Moriwaki MD250H vs Aprilia RS125 Shootout

Modern sportbikes are wonders of technology, packed with aircraft-grade aluminum, magnesium and titanium. And yet, most street-going sportbikes scale in at ready-to-ride weights of more than 400 pounds. So, how about if you could have a sportbike that weighs fully half of what a Yamaha R6 does?
Well, the Moriwaki MD250H fits the bill, with a sub-200-lb claimed tally of pounds.
So we loaded up the race-only Moriwaki alongside a revvy Aprilia RS125 two-stroker and headed off to the Streets of Willow racetrack to gauge the performance of these GP-bred tiddlers.  Despite ultra-modest power output, the ring-dinger and the thumper were able to dance around much more powerful literbikes thanks to their incredible agility. Our day at a Fastrack Riders event was more thrilling than it would’ve been with larger and more powerful bikes, and it proved to be one of our most memorable days at the track.

On the left is the Moriwaki MD250H powered by a four-stroke Honda motor. On the right is the Aprilia RS125, one of the last sport motorcycles available with a two-stroke engine.

Changing of the Guard?
When the opportunity to test these bikes together opened up, we envisioned the shootout as a two-stroke-versus-four-stroke comparo, delving into the positive attributes of each. However, it soon became apparent the Moriwaki is a pure-bred racebike while the Aprilia is a hot-rodded streetbike. As such, the differences were too huge for a true shootout, but our findings were nevertheless interesting.
Aprilia RS125 – Almost Streetable
The RS125 is a mixture of disparate qualities. On one hand(lebar), it’s a tiddler GP bike in the traditional sense, characterized by its two-stroke 125cc engine. The RS125 comes by its Grand Prix persona authentically, as Aprilia has had much success in the 125cc and 250cc GP categories. The RS comes equipped with the racing livery of Jorge Lorenzo’s 2007 world championship-winning 250cc GP bike, a Fortuna cigarettes sponsor that displayed “Spain’s No.1” in countries where tobacco sponsorship is outlawed.

Aprilia leans on its multitude of roadracing world championships to deliver its two-strokin’ RS125. Although street-legal in Europe, American imports are limited only to racetrack use. Italian exotica doesn’t come any cheaper than its $5,499 MSRP.

On the other handlebar, the RS125 has few parts in common with Aprilia’s actual 125cc GP bike. This RS is instead built for an entry-level sportbike rider in Europe, so it is a larger, heavier and less powerful machine than its GP brethren. It’s also cleaner, incorporating a catalytic converter in European versions to meet emissions regulations.
Unfortunately for North Americans, the RS125’s tuning can’t meet our EPA regs, so the little Aprilia is imported only for racetrack use. U.S.-spec RS125s are shipped with a power-up kit that includes a freer-flowing exhaust system, a new ECU with special tuning for the race-type exhaust valve, and tweaked jetting for its 28mm carburetor.
Moriwaki MD250H – Breeding improving the race

Japan’s Moriwaki Engineering plucked four-stroke Honda CRF250X dirtbike engines and installed them in a bespoke aluminum beam grand-prix-style frame as an evolution from the 125cc two-stroke GP engines. It is perhaps the narrowest four-stroke motorcycle you can buy.

Japan’s Moriwaki Engineering has long history of building racebikes, and the MD250H is what it sees as the evolution of the 125cc two-stroke GP racing platform, recognizing the gradual extinction of two-stroke motorcycle engines.
As in motocross, the theory is that a 250cc four-stroke powerplant is roughly the equivalent of a 125cc two-cycle engine, so Moriwaki hatched a deal with Honda to supply the liquid-cooled 250cc single-cylinder powerplant from the CRF250X off-road dirtbike.
"...the Moriwaki is built from the ground up as a pure racing machine..."
The MD250H borrows heavily from the Honda RS125 racebike platform, using its fork, wheels, brakes and radiator attached to a bespoke Moriwaki-designed aluminum twin-spar frame designed to hold the Honda dirtbike engine. Moriwaki also builds its own swingarms and exhaust systems.
Unlike the Aprilia, the Moriwaki is built from the ground up as a pure racing machine, and it’s so tiny that the RS125 looks like a liter-sized sportbike in comparison. Its wheelbase of 48.4 inches is nearly 10 inches shorter than a Ducati Streetfighter, and its claimed tank-empty weight of just 194 pounds is about 200 pounds less than a GSX-R600!
Corner Speed Connection
With only around 30 mild but enthusiastic horses at the rear wheel, these lightweights rely on corner speed to yield quick lap times. And what fun it was riding around the outside of literbikes ridden by moderately talented trackday pilots! It was oddly and deeply satisfying to keep the throttle pinned through the track’s Turn 1 kink on both bikes.

Tearing around on these tiddlers at Streets of Willow was hugely entertaining.

We need to give a shout-out to the friendly crew at Fastrack Riders who let us barge in to their event. For more about the trackday provider, check out this article we wrote.
I couldn’t wait to sample the racy Moriwaki, so I quickly called dibs before Pete did. Swinging a leg over its short 29.0-inch seat is ridiculously easy, but finding the ultra-rear-set footpegs is a challenge. Tight ergos require much folding of limbs – this wouldn’t be a good choice for those who shop at the Big & Tall store. Unlike most GP bikes, this one fires up with electric assist.
With just 15 degrees of steering sweep to each side, the MD’s turning radius is approximately the same as a Kenworth’s. It is so limited that no less than two (!) journos from another magazine tipped it over while turning around in the pits at a previous test!

The MD250H is an amazingly potent track tool.

It's a well-worn cliché to say, “You only have to think about a turn and you're leaning into it,” but it's truly not hyperbole with this bike! It’s so responsive that it requires several laps before your gray matter can tune in to its incredible agility. A 24.5-degree rake and 122mm of trail don’t sound very aggressive, but the bike is so light and the wheelbase so short that it can be bent onto its side in less time than you can say MotoGP.
“Truly telepathic steering response!” raved Senior Editor Pete Brissette. “I’ve never ridden a bike that’s so sensitive to the slightest change in body position or minor steering inputs. It’s almost unnatural. My first session or two on the MD was spent learning to not over steer or apex multiple times in some of the larger turns.”
Feedback at both ends is very direct, especially through the spindly-looking but effective 35mm fork and its low-mount clip-ons. The MD is very low and mass-centralized, and its little 1.8-gallon fuel tank is filled with a high-tech foam insert that eliminates fuel sloshing that can subtly alter weight distribution when accelerating and braking.

The Aprilia RS125 is considerably larger and heavier than the Moriwaki, but it still comports itself well on a racetrack.

Super-narrow (95/70-17, 115/70-17) slick-type Dunlop KR racing tires contribute to the Moriwaki’s nimbleness, and we were impressed with their grip, never really finding their limits. “Never any question of loss of side grip,” Pete notes, “and they translated plenty of feel.”
In comparison to the diminutive MD250, Aprilia’s RS125 seems like a 600cc sportbike, with much roomier and humane ergonomics that can accommodate full-size adults. Aside from its engine displacement, everything is bigger with the Aprilia – including its weight, about 100 lbs heftier than the Moriwaki.
The RS125 actually steers with 600-killing dexterity, but it requires much greater effort to turn quickly than the incredible Moriwaki. A lazy 25.5-degree rake and wider tires (110/70-17, 150/60-17) contribute to its blunter handling.
“The Aprilia has a stable and responsive chassis, but still not as lightning-quick steering as the Honda,” says Pete.
Similarly, the RS125’s suspension isn’t in the same league as the MD250, with softish, street-biased springs and shock preload the only adjustment. Conversely, the higher-end Showa suspension on the Moriwaki is race ready with full adjustability. The racetrack also revealed the Aprilia’s relative lack of ground clearance, as there was more than enough grip from the Dunlop GPR-A tires to scrape its footpegs

The RS125 is equipped with Aprilia’s typically excellent detailing, but the Moriwaki exemplifies a higher level of componentry and refinement.

The RS125’s braking performance is quite good, as it uses a large 320mm single-disc brake and a radially mounted 4-piston differential-bore caliper. However, it can’t top the exemplary feel and performance of the Moriwaki’s Nissin 4-piston caliper biting on a 296mm floating rotor. Having to slow 100 fewer pounds contributes greatly to its ability to get it quickly slowed.
Engine-eering
Both bikes are powered by a liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine fed by a carburetor, and that’s where any similarities end. The Aprilia is handicapped in this comparison because of its street-legal roots. A full-race 125cc two-stroke GP motor will annihilate the Moriwaki’s CRF250X mill in terms of peak power.

Despite the Aprilia’s power-up kit, its 125cc two-stroke motor struggled to keep pace with the four-strokin’ Moriwaki.

The two-stroke Aprilia RS125 engine was co-developed by Rotax, and it incorporates an anti-vibration balance shaft, crankcase reed-valve intake and an oil-injection system to automatically mix oil with fuel. Some Aprilia scooters use “Pure Jet” technology to clean two-stroke exhaust emissions, but the company’s Rick Panettieri says its addition to the RS125 would bump up the MSRP by about $1,500, giving it an unappealing $7,000 price tag for such a lightweight street machine.
As expected from a small two-cycle engine, torque isn’t a strong suit. It needs to be turning at least 7500 rpm before any meaningful power is delivered, and peak torque (if you can call it that) of 17.6 ft-lbs arrives way up at 10,000 rpm. Max horsepower of 27.0 hits just 250 rpm later, and power falls of precipitously almost immediately after. Despite the racier pipe and ECU tuning, the motor feels corked up. Much of every lap was spent with the throttle at its stop.
This narrow range of power forces a rider to be precise during every gear shift, as there’s not much pull on tap even when in its optimum rev range.
“The 2000-rpm powerband range is too small,” Pete laments. “It demands the bike be on the pipe almost all the time. If I weren’t well into the powerband, or even a bit beyond, into over-rev, shifting would drop me out of the powerband.”

Rev for rev, the Moriwaki’s 250cc four-stroke motor out-muscles the limper Aprilia two-stroke mill.

Thwarting perfect shifts is a gearbox not as slick as we would like. The two-cycle motor supplies almost non-existent engine braking, making the first few corner entries more adrenaline-inducing than expected.
The Honda-sourced four-stroke mill in the Moriwaki feels muscle-bound in comparison. Aside from being reluctant to pull full throttle cleanly until 6000 rpm, it proved to be incredibly cooperative with its broad spread of power. Thanks to Gene Thomason Racing in Torrance, California (310/618-1908) which strapped these bikes to the dyno for accurate rear-wheel power figures.
The MD’s motor tugs surprisingly strong from 8000 to 12,000 rpm, aided by the bike’s scarcity of mass. Peak torque of 17.6 ft-lbs hits at 7500 rpm, so there’s enough grunt to allow a short-shift and still maintain a quick pace, even able to run a gear high without losing much time. A maximum of 32.6 hp is reached at 11,000 rpm, and there’s a generous 2000-rpm over-rev zone in which power gently tapers off.

This torque dyno chart dramatically demonstrates the Aprilia’s grunt disadvantage.

“Using this tiny 250cc Single to chase down 1000cc superbikes was nothing short of invigorating fun!” Pete exclaims. “Once again I realized that it’s much more entertaining to go fast on slow bikes than to go slow on fast bikes.”

Current 125 GP racer Daytona Anderson tearing it up on the four-stroke Moriwaki. This 12-year-old rips!

The burly sound the thumper emits belies its small displacement. The 250X powertrain has some wide gear spacings in its 5-speed tranny, so it's sometimes preferable to rev it out to the 13K rev limit so engine speeds don't drop too low during upshifts. The gearbox is smooth and slick, and there’s barely any engine braking so there's no real need for a slipper clutch.
If there’s a negative about the Honda CRF250X motor, it’s that it’s not the more powerful CRF250R motocross bike engine that can better compete with race-spec 125cc two-stroke powerplants. Competitive power is said to be available by bolting in the 250R’s lumpier camshafts.
As it is, the 250X motor doesn’t have the top-end pull of a 125cc two-stroke such as a Honda RS125 like we got to sample for a few laps. Raced by 12-year-old Daytona Anderson, the Honda GP bike accelerated much more vigorously at full revs, a result of more power and slightly less weight. It would be quicker than a stock MD250H in the hands of an expert, but it was so incredibly peaky that it was very difficult to manage. I surely turned  better lap times on the easier-to-ride Moriwaki.
After winning the SCMiniGP overall title in 2009, Anderson is devoting the 2010 race season to riding his 125 in WERA and USGPRU competition (which both have classes and generous contingency programs for the MD250H). The kid shows amazing speed for being so young and only recently beginning racing on pavement. Keep an eye on him at DaytonaAnderson.com.

The ultra-peaky powerband of Anderson’s Honda RS125 racebike proved tricky to master.

The Verdict
This bike pairing was brought together by their small displacements and track-only intentions, but yet they exist on different planes altogether. The MD250H is a pure racing machine, stripped down to the bare minimum to achieve the ultimate goal of quick lap times. Its Honda engine is superior to the Aprilia’s lump in every performance measure, and its one-third less weight is a huge advantage when cutting fast laps.

The MD250H is a stunningly intoxicating motorcycle. Pricey, though.

Our seat-of-the-pants impressions were corroborated by Fastrack’s lap timers. Pete went 3.1 seconds faster on the Moriwaki, and I clocked a time 6.3 seconds quicker on it. Let there be no doubt the MD250H gets around a racetrack more rapidly than the RS125. There were several track sessions in which not a single rider overtook the scything Moriwaki.
"Let there be no doubt the MD250H gets around a racetrack more rapidly than the RS125."
However, GP levels of performance don’t come cheap. The Moriwaki has a retail price of a haughty $12,699, more than twice the RS125’s MSRP of $5,499. Also factor in a larger chunk of change when it comes time to rebuild the more complicated four-stroke powerplant. Considering the Aprilia’s rational ergonomic package and its exotic nature despite a reasonable price, a convincing case can be made for the highly amusing Italian bike. 

The Aprilia RS125 is a more accessible bike in terms of both ergonomics and price.

“Despite the Aprilia’s lily-livered power,” says Pete, “I think I’d still prefer it to the MD for the simple fact that its ergos are more sensible for adults, even shorter folks. And considering the MSRP is around half that of the MD, I could spend, I dunno, another $3Gs to tune the engine and upgrade the suspension, and still have money left over to spend on finding someone willing to legalize (wink) the Aprilia for the street.”
But if you’re looking for a small-bore track bike, the Moriwaki/Honda machine has much higher capabilities that proved to be endlessly entertaining. It must have been demoralizing for the ZX-10R and CBR1000RR riders at Willow who were regularly ridden around the outside of turns by the toy-sized Moriwaki. But those frowns were totally upside down inside the helmets of the MD250 rider screaming around the track with improbable speed. It makes a rider feel like an underdog even though he or she might have the best bike on the track.
The MD250H’s combination of track focus, composure, extremely light weight, incredible agility and shockingly flexible engine gives it a personality and effectiveness that can’t be matched by any other production machine. The price is lofty, but the rewards are extraordinary.

Chasing each other around the racetrack has rarely been this much fun.

Tale of the Tape – Specs at a glance
	Aprilia RS125	Moriwaki MD250H
Engine	124.8cc 2-stroke	249.4cc 4-stroke
Bore/Stroke	54.0 x 54.5mm	78.0 x 52.2mm
Rev Limit	10,750 rpm	13,000 rpm
Peak HP	27.0 hp at 10,250 rpm	32.6 hp at 11,000 rpm
Peak Torque	13.9 ft-lbs at 10,000 rpm	17.6 ft-lbs at 7500 rpm
Transmission	6-speed	5-speed
Chassis	Twin-spar aluminum	Twin-spar aluminum
Rake	25.5 degrees	24.5 degrees
Trail	102mm	122mm
Wheelbase	52.9 inches	48.4 inches
Seat Height	31.7 inches	29.0 inches
Fork Diameter	40mm	35mm
Front Brake	320mm, 4-piston caliper	296mm, 4-piston caliper
Fuel Capacity	14 liters (3.7 gals)	7 liters (1.8 gals)
Claimed Weight	302 lbs (street-equipped)	194 lbs
MSRP	$5,499	$12,699

2011 Honda CRF250R Review

When we took it off the track, for a lap of our local national hare scramble course, we found the bike’s best niche. In bone stock condition, right down to the suspension settings, we found the little Honda had the potential to be one of the best off-road race bikes of the year. With that in mind we were anxious to try the 2011 on our local track…and trails…and anywhere else we could think of riding it!

What was good in 2010 is even better in 2011, thanks to careful refinement of EFI settings and suspension tuning.

For 2011 Honda made a few changes, the biggest falling right into line with our discovery of the bike’s high fun factor last year. Quiet is good anywhere, but nowhere is it more important than off the track. For 2011 the CRF250R comes with a (huge round of applause!) 94dbA muffler! Although it doesn’t feature a spark arrestor, the exhaust note is refreshingly quiet at lower revs while sounding powerful but not obnoxious with the throttle pinned. Nice.

Fuel Injection calibration changes and lower-overall gearing combine with the new exhaust to boost power for 2011.

The mapping of the battery-less fuel injection system has been changed to suit the new exhaust, with the end result being a claimed increase in power. Further helping matters is a change in final drive gearing, with a larger 49-tooth rear sprocket making life easier for the clutch and the rider.
In the chassis department, the 227-pound machine has a 48mm Showa fork with a revised damping curve to smooth out last year’s mid-stroke harshness. The shock has also been updated for 2011, with damping rates intended to balance out the overall feel of the bike. The steering damper has also been updated with a new, larger piston.
The fuel-injected engine takes a few kicks to light when cold, partially because the EFI system needs a bit of a spin to charge it up but also just…umm…because? In 2010 we were amazed at how easily the bike started, for a 250F or anything else for that matter. This year it was a little more reluctant to fire, normally taking about three kicks regardless of engine temp. Weird.

Confidence inspiring. The new CRF250R is incredibly easy to ride.

The transmission and clutch work great, making full power shifts quick and easy with or without the clutch. In fact, during the course of our test we never missed one single shift on this bike! The change in gearing, fuel-injection calibration and new exhaust system makes a world of difference, with less clutch abuse necessary to keep the bike on the pipe than last year. If anything the bike has a little more midrange than in 2010, but it is still a revver. Consider it an exceptionally smooth, torquey 125 or (if you’re old enough to remember…) a really fast KDX200 and you’ll have the right idea. It pulls hard, but in a workmanlike fashion that our novice and intermediate test riders loved but left our Pros wanting more.
Where it works great is on slippery, technical terrain. In the woods, and even on our little Endurocross track, the ultra-smooth low and midrange power were great, letting us poke around at low rpm like a trials bike with great traction. Overall the engine is very confidence inspiring, even if it’s not the fastest bike in its class. It never farts or flames out, never overheated and never did anything other than run great for the duration of our test.

In 2010 we thought the suspension was a bit soft for full-on motocross. Our novice to Pro test riders range from 150 to 200 pounds, if you’re wondering. For 2011 we felt the same way, thinking we could use stiffer fork springs no matter where we rode the bike. These are the suspension settings we ended up using most:

Our Preferred Suspension Settings
Fork	Compression, stock 6. We ran at 4 clicks out.
	Rebound, stock 10. We ran at 5 clicks out.
	Height: We preferred the bike’s cornering with the fork raised 7mm in the triple clamps.
Shock	HSCD, stock.
	LSCD, stock 8. We ran 5 clicks out.
	Rebound, stock 10. We ran 6 clicks out.

The Honda turned better on the track and in the woods after we slid the fork 7mm up in the tripleclamps. A little tweaking with the adjustable steering damper kept the bike going pretty straight at speed, so the slight instability was a worthwhile tradeoff for improved cornering.

During our test the bike stayed tight and kept its good looks. Nobody complained too loudly about anything, but everyone raved about how easy the bike was to ride. For a smaller rider moving up from the minis to the 250F class the Honda is a prime choice. It’s revvy, feels light and small and is never, ever intimidating. Hard core play riders will love it. For off-road racers the CRF250R just might be the magic ticket. If it were ours to keep we’d throw in stiffer fork springs, add some armor, an o-ring chain and our number plates on it and aim for the nearest race. MX, Off-road, Endurocross, whatever, the 2011 CRF250R is simply a really good all-around dirt bike. Really, really good! Thanks to Honda Canada and Machine Racing for providing our test bike!

2012 Honda Gold Wing Unveiled

Today Honda unveiled the updated 2012 Gold Wing as a new model available in May 2011. Although Honda doesn’t list a 2011 model for the Wing, we won’t discount the year-long lapse between 2010 and 2012 (even though Honda does) against what otherwise marks the 37^th year since the Wing was set free upon the roads, way back in ’75.
We’re sure the new GW upholds classic Wing characteristics – like a stable yet responsive chassis, smooth, linear engine power, and Barcalounger-like comfort – that have made this Honda a favorite among the touring set. Yet this latest iteration of the Wing is well within the previous model’s shadow.

The 2012 Honda Gold Wing. A revised main fairing wears a sportier, slightly more aggressive look, while the side fairing appears more integrated, its silver hue creating a two-tone color scheme.

The few significant revisions the ’12 does see are devoted largely to the rider environment and styling, leaving the 1832cc, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine untouched, with the chassis mostly following suit.
What’s new for the GW?
Revised styling is seen in the reshaped taillight, and the main fairing is slightly sportier looking with new dual vents just above the dual headlights.
A new, sleeker side fairing/radiator panel in a silvery finish creates a two-tone color scheme on the four available colors (blue, black, red and white). The restyled panel also wears a new Honda emblem that looks identical to one found on the CBR1000RR. Honda says the revised fairing improves wind protection, specifically to the lower body/legs area.

A restyled taillight is part of the Wing’s updated appearance.

The new Wing wears a somewhat sharper, cleaner look; and we usually welcome a freshened up face. But in light of the revisions to the fairing and styling – not to mention the year off between models! – we have to ask Honda, “Why no electronically adjustable windshield?”
To this day, the Gold Wing remains one of the few big tourers without a pushbutton adjustment for the windscreen. Honda’s own, long-running ST1300 has it. Why not the mighty Wing?
Saddlebag capacity is up 7.0 liters, boosting total storage – including trunk and fairing pockets – to 150.0 liters. Non-airbag models also get a central storage pocket, presumably where the airbag would otherwise reside on so-equipped models. Finish on the seat material is updated, and the wheels are now clear-coated to ease clean up and to help maintain a like-new look.

The 2012 Gold Wing is now iPod plug ‘n’ play. Judging by this image it appears the iPod/MP3 player interfaces with the bike via a connector in the trunk. We’d like to have seen a more convenient location, perhaps somewhere up front in a space created specifically for the player.

The Honda Satellite Linked Navigation System (available on some GW models) has a brighter color screen, and offers “programmability for sharing favorite ride routes with friends and other riders,” which can be accessed online according to Honda.
The Wing’s primo sound system (on all models), featuring SRS CS Auto technology surround-sound, now readily accepts MP3 players and allows for full control over the player via controllers on the handlebar switchgear. XM radio remains an available option on the Navi package model. Honda says instrumentation is also updated on all Wings.
Other notable changes on the 2012 GW are “revised suspension settings,” that make for a more compliant ride leading to increased comfort, so say Honda press materials.
Though Honda doesn’t elaborate on specific changes to suspension, a quick peek at specs for the 2012 model reveals that, while rear suspension travel of 4.1 inches remains unchanged from the previous model, the new Wing sees a decrease of 0.7 inches from the 2009-10 model’s 5.5 inches of travel in the 45mm fork.
The new GW has also gained a few.
Claimed curb weight for the 2012 model is 904 – 933 pounds (depending on the trim level), where the most recent Wing’s curb weight was 895 – 928 pounds.

The GW’s comprehensive navigation system gets a brighter color screen and now provides the ability to share favorite rides and routes online.

Fuel capacity seems to have increased from 6.6 gallons to 6.7 gallons. However, it wouldn’t surprise us if this nominal increase in fuel capacity were merely an oversight in the specs. We’ve encountered bigger typos on other OEM websites and materials. But, hey, if one-tenth of a gallon means the difference between refueling and walking, we’ll take it!
Sizing up the new Wing
As Honda’s flagship model, the Gold Wing has arguably been an iconic leader in the touring motorcycle segment. For decades the big GW has set standards for the potential of chassis and engine performance in full-decked touring rigs.
Nevertheless, it’s a little disappointing the Gold Wing lacks innovation in 2012, receiving only cursory updates after so many years of relatively little change. This doesn’t bode too well in the face BMW’s soon coming all-new K1600GT and GTL.
These full-fledged Beemer tourers offer a host of amenities, too, not the least of which is the familiar-by-now and useful pushbutton suspension, aka ESA II. The K bike’s new, optional “Adaptive Headlight” also sounds trick, and joins a number of other practical options like traction control and Bluetooth capability, to name a few hi-tech things, while selectable ride modes is a standard feature.

The Gold Wing is renowned as a two-up touring motorcycle.

Furthermore, if you’re a bit of a gearhead, note that BMW claims 160 peak crank horsepower at 7750 and 129 ft-lb at 5250 rpm for the new K bike, as Mr. Duke informed us from the bikes’ unveiling at Leno’s place. The Gold Wing’s flat-six, while reasonably powerful, has a lot of catching up to do.
The last time we tested a Wing – 2009 Luxury Touring Shootout – the Honda spun the dyno for a best result of 96 hp at 5600 rpm and 103 ft-lbs at 4200 rpm. Factor out the average power loss for a shaft final-drive and the BMW still dusts the Wing with what we’d estimate as 136 – 140 rear wheel horsepower for the K16.
The torque span, at an estimated 113 – 110 ft-lbs, is a little less dramatic when compared to the Honda. The BMWs also weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 135 pounds fewer than the GW.
Perhaps a lower MSRP is an equalizer for the Gold Wing? Nope. Doesn’t look that way.
Honda has 2012 Gold Wing pricing currently set at $23,199 to $28,499 depending on the options package – a marginal increase of $300 to $600 from 2010 pricing.
BMW recently announced U.S. pricing for the K1600GT, available in three package levels, at $20,900 to $24,540. The more luxurious K1600GTL is set to ring in at $23,200 for the base version, and $25,845 for the Premium model.

With so few major revisions to the Gold Wing in the past several model years we’ll take any changes we can get to the mighty Wing. Yet, in the face of mounting competition from BMW, is it a case of too little too late for the Gold Wing?

The Gold Wing hasn’t seen a ground-up redo in quite a while. Considering updates to the 2012 model amount to a skosh more than BNG (“bold new graphics”), we’re left to wonder how much longer we’ll have to wait until the Gold Wing is again the standard bearer for touring motorcycles.

2011 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS Preview

When Harley-Davidson shuttered its Buell Motorcycle Company subsidiary in October 2009, America’s greatest motorcycle pioneer of the last three decades, Erik Buell, seemed to be out of the bike-building business.
But anyone who is familiar with the ever-tenacious Erik Buell knew that we’d again see him and his influence in another streetbike. It was only a matter of time.
Well, that time became this weekend at the Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana, when Mr. Buell rolled out his new 1190RS streetbike.
“I’m into this deep!” he told Motorcycle.com during the bike’s debut, with a mix of elation and exhaustion painted on his face.

Erik Buell enters the next chapter in his dream to produce an American sportbike that can compete with anything on the market. Enter the EBR 1190RS.

After Harley-Davidson killed the Buell Motorcycle Company, it restricted Buell from building streetbikes, allowing construction solely of racing motorcycles based on the previous production bikes. That agreement has now ended.
Buell’s vision of producing an American sportbike enters a new chapter with the 1190RS, a serious evolution of the 1190RR racebike privately campaigned during the 2010 AMA Superbike season with rider Geoff May.
Buell’s RS is cloaked in fresh new skin, now with a full fairing in a slim and edgy new design constructed of carbon fiber. Its nose is now much pointier, fitted with a pair of projector lens headlights stacked atop each other similar to Ducati’s 999 but in a more streamlined layout.
Meanwhile, the tailsection is skimpier than anything we’ve seen before, with just slits of bodywork underpinned by a spidery cast-magnesium subframe built in the USA.
Speaking of magnesium, the wheels of the RS are quite special. Magnesium alloys aren’t normally used for streetbike wheels, as the pounding from bumps and potholes can damage the stiff and relatively brittle metal.

The EBR 1190RS has roots in the Buell 1125R, but nearly everything is new, including a sharp new fairing and a more powerful engine. Weight is pared down to just 400 pounds.

But a newly developed casting process – ablation casting – has the ability to vary the properties of the metal depending on what’s needed where, and it enables complex castings in which the metal can be formed in a wide variety of thickness. It’s proving to work especially well for magnesium components which can be difficult to cast to precise levels. Buell says this new method allows a ductile rim area (able to slightly deform on impact to retain structural integrity), while the spoke and hub region can be built stiff enough to support the motorcycle.

A bullet-shaped nose is far more stylish than the 1125R's wide proboscis.

The cockpit of the 1190RS shows off the billet-aluminum triple clamp holding an Ohlins fork. LCD gauge panel is from AIM.

The expensive efforts to reduce weight also include the adoption of a lithium-ion battery, helping bring down the total mass to less than 400 lbs (wet but without fuel).
Power for the 1190RS comes from a modded Buell 1125R engine, enlarged to 1190cc via a 106mm bore job. Rotax – builder and co-developer of the 1125R motor - bought back the rights to the engine from Harley, and it supplies EBR with a core unit that is then fitted with new cylinders, pistons, crank and cams. Ports are smoothed out with CNC machining. Titanium valves replace steel poppets to allow for higher revs, somewhere in the high 11,000-rpm range, according to Buell. The engine in race tune can spin up to 12,500 rpm. The 1190 motor recently passed EPA testing.

High-performance automotive brakes always incorporate cooling ducts, so, asks Buell, why shouldn’t motorcycles?

The cast-aluminum frame looks outwardly similar to the 1125R but is actually a fresh design, as is a new swingarm that incorporates chain drive instead of the 1125R’s belt.
Gone are the awkward dual side-mounted radiators that made the 1125R look fat, replaced by twin rads in front of the engine sandwiching an oil cooler near the belly pan.
Buell continues his predilection for a single-rotor front brake setup, now using a slightly different Nissin 8-piston caliper augmented by a dual-inlet carbon-fiber duct routing cool air to help shed heat. It’s something EBR has incorporated on its racebike since midway through last season.
No longer having to build bikes to fit a price point, Buell has equipped the RS with high-end componentry. Top-shelf Ohlins fork and shock handle suspension duties, while billet-aluminum is used for the foot controls and triple clamps.
As you might expect, all this exotic goodness has a lofty price tag. Base models start at $39,995, with a list of options that can boost the price up around $50K. Just 100 1190RSs will be built.
Selecting appropriate dealers is the next step for EBR. Buell says he doesn’t care what brand(s) a prospective dealer currently sells, but he insists on them being passionate about sportbikes. Initially, the first EBR 1190RSs will be sold from Buell’s operations in East Troy, Wisconsin, located in a corner of Buell’s former factory.

Along with lightweight magnesium and carbon-fiber parts, the use of billet aluminum adds to the 1190RS’s high-end appeal. It’s closer to an American-built Bimota than to any previous Buell streetbike.

Buell is well known for his years of endless dedication and hard work, but he’s again taken it to another level. “I’m working harder now than I’ve ever dreamed,” he told us. “I’m actually enjoying it in a strange, manic sense.”
And, knowing Buell, we expect there’s more to come from his fertile mind.
“There are lots of options,” he says about what might be next, including the possibility of new engines and fresh bike designs.
The 1190R platform continues development on the racetrack with rider Geoff May piloting the machine for another season in AMA Superbike competition.