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: Rain Provides Exciting Qualifying at Sachsenring

07/07/2012 @ 3:42 pm, by Jensen Beeler3 COMMENTS

MotoGP: Rain Provides Exciting Qualifying at Sachsenring Stefan Bradl LCR Honda Sachsenring 635x423

With a mixture of wet and dry conditions occurring during the race-week for MotoGP at Sachsenring, qualifying for the German GP was a strictly rainy affair. The great equalizer, the rain proved to throw a wrench in the usual procession of riders, as MotoGP gets ready for its second round of three back-to-back race-weekends.

Adding drama to the event was the deadlock in the 2012 MotoGP Championship between Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner, as Alvaro Bautista took out the Spaniard in the first corner of the Dutch TT. For his crimes against Spanish supremacy, Bautista will start from the back of the grid, regardless of his qualifying effort today.

This means that the San Carlo Gresini Honda rider will start 21st, instead of 11th during tomorrow’s race, but if the weather continues to be miserable, that penalty might not be as bad in application as it sounds in theory.

A fairly dull qualifying session in the early minutes, the fight for the pole position was tremendous in the closing minutes of Saturday’s afternoon session, as a multitude of riders topped the time sheets in quick succession, lap after lap. The bout saw German Stefan Bradl pleasing the crowd as he sat on the front row for a good portion of qualifying, though ultimately the LCR Honda rider would drop to the back of the second row — still a good showing for the satellite Honda rider.

Unsurprisingly Casey Stoner took pole, though on his #2 bike, as his favorite stead gave up the ghost mid-session. Particular about his gear and bikes, Stoner prefers to wear leathers until the fall apart, and favors one of his Honda RC213V race bikes heavily over the other, which could be a relic of his Ducati days, where there was measurable differences between the “identical” machines.

Also having their time in the spotlight, Ben Spies, Dani Pedrosa, Cal Crutchlow, and Nicky Hayden all had a chance at playing head of the class. Though in the end, it was Spies and Pedrosa who rounded out the front row, in that order.

Noticeably quick from the CRTs was Aleix Espargaro, who put in three-quarters of a second on his teammate Randy de Puniet. In that mix was Bautista and Barbara, while Colin Edwards proved some more CRT bread for that prototype sandwich. Edwards’ result is a marked improvement for the NGM Forward squad, which has struggled with its Bosch electronics system, and is said to be considering a switch to the FTR/Honda CRT package.

The weather is uncertain for Sunday’s race, though many believe rain will continue to have a presence. If it is a dry race, riders will be hoping for a dry warm-up as well, having only had one dry session so far this week to setup their bikes for the German circuit.

Qualifying Results from the German GP at Sachsenring, Germany:

Pos.RiderNationTeamBikeKM/HTimeDiff.
1Casey STONERAUSRepsol Honda TeamHonda271.21’31.796-
2Ben SPIESUSAYamaha Factory RacingYamaha276.61’31.9890.193
3Dani PEDROSASPARepsol Honda TeamHonda271.01’32.0810.285
4Cal CRUTCHLOWGBRMonster Yamaha Tech 3Yamaha273.81’32.2880.492
5Jorge LORENZOSPAYamaha Factory RacingYamaha276.41’32.3810.585
6Stefan BRADLGERLCR Honda MotoGPHonda269.71’32.5100.714
7Nicky HAYDENUSADucati TeamDucati272.71’32.7950.999
8Andrea DOVIZIOSOITAMonster Yamaha Tech 3Yamaha272.81’33.2051.409
9Valentino ROSSIITADucati TeamDucati273.11’33.2171.421
10Aleix ESPARGAROSPAPower Electronics AsparART263.51’33.9002.104
11Alvaro BAUTISTASPASan Carlo Honda GresiniHonda260.71’34.0882.292
12Hector BARBERASPAPramac Racing TeamDucati263.51’34.5422.746
13Colin EDWARDSUSANGM Mobile Forward RacingSuter252.81’34.6492.853
14Randy DE PUNIETFRAPower Electronics AsparART259.61’34.6512.855
15Mattia PASINIITASpeed MasterART256.61’34.9383.142
16Danilo PETRUCCIITACame IodaRacing ProjectIoda250.11’35.5903.794
17Michele PIRROITASan Carlo Honda GresiniFTR257.81’35.5953.799
18Yonny HERNANDEZCOLAvintia BlusensBQR259.11’35.9624.166
19Ivan SILVASPAAvintia BlusensBQR256.41’36.1834.387
20James ELLISONGBRPaul Bird MotorsportART253.71’36.3554.559
21Franco BATTAINIITACardion AB MotoracingDucati254.11’36.4384.642

Source: MotoGP; Photo: LCR Honda

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. MotoGP: A Touch of Rain Shakes up Qualifying at Silverstone
  2. MotoGP: It’s Not Over Until It’s Over at Sachsenring
  3. MotoGP: Lap Record Falls in the Land of the Rising Sun During Qualifying
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Comment:

  1. Trane Francks says:
    July 7, 2012 at 8:19 PM

    Honestly, that was one of the best qualifying sessions I’ve ever seen. That last 15 minutes was insane!

  2. MikeD says:
    July 7, 2012 at 9:38 PM

    OK, that’s all fine and dandy……now, let’s see who can keep he’s tires in one piece tomorrow and actually FINISH the race…and will someone please make Stoner do some work
    and not just run away from the pack like everyone and their bikes are tied to trees ?

    C’mon Spies and Hayden, get your shit together guys. (^_^)

    Lorenzo and Danny are going to be bidding for Stoner’s head………LOL, specially Whore-ge.

  3. MikeD says:
    July 7, 2012 at 9:46 PM

    Quick Observation:

    It seems that Yamaha (276km/h) is not lacking HP UNLESS Honda is sand-baggin (wich im sure they are) and Ducati too (273km/h) (saving tires plan practicing ?).

    All the CRT bikes are a good 10km/h slower than the factory “pure bloods”…to be expected.