Aprilia Tuono 660 Concept
Aprilia has a solid reputation for making incredible sportbikes. New this year, the Italian firm has entered the middleweight ring with the introduction of the new RS 660, derived from the RSV4 and armed with a 660 parallel-twin.
The RS was presented as a concept at EICMA 2018 and joined the lineup a year later. This year, Aprilia introduced the Tuono 660 Concept that looks just about ready to hit the showrooms. Our guess is it won’t remain a concept for very long, especially with the rumored Tuareg 660 also coming.
BMW R 18/2 Concept
So apparently BMW isn’t done milking its biggest Boxer engine yet. While we’re still waiting on the formal introduction of the new R 18 cruiser, BMW took advantage of the Milan stage to show yet another concept, aptly dubbed “R 18/2”.
This time, the design seemingly uses the same tubular frame as the R 18, with the addition of a cowl. We suspect this will be a second trim level for the model (considering it looks almost identical to the first concept and uses the same engine). With the American cruisers in its line of sight, BMW looks ready to challenge them on their turf.
Ducati Scrambler Desert X
Ducati announced it would bring two concepts at EICMA during its lineup announcement event. Two weeks later, the promise concepts showed up in Milan and they make us want to see more variations of the Scrambler—which there are so many of already.
The Scrambler Desert X in particular is a gorgeous sight. It breaks away from Ducati’s traditional dramatic flare and banks instead on versatility and ruggedness, the kind of things we like to see in adventure bikes. The Scrambler has two great powertrains, the 800 and 1100. The Desert X concept is based on the latter—an interesting choice as it would position the X closer to the Multistrada. The 800, on the other hand, would hit the mid-range sweet spot and could become a serious competitor in the segment. Whether it’s an 800 or a 1100, we just hope the Desert X makes it to production.
Husqvarna 901 Norden Concept
Husqvarna is slowly warming up to street bikes. The manufacturer that specializes mainly in off-road and dirt bikes has entered the naked road bike arena with the introduction of the Svartpilen and Vitpilen, offered in 401 and 701 variants.
Then a few weeks ago, two Huskies running on what looked like a new 901 engine were spotted out in the wild. Our suspicions that the company has a new, bigger mill in the works were confirmed when Husqvarna unveiled the 901 Norden Concept at EICMA 2019. Should it become an official part of the lineup, the Norden would become Husqvarna’s first adventure bike and we think that’s a good thing.
Kymco RevoNEX Concept
Electric motorcycles are pretty amazing. Not only do they offer pretty exciting performance thanks to the nature of their powertrain but they also allow designers to get more creative with the silhouettes since there’s no need for such features as exhaust pipes and gas tanks. One thing we’re sad to see g, however, is the transmission. Most riders will agree that there’s a satisfaction that comes from changing gears and having that level of control over the engine’s revolutions. Electric motors don’t need that.
For Kymco, however, not needing a transmission doesn’t mean the concept should be tossed altogether. The company introduced an electric motorcycle concept dubbed RevoNEX that uses gears. While there are still numerous roadblocks keeping electric bikes from gaining as much popularity as their petrol counterparts, leaving the riders the pleasure of changing gears is a step in the right direction.
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