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.
Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz has certainly been in the news a bit these past few months, mostly for his involvement and falling out with the Circuit of the Americas and the Americas GP, but also more recently for his comments regarding Dani Pedrosa — we also sat down with Mr. Schwantz in Austin, and the Texan gave us some sobering insight into the future of American road racing. As if all that wasn’t enough, Schwantz is making a return to two-wheeled racing, and has entered the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hours endurance race with Team Kagayama racing alongside Noriyuki Haga and team owner Yukio Kagayama.
An interesting development on the aftermarket side of things has graced our desks, as Öhlins has released a “suspension control unit” (SCU) that upgrades the electronically adjustable suspension on the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S so that it becomes a semi-active suspension system. Whhhaaaat??! So, if you’re the proud owner of a pre-2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S, and you think that your electronically controlled Öhlins suspension is no longer boss, now that Ducati has released its Sachs-powered “Skyhook” semi-active suspension pieces on its new batch of Multistrada sport-tourers, there is a remedy for your motolust.
..its called the SMT 990 SM tourer.
Message to KTM – KTM street motorcycles are nothing short of an eye-sore – “ugly/strange/unorthodox” would be a considerable complement in this market. Can anyone help KTM designers to produce a motorcycle for the US market that is visually palatable?
Until the visuals are addressed KTM will continue to flounder in the US market. I suggest they read a page from Ducati’s playbook – the US market is filled with stunning visual reminders of refined design/engineering (excluding HD).
@Bill Smith – I completely disagree with you. I think KTM is on the right track bringing a new unique look into the US market, one that will not only establish their brand as a leader in performance but also set them apart from the cookie cutter design that exists today.
I believe KTM should of course view Ducati’s playbook, there’s no arguing they’ve done it right, but find their own place in the US streetbike market and the Super Duke and RC8 are fantastic starts.
i have to agree with motomoto on this one, i love the look of the ktm, and i hardly know a fellow rider (at least among my circle of friends) that has any disdain for the visuals ktm’s delivering in the slightest.
to me they’re on their own right track. this is exciting news.
-peter
@ Bill
You think that Ducati was created to be palatable to US market??? Keep dreaming …. If that was the case then it would be as much as palatable as Buell, don’t you think.
Different is what counts my friend …. and that KTM is. Kudos to them.
[IMG]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e311/mgrau/092509top.jpg[/IMG]
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e311/mgrau/092509top.jpg
KTM North America Adds Streetbike Division – New Streetbike Expected for 2010 – http://bit.ly/2mHY1H #motorcycle
The Bottom Line: KTM very much like Buell will fail in the US market unless they fix their visuals. Unique styling is good – ugly/unorthodox styling is bad, PERIOD!
Buell has two more pressing problems –
A: Their new line (1125r/1125cr) is plagued with significant safety, heat, and engine problems (I know this for unfortunately I own one). As one British reviewer articulated “they’re just not ready for prime time.”
B: Buell is the ugly stepsister to HD – their sales staff does not want to sell them, their service staff does not want to service them.
Steer clear of Buell product!
Just about every review on the Super Duke has been nothing short of stellar – like their dirt bikes in the 70’s.
I know a bunch of screwed over 16 yr olds who wont be buying them.
@Bill
I believe you are confusing your taste with the markets taste. You may not like the style but plenty of others do. Ugly, yes is bad but is open to opinion. Unorthodox, well, it’s just that. Different.
Also to say, “KTM very much like Buell will fail in the US market unless they fix their visuals” and then talk about Buell’s mechanical misfortunes and their lack of having good sales support, also have nothing to do about KTM’s design decisions.
I also think Buell took a bold move with their engine decision. As you mentioned they have unfortunately have been plagued with problems and I agree, they were probably not ready for primetime but with a little more support from daddy Davidson that could have been avoided. Hopefully you’ll get yours sorted.
@motomoto
The comparison is very valid – I was just pointing out the differences and similarities – KTM produces fantastic machines – Buell does not (well, not yet). Both have very real visual design problems – confirmed by almost every reviewer and by US sales-to-date.
I assume you work for KTM or have some level of affiliation.
I guess we’ll agree to disagree. Also, if we’re talking about US sales-to-date, I’ll refer to your earlier comment where you mention they should follow Ducati’s play book. KTM has twice the market share that Ducati does. So, maybe I was wrong and they should stick to their own playbook.
No, I don’t work for or own a KTM, merely a man who loves motorcycles, but if the opportunity was presented to me I would jump on it.
Yes I believe KTM unit sales last year are approximately double that of Ducati but we may never know Ducati’s go forward numbers considering their LBO last December. I do know their pre-LBO unit sales for the first half of 2008 showed rather startling results (unaudited).
Ducati unit increases in select geo markets first half 2008:
North Europe (+24.8%)
Germany (+62.9%)
Italy (+49.9%)
Japan (+26.9%)
Staggering by any standards! And please note these are street bike sales!
KTM sells four mini-cycles, 19 dirt bike models, four ATVs, etc. So we are comparing apples against your grocer’s entire fruit selection.
Bottom Line: 99 out of 100 young US male motorcycle purchasers (our primary market) would take a Ducati street bike (sport/superbike/upright naked bike) over KTM’s comparable models. I was absolutely stunned at the sheer number of Ducati motorcycles at Indy and Road America this year – but I did not see one KTM street bike (and we know they are unmistakable)!
Would you care to wager who sells more street bikes in the US in 2010? I’ll bet my Buell 1125r against any comparable model that Ducati will out-sell KTM!
Sweet!! KTM NA Starts Streetbike division! http://tinyurl.com/y8u3sus