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.
News that Suzuki plans on returning to the MotoGP Championship in 2014 should be old information for dedicated Asphalt & Rubber readers, and the Japanese company’s inline-four race bike was already spotted doing test laps last year by the eager eyes at Cycle World. Well the American print-mag has another set of eyebrow-raising high-quality photos of the 2014 Suzuki GSV-R to mull over from the Motegi race track, along with some technical insights provided by the venerable Kevin Cameron.
A surprise addition to BMW Motorrad’s 2013 model line-up, zie Germans have announced a new middleweight adventure-tourer, the 2013 BMW F800GS Adventure. Like its larger predecessor, the BMW F800GS Adventure is a more travel-ready and off-road capable build of the recently updated BMW F800GS motorcycle. Featuring a larger windscreen, panniers, and a bigger fuel tank capacity (2.1 gallons larger, for a total of 6.3 gallons of fuel), the BMW F800GS Adventure keeps the same 85 hp, liquid-cooled, 798cc, parallel-twin engine found on the F800GS, as well as the same chassis configuration. Pricing in the US will be $13,550 for the base model BWM F800GS Adventure.
Yes.
:)
Ok, now make it a reality. PopCorn is being pop’d as i type and my L.A.Z.Y Boy recliner in position.
On a side note, wasn’t the 125cc 4T Mini-RSV4 looking thing suposed to be here too already ? Or was that all just a Bad Dream ?
I hope Aprilia reconsider it’s crazy idea and bump it to 250cc + for the USA Market.
That would be too expensive for low volume manufacture like Aprilia to make a 250 (engine they don’t have right now). I don’t think the 125 was ever confirmed reliably for US market. Canada has had some success with CBR125 and they didn’t get the Aprilia 125 ….
KTM 350 in street legal sport bike trim … my wallet is opening right now. 40ishHP, under 300lbs …. sounds like something many people would love, incl. myself
@MXS:
IMHO squeezing 40hp out of a 350cc single would put un-desirable traits on it for a street bike (not impossible but the periodic maintenance intervals would be Aprilia SXV450/550 SHORT ).
Maybe something along the 30-35hp range ? … again… just gessing by what i have seen/heard.
Yes, i doubt the whole Aprilia thing will ever happen in any form or shape but hey… like the crazy professor from Futurama said:
A man can dream, a man can dream.
I want one… The 350-500 cc range of bikes are seriously under-represented…
If the KTM Moto3 350 bike will be nice and peaky, reminiscent of my old RD400 Daytona Special, sign me up.
Being a Ducati guy, I have naturally been intrigued by the RC8. Hoping to get my hands on one later this year. If the KTM full fairings 350 makes in over here, and I enjoy the RC8 as much as I think I will, you can bet I will be selliing my 800ss to have an RC8 mini me…. LOL
Confirmed: KTM 350 Duke in 2013 – Moto3 Inspired 350cc Sport Bike in 2014 – http://t.co/jrUG3XpY #motorcycle
A fully-faired version of the KTM 350 Duke ? At last my dreams come true.
(if they had one today I would buy one today and I mean that)
MikeD says:
January 25, 2012 at 3:37 PM
IMHO squeezing 40hp out of a 350cc single would put un-desirable traits on it for a street bike.
Hello I’m Italian, here the Duke 200 cc. has just been launched and it developes 26hp., so maybe 40hp for a 350 cc. is possible (26 / 200 * 350 = 45,5).
Duke 200 is not actually on sale but dealers are already accepting orders (at € 4290, just a bit more than the 125 Duke) as it will be available on may 2012. I sat on the 200 at EICMA last november, almost identical to the 125 apart from the sticker on tank.
I came to this forum because I’m regularly scannering the web in search for news about the 350 Duke wich is my definite DREAM BIKE ! Today I’m an happy man.
Now just do the same to the 690 Duke!
I would love a fully faired street legal, 350-500 cc race rep. Can’t really get one in the states. Would have to get an old Yamaha SR500 and make your own, lol.
How cool…….. That’ll be a great alterative to a Kawi 250 or even the Honda… Keep it reallly light, single cylinder, and sexy ass hell!!!!
>>>Hello I’m Italian, here the Duke 200 cc. has just been launched and it developes 26hp
At the crank I suppose.
The Honda CBR 250 R produces 22.6 bhp and the Kawa Ninja 250R does 26.4 at the rear wheel.
BBQdog says: At the crank I suppose.
The Honda CBR 250 R produces 22.6 bhp and the Kawa Ninja 250R does 26.4 at the rear wheel.
Oh yes, at the crank. Official KTM’s 2012 Catalogue in my hands says: “26 hp @ 10.000 rpm”. No figures about torque. An Indian web site seen today has a road test of this tiny beauty launched yesterday on that market (the home market !) and declares a top speed of 135 kmh on the gauge.
Yes CBR an Ninjia are more powerful, but with a bigger displacement and a higher weight (126 kg the Duke 200, w/out fuel) and… much less sex appeal – don’t you think so ? :)
OH YES! Now we are talking. Leave it to a company of enthusiasts like KTM to build the road-going mini GP bike we always wanted…
Hope this revitalizes the small-bore sportbike segment!
My DRZ400 is well under stressed (guys are moding the crap out of it; 45HP with pipe and few other things) and it’s rated I believe at 33HP. So I am usre KTM can do 40ish with their 350. It will be much lighter I hope, so even 35ish would still be fun with reasonable oil changes without compromising reliability. To me anyways.
Enrico says:
Official KTM’s 2012 Catalogue in my hands says: “26 hp @ 10.000 rpm”. No figures about torque. An Indian web site seen today has a road test of this tiny beauty launched yesterday on that market (the home market !) and declares a top speed of 135 kmh on the gauge.
Yes CBR an Ninjia are more powerful, but with a bigger displacement and a higher weight (126 kg the Duke 200, w/out fuel) and… much less sex appeal – don’t you think so ? :)
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26hp ? Not bad. 135km/h(~83mph) on the dream-o-meter ? Not bad either unless ur planning on never getting on the highway… and stick to an urban setting.
But im almost positive we’ll never see this bike on this side of the Atlantic.
Here (USA) in the land of “If it doesn’t have fairings tuff luck selling that” and “Bigger(heavier is better)” i also doubt it would do better than both the Honda and Kawasaki.
I certainly can apreciate it for what it is, a FRUGAL, GOOD LOOKING, LITE motorcycle…i bet it would make a good daily beater but knowing KTM it would cost a MINI-FORTUNE compared to the other 2 bikes i previously mentioned…and to gain what compared to those 2 ?
And im sure geting parts for it takes longer than any of the Nihongo OEMs.
But they try…i’ll give them that much.
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RJ says:
Leave it to a company of enthusiasts like KTM to build the road-going mini GP bike we always wanted…
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Ok…..but at what cost ? Have u seen KTM’s prices even before the economy got in the toilet ? Not cheap exactly. I wouldn’t pay Ninja 650 $$$ for such a bike…wich im sure they will love to make it’s MSRP…HOPE im wrong…besides…there’s no hard evidence yet such delicacy will come to the USA, YET.
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mxs says:
January 26, 2012 at 4:06 PMMy DRZ400 is well under stressed (guys are moding the crap out of it; 45HP with pipe and few other things) and it’s rated I believe at 33HP. So I am usre KTM can do 40ish with their 350. It will be much lighter I hope, so even 35ish would still be fun with reasonable oil changes without compromising reliability. To me anyways.
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Coming from a real world user(you)…i’ll take that with a grain of salt.
Personally i have never owned a single…so my xperience is limited to what i read on forums.
The price stated as introductory price in India is INR 1,17,000 ex-showroom.That
equates to USD 2350.
jithin says: “The price stated as introductory price in India is INR 1,17,000 ex-showroom. That
equates to USD 2350″
I’m afraid there’ll be no way we Europeans and you Americans will get the 350 for that bargain price, unfortunately :(
Let’s do some estimates:
Italian market TODAY: Duke 125cc € 4133; Duke 200cc € 4290 (launch price announced); CBR250cc € 4435; Ninja 250cc € 5230.
Non-exotic 600cc naked are selling at about € 6000/ € 7000: Kawa ER-6N, Yamaha XJ6.
I would imagine (and hope) a price slightly higher than € 5000 for the Duke 350.
Now it’s up to you to convert these figures in US$ and adapt them to your market.
Why would you take it with a grain of salt? LOL …. Singles are great, city or around town kind of a bike. They will do hwy obviously, but you’d be on a wrong bike if that’s where you spend most of the time (I guess you have to, otherwise I cannot imagine why. Unless you live in Florida or something …). Yes they vibrate more than multicylinder bike, but you take the bad with the tons of good … :-)
BTW, posting prices from different regions is close to useless, because there so much more into it than just conversion. Just ask a Canadian how do they like paying anywhere between 15-30% more on bikes and cars when compared to US prices. Be prepared for the outpour of an anger …. we’ve been milked for decades, so prices in India, are just that, prices in India. Prices in Italy are just prices in Italy.
jithin says:
January 27, 2012 at 4:42 AMThe price stated as introductory price in India is INR 1,17,000 ex-showroom.That
equates to USD 2350.
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The rest of the world will see those prices when a cure for AIDS, CANCER is discovered, Muslims treat their women like persons and when world hunger don’t exist.
iN other words…NEVER.
mxs says:
January 27, 2012 at 10:09 AMWhy would you take it with a grain of salt? LOL …. Singles are great, city or around town kind of a bike. They will do hwy obviously, but you’d be on a wrong bike if that’s where you spend most of the time (I guess you have to, otherwise I cannot imagine why. Unless you live in Florida or something …). Yes they vibrate more than multicylinder bike, but you take the bad with the tons of good … :-)
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U nailed it, good old FL(Miami to be precise)…no tight curves, elevation changes…nothing but straight roads, really wide long curves(when u find one), no Canyons or Hills…all that stuff people deem not exciting elsewhere in bikerdom.
And people still wonder why there’s so many ‘Busas around…LOL.
Yup, most of the time is highway for me (at night time, less traffic too), TOO DANGEROUS to drive on the streets…to many IDIOT CAGERS, too much traffic and no one is bike aware…to them ur like a Deer wondering into and IN oncoming traffic. Like some kind of “game animal”.
Heck, here u see on the news pretty often people just ran over cause they where trying to cross the road…on a bike it just makes it more xciting i guess for the killers.