Episode 54 of the Two Enthusiasts Podcast is a special, special show, and it continues our adventures in Austin, Texas. For this show, we talk a whole lot about Suzuki, as we were out riding the 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Kevin Schwantz…yes, the Kevin Schwantz…also joins us on the show, and we have a lengthy discussion about motorcycles, racing, and of course, Texas.
At nearly two hours long, there is a lot to listen to here, but we think you will find our discussion about the new GSX-R1000 to be pretty interesting, especially if you are in the market for one.
Both Quentin and I agree that the new GSX-R is pretty potent, especially for being the cheapest superbike on the market. We can’t wait to ride the GSX-R1000R model soon as well.
You can listen to the show via the embedded SoundCloud player, after the jump, or you can find the show on iTunes (please leave a review) or this RSS feed. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well.
If you were one of the lucky few to plunk down $80,000 on the new Ducati 1299 Superleggera, your wait for this ultrabike is finally over.
This is because the first Ducati 1299 Superleggera just touched down in the United States, at AMS Ducati Dallas, with more to follow soon at dealers around the United States.
Only 500 units of this carbon-fiber-everything superbike were made available by the folks at Bologna, making the Ducati 1299 Superleggera a very exclusive affair.
This is because the 1299 Superleggera is the first production motorcycle with an all carbon fiber chassis, and it also happens to boasts 215hp (220hp when you put on the Akrapovic exhaust), while tipping the scales at 344 lbs when it’s bone dry.
The machine also has Ducati’s most advanced electronics package, which features an inertial measurement unit, and thus allows for the traction control system to adjust both the slide rate and spin rate of the rear tire.
We hear if you still want one, there are some dealers that have machines that are no longer spoken for, but you better act fast.
That’s it. Hell must be freezing over, as I just had to mop up the floor after looking at photos of a cruiser. What you see here is called the “Miracle Mike” and it is the creation of the minds at Young Guns Speed Shop.
The bike is built off the Indian Scout, an affordable entry-level cruiser that boasts pretty good performance for its $10,000 price tag, but is generally a pass for anyone that likes leaning more than 31°.
Here at Asphalt & Rubber, we’ve had a bit of time on both the Scout and its sibling, the Victory Octane, and found the models to be potent, but in need of a better gearbox and front brakes…and a serious diet wouldn’t hurt too.
Bargain basement suspension also holds back the Scout and Octane, and generally the built quality and switchgear is what you would expect from price-point machines. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, they’re perfectly fine machines.
The Swiss minds at Young Guns seemed to think the same, making smart improvements to the Indian Scout for their creation. And heck, a little nitrous “go juice” never hurts, right?
The ASEAN market is a huge concern right now in motorcycling, with Southeast Asia proving itself to be a growth center for the motorcycle industry. This year we have already seen Harley-Davidson opening a plant in Thailand, following a move Ducati made a couple years back.
Those moves come not only because of the large riding populations that these countries hold, but also because of the burdensome tariffs that these countries impose on motorcycles.
Following suit now is KTM, as the Austrian company has announced a new production plant in the Philippines, which will service that local market, and the ASEAN region.
Here is something interesting that popped up in my social media feed recently (see, online maketing does work!), which I thought was worthy of sharing with Asphalt & Rubber readers, as I am in search of the ultimate set of paddock stands for my fleet of motorcycles.
Dynamoto is a new brand name in the age-old paddock stand business. It is rare to see new things in this space, but the folks at Dynamoto seem to have an interesting concept, as its a bike lift that can move freely around the garage with the bike still on it, using a novel dual-axis wheel design.
If your garage is as choked full with motorcycles as mine is, being able to move a bike easily, especially on a service stand, is a valuable ability to have. Dynamoto seems to have this very need in its mind with its clever design, though their design does have its flaws.
With part of the WorldSBK paddock present in Barcelona for the MotoGP race last weekend, the Superbike Commission, the series’ rulemaking body, met at Montmelo to discuss changes to the WorldSBK rules.
Though much of what was agreed in the meeting amounted to a tidying up of the starting procedure, a big talking point was the introduction of a single ECU.
The various members of the Superbike Commission discussed whether a spec-ECU should be introduced for the 2018 season. They did not reach an agreement on the subject at Barcelona, but according to the press release issued by the FIM, they do expect the matter to be settled within the next few weeks.
It is not often that journalists get to speak to team managers at length, but test days provide the perfect opportunity to do just that. So it was that a small group of journalists attending the tests sat down with Suzuki team boss Davide Brivio to discuss progress so far.
There was a lot to talk about. There have been rumors that Andrea Iannone is not fitting in well with the ECSTAR Suzuki team, and is currently engaged in talks with Aprilia about moving there for the 2018 season. Some of Iannone’s issues are down to his problem adapting to the bike, and trying to fix his feeling with the front end.
Brivio spoke to us about Iannone’s situation, and the development of the GSX-RR. He also talked about the benefits of a satellite team, what Suzuki is doing to improve the spec electronics package, the test program at Barcelona, and the return of Alex Rins for the test.
It was a long discussion, but there was plenty to go over. We think you will enjoy it.
Episode 54 of the Paddock Pass Podcast sees David Emmett and Neil Morrison doing double duty, as they cover the last two rounds for the MotoGP Championship’s – the Italian GP and the Catalan GP.
The show’s focal point is obviously the double-win for Ducati Corse and Andrea Dovizioso, as the Italians are clearly finding their stride this year with the GP17. Dovizioso’s double also means a shake-up in the MotoGP Championship standing, which David and Neil discuss at length.
The brings up a conversation about what is happening inside the Honda and Yamaha garages, as both factories seem to be struggling this season, though at different times, at different tracks, and under different conditions.
The show also covers the events of Monday’s MotoGP test at Barcelona, which sees some talk of Yamaha’s different chassis, and what tires Marc Marquez prefers from Michelin.
The conversation then turns to the Moto2 and Moto3 championships, before the guys talk about their winners and losers of the two weekends.
As always, be sure to follow the Paddock Pass Podcast on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe to the show on iTunes and SoundCloud – we even have an RSS feed for you. If you like the show, we would really appreciate you giving it a review on iTunes. Thanks for listening!
Not one to let the other brands have all the fun, Yamaha has debuted its all new 450cc class motocross bike, the 2018 Yamaha YZ450F, which features the first engine tuning app available for a production MX bike.
The new Yamaha YZ450F is truly an all-new machine, with a new engine, frame, and bodywork. For bonus points too, the new YZ450F comes with an electric starter, which means MX riders can now skip leg day at the gym, and still get their bikes running on race day.
Available in July, in either “Team Yamaha Blue” or “White” color schemes, the 2018 Yamaha YZ450F will cost $9,199 MSRP. This price includes the onboard communication control unit (CCU), which allows the rider to connect to the bike via smartphone.