That’s what I blurted when I opened the press release for the 2025 R 12 S. 

Last year, BMW introduced the R 12 cruiser and rebranded the R nine T as the R 12 nineT. Now, the lineup earns a third model with the arrival of the cafe-styled R 12 S. 

Racing roots

BMW considers the R 90 S its “first superbike.” That’s an understandable label, given the model’s 67 peak horsepower, 124-mph top speed, and double-disk front braking system. All benchmarks at the time of the bike’s 1973 debut. It wasn’t long before the boxer-driven Beemer put that performance to good use. In 1976, the R90S won both the Isle of Man Production TT and Daytona 200, and Reg Pridmore won the 1977 AMA Superbike Championship on one. 

Despite the model’s racing pedigree, most moto enthusiasts associate the R90S with its eye-catching Daytona Orange livery. That’s what BMW is counting on for the 2025 R 12 S. 

The resemblance to the iconic model is evident in the R 12 S’s Lava Orange Metallic paint, clear-coated aluminum insets, and double red pinstriping. Even the side panel badge pays homage to the classic BMW, with its red ‘S’ mimicking the  R90S’s red “900” medallion. Of course, there’s no missing the bikini fairing and tail cowl, but that’s just a taste of the model’s upgrades. 

The full package

In addition to its R90S-inspired bodywork, the S-tier entry earns a slew of accessory add-ons such as Option 719 spoked wheels, a short tail section (with integrated LED lighting), and a swingarm-mounted license plate bracket.

Technology also elevates the 12 S, with Shift Assistant Pro enhancing its sporty character while Hill Start Assist and Headlight Pro highlight safety. Convenience isn’t lost on the Heritage model, either. Cruise control serves the travel-inclined and heated grips combat colder conditions. As expected, all these accessories come with a markup. 

Price to pay

Starting at $21,590, the R 12 S doesn’t quite qualify as budget-friendly. But, the real question is whether it’s worth the up-charge. Considering the model comes standard with BMW’s Select Package, two billet component packages, and accessories, it makes a pretty good case for that price point. A similarly equipped R nineT will run you $22,257.86. That means BMW includes the R90S-style paint job as an added bonus.  

Most potential buyers will consider those savings when the R 12 S rolls into BMW showrooms in Q1 2025. However, I’m willing to wager that the model’s looks will play a bigger part in that decision. 

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Many riders believe that when your bike is in storage, starting it every month or maybe even every few weeks is a good idea to keep the battery charged, circulate oil so the engine is properly lubricated, and help keep the fuel system from gunking up.

Those all sound like good things, except they’re accompanied by a fairly serious problem: moisture.

You’ve probably noticed water dripping out of a car’s tailpipe at a stop light and we’ve all seen clouds of steam coming from the exhaust at startup on a cold day. That’s because when gasoline burns, the carbon and hydrogen atoms in the gas combine with oxygen in the air to produce carbon dioxide and dihydrogen monoxide, which is a fancy name for water.

When the engine is still cool, that steam will condense into water and can cause all kinds of trouble, from rusting your valves and acidifying your oil to ruining your O2 sensors and corroding the exhaust. 

If combustion creates all this water, then why isn’t it a concern during normal use? Because, when you actually ride the bike, putting the engine under load and revving it up, everything from the cylinder head on down to the drain plug and back to the muffler tip gets scorching hot, so the water vapor can’t condense into a corrosive liquid. 

If combustion creates all this water, then why isn’t it a concern during normal use? Because, when you actually ride the bike, putting the engine under load and revving it up, everything from the cylinder head on down to the drain plug and back to the muffler tip gets scorching hot, so the water vapor can’t condense into a corrosive liquid. The Storage Myth That Hurts Your Motorcycle | The Shop Manual

However, when people start their bikes during winter storage, they usually only do it for a few minutes. Running the bike for a brief time doesn’t heat everything up enough to prevent condensation. It’s equivalent to the type of short trip that most owner’s manuals classify as the “severe use” that dictates more frequent oil-changes. 

But what about the battery, oil, and fuel problems that starting your bike is supposed to avoid? How do you deal with those? 

The lubrication thing really isn’t an issue since oil is exceptionally good at sticking around and never really abandons a surface. Plus, cold startups are the most wear-intensive thing an engine can experience, so why add unnecessary stress? 

Gas going bad is a real concern, so you should fill your tank with fresh fuel and treat it with a stabilizer, which will keep it good for several months. Or just drain the tank. Siphon the fuel out and run the bike until it stalls for fuel-injected motorcycles, or drain the float bowls on carbureted bikes. On the surface, starting the bike during storage sounds like a good idea, but the way most people go about it, it could be causing more harm than good. So as tempting as it is to exercise your bike during its winter nap, you’re much better off prepping the bike properly before storage and then just leaving it alone until you’re actually ready to ride it. 

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Aprilia made a big splash of its performance this year in the Africa Eco Race, which runs on some of the original routes of the Dakar Rally back when it took place in Africa. Italian rider Jacopo Cerutti won the race on a prepped Tuareg 660. Aprilia is leveraging that success and introducing a Rally version of the Tuareg that has a few tweaks intended to provide even better off-road performance.

The differences are mostly subtle, but aimed at tackling difficult terrain. The front fender is now high, dirt-bike style, instead of the low, street-like fender on the regular Tuareg. The Rally is fitted with a sturdier aluminum skidplate, reinforced handguards, and an SC Project exhaust with a titanium muffler.

Changes you can’t see include new engine mapping for snappier response. While suspension travel remains the same at 9.5 inches, the springs in the Kayaba fork are stiffer and linear rather than progressive. While Aprilia admits this may reduce comfort, it works better for handling big impacts off-road.

The seat is almost an inch higher and the handlebar is taller, keeping in mind that riders will be standing up more when off-road. Aprilia says the Rally is 11 pounds lighter, at 428 pounds, mostly due to the exhaust and lighter Ergal wheels. Even the colors are copied from the race bike Cerutti rode in Africa. If you’re the kind of rider who takes your middleweight adventure-tourer off-road regularly, Aprilia has given you a head start on making many of the changes you’d probably make yourself.

2025 Aprilia Tuono 457: Small, not basic

Probably the most expected new model is also one that will be appreciated by a range of riders, from young motorcyclists moving up to their second bike to experienced riders who just like smaller machines but don’t believe that small has to equal unsophisticated. Following last year’s introduction of the RS 457, it was surely just a matter of time before we got the same parallel-twin engine in a Tuono package.

The Tuono is clearly aimed at European riders holding an A2 license, because it puts out a peak of 47.6 horsepower at 9,400 rpm, which is the maximum power allowed for holders of those licenses. At a claimed 350.5 pounds, that gives the Tuono 457 the best power-to-weight ratio in the class, according to Aprilia.

What will make the smallest Tuono interesting to both experienced riders who enjoy small bikes, as well as new riders, is the range of features and design touches that project more quality and sophistication than you find on a lot of sub-half-liter motorcycles. Examples include the aluminum frame, LED lights, a five-inch color TFT display, ride-by-wire throttle, traction control, three ride modes, and ABS. A bi-directional quickshifter is among the many available options. Suspension is adjustable for preload both front and rear.

The 457 also has its own style, as the most naked of Tuonos. While the bigger Tuonos offered most of the performance of Aprilia’s race-replica sport bikes but with a handlebar and less fairing, more than one armchair critic noted that Tuonos still had a lot of fairing coverage and weren’t truly naked. The 457 definitely wears less bodywork and Aprilia took extra effort with the engine, such as eliminating external cooling lines, both to enhance the appearance and to keep the engine as compact and light as possible. The engine is also a stressed member in the frame, with the swingarm attaching to it.

Wings for everybody!

These days, it seems your performance street motorcycle just doesn’t have any cred if it lacks wings. How are you going to look like a MotoGP star with unobtrusive, integrated aerodynamic aids instead of a massive mustache? Aprilia has come to your rescue.

The mid-sized RS 660 sport bike earns its wings for 2025 for the first time, while the RSV4 sport bike and Tuono V4 trade in their integrated wings for full-scale downforce generators that look like they were borrowed from the Aprilia RS-GP MotoGP race bikes.

In addition to the redesigned fairing with the new wings, the RS 660 gets launch control added to its suite of electronic rider aids. There’s also an RS 660 Factory version for 2025 with fully adjustable Öhlins suspension.

The new wings on the RSV4 look even more like the MotoGP bike’s appendages than the ones on the RS 660 and Aprilia claims the new design reduces the aerodynamic drag coefficient by 6%, reduces the tendency to wheelie by 8%, and even keeps heat off the rider. (No word on whether it prevents baldness or helps you lose weight, but we can’t have it all, I guess.) With a claimed 220 peak horsepower, the RSV4 is “the world’s most powerful homologated production superbike,” Aprilia states. The Tuono V4 is not that far behind at 180 peak horsepower.

Factory versions of the RSV4 and Tuono V4 offer the semi-active Öhlins electronic suspension and a GPS module that allows track riders to adjust settings corner by corner, just as racers do on today’s Superbike competition machines.

We expect to see full specs and prices on these new Aprilias closer to the time they arrive in dealers.

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Mention Yamaha’s CP2 parallel twin and superlatives like punchy, engaging, and fun usually follow close behind. Whether it’s powering the MT-07 naked sport bike or the go-anywhere Ténéré 700, the beloved mill straddles the line between accessible and exciting, between simple and sensational. 

That’s mostly attributed to its torque-rich power delivery and characterful sound. Its technological pedigree, not so much. Team Blue set out to change that with the 2025 MT-07 and Ténéré 700.

The CP2 retains its 80 mm bore, 68.6 mm stroke, and 689 cc volume, but the powerplant now benefits from a Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T) system. That’s Yamaha-speak for ride-by-wire. The addition results in a “more linear power delivery and improved connection between rider and machine,” according to the Iwata factory. It also unlocks ride modes. That includes Street, Sport, and Custom for the MT-07, and Sport and Explorer for the Ténéré. Both models now feature switchable traction control.

Like the MT-10 and MT-09 before it, the MT-07 also gains acoustic amplifying grilles that redirect the bike’s induction noise back to the rider. Meanwhile, the T7’s shorter intake duct reportedly enhances torque and power delivery in the low- to mid-range. The updates aren’t limited to the engine, either. Both the MT and Ténéré also undergo long overdue chassis revisions.

Gone is the MT-07’s traditional telescopic fork. In its place is a new 41 mm KYB inverted unit. The front end now allows Yamaha to equip the naked with radially mounted calipers, which leads to “consistent braking performance thanks to the increased rigidity.” Rounding out the upgraded chassis are the lightweight SpinForged wheels and a slightly updated KYB rear shock. 

The Ténéré 700’s 43 mm KYB fork already offered rebound and compression adjustability but a new preload adjuster located at the top of the fork tube allows even more fine-tuning. At the rear, a redesigned KYB shock now “provides increased stroke and enhanced load absorption for more on- and off-road confidence.”

Both models also receive a facelift in 2025. The MT now sports a headlight assembly that draws it closer to its MT stablemates. A slimmer tank, updated side covers, trimmer tail section, and resculpted seat only contribute to the bike’s minimalistic aesthetic. On the other hand, the T7 inches closer to its rally influences with an all-new quad-LED headlight, chiseled bodywork, color-matched hand guards, and a flatter seat.

All those changes amount to a $400 markup for the MT-07 and a $200 bump for the Ténéré 700, bringing the MSRPs to $8,599 and $10,999 (respectively). The former will arrive in dealerships in December while the latter will be available in February.

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2025 Maeving RM1S first ride review

Not the construction worker leaning out of his truck to get a better look. Not the firemen who called it “pretty cool.” Not the Tesla driver that shamelessly ogled the bike at an intersection. Not even the moto-influencer girls at the Bike Shed could resist its conventionally handsome looks. “What a pretty bike,” was the exact quote (it wasn’t what was said, it’s how it was said).

The vintage-styled electric is the second offering from British startup Maeving. Its maiden model, the RM1, debuted in 2022 with a 3.0 kW hub motor and 45-mph top speed, rendering it a city runabout in the strictest sense. The S model looks practically identical to its smaller sibling but Maeving spikes the punchbowl with a 7.2 kW hub motor and a top speed of 70 mph. That extra oomph suits the RM1S for highway use, which is another way of saying “suits it for U.S. customers.”

Maeving is relying on the up-spec e-roadster to make further inroads into the U.S. market. Per the brand’s U.S. General Manager, units started shipping to California customers in September. The company plans to expand deliveries to the rest of the country by the spring of 2025. Before that nationwide expansion, Maeving put a pre-production model under my charge for nearly a month. Yes, its dashing looks turned heads everywhere I went. But, can it be more than just a conversation piece? Does it have as much substance as it does style? Those were the questions I set out to answer during my time with the RM1S.

Under the surface

Powering the RM1S is a direct-drive electric motor listed at 7.2 kW (9.7 horsepower) of continuous power and 11.1 kW (14.9 horsepower) of peak power. The hub-mounted unit draws from twin 2.73 kWh batteries (5.46 kWh total), which yields a claimed range of 80 miles. Like most electric motorcycles, the in-the-saddle experience doesn’t quite live up to the spec sheet’s promises. 

First off, it’s more realistic to expect 45 to 50 miles on a single charge. At least that’s what my testing suggests. Adding a few highway miles shrinks that average to the low 40s, but those aren’t unreasonable numbers for the weekday commute — like my commute to the RevZilla West office in the map below — or a weekend joy ride. After all, the two power packs store less than 6 kWh of juice. The real-life range is only disappointing when compared to the RM1S’s rated range. The same goes for the model’s claimed torque.

What the spec sheet fails to mention is the motor’s heat management — or lack thereof. That’s probably because the air-cooled unit rarely encounters overheating issues on surface streets. Unfortunately, the opposite is true when the pace picks up. Sustaining freeway speeds for more than 10 minutes triggers the overheating symbol (a blinking thermometer) on the dash. Another 10 minutes on the highway and the system starts restricting the motor’s output, which means it’s time to get off the highway.

Maeving may oversell its retro roadster in some respects but it also undersells the model in others. For instance, the RM1S regularly reached 75 mph on the freeway, as confirmed by my REVER app. That’s five mph over its claimed top speed. It also reliably met Maeving’s recharging estimates when plugged directly into a wall socket. Charging the dual removable batteries marginally extended those intervals but it’s a convenient solution for city folk like me. 

In both my Ryvid Anthem and BMW CE 02 reviews, I explained that my apartment building’s garage offers neither wall outlets nor wall chargers. To make matters worse, there’s no elevator and I live on the third floor. That posed several challenges when recharging at home. My living situation remains unchanged. The difference here is that Maeving didn’t devise the removable battery system as an afterthought.

While the 2.73 kWh power packs weigh a hefty 36.5 pounds each, the handles are designed to be carried. I couldn’t say the same for the Ryvid or the Beemer. That doesn’t mean the design is perfect. Maeving’s removable batteries require a charging dock. The charging cable can’t plug into the batteries directly. Like the CE 02, the RM1S also utilizes a proprietary plug, so charging stations aren’t an option, either. That means you can only charge at Level 1, a standard 120-volt wall outlet, and the slowest level of charging. In my case, as a practical matter, it limited me to charging at the office and at home, essentially confining my travels to the Greater Los Angeles area. You win some, you lose some. Those mixed sentiments extend to the RM1S’s chassis too.

Slow ride, take it easy

Maeving keeps it simple with the RM1S’s steel cradle frame. There’s no intricate trellis work or needless ornamentation. That allows the frame to practically disappear behind the the faux fuel tank (which provides storage space) and battery box. Though it mostly goes unnoticed, the skeletal framework preserves the bike’s classic stance and textbook proportions. It also dictates much of its rider triangle. 

It might not look so in photos, but the RM1S is petite. It splits the difference between a small-capacity motorcycle and an e-bike. The tank is ultra-slim between the knees. The handlebar and triple trees are narrower than a mountain bike’s. Its seat height (30.9 inches) and overall height (42 inches) are short. It also weighs just 318 pounds, according to the Common Tread scales.

The only detail that defies the bike’s small stature is the distance between the seat and the handlebar. The long, lean tank may be pleasing to the eye but it also pushes the saddle further rearward. That presented no problems when bopping about town, but when riding with a backpack in tow, I often rested the balls of my palms on the grips to alleviate the load on my shoulders.

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