Mission Motorcycles: The Mission R Lives??!

Mission Motors tweeted out something interesting just a moment ago, a link to a new website for Mission Motorcycles. Teasing there a photo of the Mission R, it would seem that the electric superbike that does competitive AMA Supersport lap times at Laguna Seca, is finally set to come to production. It seems we won’t know everything about the new Mission Motorcycles project until June 3rd, though we can speculate pretty accurately on what the A&R Bothan spy network has been telling us. Expect to see the Mission R electric superbike in street legal trim, honed even further than when we rode the machine back in August last year.

Goodbye Husqvarna Nuda, We Hardly Knew Thee

Stefan Pierer’s acquisition of Husqvarna continues to baffle me. You will note I say Pierer, and not KTM, bought Husqvarna, since the Austrian CEO used Pierer Industrie AG in the transaction as a means to help side-step European antitrust issues. After all, we can’t have Europe’s largest dirt bike manufacturer, nay largest total motorcycle manufacturer, gobbling up even more brands in the two-wheeled world. But, I digress. Developing three road bikes (Husqvarna Nuda 900, Husqvarna Strada 650, & Husqvarna Terra 650), with three more concepts waiting in the wings (Husqvarna Moab, Husqvarna Baja, & Husqvarna E-G0), it is with even more confusion that we learn that Pierer & Co. intend to kill the Husqvarna Nuda project and its other street siblings.

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.

Ducati Streetfighter S Coming as Early as May, MSRP $18,995, Ducati Streetfighter Coming in Summer, MSRP $14,995

03/23/2009 @ 10:14 pm, by Jensen BeelerComments Off

Ducati Streetfighter S Coming as Early as May, MSRP $18,995, Ducati Streetfighter Coming in Summer, MSRP $14,995 ducati streetfighter action shots 1 560x373

The Ducati Streetfighter is being launched to motorcycle magazines in Italy this week, luckily pictures and video have already made it to the internet for us to enjoy. Unfortunately, we’ll stay have to wait a few more months for the traction control, Marchesini wheeled, and Öhlins suspended Ducati Streetfighter S to go on sale in the US sometime in May. MSRP for the Streetfighter S will be $18,995. The cheaper non-S Streetfighter will hit showrooms sometime latter this summer with an MSRP of $14,995. More Details and pictures after the jump.

Ducati Streetfighter Techinical Specifications:

Engine: 1,099cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve-per-cylinder L-Twin
Power: 155bhp@9,500rpm
Torque: 114Nm@9,500rpm
Chassis: Tubular steel trellis-type frame
Wheelbase: 58.1 inches
Front Suspension: Fully adjustable 43mm Showa (Öhlins on the Streetfighter S) USD fork
Rear Suspension: Aluminum single-sided swingarm, fully adjustable Showa monoshock (Öhlins on the Streetfighter S)
Brakes: Twin 330mm semi-floating discs with radial-mount Brembo Monobloc four-piston callipers (front), single 245mm disc with twin-piston callipers (rear)
Dry Weight: 167kg

Ducati Streetfighter Accessories:

Racing carbon silencers
An innovative design with unique profile exhaust end caps gives the Streetfighter an even more aggressive look. The two carbon fibre racing silencers come with removable dB killers and include a racing air filter and dedicated ECU with dedicated mapping to unleash even more performance.
Carbon undertank side panels
The undertank side panels made in carbon fibre accent the Streetfighter’s aggressive lines. Lighter than the standard side panels, the sleek look underlines the bike’s racing soul.
Carbon swingarm guard
The carbon fibre swingarm guard gives the bike a personalised look while also protecting it from scrapes and scratches.
Carbon passenger seat cover
The carbon fibre cover for the passenger seat is an eye-catching component that draws even more attention to an already beautiful tail-piece.
Carbon rear hugger
The rear hugger in carbon fibre lightens the appearance of the rear of the bike and integrates perfectly with the single-sided aluminium swingarm anodised in black.
Slipper clutch
The slipper clutch kit prevents rear wheel lock-up under aggressive downshifting. Designed to use the same springs as the standard clutch (springs not supplied with the kit), the slipper clutch offers the same lever pressure that’s comfortable enough for everday riding.
“Tecno” billet aluminium clutch cover
The use of light alloy and its hi-tech inspired design make this billet clutch cover a must-have for that unique customised look.
Aluminium number plate holder
This universal number plate holder lends a compact, minimalist look to the tail section to emphasise the aggressive design of the Streetfighter. Made in anodised aluminium, the kit includes a number plate LED light and mounts compatible with the standard direction indicators.
Electronic shifter
The latest-generation power shifter allows shifting without using the clutch or closing the throttle, resulting in substantially shorter shift times. A load-cell sensor that measures the pressure applied to the shift lever enables 10 different sensitivity settings to suit each rider’s shifting style and to also prevent accidental shifting due to bumps. Cut-off time is adjustable in a 10 to 150 ms range.
Racing seat
Using an innovative fabric with the look of neoprene, the new racing seat offers confidence-boosting grip in a comfortable seat that’s not overly soft — perfect for moving around while ripping-up the asphalt.