They say: “To the end of the world.”
We say: “And the ends of the earth!”

They say: “The next-generation 450cc motocrosser.”
We say: “With a supercross pedigree.”

They say: “A perfect travel companion.”

We say: “But only overseas.”

They say: “A more distinctive take on adventure.”

We say: “A 135-horse punch in the Boxer’s gut!”

They say: “American muscle never died. It just needed handlebars.”

We say: “And long arms!”

They say: “New urban mobility solutions.”

We say: “That work beyond the city.”

They say: “It’s a blockbuster.”

We say: “Believe it.”

The T-Max has led the maxi-scooter charge since its introduction in 2001, but with sporty offerings from BMW on the horizon, Yamaha is preemptively maxing-out the T-Max.

Glancing over the itinerary for the Triumph Speed Triple R press intro, I was surprised to see no mention of a street ride. Rather, we’d be riding the bike at the Circuito de Jerez, the fastest and most famous of Spanish racetracks. The 1050cc naked bike is the boss of the backroads and Andalusia is rife with worthy two-lane, so why wouldn’t Triumph unleash us in the most complimentary environment possible? The Speed Triple is a capable sportbike, but Jerez is no street course.

Few motorcycles have received such immediate acclaim at their public debut as MV Agusta's svelte, sleek and sexy F3. When it was unveiled at the 2010 EICMA show in Milan, Italy, the 675cc triple stole the title for the "Most Beautiful Bike." But does the F3's performance live up to its looks? We joined the international motorcycle press at Paul Ricard Raceway in southern France to find out.

During a season when many Arab nations were upset by political uprisings, the otherwise stable United Arab Emirates was rocked by a revolution of another kind: the release of Ducati’s 1199 Panigale S at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Every few decades a bike appears that is so bold, so original and so utterly effective that it can only be called revolutionary. Ducati’s Panigale is that bike.

As sound and exhaust emissions concerns relegate internal-combustion off-road machines to smaller swaths of land farther from residential areas, KTM is hoping its nearly silent, zero-emissions Freeride E electric enduro will allow joy rides closer to home. With performance on par with that of a 125cc two-stroke and an accessible 85cc minicrosser-sized package, the Freeride E is perfect for enjoying an after-school or Sunday-morning moto in the backyard without upsetting the neighbors.

San Diego is known for its sunny disposition, but as we learned at the press introduction for the Kawasaki Ninja 650, it’s also a city that knows how to give the cold shoulder. The forecast had mentioned high winds and the chance of rain, but somehow we ended up riding across the El Cajon Mountains amidst fluffy white stuff. It was a good thing we were on such neutral, lightweight, easy-to-ride machines.

Everyone hoped Honda would update the CBR1000RR—now a year overdue for an overhaul, according to pre-recession, two-year cycles—with traction control or some other major advancement marking the model’s 20th anniversary. Except for an LCD dash and some EFI and C-ABS upgrades, there aren’t any new electronics on the 2012 model, and Honda isn’t apologizing for it. Rather than dwelling on the lack of TC, the Honda folks opted to focus on what they did do, which is refine the CBR for even better performance and handling.

They Say:
"The 'R' equals more race-winning power."
We say:
"Almost too much power!"

Now in its 12th year of production, Suzuki’s GSX-R1000 is still the benchmark racing superbike. The top-dog Gixxer has won 37 national roadracing titles in the past decade, including seven consecutive AMA Superbike crowns from 2003-’09. More than half the AMA grid rides GSX-Rs, proving the model’s racing potential. In the streetbike hierarchy, however, Suzuki has seen its dominance slowly erode against increasingly sophisticated—and brutally fast—competition from BMW, Kawasaki, Yamaha and others. Is this year’s subtle revision enough to restore the GSX-R to the top of the superbike heap?

After a full day riding Ducati’s radical new 1199 Panigale around Abu Dhabi’s sun-drenched Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit—an Arabian version of the famous Monaco track, lined by six-star hotels and glitzy high-rises—it’s hard not to conclude the Italian manufacturer just shot every other sportbike clean out of the water. The Panigale is the new benchmark not just for twin-cylinder superbikes, but the entire superbike category. Forza Italia!

In Brazil, Sertão is the desiccated, rocky section of dirt-poor badlands just inland from the relatively lush northern coastline where most residents, animate or inanimate, project varying degrees of menace. At BMW, it's the tag distancing this latest, most adventurous G650GS from its relatively tedious, entry-level brother. Call it credibility by association. Both bikes rise from the same basic steel frame, and share the same Chinese-built 652cc four-valve single and bin of supporting hardware. But Sertao also means more suspension travel, ground clearance, engine armor and seat height, dirt-worthy wire-spoke wheels with a proper 21-inch front hoop, along with standard plastic handguards and a bigger windscreen.

When Yamaha dropped the reverse-top-end bomb on the 450cc class in 2010, the YZ450F was radical and readily embraced by professional racers. Thankfully, the all-new design has proven reliable for amateur riders, too. It runs hard and stays strong. After such a major redo, Yamaha is going with small-but-welcome changes for ’12. The changes are more extensive than in ’11, and aside from the addition of black rims and a gold chain, all are improvements the rider can feel.

If you could get an off-the-record response from professional motocross and supercross racers during the 2011 season, most would have agreed that the factory Suzuki RM-Z450 was the best bike out there. Despite being one of the smaller members of the Big Four Japanese manufacturers, the yellow team still threw down a whooping with regularity.

It's one wheel and a roof short of sports-car status. And nobody will accuse the Spyder RS-S Roadster of being a motorcycle, least of all the Can-Am factory types who gave us a go on their latest, sportiest offering. They call it a Roadster. Bring too much two-wheel baggage along for the ride and the three-wheeler is guaranteed to disappoint. Give those preconceptions the afternoon off and it might surprise you...

Husqvarna’s TC250 powerplant is stunningly compact. Some of the engine’s “I could be a 125” look comes from the amount of daylight visible around it within the new chromoly chassis. A hydro-formed aluminum perimeter frame tends to hug the engine tighter, but the TC’s steel-tube skeleton conveys a svelte, supermodel appeal.

The KTM Duke celebrates its 18th birthday in 2012, and this latest 690 feels more grown-up than earlier models. The original Duke and subsequent iterations were hard-edged and aggressive— a key selling point for some riders, but too extreme for the majority. This latest version is updated to reflect its name. It’s still quick, light and happy to wheelie, but some of the rawness has been soothed.

Baggers are hot right now. Seems cruiser riders, in their old age, have come to appreciate the convenience of saddlebags. Or maybe they've just got more baggage? Whatever the reason, Victory jumped on the bandwagon recently with its Cross Country and Cross Roads baggers, and now this here Hard-Ball, which the company calls a "naked bagger."

The Husqvarna TE250 is a dirtbike with a license plate. Husky claims a 90 percent dirt bias, which means what little pavement this bike sees should only be brief spans between trailheads.