Victory Motorcycles’ PR department says its latest cruiser model, the Judge, “has a powerful silhouette and details that evoke visions of classic American muscle cars.”

Named after an arid savanna region in northeastern Brazil, the Sertão is designed for the growing adventure motorcycle market and essentially replaces the Dakar version of the F 650 GS, which was discontinued in 2008. (BMW changed its model designations beginning with the introduction of the F 800 series; single-cylinder models have the prefix G, and twin-cylinder models use the F prefix.) The new Sertão is based on the current G 650 GS, but there are significant difference

The near simultaneous 2012 introductions of BMW’s new K 1600 GTL and Honda’s redesigned Gold Wing GL1800 beg for a comparison. Both are flagship models for their respective brands, propelled by six-cylinder engines and designed for long-distance touring. We chose the K 1600 GTL rather than the GT version for this comparison; the GTL it has more wind protection, a larger fuel capacity, and a top trunk, which makes it more similar to the Gold Wing than the sportier GT. However, that’s where strong similarities end.

Combining spirited V-twin performance with excellent comfort and good handling at a reasonable price, Suzuki’s versatile V-Strom models have created a near cult following over the years. We got to test ride the new 2012 V-Strom 650 ABS and ABS Adventure models at the U.S.

Harley-Davidson rumbles into town with 32 different models on six platforms for 2012. The number of models that come standard with the bigger Twin Cam 103 engine is expanded to all Touring and Softail® series, all but the two least-expensive Dyna® models: Super Glide® Custom and Street Bob®.