Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

My latest stupid thing is rinsing the engine of my new used car with the hose. Not a pressure wash or even a full blast, I swear! Just a light drizzle to rinse off some degreaser in a couple nooks and crannies the morning after I brought the thing home. Before I did that, my new-to-me 2000 Jaguar XJR had been running like a 4-liter V-eight Jaguar with an Eaton supercharger on top of it. After it, the RESTRICTED PERFORMANCE lamp was lit and it would barely run. Dang. (I hope we can talk about cars here, too, can’t we? I was a car guy before I was a motorcycle guy, and the same concepts apply.)

Naturally, I fled in horror straight to the Facebook Jaguar XJR Lovers page and spilled my guts. The crowd pounced instantly. Never wash a Jaguar engine! The “you idiot” was at least left unsaid but strongly implied. The internet’s a nicer place now than it used to be, or maybe that’s just among people with a common love object. Come to think of it, nobody ever talks politics on my vehicle sites. They’re the only place you can escape.

It was Louis who talked me down: “It’s probably your knock sensors, located under the blower,” he wrote. “They may dry out in a few days and be fine. They also may be shorted out, which means removing the blower to get to them, kind of a big job, and installing expensive new ones.”

I plugged in the code reader.

GasGas is preparing to launch a new model called the RX 450F Replica that we believe will be based on the machine Sam Sunderland rode to victory in the 2022 Dakar Rally.

The RX 450F Replica model name appears on a recently updated list of vehicles approved by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, Germany’s federal motor transport authority. The name is similar, though not a perfect match, for the RC 450F ridden by Sunderland and his teammate Daniel Sanders (who was no slouch himself in winning three stages) in the Dakar Rally.

Despite the variation in the name, we suspect the RX 450F Replica is indeed the rally bike because it is listed with similar information to KTM‘s own 450 Rally Replica, and the RC 450F race bike was essentially a rebadged version of the orange bike.

KTM has offered a rally replica for a few years now, as has Husqvarna, with its version dubbed the FR 450 Rally. With GasGas victorious at this year’s Dakar Rally, it seems logical that Pierer Mobility’s red brand would also get the replica treatment.

Heaping praise upon Yamaha’s naked bikes has become all too easy lately. Yes, the MT-07 did get dethroned in last year’s Middleweight Naked comparison, but not by much – and it took brand-new motorcycles from Aprilia and Triumph to do it. When it came time for the 900cc(ish) Nakeds last August, the newly revamped MT-09 surprised a couple people by taking the cake against KTM Duke 890 and five other very nice and mostly more expensive motorcycles. Sadly, when it was time for the Open Class Nakeds shootout last November, the MT-10 got left out. We thought it was too old, and couldn’t win. Plus, we knew the 2022 Yamaha MT-10 was on its way. Possibly to save the day.

Battle Royale: 7-Way Heavyweight Naked Bike Shootout

Editor Score: 94.25%

Now that they’ve dragged the MT-10 kicking and screaming into Euro 5 compliance, rather than reinventing the wheel, Yamaha applied much of the MT-09 treatment to the King of its Masters of Torque familia, including its dark energy design language.

Unlike the lesser MTs which get their own graceful vacuum-formed aluminum frames, the MT-10 shares its skeleton with the YZF-R1, but now you can see it better thanks to a rethink of the bodywork and a removal of a couple of modesty panels. This being the same frame Yamaha uses to contest the WSBK title, it’s quite the feat of engineering, tuned for high longitudinal rigidity as well as torsional and lateral flex.

Wow, 2012 doesn’t seem like such a long time ago, but nearly all the motorcycles we fawned, toadied, and shamelessly groveled all over are nearly all gone or usurped. And not even that missed, thanks to the machines that superseded them. The best of them are still around, though: Honda NC750X and PCX150, BMW K1600, and 1000RR, Tuono… Your best new tech, the Thin Film Transistor display on the new Ducati Diavel, has become ubiquitous. Sadly, the SOLFX Transitions faceshield introduced by Bell helmets, has not. Whirled without end, amen.

While magazine editors and track riders may wax poetic about the leaps in performance of the latest super-grippy sport and track tires, the vast majority of sport-focused street riders spend their money on sport-touring rubber. Why? Well, two reasons, actually. First, once you look beyond the arid Southwest where the bulk of the U.S. motorcycle industry resides, riders have to deal with rain, making the way tires handle in the wet of great importance. Then there’s the fact that sport-touring tires offer almost the same level of grip as their sportier siblings – at street temperatures – while offering significantly better longevity. (At lower temperatures, sport-touring tires can offer more real-world grip than even the stickiest of sporting rubber, which are designed to work their best at elevated temperatures.) With the release of the Michelin Road 6 sport-touring tires, Michelin claim an increase in both wet grip and wear characteristics when compared to their precursors, the Michelin Road 5.

The Recipe

The headlining claim in the announcement of the Road 6 tires was that they offer a 15% increase in wet grip. Michelin says this is the result of both updating the rubber compounds and refining the tread design. Silica has been known for its wet/cold weather grip for some time, but it hasn’t always played well with tire durability in dry, warm weather. The improvements in the durability of the silica compound comes from a combination of changes to the compound itself and the altered tread design. 

MO Tested: Michelin Road 5 Tire Review

When the Michelin Road 5 was released, its wet grip was credited to the development of its X-Sipe technology. Essentially, the smaller grooves in the tire open up to a wider space as you go deeper within the rubber compound, and as the tire wears, the widening of the grooves allow for the tread to displace similar amounts of water. (You can read an in-depth explanation of it here.) Next, dubbed Michelin Water Evergrip Technology, the void ratio, the ratio of grooving to the rubber on the tire’s tread, was optimized to improve wear in both wet and dry conditions. Michelin claims that this, when combined with the X-Sipe technology, is not only responsible for the increase in wet grip, but also for the consistent behavior of the tires even when worn.

Smartphones have integrated themselves into almost every aspect of modern life. So, it should come as no surprise that people want to make them more accessible while riding their motorcycles. A well-placed phone can make it easier to follow GPS directions or check to see who the incoming call is from to determine if you should answer on your Bluetooth communicator. This has lead to a burgeoning selection of phone mounts for securely placing your smartphone on your bike where it can be easily glanced at. Here, we’ve gathered a listing of what we think are a few of the best motorcycle phone mounts that we know of. If we’ve skipped your favorite, let us know in the comments.

Let’s clear the air right off the bat with this one: This is *not* a crash-tested review, though I can understand why you would think so after I wrote about my recent experiences tumbling down the road in the Forcite MK1 helmet and Alpinestars’ own GP Force Chaser entry-level suit. While it’s never a great time to crash a motorcycle, the timing of those experiences brings a great deal of context to the latest in safety innovation by Alpinestars: the Tech-Air 10 airbag system. 

Taken straight from the MotoGP paddock, Tech-Air is Alpinestars’ proprietary fully self-contained airbag system. Tech-Air 10 is the new flagship in the Tech-Air range which currently (as of this writing) includes the Tech-Air 5, which can be worn inside any appropriately fitting jacket or suit, and the Tech-Air 3 – an airbag vest that can be worn inside *or outside* a jacket – due for release in Fall 2022. For the dirt riders, Alpinestars is also developing the Tech-Air Off-Road, set for release in early 2023. Technically speaking, the Tech-Air Race, the first mass-produced airbag from Alpinestars, is still available but will be phased out in the coming seasons (but Alpinestars will still support it long after that). 

What separates the Tech-Air 10 from the others, including airbags from other companies, is its airbag coverage area now extends down to the hips – a feature I wish I had when I fell down in the GP Force Chaser suit. All other systems on the market currently only cover the upper body to varying degrees. All of the Tech-Air systems, including the Tech-Air 10 provide full airbag protection for the shoulders, collarbones, chest, and back. With the exception of the Tech-Air 3, an integrated CE Level 2 back protector is integrated into the system, giving both active (airbag) and passive protection for your back. 

How It Works

As you can see from these pictures, the entire thing looks like a bulked-up base layer. That’s the point. Strategic zips and stretch panels connect and integrate the physical airbag and back protector to the rest of the base layer. Being able to separate the base layer from the airbag components means you can hand wash the base layer – because, you know, riding around in a cow suit is hot and sweat stinks. This is a departure from other Tech-Air systems which are basically vests you wear over your existing base layer. They can’t be washed.

After teasing us in March, Bombardier Recreational Products officially revealed its first two Can-Am electric motorcycles, the Pulse roadster and the Origin dual-sport. Both models were presented as prototypes, meaning they are very close to what will eventually be the final product, which will enter production in the summer of 2024.

Full specs will be revealed next August, so the focus of this “soft reveal” is purely on the design of the first two-wheeled Can-Am models since 1987. Both models employ what BRP calls the Rotax E-Power powertrain. Specific numbers weren’t given, but BRP says it will yield “highway-worthy speeds with plenty of horsepower and torque.” The Rotax E-Power technology will eventually be employed across BRP product lines, not just motorcycles.



Like most electric motorcycles, the Pulse and Origin forgo a clutch or transmission, using just a simple twist-and-go throttle. Both models employ an on-board charger and work with Level 2 charging stations. BRP did not provide any information on the batteries, except to note that they are highlighted in the designs in Can-Am’s signature yellow.

Both models employ a single-sided swingarm with the final drive completely enclosed on the left side. Patent illustrations we previously uncovered suggest the swingarm houses a belt drive, though BRP notably refused to confirm when asked about it during its media presentation.

All we learn from history, goes the current cynical wisdom, is that we learn nothing from history. Then again, maybe we do? For instance, I just learned this morning that Yamaha is still stamping out the FJR1300ES 20 years after the original 2002 FJR1300 hit our shores. Well, they’re still selling them anyway. I remember FJ1100 very fondly, FJ1200 was the tool for inhaling great draughts of western landscape at ludicrous speed… all before this first liquid-cooled FJR blew our moldy sport-touring socks off. (Note Minime’s acting out by spelling three of four names wrong in only the first 2.5 lines of copy. Is there an Editor in the house?)

Last week, Ducati announced it would once again present its new product announcements in a series of online presentations. Just like in 2020 and 2021, the Ducati World Première 2023 series will take place over multiple episodes, with each part featuring a different product line.

For 2023, the series will span seven episodes, starting Sept. 2, ahead of the MotoGP round in San Marino, and running until Nov. 7, just ahead of EICMA. As has become custom, Ducati has given each episode a cryptic title offering a clue to the presentation’s topic. The episodes are:

Apart from the episode titles, Ducati has offered one more clue: the final episode will be a model that was previewed for visitors at World Ducati Week. Though Ducati has managed to prevent any photos of the WDW preview from going public, a report from Moto.it confirms the new model is the next-generation Ducati Scrambler.

As for the rest, we did a little digging and uncovered some clues about what to expect, including a new Panigale V4 R and a Ducati Monster SP.

Ducati’s racing homologated model, the Panigale V4 R, is an obvious fit for Episode 4. Introduced in 2019, the Panigale V4 R is powered by a 998cc engine, allowing it to compete in Superbike racing classes. With the 1103cc Panigale V4 and V4 S getting updated last year, it seems obvious that the V4 R is due for its own update.

A new Vehicle Identification Number decoder released by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirms that Kawasaki will be introducing a 399cc Inline-Four Ninja ZX-4R model for 2023. While the VIN decoder does not provide any clue to what the ZX-4R will look like, we expect it will be styled similar to the 249cc Ninja ZX-25R (pictured above) currently offered in Japan and other Asian markets.

We previously wrote about the existence of a ZX-4R a year ago, when we uncovered a Kawasaki patent for the fairing design that was adopted for the ZX-25R. The patent described how intakes built into the fairing would divert air towards the engine for additional cooling. While the design was used on the ZX-25R, the patent describes the invention as being “more preferably applied to a vehicle having four-cylinder 400 cc engine.”

Thanks to the VIN decoder, we now know the ZX-4R not only exists, but that it will be offered in the U.S. for 2023. The 2023 Kawasaki VIN decoder was dated March 22 and was an update on a previous version published last December. The changes include the listings below for two models with the codes ZX400PP and a ZX400SP. Per Kawasaki’s model code structure, the ZX codes designate its high-performance sportbike models like the ZX-10R, ZX-6R, and Ninja H2. The 400 indicates an approximate engine displacement, with the letter following indicating a specific model variant. The “P” at the end, as per industry standard, represents the 2023 model year. The name “Ninja ZX-4R” doesn’t actually appear in the VIN decoder, but the engine code leaves little doubt to its commercial name.

Earlier this year, Kawasaki revealed its first electric two-wheeler, but a lot of people were disappointed when they realized it was a kids’ balance bike called the Elektrode. Those hoping for an electric streetbike from Kawasaki won’t have to wait too much longer, as we can confirm two new models will be coming to the U.S. for the 2023 model year.

Kawasaki has made no secret of its plans for electric and hybrid two-wheelers, previously stating a goal of at least 10 models by 2025. The Elektrode was the first, but it will soon be joined by a sportbike and a naked model. The proof comes from an updated vehicle identification number (VIN) decoder for 2023 Kawasaki models that was released by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The VIN decoder lists two models going by the unfamiliar code names NX011AP and NR011AP. The NX model is listed as a “Super Sports,” while the NR model is listed as a “Sports” model. For Kawasaki, this usually indicates a sportbike and a naked model, respectively. The Ninja 400, for example, is considered a “Super Sports” model while Kawasaki calls the Z400 a “Sports” model. The Ninja 400 has the model code EX400 while the Z400 is the ER400, so we can deduce the the NX is a sportbike and the NR is a naked model.

The last few columns on the right are what gives away the electric powertrain. After the Super Sports/Sports column, the VIN decoder lists the engine displacement, number of strokes in the engine cycle, number of cylinders, and the claimed engine output in kilowatts.

The image of adventure touring is that of riders traveling the world on heavyweight motorcycles with big, aluminum panniers and a variety of duffel bags lashed to the top. And if you consider the BMW GS crowd, that is a very popular look. However, you don’t need giant hard bags to travel.  Soft luggage will often do quite nicely for overnight, week-long, or even transcontinental treks, and they have the ability to better withstand tipovers without breaking, which can be an issue with hard luggage. What you want from this type of luggage platform is the ability to adjust the carrying capacity to the gear requirements needed for your particular trip. The reality of human nature is that we will find “necessary” gear that exactly matches (or slightly exceeds) the room we have to carry it. Try this quick test the next time you go on a day ride: Ask your friends with panniers what they brought with them. Odds are the bags are mostly filled with things they could need. 

Eric Hougen, owner of Wolfman Motorcycle Luggage, is well aware of this human tendency, and I’ve heard him say more than once that people take too much stuff with them when they ride. So, he’s come up with a way to easily carry what they need for the trip at hand. Wolfman’s line of soft luggage is built around a base system, the E-Base for smaller dual sports and the B-Base for larger adventure bikes. These bases lash to the bike via three mounting points, and then provide a multitude of mounting points for a variety of bags. The bags that mount like traditional saddlebags are dry bags that Wolfman calls Rolies, which come in small, medium, and large sizes. On top of the two “legs” of the Base on the seat, Rolies or other more specialized bags can be mounted. For an overnight outing, you may only need small Rolies, while large ones might be the choice for a week-long trip. The system really is quite clever, and for this review, I’ve had the chance to test several different combinations of bags on different bikes. 

In 1872, the company we now know as one of the premier motorcycle tire manufacturers was formed for the purpose of making the rubber sheathing for electrical wires, but in 1894, Pirelli produced its first tire in the form of a velocipede (bicycle) tire. Since then, Pirelli has moved to motorsports in a major way, producing tires for both two- and four-wheeled vehicles. In the rarified field of international racing, Pirelli develops its sporting motorcycle tires by applying what is learned as the spec tire for World Superbike. From that lineage, the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsa was born. 

Pirelli Motorcycle Tires: Everything You Need To Know

For the month of August, Pirelli has agreed to give two lucky entrants a set of Diablo Rosso IV Corsa tires sized to fit their sporting machinery – a prize valued at up to $740, depending on the tire sizes requested. All you, dear sport rider, need to do is fill out the form at the link below. 

Here’s what Pirelli has to say about Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsas:

Greg D. from Rider magazine and Ron Lieback from Cycle World had been beating me up all day around the cute little test track at CFMOTO’s coming-out party for its seven new motorcycles last month. Even when I was on my favorite 2022 CFs – the 700CL-X and ADVentura 650 – those guys were still leaving me in the dust on what should’ve been slower motorcycles, dammit. But I think I’ve written entire columns about how it’s better to never have been really good at any particular sport, as it makes it way easier to accept defeat. Serious competitors get their psyches all bruised and bent out of shape; I retreat to the food truck for more bbq and beverages… Also, the damp patches and tar snakes were things everybody had to deal with, but the older you get the more you prefer to not fall off the motorcycle.

Editor Score: 90.75%

But there was also an eighth CFMOTO motorcycle there that day we were sworn to secrecy about until August 1, which is today. And that’s the new 800 Adventura. Which really shouldn’t be so secret to serious motorheads, since it’s already on sale in lots of other places around the world. Also, Dennis Chung reported on the KTM/CF alliance nearly two years ago. What we did not know was if the new bike would be coming to the land of the Free or not, and now we do. Yes it is. Everywhere else, the bike is called 800MT, but those letters were already occupied by Yamaha.

All the other journalists and influencers at CF’s little trackday/bbq were hogging the 800 up most of the day, and I was concentrating on the 700CLs and brisket mostly anyway, though Moe Cason’s pulled pork was also to die for. But toward the end of the day, I snagged the new Adventura and rolled out on the track.