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BMW is very proud of their new, hyper-powerful literbike, the S1000RR. They put a WSBK racing team together as soon as they could, and they figured with the awesome RWHP (185HP, dynoed stock) of the machine, they could make the brand shine in motorsports.
Ruben Xaus displays his inimitable riding style at Philip Island
Sadly it hasn’t quite worked out that way. Troy Corser has been notably absent from the platform since 2009. Meanwhile, Ruben Xaus seems to be the designated BMW crash test dummy. Somehow, he managed to crash four–count ‘em, four–S1000RRs at Philip Island, then sat out the race itself.
So, the rumor is that BMW is just about ready to dump him from the team, presumably replacing him with someone who can manage to a) stay on the motorcycle, and b) keep the motorcycle from rolling over like a weasel and exposing its softer bits.
The thing is, Ruben’s a Spaniard, so they probably don’t want to get rid of him yet, as the Valencia and Portimao circuits, held in Spain and Portugal respectively, are coming up. So, Ruben’s expected to be a big draw there, among the home crowd.
So, the word is, they’ll wait until after that to drive him off the team like some sort of poison troll, sometime in mid-season.
But, who knows. These rumor things are always sketchy. It could be some disgruntled factory tech mouthing off. Or it could be that Xaus has a very short time to get his act together, before he’s back in Valencia, selling oranges to tourists.
*sigh*
I really had high hopes for the S1000RR after all the hype it got. Oh, well, maybe Troy Corser will win in Portimao. Maybe Xaus will win in Valencia. Maybe swine will streak through the sky like eagles.
I‘ve never been a big fan of Ducati. I don’t dislike them, and they make some very fine-looking–and performing–motorcycles. They just don’t personally appeal to me all that much. Not that I’d turn one down, you understand…or even a chance to test-ride one.
But they do have a loyal following, and one of their much-beloved models, the Multistrada, got a complete overhaul for this model year. The new Multistrada 1200 has has generated a lot of excitement during the wait for its release. Now, the wait is over, as Motorcycle Daily’s Basem Wasef and Motorcycle USA’s Adam Waheed have both gotten a chance to ride the new Multistrada, and jot down their experiences for us.
Wasef concludes:
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman still wouldn’t pick the plucky new Duc for a hypothetical third ’round-the-world journey. But for the rest of us whose primary milieu is pavement with a touch of dirt, the Ducati Multistrada 1200 is an impressively well-rounded sport adventure tourer whose available electronic aids make it ready to tackle more rugged trails than you might expect. Considering the Italian manufacturer’s image is so laden with historical baggage-both good and bad-the Multistrada 1200 challenges the past, and redefines the essence of the Ducati brand.
Waheed concurs in his judgement:
Coming into this test, I had lofty expectations of Ducati’s new do-it-all two-wheeler. And after spending only a few hours aboard the bike, I quickly realized it was everything I thought it would be and then some. With the tap of a button it’s as sporty or as docile as you desire; it’s in its element blasting around a corner with the engine roaring at lean, or just quietly soaking up the countryside on a backwoods highway. The Multi somehow manages to be both comfortable and sporty, plus has realistic cargo capacity when you feel the need for an adventure coming on. It actually works for mild off-roading and its pavement-based rider aids (ABS and DTC) only increase its off-road potential.
The new Multistrada 1200 is a big – no, scratch that – humongous step forward for Ducati. It’s mainstream enough for any rider to appreciate, yet still retains that wild, rip-roaring Superbike pedigree that we know and love.
So far, the response to the Multistrada 1200 has been unanimously positive.
Jensen Beeler at A&R has kicked off a 3-part series on what Harley-Davidson needs to do to prevent the company from dying along with their aging demographic. He starts off with the same premise I wrote about last summer, but really drills down into the details. It’s a fantastic piece about H-D’s ongoing marketing failure. Read the whole thing.
This weekend, I took the FJR in for its 24,000 mile service, and while I was there, decided to try a new set of tires. I’ve heard lots of good things about the Michelin Pilot Road 2CT tire, but the price was a bit offputting. So I’ve been on Bridgestone BT021s since I bought it. North County House of Motorcycles has a good deal on the PR2s, however, so, I decided to try them out. I’ve only put about 100 miles on them since I picked the bike up Saturday evening, but I have to say…wow!
The difference in handling was immediately noticeable. With the BT021s, the FJR had to be pushed a fair amount to drop into a turn. Steady as a rock once you found your angle, but a little effort was needed. Not so with the PR2s. Simply moving your upper body, and shifting on the seat is enough to initiate the lean. In fact, it falls in so easily, I still haven’t gotten used to it.
What really saurpises me is how grippy they are, though. As I was riding back home, I was racing against an incoming rainstorm…and I lost. About 10 miles from the house, riding down Highway 78 in San Marcos, I got hammered with a downpour. I never got the feeling that I was anything less than firmly planted, even with less than 10 miles on the new tires. Indeed, at one point, a car in front of me slammed on his brakes, and I applied mine firmly–fortunately, I was hanging back far enough so that I didn’t have to panic stop–and the tires performed flawlessly.
So far, I haven’t pushed it really hard, even on the curvy route I take to and from work, but the Pilot road 2 has so far exceeded my expectations. I’ve been told the BT021 is a grippier, sportier tire, so we’ll see how the PR2 works when I start to really blaze through the valley road, but so far, I’m very impressed and pleased with the Michelins.
Vance & Hines and the AMA Pro Racing series have teamed up to create a brand new racing series for the Harley-Davidson XR1200. Granted, the XR is the only Harley that can be said to have any pretensions to being a racing bike…of some kind. A&R has taken the press release of the big announcement, and helpfully translated it, line by line, as follows:
“We have racing in our DNA, Harley-Davidson has racing in their DNA and we are truly thrilled to bring Vance & Hines and Harley-Davidson back into AMA Pro Racing,” Terry Vance, a prolific champion as both rider and team owner, said of the new series. “The XR1200 has proven to be an exciting platform for spec racing in Europe and this class will be a perfect cost-effective platform to showcase new talent on a national stage. Many of the finest motorcycle racers all over the world got their start in the AMA Supertwins class of the 1990s.”
Translated: We’re going to just lie for a minute and then justify this series with some loose mentioning of racing in the company’s past, which an entire generation doesn’t remember because it happened before they were born. First one to mention flat-tracking loses the argument…
AMA Pro Racing Chief Operating Officer David Atlas welcomed the new series, “Adding another element to our events with a series of this caliber will be a great benefit to our sport. The specification of the XR1200 package will put the premium on the rider’s ability and will provide a great new class of racing that has ties to the past.”
Translated: We’re actually telling the truth now. This series will really showcase a rider’s skill, especially while they try and maneuver a 600lbs motorcycle through chicanes with some of Milwaukee’s finest engineering from the 1950’s.
Read the whole thing, it’s priceless.
Oh, by the way, the big purse for the winner is…$2,500. So, building an XR1200 into a race bike will be, like, totally worth it.
Motorcycle Daily takes note of Triumph’s sales strength in the US, while other manufacturers’ sales are slumping. They explain it as follows:
The advantage Triumph has is its heritage of triples and parallel twins. Virtually no other company has this heritage, and Triumph can therefore develop motorcycles that have very little competition in the market. “Competition” here means similar heritage and design.
When Triumph realized the folly of competing with the Japanese in the inline-four cylinder supersport market, and abandoned that format for the 675cc triple, it instantly found success. The triple gave it a different exhaust note, broader power curve, narrower engine and chassis, and, most importantly, a tie to its heritage of building performance triples.
While everyone else is building v-twin cruisers, Triumph cruisers are parrallel twins with a strong heritage that includes Marlon Brando, among other notable reference points.
Triumph Sprint ST
I’m not sure that the “parallel twin” argument carries much weight. The Big Four all have a number of parallel twins. But the Bonneville, Scrambler and Thruxton definitely have a certain recognizeable heritage, especially to people in their 40’s, like me. We remember those bikes from when we were kids. They were really–outside of the then-monster Harleys–the gold standard of style and power in an era where the 500cc motorcycle was the big boys bike.
Where MD really hits the nail on the head is Triumph’s dominance of the triple powerplant. Other than Benelli, which is hardly a premier marque in the US–Triumph stands alone with a line of three-cylinder motorcycles. Based on sales figures, a number of riders seem to be learning that the Triples have a unique performance advantage compared to the twins or I-4s. Triumphs offer the low-end grunt of a twin, without sacrificing the high-end horsepower you get from an I-4.
They also have a distinctive look. Triumph really has hit it out of the park in terms of styling, whether it’s the retro-cool of the Scrambler, or the smooth modernity of the Sprint ST–with a single-sided swingarm, no less. (Not all of Triumph’s bikes are a hit with everyone in the looks department, of course. The agricultural engine of the Rocket III really divides opinions sharply.)
Triumph also competes aggressively on price. For instance, the 2010 Sprint ST sells for $12.7k, while the big four are pushing their STs at $15K and up. They really are an outstanding value for the money.
John Bloor really has done a fantastic job of bringing this venerable brand back to life.
Now, If he could just get the Sprint fitted with a shaft drive…
Metzeler has produced a tire that should allow you to end the “chicken strip” debate with your riding buddies.
The M5 Sportec has a built-in chicken strip gauge in the tread pattern.
Metzeler M5 Sportec Tire
Buell 1190RR
Erik Buell Racing has unveiled it’s first brand new racing bike, the 1190RR. the 1190cc 72° V-Twin shaves 30 pounds off of the 1125RR, giving it a dry weight of 360lbs, with engine output sporting a boost to 185HP, and 93lb-ft of torque.
That puts the 1190RR’s specs into WSBK territory. And in that vein, the bike is kitted out to full superbike race spec.
The multiplate-slipper clutched transmission can put that power to the rear wheel in six different gears, via a chain final drive.
It’s also a pretty sharp-looking bike, with a full fairing, instead of the controversial air scoops on the side.
So, I guess the only question remaining about this race bike is…where can you race it. It isn’t homologated for either AMA or WSBK, so that’s right out. And, of course, it’s not street-legal in any way, shape or form.
So, at the moment, even if you do get one, you still have to figure out what you can do with it.
Motorcycle Daily has their first-ride impressions of the Star Stratoliner Deluxe, Yamaha’s anwer to the Harley-Davidson Street Glide. They seem to like it, concluding:
Star has introduced a worthy contender in the bagger category. Stylish, but practical, the 2010 Star Stratoliner Deluxe can look cool and edgey while delivering you and your 13.7 gallons of stuff comfortably and swiftly.
Yamaha now joins Victory in providing a Street Glide alternative.
After months of speculation and teasers, Yamaha has finally revealed the new XT1200Z Super Ténéré. It seems like quite a bike. The 1200cc parallel-twin powerplant puts out…well…we don’t know. Yamaha hasn’t released HP or torque figures. But with a compression ratio of 11:1, I’m thinking we’re probably somewhere in the vicinity of 110HP and 80-ish lb-ft of torque.
Like the R1200GS, it sports a full set of aluminum panniers, and other goodies for going on the road–or perhaps off it.
The full specs for the shaft-driven, 574lb, adventure bike are below the fold.
The only question is, will this bike be released in the US, or will it only be available to our cousins in the Old Country?
UPDATE: The folks at Asphalt & Rubber come through in the clinch with the output of the ST’s engine:
With 1,199cc under the hoood, the XT1200Z Super Ténéré is aiming its sights on the class-leading BMW R1200GS and new-comer Ducati Multistrada 1200. The powerplant features a parallel twin motor with four valves per cylinder, and makes 108hp @ 7,250 RPM and 84lbs•ft @ 6,000 RPM.
Pretty much what I thought it’d be.
Jebus Cripes. The 10 puppies we’ve been taking care of have essentially killed my private life. That’s why my blogging has disappeared for the past 6 weeks.
First, it was hand-feeding every two hours. Then it was constant poo-cleaning, and pee-mopping. Between work, running my company, and trying to keep the puppies alive, it’s sucked up every spare minute I have.
If I had known how much work these 10 little dogs would be, I’d never have bred my female. I will be soooo glad to turn these wild little monsters over to their owners in two weeks.
Yamaha dropped another teaser image of their new FZ8 today. They promise that more information about the 800cc I-4 will be released in March.
Yamaha FZ8 Official Image
As you see, it’s a fairing. On a motorcycle. Which isn’t very interesting, really.
But, the folks at motociclismo.it have captured images of what they say is the the actual production models of both the faired and naked versions of the FZ8.
Yamaha FZ8 with Fairing
A more extensive photo gallery can be found here.
Yamaha FZ8 Naked
Again, the photo gallery is here.
Victory Motorcycles has announced a new, high-powered version of the Vegas. The new bike has a set of Stage 2 cams to pump up the output of its 106ci V-Twin. The special edition Vegas will sport 97HP and 113 lb-ft of torque. Victory will only be producing 100 of them, however, and pricing them at $15,999. Oh, and you have to order it before the end of February, for March delivery.
Victory Vegas LE
The Aprilia RSV4 has been one of this year’s most eagerly awaited motorcycles. It seems like it’s only just hit the showroom, however, and Aprilia is already issuing a serious recall. Apparently, the problem–which hasn’t yet actually occurred in any of their motorcycles–requires replacing the entire engine.
Following extensive testing and verification, the Italian manufacturer assessed that one component in a small group of engines assembled during a specific time period had failed to meet stringent factory quality standards, resulting in an unacceptable risk of future engine failures. To-date, there have been no warranty claims related to this potential issue in the U.S. market. However, in line with the premium quality standards of Aprilia motorcycles and potential safety implications, the manufacturer and its dealerships are committed to immediate action to ensure complete Aprilia owner satisfaction.
Kudos to Aprilia for recognizing and immediately fixing the problem. Unlike some manufacturers, for instance, one that hasn’t admitted their bikes have a final drive problem (cough–BMW–cough).
If you haven’t seen this month’s Sport Rider magazine, their cover proclaims that The BMWS1000RR is the real deal, writing “No joke: This could be the new King”. It’s apparently wicked fast.
Fast enough, in fact, to kick the crap out of a 700HP Corvette Z1.