Asphalt & Rubber

AMA Pro Racing Adds AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Spec Racing Series

You may remember that six month’s ago we published a rumor that AMA Pro Racing was considering the idea of adding a Harley-Davidson XR1200 spec racing class. Today, that rumor became reality as AMA Pro Racing announced at the Daytona Bike Week that it would be adding the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series to its calendar. The painful press release and our colorful commentary after the jump.

Video: Women Riders of the FIM

Usually when you see a video of lovely lady standing next to a motorcycle at an FIM sanctioned event, she’s holding an umbrella. Well the FIM is hoping to change that perception a bit, and is serving up this video with its resident ladies of motorcycling talking about what they do best. Featuring Leslie Porterfield (FIM World LSR Holder), Livia Lancelot (FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion) and Laia Sanz (FIM Women’s Trial World Champion), the video is a part of the new FIM campaign called “Women Ride” that hopes to encourage more femme fatal in our two-wheeled sport.

Brit Brothers Chicane Saddle: A Roller Seat Design That Dampens a High-Side

When was the last time you saw someone seriously rethink how a motorcycle seat functions and operates? To our knowledge this design from Brit Brothers is the first real attempt to rethink what our butts have known all along. With its eye catching design, and roller-style seat, Brit Bros says their seat has numerous benefits over your standard foam wrapped in vinyl garden variety seat, including the ability to help tame a high-side crash.

Ducati Desmosedici RR Trike Concept

Nicolas Petit, a 25 year old Frenchman who lives just outside of Paris, is a motorcycle mechanic by day, and motorcycle sketcher by night. With already an impressive resume of motorcycle design sketches and renders to his name, we think Nicolas can add one more stunning example to the list: the Ducati Desmosedici RR Trike concept. We’re not huge fans of trikes here at A&R, but when you base your concept off one of the most powerful streetbikes ever created, it certainly catches our attention.

Hands on with the MotoCzysz Battery Packs

By now you’ve surely read about MotoCzysz’s new eDD and it’s “suitcase” chassis design. Recently Asphalt & Rubber got a chance to take a peak into the Portland, Oregon based company’s service bay and take a closer look at the 2009 E1pc D1g1tal Superbike, with a specific interest in its quick-release swappable batteries and unique chassis design. We’ll be covering these innovations in a two-part series, starting today with a never before seen look at the MotoCzysz battery packs. More and photos from Peter Lombardi Kustom Photography after the jump.

Video: When Multistradas Meet Piano Bars

Ever wonder what great action footage of the 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200 would be like if you set it to the music commonly found in a piano bar? Well never fear, Ducati has the answer for you. Watch the Multistrada 1200 take on four different riding situations without missing a beat. Beat! Get it! Uggh…we don’t get paid enough for this. Video after the jump.

MotoCzysz Electric D1g1tal Dr1ve: More Than Just a Glimpse into the 2010 E1pc Superbike

Today MotoCzysz is announcing its Electric D1g1tal Dr1ve (eDD), better known to us as “the suitcase”, which is essentially the housing for the E1pc’s proprietary controller, motor, and batteries. MotoCzysz will be using the eDD on their 2010 E1pc D1g1tal Superbike, and intends on letting other teams use the suitcase as well, helping fill the grid at electric motorcycle races.

This announcement is important on a variety of levels, and most electric motorcycling enthusiasts will be interested to get their first glimpse at technology beind Michael Czysz’s 2010 E1pc D1g1tal Superbike, which will for sure be at the TT Zero race at the Isle of Man this year. The suitcase contains MotoCzysz proprietary battery, motor, and controller designs, which are setting the bar higher in electric motorcycle racing.

Erik Buell Racing 1190RR: 185hp AMA/WSBK Spec’d

Erik Buell Racing has just updated its website, and releasd the first real clear shot of what the EBR 1190RR will look like it in its racing form. With 185hp being made at the rear-wheel (according to the optimistic DynoJet dynamometer), the EBR 1190RR sits at the top of the Buell totem poll.

Based off the 1125R chassis, the 1190RR is virtually anorexic, dropping 30lbs off the AMA Daytona Superbike racing machine, while still bumping up displacement by 65cc’s. With 93lb•ft of torque on hand at 9,500 RPM, the EBR 1190RR is sure to sling your eye balls into the back of your head…if you can find a racing series to race it in.

MotoCzysz C1 Makes More Than A Cameo in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”

“Greed, for lack of a better word…is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms: greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save motorcycling, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.”

Nelis 1000R: A Re-imagining of the TL1000R

The Suzuki TL1000R is a special bike. It garnered little love from the media during its release; but despite being discontinued seven years ago, the TLR continues to foster a cult following, especially in Europe. So it doesn’t surprise us a great deal that when 25 year old fabrication apprentice, Mathijn Nelis, set out to create is first custom work under the careful gaze of master builder Nico Bakker, that the young Dutchman chose to work with the stout TL v-twin powerplant that dwarfed its Italain competitors during its initial release.

MotoGP: Qualifying Heats Up Under the Catalan Sun

Sun 06/14/2009 @ 2:41 am, by Jenny Gun

Home » Racing » MotoGP: Qualifying Heats Up Under the Catalan Sun

MotoGP: Qualifying Heats Up Under the Catalan Sun jorge lorenzo qualifying catalunya 560x401

It was a close qualify session in the outskirts of Barcelona today, but at the end of the day Jorge Lorenzo pulled a squeaker of a session on Valentino Rossi to take the pole in front of his home crowd.

Wearing special livery for the day, which paid homage to Barcelona FC (the local soccer team), Lorenzo lapped a 1′41.974 on the Catalan track, just .013 seconds quicker than Rossi’s best effort. This news surely pleased Team Fiat-Yamaha, as once again they’ll have a 1-2 start on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

Lorenzo can expect a strong fight from Rossi who has never been off the podium at the Circuit de Catalunya (of course, he’d never lost at Mugello in the last 7 years either). Lorenzo can also expect Casey Stoner, who qualified third, to be a factor on Sunday as well. Stoner was only half a second behind Lorenzo in the qualifying session.

Randy de Puniet must have found the extra motivation he needs from the Playboy bunnies. Ever since the start of the season, where Playboy made their sponsorhip with LCR Honda, the French rider has looked very strong on the track, and has been the fastest Honda more than once. De Puniet will start just ahead of Dani Pedrosa, who crashed midway through the MotoGP qualifying session.

Pedrosa has been recovering from a hip injury, and will require pain-killer injections before the race in order to ride. We wouldn’t count Dani out. With his rabbit starts, the Repsol Honda rider could easily overcome his third row start, and we all know the Spaniard will feel the extra energy to perform well in front of his countrymen. If Pedrosa finds his way to the front of the pack in the first lap, he could very well give the other riders a run for their money, and take the day.

Pos No. Rider Bike Time Diff Diff. Prev.
1 99 Jorge LORENZO YAMAHA 1′41.974 - -
2 46 Valentino ROSSI YAMAHA 1′41.987 0.013 0.013
3 27 Casey STONER DUCATI 1′42.426 0.452 0.439
4 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO HONDA 1′42.594 0.620 0.168
5 24 Toni ELIAS HONDA 1′43.139 1.165 0.545
6 5 Colin EDWARDS YAMAHA 1′43.168 1.194 0.029
7 14 Randy DE PUNIET HONDA 1′43.175 1.201 0.007
8 3 Dani PEDROSA HONDA 1′43.207 1.233 0.032
9 52 James TOSELAND YAMAHA 1′43.233 1.259 0.026
10 36 Mika KALLIO DUCATI 1′43.336 1.362 0.103
11 65 Loris CAPIROSSI SUZUKI 1′43.365 1.391 0.029
12 7 Chris VERMEULEN SUZUKI 1′43.411 1.437 0.046
13 69 Nicky HAYDEN DUCATI 1′43.414 1.440 0.003
14 15 Alex DE ANGELIS HONDA 1′43.422 1.448 0.008
15 59 Sete GIBERNAU DUCATI 1′43.714 1.740 0.292
16 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI HONDA 1′43.777 1.803 0.063
17 33 Marco MELANDRI KAWASAKI 1′43.792 1.818 0.015
18 88 Niccolo CANEPA DUCATI 1′43.991 2.017 0.199
19 41 Gabor TALMACSI HONDA 1′45.833 3.859 1.842

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