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How the Ducati Diavel Will Look Tipped Over

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The latest leak from Bologna shows how the upcoming Ducati power cruiser will look tipped over on its side, after an owner gets hit by car, or fails to get the kick stand down in time. Snarkiness aside, reports from the Italian news site Romagna NOI say the Diavel test rider was struck by a car while testing the bike.

The rider seems to be ok, and the bike looks to have held up quite well all things considered. One thing we can glean from the photo is the two-tone paint on the headlight cowling, which might help break up what were expecting to be a very ugly line.

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Rumors

A Better Look at the Ducati Mega Monster

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Italian news site MotoSprint has stumbled upon perhaps the best photo yet of the new Ducati power cruiser, which has been dubbed the “Mega Monster”. From the side we can get a better glimpse on the bike’s overall lines and stature, which at leasts makes us more comfortable with how the bike’s final aesthetic will come to be. Love it or hate it? Let us know in the comments.

Source: MotoSprint via Ducati News Today

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Rumors

Ducati Mega Monster Spotted Again – Some Things Can’t be Unseen

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Spotted just outside Ducati’s Bologna factory by an amateur photographer, we now get a proper glimpse of Ducati’s “Mega Monster” performance cruiser. Based around a 1200cc v-twin motor, Ducati is hoping to tap into the American dominated cruiser market, and steal a few customers away from Harley-Davidson.

While, we’re not calling the Mega Monster a “butter face”…well…actually we are, hopefully the Rhinoplasty Fairy will come visit the bike before its debut at EICMA later this year. Ducati, for the love of God, please re-think this motorcycle. Check Motociclismo.it for more photos.

Source: Motociclismo.it

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News

Brammo TTR-based Sportbike Coming

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Asphalt & Rubber took a lot of flak last month when we speculated about Brammo working on an electric sportbike. Armed with more than a hunch at the time, we have been told from multiple sources that Brammo is set to debut a TTR-based electric sportbike. For added measure, we’ve also been told that Brammo intends to race the bike, which we’d expect will have various configurations, at the e-Power Championship round at Laguna Seca later this month.

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Bikes

2011 Aprilia Tuono V4 Spotted – Spy Video/Photos

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The lucky bastards at Motociclismo.it have spotted the Aprilia Tuono V4 testing at a track day at Mugello, and were fortunate enough to have their photo and video cameras at the ready. At an event that feels more like a setup press leak, than a true spy capture, we still get some of our clearest views of the 2011 Aprilia Tuono V4 yet.

The street-naked draws heavily from the RSV4, and has the usual differences where we’d expect to find them on these two bikes. Perhaps the most exciting is what appears to be an ABS and/or traction control system pick up on the front and rear wheels, which might be a hint of things to come in the Aprilia sport line. Check after the jump for a video of the Aprilia Tuono V4 going around the track, and more photos.

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Bikes

2011 BMW K1600LT Spotted in the Wild

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Get excited Cordura lovers, because Tourenfahrer has spotted the 2011 BMW K1600LT out testing in Southern California. Based off the BMW Concept 6 that we brought to you live from EICMA last year, the BMW K1600LT features a six-cylinder motor that, like the Horex VR6 concept, is just marginally wider than your standard in-line four motor.

The result should be a silky smooth K-bike that any tourer can enjoy. Noticable on the bike is an adjustable windscreen and ample on-board storage, both of which are basically standard components now with sport-tourers. Expect to see the 2011 BMW K1600LT debut at EICMA later this year, if not earlier.

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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

Zero/Agni Running Isle of Man Bike at Infineon

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As we get ready for TTXGP’s first race in the United States this weekend (and apparently the AMA is racing with them too, who knew?), more details are emerging about what we can expect from Sunday’s race. Our operatives caught Team ZeroAgni and K² out at Thunderhill last week, and saw a modified Zero S (K²’s entry), and a GSX-R piloted by Shawn Higbee taking laps around the track. With the GSX-R clearly not TTXGP legal, we were left to speculate what AMA privateer Higbee would be riding at Infineon, and now we know: it’s the inaugural TTXGP winning bike from Agni Motors (you can see the bike re-painted above, with it’s noticeable “tank-plank” protruding).

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Racing

Nicky Hayden Leaks Ducati GP10 Photo

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In a slightly bizzare manner, Nicky Hayden is responsible for the latest bit of news and photo leak from the MotoGP paddock. Making a stop in Bologna to celebrate the holidays with the Ducati Corse crew, in route to India to help open a Ducati store, Hayden got a chance to see the new Ducati GP10 race bike up-close. Armed with a cell phone, and a little indiscretion, the American rider snapped a photo of the new bike, posted the photo to his personal website, and there you have it.

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Rumors

Is This the MV Agusta “F3” 3-Cylinder Head?

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We’re going to keep this one definitively filed under “rumors” still, but someone just dropped this photo off in the comments section of our spy shots of the MV Agusta “F3” three-cylinder motorcycle post. Leaving an @mvagusta.it email address, and mvagusta.com as the linked website, the suggestion would seem to be that this is spy shot is of the head off the MV Agusta F3. Totally legit, right?

That is of course until you realize the MV Agusta email address is a fake (we got an instant response from the server that no such email address existed on its domain), and that the user was posting from an IP address in the rain-soaked Netherlands.

We’re fairly confident in our saying that this is in fact not an image of the fabled MV Agusta three-cylinder, and instead just the product of a northern-Dutchman with too much winter on his hands.

But it just goes to show you, you can’t trust everything you read on the internet these days.

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