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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stunning machine, a work of art. They really should just go with this, Stevie Wonder would buy it!
It does look good, though the “wow” factor isn’t present for me, sorry. The exhaust is indeed stunning, but… that’s about it. The rest is frame, a lot of orange paint and stickers.
Oh, and that 180hp figur is indeed is badass but completely useless and unusable on a naked bike. That’s just a brag-about figure to use while showing off at your local café.
Good looking bike. I hope the street version is close to looking that good.
I’ll buy it. Now.
So refreshing in an era of uglifying motorcycle design that puts layer upon layer of muscular plastic everywhere, and no single purpose other than ticking boxes and keeping up with the peers. It has just been said above, which states all that I love about this bike. An awesome frame, a brutal engine, minimal painted bodywork in non conservative corporate paint. I’m not crazy about graphics on bikes, but KTM actually do it very well and their own way.
There is no concept here, there’s a bike I need.
This is SICK!!! WOW!! Hope the production version retains the look
Add mirrors and a headlight and don’t change anything else design wise, offer some other color choices, give it all those electronic goodies (traction control, wheelie control, abs, etc), and price it around $15k.
I like how the concept bike they are showing has the shagged tires on it from the promo pics!
looks like a ducati Steetfighter
Any room for saddlebags for the hard core commuter?
HOT! Where is the instrument cluster?
Looks proper mad, I gotta say.
Some hints of the Duc Streetfighter, but KTM’s engine and plumbing looks so much neater. Orage frame is kinda tacky for me, though. Would’ve preferred a black frame with the orange bodywork. Love how they’ve used worn tyres in the presentation.
I want those wheels for my RC8R…
This is what I’ve been holding on to my money for….KTM PLEASE MAKE THIS BIKE, don’t make me get the Tuono! :O)
More bikes should be this ridiculous…..I would buy it in a heart beat. My only complaint is the forward cylinder exhaust, does not look as clean as the rear one. That exhaust probably makes ears bleed in a one mile radius.
Sweet looking bike, shame the pictures are oversaturated though.
I think the bike have to much orange wheels will look better if they put in black with one orange stripe. They should work to the front of the thing is to ugly
Bike of the year for sure!(w/trac control, abs…ect only). Great looking bike, always needed the RC8R motor. By by 08 duke r and 11 rc8r. Hello 2013 Duke R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh Yes!
A my glad is only a concept !
I want to make sweet love to that 2 piece xhaust layout, Brembo R/M/C, front calipers, fork lowers…ahh, so many precious bits and pieces !
Ducati………see that xhaust ? Yeah, u totally BLEW IT… yours should have had the same routing ( and u don’t even have a shock in the way ! ).
Im willing to live with the ugly front fender, fugly headlite and non-sense sky high tail section if the push it out with that 1290 Gorilla inside the frame.
Upon further observation…i think the front cover is only there as a shield for the FRONT CAMERA, no lite there.
C’mon KTM , FESS UP, I KNOW U HAVE FOOTAGE of your test rider being a TOTAL HOOLIGAN, beating sadistically on those tires and stringing the life out of the e-Gas cable(s).
Oh, and that 180hp figur is indeed is badass but completely useless and unusable on a naked bike. That’s just a brag-about figure to use while showing off at your local café.
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Yeah……and to quote someone else from another website……..
We didn’t need to go to the Moon or Mars…and yet…..(^_^)…
Live and let live. Is ok to critizice.
I want one, it will look very nice next to my 07 SD.
I was leaning towards the Tuono V4R but I may have to wait and see what this KTM looks like and how they price it. 6 months ago I was leaning towards getting away from bikes and getting a sports car but damn it’s hard to beat the bang for buck these bikes offer.
The Superduke R definitely needed a big HP boost, whoever says that the HP is useless obviously never had one on a racetrack! The 09 R with race slicks is a blast on the track, and almost as fast as my RC8, just needed a bit better brakes, suspension, and 30 more HP! Now it’s going to be the ultimate track day ride!!
Hey Jensen, are you the same guy that we rode the KTM Skip Barber Track School with? Do you remember the Canadians?
Looks like gas charged forks, and those Brembo calipers look almost identical in design to the proper SBK or GP ones. Love it XD
Sadly, the engine is just too small. They should have gone 1600cc and 300hp b/c you can’t have fun with less than 300hp. Well, I guess really 350hp is better than 300hp so they should probably go to 2000cc cuz that’s where the market is headed. But if it doesn’t reach dealerships until 2013, it might be best just to jump straight to 400hp b/c riders can’t really be troubled to travel to the dealership for a bike with anything less than 400hp.
By 2014, 1000cc Superbikes are going to be entry level bikes. KTM need to be thinking about the future. If it weighs less than 500lbs and it costs less than $25,000 and it goes slower than 300mph, I don’t really see the point.
KTM 1290 Super Duke R Prototype Concept Bike http://t.co/w14UCf2Q
@Sunstroke:
ROTFLMAO. I’ll be the sensible one to start the trend and trade my Dinosaur SV1000N for a “more up to my riding level” DR200SE. The world will be a much better place. (^_^)
A sweet looking prototype, BUT the tank dimension is too HIGH and the tail section too SHORT. I
I hope KTM builds this bike close to the prototype, though. It’s edgy while not looking weirdish like the first generation looked. (I know ..I owned one!)
Redrams9, I am the very same. There were a few Canadians if I recall.
KTM sent me the following technical specs, hilarious:
Interesting facts about the prototype:
Engine: liquid-cooled V-twin based on the RC8 R with ride-by-wire
Displacement: one.point.three
Power and torque: more than ever
Electronic assistance: ABS, traction control, anti-stoppie and anti-wheelie control (all can be deactivated)
Frame: Chrome-molybdenum steel tubular frame
Swingarm: Light-alloy single-sided swingarm
Suspension components: WP prototypes – upside-down fork with gas pressure cartridge, directly connected shock absorber
Wheels and tyres: Light-alloy wheels with slicks
Brakes: Brembo racing callipers front and rear
Weight: unbelievably low
Hi Jensen!
That was us! There were actually 3 of us from Canada on that course and we were so impressed with the Rc8, that we all bought 2011′s. still have the Superduke R in the garage as well though.
So are you at the show right now? Or what is your in to all these great updates?
@Jensen: Best. Specs. Ever! :-D
I loved my SD, now got 690 duke. I would buy this depending on the price?
Looks to be the most exciting bike of 2013……
I hate when they show us these bikes and then don’t release them for another year. I was just watching some video and it said this one is at least 12 months out. If I was KTM I’d say something along these lines…
“Here is the KTM 1290 SD. Horsepower is 180, weight is less than 400lbs, it will come in one color, there will be one version which comes completely loaded, it will cost $14,999 and it will be available in U.S. dealerships within a month, and it will blow you’re f*ing mind”
@everyone:
HERE’S THE BEAST….BREATHING & MOVING !
Bad-Ass! Love the dirtbike style high leverage bar set up. A Super Moto superbike, hard to think of anything that would be more fun for street riding. And the sound of that engine… phenomenal.
I have a super duke 990R , it is an amazing motorcycle, nothing comes close in power and handling.This looks even better.Hey KTM,lets get going on the production bike i will be first in line. No such thing as useless horse power