The final episode of the Brap Talk podcast is out for 2018, and before the shenanigans of 2019 get on the airwaves, we wanted to take a look back at the last 365 days of this year.
As such, we discuss the BIG stories of 2018, along with our thoughts and predictions for the upcoming year. Do you have any moto-predictions for 2019? Let us know.
2018 is coming to a close now, so we of course are looking back at what happened over the past year in the motorcycle industry.
There was no shortage of weighty stories in 2018, so we picked just our Top 5 big themes from the year to share with you.
They range from business items, racing news, and new motorcycles (or the lack thereof). Without too much fanfare, let’s get into it, and see Asphalt & Rubber‘s most important stories from 2018.
As the year winds down, we continue to think about the future. The other day, Bugatti showed us its 3D printed titanium brake calipers, and now we turn ourselves to another budding technology.
Roam Robotics is not a company you are likely to have heard of, but Yamaha Motor certainly is, and the Japanese motorcycle brand recently flexed its investing arm, leading a $12 million investment round into the aforementioned Silicon Valley tech startup.
While the technology is complex, the concept behind Roam’s business is not, as they are developing an exoskeleton system that will help to enhance the physical movements of both the able-bodied and handicapable.
If you needed further proof that the 3D printing revolution is upon us, take this case study from Bugatti to heart. The French brand is at the pointy end of the automotive space, which means that Bugatti gets all the fun toys.
One of the spaces where they are innovating is in the use of titanium parts that have been created by using an additive manufacturing process.
In this case, they are making a brake caliper (shown above)…which also happens to be the largest 3D-printed titanium component ever produced.
A belated Brappy Holidays to you all from the Brap Talk podcast crew, and good news as Episode 3 dropped just in time for the holidays (we are a little late posting it up to A&R).
As the title of the show suggests, in this episode our big topic is what motorcycles we would put in our dream garage, with little regard given to whether or not they would fit in Santa’s sleigh.
Before we get to our picks (and why we picked them), we cover a bit of news. First up is the news that Laguna Seca has been added back into the 2019 WorldSBK Championship calendar.
“We have to look which is the best ownership for Ducati. Either we find a way forward for Ducati, which provides some growth, some probably additional brands, or we have to look for new ownerships…I wouldn’t exclude that.”
Ever since Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said those words, I have been perseverating on their meaning. Many in the industry have taken Herr Diess to mean that Ducati is once again for sale, and that Ducati’s time within Audi AG is coming to an end.
As Diess says himself, we can’t exclude that possibility. But, what about the part of his statement that proceeds that notion?
How does one make Ducati Motor Holding more profitable? More sustainable? Better suited for the trends we are seeing in the motorcycle industry? In the changing world that transportation is facing?
How does the Italian company fit into all those questions marks, and more? This is the thought that has been burning a hole on my notepad recently, and I keep coming back to Diess’ thought that Ducati should have some additional brands.
If you were hoping to get your hands on a Yamaha YZF-R1 GYTR superbike, well…you have probably missed your chance.
A limited production of only 20 motorcycles, the Yamaha YZF-R1 GYTR sales window was open for less than 24 hours, before the bike completely sold out.
Based off the machine that won this year’s Suzuka 8-Hours endurance race, which in turn is based off the original R1 livery design from 1999, the Yamaha YZF-R1 GYTR is quite the looker and it comes with a bevy of go-fast parts.
Episode 89 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and in it we see David Emmett, Steve English, and Jensen Beeler on the mics, as we cover the 2018 WorldSBK Championship season.
The conversation starts with the champions, Jonathan Rea and the Kawasaki Racing Team, and we discuss how this has become the wining package in the WorldSBK paddock, especially with the contrasting fortunes of Tom Sykes.
The discussion includes a short interview with Leon Haslam, as he got his leg over the KRT-spec superbike during the Jerez post-season test.
The Triumph Scrambler 1200 is one of the more interesting motorcycles to debut for the 2019 model year, with the British brand continuing to push its heritage lineup, now with a more capable off-road scrambler machine.
Coming in two trim levels, the 2019 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC is the more street-focused bike, while the 2019 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE is the more dual-sport minded machine.
While the Brits were wise to segment their newest two-wheel offering, the biggest factor for the Triumph Scrambler 1200’s success will be the price points it is offered at in the US market. The bad news: it won’t be cheap.
If you live in the United States and like World Superbike racing, then we have good news for you, as the 2019 WorldSBK Calendar now includes Laguna Seca as a destination for next year.
After many indications that the World Superbike Championship would not be coming to the United States next year, after a contract dispute with the California track and Spanish racing series, that course has seemingly made a 180° turn.
Therefore, Laguna Seca will play host to the World Superbike series – sans World Supersport or Supersport 300 – during the July 12th-14th racing weekend.
The Yamaha YZF-R1 GYTR is one special machine, and only 20 of them will be made worldwide.
That production number helps commemorate the fact that this is the 20th anniversary of the YZF-R1 superbike, and the bike also helps give a nod to the fact that this year Yamaha won the Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race an unprecedented fourth time in a row.
A track-only machine, the Yamaha YZF-R1 GYTR will be painstakingly built by members from the Suzuka-winning Official Yamaha Racing Team crew. Though it is littered with parts from the GYTR catalog and other sponsors, Yamaha is curious mum when it comes to any performance figures about the bike.