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.

2014 Suzuki GSV-R Spotted Again

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.

WSBK: Close Group Vies for Win in Race 1 at Assen

04/26/2010 @ 11:07 am, by Jensen Beeler1 COMMENT

WSBK: Close Group Vies for Win in Race 1 at Assen Johnny Rea WSBK Race 1 560x300

The results of Race 1 at Assen may not be a huge surprise for race fans, but the racing that took place to get those results surely was. The first race of World Superbike’s stop in mayonnaise country saw some strong showings from hometown favorites, and some disappointments from WSBK greats. This trend in the 2010 season seems to be the norm this year, which means great racing for WSBK fans. With five racers vying for the win and only a handful of laps to go, you’ll be disappointed if you didn’t catch this race and its conclusion.

Riding on the Ten Kate HANNspree Honda, Johnny Rea took Race 1 with a comfy one second lead. Don’t let the lap times fool you though, Rea was under pressure from a bevy of riders up-until the last few laps, which saw at one point five riders with a possible step on the podium. The only trace of this contention can be seen in the half second spread that covers second through fourth place.

With Ten Kate Honda calling Holland home, and their facility a short trip away from Assen, it shouldn’t be surprising that Rea walked away as Race 1′s winner. It also shouldn’t be surprising that former Ten Kate rider (not to mention former WSBK Champion) James Toseland finished the race second. The pair have obviously lapped around Assen numerous times, and were able to figure out the newly re-done Ruskenhoek chicane quicker than the rest of the pack.

Strong racing was seen from the likes of Leon Camier & Carlos Checa, both of whom having come out of the woodwork this season to be formidable riders. Camier is often overshadowed by his more successful teammate Max Biaggi, who also had a fairly good day with a 6th place finish in Race 1, but has been consistently finishing strong this season. Checa on the otherhand is finding new life in his aging career, and has been the Ducati to beat at all the WSBK stops this season. The accomplished rider is not only showing the younger kids a few new tricks, but he’s also leaving many to wonder what’s going on in the Xerox Ducati camp (Haga 10th, Fabrizio 13th in Race 1).

Another strong outing came from Troy Corser, who did the BMW squad proud this weekend, leading the race at one point. Corser would finish Race 1 sixth, but definitively proved that the BMW could be made competitive in the series, after just finishing its rookie season.

With Leon Haslam finishing a disappointing 11th place, it would seem a new points leader would be crowned at Assen, but only time can tell.

World Superbike Highlights from Race 1 at Assen, Netherlands:

Results from Race 1 of World Superbike at Assen, Netherlands:

PosNo.RiderCountryBikeDiff
165J. ReaGBRHonda CBR1000RR-
252J. ToselandGBRYamaha YZF R11.106
32L. CamierGBRAprilia RSV4 1000 F.1.249
47C. ChecaESPDucati 1098R1.548
511T. CorserAUSBMW S1000 RR2.738
63M. BiaggiITAAprilia RSV4 1000 F.2.813
796J. SmrzCZEDucati 1098R6.296
835C. CrutchlowGBRYamaha YZF R112.022
967S. ByrneGBRDucati 1098R12.146
1041N. HagaJPNDucati 1098R19.753
1191L. HaslamGBRSuzuki GSX-R100022.204
1266T. SykesGBRKawasaki ZX 10R22.282
1384M. FabrizioITADucati 1098R22.780
1450S. GuintoliFRASuzuki GSX-R100023.364
1599L. ScassaITADucati 1098R37.097
1657L. LanziITADucati 1098R39.467
1777C. VermeulenAUSKawasaki ZX 10R46.468
1815M. BaioccoITAKawasaki ZX 10R57.170
1995R. HaydenUSAKawasaki ZX 10R1’01.634
2076M. NeukirchnerGERHonda CBR1000RR1’04.295
RET23B. ParkesAUSHonda CBR1000RR13 Laps
RET111R. XausESPBMW S1000 RR14 Laps

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. WSBK: Race Results for Race 1 at Assen
  2. WSBK: Race Results for Race 2 at Assen
  3. WSBK: Race Results for Race 1 at Phillip Island

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Comment:

  1. Bas says:
    April 26, 2010 at 11:53 AM

    Holland is not mayonaise country, thats Belgium! Holland is from windmills and wooden shoes. Keep your facts right. Besides that, great website!!!!!