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Nicky Hayden Will Lap at the Isle of Man TT

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This year marks 100 years of racing on the Mountain Course at the Isle of Man TT, which should make for a special event for all of those involved. Usually each year there is a famous motorcycle racer(s) that has the honor of doing a parade lap on the historic road course, and this year should be especially interesting for us Americans as Nicky Hayden will take a lap around the Isle of Man TT course.

The 2006 MotoGP World Champion will be joined by five-time 500GP World Champion Mick Doohan, as well as Ian Hutchinson, who astoundingly won all five solo races in last year’s TT. With Hayden sponsored by both Arai and Dainese (both event sponsors), it perhaps isn’t too surprising that the charismatic American will be taking part in the Arai Parade lap at the TT. Of course it could be the allure of British food and miserable weather that sealed the deal…tough call on that one.

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Banter

Video: 26 Years of the Suzuki GSX-R

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2011 marks another iteration of the venerable Suzuki GSX-R platform, with the GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 getting an overhaul that sees both bikes’ weight lowered to near anorexic levels. Starting with first with the GSX-R750, it’s hard to believe though that this superbike, along with the GSX-R1000 & GSX-R600 can trace their heritage back 26 years, with many of those years being at the pinnacle of motorcycle performance, racing, and design.

To commemorate and highlight the company’s achievements, Suzuki has put together this short video that underlines the models that have come from the GSX-R’s rich history. Some of the technical achievements are pretty astounding when you see when they occurred (for example, electronically adjusted suspension (NEAS) in 1986…that’s just now becoming an optional feature on consumer streetbikes). It’s a pretty neat history lesson on one of the most recognizable brands in the sportbike market. Check it out after the jump.

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News

Vyrus 986 M2 Gets Race Partnership from MIVV Exhaust

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The Vyrus 986 M2 has to be one of the most gorgeous motorcycles we’ve ever seen grace our pages here at Asphalt & Rubber. It’s edgy and doesn’t conform to many of the elements we’d expect from a motorcycle design, and best of all Vyrus intends to race the hub-center steering bike (well maybe the fact you can buy one/build your own is the best thing of all).

With the Moto2 World Championship perhaps out of reach for the small Italian company, we instead see the Vyrus 986 M2 making an entry in the Spanish CEV Moto2 Championship, a national-level series that uses the same rules as the World Championship. Helping Vyrus enter that series is exhaust manufacturer MIVV, which has some experience in the CEV series, having partnered with FTR in past years.

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Bikes

Ducati Desmodoctor by Oberdan Bezzi

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We haven’t had a sketch by Oberdan Bezzi on the site in a while, but the Italian designer has inked this Ducati concept that we thought would help everyone get through the work week. Coining the name “Desmodoctor” it should be clear to whom Obiboi is paying homage to with this design, as Bezzi imagines what sort of “gift” the Bologna company would give Rossi to play around with when he’s not racing the Ducati Desmosedici GP11 or GP12.

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News

Circuit of the Americas Promotional Video

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In case you missed yesterday’s big news, the Circuit of the Americas track (the new world class venue being built outside of Austin, TX) has signed a 10-year deal to host motorcycling’s premier racing series starting in 2013. Securing both MotoGP and Formula 1 right out of the gates is a huge coup for the Texan track, and the prospect of having potentially three American-based GP’s is tantalizing to any motorcycle enthusiast that bleeds red, white, and blue (we guess having F1 return to American soil is pretty cool too).

With less than 24 hours since its announcement, the Austin track has already thrown together a promotional video that outlines the circuit’s facilities, features, and of course whets our appetite for the 2013 Austin GP (or is it Texan GP?). Check it out after the jump, and be sure to clear out some space on your 2013 calendar.

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News

Aprilia Tuono V4 R Photos and Video

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The Piaggio Group launched the 2011 Aprilia Tuono V4 R to the press this past weekend in Valencia, letting the maximum power street-naked out of its shell for the first time. We’ve already hypothesized that electronics are the new horsepower, but Aprilia is seemingly hedging its bets, supplying the Tuono V4 R with not only its WSBK derived APRC electronics package, but also 167hp on tap.

What’s not to like about a bike distilled from the potent Aprilia RSV4, right? Well it does have a face only a mother could love, but we’ve got plenty of paper bags to fix that problem if one shows up in our garage. The mother load of pictures is after the jump (how does the yellow paint grab you?), along with a fairly painful to watch promo video (really guys, we need to stop with the 30 second “dive! dive! dive!” warning horn).

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Racing

MotoGP Signs Austin GP with a 10-Year Contract

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The rumors finally came true today, as Dorna has signed on the Circuit of the Americas, the new world class facility being built outside of Austin, Texas, for a 10-year contract to host MotoGP racing. Like the Indianapolis GP, and unlike Laguna Seca, the Austin GP (unofficial name) will host all three GP classes on its race weekend, and will begin hosting MotoGP starting with the 2013 season.

This is surely good news for American race fans, as it adds another venue to the roster, which could see three stops in the USA for MotoGP racing. Rumored to possibly be replacing the Indianapolis GP, it was interesting enough to see that the famous mid-west track issued its own statement about the event, putting its full support behind the Texan venue entering the calendars, and what it could mean for American GP racing.

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News

Ducati Monster 1100 EVO Photos and Video

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Launched at the 2010 EICMA show, Ducati has updated its top-of-the-line Monster for 2011, creating the Ducati Monster 1100 EVO. Distinguishing itself with the return of the shotgun style exhaust, the 2011 Ducati Monster 1100 EVO takes an aesthetic revision to the iconic two-valve v-twin motorcycle. With an even 100hp on tap, the 373 lbs machine should be a fun city romper, and comes packed with features like Ducati’s ABS, traction control, and data acquisition system.

We’ll have to wait until the Monster 1100 EVO makes it stateside to get our first glimpses of the street naked, and see how it compares to its predecessors. Until then though, feast your eyes on 15 images of the new Monster, along with a promotional video.

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Racing

Photo of the Week: Proper Positioning

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The real question about the 2012 MotoGP season may be this: will the switch back to liter engines, and the rules that accompany that change, mean that non-factory teams can compete for the championship? Consider Alex de Angelis, shown here at the Sachsenring in 2009, hanging off his satellite Honda in typical style, and the fact that he was 2nd in the 2003 125cc championship, and third in 2006 and 2007 as a 250cc rider, but only had one podium in two years in the premier class.

Since the switch from 2-stroke 500s non-factory teams have not had much of a chance at taking the title, and for a rider on a satellite team the only realistic goal has been to be the Best of the Rest. We will almost certainly see a larger grid in 2012, but will the advantages the Claiming Rule Teams have (more fuel per race, more engines per season) mean they will be in a more competitive position?

I hope that riders such as De Angelis will find themselves competing for more than a few points each round, and will have a greater chance to show they belong in MotoGP before being demoted to another class or series.

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Racing

First Shots: Nicky Hayden on the Ducati Desmosedici GP12

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To considerably less fanfare, Nicky Hayden took the Ducati Desmosedici GP12 today at Jerez, which for MotoGP fans means more photos of Ducati’s 1,000cc class prototype motorcycle. Ducati didn’t make a video of Nicky’s adventures on the GP12, but the race team got some valuable input from the American racer, who put in 61 laps for Ducati Corse once the circuit dried from high humidity. “When I woke up this morning, the sky was really gray and the track was completely wet,” said Nicky Hayden. “I was pretty disappointed. I didn’t think we’d be able to do anything because it wouldn’t have made sense to waste a day testing in those conditions.”

“The situation got better and better though, and after lunch, I was able to put on my leathers. I couldn’t wait to ride, and it was worth the wait. It’s an honor to be able to participate in the first track test of the GP12 because it doesn’t happen very often that you get to ride a bike on the track for the first time: it’s a special feeling. Everything went well, and we didn’t have a single problem: the motor is really nice to use, and I had a lot of fun riding the bike. I hope I gave some useful feedback to Filippo and the boys. I know they’ll be working on this bike while we go back to focusing on the next race, because this season just started.”

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Racing

First Shots: Rossi Rides the Ducati Desmosedici GP12

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Under some sunny and warm skies at Jerez, Valentino Rossi got to meet the Desmosedici GP12 for the first time today. In total Rossi slagged the GP12 across the Andalusian circuit for a total of 50 laps saying, and was seemingly pleased the the new machine.

“I’m happy,” said Valentino Rossi after the test. “I like the GP12. In my opinion, it’s more enjoyable, more fun to ride. It was the first time we had it on the track, so we had some work to do, but the engine is nicer. It’s a lot of fun, and you can do some nice slides. It’s the bike we’ll ride next year, so it was very important—and also very nice—to be among the first to take it on the track.” Photos, video, and more are awaiting you after the jump.

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