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The possible permutations in MotoGP rider line up for 2020 are limited, with almost everyone already under contract for next season. At the Sachsenring though, Danilo Petrucci was added to the ranks of confirmed riders, with Ducati extending his contract in the factory team for 2020.

A contract extension for Petrucci had been on the cards for some while, the Italian’s victory at Mugello making it an inevitability. Ducati is very pleased with Petrucci’s performance, and the way that he and Andrea Dovizioso have worked together.

It is with a very heavy heart that we have to report the passing of our friend and colleague Carlin Dunne, who died today while racing at the 97th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Carlin was on his way to a record-setting lap with his Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype, and according to eyewitnesses (which we should preface have been very unreliable throughout the day), he had just passed the final turn on the course a small distance from the finish line when his bike encountered a bump, crashed, and went off course.

Shot on location in the Pacific Northwest, we finally get to see the Ducati Streetfighter V4 in its natural element: rippin’ and tearin’ on the asphalt.

At the helm is Pikes Peak racer Carlin Dunne, who aims to take the Streetfighter V4 to the summit of Pikes Peak faster than any motorcyclist has ever gone before. That means a time of 9:45.624 or faster.

There are 156 turns between Carlin and this goal though, along with thousands of feet in elevation change. As the Santa Barbara native once told me, you don’t race your fellow competitors at the Pikes Peak – you race the mountain.

Episode 17 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and this is another topic-packed show that runs the gamut of the motorcycling experience.

As such, this show is full of highs and lows, and we start out with a conversation about a motorcycle that is near and dear to both our hearts, as the Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype has finally broken cover. Ready to race at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, we speculate about what the production version could look like.

From there we talk about racing at the Bol d’Oregon – a six-hour endurance race outside of Portland, Oregon that is put on by the Sang-Froid Riding Club. An event we highly recommend, there is nothing more fun than riding a slow motorcycle fast.

When men name their motorcycles, it is usually with a feminine name. This is a tradition that dates back to early mariners, who were often away from their loved ones for incredibly long periods of time, and remembered their wives and girlfriends by naming ships after them.

It is an interesting tradition we do now though – this naming of motorcycles – especially as the horsepower figures have climbed higher and higher and the curb weight measurements have dwindled lower and lower.

Names like “Heartsbane” or “Widow’s Wail” would seem more appropriate for modern motorcycles, especially if you feel the night is dark and full of terrors.

So, when you consider the hours that Michael “Woolie” Woolaway has spent in his workshop slaving over the next iteration of his Pikes Peak race bike away from his loved ones while creates the ultimate motorcycle for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the name “Beastie” seems far more appropriate than something like “Samantha” – our apologies to the Samantha’s in the crowd, of course.

All the rumors and speculation can now stop. Here it is. Here is the Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype that will be racing at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Record-holder Carlin Dunne will pilot the Streetfighter V4 prototype for Ducati, in a bid to set a new outright motorcycle record on the Mountain. 

In the announcement, Ducati acknowledges that we will see the Streetfighter V4 properly debut at the EICMA show later this November, and that the production model will be in dealerships by March 2020.

Episode 16 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and this is another two-hour show to sooth your two-wheeled aches.

We start the show off when Shahin’s trip out into the Washington BDR trails, on his Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro. The Shah also got a chance to throw a leg over a Walt Siegl Ducati adventure bike, which made him giddy with delight.

Meanwhile, Jensen was busy at the Barber Motorsports Park, riding the 2020 BMW S1000RR superbike. Giving his thoughts on that new machine, and the general state of the liter-bike category, you won’t want to miss his review. Additionally, the “Yensen” score for bikes is progressing nicely, which leads to a fun conversation.

Recall news from Ducati North America today, as the entire Ducati Panigale V4 lineup is being recalled because fuel might spray out of the bike’s fuel tank…again.

This happens when there is an excessive amount of pressure in the fuel tank, which may cause fuel to spray when opening the fuel cap. Obviously, spraying fuel can lead to a safety hazard, hence the recall.

In total, 1,880 superbike are affected by this recall, which includes all the Panigale V4 variants from 2017 thru 2019 – this means the Panigale V4, Panigale V4 S, Panigale V4 Speciale, and Panigale V4 R.

We have already told you as much as this headline conveys, so apologies to our more loyal readers if this story seems redundant, but we wanted to definitively tell you that the Ducati Streetfighter V4 will debut later this month, at Pikes Peak.

The news comes fresh after a teaser that Ducati posted, which says to us that “the gloves come off at Pikes Peak” and then gives the date June 13th, which is the day of the motorcycle tire test for the historic hill climb.

“The gloves” is surely a nod to the “Streetfighter” name, though we have seen more than a few hints from Ducati and its CEO that we should expect such a model before the year’s end.

The next two model years will be big ones for the motorcycle industry, as manufacturers prepare their offerings for the upcoming Euro5 emission regulations.

Existing models will get their new emissions gear for 2021, while new models will have to make the grade starting in 2020. That being said, most manufacturers are getting a head start on the process. One such company is Ducati.

As such, we have seen our first glimpses of the updated Ducati 959 Panigale, which will get makeover to bring its look more in line with what is on offer with the Panigale V4 superbike.

I am not quite sure what makes the following a “concept” in the eyes of the Italian manufacturer, as the Ducati Hypermotard 950 is already a production model (it’s quite good too, by the way), and the example we see here differs only in paint and parts.

But still, the attraction that the Centro Stile Ducati has poured into this Hypermotard 950 is lurid, for sure.

The judges at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este would seem to agree with us as well, as this Hyper won first place in the ”Concept Bikes: New Design and Prototypes by Manufacturers and Independents” category at the prestigious event.