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Suzuki Confirms Single-Rider Team for 2011

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After much hemming and hawing, Suzuki has finally committed to fielding only a single rider for the 2011 season. There has been much speculation that Suzuki would have only Alvaro Bautista at the helm of the Suzuki GSV-R next year, but Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta made it very clear that he was going to keep Suzuki to its commitment to field two bikes in MotoGP.

Suzuki seems to be taking its chances with Dorna’s legal threats though, and rumors suggest that the Japanese company has struck a deal with the MotoGP rights holder that extends its MotoGP involvement in exchange for this contractual concession.

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Racing

Official Moto3 Regulations Finally Released

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Announced at Valencia this weekend, the GP Commission has finally released the details on the upcoming Moto3 class, which will replace 125GP racing in 2012. Based around a four-stroke 250cc single-cylinder motor with an 81mm maximum bore size, Moto3 aims to reel in the spiraling costs of GP racing, with numerous provisions that are designed to limit how much money teams and manufacturers can sink into the sport to buy victory.

Perhaps the biggest provision designed to help lower the cost of GP racing’s intro class is the spec-ECU rule, which sees teams limited on the level of electronics they can implement, and institutes a hard-cap on the engine’s maximum RPM (14,000 RPM). With multiple manufacturers able to offer motors and chassis for the racing class, Moto3 should be more open thatn the single-motor Moto2 series. The GP Commission has included a laundry list of other provisions, you can find them bullet-pointed after the jump.

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Racing

Randy de Puniet Signs on with Pramac Ducati for 2011

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A&R Patron Saint, Randy de Puniet confirmed this weekend at Valencia that he has signed with the Pramac Ducati team for the 2011 season. Making his announcement at the conclusion of Saturday’s qualifying session, de Puniet is the second-to-last unconfirmed rider for next season, as now everyone waits to hear Gresini Honda’s confirmation of Hiroshi Aoyama to its quasi-satellite team.

The Gresini squad is likely waiting for the Repsol Honda team to confirm how it will handle having three marquis riders under one tent, as HRC has signed Dani Pedorsa, Casey Stoner, and Andrea Dovizioso. At one point there was talk of having Dovi take a seat in Gresini, with the promise of factory support from HRC.

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Racing

Video: Valentino Rossi on “His M1”

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We’ve got a special treat for you this Friday as Yamaha Racing has released a video that talks about the evolution of the YZR-M1 over the past seven seasons, which is narrated by The Doctor himself. Valentino Rossi and his team were integral to the success of Yamaha, turning what was considered to be the worst bike in the paddock into the star it is today. Giving a great account of each bike’s progress over the next, Rossi points out each model’s strengths and weaknesses, and what each M1 meant to him. Grab a beverage and enjoy the video after the jump.

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News

More Photos of the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R

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If you are like us, you were left wanting more when the first images of the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R leaked ahead of its EICMA debut. It is hard to imagine how KTM could improve upon the RC8 R platform, but the Austrian company did so anyways, upping the performance level to 175hp, while adding some hot new color schemes for 2011. If you have the means to afford one, we highly recommend picking up this v-twin monster – it’s simply superb. Check out the 18 photos after the jump, and bring a washcloth.

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Racing

Davide Brivio Out of Yamaha, Maio Meregalli In

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Yamaha Racing announced this week that Davide Brivio, the Team Manager for Valentino Rossi’s side of the garage, will be leaving the team at the end of the season. Taking on a management role in Rossi’s VR46 brand, Brivio will be replaced by Massimo “Maio” Meregalli, the former factory Yamaha World Superbike team manager. Meregalli’s appointment to the position likely has to to with the entry of Ben Spies into the factory team, as he and Spies reportedly became close during the Texan’s WSBK stint with Yamaha.

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News

Gone Riding: Yamaha Super Ténéré

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Things will be a little slow on A&R today, as we’re in Arizona testing the new Yamaha Super Ténéré. We already put 70 miles on Yamaha’s adventure tourer yesterday, and today’s route will take us on 200+ miles of mostly road, with a few dirt sections. You can follow our thoughts on the bike via Twitter, although admittedly they may come in spurts as there is limited cell phone reception here in Sedona (cell towers have been replaced with breathtaking views of mesas and desert). Some press photos of the Super T after the break should tide you over until our ride report.

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News

Mission R – Mission Motors Teases Its 2nd-Gen Racer

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Mission Motors is teasing the silhouette of its new Mission R race bike, which is set to go racing in 2011. While details are scarce on the Mission R’s technical aspects, we’ve been told that the new design looks very promising, and is more palatable visually to a larger audience than the original Mission One. It doesn’t take much for us to guess some aspects of the Mission R though, as Mission Motors was on-hand for Specialty Equipment Marketing Association show (SEMA) this week (you know that other industry trade show that’s going on), with a bevy of announcements.

The most prominent piece of news from the San Franciscan-based company is that it is making available its proprietary electric drive system, which will come from a special group inside the company, dubbed MissionEVT, which is focused on bringing EV tech to other companies and applications beyond motorcycles.

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Racing

Aleix Espargaró Steps Down to Moto2

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Another one bites the dust as Aleix Espargaró will leave MotoGP after this weekend, and begin his next season’s preparations with Sito Pons’s Tenerife 40 Pons Racing Moto2 Team. The move leaves another seat open at Pramac Ducati, which will surely be filled by Randy de Puniet next year, as Hiroshi Aoyama is more than likely to take the empty Gresini Honda spot. De Puniet will join Loris Capirossi, who has made the switch from the Rizla Suzuki team, which will be in-turn fielding only one bike in 2011.

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Bikes

Honda Mid Concept – Is This The Year of the Scooter?

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Want further proof that the maxiscooter segments is poised to move in the next five years? Honda has also released its own take on the crossover market segment that sits between scooters and motorcycles, dubbed the Honda Mid Concept. With the upright and feet-forward sitting position of a scooter, but the 17″ wheels, dual-clutch transmission, and Pro-Link suspension of a Honda motorcycle, the Honda Mid Concept is another stab at looking for vehicles that fit the wants and needs of future motorcyclist and commuters.

It seems pretty apparent by now that motorcycle manufacturers foresee gasoline prices increasing over the coming years, as the finite resource becomes increasingly scarce. With transportation in urban settings already drastically changing (try driving into downtown London sometime), motorcycle companies are looking for practical, yet sophisticated responses to our transportation needs. Enter the maxiscooter segment.

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