Jensen Beeler, Author at Asphalt & Rubber

Recall

Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE Recalled for Centerstand Dropping

By Jensen Beeler 09/18/2018 No Comments

The Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE is being recalled this week, because of an issue with the bike’s center stand, which may see it drop down to the ground unexpectedly. This recall affects all the H2 SX SE motorcycles sold by Kawasaki in the US market, which is 350 units, as well as any H2 SX models that have added the centerstand as an aftermarket option.

The issue concerns the centerstand pin on the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE, which may have been improperly welded, and may shift or fall off as a result. This can cause the spring that holds the centerstand to detach, and down goes the centerstand.

Since the centerstand dropping unexpectedly causes a safety risk, a recall was filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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Bikes

Here Is the 2019 BMW R1250GS in All Its Official Glory

By Jensen Beeler 09/18/2018 No Comments

We have known about the 2019 BMW R1250GS for some time now. Details about the bike’s new boxer engine were published over a month ago, which tipped off the use of variable valve timing on the venerable GS. We also learned that a displacement increase of1,254cc was coming, and with that a modest power increase of 134hp and 92 lbs•ft of torque.

Then last week, we got a teaser of the 2019 BMW R1250GS adventure-tourer, as a promotional video was leaked onto the internet, and it showed us in great detail what to expect from BMW Motorrad. More specifically, the video showed us the German motorcycle manufacturer’s new variable valve timing technology, called ShiftCam.

Providing two possible cam lobes for each valve, the camshaft shifts position in the cylinder head to engage one of the two lobes, depending on throttle inputs. Hence the name, ShiftCam.

This allows for different intake valve actuation (timing and stroke) during touring and city riding, for better gas mileage and softer throttle response, but still leaves the engine the ability to wake up during spirited riding, and provide more power.

The new “ShiftCam” boxer engine is coming to all the “R” bikes in BMW’s lineup for 2019, which of course includes the 2019 BMW R1250GS.

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Dirt

What It’s Like to Ride the New Honda CRF450L Dual-Sport

By Jensen Beeler 09/17/2018 No Comments

Where do you begin about the 2019 Honda CRF450L? You can start with the dearth of 450cc dual-sport motorcycles for the American market, for one. You can talk about Honda’s new 450cc dirt bike lineup, which has spawned five separate models for the 2019 model year.

We of course have to mention the domination of the market by a certain European manufacturer, which prefers the color orange. And naturally, we should give a nod to the resurgence of the American off-road scene, and how Big Red wants to be part of that growing movement.

The truth is, all of these points are realities when it comes to the new Honda CRF450L – a dirt bike that is street-legal from the factory, for all 50 states of the Union. The United States is the target market for the 2019 Honda CRF450L, and for good reason. Honda sees a real opportunity for a 450cc dual-sport in the USA, one that can slot in between the woefully old Suzuki DRZ-400S and the “race bike with lights” KTM 450 EXC-F (sold in the US only as its kitted-out “Six Days” variant).

Among the first in the world to ride the 2019 Honda CRF450L, American Honda brought Asphalt & Rubber out to our own backyard, and let us loose on the CRF450L in Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Providing a mix of gravel roads, single-track, double-track, and proper street use, we spent over 100 miles getting to see how well the Honda CRF450L plays on both the dirt and asphalt. In short? Very, very well.

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Racing

2019 MotoE World Cup Schedule Revealed

By Jensen Beeler 09/14/2018 No Comments

The FIM is ready to give this electric motorcycle racing thing another try, and this time around the governing body has tapped Dorna (media rights holder to MotoGP & WorldSBK) to handle the details. As such, the MotoE World Cup was created.

Set to take place during five European grand prix rounds, MotoE will rely on teams already in the MotoGP paddock. Those teams will campaign the Energica Evo Corse electric superbike, which is very similar to the road-going version, sans 45 lbs of street-legal bulk.

We have yet to see the names of riders who will be on the spec 160hp machines, but the series of sprint races should prove to be an interesting spectacle for the fans in attendance, with a plethora of bikes banging handlebars each lap (albeit, quietly).

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Rumors

Patent Application Shows Off the Indian FTR1200 Street Bike

By Jensen Beeler 09/14/2018 No Comments

The Indian Motorcycle company has been teasing us about the upcoming FTR1200 street bike that it’s bringing to market next year, and now we have a pretty good look at the machine, thanks to a patent application with the USPTO.

Showing the engine and chassis of the Indian FTR1200 in line drawings, we can see that the new street bike will have a trellis frame, and an engine that looks very much like the v-twin motor found on the Indian Scout cruiser.

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News

Yamaha Is Moving Its USA Headquarters Out of California

By Jensen Beeler 09/14/2018 1 Comment

On Wednesday, we told you about Yamaha’s struggling sales in the US market for its large displacement machines, with several bikes from several categories showing lackluster results over the last 12 months. We told this story first, because it frames a series of future stories about Yamaha Motor USA, and today is a continuation of that narrative.

As such, Asphalt & Rubber has learned that Yamaha plans to move its corporate headquarters out of Cypress, California – the epicenter of the motorcycle industry – and relocate to the other side of the country, setting up shop just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. The primary driver for this move? Costs.

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Podcast

Paddock Pass Podcast #83 – San Marino GP

By Jensen Beeler 09/14/2018 No Comments

Episode 83 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and in it we see Steve English, Neil Morrison & David Emmett on the mics, as they discuss the recent San Marino GP at Misano.

Before we can get to a dissection of the weekend’s racing, the first part of the show covers the Romano Fenati situation, and gets the perspective of these three MotoGP pundits regarding the Moto2 incident.

After a lengthy conversation about Fenati, the show turns to the Ducati MotoGP program, and talks about how the Italian motorcycle is widely held as the best on the grid. Despite having to take on the Ducatis though, Marc Marquez has still been able to fend off Dovizioso and Lorenzo in the Championship results.

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Rumors

If Suzuki Isn’t Teasing a New Katana, Then I Don’t Know What’s Going On Anymore…

By Jensen Beeler 09/13/2018 No Comments

Here is the second teaser video from Suzuki, getting us hyped for a new motorcycle release at the INTERMOT show in Colgone, Germany. Like the first video, this one features a blacksmith creating a Japanese sword…a Katana, if you will.

As such, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to imagine that Suzuki’s teaser campaign is for anything other than the rebirth of the Katana motorcycle. We have seen the name trademarked in various markets, including the United States, there have been concept models of restomod creations shown at numerous times, including in Suzuki’s own show booths.

Lastly, there have been links to the Suzuki Recursion concept becoming the new Katana lineup, which would feature a turbocharged twin-cylinder engine.

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Bikes

Here Is the BMW R1250GS with “Shiftcam” Engine Technology

By Jensen Beeler 09/13/2018 No Comments

We have known about the 2019 BMW R1250GS for some time now, but today we get our first real look of the machine, thanks to the bike’s promotional video, which has leaked on the internet (hat tip to the folks at Motorcular.com). And, despite everything we knew about the BMW R1250GS, the Germans still managed to surprise us.

This is because instead of the “Shiftcam” technology that BMW Motorrad has developed for its revised boxer engine.

Originally tipped to have variable valve technology, we now see how BMW is going to achieve this goal, and the answer is with a camshaft that has dual lobes and a shift gate that engages the high valve lift set during full throttle applications.

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Dirt

Gone Riding: 2019 Honda CRF450L

By Jensen Beeler 09/12/2018 No Comments

For once, the motorcycle industry comes to us, as Asphalt & Rubber is up the road from our usual haunts, setting up camp in Washington state near Mt. Rainer, about we are about to ride the 2019 Honda CRF450L.

Sibling to the Honda CRF450X enduro, and cousin to the class-leading Honda CRF450R motocross bike, the Honda CRF450L is Big Red’s answer for those looking for a street legal 450cc dirt bike.

It has been a long time since we have seen a proper 450cc dual-sport from a Japanese brand, and Honda is finally taking up the charge to take on the competition from KTM and Husqvarna. As such, the Honda CRF450L provides a crucial stepping stone for riders looking to upgrade from a CRF250L (the top-selling dual-sport in the market), and it provides an option to those who want to ride from trail-to-trail with a plated dirt bike.

Per our new review format, I would be giving you a live assessment of the2019 Honda CRF450L right here in this article (down in the comments section), but American Honda has imposed an embargo until next week for ride reviews and critiques. So while we won’t be able to talk immediately about our riding impressions of the new CRF450L until Monday (not cool), we will still be able to field questions from our eager readers, which Honda can try and answer. Show them no mercy!

You can follow our thoughts on the bike live via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and you can see what our colleagues are posting on social media by looking for the hashtags #CRF450L #RideRed #DualSport.

Spec-Sheet Comparison of Relevant Models to the Honda CRF450L:

	Honda CRF450L	KTM 450 EXC-F	Alta Redshift EXR
Horsepower	~40hp	62 hp	50 hp
Torque	–	–	42 lbs•ft
Weight	289 lbs (curb)	255 lbs (curb)	273 lbs
Fuel Tank	2 gallons	2.3 gallons	5.8 kWh
Price	$10,400	$11,700	$12,500

Photos of the 2019 Honda CRF450L:

2019 Honda CRF450L

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News

That Crashing Sound You Hear Is Yamaha’s Big Bike Sales in the USA

By Jensen Beeler 09/12/2018 No Comments

Things are not well at Yamaha Motor USA, and over the coming days you are going to read a number of reports from us about Yamaha and its US operations.

Before we dive into the multitude of issues that the Tuning Fork brand faces here in the United States though, we wanted to first talk about Yamaha’s crashing sales, because that best frames the company’s entire situation, and is the basis for the other stories that concern the brand.

Now halfway through 2018, Yamaha sales big bike sales (500cc and up) are down a staggering 19% for the last 12 consecutive months, compared to the same previous 12 months before that.

To put that figure into perspective, the big bike market in the USA is down roughly 8% over the same time period, though that figure is due mostly to Harley-Davidson, which accounts for half of the American bike bike market.

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