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The End Is Nigh for the Ducati 1299 Panigale

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That Ducati is about to debut a V4 superbike is perhaps the worst-kept secret right now in the motorcycle industry, and when we saw the Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario late last year, we were sure this would be last “new” Panigale from its namesake, Borgo Panigale.

Getting ready to send the v-twin superbike on its final farewell, it seems Ducati still has a few surprises up its sleeve, as the Italian brand has released a teaser video for an event on July 7th, with the tagline “When the End Tells the Whole Story.”

Filled with quick-takes on a Panigale superbike, in the red/white Corse livery (just like on the Ducati 1299 Superleggera), the video is surely a nod to the end-of-the-line for this big-displacement v-twin superbike. The words “Panigale Final Edition” in the video title are a tip-off too.

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The Ducati 1299 Superleggera Lands in the USA

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If you were one of the lucky few to plunk down $80,000 on the new Ducati 1299 Superleggera, your wait for this ultrabike is finally over.

This is because the first Ducati 1299 Superleggera just touched down in the United States, at AMS Ducati Dallas, with more to follow soon at dealers around the United States.

Only 500 units of this carbon-fiber-everything superbike were made available by the folks at Bologna, making the Ducati 1299 Superleggera a very exclusive affair. 

This is because the 1299 Superleggera is the first production motorcycle with an all carbon fiber chassis, and it also happens to boasts 215hp (220hp when you put on the Akrapovic exhaust), while tipping the scales at 344 lbs when it’s bone dry.

The machine also has Ducati’s most advanced electronics package, which features an inertial measurement unit, and thus allows for the traction control system to adjust both the slide rate and spin rate of the rear tire.

We hear if you still want one, there are some dealers that have machines that are no longer spoken for, but you better act fast.

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Racing

James Hillier Finds Out Why They Call It “Balla-Scary”

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If you took a straw poll from road racers, the Ballagarey corner would likely rank highest on the list of places found on the Isle of Man TT race course that scared these otherwise two-wheeled warriors.

The corner has such a reputation, that the name “Balla-Scary” has been coined to describe this fast section of the track, situated between the 3rd and 4th milestones. In 2010, Ballagarey claimed the life of racer Paul Dobbs, and a day later Guy Martin escaped a fiery crash there as well.

While every TT rider surely knows the reputation of Ballagarey, at this year’s Isle of Man TT, it was James Hillier who found a new respect for that part of the Mountain Course, having a huge moment on his Kawasaki superbike, during the Senior TT race. You can watch this miracle save, after the jump.

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Watch Ian Hutchinson’s Terrifying Crash at the TT

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Ian Hutchinson might have a broken femur bone right now, but all-in-all he is a pretty lucky man. Crashing during the Senior TT at the 2017 Isle of Man TT, the 16-time TT race winner had a horrific off while coming over the mountain section of the famed road racing course.

It is suspected that Hutchinson suffered from a punctured front tire, which caused the crash. That revelation though probably does little to change the fact that Hutchinson will once again have to recover from a serious injury to his left leg.

Hutchinson is expected to fully heal from his broken femur, though one has to wonder if he can ever truly recover from this crash at the 27th Milestone. You will understand what we mean, after you watch the embedded video.

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MV Agusta Debuts Its First “RVS” Motorcycle Concept

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The intrigue is finally over in regards to MV Agusta’s new “Reparto Veicoli Speciali” or “RVS” program, with the Italian marque debuting its first creation from this special vehicle development unit.

An intersection between the designers and engineers at MV Agusta’s Castiglioni Research Centre, RVS is what happens when you let designers be free with their imaginations, and you let engineers create those ideas unfettered – at least, so says MV Agusta.

The result for this fist iteration is a very unique looking MV Agusta Brutale 800, which has a bevy of custom pieces on it that make it look like a café racer / scrambler type of machine.

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IOMTT: SES TT Zero Results

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The 2017 Isle of Man TT will go down as a tough year for the electric bikes racing in the SES TT Zero race. With few laps around the course because of weather, and with record-holder John McGuinness stuck on the sidelines with injury, the speeds haven’t been what we were expecting.

Bruce Anstey filled in for McGuinness on the Team Mugen bike, and was only able to post a 113 mph lap in qualifying – well off the 119 mph pace that McGuinness set in 2015.

With the 2017 SES TT Zero race being Guy Martin’s best hope for a TT race win, there was a bit of intrigue heading into the race, though it was clear that Martin’s head was still stuck on his crash in the Superbike TT race.

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Guy Martin Talks About His IOMTT Superbike Crash

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Guy Martin is lucky to still be with us, after a frightful off during the Superbike TT on Sunday. Finding “a box full of neutrals” as he sped through Doran’s Bend, just ahead of the Glen Helen timing point.

The result of that technical failure was captured by on-board footage, which saw Martin crashing and thankfully coming away from the incident relatively unscathed physically.

The crash has clearly shaken Guy Martin though, as he sat out the following day’s Supersport TT Race 1 as well as today’s Superstock TT race.

What is between the ears is the most important part of a racer, and after a technical failure lead to John McGuinness crashing at the North West 200, along with this incident with Martin’s gearbox, one can sure begin to wonder about Martin’s confidence in the Honda CBR1000RR SP2 race bike.

You can watch his video interview with Craig Doyle, after the jump, and see for yourself how shaken Guy is over the incident. Coming back to road racing, after a year’s hiatus, one has to wonder if Martin will take to the course again this TT fortnight. Time will tell…something Martin himself notes in the video.

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IOMTT: RL360 Quantum Superstock TT Results

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Wednesday saw a full schedule of racing slated, with the 2017 Isle of Man TT looking to catch up on a week that had been plagued with adverse weather. First up, was the RL360 Quantum Superstock TT, where competitors race 1,000cc machines in near-stock form.

Just because there was racing, doesn’t mean that the weather was perfect though, with riders advised that there were cross winds  at Crosby Hill, along with damp patches at Ginger Hall, the Ramsey Hairpin, and Hillberry.

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IOMTT: Ramsey Hairpin Sidecar Crash Caught on Video

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The Isle of Man TT is one of the most iconic motorcycle races on the planet, and part of the allure that comes with the TT is the great spectacle and danger that comes from road racing on tiny city streets.

It is a high price to pay for entertainment – one that competitors do not take lightly. On average, the TT claims the lives of two riders each year, and the casualty list sometimes isn’t contained just to racers, as it is very easy for spectators to be collected in an incident on the track.

Such was the case yesterday, during the Sure Sidecar TT Race 1, when the #47 machine, with Deborah Barron and Alun Thomas on board, veered left after running the turn wide at the Ramsey Hairpin on the race’s third lap.

Fortunately, the Ramsey Hairpin is the slowest point on the TT course, and spectators were able to get out of the way in time, as the sidecar plowed through the spectator section.

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IOMTT: Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 1 Results

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Monday’s racing action at the 2017 Isle of Man TT saw the supersport machines taking to the Mountain Course, for the four laps of the Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 1. Despite the change in the machinery, the narrative remained focused on two men: Ian Hutchinson and Michael Dunlop.

With Hutchinson already taking the honors in the opening Superbike TT, the question remained whether Dunlop would respond on the 600cc machines – a class where he typically goes quite well around the TT course.

The was a resounding yes, with Michael Dunlop taking Race 1 of the Supersport TT in a convincing fashion, making this his 14th Isle of Man TT race victory.

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IOMTT: RST Superbike TT Race Results

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Racing for the 2017 Isle of Man TT finally got underway on Sunday, with the RST Superbike TT (often called the “Junior TT” by regulars, in contrast to the final Senior TT of the fortnight) getting underway.

The race framed an important narrative for this year’s TT, pitting Ian Hutchinson and Michael Dunlop against each other.

With Hutchinson on the race-proven BMW S1000RR, the question marks go to Dunlop, as he campaigns this year’s big-bike races on the new Suzuki GSX-R1000R superbike. So far in the practice sessions, both riders have shown considerable pace.

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