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.

Dakar Rally – Stage 6: Yamaha Leads KTM into Chile

01/10/2013 @ 3:46 pm, by Jensen Beeler3 COMMENTS

It has been four stages since we checked in with the 2013 Dakar Rally, and a bit has happened since Cyril Despres’s eight-minute gaffe in the rally race’s second stage. Reclaiming the lead the very next day, Despres seemed back on his form, and ready to blow away the competition — Stage Four would say otherwise however.

Shaking up the leader board, it was Yamaha’s Olivier Pain who finished the fourth day of racing roughly three minutes ahead of his teammate David Casteu and KTM’s Cyril Despres, respectively. The fifth and sixth stages had the competitors leave Peru, and make their first crossing into Chile (the 2013 Dakar will leave Chile for Argentina tomorrow during Stage Seven and then re-enter Chile at Stage Twelve through to the finish).

The change of locale proved advantageous for Despres, who gained timed on the Yamahas in front of him, and finally overtook Casteu on today’s Stage Six. Frenchman Olivier Pain remained in the lead through today though, with a 2:22 lead over Despres, and nearly five minutes over Casteu, who is running in danger of being caught by KTM’s Chaleco Lopez and Ruben Faria.

There are two more days of racing in Chile, before the riders will have their one and only rest day, which serves as the halfway mark for the Dakar Rally. Commence onward for full standings and some photos of the top competitors.

Overall Motorcycle Standings of the 2013 Dakar Rally after Stage Six:

Pos.	Name	Country	Bike	Time	Diff.	Penalty
1	PAIN	FRA	YAMAHA	15:35:23	-	-
2	DESPRES	FRA	KTM	15:37:45	0:02:22	-
3	CASTEU	FRA	YAMAHA	15:40:11	0:04:48	-
4	LOPEZ	CHL	KTM	15:41:29	0:06:06	-
5	FARIA	PRT	KTM	15:43:58	0:08:35	-
6	PRZYGONSKI	POL	KTM	15:54:38	0:19:15	0:05:00
7	SVITKO	SVK	KTM	15:57:31	0:22:08	-
8	ISRAEL ESQUERRE	CHL	HONDA	16:00:01	0:24:38	0:12:00
9	RODRIGUES	PRT	HONDA	16:00:46	0:25:23	-
10	BOTTURI	ITA	HUSQVARNA	16:02:25	0:27:02	0:15:00
11	GOUËT	CHL	HONDA	16:03:07	0:27:44	-
12	CASELLI	USA	KTM	16:04:32	0:29:09	-
13	PIZZOLITO	ARG	HONDA	16:05:12	0:29:49	-
14	PEDRERO	ESP	KTM	16:09:18	0:33:55	-
15	JAKES	SVK	KTM	16:10:07	0:34:44	-
16	VAN NIEKERK	ZAF	KTM	16:10:45	0:35:22	-
17	FAGGOTTER	AUS	YAMAHA	16:13:28	0:38:05	-
18	VILADOMS	ESP	HUSQVARNA	16:18:47	0:43:24	-
19	CURTIS	ZAF	KTM	16:20:53	0:45:30	-
20	ULLEVALSETER	NOR	KTM	16:22:41	0:47:18	-
21	VERHOEVEN	NLD	YAMAHA	16:25:21	0:49:58	-
22	GRABHAM	AUS	KTM	16:43:12	1:07:49	-
23	KNUIMAN	NLD	KTM	16:49:25	1:14:02	-
24	RODRÍGUEZ	ARG	HONDA	16:54:15	1:18:52	-
25	METGE	FRA	YAMAHA	17:01:25	1:26:02	-
26	CZACHOR	POL	KTM	17:03:52	1:28:29	-
27	GONÇALVES	PRT	HUSQVARNA	17:04:37	1:29:14	0:15:00
28	DE AZEVEDO	BRA	KTM	17:15:23	1:40:00	-
29	PROHENS	CHL	HONDA	17:20:57	1:45:34	-
30	STRANGE	AUS	HONDA	17:23:46	1:48:23	-
31	RIOS	PER	KTM	17:24:43	1:49:20	-
32	WATT	GBR	KTM	17:27:02	1:51:39	-
33	SANZ	ESP	GAS – GAS	17:32:28	1:57:05	-
34	GUASCH	ESP	GAS – GAS	17:32:46	1:57:23	-
35	SOUVIGNET	FRA	YAMAHA	17:32:47	1:57:24	-
36	FORMAN	GBR	KTM	17:34:13	1:58:50	-
37	DUCLOS	FRA	SHERCO	17:44:43	2:09:20	0:15:00
38	LIEFHEBBER	NLD	KTM	17:45:48	2:10:25	-
39	REEVE	ZMB	KTM	18:04:51	2:29:28	-
40	SMITH	CHL	KTM	18:13:55	2:38:32	-
41	VAN GERVEN	NLD	KTM	18:27:21	2:51:58	-
42	CARDONA VAGNONI	VEN	YAMAHA	18:29:45	2:54:22	-
43	PATRAO	PRT	SUZUKI	18:39:08	3:03:45	0:15:00
44	SALVATIERRA	BOL	HONDA	18:51:22	3:15:59	-
45	PABISKA	CZE	YAMAHA	18:56:41	3:21:18	-
46	PROHENS	CHL	HONDA	19:01:09	3:25:46	-
47	GUINDANI	FRA	YAMAHA	19:05:00	3:29:37	0:15:00
48	BARREDA BORT	ESP	HUSQVARNA	19:14:55	3:39:32	0:15:00
49	SMITH	AUS	HONDA	19:15:27	3:40:04	0:15:00
50	ARREDONDO	GTM	KTM	19:19:43	3:44:20	-
51	VAN PELT	NLD	HONDA	19:22:35	3:47:12	0:10:00
52	WALDSCHMIDT	NAM	KTM	19:24:12	3:48:49	-
53	DESPONTIN	BEL	KTM	19:24:26	3:49:03	-
54	BERGLUND	SWE	HUSABERG	19:31:37	3:56:14	1:43:00
55	POSKITT	GBR	KTM	19:34:07	3:58:44	-
56	VILLARRUBIA	ESP	YAMAHA	19:34:16	3:58:53	-
57	MARTENS	NLD	KTM	19:43:57	4:08:34	-
58	CARILLON	FRA	KTM	19:49:06	4:13:43	-
59	DEMELCHORI	ARG	KAWASAKI	19:54:12	4:18:49	-
60	PAYEN	FRA	YAMAHA	20:02:22	4:26:59	-
61	GABARI	MAR	YAMAHA	20:03:52	4:28:29	-
62	BORRELL GONZALEZ	ESP	KTM	20:05:01	4:29:38	-
63	GADIOUX	FRA	HONDA	20:06:57	4:31:34	-
64	BEAULÉ	CAN	KTM	20:20:52	4:45:29	0:30:00
65	VAN GINKEL	NLD	KTM	20:21:49	4:46:26	-
66	REINIKE	CHL	KTM	20:27:09	4:51:46	-
67	VALERO	ESP	YAMAHA	20:31:05	4:55:42	-
68	BOURGIN	FRA	KTM	20:33:04	4:57:41	-
69	SAGHMEISTER	SRB	KTM	20:33:31	4:58:08	-
70	CABRERA	CHL	KAWASAKI	20:38:20	5:02:57	0:10:00
71	PAVEY	AUS	HUSQVARNA	20:42:48	5:07:25	-
72	DABROWSKI	POL	KTM	20:45:00	5:09:37	-
73	ILLANES	CHL	YAMAHA	20:46:33	5:11:10	0:02:00
74	CAVELIUS	FRA	YAMAHA	20:52:32	5:17:09	-
75	WEST	GBR	SHERCO	20:55:11	5:19:48	-
76	CROQUELOIS	FRA	YAMAHA	20:57:17	5:21:54	0:03:00
77	CAMPBELL	USA	HONDA	20:58:41	5:23:18	-
78	CUMMINGS	ZAF	HONDA	21:00:37	5:25:14	-
79	VERHOESTRAETE	BEL	SHERCO	21:01:33	5:26:10	-
80	AGUILAR	SLV	KTM	21:04:54	5:29:31	-
81	BOLLERO	ARG	KTM	21:05:24	5:30:01	-
82	PICCO	ITA	YAMAHA	21:06:13	5:30:50	-
83	PASCUAL	ARG	JINCHENG	21:07:28	5:32:05	-
84	ERASO ANGLADE	VEN	YAMAHA	21:22:42	5:47:19	-
85	ORTIZ	ARG	YAMAHA	21:27:57	5:52:34	-
86	ZANOTTI	ITA	TM	21:32:07	5:56:44	-
87	BUSQUETS	ESP	HUSQVARNA	21:37:37	6:02:14	-
88	SERRA RIPOLL	ESP	YAMAHA	21:38:56	6:03:33	-
89	HIRIGOYEN	FRA	KTM	21:43:52	6:08:29	-
90	LUCCHESE	ITA	TM	21:45:35	6:10:12	-
91	MENARD	FRA	YAMAHA	21:48:06	6:12:43	-
92	VAN GEEL	NLD	KTM	21:48:28	6:13:05	0:02:00
93	ZUMARAN	CHL	YAMAHA	21:53:30	6:18:07	0:08:00
94	SNIJDERS	NLD	HONDA	21:57:27	6:22:04	-
95	VELLUTINO	PER	KTM	22:13:21	6:37:58	-
96	BOYER	FRA	HONDA	22:15:51	6:40:28	-
97	MOREAU	FRA	KTM	22:19:08	6:43:45	-
98	ZAHN	DEU	KTM	22:24:36	6:49:13	-
99	BOUNDS	GBR	KTM	22:24:59	6:49:36	-
100	BELÁUSTEGUI	ARG	YAMAHA	22:37:02	7:01:39	-
101	KREIDL	AUT	KTM	22:44:59	7:09:36	-
102	COTTET	CHE	KTM	22:53:25	7:18:02	-
103	BASSI	ARG	YAMAHA	22:59:54	7:24:31	0:20:00
104	MORENO KRISTIANSEN	COL	KTM	23:10:28	7:35:05	-
105	PYTHOUD	CHE	KTM	23:14:06	7:38:43	-
106	MUTELET	FRA	YAMAHA	23:15:32	7:40:09	0:20:00
107	MAURI	ITA	YAMAHA	23:59:57	8:24:34	0:07:00
108	PUERTAS HERRERA	ESP	GAS GAS	24:11:28	8:36:05	-
109	AMENGUAL	ARG	YAMAHA	24:15:59	8:40:36	-
110	NAPODANO	ITA	HONDA	24:36:25	9:01:02	-
111	MASSADOR	FRA	HONDA	24:42:39	9:07:16	0:20:00
112	RAMPOLLA	ITA	HONDA	24:50:16	9:14:53	-
113	FARRES GUELL	ESP	HONDA	24:55:19	9:19:56	1:15:00
114	NAMCHIN	MNG	YAMAHA	25:06:10	9:30:47	0:20:00
115	BARRON	PER	KTM	25:16:57	9:41:34	-
116	ALAN	ARG	YAMAHA	25:47:14	10:11:51	-
117	MARTÍNEZ	ESP	KAWASAKI	25:49:45	10:14:22	-
118	DE GROOT	NLD	YAMAHA	25:50:17	10:14:54	-
119	HUIGEVOORT	NLD	KTM	26:06:17	10:30:54	-
120	VAN HEERTUM	NLD	KTM	26:08:06	10:32:43	-
121	NIJEN TWILHAAR	NLD	KTM	26:49:39	11:14:16	0:40:00
122	SARMIENTO	COL	HONDA	27:02:12	11:26:49	-
123	QUERALES MALAVE	VEN	YAMAHA	27:26:46	11:51:23	0:05:00
124	SALDARRIAGA	COL	KTM	27:33:24	11:58:01	-
125	WEI	CHN	JINCHENG	27:33:33	11:58:10	-
126	HEILENKOTTER	CHL	SHERCO	27:41:33	12:06:10	-
127	SANTOS	ARG	HONDA	27:51:53	12:16:30	-
128	CAREVIC	CHL	KTM	28:12:37	12:37:14	0:42:00
129	PALANTE	BEL	HONDA	28:16:06	12:40:43	-
130	ORTIZ	CHL	HONDA	28:16:35	12:41:12	0:08:00
131	LAZARD	URY	YAMAHA	28:26:50	12:51:27	1:00:00
132	ECHEVERRI MEJIA	COL	YAMAHA	28:39:04	13:03:41	1:45:00
133	PETRONE	ARG	YAMAHA	29:43:04	14:07:41	-
134	SCHELLEKENS	NLD	KTM	29:57:51	14:22:28	-
135	GARDULSKI	CHL	YAMAHA	30:52:22	15:16:59	0:20:00
136	THIERRY	FRA	YAMAHA	30:52:38	15:17:15	-
137	CHICHIZOLA	PER	KTM	31:34:17	15:58:54	1:20:00
138	MUNSTERS	NLD	HUSQVARNA	31:46:15	16:10:52	0:20:00
139	TORO	COL	YAMAHA	32:32:33	16:57:10	1:01:00
140	MCKENDRICK	CHL	YAMAHA	32:43:29	17:08:06	0:40:00
141	BELAUSTEGUI	ARG	KTM	46:28:52	30:53:29	6:20:00

Tagged under: 2013 Dakar Rally, Cyril Despres, Dakar, Dakar Rally, Francisco Lopez, KTM, Olivier Pain, overall results, photos, Ruben Faria, Yamaha, Yamaha Racing

Comment:

Damo says:
January 10, 2013 at 4:31 PM
DESPRES, is a machine. I noticed after that 8 minute drop that sneaky SOB is creeping back through the standings.
ngads says:
January 10, 2013 at 5:44 PM
@ Damo
agreed… he is just saving his energy. He will make the push in the later stages to seal his victory
Aaron B. Brown says:
January 10, 2013 at 6:41 PM
In the highlights I saw one rider going too fast over some seriously rock strewn terrain, he got crossed up and took an anvil sized boulder dead on with his front wheel sending him flying, nasty.
It reminded me of that familiar scenario for many riders, when you see an obstacle, and the thought runs through your mind ‘ whatever you do don’t hit that’, and then as if some irresistible force is pulling you and your bike towards it, or perhaps the power of your mind’s own suggestion, which draws you into a series of actions that leads, seemingly inevitably, to that crash. And as you’re laying there on the ground, regaining your cognitive functions and composure, you see it all in your mind again on instant replay… shit!
I suppose it’s about being on the edge of control, and pushing it just a little too far. ‘A man’s got to know his limitations.’ :)

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