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Jensen Beeler

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Rumors

Your Flying Motorcycle Future Is Almost Here

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Motorcycle builder Lazareth is known for being a bit…out there, as the French brand made itself internet famous with the Lazareth LM 847 – a four-wheeled motorcycle with a Maserati engine that looks like the Dodge Tomahawk and the Ducati 1199 Panigale had a baby.

The company’s other creations don’t disappoint when it comes to being loud and attention grabbing concepts, and we generally encourage this sort of free-thinking spirit from the brand.

But, when you have already cranked motorcycles up to 11, where do you go from there?

“Up” is apparently the answer, as Lazareth is teasing what appears to be a jet-powered hover bike that is based off its LM 847 motorcycle. Yes, you read that right.

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News

Is A Big Price Hike Coming with the New BMW S1000RR?

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It is an odd passion in life, but I find the international pricing schemes by various motorcycle manufacturers to be simply fascinating.

While this will surely mean that I will die alone (so very, very alone), this odd curiosity is bringing up some interesting thoughts about the new BMW S1000RR superbike.

And the signs point to the Bavarian brand’s newest liter bike costing quite the pretty penny in the US market. Let me explain.

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Recall

Yet Another Ducati Panigale V4 Recall

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The Ducati Panigale V4 might be the pinnacle of superbike design, but today mark’s the machine’s fifth recall in its inaugural year of production. 

This particular recall affects the Panigale V4’s cam chain tensioner, which may loosen over time, and possibly cause oil to leak from the bottom of the tensioner adjustment bolt.

Obviously, an oil leak could lead to a loss of traction for the motorcycle, and may cause the bike to crash, hence the need for a recall.

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Podcast

Brap Talk Podcast #2 – Value Added

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Episode 2 of the Brap Talk podcast is out, and in this show our big topic of conversation centers around the dealership experience.

As such, we rely heavily on Shahin’s decade-long career of working in motorcycle dealerships, and discuss what can be done better – by both the dealers, and the customers. We also wander into speculation about our future with robot overlords.

Before we get to that in-depth conversation in the podcast though, we cover a few newsie items.

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Rumors

KTM CEO Tips Future Middleweight Models Are in the Works

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I would hate to work in KTM’s press department back in Austria, mostly because KTM CEO Stefan Pierer seems to be quite difficult to corral – he always seems to be spilling company secrets.

This reality is great for us, however, as there is never a shortage of juicy gossip to report from the “Ready to Race” brand, and this week has been no exception.

We already reported on Pierer’s vocalization about his desires to own the Ducati brand, which certainly caused a stir in the motorcycle industry these past few days.

Now we have more news from Pierer’s interview with Germany’s Speedweek magazine, with the CEO dishing details on the company’s plans in the middleweight categories.

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News

Suzuki Motor of America Confirms Hayabusa Production Continues

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There has been much conjecture regarding the Suzuki Hayabusa in recent days, especially after the company’s Japanese website listed the Busa’s production as terminated.

This created a fervor on European publications, and because of the internet, it grew from there. We tried to talk some reason into the situation the other day, and now Suzuki Motor of America has made a press release on the matter.

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News

Yamaha Plans to Fund Startups with $100 Million War Chest

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It surprising to us that there is so little investment in technologies and business in the two-wheeled space by the established players.

Maybe it is the conservative nature of the motorcycle industry, or maybe it is because motorcycle companies are just miserably bad at corporate development. Whatever the reason may be, it makes today’s headline an intriguing one.

This is because Yamaha Motor Corp. in Japan has just set aside $100 million to invest in technologies and business startups, over the next 10 years. 

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Recall

Kawasaki Z900 Series Recalled for Brake Issues

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Kawasaki is recalling certain bikes from its 2018 model year Z900 series of motorcycle.

The recall affects 1,173 units from the Z900 , Z900 ABS, and Z900RS models, and concerns a rear brake hose and rear wheel rotation sensor wire, which may have been incorrectly routed, allowing them to contact the rear tire.

If the brake hose contacts the rear tire, the hose may be damaged, which could reduce the braking performance of the motorcycle. Similarly, if the wheel rotation wire gets damaged, the ABS may not function properly.

Either condition can increase the risk of a crash, and thus a recall has been filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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News

KTM Wants to Buy Ducati

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The future of Ducati seems to be always up in the air, especially with Volkswagen AG’s constant back-and-forth when it comes to selling the motorcycle brand.

The German’s latest attempt to sell Ducati may have faltered in the boardroom, but there is new reason to believe that acquisition talks could be started for Ducati, as KTM CEO Stefan Pierer has expressed interest in owning the Italian motorcycle company.

Talking to German-language publication Speedweek, Pierer expressed his interest in adding Ducati to his stable of motorcycle marques, and floated some ideas on how Ducati could fit into KTM’s overall two-wheeled strategy.

His thoughts are…interesting, to say the least.

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