2011 KTM 125 Duke Officially Named

After holding an online contest to name its 125cc four-stroke based learner street bike, KTM has shockingly come to the conclusion that it should stick to its Duke nomenclature. Schedule to be the 2011 KTM 125 Duke, KTM debuted the concepts at the 2009 EICMA show in Milan. KTM’s plan is to engage young riders with the “Ready to Race” mantra, making them lifetime Team Orange riders with this stepping-stone model

Video: Josh Brookes Shows Us the Fastest Line over “The Mountain” at Cadwell Park

The Mountain at Cadwell Park, as it is known, is like the British version of the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca: another one of those special points on a race track, that would not exist on the computer-generated courses we see today. Famous for lofting bikes into the air, The Mountain makes for spectacular photographs, and should be on every rider’s track day bucket list. Finding the fastest racing line over The Mountain can be difficult though, as riders have to contend with keeping the front of their motorcycles down, but such is not the case for HM Plant Honda’s Josh Brookes…

Lost Knee Puck Hinders Hayden at Indy

Track conditions were the talk of the paddock this weekend at the Indianapolis GP, as riders battled the changing tarmac surfaces, and undulating bumps of the Indy infield. Perhaps most vocal of his displeasure with the course was Ducati rider Casey Stoner, who called the Indianapolis Motor Speedway not a world class track, and specifically complained about plastic drains that would catch riders as the ventured in towards the edge of the track (Rossi also complained of these drains). Teammate Nicky Hayden was less critical before Sunday’s race though, saying that Stoner’s comments could be applied to many of the courses on the MotoGP calendar. However after losing a knee puck to one of the drainage grates that Stoner criticized earlier, Hayden may be re-thinking his tune.

Rossi Waiting to Hear if Burgess Will Retire

Talking after the Indianapolis GP, Valentino Rossi explained that he is waiting to hear from Jeremy Burgess as to whether the Australian Crew Chief will retire next season. Assured of the fact that Burgess would not stay behind at Yamaha, and would not work with another rider, Rossi stated the buzz around whether Burgess would move with the Italian to Ducati, hinges as to when Burgess plans on retiring from motorcycle racing.

Nicky Hayden Renews Contract with Ducati

Under the lights of the Indy Mile, where motorcycle racing began for the Kentucky-born MotoGP racer, Nicky Hayden has signed a two-year contract with Ducati Corse for the 2011 & 2012 seasons. Not the biggest surprise in the paddock, Hayden’s contract renewal has never really been questioned this season as the American started the season off with series of strong finishes and continues to be a strong brand ambassador for Ducati in the United States. Hayden will be joined the next two years by former teammate Valentino Rossi, the pair rode for Repsol Honda in 2003, with Hayden finishing the season 5th in his rookie GP season.

World Superbike Responds to Ducati Exodus

Infront Motor Sports, rights holder to the World Superbike Championship series, has responded to the news that Ducati Corse will be leaving the series in 2011. Responding with an official press release, IMS’s message essentially boils down to poking holes in Ducati’s statement about technical regulations. Stating that the 2009 season was dominated by the Ducati 1198 Superbike, sans one Ben Spies, the Italian firm has clearly been able to be competitive with the current formula. IMS goes on to basically say that WSBK is about more than one manufacturer, and can’t cater to Ducati’s whims even if they do have a lengthy history together.

Ben Spies to Factory Yamaha Team

As expected, Ben Spies and Yamaha have announced that the current World Superbike Champion and MotoGP rookie will move up to the factory Yamaha team (noticeably not called Fiat-Yamaha in the press release) for the 2011 season. Spies’ move to the factory squad has lovingly been referred to as the “second worst-kept secret in MotoGP,” right after Rossi’s departure from the Fiat-Yamaha team to Ducati Corse.

Colin Edwards – “I’m going fishing. Screw this sh*t.”

No one makes the MotoGP media center come alive with emotion more so than Colin Edwards. A veteran of the sport, and born with no filter between his brain and mouth, the Texan Tornado captured the spotlight during the pre-race press conference at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. A stark contrast to the polished veneers of other riders, Edwards isn’t afraid to tell things the way he sees it, even if it involves some colorful language. To get an idea of what we mean, check out a portion of the press conference transcript after the jump.

Ducati Trademarks “Diavel” Name in the UK

Ducati has recieved a trademark with the UK Intellectual Property Office for the Bolognese word for devil, or “Diavel”, which according to MCN is to be the name of the company’s new performance cruiser (shown here in a render done by Bar-Design exclusively for Asphalt & Rubber). Interestingly enough, Ducati has not trademarked the Diavel name with the United States Patent & Trademarks Office (USPTO). However with the British government, Ducati has reserved the Diavel mark for virtually every use possible, including lifestyle items like shirts, perfume, watches, and our personal favorite: skin cleansing lotions and creams.

Casey Stoner Ducati 1198S Phillip Island Replica

Missing three races because of a mystery illness, Casey Stoner put any critics he had from his sudden departure in 2009 to bed with his masterful race at Phillip Island. Racing in front of his home crowd, Stoner slid around the Australian course to a decisive victory, in what we called one of the top races of 2009. Making the moment even more special for Australian fans, and Ducatisti alike, was the special race livery that Stoner ran for his home race. Hoping to commemorate that race and Stoner’s contributions to the Marlboro Ducati team (Stoner is leaving Ducati for HRC next year), a French Ducati dealership in Moulins-lès-Metz has decided to sell a limited number of Casey Stoner Ducati 1198S Phillip Island replicas.

Yamaha FZ8R “Fazer” Revealed with Leaked Photos

Mon 01/25/2010 @ 12:05 pm, by Jenny Gun

Home » Bikes » Yamaha FZ8R “Fazer” Revealed with Leaked Photos

Two months ago we revealed what the 2010 Yamaha FZ8 looked like from the headlight up. Yamaha is again teasing us with only a headshot, but this time it is the 2010 Yamaha FZ8R or “Fazer 8″ as Yamaha seems to want to call it, the fully-faired FZ8, that is getting unwrapped. While the photo above is an official photo from Yamaha, Motociclisimo.it has what they believe are leaked photos of both the naked an faired bikes in their final form. Check those photos after the jump.

According to Motociclisimo, the FZ8R is expected to weight a little over 10lbs more than the naked version, tipping the scales at 485lbs. This makes both bikes extremely portly, and nearly 20lbs heavier than their 600cc counter-parts. If true, part of this weight could stem from the degree of similarity the FZ8 has with its bigger brother the FZ1.

In the leaked photos, the FZ8 range is shown to borrow heavily from the FZ1 in its chassis elements. The FZ8R motor is also rumored to be based off the 1000cc motor found in the FZ1 (which is borrowed from the R1). In its 800cc form, the powerplant is expected to make 120hp from its smaller bore motor, while keeping the FZ1’s stroke length, which should make for some impressive torque figures. The FZR8 is expected to have ABS as an option, which will be mated to slightly smaller brake discs.

It looks like Yamaha has updated it’s North American website, and lists FZ6R as 2010 model, indicating that the FZ8R will sit in-between the FZ6 and FZ1 in the model line-up. Time will tell if Motociclisimo.it got all the details right, but so far the new FZ8 looks good in both naked and faired form…but will it sell?

Source: Motociclisimo.it

Top 5 Related Posts:

Tagged under: 2010 Yamaha Fazer 8, 2010 Yamaha FZ8, 2010 Yamaha FZ8 Fazer, 2010 Yamaha FZ8R, 2010 Yamaha FZ8R Fazer, Fazer, Fazer 8, Fazer8, FZ8, FZ8 Fazer, FZ8R, leaked, photos, rumor, Yamaha, Yamaha FZ8, Yamaha FZ8R

Comment:

Peter says:

01/25/2010 at 12:12 PM

FZ8R Fazzer…?
Shouldn´t it be FZ8 & Fazer…
Jemtec says:

05/18/2010 at 1:55 AM

If the bike makes great low end torque, and R6 Hp #s and has a more upright seated position, for around $9000.00 US, it might sell pretty well.
It would cost less than a R1 or an R6, but have benefits of both engines with only a slight increase in weight.
The Idea here is to create a slightly less powerful R1, but have the R6 chassis with improved comfort ergonomics for in town riding.
This might redefine sport tourer, because the bike will be for the majority of owners that dont want Superbike, high RPM riding, with reasonable fuel economy and a slot between a R1 and R6 in between riding dynamics but excelling in neither category.
I guess in a way, a bike that is a good Jack of all trades kind of Super Sport Tourer.
Great to look at, great to ride, and offers more practicality for a larger variety of riders.
Argie says:

06/14/2010 at 12:16 PM

Did Yahmi look at BMW F800 and decide they needed one with their logo on it?

The Latest From A&R StreetLevel:

Was that a squirrel?
By: AnalogSquid @Tue, 30 Nov 1999 07:00:00