EICMA 2014 Preview

The 2014 EICMA show is running November 6 – 9, and the Sport Rider staff plans to report on the event live, from the show floor in Milan, Italy. Clothes, computer, and carry-ons are already packed away, and now there’s just a transcontinental flight to worry about.

Ten-plus-hour flights to the other side of the pond don’t generally sit well with us, but at the far corner of that heavily pixelated map which will tease us for every last minute of the flight, is some of the most anticipated models and products of 2015, and so we sit here with a sense of exuberance which would not generally make it any further than the TSA check at Los Angeles International Airport.

Here, briefly, is a closer look at what has us so excited, and what we expect to see at the 2014 EICMA show.

1) 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2 Kawasaki pulled the wraps off the track-only Ninja H2R at the recently hosted Intermot show in Cologne, Germany, but not after releasing no less than 12 teaser videos for the bike. The street-legal Ninja H2 has received much less attention, but will be unveiled at EICMA and deserves some recognition, if not more because, well, it's actually a more attainable model for general consumers. While there's still little information on what has gone the way of the R, we do know that the supercharged H2 will make less horsepower (but apparently not 100 hp less than the H2R as was displayed on a visual presentation to press at Intermot) and be outfitted with all of the lighting assemblies which make it legal for road use. Kawasaki is also expected to release technical specifications for the Ninja H2R and H2 at EICMA.

Related Articles: Ninja H2R first look Ninja H2R photo gallery

2) 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 Yamaha has followed in Kawasaki's footsteps with multiple teaser videos on the new R1, but taken the slightly less-obnoxious avenue, releasing just two teaser videos. Very few points were taken from either of those clips, though a shot of the dash in the second of those videos does hint at an entirely new electronics package, complete with quick shifter, traction control, and, quite possibly, an electronic suspension system.

Yamaha has confirmed that it’ll pull the wraps off of the new R1 on Monday November 3. Stay tuned for a closer look at the bike.

Related Articles: Video: 2015 Yamaha R1 in action

3) Ducati 1299 Panigale Mumblings of a new 1299 Panigale have run rampant since a photo was posted during a recent Ducati dealer meeting, which showed images of an Panigale fairing decked in 1299 badges. Ducati has already mentioned that it'll address the contents of the photos at EICMA, where we'll hopefully find out Ducati's intentions for the new model. Ducati's new Scrambler will also be on display at EICMA. While not a sporty model that appeals to all of the Sport Rider staff, the Scrambler does represent a nice change in Ducati's trends as far as pricing goes, and it'll be exciting to see how the Italian crowd receives the model.Interestingly, Ducati will stream the entire new model presentation from EICMA. You can watch the event on SportRider.com, starting on November 3 at 8:00 AM PST.

Related Articles: 2015 Ducati Scrambler First Look

4) Alpinestars Tech-Air Street System After years of development, Alpinestars is ready to introduce its Tech-Air street system, a riding jacket which includes an electronically managed airbag system that's intended to protect the rider in the event of an incident on public roads. It's said that the system will work much like the latest Tech-Air system which has been used by MotoGP riders starting at the beginning of the 2014 season. That system covers much of the riders shoulders, back, torso sides, and hips.

Related Articles: Alpinestars releases new Tech-Air suit Top 5 new Alpinestars products

5) Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Aprilia has reportedly has enlarged the engine size on its superb Tuono V4 in search of more low-end and midrange power, along with some other subtle changes to both chassis and styling. By increasing the bore size from 78mm to 81mm (for an engine displacement jump from 999.6cc to 1078cc), Aprilia is claiming a significant bump not only in low-end and midrange steam, but also a slight jump in top-end power as well (from 170hp to 175hp). Improved ergonomics was also on the list of improvements, with the Tuono V4R's tall seat height reduced by 15mm, and the reach to the conventional tubular aluminum handlebar reduced as well. The front headlights apparently have been changed to units similar to the latest RSV4, along with some minor styling changes to the side panels and ram-air intakes.

Related Articles: 2013 Aprilia V4 R APRC test ride review

6) Honda Production Superbike While we remain skeptical that Honda will unveil its long talked-about production superbike at EICMA, there is in fact a chance that Big Red will pull the wraps off something exciting in Milan. Honda filed numerous patents in 2012 which dealt with a new water pump design, and showed in the patents a V-4 engine that closely resembles the engine in the RCV1000R production MotoGP racebike. All this was nestled in a chassis that looked much like the current CBR1000RR. If Honda does in fact release a V-4 model based on the manufacturer's current MotoGP machine, we'll let the rest of our office mates say, "Told you so," while simultaneously jumping for joy.

Related Articles: New Honda V4 superbike?

7) Street Triple Rx Triumph should have a few exciting new models on hand at EICMA, but arguably none will look as good as the new Street Triple Rx. The Sport Rider staff has a definite weakness for this particular naked bike, and can only imagine how much better it looks in person with that new paint and wheels. We're going to do our best to keep from drooling across the tank, but are making absolutely no promises.

Related Articles: 2015 Triumph Street Triple Rx first look Triumph Street Triple R vs. Yamaha FZ-09