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Husqvarna 701 Supermoto, Coming to the USA

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It seems our hopes have been answered, as the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto has been confirmed for the US market, for the 2016 model year. We already knew that the 701 would be available in Europe, starting in November 2015, but word for other markets was non-existent.

Now clarifying things, Husqvarna has confirmed that the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto will be at dealerships in the USA, as well as other markets, start in February 2016. Yes, that means you too can now own a KTM 690 SMC R, dressed in blue and white.

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MotoGP

There Aren’t Enough “Top Gun” Jokes for the Time When Maverick Viñales Visited the Spanish Air Force

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When your first name is Maverick, you surely have heard every Top Gun joke there is to make, especially by the time you are 20-years-old.

Just in case he hit the brakes, and watched them fly right by, we couldn’t help but serve up a couple more for Maverick Viñales, thanks in large part to his media event with the Spanish Air Force. Talk to me Goose.

Feeling the need for speed at the Danger Zone Zaragoza Air Base, near the Motorland Aragon circuit in Northern Spain, Viñales was treated to a tour of the facility and a flight aboard one of the Ejército del Aire’s F/A-18 Hornets.

Ecstar Suzuki teammate Aleix Espargaro was unfortunately not at the event, but is quoted as saying that once he got back to the track, Maverick could be his wingman anytime.

While we aren’t sure if the pattern was too full for fly-by, rumors of a shirtless volleyball 1980’s video montage are so far completely unfounded.

This is probably the coolest pre-event MotoGP media event ever, and after the jump we have a bunch of high-resolution shots from it, Ice…Man.

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Bikes

Suter MMX500 Two-Stroke Beast Caught Testing

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We may live in a four-stroke era, but the enthusiast-factor for two-strokes is extremely strong. One look at the popularity of our story on the Suter MMX500, a bike that hasn’t even been launched yet (or is that, re-launched?), confirms as much.

Narrow powerbands, high horsepower figures, and featherlight weights are three key ingredients to the strength of two-strokes. Huffing pre-mix helps too.

To help fuel that fire, no pun intended, we bring you this highly suspicious video of the Suter MMX500 “caught” testing. It seems staged, and that’s fine, just show us the damn bike already. Ra-dinnnng-a-ding-ding!

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Bikes

How Would You Redesign the Bimota Mantra?

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When you hear the name Bimota, you likely picture in your head bespoke and beautiful Italian motorcycles that borrow some of the most potent engines from motorcycle manufacturers and then build motorcycling exotica around them. Just about every Bimota is a highly coveted collectible…just about.

For some reason the Bimota Mantra is more infamous than famous, it’s design was ahead of its time, to say it politely. I know a few collectors who love the Mantra, and have a few in their collections, but the bulk of the two-wheeled public would rather forget the Mantra was ever penned, and that the V Due was ever built.

Asked what he would build if he had to recreate the Bimota Mantra, designer Sacha Lakic (the artist who was behind the original Mantra, and more currently, the Voxan Wattman) inked the above sketch.

Let us know what you think of the Bimota Mantra 2.0, in the comments. Also, photos showing Lakic’s design process are after the jump.

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Bikes

The Honda RC213V-S Isn’t Sold Out…Yet

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Do you want a MotoGP bike in your garage (or living room, as the case will likely be)? Do you have $184,000 and then some, burning a hole in your pocket? Do you like not living in a house, but think carbon fiber fairings will keep you warm at night?

If you said yes to any of those questions, you should buy a Honda RC213V-S.

In seriousness, if owning a Honda RC213V-S is a notion that does strike you, then you better hurry up with your order. This is because we asked Honda how orders were coming with the RC213V-S, and the Japanese brand responded that reservations for the MotoGP-bike-for-the-street are quite abundant, indeed.

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Bikes

We Would Smog the German Right Out of this Ducati-Powered Concept Car by Jakusa Design

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We’re really enjoying the work of Tamás Jakus, better known as Jakusa Design. If that name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, we’re sure his recent work on the zeffed-out Triumph Tiger 800 will surely strike you as familiar. This time, Jakus has imagined a Ducati-powered car.

That concept is already in our headspace, thanks to the engineers at Volkswagen making the Volkswagen XL Sport, but Jakus’ version is far more appealing to us.

Extruding the distinctive intake of the Panigale across the trellis frame of an Aeriel Atom type oversized go-kart – complete with pigeon-toed three spoke wheels, just like the superbike – there are enough Ducati design elements to link the car to the brand to make the exercise convincing.

Leave your thoughts and your best Volkswagen emissions jokes in the comments section.

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Bikes

2016 Ducati Diavel Carbon – Bold New Carbon

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Do you like the current Ducati Diavel? Do you like carbon fiber? If you answered yes to those two questions, chances are then that you will like the 2016 Ducati Diavel Carbon model that has just been released.

At the core of the Ducati Diavel Carbon remains the same Testastretta 11° Dual Spark engine, which makes 162hp claimed and is packaged into the same 452 lbs mass that carves turns and turns heads.

The only actual technical change then is the Zircotec ceramic coating on the exhaust headers being the mainstay, along with a new seat that has special trim. In the motorcycle world, we call that bold new graphics for the Diavel – though tastefully done, as only Italians can do.

In addition to the Carbon version, the 2016 Ducati Diavel will also be available in a “Dark Stealth” model.

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Bikes

Suter MMX 500 – Reviving the 500cc Two-Stroke…Again

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Suter Racing’s 500cc V4 two-stroke track bike project is back, in case you didn’t hear. Now called the Suter MMX 500, the ~200hp / 284 lbs motorcycle is set to debut again, as the Swiss firm gears up for the World GP Bike Legends event.

Presumably, not too much has changed on the GP-inspired machine, though we can expect to see an updated set of bodywork, suspension, and other farkles. At the core will remain that beautiful pre-mix consuming engine, in its V4 configuration.

We say presumably, because Suter is staying tight-lipped on this project, simply teasing the Suter MMX 500 with a dedicated website and with dyno-run soundtrack. So…stay tuned.

In the meantime, we have seriously just copy-and-pasted the same photos and information that was available four years. At least we’re honest.

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Racing

SERT Wins the 2015 FIM Endurance World Championship

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Taking things all the way to the last round of the championship – the Bol d’Or 24 Hour race – the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team can finally lay claim to being the the 2015 FIM Endurance World Champions.

Though endurance racing is very much a team effort, this victory for SERT couldn’t have been achieved without the team’s EWC veteran riders: Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle, and Etienne Masson.

The trio’s results have allowed Suzuki to claim its 14th EWC title, which is just one part of the Japanese brand’s domination in the FIM Endurance World Championship.

On its road to EWC glory, SERT won at Le Mans, finished fourth in the very competitive specialist field at Suzuka, landed second on the podium at Oschersleben, and wrapped up the Bol d’Or in the third position.

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Bikes

MV Agusta F3 RC Mega Gallery

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Debuting its World Supersport replica today, the MV Agusta F3 RC is a rolling tribute to the efforts of the Reparto Corse squad on the race track. Only 100 units of the race-legal 675cc machine will be made, compared to the 250 units of the track day weapon that is the F3 800.

Like its 1,000cc counterpart, the MV Agusta F4 RC, the Varese company’s paint scheme is very fetching, though the F3 models comes without the improvements found on the F4.

Some of that has to do with the more limited rules in WSS – and this being a race replica and all – but we still think MV Agusta could have massaged a few extra ponies into this “RC” model, and thus buck the trend of only liter-class bikes getting the über limited-edition treatment. Our tastes certainly are picky, no?

That all being said, we thought A&R readers didn’t quite get enough Italian for lunch today, so here is a mega gallery of the new MV Agusta F3 RC. Beware of clicking the photos, we spared no pixel, and some of these images are huge. Bring a napkin.

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