02/09/2013
2013 Aprilia RSV4 Factory WSBK Race Bike Debuts
Unless your name rhymes with Tarlos Techa, the chances of you owning a Ducati 1199 Panigale RS13 are pretty slim. The racer-only version of the Ducati 1199 Panigale R, the Panigale RS13 is stripped of all the lights, mirrors, reflectors, and other assorted running gear that you would need to pass an inspection from the DOT, and becomes a motorcycle solely dedicated to the art of going fast.
Getting one isn?t cheap though, as the price tag is pegged at a cool ?134,900 ($180,500). A hefty price increase over the street-going Panigale R, though with all the added suspension, brakes, wheels, etc that come with the RS13 race bike, the price seems somewhat reasonable. if you can say such a thing about a nearly $180,500 motorcycle.
Calling it a ?strategic realignment? for BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group has confirmed the rumors and sold Husqvarna Motorcycles to Pierer Industrie AG, the holding company of KTM CEO Stefan Pierer. Saying the parties would not disclose the terms or purchase price of the transaction, the press release from BMW Motorrad was surprisingly light on any actual information. Touting BMW?s commitment to urban mobility and electric vehicles, the German company will now focus solely on the BMW Motorrad brand.
With reports saying that BMW Motorrad will not venture back into the dirt bike market, the company will maintain its on-road focus for the foreseeable future.
Ignite Asset Management is a new name in the MotoGP paddock?s lexicon, as well as the new sponsor of Ducati?s ?junior? team. While each year sponsors come and go, Ignite is a bit different from the usual batch of names plastered on the side of a GP bike, and the investment firm is getting some interesting play in the otherwise unassuming motorcycle world. If you are not sure what an ?alternative asset management? investing firm happens to be, then the American company?s self-description as a ?management firm led by a group of hedge fund industry veterans and supported by private investors that are driven by the undiscovered alpha? is going to really leave you really wondering what slicks-back the hair on these Wall Street types.
A hallmark of both the African and South American varieties of the Dakar Rally, ask any of the competitors in the 2013 Dakar Rally about what the Arabians call fesh fesh, and you may see their faces turn as ashen as the material in your inquiry. A very fine and light powdery substance, fesh fesh in large enough quantities can spell instant disaster for an adventure rider or rally racer, as it plumes can quickly obscure the vision, and its quicksand-like properties can instantly envelope tires that tread too deeply or too slowly. The byproduct of countless years of the erosion process, fesh fesh is sand that has been worn down from its typical granular size, into a dust-like particle that closely resembles talcum powder.
The name Marine Turbine Technologies (MTT) may not immediately strike recognition, though we are pretty sure that if we said the company was repsonsible for the turbine-powered Y2K hyperbike, you would know what we mean. Built in time for the turn of the millennia, the Y2K features a Rolls-Royce-Allison Model 250 turbine motor that makes 320 hp at 52,000 rpm. Yes, that rpm figure is correct.
Unlike other turbine-driven road machines, which use the trust of the turbine jet engine for locomotion, MTT mated the helicopter turbine system to a two-speed gearbox, which in-turn drives a shaft to a final chain-drive system. Now reports say Marine Turbine Technologies is working on a new model of turbine-powered hyperbikes, awkwardly dubbed the 2013 MTT Y2K 420R.
Visual aesthetics have always been something of import and interest to me, a trait that is probably tied into the fact that I am visual learner. So it interests me when we see subtle changes having a great affect on a design. Take the new Repsol livery on the 2013 Honda RC213V. the simple change from black to white creates a significantly different visual understanding of the MotoGP bike, though the basic idea of the livery remains the same.
We can see the same process with the Ducati 1199 Panigale S Nero by Commonwealth Motorcycles, as the Kentucky-based Ducati shop has massaged in a bit black paint on the already stunning Ducati 1199 S Tricolore paint scheme (work by Robbie Nigl of Peach Pit Racing).
We teased it to you yesterday, but today we finally have photos of the 2013 Honda RC213V in all its high-resolution glory. With the Repsol Honda squad getting a new livery package this year, the RC213V becomes quite the looker as the team sports a bit more white in their color scheme, with the effect being a more clean and fresh look for the factory Honda squad.
Debuting the team and machines at Repsol HQ in Madrid, both of HRC?s resident Spaniards, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez, were on-hand for the event. With Pedrosa showing himself to be a new man in the latter-half of the 2012 season, and Marc Marquez tipped to be the new talent in MotoGP, Repsol Honda has a formidable pairing at its disposal, as well as a very solid motorcycling package.
Helping commemorate Max Biaggi?s 2012 World Superbike Championship victory, Aprilia USA has commissioned a limited production run motorcycle: the 2013 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC ABS SBK Special Edition. a model featuring a subtle graphics kit revision that will only come to the North American market. Sporting the same features and refinements as the 2013 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC ABS, owners of the SBK Special Edition will also enjoy the new three-level dual-channel ABS system from Bosch, as well as the Brembo M430 calipers. If you can distinguish it from the regular model, expect to see the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC ABS SBK Special Edition on dealership floors in April, with pricing announced on February 1st.
It is with a very heavy heart that we report the passing of famed moto-journalist Kevin Ash, who died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash today. Riding north of Cape Town, South Africa, Kevin was taking part in the press launch of the 2013 BMW R1200GS adventure-touring motorcycle, with the launch now being cancelled after this tragic news.
A legend in the industry, Kevin?s work could be found in a countless number of publications, including MCN and the Daily Telegraph, not to mention his own blog Ash on Bikes. Known for his technical knowledge, clear writing, and honest reviews, Kevin?s work was seen by many in the industry as the gold standard of motorcycle reviews.
- 2010 Aprilia RSV4 Factory Review – A Racer Opinion SportbikeHooligan.com
- 2010 Aprilia RS 50 motorcycle review @ Top Speed
- 2011 Aprilia Tuono V4R – Motorcycle news, reviews & riding tips – bikesales.com…
- 2003 Aprilia RSV Mille Super Streetbike
- 2011 Aprilia RSV4 R – Used 2011 RSV 4 R APRC at Motorcyclist Magazine
