Audi Reconfirms Del Torchio as Ducati CEO

I wish I could take credit for having such a deep understanding of Italian culture that the meaning behind Rossi?s Mugello helmet was self-evident, but the credit belongs to Ducati Corse?s PR man, Chris Jonnum. After seeing Alex Brigg?s tweet that featured Rossi?s new helmet design, CJ was kind enough to connect the dots for us on the meaning behind the special Mugello helmet. And let me tell you, as non-Italian, the trail would not have been easy to follow without his help. Get the inside scoop on Rossi?s lid after the jump.

Cycle News is reporting that Kenny Roberts Sr., the Godfather of American Road Racing, is leaving the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, after getting wind that Dave Despain and Dick Mann had made similar gestures regarding their status with the Hall of Fame. The blowout comes after Derrek ?Nobby? Clark was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, only to have his name withdrawn from the organization?s list of distinguished members. The reason given by the AMA was that there was an error in the balloting process for submitting Clark?s name to the voting ballot, though some outside the AMA say the reason Clark was removed was because of his criminal record, or for other reasons.

Just judging from the popularity of our posts on the Husqvarna TR 650 Strada & Husqvarna TR 650 Terra, it seems you all are about as enthralled as we are with the latest models to come out of BMW?s little dirt bike brand ? that is to say, not enthralled at all. Maybe it is because the Strada & Terra feel like a rebadged BMW GS, maybe it is the angular styling that Husqvarna has been applying to its on-road machines, or maybe it is because the Husqvarna brand seems to lack any real focus whatsoever. Whatever the reason may be, hopefully it is due in-part to the fact that we didn?t really get a good look at the Husqvarna Strada & Husqvarna Terra motorcycles when they came out a couple days ago. Fixing that problem now, 42 high-resolution photos await you in the gallery after the jump. Enjoy.

Premature Celebration: hands down, there is not a more embarrassing act for a motorcycle racer than finishing too early. Such is the case of Italian CIV 600 Superstock rider Riccardo Russo, who climaxed his race far too early during a recent event at Mugello. Pulling out of the competition with jubilation, it took several pumps of the fist for the Italian to realize that he was not done with the task at hand, as he watched a train of other riders come right by him with still an eager pace. A lesson on holding out until the checkered flag, Russo joins an elite group of riders who have been publicly embarrassed for their problems with premature celebration.

It has been eight months since Husqvarna took the wraps off its second road-going model, but the Husqvarna TR 650 Strada is now officially official ahead of fall?s motorcycle bike shows. A big displacement thumper to compliment the only moderately civil Husqvarna Nuda 900, the Strada is an interesting model to go alongside its parallel-twin street counterpart. Featuring a 652cc water-cooled single-cylinder DOHC motor, the Husqvarna Strada puts out 58hp and 44.25 lbs?ft of torque, the Strada has a strong power-to-weight ratio for its class, and is the on-road variant in Husqvarna?s dual-pronged single-cylinder motorcycle attack plan.

The work of designer Nicolas Petit is one of those gems in motorcycling that really gets our imagination here at A&R working at high-speed. It probably has something to with Petit?s simple, practical, but stunning designs that grab our fancy, and make us think ?yeah, I could see one of those in my garage? ? such is the case with the BMW R12 concept. A clean and modern caf? racer design, Nicolas Petit?s BMW R12, which is based off the BMW HP2, is something we?d like to have in our stable for when the journey, not the destination, is the order of the day. Enjoy his sketches and renders after the jump.

We have a sneaking suspicion that the 2013 Ducati Hypermotard 848 that has been spotted tramping about is going to be a very interesting motorcycle indeed; as from out perspective, Ducati seems set to consolidate the Hypermotard line into a single water-cooled model, while simultaneously offering a smaller-displacement multi-tasker that will slot in under the Ducati Multistrada 1200. Our best view yet of the bike?s exhaust side comes from the folks at Moto Revue, as we see what looks to be a finalized exhaust can and a clear view of the HM848?s water-cooled Testastretta 11? motor.

In 2011 we had the incredible opportunity to try all three types of race bikes that BMW had to offer in the World Superbike Championship: the Superstock, SBK Satellite, and Factory SBK BMW S1000RR race bikes. So here we are in 2012, at the famous Misano circuit, with the S1000RR which won its first victories in the WSBK Championship. More competitive and intriguing than ever and as has become a tradition, we are again ready to try the newest racing bikes with the famous BMW propeller on their tanks.

Asphalt & Rubber readers are an eclectic group of men and woman, and I am not going sully the romance we have going on here by lying to you guys with some sort of convoluted web of reasoning as to how a nearly team minuted Ken Block / DC Shoes / Ford Focus video is related to motorcycles ? because well frankly, it?s not. Yeah sure, there is a 12 second Travis Pastrana cameo tucked-away in there somewhere, and that might be enough material to spin-doctor the snot out of this puppy, but here?s the deal?

A crime against motorcycling, one Lamborghini Murcielago owner may have inadvertently thrown some more fuel on the car vs. motorcycle fire with this latest bone-head move. Losing control of the Lambo outside of a BMW dealership in Como, a certain Italian driver is responsible for sending nine german two-wheelers to the scrapyard. The motorcycles were parked outside of the dealership?s showroom, as the driver and his occupant careened through the row of bikes.

Source: http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/audi-reconfirms-del-torchio-ducati-ceo/

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