Episode 214 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is our Moto2 and Moto3 follow-up to Episode 213, which focused on the MotoGP action from the Catalan GP at Barcelona.
I am not sure why Ducati is calling this Diavel 1260 S the “Black and Steel” model – since all of the Diavel’s tend to be black in color and made from steel frames… But hey, sure. Why not?
Accented with a yellow frame, yellow undertail, and yellow racing stripes, the Ducati Diavel 1260 S Black and Steel makes for a visually fetching addition to the Diavel lineup, and it is inspired by the Diavel “Materico” concept.
The venerable Suzuki GSX-R1000 is set for an update during the next model year, so say our Bothan Spies.
With the current generation now in its fifth-year (and second revision), the Japanese brand is seeing it fit to offer a “new” model of its popular superbike.
Episode 65 of the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast is out with another “weekly” episode, for your two-wheeled listening pleasure.
In this episode, we start things off with some talk about what it’s like to ride the new Suzuki Hayabusa, both on the street and on the track. Short version, it’s a good bike – but not what we were looking from the Japanese brand.
Episode 213 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this show covers the MotoGP action from the Catalan GP at Barcelona.
On the mics, we have Steve English, David Emmett, Neil Morrison, and Adam Wheeler, as the quartet covers an eventful and surprising weekend in Catalunya.
Team Classic Suzuki is known for making some impressive vintage-inspired machines, but today’s example might be the pinnacle of their prowess.
With racing basically non-existent during the early days of COVID, the team found itself with an abundance of time on their hands…and idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.
So, taking an ex-Alstare Racing WorldSBK-spec Suzuki GSX-R1000 from the garage, Team Classic Suzuki created this very attractive (and potent) Katana.
Episode 212 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is our Moto2 and Moto3 follow-up to Episode 210, which focused on the MotoGP action from the Italian GP at Mugello.
On the mics, we have David Emmett, Neil Morrison, and Adam Wheeler, with special guest Michael Laverty joining the guys on the show as well.
It is easy to peg the Aprilia Tuono 660 as simply the “naked version” of the fully faired Aprilia RS 660 sport bike, but the more and more I think about this Italian middleweight-twin, I feel that distinction is a misleading way to regarding the smaller Tuono.
The better way to think about the Aprilia Tuono 660 is to regard it as Aprilia’s road-focused 660 offering, whereas the RS 660 is geared more towards track enthusiasts.
As one can see, the Aprilia Tuono 660 doesn’t really have a lack of fairing, just more of a bikini approach, in contrast to the RS 660’s one-piece design.
Episode 211 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is a WorldSBK show, which means that this one sees Steve English and Gordon Ritchie on the mics.
The pair talk about the WorldSBK round at Estoril, and the superbike racing action that ensued at the Portuguese track.
As always, the conversation is insightful and lively, and it helps prime us for the start of the MotoGP season this weekend.
What do you say about the Aprilia RSV4? The past 13 years have seen a number of changes come to the RSV4 (and seen a number of letters come and go, as well), as Aprilia has been consistent in its effort to keep the RSV4 at the pointy end of the liter-bike spectrum.
The 65° V4 engine has grown from 999cc from its debut in 2009, now to 1,099cc in 2021. Similarly, the electronics package has gotten smarter and faster. And of course, the design has (debatably) improved with the latest trend of aerodynamic aids.
This constant unyielding iteration is unseen elsewhere in the motorcycle industry, which instead prefers to succumb to the ebbs and flows of more clearly defined model generations.
This unique approach has allowed Aprilia to constantly keep the RSV4 at the pointy end of the liter-bike segment, but has it paid off for the 2021 model year RSV4 and RSV4 Factory machines, though? That is the topic of today’s story.
To find the answer to whether the Aprilia RSV4 has gotten better with age, and remains at the top of the superbike pile, we took this motorcycle to one of the most iconic tracks in the United States: Laguna Seca.
We were not disappointed in the result. Let me explain.
Something we have been hinting about the Aprilia RS 660 just came true today, as the middleweight-twin sport bike is now officially ready for racing duty, and being offered through Noale’s Aprilia Factory Works program.
What does that mean? A factory equipped ready-to-race bike that has been honed by the same hands that touch Aprilia’s MotoGP and WorldSBK projects.
The result is a 105hp machine that tips the scales at 337 lbs (153 kg) dry, which by our math should be good for 370 lbs when fully fueled and lubricated.