This week’s compilation is jam-packed with new releases from main OEMs. We check out the brand new KTM 390 SMC R and 125 SMC R, the up to date Yamaha XMAX sport scooter, and the LiveWire S2 Alpinista electrical sport commonplace. A plucky Yamaha SR500 flat tracker lurks of their midst, flying the flag for customized bikes.
2025 KTM 390 SMC R and 125 SMC R We’re solely three weeks into 2025 and, to our shock, KTM has truly produced a handsome motorbike—two of them, actually. Regardless of the corporate’s monetary woes, they’ve simply unveiled the brand-new 2025 KTM 390 SMC R [above] and 125 SMC R. We’re tickled orange.
This new pair of SMC Rs joins the KTM supermoto lineup alongside the prevailing 690 SMC R. Though they have been impressed by their large brother, they make the 690 seem like a waterlogged flip-flop.
The place the 690 seems visually gentle on the entrance and heavy on the rear, the brand new fashions are completely proportioned, with a waspish tail and a muscular midsection. Their tank covers attain ahead and mix completely with the forefront of their high-mount entrance fenders.
Being supermotos, they journey on 17” wheels and have upright ergonomics extra akin to dust bikes. The KTM 125 SMC R [above] will get light-weight solid wheels, whereas the 390 is supplied with spokes.
Each fashions are geared up with LED lights throughout and 4.2-inch TFT dashboards. There are some smarts in-built, with riders in a position to entry music, incoming calls, and even turn-by-turn navigation by way of the brand new sprint. The KTM 390 SMC R provides switchable rider modes to the setup.
Powered by single-cylinder LC4 engines, the KTM 125 SMC R makes 11 kW [14.75 hp] and 11.5 Nm, whereas the 390 SMC R is sweet for 33 kW [44.25 hp] and 39 Nm. Past their differing engine capacities, the 2 bikes share a smorgasbord of elements.
Each use a 9-liter [2.38-gallon] gas tank, which, though small, is made from metallic and perched on high of a brand new trellis body. Adjustable WP suspension is discovered at each ends, and the clutch lever, brake lever, and footpegs are adjustable for riders to dial of their good setup. The 125 weighs in at 145 kg [319.7 lbs] whereas the 390 weighs barely extra at 154 kg [339.5 lbs].
Each bikes are designed by KTM and are in-built India, with the 390 presently listed at $5,499 on KTM’s US web site (the 125 doesn’t appear to be obtainable within the US proper now). That places it in the identical monetary ballpark as Triumph’s 400 cc choices, and a smidgen cheaper than the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401. We’re actually tempted. [Source]
2025 Yamaha XMAX All of us get to a stage in our lives the place it is sensible to park a scooter within the storage. They’re gentle on gas, simple to journey, and impossibly sensible. And, within the case of the brand new Yamaha XMAX, they’re sporty too.
The 2025 Yamaha XMAX is the Japanese marque’s tackle premium city mobility. Because of a newly optimized traction management system and 292 cc four-stroke engine, the XMAX will get away from stoplights sooner than most café racers—all whereas returning 73 miles per gallon [around 31 kilometers per liter].
The 15-inch entrance and 14-inch rear wheels are shod with Dunlop Scoot Good tires, and the sporty entrance finish has been reshaped to enhance aerodynamics and scale back wind buffeting. Extra importantly, the XMAX is now geared up with an digital windshield sporting 4 inches of adjustment. It’s like a child R1M, besides extra comfy and sensible.
The slick dashboard has been redesigned and is now cut up in two. The left facet encompasses a 3.2” LCD display screen that shows velocity whereas a 4.2” TFT display screen is on the correct displaying a digital tachometer. Yamaha Y-Join can also be included, permitting house owners to pair their smartphone with the brand new dashboard for further performance.
A USB-C socket has been added, together with a handlebar that may be adjusted by 20 mm. The flip indicators have been built-in into the entrance fairing, and the load of the brand new muffler has been diminished over the earlier mannequin.
Will the brand new XMAX design and options be sufficient to attract diehard motorcyclists into the sunshine of consolation and comfort? Most likely not, however we’ll maintain making an attempt to transform individuals anyway. [Source]
Yamaha SR500 by Workshop43 Within the customized world, few bikes rival the long-lasting standing of the Yamaha SR500. It’s versatile, easy, and comparatively low cost—three options that make it the best selection for any kind of customized bike.
When the chance to construct and race a flat tracker offered itself to Andi of Germany’s Workshop43, he jumped on the likelihood. And since Andi has a penchant for punchy singles, the SR500 was the plain start line.
Andi began by grafting the entrance finish from a Kawasaki ZX6R onto the Yamaha body. He additionally went the additional mile and constructed a body jig, in order that he may modify the headstock and steepen the steering head angle for sharper cornering. A steering damper was fitted to assist him maintain the flat monitor handlebars in verify, and the quantity plates have been constructed from scratch.
The wonderful tank patina was properly left alone, sitting above a rebuilt engine. Stronger valve springs, new valve seats, and a rebuilt carburetor assist scorching gasoline exit by way of the customized stainless-steel exhaust.
The Alcantara seat was stitched by Andi himself, and the rear wheel is from a KTM. The SR500’s subframe was chopped and looped, with a pleasant little fender bolted on for good measure. The entrance brake was eliminated (to fulfill flat monitor racing laws), with a Yamaha XS750 rear disc brake becoming a member of the fray.
The brilliant purple body pairs exceptionally nicely with the unrestored tank, and we love how the beat-up metallic contrasts with an engine that appears model new. Andi reviews that he had an absolute blast ripping the SR across the monitor—and we imagine him. [Source]
2025 LiveWire S2 Alpinista LiveWire has simply pulled the covers off the LiveWire S2 Alpinista—the third motorbike within the firm’s ‘S2’ lineup, after the Del Mar and Mulholland. It borrows styling cues from each of its stablemates, making it a somewhat good-looking electric providing.
Closest in design to LiveWire’s S2 Del Mar, the Alpinista’s adjustments are refined. Its seat peak is down 1.1 inches from the Del Mar, due to its smaller 17” wheels and shorter Showa suspension. Its 31.2-inch seat peak continues to be pretty excessive, however it’s helped alongside by a comparatively low weight of simply 196 kg [433 pounds].
The ten.5 kWh battery and electrical motor pump out a wholesome 84 hp and 263 Nm of torque, which is why the S2 Alpinista rockets silently to 60 mph in simply 3.0 seconds.
Pitched by LiveWire as a ‘sport commonplace,’ the Alpinista is claimed to mix “the city agility of a supermoto with the do-it-all nature of a touring bike.” To that finish, the wheels are wrapped in sticky Dunlop Roadsmart IV tires, with the stepped seat and handlebars creating an air of consolation. The LED headlight comes from the LiveWire S2 Mulholland, which in all probability received it from the elements bin of LiveWire’s guardian firm, Harley-Davidson.
Launching alongside the bike are a wide range of Alpinista-specific equipment. The record features a sports activities seat (that has a slight Harley Low Rider ST vibe), a windscreen, and mounts for comfortable and onerous panniers.
Beginning at $15,999 within the USA and £17,390 within the UK, the Alpinista is the most affordable possibility within the LiveWire lineup. That’s nonetheless a hefty quantity of coin for a motorbike with solely about 120 miles between prices although. [Source]
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