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Up-Close with the Krämer HKR EVO2 R

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If I said that there was an 81hp track bike that weighed less than 280 lbs ready to race, would that be something you’d be interested in? If so, say hello to the Krämer HKR EVO2, a purpose-built track bike from Germany.

Built around KTM’s 690cc single-cylinder engine, which is found in KTM 690 Duke and Husqvarna’s 701 series of bikes, the Krämer HKR EVO2 features a bespoke steel-trellis chassis, custom bodywork, and a host of top-shelf components.

The real tasty part about the Krämer HKR EVO2 though is the attention to detail and the purposefulness of its design – take for instance the 12-liter XPE plastic fuel tank that doubles as a subframe, which has integrated crash sliders, and a sighting hole for easy adjustment of the rear shock damping.

Up-close, the build quality is excellent and the bike feels incredibly light. Oddly enough, the riding position is even comfortable for riders over six-feet in height, and as such we are itching to get some ride-time in the coming weeks.

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Bikes

Up-Close with the 2018 Aprilia RSV4 RF LE

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At the Grand Prix of the Americas, Aprilia USA debuted a special new superbike for the 2018 model year, the Aprilia RSV4 RF LE.

Limited to only 125 units for North America (100 for the USA, 25 for Canada), the big feature of the 2018 Aprilia RSV4 RF LE is the bike’s fairing winglets, which draw from Aprilia Racing’s aerodynamic progress in the MotoGP Championship.

Getting a chance to see the new Aprilia RSV4 RF LE in the flesh while in Texas, we grabbed some up-close photos of this limited edition RSV4, for your viewing pleasure, along with some other details.

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Bikes

Here Is Movistar Yamaha’s 2018 MotoGP Livery

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While the MotoGP boys are in Sepang right now, working properly on their 2018 machines (including revised aerodynamic packages), back home the teams are busy debuting their liveries for next season.

We have already seen Ducati’s new colors for 2018, and now it is Movistar Yamaha’s turn to show us the livery that Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales will wear for the coming season. No surprises here, it’s very blue.

While not too much has changed visually (these launches are becoming more a PR event, rather than a glimpse into next year’s racing machines) though Yamaha Racing have news for us that it has tied up Viñales with a two-year contract extension.

Of course, we can expect similar news from Valentino Rossi in the coming months, as the Italian is set to finish his career with Team Blue, before likely transitioning into a team owner rule inside the paddock.

All of that will come at a later day, however, and right now the 2018 MotoGP Championship season is rapidly approaching. Until the green flag waves at Qatar, we have some high-res photos of the 2018 Yamaha livery and for you to drool over.

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News

The Pirelli Calendar Continues Its Zeitgeist for 2018

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Asphalt & Rubber is in New York right now, attending the unveiling of the 2018 Pirelli Calendar. It might seem strange that a tire manufacturer from Italy would become so famous for producing something as benign as a calendar, but the Pirelli Calendar is an institution in its own right.

A product of the fashion elite – mixing the world’s top models and celebrities with some of the most renowned photographers, at some of the most beautiful locations – the Pirelli Calendar is available only to a select few of Pirelli’s best customers, as well as the most famous of people.

For a long time, the Pirelli Calendar grew from the intersection of garage pin-up photography and high-fashion aesthetic and production, but in 2016 “The Cal” switched its tone to something more reflective of the time, and with a larger social message. Gone were the naked supermodels.

For the 2018 edition, the Pirelli Calendar continues this trend, and for the second time ever, it features an all-black cast of models, actors, celebrities, and social figures.

Relying on the talents of British photographer Tim Walker, the 2018 Pirelli Calendar retells the story of Alice in Wonderland by ?Lewis Carroll.

It features the following models: Adwoa Aboah, Sasha Lane, , Thando Hopa, Slick Woods, Zoe Bedeaux, Alpha Dia, King Owusu, Wilson Oryema, Adut Akech, and Duckie Thot as Alice – with celebrity appearances by Jaha Dukureh, Whoopi Goldberg, RuPaul, Djimon Hounsou, Puff Daddy, Naomi Campbell, Lupita Nyong, and Lil Yachty

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Bikes

Mega Gallery: Honda Gold Wing

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Every time we write a story about the Honda Gold Wing, we end up using the word “iconic” as a descriptor, but why is that? Is it because there are over 250,000 Gold Wings on the road today, putting down miles?

Is it because the model was so important to the American market, that it was the only Honda motorcycle that has been built on US soil? Or is it the legion of loyal fans, that continuously replace their old Gold Wing with a new one, rather than stray to another brand?

It is probably a combination of all these things, and now for the 2018 model year another chapter of the Gold Wing story is about to be told.

Big Red has made considerable changes for the 2018 Honda Gold Wing, most notably putting the giant tourer on a diet (roughly 90 lbs). Now a more compact machine, Honda has made space savings by switching to double-wishbone front suspension.

In person, the Gold Wing (bagger) and Gold Wing Tour (tourer) retain the obvious lines of the previous Gold Wing motorcycles. We think Honda has walked a fine line too in making the 2018 edition look more edgy and modern, while still being true to its classic shape.

The fit and finish on the new Honda Gold Wing is impressive as well, with there being strong attention to the details. When you consider how many miles, and how many years, a typical Gold Wing must endure with a single owner, Honda has to build the Gold Wing to a standard beyond the typical motorcycle.

For next year, Honda hopes to sell upwards of 14,000 Gold Wing motorcycles worldwide, most of which will be here in the United States. Nearly a doubling of the current sales volume, this goal is a tall order. But, the new Gold Wing seems up to the challenge.

Don’t worry, we’ll swing a leg over one in January and see for ourselves. Until then, we have got about 120 high-resolution photos for you to peruse of this iconic motorcycle. Enjoy!

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