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Husqvarna Baja Concept Gets Closer to Reality

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When Husqvarna debuted the at the start of this year, it was tipped that the Husqvarna Baja Concept, which was modern take on the Husqvarna Cross 400, could make it into production. We rejoiced. Eleven months later, Husqvarna has returned with the Husqvarna Baja 650 Concept at the EICMA show, and the design has gone a great deal forward from its avant garde angles, to something that is a bit more rounded.

Looking like a bike that is ready for production, it wouldn’t surprise us to hear that the German-owned brand will bring the Baja to market in 2013. Based around the same 652cc BMW engine that is found in the Husqvarna Strada, the Husqvarna Baja 650 Concept uses a steel tube frame for the chassis.

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Racing

Husqvarna TE449 RR Dakar Race Bike by Speedbrain

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To be entirely honest, we don’t follow the adventure racing arena as much as we should, giving only a little bit of press to the world-famous Dakar Rally at the start of each year. So, we really can’t do justice to what Husqvarna and Speedbrain are doing with this factory-backed Husqvarna TE449 RR Dakar bike.

The photos are surprisingly detailed though, and are probably as close as you will ever get to a proper works rally machine, and Husqvarna gives a good accounting of the bike’s progression and current development. Rather than fake our own rewording of their story, read it after the jump. It’s pretty interesting.

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News

BMW Sorta Announces Air-Cooled 90th Anniversary Model

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We are barely two hours into the official start of the 2012 EICMA show, and I am already filling out the report card for BMW Motorrad: Fail. After debuting a number of machines at the INTERMOT show in Germany, zie Germans have apparently saved nothing for the show in Milan. No naked S1000RR, no Lo-Rider production models, not even an updated R1200RT with the company’s new semi-liquid-cooled boxer engine design.

In fact, the only real news to come from the BMW Group was the announcement of an upcoming announcement (no, seriously). Stating that at a latter date, the company would release details on an air-cooled model that would commemorate the 90th Anniversary of BMW Motorrad. Pure speculation, but we would expect something along the lines of an updated café racer / standard. Press release after the jump.

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Racing

MotoGP: First Shots of Rossi Back on the Yamaha YZR-M1

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Here’s one for the Rossi fans, the first photo of Valentino Rossi on-board the 1,000cc Yamaha YZR-M1 at the Valencia test (snagged by Monster Yamaha Tech 3 mechanic Steve Blackburn).

Apparently, the weather is being less than co-operative in Spain, with sprinkles of rain being reported, but that didn’t stop The Doctor from getting on-board “his” bike.

After the jump, there are 17 photos of Rossi’s maiden voyage back on the Yamaha YZR-M1 — all courtesy of photographer extraordinaire, Scott Jones.

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Bikes

2013 Bimota DB12 – The Most Expensive Multistrada Ever?

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While we wait to here the specs on the upcoming Bimota BB2, the boutique Italian firm’s rekindled collaboration with the German motorcycle manufacturer, Bimota continues to work with Ducati lumps, both of the air and liquid-cooled variety. One of the more intriguing concepts put forth at EICMA, the 2013 Bimota DB12 is an expression of an uber-exotic Ducati Multistrada 1200.

Unlike the supercharged Bimota DB11 VLX, the Bimota DB12 will remain naturally aspirated in its 160hp state, but like how the Multistrada 1200 was part of the Bologna Brand’s movement away from being solely a sport bike company, the DB12 represents the same movement for Bimota. Already showing a dirt bike at last year’s EICMA show, the 2013 Bimota DB12 is clearly the Italian brand taking a step back, and testing the waters with this design direction.

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Bikes

2013 Bimota DB11 VLX – Supercharged Italian Hotness

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Bimota is known for making some exquisite machines by taking production motors from other OEMs, and wrapping those engines in frames of Italian company’s own design. Art on two wheels, Bimota rarely strays from this formula, though when it does, something interesting usually happens. One such example is the 2013 Bimota DB11 VLX , which looks strikingly similar to the Bimota DB9 Brivido we saw at EICMA last year.

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Bikes

Hi-Res: 20 Photos of the 2013 Ducati Hypermotard

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Our favorite bike of the EICMA show so far? The 2013 Ducati Hypermotard SP, no doubt. Featuring a new 821cc Testastretta 11° DS motor, the 2013 Ducati Hypermotard and its tour-ready compatriot, the 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada bring Ducati’s maxi-motard line into the dark side of liquid-cooling.

Featuring slightly over-square cylinder dimensions, the new Ducati Hypermotard sounds like just what the doctor ordered for San Francisco’s pot-holed streets. Don’t get us started about the white color scheme on the Hypermotard SP, which is drop dead sexy. Consult a doctor before clicking past the jump.

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Bikes

Roland Sands “Hypermodifies” the 2012 Yamaha Tmax 530

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What happens when you give Southern Californian bike builder Roland Sands few instructions beyond “build something cool”? and a 2012 Yamaha Tmax 530? You get one of the most pimped out Tmax scooters ever seen…and that is saying a lot. A popular choice with bike tuners and builders in both Europe and Japan, the Yamaha Tmax 530 hasn’t caught on here in the “scooters are for girls” United States of America.

Based around a 46hp 530cc parallel-twin motor, the Tmax 530 has some pep underneath its feet-forward design. Disguised as docile scooter, the Yamaha Tmax is no stranger to shedding its clothes for some performance persusasion, and Roland Sands has tapped into that vein of the Tmax here with his build, which will debut at EICMA tomorrow.

A “hypermodified” 2012 Yamaha Tmax 530, Sands has his usual touches in the machine, which is both a tasteful and raw representation of the looming scooter apocalypse. If Mad Max rode a scooter, this might be it. We love the tan leather seat with its subtle beige stitching, and of course the “braaaaaap” of the baffle-less exhaust. More photos after the jump.

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Bikes

Leaked: 2013 KTM 390 Duke – 373cc, 43hp, EFI, A2 Ready

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The Dutch folk at Nieuwsmotor have snuck their way onto the EICMA showroom floor, snapped photos of the KTM 390 Duke kiosk, and posted the images to their blog — giving us the first proper viewing of the Austrian brand’s 373cc street-thumper. Like the 2013 Honda CBR500R, the  2013 KTM 390 Duke is setup for the A2 licensing tier in Europe, and accordingly makes 43hp @ 9.500 rpm and 26 lbs•ft of torque @ 7,250 rpm.

Complete with ABS and built in India by minority shareholder Bajaj, the 2013 KTM 390 Duke is slotted to enter the US market next year, and should be aggressively priced against the competition. For already-motorcyclists and would-be motorcyclists in the market for a cheap, but potent, small-displacement machine, next year is going to be a very good year.

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Bikes

More Photos of the 2013 Honda CBR600RR

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Judging by the temperature emanating from the Asphalt & Rubber server hard drives, the 2013 Honda CBR600RR caused quite a stir today when it broke cover ahead of the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy. Unfortunately at the time of our coverage, we only had a few side-profile photos to share with you, which really didn’t do any justice to the bike’s visual redesign efforts.

That is about to change though, as we have a few more shots, which most importantly give a good look at the Honda CBR600RR’s new mug. A more aerodynamic bodywork package (the new fairings have a 6% air-flow factor), Honda’s new RAM-air intake on the CBR600RR also helps put a little more pep in the supersport’s step. Check it out after the jump.

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