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Episode 89 of the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast is out with another “weekly” episode, for your two-wheeled listening pleasure.

In this episode, we sit down and talk a bit about motorcycle culture, and what makes owning a motorcycle akin to being involved in a cult.

This leads to an interesting conversation into what goes into branding and the motorcycle lifestyle, and ends with a surprise gift from one of the best in the business at this vary task. It’s a fun show, and we think you will enjoy it!

Episode 79 of the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast is out with another “weekly” episode, for your two-wheeled listening pleasure.

In this episode, our recording schedule got a little out whack, so Jensen is flying solo on this one without Shahin. So, we switched things up a bit, and have a special interview straight from the Aprilia Tuareg 660 launch.

The changes continue in Milwaukee, as Harley-Davidson will make a dedicated electric motorcycle brand under the LiveWire name (similar to what the American brand has done with its “Serial 1” brand of e-bikes).

Seeming forgetting about the original Harley-Davidson Livewire motorcycle, the Bar & Shield brand says that the first LiveWire motorcycle will debut on July 8th, 2021 and show at the International Motorcycle Show a day later.

We are just a couple day away from Suzuki's big motorcycle announcement for 2021, and the full might of the Japanese marketing is busy getting us excited for the next generation of Hayabusa hyperbike.

Suzuki wasn't exactly coy when it began its teaser campaign for the new model reveal, and of course it didn't take long for details, teaser images, and even a promotional video, to leak onto the internet.

Fueling the fire even before all of this, there has been no shortage of rumors regarding the next Hayabusa's look and performance characteristics.

Make no mistake, this new Hayabusa is a highly anticipated model from Suzuki, and I would argue that this is the most important motorcycle release ever from Suzuki.

I do not make that statement lightly.

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There are two things I want to say off the bat. First, we will always post motorcycle-related stories about Legos – partially because Lego bricks hold a special place in this author’s formative years, but also because we want to support Denmark’s #1 export to the rest of the world.

Second, the Ducati Panigale V4 R is absolutely worth every dollar of its $40,000 price tag. Every. Dollar. The bike is amazing. If you want the best superbike on the market, there it is in all of its 230hp glory (of course you’re going to put the “optional” exhaust on it, are you kidding me??!).

That being said, if you want a slightly cheaper alternative to Ducati’s superbike opus, and have a little fun during these “stay at home” days, then we have a good option for you. Say hello to the Ducati Panigale V4 R superbike build kit from Lego.

I first rode a Zero back in 2009. It was a horrible machine. It was so bad, I don't even dare call it a motorcycle - the execution on that goal was just too far off the mark to warrant calling that creation a motorcycle.

For an example of this, I remember going for a ride on an early Zero S and the on/off switch was marked in sharpie, right on the frame.

The brakes were like wooden blocks attached to the wheels, which didn't matter much because the tires were cheap rubber from China that were absolutely useless (and terrifying) in the rain.

It wouldn't take long to learn that Zero's focus on lightweight components was a bad decision as well, as we would see frames on the dirt bike models collapsing when taken over any sort of jump.

The bikes from Zero were so bad, the product reviews on them could serve as a litmus test of who in the media was bought and paid for, and who was actually speaking truth to power.

These machines were objectively awful, and anyone telling you otherwise was getting paid - straight up.

I could probably go on and on about the quality issues of these early machines, but it would rob us time from discussing the constant management issues that Zero has faced in the past decade, its failed dealership and servicing model, not to mention just the general branding issue of calling your product a "Zero".

To their credit though, the folks at Zero have improved their product with each successive iteration. The management team finally seems to be stable; Zero now uses a traditional dealership model, and isn't wasting time sending technicians all over the country in a van; and well...the branding is still tough, but there is a new corporate logo.

Most importantly though, Zero's motorcycles are actually now motorcycles. The quality of these machines has improved dramatically, and generally the bikes are fun to ride.

So what is keeping me from putting a Zero in my garage, and using that massive electric torque to put a grin on my face? The answer is right there above these words, in the lead photo of this story.

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We broke the news last week that helmet tech-startup Skully was rising from the dead, and today we have more news from Skully Technologies and how it plans to correct the wrongs of its predecessor.

In a letter to its “SKULLY Nation”, Skully Technologies lists how various backers of Skully’s Indiegogo campaign will be treated under the new company.

While the plan lists several bullet points for the various supporter levels, along with caveats, the short version is that Skully Technologies will honor all of the Indiegogo campaign promises make by Skully, Inc, substituting the Skully AR-1 helmet with the new Skully Fenix helmet, of course.

For reasons beyond our imagination and comprehension, the failed business experiment that was the Skully AR-1 helmet has been revived by new investors.

Sending out a blast to the “Skully Nation” email list, the brand’s new owners Ivan and Rafael Contreras, have announced their plans to revive this seemingly dead project.

One can barely fathom why someone would want to continue a project that so obviously was doomed to its own failure, and that also so grossly betrayed the goodwill of the motorcycle community; and yet, here we are, with Skully Technologies taking over where Skully, Inc. left off.

The presumption of this news is that the new management hopes to bring the AR-1 helmet, with its heads-up display technology, to market.

The announcement goes on also to say that Skully Technologies will leverage augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence technologies for the wearable products industry – a nod to the three hottest technology sectors in Silicon Valley at this moment in time.

The Nike Air Force 1 shoe is perhaps the most iconic piece of footwear ever created. It spurred an entire industry of sneakerheads – people who collect and trade shoes – and the Nike AF1 is one of the most collectible items for this genre of collector.

So, it’s not surprising that there is industry buzz about a new Nike Air Force 1 being created.

With each release, Nike has kept AF1 brand in line with its urban roots, where playing basketball on the street gave rise to young kids who would dream of following their heroes, like Michael Jordan, onto the courts of the NBA.

Now having more of a cult following, Nike has been branching out with its AF1 offerings, and last month the sport brand debuted a special AF1, which pays tribute to Baltimore’s 12 O’Clock Boys.