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February 2011

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Erik Buell Racing 1190RS Headed for the Indy Dealer Expo

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Erik Buell Racing just posted this photo on its Facebook page with the caption “Spy photo of the race 1125 and the 1190RS in the van on it’s way to Indy for the big show! Thank you to everyone for your faith and support! It’s going to be an amazing year!” Strapped next to its AMA Pro Racing counterpart, we see that the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS street bike was thankfully completed in-time for the Dealer Expo, and will debut with the exhaust can we were less than enthralled about during other glimpses of the machine.

But after last night’s glimpse of what’s underneath the fairings, we think we’ll forgive EBR on this one, as the 1190RS appears to be a no-compromises race bike with headlights, mirrors, and turn signals attached to it (which is exactly how the machine evolved).

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News

Cigarette Racing 42X Ducati Edition Racing Boat

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It seems Ducati is willing to put its label on just about anything these days, boats being no exception. And when this press release hit our inbox this morning phrases like “you’ve gotta be f*ing kidding me!” echoed off the walls of our still unfurnished office. But in all honesty when we opened the email and saw pictures of the red & white Cigarette Racing boat, we perhaps regretted our initial impression.

Straight out of a Miami Vice episode, the 42′ hull of the Cigarette Racing 42X Ducati Edition Racing Boat is pure white with red accents and Ducati logos. We’re not that into the ocean boat racing thing, but boy have they come a long way from what little of the 1980’s we remember. While we’d probably never own such an impractical machine (motorboats are cheating anyways), we certainly wouldn’t turn down a chance to romp around for a day in this 42X Ducati Edition speed machine, what with its dual 1,100hp Mercury Racing engines (that’s 2,200hp for the mathematically challenged).

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Racing

Larry Pegram’s “Superbike Family” Debuts on Discovery HD Theater Next Week

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Forget , it looks like The Discovery Channel has finally gotten hip to the what sort of reality show motorcycle enthusiasts really want to see on their television. Following AMA American Superbike privateer Larry Pegram, Discovery HD Theater’s new show Superbike Family follows the close-nit crew of Pegram Racing as they battle against teams who are factory-backed, well-funded, and have more resources and manpower at their disposal in the premier AMA Pro Racing class.

With Pegram’s interesting backstory, and ample amounts of “personality”, it should be an interesting show to watch, not to mention being a great promotion for our sport and the AMA Pro Road Racing series. Showtimes are below, but be sure to double check your local listings, as schedules may be different in your locale.

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News

The Erik Buell Racing 1190RS in the Nude

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The guys at Erik Buell Racing are clearly getting revved up to debut their new EBR 1190RS street bike, posting this shot of the v-twin superbike on the company’s facebook page this evening. In the shot we see the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS without its fairings on, but the headlight operation controls clearly give away that this is the motorcycle Buell intends to sell in limited quantities to street riders this year.

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News

2011 KTM Street Bike Price List

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For 2011, KTM has added two new models to its street line-up: the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R Race Spec & 2011 KTM 990 Adventure Dakar. Helping celebrate 30 years of the Dakar Rally, the 990 Adventure Dakar comes with with the Adventure R’s peppier 115hp motor, and the base model Adventure’s 210mm suspension. The KTM 990 Adventure Dakar also comes with a selectable two-channel anti-lock brake system courtesy of the wicked smart minds at Bosch.

Other highlights in KTM’s 2011 street line is the massive price reduction on the KTM RC8R, which takes over the price point of the now discontinued RC8, making for one very affordable v-twin awesomebike. The 2011 KTM 990 SMT also gets some upgrades, most notably the same two-channel anti-lock brake system courtesy of Bosch. Full price list and availability breakdown after the jump.

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News

MV Agusta Registers “Elephant” Trademark

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Registering “Elephant” with the United States Patent & Trademark Office, MV Agusta looks poised to make an adventure bike, based off the Cagiva Elefant mark of yore. In its application, MV Agusta cites the use of the trademark for “land vehicles, namely, motorcycles,” which certainly bodes well for those loyal to the old Elefant brand.

The trademarking process began in July of 2009, meaning the Elephant-branded motorcycle was a glimmer in the company’s eye while it was still a part of Harley-Davidson, as was the MV Agusta F3. Granted the trademark in October of 2010, it’s possible that the project has since been disbanded after MV’s divesture from Harley-Davidson. However there are plenty of arguments to suggest MV Agusta would have kept the project alive through its transition of ownership.

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Racing

Yamaha Releases 2011 World Superbike Livery – Forgets to Add Sponsors’ Logos

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Releasing its 2011 World Superbike livery today, Yamaha had to unveil its YZF-R1 with a profusion of the color blue, and total lack of a title sponsorship. Not renewing its contract after the 2010 season, Italian milk producer Sterilgarda is notably absent from the team livery. It might have been assumed that Sterilgarda would stay on to sponsor Italian rider Marco Melandri, but the once promising MotoGP rider obviously did not have the drawing power for the Italian brand.

This lack of corporate sponsorship is a worrying trend for the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer, as Yamaha has yet to announce a sponsor for its MotoGP team, after Fiat exited with its bags of money when Valentino Rossi left Yamaha for Ducati Corse (there’s considerable talk that when Yamaha debuts its MotoGP livery in Sepang later this month, it’ll be with corporate colors as well).

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News

Oregon Considers No Helmet Law

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I love our neighbors to the north, endless outdoor fun, progressive thinking, and an affinity for things of a more “crunchy” nature. But as a 5th-generation Californian, it is ingrained in my head to fear and mistrust the oppressive dictatorship and hate machine the Oregonians run (the California public school system starts this process in the second grade), as they steal children in the middle of the night and brainwash them into Birkenstock-wearing slave labor and questionable physical hygiene boot camps.

So it comes as some surprise that the Oregon State House of Representatives is introducing a bill to allow motorcycle riders, ages 21 and over, the choice of whether they want to ride with helmets or not (an act that misguided tea party wannabes equate with freedom on the open road).

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Rumors

Yamaha FZ8R Cometh?

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While getting a tour of Yamaha’s French factory (you know, the one they’re keeping open), the folks at MotoBlog.fr spotted something they’d never seen before: an upgraded FZ8 naked bike labeled as the Yamaha FZ8R. After some negotiating with the tuning fork brand, the French publication was allowed to take a photo of the bike’s body panel, as a sort of proof of life in their story.

Expected to be announced soon, the francophones spotted on the FZ8R an upgraded exhaust by Lazer, Öhlins suspension stickers (and perhaps an Öhlins shock), but what looked to be stock forks and stock brakes.

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Bikes

2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R Race Spec Priced at $19,999

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While the KTM RC8 R will be taking over the price point of the now defunct RC8 for 2011, the track-only 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R Race Spec will in-turn take over the RC8 R’s role as the top-spec “ready to race” machine in the Austrian company’s line-up. Debuting at Intermot, details were scarce about the RC8 R Race Spec (called the RC8 R Track at the time), but we knew it would come sans headlights, turn signals, license plate holders, and anything remotely resembling sanity in a street bike.

Officially announcing the KTM RC8 R Race Spec for the American market, we see that this track weapon comes with a bevy of extra items to help justify its nearly $20,000 price tag. Assembled at KTM Factory Racing Department, the RC8 R Race Spec comes with a Akrapovic Evo 4 titanium exhaust, slipper clutch, quick shifter, and upgraded suspension among other track-oriented goodies.

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