After Casey Stoner chastised the press, and called out Kevin Schwantz for his opinion on Stoner’s illness, Wayne Gardner, the 1987 500GP Champion, has weighed in his thoughts on Stoner’s absence from MotoGP racing. Saying what everyone already felt, Gardner calls Stoner’s absence “very suspicious” but still considers the Australian rider the favorite at the Australian GP this weekend.
Piaggio dealers meet this week in LA, and the news coming from the meeting is that the 2010 Aprilia RSV4 R and RSV4 Factory are already on their way to dealer floors. Also leaked from the meeting are the bikes’ MSRP pricing. The RSV4 R will start at $15,999, while the RSV4 Factory will set you back an additional five grand, or $20,999.
A problem derived using game theory, the Prisoner’s Dilemma was first put forth by Merrill Flood and Melvin Dresher. Adapted over time, the classical prisoner’s dilemma goes like this:
Two suspects are arrested by the police. The police have insufficient evidence for a conviction, and, having separated both prisoners, visit each of them to offer the same deal. If one testifies (defects from the other) for the prosecution against the other and the other remains silent (cooperates with the other), the betrayer goes free and the silent accomplice receives the full 10-year sentence. If both remain silent, both prisoners are sentenced to only six months in jail for a minor charge. If each betrays the other, each receives a five-year sentence. Each prisoner must choose to betray the other or to remain silent. Each one is assured that the other would not know about the betrayal before the end of the investigation. How should the prisoners act?
Making the most rational decision, and acting solely for themselves, the best option for both prisoners is to defect. Under any circumstance, betraying their partner by ratting them out will generate the best possible aggregate result for the prisoner. However, because the choice to defect is both prisoners’s best move, it assures that the outcome will be a 5-year sentence for both of them.
Flood and Dresher’s problem illustrates the challenges involved in acting beyond one’s own personal gain, choosing instead to act for the good of the group. If everyone acted in this non-selfish manner, the group would thrive more richly than it would acting solely in their own individual best interest. But, because of the issue of free-riders, and as this game theory problem illustrates, there are significant hurdles that must be overcome in order to achieve these non-self-serving results.
One of the biggest challenges facing electric motorcycle manufacturers comes in the form of customer education. These companies must wrestle with not only how they convert current internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcyclists to electric motorcycles, but also how they will bring current non-motorcyclists into the industry. Not an easy task to begin with, the problem is compounded by the nearly non-existent marketing budgets these companies operate on. There is no question that there is a need to putt forth the argument for electric motorcycles in the industry, but with making that case comes a marketing decision that exemplifies our Prisoner’s Dilemma problem.
Who will take on the burden and challenge of educating an industry centered around the internal combustion engine, when doing so surely means a great investment in capital and resources, and also when the desired affect will bring no exclusive benefit to the company? That is to say, what company is going to take the time and money to begin changing the way motorcyclists think about motorcycles, and develop a market for electrics, when the return on that investment helps them just as much as it helps their competitor?
Just in time for the holiday season, Mission Motors has made it into the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book with their Mission One electric motorcycle. The Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Mission One will only consist of 10 bikes, and accordingly comes with a $73,000 price tag. More after the jump.
Spotted at the Japanese Motorcycle Expo, Yamaha has a “corporate” themed YZF-M1 on display next to their Rossi and Lorenzo race bikes. Presumably, the blue & white racer will be the bike that Ben Spies will ride at his wild card entrance at the Valencian GP.
Finally it has happened, photos of the Ducati Stradaperta have been leaked, and they show the bike’s true form. With the bevy of camofloged photos that we’ve seen already, there aren’t too many surprises here, but we do get to see a clear view of the “beak” of the new adventure-tourer, as well as the front fairings. Photos after the jump.
Kawasaki seems to be the only Japanese manufacturer making product enhancements this model year, and with their flagship sport-tourer, the Concours 14, the Brand in Green has finally brought traction control to their line-up (we’re not counting the ZX-10R’s quasi-traction-control system). The Concours 14 gets other updates as well, including a redesigned fairing system, larger windscreen, and a second-generation linked ABS. Sadly though, no word on night-vision for the 2010 model. Click past the jump for videos, photos, specs, and more.
BMW is recalling certain 2009 K1300GT and K1300S motorcycles for faulty switches on the handlebars for both the direction indicator and the emergency engine off/engine-start functions. Failure of these switches could cause BMW riders to have to manually hand signal their direction changes, which could expose the fact that dentists don’t know how to signal right-hand turns.
Ducati is recalling 753 Streetfighters, 1098R’s, and 1198S’s Superbikes because of a potential fuel hose clamp issue. The recall affects only 2010 Streetfighters and 2009 Superbikes, and if left unresolved could result in the bike stalling from the lack of fuel, and potentially starting a fire.
After 10 years of waiting, VFR owners can rejoice in the announcement of the new 2010 Honda VFR1200F. Actually comprising of two models, the VFR will come in a standard model, and a model equipped with the dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Available in the Spring of 2010, the VFR1200F will make 172hp, and 95lb•ft of torque from its 1,237cc V4 motor. The new VFR is a big girl though, tipping the scales in Europe at 588lbs, and here in the US at 591lbs. If you want the dual-clutch model, expect a bike that weighs a staggering 613lbs. Pictures, videos, and specs after the jump.
John Hopkins, in a recent video posted on his personal website (not for the weak-stomached), has declared that he is uncertain where he will land for the 2010 racing season. With things at Stiggy Honda beginning to look bleak, it seems clear that the team will be unable to afford both Leon Haslam and John Hopkins next year. Haslam is rumored to be headed fro Alstate Suzuki, while Hopper has been keen on getting back into MotoGP.