Currently one of the biggest rumors in the Asian motorcycle community is the possible KTM 125 Duke, the KTM 125 Duke was first shown to the public during the EICMA 2009 motorshow in Milan. KTM is best known for it motocross and off-road style motorcycles, over the years KTM has introduced more road going motorcycles and the KTM 125 Duke, which seems to be sharing a lot of style features of the 2011 KTM 690 Duke.

KTM's business continues to go from strength to strength, with some brilliant new motorcycle models. Despite the global financial crisis holding the motorcycle industry in a tight death grip, KTM has reported healthy financial figures for the third quarter operating results 2009/10. This is a remarkable turnaround for a company who had its worst ever operating year 2008-2009, resulting in production line closure, staff lay-offs and Bajaj Auto Ltd of India, one of the world’s biggest motorcycle producers, becoming a KTM shareholder.

The orange Austrians are no strangers to 125c road machines. On the first of May, 1955, just two years after the founding of KTM, two 125cc KTM's roared their way to victory and second place in the international Rupert Hollaus Memorial Race on the Salzburg Autobahn. So even before KTM's off-road successes, the road motorcycles from upper Austria were already out there and winning. Nearly Fifty-five year later, the decision was finally made in Mattighofen to design and built two new 125cc road going motorcycles.

Jorge Lorenzo finished third at Indianapolis today and Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi fourth in a punishing hot race won by Dani Pedrosa. Tech 3 Yamaha and future Factory Team rider Ben Spies finished second, his best result so far in his rookie MotoGP season.

Lorenzo dropped three places on his grid position at the start and finished the first lap in fifth with his team-mate close behind. On lap three of 28 the championship leader made it past home favorite Nicky Hayden and he set off in pursuit of Andrea Dovizioso, arriving within striking distance by the eighth lap. The Italian did not make it easy for Lorenzo however and it took the Mallorcan several more laps to pass him, which he did on the brakes into turn one on lap 12. By that time Spies was too far ahead for Lorenzo to make much headway on second place so he settled for third and 16 points to add to his already hefty season tally.

Rossi meanwhile had jumped from seventh to fifth at the start and looked more comfortable on the bike than he had all weekend, during which he had struggled for grip and rhythm. On the fourth lap he overtook Nicky Hayden and settled in fifth, a few tenths off the Lorenzo-Dovizioso battle. Once Lorenzo was past Dovizioso, the World Champion too began to close down his compatriot and with eight laps remaining he passed him for fourth place. By then however his lack of fitness following his injury had caught up with him in the searing heat and he was unable to push any more, coming home some six seconds behind his team-mate.

Just when everybody had the idea that two-strokes would never pass modern exhaust emission standard Cagiva introduced the Mito SP 525. With the Cagiva Mito SP 525, Cagiva has managed to produce a 125cc two-stroke that meets the Euro III environment exhaust emission standard and that's no mean achievement.

The integrated ECS (Electronic Carburetion System) administers exactly the right amount of air, petrol and two-stroke oil mix and was developed in collaboration with Dell'Orto. The electronic control unit also governs the ignition system, the system works similar to how a fuel-injection with ECU system works on a four-stroke engine.

In case you wonder why Bridgestone felt the need to abandon the Battlax BT-021 tire and present a successor, the answer is really simple. It wasn't a bad tire, but the competition has improved a lot over the past two years. Dunlop launched the Dunlop Roadsmart, Michelin the Pilot Road 2 and Metzeler cam up with a brand-new Roadtec. And, in most comparison tests, the Bridgestone Battlax BT-021 usually didn't come first.

Bad tests mean bad sales. It must have hurt, too, especially since the sports-touring tire segment is the most important tire these days. Apart from dirtbikes and scooters, sports-touring tires are an option for practically all motorcycles. Light, budget motorcycles perform so well, they can benefit from sports-touring tires. And the other way around, sports-touring tires offer so much grip and handle so well, many super- and hypersports riders prefer them to the real hypersports tires.

For those who mostly ride their motorcycles on the street, grip is sufficient and durability is so much better that is is the only sensible option. And, of course, the ever-growing group of touring riders need them too, as touring motorcycles have evolved into fast, agile transporters. And they really do distances, so they buy a lot of tires: in Europe, about 30 percent of all tires sold are sports-touring tires. So can you blame Bridgestone for trying to stay the number-one tire company in the market section where most of the money is.

Still, it must have been a tough job to improve the Battlax BT-021 tire, as it is already contained most of Bridgestone's top technologies. It had, for instance, the so-called 'Mono-Spiral Belt' (MS belt). Usually, the radial belt was made from a mat, cut to size and wrapped around the carcass with a small overlap. At that overlap, there would be a stiff spot, disturbing the balance and the continuity of the tire properties. The Bridgestone MS belt is not a mat but a very long card, wound around the circumference of the tire.

The first free practice of the Indianapolis Grand Prix weekend was run in blazing sunshine at the Motor Speedway today, with Fiat Yamaha Team riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi finishing the day in second and fifth positions. The fastest time of the day was set by Casey Stoner, just two tenths ahead of Lorenzo.

Last year's race winner Lorenzo felt confident from the outset and was at the top of the time sheets for three quarters of the session before Stoner just edged him out. The young Spaniard made some subtle tweaks to his setting to better suit the flat nature of this track and also had time to try both Bridgestone race tyres, about which he already feels confident of his direction for Sunday.

Rossi struggled a little more today, lacking grip on the bumpy surface and lacking pace as a result. He and his team will make a detailed examination of the data tonight to try to find a way to improve their setting so they are in a position to challenge for the front row in tomorrow afternoon's qualifying session.

Both Fiat Yamaha riders are once again running the special 'Fiat 500' livery that was showcased in Laguna Seca earlier this season. The livery celebrates the forthcoming launch of the Fiat 500 in the United States and features the smiling faces of 500 Rossi and Lorenzo fans on each bike.

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd is delighted to announce that current Yamaha Tech 3 rider Ben Spies will move to the Factory Team for the 2011 MotoGP season.

The 26-year-old American, who won the World Superbike Championship with Yamaha in 2009, is enjoying an impressive first season in MotoGP. He is currently the leading rookie and the top satellite rider, lying seventh in the championship. “We’re delighted that Ben will join the Factory Team for next season,” said Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing. “Ben has shown great promise in his first ten MotoGP races. He has learnt rapidly and recorded strong results, including a well-deserved podium finish at Silverstone – impressive for someone in their first full season.

“We believe that Ben will be a future title contender and that he will be a good fit with our team. His mission next year will be to continue learning, consistently challenge for podium places and try to win some races. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Herve Poncharal and the Tech 3 Team for taking care of Ben this season and for giving him such good training for the years ahead. I hope that he will repay them by getting some more podium results in the second half of this season and helping them to secure top satellite team status at the end of this year.”

The KTM RC8 R with less orange paint then it's 47cc smaller brother the RC8. We were more than willing to test the 1195cc, 167 horsepower 75 degree V-twin KTM. The RC8's equipped with an honest, flexible engine with plenty of midrange. It matched Ducati's 1098 on peak power but, with less top-end rush, didn't feel as fast. The 'R' is the extra 47cc, accomplice by wider bores, plus new, high compression pistons and more aggressive camshafts completely alter the riding characteristics of the KTM RC8 R compared to the RC8.

The KTM RC8 R is now a beast, with amazing acceleration at any throttle opening and a stunning top end in the last few mm of the throttle twist. KTM claims 167 horsepower,; for me it feels less, anyway it's enough engine power to keep other 1000cc class motorcycles in sight.

The delivery is so explosive it makes controlling the KTM RC8 R tricky in the rain. Other riders complain of a mid-rev glitch which I didn't notice, but I certainly notice a sharp throttle pick-up which takes concentration to keep smooth, it feels like the KTM RC8 R's throttle response hasn't improved at all. Then I try the 'street' throttle, not the 'race' throttle which is fitted as standard – it's an alternative, mechanical way of shaping power delivery. Instead of electronic power delivery shaping or switchable power maps as you could find on other 1000cc class motorcycle, the KTM RC8 R comes with two throttle tubes; the race throttle uses a quick-action, circular pulley which delivers linear travel while the street throttle has a cam-shaped pulley which opens at a more gentle rate.

The Kawasaki Z650 is every bit a scaled down version of the successful Kawasaki Z1 design and, as such, it shares much of the looks and a good deal of the performance too. Often played down in the Kawasaki family tree, nestling in the shade of the larger machines, the Kawasaki Z650 is arguably a pivotal moment in Kawasaki's success. The design was a great achievement in its own right, stealing sales off the Kawasaki Z1, as well as spawning the Kawasaki Z500, 550, and 750 and then the Kawasaki GPz series of the 80s, a real legacy indeed.

Back in 1976 there was a vast selection of middleweight machines vying for the customers cash, from the Yamaha RD400 all the way through Honda CBD400's, GT380/550's and Suzuki GS550's sat in showrooms luring the buyer in. This would indicate one out the main reasons behind the 650cc choice that Kawasaki made, as the Kawasaki Z650 would stand out from the norm. Hopefully ensuring that a buyer would stretch just that little bit further to buy the biggest machine they could.

Reduction in manufacturing costs meant the Kawasaki Z650 was at the time very competitive priced. The initial batch Z650's sold incredibly well, outstripping other machines of the time by a good margin.

Despite sharing its design and overall looks with the Kawasaki Z1, the Z650 engine is a very different beast once the covers and casings are removed. Unlike the Z1, with engine components that ran in roller bearings, the crankshaft of the smaller 650cc engine spins in plain metal bearings and requires high oil feed pressure to maintain their operation.

If you fancy a trackday but are terrified at the prospect of crashing your motorcycle or encountering scores of savage racers, don't worry about that.

What mental image do you see whenever the work 'trackday' is mentioned? That of a formerly pristine sport motorcycle laying upside-down in agony nearby, while another rider on a ratty ex-race motorcycle, beats his way off toward his next scalp? Is a trackday actually the ultimate way to transform your brand new Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki, Ducati or other superbike into a piece of strap-metal.

The risk is the first and biggest concern for anyone contemplating a trackday or the first time. The crash scenario is probably the most common reason people don't go, that and the fact that there's no such thing as insurance when it comes to circuit riding. Whatever you break, it's for you to repair and pay for.

Understandable for most riders this scenario was playing out big time in there imagination at the race-track. We spoke to several new riders after there first or second ride, on their first first-ever trackday. Most riders had ridden to the circuit and would ride home again on the motorcycle they where racing. So they where worried about crashing? Most said “absolutely”.

Life is all about timing. This time-hungry world is rules by the sweeping of the second hand, the blink of the digital clock. Our lives are ruled by the eroding sands of time. We drag ourselves out of bed when our alarm says, clock on, clock off. Even the most basic of human needs is controlled by the timing of television.

Tme constrictis, controls. It turns us into robots.

Except when it comes to motorcycles. Timing your ride makes even the most mundane routes come alive. That filthy twisty road on the way to work becomes your personal TT. Setting a target time gives you something to beat next time out. Shave a few seconds off with a bit of committed filtering, get on the throttle harder out of the corner, feel the back twitch, but don't back off.