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Gone Riding: Ducati Superleggera V4

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With only 500 being made worldwide (and maybe 100 or so of them coming to the USA), the chances of getting to swing a leg over the Ducati Superleggera V4 are pretty slim. Riding one around Laguna Seca in anger? Even slimmer.

So naturally when Ducati North America called and asked if we wanted to do exactly that, the answer was an obvious yes.

That brings us to this moment, where on Thursday Asphalt & Rubber will get a chance to ride a $100,000 carbon-fiber-everything superbike around one of the most iconic race tracks in America. Sometimes, this job is really, really tough.

Funny enough, this is a rare case of the coronavirus actually causing some positive changes in the motorcycle industry, as normally the US would only get to send one publication to the press launch for a bike like this.

But instead, Ducati North America has the ability to host its own event, while the European magazines were forced to slum it at Mugello for a day. Hence, here we are.

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Racing

AMA Pro Superbike Champion Miguel Duhamel Shot in Head with BB Gun While Cycling

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Former AMA Pro Superbike champion Miguel Duhamel got more than a surprise while cycling near Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas, as he was struck in the head with what is suspected to be a BB gun pellet as a car passed by him.

“A car came behind me like they always do but this one came up and I heard a shot, like air disperse, it went pow!” said Miguel Duhamel, talking to FOX5 Las Vegas.

The incident left Duhamel bloodied, as the BB pellet passed through a vent on his bicycle helmet, penetrated a sweat cap, and punctured his skin. 

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Bikes

Check Out This Life-Sized Lego Build of a Ducati Panigale V4 R

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It was just two months ago that we were talking about one of the latest build kits from Lego, as it was a Technic set for the Ducati Panigale V4 R (kit #42107).

As such, our love for the little Danish bricks should be well known, especially when it intersects our love for motorcycles.

Today, we again see nice overlap of those two worlds on the Venn diagram, as Lego artist Riccardo Zangelmi has created this 1:1 replica of the Ducati Panigale V4 R, in order to celebrate the launch of Ducati’s much smaller Lego kit offering.

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Bikes

Come Watch a Ducati Superleggera V4 Get Built

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Those two-wheeled smut peddlers in Bologna are at it again, bringing you more NSFW content that will have you diving for the power switch should anyone walk by your workstation.

Releasing a video today that shows extensively the build process that goes into making a Superleggera V4 superbike, Ducati is promoting the fact that the carbon-fiber-everything machine has started production.

We also get word that Asphalt & Rubber will be swinging a leg over this bike in about a month’s time, and putting the Ducati Superleggera V4 through its paces at the Laguna Seca circuit in California.

Until that time, we can enjoy this not-so-short video that Ducati has produced.

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Bikes

This Honda CBR750RR Concept Looks Very, Very Nice

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With all the talk of the possibility of a new Honda CBR600RR-R supersport debuting later this year (we are still dubious, but going with it so far), one intrepid soul has wondered what a 750cc variant might look like.

The 750cc sport bike category is an interesting one, since they typically don’t have a home when it comes to racing, but provide the best of both worlds for those who think that a track day is a good use of a weekend.

Light and nimble like a 600, but with the brawn closer to a 1000cc, the category is defined by the Suzuki GSX-R750 and currently lead (in our opinion) by the Ducati Panigale V2.

With bikes like the MV Agusta F3 800 and Triumph Daytona Moto2 765, the segment has no shortage of potent and intriguing motorcycles. So, could Honda fit in as well?

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Bikes

BMW M1000RR Superbike Concept by Nirjar Mardal

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Nirjar Mardal’s concept of the rumored BMW M1000RR superbike is blowing up the internet right now, and we can tell why. It looks really good.

Taking the pleasing, but safe, lines of the BMW S1000RR and then cranking them up to 11, these renders from Mardal make for a lurid idea.

The bike is much more angular than the S1000RR model, and numerous upgrades can be spotted in the render’s design.

The most notable one though is what appears to be an electric supercharger, which is appropos since the Bavarian brand was spotted last year patenting ideas around this concept.

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Bikes

After High-Speed Testing at the Nardò Ring, The Ducati Superleggera V4 Is Headed into Production

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After months of shutdown, Italy is finally letting its citizens out of their houses, to start their march back to the new normal of daily life. We can only imagine the great relief this means to millions of Italians, after they endured some of the worst effects of COVID-19 in the world.

For our own selfish two-wheeled pursuits, this news also means the return of operations for Italian motorcycle manufacturers, which have seen their factories motionless while larger issues were addressed. Of course, this too leads us to the news that life is returning to the Ducati factory in Borgo Panigale.

Accordingly, we get word (from a tweet from Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, no less) that the Ducati Superleggera V4 is nearing the start of its production, but not before the carbon fiber superbike heads to the Nardò for some high-speed testing.

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Bikes

Mega Gallery: Ducati Panigale V4 S Circa 2020 at Bahrain

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Is there too much coronavirus in your motorcycle inbox?  Have you shot a complete stranger a dirty look because they sneezed in public? Are you doing that ridiculous foot greeting thing instead of shaking hands?

Let’s take a break from what will surely become the zombie apocalypse, and allow us this two-wheeled distraction designed to get your pulse racing in a way that won’t land you in quarantine zone.

Accordingly, we have over 100 high-resolution photos of the 2020 Ducati Panigale V4 to drool over, straight from the bike’s launch at the Bahrain International Circuit.

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Bikes

This Is the 230hp Carbon-Fiber-Everything Ducati Superleggera V4

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It is here. It is finally here. The Ducati Superleggera V4 is finally official and well-worth the hype.

It turns out too that the leaked information we had on this “Super light” motorcycle was true, with the Ducati Superleggera V4 tipping the scales at 159kg when dry…and 152kg when the Akrapovic exhaust is installed.

Ducati isn’t disclosing what that means for curb weights, but if the Panigale V4 R is any comparison, it should be close to 380 lbs when topped off with gas and ready to rip on the race track.

Considering that the accompanying exhaust bumps power to over 230hp (172 kW), this gives the Superleggera V4 the best power-to-weight ratio from any production street bike ever created.

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Rumors

Even More Leaked Photos & Video of the Ducati Superleggera V4

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It only took a few hours since our last post on the Ducati Superleggera V4 for more photos and a video of the machine to leak online, which is just fine by us since we’re eager to see this incredible machine from Borgo Panigale.

The new photos and video (and the screen grabs from other videos) surely are products of Ducati’s microsite for the “Project 1708” machine, and they give us a larger glimpse on what to expect Thursday morning.

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Rumors

Here Are the First Photos of the Ducati Superleggera V4

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UPDATE: The Ducati Superleggera V4 has officially debuted.

While there are still roughly 18hrs left (at the time of this writing) until the Ducati Superleggera V4 officially debuts, photos of this $100,000 superbike are already leaking onto social media.

The treasure trove of images are likely coming from would-be buyers who have already seen the bike in person and have had access to its special website, where videos and information have been trickling out.

The fact that this is occurring should surprise no one, but of course these early images already have our mouths watering for the real thing.

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