One Step Closer to EICMA!
We’ve been skipping through autumn with this past week’s worth of news being no less hefty. Take a look for yourself:
- Yamaha’s finally revealed their long-anticipated R9! 😍
- Kawasaki’s Given us an insane amount of tech in their new Versys 1100 SELT ABS.
- KTM gives us a list of the electronic updates that will dress their future dashes…
- … and explains their all-new Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). 😯
- Episode 3 of Ducati’s 2025 World Première shows off a Refreshed Scrambler duo.
Let’s dive in and take a look at the proofs, shall we?
Yamaha Reveals All-New YZF-R9
Cruiser Control, Stylema Calipers, and Adjustable Rider Aids
We’ve been keeping track of this particular project since 2021, back when Yamaha trademarked a “YZF-R9” for India; since then, we’ve seen a number of additional proofs, like this further patent protection application and a quote from the Manager for Yamaha Ten Kate Racing that was grabbed just this year.
Suffice it to say that Yammie’s replacement for the long-beloved R6 has officially stepped into the spotlight, and we’ve got a bunch of stuff to ogle.
According to Yamaha’s website, the all-new YZF-R9 carries a rev-happy 890cc CP3 platform housed inside a Deltabox gravity-cast frame, touted by Yamaha to be “the lightest aluminum frame ever offered on a Yamaha Supersport.”
The results weigh in at a wet 430lbs with 68 lb-ft of torque afforded @ 7000rpm; shiny goodies complement the yank – perks like a fully adjustable KYB® suspension system and Brembo® Stylema monoblock front brake calipers mated to some chunky 320mm dual front discs (with a Brembo® radial master cylinder at the rear).
Yamaha even thought to include a swanky suite of electronic aids that work through an IMU based on the brand’s big-bore liter bike, the R1. Here’s a list of the electronic perks – all adjustable – that riders will get with Yamaha’s new 2025 YZF-R9:
- A nine-mode Traction Control System (TCS)
- A three-mode Slide Control System (SCS)
- A three-mode Lift Control System (LIF)
- A Brake Control System (BC)
The bike rounds up with angled LED lighting, circuit-inspired winglets, and three colors:
- Team Yamaha Blue
- Matte Raven Black
- Intensity White/Redline
Pricing is rated at a nice MSRP of $12,499, putting this bike slightly higher than Suzuki’s 2024 GSX-S1000 and Kawasaki’s ZX-6R KRT Edition, though not quite as much as Kawasaki’s 2024 Z1000.
What do you think of the new Yamaha R9?
Kawasaki and the Versys 1100 SELT ABS
Inline Four Fans Unite!
Kawasaki’s shoved a new, punchy inline-four heart into their Versys, and we’re 100% here for the brappy chaos. 🙂
According to AutoEvolution, This new Versys 1100 uses a leaner twin-tube aluminum chassis that uses the 1099cc engine as a stressed member. The platform includes a 16-valve head and assist/slipper clutch, making for an easier ride.
The suspension comes in the form of a 43mm inverted Showa fork and a horizontal back-link Showa BFRC Lite gas-charged shock with a piggyback reservoir, both being attached to a “Kawasaki Electronic Control Suspension (KECS)” system.
All stoppage is performed courtesy of twin 310mm petal discs with radial-mount 4-piston monobloc calipers at the front and a larger single 260mm petal disc with single-piston caliper at the rear; to this, Team Green’s added their Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System (KIBS).
As for rider aids, we’ve got quite the list:
- Economical Riding Indicator
- Electronic Cruise Control
- Kawasaki TRaction Control (KTRC)
- Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
- Full and Low Power Modes
- Kawasaki Cornering Management Function (KCMF)
- Kawasaki Quick Shifter (KQS)
- IMU-Enhanced Chassis Orientation Awareness
Add a USB-C port, hand guards, heated grips, full LED lighting, and KQR™ 28-liter hard saddlebags, and the 2025 Versys 1100 SELT ABS is quite the sport-tourer.
What do you think of Kawasaki’s new Versys?
KTM Ramps Up Their Dash Game
“Taking HMI (Human-Machine Interface) to an Entirely New Level”
Team Orange has been punting out a ton of promises in anticipation of their return to EICMA; today, we’re moving from those initial five mystery bikes sleeping underneath Orange covers to the technology KTM’s paid a pretty penny to integrate into their rev-happy hooners.
According to the recent press release, KTM has released touchscreen dashboards with vastly updated performance + visual specs; the V80 (vertical 8” dash) & H88 (horizontal 8.8” dash) feature the following perks:
- 1280 x 720 resolution
- Anti-Reflex, Anti-Fingerprint, and Anti-Glare screen coatings
- 256,000 Colors
- shortcut buttons for heated grips, saddle and fog lights
- configurable split-screen functionality with 5 available layout options
- pre-set screen options
- Backlit buttons
- Ride Mode button
- A new 5-way joystick and back button
- New cruise control buttons
- New A/M (automatic/manual) button for AMT models
- A light and ignition switch
- New paddle buttons that are customizable for models that are not fitted with AMT
- An upgraded CCU3.0 connectivity unit with 32 GB of storage and 3 GB of RAM
- IoT connectivity with eSim, a GPS Antenna, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi
Navigation now comes in an Offline mode, too.
Of course, KTM is in full knowledge of how updated technology can provide a more accessible experience for their riders:
– KTM press release, October 10th, 2024. |
Are you excited to see what KTM brings to EICMA?
Automation, Baby! A look at KTM’s New Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)
“Blurring the Line Between Sport and Comfort”
Two days ago, KTM’s AMT transmission had its very own press release submitted to the masses. The move gave us a closer look at how KTM’s very first semi-automatic (Automatic Manual) transmission will work.
According to the press release, the transmission has been created to fit KTM’s READY TO RACE moniker; this means that riders will be able to maneuver between a more automated experience and a more traditional, shift-happy vibe.
Here’s how KTM describes the workings of the AMT mid-scoot:
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To clarify the above, KTM’s AMT features the following gear sequence:
P – N – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6
The first two positions can only be initiated with the handlebar’s shifting paddle, while all the rest of the gears are accessible in Manual Mode via either the handlebar or the left foot shifter.
Perks with KTM’s AMT are highlighted by the fact that it will be impossible to stall this thing, starting on a slope will be a breeze, and and the electromechanical shift actuator will shift the bike in 50 milliseconds (comparable to a traditional quick-shifter).
We’re told that all Shift Modes work in tandem with the package’s Ride Modes… and that the whole caboodle will be available on “selected upcoming KTM models, with more options being added to the range in the coming years.” 👀
Would you try out a KTM bike with the new Automatic Manual Transmission?
2025 World Premiere, Episode 3: “Wear Black Anytime” with the Scrambler Icon Dark and Full Throttle
No Desert Sled…Yet 😉
Ducati’s 2025 Ducati World Première just presented Episode 3, complete with a gander at a new pair of Scramblers: The Icon Dark and Full Throttle.
Let’s take a look at each machine to see what we’re getting, shall we?
2025 Scrambler Icon Dark
Blacked out and refreshed for MY2025, Ducati’s most affordable scrambler model shows off updates like a new style package – complete with side panels and a “sporty” tail fairing – as well as an updated wheel size.
We’ve also been given perks from 2023 like a lighter frame, a new swingarm, and Ducati’s Ride-By-Wire Throttle technology. The two Ride Modes – Road and Sport – and full connectivity via any Ducati Performance device to the Ducati LinkApp
Other features include the following:
- 4.3” TFT display
- X-Shaped DRL
- Full LED lighting system including DRL, low beam, high beam, brake light, and turn indicators
Expect to see this variant hit Ducati dealerships by March of next year at an MSRP starting at $9,995 (USD).
2025 Scrambler Full Throttle
More power, baby!
New for 2025, Ducati’s new Full Throttle shows off a sporty scrambler complete with flatter, low-variable cross-section handlebars, a quick-shifting transmission, bronze wheels and a Termignoni pipe.
This variant also features Ducati’s Ride-By-Wire Throttle technology, with additional perks including more obligatory stuff like ABS Cornering and full LED lighting with DRL.
Expect to see this variant hit Ducati dealerships by March of next year at an MSRP starting at $12,395 (USD).
Are you excited to try out Ducati’s new Scrambler duo?