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MINI Scooter E Concept Unveiled – When OEM’s Come Out To Play

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After teasing us with some sketches of the MINI Scooter E Concept before the Paris Motor Show, MINI has finally taken the wraps off its two-wheeled excursion. Showing a variety of flavors, MINI has tried to synthesize the unique elements of its automobile brand into scooter form with the MINI Scooter E Concept. Styling and features come straight from the cars, although they don’t share a common parts bin, while the general ethos remains: an individualistic, yet practical, form of transportation that has the urban commuter in mind.

The important part about the MINI Scooter E Concept though isn’t its fun styling or urban-hipster appeal, but instead the fact that OEM’s are coming out of their holes after weathering the recession’s storm, and getting serious about electrics and electric motorcycles. The fact that a small automobile manufacturer is considering an electric two-wheeled vehicle should send a message to the traditional motorcycle OEM’s and electric startups alike.

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News

Victory Sales Up 42% in Q2 2010

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According to Polaris Industries, Victory motorcycle sales were up 48% in the second quarter of 2010. Polaris’ on-road division, which is essentially the Victory cruiser brand, posted sales of $15.5 million, up from the $10.5 million in sales the company did in Q2 2010. In North American, sales for Victory cruisers were up 10% over last quarter, the third quarter in-a-row of sales growth for the brand.

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Racing

Hervé Poncharal of Monster Tech3 Yamaha Sits Down with Asphalt & Rubber at Laguna Seca

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During the Red Bull US GP weekend, Asphalt & Rubber’s Jensen Beeler got a chance to sit down with Hervé Poncharal, Team Manager of the Monster Tech3 Yamaha MotoGP team, and have a lengthy discussion. Sharing with us his insights into the race weekend, which for his riders was to a home crowed, Poncharal talks about the development of Ben Spies as a MotoGP rider, and role Colin Edwards has played in helping his teammate adjust to racing in MotoGP. Giving some insight about how the 2011 season will shape up for both Ben and Colin, Poncharal hints that we could see a British rider on the satellite team next year. Read the full interview transcript after the jump.

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News

Spy Shot: 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc at the Isle of Man

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UPDATE: We just got an email from Michael Czysz about the new E1pc, and the team’s progress so far at the Isle of Man. Read it after the jump.

Our Bothan Spies were hard at work this weekend, and have brought us this photo of the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc that will be racing the TT Zero at the Isle of Man TT. From the pictures, the 2010 E1pc is sporting a significantly smaller tail (no hidden batteries here!), and a bevy of battery packs.

From what we can gather, there’s 12.5 kWh of battery power visible, assuming Czysz & Co. are using the same packs from the eDD. The front-end is the same MotoCzysz-patented design, while the rear of the motorcycle looks to have a longer swing-arm and conventional shock placement.

The motor is attached to the “suitcase”, low on the bike (as seen in the eDD renders) facing the clutch side of the motorcycle. It’s then linked via chain to a concentric shaft off the swing-arm (similar to the MotoCzysz C1), with the final chain linkage on the standard right-hand side of the E1pc. More info and photos as we get them. Big thanks to our anonymous tipster!

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Racing

Gear-up for the Isle of Man with John McGuinness

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As the Isle of Man TT gets ready to start racing this weekend, John McGuinness remains as the only rider to crack into the 130mph lap average speed (edit: Hutchinson broke 130mph on Thursday). The British rider reportedly hasn’t even been going full charge up the Mountain Course during the practice session, which should make for this year. Take a look at what a lap around the Isle of Man with McGuinness is like in the video above, and check the race schedule after the jump.

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News

Yamaha Posts Q1 2010 Profit after Q1 2009 Loss

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Yamaha Motor Company is reporting a ¥7.5 billion ($80.9 million) net profit for its Q1 2010 numbers, which is a marked improvement over the tuning fork brand’s ¥15.8 billion ($169 million) loss in Q1 of last year. Sales for Q1 this year were up 16% compared to last year, for a total of ¥309.9 billion ($3.3 billion) in sales. Volume was also up for the brand by 26%, with Yamaha selling 1.6 million units worldwide. Despite these strong numbers, both sales in Japan (-14%)and the United States (-57.5%) fell for Yamaha in Q1 of 2010.

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BMW Posts 21% Sales Boost in Q1 2010

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BMW continues to buck the trend, releasing sales data that shows the Bavarian company getting a 21% sales boost last quarter when compared to Q1 of 2009. The company made €351 million in sales revenue (also up 21%), which came to €32 million EBIT, up 14.3% from Q1 of last year as well. BMW cites strong sales from the S1000RR, and the newly revised R1200GS/RT as being the reason for the strong sales numbers.

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Bikes

Officially Official: 2010 Aprilia Shiver 750

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Last year we brought to you leaked photos of the 2010 Aprilia Shiver 750, which showed the naked bike getting a facelift from Aprilia. With its official press release on Friday, Aprilia has released more photos and details about the Shiver 750, which confirm our earlier reports. The 2010 Aprilia Shiver 750 looks as expected and features some minor touches like a lower seat, wave brake discs, revised sitting position, and a narrower rear wheel (5.5″ from 6.0″). Aprilia hopes these revisions will help sell a few more Shiver 750’s this year, and clear stock for the next iteration of the Shiver line. How do you think they did? Tech specs and photos after the jump.

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Racing

Qatar Track Notes by Casey Stoner

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Nobody in MotoGP has the Losail Circuit’s number better than Casey Stoner. The Australian rider has won the last three races at the Qatar track (read: has won half of all of the GP races at Qatar), and once again seems to be leading the field this year as Free Practice for the MotoGP opener has just concluded. Sitting down with a track diagram in hand, Stoner takes us through some of his notes on the track.

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Rumors

Aprilia Tuareg Adventure Tourer Rumored

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On the heels of a strong Dakar Rally showing, Aprilia is rumored to have a full-tilt adventure bike in the works. Based on the Shiver platform, the Aprilia Tuareg will feature a 750cc v-twin motor, steel tube chassis, and a 21″ front wheel for maximum off-road capability. The Aprilia Toureg is expected to tip the scales under 200kg (441lbs), and a road version with a 19″ front wheel and 1200cc motor could also make the 2011 line-up.

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