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MotoGP

Ducati’s Secret Weapon: Carbon Fiber Öhlins Fork Tubes

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They are hard to spot, but if you look closely at the 2017 Ducati Desmosedici GP (a bevy of photos are after the jump) you will see something very unique going on with the front suspension. This is because Öhlins and Ducati have teamed up to develop new fork technology, namely carbon fiber fork tubes.

The Öhlins carbon fiber fork tubes can be seen on the machines of Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, starting from the season-opener in Qatar, and are noticeable for their matte black tube finish, with gold ends.

Öhlins is coy about how much weight savings are involved with the forks tubes, but they are noticeably lighter when they are in your hands, something we have first-hand knowledge of, as we had one to pass around at the Two Enthusiasts Podcast live show at Austin, Texas this year.

Beyond simple weight savings though, the likely purpose of using carbon fiber fork tubes is to adjust the flex of the front suspension.

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Podcast

Two Enthusiasts Podcast #56 – Nicky Bobby

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Episode 56 of the Two Enthusiasts Podcast gets us back into our normal format of talking about motorcycles, and whatever rabbit holes present themselves along the way.

Before we get to that part though, we take a somber moment to remember Nicky Hayden, who passed away just a couple weeks before the recording of this episode.

We had recorded a special episode just about Nicky, the day that he passed, but it didn’t feel right to publish it. Our emotions were too raw.

Modestly philosophical during the show now, we also discuss the passing of Davey Lambert, who on the day of this recording succumbed to his injuries sustained at the Isle of Man TT. Two more racers would later die at the TT, Jochem van den Hoek and Alan Bonner. We hold all these racers in our thoughts.

Getting back to our normal selves, we discuss a bit of news, namely Harley-Davidson’s new factory in Thailand, and what that says about the state of the motorcycle industry. We also talk some racing action, as Andrea Dovizioso had just won the Italian GP at Mugello.

The show wraps up with some discussion about supermoto racing, as I participated in the Cascadia Supermoto round held here in Oregon, near Portland.

You can listen to the show via the embedded SoundCloud player, after the jump, or you can find the show on iTunes (please leave a review) or this RSS feed. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well.

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News

Watch Chris Fillmore’s Record-Breaking Ride up Pikes Peak

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Want to watch the fastest motorcycle run ever up Pikes Peak? At this year’s Race to the Clouds, Chris Fillmore took his KTM 1290 Super Duke R on a record-setting ascent to the mountain summit, with an impressive time of 9:49.625.

More impressive though is the fact the Fillmore broke the record on his rookie debut to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

If you have less than ten minutes to spare, you can watch Chris Fillmore’s run up the mountain. It’s extra enjoyable, because the Pikes Peak organizers thought that the first three minutes of the video should include a voice-over interview with Fillmore at the mountain’s summit, rather than letting us listen to that KTM purr.

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MotoGP

Paddock Pass Podcast #55 – Dutch TT

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Episode 55 of the Paddock Pass Podcast sees David Emmett and Neil Morrison back on the mics, as they cover the Grand Prix racing’s stop in The Netherlands, for the Dutch TT.

The longest-running round in the MotoGP Championship, Assen always provides good racing for fans, and this year was no different. Assen was also the stage for Valentino Rossi’s return to winning form, with the Italian taking his first race win in over a year.

The results of the Dutch TT have big consequences for the MotoGP Championship, and Assen also gave us our first glimpse into the growing rift between Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales, inside the Yamaha team.

Per usual, once the MotoGP talk is done, the conversation turns to the Moto2 and Moto3 championships, before the guys talk about their winners and losers of the two weekends.

As always, be sure to follow the Paddock Pass Podcast on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe to the show on iTunes and SoundCloud – we even have an RSS feed for you. If you like the show, we would really appreciate you giving it a review on iTunes. Thanks for listening!

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Bikes

Ducati V4 Superbike Spotted Again, More Details Revealed

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For the second time in a week, we have spy photos of the Ducati V4 superbike. Like before, the new superbike model is still in its unfinished state, with testing equipment strapped to its frame and bodywork.

Even in its pre-production state though, the new V4 machine reveals some of its secrets, the most notable of which is its frame/chassis design. It also teases us that the V4 model will look very similar to its predecessor.

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Recall

Moto Guzzi Recalling Brake Lines on Five Models

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Piaggio Groups Americas is five Moto Guzzi models for issues relating to the brake hoses on their anti-locking brake systems.

According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the issue stems from the brake lines rubbing against the engine’s secondary air system connect, which can result in a brake fluid leak.

The recall affects 1,139 units total of the 2016-2017 model year Moto Guzzi V7 III Racer 750, Moto Guzzi V7 III Stone 750, Moto Guzzi V7 III Special 750, Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber, and Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer motorcycles.

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Bikes

Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition Spotted in CARB Docs

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It’s official, the folks in Bologna are about to launch the Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition, the name being confirmed in emission filings made to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) this week.

The CARB document confirms a couple items for us (most notably the name of the final v-twin superbike), but it also raises some interesting questions.

For instance, the CARB document shows that the “FE” Panigale will have a 1285cc engine, just like the rest of the Ducati 1299 Panigale lineup, yet the bike will still carry the “R” badge, which is usually reserved for Ducati’s race homologation machine.

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MotoGP

Max Biaggi Continues to Recover, Leaves Hospital ICU

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The Max Biaggi continues to show progress on his recovery, with the six-time world champion finally leaving the intensive care unit at the San Camillo Hospital. The transfer occurred yesterday, which also happened to be Biaggi’s 46th birthday.

Tweeting to his fans on Twitter, the Roman Emperor said “After the time I spent in there, the most beautiful gift and get out of intensive care after 17 days. Thank you for all the birthday wishes and for all the affections received every day. Unforgettable. I love you.”

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MotoGP

US Vice President Mike Pence Slated to Speak at AIMExpo

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The annual AIMExpo is a pretty big deal for the American motorcycle industry, it being the de facto consumer and industry trade show for motorcycling, and all.

This year’s event might get some extra attention though, as Vice President Mike Pence is slated to deliver the keynote address at the trade show.

According to DealerNews, the Vice President has the event on his schedule, and has told his aides to “make it happen”. Of course, a lot can happen between now and September, when it comes to the schedule of the person who is just a heartbeat away from the presidency.

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