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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. Rumors had swelled that Spanish MotoGP hopeful Inmotec, who consistently fails to get its bike on the GP grid, could link up with Norton, likely in helping the British firm design its motor.

We don’t know if that partnership ever materialized, but 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.

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Here’s One for the MV Agusta Fans

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If you’re a lover of all things Italian (MV Agusta‘s in particular), and near the Midland, Michigan area, then you should stop by the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art before April 10, 2011. A part of the Midland Center of the Arts, the museum is showing an exhibit on Italian art that includes a gallery full of classic and modern MV Agusta motorcycles, along with photographs of Italian cars, and 17th century Italian sketches.

Showing the merger of form and function, MV Agusta motorcycles easily top our list as some of the finest-looking two-wheeled machines ever made. As much as we slog the Italian company for going to the well on its most recent creation, the 2012 MV Agusta F3, its predecessor the MV Agusta F4, whose lines were penned by the master Massimo Tamburini, has to be the most gorgeous modern motorcycle ever produced by mortal man.

A video of the exhibit is embedded after the jump, along with a gallery of the MV Agusta F3. If any A&R readers go to the exhibit, we’d love to post your photos of the MV’s on display.

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The Mission R with Its Clothes Off

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The Mission R, the latest creation to come from San Francisco-based Mission Motors, looks like any typical gasoline-powered sportbike (well, any really good looking gasoline-powered sportbike), and that’s sort of the point behind the machine: an electric motorcycle that can excite petrol-heads and electron nerds alike. Although the Mission R was made to draw mainstream appeal, today we see further proof that any resemblance to modern ICE motorcycles was made to be only skin deep.

Beneath the carbon-laid fairings of the Mission R, we see a hint of the bike’s unique chrome-moly trellis frame that mates to a previously hidden headstock/front sub-frame unit that was made by Speedymoto and designed by James Parker (of GSX-RADD fame). With the Mission R’s mass centralized around the 141hp 3-phace AC induction motor, Parker also had to contend with Mission’s carbon enclosed two-tiered battery pack that comprises the bulk of the race bike’s weight.

Read after the jump as Parker walks us through his process and thoughts on designing the Mission R, and be sure to check out the photo galleries for an up-close look.

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Pierre Terblanche Leaves Piaggio for Norton

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While Norton Motorcycles finds itself currently in the middle of a relaunch period, having recently resurrected the brand at its Donington Park headquarters, being widely rumored to contend in MotoGP for the 2012 season, and just a month ago announcing that it would return to the North American motorcycle market, more changes seem in store for the historic British company. Announced today was the surprise move that sees famed South African motorcycle designer Pierre Terblanche moving from Piaggio, where he was working on revamping the Moto Guzzi line, to Norton Motorcycles.

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Daniel Simon Talks on the Tron: Legacy Lightcycle Design

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We’re eagerly awaiting December 17th here at the Asphalt & Rubber office, as that is the official movie premiere of Tron: Legacy. A mix of computer geekiness, state-of-the-art special effects, The Dude, Olivia Wilde, and of course lightcycles, Tron: Legacy is about as close to an A&R wet dream as you can get.

While we try and contain ourselves from giggling like little schoolgirls, technology news blog TechCrunch got a chance to sit down with Daniel Simon, the designer of the new Tron lightcycle (you might remember Simon from his renowned Cosmic Motors work), and ask him about revisiting the lightcycle design (air flaps!) in Tron: Legacy. That interview and a boatload of Tron: Legacy concept sketches are after the jump.

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Snake Road Motorcycle Concept by Bruno Delussu

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Drawing inspiration from Daniel Simon’s Cosmic Motors series (Simon designed the Tron lightcycle in the up-coming Tron Legacy movie by the way), designer Bruno Delussu has dreamt up the Snake Road motorcycle concept. Set in a nondescript time in the future, the Snake Road uses a fiberglass body to house its internal combustion engine (apparently EV’s still haven’t taken off in Delussu’s future).

Made for fun, Delussu admits there are some deficiencies in the design (the front wheel can’t turn for example), and explains the choice of an internal combustion engine as follows: “Being a motorcyclist myself, I love the sound of a motorcycle engine (reminiscent of a raging lion), so the engine is a traditional internal combustion engine rather then electric, as the new trend would have it (a matter of ecology).”

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Honda Crosstourer Concept Also Explained

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Although Honda likely needed to explain its thought process more fully regarding the 2011 Honda Crossrunner, the Japanese company has also put together a quick video clip with designer Yosuke Hasegawa, and his vision behind the Honda Crosstourer Concept. The more purposeful occasional off-roader, Honda’s Crosstourer Concept takes the V4 motor from the VFR1200F, and mates it to an adventure-based platform.

We imagine the idea is that the Crosstourer picks up where the Crossrunner leaves off, and it is interesting to note how Honda’s naming scheme for both bikes encourages that idea. Cross for crossover concept, the Crossrunner is sportier with its “runner” designation, while the Crosstourer seems destined for more of a “it’s the journey, not the destination” thing with its “tourer” badge. Again don’t take our word for it, watch Hasegawa-san explain his creation after the jump.

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Honda Explains the Crossrunner

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The was finally debuted at EICMA this year, after teasing us with several sketches of the concept. Designed to be a crossover motorcycle, the Crossrunner 800 sits somewhere between a sport-tourer and an adventure-tourer in our eyes. Sitting high up with its elongated suspension and upright sitting position, the Crossrunner has some component protection, but clearly invisions a sporty priority with its single-sided swingarm and aggressive minimalist fairing.

Of course that’s just our take on the motorcycle, so check out the video above for Honda’s opinion on its own creation (did you know one of the design inspirations was the personal water craft?), and extrapolate your own conclusions. For bonus fun, there is a very well done promotional video awaiting you after the jump.

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Students Explore News Ducati Designs

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Students at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) of Turin had the opportunity to finish their studies by undertaking a thesis in transportation design that was done in collaboration with Ducati Motor Holdings. 10 students submitted 10 designs to Ducati, for a motorcycle that would enter new market segments and reach a younger demographic.

Five concept were then chosen, and made into 1:4 concepts, with the top concept then being picked and made into a full-size concept. Anchored in production reality, students had to keep an eye on the Ducati parts bin, and stay within the realms of practicability for the company (done with varying degrees of success).

With some very strong concepts coming from the collaboration, it seems almost a shame that Ducati could only pick one winner, but TWINS by Simone Buonpensiere and Daniele Mazzon (shown as the title graphic) was ultimately chosen. Mouthwatering delicious, we sincerely hope Ducati puts this dream into reality.

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Bikes

Anthony Colard’s C12-R Ducati Superbike Concept

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A couple weeks ago we showed you the Ducati Car concept by Anthony Colard, which was of course a four-wheeled vehicle, and not a motorcycle. But for the past 6 months we’ve been quietly following the work of French transportation designer, and his Ducati Superbike project. Based off the Ducati 1098/1198 chassis, Colard has taken his own perception of the Italian motorcycle’s style, and improved upon some of its deficiencies. Now finished with the design phase of his project, we can finally share with you some of what this talented designer has been focusing on all this time.

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Bikes

Igor Chack’s 2012 Izh-1 Hybrid Motorcycle Concept

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Igor Chack may only be 26 years old, but this designer’s eyes have a taste for something old with a modern twist. Taking his inspiration from the 1929 Soviet Izh–1, Chack sees this iconic motorcycle coming to life nearly 80 years later with a hybrid powertrain and a bevy of features not only unthinkable in 1929, but not seen on today’s motorcycles as well.

Chack’s design centers around a 850cc hybrid motor that makes 140hp when running off of fossil fuel. 50% of the motor is made from heat resistant reinforced plastic, which helps reduce weight and enclose the integrated electric circuits. On the electric side of the powertrain there is a 60kW brush-less motor that’s built into the rear rim, along with its own two-speed gearbox. Chack estimates the combo could achieve 80mpg with the bike’s on-board fuel management system deciding which drive to use.

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