Bikes

BMW first took a shot at producing a sports bike in 2009, which was a huge success not only because it was an extremely capable motorcycle with state of the art gadgetry but it also looked just as good as its Japanese and Italian competitors.  Just a few short years later, we get a brand new BMW S 1000 RR superbike.

The 2012 S 1000 RR is still powered by the class-leading 193 horsepower engine that has a new throttle map for improved low-speed performance.  The bike comes with rain mode which reduces power to 163 HP in the wet; it’s equipped with an Anti-lock Braking System, and Dynamic Traction Control (DTC).  No word on price yet.

Just in time for fall, we get our first look at the all-new 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R sport bike.  The bike was introduced on September 13 at “The Ninja Time Square Takeover” event, along with the Ninja 300.

Like the previous few generations (starting in 2003), the ZX-6R is powered by a 4-cylinder 636cc engine, which has been tuned a bit and produces 129 bhp which is sent to the rear wheel via a 6-speed transmission with a slipper clutch.  The chassis is the same as the 2012 model however the bodywork has been reworked and looks similar to the ZX-10R which is not a bad thing.

Steve McQueen was a fan of going fast on four wheels as well as on two wheels. He loved Triumph motorcycles and rode one in the famous 1963 movie The Great Escape that was made to look like a German military BMW.  Now Triumph is releasing a tribute Steve McQueen edition bike to look like the one from the iconic movie.

The Triumph Steve McQueen Edition motorcycle will be based on a Bonneville T100 and will be limited to 1,100 units.  The bike will feature a military green matte paintjob and stenciled Triumph logos on the fuel tank.  The bike will come with a single seat and include Steve McQueen’s signature below the seat.