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Up-Close with the Mugen Shinden Hachi

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The 2019 Isle of Man TT once again saw the record lap drop for the electric class, with the new TT Zero record mark set at 121.909 mph by Michael Rutter, on the Mugen Shinden Hachi machine.

The Japanese squad has become a tour de force at the Isle of Man TT, taking now six-straight victories on the Mountain Course. Each year, we have seen the winning TT Zero lap time drop in number, and 2019 was no different…though barely.

Shaving less than a second off his time from 2018, Rutter crossed the line in 18’34.172″ – a figure likely attributable to the dismal weather conditions for this year’s TT gathering, which meant very little practice time for all the competitors.

Despite that lack of progress, a quick look at the Mugen Shinden Hachi shows that the Japanese outfit has not been resting on its laurels, despite the lacking arrival of a serious competitor in the TT Zero class.

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Bikes

Here It Is, The Ducati Streetfighter V4 Debuts in “Prototype” Form

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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.

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Racing

Isle of Man TT Race Photos from Ballacrye, Quarry Bends, Milntown, & Bray Hill by Tony Goldsmith

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Despite far too many weather delays and concerns, the Isle of Man TT saw five races get underway last Thursday, and the Senior TT went off without a hitch on Friday.

Of course, photographer Tony Goldsmith was there to capture all the action, with selections from the Ballacrye, Quarry Bends, Milntown, and Bray Hill locations.

We hope you enjoyed this year’s Isle of Man TT, and the stories from Steve English and Tony Goldsmith.

Photos: © 2019 Tony Goldsmith / www.tonygoldsmith.net – All Rights Reserved

This Isle of Man TT story is made possible by our A&R Pro members. If you enjoy our coverage of the TT on Asphalt & Rubber, you should consider supporting this content by signing up for A&R Pro.

Be sure to follow all of our 2019 Isle of Man TT racing coverage this fortnight.

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A&R Pro

Up-Close with David Johnson’s Honda CBR1000RR TT Race Bike

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We sat down with David Johnson before the start of the Isle of Man TT races, and the Australian explained to us the pressures that come with a factory ride.

On Thursday though, Johnson took his factory-backed Honda CBR1000RR to the podium in the Superstock TT race, thus fulfilling a major goal in his road racing career.

It wasn’t an easy feat, especially considering the horrid weather that has been hammering the Isle of Man for the past fortnight.

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News

Isle of Man TT Race Photos from Gorse Lea and Bishopscourt

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With the weather play havoc at the Isle of Man TT, Monday’s schedule saw a slew of races run. The Superbike TT, Sidecar TT Race 1, and Supersport TT Race 1 all taking place on the same day (Thursday looks even more packed, with five races scheduled to run).

A small consideration of photos from Monday’s races, the photo gallery above was taken at Gorse Lea and Bishopscourt locations n the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course. Enjoy!

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News

Isle of Man TT Practice Week Photos by Tony Goldsmith

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Photos: © 2019 Tony Goldsmith / www.tonygoldsmith.net – All Rights Reserved

This Isle of Man TT story is made possible by our A&R Pro members. If you enjoy our coverage of the TT on Asphalt & Rubber, you should consider supporting this content by signing up for A&R Pro.

Be sure to follow all of our 2019 Isle of Man TT racing coverage this fortnight.

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Racing

Up-Close with Peter Hickman’s BMW S1000RR IOMTT Race Bike

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A few days ago, we sat down with Peter Hickman to figure out what it takes to find the limit at the Isle of Man TT. Now today, we get up-close and personal on the machine he is campaigning in the Superbike and Senior TT races.

A 2020 BMW S1000RR, the race bike is put together by Smiths Racing BMW, with the hope that the German superbike’s supremacy on the Mountain Course continues with this next generation of the machine, and thus add to Hickman’s two-win tally at the Isle of Man TT.

As we can see from Steve’s photos though, this is not your ordinary BMW S1000RR…in fact, it is not your ordinary superbike.

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Bikes

MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro, Only 300 Will Be Made

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We knew already that the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 will move from concept status to production model for next year, but now we know more from Italy.

The news is namely that the attractive retro-modern sport bike will debut as a “Serie Oro” model, a common nomenclature that MV Agusta uses for early premium edition motorcycles that often come in limited quantity.

As such, we know that only 300 units will be made of the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Serie Oro, making this the latest limited edition model from the iconic brand.

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Bikes

Yet Another BMW R18 Concept Bike Debuts with that Mammoth 1,800cc Boxer Engine

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It is the worst-kept secret in the motorcycle industry right… We are talking about BMW Motorrad’s upcoming cruiser, which will features an 1,800cc air-cooled push rod boxer engine.

We know this because the German brand has been shoehorning the mammoth-sized engine into a variety of show bikes, all in the effort to get excited about this “Harley-Davidson killer” of a motorcycle.

Spy photos have also given us a glimpse of the bagger that we can expect to see unveiled later this year, but for now we have yet another concept machine to whet our appetites.

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Bikes

MV Agusta F3XX Track Bike Reporting for Duty with 160hp

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What happens when your racing department decides to offer their own track bike on the market? If your racing department is MV Agusta Reparto Corse, then the result is what you see here, the MV Agusta F3XX.

An 800cc cousin to the machine that secured a podium finish in the most recent World Supersport round, the MV Agusta F3XX sees its Imola debut as good timing then.

Then when you consider the 160hp on tap, and 320 lbs sans fuel (343 lbs all fueled up), the spec sheet for the F3XX is certainly impressive.

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Bikes

Yes! MV Agusta Superveloce 800 Going into Production

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The message from MV Agsuta was short and sweet on social media, “We feed your desire. The MV Agusta Superveloce. Coming 2020.” Three terse sentences, and with that we have confirmation that the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 will be a 2020 model year bike for the Italian brand.

It makes sense, though, as the Superveloce got a huge response on its debut last year at EICMA – almost eclipsing the company’s new production model, the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro, which we have heard very little about since the Italian trade show, and still doesn’t show up on the brand’s website.

Back to the Superveloce 800 though, the machine is a neo-retro take on the MV Agusta F3 800 sport bike, which it shares a platform with. This makes the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 mostly a styling exercise…but it is quite the design, if we do say so.

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