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Up-Close with the Kawasaki Ninja H2R

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Asphalt & Rubber is coming to you live from the AIMExpo in Orlando, Florida today and tomorrow, covering the new bikes that are debuting on North American soil. We’ve already seen the new Yamaha YZF-R3 released here, as well as the Alta RedShift electric motorcycles (formerly BRD Motorcycles).

While both bikes are impressive, and are massively important to the American motorcycle scene, the buzz remains about the Kawasaki Ninja H2R. The AIMExpo is the first venue for Americans to get a glimpse of Kawasaki’s hyperbike, and the H2R sits like a praying mantis, waiting to strike you with its supercharged charms.

Naturally, we had to get a closer look…and bring you a bevy of high-resolution detail shots from the trades how floor. Enjoy!

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Bikes

2015 Alta RedShift SM — A SuMo Wrestler with Lights

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Like its off-roading counterpart, the Alta RedShift SM is built around the most powerful motor on the market, per pound (40hp coming from an 11 lbs motor), which is a proprietary design by Alta.

Building around that a proper supermoto package, complete with WP suspension and Brembo brakes, the Alta Motors crew hopes that it has built a supermoto that will blow away the competition on the track, whether it be another electric sumo, or a lites-class gas-powered machine.

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Bikes

2015 Alta RedShift MX – Lites, Camera, Action

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The now newly named Alta Motors is ready to announce its production machines for the 2015 model year, and first up is the company’s off-road model: the Alta RedShift MX. Designed to take on the toughest gas-powered lites-class motocross bikes on the track (250cc four-strokes), the RedShift MX boasts some impressive electric figures as well.

With 40hp on tap, from only 11 pounds of motor, the RedShift platform has the most powerful motor per pound, anywhere. Add that to the fact that Alta says the RedShift MX tips the scales at 251 lbs, though feels lighter once it’s underway — a known benefit of electric motorcycles.

Revving to 13,750 rpm from Alta’s proprietary motor, the RedShift MX is good for 2 hours of “recreational” riding. For riders that want to keep going longer, Alta has designed the battery pack to be swappable, in about 10-15 minutes with two sets of hands working. This also means that future battery pack upgrades will be available as new battery tech comes to market as well.

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Bikes

Yamaha YZF-R3 Revealed – 321cc Twin Coming to the USA

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The rumors were true, Yamaha is bringing a special small-displacement model to market, the Yamaha YZF-R3. As the name indicates, the new R3 gets a fuel-injected displacement bump over the R25, to the tune of 321cc. Debuted at the AIMExpo today, the Yamaha YZF-R3 is coming to the USA, with a price tag of $4,990.

Said by Yamaha to have “class-leading power”, the new R3 finally adds a small-displacement sport bike to Yamaha’s North American lineup, and makes an attractive offering when compared to the other 250cc/300cc machines from the other Japanese manufacturers. Expect to see it in Yamaha dealers, starting January 2014.

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News

Report: KTM Abandons Electric Scooter Project

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KTM seems to have a tumultuous relationship when it comes to electric vehicles. The Austrian company was the first OEM to announce an electric product, back in 2011.

Then in 2013, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer announced that the timing wasn’t right for electrics…and then promptly debuted the company’s E-Speed electric scooter, several days later.

KTM has since revamped its electric dirt bike program, showing three new Freeride E models at EICMA (MX, Enduro, and Supermoto).

So maybe then it’s without surprise that word is going around that KTM is canning its E-Speed project, ahead of its expected 2015 debut.

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News

Ducati Announces DVT — Desmodromic Variable Timing

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As was teased, Ducati is unveiling its “DVT” technology today, which stands for Desmodromic Variable Timing, and to showcase that technology (borrowed from Volkswagen), Ducati has produced the first motorcycle engine with variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts.

Adapted to the now-called Ducati Testastretta DVT engine, which we reported will debut first on the new Ducati Multistrada for 2015, Ducati’s new v-twin powerplant can change the intake and exhaust timing independently, and throughout the rev range.

This means that the Ducati Testastretta DVT engine can be optimized for peak power at high rpms, while maintaing rideability and smoothness at lower rpms — not to mention keeping with emission and noise regulations throughout the rev range.

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Bikes

What If You Put Dustbin Fairings on Modern Sport Bikes?

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I simply love the latest sketches from Nicolas Petit. The French designer is sort of re-imaging a previous project of his, where he designed a modern-looking dustbin-style fairing for a BMW HP2 Sport and Moto Guzzi V12 Le Mans.

Taking on now the Ducati 1199 Panigale, Petit has mixed the old-styled TT racer look with Italy’s premier superbike, in an effective manner. We haven’t seen this sort of clash between old and new technology since John Hopkins raced the last two-stroke GP bike, the Yamaha YZR500 in 2002.

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MotoGP

AGV Helmets Analyzes Valentino Rossi’s Crash at Aragon

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The crashes of Valentino Rossi and Andrea Iannone at Aragon two-and-a-half weeks ago raised a lot of questions about safety, leading to the Safety Commission deciding to start removal of all the artificial turf from around the circuits used by MotoGP.

Rossi’s crash, in particular, was severe, the Italian being clipped and knocked briefly unconscious by the back wheel of his Yamaha as he tumbled.

That Rossi did not suffer much worse injuries is in no small part down to his helmet. The AGV Pista GP helmet which Rossi helped develop provided an incredible level of protection for the Italian.

After the incident, AGV took the helmet away to analyze the damage done to the helmet in the crash. They issued a press release, complete with close up photos of the damage sustained, explaining the damage done and how the helmet had protected Rossi.

The press release makes for interesting reading, and the close up photos of the damage are especially revealing of just how well the helmet stood up in the crash. Make sure you click on the photos to view higher resolution versions. The AGV press release appears after the jump.

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MotoGP

Marc Marquez is the 2014 MotoGP World Champion

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After the results of the Japanese GP, Marc Marquez has clinched the 2014 MotoGP World Championship. Securing the win on Honda’s home race, on its corporate-owned track no less, Marquez is now officially a four-time World Champion, with half those Championships coming from the MotoGP class.

The celebrations are surely still underway in Japan as we publish this, and rightfully so, after the masterful season Marquez has put in thus far for 2014. Helping to commemorate the occasion, Repsol has produced a short video, which you can watch is after the jump, along with a bevy of photos.

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Bikes

2015 BMW R1200RS Mega Gallery

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Our last mega gallery from BMW Motorrad’s INTERMOT debut, the 2015 BMW R1200RS borrows from both the R1200RT and S1000RR in its design elements. A rebirth of the RS brand, BWM is again loading-up its lineup with sub-segment models. A sportier sport-tourer in design than the RT, the RS still uses the same water-cooled boxer engine as the RT.

The headlights are positively borrowed from the BMW S1000RR, perhaps to add more language to the RS that this is a sporty two-up ride. BMW has certainly added a bevy of photos of the R1200RS being used two-up, with our dynamic couple wearing leathers while they explore what looks like the Spanish coastline.

It will be interesting to see what the press thinks of the 125hp boxing twin, as our biggest complaint has been its lack of power. A fine enough lump on the R1200GS, we wonder if the wasserboxer will show its weakness more heavily with this sport model. Then again, we suppose the BMW S1000XR is for that power-hungry crowd — which brings us back to BMW’s very crowded two-wheeled lineup.

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Bikes

MV Agusta Dragster RR Teased in Video

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Two weeks ago we showed you the photo that MV Agusta was using to tease its latest model to debut at EICMA. The photo featured Kineo-spoked wheels, and the company’s three-piped exhaust can. This of course left us to speculate that the expensive tubeless wheelset would be attached to either a proper ADV bike from MV Agusta, or some sort of café racer.

A few days later, we found the trademark filings for a “Turismo Leggero” motorcycle, whose name similarity to the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce, made us think our first instincts about that teaser photo were right: this new model was some sort of adventure-touring machine. Well…add another theory to the mix.

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