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.

Kevin Schwantz Returns to Motorcycle Racing – Enters the Suzuka 8-Hours with Team Kagayama

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.

Öhlins Releases a Semi-Active Suspension Upgrade for the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S – But, What’s Next?

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.

Up-Close with the 2013 Yamaha YZR-M1

In case you missed our exhaustive coverage of the Grand Prix of the Americas, those fools at Dorna gave me pit lane access this MotoGP season. So while the whole paddock waits for the Spaniards to come to their senses, I don’t plan on wasting the opportunity to share with our readers our extreme access to motorcycling’s premier racing class. Accordingly, here comes another installment into our ever-continuing “Up-Close” series, featuring the very finest Iwata has to offer: the Yamaha YZR-M1. Thirty 2000px-wide photos are waiting for you after the jump.

WSBK: Race Results for Race 2 at Phillip Island

02/26/2012 @ 5:06 pm, by Jensen Beeler12 COMMENTS

WSBK: Race Results for Race 2 at Phillip Island Carlos Checa WSBK Phillip Island 2 635x409

As is the custom with World Supebike racing and with Race 1 out of the way, the WSBK grid lined up to it all again. Treating fans to a double-dose of motorcycle racing, you would think that the second race would be a repeat of the previous, but it was anything but that. Exciting from the first lap to the very last, the 2012 World Superbike Championship was off to a great start with its season-opener at Phillip Island, Australia. Continue on for results.

Mimicking the first race, Tom Sykes got off to a great start to take his Kawasaki from the pole position to the head of the pack at the start of Race 2. Hot on his heels though was Max Biaggi, who immediately got the crowd on its feet as he ran off the race course at Turn 1. Able to keep his Aprilia upright, Biaggi rejoined the race, and made one of the most stellar comebacks possible in the sport. While Biaggi worked his way through the WSBK field, the race was on with Rea and Checa getting past Sykes. Several laps later, Checa took over from the Englishman and broke away from the rest of the field uncontested. With the Kawasaki’s now holding fourth and fifth, Sykes would end up being the lone bannerman for Team Green, as Lascorz crashed out from the race.

Seemingly set to take the third step on the podium, Sykes had to contest with a charging Biaggi. Holding the Roman Emperor off for several laps, Sykes finally succumbed to Biaggi’s superior speed, and fell again to fourth place. Though unable to catch Carlos Checa, Biaggi was able to get past Johnny Rea — completing his comeback from last to second place over the 22 lap race distance. That battle put a carrot in front of Sykes, who was able to regain contact with Rea as well, and finally pass his fellow countryman as the two came onto the straightaway for the final time. Checa, Biaggi, and Skyes —  three very different ways to get on a WSBK podium.

Race Results from World Superbike Race 2 at Phillip Island, Australia:

Pos.No.RiderCountryBikeDiff.
17C. CHECAESPDucati 1098R -
23M. BIAGGIITAAprilia RSV4 Factory5.707
366T. SYKESGBRKawasaki ZX-10R12.521
465J. REAGBRHonda CBR1000RR12.655
591L. HASLAMGBRBMW S1000 RR18.179
633M. MELANDRIITABMW S1000 RR18.831
7121M. BERGERFRADucati 1098R18.939
858E. LAVERTYIRLAprilia RSV4 Factory19.478
94H. AOYAMAJPNHonda CBR1000RR19.554
1059N. CANEPAITADucati 1098R26.289
1196J. SMRZCZEDucati 1098R26.479
122L. CAMIERGBRSuzuki GSX-R100029.145
1334D. GIUGLIANOITADucati 1098R36.482
1487L. ZANETTIITADucati 1098R38.113
1525J. BROOKESAUSSuzuki GSX-R100043.234
1667B. STARINGAUSKawasaki ZX-10R43.526
1735R. DE ROSAITAHonda CBR1000RR53.929
RET86A. BADOVINIITABMW S1000 RR11 Laps
RET17J. LASCORZESPKawasaki ZX-10R12 Laps
RET50S. GUINTOLIFRADucati 1098R13 Laps
RET44D. SALOMESPKawasaki ZX-10R14 Laps
RET84M. FABRIZIOITABMW S1000 RR18 Laps
RET20D. JOHNSONAUSBMW S1000 RR18 Laps
RET18M. AITCHISONAUSBMW S1000 RR21 Laps

Source: WSBK

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. WSBK: Race Results for Race 1 at Phillip Island
  2. WSBK: Superpole at Phillip Island Cancelled After Tragedy
  3. WSBK: Race Results for Race 2 at Imola

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Comment:

  1. SBPilot says:
    February 26, 2012 at 9:07 PM

    Incredible performance by Checa, simply class act. To win the second race after the high side he had is some serious mental focus and strength. Not to mention pain tolerance, all at his ripe age of what is it now, 39?

    WSBK looks like it’s gonna be killer this year though. Too much awesome in the first round to even speak of!

  2. Dc4go says:
    February 26, 2012 at 9:22 PM

    Great races today loved watching Rea trying to stay on the podium!!! Great job Checa and Biaggi for making a spectacular comeback in race two!!! Can’t wait for the Imola!!!!!!!!

  3. MikeD says:
    February 26, 2012 at 9:59 PM

    Ducati: Not bad at all for “a vintage bike and jockey”, is it now ? Can’t wait to see the 1199 race.
    Aprilia: It still have plenty of go it seems, they sure made their homework with this one. Can’t wait to see the next RSV4.
    Kawasaki: Looks like they got the SHIT together…or getting there. (^_^)

    And of course, mad props to the pilots, w/out them there would be no race happening.

  4. BBQdog says:
    February 26, 2012 at 10:56 PM

    Looks the RSV4 is by far out the best bike in the field. Stable cornering, nimble, enough top speed. If Biaggi doesn’t do stupid things like last year Checa is going to get a hard season. It was not by accident he flew off the first race.

  5. Lumengrid says:
    February 27, 2012 at 12:10 AM

    What a great session it was!

    Thumbs up for Melandri, race 1 was awesome, race 2 not bad either. Its nice to see that he can pull it togheter :)

  6. actionsportsconnectn says:
    February 27, 2012 at 1:02 AM

    "@Asphalt_Rubber: WSBK: Race Results for Race 2 at Phillip Island – http://t.co/5kShViXR #motorcycle"

  7. Damo says:
    February 27, 2012 at 5:20 AM

    @BBQDog

    Have to agree, that RSV4 was in beast mode on Sunday.

    I am not a huge Biaggi fan at all, but no one can deny that comeback from last to 2nd was beyond brilliant. First race of the season and I am already pumped.

  8. Bryan says:
    February 27, 2012 at 5:28 AM

    Loved both races! It’s nice watching racing where multiple riders/manufacturers are competitive. There is parody in WSBK that MotoGP only dreams of. Checa had guts to come back from that highside to win in race two. I wish they would take the 6kg of extra weight off of the Ducati’s though. Checa didn’t win last year due to a power or top speed advantage, he won by being smart and smooth and preserving tires better than the other guys. To add 6kg to a bike that already had a disadvantage on the straights and is the oldest design in the field seems a little unfair.

  9. AK says:
    February 27, 2012 at 6:30 AM

    Biaggi was on fire… Love that RSV4

  10. Keith says:
    February 27, 2012 at 9:52 AM

    Hopefully, I say HOPEFULLY the rest of the season is just as exciting.

  11. John says:
    February 27, 2012 at 10:57 AM

    Parody or parity? Either way, the racing in Worldsupers is simply great. I hope MotoGP can produce half the excitement.

  12. Westward says:
    February 28, 2012 at 12:19 AM

    Biaggi was on fire, only because Checa exploded… As long as Checa and his Ducati can keep the rubber on the asphalt, Biaggi and his Aprilia have not a chance, race 2 reveals that…