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.
If anyone knows how to buy one of these PLEASE tell me. I will pay handsomely!
What he said.
Thirded! Please!
Jensen, you’re such a nerd. I gotta admit, I love the poster, and the Akira reference is apt. The movie left quite a mark on me as well even though it had at times a weird narrative.
Awesome. just awesome
Quadded!
You’re just now figuring out I’m a huge nerd? Maybe my social skills have improved. Hmm…
Do want. Very yes.
Also maybe its me but this could SO EASILY be turned into an anime series. It’s all there.
Nah not really, maybe they have not met you in person. pfft..
OK I’ll answer the question.
My favorite is Crutchlow.
Yeah, I didn’t think so.
Jensen, please, get some hi-res plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
MAAAAAAANNNNNN, now i’ve figured out….
Where’s Valentino?!?!!?!??!?!?!?!!
Now the fans goes crazy!
Yes, Indeed. Gotta love the Crutchlow
so where does one see a picture of the US GP poster you referenced?
I also found the image on motogp.com website: http://www.motogp.com/en/photos/2012/Grand+Prix+of+Japan+2012+1
Would love to have a poster as well.
Crutchlow wins and Fred, valentino is the one highest up with the fro
LOL! That’s awesome. I’m guessing they just wanted to bring some youthful fun to the event given last year’s somber tone.
I think I found Spies on the poster…
Oh wait, thats just Crutchlow’s hand…
So who has the connections with someone in japan..? Have them scan a quality copy and post it on the web with a link on this comment thread…
the funniest part of the poster is the “Make a new road!” caption below Japan.
Mp
I´ve thinked the high one was Simoncelli LMFAO
Sugoi desu ne !!
Crutchlow should be his own poster. I’d drop a benjamin on it without blinking.
pedrosa was so awesome,can see the revenge in the eyes.
I have all the Laguna Seca posters back to the USGP days… All the posters from 2005 on have a similar style… maybe you should do an article on all the 2012 posters!
Wait I’ll have to check MotoGP site to see if they have them all…
Love the poster………….somebody pick some up and get us some!!
I would definitely buy this. Mainly so I can think of Akira every time I see Lorenzo…
Crutchlow looks like a cross between a wild-eyed speed racer villain and the drummer from the muppets
easily the best thing I’ve seen on the internet lately!
The only close thing to Ken from Streetfighter, is the blonde hair….sorry. But the artists definitely got the attitude right, with the low eyebrows, Stoner looks slightly pissed off…
I’m colour printing this and putting it up in my garage :)
Pooch, tell me what size you print it and how it looks.
http://www.motogp.com/en/photos/2012/Grand+Prix+of+Japan+2012+1
There’s a ‘cleaner’ version for everyone to look at too!
just no short skirted japanese school girls…whoops wrong forum…!
aw man…i want this printed on my wall so bad.
I’ve searched in japanese google but… find nothing
MotoGPの日本2012ポスター高解像度
(Motogp 2012 japan poster high resolution)
“You framed an Asia poster?”
I am diggin’ how Casey looks and Nicky Hayden. The look is dead on. Where do I go to purchase one?
Jensen, This poster actually reminded me of Akira as well. If you like that movie, pick up Neo Tokyo and watch the short called the Running Man. This reminds me of every road racer and their passion about winning.
@Fred Santos
Try using the words on the poster in your search, like “AirAsia & Grand Prix of Japan”
This picture is from a magazine. On the right side of the frame you can see next page. Does anyone know what magazine ran this?
Here’s a link to Twin Ring Motegi’s store/shop- by the look of things (or hopefully) you could order it from here. I can’t read/write Japanese, but if someone else can, maybe you can let us know if they’re available?
http://www.twinring.jp/goods_m/
checked but the poster is not for sale unfortunately…
I love it. Very Initial-D.
Dovi – The look on his face is good. He’s looking towards Rossi as though he sees Marco’s fro and the rivalry is back!
Crutchlow is killer.
Go Here: It’s a freaking comic book…maybe…But it sure looks like it’s for sale
http://www.twinring.jp/motogp/topics
“Wooo!!”, “Hmmm…”
Then hit the “Mobility Station” link!
Somebody got a few thousand yen I can borrow?
It seems like the things you can buy are DVDs, I think?
For my life, i swear i can NOT figure out who the hell is the guy with the short hair next to Stoner.
Anyone ? Help ?
P.S: I love Manga and Anime but this just feels…………………..don’t stone me……….wrong/wierd ?
While in Rome do as Romans do ?
MikeD says:
August 2, 2012 at 4:41 PM
“For my life, i swear i can NOT figure out who the hell is the guy with the short hair next to Stoner.
Anyone ? Help ?”
That would be Jorge.
That’s Jorge with his woman-made-lookin eyebrows hahahah
Anyone finds the Poster in a better resolution?
“It’s a freaking comic book…maybe”
It’s a DVD…definitely. And it’s just the cover art that is manga style. A high-res version of the poster I haven’t found. As for the ad being in a bike magazine, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you could find them at a Japanese import shop. A lot of shops like that have a recent book/magazine section.
I am in Japan on holiday. I will look in some mags
“MAKE A NEW ROAD” ?……uh .. ok ?….bawawawawahaha
ok so go to the site listed before
http://www.twinring.jp/motogp/topics
Click on the poster banner at the top and it enlarges,
Right click ” save as”
and you get a nice but smallish (8 1/2 x 11) print in very good quality.
Not a poster for sure, but nice to put on the wall in my office next to my Moto GP autographs
There are currently no plans to produce it in poster form. I’ve made an appeal to the artist to produce the poster -put in your 2 cents in the comments section:
http://motorcycleroughdraft.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-grand-prix-poster-that-isnt-lame.html
I have no problem commissioning a production run, assuming the artist agrees and has the legal rights to the work. Maybe we can make this a fundraiser for Riders for Health?