Ducatisti: do you want the good news or the bad news first? The bad news is that the market for motorcycles 500cc and up is down 17% worldwide for the first quarter of this year, which means the “good” news is that Ducati is only down 5% for Q1 2013. Not exactly the start out of the gate that Audi was hoping for its newly acquired two-wheeled brand, but what are you going to do? Western Europe is a mess, with Spain and Italy continuing to go down like a…well, you know. While we don’t enjoy the misery of motorcycle brands, the fact that Ducati Motor Holding is now under the Audi AG umbrella means that we get far more detailed quarterly and yearly reports from the two-wheeled marque, and we’ve got the digits after the jump.
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.
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.
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.
Real question is …….. Will it be cheaper then Kawa & Honda ??
Undoubtedly no. But will it be better?
Love the idea, but I think 350-400cc is a better “middle ground” for learning these days, so people still get light weight and good fuel econ, but have enough grunt — especially if they’re larger people — to want to keep their bike longer than a 250cc can provide. The jump from 250cc to 600cc + is pretty dramatic IMHO. Also, since it’s not a race class in the U.S., displacement parity with other manufacturers isn’t vital and they could carve their own nitch!
Forget MSF friendly, how about making it Moto3 friendly?
I know, I know, learner bike and all that, but it would be a great sales tool to have a Moto3 bike and a silhouette replica street bike.
I’m down with Erik and most of his machines, but I’m not sure that our market needs a $11,000 “learner” right now. Just sayin’… EBR isnt really positioning itself as a bargain brand here or anything.
Talk to Hyosung. They are always up for selling motors. Air cooled twin, back to roots.
HD is already in cahoots with ATK to sell small crappy Korean bikes, maybe they decided to get back together and sell them with Buell stickers?
EBR may be eyeing institutional buyers, perhaps governmental-ish ones restricted by some sort of buy-America policy. I know that some riding schools have fleets of blasts, even now. I doubt its because they are less expensive or cheaper to maintain than the EX250, CBR250 or WR250 and power is similar.
I agree with Shaitan that a 350+cc bike would be more useful. That way it could have a broader power curve and be less highly tuned — could be no heavier I suspect and considerably easier to ride. It might also give it just enough oomph so its not roadkill or buzzing its brains out on the freeway. Fuel economy at speed would be improved too due to not having to totally flog the little thing.
I’d really rather he make an 1190-power Ulysses-like thing. I love my Uly, but I don’t know that I could say no to liquid cooling and twice the power :)
Ok…continue…?
The Blast was such a crappy bike. I’d love to see another 250, or a modern 400, but for fcks sake not another Blast.
Why not be more ambitious and make it a nimble 250cc sports bike ?
At least they have some work to do at the overal looks because it looks
like any far-east 250cc commuter on the picture above.
A 250cc "learner bike" by Buell? Now that would be smart! http://t.co/XkgLSWXJ #motorcycles #harley
Loved the Blast as a 1st bike –> RT @Asphalt_Rubber: Erik Buell Racing Considering 250cc Learner Bike – http://aspha.lt/v9 #motorcycle
Kevin, the Blast was awesome for what it was. Used, as a city commuter, there really was now better bike for the money.
I never saw blast on street… but did use one in MSF class, really uncomfortable but functional bike car equivalent Hyundai Accent.
I for once am really excited about this. I love the Buell Blast( as a tinkerer and mad scientist), granted is a bit uncomfortable but is still an awesome bike, specially if you love modifying and fabricating stuff. I can’t wait to see what EBR dishes out, this time they have free range of design and control over the whole project, I can only expect the best for this bike. Glad to see the 250s are getting more love here in America, as a 250 rider and enthusiast, this news could not have come in a better time.
A 250cc GP-style sportbike would be awesome. But what Eric & Co. are prob looking for is a bike which could bring in some serious dough through volume sales. That way, they can keep the ball rolling on this little “American Motorcycle Company” adventure. Though we all love the idea of a 250cc GP replica, how many would dish out the money for one? Honda and Kawasaki market theirs at around $4,000 which is peanuts for a brand new product in the transportation universe. Heck, Vespa want over $8,000 for a trendy scooter?!! The chance of Eric meeting eye to eye price-wise with the big Japanese OEM’s is a hard ask. But if it was around $6,000 maybe it would be viable if equipped with top shelf components. I’m thinking his powertrain answer could come from Korea. Hyosung’s little air/oil-cooled 250 twin is a lot more advanced than people think.
According to Wikipedia:
“The Hyosung V-twin engine was designed in Hamamatsu Japan by a design team consisting of engineers who have previously worked in the research and development teams of Suzuki. Technical features include roller bearing camshafts, two-piece spring dampened bevel silent primary drive gears, dual squelsh combustion chambers; these features were previously confined to racing engines, and in the past have been uneconomical for manufacturers to incorporate into smaller capacity engines for street use. It utilizes a DOHC eight-valve engine configuration. Twin downdraft Mikuni carburetors were standard until 2008, when fuel injection became available.”
Seems all it would need would be to not get stuck in a 500lbs+ cheap steel chassis, with even cheaper suspension components. If Mr. Buell could do what he does best (Chassis Tech) and utilized a slightly tuned version of this engine in a GP racer inspired street bike, then we might have a real winner here…
Well, the problem I see with trying to compete with Honda and Kawi is that though they may sell a lot of the 250s, they aren’t making any money when they do. For the longest time, Kawasaki made the Ninja 250 simply to get a bit of brand loyalty with beginning riders. They made no money on it, but they figured it sold more of their bigger bikes when those riders moved up.
If he’s looking to build some brand loyalty and get the name out there with beginners, sure. But if they want to make money off of the bikes, they’ll have to price them higher, which in turn will push beginners to the Japanese brands.
No matter, I wish him the best. I’d love to see him put some of his know-how into a smaller cc bike — so long as it’s not another Blast. It may have some fans out there but I’m definitely not one of them.
I hope that they make a new american manufactured engine for it. Maybe they could talk to Cobra motorcycles or something. But please not another imported engine tagged as american made because it was put in a frame here in the states. I think many will agree that the engine needs to be american made to clasify the bike as american made.
MotoJoe, that would be nice but I believe an American made engine will take 3+ years to make happen. Motus has been hard at work for at least that long.
I think it’s Hyosung or the highway. Kymco might be game too. Or SYM.
Hmmm, well, Rotax does make a 450cc EFI motor hooked to a 5-speed…..
http://www.brp-powertrain.com/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-243/384_read-375/
Man, the more I think about it the more I think that would be the ticket (the 450). You’d be able to hit a price point above the 250′s but below the 600′s, and you’d most likely attract riders who ‘don’t want a measley 250!’ There are a ton of them…
Some EBR bolt-ons to get it up to 50-55 hp and you’d have a bike that’s much more highway-friendly than the 250s and cheaper than a 600, all-the-while building the Buell name up and building a base of rider loyalty.
And it wouldn’t be directly competing with anything currently on the market.
Hmmm…
yes yes yes… rotax 450 :)
Nearly none of the Buell is built in the USA–That’s the reality of the global economy.
Look @ Fisher’s (lack of) success.
Looks like this is a big surprise to Erik Buell:
http://twitter.com/#!/MCNGuyProcter/status/122304140184530945/photo/1
The best part of the above twitter post is it’s from Guy Procter who happens to write the most ridiculous false stories for the equivalent of the National Enquire of the motorcycle world, MCN.
Have you guys put your deposits down for your brand new $5,000 zx10-r yet? http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2011/September/sep2811-did-you-put-a-deposit-down-on-a-cheap-zx-10r/
Please… Plus though the story might not be true, Erik might be sandbagging too…
Either way, MCN= Clown Shoes.
Bike Pilot,
HD is not in any “cahoots” to sell rebranded Hyosungs- that is well-known to be a deal between one of their dealers and ATK. Whether you like the Hyosung product or not, they are pretty nice to ride, with performance and reliability similar to any Japanese engine- they assembled for Suzuki for years so have learned quite a bit. Their factory is actually in the same industrial area- and on the same road- as Kia, Samsung, and Hyundai, so calling them “crappy” probably just comes from your not being exposed to their products, and promotes a common misconception. They are reliable.
It continues to amaze me that Buell gets one penny of investment funding. A small army of loyalists aside, Harley lost about a BILLION dollars on that brand to no end. Lesson learned?
No, I think the best part about that tweet is it shows how catty motorcycle journalists are about each other.
The story is true, regardless of whatever MCN wants to insinuate, and what EBR wants to deflect. I think the hurdle is too high for us to see a 250 come to market from EBR (would like to be proven wrong), but the project exists in some for or another at East Troy.
One thing is, going over 279 cc puts you into a different, more expensive emissions class.
Still, 279, and calling it a 280, would be a slight marketing advantage over the competition…
My alias,
harely lost their money buying mv agusta and selling turds. Not from buell. They actually spent more to close shop than they had invested.