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.
Hot women and fast motorcycles have always been a great combination. I’s good to see they are now actually contributing more to the sport than just standing around and looking pretty.
Remind me, only riders are WADA tested? Right?
I really hope they don’t use umbrella guys…
please stop calling Paris the “Hilton Heiress”; first off, Hilton hotels is owned by Blackstone, a major hedge fund group. second, there are over 80 offsprings who may get a piece of the inheritance from the original Hilton fortune, controlled by Barron Hilton, who also has pledged to donate over 92% of his close to $2billion fortune to charity… which leaves Paris about $500,000, assuming the fund distributes equally to all 80 offsprings.
lastly, what got Paris her notoriety was arguable her sex tape, which was actually filmed in a Marriott!
Look for the coolant temperature gauge that says, “That’s hot.”
so shes investing in a new race team in a class that will be dead after its first season…
logic??
atleast let 125gp go out with a bit of class… jeeez
What a fucking joke!!! So this is what sport has been reduced to now???
Paris… GTFO and stick to what you know best – riding blokes, not bikes!!!
JD ;)
Hmm… Team Jizz-Gobbling-Talentless-Whore has a nice ring to it.
JawDroppin?
Are you serious? I for one think its great that Kids in the 125 get some money to run a team. If you havent noticed there isnt all that much going around these days. So what if its Hilton? good for her, I dont know any background on her interest or motivation but if her money is green thats a pretty good start. Its 125 dude, kids that need support & airtime both of which someone like her can provide…. get real and get laid, your a salty bit arent you
“Doctor Jelly says:
December 11, 2010 at 3:02 PM I really hope they don’t use umbrella guys”
LMAO!
Hopefully she wont be the team running the KTM’s.
If you haven’t noticed by now….Their really not riding those bikes either. First the bikes are PARKED too close! Second the scenery is fake and you can tell the back drop is a back drop…LOL and their hair is being blown by a fan! Third if they were really riding those bikes with what their wearing their mini’s would be up around their waist with panties showing…oh i forget Paris doesn’t wear panties….LOL oh and then finally…isnt 125 gp a crotch rocket gig…the harleys pics barly even make the pic hot…Now if Paris and Nicole were on a GSXR 1000 together…I might raise a flagpole half mast!
Great class , pity it is being closed!
I wonder wat the team colors wil be. Heh-heh. At least this gives 125GP some press, maybe it saves the 125 class from being scratched.
Oh and JimmyK, thanks for pointing out those subtle errors we all overlooked in that otherwise awesome picture *cough*. You may also like http://www.psdisasters.com/ ;-)
There’s a bike in the pic?
WTF?
How does mrbubbles know all that?
got40 says:
December 12, 2010 at 7:03 PM
How does mrbubbles know all that?
It would seems Mr.Bubbles also reads the non-motorcycle related news as well
jimmy k, Everything you say is right but it is oh so wrong that you noticed!
Keep on posing girls cos sure as hell we’ll keep on looking!
I just threw up a little in my mouth…
I’m a finance guy for non-profit organization, and have dealt with Paris’ uncles regarding their charitable foundation, which is how I got the breakdown… and they chuckle @ the sex tape in Marriott fact.
it’s just funny once the myth of “heiress” was exposed to me, it really makes you wonder why people don’t automatically assume any one with the last name of “Ford” or “Yamaha” or “McDonald” are heir or heiress to the mega fortune?
same applies to Trump… how many people across the US with last name of “Trump”, and how many can legitimately claim a piece of the Donld’s fortune?
Paris Hilton Joins 125GP – Hell Officially Freezes Over: According to the folks at Motocuatro, socialite Paris H… http://bit.ly/h0Zpph
jimmy k …… DUHHHHHHHHH