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Here Are Our First Looks at the 2020 KTM RC16 MotoGP Race Bikes

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The MotoGP season is closing ever nigh, and we know this because KTM just debuted its two teams in the MotoGP Championship, while giving us a glimpse at its 2020 machinery.

For a treat, we can see that the 2020 KTM RC16 stands out from its predecessor by its larger, more oval and more central air intake. The aerodynamics package on the machine continues to evolve as well, as KTM tries to spend its way to the front of the timesheets.

Mechanical bits aside, one of the highlights from the 2020 launch is the new livery (and quasi-new sponsor) for the Tech3 KTM squad, which is hocking Red Bull’s new cola product with a fetching orange, white, and blue livery.

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Bikes

The One Moto Show: Yamaha Virago 750 by WKND

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Another bike that caught our eye at The One Motorcycle Show, this tasty morsel is a 1982 Yamaha Virago 750 (XV 750) made by the hands at WKND. 

Though not a terribly appealing motorcycle in its original form, and part of Yamaha’s first attempts at challenging Harley-Davidson in the cruiser space, the Yamaha XV750 has seen builders make some tasty customs off its old air-cooled v-twin platform – as we can see here.

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Bikes

The One Moto Show: ABC 500 by A Bike Company

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The One Motorcycle Show was in Portland this weekend, meaning we didn’t have to travel very far at all to see the largest custom bike show in the United States.

Naturally, we feel compelled to share with you some of the best bikes we saw the show, and we will start things off right with one of our favorites from the expo.

To that end, it was a shame that the ABC 500 by A Bike Company wasn’t front and center when you came into the main bike hall, as the board tracker made by Niki Smart is a stunner and dripping in black.

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Bikes

This Is the 230hp Carbon-Fiber-Everything Ducati Superleggera V4

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It is here. It is finally here. The Ducati Superleggera V4 is finally official and well-worth the hype.

It turns out too that the leaked information we had on this “Super light” motorcycle was true, with the Ducati Superleggera V4 tipping the scales at 159kg when dry…and 152kg when the Akrapovic exhaust is installed.

Ducati isn’t disclosing what that means for curb weights, but if the Panigale V4 R is any comparison, it should be close to 380 lbs when topped off with gas and ready to rip on the race track.

Considering that the accompanying exhaust bumps power to over 230hp (172 kW), this gives the Superleggera V4 the best power-to-weight ratio from any production street bike ever created.

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MotoGP

Suzuki GSX-RR MotoGP Race Bike Gets Bold New Graphics for 2020

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From the company that coined the term “bold new graphics” for the motorcycle industry, today we get perhaps the most honest use of that phrase, with the ECSTAR Suzuki MotoGP team debuting a stunning livery for the 2020 Suzuki GSX-RR race bike.

The official launch of this year’s team sees the Japanese manufacturer unveiling last year’s bike – which is now the norm in MotoGP team launches, as cards are kept close to the vest until the season opener at Qatar – with a fetching blue and white paint scheme.

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Rumors

Even More Leaked Photos & Video of the Ducati Superleggera V4

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It only took a few hours since our last post on the Ducati Superleggera V4 for more photos and a video of the machine to leak online, which is just fine by us since we’re eager to see this incredible machine from Borgo Panigale.

The new photos and video (and the screen grabs from other videos) surely are products of Ducati’s microsite for the “Project 1708” machine, and they give us a larger glimpse on what to expect Thursday morning.

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Rumors

Here Are the First Photos of the Ducati Superleggera V4

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UPDATE: The Ducati Superleggera V4 has officially debuted.

While there are still roughly 18hrs left (at the time of this writing) until the Ducati Superleggera V4 officially debuts, photos of this $100,000 superbike are already leaking onto social media.

The treasure trove of images are likely coming from would-be buyers who have already seen the bike in person and have had access to its special website, where videos and information have been trickling out.

The fact that this is occurring should surprise no one, but of course these early images already have our mouths watering for the real thing.

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MotoGP

Repsol Honda Unveils the Same MotoGP Color Scheme as Always

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You have to give credit to the factory Honda MotoGP team, they are true pillars of consistency, and have shown a strong commitment to using the same livery over, over, and over again each year.

Now, there is nothing wrong with this…per se. Good branding scholars will tell you the value of an iconic and unchanged marque, and having the same design on their race bikes certainly makes it easy on fans.

However, when it comes to launching your team for the next season, it creates the problem of people asking, “why should we care?”

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MotoGP

The New Aprilia RS-GP Debuts at Sepang for 2020, Gets Positive Reviews from the Riders

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2019 was a long, hard year for Aprilia. The hiring of new Aprilia Race CEO Massimo Rivola signaled a year of rebuilding for the Italian factory, as Rivola took over the organizational side of the MotoGP project, freeing up Romano Albesiano to concentrate on building a brand new RS-GP from the ground up, and providing Albesiano with the resources to do so.

That project forced Aprilia riders Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Iannone to battle on through the 2019 season with a bike that was struggling to be competitive.

The wait came to an end at the MotoGP shakedown test at Sepang, where Aprilia rolled out the new RS-GP, in the hands of test rider Bradley Smith. “Those six or seven months of waiting were worth it,” was Smith’s verdict after the first full day of testing on the 2020 prototype.

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WSBK

The WorldSBK-Spec Honda CBR1000RR-R with No Clothes

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The 2020 WorldSBK Championship has the promises to be one of the best in recent history, as there are more than a few contenders for the throne lining up on the grid this season.

Of course, there is five-time champion Jonathan Rea, who has been a juggernaut onboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.

Rea will have the target on his back for 2020, that much is for certain, and the Kawasaki Racing Team has shown that they are well-honed operation, and certainly capable of adding metal to Rea’s trophy room.

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