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MotoGP Freezes Development for 2020 & 2021 Seasons

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With the COVID-19 outbreak wreaking havoc on the 2020 motorcycle racing season and the global economy, the Grand Prix Commission, MotoGP’s rule-making body, has announced a raft of measures aimed at cutting costs.

The most significant change, already widely trailed, is that development of engines and aerodynamics is to be frozen for the rest of this year.

What that means in practice is that all six MotoGP factories  (Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, KTM, Suzuki, and Yamaha) will have to race in 2020 with the engines they submitted for homologation in March of this year.

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Racing

The 5+ Scenarios on When We Will Race Motorcycles Again

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Humans have a deep-seated need for certainty. Though the human experience runs the full gamut from an excess of spontaneity to rigid and unbending routine, a need for some kind of certainty, some handholds to grasp on to as we make our way through the world. Motorcycle racing fans, as humans, are no different.

So it is unsurprising that people – fans, journalists, team managers, mechanics, etc – have responded to every piece of news about the COVID-19 outbreak by making more or less bold predictions about when racing might resume.

The latest news – that Germany has extended its ban on large-scale events until August 31st, meaning that the MotoGP round at the Sachsenring set for June 21st, and the WorldSBK round at Oschersleben, due to take place on the weekend of August 2nd will both have to be either rescheduled or canceled – has been no different.

Everyone seems keen to make bold predictions of exactly what will happen next.

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Bikes

KTM 890 Duke R Coming to the USA with a $11,700 Price Tag

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Want some good news to start your weekend? Thank your favorite Austrian motorcycle brand, because the KTM 890 Duke R is not only coming to America, but it will be here (in limited numbers) very, very soon.

This is because KTM North America has been able to import a small number of KTM 890 Duke R motorcycles into the United States, which will be ready for purchase in Spring 2020, instead of Fall 2020 (as 2021 model year bikes) as was originally planned.

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MotoGP

What the Delayed Start to the 2020 Season Means to MotoGP

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On Sunday, at 6pm, the desert night will erupt in a cacophony of sound, as Grand Prix motorcycle racing gets underway for the start of the 2020 season.

But it won’t be the vicious bellow of MotoGP machines that will shatter the desert silence; instead, the more modest howl (118 dB compared to 130 dB of the MotoGP bikes) of the Triumph triple-engined Moto2 machines will scream away from the lights and around the floodlit track.

It wasn’t meant to be that way, of course. The Moto2 machines were supposed to race an hour and forty minutes earlier, their original start time planned for 4:20pm local time.

Now, it will be the Moto3 riders starting their race at that time, and not the 3pm slot originally scheduled. The MotoGP machines will be sitting in packing crates, waiting to be shipped to the next race.

As I write this, it is not entirely clear where that will be. It might be Austin, Texas, unless the US authorities impose further restrictions.

It might be Termas De Rio Honda, in Argentina, unless the Argentinian government changes its mind about allowing entry from Italy, or Japan, or anywhere else. It might even be Jerez, if international air travel is subject to sudden and extreme restrictions.

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Bikes

Mega Gallery: Ducati Panigale V4 S Circa 2020 at Bahrain

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Is there too much coronavirus in your motorcycle inbox?  Have you shot a complete stranger a dirty look because they sneezed in public? Are you doing that ridiculous foot greeting thing instead of shaking hands?

Let’s take a break from what will surely become the zombie apocalypse, and allow us this two-wheeled distraction designed to get your pulse racing in a way that won’t land you in quarantine zone.

Accordingly, we have over 100 high-resolution photos of the 2020 Ducati Panigale V4 to drool over, straight from the bike’s launch at the Bahrain International Circuit.

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Bikes

Here Are Our First Looks at the 2020 KTM RC16 MotoGP Race Bikes

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The MotoGP season is closing ever nigh, and we know this because KTM just debuted its two teams in the MotoGP Championship, while giving us a glimpse at its 2020 machinery.

For a treat, we can see that the 2020 KTM RC16 stands out from its predecessor by its larger, more oval and more central air intake. The aerodynamics package on the machine continues to evolve as well, as KTM tries to spend its way to the front of the timesheets.

Mechanical bits aside, one of the highlights from the 2020 launch is the new livery (and quasi-new sponsor) for the Tech3 KTM squad, which is hocking Red Bull’s new cola product with a fetching orange, white, and blue livery.

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Bikes

A Cheaper Triumph Street Triple R Has Arrived

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It didn’t arrive to the biggest fanfare, but the 2020 Triumph Street Triple R has the potential to upend the middleweight sport bike market with its arrival, as the British marque has packed a lot of value into this three-cylindered machine.

On the spec-sheet, not too much has changed – the Triumph Street Triple R still makes 116hp and 57 lbs•ft of torque, but the real talking point is the $10,500 MSRP, which is $100 less than 2019’s best-in-class KTM 790 Duke.

If you think it is a coincidence that the Triumph has price the Street Triple R just under the KTM, you would be sorely mistaken, and the Brits are hoping that a fewer dollars, a robust feature package, and a unique triple should get riders’ attention.

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MotoGP

Repsol Honda Unveils the Same MotoGP Color Scheme as Always

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You have to give credit to the factory Honda MotoGP team, they are true pillars of consistency, and have shown a strong commitment to using the same livery over, over, and over again each year.

Now, there is nothing wrong with this…per se. Good branding scholars will tell you the value of an iconic and unchanged marque, and having the same design on their race bikes certainly makes it easy on fans.

However, when it comes to launching your team for the next season, it creates the problem of people asking, “why should we care?”

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