Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Archive

December 2014

Browsing
Bikes

Ducati Scrambler Concept by Gannet Design

By 14 Comments

The Ducati Scrambler is certainly the talk of the internet right now, no surprise there since Ducati just hosted its international press launch and the bike reviews are starting to roll out from various publications. You can read ours, right here.

All this press, aided by Ducati’s extensive marketing rollout ahead of the launch, has caused the Scrambler to catch the imaginations of many riders. This is of course to design, as Ducati would love to see the Scrambler become a favorite platform for modders and customizers.

The Ducati Scrambler also caught the eye of concept artist Gannet Design, whose work we have shown on a number of occasions.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

2015 MotoAmerica Rules Posted Online

By 5 Comments

Plans for the inaugural MotoAmerica season continue to move forward, and after KRAVE posted the basic guidelines for its 2015 class structure, the company behind America’s road racing revival has announced its full rules package for the Superbike, Superstock 1000, Supersport and Superstock 600 classes, note the KTM RC390 spec-class rules have not been finalized and are not included.

The full rulebook can be read online here, and as expected the rules bring MotoAmerica’s class structure and technical aspects very much in line with the World Superbike Championship’s new class structure and rules. A such there are few surprises for race teams and fans in the rulebook.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Q&A: Nicky Hayden — His Wrist & The Honda RC213V-RS

By 1 Comment

To help fill the long void during the winter break, the Aspar team has been occasionally issuing press release interviews with its riders. Today’s press release contains an interview with Nicky Hayden, now back at home working on building strength in his wrist and preparing for the 2015 MotoGP season.

In the press release, Hayden briefly runs through subjects as diverse as his wrist recovery, the changes to his crew in 2015, and the potential of the Honda RC213V-RS, the replacement for the RCV1000R Hayden rode in 2014. The interview appears after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
News

Honda Begins to Hype Its “True Adventure”

By 9 Comments

We were a bit dismayed when Honda didn’t debut its new “Africa Twin” at the 2014 EICMA show, as a proper ADV machine from the Japanese had been well-rumored prior to the show.

To its credit, Honda did show us the “True Adventure” concept, which fit the bill quite nicely, though no technical aspects were made public, and no production date was mentioned.

Looking like a near-production machine though, we had hopes of seeing the Africa Twin / True Adventure / Whatever debuting officially soon, especially since the concept had some intriguing aspects to it (namely, no clutch lever).

Honda seems to be warming up to that release date though, after posting two videos to its European YouTube channel. The first video plays on Honda’s history in the Dakar Rally, an event that is rapidly approaching us; and the second video depicts various long-distance Honda explorers — both key elements to the ADV culture.

Could Big Red be readying its proper ADV for a last-model year release? It’s certainly acting like it.

Keep Reading
By
Products

Buy a WSBK Race Bike, Just in Time for Christmas

By No Comments

Are you still racking your brain over what to get that special motorcyclist in your life for Christmas (or Chanukah, for our Jewish readers)? Was the Paul Bird Motorsports MotoGP race bikes that are for sale a bit too spendy for your holiday budget?

Then we have a more budget friend proposition for you: the Bimota BB3 WSBK-Spec race bikes that were raced by Team Alstare in the 2014 World Superbike Championship.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

MotoGP: Aleix Espargaro Injures Knee in Training Incident

By 2 Comments

Aleix Espargaro has injured his knee during a training crash earlier this month. According to the Spanish publication Motocuatro, the Spaniard was participating in an informal dirt track race with his Suzuki teammate Maverick Viñales and a group of friends on 6th December, and crashed.

The crash resulted in the elder of the Espargaro brothers partially tearing the cruciate ligaments in his left knee.

Keep Reading
By
Columns

Trackside Tuesday: You Can’t Keep a Good Woman Down

By 9 Comments
Shayna Texter Superprestigio

Shayna Texter Superprestigio

While Marc Marquez, Brad Baker, and Jared Mees grabbed most of the attention at this past weekend’s in Barcelona, each of the other forty-five racers has his, or her, own story for the two-day event.

Scott Redding had high hopes of a strong performance, but crashed heavily and tore a muscle in his chest. Guy Martin, with 17 Isle of Man TT podiums and many victories on the Irish roads circuits, never looked at ease on Barcelona’s tiny dirt oval. Moto2 champ Tito Rabat didn’t see his experience or recent practice pay off with a good result.

The greatest disappointment probably goes to Baker, whose crash and resulting concussion and dislocated shoulder forced him to retire from competition, and miss his chance to defend his title. The story of Superprestigio’s unrealized hopes has many characters.

When the story reaches Shayna Texter, the plot takes a unique turn. Miss Texter is the five-foot-tall, 95-pound flat tracker from Willow Street, Pennsylvania, and the only female racer to participate in the Superprestigio competition.

Keep Reading
By
News

BMW Motorrad Breaks 2013 Sales Record, in November

By 2 Comments

Each passing year has seen the roundel brand increase its sales volume, usually with stiff competition from KTM for the title of the largest European motorcycle brand, by volume. This year has been no different.

Though with a few weeks still remaining in the year, BMW is already laying claim to a new yearly sales record, as its November sales have already put the Bavarian brand ahead of its level from 2013.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Watch: Marquez vs. Mees at the Superprestigio Superfinal

By 8 Comments

With last year’s Superprestigio winner Brad Baker suffering a concussion to the head during qualifying, the hopes of American race fans in Barcelona rested squarely on the shoulders of 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Champion Jared Mees.

The 28-year-old Mees faced a tough entry though, as some of the great names from a bevy of motorcycling disciplines had entered this year’s event — especially last year’s runner-up, a certain Marc Marquez.

As expected, the 12-lap Superfinal race was hotly contested, and featured some good handlebar-bashing action. Thankfully the riders had plenty of on-board cameras with them, and the promoter DTX Barcelona is savvy when it comes to letting participants and media sharing that footage.

As such, we have the battle for the top podium spot, for you, straight from the perspective of America’s top entry. Enjoy!

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

MotoGP Notes from the Superprestigio Event

By No Comments

With so many MotoGP regulars either racing in or attending the Superprestigio in Barcelona, it was inevitable that a fair amount of gossip and rumor would end up circulating.

It was the first chance for some of the media to talk to riders who had been testing down in Southern Spain, while the presence of Ducati’s MotoGP bosses Paolo Ciabatti and Davide Tardozzi, attending as guests of Troy Bayliss, added real weight to the debate.

I spoke briefly to Ciabatti on Saturday, asking about progress with the Ducati Desmosedici GP15 and how Michelin testing had gone. Ciabatti was optimistic about the GP15, but confirmed that it was still not certain exactly when the bike would make its first appearance on track.

It may not be ready for the first Sepang test in February, with the second Sepang a more likely place for the bike to be rolled out.

Keep Reading
By
News

Ducati Produces Its One Millionth Motorcycle

By 7 Comments

Ducati is celebrating a milestone this week, as the Italian company has produced its one millionth motorcycle — a Ducati Monster 1200 S. The number might be a far cry from Honda’s recent 300 millionth motorcycle milestone, though admittedly the Japanese has made the bulk of that volume in the small-displacement categories.

Nonetheless, the special Monster was handed over directly by Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali to it new owner, 47-year-old Ernesto Passoni — a Ducatista from the Milan area — at an event in the Audi City Lab in Milan (a temporary showroom setup for the Christmas period in the Milan city center).

Keep Reading
By