KTM RC4 Concept by Luca Bar Design

A single-cylinder hooligan-maker, the KTM 690 Duke is 330 lbs (curbside without fuel) and 67hp of two-wheeled fun, and we hope that the Austrians bring the KTM 690 Duke R our way as well. While we are on the topic of things missing from KTM’s American line-up, a decent supersport is painfully obvious, yet we can’t see the folks at KTM following the paths of other brands. That’s where our friend Luca Bar comes to mind with his latest concept: the KTM RC4. Using the KTM 690 Duke platform and its LC4 engine, Bar has designed a super-single full-fairing sport bike that takes the Austrian company’s “Ready to Race” DNA and applies it to an idea that is not all that disimilar to the Ducati Supermono.

Q&A: Claudio Domenicali Talks Frameless Chassis, Sacred Cows, & The Future for Ducati

When I sat down with Claudio Domenicali at the Ducati 1199 Panigale R launch, the now-CEO of Ducati Motor Holding was still just the General Manager of the Italian motorcycle company. Four weeks after our interview though, Gabriele del Torchio would leave Ducati for Alitalia; and Domenicali, a 21-year veteran of both the racing and production departments of Ducati, would take his place at the top of Italy’s most prestigious motorcycle brand. After reading our interview from Austin, Texas after the jump, I think you will agree too.

Is Yamaha Using A Seamless Gearbox? The Data Says No

That Yamaha is working on a seamless gearbox is no secret, with Yamaha’s test riders currently racking up the kilometers around tracks in Japan. Recently, however, Spanish magazine SoloMoto published an article suggesting that Yamaha has already been using its new seamless gearbox since the beginning of the season. My own enquiries to check whether Yamaha was using a seamless gearbox or not always received the same answer: no, Yamaha is not using the seamless gearbox. To test this denial, I went out to the side of the track on Friday morning at Jerez to record the bikes as they went by.

OCC Coming Back to TV? — Universe Collapses in on Self

After a very public father/son break-up between Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr., a steroid-ring scandal involving Paul Sr., and finally a bankruptcy proceeding, it appears that Orange County Choppers is the impossible to kill multi-headed hydra of doom that we all knew it was, as the custom chopper shop is once again headed to the small screen and recruiting some talent, on and off the show. Looking for “someone who will work alongside Paul Senior, running the shop and helping build some of the best custom motorcycles in the world,” OCC says it will be back on television with a new show later this month. Please for the love of god, will someone give this man the attention he craves so dearly??! Or, just shoot us in the face.

Alstare Superbike Concept by Team Alstare

We love us some concept bikes here at Asphalt & Rubber, and we have featured more than a few pieces of stunning design and imagination on our pages. Though, we can’t remember the last time one of these works of art were brought to us by a legitimate racing team, but that is what we have here with the Team Alstare Superbike Concept. A nod to the former Suzuki team’s return to the World Superbike Championship as the Ducati factory squad with Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini, Alstare has enlisted the help of designer Serge Rusak of Rusak Kreaktive Designworks to ink the shape of its futuristic Superbike concept, while Tryptik Studios handled the 3D modeling prowess.

Transcript: The Gay Question at Jerez

If you didn’t watch Thursday’s pre-event press conference for MotoGP at Jerez, it is worth a viewing right to the end (assuming you have a MotoGP.com account). Building off the news about the NBA’s Jason Collins coming out as gay in a self-written feature in Sport Illustrated, my good colleague David Emmett had the courage to inquire about the culture and acceptance of the MotoGP paddock for homosexual riders. For the sake of accuracy, after the jump is a full transcript of David’s question, as put to riders Cal Crutchlow, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso, Stefan Bradl, and Scott Redding, as well as those riders’ responses to David’s inquiry.

2014 Suzuki GSV-R Spotted Again

News that Suzuki plans on returning to the MotoGP Championship in 2014 should be old information for dedicated Asphalt & Rubber readers, and the Japanese company’s inline-four race bike was already spotted doing test laps last year by the eager eyes at Cycle World. Well the American print-mag has another set of eyebrow-raising high-quality photos of the 2014 Suzuki GSV-R to mull over from the Motegi race track, along with some technical insights provided by the venerable Kevin Cameron.

BMW F800GS Adventure – Germany’s Middleweight ADV

A surprise addition to BMW Motorrad’s 2013 model line-up, zie Germans have announced a new middleweight adventure-tourer, the 2013 BMW F800GS Adventure. Like its larger predecessor, the BMW F800GS Adventure is a more travel-ready and off-road capable build of the recently updated BMW F800GS motorcycle. Featuring a larger windscreen, panniers, and a bigger fuel tank capacity (2.1 gallons larger, for a total of 6.3 gallons of fuel), the BMW F800GS Adventure keeps the same 85 hp, liquid-cooled, 798cc, parallel-twin engine found on the F800GS, as well as the same chassis configuration. Pricing in the US will be $13,550 for the base model BWM F800GS Adventure.

Kevin Schwantz Returns to Motorcycle Racing – Enters the Suzuka 8-Hours with Team Kagayama

Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz has certainly been in the news a bit these past few months, mostly for his involvement and falling out with the Circuit of the Americas and the Americas GP, but also more recently for his comments regarding Dani Pedrosa — we also sat down with Mr. Schwantz in Austin, and the Texan gave us some sobering insight into the future of American road racing. As if all that wasn’t enough, Schwantz is making a return to two-wheeled racing, and has entered the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hours endurance race with Team Kagayama racing alongside Noriyuki Haga and team owner Yukio Kagayama.

Öhlins Releases a Semi-Active Suspension Upgrade for the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S – But, What’s Next?

An interesting development on the aftermarket side of things has graced our desks, as Öhlins has released a “suspension control unit” (SCU) that upgrades the electronically adjustable suspension on the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S so that it becomes a semi-active suspension system. Whhhaaaat??! So, if you’re the proud owner of a pre-2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S, and you think that your electronically controlled Öhlins suspension is no longer boss, now that Ducati has released its Sachs-powered “Skyhook” semi-active suspension pieces on its new batch of Multistrada sport-tourers, there is a remedy for your motolust.

SEMA: Mavizen TTX02 Unveiled – KTM RC8 Sourced Chassis, 130 MPH Top Speed, & Built-in Web Server with WiFi Connection [UPDATED]

11/03/2009 @ 8:49 pm, by Jensen Beeler17 COMMENTS

SEMA: Mavizen TTX02 Unveiled   KTM RC8 Sourced Chassis, 130 MPH Top Speed, & Built in Web Server with WiFi Connection [UPDATED] Mavizen TTX02 KTM RC8 electric motorcycle 560x374

Mavizen has unveiled their TTX02 electric race bike today at SEMA, and as we suspected surrounding the Agni powerplant is a sourced KTM RC8 chassis.

Over-shadowing the 130mph top speed, is the fact that each TTX02 comes with dedicated IP access, on-board web server, and connectivity to a wifi network. A such, each TTX02 can be connected to via a wifi enabled laptop. More on that and videos after the jump.

Mavizen is calling the TTX02 a “laptop on wheels”, signaling their approach to electric motorcycles via a consumer electronics perspective. According to Azhar Hussain, TTXGP founder and entrepreneur, the consumer electronics perspective comes from the notion that “we are living in a click culture and connectivity is the key, across the board. Our approach was to find how we could make a laptop go racing. We think electric vehicles have more in common with consumer electronics than traditional automotive.”

The consumer electronic notion isn’t exactly a new concept, as Brammo and other manufacturers have taken the same stance in their business plans, but the TTX02 is interesting because it is the first electric motorcycle we’ve seen that incorporates wifi connectivity and an on-board web interface. As Hussain explains, ”by building on the open standards of the internet and the PC, we unlock the creativity and lower the costs of innovation for teams, enthusiasts and riders. TTX02 is a development platform that invites the potential for success previously seen in electronic hardware and software, into the automotive industry. We need to pick up the pace of innovation and make it real fast; TTX02 is a key marker in that journey.”

Again, the idea of motorcycles as a platform isn’t something new to this budding industry, but if nothing else it shows validity in the concept. The TTX02 comes with some other added street-cred, as it is based off the TTXGP winning bike: the Agni X01.

Mavizen, which is the TTXGP’s manufacturing arm, is being provided a set of RC8 chassis by KTM (editor’s note: although, in their press release Mavizen is very careful not to mention the words KTM and RC8, which leads to some interesting conclusions). Mavizen plans on offering a limited number of TTX02′s to potential EV racing participants, which will give them a bike that they can develop into a competitive and unique machine. As Hussain explains:

“The limited production bike, the Mavizen TTX02, gives potential participants a chance to acquire a bike that they can develop themselves to make it competitive and unique to them. Racing is brutal but at least with the Mavizen TTX02, the racers can start with a proven platform. Mavizen is about growing the grid by being an enabler by those who want to take part.”

The Mavizen TTX02 uses the rolling chassis of an FIM homologated and road legal bike. A world class manufacturer is supporting Mavizen by supplying direct from the factory, frames ready to be worked over by the Mavizen engineers.

Every owner will have the option to apply to their national vehicle licensing agency under various single vehicle type approval regimes. The Mavizen TTX02 will be available for delivery in Q1 of 2010, with a limited production of 50 units. Target price for complete bike with a Circuit Pack is £25,000. This will be a complete platform to take part in any national or FIM championship (editor’s note: *cough* TTXGP *cough*). Interested parties can express their interest at mavizen.com.

Comment:

  1. SEMA: Mavizen TTX02 Unveiled – KTM RC8 Sourced Chassis & 130 MPH Top Speed – http://bit.ly/22WIJS #motorcycle

  2. Help A&R out, and Digg this up! – http://bit.ly/22WIJS #digg #mavizen #ev #motorcycles

  3. skadamo says:

    SEMA: Mavizen TTX02 Unveiled – KTM RC8 Sourced Chassis & 130 MPH Top Speed – http://bit.ly/22WIJS #motorcycle (via @Asphalt_Rubber)

  4. SEMA 2009: Web Server in a Motorcycle?! http://bit.ly/2cf6Zp (@Superdunner)

  5. tagger says:

    Uhg, wifi, laptop? who cares?
    The idea that eM/C’s are consumer electronics needs to have a power cord wrapped around its neck and drug around the entire isle of man.
    I mean, I get it, the tech isn’t quite able to wow yet. Hanging shiny baubles on it isn’t going to change that. I am pretty sure, with some duct tape and bailing wire, I could attach a laptop to my BMW, with wifi!

    “Yeah, that last turn a pop-up hit me, and I missed the exit”

    They took a $12k bike with 150hp+(?) and made it cost 4 times as much with 1/3 the power. There is nothing wrong with that(there might be something wrong with that), but don’t tell me I need an active laptop on a motorcycle.
    I don’t, no one does. Flying an airplane 150 miles off corse, because of laptop fiddling is sort of amusing. Flying a motorcycle off corse, because of laptop fiddling, is just plain broken spine, no amusing about it.

  6. Another all electro manufacturer bringing smart design to markets (w/partners!!) – Check more on Mavizen Motorcycles–> http://bit.ly/klGLw

  7. This motorcycle has wifi and a a webserver built-in. And goes 130MPH. http://bit.ly/WyfnD

  8. Luy T. says:

    With an SSD drive hopefully: RT @routerguy: This motorcycle has wifi and a a webserver built-in. And goes 130MPH. http://bit.ly/WyfnD

  9. dusting says:

    RT @Asphalt_Rubber: Help A&R out, and Digg this up! – http://bit.ly/22WIJS #digg #mavizen #ev #motorcycles test http://twitpic.com/okmkb

  10. RT @Asphalt_Rubber: Help A&R out, and Digg this up! – http://bit.ly/22WIJS #digg #mavizen #ev #motorcycles test.. http://bit.ly/1M4z8P

  11. Worried that your web server isn't fast enough? This one does 130mph (via @routerguy) http://bit.ly/WyfnD

  12. arix chen says:

    真正的移動平台,有獨立IP、WiFi連線、USB、web server、由Linux驅動、時速達130MPH的電動摩托車 TTX02 http://bit.ly/2cf6Zp

  13. キム兄 says:

    RT @Asphalt_Rubber SEMA: Mavizen TTX02 Unveiled – KTM RC8 Sourced Chassis & 130 MPH Top Speed http://bit.ly/22WIJS

  14. "Mavizen TTX02 electric motorcycle – 130 MPH Top Speed, Built-in Web Server w/ WiFi" (http://twitthis.com/w7moas)

  15. Phenix_Rider says:

    I would bet that “laptop fiddling” is more akin to tuning a Power Commander in the garage- not surfing the internet on the road. Still, all I need a motorcycle to do is run, turn, lean, and brake- well (and look good). Things are getting way too smart for my taste.

  16. Speedzter says:

    This is fantastic. How do I get a dealership? I love the whole concept. I can hardly wait to get one…..but not at $40,000 +! The price is going to have to be reasonable.