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Asphalt & Rubber
KTM’s Stefan Pierer Gobbles Up 25% of MV Agusta
News

KTM’s Stefan Pierer Gobbles Up 25% of MV Agusta

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The BMW M1000RR Superbike Takes Another Step Forward for 2023
Bikes

The BMW M1000RR Superbike Takes Another Step Forward for 2023

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The BMW S1000RR Gets Wings and Updates for the 2023 Model Year
Bikes

The BMW S1000RR Gets Wings and Updates for the 2023 Model Year

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Racing

2011 Honda RC212V – Not All Bikes Are Created Equally

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Repsol Honda made its 2011 MotoGP season debut today, showing off its three-man team of Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner, and Andrea Dovizioso, along with the 2011 Honda RC212V, which will compete against the Yamaha YZR-M1 and Ducati Desmosedici GP11. An oddity in the GP paddock, HRC will field the three riders under one roof, having wooed Stoner away from Ducati after the Australian rider and Italian team had spilled bad blood in the 2009 season.

While Stoner was originally supposed to have his own team, presumably under the Red Bull banner, Repsol finally stepped up to the plate with its pocketbook when the Red Bull deal failed to materialize. Having three top riders in one team left some doubts as to how Honda was going to manage its talented rider pool, and a cursory look at the different machines that each rider will field sheds some light on the subject.

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Paul Sr. Quietly Selling Bikes from His Personal Collection

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Using the account of OCC Head Assembly and Technician Supervisor Nicholas Hansford to list the bikes, it looks like at least two more motorcycles (maybe an A&R reader can help us identify them) are set to go up for sale. While Hansford has a video of the BSA B33 sitting in his YouTube channel, two other unlisted bikes (another BSA and a Norton) are included in the channel with video titles labeled “bikes for sale.”

News

Spy Shots: Brammo Empulse RR Testing at Thunderhill

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Gategrashing Brammo’s test at Thunderhill Raceway with the Empulse RR, A&R got an exclusive look at one of Orgeon’s fastest electric race bikes as it tackled one of our favorite tracks here in Northern California. Greeted by Brammo’s Director of Product Development Brian Wismann, who was shaking his head upon our arrival, and muttering something about someone posting the session’s schedule online, Wismann graciously allowed A&R to stick around for the remaining day’s sessions, while Brammo’s CEO Craig Bramscher definitively removed us from his Christmas card list.

Racing

Norton Working on 1,000cc V4 for MotoGP

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Norton, the Lazarus of motorcycling, continues to gain steam with its MotoGP project, as the latest news is that the British company is working on a 1,000cc V4 for its racing platform, which will debut in 2012 when the pinnacle of motorcycle racing reverts back to a liter bike capacity. MCN has snagged a CAD drawing of a Norton V4 motor that presumably is for the new GP bike. Initially the MotoGP race bike was expected to lay the tracks for a production sportbike, which could bode well for Norton fans who wanted something more than just a run-of-the-mill inline-four.

News

Motorcycle Porn: Mission R Swingarm by Speedymoto

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The Mission R electric superbike by Mission Motors is one of those motorcycles that looks great by itself in a photo, and then looks even better once you see it in person. Up-close it is easier to appreciate the finer details that went into making the Mission R, like the all-carbon “fuel tank” and battery enclosure, the chrome-moly trellis frame, and of course the single-piece billet aluminum swingarm that was produced by Speedymoto. Machined down to single-sided perfection, Speedymoto started the Mission R’s swingarm from a single piece of aluminum billet that weighed 80 lbs, while the finished product weighs only 18.8 lbs with the slider for the chain tensioner/wheelbase adjuster installed.

News

Orange County Choppers Facing Foreclosure

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According to the Long Island Press, OCC has missed several mortgage payments: one for $96,400 and another for $14,000. Financed through GE Capital, Orange County Chopper’s failure of payment is reportedly not because of a lack of funds (this seems somewhat dubious however, but we digress), but because of the loan agreement’s terms and payment amounts. Regardless of the reasons as to why, GE has filed for foreclosure against Orange County Choppers, and if unresolved would mean the likely end to the Teutul custom chopper business.