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Paris Adds Noise Cameras to Catch Loud Exhaust Pipes

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The day of the loud pipe is slowly coming to an end, and it is technology that is killing it. No, I am not talking about the rise of electric motorcycles. Instead, I am referring to noise enforcement cameras.

The idea is about to be tested in France, just outside the Paris Orly airport, and the concept is pretty simple. A calibrated microphone picks up when a vehicle has exceeded France’s noise limit for cars, trucks, and motorcycles, and then a connected camera takes a picture of the offending vehicle.

The license plate in the photo is then run through a police database, and within a short period of time, and ticket arrives at the offending  party’s address – similar to how a speed camera system works.

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Rumors

Further Proof We Won’t See a Ducati Multistrada V4 This Year

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There has been a bit of back and forth on internet rumors regarding when the so-called Ducati Multistrada V4 would debut, and now we have another piece to that puzzle.

While we know that we will see the new Streetfighter V4 debut at Ducati’s unveiling event in October, it is less clear if the Italian brand will also debuted a V4-powered ADV bike.

The eagle-eyes at Moto.it though have seen EPA filings for a 2020 Ducati Multistrada 1260 GT, which doesn’t seem like a big deal on its face (the model generally just adds items from the Ducati Performance catalog to the Multistrada model), but it does suggest some interesting things.

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Podcast

Brap Talk Podcast #20 – Almost Weekly

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Episode 20 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and this gets us back on track after a bit of a summer hiatus.

As such, we talk about our two-wheeled adventures over the past few weeks. This means Shahin talks about his off-roading adventures in the Pacific Northwest, while Jensen talks about his racing with OMRRA, which includes a stint racing an Energica Ego electric superbike.

The guys also talk a bit about WorldSBK’s stop in Laguna Seca, as well as why the Suzuka 8-Hours is an amazing race (the 2019 edition certainly had no shortage of action).

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Dirt

This KTM-Powered Power Wheels Is All Giggles

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Children of the 1990s will surely remember the Power Wheels line of electric cars for kids.

For the adolescents who had one, it was their first foray into America’s automotive culture, and surely the sight of one today evokes strong memories of dead batteries and slow crashes.

Now 35 years after their debut, Power Wheels is finding a new life in this generation’s collective heart. Take for example this KTM-powered Power Wheels Porsche build, with its 450cc of four-stroke fury and good intentions.

Putting the 911 in emergency phone calls, this Porsche might be tiny, but it is mighty.

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Bikes

2020 Suzuki Katana Priced at $13,499 for the USA

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After much teasing, and officially debuting the model almost a year ago, we finally know what the 2020 Suzuki Katana will cost American buyers, and the answer is a stout $13,499 MSRP.

We had hoped that the new Katana would be priced aggressively against its naked bike competitors, especially since the “new” machine is largely a restyled Suzuki GSX-S1000F, which comes with an MSRP of $11,299.

That new bodywork must add over $2,000 of value in Suzuki’s eyes though, with the 2020 Suzuki Katana commanding the largest price tag out of the Japanese models in the relevant category.

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News

Day of Champions Raises Over £286,000 for Two Wheels for Life

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Every year at the British GP round, a special event is held on the Thursday before the races. It is called the Day of Champions, and it raises money for our favorite charity here at Asphalt & Rubber, Two Wheels for Life.

Now in its 30th year of running, the highlight of the Day of Champions is the rider auction at the end of the day, where special memorabilia and opportunities are sold to the highest bidder to raise money for the charity.

At this year’s Silverstone round, the Day of Champions raised £286,000 at auction, before the weekend’s final tally was made, and well on its way to surpassing the £300,000 that was raised last year.

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Recall

Recall: Brake Calipers Might Corrode on Nearly 6,000 BMW Bikes

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Bad news for several BMW motorcycle owners, as the German brand is recalling several models because their front and rear brake calipers may corrode, which can cause the pistons to stick or drag in the caliper bore.

The recall affects three two-wheelers from the BMW Motorrad lineup, the BMW G310R (2017-2020) and BMW G310GS (2018-2020) motorcycles, and the BMW C400X scooter (2019). In total, 5,938 bikes are affected by this recall.

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Bikes

Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 Officially Debuts at Silverstone

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The Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 officially debuted today, at a special event held at the Silverstone circuit during the British GP.

This means the details and images were finally released on this road-going version of the Moto2 racing platform, of which only 1,530 units will be created (765 will be coming to the USA).

Of course, what we really want to know is the nitty-gritties from the spec sheet. As such, 128hp gets made at 12,250 rpm, while peak torque is set at 59 lbs•ft. Triumph has yet to confirm a dry or wet weight, however.

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Recall

Over 12,000 Harley-Davidsons Recalled for Missing Reflectors

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Not all recalls are created equally. While some recalls deal with serious defects and possible situations, there are others that while still technically being a safety issue, still fall short of causing truthful concern. Today’s recall announcement is the latter, in our opinion.

As such, 12,733 motorcycles from the Harley-Davidson lineup that can use Harley-Davidson Detachable Tour-Pak Luggage Conversion kit are being recalled because the kit did not include replacement red reflectors.

As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment” and therefore needed to be recalled with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Podcast

Paddock Pass Podcast #114 – Women in Motorsports

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Episode 114 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this is a special episode covering the first-ever Women in Motorsports conference, put on by both the FIA and FIM in Finland.

Our colleague Tammy Gorali was in attendance at the historic meeting, and held a roundtable discussion with several key women in the motorcycle racing community.

The insights shared by Vanessa Guerra, Shelina Moreda, Nita Korhonen, and Maria Herrera to be very interesting. We also have an short interview with FIM President Jorge Viegas.

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