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OMG: Leaked Hi-Res Photos of the Kawasaki Ninja H2R

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In five hours the Kawasaki Ninja H2 will officially debut at INTERMOT…of course, the internet waits for no motorbike. In addition to the first leaked photo we brought you, we now have a bevy of high-resolution images of the Kawasaki Ninja H2R, the racing sibling to the H2.

Several sites now are tipping the Kawasaki Ninja H2R as making 300 horsepower from its 998cc inline-four engine, a number that is achieved by the H2 & H2R’s centrifugal supercharger. That figure is much larger than some publications were reporting from their “sources” inside Kawasaki — or were just fabricating wholesale to get pageviews.

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LEAKED: Here is the First Photo of the Kawasaki Ninja H2

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Our INTERMOT coverage is in full-swing today, and we bring you the first photo of the Kawasaki Ninja H2. Showing more clearly the wings we spotted in Kawasaki’s last video, we can see now the extent that the Japanese company has gone to in making the H2 more aerodynamic.

Our sources tell us this the “race” version of the supercharged Ninja H2, though what it’s racing, we are not sure — our bets are on either land speed records at Bonneville or the Millennium Falcon.

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DR Moto – The Ultimate Yamaha R1 Track Bike

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The Yamaha YZF-R1 is a fantastic machine, in just about any iteration you can find. A potent weapon on the track, the R1 might not have all the bells and whistles that are found on European superbikes, but the Japanese liter-bike makes up for it with precision handling, great reliability, and gobs of tractable power.

This is great for two-wheeled enthusiasts, who ride the twisties or at local track days, but Yamaha’s crown jewel poses as a tough mark to beat when someone goes looking for something “more” from the design. DR Moto might have that answer though, for track enthusiasts who want something closer to what they see on Sunday’s race day, without the compromises that come with production/street machines.

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Bikes

Lotus C-01 200hp Hyperbike Officially Debuts

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When it comes to writing a Lotus story, it seems that most automotive and motorcycle journalists can’t go two sentences without invoking the name of Charlie Chaplin and his famous words: “In the end, everything is a gag.”

The 200-hp and 400-lb Lotus C-01 is proof that even motorcycle designers can have a sense of humor. Daniel Simon, the designer behind Tron: Legacy light-cycle, penned the C-01’s gorgeous form.

The forward-bias and stretched wheelbase couple with the carbon-fiber tank cuts a futuristic profile that looks entirely uncomfortable, but totally worth the lower-back, groin. and neck pain.

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200 Horsepower Lotus C-01 Hyperbike Breaks Cover

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The first images of the Lotus C-01 hyperbike have hit the internet, MCN and has the “exclusive” on the 200 horsepower machine’s images. The first images are in fact renders of the final design, though they look the part and clearly show the Lotus C-01’s lines.

Said to have a KTM RC8R v-twin engine beneath its carbon fairings, the Lotus C-01 hits a lot of the right numbers on the technical sheets, though visually the machine it is less enthralling. This surprises us, since the bike’s designer Daniel Simon (creator of the new Tron Lightcycle, and author of Cosmic Motors), is one of our favorite designers.

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Here Comes the “Lotus” C-01 200hp Hyperbike

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Perhaps one of the more interesting stories to break over the weekend, we get word that Lotus is making a 200 horsepower motorcycle…well, sort of. You see the Lotus C-01 is a venture between the tuners at the Holzer Group and the Kodewa car racing effort, with the design being penned by the very talented Daniel Simon.

Where does Lotus the car manufacturer come into all of this? Well, in name only, as it seems that the British marque’s only contribution to the project is lending its name to the motorcycle (it’s debatable as to whether we would be talking about the C-01 if the word “Lotus” didn’t come before the model designation).

Details are light at this point, with the press release drawing heavy lines between the C-01 project and Formula 1 technology. There is also mention of a 200hp figure , as well as the use of carbon, titanium, and “aerospace quality” steel.

If you haven’t figured it out already, we are rolling our eyes pretty hard at all the hype and marketing parlor tricks that are going on here with this Lotus motorcycle; however there does seem to be some hope for an intriguing machine to come from all of this.

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A&R Pro

Wanting, Hoping, Praying for Hayabusa

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Fifteen years ago, I fell in love with the Suzuki Hayabusa. A courtship that started well-ahead of my formal indoctrination to two-wheels, the Hayabusa was the capstone of motorcycle performance in my youthful eyes.

I lusted after its sleek wind-tunnel tuned lines, and marveled at its outright speed, which at its debut, trumped everything else on the market.

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2012 Kawasaki ZX-14R Breaks Cover

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True to its teaser campaign, the 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14R (2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 to our friends abroad) finally got revealed today. Tweaking its hyperbike offering, Kawasaki has confirmed that the ZX-14R (note the added R to the name) will get a displacement bump to 1,441cc, along with a cosmetic overhaul and other basic features. Most notably added to the Kawasaki ZX-14R is the addition traction control, and ride-by-wire throttle control system. Kawasaki hasn’t spilled all the beans about the new ZX-14R, but power is said to be over 200hp at the crank with ram-air.

Kawasaki is already pitting the ZX-14R against Suzuki’s Hayabusa, perhaps in an attempt to re-ignite the speed wars of the 1990’s. While no top speed has been touted, the Japanese company is quoting the Kawasaki ZX-14R as “the world’s fastest accelerating production motorcycle.” A lengthy superlative, but it will be interesting to see if Suzuki responds with an update to the aging Hayabusa, which hasn’t had a meaningful upgrade since its 1999 market introduction.

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