Naked Bikes

$2400 bolt-on turbo kit turns your Hornet 900/ Honda 919 into a sleeper from hell

June 3rd, 2009

Of all the bikes I’ve owned, the Hornet 900, or Honda 919 as they’re known stateside, stands out as the best all-rounder, a do-everything workhorse that was great for stunting, scratching, touring, commuting and most other things I threw at it, including the odd BMX track. After a while though, the bike’s huge usability had me finding full throttle quite a bit and wondering what it might feel like with a bit more power.

The engine, after all, is a detuned 919cc Fireblade donk with a good 30 horsepower missing from the original due to smaller throttle bodies, smaller valves, cooler cams and lower compression. Many road-testers have complained that it’s a few horsepower off being the hilarious bike it should be.

And while 100-odd horsepower might be an excellent amount for many riders, it’s incredibly exciting and tempting to discover that there’s an effectively bolt-on kit that can boost that figure to somewhere around 140 horses, while putting out more power and torque than a CBR1000RR all the way to the 9.5k redline. For only US$2400. (more…)

Ducati 1098 Streetfighter and Streetfighter S: official pics and specifications

November 4th, 2008

The Ducati Streetfighter (yep, that’s its name) has officially dropped, and I’m glad to say it looks a whole lot sweeter and nastier than the pre-launch photoshop fakes we ran last week. The full banana water-cooled 1098 engine in a trellis-framed naked chassis. Chain drive, single sided swingarm, dry clutch. Brembo radial monoblocs, 155 horsepower, 167 kilos. Fully adjustable suspension either end with Ohlins for S model buyers. (more…)

BMW goes fully naked with 2009 F800R

November 4th, 2008

BMW’s F800S and ST have been around for a couple of years now, and the combination of the 87 horsepower, midsize parallel twin and its compact, flickable chassis have won many fans worldwide. Britain’s BIKE magazine even referred to it as “the new VFR” - high praise indeed. And since super-stunter Chris Pfeiffer rode a stripped F800 to the 2007 and 2008 Streetbike Freestyle World Championships, many of us have been wondering how long it would take for BMW to get a production naked happening.

That question was answered today at EICMA in Milan; 2009 will see the debut of the F800R naked, based on the F800S but with the fairings removed, F800GS-style headlights up front, and the back end’s single-sided swingarm and belt drive replaced with a double-sided swinger and chain. (more…)

Pre-launch photos of Ducati’s 1098 Naked

November 1st, 2008

New photos obtained by Visordown appear to scoop Ducati’s 1098-engined streetfighter before the rumoured official launch on November 3.  Semi-faired and featuring a tail similar to the 1098 and 848 sportsbikes, the new naked appears to be highly performance-focused, leaving the Monster 1100 and 1100S to compete in the comfy all-rounder segment while giving Ducati something to throw at the performance naked market where Aprilia’s Tuono has reigned supreme for several years. (more…)

BMW’s fastest, most powerful bikes ever: 175hp K1300S, K1300R naked and K1300GT tourer

October 9th, 2008

BMW have upgraded their outrageously overpowered K1200S, R and GT models with an extra 136cc for 2009. The bored-and stroked-out K1300S and K1300R now shunt out an extra 8 horsepower and 10 ft-lbs at a claimed 175hp, and 103 ft-lbs of torque. But the real news is on the left hand switchblock… Look closely… That’s right! A NORMAL, SINGLE INDICATOR SWITCH instead of those wacky Bavarian 3-switch jobbies that have confused japanese bike riders for decades!

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Ducati Monsters get 1100cc engine for 2009

September 25th, 2008

Ducati has released a big brother to the Monster 696 - the Monster 1100 and 1100s will both be available in 2009. The original naked performance bike has received a nice styling upgrade and a sweet single-sided swingarm, as well as the 1100cc, 95 horsepower motor found in the laugh-a-minute Hypermotard. (more…)

650cc Suzuki Gladius unveiled in Paris

September 25th, 2008

Alongside the new GSX-R1000, Suzuki have launched an all-new, funky 650cc v-twin naked called the Gladius for 2009. The neat looks seem to forge an alliance between the 4-cylinder GSR and the MV Agusta Brutale, with the odd radiator shrouds of the Kawasaki ER-6N and the steel trellis frame of a 696 Monster.

Details are scant at this point, but engine performance is said to have been “enhanced” and the style is certainly fresher than the angular SV650 of recent years. It looks like a comfortable, friendly and fun nakedbike - and it asks the question: how does Suzuki plan to differentiate this bike from the perennially popular SV650 - or is the SV’s life cycle coming to a close?

Pricing, specs and availability are TBA, but here’s the Suzuki Gladius launch site for the UK. More pics after the jump. (more…)

Street Triple ‘R’ announced with Daytona-spec brakes and suspension

July 22nd, 2008

Although Triumph’s 675cc Street Triple has already laid waste to everything it’s been tested against in the middleweight naked category - and indeed, a lot of larger bikes - Triumph has announced it will be joined by an up-spec ‘R’ version for 2009 that promises a harder performance edge.

It’s a simple and logical upgrade for the Striple, incorporating the thicker, fully-adjustable USD forks and excellent rear monoshock from the donor Daytona 675, as well as the 4-piston brake calipers, radial master cylinder and larger discs that give the Daytona its stopping power. The seat’s a bit higher and the handlebars are spiffy Magura units - and those are about the only differences. The engine is left untouched.

There has been very few complaints about the brakes and suspension on the standard Striple, so you’d have to assume the main benefit of the R upgrade is the ability to fiddle with the settings - a great addition if you know what you’re doing, but also a huge invitation for novice tweakers to completely ruin the ride quality of their bikes by turning all the dials to 11 in search of fully sick race bike handling. (more…)

How to fix the snatchy throttle response on your Yamaha FZ-1

February 27th, 2008

Several FZ1 owners I’ve spoken to have complained about a nasty fuel injection snatch on the transition from a closed throttle to a slightly open one. Coming into a corner, for example, they might be leaned right over and go to get back on the gas, but they’re finding it impossible to get the throttle open without a big jerky power spike to the rear wheel. Annoying and dangerous - but fixable. (more…)

MV releases top-of-the-range Brutale 1078 and F4 312 RR

February 19th, 2008

MV has beefed up its top-of-the-range sports and naked bikes for 2008 with a new Brutale 1078 that features a detuned version of the F4 312 engine, and an RR version of the 312 that leaves us wondering exactly where the 312 was deemed lacking.

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