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Jensen Beeler

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Up-Close with the Mugen Shinden Hachi

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The 2019 Isle of Man TT once again saw the record lap drop for the electric class, with the new TT Zero record mark set at 121.909 mph by Michael Rutter, on the Mugen Shinden Hachi machine.

The Japanese squad has become a tour de force at the Isle of Man TT, taking now six-straight victories on the Mountain Course. Each year, we have seen the winning TT Zero lap time drop in number, and 2019 was no different…though barely.

Shaving less than a second off his time from 2018, Rutter crossed the line in 18’34.172″ – a figure likely attributable to the dismal weather conditions for this year’s TT gathering, which meant very little practice time for all the competitors.

Despite that lack of progress, a quick look at the Mugen Shinden Hachi shows that the Japanese outfit has not been resting on its laurels, despite the lacking arrival of a serious competitor in the TT Zero class.

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Bikes

Here It Is, The Ducati Streetfighter V4 Debuts in “Prototype” Form

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All the rumors and speculation can now stop. Here it is. Here is the Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype that will be racing at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Record-holder Carlin Dunne will pilot the Streetfighter V4 prototype for Ducati, in a bid to set a new outright motorcycle record on the Mountain. 

In the announcement, Ducati acknowledges that we will see the Streetfighter V4 properly debut at the EICMA show later this November, and that the production model will be in dealerships by March 2020.

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Podcast

Brap Talk Podcast #16 – The Church of Brapistan

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Episode 16 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and this is another two-hour show to sooth your two-wheeled aches.

We start the show off when Shahin’s trip out into the Washington BDR trails, on his Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro. The Shah also got a chance to throw a leg over a Walt Siegl Ducati adventure bike, which made him giddy with delight.

Meanwhile, Jensen was busy at the Barber Motorsports Park, riding the 2020 BMW S1000RR superbike. Giving his thoughts on that new machine, and the general state of the liter-bike category, you won’t want to miss his review. Additionally, the “Yensen” score for bikes is progressing nicely, which leads to a fun conversation.

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Recall

Ducati Panigale V4 Recalled for Fuel Spray…Again

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Recall news from Ducati North America today, as the entire Ducati Panigale V4 lineup is being recalled because fuel might spray out of the bike’s fuel tank…again.

This happens when there is an excessive amount of pressure in the fuel tank, which may cause fuel to spray when opening the fuel cap. Obviously, spraying fuel can lead to a safety hazard, hence the recall.

In total, 1,880 superbike are affected by this recall, which includes all the Panigale V4 variants from 2017 thru 2019 – this means the Panigale V4, Panigale V4 S, Panigale V4 Speciale, and Panigale V4 R.

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Columns

Gone Racing – Becoming a New Motorcycle Racer

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I had to hit the archives to find the photo above, because it is a photo from one of my first track days roughly 11 years ago – just before the idea of Asphalt & Rubber started to crossed my mind.

I was just a track day junky back then. Motorcycles were an escape from the endless studies that come with a legal education, and going to school in Pennsylvania meant really only being able to ride on the track, since street riding came with too narrow of a window with the weather for my California-spoiled tastes.

I caught the bug hard though, and through school I probably did a dozen track days a season. I’m not saying some of my massive student loan debt went to fueling my on-track pursuits…but yeah, it did.

In a way, I guess that worked out, as it was a year after graduation that I started doing A&R full-time, and the rest they say is history.

With all that time doing track days though, it is hard to believe that I haven’t done any sort of racing, but there are several reasons for that, and why now is a time I’ve chosen to bite the bullet.

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Rumors

KTM 790 SMC Spotted Out Testing

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We knew it was coming, a supermoto version of KTM’s 790 platform. The KTM 790 Duke filled the streetfighter niche quite well, and the KTM 790 Adventure has similarly blown the doors off the ADV market, and now the Austrian brand is looking to give hooligan riders something fun for the street.

As such, spy photos have spotted what is being called the KTM 790 SMC in action, likely testing outside the city limits of Salzburg, Austria.

Readers should remember that the maxi-motard segment isn’t a large one, with the Ducati Hypermotard 950 being really the main player in the space.

The Italian bike has long been a niche machine in Borgo Panigale’s lineup, but this latest edition has been a strong seller for Ducati, which shows the changing tastes of motorcyclists.

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Podcast

Paddock Pass Podcast #105 – WorldSBK at Jerez

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Episode 105 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is a WorldSBK show. As such, this means that we see Steve English joined by Gordon Ritchie on the mics, as they are now our WorldSBK reporting duo for the 2019 season.

Recording straight from Spain, the guys talk about the on-track action at Jerez, where everyone is still talking about the coming together of Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes, in their final-lap incident in Race 1.

Before the guys get into that controversy though, they have a long discussion about Alvaro Bautista and how the Spaniard uses his Pirelli tires to his advantage.

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Dirt

This Week’s KTM 390 Adventure Rumor

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It feels like the longest rumored machine in KTM’s future lineup. We are of course talking about the KTM 390 Adventure.

The missing link in the Austrian brand’s adventure-touring model range, which we have talked, rumored, and speculated about for well…quite a long time.

About a year ago though, Bajaj SVP and KTM India boss Amit Nandi tipped that we would see the KTM 390 Adventure in 2019. Well, that time is now, and rumors are once again heating up about this small-displacement ADV.

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A&R Pro

Up-Close with David Johnson’s Honda CBR1000RR TT Race Bike

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We sat down with David Johnson before the start of the Isle of Man TT races, and the Australian explained to us the pressures that come with a factory ride.

On Thursday though, Johnson took his factory-backed Honda CBR1000RR to the podium in the Superstock TT race, thus fulfilling a major goal in his road racing career.

It wasn’t an easy feat, especially considering the horrid weather that has been hammering the Isle of Man for the past fortnight.

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Rumors

The Ducati Streetfighter V4 Will Debut at Pikes Peak

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We have already told you as much as this headline conveys, so apologies to our more loyal readers if this story seems redundant, but we wanted to definitively tell you that the Ducati Streetfighter V4 will debut later this month, at Pikes Peak.

The news comes fresh after a teaser that Ducati posted, which says to us that “the gloves come off at Pikes Peak” and then gives the date June 13th, which is the day of the motorcycle tire test for the historic hill climb.

“The gloves” is surely a nod to the “Streetfighter” name, though we have seen more than a few hints from Ducati and its CEO that we should expect such a model before the year’s end.

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News

Suzuki Burgman 200 Recalled for CVT Issues

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Suzuki Motor of America is recalling roughly 300 units of its  Burgman 200  scooters (2018 & 2019 model year machines) because the rivet connections may fail on the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which would allow the movable drive plate to break.

According to the recall documents, continued use of the faulty CVT drive could lead to the motorcycle no longer being operational.

Due to improper shape of the holes for the rivets that fasten the component parts of the movable driven face, the rivet connections may be insufficient.

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