Naked bikes in the middleweight category are incredibly versatile, especially when it comes to performance-oriented machines available in the Asian market. These bikes are small enough to easily navigate city streets while being powerful enough to provide an exhilarating ride on open roads, twisty roads, and even race tracks.
The Triumph Street Triple is a perfect example of such a versatile naked bike. It is built on the highly capable and sharp Daytona platform, making it a popular choice in Triumph’s lineup for over a decade. The 2023 version of the Street Triple takes its capabilities to a whole new level. Triumph has recently launched the 2023 Street Triple in Malaysia, with prices starting at RM59,900 (approximately $12,961 USD). For comparison, the 2023 Street Triple is priced at $9,995 USD in the United States.
The 2023 Street Triple range is divided into two versions: R and RS. The R version is more affordable but still performs impressively. It is powered by a 765cc liquid-cooled inline three-cylinder engine that produces 118 horsepower. On the other hand, the RS version stands out with its improved tuning, resulting in a maximum output of 128 horsepower. It also features a fully adjustable Showa front fork and an Ohlins rear monoshock. However, the RS model is pricier at RM73,900 (approximately $15,990 USD). In the United States, the Street Triple RS retails for $12,995 USD.
In terms of technology, Triumph has upgraded the Street Triple for 2023. Previous models lacked the comprehensive suite of technology now found in the 2023 versions. Both the Street Triple R and RS are equipped with a six-axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), providing advanced rider aids such as cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control. Multiple riding modes, including Road, Rain, Sport, and Rider, offer customizable riding experiences. The RS model even features a performance-focused Track mode.
We have mixed feelings about the Suzuki DR650S. On one hand, we appreciate the fact that Suzuki has kept this model in production for over 32 years. On the other hand, it is still a motorcycle that is essentially 32 years old. However, despite its age, the DR650S has its merits and continues to be offered in the market.
The Suzuki DR650S is a big, air-cooled single-cylinder motorcycle with a carburetor. It is priced at $6999, which is the same as a Yamaha YZ125 motocross bike. What’s interesting is that the DR650S is still manufactured in Japan, while most other motorcycles in this price range are made in countries like China, Thailand, or Vietnam. As a result, the DR650S stands out as one of the last remaining models of its kind.
LOOKING BACK The roots of the DR650S can be traced back to the 1978 Suzuki SP370, the company’s first four-stroke off-road bike. Over the years, it evolved into the present-day DR650S with various updates and improvements. In 1993, the electric starter was introduced, which was a major step forward. Today’s DR650S remains fundamentally similar to the initial version. In the late 90s, the DR650S was considered one of the top dual-sport bikes in terms of performance and handling.
THE DR TODAY Despite the DR650S remaining largely unchanged, its role in the market has shifted. It is no longer considered a high-performance bike or a traditional dual-sport model. Instead, it serves as an entry-level adventure bike. The bike’s design and layout reflect its 90s heritage, with a thick seat and handlebars that sweep back towards the rider. Vibration is minimal thanks to rubber-mounted footpegs and handlebar weights. The power delivery of the big single-cylinder engine is torque-oriented, offering a distinct and satisfying acceleration experience. While it lacks the rev-happy nature of modern bikes, the DR650S produces more torque than many of its rivals. Its tall gearing allows for cruising at low RPM, making it comfortable for long rides on dirt roads. However, the bike may struggle on fast trails due to its street-oriented tires and limited suspension adjustability. It is also relatively heavy compared to its competitors.
The 2023 Suzuki DR650S is still around. It sells for $6999.
WHERE WE STARTED The Kawasaki KLR650 remains the closest competitor to the Suzuki DR650S. While the KLR650 has received updates and now features fuel injection, the DR650S remains unchanged in terms of its carbureted engine. Fuel injection is seen as an added complexity and expense in a bike like the DR650S. Despite its age, the DR650S still finds its place in the modern world and has an enduring appeal. We believe it deserves to continue being produced indefinitely.
Ever dreamt of blending the engine of one bike with the frame of another to create a high-performance masterpiece? John Murray made it a reality by combining the 2023 Honda CRF450R chassis with the powerful 2023 KTM 300SX two-stroke fuel-injected engine.
John Murray, a dirt bike enthusiast who also owns a construction company, took matters into his own hands and designed the conversion. The result was an impressive DIY build that Dirt Bike Magazine couldn’t help but take notice of.
Utilizing available resources rather than working with high-end builders in a factory garage, Murray was able to prove that thinking outside the box could lead to an exceptional outcome. Check out the up-close look at this unique creation in the video below!
It’ll be three years this October since Bugatti first revealed the Bolide. We’re nearer to its launch than ever as Bugatti continues to check the mannequin’s aerodynamic packages and finalizes the manufacturing automotive. Deliveries start in 2024, however the supercar simply made its first public look and did it at this yr’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Bugatti first launched the Bolide to the world in 2020, but it surely did not reveal the production version until a few months ago. The gamut of assessments the Bolide goes by means of is pushing the hypercar to the restrict to make sure it creates the right degree of downforce and achieves the absolute best dealing with. The automaker is testing it on “real, revered racetracks.”
The manufacturing Bolide will generate practically three tons of downforce and might obtain as much as 2.5 G laterally, due to its aerodynamic bundle. At the entrance, the splitter compresses the air, then expands underneath the diffuser to create a suction impact that pulls the Bolide to the bottom. Unique air curtains in entrance of the entrance wheels direct air across the automotive, decreasing general drag. Bugatti even designed the wing mirrors to divert air towards the facet intercoolers for max effectivity.
Racers will be capable to regulate the aero bundle to seek out the suitable stability between downforce and drag. That consists of the rear wing house owners can set to satisfy every observe’s distinctive traits. The track-focused design is why Bugatti included a bodily rear-view mirror, which permits drivers to estimate distances to the vehicles behind them higher.
The Bolide’s quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine makes 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. It has a dry weight of three,637 kilos (1,650 kilograms) and generates practically 6,600 kilos of downforce at pace.
The Bolide has a bit extra finalizing to finish earlier than it arrives in clients’ fingers. Deliveries start someday subsequent yr, and Bugatti is barely making 40 of the track-only hypercars. Each will value 4 million ($4.3 million at at this time’s trade charges. The Bolide lapped the observe at Le Man on Saturday afternoon with Andy Wallace, a 1988 Le Mans winner, on the wheel. Wallace is an official Bugatti driver.
Update: As we had been writing this text, Mercedes-Benz dropped one other teaser confirming a brand new C 111 idea is coming. A brief video reveals a digital grille that illuminates with the phrases one eleven spreading between spherical headlights.
Something is brewing at Mercedes-Benz, and it is associated to the household of C 111 idea vehicles from the automaker’s previous. Shared right this moment on Mercedes’ social media channels, we’re handled to a pair of photographs displaying some digital lights with spherical shapes and a curious shade of orange. And that is not all.
First, we direct your consideration to the Mercedes-Benz Instagram account. One photograph reveals a spherical digital headlight in an oval grille, with the opposite displaying a spherical taillight. Of explicit curiosity for the entrance photograph is what’s behind the grille. We’re used to seeing various levels of silver or grey from Mercedes however that is clearly an orange header with a hood line seen simply behind. The coloration is a clue, because it appears to be like very near the shade used on the early C 111 prototypes. As for the spherical lights in an oval body, there is a robust resemblance to the C 111/II, the second and arguably most well-known of the collection that debuted in 1970.
Without extra context, a C 111 reference to these teaser photographs can be tough to justify. However, Mercedes-Benz lately shared a number of photographs of the basic C 111/II on its social channels main as much as this teaser publish, and a few of these have very comparable angles to the teaser headlights and taillights. This cannot be a coincidence.
And then we now have the coup de grace for this teaser marketing campaign, coming not from the automaker immediately however slightly, from Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener. He additionally shared photographs of the outdated C 111 on social, then dropped a teaser of his personal whereas flat-out saying “The timeless C 111 is ready to inspire a new era of iconic luxury.”
Wagener’s publish provides a 3rd teaser picture to the combination, and it is one which leaves us with some questions. We see what seems to be H 243 lit up in a taillight housing. H243 is the generational code for the Mercedes-Benz EQA. Could this imply a brand new C 111 idea is coming that comes with points of the EQA into its design? Or does this designation imply one thing else?
For these nonetheless sussing out precisely what the C 111 is, Mercedes-Benz launched a cool orange sports activities automotive idea known as the C 111 in 1969. It was powered by a rotary engine, and in 1970 a follow-up known as the C 111/II debuted. It’s the idea most frequently seen in photographs, however the C 111 story does not finish there. A dozen C 111/II take a look at vehicles had been constructed, ending with a turbo diesel changing the Wankel engine. Things obtained loopy after that with the C 111/III getting a radical aerodynamic physique and a extra highly effective diesel engine for excessive speeds. The closing idea was the C 111/IV in 1979, packing a twin-turbo V8 and a 250-mph high velocity.
Are we on the cusp of seeing the C 111/V with an electrical powertrain? Based on these teasers, it is secure to say one thing is coming and we could have all the knowledge as quickly as Mercedes sees match to share it with the world. Stay tuned.
A Volkswagen car model was seen recently during testing in the Austrian Alps, sparking curiosity among car enthusiasts. Whether it’s the Jetta for the United States or the Sagitar for China is unknown. What’s evident is that the vehicle is undergoing brake testing, as indicated by the “Bremsprobe” label on the rear.
The car has some features in common with the current Jetta and Sagitar. It has pointed elements on the inner part of the headlights and a trapezoidal lower fascia with shiny metallic components in the mesh. Managed air curtains also occupy the outer edges.
The new and upcoming Fiat 600 has been spotted testing several times, but has remained heavily camouflaged to keep its design details under wraps. However, the latest video gives us a clear view of the car, showcasing its exterior and interior design.
Although the overall shape and aesthetics look familiar to the brand, the car features a newly adopted design ethos that exudes a stylish city runabout look. The Fiat 600 has round headlights that blend into the hood, along with semi-circular fog lights, which are reminiscent of the new 500.
Just another day in the office for Davey Todd, but a frightful and heart-pounding one for others. Check out this British racer’s run on the Isle of Man TT, aboard his Honda.
Hear that idle? That is the sound of Davey’s CBR1000RR-R with its 180-degree inline-four pumping out over 200 ponies of power, on some sticky rubber, and just about ready to go tackle the course. Hearing an inline-four engine spool up is still an amazing experience for many, and let’s grace your screens with a show of sights, sounds, and screams.
Davey Todd races for the Padgett’s Motorcycles Honda team, and the conditions were great on the day of the race, enough for the onboard footage to look clear and for the bike to run at full tilt.
Posted on the Isle of Man TT’s YouTube channel, in addition to special on-board footage, the channel also has more content for you to digest such as highlights, round-ups, and more.
It’s interesting to see just how much the rider’s head shifts and moves during these high-speed Isle of Man TT races. TT riders are often touted as the most daring in the world, going in excess of 150 miles per hour and easily averaging over 120 miles per hour per run.
The intensity going at that speed will be enough to make most riders slow down and let off the throttle, but these racers are truly a different breed, unleashing everything that their race bikes have to offer, and Davey Todd is no exception.
The entire video goes on and on for 18 minutes of intense high-speed action, and it is a testament to the training and the planning that Isle of Man TT racers undergo for just about 20 minutes of some of the most intense riding in the world. Death is a common occurrence at these speeds, and many riders have unfortunately lost their lives to this grand spectacle of an event.
So, that’s that. Check the video out, because it’s a rare glimpse for us, mere mortals, to see what goes on aboard these TT race bikes, or you can enter the TT in the virtual world courtesy of a video game.
The 2023 3-Bros 10 Hours of Glen Helen took place this weekend under a gift of cloudy skies. That’s a rare treat for Southern California riders in June. Usually this particular round of the Glen Helen Enduro Series suffers from 100-degree temperatures. Not this time. The 8-mile course held up well and the event had a record turnout. The winners were considered a shoo-in from the start. A four-man team of Dante Oliveira, Mateo Oliveira, Taylor Robert and Ryan Morias seemed like an overwhelmingly talent-heavy combination. As the race unfolded, though, there were several teams who cold have stolen the overall. One was the duo of Carter Klein and Clayton Roberts, who held the lead for well over an hour in the morning. Trouble forced the Klein/Roberts team back to third for a period while Tyler Nicholson’s team came to the front. Eventually Nicholson settled for fourth. The Dirt Bike magazine team of Colton Udall, Nic Garvin and Ciaran Naran had a rough start. They broke a pipe on the third lap and dropped all the way back to 23rd. They persevered and eventually finished fourth overall. The Ironman class was big, with 20 riders who were willing to go solo. Kevin Barbosa ran as high as 13th overall before the inevitable fatigue set in. He finished 29th overall in the end with Zach Luce only one lap behind in second. For full results go to Glenhelen.com
Taylor Robert made a return to racing at the 10 Hours of Glen Helen.
Clayton Roberts and Carter Klein were a threat to win in the early stages of the race.
Tyler Nicholson, RJ Warda and Cody Simpson earned third overall.Team Dirt Bike finished fourth after a broken pipe put them as far back as 23rd.Kevin Barbosa was the top Ironman.The Industry class was taken by Brandon Patton, Jeff Delaney and Dennis Stapleton.Team DB2 took the mini class with Jacob Tilley, Kodiak Lehman, Jett Lessing and Brennan Watson.
Believe it or not, the outgoing Lexus GX had been in production for 14 years which is a long time. This may come as a surprise with the previous SUV receiving so many updates, but it was fundamentally the same vehicle from 2009.
The third generation GX was just unveiled, and it is an all-new vehicle built from the ground up. There have been significant changes made to make the GX competitive in today’s market. From a new platform and engine to better technology and safety features, the GX is setting up to be one of the best new vehicles in its segment. This GX may be around for a long time since Lexus/Toyota doesn’t introduce new models so often. Let’s take a look at what we get with this new model compared to the old one.
The new GX rides on an all-new TNGA-F platform introduced on the current LX600 and Toyota Land Cruiser. This is the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) that will be used on all upcoming Lexus/Toyota models. It is still a body-on-frame chassis but it is lighter, stronger, and still maintains its off-road capability.
New double wishbone suspension is used in the front with independent multilink rear suspension. Gone is the old hydraulic unit which is now replaced with Electronic Power Steering. These changes help improve on-road handling and off-road capabilities. Towing capacity has also increased with a max capacity of up to 8,000 pounds, the old GX had a max towing capacity of 6,500 pounds.
A New Rugged Design
Lexus
A front-facing shot of the 2024 Lexus GX and 2023 Lexus GX
Without a doubt, you can tell this is a different vehicle from its exterior design. While the outgoing SUV was getting more aggressive with its facelifts, the initial platform could only allow for limited changes. The new GX has become very boxy and aggressive, it looks like a merger between a G-Wagon, Jeep Wrangler, and the Land Rover Defender.
The aforementioned SUVs look great since they’ve had the same shape since inception and have aged very well. This is a good thing as we expect the GX to be around for a long time and will probably age well too. Its new muscular look also makes it imposing and emphasizes its off-road capabilities. No one will make any mistake about the intent of this car.
Despite its rugged look, there are many modern design elements in the new GX. While the spindle grill is still huge, it has been raised slightly with a shorter front overhang to improve front clearance. The triple-beam LED Headlamp is also integrated seamlessly into the grill giving it a cleaner look. The overall width of the vehicle has also increased by 3.74 inches to achieve a more stable stance. Its wheelbase is now 2.36 inches longer than the previous vehicle which means a bit more room inside the cabin.
Lexus
Rear 3/4 shot of the 2024 Lexus GX Premium
Adding to the boxy stance of the GX are 32-inch tires with the option of either 20 or 22-inch wheels which will complement the aggressive looks very well. Although they may be bigger, the designs of these new wheels look very similar to the ones used on the previous-gen, but those only went up to 20 inches. There are eleven exterior colors available but are dependent on the Premium, Luxury, or Overtrail trims.
At the rear, there’s nothing much to talk about except that it looks taller since the tailgate is completely flat. Light bars are the new trend and the new GX has a full-width rear tail light. Due to customer feedback, the new GX now has a pop-out window, power liftgate, and kick sensor for ease of use especially when your hands are full.
But this engine seems to be detuned for this application as it makes 400 horsepower in the LX 600 but maintains the same torque figure. The transmission is also a new ten-speed automatic sending power to a standard full-time four-wheel drive system.
Fuel economy would also improve with this new GX since the old V-8 model was a gas guzzler at 15/19 MPG city/highway. The new GX will offer an estimated 17 mpg combined. Lexus has also announced that there will be a hybrid model to join the lineup later which will further increase fuel economy.
Updated Lexus Interior And Features
Lexus
Interior shot of the 2024 Lexus GX dashboard
Despite looking like a bully on the outside, let’s not forget the GX is a luxury vehicle and has a new interior with updated features for added safety and comfort. Right in front of the driver is a new 12.3-inch full gauge cluster. The all-new instrument panel is now lower which makes the controls easy to reach.
A new 14-inch center touchscreen is now standard with physical climate control knobs, the outgoing GX only had a 10.3-inch center screen. It’s also equipped with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto where the previous-gen used a wire. You still get a gear selector stick with a knob to switch between different drive modes.
Lexus
Interior of a 2024 Lexus GX Premium
Three-row seating is still available with the option of captain’s chairs or bench seat configuration in the second row. Getting into the third row is also made easier with a one-motion tumble system. Six illuminated charging ports are available throughout the interior with a wireless charging pad in the center console and 12 cupholders.
Music lovers will be treated to crisp music from the optional 21-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound system, but the 10-speaker surround system comes as standard. Additional options include Heads Up Display, Traffic Jam Assist, and a digital key that can be given to friends and family to access your car through their smartphones. Equipped with Lexus Safety System+, new active safety systems include Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, All-speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Tracing Assist, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Road Sign Assist, and Proactive Driving Assist.
Front 3/4 shot of the 2024 Lexus GX Overtrail on a hill
Just like Toyota has the TRD and TRD Pro trim, the new GX has a new Overtrail and Overtrail+ trim which adds some off-road features to the GX. The GX is the first vehicle to receive this trim as part of the “Overtrail Project” which will appear on other vehicles. Lexus also plans to sell factory parts and accessories as well as off-road experiences to support this trim. Black roofs are available with four exterior colors to create a two-tone effect.
33-inch all-terrain tires are standard with 18-inch wheels, black over fenders instead of body-colored, and aluminum skid plate as standard. These are only available on the Overtrail and Overtrail+ trim. Off-road systems include Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, Downhill Assist, and 3D Multi-Terrain Monitor systems which are standard on the GX Overtrail. You also get an Electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System for improved wheel articulation and an E-locking rear differential exclusively on the Overtrail for maximum traction.
The old GX has been a favorite for people who wanted a rugged Luxury SUV with off-road capabilities. Its old V-8 may be gone, but the new V-6 offers more torque necessary for towing and better fuel economy. The new GX offers a completely new design with a new powertrain and a host of new technology and safety features. It has been improved in every aspect and is already a better vehicle than the old one. Lexus doesn’t change cars often, but when they do, they do a great job.
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