February 2011 - Page 4 of 9 - Asphalt & Rubber

Racing

WSBK: Checa Fastest at First Day of Phillip Island Testing

By Victoria Reid 02/20/2011 1 Comment

Carlos Checa was fastest overall during World Superbike testing Monday at Phillip Island, nearly a second faster than anyone else during the dry running in the afternoon. Monday was a quick day for Ducatis, as Sylvain Guintoli led the morning session and was second fastest overall, while Jakub Smrz was third fastest of the day. Reigning champion Max Biaggi was fourth fastest, with Michel Fabrizio fifth overall. Notably absent was Christopher Vermeulen who will not ride during the test or his home race this weekend, and has been replaced by Akira Yanagawa at the factory Kawasaki team.

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Racing

Chris Vermeulen to Miss Phillip Island Testing & Race

By Victoria Reid 02/20/2011 1 Comment

After failing to pass a fitness test, Chris Vermeulen’s knee injury continues to hobble his racing, as the Australian will miss both the test and opening round of the World Superbike Championship series this week/weekend at Phillip Island. Vermeulen coincidentally injured his knee last year while racing at PI, missing most of the 2010 season as a result. The Australian’s recovery has taken longer than expected, with just recently his injury forcing him to return home after just one day’s worth of riding with his Paul Bird Kawasaki teammates Joan Lascorz and Tom Sykes at Sepang.

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Bikes

Motorcycle Lust: KTM/Vyrus Frankenbike

By Jensen Beeler 02/19/2011 10 Comments

This has to be the most impractical motorcycle ever conceived…but we absolutely have to have one. A mixture of the KTM Dakar 450 & KTM Freeride concept, and the Vyrus 987 C3 4V, this Frankenbike not only grabs our attention for its outrageous design, but for its handy work in Photoshop as well. You’d think with the combined forces of KTM‘s proven Dakar winner, Ducati’s stout 1198cc v-twin power plant, and Vyrus‘ hub-center steering chassis design, this would be the last word on all things two wheeled, but as its creator points out, that’s likely not to be the case.

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Bikes

The EPO-Pocket Bike is for the Kid in All of Us

By Jensen Beeler 02/19/2011 1 Comment

Our good friend Christian Amendt has a project that he’s sharing with us this week. Taking a break from his EPO-Bike electric racing motorcycle that he’s campaigned in the FIM e-Power series, the German student has built something a bit smaller, but equally fun. Complete with a 7kW brushless DC motor and .9kWh of battery on-board, we’re dubbing this electric pocket bike the “EPO-Pocket Bike” until Christian comes up with a more suitable name for the pint-sized terror.

The EPO-Pocket Bike is good for about 15-20 minutes of ride time with its current configuration, and according to Amendt is a lot more fun, with less vibration, that its ICE counterparts. Amendt’s creation is geared to 40 mph, but power wheelies are possible all the way to 25 mph with a crack of full-throttle.

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News

Victory Headed to the Indian Market in 2012

By Jensen Beeler 02/18/2011 2 Comments

Victory Motorcycles is looking to continue its strong sales growth by taking its Harley-Davidson alternative of a product line to the Indian market. Expecting to enter India in Q2 of 2012, Victory will first import fully-assembled motorcycles into the huge Indian market. Victory also plans on setting up an assembly plant, so the company can import partially-constructed machines into the country, and thus sidestep the massive tariffs India levies on fully-assembled motorcycles imports.

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News

For Sale: One Italian Motorcycle Company – Slightly Used

By Jensen Beeler 02/18/2011 10 Comments

Moto Morini’s bankruptcy has been going painfully slow, but it’s all about to come to a head, as the Italian company will be put up on the auction block April 13th. The Super-Saver Moto Morini package includes all the appropriate intellectual property, assets, and equipment (sans motorcycles, which are being sold separately) for the cool sum of €5.5 million. Should no one want the whole kit ‘n kaboodle, a cheaper price of €2.6 million will be set for the production complex with two years use included. These prices are of course the auction’s guide prices.

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Bikes

Honda NSF250R Moto3 Race Bike Breaks Cover

By Jensen Beeler 02/18/2011 17 Comments

Honda has finally given us an unshaded photo of its 250cc four-stroke Moto3 race bike, dubbed the Honda NSF250R. Despite the clearer view, there are no real surprises here (this actually looks like the same photo as used before, sans photoshopping), as the majority of the bike is still covered by the primer-painted fairing. Honda says the new NSF250R is designed to be like the RS125R it replaces: high-performaning, lightweight, and compact. This should make the switch from two to four-strokes easier for young riders, and limit the need to adjust riding styles for the new machine.

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Banter

Wherever You Want to Go, Part 3: Reinventing Mobility

By Jensen Beeler 02/18/2011 2 Comments

In this third video of four (see Part 1 & 2 here), BMW sat down some experts to talk about how mobility will change in the future. It’s funny to hear the issues the different sides propose and talk about in regards to automobiles, as they’re the very same sort of subjects we’ve talked about on Asphalt & Rubber in regards to motorcycles.

Some of the key debates explored in Part 3 of the Wherever You Want to Go series include vehicles as purely a form transportation, the “three internets”, the rise of electric vehicles, and of course whether the future of mobility will be fun. There are valid points all around the table in this video, and almost all of it applies to the future of motorcycles (except maybe the automated land train thing…we don’t see that working for two-wheeled machines). Check it out after the jump, and chew on it over the long weekend.

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News

2011 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS Breaks Cover

By Jensen Beeler 02/17/2011 39 Comments

It looks like we didn’t have to wait until tomorrow to see the 2011 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS finally out in the open (and with its clothes on this time). Finally breaking cover, we can see the details of the EBR 1190RS that Erik Buell has been hiding from his fans for all this time. Called the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS Carbon Edition, the name implies what material the bike mostly consists of, as this is supposed to be the premium model that will be sold in limited quantities to help get the 1190RS homologated for racing duty.

Only 100 or so models are needed for such a purpose, meaning this will be limited-run, and one expensive endevour for the intrepid few (Buell isn’t quoting prices just yet, but Ducati 1198R prices are being banded about). While the high-cost will keep many Buell fans left out in the cold, cheaper, more production-ready examples of the 1190RS are expected down the line. It seems Erik Buell Racing wants the 1190RS Carbon Edition to be its halo bike, as the company looks to recreate a dealer network, woo investors, and begin racing on a more even playing field with the other 1,200cc racing v-twins and 1,000 racing inline-fours.

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Recall

Recall: 2011 Can-Am Spyder RT SM5

By Jensen Beeler 02/17/2011 3 Comments

BRP is recalling 160 Can-Am Spyder RT SM5 trikes for a faulty drive train that could allow the Spyder to be shifted into reverse without depressing the reverse button. Affecting certain 2011 models, the problem occurs during downshifting, and is caused by a defective reverse actuator cable. The defect could lock and stall the motor while under power, or if stationary could put the trike into reverse without the rider knowing it, thus leading to an accident.

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Racing

EBR 1190RS AMA Race Debut Expected at Infineon

By Jensen Beeler 02/17/2011 No Comments

New surrounding Erik Buell Racing and its 1190RS street bike continue to pour in, as the company has announced a three-year title partnership deal with AMSOIL for the Erik Buell Racing AMA Pro Superbike team.

While the news of race sponsorship is certainly good for Erik Buell and his crew (Geoff May will continue at the helm of the #99 race bike), we think the company’s goal of debuting the EBR 1190RS as its race bike starting at the Infineon round in May is what will really excite Buell’s legion of fans.

EBR will start with last year’s 1125RR at Daytona, and expects to switch to the then homologated 1190RS, with its larger displacement, starting at West Coast Moto Jam held in May at the Sonoma track.

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