One of only four E-95’s created, the A.J.S. E-95 is a modified version of the A.J.S. E-90 horizontal twin motor, and was called the porcupine because of the spiky cooling fins protruding from the cylinder heads.
Originally designed to be supercharged, those plans had to be scrapped when the FIM banned supercharging in 1946. Despite its reputation for not living up to its hype, a finished Porcupine is valued somewhere north of a $250,000. Pictures and more after the jump.
How do you race in a flat-tracking event at the Springfield Mile in style? With a modified Ducati 749, that’s how. And that’s exactly what Kurt Marmor did at this year’s event. Unfortunately, Marmor wasn’t able to qualify for the main event, but we have a feeling that the Duc-track will show up at other events this year, and regardless, the bike sounds sooo good on the dyno video below. We just might have to get into this flat-tracking thing.
Motor manufacturer and tuner, Ilmor Engineering, has branched out from its Indy Car, Formula One, NASCAR, and MotoGP duties, and produced what they call a five-stroke motor. With dual camshafts and an asymetrical three-cylinder configuration, the Ilmor is more than intriguing with its design, and promises to bring real benefits both to the race track, and to road-use. Most notably is a 10% increased fuel efficiency, and 20% weight reduction in power-plant weight.
This rumor might not surprise anyone, but Ducati is alleged to be bumping the 1098R out of the line-up for 2010, finally calling the Superbike homologation by its 1198cc capacity, and erasing any reference to the 1098 line.
Mat Mladin has announced this weekend that he will retire from motorcycle racing at the end of this season. Originally thought to be only reitiring from the AMA, and presumably looking to World Superbike or MotoGP for his next-step, Mladin has confirmed that his absense from Superbike racing here in the US is in fact a complete departure from the sport.
We felt bad last week after we teased you with small, low-res photos of the new Aprilia Tuono V4, so we’re making it up to you this week. Italian magazine Motoclismo spotted the new Tuono lapping around Misano on what appears to be a track day event. If you have a halfway decent imagination, these pictures shouldn’t shock you. The new Tuono has many of the RSV4’s lines, and has little to no updates from our previous shots.
Tron Legacy is due to come out in 2010, picking up the story from the original Tron. The sequel will continue the story as if 20 years have gone by, with the Tron server sitting in isolation, honing its game. Of course one of the best parts about the new Tron, is the new Tron light cycle, which will be faster and more realistic than its predecessor. Returning to the cast is Jeff Bridges, playing Kevin Flynn, and joining the story is Olivia Wilde, of House M.D. fame. HD trailer after the jump.
UPDATE 2: We now have clear photos of the 2011 Aprilia Tuono V4 lapping around Mugello, along with video footage of the bike. Check it out here.
UPDATE: Sorry folks, it looks like we’re one of the many sites that are being requested to remove the photos of the Tuono V4 at Mugello by the photographer. The camera phone photo remains though.
We’ve got more spy shots for you today, which should cover just about every bike Aprilia is rumored to have in development. One lucky photographer was at Mugello and caught both the upcoming Aprilia Tuono V4 & RSV4-R taking laps around the Italian course. We also found what looks like a camera phone picture of the Tuono V4 out in the wild.
While the RSV4 has gotten most of the limelight, the Tuono V4 has been content, as always, to be in the superbike’s shadow. Drawing from similar inspirations, there aren’t too many surprises on what the bike looks like. Imagine the RSV4 without its clothes on, with a new headlight, and you’ve about got it.
Ask, and yee shall find. Within a couple hours of posting the rumor that Aprilia releasing a “base” model RSV4, we get word of spy shots of the rumored bike. Photos confirm Showa forks relpacing the Öhlins units up front, and that the RSV4 looks damn sexy in all black. More news as we get it. Big ups to Michel!
RSV4 R “Base” Model in the Paddock:
As we get closer to the unveiling of Ducait’s Multistrada replacement in Novemeber, the spy shots of the “GS killer” are becoming more apparent. After trolling the interwebernet, we’ve found two more shots that reveal some more detail about what the Strada Aperta (no word if that’s the official name, but it does seem to keep coming up) will look like from the side and front.
The makers of Castrol synthetic oil have brought us one step closer to Judgment Day with their robotic motorcycle tester. Named Flossie, the mechanical test rider can reproduce exacting tests on virtually any bike on a dynamometer by “learning” how to ride it.