The R versions of the 1090 and 1290 first, followed by the 1290 S KTM’s updated adventure fare will start going on sale locally in May 2017, with the 1090 R and 1290 R the first two slated to hit dealer floors, followed by the street-focussed 1290 S – in very limited numbers – a few weeks later. Prices are still to be announced, while KTM says the base model 1090 won’t be sold , nor will the 1290 Adventure T (as in touring). KTM unveiled its updated 1090 and…
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TRIUMPH THRUXTON R Engine: 1200cc liquid-cooled eight-valve fuel-injected parallel twin, 72kW (96bhp) at 6750rpm and 112Nm at 4950rpm Transmission: Six-speed sequential gearbox, chain final drive. Frame: Steel-tube twin cradle frame and oval-section aluminium rear swingarm; 43mm Showa fully-adjustable BPF front forks with 120mm of travel, Twin fully-adjustable Ohlins rear shocks with 120mm of travel. Hot: The heritage-sportsbike comes of age with the Thruxton R, and never has history, performance, quality, ease-of-use, and design been so skilfully combined. Not: Pseudo-carburettors and pretend pre-unit crankcases will offend purists; brake set-up could have unleashed further stopping power; pillion accommodation optional. For most of last year,…
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BY PAUL OWEN While riding the leviathan Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited the other day recently, I began to mentally compile a list of the five bikes that are today’s finest lightweight tourers. Now, the 400kg Ultra is quite possibly the greatest American touring bike ever made (review pending), but I’d find all that mass hard to live with over the long term. I prefer bikes that are easier to park up (and easier to pick up again if you have to). Getting to the digs du noir is awesome on bikes…
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We put the new Volvo S90 executive saloon through its paces, but should BMW, Audi and Mercedes be worried? Volvo is right to deny SA buyers the T6, because a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol executive saloon of this size would sell in tiny numbers. However, there’s plenty of promise in the S90 package as a whole, and we’re not about to revise the view, gleaned from that winter drive a few months back, that you should give Volvo’s new flagship saloon serious consideration if you’re in the market for a 5…
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The Indonesian arm of Yamaha recently unveiled the YZF-R15 V3.0 and that got a lot of us excited. But it looks like this motorcycle won’t be launched in South Africa immediately. Car and bike spoke with a few Yamaha SA officials at the launch of the FZ25 regarding the YZF-R15 V2.0. The officials said that they were happy with the sales performance of the YZF-R15 V2.0, especially of the YZF-R15 S version. There’s enough demand for this entry-level fully-faired motorcycle from across the country. Due to this, the company isn’t really focusing on getting the YZF-R15 V3.0…
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Benelli has unveiled the 2017 TNT15. Sold in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, the TNT15 has been positioned between the TNT135 mini bike and the quarter-litre streetfighter – the TNT25. The TNT 15 is built around a new trestle frame like its siblings. Benelli has penned the TNT 15’s design along the lines of its bigger streetfighter siblings. The headlamp sports a familiar design with a pilot lamp at the bottom and a small visor on top. While the old instrument cluster was similar to the one on…
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by Sebastian Toma Those of you who are Porsche fans will remember that the German automaker unveiled a concept named Panamera Sport Turismo back in 2012. Since then, the project was slightly postponed, but we have seen spyshots of the future shooting break from Porsche last year. With that in mind, people were beginning to wonder when Porsche will reveal the second body style of the Panamera range. The Brits at Car Magazine have spoken to Dr. Stefan Utsch, the director of sales and marketing for the Panamera, who has…
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It’s a devil of a machine. Diesel and Ducati have collaborated for a very limited edition Diavel motorcycle. Andrea Rosso and the Ducati Design Center worked on a ‘post-apocolyptic, retro-futuristic’ design and we’re definitely getting Mad Max vibes from this collaboration, with a clear merging of past and future. It comes in a sumptuous leather palette, hand-brushed stainless steel on the tank and touches of red found on the diesel logo and the LCD dashboard. The devil is clearly in the detail, as the two brands have produced only 666…
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500bhp model will offer six-speed manual or seven-speed PDK by Dan Prosser The new Porsche 911 GT3, set to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March, will feature a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine and will offer the option of a seven-speed PDK transmission or a six-speed manual. Yes, you read that right: the manual GT3 is making a return. Details of Porsche’s 2017 GT car strategy emerged at the launch of the 911 Carrera GTS in South Africa. A well-placed insider revealed Porsche’s plans for its Motorsport…
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Final Edition commemorates Hennessey’s record breaking supercar by Will Beaumont Hennessey has announced it has ended production of its 435Km/h supercar, the Venom GT. The Texas company has celebrated its record breaking car and created a special version of the very last Venom GT. Called the Final Edition, the last car is based on the hard-top Venom and is finished in bright blue with two white stripes that stretch down the centre. The car is powered by Hennessey’s most powerful engine, a twin turbocharged 7-litre V8 that produces 1451bhp. The…
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by Keith WR Jones The original Nissan Qashqai was a sales success in the way the iPhone was for Apple. It was one of the first cars to popularise the so-called crossover genre, blending the low-running costs of family hatchbacks with SUV looks, and becoming a commercial success in the process. Over two million have rolled off the production line since its launch in 2007. So the second-generation Nissan Qashqai had big shoes to fill, and bigger it is: wider and longer this time around, but it’s also lighter and more efficient, too. It’s a…
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Verdict Following on from the successful Scirocco is another retro-inspired Volkswagen, the Beetle. Almost 22 million original Beetles were built, making it one of the most successful cars of all time. The next 1999 re-imagination wasn’t quite as popular, with just over one million sold, as issues like poor interior space and questionable styling cut its appeal. This latest model, which shares many parts with the Golf, aims to improve on the previous generation by offering more equipment and improved levels of practicality; including a boot that’s 44% bigger than…
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Verdict The MINI Cooper S has an historic name stretching all the way back to the early days of the small car’s history. However, there is nothing old fashioned about the latest Cooper S, offering both petrol and diesel engines with strong performance. This is allied to economy and emissions that are bang up to date, while the interior of the MINI continues to offer a unique style that has helped make it a sales hit from the moment BMW first relaunched the MINI brand in 2001. Style and substance While some may mumble…
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