Asphalt & Rubber

AMA Pro Racing Adds AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Spec Racing Series

You may remember that six month’s ago we published a rumor that AMA Pro Racing was considering the idea of adding a Harley-Davidson XR1200 spec racing class. Today, that rumor became reality as AMA Pro Racing announced at the Daytona Bike Week that it would be adding the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series to its calendar. The painful press release and our colorful commentary after the jump.

Video: Women Riders of the FIM

Usually when you see a video of lovely lady standing next to a motorcycle at an FIM sanctioned event, she’s holding an umbrella. Well the FIM is hoping to change that perception a bit, and is serving up this video with its resident ladies of motorcycling talking about what they do best. Featuring Leslie Porterfield (FIM World LSR Holder), Livia Lancelot (FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion) and Laia Sanz (FIM Women’s Trial World Champion), the video is a part of the new FIM campaign called “Women Ride” that hopes to encourage more femme fatal in our two-wheeled sport.

Brit Brothers Chicane Saddle: A Roller Seat Design That Dampens a High-Side

When was the last time you saw someone seriously rethink how a motorcycle seat functions and operates? To our knowledge this design from Brit Brothers is the first real attempt to rethink what our butts have known all along. With its eye catching design, and roller-style seat, Brit Bros says their seat has numerous benefits over your standard foam wrapped in vinyl garden variety seat, including the ability to help tame a high-side crash.

Ducati Desmosedici RR Trike Concept

Nicolas Petit, a 25 year old Frenchman who lives just outside of Paris, is a motorcycle mechanic by day, and motorcycle sketcher by night. With already an impressive resume of motorcycle design sketches and renders to his name, we think Nicolas can add one more stunning example to the list: the Ducati Desmosedici RR Trike concept. We’re not huge fans of trikes here at A&R, but when you base your concept off one of the most powerful streetbikes ever created, it certainly catches our attention.

Hands on with the MotoCzysz Battery Packs

By now you’ve surely read about MotoCzysz’s new eDD and it’s “suitcase” chassis design. Recently Asphalt & Rubber got a chance to take a peak into the Portland, Oregon based company’s service bay and take a closer look at the 2009 E1pc D1g1tal Superbike, with a specific interest in its quick-release swappable batteries and unique chassis design. We’ll be covering these innovations in a two-part series, starting today with a never before seen look at the MotoCzysz battery packs. More and photos from Peter Lombardi Kustom Photography after the jump.

Video: When Multistradas Meet Piano Bars

Ever wonder what great action footage of the 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200 would be like if you set it to the music commonly found in a piano bar? Well never fear, Ducati has the answer for you. Watch the Multistrada 1200 take on four different riding situations without missing a beat. Beat! Get it! Uggh…we don’t get paid enough for this. Video after the jump.

MotoCzysz Electric D1g1tal Dr1ve: More Than Just a Glimpse into the 2010 E1pc Superbike

Today MotoCzysz is announcing its Electric D1g1tal Dr1ve (eDD), better known to us as “the suitcase”, which is essentially the housing for the E1pc’s proprietary controller, motor, and batteries. MotoCzysz will be using the eDD on their 2010 E1pc D1g1tal Superbike, and intends on letting other teams use the suitcase as well, helping fill the grid at electric motorcycle races.

This announcement is important on a variety of levels, and most electric motorcycling enthusiasts will be interested to get their first glimpse at technology beind Michael Czysz’s 2010 E1pc D1g1tal Superbike, which will for sure be at the TT Zero race at the Isle of Man this year. The suitcase contains MotoCzysz proprietary battery, motor, and controller designs, which are setting the bar higher in electric motorcycle racing.

Erik Buell Racing 1190RR: 185hp AMA/WSBK Spec’d

Erik Buell Racing has just updated its website, and releasd the first real clear shot of what the EBR 1190RR will look like it in its racing form. With 185hp being made at the rear-wheel (according to the optimistic DynoJet dynamometer), the EBR 1190RR sits at the top of the Buell totem poll.

Based off the 1125R chassis, the 1190RR is virtually anorexic, dropping 30lbs off the AMA Daytona Superbike racing machine, while still bumping up displacement by 65cc’s. With 93lb•ft of torque on hand at 9,500 RPM, the EBR 1190RR is sure to sling your eye balls into the back of your head…if you can find a racing series to race it in.

MotoCzysz C1 Makes More Than A Cameo in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”

“Greed, for lack of a better word…is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms: greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save motorcycling, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.”

Nelis 1000R: A Re-imagining of the TL1000R

The Suzuki TL1000R is a special bike. It garnered little love from the media during its release; but despite being discontinued seven years ago, the TLR continues to foster a cult following, especially in Europe. So it doesn’t surprise us a great deal that when 25 year old fabrication apprentice, Mathijn Nelis, set out to create is first custom work under the careful gaze of master builder Nico Bakker, that the young Dutchman chose to work with the stout TL v-twin powerplant that dwarfed its Italain competitors during its initial release.

2010 Suzuki GSX-R600 Limited Edition

Tue 03/16/2010 @ 6:07 am, by Jenny GunADD COMMENTS

2010 Suzuki GSX R600 Limited Edition 2010 Suzuki GSX R600 Limited Edition 1 560x420

The second of three 25th anniversary GSXR’s, the 2010 Suzuki GSX-R600 Limited Edition is a run of 25 motorcycles destined for our friends across the pond in the UK. Helping commemorate 25 years of the GSX-R series, the 25th Anniversary GSX-R600 comes with a retro 1999 World Superbike paint scheme, along with a Yoshimura exhaust system, commemorative top yoke, and a certificate of authenticity. For this sort of exclusivity, British buyers can expect to £8,799, or £1,000 over list price. Photos and more after the jump.

Troy Lee Designs Fails to Impress with New Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Livery 2010 Rizla Suzuki GSV R MotoGP 2 560x373

It’s not that new Suzuki MotoGP livery is bad, it’s just well…sort of what you’d expect from Suzuki’s factory racing team. When we first heard that Troy Lee Designs was going to give the old Rizla Blue the once over, we were excited to see what the talented company could come up with in the go fast/look good department.

Yet as we look at these pictures, we wonder what happened in the process. Powder blue? Check. Big Rizla Letters? Check. Nothing else that’s remote eye-catching? Check. We sure hope the Suzuki GSV-R performs better than it looks, but we’re not holding our breath. Check out the rest of the photos after the jump.

Troy Lee Designs to Make Rizla Suzuki Livery

Tue 02/09/2010 @ 12:30 pm, by Jenny Gun2 COMMENTS

Troy Lee Designs to Make Rizla Suzuki Livery Rizla Suzuki MotoGP livery 560x373

Rizla Suzuki has announced that it is teaming up with Troy Lee Designs, tasking the American design firm with the duty of making new race livery for the MotoGP race team. Troy Lee Designs will also be making the leather race suits for Loris Capirossi and Alvaro Bautista, along with the team’s pit-box, hospitality units, and team clothing and merchandise. Expect to see the new brand changes at the Qatar Test during March 17-19th.

Volkswagen Motorcycle Concept

Mon 02/01/2010 @ 1:24 pm, by Jenny Gun13 COMMENTS

Volkswagen Motorcycle Concept Volkswagen motorcycle concept Nils Poschwatta 560x373

It’s been almost two months since Volkswagen bought a 20% stake in Suzuki Motor Corporation, but that hasn’t stopped German designer Nils Poschwatta from imagining what the peoples’ motorcycle would look like. Much fervor was made with the announcement of the two companies joining forces, with many motorcycle fans wishing thinking that VW branded motorcycles were on their way. Like this concept, that notion is a work of pure fantacy, as the two companies have made it clear the partial acquisition is to help both brands enter into emerging car markets more effectively. Still, it’s a nice drawing.

Source: Nils Poschwatta via MotorFreaks

Stop Action Footage of a GXS R Building Itself GSX R stop action video

Here’s one to help you pass the final minutes before the weekend: a stop-action video of a GSX-R seemingly building itself up from a bucket of parts. Created by what appears to be a father/son duo in their garage, the video is really well done. Things get insane at the 3:30 mark, and is a testament to the 30+ hours it took to film the video. Check it out after the jump.

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2010 Suzuki GSX R750 Limited Edition Pays Tribute to 25 Years of SRADness 2010 Suzuki GSX R750 limited edition 25th anniversary 1 560x382

Helping celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the GSX-R750, Suzuki GB has come up with the 2010 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition, which sports a retro paint scheme circa 1996 and a Yoshimura GP Evo 111 exhaust. The GSX-R750 appears to be the first GSX-R to get the anniversary treatment, as Suzuki GB is teasing image spots for a GSX-R600 & GSX-R1000 Limited Editions as well.

2010 Suzuki Bandit 1250 Coming to America?

Sat 09/12/2009 @ 10:21 am, by Jenny GunADD COMMENTS

2010 Suzuki Bandit 1250 Coming to America? 2010 Suzuki Bandit 1250 3 560x399

Looks like our tip about Suzuki is coming to fruition sooner than we expected (although, we’re still holding our breath on the GSX1000R part of that tip). Suzuki has launched a new European Bandit at the Bol D’or 24 hour endurance race, in Magny-Cours, France, and it looks like they have given the Bandit a bit of a make-over. Pictures and more after the jump.

Suzuki: New Bandit, New GSX F, and Updated GSX1000R for 2010? new suzuki 2010 560x420

Rumors are circulating that Suzuki is about unveil its 2010 motorcycle line-up, which will reportedly feature an all new 1,250cc Bandit, new GSX-F, and an updated GSX1000R. With the Gixxer 1000 being completely revamped just last year, we’re not sure if that means just new colors for 2010, or if Suzuki will be making modest performance enhancements, like we saw with the 2010 Honda CBR1000RR and 2010 Yamaha YZF-R6.

Those are all the details we know now, more as it comes to us. Remember to always tip your waiter, and your daily motorcycle blog.

 
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