Episode 193 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is one of three season-preview shows that we will be releasing this week. Of course, we are starting with the MotoGP Championship
On the mics, we have Steve English, David Emmett, and Adam Wheeler, and they are joined by MotoGP pitlane reporter and ex-grand prix racer Simon Crafar.
Simon brings with him a host of information and knowledge from a life in the paddock, and it was a genuine pleasure and privilege to have him on the show.
Last week, Moto Guzzi marked its 100th birthday of making motorcycle – a pretty significant achievement for a motorcycle brand – and the Italian brand showed that even after a century of being in business, they still have some tricks up their sleeve.
We say this because Moto Guzzi casually snuck a glimpse of a future motorcycle in its plethora of anniversary materials, and it doesn’t seem like too many people noticed.
The photo in questions is a relative low-res glimpse of a motorcycle, which of course has been further obscured through Photoshop manipulation.
Episode 192 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is a special show with the Ducati Corse factory MotoGP team riders, Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia.
Joining the Ducati boys on the mics, we have Steve English, David Emmett, and Neil Morrison, and they provide some analysis to what Miller and Bagnaia have to say during their interviews.
It was strange to see another press release from Ducati Motor Holding about the 2020 sales year – you would think that the Italian brand would like to forget about the 9.7% sales drop it reported for last year.
Like virtually every other motorcycle brand in the industry, last year was tough on unit sales, though there were some very promising trends later in the season. As such, everyone is trying to spin the events and put their best foot forward – Ducati included.
So while it is at least strange to see the Bologna brand touting its cash flow results for 2020, one can at least understand why they are doing so.
What is more interesting though are some of the tidbits Ducati released in the process, which shows an insight into the company’s operations and trends.
Airbag technology for motorcyclists continues to advance, and today’s news from Alpinestars is proof of that, as the Italian brand has added a “race” mode to its consumer-facing Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 airbag vest.
Shipped with a “street” algorithm, the Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 can now be updated via firmware to include the company’s racing algorithm, which can be enabled by Bluetooth and a smartphone app.
That BMW Motorrad is working on a bagger version of its R18 cruiser is perhaps not new information. The bike has been spied in a variety of ways by the eager eyes of the two-wheeled press.
Today though is our first teasing of its existence from the German brand though, as the company let slip in its yearly report that BMW Motorrad would soon be showing this new “touring” model to the world.
Episode 191 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one sees us once again looking to the desert lights of the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.
On the mics, we have Steve English, David Emmett, and Adam Wheeler, and they break down the news from the last week, include more analysis from the MotoGP test at Qatar.
Walt Siegl Motorcycles has a new two-wheeled work of art for us to drool over, and once again this machine is an electric motorcycle, following up Walt’s last bike, the beautiful PACT.
“Motorcycle” might be the wrong word to use on this latest bike though, as Walt’s creation lives in that blurred space between motorcycles, mopeds, and pedal-assist machinery, not to dissimilar from a plethora of other EV entries, including CAKE.
It is an interesting space for the motorcycle community to explore, and we have really only seen it on the OEM side with bikes like the Honda Grom and its ilk (which are selling like hotcakes, we might add).
Episode 57 of the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast is out with another weekly episode, for your two-wheeled listening pleasure.
Things start off with a conversation about automatic gearboxes on motorcycles, as Jensen continues to play with the DCT version of the Africa Twin 1100 Sport ES, and we wonder why we don’t see more DCT/automatics in the motorcycle industry.
Episode 190 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is a special addition to our weekly schedule (don’t worry, we’ll have another show for you on Wednesday as well).
On the mics, we have Steve English, David Emmett, and Adam Wheeler, and they are joined by factory KTM rider Brad Binder.
The four sit down to have a frank conversation about the MotoGP class, and how the South African riders has made the jump into the premier class from Moto3.
I often feel like the Ducati SuperSport 950 is the forgotten model in the Italian brand’s lineup of machines. Maybe it’s the Panigale-esque styling, maybe it’s the diminutive 108hp (81 kW) rating, or maybe the crossover sport bike with touring bags thing.
Whatever the case may be, the handsome little motorcycle is an interesting niche in Ducati’s range of motorcycles, and for the 2021 model year, it gets a welcomed refresh.
With a bevy of photos coming from its European launch, I thought it worth some time to talk about this odd duck from Borgo Panigale.