National News

Six weeks have passed, so it’s definitely time for a fresh helping of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” It’s the column that updates recent stories, adds some items that didn’t get a full post, and tosses in a bit of opinion. Here goes: “If You …

SAINT-JEAN, FRANCE – It’s named in memory of legendary British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat and writer T.E. Lawrence (aka “Lawrence of Arabia”) who died in a motorcycle crash in 1935 while riding an original Brough Superior SS100. Unveiled Monday by the revived Brough Superior brand in France, the Lawrence model …

MILWAUKEE – After nearly three years of teasing the Pan America 1250, Harley-Davidson today finally took the wrapper off its nascent adventure model. Set to arrive in showrooms in May, the model will come in two variants – the base Pan America 1250 at $17,319 and the Pan America 1250 …

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – It took several attempts to revive the Indian brand before success was realized under the ownership of Polaris. Can Buell do it quicker? We’ll see. An announcement was made this evening that Buell Motorcycles are being built once again, with a plan to “launch 10 performance …

IRVINE, CA – The COVID-19 pandemic turned lives upside down in 2020, but what it didn’t do was have a negative impact on motorcycle sales in the United States. Just the opposite. Motorcycle and scooter sales rose 11.4 percent. Indeed the broader power sports industry saw its sales increase 18.4 …

BREA, CA – Suzuki is out today with a new Hayabusa sport model for 2022 that has fewer pounds, fresh styling and better performance. More than 550 new or redesigned parts make the Hayabusa “all-new” yet “instantly recognizable,” the company says. While there’s no mistaking it, the 2022 Hayabusa is …

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA – It was inevitable, predictable and overdue. Three years after discontinuing the KLR650, a single-cylinder, dual-sport model that endured for more than 30 years, Kawasaki is bringing it back for the 2022 model year. The new KLR650 will have fuel injection, a fractionally larger engine (652cc versus …

MILWAUKEE – It’s likely been stated many times that changing the direction of a major corporation can be like maneuvering an ocean liner. It’s a process that needs to be done gradually and, hopefully, with precision. That’s certainly true for Harley-Davidson. The company unveiled its 2021 model-year lineup this morning, …

MALIBU, CA – Perhaps the biggest deterrent to buying an electric motorcycle is price. A Harley-Davidson LiveWire costs upwards of $30,000. An Energica Eva EsseEsse9 has a price tag of $21,250, while the Zero SR/S lists at $19,995. Sure, Zero’s entry FX on-road/off-road model can be had for only $9,295, …

MANDELLO DEL LARIO, Italy – Moto Guzzi’s classic V7 model gets a power boost for 2021 with an 850cc, 65 horsepower engine replacing the 744cc, 52 horsepower power plant that has been used in the model since its introduction in 2007. Moto Guzzi’s website today declares that “a new V7 …

VARESE, ITALY – Most riders can’t afford one. Indeed, most riders will never see one in person. Nonetheless, in a worldwide press unveiling via Zoom this morning, super premium Italian motorcycle brand MV Agusta revealed its newest model – the limited edition Superveloce Alpine. The racey model represents, in the …

BOLOGNA, Italy – It’s a sport model that was introduced in 1993 and has sold more than 350,000 copies. For 2021, Ducati has again updated its Monster, dropping the number that’s attached to its outgoing Monster 821 model. The new Monster is powered by a 937cc Testastretta twin-cylinder engine that …

Never a company prone to leaking new model info prior to an actual announcement, Harley-Davidson’s plans have become even more open to speculation since the appointment of Jochen Zeitz as president and CEO back in May (after being given the posts on an “acting” basis in February). Zeitz has slashed …

TORRANCE, CA – Honda has announced an all-new brawnier sibling to go with its entry-level Rebel 300 and Rebel 500 cruiser models – the mid-sized 2021 Rebel 1100. The Rebel 1100 is powered by a 1,084cc parallel twin, a repurposed version of the engine found in its Africa Twin adventure …

RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England readers are a hardy and determined bunch, not deterred from riding their motorcycles by the cold weather that comes in late autumn and continues through winter, results of the website’s latest poll reveal. The poll, which ran from Oct. 17 through Nov. 24, showed that 40 …