, and Apple CarPlay. The Stage 2 Audio Kit by Rockford Fosgate with Automatic Volume Control used to pump out 100 watts of audio, but for 2024, power’s been doubled to 200 watts. New speakers sitting in the kick panels, and tweeters repositioned to bounce more sound off the wind deflector should create a better sound environment, plus, there’s still that expandable amplifier. This audio package can be optioned by itself on any Slingshot from the SL up; on the base S, it requires adding Ride Command+ as well.

The R gets access to new colors, being Gold Rush, Purple Lightning, and Radar Blue Fade. On this trim and others, the primary color can be contrasted with new graphics colors in black, gray, and red. Designers created new comprehensive colorways for the in-between SL and SLR trims, and on the SL, the wheels come in a new midnight charcoal metallic color that can be optioned to have a machine accent finish.

In the accessories catalog, the Excursion Top is now offered in three colors, and a new quick-release Excursion Top Rear Panel in smoked polycarbonate acts as a wind deflector to reduce buffeting in the cabin. We’re told that Polaris designers updated more than 75 accessories to match the new graphics that can be had on the machine.

Price go up by high three figures across the board. The MSRPs listed below are for the manual transmission, switching to the automatic adds about $1,800 depending on model. Also, these prices don’t include a $700 commodities charge Polaris levies on all Slingshots, nor destination, so add about $1,700 to the amounts below, before options. The figures, and their changes from the 2023 model year, are:

• S: $21,999 ($500)
• SL: $28,149 ($700)   
• SLR: $31,149 ($800)   
• R: $34,799 ($800) 
• Roush Edition: $38,149 ($800) 

They 2024 Slingshot begins shipping to dealers in early 2024. The configurator is ready now.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Erik and enjoyed a brief five-question electronic exchange with the racer, engineer and business partner as his latest company, Fuell, prepares to unleash its latest electric motorcycle to the public. 

Autoblog: How has your engineering background helped you as you’ve transitioned from combustion motorcycles to electric?

Erik Buell: I think there are several things in my background that have helped the transition. First of all, I have always been a futurist … optimistic and positive towards change for the better. Secondly, my experience designing everything from 100cc commuters to superbikes gives me a wide range of exposure to many different rider types and rider needs as well as what solutions work for them. Thirdly I am a first principles engineer which has always helped me think out of the box.

AB: Same question but for racing: How has your racing background helped the transition?

EB: Interestingly I found successful involvement in high-level racing requires several attributes that make for better products and engineering on all types of vehicles. And it needs to be pro-level racing to have the effect. Fooling around with racing at an amateur level does little. First, it heightens your awareness of risks, dangers, and high stresses on vehicle components, because the results of mistakes are immediate. Secondly, you become very conscious of deadlines, because the race happens and if you are not ready you miss it. At a pro racing level, this is unforgivable. At a normal business level, racing experience makes you more aware that a Job 1 date is critical. Third, you learn that you want to win and that you are competing with others who want to win and who are also good. Fourth you have to be able to adapt to changing rules, changing technology, and surprises from competitors.

AB: How do you see single-person transportation evolving in the future

EB: I believe that more adoption will happen as more and more people become aware of the waste and negative consequences to the planet from having individuals driving around alone in giant multi-person vehicles. I also believe that advances in safety equipment, awareness enhancers, automated accident avoidance, etc. will make the transition that much more rapid.

AB: What is the biggest hurdle to overcome to make electric transportation work for more buyers?

EB: Range and refueling infrastructure are the biggest hurdles. Then reducing/removing durability, service, and other cost of ownership worries. Also providing vehicles that clearly execute the job for which they are marketed. Overpromises and underdelivery on marketed performance have turned off many owners. De-politicizing would be awesome too… I mean, come on folks.

AB: Any future products on your mind that you can comment on?

EB: There is a plethora of possible future electric products in my mind. All the way up to asteroid rovers, but we’ll see what time, opportunity and investment allow. But I believe Fllow will be a very substantial success and so am focused on helping production happen. It is a vehicle well targeted towards a real need and it delivers a true solution.

The Fuell Fllow electric motorcycle is currently available for order starting at $10,695.00 for early adopters willing to wait until the end of 2024 for estimated shipments (that’s $2,300 off the bike’s expected $12,995 retail price). It’s expected to boast a range of 150 or more miles per charge in urban settings (range will decrease on long highway stretches), have “superbike-like acceleration” and hit a maximum top speed of 85 miles per hour. 

Indian continues trying new things with the FTR and designed a new Challenger Elite for its 2024 lineup. FTR stands for flat-track racer, Indian launching a range of road-legal FTR 1200 two-wheelers in 2019 that were inspired by the conquering FTR 750 race bike. Now expanded to five bikes, Indian took the top street-spec FTR R Carbon and exchanged ideas with outdoor sports apparel brand 100% to create the FTR x 100% R Carbon. Effectively a two-way fashion collaboration, this FTR dons a white powder coated frame contrasted with a Blue Candy color on the headlight surround, front fender, carbon fiber tank, and seat cowl, and a splash of red on the engine cowl and rear wheel. The Ohlins front fork shed its trademark gold for black, the rear shock is wrapped in a black spring, matching the black Akrapovic exhaust. Normally optional extras like the Gilles Tooling bar-end weights, oil cap, and radiator cap come standard.

There are only going to be 400 of the motorcycles for Indian’s global audience, each starting at $18,999. The other half of the two-way collab is a range of clothing, the Indian Motorcycle x 100% apparel collection, with pieces ranging from $29.99 to $185. Buy a bike, though, and you get a pair of Indian Motorcycle x 100% sunglasses free.

On the Challenger tip, the Minnesota brand produced limited-edition Elite trims for 2022 and 2023; in 2022, the run maxed out at 200 units globally, the tally dropping to 150 units in 2023. For next year, 325 buyers around the world get a chance to put an Elite in the garage. The superlative refers to an ultimate equipment spec and special colors on what Indian calls the “ultimate American bagger,” staring this year with a Charcoal Candy paint scheme. The smoky airs jazz up the standard adaptive LED headlight and LED DRLs, adjustable windscreen, new custom-stitched seat, and saddlebag closeouts. Further equipment includes heated grips, saddlebag lights, and headdress floorboards for driver and passenger. It starts at $38,499 and will begin heading to dealers this month.

The last extra included on the Challenger Elite is also brand new for 2024, a redesigned PowerBand Audio system. The fairing and saddlebags point four 100-watt speakers at the rider, double the wattage of the standard PowerBand units. Indian says the higher volume ceiling comes with increased clarity, the adaptive equalizer adjusting frequencies to speed and ambient conditions. Just as importantly for U.S. audiences, a Bass Boost Tune delivers 50% more bass. Owners also asked Indian for some razzle dazzle and the company delivered, the new PowerBand speakers fitted with UnderGlow soft white LED lighting. Riders who want all the noise can stack up a cumulative 1,000 watts of power between loudspeakers in the front fairings, saddlebags, and touring trunk. 

The setup comes standard on the new Challenger Elite, but any Indian from the 2020 to 2024 model years fitted with PowerBand can upgrade to the more powerful system, touted as effectively plug-and-play. Bagger owners with bikes from 2020 to 2023 can head to their dealers and get the Bass Boost Tune for the standard PowerBand units as well.

First came the heart, now comes the body. Ducati debuted its new single-cylinder Superquadro Mono engine a few days ago, and here is that engine’s first application, the 2024 Hypermotard 698 Mono. Compared to the 114-horsepower L-twin in the Hypermotard 950, the 698 Mono pushes out a still-stout 77.5 horsepower. Far more important, losing a cylinder and taking other weight-saving measures drops the 698’s ready-to-ride weight from to roughly 350 pounds versus the 950’s 440 pounds. The 698’s trellis frame, for instance, is said to weigh 15.9 pounds. Bolting the most powerful single-cylinder engine in the world in a bike that’s 20% lighter will mean a far more lively riding experience — and the 950 is already lauded for its ability to thrill.

Cast aluminum, five-spoke, 17-inch wheels in Pirelli Rosso Diablo IV tires bookend the Hypermotard’s 56.8-inch wheelbase. At front, the 3.8-inch display and adjustable handlebars are bolted to a 45-mm Marzocchi adjustable fork. In back, a Sachs monoshock supports the rear over the dual-sided swingarm. Plenty of ground clearance put the thin, flat saddle a touch high at 35.6 inches, but the seat can be lowered with an optional accessory. A Brembo M4.32 caliper grabs a single-side 330-mm front rotor with aluminum flanges on the front hub, and a 245-mm rear rotor with aluminum flanges slides through a single-piston floating caliper, the setup chosen for light weight as much as performance.   

Ducati’s software suite of riding aids enables a huge range of responses on road and track. The usual bits found across the Italian lineup include four riding modes, three engine power modes, launch and wheelie control, and cornering ABS. On this bike, two of the ABS modes contain a Slide-by-Brake function that can turn ABS off for the rear wheel, allowing a rider to rotate the bike through a corner sliding the rear wheel, and the extra-long first gear provides a more ideal shift point when exiting tight bends. Also at the track, and only available with the optional Termignoni exhaust, a wheelie assist mode does the opposite of the wheelie control system, adjusting torque to help a rider hold a wheelie.

The Hypermotard 698 Mono is expected in dealers next February. The base model in Ducati Red starts at $12,995, while the RVE trim in street art with a black frame, graffiti-inspired graphics, and the standard Ducati quick-shift for the six-speed gearbox starts at $14,495.

We will not be surprised to find some form of the Superquadro served in Ducati’s coming line of motocross and knobby-tire bikes. Hopefully, before that, Ducati puts this engine in a Scrambler.

Ducati leveraged decades of racing expertise to develop the most powerful and highest-revving single-cylinder engine in its history. Available in two states of tune, the Superquadro Mono stands out as the famed Italian brand’s first road-going single-cylinder engine in over 30 years.

In a way, Ducati returned to its roots: launched in 1950, its first model blurred the line separating motorcycles and mopeds with a 48-cubic-centimeter air-cooled single-cylinder engine. Fast-forward to 2023 and the Superquadro Mono puts a completely different spin on the concept of a single-cylinder engine. It’s related to the unit that powers the Panigale 1299 and it has a displacement of 659cc. It features titanium intake valves, steel exhaust valves, and the innovative Desmodromic system that Ducati developed for racing in the 1950s.

The end result is an output of 77.5 horsepower at 9,750 rpm and 46 pound-feet of torque at 8,000 rpm. The engine has a redline of 10,250 rpm, though Ducati notes that the limiter is set to 10,000 rpm in first gear. If that’s not enough, enthusiasts can increase horsepower and torque to 85 and 49, respectively, by ordering an optional Termignoni exhaust system. Odds are this part improves the exhaust note, too.

You’re on the wrong track if you’re picturing the single-cylinder engine that powered your old two-stroke dirt bike. Ducati coated key parts like the piston pin and the Desmodromic system’s rocker arms with Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) surface coating to reduce friction, and it installed a pair of balancing countershafts to even out vibrations. It notes that vibration levels are on par with those of a 90-degree V-Twin.

Riders will have three power modes called High, Medium, and Low, respectively, to choose from, and the engine will be connected to a six-speed transmission with what Ducati refers to as “racing ratios.” It notably made first gear long to maximize acceleration in slow corners.

Ducati will unveil the model that will inaugurate the Superquadro Mono engine on November 2, 2023.

Two years ago, Triumph announced a new global Triumph Racing division that would enter motocross and enduro racing series. The Triumph MX2 is out, a 250-cc bike that will line up at the Monster Energy AMA SuperMotocross World Championship in the U.S. and the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship in Europe in 2024. After proof in competition, Triumph will eventually develop its race bikes into a range of motocross and enduro bikes for the public. Turning from England to Italy, Ducati’s doing much the same thing. The brand from Borgo Panigale has spent two years working on a new MX bike that it will campaign in the Italian Motocross Championship next year. Ducati said the effort is “a multi-year project that will see the creation of a complete range of off-road engines and motorcycles. The models will gradually become part of a family of knobby motorcycles branded Ducati, starting with motocross.”

We don’t know the size of the Ducati yet. We do know Ducati plans to use its Desmo engines in the bike and tune a “very broad power delivery curve,” is chasing lightness, and expects to hang top-shelf components on the frame. So, it will be a Ducati.

We also know they’ve hired a wizard with years of vital knowledge to help develop the ride. Sicilian Antonio Cairoli won two MX2 championships on a Yamaha before joining Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2009, winning seven more premiere-class MX1/MXGP championships, then retiring in 2021 to become the KTM Factory Team manager. On October 23, KTM announced Cairoli’s departure “to pursue new professional goals for 2024.” On October 24, Ducati announced Cairoli would be the brand’s “high-performance test rider.” Eight-time Italian champion Alessandro Lupino has also been announced as Ducati’s racing and test rider. And the bike maker is hooked up with Madii Racing to manage the team, Madii saying it’s won at least six world championships, 10 European championships, and 40 national championships in its 33 years in business. 

Cairoli won his trophies on a 350 and a 450, and Lupino comes over from last year’s Beta RX 450 ride, so we’ll guess there’s something larger than a 250 on the way, but that’s just a guess. There are eight other manufacturers entered into next year’s range of FIM MX series — Beta, Fantic, GasGas, Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, and Yamaha — enough excellent competition to demand an excellent bike if Lupino plans any victories. It’s suspected that Ducati might only enter a few races as a wild card next year with an eye on a proper campaign in 2025. Either way, the red will meet the dirt very soon.    

This is the Yamaha Tricera, and it’s an electric three-wheeled, open-top vehicle that Yamaha just revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show. The idea behind it is to make an urban mobility vehicle that’s also rather fun and exciting to drive.

The three-wheeled market for a vehicle like this is largely dominated by the Polaris Slingshot here in the U.S., but this Yamaha being electric could be an interesting alternative if it’s ultimately sold stateside. The Tricera’s trick feature is its rear-wheel steering. While the front wheels turn like you’d normally expect, the single rear wheel can also turn, thereby tightening your turning circle or lending greater stability at higher speeds. 

To make things even more interesting, Yamaha says there are both automatic and manual modes for the rear-wheel steering. Why? It “allows for the sense of accomplishment that comes when acquiring and developing new driving skills.” Yamaha wants to appeal to those who aren’t necessarily all-in on an autonomous future, so it wants to deepen the involvement that a driver might have with their vehicle.

As you can see from the photos, the Tricera is a two-seater and is operated via a steering wheel. All of the relevant information you might need while driving is on a screen mounted to the wheel. There’s a bar separating the driver from the passenger, creating two separate areas. Yamaha didn’t discuss any specs or details about the powertrain, only saying that the Tricera is electric. We’ll hope to learn more in the future should Yamaha move the project into production.

Ducati isn’t finished making the most of 2023 after introducing rides like the Monster 30th Anniversario and DesertX Rally. Splitting the difference, we have a sportier Multistrada for sport touring enthusiasts. Called the Multistrada V4 RS, this one goes heaviest on the sport part of the equation, making a few huge swaps and alterations for riders that like to mix wheelies with their long-distance wandering. The big swap involved redesigning the Multistrada’s aluminum trellis frame to fit the engine from the the Panigale V4 S and Streetfighter V4 S. Gone is the 1.2-liter non-desmo Granturismo four-cylinder making 170 horsepower and 92 pound-feet of torque, in goes the 1.1-liter Desmosedici Stradale making 180 hp and 87 lb-ft., shifting through a billet aluminum dry clutch.

The next big change happened further up front, engineers shrinking the front wheel from 19 inches 17 inches, matching the size of the rear wheel. The new wheels are forged aluminum units from Marchesini, the rear and its aluminum swingarm held in place by a new titanium subframe. Riders will enjoy crisper turn-in and cornering thanks to both weight-saving measures. Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsas provide the contact patches.

Ducati didn’t give a weight, but says the V4 RS drops more than 20 pounds in total compared to the 480-pound dry weight of the V4 S with the Granturismo engine. Beyond the lighter wheels and titanium subframe, a lithium-ion battery and carbon fiber panels like the front beak and mudguard and fender reduce gravity’s influence. 

The standard seat position is 33 inches but that can be lowered an inch as an option. Either way, a lower and narrower handlebar combines with footpegs that have been moved up and back keep to riders in the mood of the V4 RS. Ohlins supplies the upgraded suspension, a 48-mm inverted fork in front with a titanium nitride treatment to reduce friction, the Swedish company’s TTX36 rear shock, and Smart EC 2.0 active damping software managing both shocks.  

Ducati’s usual electronics suite comes along for the ride, with four riding modes, four engine power levels, a quick-shift function, traction control, wheelie control, engine brake control, safety kit like blind spot detection and cornering ABS, and convenience features like adaptive cruise control. 

Ducati says production isn’t limited, but owners will find an individually numbered plaque on the triple clamp near the 6.5-inch TFT screen. It’s expected in dealerships in January at a price of $37,995, a stout $6,400 more than the Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak. 

First is the most interesting looking of the group, the eWX (pictured at top). It’s a small electric hatchback that is mighty boxy. It’s very reminiscent of the Lapin kei-class hatchback Suzuki currently offers. We could see this being translated into a production model pretty easily with the addition of more conventional lights and maybe fewer lime green accents. Although we’d be a little sad to see said accents go away.

Next up is the Suzuki Swift concept. This is clearly a preview of the next-generation subcompact for Suzuki. For reference, the Swift is similar to the Toyota Yaris, Mazda2 and others. This generation is definitely evolutionary, and it looks less sporty and aggressive than before. The Swift is something to watch, since it’s also available in Europe.

Less exciting are the Spacia concepts, which are slightly modified versions of some of Suzuki’s kei vans. Similarly, there’s the eVX, which is an electric SUV concept. It’s quite chiseled, but it was revealed in India back in January.

Suzuki doesn’t just make cars, though. It has a booming motorcycle and scooter business. To that end, it also brought some two-wheeled concepts and some unique mobility ones. The MOQBA, which leads the gallery above, is the wildest, seemingly combining a tiny ATV with a four-legged walker from Star Wars. It’s sort of a multi-purpose mobility device that allows for people to roll around, but also get up and over stairs and other obstacles. The Suzuki Go! is a sort of wheelchair, the Suzu-Ride and Suzu-Cargo are four-wheeled electric scooters, and the L-MA is a food delivery robot. On the larger front, we have the e-PO fold-up e-bike and the e-Choinori, both described as 50-cc class electric bikes. Finally, there’s a Suzuki Burgman 400, but it’s notable because it’s running on hydrogen instead of gasoline.

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In 1990 and 1994, Edi Orioli won the Dakar Rally on Cagiva Elefant motorcycles, each moto powered by an air-cooled V-twin of around 900 cc supplied by Ducati. Cagiva didn’t make what were considered big bike engines for the time, and it owned Ducati, which did. It wasn’t until Ducati launched the Multistrada in 2003 that the Bolognese brand took to the trail on its own. Another 20 years later, with the launch of the 2024 Ducati DesertX Rally, it’s possible the Bologna company — owned by Audi since 2012 — could be considering a trip back to Dakar with a machine all its own. The DesertX Rally is an upgraded version of the standard Ducati DesertX adventure bike introduced for the 2023 model year, a two-wheeler designed for aggressive trail riding. The DesertX was the first Ducati in the modern era to fit a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel, it’s low-gear ratios are perfect for slow off-road riding, and it has six driving modes, each of them tweaked through multiple levels of engine power, engine braking, traction control, wheelie control, and cornering ABS.

Now that 900-cc is considered a midsize bike and midsize bikes are hot, the DesertX Rally sticks to the same 937-cc V-twin Ducati uses in the standard bike, the Hypermotard 950, Monster, and Supersport 950. The motor makes 108 horsepower and 68 pound-feet of torque here. Overall weight is said to be up one kilogram, to about 447 pounds. Buyers who want more output can get a claimed 7% boost in output by swapping for a Termignoni race exhaust.   

New features start with the billet triple-clamp and Ohlins steering damper that improve rigidity and stability. The race-derived 48-mm, adjustable KYB sealed-cartridge front fork extends travel 0.8 inch to 9.8 inches, and features hard-anodized tubes with diamond-like coating on the sliders for less friction. The thinner front mudguard sits higher up the forks instead of just over the wheel to keep muck from clogging the gap to the front wheel. In back, the new swingarm attachment point and larger adjustable KYB shock add another 0.8 inch of travel for 9.4 total inches. The suspension changes add a 1.2 inches of ground clearance, at 11 inches, and takes seat height to 35.8 inches. All of the riding modes — Enduro, Rally, Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet — and subsystems have been recalibrated for the new spec.

Beneath the adjustable billet aluminum shift and brake pedals, a forged carbon skid plate is ready to take a beating to protect the motor. At either end, carbon steel spokes hook into billet hubs and Takasago Excel Wheels that use inner tubes, instead of the slightly heavier tubeless wheels on the standard DesertX. Stock tires are Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs, the option sheets offers Pirelli Scorpion Rally or Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tires as well.

The Ducati says the new ride will reach U.S. dealerships around March of next year, priced at $22,995, $5,000 above the DesertX.

The Japan Mobility Show, formerly the Tokyo Motor Show, starts in less than a month. Honda always makes statements at its home show, even if that just meant displaying a ton of products spanning a ton of possibilities. This year, Japan’s second-largest automaker is going to check all the boxes with three world premieres of new product, a wide variety variety, and plenty to see. Our primary interest starts with the debut of the Honda Specialty Sports Concept, an electric sports car “which will enable the driver to experience the pure joy of driving (driving pleasure) and transcend the constraints of time.” The debates have already begun as to what kind of car this might be: Reborn NSX? Or reborn Honda S2000?

The image above is from 2022, teased when Honda began going public with the large-scale electrification plans that will see the automaker exit internal-combustion powertrains by 2040. Let’s make it clear we have no idea if either vehicle in the teaser image has anything to do with what’s appearing in Japan next month. We only know that automaker CEO Toshihiro Mibe said last year that Honda is planning to put two electric sports cars on the market before the end of the decade, one a “specialty” model and one a “flagship.” The S2000 and NSX conjecture fits that description.

In support of the S2000 theory, watchers note that Honda introduced the S2000 partly as a celebration of the automaker’s 50th anniversary, and this year is Honda’s 75th anniversary. Also, the S2000 bowed in concept form at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show as the Sport Study Model (SSM). In support of the NSX theory, Acura teased a Performance Electric Vision Design Study one month ago with lines that looked a lot like we’d expect from a futuristic NSX. The NSX has historically favored U.S. introductions, however; the original debuted at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, the reboot debuted as a concept and later in production form at the Detroit Auto Show. 

Elsewhere in the Honda show booth, visitors will find lil guys like the Sustainia-C Concept. Shaped like an even dinkier Honda-e, the Sustainia-C’s body panels are made of recycled acrylic resin. Another four-wheeled offering is the CI-MEV, a “pod car” employing Honda’s cooperative intelligence (the “CI” in the name) and autonomous driving tech for “easily-accessible last-mile mobility.” This one sounds like another take on a share car, described as being “for those who are in situations that tend to limit mobility, such as when there is no public transportation or when people experience difficulty in walking a long distance.” 

Two-wheeler fans can throw a leg over the SC e: Concept, an electric scooter powered by two of Honda’s Mobile Power Pack e: swappable batteries. Visitors who don’t need roads where they’re going will be invited to check out a full-size interior mockup of the HondaJet Elite II light business jet and a gas turbine engine planned for use in a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

And the Honda Avatar Robot will be there, a remote-controlled automaton standing on the shoulders of Honda’s ASIMO that “will let users perform tasks and experience things remotely as if they are there in person.” Honda says the Avatar will have a “multi-fingered robotic hand;” it seems to us the word “hand” would have been fine if the Avatar had five fingers. The distinction makes us wonder what kind of 30-fingered, 6,000 keystrokes-per-second anime trickery we might be invited to witness. We’ll find out about these products and more in a few weeks’ time.