Kawasaki presents a whole new range of ‘Special Edition’ versions of its 2012 line up. The models that received this ‘Special Edition’ treatment are the Versys 1000 Grand Tourer, City and Tourer, the VN1700 and VN900 Light Tourer, Ninja ZX-6R Performance, W800 SE, 1400 GTR Grand Tourer, Z1000SX Tourer, Z750R Black Edition and Z1000 Black Edition. At the moment, all we know about this new series is what we can make out of the pictures released by the Japanese manufacturer, but no information about technical details or pricing is currently available.

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If you’ve ordered an Italian motorcycle or some special part that comes Italy, you’ll have to wait a little longer. Italy is undergoing a massive trucker strike in the last week and a half protesting against record fuel prices after massive tax hikes and government austerity reforms.

The protest called the Pitchfork movement started in Sicily (where 50% of Italian fuel is refined) and has rapidly moved up the pennisula with numerous blockades at ports, highways and major roads that are literally paralyzing production activities across the country.

The protest is causing gas and food shortages and major manufacturers like Fiat have been forced to temporarily shut down operations because they aren’t receiving delivery of components.

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Here is the third and final part of our massive photo gallery dedicated to the beautiful girls who attended the recent 2012 Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy. Our most loyal readers might have noticed that in the last couple of weeks we made a few changes in our galleries, and for that reason the high-res pictures have not been available for a while, but now we are done with the testing and they are back. We just could not think of a better way to christen the new system than giving these 32 images picturing some nice and hot Italian lady. We are pretty sure that most of you would have loved to see the previous two parts of this gallery in high resolution too, so here are the direct links:

View the full The girls of the Motor Bike Expo 2012 - Part 3 photo gallery
View the full The girls of the Motor Bike Expo 2012 - Part 2 photo gallery
View the full The girls of the Motor Bike Expo 2012 - Part 1 photo gallery

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Among the new bikes introduced at the 2012 Motor Bike Expo in Verona there was also this ‘Sterling 2012′, produced by young Italian manufacturer “The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.” The design of the model is clearly inspired by the old school - very old - but is equipped with modern day technology that makes it suitable for today’s standards. The frame for instance is loyal to the classic design but is way stiffer, while the trapeziod fork has also been built with modern technology to improve handling.

The Sterling 2012 is powered by a 200 cc single-cylinder 4-stroke engine developing 17 hp, licensed Euro 3, but a 125 cc version is also in the works. The bike weighs only 100 kg (220 pounds), which makes it ok move in the urban traffic with ease, has a 10 litres capacity fuel tank and is as thirsty as a moped. All models will be hand-built and can be customized in accord to the customer’s taste thanks to a large catalogue of optionals that also include a saddle for the passenger, dedicated bags and special color schemes for the tank.

The final version of the Sterling should become available in Europe this coming April with a starting price of 9,900 €, with the manufacturer aiming at a 40-unit production for the first year and twice as much in 2013, when the Sterling 2012 will go global. The first not-Italian market to receive the Sterling will be the UK, where the first 2 models will be shipped to “The Black Douglas” local dealer in the summer. Moreover, an all-electric version of the model will probably surface as well next year. To find out more about this manufacturer, check out its official website.

View the full The Black Douglas Sterling 2012 photo gallery

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In the wake of the success of the the first part, here is the second instalment of our massive photo gallery dedicated to some of the nicest hostesses at the 2012 Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy. We say ’some’ of the nicest ladies because we kind of saved the best for last, so sit back and enjoy these shots for now, but don’t forget to check out this space for the third and final chapter.

View the full The girls of the Motor Bike Expo 2012 - Part 2 photo gallery

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Italian manufacturer Headbanger Motorcycles did not miss out on the opportunity provided by the 2012 Motor Bike Expo to show off its most recent creations, and once again they surely did not disappoint the audience. The model that probably got the most attention at HB’s massive booth is the Special LowRide (pictured), which has been designed with and named after a popular Italian custom bike magazine. The bike has been unveiled with a proper ceremony during the opening day of the event in Verona, and is based on a standard Headbanger Gipsy Soul - equipped with a 1,530 cc (93 cubic inches) Shovel S&S engine - whose aesthetics have been created by renowned designer Oberdan Bezzi with input coming from both Headbanger and the mag’s staff. The outcome of this collaboration is a magnificent custom bike with a design inspired by the racers of the 70s, which comes with some premium parts such as magnesium wheels by Marvic, brake system by Discacciati and an ‘homemade’ cast aluminum frame courtesy of Metal Bike Garage. To top it off, the paint job was performed by specialist Kaos Design, which adopted certain specific procedures in order to emphasize its ’70s racer’ looks.

Another pretty interesting ‘newcomer’ at the Headbanger Motorcycles’s stand in Verona is a special version of the High Flyin‘ turned into a sort of “cafè racer“ with the simple addition of a mudguard at the rear and new handlebars. These simple modifications change the overall line of the bike quite significantly, making it even more ‘custom’ and unique. We just cannot help but notice how fast this young manufacturer is growing, but if you want to know more Headbanger Motorcycles just check out their official website.

View the full HB al Motor Bike Expo 2012 photo gallery

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Fancy bikes aside, in any motorcycle fair worthy of this name there is one ingredient that just has to be part of the recipe: the girls. And surely the 2012 Motor Bike Expo in Verona did not want to be an exception. Here is part one of an exclusive photo gallery dedicated to the nice ladies that graced the event in Verona with their smiles and beauty, once again courtesy of our cousins from Motoblog.it. Stay tuned for part 2..

View the full The girls of the Motor Bike Expo 2012 - Part 1 photo gallery

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One of the most visited stands at the 2012 Motor Bike Expo in Verona is the one of Austrian manufacturer KTM, which showed up at the event with its three brand new models: the 690 Duke, the 350 Freeride and the ground-braking, all-electric Freeride-E. All three bikes seem to have met the taste of old and new fans alike, and it is pretty easy to predict a successful fate for all three of them. However, the orange army never disappointed its loyal custom base, which will probably grow even further thanks to its streak of victories in the Motocross World Championship.

View the full KTM Live @ Motor Bike Expo 2012 photo gallery

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For those not in the know, Breganze is a small Italian manufacturer born from the ashes of the legendary Laverda, the Italian brand of high performance motorcycles that, technically speaking, was a proper reference-point for the whole motorcycle industry in the 60s and 70s. Just like many other Italian and British brands of that period, in the mid 80s Laverda succumbed to the Japanese competition, with the legal property of the brand then floating from hand to hand but not going much further than the occasional prototype. In Laverda’s case, in 2000 the brand was eventually bought by Aprilia - which put out a stunning Laverda-badged RSV1000-based prototype called SFC at the 2003 Milan EICMA motorcycle show - but ended up being absorbed by Piaggio when they took control of Aprilia in 2004. Still to this day, the name Laverda is owned by the Piaggio Group, which has never made a mystery of its willingness to sell off all of its rights. Breganze is the name of the little Italian town where Laverda had its headquarters back in the day, and it is also the name chosen for itself by this diminutive manufacturer based in Marostica, less than 10km away from Breganze.

Clearly determined to revive Laverda’s legacy in the business but probably short of cash to make Piaggio a proper offer, passion-driven Breganze Motorcycles introduces at the 2012 Motor Bike Show - currently ongoing in Verona, Italy - the final version of its first production bike, the SF750, which was presented at the same event in Verona last year in a prototype-form. Aesthetically, the model shows many references to the old Laverda SF750 of the 70s, like the number plates on the tail and the long fuel tank. Power comes from a 747 cc straight-two engine with 8 valves, electronic injection and water-cooled, delivering 85 hp at 8,300 rpm and 75 Nm of peak torque at 7,200 rpm. The model comes with a 6-speed transmission, aluminum-trellis frame and boasts a dry weight of 170 kg. Other remarkable features include upside-down Ohlins 43 mm forks, Ohlins dual adjustable rear shock absorber, Brembo brakes and a pair of 17″ old-school spoked wheels by Kineo.

We will talk again about this fascinating new bike soon, but for now you can enjoy this exclusive photo gallery taken live at the 2012 Motor Bike Expo in Verona by our friends from parent site Motoblog.it. For more info on the subject, check Breganze Motociclette Italiane’s official website.

View the full Breganze SF750 live @ Motor Bike Expo 2012 photo gallery

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During the 5th edition of the ‘UK–ITALY Business Awards’ - that took place yesterday in Milan - the British Government and the UK Trade Investment (UKTI) have given Ducati the prestigious ‘Brand Recognition Award’, a further acknowledgement of Ducati’s status as one of the most successful Italian brands in the world.

The ceremony took place at the Palazzo di Mezzanotte, home of Italy’s main stock exchange, where HM Consul General and Director General for Trade & Investment, Mr. Vic Annels, handed the prize in the hands of Ducati Motor Holding’s President, Mr. Gabriele Del Torchio (pictured right and left respectively). Curiously enough, the award comes in the same week that saw Ducati UK announcing that in 2011 they had their best sales result since 2003, thereby marking a significant growth of the brand within the British market.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Del Torchio stated: “I am very proud to receive this award on behalf of everyone at Ducati, a prize that recognizes the value of a brand as loved and respected in the United Kingdom as in the rest of world. Ducati is achieving important and significant results in this country, in terms of both sales and image, and this is a reward to our products and to our strategic management.” Mr.Vic Annels also commented: “We are happy to award Ducati with the Brand Recognition Award and we are honoured that such an outstanding and innovative brand has decided to increase its investments in the United Kingdom. Ducati boasts a long and successful racing history in our country, and we are pleased to see that this fact is mirrored by its commercial policy.”

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