PPIHC: Carlin Dunne Sets Outright Best Motorcycle Time at Pikes Peak Tire Test on a Lightning Motorcycle

The competitors for the 91st Pikes Peak International Hill Climb have just concluded a two-day tire test at the Colorado road course, and it should perhaps come as no surprise that our boy Carlin Dunne has posted the outright fastest lap for a motorcycle during the tire test (the Santa Barbara native set the outright two-wheeled course record last year on his Ducati Multistrada 1200 S). What is surprising about Carlin’s result at the tire test is that he was on the Lightning Motorcycles electric superbike. That’s right, the fastest bike so far for 2013′s Race to the Clouds is a 200+ hp electric superbike that is refueled with solar energy. Petrol heads, eat your heart out.

Report: Indianapolis “Opting-Out” of 2014 MotoGP Race?

Talking to the Indy Star, Mark Miles (CEO of Hulman & Co, the parent company to Indianapolis Motor Speedway) has put some doubt into the historic venue’s commitment to host the MotoGP Championship. Having a contract to run the race through the 2014 season, Miles said that IMS might opt-out of the final year in its agreement with Dorna (IMS apparently has this option for a brief window after the 2013 Indianapolis GP). However while the news has focused so far on IMS’s ability to opt-out, both Dorna and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have options in their contract to go through with the 2014 round, and with a bevy of variables in the air, we may or may not see three American GP rounds next year.

2014 Yamaha FZ-09 – Three Cylinders of Naked

Surprise! America will be getting a 847cc three-cylinder naked bike for the 2014 model year, the 2014 Yamaha FZ-09. Replacing the Yamaha FZ8 in the Japanese company’s line-up, the FZ-09 is the first motorcycle from the tuning fork brand to sport the Yamaha’s new line of three-cylinder engines. The Yamaha FZ-09 comes about as the MIC is reporting its second-consecutive year of growth in the 751+cc sport bike segment, as well as increase in commuter riding over short-distance sport riding. With those trends in mind, Yamaha has punched out the displacement on its middleweight naked bike, and focused on giving riders a comfortable, yet stout, motorcycle. Priced at $7,990 MSRP, we think Yamaha hit the nail pretty much on the head with this one.

Trackside Tuesday: The Mind-Killer

In the past few years I’ve come to believe that, while superior physical differences (their reflexes and fine motor skills) are significant, it’s the mental differences that are the most interesting. I suppose anyone who has ridden a motorcycle even a bit beyond one’s comfort zone can appreciate some part of the physical aspect of riding a racing bike. For most of us, even the speed of racers in local events is impressive compared to our street riding. While the skills with throttle, brakes, and balance are on a level similar to the best athletes in other sports, I think that what really sets motorcycle racers apart is their ability to overcome fear.

Video: Still Think Electric Motorcycles Are Slow?

The progress in the last five years on electric motorcycles has been astounding. Taking their first laps around the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course, a 87.434 mph pace was the best an electric motorcycle could do at the prestigious road race in 2009 — a pace that was on par with the 50cc record set in 1971. In just five years after the first laps were taken by electric motorcycles at Snaefell, these machines have grown their average lap speeds by over 20 mph at the TT Zero race, setting a new record of 109.675 mph in 2013, and boasting a rate of improvement of roughly 5 mph each year since 2009. If hitting 142.2 mph down the Sulby Straight speed trap wasn’t further proof of the speeds these bikes are achieving, maybe some visual evidence will help support the notion.

Here’s Your Feel Good Moment of the Week — Now, What’s Your Excuse for Not Riding Today?

Darius Glover is a dirt bike racer. Like you and me, he lives to ride, and when he is on two-wheels he feels the freedom that only other motorcyclists can truly understand. The thing is though, Darius is paralyzed from the waist down. Where others would give up their dreams and this sport, Darius at the age of 15 instead pushed onward. No pity parties, no excuses, just simply a daily example of where there is a will, there is a way, and a reminder that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to. It’s hard not to get a bit choked up listening to Darius tell his story, but you walk away feeling uplifted after feeling his attitude come across the screen.

Erzberg Rodeo – Red Bull’s S&M Playhouse for Motorcycles

Any race where 1,500 riders start, 500 qualify, and only 14 finish, has got to be an epic competition, and considering the fact that the Erzberg Rodeo starts in the excavation pit of an Austrian mine…well, it takes a special rider to be enticed by such an event. One such special rider is Graham Jarvis, who was the first of the fourteen men to reach the 20th and final checkpoint. Taking 2 hours and 52 seconds to complete the course, Jarvis made the 2013 Erzberg Rodeo look downright easy. However, with one look at the race-day conditions from this past weekend, we know it was anything but.

Controlling the Uncontrollable – The Role of Ritual in Racing

While normally, MotoGP fans never get enough of seeing Valentino Rossi on TV, there is one shot they would (for the most part) gladly be spared. As he leaves the pits, Rossi stands on the footpegs, and pulls his leathers from between his buttocks, before sitting back down again and leaving. These rituals – part useful limbering up, part invocation of Lady Luck – are something many riders perform, in their attempt to exert control over themselves, and over their environment. In a fascinating press release – by far the most interesting we have received in many months – the Aspar team today provided a discussion and explanation of what riders are trying to achieve through the use of these rituals.

Up-Close with the 2013 MotoCzysz E1pc

Hoping to make it four wins in a row, it goes without saying that the MotoCzysz crew is working hard to close the gap to the John McGuinness and the Mugen team. However, having Team Principal Michael Czysz stuck back in the US, undergoing cancer treatments, must certainly add another level of motivation for the on-island MotoCzysz crew. Making time in their busy schedule, Asphalt & Rubber got to take some up-close photos of the 2013 MotoCzysz E1pc. The most obvious changes made to the MotoCzysz E1pc for the 2013 TT Zero race are the use conventional suspension pieces. Of course, it’s not a completely standard suspension setup, as MotoCzysz has developed its own adjustable triple clamp that incorporates tunable lateral flex parameters.

MotoGP: Max Biaggi To Test Ben Spies’s Ducati at Mugello, Michele Pirro To Replace Spies at Barcelona

Max Biaggi is to make a surprise return to riding a MotoGP machine. The former 250 and World Superbike champion will take a seat on Ben Spies’ Ignite Pramac Ducati as part of a one-day test at Mugello, as part of Ducati’s testing program, according to Italian site GPOne. Spies was scheduled to stay on at Mugello to take part in a two-day test, but after the first day of practice at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, it was clear to both Spies and Ducati that his shoulder was still too weak to ride a MotoGP machine. With work continuing on the Desmosedici, it was important for Ducati to get as much data as possible on their bike, and so Biaggi was offered the chance to ride the machine.

2013 Suzuki GSX-R1000 “One Millionth” Special Edition

10/04/2012 @ 11:49 am, by Jensen Beeler40 COMMENTS

2013 Suzuki GSX R1000 One Millionth Special Edition 2013 Suzuki GSX R1000 one million special edition 06 635x431

In its 27 years of GSX-R branded motorcycles, Suzuki has sold over one million of the peppy sport bikes around the world. Helping commemorate that feat, Suzuki debuted at Intermot this week the 2013 Suzuki GSX-R1000 “One Millionth” Special Edition model, which will be sold in limited quantities (1985 units, to be precise).

Made distinct with its red nose cone and special paint scheme, the 2013 “Millionth Edition” Commemorative GSX-R1000 also comes with black Brembo Monoblock callipers with gold lettering, wheel stripes, gold forks, a celebratory tank graphic, a numbered top yoke, red fork tops, and a special key ring.

No word on what pricing will be, or whether the special edition Suzuki GSX-R1000 will make it to North America. But considering that many of those million GSX-R motorcycles produces landed on American soil, you would think the “Millionth Edition” Commemorative Suzuki GSX-R1000 would as well.

69 Photos of the 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200

10/03/2012 @ 5:08 pm, by Jensen Beeler6 COMMENTS

69 Photos of the 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak 635x445

The new Ducati Multistrada 1200 is a lot like the old Ducati Multistrada 1200, but we figured there are enough Ducatisti trolling the pages of A&R that a little moto porn wouldn’t hurt things too much. Gone is the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Sport, which has essentially be replaced by the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak bike (which looks a-mazing).

The whole line benefits from the Testastretta 11° DS engine, which features a dual-spark ignition system that gives the MTS1200 a slight mid-range power boost, as well as the LED low-beam headlights. However, the real changes occur at the “S” trim level, which are the first bikes from Bologna to get the Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) semi-active suspension package.

The last big change to the Multistrada line is the addition of the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Grantourismo, which has some more kit for you if the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring isn’t touring enough for you. One-hundred-twenty-one liters of panniers and top case, the Grantourismo also has crash bars, LED fog lights, and a larger windscreen for its extra $2,000 over the Touring model.

We were thoroughly impressed with the original Multistrada 1200 when it came out in 2010, and the updates to the 2013 line seem compelling enough to keep Ducati in the mix for adventure riders who are looking for something a little bit more sporty than the 2013 BMW R1200GS and 2013 KTM 1190 Adventure.

While both the BMW and KTM are attractive machines in their own right, it is hard to beat that Italian sense of style. As such, sixty-nine high-res photos of the 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 model line are waiting for you after the jump.

KTM 1190 Adventure Pricing Starts at €13,990

10/03/2012 @ 11:56 am, by Jensen Beeler3 COMMENTS

KTM 1190 Adventure Pricing Starts at €13,990 KTM 1190 Adventure R 635x422

Feeling the age of the KTM 990 Adventure & KTM 990 Adventure R, the Austrians debuted at Intermot this week their new adventure-touring machines, the 2013 KTM 1190 Adventure & 2013 KTM 1190 Adventure R. Using a revised version of the KTM 1190 RC8 R’s v-twin motor, both bikes feature 148 hp, and clocks in around 230 kg (507 lbs) fully tanked and ready to go ride.

Debuting along side the new water-cooled 2013 BMW R1200GS, KTM has its work cutout for it in the adventure-touring segment, though with Suzuki debuting the concept for its 2014 Suzuki V-Strom 1000, now is certainly a good time to be in the market for an ADV bike. Feeling that notion, KTM has released the pricing on its Adventure bikes, and we like what we see from the Austrians.

2013 Suzuki Hayabusa Gets ABS & Brembo Brakes

10/02/2012 @ 8:08 pm, by Jensen Beeler18 COMMENTS

2013 Suzuki Hayabusa Gets ABS & Brembo Brakes 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R 07 635x418

It’s hard to believe that for over a decade, the Suzuki Hayabusa has gone relatively unchanged from its original form. Sure, there have been some updates — a nose-job here, a face-lift there, but let’s be honest, the engineer responsible for the Suzuki GSX1300R has mostly just been pushing paper around his desk since the Clinton administration.

That tradition has not come to a close for the next model year, though the 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa does get some massaging from the Japanese brand. Updated with an anti-locking brakes system (ABS), the 2012 Suzuki GSX1300R, as it name implies, joins the rest of the GSX-R family in getting Brembo Monobloc calipers.

53 Photos of the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800 & Z800e

10/02/2012 @ 6:27 pm, by Jensen Beeler16 COMMENTS

53 Photos of the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800 & Z800e 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800 41 635x476

We already knew well ahead of the INTERMOT show that Team Green would debut the Kawasaki Ninja Z800, a bike that replaces the best-selling sport-naked in the Europe: the Kawasaki Ninja Z750. Featuring an 806cc inline-four motor, the new Z800 comes in two flavors: the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800 & the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800e. The Kawasaki Ninja Z800 makes 111hp and 61 lbs•ft of torque, while the Kawasaki Ninja Z800e gets a bit more watered down with 94hp and 56 lbs•ft of torque, though it saves 6 lbs over its more burly counterpart.

The two-pronged model approach by Kawasaki is surely being done to better capture a wider audience with the Ninja Z800 line, which also explains why the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800e comes with a 47hp A2 license compliant option as well. Designed to be at home on the set of the next Transformers movie, you will either love or hate the lines of the Kawasaki Ninja Z800 — we happen to think it looks rather edgy and mean, which is how we like our street-nakeds to carry themselves.

For its added price and power, the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800 comes 41mm KYB forks that feature preload and rebound damping only — the same goes for the Z800′s rear shock. The 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Z800e, however comes with forks and a rear shock that have only preload adjustment capability, and no damping controls. Both models come with an optional ABS package. We do not expect the Kawasaki Ninja Z800 to come to North America at this point in time. Waiting for you after the jump are 53 photos of the new Kawasaki Ninja Z800.

2013 Aprilia RSV4 Factory Gets ABS & Other Refinements

10/02/2012 @ 4:46 pm, by Jensen Beeler16 COMMENTS

2013 Aprilia RSV4 Factory Gets ABS & Other Refinements 2013 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC 05 635x463

While the 2013 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC may look like the same dominant superbike that has been blowing the doors off at bike shootouts, but the company from Noale has made some subtle changes to its V4 street weapon, the most noticeable of which is a three-level dual-channel ABS system from Bosch. The ABS unit can be completely disengaged, should a rider feel it necessary to retain the ability to lock-up the newly added Brembo M430/M50 calipers (the same brake calipers as the Ducati 1199 Panigale), and brings the Aprilia RSV4 in-line with its other liter-bike competitors.

While Aprilia could have stopped there and called things a day, the Italian brand has made further changes to the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC’s stock engine placement in the chassis, as well as other refinements in the RSV4′s exhaust and ECU. The result is a lower center of gravity, and a mild boost in peak horsepower and mid-range torque, which brings the revised RSV4 Factory up to 181.4hp at the crank and 86.3 lbs•ft of peak torque @ 10,500 rpm.

Ducati 1199 Panigale RS13 – Sorry, For Racers Only

10/02/2012 @ 1:25 pm, by Jensen Beeler12 COMMENTS

Ducati 1199 Panigale RS13   Sorry, For Racers Only 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale RS13 04 635x423

We have already shown you photos of the Ducati 1199 Panigale RS12, the 2012-spec version of the race bike that is only available to motorcycle race teams. For 2013, not too much about the race package has changed (note the Ducati Test Team livery that the 2013 Ducati Superbike 848 EVO Corse SE wears as well), but honestly…we will use any excuse possible to post up pictures of this tasty machine.

Not to be confused with the Ducati 1199 Panigale R, which will debut at EICMA and be available to mere mortals, the Ducati 1199 Panigale RS13 is not a street bike, and unless your name is Carlos Checa, you’re unlikely to get your hands on one. Continue drooling after the jump.

2013 BMW HP4 Priced at $19,990*

10/02/2012 @ 12:55 pm, by Jensen Beeler15 COMMENTS

2013 BMW HP4 Priced at $19,990* 2013 BMW S1000RR HP4 119 635x423

Possibly the most lust-worthy sport bike of the year, the BMW HP4 has finally been priced by the Bavarians for the North American market. Clocking a $19,990 price tag MSRP, as usual, there is more to BMW’s pricing scheme than meets the eye.

While BMW plays its usual tricks, what is interesting is that despite all the add-ons, the BMW HP4 remains a relatively affordable premium sport bike. Punching just above the Ducati 1199 Panigale’s price tag, the German steed could easily justify its added cost with the inclusion of BMW’s Dynamic Damping Control, a semi-active suspension system.

Available in Q4 2012, the BMW HP4 comes with a variety of packages that significantly boost the HP4′s price into the mid-$20,000 range. We break down the cost of the packages and what you get with them, after the jump (mega photo gallery here).

First Videos of the KTM 1190 Adventure R

10/02/2012 @ 6:13 am, by Jensen Beeler6 COMMENTS

First Videos of the KTM 1190 Adventure R KTM 1190 Adventure R video

In a bright and noisy booth, somewhere in Cologne at the INTERMOT show, we imagine these videos are playing over and over again on some huge flat screen TVs. With no real lead-in or storyline, watching the short clips is sort of like getting twice the sex, with half the foreplay, but they are the first videos of the new KTM 1190 Adventure R adventure-tourer. And if there is one thing we have learned from reading comments on YouTube, it’s that being first is really important.

Yamaha Moto Cage-Six Concept

10/02/2012 @ 5:51 am, by Jensen Beeler4 COMMENTS

Yamaha Moto Cage Six Concept Yamaha Moto Cage Six Concept Intermot 06 635x476

Built off the Yamaha XJ6, the Yamaha Moto Cage-Six is a bit different from its predecessor. Loud, audacious, loud, likely prone to wheelie, and loud…those are words we likely will never hear used when describing the XJ6, yet seemingly apply well here with the Cage-Six.

We are not sure how many XJ6 bikes will end up living their lives on StuntLife, but Yamaha’s Moto Cage-Six Concept certainly does illustrate how far a little imagination can go in taking something from “meh” to “totes m’goats” in this Gen-Y world. Hell, with a little less neon yellow, we might even consider rocking this around the block a few times.

Still, if we had to choose between the two, there would have to be an overwhelming preference to see Yamaha’s three-cylinder motor with a crossplane crankshaft get built over this marketing exercise. Different strokes for different folks though. More photos after the…oh dear god, that’s a car tire on the rear wheel, isn’t it?