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.

BMW F800GS Adventure – Germany’s Middleweight ADV

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.

WSBK: Superpole Qualifying at Imola Starts a Trend

03/31/2012 @ 7:00 pm, by Jensen Beeler4 COMMENTS

WSBK: Superpole Qualifying at Imola Starts a Trend Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Imola WSBK 2012 635x423

After a month-long hiatus from the Phillip Island season-opener (Race 1 & Race 2), World Superbike action is back again this weekend and taking place in Imola, Italy. Though Max Biaggi leads the Championship with 45 points (ahead of Marco Melandri who has 30 points), much of the talk in the past month has been about the surprise resurgence of Kawasaki, with factory rider Tom Sykes taking a podium finish in Race 2 and showing potential to run against the likes of The Emperor, Carlos Checa, and Marco Melandri.

Now with Sykes third in the Championship going into Imola, the season that seemed preordained to be really between only two riders (Biaggi & Checa), has shown itself to be full of surprises. Continue reading for spoilers and results from the World Superbike Superpole qualifying event at Imola.

Once is a fluke, twice is a trend, and three times is a pattern…that’s how the saying goes at least, and Tom Sykes has got himself a nice trend going in WSBK qualifying thus far, as well as a best lap record at Imola. Taking the pole position after tragedy forced the cancellation of Superpole at Phillip Island, Skyes and the factory Kawasaki team proved that their front position and podium finish were not flukes at the Australian round. Taking the top time in today’s Superpole qualifying event, Sykes put a comfortable half-second of margin between him and Sylvain Guintoli, with Carlos Checa and Leon Haslam rounding out the top three.

“To get two Tissot-Superpole wins on the roll is fantastic. I dug deep after the second Superpole because I knew the times would be fast,” said Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes. “On my fastest lap in Superpole 3 I had a lot of feedback from my Kawasaki. A couple of times I arrived past the limit, but the feel was good so I could finish with a good lap. A few of us have very consistent race pace so there will be a big fight over full race distance.”

Superpole Results from World Superbike at Imola, Italy:

Pos.RiderTeamBikeTimeDiff.
1.Tom SykesKawasaki Racing TeamKawasaki ZX-10R1’46.748-
2.Sylvain GuintoliTeam Effenbert Liberty RacingDucati 1098R1’47.2210.473
3.Carlos ChecaAlthea RacingDucati 1098R1’47.4230.675
4.Leon HaslamBMW Motorrad MotorsportBMW S1000 RR1’47.4580.71
5.Max BiaggiAprilia Racing TeamAprilia RSV4 Factory1’47.6110.863
6.Marco MelandriBMW Motorrad MotorsportBMW S1000 RR1’47.6420.894
7.Jonathan ReaHonda World Superbike TeamHonda CBR1000RR1’47.6430.895
8.Joan LascorzKawasaki Racing TeamKawasaki ZX-10R1’47.7400.992
Out After Superpole 2
9.Lorenzo ZanettiPATA Racing TeamDucati 1098R1’48.1081.36
10.Jakub SmrzLiberty Racing Team EffenbertDucati 1098R1’48.1371.389
11.Eugene LavertyAprilia Racing TeamAprilia RSV4 Factory1’48.2991.551
12.Davide GiuglianoAlthea RacingDucati 1098R--
Out After Superpole 1
13.Maxime BergerTeam Effenbert Liberty RacingDucati 1098R1’48.2671.519
14.Niccolò CanepaRed Devils RomaDucati 1098R1’48.3821.634
15.Leon CamierCrescent Fixi SuzukiSuzuki GSX-R10001’48.4151.667
16.Ayrton BadoviniBMW Motorrad Italia GoldBetBMW S1000 RR1’48.6311.883
Not qualified for Superpole
17.Chaz DaviesParkinGO MTC RacingAprilia RSV4 Factory1’48.8572.109
18.Michel FabrizioBMW Motorrad Italia GoldBetBMW S1000 RR1’48.9042.156
19.John HopkinsCrescent Fixi SuzukiSuzuki GSX-R10001’49.7903.042
20.David SalomTeam PederciniKawasaki ZX-10R1’49.8543.106
21.Mark AitchisonGrillini Progea Superbike TeamBMW S1000 RR1’50.0093.261
22.Brett McCormickLiberty Racing Team EffenbertDucati 1098R1’50.2663.518
23.Hiroshi AoyamaHonda World Superbike TeamHonda CBR1000RR1’50.6703.922
24.Leandro MercadoTeam PederciniKawasaki ZX-10R1’50.9994.251
25.Lorenzo AlfonsiTeam Pro Ride Real Game HondaHonda CBR1000RR1’52.9936.245

Source: WSBK

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. WSBK: “Wet” Superpole Qualifying at Assen
  2. WSBK: Qualifying at Monza Provides Another Wet Superpole
  3. WSBK: “Wet” Superpole Leaves Top Riders Out to Dry During Qualifying at Misano
  4. WSBK: Interrupted Superpole During Qualifying at Brno
  5. WSBK: Race Results for Race 2 at Imola

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Comment:

  1. Westward says:
    March 31, 2012 at 9:24 PM

    Giuntoli’s Ducati seems to be every bit as good as Checa’s. The difference will be racecraft. The frenchman could be an absolute contender if he could simply pull it together…

  2. Westward says:
    March 31, 2012 at 10:28 PM

    BTW

    STK 1000 Pole, goes to ;

    La Marra E. (ITA) Ducati 1199 Panigale 1’50.403

    Looking forward to seeing Checa and Guintoli on the Panigale in WSBK 2013 hopefully…

  3. z says:
    March 31, 2012 at 11:51 PM

    what fun is it to have so many competitive manufacturers in WSBK. Go Team green!

  4. Sleazy says:
    April 1, 2012 at 4:52 AM

    FIVE different manufacturers, fve different engines/electronics/chassis configurations, five different riders/styles… all under a second apart when the heat is turned on. that shows the rules are are doin a good job of creating a level playing field/good racing. season should be a good one.