Episode 26 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and as always, it is packed with some interesting motorcycle discussions.
In this show, we continue our European adventure from Episode 25, and talk about riding two very interesting motorcycles, as well as what’s going on at Ducati and MV Agusta.
A continuation of the info dump from Pierer Mobility, where an investor presentation is spilling the Austrian company’s future plans for the KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas brand, our next news items concerns the bikes from Husky.
Like with the KTM news, the big headline revelation is the coming 490 platform, which for Husqvarna will be called the 501 lineup.
As we saw with the orange bikes, the blue and white bikes of Husqvarna see a wide range of uses for the upcoming twin-cylinder 500cc engine.
There is a treasure trove of information coming out of the Pierer Mobility group today, as the Austrian conglomerate has posted an investor presentation to its website, which tips more than a few upcoming models and ideas.
As such, we will be diving through all the information that has become available, and first up is the product road map for the KTM motorcycle lineup, which confirms the rumors we have been hearing about a 490 platform.
Known better for its self-balancing standing two-wheeled vehicles, Segway is brand to watch in the electric mobility space righ now, as it continues to push into more establish mobility sectors.
For instance, the brand had a convincing electric mountain bike / moped on display at EICMA, and now as we get ready for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, Segway has another model designed to get our attention: the Apex concept.
Even before we saw the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade in all its glory at EICMA, we knew that the newest superbike from Japan would not be cheap, with our Bothan spies tipping that a major price hike was in the works.
Though there have been some hints that this rumor was true – most notably that American Honda was not bringing in the base model CBR1000RR-R, opting to keep the CBR1000RR base model instead – the smoking gun regarding Honda’s pricing strategy hadn’t revealed its…until now.
This is because we have just received the first official price tag for the 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, with the United Kingdom pricing the base model at £19,999 and the SP model at £23,499.
Episode 125 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is another MotoGP show, as we finish our grand prix coverage for the year.
In this episode, we have Steve English, Neil Morrison, and David Emmett on the mics, as the trio discusses the big talking points from the 2019 MotoGP Championship.
Of course, the main purpose of the show is to look back on the 2019 season, with the guys talking about their top riders and favorite moments from the season.
The MotoAmerica grid continues to dwindle in the superbike class, as rumors of Yoshimura Suzuki’s departure were finally made true this week.
The news is shocking in meaning, but perhaps not shocking in surprise, as there have been murmurs of the factory-backed squad leaving the series for a better part of this year (the most notable coming from Ben Spies).
Now out in the open, the move sees Team Hammer taking over as the official team for Suzuki (now called Team Hammer Suzuki), which helps the Japanese brand save some face in terms of keeping its support in the America series, but the reality is that the MotoAmerica Superbike grid will have one less high-level team on the starting line next year.
Piaggio Group Americas is recalling certain 2019 Vespa GTV 300, 2019 Vespa GTS 300, and 2020 Vespa GTS 300 HPE scooters because of issues with their braking system. In total, there are 1,328 units affected by this recall in the United States.
According to recall documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the J.Juan brake lines on the affected models may have been improperly galvanized, and thus may allow hydrogen to be released into the brake fluid.
The MV Agusta Rush 1000 was a surprise for us in several ways, at the EICMA show in Milan. For starters, the machine arrived the Monday night before the opening of the trade show, and after MV Agusta had already announced its 2020 models.
But then there is also the bike itself, which is styled to be extremely provocative. It is clear, when you are a small design-focused manufacturer that is used to selling limited edition motorcycles, you can find it easier to take risks.
Whether you love or hate the MV Agusta Rush 1000 (I happen to quite like the machine), you have to give the Varese brand its credit – they have no problem taking chances.
Usually, it is the Ducati Diavel family that has issues with its kickstands, but today’s recall focuses on the 2018 lineup of Ducati Multistrada 1260 motorcycles.
As such, Ducati North America is recalling certain 2018 Ducai Multistrada 1260, 1260S, and Pikes Peak motorcycles – 493 units in total – because the side stand may be improperly welded, and potentially could break.
If you own a 2019 Triumph Speed Triple RS, you should heed this latest recall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as the popular street bike is being recalled for its quickshifter assembly.
The issue stems from the Triumph Shift Assist (TSA) feature, the body of which may contact the gear change linkage clamp assembly, and interfere with gear changes, possibly resulting in a missed gear or false neutral.
If this condition occurs, it may lead to a loss of acceleration. A loss of acceleration without warning may lead to an increased risk of a crash. Hence, the recall.