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Help Name That KTM 125

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KTM is looking for some help in naming its 125 Race and 125 Stunt bikes that were debuted at the 2009 EICMA show. When we saw these bikes launched in Milan, we couldn’t help but want one…even if they’re targeted towards kids. Knowing that the Austrian company’s relatively bland naming nomenclature isn’t likely to resonate with the kids of today, KTM is looking for some insight on how to capture this younger audience, and if they pick your entry you can claim a 125 Race or Stunt bike for your very own.

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News

Hello Kitty Oil – Yes, You Read That

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Branding can be a tricky trade, especially when it comes to putting your mark on someone else’s product. The optimal goal is to find partnerships where both products benefit from being associated with each other. For Agip, the Italian gasoline and oil company, the obvious perfect partnership is one with Hello Kitty, the cute white cat that does $1 billion in business each year. After all, who doesn’t like their 11 year-old Japanese girls mixed with three liters of motor lubricant? Oh yes, we went there.

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Bikes

Honda VFR1200F Concept Sketches

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At the American press launch of the 2010 Honda VFR1200F we got our dirty little mits on a bevy of information about the new sport-tourer from Honda. As we dive through the information this week, and tell you our thoughts on Honda’s flagship motorcycle, we thought we’d start off with how the 2010 Honda VFR1200F came about, from concept to conception. Check out the renders after the jump.

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News

MotoGP Television Viewership Drops with Rossi Gone

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The British GP was the first full GP weekend without The Doctor present to charm the television with his media moxie (did we mention his crash was “worth” $8 million?), and as such we get our first glimpse into what the repercussions are for MotoGP with Rossi out of commission. Checking TV viewership, MotoGP’s stop at Silverstone saw a 20% decline in total viewership when compared to the last two GP’s at Jerez and Le Mans. The result is that advertisers in some markets are asking the local stations that cover MotoGP to readjust there viewership claims and media rates to account for the loss of audience.

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Banter

Aprilia: Victories Trump Tablecloths

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Aprilia USA has tapped Hell for Leather and Tangent Vector to help them market the 2010 Aprilia RSV4 sport bike in a three-part video clip series. First up is a response to the BMW tablecloth trick video, which went viral on YouTube three months ago. Deciding to rest its laurels on its World Superbike doubles at Miller Motorsports Park, Monza, and Portimao, instead of cheap parlor tricks, Aprilia is clearly poking BMW in the eye with this video response. Check it out after the jump.

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Racing

Aoyama Out For Dutch TT After Silverstone Highside

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At Silverstone this weekend, the infamous highside crash has claimed another rider: Hiroshi Aoyama. After crashing during the warm-up session, Aoyama was eventually taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where it was confirmed that the Japanese rider had fractured his T12 vertebra. Aoyama will be moved to Barcelona, Spain tomorrow, where he’ll see another specialist and get a second opinion on how to treat his condition.

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Racing

The British GP as Seen by Scott Jones Photography

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One of the special things we’ve been working on here at Asphalt & Rubber is bringing our dear readers better race coverage, especially from MotoGP. As a part of this efforts, we’ll be featuring some of the best shots photographer Scott Jones takes while galavanting around at some of the finest tracks in the world.

He’s got game, he’s got moxy, and once we even saw Scott take a little girl’s ice cream so he could truly capture “disappointment” on film. In essence, he’s the photographer we wish we could be. Check out his photos from the British GP after the jump.

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Racing

Stoner’s Mechanics Given Notice

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GPweek.com is reporting that Casey Stoner’s mechanics in the Marlboro Ducati garage have been warned “that they may have to seek new employment for next season.” If true, this is a strong indication that Ducati does not expect the Australian GP Champion to return to the Italian team for the 2011 season. While many sources are quick to make the link that this means Rossi is inbound to the Ducati team, we’re still hesitant to subscribe to that faulty logic.

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Bikes

Ducati 999 Testastretta Beach Racer

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Do you ever feel like your Ducati Superbike 999 just doesn’t go all the places you want to go? Are you more of a go anywhere, do anything sort of motorcyclist, but think GS-series BMW’s are for wussies? Have you ever killed a man just to watch him die? If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, then the Ducati 999 Testastretta Beach Racer might just be the all-purpose two-wheeler just for you.

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Bikes

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R Teaser & Concept

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Kawasaki has released a glimpse to its all new 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R sport bike with this concept sketch. While it’s hard to say how closely the production bike will be to this still artistic sketch, we do know the new 2011 ZX-10R will have a new motor, new frame, and new suspension.

After holding-off on bringing us new sport bikes for 2010, Kawasaki seems ready to gear up for production again (another sign the economy is getting better), and has seemingly re-done the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R from the ground up. Promo video after the jump.

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