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.

MotoGP: A New Order of Things During Qualifying at Qatar

04/07/2012 @ 5:54 pm, by Jensen Beeler7 COMMENTS

MotoGP: A New Order of Things During Qualifying at Qatar qatar gp 2012 scott jones Jeorge1

The return of MotoGP racing is finally upon us with the start of the Qatar GP. Qualifying was underway under the night’s sky at Losail International Circuit this Satursday, as the season-opener and only night race brought the MotoGP paddock together to begin the 2012 MotoGP Championship. With Losail’s long straightaway amplifying the slower pace of the CRTs, it is clear that two races will be run during the MotoGP race on Sunday. With the Yamahas showing a new speed in Qatar, the talk going into Saturday’s qualifying at Doha for once was not dominated by the work of HRC.

For the first time since 2008, Casey Stoner was not the man on the pole position after the Qatar GP’s qualifying session. Instead on-track rival Jorge Lorenzo will take the front spot, followed by Stoner and surprise front-row qualifier Cal Crutchlow. Starting on the second row is Ben Spies, who would have qualified up near Lorenzo had he not crashed his Yamaha YZR-M1 in the closing minutes, and been dragged by the cuff of his glove — fortunately the Texan was not injured from the incident.

Leading the charge for Ducati was Nicky Hayden, while Valentino Rossi lapped as the slowest prototype rider on his factory Ducati Desmosedici GP12, though The Doctor was the fastest rider down the front straight. Noticeably off the pace was Dani Pedrosa who battled with his #2 bike after his #1 bike suffered electrical problems on Friday. Meanwhile lurking behind his teammate’s shadow was Andrea Dovizioso, who is still coming to terms with his switch from a factory Honda to a satellite Yamaha. With the Aprilia ART bikes all to going down in Turn 2 at some point during the session, Colin Edwards and his BMW/Suter was left as the top CRT bike at Qatar.

Going into tomorrow’s race, the grid in Qatar will certainly not be the one that many would have predicted last year. As Casey Stoner said after qualifying though, “it should be a good race tomorrow.”

Qualifying Results from the Qatar GP at Doha, Qatar:

Pos.RiderNationTeamBikeMPHTimeDiff.
1Jorge LORENZOSPAYamaha Factory RacingYamaha203.251’54.634 -
2Casey STONERAUSRepsol Honda TeamHonda206.231’54.8550.221
3Cal CRUTCHLOWGBRMonster Yamaha Tech 3Yamaha203.811’55.0220.388
4Ben SPIESUSAYamaha Factory RacingYamaha202.631’55.5120.878
5Nicky HAYDENUSADucati TeamDucati207.661’55.6371.003
6Andrea DOVIZIOSOITAMonster Yamaha Tech 3Yamaha204.371’55.8581.224
7Dani PEDROSASPARepsol Honda TeamHonda205.551’55.9051.271
8Hector BARBERASPAPramac Racing TeamDucati209.461’55.9831.349
9Stefan BRADLGERLCR Honda MotoGPHonda207.541’56.0631.429
10Karel ABRAHAMCZECardion AB MotoracingDucati207.231’56.1981.564
11Alvaro BAUTISTASPASan Carlo Honda GresiniHonda207.721’56.5211.887
12Valentino ROSSIITADucati TeamDucati210.091’56.8132.179
13Colin EDWARDSUSANGM Mobile Forward RacingSuter195.611’57.6443.010
14Randy DE PUNIETFRAPower Electronics AsparART192.381’58.2663.632
15Aleix ESPARGAROSPAPower Electronics AsparART193.931’58.5203.886
16Yonny HERNANDEZCOLAvintia BlusensBQR-FTR188.651’58.7954.161
17Michele PIRROITASan Carlo Honda GresiniFTR193.311’59.0854.451
18Mattia PASINIITASpeed MasterART193.561’59.1954.561
19Danilo PETRUCCIITACame IodaRacing ProjectIoda184.421’59.6645.030
20Ivan SILVASPAAvintia BlusensBQR-FTR190.202’00.4935.859
21James ELLISONGBRPaul Bird MotorsportART192.562’00.7576.123

Source: MotoGP; Photo: © 2012 Scott Jones / Scott Jones Photography – All Rights Reserved

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Comment:

  1. ttxgpfan (@ttxgpfan) says:
    April 7, 2012 at 7:53 PM

    Holy crap, there’s 21 bikes on the grid! When’s the last time we’ve sen that happen?

  2. Sean in Oz says:
    April 7, 2012 at 8:13 PM

    ttxgpfan: 2 classes combined and there are still significantly less than Moto2

  3. TJ says:
    April 8, 2012 at 12:12 AM

    Only CRTs are slower than Rossi. Interesting.

  4. Westward says:
    April 8, 2012 at 1:00 AM

    21 bikes sure, but only 8 likely able to make the rostrum, and maybe only 4-5 that can actually win…

  5. BenFaster says:
    April 8, 2012 at 5:50 AM

    Back markers will be a whole new element – it could be an equalizer AND it will be funny to hear the world class whining if one of the Aliens are help up a tenth because of them. This should be good!

  6. Pushkar says:
    April 8, 2012 at 6:52 AM

    Good thing Rossi wasn’t given the CRT Pole.

  7. BBQdog says:
    April 8, 2012 at 7:55 AM

    Rossi was dramaticly bad. Doubt if he completes the season if things stay like this.