Kawasaki has pulled the covers off its new motorcycle line for '09, and there's lots to discuss. A revised, lithe ZX-6R sheds about 20 pounds, much of it from the engine itself. It also gets updated Showa Big Piston forks and a new look based on its big brother, the ZX-10R. Speaking of which, Kawi's literbike sees only a few changes for '09, most notably a new green, white and black color scheme that looks excellent. Moving from the top of the performance ladder, the middleweight Ninja 650 gets a new fairing that brings it more in line with the rest of the Ninja line, plus a few engine mods to meet new emissions regulations. In a bit of really cool news, the U.S. finally gets the ER6-n, essentially a naked version of the popular Ninja 650 -- we likey. On another sporty note, Team Green has unveiled the KLX250SF, a supermoto bike with a 250cc four-stroke engine, grippy 17-inch tires and long suspension travel. The 'moto is based on the KLX250S, a small-bore dual-sport bike that's finally 50-state emissions legal for '09. On a surprising note, the venerable Super Sherpa is back, along with its 250cc engine and old-school looks. Cruisers are still big sellers in the U.S., so the new 1700 Vulcans are likely to be a hit with a new V-Twin engine derived from Vulcan 2000's monster mill. The rest of the Vulcan line, along with the Versys, ZX-14 and Concours 14 see no real changes for '09 other than some new colors. And that about wraps it up.
If you were born on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, the Trabant should need no introduction. Ditto if you're a U2 fan. The notorious little sedan, nicknamed "Trabi", was made in East Germany and exported around the world, mostly inside the communist bloc. Not exactly the most ideal candidate for resurrection, but while it may not be as fondly remembered as the original Fiat 500, Volkswagen Beetle or the Mini, the Trabi has a cult following and has been featured in countless movies and video games. U2 featured the Trabi on its Zoo TV tour in the early '90s, and one hangs from the ceiling in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH.
At the last Frankfurt Motor Show, a German model-carmaker showed a mockup of what a re-born Trabi might look like to gauge public reaction. Herpa secured the rights to use the name, and has now announced a deal with IndiKar, an automotive components manufacturer based in Saxony (where the original Trabant was made) to build it. Herpa and IndiKar hope to have a full-size concept ready to show by the next Frankfurt show, which doesn't roll around until the Fall of the Berlin Wall 2009. In the meantime, Herpa is putting a toy version on the market to be unveiled at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg in February.
