Though it may be somewhat of a new bike, even the manic 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M superbikes will need to undergo a recall at some point. In this recent case, Yamaha has issued a recall for both its new flagship superbike models to fix a small yet potentially dangerous issue.
According to trusted sources, Yamaha’s recall for both the new R1 and R1M sees it addressing a potentially faulty oil delivery pipe O-ring. Additionally, Yamaha had this to say on its official website:
‘It is possible for an oil leak to occur, from the O-Ring on the Oil Delivery Pipe where it enters the engine case, because of improper assembly of the components. If a leak occurs, oil could leak onto the exhaust and in extreme circumstances the oil could catch fire.’
Though the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M aren’t offered here in Malaysia officially, we at BikesRepublic.com are aware of its presence via grey importers. Should you own one, we highly recommend you to have this issue looked at by a specialist garage as soon as possible.
Also worth noting here is that this is not the 2015 YZF-R1 model’s first recall. This new potential fire hazard comes after a recent recall for the R1’s faulty transmission components. The latter problem had forced the Japanese bike maker to issue a ‘stop sale’ order to its American dealers pending the fault’s rectification.
Rumour has surfaced indicating that Honda are working on two new superbike models bound for release in 2017. Credible sources are indicating that the two new models will likely come in the forms of a heavily updated CBR1000RR Fireblade, followed by an all-new RVF1000 model with a V4 engine configuration.
The twelfth generation Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade as we know last underwent an update in 2014 where it received a slight increase in power with mildly revised rider ergonomics, plus the addition of a racier ‘SP’ variant as well.
Sources report that if it is green-lit, the next CBR1000RR will be based on the current bike, but will sport a revised exterior with high chance of a revised new electronics package to stack up against its rivals. Furthermore, the rumour also indicated that the updated CBR1000RR will remain rather road-focused instead of being a machine for track use.
As for the RVF1000 model, the rumour did suggest that Honda would develop it as a proper track machine. If green-lit, the V4-powered new RVF1000 will see Honda likely targeting the likes of the new Yamaha YZF-R1, Aprilia RSV4 RF and the Ducati Panigale R.
However, Honda will likely take some time in figuring out the right specification and pricing for the new RVF1000 as how it was for the controversial RC213V-S road-legal GP bike. Based on recent leaked patent and design files, the new RVF1000 V4 will likely resemble closely to the aforementioned road-going GP bike besides sharing a similar V4 powerplant.
Honda would likely build the RVF1000 using cost-effective parts from the RC213V-S like its cast-aluminium frame whilst also retaining much of street-legal GP bike’s basic elements and design solutions. However, this rumour sounds somewhat slightly far-fetched as compared to the updated CBR1000RR rumour. Honda remains coy about this particular V4 project, so it is a case of waiting and seeing if this materialises.
After making its highly anticipated debut during EICMA 2015 last month, the new sixth generation Suzuki GSX-R 1000 superbike looks set to become a force to be reckon with. (more…)
Alright, should the controversial Yamaha MT-10 not suit your tastes, then look no further past this, the Yamaha XSR900.
Previewed as the Yamaha MT-09 Faster Wasp concept just weeks earlier, the new XSR900 not only sees Yamaha expanding the MT-09 naked’s range, it also now joins in the ranks of Yamaha’s “Sport Heritage” line as well.
Sitting above the MT-07-based XSR700 model, the Yamaha XSR900 revealed at EICMA 2015 features the brand’s iconic yellow-black speedblock paint scheme, with much of the Roland Sands Design (RSD) concept’s lines being retained as well.
Underneath, all remains business as usual as it retains the MT-09 base bike’s chassis architecture and 847cc triple-cylinder powertrain. However, like the updated 2016 Yamaha MT-09, it gains with a newly added traction control feature and offers three selectable riding modes as well.
There’s also an assist and slipper clutch feature as well lifted from the updated 2016 MT-09. Other notable features include a pair of 41mm inverted front forks, an adjustable shock, as well as radially mounted brake calipers with ABS.
Yamaha also stated that a wide array of accessories will be made available for customers when the bike’s sales commence in March next year.
Check out more photos of the new Yamaha XSR900 in the extensive gallery we’ve prepared below.
Having already set a milestone with its all-new 2015 YZF-R1, Japanese powerhouse Yamaha have opted surprise everyone by debuting the superbike’s naked offshoot during EICMA 2015.
Meet the all-new Yamaha MT-10 super-naked. Essentially, this is the budget-friendly Yamaha R1S superbike as we know it reborn as a streetfighter.
As far as its design goes, the work is rather controversial to say the least with Yamaha fans being divided over it. Nevertheless, we can’t argue at the fact that it looks rather sharp and quite futuristic, more akin to some of Yamaha’s radical concepts instead of a full-blown production bike.
More importantly, the MT-10’s arrival signals Yamaha entry into the competitive super-naked segment, and sees the brand completing its range of offerings to cover a wide spectrum of buyers. Yamaha has been absent in the high performance naked bike segment since perhaps the Fazer 1000 model.
Being based on the venerable R1 superbike, the MT-10 shares the same 998cc CP4 crossplane in-line four-cylinder from its fully-faired sibling, albeit detuned ‘slightly’ with just 165hp and roughly 101.6Nm of torque. Complementing the powertrain are features such as a three-level traction control feature, a slipper clutch, as well as a cruise control function.
The chassis is also derived from the R1S, with the MT-10 also retaining the same suspension set and swingarm assembly. And, minus the Bosch IMU, much of the R1S’s electronics package is also retained here in the MT-10. Other notable highlights include a full LCD dash, 320mm twin floating front discs with quad-piston radial calipers combined with a single 220mm rear disc with a sliding calipers, as well as ABS.
Clearly, Yamaha has got the BMW S1000R naked in its target crosshairs, explaining the standard equipped cruise control. This being based on the budget R1S, we can also expect this MT-10 to carry a lower pricing from the flagship R1 as well. There is no doubt though that the MT-10 now sits at the top of the brand’s MT naked model range.
After being absent from the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, the long wait is finally over after the covers were pulled off an all-new Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike.
Its been a full 11 years since Suzuki fully updated the model, and this new GSX-R1000, which bears the ‘L7’ chassis code, arrives sporting plenty of new hardware and an all-new look as well.
Suzuki claims this new sixth generation GSX-R1000 is the lightest, most powerful and best handling GSX-R ever built, and we have very little reason to doubt that claim. This 6th generation GSX-R1000, or better known as the ‘Gixxer’ thousand amongst fans, is also the most highly equipped version of the superbike ever built.
As far as looks go, the sixth-gen Gixxer thousand now boasts a brand new face and yet, the bike’s lines remains rather distinctively unmistakable as a Gixxer. There’s new LED lighting all round that is complimented with a new LED dash display as well, giving this new L7 Gixxer a very high-tech touch. Of course, what counts for the most is what’s beneath the pretty new metal and this sixth-gen Gixxer has got plenty to boast.
For starters, it gains with a new and improved 999cc in-line four-cylinder engine primed with variable valve timing (VVT). The S-brand’s new litre-sized screamer offers 200hp and about 111Nm of peak torque. Highlights here include Suzuki Racing Finger valve train follower rocker arm to improve valve control and allow higher rpm, while the Suzuki Exhaust Tuning-Alpha (SET-A) and Suzuki Top Feed Injector (S-TFI) systems, which all combine to make what Suzuki call their Broad Power System. Crucially though, much of these were developed off the S-brand’s GSX-RR MotoGP bike.
The mill is encased within an all-new chassis design made using lightweight aluminium, but the icing on its cake has to be the Showa Balance Free Front Forks (BFFF) that was first seen in the rivalling 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. The Gixxer takes things up a notch though by pairing that with Showa’s Balance Free Rear Cushion at the back, and if our trained eyes are correct, you even get of twin Brembo anchors up front as well.
Like the rivalling Yamaha YZF-R1 and Kawasaki ZX-10R, the new Gixxer thousand also arrives with a full array of new electronics and advanced rider aids. Things start off with a quick-shifter and auto-blipper, followed by a 10-level traction control system, launch control, as well as three different riding modes thanks to ride-by-wire, not forgetting the all-important advanced ABS suite too.
The new sixth-generation Suzuki GSX-R1000 is expected to hit markets starting early next year but prices are still undisclosed for now. Nevertheless, this is one superbike we know will stack well against its other Japanese- and European-made litre-classed rivals indeed.
Following yesterday’s report of the Honda CRF250 Rally concept heading to production, Honda has officially teased three updated models that it will introduce for the 2016 model year. Revised for the coming year are the CB500F and NC750S naked bikes plus a revised Integra scooter, with all of which reported destined to debut during EICMA 2015 later this month.
Though the teaser images do not reveal much, Honda did release a few details surrounding each. Here’s what you can expect from the refreshed threesome that’s coming in 2016. More is expected as soon as all three debut in Milan later this month.
2016 Honda CB500F
This should come to no surprise after the firm recently released updated 2016 editions of the CB500X and CBR500R. With the F naked, the entire CB500 family refresher is complete for 2015.
Like its X adventure sport and sport-bodied R siblings, the CB500F naked will receive mild cosmetic enhancements. The most prominent of which will be the presence of LED lighting front and aft.
New on board is an adjustable brake lever, as well as a redesigned ‘lightweight’ exhaust silencer, along with a range of six new vibrant colour schemes. Completing the update are the adoption of new pre-load adjustable front forks and a new fuel tank enlarged by 1-litre to 16.7 litres.
2016 Honda NC750S
After its faired-body NC750X adventure sport sibling, the naked Honda NC750S is set to receive similar updates seen in the X. Leading the list of updated features is a new LCD instrument panel with personalised colour options, as well as the adoption of a newly redesigned and shortened pentagon-shaped exhaust that promises a deeper engine note too.
Variants of the NC750S equipped with Honda’s Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) will offer riders with three sporty levels in ‘S’ mode, each devised to suit different riding styles and scenarios. Also, Honda stated that the NC750S’ parallel-twin heart will now meet strict Euro 4 emissions standards.
Completing the update is a mildly revised exterior design accompanied by LED lighting, plus two new special edition two-tone paint schemes as well. The revised NC750S variant completes the NC750 model series’ 2016 revision after the 2016 NC750X revelation not too long ago.
2016 Honda Integra
Last but not least comes the NC750 series’ maxi-scooter offshoot, the Integra. Like its naked and adventure sport sibling, the maxi also gains with a new LCD instrument panel offering personalised colour options. Aesthetic enhancements remains mild but it will include modern LED lighting front and rear.
Besides the promise of an updated and Euro 4 compliant 745cc parallel-twin engine, variants equipped with DCT will offer three sporty levels in ‘S’ mode yet again to suit different riding styles and scenario.
Though the chassis design is retained, Honda did state that the 2016 Integra will gain further with a new set of Showa fork with ‘dual bending valves’.
Japanese motorcycle powerhouse Honda is set to expand the CRF250 dirt bike model range very soon following reports of its intent at putting the Honda CRF250 Rally concept bike into production.
The news comes following patent and trademark files leaked online. No targeted release date was disclosed, but we are led to believe we will see one as soon as EICMA 2015 later this month.
Essentially, the Honda CRF 250 Rally concept underpins the red wing marque’s CRF 250 dirt bike, with the concept donning a new dressing akin to HRC’s Dakar Rally enduro. Minus the enduro-styled aesthetic enhancements, the concept still retains much of the production bike’s mechanicals.
The leaked design patents revealed that the production-bound version gains several predictable changes such as the adoption of a street-legal exhaust silencer and tail light set.
A baby HRC Rally bike replica available for purchase in showrooms worldwide? Count us in Honda!
After our extensive launch report, you’d think you already know everything you need to about the new and massively upgraded 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. However, Kawasaki doesn’t think so, explaining its newly released video below that details the brand’s flagship superbike in all its glory.
To cut things short, what Kawasaki have done was essentially taking the vast input from its World Superbike Championship (WSBK) team’s riders and engineers in the superbike’s development, resulting in the creation of one of its most potent machines ever.
You could say that the new ZX-10R has leaped ahead of its predecessors significantly, and you could perhaps measure that in lightyears if needed. But, lets not forget the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R’s core mission, which is to grant the Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) with a strong machine to defend its WSBK title in the coming years.
The full upgrade package starts with an uprated powerplant that’s caged within a revised chassis that boasts built-in resonance chambers and a longer swingarm. The follow up to that is the redesigned exterior with improved aerodynamic stability as well.
However, one of its most critical new gains lies in its generously upgraded electronics, the icing of said cake though being the Bosch IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) that ties all the systems together.
Then comes some of the impressive new hardware starting with the production bike debut of the adjustable Showa Balance Free Front Fork system featuring gas-charged tubes. Complementing those further are the adoptions of new radially mounted Brembo monobloc calipers up front that grabs a pair of larger 330mm rotors that is tasked with the bulk of arresting this superbike to a halt.
Check out the video from Kawasaki we posted above and revel in this precision instrument of speed and aerodynamic in all its green glory. Alternatively, you could also read our extensive report here.
As part of the brand’s technological tour-de-force in the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, the Yamaha PES2 and PED2 concept bikes stand as the Japanese brand’s vision of zero-emissions two-wheeling, with Yamaha further promising its arrival into its line up sometime in the future.
Yamaha PES2 concept
As an evolutionary successor of the PES1 concept from 2013, the Yamaha PES2 concept looks more production ready than the bike it replaces. Underneath, the electric bike is powered using the Yamaha Smart Power Module unit, which is a removable battery pack that doubles as a structural element of the motorcycle frame, thus granting the PES2 with a monocoque frame design.
Interestingly, the PES2 concept also features a hub motor in its front wheel, effectively making it s 2WD electric bike. With that, Yamaha states that the PES2 concept was designed to new performance boundaries and experience levels too. Another innovative feature is the PES2’s unique single-sided front fork-leg suspension setup.
Yamaha PED2 concept
Evolving from the PED1 concept, the PED2 concept stands as the Yamaha brand’s take of an electric-powered fun dirt machine for the future. Like the PES2, the PED2 concept looks more production ready than the PED1 ever was, with Yamaha envisioning it to have as much power as a regular petrol-fuelled 125cc- or 500cc-sized dirtbike.
Tipping the scales below 100kg, the featherweight concept utilises the same Yamaha Smart Power Module unit as the PES2, resulting in its adoption of a monocoque frame design yet again.
When exactly will we see production versions of either concept? Well, Yamaha has already planned to introduce an electric-powered model as early as 2016, so we could perhaps see either by then.
Having shown us the Recursion concept during the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki’s intent at bringing forced induction into bikes is very clear indeed. Fuelling the flame further are rumours of said concept being finalised for production in the last few months, followed by the fact that the mighty S-brand’s move towards trademarking the ‘Recursion’ name and filing patents for designs surrounding the bike’s unique powerplant.
Well, at the on-going 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, it appears that Suzuki are indeed one step closer towards making the Recursion a production reality. At the heart of Suzuki’s stand was this, a compact and turbocharged two-cylinder engine called the EX7, presumably made for Recursion.
Other than the fact that it has twin camshafts (DOHC) and four valves, Suzuki did not say much about this turbocharged and intercooled parallel twin. It is presumed that the mill displaces about 588cc, which was the quoted engine size of the Recursion concept. The concept also envisioned the mill to generate just over 100hp and at least 101Nm of torque too – not bad for its size.
There is still no sight of the Recursion concept’s production version during the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, which likely suggest that we will only see it next year or early in 2017. However, we are led to believe that Suzuki could surprise all with a reveal in this year’s edition of EICMA that will take place in just several weeks time in Milan, Italy.
Meet the Yamaha LMW – MWT – 9 concept, or just the Yamaha MWT-9 concept in short. Unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, the concept shows off how the successful Yamaha MT-09 naked would look like if it were to become a leaning-multi-wheel (LMW) or trike.
A closer inspection reveals that this is not just merely an oversized rendition of the Yamaha Tricity three-wheeled scooter revealed not too long ago. Underneath, the concept carries over much of the MT-09 naked’s mechanicals from the tank forwards, including the 847cc triple-cylinder engine.
Besides a radical new face, Yamaha has indeed taken the Tricity’s intricate front suspension, but the layout has been altered in the MWT-9 whereby the forks now stand on the outside of the wheels instead, presumably for greater stability and rigidity through turns. Crucially though, this setup varies drastically against that found in the Piaggio MP3 three-wheeled maxi scooter.
It goes without saying that we are fully behind the idea of putting such a beastly-looking thing into production. Well, what are you waiting for Yamaha?
