Well the "skipped model year" is not looking so good at this point. I find it hard to believe that Kawi would completely walk away from this segment so I'm patient.
All I see is one cool retro bike and a bunch of other street bikes that all kinda look from the same mold.
Don't really see the RX4 and 500X as competition? Maybe if Honda added a R version with spoke wheels shoppers might cross shop. To me a RX4 buyer wants that spoke wheel & USD suspension to go ride/tour on BDRs/forest/Jeep roads etc. They are buying a torquey 450 thumper for dirt use. A 500x buyer is buying to explore back paved roads and some gravel running if they add a plate and different tires. They are buying a 500 twin for street use.
Well, if no one fills the void the KLR left, maybe Kawi is happy with the 2020 X 300? __ I'm patient too.
I'm surprised you would post this. All they have to do is add spoke wheels. There is nothing great about the RX4's suspension stock. Maybe that is what I'm missing. Perhaps the RX4 could pull away from the stock CBX in the dirt. Sure, the RX4 has more low end grunt than the CBX, but odds are the Honda is going to have about the same COG and be about the same mass, and the Honda would be right there with the 450 on the dirt and have 10 more horses on the highway. Hell, the Versy X 300 might be able to keep up with the RX4 in the dirt and she is all hp and no torque. The price is fairly close too with the Honda. $6,699. Tyres are not stock. The extra $1,300 gives you longer service intervals, HOnda parts, and mechanics on the North American continent. That closes the gap. Destination is $380. I see the RX4 has a mini S10 or RGS. Same goes for the stock CBX with some spoke wheels, that's all. Both of these bikes will spend 80% + of their time on the tarmac. Rally Raid stage 3 is a different animal. I'm curious to what our Asylum expert on the CBX thinks. Granted, she may have not ever sat on the RX4. @JMo (& piglet)
Anchor Steam Dry Hopped? The score is 1:1 but don't think about zeroing it out we will have give justice to both.
Well, Honda just showed the brand new 500 and 300 Rebel. At least 8 hours ago it looks like that did. I just put in eicma and click on news with google. So, it's not over until the fat lady sings. __ Still holding out for a 21/17 KTM 390.
5 Concept Motorcycles From EICMA 2019 We Want To See In Production by Jehan Adil Darukhanawala Nov 7, 2019 Views : 98 We are confident that perhaps four of these will become a reality in the near future
EICMA 2019: DUCATI SHOWCASES OFF-ROAD CENTRIC DESERT X AND SUPERMOTO SCRAMBLER CONCEPTS Aditya Chatterjee |Updated: November 07, 2019, 08:08 PM IST Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati has brought two different off-road centric concepts, the Desert X and the Supermoto at the ongoing EICMA 2019 show in Milan, Italy. These two offerings were a part of the exhaustive Scrambler update that was showcased at the motor show. When do we see these concepts turn into production ready motorcycles? Not anytime soon, unless Ducati proves us wrong and releases test mules of the same sometime next year. For now, here's what we know of the two concepts. The Ducati Desert X is essentially the company's interpretation of a Dakar bike that can be ridden on any kind of terrain. Basically the BMW GS and the Honda Africa Twin territory, where the brand has not any presence so far, except for the Ducati Desert Sled. The Desert X uses the Scrambler 1100 as the base motorcycle and gets its styling from the Dakar Rally bikes of yesteryears that can be seen with the retro styled half fairing, LED lights and also an engine cover along with a compact windscreen. It also gets additional fuel tanks for longer mileage, rally styled upswept exhaust, knuckle guards and a single-seat set-up. The Desert X comes with 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels. The technical specifications of the Ducati Desert X is yet to be unveiled, however, it is already known that 85.6PS/88Nm making Ducati's Desmodromic 1,079cc L-Twin motor will be powering this one, that will be EuroV compliant.
It might as well be. If kwak had that card up sleeve they would have played it by now. I suppose we did get the replacement from team orange (disclaimer: my boss is a pumpkin)
@Grreatdog Looks Like I found a rats nest of bikes close to my hometown. I think you were on to something a couple of pages ago. https://www.cycletrader.com/New-Klr...ndition=N&zip=24211&radius=150&modelkeyword=1 __ So this means Kawi could wait until Feb to unleash the new KLR. Or wait until the summer to bring out the 2021 model. __ This does seem like the used market has just become too flooded with 1987-2018 models. Why buy brand new?
Well, I'm going to take a break from posting for a spell. I'll be back around May or so. Unless Kawi surprises us with a new KLR in February or so. 50% odds. Have a good'n.
Stopped by the local Kawi dealer this morning to pick up a front tube for the KLR. The Kawasaki rep just happened to be there and told me as well as the dealer that a new KLR is in the works and that they (the reps) have just been given the nod to acknowledge it. His words "hoping for an October 2020 release". No other details than that. As of now that info is about an hour old so take it as you will.
Wonder if that's Rep talk for you'll see it in 2021? I wonder if they will have a new engine or just retool it for emissions compliance and FI? Or maybe something a little different like a modern version of a KLE500?
Nothing new ever seems to be released on time so yeah that could be rep talk. He did say this though, the KLR was the dirtiest product in Kawasaki's (motorcycle) line up. Also that the tooling had reached its capacity, whatever that means. That seems to suggest that it will be a new engine. He did point out that the prior KLX 250s met the same fate as the KLR in terms of emissions and that was the reason that is was discontinued for a couple of years. The rep and the dealer both mentioned how good Kawasaki is about keeping things quite. So for the rep to tell a customer(me) and the dealer that something is coming seems to be legitimate. Stay tuned, I guess time will tell!
