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MotoCzysz Fielding Two Bikes at the Isle of Man TT

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Sources have been hinting that MotoCzysz had two bikes in the works for the upcoming TT Zero, and now we’ve gotten confirmation from the Portland, Oregon company that it will indeed be fielding two bikes at the Isle of Man TT. As with the past two years, Mark Miller will be at the helm of the MotoCzysz machine, but this year he will be joined by Michael Rutter on the second Czysz bike.

Mark Miller rode the MotoCzysz E1pc to victory last year during the TT Zero, while Rutter was a solid Top 10 contender in the Superbike, Superstock, and Senior TT classes. Though the Englishman has won 27 BSB Championship races, and competed in both MotoGP and World Superbike, this will be Rutter’s first foray into electric motorcycle racing.

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Recall

Recall: 2010 Triumph Thunderbird

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Triumph is recalling almost two thousand (1,955 in total) 2010 Triumph Thunderbird motorcycles for a thread improper locker and screw on the front fender. Because of the incompatible pieces, the screws might become loose, and work their way out of the threads. Extending out and into the tire, the screws could potentially wear out or puncture the tire causing it to deflate and create an unsafe situation.

Triumph dealers will replace the screws free of charge, though Triumph has not yet released an owner notification schedule on the recall. Concerned owners may contact Triumph Customer Service at 1-678-539-8782, and as always the NHTSA is available at 1-888-327-4236 and safecrar.gov.

Source: NHTSA

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News

Video: Husqvarna 900cc Parallel Twin Motor

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Husqvarna is getting into the street bike scene, and the first order of business for the Swedish brand was to create a motor suitable for such a purpose. Husqvarna doesn’t have to undertake this endveour alone though, as parent company BMW Motorrad has been helping the previously dirt-based brand with the new powerplant. Based off the BMW F800’s lump, Husqvarna has increased the 800cc motor’s displacement to somewhere in the 900cc range, likely by stroking-out the combustion chamber.

Husqvarna isn’t talking much about specifics, just simply stating that the new motor will have a “reasonable increase in power and torque.” With news that the bike is road testing, it’s only a matter of time before the obligatory spy photos start popping up, as the company targets a November release of the new street bike at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. Brand extension, or brand dilution? You make the call in the comments. Video after the jump.

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Racing

Casey Stoner Tests the 2012 Honda Prototype at Jerez

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Casey Stoner was on the 2012 Honda MotoGP prototype race bike today, taking laps at Jerez under the sunny Spanish skies. Originally the test had included both Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, but with the Spaniard’s broken collarbone at the French GP, only the Australian was aboard the new HRC machine today. HRC test rider Shinichi Ito took the new 1,000cc bike out to the track in the morning, while Stoner swung his leg over the Honda later in the day.

“Everything has gone very well, very positive. It’s just nice to ride the 1000cc again, to feel the engine and the power,” said Stoner. “I had a lot of fun, I enjoyed the first day because everything we’ve tried seems to be working, so no complaints. The biggest disappointment is that Dani is not going be here to test as he is important to the development of this bike. I hope that soon HRC can get his input as well because we need as much data as possible, in order to be ready for next season.”

“We didn’t focus on anything special today, just tried to understand what the bike is doing, how it reacts on the brakes and things like that, also considering some the issues we have with the 800cc right now. The braking point seems to be stronger, stability in the front going into the corner seems to be very good, and of course we want to understand how the power delivery is, and it is very smooth so no problem . In general, we haven’t changed too much from the set up we have on the 800cc right now and the feeling is very similar, so it’s pretty good”.

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Opinion/Editorial

Zero Motorcycles Adds Polaris Executive to Board of Directors – But What Does It Mean?

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Zero Motorcycles has quietly announced some interesting news: that Mark Blackwell, V.P. of Motorcycles at Polaris Industries, will be joining the electric motorcycle company’s Board of Directors. With a plethora of reasons as to why an industry veteran like Blackwell would join Zero’s board, it’s been no secret that the Scotts Valley company has been collecting seasoned industry professionals like pokemon characters, seemingly building a brain trust of people who actually know how to run a motorcycle company.

Blackwell’s addition to Zero is interesting because it could signal a relationship with the Polaris V.P. that goes beyond merely an advisory/visionary position, which is the core responsibility of a companies board. The timing is interesting as well, as Polaris has been on a buying spree, first acquiring the original American motorcycle company brand: Indian Motorcycles, and a few days later electric car manufacturer GEM. With a Polaris executive sitting on Zero’s board almost immediately after these aquisitions, one has to wonder if this isn’t a precursor to some sort of larger arrangement between the two companies.

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Bikes

Yamaha YZR-M1 WGP 50th Anniversary Edition

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Helping commemorate its 50th Anniversary of World Championship Grand Prix racing, Yamaha has unveiled special race livery for its factory-backed MotoGP squad, which the team will run at the Assen TT and Laguna Seca Grand Prix. Set to be unveiled Wednesday, June 22nd at the Assen circuit by Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies, the Yamaha YZR-M1 WGP 50th Anniversary Edition motorcycles with their red color schemes are described by the Japanese company as paying “homage to the iconic Yamaha Factory Racing liveries of the past with a modern twist.”

Take that as you will, but the new race livery for the two races is a welcomed detraction from the reminder that the Yamaha squad has been unable to field a title sponsor for the 2011 MotoGP Championship season, despite having the 2010 Rookie of the Year Ben Spies and reigning MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo on-board the squad’s Yamaha YZR-M1 race bikes. Nonetheless, Yamaha has been celebrating its racing heritage with a special 50th Anniversary website, which is well-stocked with images of racing lore for the tuning fork brand.

Be sure to check out the full gallery of images on the Yamaha YZR-M1 WGP 50th Anniversary Edition motorcycle after the jump. We think it’s a looker.

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News

Pennsylvania Dealers to Be Allowed to Sell on Sundays?

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Before I make my customary offensive remarks about states that aren’t California, it should be noted that we here at Asphalt & Rubber are eternally grateful for the fine Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the birthplace of our humble motorcycle news blog. That being said, it’s also good to see that the Keystone State has pulled its head out of its ass long enough to pass a bill (passed in the Senate, with the House still to vote) that would allow motorcycle dealers to sell motorcycles on Sundays, though car dealers will still have to abide by the current legislation.

“I’m not sure why it was ever done,” said State Representative Eugene DePasquale (York County). “I’ll leave it to legislators who were alive when that passed to answer that one.” Talking of keeping the status quo for car dealers, State Senator Richard Alloway II (Adams, Franklin, and York Counties), the bill’s co-sponsor, said, “I have heard a lot of car dealers like to be closed, so it’s a day people can walk lots with no pressure from anyone and window shop.”

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News

Bajaj Continues to Gobble Up KTM Stock

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Bajaj’s appetite for KTM stock seems to be never-ending, though slow in digestion, as the Indian company has acquired another 1.21% of the Austrian motorcycle maker. Gobbling up shares from other minority holders on the open market, Bajaj now has a 39.3% interest in KTM, while majority shareholder CROSS continues with its 50.1% stake.

CROSS has made it clear it intends is to remain the majority shareholder, and has no plans of selling-out its position to the Indian company (or has it?). So, no corporate takeovers just yet, but a continuation of an interesting move by Bajaj in investing with KTM.

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Racing

Photo of the Week: King of the Hill

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In the not so old days of AMA Superbike, Mladin or Spies won on a factory Suzuki, and the question was who would finish third. In 2010 Josh Hayes and Tommy Hayden finished the season only 14 points apart, Hayes claiming the number one plate for Yamaha with 466 points. But 2011 got off to a different start altogether with Hayden’s teammate, Blake Young, winning both Superbike races at Daytona and leaving Hayes and Hayden to swap places in the lower regions of the podium.

The second event of the season took place at Infineon Raceway this weekend, and Yamaha rider Josh Hayes won the first Superbike race by over seven seconds. Tommy Hayden took second, now the only one of the three yet to win. On Sunday he followed Hayes until five laps from the end before passing the Yamaha and holding on for the win. Young claimed third place, though he’d allowed Martin Cardenas to ruin the 3-way monopoly the day before, as the M4 Suzuki rider claimed third in Race One.

I have a bit of a soft spot for Tommy, the eldest of the three Hayden brothers. Though I don’t photograph much AMA, I do see Tommy at MotoGP races where he often comes to support his brother, Nicky. Always cordial in spite of his shyness, Tommy graciously deals with Nicky’s success and notoriety. I would really like to see Tommy follow in younger brother’s footsteps to win the AMA Superbike title this year.

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Bikes

Up-Close with the Mission R at Infineon Raceway

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It’s a good thing for Mission Motors that the Mission R looks fast standing still, as the electric superbike was unable to race in this weekend’s TTXGP series opener at Infineon Raceway. The Mission crew did bring the bike out for fans to see though, which gave us a chance to get up-close and personal with the machine with a camera in-hand. Electricity aside, the Mission R is one of the most attractive motorcycles we’ve seen in a while (even without its clothes on), and the fit & finish on the bike is superb…now if only it actually ran.

We can’t wait to see how the Mission R fares on the track, especially with Steve Rapp on-board. Mission tells us it will be at some of the upcoming TTXGP events, which would be an unfortunate place to launch the Mission R, considering A&R has a strict rule about blogging from New Hampshire. We’ll see what our Bothans can do about sneaking a peak of the bike testing before the next TTXGP round; until then, here are 25 photos to ruin your Monday productivity.

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Bikes

Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport ‘Corsa’ Special Edition

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Our British cousins across the ponds are some lucky buggers today, as the Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport ‘Corsa’ Special Edition was just released from the Italian brand. Taking your standard Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport, and dressing it up in a special red & white paint scheme with gold trim, the 1200 Sport ‘Corsa’ is an attractive take on a classic motorcycle line. Sure the special edition model is just some fresh paint on the v-twin standard, but Moto Guzzi isn’t adding on any additional cost for the machine (£9,378 OTR), which just makes this simply a very attractive option in the 1200 Sport line-up. Tastefully done, it shows that a little extra styling can go a long way.

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