Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Tag

photos

Browsing
Bikes

2011 Ducati Superbike 1198 SP Spotted at Intermot

By 1 Comment

The eagle eyes at Dutch publication have spotted the 2011 Ducati Superbike 1198 SP sitting on the Intermot showroom floor before the crowds and media were officially let in today. Sporting a quick-shifter, slipper clutch, aluminum tank, and Öhlins TTX shock, the Ducati Superbike 1198 SP is sure to be a favorite with the track-going crowd, but with a price tag expected to be only $100 more than the current Ducati Superbike 1198 S, we think the 1198 SP will be a big hit with any loyal Ducatisti.

With the 2011 Ducati Superbike 1198 SP, Ducati clearly wants to clear the inventory of the Superbike 1198 models, and make way for the 2012 Superbike that’s so important to the Italian company, that it quit World Superbike over it. More photos and video after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
Rumors

2011 KTM 990 Supermoto T Gets ABS

By 2 Comments

The 2011 KTM 990 Supermoto T will see ABS get introduced to its feature list, as this seems to be the agreed upon method by motorcycle manufacturers to offer something “new” for 2011, while still clearing out inventory from 2009 and 2010. Colors will include black, orange and white, which is pretty par for the course from KTM these days.

The KTM 990 Supermoto T is likely feeling the pressure from bikes like the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring, Yamaha Super Ténéré, and other road-going adventure bikes that feature the braking technology. It’s not clear whose ABS system KTM has tapped for the duty, or if the added feature will cause a bump in the Austrian manufacturer’s asking price, but we’re sure those details will come to light soon as Intermot approaches.

2011-ktm-990-smt-action-1
2011-ktm-990-smt-black
2011-ktm-990-smt-orange
2011-ktm-990-smt-white

Source: 

Keep Reading
By
Rumors

2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track Launching at Intermot

By 2 Comments

While we already knew that the new 2011 KTM 125 Duke would be making an appearance at Intermot, we now know that the Austrian company will debut two more motorcycles at the show in Germany: the 2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track & the 2011 KTM 990 Supermoto T. Since these photos are just leaking out ahead of the Intermot show, we have very little information (find it after the jump), but expect more updates as we get closer to the show’s date.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

Ducati WSBK Fans Lash Out Against Rossi at Imola

By 18 Comments

There were some not so happy racing fans this weekend during World Superbike’s penultimate stop at Imola. A home track for Ducati, the race stands where filled with Italian racing red, and also some signs from some very unhappy Ducatisti. Perceiving Valentino Rossi’s switch in the MotoGP from Yamaha to Ducati as the reason for at the end of this season, Ducati WSBK fans aired our their discontent with anti-Rossi and anti-Ducati banners and stickers throughout Imola.

Keep Reading
By
Reviews

Ride Review: 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring – Asphalt & Rubber Rides King Duc

By 9 Comments

Dubbed the Best Motorcycle of the 2009 EICMA show, the 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring has a lofty title that we’ve been itching to test since we saw the bike debut in Milan last year. While the new Multistrada 1200 comes in many flavors, we somehow managed to get our hands on the Multistrada 1200 S Touring version, or as we like to call it: “King Duc”. The Multistrada line has been Ducati’s attempt to be more than a sportbike-driven brand, and with this latest incarnation we can see that the Bologna-based company has taken a serious stab at making a go-anywhere GS-killer, with Italian style of course.

We were anxious to bring the Multistrada 1200 to our happy hunting grounds in Santa Barbara, CA where we had just recently test ridden the groundbreaking Honda VFR1200F a month back. Our adventures with the new Multi actually began with a very long and boring two-hour drive into Brea, CA on four wheels. Traveling on four wheels in Los Angeles is the stuff suicide notes are made of, and naturally the return trip from Brea was a more pleasurable experience for a certain test rider, than it was for one editor stuck in LA gridlock. Of course that didn’t stop me from having the pleasurable experience of becoming acquainted with the Multistrada 1200 in its natural territory, the open road.

Knowing the sporty nature of Ducati motorcycles (and the seemingly inverse relationship between sportiness and comfort), we were skeptical of how enjoyable the 150-mile ride back from Brea would be on the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring. Suffering through the almost endless miles of parked cars on the highway that laid between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, I pulled over and sent the first text message back about the bike, “So much fun!!!!” it read, along with a picture of the Multistrada sitting on the side of dead-end road.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

2011 Yamaha YZF-R1 – Now With Skulls

By 22 Comments

Yamaha has quietly released information on the 2011 Yamaha YZF-R1 on its website, and as expected there are few changes for the new year. With plenty of R1’s sitting in the factory, Yamaha took a slugging during the recession, and is still unloading leftover inventory onto dealers. To help sell those 2011 Yamaha R1’s though, the tuning fork brand has thrown some new paint on the faster red ones…and by new paint we mean skulls with wisps of fire and brimstone.

Keep Reading
By
News

MINI Scooter E Concept Unveiled – When OEM’s Come Out To Play

By 3 Comments

After teasing us with some sketches of the MINI Scooter E Concept before the Paris Motor Show, MINI has finally taken the wraps off its two-wheeled excursion. Showing a variety of flavors, MINI has tried to synthesize the unique elements of its automobile brand into scooter form with the MINI Scooter E Concept. Styling and features come straight from the cars, although they don’t share a common parts bin, while the general ethos remains: an individualistic, yet practical, form of transportation that has the urban commuter in mind.

The important part about the MINI Scooter E Concept though isn’t its fun styling or urban-hipster appeal, but instead the fact that OEM’s are coming out of their holes after weathering the recession’s storm, and getting serious about electrics and electric motorcycles. The fact that a small automobile manufacturer is considering an electric two-wheeled vehicle should send a message to the traditional motorcycle OEM’s and electric startups alike.

Keep Reading
By
Opinion/Editorial

Rossi Considers Skipping Last Two MotoGP Races – Fires A Shot Across Yamaha’s Bow

By 13 Comments

Much of the talk about Valentino Rossi and his injuries have centered on the Italian’s leg, which was broken with a compound fracture at Mugello earlier this year. Despite causing Rossi to miss several races, the Italian’s biggest physical concern hasn’t been his leg, but instead his shoulder, which he injured in April while motocross training. The shoulder has been a lingering issue for Rossi ever since his return at Brno, which culminated this weekend with the Fiat-Yamaha team actually having to setup the M1 at Aragon to work around the injury.

With a lackluster performance this weekend, not to mention a disappointing return to GP racing in general, Rossi announced after Sunday’s race that he was considering having his shoulder operated on after the three fly-away races (Motegi, Sepang, and Phillip Island), which would effectively mean that the nine-time World Champion would miss MotoGP’s last two stops at Estoril and Valencia. )

This announcement is a big bombshell for the Yamaha camp, which could see its star rider, if we can still say that, again vacating from the team to heal his injuries. However again reading between the lines of the Italian, Rossi’s revelation this weekend has about as much to do with an injured shoulder as it does with putting pressure on Yamaha to release him from his contract in time to test the Ducati Desmosedici GP11 at Valencia.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Spy Shots: Ducati Diavel Gets A Little Bit More Refined – No Pillion Available?

By 20 Comments

UPDATE: Photos of the rear do seem to confirm that passenger pegs exist and fold underneath the tail section.

British magazine website in other photos. While the tank and headlight still have some camouflage covering them, we get an especially clearer look at the Diavel’s left-hand side, which looks to be production ready.

Showing a unique trellis frame by Ducati standards, the Diavel also has a very pronounced “chin” fairing that likely helps draw air onto a lower radiator. Covering the top radiator appears to be another fairing the features gill slits, again likely for drawing air-flow through the whole of the bike.

Perhaps the biggest revelation to come from looking at these new photos, is the noticeable absence of a pillion and passenger footpegs, which brings up the question as to whether the Ducati Diavel will be a single-rider ride. You make the call in the photos after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

Riders Honor Shoya Tomizawa at Aragon GP

By 2 Comments

Reports are coming back from the Aragon GP that the entire paddock has honored Shoya Tomizawa by putting the fallen Japanese rider’s number and likeness on the front fenders of their bikes. Some riders have also done their own personal memorial, for example Valentino Rossi has a cartoon of Tomizawa on his helmet, while fellow Japanese rider and friend Yuki Takahashi has been spotted wearing a black armband.

Keep Reading
By