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2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R – 201hp with Race Exhaust

By 9 COMMENTS

We may have spoiled Christmas last month, as our predictions for the 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R appear to be spot on as we get news from Ducati’s 2013 model year press launch at EICMA.

As expected, the highlights to the 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R are the inclusions of titanium con-rods, a lightened flywheel, DLC-coated rocker-arms, a four-point adjustable swingarm pivot-point, a 500 rpm rev boost, and a bit more power (courtesy of a full-system race exhaust and ECU).

While the “R” spec Panigale officially makes the same power as the other models, the race exhaust included with the purchase of the machine is good for a few more ponies up top, giving the Ducati 1199 Panigale R a 201hp top figure, a modest 6% gain up top, but also a 15% increase in the midrange.

Like all Panigales, the Ducati 1199 Panigale R has ABS, ride-by-wire throttle control, traction control, engine braking control, and features all the amenities on the “S” spec model, like the DDA+ data logging system.

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Bikes

2013 Ducati Hyperstrada – $13,295 & Ready to Tour

By 22 COMMENTS

With the rumors of the liquid-cooled 2013 Ducati Hypermotard, there was also talk of a midrange Multistrada model at EICMA as well. This rumor then morphed into three distinct Hypermotard models, with one model set on the task of bringing touring to the maxi-motard line. In essence though, what we have is a cross between the Ducati Hypermotard and a Ducati Multistrada 1200 — Bologna just calls it the 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada.

On the outside, the Ducati Hyperstrada is a Hypermotard with revised suspension and a few more goodies to aid in those long-distance trips. However, on its inside, the Hyperstrada really wants to be the Multistrada 1200’s smaller counterpart.

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Bikes

2013 Ducati Diavel Strada – Now We’ve Seen Everything

By 10 COMMENTS

What happens when you take a Ducati Diavel and raid the Ducati Performance parts bin? You get the 2013 Ducati Diavel Strada. After seeing the 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada, it is clear that the Bologna Brand has touring on the brain, and thought that the Diavel should get some extra attention at this year’s EICMA show (although, maybe not as much as the 2013 Ducati Hypermotard, 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada, & 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R).

Designed with longer trips in mind, the Diavel Strada features improved wind protection, higher handlebars (15mm) that are also swept farther back (60mm) making for a more comfortable sitting position. Other additions include a gel seat and heated grips, as well as two auxiliary power outlets that are fed by a higher-output generator. For the pillion, a backrest has been included, and of course there is 41 liters of side luggage available.

Not exactly our cup of tea, but then again we have never been a big fan of the Diavel’s styling (riding the beast is a whole different matter though), but we imagine there are some would-be Diavel owners who would jump at the chance to tour on Ducati’s sport-cruiser. Photos and video after the jump for you intrepid souls.

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Racing

Jorge Lorenzo + Gangnam Style = Us Crying

By 11 COMMENTS

At Phillip Island post-race press conference, I thought Jorge Lorenzo singing “We Are the Champions” with Wilco Zeelenberg would top my MotoGP audio/visual experience for the year (I’m still debating whether it is worth losing my MotoGP credentials to post-up that video).

However, I think this clip of the newly crowned World Champion doing a rendition of PSY’s “Gangnam Style” might just even surpass that special moment in my life. Just a warning, some things are burned into the back of your brain, and cannot be unseen. Happy Halloween after the jump.

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Banter

Slow-Mo Supermoto for Your Friday Pleasure

By 7 COMMENTS

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a supermoto so I can go sliding through corners, launching off jumps, and lofting epic wheelies all-day long with reckless abandon.

You see Santa, sport bike track days here in Northern California are very expensive, and let’s not even begin to talk about how much a “whoopsies” can cost on today’s Yamahonda GXS-R1’s.

I’ve been a good boy this year, and always wear my gear when out riding, so please Santa can you find room on your sleigh for a supermoto for me this year. I promise to feed it fresh racing slicks every weekend.

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Racing

Is the Silver Screen Safe from John McGuinness?

By 9 COMMENTS

John McGuinness might be the best man on two wheels at the Isle of Man, but when it comes to road racer’s acting abilities, the King of the Mountain leaves a bit to be desired. Filming a James Bond themed promotional video at the 2012 Isle of Man TT, McGuinness trades line delivery for penis innuendos in a movie that is so bad, it might just be good (caution: it is really quite awful). Enjoy, after the jump.

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News

Video: 2013 MV Agusta Brutale – 920cc Dropped?

By 4 COMMENTS

While the MV Agusta’s future may depend on its three-cylinder machines, the MV Agusta F3 & MV Agusta Brutale 675, many people forget that the small Italian company still has a range of rolling four-cylinder works of art as well. EICMA is getting closer, and as such the promo videos are starting to roll out from Italy, and this latest one from MV Agusta raises some eyebrows.

Showing only its 1090cc four-cylinder Brutale models, MV Agusta has seemingly dropped its 920cc variants (presumably because they competed against the MV Agusta Brutale 675 for buyers), and has added to the line-up the MV Agusta Brutale 1090cc, in addition to the MV Agusta Brutale 1090R & MV Agusta Brutale 1090RR.

There are no additional details beyond what we can see in the video, so we will have to see the tech specs drop before we can fully appreciate what MV Agusta is doing with its Brutale line. Until then, watching some video close-ups of an MV Agusta is a pretty good way to start the day. Enjoy it after the jump.

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News

Look Closer at the Up-Coming IMS Shows

By 4 COMMENTS

With INTERMOT behind us and EICMA only a few weeks away, we are deep into motorcycle expo season, if you haven’t already noticed. We of course have the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows here in the US, with the first IMS stop being in Atlanta, GA November 2nd-4th.

Helping us gear-up for the expos, IMS has decively dressed-down for the occasion, and is running a promotional campaign that features body-painted contortionists making the shapes of motorcycles. Featuring the work of San-Francisco-based body painter Trina Merry, this is about as close as you will get to seeing naked girls (and men, for that matter) on A&R.

Photos of the finished result and a behind-the-scenes video are waiting for you after the jump.

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Racing

Video: Brammo Gets Ready to Dominate in Daytona

By 19 COMMENTS

The 2012 TTXGP World Series Final is about to go down in Daytona the weekend after next, and if you are like us…you probably didn’t know that, and now that you do, you probably still don’t really care. Plagued with inconsistent grids, considerable performance gaps between machines, and small grid sizes on race day, the North American TTXGP Championship was less than memorable this year for spectators. However, for Steve Atlas and the folks at Brammo, 2012 meant another championship victory.

Putting together a nice promo video for the upcoming World Series Final at Daytona, you can’t fault the Brammo crew for celebrating their Championship win — after all, all the Ashland team can do is show up, and hope that the competition does as well. Still, it goes without saying that everyone involved with the series would have liked to see some more competition in the victory. Maybe when the top teams from the other regional championships arrive in Daytona we will have a better show. Probably not though.

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Racing

Flammini Talks about the Future of World Superbike

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After the bombshell announcement that Bridgepoint was putting Dorna in charge of both the MotoGP and World Superbike series, the media were keen to get a reaction from either of the Flammini brothers, the two men who had helped to grow the series into the success it is today, and who currently run WSBK. After an initial deafening silence, Paolo Flammini finally made an appearance at Magny-Cours on Sunday morning, to explain his, and Infront’s, point of view. Our friends at the Italian website InfoMotoGP.com were present to record the press conference on video.

Flammini did not say much – indeed, he started his speech with the words “I don’t have much to add to what is written in the press release,” – but what he did say helped clarify the situation a little. Starting off with an understatement – “This step represents a very big moment in the history of World Superbikes”, Flammini told the assembled media – the Italian was at pains to make clear that World Superbikes would face few changes for 2013. “Many people are worried for the 2013 season, but nothing special will happen,” he said, emphasizing that his aim was to keep stability in the series.

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How to Lose $4,500 in Single Corner – AKA “The Pass” Between Tyler O’Hara & Michael Barnes at NOLA

By 43 COMMENTS

Whether your poison is World Superbike or AMA Pro Racing, this weekend provided some excellent motorcycle racing. Out of all the memorable moments where we yelled at the TV this race-day Sunday (and there were more than a few), our favorite, hands-down, has to be “the pass” that Tyler O’Hara pulled on Michael Barnes coming down the final stretch at NOLA.

Full-throttle on the Harley-Davidson XR1200 race bikes for the win, a race that would also who would win AMA Pro Racing XR1200 Championship, O’Hara pulled a classic move on Barney — no really, he pulled Barnes back by the arm just ahead of the finish line.

It is debatable whether O’Hara would have caught Barnes on the drive to the finish, and both riders have a good on-track rivalry, and off-track sense of humor, but Barnes was clearly not pleased with O’Hara’s race shenanigans (we think it is sort of winning, in the Charlie Sheen sense of the word).

Nonetheless, the AMA ruled it an “avoidable contact” and displaced O’Hara from 1st to last in the race, which sent him into third place for the Championship points.

In other words, Tyler O’Hara lost $4,500 dollars in prize money ($2,000 for second in the race, $2,500 for the drop from second to third in the Championship), while perpetrating one of most awesome/punk-kid moves we have ever seen in motorcycle racing. The video of “the pass” is after the jump. Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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