2012 BMW S1000RR announced

New colours and tweaked engine, chassis and suspension mean that the BMW S1000RR is likely to remain the king of litre-class superbikes in 2012...

After launching the super-awesome S1000RR in 2009, BMW Motorrad have been having a quiet laugh, watching Japanese manufacturers scrambling around trying to catch up with the 193-horsepower Bavarian superbike. And the blitzkrieg is not stopping anytime soon, for BMW have now announced the 2012 S1000RR, which features significant improvements over its predecessor.

2012 Aprilia Maxi SRV850 unveiled

Behold, the new Aprilia Maxi SRV850!

Aprilia have released the first pics of their new ‘Maxi’ scooter, the SRV850, which is fitted with an 850cc twin-cylinder engine that produces 76 horsepower and 76Nm of torque. The styling cues have obviously been taken from the RSV4 and Aprilia claim the SRV850’s chassis and suspension have all been optimised for outstanding handling dynamics. Hmm... maybe. But, in pictures at least, we prefer the Aprilia SR Max 300...

Production-ready 2012 Honda Crosstourer to be revealed at the EICMA

For all those who wanted a big, heavy, expensive dual-purpose bike powered by a complicated V4 engine, your prayers have been answered by Honda...

Honda has confirmed that the Crosstourer, unveiled as a concept at the EICMA last year, will go into mass production in 2012 and will be showcased at the EICMA show in November this year. Billed as an ‘adventure sports tourer,’ the Crosstourer is fitted with a 1200cc V4 engine that comes from the VFR1200F, along with long-travel suspension, an upright riding position and off-road styling cues. Dual Clutch Transmission will also be available as an option on the Crosstourer.

‘We are convinced that we have successfully brought out new value in what can be termed the true crossover concept,’ says Yosuke Hasegawa, leader of the Honda Crosstourer development team. We’re not too convinced though – the Crosstourer seems to be the two-wheeled equivalent of a big, heavy, expensive and complicated SUV – we wouldn’t want one.