Episode 168 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one sees David Emmett and Neil Morrison on the mics, as the pair discusses the French GP at Le Mans.
The guys kickoff the show with a discussion of how the weather affected the race, and especially how it turned tire choice into a gamble, but one that produced a popular winner.
Of course, there has to be a conversation about Danilo Petrucci’s victory, along with Alex Marquez getting on the podium.
Last week, we got news that the Aprilia RS 660 would cost €11,050 in the European market, which gave us some idea on what to expecting for pricing in North America…or so we thought.
In our analysis, we figured on a price tag in the low $12,000 range, but now Aprilia has proven us very wrong.
Releasing pricing for the 2021 Aprilia RS 660 this morning, the Italian brand has done a bit of a shocker, announcing a $11,299 MSRP for the Aprilia RS 660.
The second wave of the coronavirus outbreak is underway worldwide right now, with increases in COVID-19 cases being counted in Europe, North America, and other continents.
Even the MotoGP paddock isn’t immune to this trend, with news and rumors of positive tests occurring within its ranks in the past several days and weeks.
And now today we get news from Valentino Rossi himself that he has tested positive with COVID-19, after experiencing symptoms of the disease this morning.
After a bit of teasing, we finally get to know the details of Ducati’s newest engine, the V4 Granturismo. This is the four-cylinder motor that will power the new and upcoming Ducati Multistrada V4 motorcycle.
The engine is based off the Desmosedici Stradale motor that is found in the Panigale V4 and Streetfighter V4 motorcycles, but with some obvious and core changes to suit it for touring and ADV riding uses.
There is a bit of a shakeup in the factory Ducati WorldSBK squad happening right now, as Michael Ruben Rinaldi has been named teammate to Scott Redding for the 2021 season.
This means that Chaz Davies is departing the factory squad, while the team is also sees its name change to “Aruba.it Racing Ducati” for next year.
Episode 167 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is a bit of a special show, as we are sharing with you one of our Patreon episodes.
In it, Ducati WorldSBK rider Scott Redding sits down for an interview, and then Steve English and Gordon Ritchie provide some insight and analysis to what Redding discussed.
It makes for an interesting listen, especially as we head into the final round of the 2020 WorldSBK Championship.
Two things can be said about Spa-Francorchamps. One is that the Belgian track is one of the most iconic race circuits in Europe, and the other is that it is one of the most harrowing race courses anywhere in the world.
It is for the second reason that motorcycles do not race there at the international level, and it is for the first reason that it is a great shame that they do not. Things are about to change, however.
In two days, Ducati will officially unveil the V4 engine that will power its new Multistrada V4, which means that the Italian brand is currently in the midst of an extensive media campaign on the new motorcycle.
Today, we learned the name of this new motor; the Ducati V4 Granturismo engine, which is interesting in its own right, as it shows a departure from the “Desmosedici Stradale” nomenclature that powers the Panigale V4 and Streetfighter V4 motorcycles.
American motorcycle racing fans will continue to have a countryman to cheer for in the 2021 WorldSBK Championship, as Garrett Gerloff has seen his contract with the GRT Yamaha squad renewed for next season.
The news comes off an strong race weekend in France, as Gerloff topped the timesheets in FP2, qualified fifth, and fought for a podium during Race 1, which left an impression on the SBK paddock.
This result added to his already noteworthy time at Catalunya, where he scored his first WorldSBK podium, likely made retaining Gerloff an easy choice for Yamaha’s racing program.
In 41 days, Kawasaki plans on unveiling six new motorcycles for the 2021 model year, and no ink has been wasted trying to speculate what those bikes could be.
Could there be a new KLR to rival the Yamaha Ténéré 700 and help Team Green back into the ADV category? Another supercharged model to keep the H2 and H2 SX street bikes company? One more retro-modern play? It’s hard to say.
One thing that did seem for certain was that we would see a new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R superbike, and that is where today’s story takes us.
Now, our Bothan spies have reported in, and given us some clarity on what has only been speculation so far.
Episode 39 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure! Did you miss us?
To make up for our hiatus, we bring you a marathon 2.25-hour show that spans a whole range of motorcycle topics (and a few topics that have nothing to do with motorcycles).