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.
Badassery! RT @Asphalt_Rubber #Brakko Combined Wheel Brake System – http://bit.ly/513rcr #motorcycle #design
Imitation is the sincerest form of…? Think Buell ZTL brakes RT @Asphalt_Rubber Brakko Combined Wheel Brake System – http://bit.ly/513rcr
That is a ripoff of Buell brakes. I’m disappointed in this publication for making a big deal out of a product already done in EARLY 2002
Rip-off? I dunno about that. These, like the one’s on the Buell, are a single-disc perimeter style brake. However, Buell’s design is mounted on the side, like a conventional braking system, whereas these are directly centerline with the tire. Also the caliper mounting is completely different not to mention the disc is an actual stressed member of the wheel.
It would be a bitch to clean, I’m betting.
Brakko Combined Wheel Brake System – http://bit.ly/513rcr #motorcycle
http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/brakko-combined-wheel-brake-system/ もしビューエルが復活したらこれにしようぜ
Buell’s design put the disk on the side of the rim for reasons of cooling… I would like to see the heat coming of those after a few hot laps. A step back from the Buell design I think.
Huh. Looks like they took the Buell ZTL system and then made it unecessarily complicated. I’d like to see a weight-saving comparison between the two.
Dave makes a great point about the heat as well… those pads are virtually shielded. Certainly a step up from conventional brakes, but seems to me like Buell still had the better design. Sometimes a thing can be ~too~ high tech for its own good.
Nice, looks great, but I see the same basic idea on my Buell XB9R every time I ride her.
And no, Erik Buell did not do this to take care of any heat issues. Weight is the enemy, and that is why it was done.
Neat looking computer generated vaporware variation on the Buell ZTL system. Simple questions screaming for answers:
1. How much does it weigh compared to the Buell ZTL wheel/brake/fork lower?
2. How does it perform under severe stress, meaning high heat, aggressive braking.
The Buell Forum at http://www.BadWeatherBikers.com has taken notice. See comments there at…
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/4062/518759.html
What happens when heat causes the rotor to expand? I don’t see much room for the disc to expand, and I sure wouldn’t want to try and bleed them if the brake lines route through the hub.
Looks like it’s just an end-around to keep from violating Buell’s patents?
Seems sad to me that Erik Buell, probably the smartest man in the motorcycling industry today didn’t get this kind of attention when he brought this type (and better) of braking to production motorcycles several years ago.
yeah, but have you guys seen what honda is doing with their underslung exhaust?
man, those guys …..oh, wait. ummm…. never mind.
This system looks great. Our company holds the patents for U.S distribution of Internal brake wheels. We came up with this system 6 years ago. As for the buell bikes they never had true internal brakes.( calipers behind both wheel faces) The Buell calipers were externally mounted conventionally on the lower fork leg. We initially designed a setup similar to this one. However our current system is much cheaper to manufacture and allows the wheels to be tailored to any bike with ease. and cost is similar to a complete set of billet Pm’s or extreme machine etc. $5,500 to 6,500 dealer cost complete. Brakes, wheels any finish, rotors etc. we make them in 18″ to 26″ sizes unlimited width. Check out glenndynedesign.com The gunmetal and black set on the website was a prototype set. The production sets use all DOT brake lines and fittings. We are just now finished with our rotary forging dies for all Wheel faces ranging in sizes 18″ to 26″ we are now in full production designing different styles and setting up dealers.
No 17″ wheels Aaron? It’s gonna be hard to win over the sportbike crowd without a 17″/16.5″ option
Jenny,
We have just been producing 18″ and up because of demand in the custom industry. With harleys etc. We would consider building the rotary forging dies for the 17″ wheel faces if costomers want them. We are just now launching the wheels for production bikes at the CINCI dealer expo. Feb 2010. thanks for your question.
I guess that this “centered” system, besides heating problems, still transfers torsional load to the hub, where calipers seems to be attached, requiring wheels to have more mass. Am I wrong, or this would “throw away” the real advantage of ZTL system, e.g, reducing unsprung wieght?
I think beating up on the design is pointless, the system depicted here could offer substantial weight saving in that the wheel spokes can be a lot lighter due to the fact the braking forces are applied to the rim not the hub.
The calipers can’t be attached to the hub as they would be turning with the wheel, if they were you would have no braking.
Its not entirely clear in the video but the calipers must be anchored to the spindle in some way, which would then have to transfer its loading through to the fork legs.
I think the design is unique and interesting, i’ll be looking out for this to see how it develops.