Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1176510
VOLUME 56 ISSUE 41 OCTOBER 15, 2019 P123 Desmosedici Stradle V4 motor (or at least a very similar version) found in the superbike. I know this because I raced against Car- lin and his Streetfighter proto- type at Pikes Peak this year, but I am waiting with bated breath to see what the production version will look like. It's already been confirmed we won't be seeing a V4 Multistrada until 2021, with Ducati prefer- ring instead to roll the V4 format out over time. There's a good chance we will also see the new V4 Superleggera, meaning the superbike lineup will be have completed the transition from the old desmo V-twin format to V4. Interestingly, Kawasaki will also be using the October 23 date to show off its new supercharged ZH2 naked bike in an online launch; however, competing with Ducati for airspace will be a chal- lenge for Kawasaki, especially with the Streetfighter coming back after an eight-year hiatus. With Ducati opting not to use EICMA to launch such an impor- tant product in the Streetfighter, that leaves the door open for its neighbor to the north in KTM to fill the limelight. EICMA will see the Austrians launch one of its most important bikes in the new 390 Adventure, a model that will be massive for developing nations in south east Asia as well as here in the U.S. Adventure riding is by far the fastest growing segment of the market, and currently there's not a lot to choose from in the sub- 400cc ADV (not dual sport) seg- ment, with only Kawasaki, BMW and Honda (okay, theirs is a 500 in the CB500X, but, whatever), so it'll be interesting to see just how extreme KTM is going to make their junior ADV weapon. Also on display will be the new Super Duke and Super Duke 890, which will replace the two- year-old 790 thanks to tightening emissions regulations in Europe. As for BMW, the Germans will have four new bikes confirmed for EICMA, the most exciting of which (at least for me) is a tie between the new S 1000 XR and the R18 cruiser, which has been in development for about as long as I've been able to grow facial hair. The XR has long been one of my favorite street bikes after we had one here at Cycle News for long- term loan back in 2017, but it's not seen a huge amount of updates since the 2015 unveiling. As the XR is based off the S 1000 RR, which, itself, got a ground-up redesign for 2019 with the all-new ShiftCam motor, the new XR should be a bit of a showstopper. It remains to be seen if the production version of the R18 has anything like the pizzazz BMW's own custom bike created earlier this year did (which served as a company insight into what they could do with the model), but the BMW style department has hit a few home runs of late and their col- laborations with various custom bike builders over the past few years has sparked a design re- naissance within the BMW halls. Moving onto Aprilia/Piaggio, they have been rather quiet about their EICMA offerings, but we are positive we'll see the production version of the sportbike the world is craving in the RS660. This motorcycle could be the shot in the arm the sportbike sector needs—lightweight, 100 horse- power, good suspension, amaz- ing looks—and if it's half as good as the prototype we saw last year, the MotoAmerica Twins Cup could become a one-make Aprilia series before we know it. The Japanese have been rath- er quiet, but we expect to see a new Honda CBR1000RR su- perbike. Honda is getting mega serious in WorldSBK next year after signing Alvaro Bautista, and we've had it on good authority from our European sources the new CBR is going to be a beast (although nothing, and I mean nothing, has been confirmed or denied by Honda). This is but a taste of what's coming over the next couple of months. With manufacturers spreading their launches out and not all going head-to-head for attention at EICMA, the con- sumers are the winners as we get fed more new bikes over a longer stretch. I love this time of year. CN