The guys at Solo Moto have recently presented a strange photo session of the BMW S 1000 RR in which cheetah were “mastered” by a beautiful model right next to the bike. Wait, does this mean that the BMW will be the fastest superbike out there, just as the cheetah is the fastest cat out there? > More
We certainly know that the 2009 BMW S 1000 RR will make its debut at the World Superbike race on May 29th at Miller Motorsports Park, but we’ve long been wondering and digging for information regarding the all-new bike’s price and couldn’t find any clue whatsoever. But now we’ve just heard that the two-wheeled Beemer will not only be close to Japanese bikes in matters of performance, but in what concerns the price too.
Pieter de Waal, Vice President of BMW Motorrad USA said: "We intend to take the four Japanese head-on. We did not intend to build a motorcycle like Ducati does or KTM does. We wanted to build a mainstream motorcycle,"
Expected to be priced within 10% of the Japanese liter bikes, the 2009 BMW S 1000 RR will be one hell of a German bang for the buck. That translates into approximately $15,000, the price which will help show the market’s preferences between Japanese and European as we’ve been long hearing that if these lasts wouldn’t have been so expensive then people would have bought them in a much greater number.
Ever since the 2008 launch of their all-new Superbike, a premiere for the Austrian brand, KTM has worked to develop the now notorious RC8 model into a more powerful, slightly lighter and sharper cornering motorcycle, improving so both the times around the track and the appreciation among street riders. So while carrying on producing the Standard RC8 as a 2009 model year, KTM also puts on sale the RC8 R model, a nightmare for all competitors out there, be them Japanese or European. > More
The RSV4 is being launched this week so Aprilia releases the promotional video of their all-new superbike just so that they have some track action to play on and on again at the world launch.
The Austrian manufacturer KTM announced that their Venom project has been put on hold for as long as it takes to make a success out of the RC8 superbike. A naked superbike, the Venom was first unveiled at the 2005 EICMA Show in Milan and was supposed to go into production as a 2009 model year. Thomas Kuttruf, Public Relations Manager at KTM, told MCN why this won’t happen so soon:
“The bike is standing in Kiska’s (Gerald Kiska, the man behind the design company responsible for the look of all KTMs) office, but is currently a no-go for production.
With the Venom project we had the idea to make a naked superbike, we still think this idea is worth following and the project is not stopped, but it is a bit on hold.
“The clear priority for us at the moment and the clear idea from the Stefan Pierer was to say ‘guys, before we have a naked superbike, we must have a successful real superbike.’
Piaggio Group USA President and CEO Paolo Timoni told Hell for Leather how the Aprilia RSV4 will eventually be sold in the United States during the final quarter of 2009. Although first revealed last September, Aprilia’s 180bhp, 85lb/ft, 179 kg (dry) superbike barely makes it for the 2009 introduction and mostly because of SBK homologation requirements. Accordingly to these, a returning manufacturer must build at least 250 units for initial homologation and 1000 units by June of the first year in racing and that’s precisely the scenario we’re witnessing.
Independently of their motives for introducing the Factory version of the RSV4 till the end of the year, we’re extremely happy to find a potent European contender going against the dominating Japanese crowd.
Aprilia has just presented the final graphic version of their RSV4 superbike that will debut in the World Superbike Championship this weekend. As seen, Aprilia makes an entry on the WSBK scene without the help of a main sponsor so the fairing displays the traditional colors of the Italian company, the most visible logos being RSV4 and Aprilia.
Recent test have shown that the new Italian V4 is capable of great performances and with the help of Shinya Nakano and Max Biaggi, the Noale house aims towards as much presences on the podium as possible.
In expectancy of the 2009 Superbike World Championship, BMW Motorrad creates a video promoting their all-new S1000RR motorcycle in both of its forms, street and racing. Riders behind those dark visors are Troy Corser and Reuben Xaus so watch them take this machine to the limit now and during the upcoming race season.
2009 is a very important year for ‘The Yamaha World Superbike Team’ as it now entirely belongs to the Yamaha Motor Europe operations. The new racing livery for 2009 shows the team’s new sponsors and ‘war paint’ for the new season starting at Phillip Island. The new R1’s will be ridden by two riders that need no presentation: Ben Spies gets to ride the bike with the number 19 and Tom Sykes, the one with the number 66.
Michael Schumacher was testing team’s Holzhauer Honda CBR1000RR at the Cartagena circuit in Spain when he crashed, lost conscience and had to be immediately transported to the Virgen de la Risaca hospital.
Apparently, Schumacher suffered a serious hit to the head and multiple neck contusions, but after carefully examining him, Dr. Francisco Martinez decided that Schumacher’s state doesn’t require internment, only a neck support collar.
So we’ll be seeing more of Schumacher in April when the IDM German Superbikes Championship begins.
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