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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.
- Mike Cecchini on BMW Concept Ninety – Retro Meets Modern
- Chaz Michael Michaels on US Motorcycle Market Drops 14.7% in Q1 2013
- Paul McM on BMW Concept Ninety – Retro Meets Modern
- Norm G. on BMW Concept Ninety – Retro Meets Modern
- Chaz Michael Michaels on US Motorcycle Market Drops 14.7% in Q1 2013
- Pete on BMW Concept Ninety – Retro Meets Modern
- Norm G. on US Motorcycle Market Drops 14.7% in Q1 2013
- Norm G. on US Motorcycle Market Drops 14.7% in Q1 2013
- Andrey on BMW Concept Ninety – Retro Meets Modern
- arkangel on BMW Concept Ninety – Retro Meets Modern
- BMW Concept Ninety – Retro Meets Modern
- The Isle of Man TT — There’s an App for That
- MotoGP: Defective Tire Or Setup Error – Why Did Jorge Lorenzo Struggle at Le Mans?
- MotoGP: Shuhei Nakamoto Talks Tech Specs & Development of the New Honda RC Production Racer
- Video: Sometimes It’s Just Not Your Day…
- Trackside Tuesday: The Silly Suzuki Season
- US Motorcycle Market Drops 14.7% in Q1 2013
- MotoGP: Bridgestone Denies Lorenzo’s Tire Accusations
- Effenbert Liberty Racing Withdraws from WSBK…Again
- Bonnier Corp. & Source Interlink Swap Publications – Cycle World, Motorcyclist, & Sport Rider Now Under One Roof
- MotoGP: Randy de Puniet Testing with Suzuki in Japan
- Moto Morini Tries New Payment Scheme – Pay for Only Half of the Bike, Get It for 18 Months
- Sunday Summary at Le Mans: Of Titles, Shot Tires, Fast Students, & A Spaniard-Free Podium
- MotoGP: Race Results from the French GP
- Saturday Summary at Le Mans: Of Exceptional Rookies, Real Race Pace, & What It Takes To Be Champion
Oh you’re so cute Dani… You actually think you can win!?!
I am gonna kick you ass again this season, now smile like we are friends.
Stoner showing off his new ventriloquism act to the press.
When I come up behind you, just move over and let me pass. Otherwise you’re just embarrassing yourself. Now smile pretty for the camera.
Dani: Casey, please remove your hand.
Gockle ov geer…I said…gockle ov geer
Casey: I shall call him…Mini-Me.
Dani: “Damn, your breath stinks…”
“Did you see the press release from Ducati?……”
“So Dani, who ya riding for next year?”
Seems amazing to see how this diminutive rider could beat the big riders on the tracks, Sachsenring Estoril 2011 were some proves that DP has a big potential to win the title. However, many fans just easily think that he is not meant to ride the motogp bike just because of his weight and height??? it’s such funny statement and judgement. what I know for sure is that You all mocking Pedrosa cannot beat him on the track riding motogp bike of course. Your asses would definitely get whipped,,,,,,Just get rid of it to save your faces and assess,,,,
Casey: “me thinks my ambition will outweigh my many talents this season”
Dani: I cant even look you in the face you POS
Anyone ever tell you that you look like Danica Patrick?
If you get in my way on a fast lap I’ll punch you too
@Pedrobot
You are assuming, too much.
Stoner is a better rider, simple as that. Of the four so-called aliens, Pedrosa is fourth on that list. The other three have won the world title in the premiere class, and two of them more than once…
Caption: (Stoner to Pedrosa)
“It’s looking to be a great season, what about you ?”
HAA, haha! This is so freaking funny, I must say. In the end, I must agree with Maryann, except he is really whispering, ” I’m gonna kick ALL you guys asses so smile for the camera, por favor.” Or, he could be whispering, ” Just make sure Rossi and Nicky don’t get by you, ok? Hehe.
CS – ‘so Dovi walks into a bar, and the barman say’s “Why the long face?”….’
DP – ‘hehehehehehe’
‘Tis okay mate, don’t worry about the fact that I’ll be better than you with this one. It was designed for me unlike how the RC212V 800 bike was built for you.
I think Dani has what it takes to get a title, if he can avoid injury. That is a BIG “if” though.
That being said Dani is the best rider to never win a Premiere class title.
Come on little brother, follow me and I’ll show you how its done
Casey: That thing is gonna kick your ass!
and what do you want to do when you grow up?
“How’s your shoulder? Does this hurt?” – “no” – “what about this?” “Ayyyyeeee cojones!”
“Jump on the back and you can come second this year.”
Dude…see the cutie over there near the back of the room?! She is TOTALLY checking out your junk…
@Pedrobot:
Alberto Puig – stop trolling – I know it is you!
@Damo
That would be Max Biaggi…
Remember what I did to Randy? I don’t care if we are team mates, you won’t get off so easy
how would Danni fair in WSB ??? could he win like Biaggi and Checa ???
could Danni win in WSB like Max and Carlos ???
Bet you wished you had of shook Sic’s hand now, don’t you!
shake and bake
Casey helps out the Repsol #2 by holding his collar-bones together.
We represent the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild……
Casey: Does this remind you of 2007?
Dani: (With sh*** eating grin on his face.) No comment!
“Have fun on CRT next year, little man.”
Casey: Smiling isnt that hard.. just contract the muscles at the corners of your mouth and show some teeth!
Dani: Like this?
Casey: Oh crap that’s scary… we’re here to please the sponsors not kill Batman!
Thanks mate but I don’t know. Your girl is pretty hot too.
Dani: “He has no idea that Andrea was at my house last night”.
Casey: “You know Dani, my kid looks just like you”.