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Jensen Beeler

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Airbag-Equipped Motorcycle Pants Are Coming Soon

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If you have read Asphalt & Rubber long enough, then you surely must now our rabid affection for airbag equipped motorcycle gear. I’ve even gotten a little snobby about it.

To reiterate, airbags represent a new generation in safety equipment, and they dramatically reduce the injuries a rider can sustain during a crash or accident.

Right now though, airbag safety technology is limited to motorcycle jackets and racing suits, with protection only available on the torso.

What about south of the belt line though? Truthfully, the current state of airbag technology covers only half of our bodies, leaving out legs (and arms) exposed to harsh impacts.

This is where French upstart CX Air Dynamics hopes to disrupt the space, as they are working on an airbag-equipped set of pants.

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News

Rumors of Volkswagen Selling Ducati Once Again Fizzle

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Ducati cannot seem to escape the constant rumors that Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess is looking to sell the Italian motorcycle brand, as once again rumors about the divesture of Ducati Motor Holding have been circling the internet.

But these rumors, as they have in the past, have been for naught. With the Volkswagen board once again confirming Diess’s role in the company, the position of Ducati in the German house remains secure.

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Dirt

Honda XR650R Supermoto by VMX Restomod

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The “Big Red Pig” (as it is affectionately known) is a stalwart in Honda’s dirt bike lineup.

That is to say, the Honda XR650 has gone relatively unchanged over the past 20 years, and yet the big 644cc thumper has a loyal, loyal following.

In the US market, we have lost the “R” spec machine, but the XR650L continues on, as a plated dual-sport that comes in a mild, yet reliable tune.

So, when VMX Restomod cranked the bike up to 11 in order to make it into a proper street-legal supermoto, it got our attention.

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Bikes

A Bigger, Better, Badder Moto Guzzi V7 Debuts for 2021

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When the Moto Guzzi V85 TT debuted, we speculated that the new 850cc engine could show up in other models. Now, it seems that day has finally come as we get word that the Moto Guzzi V7 is getting a hefty update for the 2021 model year.

Using a variation of the transverse v-twin engine found on the V85 TT, the 2021 Moto Guzzi V7 makes 65hp (up from 52hp), with 54 lbs•ft (73 Nm), in this street-bike friendly tune.

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WSBK

The BMW M1000RR in WorldSBK-Spec Gets Its Track Debut

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The BMW M1000RR was one of the surprise new bike announcements this year, as it takes the BMW S1000RR superbike package, and cranks it to 11.

This winged homologation special will be the platform that Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark will use on the factory BMW squad next year (along with Jonas Folger and Eugene Laverty, who will appear on two separate satellite teams).

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Bikes

MV Agusta Superveloce Alpine Debuts with Limited Edition Paint

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The wait is over, and now we see what has been cooking in Varese, as MV Agusta has partnered with French automotive brand Alpine to create another Italian beauty.

The second automotive collaboration done by the Italian motorcycle brand, this one sees the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 getting the Alpine treatment, with the company’s traditional blue and white livery.

As one would expect, the partnership is mostly a design exercise, with only 110 machines being made in this limited edition run (a nod to the Alpine A110 sports car), though it is worth looking more than skin deep to see the changes this bike heralds for the 2021 model year.

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Dirt

Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Will Debut on February 22nd

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The long wait is nearly over, as the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 will finally get its production debut on Monday, February 22nd, 2021 – the Bar & Shield brand tells us (they will “preview” the bike, yet again, on January 19th).

Accordingly, this date will end what will be an almost three-year tease and wait process from the American motorcycle company, as the first Pan America concept broke cover in July 2018.

Since that time, Harley-Davidson has “let go” of CEO Matthew Levatich, and swapped its “More Roads” plan for the current “Rewire” scheme that has seemingly killed many of the diverse models once announced by Harley-Davidson.

The ADV project remains though, if for no other reason than it was the furthest along in Harley-Davidson’s portfolio by the time that current CEO Jochen Zeitz came onboard.

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MotoGP

Paddock Pass Podcast #175 – Yamaha & Honda in MotoGP

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Episode 176 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one starts our review of the 2020 MotoGP Championship season, as we take a look at the fates of the various manufacturers.

On the mics, we have Neil Morrison and our newest member to the show, Adam Wheeler (from the magazine On-Track Off-Road).

Taking the manufacturers two at a time, this episode focuses on the results of the Yamaha and Honda squads during the year. 

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