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BRD RedShift Price & Specs – $14,995 (MX) / $15,495 (SM)

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After several months of testing and refining the BRD RedShift electric motorcycle, pricing and technical specifications from BRD Motorcycles has just graced our inbox. Wanting to make sure the BRD RedShift SM & RedShift MX lived up to the company’s hype, BRD has been reluctant to quote exact figures and prices until the San Francisco startup was confident it could back up those announcements with actual product performance. True to our prediction at the time of the BRD RedShift SM’s launch, the MX version will come with a $14,995 price tag, while the SM supermotard will tack on an extra $500 for a $15,495 MSRP.

Making 40 peak-horsepower, the BRD RedShift touts 250cc bike specs, especially with its 260/265 lbs (SM/MX) curb weight for street use (headlight and switchgear). In racing trim, both the SM & MX shed an additional 10 lbs. Because of the interest being generated in the police-style model (RedShift PD), BRD will make the model available with its more robust tail section, hard luggage, and more powerful electrical system for powering electrical components. These added components add an additional 35 lbs to the RedShift’s base weight, though the PD model is expected to be the company’s best selling model, as public and private fleet vehicles are increasingly pressured to include electrics into their vehicle pools.

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Bikes

Husqvarna Nuda 900/900R Technical Details

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Our favorite German-owned, Italian-based, Swedish brand has released some more images of its Husqvarna Nuda 900 and Husqvarna Nuda 900R street motards, and also disclosed some of the bikes’ technical specifications in the process as well. Using a fully-revamped BMW motor, Husqvarna has taken F800’s parallel-twin motor, and bored it out by 2mm (84mm total), as well as lengthened the stroke by 5.4mm (81mm), taking the 798cc motor to an 898cc displacement. Originally built as a 0º crank motor, Husqvarna has altered the crankshaft to a 315º configuration, which the company says creates a more aggressive feel to the bikes’ power delivery.

The compression ratio on the motor has also been raised from its BMW-spec, and comes with modified head gasket, camshafts, pistons, and conrods (along with a re-designed crankshaft). Additionally the intake and exhaust valves have been increased by 1mm, making them 33mm and 28.5mm respectively. With these modifications, both the base model Nuda 900 and higher-spec Nuda 900R will make 105 hp and 73.8 lbs•ft of torque. Still listing the curb weight for the Nuda 900R as sub-175kg (385 lbs), expect the Nuda 900 to weigh-in a few kilos heavier.

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News

KTM Freeride Coming 2012 – Cheaper than €10,000

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As we reported back in March, KTM’s electric dirt bike is coming closer and closer to being ready for consumers, and now information has come out that it will be a 2012 model from the Austrian company. This information is in-line with a November EICMA debut that we’ve been hearing, but perhaps the most tantalizing news we’ve heard is the bike’s sub-€10,000 price tag in the EU. This would put the KTM Freeride (oh man, we hope that name gets changed) directly in competition with Swiss electric dirt bike manufacturer Quantya and American electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero Motorcycles, both of whom are in the sub-€10,000 category with their dirt bike offerings.

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Bikes

Video: Radical Ducati RAD02 Pursang

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If you’ve ever gotten a mouthful of hairspray before (we were awkward children growing up), then you surely know the need to get a bad taste out of your mouth. Helping us get over our magnificient indifference regarding Husqvarna’s latest video is this short clip from our friends over in Spain, Radical Ducati. In case you haven’t heard of these guys, they take junked-out Ducatis (typically air-cooled), do a bit of a parts bin mash-up, and create eye-catching pieces of two-wheeled goodness for all of us to enjoy.

Their designs are cleverly creative and very pleasing on the retinal units, but yet also have a certain gritty quality that makes for a good juxtaposition to the prim and proper Ducati brand. As for the video, its does a pretty good job of showing the Radical Ducati RAD02 Pursang sitting there and looking pretty, though the go-fast addict in us really wants to see the Radical Ducati RAD 02 Corsa EVO make some laps around (insert famous Spanish circuit here). Ehh boys? Video and photos after the jump.

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Bikes

LEAKED: 2012 Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS

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The wait is finally over on what Suzuki has been brewing for its middleweight adventure bike offering. Through some HTML trickery, we were able to glean this unreleased information off the Suzuki website, and as such are bringing you the first photos, technical specifications, and design features on the 2012 Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS. An evolution of the current V-Strom 650, the new middleweight V-Strom is longer, taller, and lighter than its predecessor, while boasting an updated look to the aging V-Strom exterior.

If you were expecting more, and feel let down…welcome to the club. Though this represents a large portion of the information Suzuki plans on unveiling in the coming days, we still have some unanswered questions: like what’s been changed in the motor (we have yet to see any power figures quoted), though the general specifications on the 645cc v-twin lump appear to be the same. More as we get it. Find the massively underwhelming leaked photos, details, and specifications after the jump. Thanks for the tip Yellow Ranger!

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Bikes

2012 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS – $39,999 MSRP

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Erik Buell Racing has a new website, and with it comes more information about the 2012 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS street bike. With only 100 bikes being made, the 175hp v-twin rocket ship weighs only 389 lbs wet (without fuel though), which for the spec-sheet racers should be plenty to drool over. That sort of exclusivity and performance will cost you dearly though, as the the EBR 1190RS is going to hit your wallet for $39,999 (roughly the price of a well-packaged mini-van), and if you want the extra-drool worthy carbon edition, that’ll be another $4,000 added to the price tag.

When the 100 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS street bikes are sold though, EBR will be able to go racing in the AMA Pro Racing circuit (EBR missed its goal to race at Infineon and now seems likely for Barber, or Mid-Ohio) with the 1190cc race bike. Erik Buell Racing is currently campaigning in the American Superbike series with Geoff May on an 1125RR, which is down on power compared to the other bikes according to the race team.

The $40,000 price tag is going to be quite the hurdle for Buell and his crew, though finding 100 enthusiasts shouldn’t be an impossible task. If $40,000 isn’t your cup of tea for a motorcycle, it would seem Buell and his crew have you covered there, as the company is teasing three new models: the RX, SX, and AX. Let the speculation begin on what those models could be, full tech-specs on the 2012 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS and photos are after the jump.

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Bikes

Honda NSF250R Moto3 Bike

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The wait is finally over, as Honda has completely taken the wraps off its 2012 Honda NSF250R Moto3 race bike.

Launched at the Catalan GP today, the 250cc four-stroke machine will be one of several options aspiring MotoGP riders will pilot around in the Moto3 Championship.

The new NSF250R incorporates a front-intake/rear-exhaust configuratiom, while the cylinder has been tilted back 15° to help concentrate the bike’s mass.

Titanium valves help power throughout the rev range, and the cylinder design reduces friction between piston and cylinder by offsetting the cylinder centerline and applying nickel silicon carbide (Ni-SiC) for the cylinder surface treatment.

Mated to the motor is a six-speed gearbox, while the frame is based off the RS125R design, with modifications to suit the power delivered by the four-stroker. Total cost: €23,600, VAT included (Spain). Full technical specs are after the jump.

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Racing

2011 Rizla Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP Race Bike Unveiled

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Finally we have all the factory MotoGP bikes officially unveiled in their race liveries (click for the Ducati, Honda, and Yamaha unveilings). Surprising everyone this year with a teal color scheme, Rizla Suzuki is still present in MotoGP, albeit only running one rider for the 2011 season. Taking to the helm of the 2011 Suzuki GSV-R is Alvaro Bautista, who has shown great promise on the otherwise lackluster race bike.

Despite its troubled past, Suzuki has been working hard on turning its toad into a prince, and could be the surprise entry in this year’s MotoGP Championship. We don’t expect the bike to win any races, but a couple surprise podiums do seem attainable for the squad. Photos and technical specifications after the jump.

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News

Primer: The Ducati Diavel

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Tomorrow Asphalt & Rubber must make the trek down from perfect Northern California, to SoCal and the pits of Los Angeles, where dreams go to die. As we descend down through the lower rings of Dante’s ladder and into hell that is the perpetually sunny and warm Los Angeles, our final destination will in fact bring us face-to-face with The Devil himself. Riding the latest creation from Bologna, the American motorcycle press will get its first chance at the highly anticipated Ducati Diavel.

Since we’ll be bringing you live coverage from the event, and writing a few pieces on Ducati’s stab at the performance cruiser segment throughout the rest of the week, we thought it best to start with a primer on the motorcycle. Find after the jump the 2011 Ducati Diavel‘s technical specs, photographs, and design synthesis, and features.

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2011 Yamaha YZR-M1 Technical Specifications

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Along with the official unveiling of the 2011 Yamaha MotoGP team & livery, the Japanese manufacturer has also released photos of the 2011 Yamaha YZR-M1, with accompanying technical specifications. Unsurprisingly, Yamaha is keeping many of its exact specifications close to the chest, but test reports indicate that a refined chassis, and a slightly more powerful motor have been added to the 2011 YZR-M1.

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Bikes

Radical Ducati Mikaracer

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The Spanish custom bike scene continues to warm our hearts as Radical Ducati (Happy 10th year anniversary guys!) has just created another v-twin masterpiece. Taking a Ducati Superbike 1098 frame and motor, RAD has worked its touches into this desmodromic dreamboat with its usual flare. It’s easy to spot the Spanish team’s design ideas and inspirations that we’ve seen on some of its other bikes, but the exhaust on this Ducati Mikaracer certainly stands out as something unique and special.

Part GP racer, part street tracker, the asymetrical mounting might have our OCD in a tizzy, but the result is also very striking and sounds oh so good (check the video after the jump). The tail section on the Mikaracer also pops-out, if for no other reason than the fact it looks like it was removed from a giant hornet’s thorax (you almost want to drag the Spanish equivalent of the DMV into the street for ruining things with that license plate and holder though), which is becoming a hallmark feature for RAD’s bikes. Photos, video, and technical/build specs after the jump.

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