Ducati Q1 2013 Sales Drop 5% – Audi Dishes the Details

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 Motorcycles: The Mission R Lives??!

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.

Goodbye Husqvarna Nuda, We Hardly Knew Thee

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.

Q&A: Yukio Kagayama Talks About the Upcoming Suzuka 8-Hour with Kevin Schwantz & Noriyuki Haga

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.

KTM RC4 Concept by Luca Bar Design

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.

Q&A: Claudio Domenicali Talks Frameless Chassis, Sacred Cows, & The Future for Ducati

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.

Is Yamaha Using A Seamless Gearbox? The Data Says No

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.

OCC Coming Back to TV? — Universe Collapses in on Self

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.

Alstare Superbike Concept by Team Alstare

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.

Transcript: The Gay Question at Jerez

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.

Moto-Journalist Kevin Ash Has Died at a Press Launch

01/23/2013 @ 9:40 am, by Jensen Beeler12 COMMENTS

It is with a very heavy heart that we report the passing of famed moto-journalist Kevin Ash, who died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash today. Riding north of Cape Town, South Africa, Kevin was taking part in the press launch of the 2013 BMW R1200GS adventure-touring motorcycle, with the launch now being cancelled after this tragic news.

A legend in the industry, Kevin’s work could be found in a countless number of publications, including MCN and the Daily Telegraph, not to mention his own blog Ash on Bikes. Known for his technical knowledge, clear writing, and honest reviews, Kevin’s work was seen by many in the industry as the gold standard of motorcycle reviews.

On a personal level, I am saddened that I never got to meet Kevin face-to-face at a launch or show (or listen to one of his stories over a pint), though he made it a point to contact me when I was first starting Asphalt & Rubber, which only speaks to his character and professionalism.

Trading friendly emails ever since, it was clear to me why the British journalist was so profoundly well-liked and highly regarded amongst his colleagues. Missing him now, we all can only feel the vacuum left behind by his absence.

From the out-pouring of articles already circulating about him in publications around the world, it is evident that Kevin will be openly mourned by our close-knit community, and we here at A&R can only find solace in the fact that Kevin died doing something that he loved with such intensity.

He is survived by his wife and three daughters. Our thoughts are with them, along with Kevin’s friends and extended family.

Source: Daily Telegraph; Photo: MCN

Tagged under: 2013 BMW R1200GS, BMW, BMW Motorrad, BMW R1200 GS, Kevin Ash, press launch, R1200GS, RIP, South Africa

Comment:

76 says:
January 23, 2013 at 9:46 AM
Truly sad news, always looked forward to his take on a bike, RIP.
ZootCadillac says:
January 23, 2013 at 12:10 PM
Said as much as I want to say about this elsewhere really. Truly sad news. Kev was an icon to those of us who work in the same area. Maybe not so much known in the US but this is a huge blow to motorsport journalism in Europe.
Personally. I’m devastated. I’ll miss him.
Andrew Macpherson says:
January 23, 2013 at 12:15 PM
What terrible and sad news, his and yours are my two prime two wheeled sources.
Chaz Michael Michaels says:
January 23, 2013 at 12:58 PM
Very sad to learn this terrible news. My thoughts and condolences go out to his family, friends, and all the lives he touched along the way.
bemer2six says:
January 23, 2013 at 3:17 PM
Not the best news to start the year off with. Lets hope things get better. RIP Kevin.
L2C says:
January 23, 2013 at 3:26 PM
Horrible. Loved his reviews and his unique voice as a journalist.
My condolences to family and friends. Thank you for all that you given and shared, Kevin. Rest in peace.
MikeD says:
January 23, 2013 at 7:10 PM
Yup, this blows. I was doing my daily morning snooping around on the web when i saw it on another site.
Sure enough i did a double take and said to myself: NAH, IT MUST be me being still sleep reading, this can’t be the same guy, he must be testing the new W/C GS having a good time and i’ll be waiting for his excellent report to coming in probably by the weekend (i’m a big time lurker on his website).
I really got a kick reading his reviews, very detailed, lots of technical details that he would break down to the point that any regular Joe or Jane would get it from the get-go, plenty of pics while being enjoyable to read at the same time…i’ll sure miss his style.
My condolences to his family and friends.
paulus - Thailand says:
January 23, 2013 at 9:05 PM
sad news. RIP
dc4go says:
January 23, 2013 at 9:07 PM
Terrible sad news… :/ Rest in Peace Kevin……
TexusTim says:
January 24, 2013 at 2:26 AM
tragic news, R.I.P. Kevin
Eddie says:
January 24, 2013 at 6:15 PM
God Bless
froryde says:
January 25, 2013 at 12:25 AM
Gutted. Absolutely gutted. This is really fucking me up.
RIP Kevin. You and your reviews will be sorely sorely missed. =(

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