News Cycles: December 21, 2018

Dec 21, 2018

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Welcome to News Cycles, Common Tread’s roundup of what’s happening on our servers and everywhere else. Every Friday, look for a collection of news, stories, and all things moto from around the web.

Nobody asked for a transforming, flying, quad-wheeled motorcycle but we got one anyway

I’m not really sure what to say about this one, except that I’d rather take my chances with four Jetcat turbines than with the open propellers on those “hoverbikes” the Dubai police are trying to use. Maybe for Lazarus' next impossible bike build, they'll do the sporty, lightweight, affordable, comfortable, reliable, high quality, heated-grips-ready street bike everyone keeps wishing for in our comments sections.

KTM 790 Duke — Spurg adored the new 790 Duke, and for good reason. Dustin Carpio photo.

Our favorite motorcycles of 2018

Wondering what our favorite bikes were over the last year? Take a look at the Common Tread staff picks, which range from the toughest street brawlers to the friendliest scoots. Did we miss your top choice?

“Burn ‘em up, don’t rust ‘em out!”

That’s what Joe Zito recommends in RevZilla’s latest moto discussion video. Harry’s Garage sets a perfect example in this video series, in which the eponymous Harry takes some of his old-school Dakar bikes for a ride through the Moroccan terrain they were built to conquer.

2019 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC and XE first ride review

Spurgeon heads to Portugal to test Triumph’s new Scrambler 1200s. Has Triumph built the perfect ADV/scrambler hybrid, or did they miss the mark? And does the next-level spec sheet merit the new price tag? Only one way to find out.

Can Tesla’s autopilot identify motorcycles, and why is the answer still no?

Common Tread has covered motorcycles and autopilot-equipped vehicles before, as well as the problems they have sharing the road together. YouTuber Scott Kubo shows how Tesla’s system sees and displays motorcycles in different conditions. It’s not perfect, but I have to admit, it’s decent.

Thanks for reading; that's all for this week! If you've got feedback or moto news you'd like to share, shoot an e-mail to commontread@revzilla.com. Check back for more News Cycles every Friday.