Naturally, a step nearer to EICMA means a slew of patents and other bike-related news, including the following:
- MV Agusta’s Lucky Explorer 5.5 emerges to debut to moto society proper – only the bike has debuted under the name of a Spanish motorcycle company, not MV Agusta.
- Honda’s cooking up a big-bore CB1000F SE, and the concept will be debuted at this August’s Suzuka 8 Hours!
- Aprilia’s extreme “X” Range of race-ready variants look to soon be joined by an “X GP,” suggesting that this particular variant will be inspired by Aprilia’s RS-GP superbike.
- LiveWire’s newest bikes are not 1000cc, or even 300cc, but 125cc – and the company’s Senior Designer wants to hear from you what you think of his new 125cc offerings!
Let’s start with that luckier-than-ever Explorer 5.5, shall we?
Lucky Explorer 5.5 Resurfaces with Debut Under New Name
Why Spanish Brand Rieju Has MV Agusta’s Half-Pint ADV Bike
It’s always weird when a company blends machines with another company, but such is our current economy; all we can do is record the movement and try to make sense of the thing, and perhaps pop open a bottle or two in celebration of those machines that were able to debut to markets without too much of a delay.
MV Agusta’s beginner-friendly adventure motorcycle, the Lucky Explorer 5.5, is one such bike. Remember when MV Agusta debuted the idea of this model way back in 2021? Suffice it to say that a lot has gone on since then. From lockdowns and production delays, to MV Agusta’s parent company halting the progression of the Lucky Explorer 5.5 and dropping their shares in MV Agusta in the bid to get caught up on their financial status, the journey to current model lineups has been arduous, to say the least.
On the other side of things, we can point out the silver lining of 2021-2025’s dramatics by reminding ourselves that this little Explorer must surely be 2025’s most lucky adventure bike to date. Should MV Agusta have decided to keep the 5.5’s ownership papers, odds are we wouldn’t have been able to see this thing nearly as soon as we are at present – and apparently, the view is thanks to a Spanish manufacturer called Rieju, and wonder of all wonders, Chinese brand QJ Motors.
Worried the Lucky Explorer is Chinese? No need to froth at the mouth about it, as the bike’s design was originally the work of QJ Motors before even cultivating under MV Agusta. Zac over at ADVRider tells us that QJ Motors purportedly refreshed the thing and sold it to the Spanish manufacturer Rieju, who decided to sell it under a new name: The Xplora 557.
We’re told that the Rieju Xplora 557 will only be available in Europe and is priced around an MSRP of €6,700; currently, the nearest competitor to this rebranded Lucky Explorer 5.5 is none other than another Chinese-imagined ADV bike with similar guts, the Benelli TRK502
Zac was also so kind as to surmise why Rieju received the Lucky Explorer 5.5 above other companies:
– Zac, ADVRider (ADVRider) |
We don’t expect this machine in the US, but we DO feel the warm fuzzies that the Lucky Explorer 5.5 technically made it to market!
For a full dive into the journey of the Rieju Xplora 557, check out Zac’s coverage on ADVRider:
Fast Filings: Honda’s Working on a CB1000F SE
Debut to Join Electric Supercharger!
Honda is gearing up to unveil a Special Edition CB1000F, and we are less than a month away from seeing the concept debut to the public!
According to coverage from Motorcycle.com, Honda is working on a big-bore naked bike to join their CB1000 Hornet SP and CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. The result will have a more upright riding position – naturally – and will be a significant follow-up to the retro-styled “next generation CB” model that Honda first teased in the spring in Osaka (Japan).
Updates for this model are confirmed to include a sleek headlight cowl, which we are anticipating to be a bit more sporty without rolling over Honda’s retro aesthetic; this “SE” (Special Edition) variant acknowledgement also not only confirms the model is guaranteed to get to market, but raises some curiosity to the fresh list of “special” componentry and accessories with which Honda will undoubtedly shower theith new naked.
Beyond the exciting stuff, we are expecting this bike to carry its siblings’ liquid-cooled, 27.6º, 1000cc, inline four-cylinder heart, proving the machine capable of anywhere around the 179-189 horsepower mark, depending on both the machine’s weight and engine tuning.
Whichever way you slice it, more information will be made available when Honda officially presents the CB1000F SE Concept at Suzuka, which is running this year from August first to the third.
For the full scoop and further details on Honda’s intriguing CB1000F SE Concept, be sure to check out the report on Motorcycle.com:
Rumor Has It: Aprilia’s About to Reveal a New “X” Variant
“X GP” Filings Suggest Bike Based on their RS-GP Superbike
Aprilia, never one to shy away from pushing the boundaries of performance, appears to be cooking up something truly “extreme” in its limited-edition lineup. According to Dennis Chung over at Motorcycle.com, a new trademark filing has emerged from Aprilia’s parent company. Piaggio Group. The papers include mention of a new “X GP” model, making this machine’s potential as an RS-GP-inspired variant truly possible.
If you’re not as well acquainted with Aprilia’s “X” line, anything with the “X” in it (Tuono V4 X, RSV4 XTrenta, RSV4 X Ex3ma) tends to take elements straight from Aprilia’s MotoGP team – and the company treats both full-faired and naked models equally for this “X” project. When Aprilia was ready to celebrate ten years of their superbike, they released the RSV4 X, proving that racing heritage is the reason for this ultra-light, carbonfiber-blessed, be-wingletted range of bikes.
There are a few things we can surmise from Aprilia’s new “X GP:”
- This variant, like the other, will be produced in a limited quantity, with buyers paying a premium price for a premium product.
- This particular “X” variant will undoubtedly be inspired by Aprilia’s RS-GP supersport machine.
- Despite being inspired by a superbike with full bodywork, there is a chance that the platform chosen for this new project could be the Tuono. Only time will tell!
This is the fifth hyper-exclusive variant to carry Aprilia’s ultra-special branding, so we are expecting Aprilia’s batch of X GP bikes to sell out in a heartbeat. Stay tuned for updates!
For a detailed look at Aprilia’s “X GP” trademark filing and more information on the company’s extreme limited-edition models, check out the full report on Motorcycle.com:
Electric Everything: LiveWire Drops Big-Bore Bike Projects to Prioritize 125cc Models
Riding Community is Invited to Share Feedback
LiveWire has gone from debuting a big-bore EV sport tourer, to the reveal of a skinnier street tracker, all the way to lil’buddy offerings, and the Senior Designer wants feedback on what we think of his new 125cc LiveWire family.
According to coverage from The Pack, Harley-Davidson – or should we say LiveWire – is slowly shifting its focus away from top-dollar, zero-emission offerings to 125cc-equivalent models. The move, while a bit funny and entirely new, is not illogical; today’s market remains as volatile as ever, particularly in the EV world. To add to the burden of low sales, LiveWire’s still connected to Harley-Davidson. This is a true-born American company whose dealerships are slowly starting to pivot under the immense pressure of the economy’s recent personality changes. It’s also been a while – almost 20 years, in fact – since Harley-Davidson’s office-happy blue suits passed a press release celebrating record-level sales numbers (via Motorcycle.com).
Gone are the days when Harley was celebrating their 20th consecutive year of bike sales. Big bikes are a tricky element in the EV industry, but you know the one category that’s booming regardless of the market movement? Small-capacity machinery. Word has it that LiveWire knows this and is revving to present a series of small bikes to our good industry… only, we’re told thair Senior Designer needs a bit of feedback first.
According to coverage from Motorcycle.com, LiveWire’s Senior Designer – John McInnis – showcased LiveWire’s prototypes at Harley-Davidson’s Homecoming Celebration in Milwaukee, which just concluded July 13th, two days ago. Here’s a quote from McInnis at the festivities:
– John McInnis, Senior Designer, LiveWire (The Pack) |
McInnis’s LiveWire offerings purportedly come in trail and street editions and feature convenient stuff like swappable dual-battery tech and a purported 100-mile range (we are assuming this is entirely dependent on how thoroughly we pin the thing). Yanking 0-30 mph is apparently achievable in around 3 seconds, while a top speed of approximately 53 mph joins our “huh, not bad” eyebrows to wonder… what will the whole thing cost?
LiveWire’s 125cc models are still in the concept stage, so naturally, we aren’t at the point where an MSRP can be considered a guaranteed reality. Perhaps this is where you come in; LiveWire is actively inviting the community to provide feedback on the bike’s fun bits, including design, accessories, comfort, and potential uses. If you’d like to provide advice or recommendations, be sure to head on over to LinkedIn for your own two (respectful) cents.
To see the initial reveal and share your feedback on LiveWire’s new 125cc-equivalent prototypes, head over to The Pack:
