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News

April Fools: Buell/Bombardier Team Up to Launch Bomber Motorcycles – 1190cc Motorcyle in the Works [UPDATED]

By Jensen Beeler 04/01/2010 32 Comments

UPDATE 3: April Fools.

UPDATE 2: Avril Foujour of BRP has made a statement to Asphalt & Rubber confirming the press leak.

UPDATE: It looks Bomber Motorcycles has twitter and Facebook accounts both suggesting news to be released on Friday. Logo addded to the story.

A day ahead of its scheduled release, it would appear that someone inside Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) has leaked an announcement that Erik Buell Racing and BRP will form a new motorcycle company called Bomber Motorcycles. The press release, which was posted on the Buell enthusiasts forum Bad Weather Bikers has now been taken down, perhaps by request of Erik Buell Racing or Bombardier. But it appears to have come from someone at Bombarider, and was thankfully forwarded to us by a quick spotting member. This would seem to confirm earlier chatter we heard last week in the Buell camps about a Bombardier connection that we dismissed as fallout from the Alan Cathcart article in DealerNews.

The surprise announcement couldn’t come on a worse day, although it looks like it was actually scheduled to occur tomorrow to avoid April Fools confusion. Never-the-less the press release outlines the creation of a joint-venture between the two companies, with a 1190cc sportbike slated for arrival late in 2010. Dubbed the Stratofortress, the bike features what sounds like a new Rotax powerplant that has 1190cc’s on board, and uses a 60 v-twin configuration. According to the release, the Bomber Stratofortress certainly sounds the part, making 160hp and weighing an alleged 365lbs dry. More after the jump.

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Bikes

Can-Am Adds Touring Model to Spyder Line-Up

By Jensen Beeler 09/07/2009 No Comments

Bombardier is expanding its Can-Am line, and adding a touring model to the Sypder trike offering. Called the Spyder RT, the 3-wheeler was made specifically because so many customers expressed an interest in a highway tourer. The RT joins the RS sport model, which has seen strong sales and a rabid customer base that evangelize the brand.

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Bikes

Kalex Engineering AV1

By Jensen Beeler 08/24/2009 2 Comments

It’s a rare day that we something that makes us verbally go “whoa!”, but today is that day, and apparently we weren’t alone. The Kalex Engineering AV1 is a German purpose-built track bike. Angular and boxy, the AV1 reminds us of the KTM RC8 and the Ilmor Engineering GP bike, except hotter (we didn’t know that was possible). Underneath the show and glow, is a bike with all the right numbers.

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News

The Return of Cagiva?

By Jensen Beeler 12/31/2008 1 Comment

Spanish magazine Solo Moto has gotten word that Harley-Davidson has put together a plan to revive the Cagiva brand. Cagiva, like many Italian marks, has struggled the past years because of poor financing and business management. In its deal to acquire MV Agusta, Harley-Davidson also acquired Cagiva with that hopes that the American company could provide a remedy to these problems, and has recently laid out its plan on how it is going to achieve those goals. Read more about their road map for Cagiva after the jump.

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