It’s National Hot Fudge Sundae Day, and between licks of the dairy, I’m staring at what could be the most extensively disruptive list of summer motorcycle news for 2024.
Don’t believe me? Bet.
- Yamaha’s MT-09 is, in fact, the first motorcycle to carry the all-new Yamaha Automatic Manual Transmission (Y-AMT).
- Can Am’s Origin is getting in some much-needed dyno time in anticipation of an upcoming debut.
- Kawasaki has publicly debuted the world’s first hydrogen-powered motorcycle… and the sheer size of the thing has got us wondering what the power specs will show.
- Ducati’s World Premiere has begun, and with it, the rebirth of the Panigale.
Let’s get crack-a-lacking before the sugar hits, shall we?
CONFIRMED: Yamaha’s MT-09 will be the First Motorcycle to Use Semi-Automatic Y-AMT System
“Freeing the Rider from the Need to Operate a Clutch or Shift Pedal” Since 2024
Remember that semi-automatic transmission that Yamaha debuted? We were assuming that the tech would soon be implemented on Yammie’s Master of Torque range, and now, the brand itself has confirmed that the Y-AMT will be on Japan’s new MT-09.
According to the official press release from Yamaha Motor Company, the new MT-09 Y-AMT will provide its rider with the option to automate gear shift operations “when starting out and while riding.” Shifting gears will move from a task involving both hand and foot to either a simple lever maneuver, or a full automatic transmission experience in which the rider simply throttles up and lets the bike do the gear changes.
Why would Yamaha get rid of traditional gear shifting, you ask?
Many others are asking the same question, and it boils down to two factors: Consumer reach and rider safety. Here’s a quote from the press release on the company’s reasoning for creating this tech:
“Y-AMT… provides more freedom to take in the surrounding scenery, assess road conditions, and improves peace of mind when operating the motorcycle, thereby expanding on the possibilities for enjoying motorcycling and opening up the sport to a greater range of potential users.”
– “Yamaha Motor Develops Y-AMT Automated Manual Transmission System Enhancing the Experience of Being One with the Machine.” (Yamaha Motor Company) |
We’re told that the new MT-09 Y-AMT will be released in Japan by the end of this year, with potential for further MT’s to carry the tech.
Do you like the idea of a semi-automatic transmission in a motorcycle? Why or why not?
Electric Everything: Can Am’s ORIGIN Motorcycle Hits the Dyno in New Teaser Footage
Announcement Includes Overseas Sales Goal
Remember when Can Am expressed their desire to shave an extra wheel off their typical three-wheeled offerings and dive back into the world of motorbikes… but make them electric? The news was followed up in Q3 of 2023 with a press release containing the following information:
“The product development team is making solid progress, and the construction of the plant in Querétaro is well underway. Can-Am plans to release all specs of [the Can Am PULSE and ORIGIN] and start taking orders next summer [2024], with the first Can-Am motorcycles expected to hit the road before the end of 2024.”
– “CAN-AM MOVES TOWARD A MORE IMMERSIVE RIDING EXPERIENCE,” August 20, 2023 at 7:30 PM EDT. (Can Am) |
Well, we’ve got proof that Can Am is on schedule with their EV offerings, as we’ve just been gifted a peek at the company’s incubating electric adventure bike – the Pulse – hitting up various stress and endurance tests on a dyno as well as other available equipment.
The page Can Am’s dedicated to the debut of these two electric motorcycles states that their debut is still listed for sometime before the end of 2024. There’s a distinct possibility, then, that Can Am will be present at this year’s iteration of EICMA for the reveal of their first motorcycles since they quit two-wheeled operations in 1987 (via Riders Share).
For those of you wondering, we haven’t yet been given specs related to the bikes yet. Word is going around that range will be around 100 miles, though proper details on power output is still up in the air.
Stay tuned, check out Can Am’s multi-part series on their new electric children, and hang tight for EICMA 2024!
Are you excited to swing a leg over Can Am’s Pulse or Origin?
The Hydrogen Hype: Kawasaki Hydrogen Prototype Makes Public Debut at Suzuka 8 Hours
Larger Than Life… And Then Some.
While Can Am prepares for an electric debut of their two zippy machines, Kawasaki has progressed to a full public debut of the “World’s First Hydrogen Sports Bike” – a very special, large-and-in-charge hydrogen-powered motorcycle christened the Ninja H2 HySE.
Seriously. The thing is huge.
Kawi’s press release tells us the bike took to the Suzuka circuit using a 998cc, inline-four, super-charged engine revised from the Ninja H2 to take hydrogen (hence the name similarity). The sheer girth of this motorcycle is due to the demand for hydrogen canister storage, which we’re told was resolved by housing the things in the bike’s chassis.
By the way, a public debut doesn’t mean that this Ninja H2 HySE is ready to roll out to the public. Kawasaki estimates that there’s still quite a bit of work to do before a bike like this can see a public road, so they’ve got the debut of the Ninja H2 HySE set for “early 2030s.”
Want to know how fast this thing will be able to go? We do too – so in the interest of specs comparisons, here’s a list of power deets from the HySE’s ICE sibling, the H2, to bookmark for later (horsepower and torque are grabbed from a dyno run of a 2021 stock H2 courtesy of FastLaneD):
- HORSEPOWER: ~192hp
- TORQUE: ~90 lb-ft @ 11,000 rpm
Bottom line, we’re psyched to see how the HySE lands in our industry, and will be looking forward to that big reveal in a handful of years.
Would you try riding Kawasaki’s Ninja H2 HysSE?
Indian FORGED Series: Country Celeb Nikki Lane Receives Custom Scout
Build Courtesy of Brittney Olson
Indian’s plunging ahead into the next iteration of their “FORGED” Series!
This particular stint sees a special gal by the name of Nikki Lane with a new custom Scout. Lane is considered by many to be iext in line for the prestigious title of “First Lady of Outlaw Country,” with Lane’s talents compared to that of Wanda Jackson.
Today, these talents are accompanied by some seriously stylish wheels courtesy of Brittney Olson, who shares Nikki’s love for “vintage, antiques, twenties stuff.” It was a match made in heaven, and both Olson and Lane recall the bike’s significance with fondness in Indian’s recent press release:
– Brittney Olson, “Indian Motorcycle reveals custom Indian Scout built by Brittney Olsen for American country music star, Nikki Lane. (Indian Motorcycles) |
– Nikki Lane, “Indian Motorcycle reveals custom Indian Scout built by Brittney Olsen for American country music star, Nikki Lane. (Indian Motorcycles) |
Pretty parts used for this particular custom build included custom laced FTR rims (front and back), some genuine 1946-1948 Indian Chief springs, shock and risers, a tank modification using Springfield/Chieftain panels and a slew of custom parts including the following:
- Custom underseat frame cover
- Custom made seat mounts
- Custom vintage Bates seat and rear fender pad
- Custom hand-built girder front end with factory textured powder coat to match stock frame
- Custom black paint job
- Custom Lettering, Striping and Gold and Silver leaf done by Jeremy Pederson
- Custom license plate mount
- Custom longer brake line
- Custom stainless exhaust
- Custom front turn signals
- Custom stainless steel bars
- Custom gauge/console relocation
- Custom hand built rear sub fender panels
The work concluded after a Factory Chrome Dash GPS unit was installed over the factory black dash, the rear sub fender was stretched/extended and the pipe/gauge mount and bars were polished to a lickable shine.
As for Lane’s aspirations with this bike, we’re told that riding is the close Nikki has ever gotten to meditating – and thanks to her new custom Scout, it looks like Lane’s all the closer to finding inner peace.
Would you like a custom Scout? What would your vibe be for the build?
Ducati World Premiere 2025: The Panigale V4, Reimagined.
“Wonder. Engineered.”
Bologna woke up choosing violence for this season’s worth of bike reveals, and we’re here for the chaos. 😍
My sourcing? A LinkedIn post from CEO Claudio Domenicali showing off a very new, very pretty, VERY different Panigale V4 & V4S for Episode 1 of their World Premiere.
Some love it, some hate it, but no matter what, you can’t deny that Team Red is keeping their line as fresh and cutting edge as humanly possible.
Let’s dive into Ducati’s new track beauty and see what they gave us for MY2025.
According to Ducati’s debut on their website, changes include no more gills; instead, there’s a larger air vent with a smaller outflow slit, allowing that Ducati Red to slide uninterrupted to the tail, 916 style (happy 30th, 916!).
We’ve also been gifted with new aesthetics that have drawn from successes with the Desmosedici GP on the MotoGP track. To improve aerodynamics and downforces, Ducati aids rider stability with additional shaping conducted around the bike’s front wheel for nimble handling at higher speeds, integrating the Panigale’s double wings deeper into the bike.
Thanks to all of the above, aerodynamic resistance is improved by 4% for this year’s Panigale model.
Rider comfort was also rethought in this model, which now supports a longer and wider seat, footpegs that are a smidge closer (less than an inch), and the tank has been reshaped to help riders get a better hold for lean gains.
Shocks are a bit more complex, as each variant gets a different package: The Panigale V4 S sports an Öhlins NPX-30 fork, TTX 36 rear shock, and steering damper set, while the V4 shows off a fully adjustable Showa Big Piston Fork and Sachs monoshock pair complete with Sachs steering damper.
Two additional, rather big points to include in this debut of the 2025 Ducati Panigale V4/V4S:
- This is the rumored OE bike that MCN hinted would be the first to carry the all-new Brembo Hypure calipers!
- Ducati’s Panigale now has a double-sided swingarm!
Brembo stoppage now features 330mm discs that are 30g lighter – per side – than the previous Stylema offerings, and hooks up to a Bosch system boasting a ‘Race eCBS’ combined braking system that encourages the rider to brake on the rear via seven different levels of intervention.
The swingarm was a fun story, too, with Ducati telling us that they gave their test riders a bevy of swingarm choices, and, ultimately, the double-sided unit won out. This particular offering is christened the “Ducati Hollow Symmetrical Swingarm”, is 37% less stiff than its predecessor and boasts a lighter weight to boot.
As for punt-power, we’ve still got the same 1,103cc 90° V-Four Desmosedici Stradale heart for this year’s model as last year’s, but this bike shows off a slew of tweaks, including:
- Tweaked cam profile
- Increased valve lift
- A gearbox drum from the Superlegerra V4
- Broadened potential of variable length intake horns to 25mm and 80mm, respectively
The result means a Euro 5+ engine lending on European shores with 216hp @ 13,500rpm and 89.0 lb-ft of torque available @ 11,250rpm; by contrast, America will be getting 209 pretty ponies @ 12,750rpm and 89.5 lb-ft. of yank @ 11,250rpm.
Do with that what you will.
As for electronics, we’ve now got a 6.5” TFT offering, beefing up from the previous unit, through which Ducati’s new electronics package – the Ducati Vehicle Observer (DVO) – translates nicely. We don’t want to over-complicate things, so here’s an excerpt of what Ducati’s DVO actually does for the rider:
– Dennis Chung, “2025 Ducati Panigale V4 and V4 S – First Look.” (Motorcycle.com) |
All told, the system speaks through the following rider aids:
- Ducati Traction Control DVO
- Ducati Slide Control
- Ducati Wheelie Control DVO
- Ducati Power Launch DVO
- Engine Brake Control
- Ducati Quick Shift 2.0, ft. “more direct feedback and reduced travel”
Everything you’ve read up until now means a curb weight of 412.3lbs for the Panigale V4 S and around 421lbs for the Panigale V4. CEO Domenicali is pretty proud of the result and states as much on LinkedIn:
| Today we present to the world a motorcycle that, like no other, represents Ducati essence: the new Panigale V4. The moment is very special because the Panigale V4 represents like no other model the magical combination of sophisticated technology and sensual beauty that is at the core of all Ducati products.
This seventh generation of Ducati superbikes is not just a machine; it’s a masterpiece. The design is very modern yet inspired by the legendary Ducati 916, a real icon of Motorcycles, that this year celebrates its 30th birthday. … It’s a privilege to share this masterpiece with our passionate Ducatisti here in Misano – a surprise that we hope will ignite their spirits as much as ours! – Claudio Domenicali, CEO, Ducati Motor Holding (LinkedIn) |
Are you excited to ride the new 2025 Panigale V4 S?
