It’s 2025, and a new year of bikes and tech are just waiting for their big debut!
In line with the above obligatories, we’ve caught the following news below for your skim-happy perusal:
- LiveWire’s S2 Alpinista is a roadster with the same characteristics as the S2 Del Mar and Mulholland.
- Triumph has been keeping late nights in the lab, and our favorite Hinckley bike builders will soon dress their Tiger 1200 with a Front Radar system.
- Indian Motorcycles is on the cusp of debuting its new PowerPlus family for 2025
Let’s start with the mystery that is LiveWire’s new brainchild, shall we?
LiveWire Shows Off S2 Alpinista Roadster
A view of LiveWire’s Alpinista. Media sourced from LiveWire.New “S2AP” Variant Debuts with Similar Specs to Del Mar
Welp, she’s finally here – and as we suspected, the range of this bike won’t get you far… but LiveWire has still seen fit to dress their new variant with some fun, techy perks for the new riding season.
According to LiveWire’s website, the new “S2AP” Alpinista is LiveWire’s cheapest model. Priced at an MSRP of $15,999 USD and featuring 0-60mph in 3 seconds, the Alpinista is geared toward the fun-loving, stylish urban community.
Charging speed is listed to take 142 minutes if charging to 100%, 78 minutes if charging to 80% max capacity. For that charging speed, LiveWire says that riders can look forward to 70 miles of highway range, 86 miles of combined range or 120 miles of “city” range.
Here is where we reference Morgan’s LiveWire One experience on Roadracing World to remind readers that this bike is built based on the brand’s S2 platform and, as such, features the same range as the LiveWire One that Morgan rode.
Morgan got 70 “highway” miles out of the LiveWire One’s charged battery by setting their bike to 65mph cruising speeds and maintaining that speed until the bike was empty. Based on these findings, then, it is safe to assume that riders will be able to get around two hours of typical city riding before the bike requires around two hours at a fast-charger (5.9-8.4 hours at a typical Level 1 charger).
Here’s an additional list of beneficial features that LiveWire incorporated into the “S2SP” Alpinista:
2025 LiveWire Alpinista Performance:
- 0-60 mph in 3 seconds
- 99mph top speed
- 84hp peak power
- 194ft-lb of peak torque
- 433 lbs
2025 LiveWire Alpinista Hardware + Software:
- 10.5kWh lithium battery
- Adjustable USD fork and monoshock suspension system
- full-LED lighting
- Rider aids controlled via a six-axis inertial measurement unit
2025 LiveWire Alpinista Handling:
- Cornering ABS
- Traction Control
- 52.1° left lean angle
- 44.2° right lean angle
- 17″ front and rear wheels with Dunlop® RoadSmart IV tires
- Upright and focused riding position with low and narrow handlebars
2025 LiveWire Alpinista Technology:
- Over-the-air updates (OTA)
- Six mapping modes
- LiveWire S2 App with:
- Rider & Bike Profile
- Local Weather
- Navigation
- Roadside Assistance
- Mobile Wallet to Store Insurance and License
- TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System)
- Owner’s Manual
Are you keen to try LiveWire’s Alpinista?
Spy Shots: Triumph Considers Front Radar Tech
A view of Triumph’s 2024 Tiger 1200. Media sourced from BMW.Tech Said to Dress Upcoming Tiger 1200
While LiveWire debuts their next electric S2 variant, Triumph has been working on their own magical equation for their upcoming Tiger 1200.
According to the incomparable Ben Purvis at Cycle World, Triumph was seen testing the final prototype of their Tiger 1200; this model was observed to be carrying a redesigned windscreen, below which was front-facign radar tech.
Keep in mind, Triumph already has rear radar tech – placed more subtly in this test model – for their Tiger 1200, so the addition of front radar is a very reasonable update to incorporate into Hinckley’s big-bore growler.
Should this tech be seen at the Tiger 1200’s debut, we will be likely looking at the following suite of perks mated to Bosch or Continental technology:
- Frontal crash warning
- Adaptive cruise control
- Collision-avoidance braking
This year’s Tiger 1200 also appears to carry repositioned blinkers; this could also play into the rear radar system Triumph’s using for 2025.
Moving on, the 2025 Tiger 1200 test prototype features updated panels on either side of the bike’s front light, joining reshaped wind deflectors and what Purvis calls a “bare alloy,” suggesting there is some tweaking at work in the bike’s inner guts to join the addition of the front radar.
As an aside, this test prototype carries a traditional clutch lever and foot shifter, and thus does not appear to feature automated transmission functions. In doing so, both the works of BMW (R 1300 GS) and KTM ( 1390 Super Adventure) are bypassed as Triumph continues toward what can only be assumed to be a fully Euro5+-compliant beast of a machine.
Are you excited to try Triumph’s new Tiger 1200?
Indian Primed to Launch 1,834cc PowerPlus Models on January 24th
A view of an Indian 2024 Challenger. Media sourced from Indian Motorcycles.Estimations Point to Four Bikes for Imminent Debut
On January 24th, Indian Motorcycles will be debuting their PowerPlus lineup for 2025 – and Motorcycle.com’s Dennis Chung has figured out that the festivities will likely mean a liquid-cooled Roadmaster PowerPlus and Chieftain PowerPlus.
Back in Q1 of 2024, we covered an internal document showing that Indian was working on larger-displacement models; today, we understand this movement to likely be in response to Harley’s decision to update their Ropad Glide and Street Glide for the new year.
According to Dennis Chung’s findings, Indian will likely be debuting a Challenger, Pursuit, Chieftain, and Roadmaster, with certain models carrying both the existing 108ci (1,768cc) and a new larger 112ci (1,834cc) PowerPlus V-Twin engine in play for 2025.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect for Indian’s January 24 debut:
- A Challenger: Bagger with frame-mounted fairing (likely retains PowerPlus engine).
- A Pursuit: Full tourer with frame-mounted fairing (likely retains PowerPlus engine).
- A Chieftain PowerPlus: New bagger with batwing fairing and PowerPlus engine.
- A Roadmaster PowerPlus: New full tourer with batwing fairing and PowerPlus engine.
To add to the above, India’s tease on their socials suggests that the Roadmaster and Chieftain will likely adopt the same, older front fender headdress to match their batwing bodywork.
Are you excited for January 24?
Fast Filings: BMW to Debut Updated R 18 on January 21st
A view of the engine on an upcoming BMW motorcycle. Media sourced from BMW.Get Ready for “Next Level Big Boxer Culture”
While Indian readies for a big Jan 24 debut, BMW is poised to push into public markets with an updated boxer bike.
According to a recent article on Motorcycle.com, BMW’s model premiere flirts with potentials via the following inscription:
“Are you ready for the next level of Big Boxer Culture? … mark the 21st of January, 11 AM EST, in your calendar.”
The above verbiage denotes a new kind of boxer bike – a base model R 18, by all accounts. This means a boxer engine carrying 1,800cc’s of punch, with homologation papers from Switzerland showing power remaining steady at 89.8 hp @ 4,750rpm and increased peak torque to 120.2 lb-ft @ 3,000rpm (up from 116.5 lb-ft).
Other updates include the potential of a redesigned front fork (this shown due to the general lack of covers on the upper tubes of the bike shown).
On top of the exciting ne wre. The updated R 18, homologation data reveals changes to the dimensions of the R 18, R 18 Classic, and R 18 Roctane.
Here’s a list of weight changes across the range:
- R 18: 2.2 pound reduction.
- R 18 B: 11.0 pound increase.
- R 18 Transcontinental: 6.6 pound increase.
- R 18 Roctane: No change.
Are you looking forward to riding an updated R 18 boxer from BMW?
