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Jensen Beeler

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This Honda CBR750RR Concept Looks Very, Very Nice

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With all the talk of the possibility of a new Honda CBR600RR-R supersport debuting later this year (we are still dubious, but going with it so far), one intrepid soul has wondered what a 750cc variant might look like.

The 750cc sport bike category is an interesting one, since they typically don’t have a home when it comes to racing, but provide the best of both worlds for those who think that a track day is a good use of a weekend.

Light and nimble like a 600, but with the brawn closer to a 1000cc, the category is defined by the Suzuki GSX-R750 and currently lead (in our opinion) by the Ducati Panigale V2.

With bikes like the MV Agusta F3 800 and Triumph Daytona Moto2 765, the segment has no shortage of potent and intriguing motorcycles. So, could Honda fit in as well?

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Dirt

Behold the Honda CB650R Rally by Honda Wingmotor

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That the Honda CB650R and its ilk make for excellent custom motorcycles should be an established fact by this point in time. Honda Motor Europe has prove this point extensively with its bevy of customs over the years.

So, it does not surprise us to see that the Japanese brand’s operations on the Iberian peninsula are using the CB as the basis for a custom bike build competition. What does surprise us though are some of the entries, as they are truly unique.

Take for instance this example, dubbed the Honda CB650R Rally. It’s done by Honda Wingmotor in Lisbon, Portugal, and as the name implies, it is a rally raid interpretation of the venerable street bike.

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Bikes

The Aprilia RS250 SP Is Coming to the USA After All

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Good news if you are a small-displacement racing fan, as the Aprilia RS250 SP will not just be a European affair, as we get word today that the 250cc track bike will be coming to the USA as well. 

Interestingly enough, the Aprilia RS250 SP will not make its way across the pond via the Piaggio Group, but instead Rise Moto – the Ohvale distributer for the United States – will be importing the machine.

That shouldn’t be too much of a surprise for those who are in the loop on how the Aprilia RS250 SP came to be (and of course you are, as you religiously read Asphalt & Rubber every day).

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Bikes

Ducati Adds More Graffiti with the Mid-Range Hypermotard 950 RVE

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Starting in July, Ducati will have a new Hypermotard 950 variant for you to chose from, as the Italian brand has just announced the Ducati Hypermotard 950 RVE.

The new “RVE” model is a spitting image of the Ducati Hypermotard 950 concept that we saw last year at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, which got rave reviews from us and many others.

Interestingly enough though, the Hypermotard 950 RVE is built off the base model Hypermotard, adding the unique graphics package of the concept, as well as an up/down quickshifter that comes as standard on the “SP” variant.

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News

Adrian Morton Out as Design Director for MV Agusta

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A bit of a shakeup coming from Italy this week, as we get news that Adrian Morton will no longer be MV Agusta’s Design Director – working out of the Castiglioni Research Center (CRC) in Rimini, Italy.

Ending 20 years of work at the Italian brand, the news is surely to come as a disappointment for fans of MV Agusta, as Morton was the man behind the styling of the MV Agusta three-cylinder lineup, including the highly regarded F3 supersport and Brutale naked motorcycles.

Morton was also responsible for the Turismo Veloce, Rivale, RVS #1, and most recently the Superveloce 800, Brutale 1000, and Rush 1000. He is also known as the man behind the lust-worthy designs of the Benelli Tornado and Benelli TnT motorcycles.

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Bikes

KTM 790 Cafe Racer Concept by SKK AutoDesign

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When it comes to using platforms for motorcycle design, KTM is definitely the brand at the top of the game – they launched a whole separate brand using KTM bikes as their basis, after all.

Husqvarna digs aside, the Austrians are very skillful at building a variety of motorcycles from a single power plant, the 790cc line being a prime example of this

The KTM 790 Duke is our pick for sport bikes on the market, and the KTM 790 Adventure is head-and-shoulders above anything else in its category when it comes to off-road ADV bikes.

We know from investor documents that KTM has more 790/890 bikes in the pipe, the most likely of which is a 17″ shod SMT version with long-travel suspension. But, what if the company had a neo-café racer in mind?

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Live Chat

Come Join Us for a Live Chat on YouTube with Joe Karvonen of Kramer Motorcycles USA

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Continuing our live chat video series on YouTube with members of the motorcycle industry, on Monday, June 15th at 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT, Asphalt & Rubber will be sitting down with Joe Karvonen, of Kramer Motorcycles USA

As usual for our live chats, I will of course have some questions of my own for Joe, but we want to make the show interactive, so we will be taking questions from the audience as well.

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Podcast

Paddock Pass Podcast #148 – Silly Season Starts

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Episode 148 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one dives into the rapidly evolving silly season in the MotoGP paddock.

As such, this episode sees David Emmett, Steve English, and Neil Morrison on the microphones, sharing their news and perspectives on what is going on inside grand prix racing.

At the core of the show is the rumor that Pol Espargaro will be headed to the Repsol Honda garage for the 2021 season, replacing Alex Marquez in the factory team.

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News

Have You Ever Wanted to Own a Race Track in Oregon?

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Have you ever wanted to own your own race track? Do you have $10 million burning a hold in your pocket? Then we have a deal for you, as the Oregon Raceway Park (ORP) in Grass Valley, Oregon is for sale.

The 2.34-mile road course has multiple configurations and can be run in either direction. Sitting on a 434-acre plot of land (100 acres are still undeveloped), there is plenty of room for growth, which might be a good idea considering the lack of facilities present at the circuit and its remote location.

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