Grab some popcorn, because this video from Ducati North America is over 14 minutes long. Telling the story of Ducati at the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), DNA has put together a great video that really captures how special the racing is at Pikes Peak, and how gorgeous the scenery is of the Colorado Mountains. With Santa Barbara Ducati’s Carlin Dunne winning the overall motorcycle category on his dealership’s Multistrada 1200 demo model, Alexander Smith from the Spider Grips Ducati Team made it a double podium for Ducati in the 1205cc class. If you’re new to racing at Pikes Peak, or wanted a quick re-cap of last year’s race, Ducati’s video pretty accurately sums up racing on the mountain and the anxiety around last year’s race.
Ducati has announced its factory team for the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), and the Italian company has secured the services of last-year’s winner and Rookie of the Year Carlin Dunne as well as six-time PPIHC winner Greg Tracy. Ducati has also partnered with the Spider Grips team, who will help prepare the teams Ducati Multistrada 1200 for the “Race to the Clouds” on July 8th. For 2012, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be fully-paved to the top of the mountain, which will surely see the speeds of competitors increase, and lap times drop on the 12.42 mile long course that ends at 14,110 feet.
I was flipping through some photos from the 2011 EICMA show, and found these shots of the Ducati 1199 Panigale’s Superquadro engine. Unfortunately at the show, Ducati had its 1199cc v-twin motor behind a Lexan case, which created a bit of a glare, reflections, and of course had smudges from the touchy-feely Italian crowd. But still, the photos give a good idea of what’s going on in Ducati’s most-advanced production engine to date, and are better than just looking at the CAD renders. If you look at the shots very closely, you can almost see where the 195hp and 98 lbs•ft of torque is lurking inside.
In addition to testing the factory Ducati Desmosedici GP12 “Phoenix” this week at Sepang, Valentino Rossi is also trying out a new lid from AGV. Aside from the carbon fiber goodness, and of course the Rossi stickers (which add 5hp & $200), AGV’s prototype helmet sports a noticably pronounced rear spoiler. Tucked in behind the windscreen, it is obvious why the Italian helmet manufacturer designed such a large protrusion off the back of the prototype helmet, as it looks to be clearly helping the flow off the back of the helmet, across the rider’s hump, and down his backside.
While Ducati Corse is busy playing hide-the-Desmosedici at Sepang, HRC is all business in Malaysia this week, and has debuted its 2012 Honda RC213V MotoGP-contender. Honda isn’t saying too much about the RC213V, simply stating that the race bike is all new, but is also a continuation of the company’s design with the 800cc Honda RC212V. Testing the Honda RC213V over the course of last season, reigning-World Champion Casey rode the new 1,000cc machine three times in 2011, while teammate Dani Pedrosa swung a leg over the RC213V twice (missing one test because of injury).
You may have been misled by some eager journalists today and yesterday, if you saw a Ducati Corse livery-clad Ducati Desmosedici GP12 that some sites were passing off as the first shots of the “90% new” GP12. With the alleged new GP12 looking surprisingly similar to the aluminum-framed “GP0″ that was tested at Valencia, Valentino Rossi’s mechanic has now Alex Briggs confirmed that the photos taken were not of the all new “GP12 Phoenix” that the factory team will race this season. While the Ducati lords can taketh away, they can also giveth, and Valentino Rossi himself has posted the first photo of the factory Desmosedici GP12, and the bike is clearly different.
Zero Motorcycles has announced the full-commencement of production for its 2012 model line, which is expected to hit dealers in February & March of this year. First off the line was the 2012 Zero DS back in December, though the electric motorcycle company has recently started building the Zero S, Zero XU, Zero X, and Zero MX at its Scotts Valley facility as well. A story we broke back in November, Zero Motorcycles debuted its important 2012 electric motorcycle line up at the 2011 EICMA show in Milan, with the 2012 range being a substantial improvement upon the company’s previous offerings.
Getting a look at Dainese & AGV’s 2012 collection, Asphalt & Rubber was down in Orange County earlier this week to see the highly anticipated Dainese D-Air Racing leather suit, which has a four liter airbag system that helps reduce the risk of injury during a motorcycle crash. Dainese has been working on the D-Air Racing system for 10 years now, and after soft-launching the airbag suit in Europe, the Italian company is ready to bring the game-changing technology to American soil.
Us Danes, we’re a strange breed. From the culture that taught you how to rape and pillage, Scandinavia is making yet another contribution to the motorcycling world with this latest video. Featuring Danish Supermoto Champion Andreas Mikkelsen, we get a RoToR camera-esque perspective (this rig is actually home made) on the Dane’s practice session at the Als Supermotard Club in Denmark. It’s videos like this that are slowly eroding my will-power to resist getting into supermotard riding. Also, I don’t know who was in charge of the music selection on this thing, but my hat is off to him/her. I love the nightlife. I’ve come to boogie.
Our friends over at IndianCarsBikes.in were in attendance at the KTM 200 Duke launch in India this week, as the Austrian brand launched its somewhat bigger-displacement version of the popular KTM Duke 125. During the press event, KTM talked about the future of the mini-Duke line and its product roadmap for the emerging country, as well as abroad. With the Austrian brand confirming/clarifying that KTM would release a KTM 350 Duke for India in 2013, zie Austrians also confirmed that the KTM 350 Duke would be built locally in India by Bajaj, but would be exported worldwide — allaying fears that the KTM 350 Duke would be an India-only model.
wow, its like danica patrick but good
emd..good one.
Good luck Elena!
not even this is simply a massive marketing stunt (one that is working) for Suzuki MotoGP. The comment about her results as the basis for the guess ridetest is BS as there are other Suzuki riders in the AMA (all classes) that have had better results/season then she has. If she were a guy this wouldn’t be happening. This isn’t a knock on her either. To me stuff like this sets women back more then it helps because it sets a different standard for them to met then the standard to that of the men that want to compete against equally.
I really would have liked to have seen her turn this down just for that reason alone. But I know it would never happen. the marketing people behind her have been pushing this from day one. Regardless of how competitive she may or may not actually end up being against the top guys in the top class, she will be the Danica Patrick of bike racing. Great for her and others bank accounts. Bad for racing
Go get ‘em Elena!
I agree that if she wasn’t a woman she wouldn’t be able to do this…… But isn’t racin g a sport that is funded by marketing> Isn’t Elena an exceptional racer 16, female making several top 10 finishes all season?
I do disagree that this is bad for racing, how can publicity hurt? especially in a move that would most likely boost some american interest? America has a very low interest sadly and this will only help.
Lastly if you were a motorcycle racing 16 year old, wouldn’t you happily jump on board a free ride on a GP bike, heck if they offered me a free ride on a Guzzi bike, a HD race bike, any race bike regardless or how poor the reecent results I would do it. Imagine out of shape, 27 yr old offered ride on a race bike that would make headlines…
Go fast Elena, just don’t foget Jon and the guys at RRW good luck
There are plenty of Jobbers that are or have raced in GP because of publicity reasons or because they can bring money into a team. I am happy for her to take a couple of laps as both Ms. Meyers and Rizla Suzuki could use all the positive press they can get. Good luck to her. As for Rizla Suzuki, perhaps if Kevin Schwantz comes aboard as rumored that lame ass program can finally get off the ground.
No doubt marketing is needed, but if it comes at the expense of the quality of racing then what is the point? This whole thing about needing an American for american interest is BS and it’s why I hate the localized coverage of SBK & MotoGP races. I am american but I would rather watch 4 foriegn aliens battle for victory then get constant coverage of americans not making the top 10. When you put hype before the product to gain an audience you get a fickle base that will drop you once the next fad comes in. This was proven by the report audience drop when Rossi missed those races. Those people aren’t race fans they are rossi fans and if goes to Rally or F1 or whatever they will follow Rossi. short term gain maybe, but long term not good for the sport. Danica Patrick for supposedly all the good she does for Indy is only good for Indy if she is stays there. Any fans she brings will leave with her. But how is she good for the sport when you see all her marketing and hype, but never see her at the front of a race?
Again this isn’t a slight against Elena, no doubt she has talent, but don’t forget she has had more opportunites and breaks then most 16 year old. There is a huge difference between top 10s and dominating. but again if this were about results, there are other young suzuki riders who have “earned” a test/guess ride or whatever it’s being called more then her. but for them to give her this chance, based off results of a support class meant for rookies…….you can’t justify it other then a marketing gimmick.
To answer question, my point isn’t whether it’s a great chance to ride a cool bike (and yes I’d ride it if it were offered to me), my problem is with the hype surrounding it and Suzuki’s reason for doing it. Yeah it’s great for Suzuki because otherwise no body would be talking about their MotoGP project. I guess that old saying “any press is good press” applies here, but this isn’t something I’d want to be apart of. As an athlete I’d want any success or notoriety I received to be based of my achievements in my ports, not the combination of my parents genes
Elena Myers to Ride the Rizla Suzuki after Valencia – http://aspha.lt/18l #motorcycle
Jake, does Suzuki have another 16-yo, male or female, with her speed and potential? Nope. Make this about gender if you want to, but she is a phenomenally talented rider who is tremendously well-spoken, likeable and mature for her age.
Ohio, does Suzuki have other talented riders period? Are there other other young talented riders competing out there in the higher classes period? You guys seem to want to make like I’m attacking her or her potential which I’m not. But the bottom line is if she were male no one would be talking about her for getting top 10 finishes and asking her to ride a MotoGP bike. Just like if Danica Patrick weren’t female no one would be talking about her like they do.
A perfect example is Josh Herrin. There was hype on the kid people knew about him and then the moment he turned 16 Yamaha put him on a graves bike. Over the past couple of years the kid has gone from strength to strength, yet no one mentions him as a future SBK or MotoGP rider. Why is that? Why not some of the Suzuki riders he is competing with in Supersport? Or some of the other young riders on the world scene.
Take it how ever you want, I’m not going to keep going on because you guys seem to see what you want to see, but the bottom line is if she weren’t female no one would care about her unless she was always winning, because there are lots of young guys out there with potential. It’s great her being female is opening doors for her to show what she can or can’t do. But you can’t deny those doors have opened because she is female
They let a buncha jack ass journalist test the bike, why not her? yer a hypocrite jake, you list all these reason she should turn it down and claim its not something you would want to be a part of but in the same paragraph say “yes i would ride it if it was offed to me.” those breaks and opportunity you state came from hard work and talent. She created them.
also she didn’t get where she is because of her sexuality like danika did. that is the only reason we know her name not that she can drive a car. besides trashcar/indy fans are a completely different type of fan.
What are yer thoughts on gaybor and karel riding gp bikes? they run around mid pack also, albeit a different series.
At 16 I was still trying to figure out how to rub one off. Seriously though, did someone really suggest she should decline because it would set women racers back? Would YOU turn down a chance to turn some hot laps on a MotoGP bike? And would you be spouting off if it was any other rider? Bullsh!t.
The other Jake says, “If she were a guy this wouldn’t be happening.” I guess he must have missed the thread just a little bit further down the page about Karel Abraham who is not only testing a GP bike but apparently has a ride with Ducati next year because of who his Daddy is. I think you’d be hard pressed to find a sport without examples of special treatment and nepotism opening doors for certain individuals of questionable worthiness. I don’t mean to suggest that Elena Myers is or is not worthy of the opportunity she’s been given. I only mean to point out that Jake’s argument of sexism is pure rubbish.
http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/ducati-will-run-six-bikes-in-motogp-next-year/
It’s not rubbish. As you say yourself, “you’d be hard pressed to find a sport without examples of special treatment and nepotism opening doors for certain individuals of questionable worthiness.”
Jake is only saying that this is another example of ‘special treatment’.