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 customary. 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 really produced a handsome bike—two of them, the truth is. 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 present 690 SMC R. Though they had been impressed by their huge brother, they make the 690 appear to be a waterlogged flip-flop.
The place the 690 appears visually mild 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 vanguard of their high-mount entrance fenders.
Being supermotos, they journey on 17” wheels and have upright ergonomics extra akin to grime bikes. The KTM 125 SMC R [above] will get light-weight forged wheels, whereas the 390 is provided with spokes.
Each fashions are outfitted 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 nice for 33 kW [44.25 hp] and 39 Nm. Past their differing engine capacities, the 2 bikes share a smorgasbord of parts.
Each use a 9-liter [2.38-gallon] gasoline tank, which, though small, is manufactured 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 excellent 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 at present listed at $5,499 on KTM’s US web site (the 125 doesn’t appear to be out there 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 definitely tempted. [Source]
2025 Yamaha XMAX All of us get to a stage in our lives the place it is smart to park a scooter within the storage. They’re mild on gasoline, straightforward 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. Due to 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 Sensible tires, and the sporty entrance finish has been reshaped to enhance aerodynamics and cut back wind buffeting. Extra importantly, the XMAX is now outfitted with an digital windshield sporting 4 inches of adjustment. It’s like a child R1M, besides extra snug and sensible.
The slick dashboard has been redesigned and is now break up in two. The left aspect contains a 3.2” LCD display that shows pace whereas a 4.2” TFT display is on the precise 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 alerts have been built-in into the entrance fairing, and the burden 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? In all probability not, however we’ll preserve attempting to transform folks anyway. [Source]
Yamaha SR500 by Workshop43 Within the customized world, few bikes rival the enduring standing of the Yamaha SR500. It’s versatile, easy, and comparatively low-cost—three options that make it the best alternative for any kind of customized bike.
When the chance to construct and race a flat tracker introduced itself to Andi of Germany’s Workshop43, he jumped on the probability. And since Andi has a penchant for punchy singles, the SR500 was the apparent 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 preserve the flat monitor handlebars in examine, and the quantity plates had been constructed from scratch.
The fantastic tank patina was properly left alone, sitting above a rebuilt engine. Stronger valve springs, new valve seats, and a rebuilt carburetor assist sizzling 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 properly 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 consider him. [Source]
2025 LiveWire S2 Alpinista LiveWire has simply pulled the covers off the LiveWire S2 Alpinista—the third bike 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 electrical providing.
Closest in design to LiveWire’s S2 Del Mar, the Alpinista’s modifications are refined. Its seat top is down 1.1 inches from the Del Mar, because of its smaller 17” wheels and shorter Showa suspension. Its 31.2-inch seat top continues to be pretty excessive, nevertheless 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 customary,’ 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 most likely received it from the elements bin of LiveWire’s mother or father firm, Harley-Davidson.
Launching alongside the bike are quite a lot of Alpinista-specific equipment. The listing features a sports activities seat (that has a slight Harley Low Rider ST vibe), a windscreen, and mounts for delicate and exhausting 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 motorcycle with solely about 120 miles between costs although. [Source]
