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We’re Back, Baby!

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Don’t believe everything you read.

That said, this site has been dormant for a while, and we’ve been watching it collect dust for a few years while trying to figure out what’s happening in our lives. The trouble with that sort of thinking is that life keeps happening.

One becomes a bigwig at a predominantly track-focused motorcycle brand, while another moves on to more sunny and expensive lands with hopes and dreams of helping a classic dealership become something more progressive and successful. Life, as they say, moves on while the readers, fans, and enthusiasts stand on the sidelines with bated breath to see what’s next.

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News

KTM’s Stefan Pierer Gobbles Up 25% of MV Agusta

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Big news today regarding Pierer Mobility (the parent company to KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas) and MV Agusta, as the Austrian company is set to take a 25.1% ownership stake in the Italian manufacturer.

The news comes just a couple weeks after it was announced that KTM North America would takeover distribution of MV Agusta’s motorcycles in the United States, and quells rumors that have been circling about KTM’s interest in the Varese brand.

Through a terse press release, the two companies have released few details on their strategic alliance, but it does seem that the ownership stake in MV Agusta comes with a lifeline of capital to keep Italian factory churning out exotic sport bikes.

The press release also explains that Pierer Mobility will takeover the supply chain and purchasing for MV Agusta, and that KTM et al will handle distribution for MV Agusta in certain unnamed markets – like what has already been announced in the USA.

Source: MV Agusta

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MotoGP

Kazakhstan Set to Join the Provisional MotoGP Calendar for 2023

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The MotoGP calendar continues to expand. Today, Dorna announced in an unusually brief press release that the Sokol International Racetrack, 50 kilometers north  east of Almaty in Kazakhstan, is to be added to the MotoGP calendar for 2023 for a five-year period.

The Kazakh track is still in the process of being built, and so will face homologation and safety checks before the race will be confirmed as happening in 2023.

The race in Kazakhstan will take the slot vacated by the now defunct Kymiring in Finland, which failed due to its business case collapsing when Russia invaded Ukraine.

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News

Saudi Arabia’s Aramco Buys Valvoline for $2.65 Billion

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Petroleum brand Valvoline struck a deal this week with Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, which sees the American company selling its global products business for $2.65 billion.

The deal sees Aramco taking ownership of Valvoline’s products used globally, while Valvoline would retain its global rights to the brand name itself for use in retail services, except in China and certain countries in the Middle East and Africa.

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Podcast

Brap Talk Podcast #88 – Exit Strategy

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Episode 88 of the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast is out with another “weekly” episode, for your two-wheeled listening pleasure.

In this episode, we talk a bit about the media-side of the motorcycle industry, and some of the things Jensen has noticed in his 13-year career at Asphalt & Rubber, as Shahin conducts his “exit interview” from the space.

We talk a bit about life, motorcycles, and everything – and we think you will find the conversation not only entertaining but also informational…with plenty of rabbit holes along the way.

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MotoGP

Suzuki Set to Leave MotoGP at the End of the 2022 Season

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As the paddock packed up after the Jerez test on Monday, held after the Spanish GP at the circuit, the bombshell news emerged that Suzuki is to withdraw from MotoGP at the end of the current season.

Motorsport.com‘s Oriol Puigdemont was the first to break the news, which I have since had confirmed by multiple sources in the MotoGP paddock.

The team was told on Monday morning, before the test, with an official announcement expected on Tuesday.

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MotoGP

Friday MotoGP Summary at the Argentina GP: Following Freight

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It has been a busy day for everyone involved in MotoGP. A large section of the paddock was sat either behind a computer or staring at a mobile device frantically refreshing their flight tracker app of choice, watching the exploits of Aerostan aircraft EX-47001, as it finally made its way from Mombasa in Kenya to Lagos in Nigeria to Salvador in Brazil.

As I write this, it has taken off from Salvador and is winging its way to Tucuman, where it is due to land some time after 9pm. At Salvador, the flight number changed from BSC4042 to BSC4043.

A sign? I leave it up to the reader to decipher the letters BSC in the flight number.

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News

Can-Am Will Debut a New Electric Motorcycle Lineup in 2024

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Can-Am isn’t the first name when you think of motorcycle manufacturers, but the Canadian brand has a rich tradition in the two-wheeled world, especially when it comes to off-road racing.

They are getting back to their roots now though, albeit with a modern twist, as Can-Am has announced that it will return to the two-wheeled space, brining a lineup of electric motorcycles by the year 2024.

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