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July 2010

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Friday Report from Laguna Seca: The Newbs Meet the Corkscrew – Corkscrew Wins

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Our in-person coverage of the Red Bull US GP continues, as the MotoGP paddock finally takes to Laguna Seca for the first time this week. The weather is perfect, the track is perfect, and the riders? Well with some meeting the crucible that is “the corkscrew” for the first time, we’re seeing some interesting lines through the famous turn. A testament to how tough of a nut Laguna Seca is to crack, Saturday we expect to see the MotoGP rider rise to the occasion, and show why they’re the best of the best.

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Racing

Rossi Considering WSBK after MotoGP

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During the rider debrief on Thursday we found Valentino Rossi looking in good form and ready for the race weekend at Laguna Seca. Noticeably better on his feet, the conversation actually turned from the Italian’s injury, and approached normalcy by centering once again on Rossi’s future.

However this time the speculation wasn’t about whether he’d ride for Ducati, but instead what Rossi would like to do after he finishes his MotoGP career. His answer? World Superbike. Read it for yourself in the Q&A after the jump.

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Bikes

First Glimpse: Brammo Empulse RR

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This is what we believe is the first shot of the Brammo Empulse RR race bike that was slated to race in the e-Power Championship round at Laguna Seca this weekend. Unfortunately for fans, and for Brammo, the Empulse RR race bike suffered a critical component failure, and will have to be a scratch on Sunday…but fortunately for Brammo fans (and Brammofan) Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher said on twitter today that the team would race this year.

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Racing

Thursday Report from Laguna Seca: Rossi Considers WSBK, Stoner Displeased w/ Bridgestone, Hayden Has a Miscommunication

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Sleep is a luxury in the MotoGP paddock. Sunburned, tired, and still with only a rudimentary understanding of Italian, we’re slogging our way through the paddock talking to teams and riders. We’ll try to pick out individual stories during the day…but no promises. Instead you’ll find a daily digest coming your way each morning from the previous day, which will touch on the day’s major events.

Head over to MotoMatters.com if you want more in-depth coverage (or click on the links in the digest), as David Emmett will be making sense of our sloppy handwriting and noisy audio clips, and turning it into MotoGP gold. Thursday’s digest after the jump.

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Bikes

Video: Ducati Superbike 848 EVO

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Soon the 2011 Ducati Superbike 848 EVO will be released before a live audience at Laguna Seca, so we thought we’d help wet your v-twin appetites with a little promo video the Italian company put together. The Evo seeming makes right-hand turns as well as it makes left-hand turns, all the while producing a distinctive Ducati note from its exhaust pipes…that should be enough to sooth the masses at Ducati Island, but we wouldn’t mind trying a Bologna Bullet Evo out for ourselves…come on JPC, we know you’re reading this. Video after the jump.

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Reviews

Ride Review: Honda Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT)

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Perhaps bigger news than the bike itself is the Honda VFR1200F’s much-anticipated dual-clutch transmission (DCT) model. What Honda has developed for the sport bike world is an automatic shifting technology to enhance the rider’s experience. Automatic transmissions are a rare breed in motorcycling, and we have no doubt that some of you out there may be asking: Isn’t part of being on the road and on the bike, about feeling personal freedom? Or mastering your machine with skill and control? As kids in high school didn’t we make fun of our friend that couldn’t drive a stick? Is DCT an upgrade or a substitution? Well folks, that was the other reason Asphalt & Rubber got to test ride the new VFR1200F, and we put the DCT through its paces.

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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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News

Suzuki Getting MotoGP Engine Dispensation

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It’s hard to remember sometimes that Rizla Suzuki is a factory team in MotoGP. Afterall with Rizla Suzuki often trumped by the top satellite riders, there is nary a Rizla rider in the Top 10 for the Championship standings. With Laguna Seca marking the middle-point of the MotoGP season, things are looking even more bleak for the folks at Suzuki, as both Loris Capirossi and Alvaro Bautista have nearly used up their six motor allotment for the 2010 season. As such, Rizla Suzuki is on its way to getting special dispensation from Dorna, and will see its motor allotment raised from six motors to nine, likely starting this weekend.

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Bikes

2011 Ducati 848 EVO Superbike – 140HP Supersport with a ‘Dark’ Twin Brother

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After teasing us that a new model would debut at Ducati Island during MotoGP’s stop at Laguna Seca, Ducati has unwrapped ahead of schedule the 2011 Ducati 848 EVO Superbike. Built off the Ducati 848 Superbike, the 848 EVO features a re-worked motor that bumps the middleweight’s power output to 140HP, and also features a “Dark” model for the sinisterly understated riders out there.

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Racing

Ducati & Yamaha’s Gentlemen’s Agreement: Rossi to Test GP10 at Valencia – Announcement Delayed

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After breaking the news that Valentino Rossi signed a two-year contract with Ducati Corse, or as we like to refer to it: the worst kept secret in the MotoGP garage, we waited to see the official news of Rossi’s departure materialize after the weekend break, but to no avail. Knowing that our information was correct, we now understand why the announcement didn’t materialize when we expected it: because of a gentleman’s agreement between Ducati & Yamaha.

In exchange for delaying the announcement until after the American round at Laguna Seca (now slated for the Monday after racing at Brno), Yamaha is allowing Rossi to test the Ducati Desmosedici GP10 when MotoGP stops at Valencia at the end of the 2010 season.

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