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.
Er, wouldn’t it be a K1000RS? R1000RS implies some big ol’ jugs hanging off the sides.
Hey, that’s what the man called it.
Oberdan Bezzi Ponders the BMW R1000RS – A S1000RR Based Streetfighter – http://bit.ly/cWlGsE #motorcycle
Editor, editor, that should be K1000RS. BMW has that space covered with the K1300S and K1300R (which isn’t selling in the US), not to mentioned the failed K1200R Sport, which had a small fairing and resembles this mock up.
Besides in BMW’s naming scheme, historically RS denoted a racing bike, but with the intro of the R100RS the initials became synonymous with sport tourers.
If you look at their naming structure across all lines, I would expect it to be called an S1000R. Just like the naked versions of the F800S, k1300S, and R1200S are called the F800R, K1300R, and R1200R, respectively.
Regarding the design above, I love the idea and hate the sketch. It’s neither Bavarian, nor Italian, and as such has no strong design position. It’s very generic. I doubt BMW would ever make a bike that looks like this, thankfully. I imagine it would conform to the F800R/K1300R/F800GS aesthetic, or it would explore the ideas presented in the Concept6. I wouldn’t mind either, personally.
This wouldbe even better as a half faired sport touring bike.
Alright people… lets get this right. Pens and paper handy? It’s called “BMW Bike naming 101″ BMW names their bikes based off power plant and intended use. The K series engines going into their respective frames… K1300S, K1200R Sport… etc. Everyone still with me? You… in the back of the class, falling asleep… Have I lost you yet? The R Series engines going into their respective bikes… designed for the Boxer engines… R1200S, R1150RT… etc. Everyone still with me? NOW…. having said that. A naked version of an “RR” or “Race Ready” bike would no longer be an RR. It would be something more like one of BMW’s famed naked R bikes. Examples would include the K1200R and R1200R. See the trend? So, with the S1000 engine in it, we would end up with a S1000R. Sure, it doesnt sound as cool… but, we all know that manufacturers such as BMW dont name them for “cool”. The only exceptions to the “no cool name” that come readily to mind are the “Rockster” and the “Paris/Dakar” versions of the popular GS bikes. As far as the concept… I think it’s great. Maybe the artist could have been somewhat more creative with the tidying up of the engine oil cooler and such devices hanging from the front. Possibly a subtle shrouding around it would make it far less obtrusive. But, all in all… I think a bike like this would find its way into my garage if it had adjustable rearsets, adjustable clipons, and a somewhat relaxed seating position from the RR. That way I could wedge my 6″6′, 220 lb self onto it for some truly exhilirating canyon carving. Until then… I’ll stick with my Benelli Cafe Racer as choice for sexiest naked to date.
Oberdan Bezzi Ponders the BMW R1000RS – A S1000RR Based Streetfighter http://goo.gl/YcZh
http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/bikes/oberdan-bezzi-ponders-bmw-r1000rs-s1000rr-based-streetfighter/ BMW版Z1000としか言いようがない。
#BMW #motorcycle : BUILD THIS!!! http://bit.ly/d7YkDS And @Asphalt_Rubber: PLEASE stop teasing me!!! Need to get some work done! ;-)