While Ducati Corse is busy playing hide-the-Desmosedici at Sepang, HRC is all business in Malaysia this week, and has debuted its 2012 Honda RC213V MotoGP-contender. Honda isn’t saying too much about the RC213V, simply stating that the race bike is all new, but is also a continuation of the company’s design with the 800cc Honda RC212V. Testing the Honda RC213V over the course of last season, reigning-World Champion Casey rode the new 1,000cc machine three times in 2011, while teammate Dani Pedrosa swung a leg over the RC213V twice (missing one test because of injury).
You may have been misled by some eager journalists today and yesterday, if you saw a Ducati Corse livery-clad Ducati Desmosedici GP12 that some sites were passing off as the first shots of the “90% new” GP12. With the alleged new GP12 looking surprisingly similar to the aluminum-framed “GP0″ that was tested at Valencia, Valentino Rossi’s mechanic has now Alex Briggs confirmed that the photos taken were not of the all new “GP12 Phoenix” that the factory team will race this season. While the Ducati lords can taketh away, they can also giveth, and Valentino Rossi himself has posted the first photo of the factory Desmosedici GP12, and the bike is clearly different.
Zero Motorcycles has announced the full-commencement of production for its 2012 model line, which is expected to hit dealers in February & March of this year. First off the line was the 2012 Zero DS back in December, though the electric motorcycle company has recently started building the Zero S, Zero XU, Zero X, and Zero MX at its Scotts Valley facility as well. A story we broke back in November, Zero Motorcycles debuted its important 2012 electric motorcycle line up at the 2011 EICMA show in Milan, with the 2012 range being a substantial improvement upon the company’s previous offerings.
Getting a look at Dainese & AGV’s 2012 collection, Asphalt & Rubber was down in Orange County earlier this week to see the highly anticipated Dainese D-Air Racing leather suit, which has a four liter airbag system that helps reduce the risk of injury during a motorcycle crash. Dainese has been working on the D-Air Racing system for 10 years now, and after soft-launching the airbag suit in Europe, the Italian company is ready to bring the game-changing technology to American soil.
Us Danes, we’re a strange breed. From the culture that taught you how to rape and pillage, Scandinavia is making yet another contribution to the motorcycling world with this latest video. Featuring Danish Supermoto Champion Andreas Mikkelsen, we get a RoToR camera-esque perspective (this rig is actually home made) on the Dane’s practice session at the Als Supermotard Club in Denmark. It’s videos like this that are slowly eroding my will-power to resist getting into supermotard riding. Also, I don’t know who was in charge of the music selection on this thing, but my hat is off to him/her. I love the nightlife. I’ve come to boogie.
Our friends over at IndianCarsBikes.in were in attendance at the KTM 200 Duke launch in India this week, as the Austrian brand launched its somewhat bigger-displacement version of the popular KTM Duke 125. During the press event, KTM talked about the future of the mini-Duke line and its product roadmap for the emerging country, as well as abroad. With the Austrian brand confirming/clarifying that KTM would release a KTM 350 Duke for India in 2013, zie Austrians also confirmed that the KTM 350 Duke would be built locally in India by Bajaj, but would be exported worldwide — allaying fears that the KTM 350 Duke would be an India-only model.
Now that the first Ducati 1199 Panigale has rolled out of the door in Bologna, the die is cast, the chips are in play, and our course is set to see if Ducati has created a “massive breach of brand trust and honesty.” The realization of course should be that Ducati’s brand was never in danger with bikes like the Hypermotard, Multistrada 1200, or Diavel. Instead, the danger of serious brand dilution has always rested on how Ducati handled its Superbike line. A failure to produce a two-wheeled machine that is both as striking visually as it is kinetically, could permanently alienate a loyal fan base that has endured a great deal in the past half-decade.
There is a lot that can be said about why dealerships fail or succeed (we’ve already seen an interesting insight on the subject of shops being open on Sundays), and one aspect on how to be a successful dealership that will surely rise to the top is one of community. Here, Vancouver-based Motomethod is all about the community, as the do-it-yourself community garden style repair shop has become a place for British Columbian riders not to work on their motorcycles, but also to congregate together with a shared love of riding on two wheels. Not exactly a new concept business-wise, but still a fresh perspective in an otherwise unwilling to change industry. More on this thought process to be published in the coming weeks. Enjoy.
After testing for three days at Jerez with Carlos Checa and Franco Battaini, Ducati Corse may not be saying much about the new Ducati Desmosedici GP12, but that hasn’t stop Karel Abraham from releasing some details about the new Italian steed today. The “official” technical specifications of MotoGP race bikes are always a bit vague, and Ducati Corse has unsurprisingly stuck to that trend with the GP12. Stating horsepower in the 250hp range, 15hp more than what was quoted for the GP11, Ducati also lists a top speed of over 360 km/h, up from the GP11′s 340+ km/h quoted figure.
Husqvarna continues its push into the on-road market, and has debuted another concept while at the New York IMS show today. Already showing us the Husqvarna Moab Concept in Milan, the folks at Husky have continued the thought process with the Moab, and built a more off-road capable dual-sport, which they are calling the Husqvarna Baja Concept. Another modern-take on retro design, the Baja concept carries over with it many of the Moab’s bigger design features, while sporting a 19″ knobby front tire for better off-road use. Husqvarna simply states that the concept uses a four-stroke liquid-cooled 650cc single-cylinder motor (same as the Moab), which surely will be sourced from BMW’s G650GS.
Cool bike, but overpriced RT @Asphalt_Rubber: 2010 Honda VFR1200F MSRP Set at $15,999 – http://bit.ly/6ukw6o #motorcycle
Well, I guess some of them Honda people are a bit smarter than I give them credit for! I mean, yeah, they didn’t become the world’s biggest motorcycle brand by being dummies! But, as I squirmed, waiting for the VFR 1200 price, my personal thought was that $17k was too much and would turn off a lot of people. If a Honda costs as much as a BMW or Ducati, I’m buying European! So, Honda comes in at $16k – high enough to make me complain, but not so high that I rule it out entirely, ahhh the planning that must have went into that!! Luckily, I have 6 months to roll dice (to pick a bike) before it gets warm enough to ride one here!
RT @Asphalt_Rubber: 2010 Honda VFR1200F MSRP Set at $15,999 – http://bit.ly/6ukw6o #motorcycle
2010 Honda VFR1200F MSRP Set at $15,999 – http://bit.ly/6ukw6o #motorcycle
2010 Honda VFR1200F US MSRP Set at $15999: A few weeks ago we announced that the Honda VFR1200F would cost near.. http://bit.ly/5Xqtpv
After loosing my 5th gen VFR (my 3rd) and my ST1100 (my 2nd) to a house fire I have been looking for a replacement(s). This gen of VFR had been high on my list since I was not a fan of the VTEC but had a strong desire for another VFR. What really turns me off here is the tank size. At 5 gallons this thing is in no ways a sport-touring bike. Touring just doesn’t happen with only 5 gallons on board. When going up against bikes like BMW K series, Ducati Multistrada 1200, Kawasaki GTR1400, and others in the same price ballpark you had better bring something equal, or greater, capabilities. I don’t see that here. Even ignoring the small tank other features that should be standard are missing (adjustable windscreen, side cases/saddlebags, heated grips, traction control, etc)
As outrageous as it may sound, Honda needs to undercut the competition on price with this one if it wants to be competitive. I predict there will be plenty of 2010 VFR leftover next year to keep their DN-01 stablemates company in dealers backrooms.
16k It will have to be faster than my Blackbird to make that price fly
Ya ya ya . Thanks Honda!! I bought the yamaha Vmax 2009 which has a current 2010 MSRP of $19500. Luckily I bought first year for $1000 under msrp (17999). Best bike ever made.. V4 engines just Rock. I will buy this Honda because of the V4 and the fact that I can get it serviced anywhere!! The nearest Duc dealer is 72 miles away. The nearest BMW dealer 105 miles away. I wonder how far away the district guru who approves my warranty issue is? Thanks Honda for investing in my fun. Thats why I will buy Honda. Just for the record I own two aprilia motorcycles. I love them. The dealers suck. They have not invested in the computers or programs needed to service the bikes yet are allowed to sell them? Yes thats a question mark.. One of the dealers is a ford dealership/aprilia motorcycle dealer?? I go in and ask questions when I am in a bad mood just to watch them scramble..lol.. MSRP isn’t everything is my point!!!
I second Mike’s comment about dealers. I have a Honda dealer 1/2 mile away and several others within easy driving distance. I am interested in a Mana 850GT. The only Aprilia dealer in my mid-western city of just under a million people doesn’t even have a service department. He has made arrangements with an independent shop. No Ducati dealer in town any more and the BMW dealer visits three days a week from another town 95 miles away to truck bikes back for service. The next nearest BMW dealer is one state away. So you dance with the one that brought you. Years ago when traveling across country I started keeping track of car and bike dealers in small rural towns. Ford and Honda show up where no one else sets up shop. Honda is expensive and sometimes their models go on too long and become long in the tooth. But they have always been there and will likely remain for years to come. Maybe their conservative ways make business sense. When American bikes begin to fade from the scene Honda kept the sport alive. And they do come up with great bikes every once in awhile.
That said I’ve seen some rather ugly and/or strange bikes showing up on Honda show room floors. Rune and DN-01 for example. (My apologies if I stepped on someone’s toes) My dealer claims they sell but I have my doubts. I do sometimes wonder how Honda does it’s pre-production marketing surveys.
16 grand?
That’s horrid for a bike… -_-