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Ducati 959 Panigale Gets a Facelift for Next Year

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The next two model years will be big ones for the motorcycle industry, as manufacturers prepare their offerings for the upcoming Euro5 emission regulations.

Existing models will get their new emissions gear for 2021, while new models will have to make the grade starting in 2020. That being said, most manufacturers are getting a head start on the process. One such company is Ducati.

As such, we have seen our first glimpses of the updated Ducati 959 Panigale, which will get makeover to bring its look more in line with what is on offer with the Panigale V4 superbike.

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Opinion/Editorial

The Backlash to This MV Agusta Advertisement Is Palpable

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It started with a social media post from the Italian motorcycle maker, with a naked female model posed provocatively on the new MV Agusta Superveloce 800. 

The photo was a classic playing of an old motorcycle industry trope, where a sexy girl is draped over a motorcycle, like lavish window dressing at a fancy department store, hoping to get your attention…and then later your hard-earned money.

In that regard, MV Agusta’s ad campaign is nothing new for the motorcycle industry. Move along folks, nothing to see here.

This is business as usual in the two-wheeled world, and while even though the video campaign that came after the social media blitz was even more bizarre (and pornographic) in its story (or lack there of), we doubt few in Varese saw issue with the choice of messaging. 

Sexy bike + sexy girl + quick edits = bikes sell. That is the basic formula that the monkeys in the motorcycle marketing departments have been using for the past 50 years. So why change it now?

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News

Daley Mathison Has Died While Racing at the IOMTT

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It is with a heavy heart that we report the first fatality at the 2019 Isle of Man TT, as Daley Mathison died during Monday’s Superbike TT race.

The 27-year-old from Stockton on Tees, Durham passed away from a racing accident that occurred on the third lap of the race, at Snugborough, which is just about two miles into the course.

An experienced rider at the Isle of Man TT, Mathison made his Mountain Course debut in 2013 as a Manx Grand Prix newcomer. Since then, he has been a multi-year competitor, as well as a three-time TT Zero podium-finisher, in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

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Rumors

Is a Four-Cylinder Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R Really Coming?

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The headline shares our thoughts on the matter. Is there really a four-cylinder Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R in the works? That is the rumor coming out of Asia, and not exactly a new one.

The bike is expected to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this year, in October, with an eye on reviving Japan’s lost history of screaming small-displacement machines.

While there seems to be some evidence that the bike will debut – sightings of a prototype have already been published – our reservations for excitement come from similar rumors that have failed to pan out.

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MotoGP

Paddock Pass Podcast #104 – Italian GP

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Episode 104 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and in it we see Neil Morrison and David Emmett joined on the microphones by French journalist Thomas Baujard, as we discuss the happenings at the Italian GP at Mugello.

As usual, the guys cover the on track action at the race, as well as the goings on behind the scenes in the paddock.

Obviously, the main topic of conversation is about Danilo Petrucci, who took his first MotoGP race win – a career highlight that is added to by being on an Italian bike at the Italian grand prix.

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Dirt

Rumors of Honda CRF850L Come from Japan

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While we continue to hear news that the Honda Africa Twin will get a displacement bump to 1,100cc for next year, now we are starting to hear a new rumor from Big Red’s adventure lineup – namely, that a Honda CRF850L is in the pipeline.

The obvious play here is that the baby Africa Twin model would slot in under the 1,100cc version, as a proper middleweight option to go against the BMW F850GS, KTM 790 Adventure R, and the Yamaha Ténéré 700 (whenever it finally comes to market).

The middleweight ADV segment is very hot right now, and it makes sense for Honda to want to get in on the action. As such, this rumor makes a great deal of sense…but then, it also really doesn’t pass the smell test either.

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Racing

Up-Close with Peter Hickman’s BMW S1000RR IOMTT Race Bike

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A few days ago, we sat down with Peter Hickman to figure out what it takes to find the limit at the Isle of Man TT. Now today, we get up-close and personal on the machine he is campaigning in the Superbike and Senior TT races.

A 2020 BMW S1000RR, the race bike is put together by Smiths Racing BMW, with the hope that the German superbike’s supremacy on the Mountain Course continues with this next generation of the machine, and thus add to Hickman’s two-win tally at the Isle of Man TT.

As we can see from Steve’s photos though, this is not your ordinary BMW S1000RR…in fact, it is not your ordinary superbike.

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Bikes

MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro, Only 300 Will Be Made

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We knew already that the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 will move from concept status to production model for next year, but now we know more from Italy.

The news is namely that the attractive retro-modern sport bike will debut as a “Serie Oro” model, a common nomenclature that MV Agusta uses for early premium edition motorcycles that often come in limited quantity.

As such, we know that only 300 units will be made of the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro, making this the latest limited edition model from the iconic brand.

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News

Gone Riding…Again: BMW S1000RR M Package

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Greetings from a very warm Birmingham, Alabama where we are about to swing a leg over the new BMW S1000RR…again.

After a disappointing and inadequate international launch in Portugal, where the rain got in the way of our two-wheeled fun, BMW Motorrad USA has invited us out to the famous Barber Motorsports Park to ride their new superbike for a second time.

That is just fine by us, because yours truly has been keen to swing a leg over the 2020 BMW S1000RR, and see how it compares to the offerings from the other top brands, not to mention I have always wanted to ride this popular American track.

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Rumors

This Week’s Yamaha YZF-R1 Rumor, Bride of Chuckie

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The 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1 has been the subject of much rumor lately, as it appears the Japanese brand is getting ready to bring a new version for the next model year. What the bike will entail though is subject to some debate, however.

Over in Europe, there has been no shortage of speculation about the new superbike, fueled by patent applications from Yamaha over the past few years.

Reading those rumors now, our own Bothan spies from within the Iwata factory’s ranks have reached out to us, in an effort to set the record straight. The news is a mixture of good and bad.

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Bikes

Yet Another BMW R18 Concept Bike Debuts with that Mammoth 1,800cc Boxer Engine

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It is the worst-kept secret in the motorcycle industry right… We are talking about BMW Motorrad’s upcoming cruiser, which will features an 1,800cc air-cooled push rod boxer engine.

We know this because the German brand has been shoehorning the mammoth-sized engine into a variety of show bikes, all in the effort to get excited about this “Harley-Davidson killer” of a motorcycle.

Spy photos have also given us a glimpse of the bagger that we can expect to see unveiled later this year, but for now we have yet another concept machine to whet our appetites.

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