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Trakrok Concept by Alexei Mikhailov

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Well maybe it’s not strictly a motorcycle, but Alexei Mikhailov’s Trakrok concept certainly look like a lot of fun. Part quad, part snowmobile, part dirt bike, we imagine the Trakrok would be able to get us into all sorts of trouble on some of the more impassable terrain available. Featuring futuristic off-road tires up front, the real thing that catches our eye with the Trakrok is the rubber snowmobile-like independent track that replaces the rear tires.

Complimenting the angular modern design, is the idea that the Trakrok would be powered by a hydrogen power cell. A bit out there on the practical meter, we do like the design elements that Mikhailov is using here, and the Trakrok looks like something straight out of the KTM playbook (or would that be the Kiska playbook?). Angel eye headlights set-off the front, while trellis framing abounds on the frame and track supports. It might be a bit hard to find tires for the thing though. More photos after the jump.

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Bikes

Husqvarna 900 Street One by Oberdan Bezzi

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Confirming that the rumors were true, Husqvarna recently released photos of its new 900cc motor destined for the company’s first proper street bike. Based on the 800cc BMW parallel twin, we’ll have to wait until November to see what the Swedish brand has in store for us, but until then Oberdan Bezzi has some ideas to help whet our appetite. Called the Husqvarna 900 Street One, Bezzi sees a street-naked in Husky’s future, which will help show-off the firm’s newly minted engine.

With the new Husqvarna expected to have both more torque and horsepower than its German counterpart, Obiboi sees the Husky 900 as a sportier version of the BMW line, and has put those feelings into his concept sketch here. Perhaps the only thing that rivals our curiosity on what the new Husqvarna will look like, is how the company will differentiate its street motorcycles from its parent company’s offering, and what it will mean for the fabled dirtbike brand.

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Racing

2012 Lightning Motors Concept Sketch – Two Bike Team

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After our Bothan Spies brought back photos of the new Lightning Motors electric race motorcycle, we got this concept sketch of the new 2012 “Flying Banana” that gives us some idea or what to expect this weekend at Infineon for the first round of the North American TTXGP series. It is hard to glean any real information off the sketch, other than of course that the machine will have two-wheels, a seat, and some fairings.

What we can tell from this information though is that the Lightning is suspiciously svelte compared to last year’s racing machine. Though it’s easy to hide a motorcycle’s mass in two dimensions, it looks like Lightning Motors has gone on a diet with its design philosophy, which backs up the information we got that the machine has lost 150 lbs from its previous bulk. Time will tell what sort of sacrifices the team had to make in order to achieve that feat, but with two bikes listed on their card, Lightning seems to mean business this year.

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Bikes

Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce by Luca Bar

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In case you haven’t notice, we really like the work of Luca Bar. The young Italian designer has an eye for motorcycles we like to own, so it seemed fitting that we show off one of Bar-Design’s older works, the Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce.

With the fabled Italian company set to go up on the auction block again this summer, we thought perhaps some inspiration from Maestro Bar would help pull some buyers out of the woodwork. At the very least, it’s an excuse to show off some more drool-worthy motorcycle eyecandy.

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Bikes

Ducati Desmodoctor by Oberdan Bezzi

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We haven’t had a sketch by Oberdan Bezzi on the site in a while, but the Italian designer has inked this Ducati concept that we thought would help everyone get through the work week. Coining the name “Desmodoctor” it should be clear to whom Obiboi is paying homage to with this design, as Bezzi imagines what sort of “gift” the Bologna company would give Rossi to play around with when he’s not racing the Ducati Desmosedici GP11 or GP12.

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Bikes

Honda CBF1000 by Luca Bar Design

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We must have missed this April Fools render done by Luca Bar Design for the Italian site MotorBox, as Luca has once again flexed his skills with the pixels with his vision for motorcycles. Drawing on the idea that Honda would update its sport-touring line with a new version of the half-faired CBF1000, Bar explains that he has already been pondering the idea of an update for Honda before being set to his task of penning an April Fools bike.

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Bikes

KTM 690 SMC R by Isaac Chavira

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More work from our man Isaac Chavira, maker of the Ducati Monster 848R everyone was drooling over last week. This week Chavira turns his attention to Austria and its resident motorcycle maker KTM. Focusing on Team Orange’s supermoto offering, Chavira has dreamed up a KTM 690 SMC R concept bike, saying “I’d really love to see this bike come to reality and frankly speaking I don’t see why it cant become a reality. Heck any gear head worth his salt can build 95% of this bike from a KTM parts catalog.” That sounds to us like a challenge.

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Bikes

Ducati Monster 848R Concept by Isaac Chavira

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Today we have a concept sketch that should appeal to A&R‘s Ducatisti readership, as Isaac Chavira brings us his rendition of a Ducati Monster 848R. The name sort of gives off what’s going on here, as Chavira has incorporated the 848’s superbike motor into a Monster chassis (a Monster 796 chassis to be exact).

While the Monster line has become Ducati’s air-cooled street machine, we like where Chivra’s head is at when explains his choice for using the 848 Superbike’s water-cooled motor: “As you’ll see I have given it a heart transplant stuffing the 848’s motor into the Monsters chassis. After all they gave it a menacing name, why not have the heart of a beast right?”

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News

KTM Freeride Concept Gets Closer to Being Ready

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When will the first true electric motorcycle from an large OEM hit dealer floors? Pretty soon by what we’re hearing come out of Austria lately. KTM’s Freeride is fairly straight-forward in concept, as it takes the tried and true KTM off-road package, and puts an electrical drive train inside it (easy enough, right?). Designed with help from Austrian firm Kiska, the KTM Freeride looks like a dirt bike, smells like a dirt bike…well, you get the idea.

While KTM Freeride concept has reportedly been more than peppy during testing, it’s big drawback during development has always been its battery life. That’s apparently about to change, as KTM’s lastest version has reportedly more power on-board (there’s been tremendous amounts of progress in battery density in just the past six months), and is set to come out later this year (we’d assume an EICMA launch in November).

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Bikes

KTM Supermoto Concept by anyaverageartist

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We love us some concept bikes here at Asphalt & Rubber. While not all of them live in the realm of possibility, it’s interesting to see the ideas that come forth when people put pen to paper with reckless abandon. Motorcycling is about individual expression, which we often see exhibit itself in the way people modify their bikes after purchase.

If this customization process is the physical and practical manifestation of this idea, then concept sketches and renders are examples of the same act being done as purely a mental exercise. Luckily for us, Photoshop allows for just about anyone with the skillset to now create these concepts, which supplies us with a regular healthy dose of motorcycles to day-dream about.

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News

The Vegemite Honda RC212V by Morgan Driessen

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Here’s some Friday eye candy for you, courtesy of Morgan Driessen. When Morgan isn’t out working on his multiple degrees in graphic design (he graduated with honors we might add), he’s likely jumping over things on his trials bicycle (training to compete in the world championship on that as well).

Now in the unlikely situation where you would be unable to find Morgan doing either of those afore mentioned things, then well he’s probably day dreaming about two-stroke racers, and putting pen to pad on a motorcycle designs. Today finds us catching the young Mr. Driessen at the latter, as he has done up some splendid drawings of alternative paint jobs and sponsorships for the Honda RC212V (above) and Yamaha YZR-M1 (after the jump).

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