The new Husqvarna Nuda 900 and 900R are certainly revolutionary for the brand itself, but we’d probably stick to less exaggerated terms and call them instead a pleasant evolution in the motorcycle market, revamping BMW engine technology to make new bikes. No Husqvarna Nuda 900 first rides are available yet, but we can’t wait to get on this thing and see if Husqvarna’s claims of new riding feel are true to the technical hyperbole released about the bike.

Using the BMW F 800 R’s engine, Husqvarna has bored it out and gotten a larger 898cc displacement. That and a new 315º crankshaft setup means that Husqvarna claims a “more aggressive racing feel” for its Nuda bike. On paper, we’re impressed - you get characteristic Husky design on a new supermoto-naked cross and some improved BMW engine technology to boot.

Will it all come true for Husqvarna in the ride feel and market demand? With no pricing announced, the latter is anyone’s guess, but so far it looks like the Nuda 900 and 900R could be a winning ticket as the brand expands its range. See after the jump for details from Husqvarna on the model and new pics.

Husqvarna Nuda 900 and 900R new pics

Continue reading: Husqvarna Nuda 900 and 900R new pics and details

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The 2012 Husaberg dirt bike range takes the Swedish company back to its 100 percent enduro offroad roots. In this video we see some of the new updates to the range, and we get a look at the brand new Husaberg TE 125. Last year Husaberg offered a couple of extra two-strokes to its dirt bike range, and the 125cc broadens the range further, appealing to a different and younger market.

In the video above you can see the kind of offroad alpine fun to be had on any Husaberg, but the new TE 125 shows off its agility and high-tech components. Husaberg has tried to get a mix of value-for-money on a technological bike that doesn’t require a heap of maintenance and racing this year will show whether they’ve achieved that.

Beyond the new model, the entire Husaberg range gets an updated look with new graphics where the blue and yellow Swedish combo really stands out. There is a clear fuel tank which gives a practical solution to checking fuel supply as well as clean and pure lines. Top-end components are used, including a completely adjustable rear suspension, closed cartridge forks and a specially patented electric starter. Check out the Husaberg range in action in the video.

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Here are new pics of a live test ride of the Honda Crossrunner from our guys at Motoblog.it. In an interview with Crossrunner designer Teofilo Plaza, the Honda Europe R&D reveals its design inspiration and what it set out to achieve with the new bike, and we like what we see. Halfway between a sports bike and a maxi-enduro model, you can tell that the Crossrunner is a very elegant mix of Japanese technology and European design.

Honda has played to its strengths with the Crossrunner in building a bike with wide appeal - it has been designed to inspire trustworthiness in a larger number of people, with a compact feel and lower seat height for better stability and control. Designer Plaza reveals that the Crossrunner took a large inspiration from a jet ski shape and feel, with the idea that the machine could be fun but not intimidating to use.

Despite the sports/fun aspect, Honda didn’t want to build another, overly aggressive Fireblade, but rather a sporty but elegant design, with a simple approach and frank, appealing looks. So far, sales results would seem to indicate this has been the right approach with waiting lists for the new Crossrunner getting longer. Honda has risked trying to hash together two opposing dynamics, but in actual fact the combination of trusty, sober style and a funny bike ride with a solid sporty feel has really worked. Here are new pics of the Honda Crossrunner, and we’ll be bringing you more of our Crossrunner test ride soon.

Continue reading: Honda Crossrunner new test ride pics

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After a weekend of boring racing and some more injuries (as many took the MotoGP Catalunya round to be), is the MotoGP in danger of becoming a racing series for a few top riders and an opportunity for any girl who ever dreamed of attempting to start a modelling career by holding an umbrella? Quite possibly, but we don’t think you’ll mind (for the moment) on seeing these pics of the paddock girls from Montemelo at the Barcelona MotoGP. If they become all that’s interesting to look at for a MotoGP racing weekend, then the series might have some problems. But more on that later - for the moment, enjoy the pics.

MotoGP 2011 - Barcellona - Paddock Girls

Continue reading: MotoGP Catalunya paddock girls

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We took a look at the 2011 Bike Exif calendar as a motorcycle-themed gift for Christmas, but here’s what the in-crowd will be looking at next year: the 2011 Pirelli Calendar by Karl Lagerfeld. Nothing really to do with tyres, and even less so with motorcycles, it’s reached the same kind of world fame as Playboy and this year Lagerfeld is adding a touch of the artistic from the fashion world. The gods and goddesses theme has given him plenty to work with, and although it’s not really in the style of previous Pirelli calendars, it will certainly go down as one of the more adventurous in the history of the calendar. The costuming for grid girls looks like playschool in comparison. You won’t be buying this though, strictly for Pirelli customers and anyone it considers is worthy of a copy, but if Pirelli gets is MotoGP involvement from 2012, we could see more of these turn up on the motorcycle circuit.

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After seeing the Vespa PX officially launch its new challenge in the scooter segment, it was with interest that we also saw the LML Star products at the 2010 EICMA show. LML took its Star I and Star Electric concept to the show along with other models including: the Mat Series, Star RS, Star GT, Bicolor Vintage, Star Art and Star Corsa. They are a series of four-stroke and two-stroke scooters of mostly 125 and 150cc capacity.

The new Star 4T model was also present, as was the Star two-stroke restyling. The new Star 4T comes in 125, 150 and 151cc versions; with a four-speed manual gearbox it’s famous for its tubular chassis structure which has new improvements for this year, reducing vibrations and making for a safer and more comfortable ride.

The Star 2T could be considered the main competitor to the new Vespa PX as it has a manual gearbox and either electronic or pedal kick-start. The improvements this year on the Star 2T are mostly of an aesthetic nature with closer attention to detail of the finishings and it comes in three lines: Classic, Vintage and Glamour.

LML Star 2011 range

Continue reading: LML Star scooters for 2011

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The 2010 EICMA show concludes today and here are the last live pics from the show - we couldn’t wrap-up without sharing with you the girls from EICMA. Every year it’s an opportunity to check out the latest from the biker show girls and this time we have the usual looking-pretty-on-a-bike theme to cube dancers. Enjoy with thanks to our guys from Motoblog.it.

2010 EICMA motor show girls live

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Kawasaki has been generous to the crowds at the 2010 EICMA show, bringing its full range including the much anticipated new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Other models at the show are the Kawasaki Z1000 in its semi-faired SX version, the Z750R, the W800 and the Custom Voyager VN1700. The company has been having mixed fortunes of late but there’s something still irresistable in that shade of green. See the live EICMA pics below.

Continue reading: Live Kawasaki pics from EICMA 2010

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The new Vespa PX is one hot little scooter which will bring back old-style scootering to those purists who still want to do stuff like change gears themselves. The immortal PX seen in these live pics from EICMA, will revive the classic two-stroke 125 and 150cc engines which might not sound like much to a modern luddite but this is about as romantic and nostalgic as you can get on nowadays scooters.

It’s the third time the Vespa PX will have appeared on the market and it will come with a four-speed gearbox with shift on the handle bar and will be available in Sport, Touring and ‘Via della moda’ options. The nifty thing is though, that despite it being a two-stroke, it still conforms to Euro 3 thanks to its new muffler.

For those looking for a fun scooter with all the style and status a Vespa gives, the PX is designed with you in mind. It’s lost on fancy technology to gain on traditional scootering fun. We get the feeling that anyone riding this will feel like they’re once again participating in a cool niche which harks back to 1960’s Dolce Vita style.

Continue reading: Vespa PX pics and details

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I can’t decide if the Ducati Diavel looks as chunky in the flesh as in its studio pics or less so, but here are live pics from EICMA from the Ducati stand. We’ll have to wait until the best bike verdict from the 2010 EICMA emerges before we can gauge local reaction to the Diavel but a number of contrasting words come to mind: everything from abomination, innovation, anomaly and curiosity from Ducati. The Diavel is at the show with the old favourite, the Ducati Monster (1100 EVO), the Ducati 848 EVO and the new Ducati 1198SP which was first revealed at Intermot. The Diavel steals the show but more for the novelty factor than anything else.

Continue reading: Live at EICMA: Ducati Diavel and the Ducati stand

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