Q&A: Yukio Kagayama Talks About the Upcoming Suzuka 8-Hour with Kevin Schwantz & Noriyuki Haga

In case you missed the story last week, Kevin Schwantz is preparing to race in this year’s Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race. For the race, Schwantz will be riding on a team formed by Yukio Kagayama, who in addition to having raced in the MotoGP, World Superbike, and British Superbike Championships, is also a previous Suzuka 8-Hour winner with the Suzuki Endurance Race Team (also joining the three-rider team Noriyuki “Nitro” Haga). Releasing a Q&A about his team’s Suzuka 8-Hour entry, Kagayama-san walks us through how the team came together, what equipment the riders will use, and his outlook on the team’s competitiveness.

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.

2012 Triumph Street Triple – Surprise! New Headlights!

03/27/2011 @ 11:36 pm, by Jensen Beeler13 COMMENTS

When news of the 2011 Triumph Speed Triple hit the interwebs, with its spiffy new headlight and crazy-light aluminum frame, the clock immediately started ticking on when the 1050cc triple’s little sibling, the 675cc Street Triple & Street Triple R would get the same treatment from Triumph.

Hopes for a 2011 update were seemingly dashed when the British company posted the current model Street Triple as its 2011 offering, but rumors persisted that we’d see an updated middleweight naked very soon.

Being released as an early 2012 model, our colleagues in France have seemingly gotten the first official photos of the 2012 Triumph Street Triple & 2012 Triumph Street Triple R, as the bikes were unveiled at a new store on the Avenue de la Grande Armée in Paris.

While the new Triumph Street Triple is a cosmetic upgrade to the British naked line, Triumph has apparently gone out of its way to attend to the details of the new Street Triple, polishing off some of the less refined edges on the bike’s design. The new Street Triples will make 106hp and 50 lbs•ft of torque,

Along with the Speed Triple’s headlights, the Street Triple will also borrow the Street Triple R’s aluminum handlebars. Otherwise we’re having a hard time seeing other changes in these images from the earlier model, besides the noticeably new engine case cover. Shout out anything else you notice in the comments section.

Of note is the new stylized Triumph logo on the tank (same as was seen on the 2011 Triumph Daytona 675R), while color choices will be white, black, and purple for the Street Triple, and red, white, or black with gold wheels for the Street Triple R.

Pricing is reportedly the same in France, which bodes will for us here in the United States, and readers in other countries as well. Availability is apparently immediate, with an April arrival date being quoted, which is instep with other rumors.

Source: Moto.Caradisiac

Tagged under: 2012 Triumph Street Triple, 2012 Triumph Street Triple R, cosmetic, headlight, photos, purple, Triumph, Triumph Street Triple, Triumph Street Triple R

Comment:

Ian says:
March 28, 2011 at 12:44 AM
I ordered this new one on Friday, in black with the belly pan. Having seen these pictures I can honestly say I’m starting to get a bit giddy now.
190mph says:
March 28, 2011 at 1:43 AM
Is this bike fitted with radial or normal brake calipers? The purple bike being ridden has normal calipers fitted, yet the white bike has radials. But in the profile shots the white bike has normal calipers fitted while the other colours have radials.
Matt says:
March 28, 2011 at 4:34 AM
@ 190mph: The R has radial-brakes, the non-R not.
As far as the bike goes, its just the old one with new headlights and a new logo.
Asphalt & Rubber says:
March 28, 2011 at 6:36 AM
2012 Triumph Street Triple – Surprise! New Headlights! – http://aspha.lt/es #motorcycle
MikeD says:
March 28, 2011 at 7:17 PM
TRIUMPH! The Western Version of Honda!
SAME Old models BOLD NEW COLORS & GRAPHICS!
I understand not to mess with success, but damn…it’s been a while now for their 675 Fleet…refresh it a bit deeper…will ya ? Specially the Daytona 675. Same thing with the Street Triple CopOut they pulled (last year was it ?). Everyone thought even a new mill was coming…LMAO, instead they squeezed some more that Zombie Dinosaur 1050…IT JUST WON’T DIE, WILL IT ?
I know the economy is on the toilet and the bike sales sector has been deeply impacted but if u sit idle and don’t refresh u’ll find yourself caught with your pants down when things get suddenly moving again.
MikeD says:
March 28, 2011 at 7:19 PM
My bad, with all that ranting i made i forgot to add:
And Bold New Headlights.
MikeD says:
March 28, 2011 at 7:27 PM
And i kept F&^%ing Up…meant to say, Street* Triple CopOut.
MikeD says:
March 28, 2011 at 7:28 PM
Speed*…i need some Zzzzz…
crackhelmet says:
March 29, 2011 at 9:35 AM
look like Wall E…..great!!
patron says:
March 29, 2011 at 10:00 AM
This is what happens when you let Michael Bay redesign your motorcycle. Hideous
Ciprian says:
March 29, 2011 at 11:32 AM
The new speed is a little bit more than the old one with new headlights… It has totally new frame.
That 1050 engine is perfect as it is… no new engine needed!
As far as street triple goes, the new one is indeed an 2007 with the speed face. I would have expected the 800 cc engine in that frame :D
MikeD says:
March 29, 2011 at 4:13 PM
@Ciprian:
Don’t get me wrong, i was just being a Sarcastic Prick…i now about all the new perks on the Speedy, It’s more of a evolution than a revolution…that’s what struck a nerve with me. (^_^ )
I guess i have to learn to lower my spectations every Fall about Motorcycle Releases on this depression we are living on…on the USA at least.
Oh, and about that 1050 Dinosaur…TIME takes “care” of EVERYTHING…I know it’ll be gone soon…let’s see for how long it can keep meeting emission standards that get tighter and tighter every year…w/o loosing HP or driveability.
SFTripod says:
March 29, 2011 at 6:38 PM
Humm, with the revisions, how will the Speed stack up against the Z ??….

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