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Ducati Monster 1200 Gets a Bevy of Updates for 2017

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At the 2016 EICMA show, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said that so many changes had come to the 2017 Ducati Monster 1200 line, that the updated motorcycles were effectively all-new machines.

We are not so certain about that, but you cannot deny that the Monster 1200 gets a sizable update for the 2017 model year.

At the head of those changes is a revised Testastretta 11° DS v-twin engine for the 2017 Ducati Monster 1200 and 2017 Ducati Monster 1200 S, which makes 150hp and 93 lbs•ft of torque.

As a result, this means that the base model Ducati Monster 1200 gets a 15hp increase, while the Ducati Monster 1200 S gets a 5hp bump. The Monster 1200 R continues to lead the line with its 160hp unit, and all three Monster 1200 variants are now Euro4 compliant.

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Racing

2017 American Flat Track Calendar Released

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The 2017 calendar for the newly rebranded American Flat Track racing series has been released. The 18-round schedule traverses the USA, with four different race track varieties: (6) mile-long tracks, (7) half-mile track, (2) short-track courses, and (3) TT type courses.

2017 also sees American Flat Track using a new class structure, with the premier class is the AFT Twins class, comprised of two-cylinder motorcycles with displacements ranging from 650cc to 999cc. There will also be an AFT Singles class for upcoming riders, which will be based on 450cc single-cylinder bikes.

With plenty of opportunities through the year, and through out the country, we supremely suggest you attend an American Flat Track round this coming season. We think you will find it highly satisfying to your two-wheeled inclinations.

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MotoGP

Aprilia RS-GP Dresses in (RED) for the Valencia GP

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When you watch the Valencia GP this weekend, keep an eye out for a pair of strikingly red motorcycles on the track, piloted by Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl.

This is because their Aprilia RS-GP race bikes will be sporting a special (RED) livery, supporting the charity that fights acquired immune deficiency syndrome – better known as AIDS.

A disease that once generated massive headlines in the United States in the 1980s, now for many in the western world, AIDS is no longer the specter it once was.

Modern antiviral treatments can reduce the presence of AIDS in affected patients to below detectable levels, thus making AIDS a chronic instead of terminal disease, and which allows patients to lead mostly full and normal lives.

However in other countries, AIDS is still very much a death sentence once it is contracted, with access to life-saving medication incredibly more difficult to acquire, and prevention efforts woefully inadequate.

Over 37 million people worldwide are currently infected with AIDS, with 2 million more contracting the disease with each passing year – many of them in Africa. (RED) aims to change that epidemic, and has contributed $360 million to the stop of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in the region.

Hopefully with the help of Aprilia and the MotoGP Championship this weekend, even more support can be channeled to this worthy cause.

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Bikes

You Want This BMW R1200GS Adventure Made of Legos

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Here we have a BMW R1200GS Adventure that finally everyone can afford. Teaming up with the great minds at Lego, BMW Motorrad has helped to create a Lego Technic model of the BMW R1200GS Adventure.

The set comes with 603 pieces, measures 18cm by 33cm by 10cm, and faithfully reproduces the venerable adventure-tourer, right down to its adjustable windscreen, Telelver front wheel suspension, rear wheel shaft drive, and moving boxer-twin engine.

Just in time for the holiday season, we imagine more adults than kids will be looking for this set of Legos.

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Bikes

Up-Close with the Ducati 1299 Superleggera

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The Ducati 1299 Superleggera is easily the bike of the 2016 EICMA show, and it is the first production motorcycle with a carbon fiber chassis.

On top of that accolade, the 1299 Superleggera is the lightest and most powerful superbike ever created by Ducati, making 220hp and weighing 162kg at the curb, when the track-only race kit is installed.

Every detail of the Ducati 1299 Superleggera serves the purpose of making the motorcycle faster, and each piece has been shaved to find ever ounce possible in weight savings. It helps too that the Ducati 1299 Superleggera is a looker too.

As such, we have some up-close photos of the Ducati 1299 Superleggera, for those who cannot experience the machine in the flesh. Enjoy!

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MotoGP

Paddock Pass Podcast #41 – Phillip Island & Sepang

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It has been a hectic few weeks with the flyaway races, for the Paddock Pass Podcast crew, but David Emmett and Neil Morrison finally were able to sit down in a room with some microphones and record Episode 41, which covers the Australian GP and Malaysian GP.

David and Neil go through two very busy race weeks for the MotoGP paddock, including a good discussion about Cal Crutchlow’s win at Phillip Island and Andrea Dovizioso’s well-earned victory at Sepang.

The boys also talk about the conclusion to the 2016 Moto2 Championship, won by Johann Zarco. There is also some Moto3 news sprinkled into the mix as well.

It’s a two-hour show, so grab a beverage, find a comfy seat, clear your headphones and give it a listen. We think you’ll enjoy the show, as we head into the final race of the season, at Valencia.

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

2017 Aprilia Shiver 900 – There’s No Replacement…

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There is no replacement for displacement, as the old saying goes. That is the thought behind the 2017 Aprilia Shiver 900, as well. Like the Aprilia Dorsoduro 900, which also debuted at EICMA, the Aprilia Shiver 900 gets an engine and electronics upgrade for the 2017 model year.

The new 896cc 90° v-twin engine is a stroked out version of the old 750cc motor (stroke increased from 56.4mm to 67.4mm), which allows Aprilia to meet Euro4 emission standards, while keeping performance specs more or less the same.

To that vein, peak horsepower is now 95hp at 8,750 rpm, while peak torque is 66 lbs•ft at 6,600 rpm. Other changes for the 2017 Aprilia Shiver 900 include a new smoother ride-by-wire throttle, three-level traction control, and dual-channel ABS brakes.

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Bikes

Bigger Is Better, Behold the 2017 Aprilia Dorsoduro 900

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For the 2017 model year, the Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 gets an upgrade to 900cc, making it the 2017 Aprilia Dorsoduro 900. Aprilia says that the new 896cc 90° v-twin engine is a stroked out version of the 750cc motor (from 56.4mm to 67.4mm), which allows Aprilia to meet Euro4 emission standards while also giving the Dorsoduro 750 a much-needed upgrade.

Despite the 150cc increase in displacement, the 2017 Aprilia Dorsoduro 900 makes only an additional 3hp, with peak power now set at 95hp at 8,750 rpm.

While that change in horsepower is underwhelming, there is somewhat better news to be found in the torque curve, which sees a 6 lbs•ft torque increase, for 66 lbs•ft at 6,600 rpm.

Aprilia says that the torque curve for the Dorsoduro 900 is flatter than that of Dorsoduro 750, and at all rpm points higher. That is at least modestly reassuring.

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Bikes

Up-Close with the KTM 790 Duke Prototype

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One of the machines that caught our eye at this year’s EICMA show in Milan is the KTM 790 Duke Prototype. Powered by an all-new 800cc parallel-twin engine that’s being developed by the Austrian brand, the KTM 790 Duke adds an interesting dimension to the Duke line of street bikes.

Fitting in between the single-cylinder KTM 690 Duke and the v-twin powered KTM 1290 Super Duke R, the KTM 790 Duke with its parallel-twin engine will hopefully provide riders with something neither of the other two machines provides.

Still, we are curious to see how KTM handles such an impacted lineup of street-hooning machines, especially as the 800cc market moves more towards a 900cc format, something the Husqvarna Nuda 900R designers understood. As with the Nuda, thinking outside of the 270° crankshaft angle might be of benefit for KTM.

Looking at the photos from EICMA, the design of the KTM 790 Duke prototype is striking, though we should expect as much from the folks at KISKA, especially after seeing the KTM 1290 Super Duke R prototype from a few years ago.

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Bikes

2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR – The Bike We Asked For

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When we rode the MV Agusta Brutale 800 earlier this year, we called it the best motorcycle ever to come out of Varese, Italy. The current Brutale 800 is finally a motorcycle that comes from fully baked from the MV Agusta factory, and it shows what the Italian company can accomplish.

Riding through the MV Agusta Brutale 800 at the press launch, our only lament was our desire for more power from the 800cc three-cylinder engine. Thankfully, the Italians have heard our request.

Debuting at the EICMA show in Milan, the 2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR comes with all the refinements we praised in the Brutale 800 model, and adds a 140hp peak power figure to the mix (63 lbs•ft @ 10,100 rpm), along with new forged wheels and updated electronics.

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Bikes

Watch the Ducati 1299 Superleggera Shred a Race Track

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The Ducati 1299 Superleggera is a truly amazing motorcycle. With its carbon fiber chassis, 215hp engine, and state-of-the-art electronics, the Ducati 1299 Superleggera represents everything that the Italian brand is capable of achieving within the superbike format.

More importantly though, the Ducati 1299 Superleggera represents all that the Italian brand can achieve, when it decides to do so. That’s an interesting point to remember with this limited edition machine, as you watch it rip around a race track.

The Ducati 1299 Superleggera’s creation doesn’t come about from some loophole in the rules to some racing organization. It doesn’t exist because it will an incredibly profitable endeavor for Borgo Panigale.

Instead, the Ducati 1299 Superleggera simply is because it can be. It is a line in the sand for Ducati, showing what the Italian brand is capable of creating. If this sounds like hyperbole, it should. We are off the charts now, and in new waters.

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