To Motogp or Not To Motogp

BMW in MotoGP

The fact that the official MotoGP website interviewed BMW’s general director Hendrik von Kuenheim and that he said, “Once we win [WSBK] we will move onto bigger and better things. MotoGP is the most watched motorcycle racing in the world. Next to F1, it is the benchmark for motor racing. But if you look at individual races and the number of spectators attending, such as in Jerez or Assen, there is no race in F1 in the world that even comes close to the number of spectators. So it’s a clear platform for us and we have to think about it. It’s a substantial step,” adding “but racing is expensive, so we have to think about it!” and its this last part of the statement that more or less gives you the idea that the German manager was just paying homage to Dorna as they have a contract to supply the official safety cars.

This isn’t the first time that Hendrik von Kuenheim has indicated that BMW likes MotoGP, but it is just more of the same yada, yada yada that we’ve been hearing since 2007 when the German manufacturer first shot down the idea of competing in MotoGP due to the cost of racing in the premier class. A €40 million MotoGP factory budget compared €12 million needed for World Superbikes makes the world of difference and you don’t even have to crunch the numbers.

The CRT bikes and the new proposed cost-cutting rules (rev limits, standard ECUs, technological freeze ect) may attract BMW as a manufacturer, but for them it is a lot less expensive to let private teams run their engines and eventually cash in on the publicity if the bikes perform.

Will we ever see BMW in Motogp?

Summit Media to comeout with a Motorcycle Magazine

TOP BIKES

Summit Media set to invade the Motorcycle Magazine Market... with the success of TOP GEAR magazine here in the Philippines. Summit Media has decided to launch a new Magazine that will address the growing Motorcycle community here in the Philippines.

Summit will be introducing TOP BIKES (Actual Title still to be determined) in April 2012, the first issue will be graced by Top Clubs in Manila (still do not know who) and the usual BIKE Porn (Bike Accessories, not that kind of porn) that we only dream off.

Once I get more details I will let everybody know.

Shoot out in the Snow!

Crazy guys from France:

With all the snow that fell in Europe this winter, French website Moto Journal decided to demonstrate that you just need a pair of studded tires to get your riding on even in winter time.
Check out this video battle filmed in Lapland on a frozen circuit that they carved out to replicate the Castellet track in France and the usual motorcycle vs car battle, but this one is on ice and between a Yamaha YZF 1000 R1 and Porsche GT3 RS with an extra bonus of a Yamaha WRF 450 vs a Mitsubishi Evo 9.
We also can’t wait to see MotoJournal’s new video that they are teasing as the ‘event of the year’ and titled Ice Age starring Serge Nükee et Vincent Kï?, which they will be releasing Tuesday March 27th, so in the meantime enjoy this great video.

Presenting the Ducati GP 12

Ducati GP 12

Since Ducati didn’t reveal Valentino Rossi’s and Nicky Hayden’s Desmosedici GP12 during this year’s Wroom event at Madonna di Campiglio, they’ll be doing the official presentation online March 19th at 1.00pm (CET).
The live presentation will be available directly from the Facebook.com/TimOfficialPage, (Tim is one of Ducati’s sponsors) and the 2012 racing livery will also be revealed

It only gets Better - World Superbike Magazine

World Superbike Magazine Philip Island

You have to admire Infront Motor Sports, not only is World Superbikes is the fastest growing series, with some of the best and battled out racing in the world, but they know how to treat their fans properly (Dorna could learn a few things from them) with their free highlight videos and interviews.

Their post round magazine, like this 26 minute video from the first round of the championship at Phillip Island is very good and gives you some footage from behind the scenes and more highlights from the Superbike and Supersport races.

We enjoyed Steve Martin describing what Althea Ducati did to raise the weight on the 1198, what we didn’t like was the fact they said that Superpole was cancelled due to ’safety reasons’ caused by an incident in the National Championship, avoiding any mention of the late Oscar McIntyre.
Enjoy the rest of the video.

Been so busy the last few days... will make it daily! 

Racing Season officailly starts this weekend

Video: FIM Superbike World Championship previews 2012 riders and teams

Relax, sit back and enjoy the show....

Rods and Pins

Rossi metal free now...

Once upon a time before Facebook and Twitter you only used to know when a rider had surgery and metalwork removed because teams issued press releases, now the riders are taking command of their lives and getting one-on-one with their fans and that includes posting pics of their various injuries and scars.
This is the rod and pins that Valentino Rossi had removed from his leg that he injured at the Mugello back in 2010.
After his surgery on February 6th, he promised that he would show a picture of rod and since he didn’t want to disappoint his numerous fans, this is it and Rossi tweeted with the image, “Ciao ragazzi,ecco il chiodo e le viti che avevo dentro la gamba.non sapevo fossero verdi” which translated means, ” Hi guys, here’s the rod and pins that I had in my leg. I didn’t know they were green.

Mum as a riding buddy!

Spanish globetrotter takes 74-year old mom riding in Nepal

 
You’re never to old to enjoy riding and travelling, so this story of Miquel Silvestre, a former lawyer who is spending 18 months travelling the world on his trusty BMW R1200GS had his mom join him as his pillion exploring Nepal and the Himalayas really captured our imagination.
Mercedes Silvestre is a very youthful and very limber 74-year old woman who is no stranger to motorcycles as it was it Miquel’s father who introduced to her to motorcycles more than forty years ago and her husband is still an avid biker at the age of 74.

“It was wonderful to see the Himalayas, but I’d like to join my son again, when he reaches Manila! I am so proud of my son because Miquel is happy doing what he believes. He is following his own heart, has no boss to answer to and no fear. The only problem is that he is so involved in what he is doing, that he may not always realise how lucky he is. Very few people are free and he is one of them,” said Mercedes. “Some people of 74 might think they’re too old for a big motorcycling trip like this and for some, it’s late in life to do this. Being young at 74 is a hard task and it’s something you have to start when you are still young. It’s about living healthily – eating small amounts of good food and taking exercise. I think Miquel will still be riding at 74 like his father – they are both runners and sportsmen!”

Wonder when he will arrive in Manila.

Radical Ducati

Something Different:

Bored with your old Monster or Superbike, check out this website to see what can be done: Radical Ducati.
Below are some of the previous projects.

33

Valentino Rossi turns 33

It won’t surprise anyone that the Italian media and motorcycle oriented websites are wishing Italy’s and MotoGPs most popular rider Valentino Rossi a Happy Birthday .

The nine time World Champion (we don’t feel the need to list all his racing accomplishments) turned 33 today and speaking to Sky Sport 24 gave an update on his recent leg surgery and his future plans (which is more or less the same things repeated ad nauseam).

“Everything is ll right! I’m continuing with rehabilitation, now I I have to fix my leg because I removed a rod last week. Everything is going well, I’m already walking without crutches, in short it’s a Happy Birthday: and without the rod I’m 2-3 ounces lighter and therefore more aerodynamic, faster … “
Rossi also jokingly talked about his father Graziano, who forgets his son’s birthday date “Someone must have told him what I wrote on Twitter ( The best thing about Valentine’s Day is that Graziano will soon call me to wish me Happy Birthday), so he called me on the 14th: but this time he wished me a happy name day … I was sort of disappointed, it was like a family tradition … “
Regarding his birthday, “When I was 20 years old, when I was presented to someone who was 33, I thought that was old .. instead in a moment you find yourself at 33 too! In the end nothing really changes from 24 to 33, I’m just a little older … “ Rossi laughingly also made a promise to his still numerous fans, “I hope to race motorcycles for many more years and then switch to cars. The goal is not to work when I grow up …”
 

Hearing good things about the Panigale

Introducing the Ducati Panigale S

Wrench open the throttle, feel the bike beneath you writhe as it punches forward with hungry force, and you’re not thinking about breathtaking technology, taut and feline style or searing performance. It’s much simpler than that: the Ducati 1199 Panigale is just the sexiest motorcycle ever built.
The rest contrives to create that aura of course: it wouldn’t stir those most base of emotions without arresting you visually, with a second rate response to your inputs or reheated engineering. But there’s something extra here, something beyond the reach of CAD and FEM and stopwatches and scales. It’s a sprinkling of magic, an allure that when you go out to your garage in the morning, not even to ride but still you see it waiting there, temptation poised, you will think yes, today is already a better day.

The technology alone is seductive, though like a teenage boy with his first willing girl, it’s hard to know where to start. The front, where the high spec Panigale S reveals its motorcycling-first LED headlights? The Brembo monoblocs? Not just Brembo monoblocs, but new Brembo monoblocs for the Panigale, seven per cent lighter than the old. Or beneath the skimpy red attire, the aluminium monocoque frame, just 9.3lb (4.2kg) clamped to the V-twin engine to create a chassis stiff enough to contain 192bhp (195PS, 143kW) and direct it accurately through curves.

For a full insight into this radically new machine, I'll post a separate tech feature very soon, but be warned, if technology turns you on, this is hardcore. In summary, the Ducati 1199 Panigale has the biggest pistons at 112mm of any production car or motorcycle, matched only by the Suzuki M1800S with its 50 per cent bigger capacity. It’s massively oversquare so it can use huge titanium valves for the colossal gas flow needed to generate all that power, and without desmodromics to control them, it simply couldn’t happen.

We know it’s new, but just how new is summed up in an extraordinary fact: this is the first Ducati twin to use different crank and gearbox centre dimensions since the Pantah 500 SL of 1980. Until now, every engine since has continued the belt driven cams and roller bearing crank spec, and retained the distances and angles between the three fundamental shafts, two gearbox and the crankshaft, first laid out by the legendary engineer Fabio Taglioni at the end of the 1970s.
They’ve not done badly since, have they? But in the biggest investment Ducati has ever made in a new model, it’s time to move on. Tradition has not been forgotten, it’s been adhered to, as Ducati tradition at its heart is not retro but high performance married to feel and sensation. So the belts are replaced by a chain cam drive, needed to cope with the heavy loads of operating such big valves at high revs. It’s a service item less too, as it will last much longer than the previous belts – major service intervals are at 15,000 miles (25,000km). The new crank rotates in plain bearings, which because they’re more compact allow space for more crankcase material and greater strength – tuned 916-derived engines could split their cases and they made a lot less power than 192bhp.
The gearbox in the modern way is stacked vertically to shorten the engine and facilitate a longer swingarm, 1.5in (39mm) more than the 1198’s, yet with no weight penalty. This and the svelte rear end are responsible for the bike’s 52 per cent forward weight distribution, similar to race versions of the 1198.

The crankcase is sealed so the oversize oil scavenge pump can suck out air, reducing pressure by up to 0.8 bar and saving the pistons from pumping crankcase gas about needlessly and wasting their energy. The ingenious decompression system pops two exhaust valves open during start up, so a smaller starter and battery are required, saving more than 6.lb (3kg) of the 22lb (10kg) advantage the 1199 has over the 1198.

That’s not the only bike it’s lighter than. Ducati says, after weighing its own and rival machines in the same condition (all fluids present except fuel) that the 1199 Panigale is 31lb (14kg) lighter than the Aprilia RSV4 and 37.5lb (17kg) more slight than the BMW S1000RR.

Those bikes matter, according to chief engineer Andrea Forni, because the Aprilia was the benchmark for the Panigale’s chassis, and almost inevitably, the ferocious BMW set the standard for the Ducati’s engine. But it’s worth repeating because it matters so much when you’re riding: 37.5lb (17kg)!
Neither competes with the Bologna bike’s electronics package – we’re talking Panigale S here, the high spec version which will be the most popular option despite a hefty price premium. The traction control is more refined than ever and includes rear lift-off intervention, there’s a combined ABS system similar in principle to the C-ABS which is such an excellent feature of Honda’s Fireblade – both come from Bosch so the differences are only in detail, and there are of course different engine management settings affecting power delivery and peak output.

You get a quickshift gearchange, and the self-servo slipper clutch is backed up by Engine Brake Control (EBC), a system which looks at braking effort and speed to decide if the throttles need to be opened slightly to reduce engine braking and improve stability. There are different levels for this as well as everything else, changed automatically when you select one of three basic modes, Wet, Sport or Track, and at the same time, Multistrada-style, the suspension settings are altered to suit. Every setting can be personalised within these modes, and the system will keep using your new settings until you tell it otherwise, or revert to default.

Still not hot enough? Then how about the dash… this is not only a generation ahead of the dull LCDs we’re used to, with its crisp definition and multiple colours, it changes according to what you’re doing. For the first 600 miles (1000km) while you’re running the engine in, the red line markings slip down the scale to remind you not to push it too far at first – tempting though that is. Yes, it’s a tease, but it’ll let you have it in the end... It does the same when it’s cold – you don’t just jump straight in there and give it everything, it wants to be warmed up, a little foreplay to help build some heat, and gradually it will slide back the red zone when it’s ready for you.

Wiggle your finger to slip it into race mode and the rev counter scale adapts, the lower figures bunching up because you won’t need those, while the middle and upper reaches extend for improved clarity. People buy bikes for this kind of thing alone.

Okay, unless you’re made of wood, now you’re gagging to ride.

The figures and Ducati precedent fuel expectations of a radical, wrist-heavy stance, instead the 1199 Panigale is roomy with 10mm higher bars, further back and set wider and with the seat more forward. I’m 6’3” (1.91m) and I fit fine, yet the reach to the ground isn’t too daunting for those of more compact stature. The fuel tank is substantive to grip between your knees too, putting right another persistent Ducati issue – this bike brakes hard enough to make your nose bleed, but now you can hold tight with your thighs and your hands are higher so it’s not a struggle to stay in the seat, while flinging it side to side is made so much easier by your increased leverage.

Not that it takes much flinging. The Panigale’s agility will take your breath away, it makes other superbikes feel like lumbering beasts. Think supersport 600 and you’ll be about right, except for what happens when you turn the twistgrip of course. We’ll come to that…

What’s also surprising is how much difference some of those settings can make. Leave all else alone but change the EBC to increase engine braking and the bike skates more into a turn then starts to push wide as the back drags. Switch a couple of levels and the bike hunkers down as it sheds its huge speed, swaying only gently even with the ABS cutting in, before flicking onto its side and scribing the tightest arc through the turn.

Wind on the power at the apex and the drive out onto the next straight has you laughing maniacally, you can’t believe how much thrust combines with how much lean before the traction control even bothers to get out of bed. The new 200 section Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP, connected to the rest of the bike through that long swingarm and controlled by Öhlins’ finest suspension, is as tenacious as last year’s superbike rubber, which it should be as that’s exactly where the outer, softer bands of the dual compound construction come from.

Okay okay, this is a bloke called BaylissWhen you do contrive to get it to slide, the DTC doesn’t so much cut in as quietly guide you through, rear end swaying rather than kicking, a benign electronic swan gliding serene above the frantic foot control of its unseen horsepower management.

Despite the astonishing agility, the happiest consequence of the huge weight loss, the EBC, the DTC, the ABS – the bike’s acronymic brain – keeps it so stable you feel confident enough to push it as hard as you’ll ever ride a motorcycle, its systems both performance aid and safety net. At high speeds you’re reminded of the bike’s supersport geometry as it starts to wriggle gently rather than tracking straight and true, restless for the next corner as it penetrates the air at 160mph (260kph), still accelerating hard.

The new Brembos are a masterpiece, reassuring with their immense power rather than intimidating, thanks to a level of controllability that will be a whole new experience for many riders. Squeeze the front and the Bosch 9ME CPU will redistribute power to the rear for the optimum retardation and stability while endowing you with the finest control. There’s no grabbing, no fade, no faults at all, just slewing to a stop with a flex of your fingertips.

The core sensuality of this animate machine though is its engine, the offbeat 90-degree beat pulsing like a huge heart pumping blood, a signature you can hear even as it revs high and booms with a sound that will make the hairs on your neck stand proud. It really is disconcertingly stirring, and a fabulous thing to have in your command. You do have to rev it: the low and mid-range outputs are less than the 1198 offered, while the top boasts 25bhp (18.6kW) more, a huge jump in this sector. The character of the engine then is quite different to the 1198’s, demanding you work for its maximum where the 1198 was more relaxed about its performance. For many riders though, the 1198 could be too much when driving out of turns, as its power needed to be carefully modulated, especially on the non-traction control versions.

The 1199 Panigale might have less output in the middle but it still has enough, even on track with grip and confidence, and the longer wheelbase means you’re not constantly fighting wheelies. On the road you’ll need to work the gearbox more than an 1198’s to fire past cars and the like, but as an excuse to play the soundtrack it’s a good one. Gear selection itself is as slick as any you’ve tried, and with the quickshift the bike fires up the ratios with almost imperceptible speed. This is the best production quickshift yet, and another aspect of the Panigale experience which brings satisfaction and pleasure to cold performance.

Through traffic it’ll unlikely to be entirely happy, there’s a harshness and staccato delivery on a whiff of throttle in the lowest gears that’s the only clue you have as to the difficulties the engineers went through in persuading cylinders that wide and that shallow to combust their contents cleanly. Come at it from an old school Ducati though and it’ll feel smooth and compliant, so it’s nothing to turn you away.

The 1199 Panigale is, as you’re expecting, shockingly fast, although it lacks that missile-blast of immense, raw thrust at the very peak that still singles out the S1000RR. Ducati’s horsepower claim might be the same as the Germans’ but the gearing is taller than the screaming BMW’s, while the S1000RR’s power claim anyway is notoriously pessimistic – it feels like even more than they say.

But if the Panigale 1199 can’t quite match that final hit of energy of the BMW, it’s still the quicker bike. Given circuit or sinuous strip of bitumen laid across the landscape, the Ducati’s astounding agility with its major weight advantage, the force of its drive out of turns, the tactility of its braking and the sheer confidence it instils in whoever is lucky enough to be riding her, means the Italian will ease in front.

The riding satisfaction is huge, but there’s more, a quality the specifications and performance figures can’t describe, that heat implied by the flared intake nostrils beneath the cool white LED lights. It’s a big cat aura suggested by the leanness of the lines, the forward visual weight stretched and low, the blood red hue.

It is, because of everything it has, the quantifiable excellence which is alluring in itself combined with undefined yet blatant desirability, a very sexy motorcycle. If I’m wrong and it turns out not quite to be a match for the BMW on a track… I’d want an 1199 Panigale just the same. As a motorcycle to live with, for the sheer pleasure of doing no more than owning it, then for the utterly involving riding experience it gives, and finally for the wild thrill of its performance, the Panigale is unsurpassed.
It even has a fault, a blemish to complete its beauty: the sidestand is quite hard to kick down. The perfect flaw.

Specifications
Model tested: Ducati 1199 Panigale S
UK price: £19,750
Available: end Feb 2012
Engine: 90 degree V-twin, liquid cooled, dohc 8v, 1198cc
Power: 192bhp (195PS, 143kW) @ 10,750rpm
Torque: 98lb.ft (13.5kgm, 132Nm) @ 9,000rpm
Economy: n/a
Tank/Range: 3.75 gallons (7 litres, 4.5 US gallons) / n/a
Transmission: Six gears, wet multi-plate slipper clutch, chain final drive
Chassis: aluminium monocoque, engine stressed
Seat height: 32.5in (825mm)
Wheelbase: 56.6in (1437mm)
Rake/trail: 24.5°/3.94in (100mm)
Weight: 415lb (188kg) wet

Written by : Kevin Ash

Ducati FOR SALE!

If you have 1 Billion Euro's you can own Ducati:

Last August the financial comunity was reporting the rumor that Italian private equity group Investindustrial (backed by the Bonomi family) who has owned Ducati for the past three years, had sounded out a Hong Kong public listing for Ducati for an initial public offering (IPO) of £875 million, however now the Financial Times is reporting that they could be looking to sale to a rival or large car group for up to 1 billion pounds.

“Ducati is now a perfect company but the further growth it requires needs the support of a world-class industrial partner,” said Andrea Bonomi, Investindustrial’s chairman. “This year, we will work towards that partner.”

A handful of industrial groups in Asia, Europe and the US are interested in Ducati with possible buyers including Indian motorcycle group Mahindra and German car groups such as Volkswagen and BMW.

Last year Ducati reported selling 42.200 motorcycles with an increase in sales of 21,5%.

Source | financiatimes.com via thekneeslider.com

Wishing I was in Abu Dabi right now!

Bayliss Puts the Ducati 1199 Panigale to the Test

 

Ahead of the media launch of the Ducati 1199 Panigale in Abu Dhabi, 3 time World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss has been lapping on the bike he helped to develop and looking damn impressive still for a ‘washed up bike rider’ as he jokingly refers to himself on Twitter.

Although Troy had been involved in the Ducati 1199 Panigale’s development, he hadn’t ridden the finished street bike until yesterday, only the Superstock and World Superbike racers. And his (obviously partisan) view?

 From the pics, Troy obviously wasn’t exactly hanging around and offered up a photo of his destroyed boot to indicate just how much lean angle the Panigale can handle with the right talent on board.

Media reviews are starting to appear with MCN describing the 1199 Panigale rather predictably as ‘Like No Ducati I’ve Ridden’ with fast steering, less torque and over the top top end power. And as to that monocoque frame that caused so much trouble in MotoGP (at least with a Bridgestone spec tire)?”

There is a strong rumor that the Philippines has sent a lone representative to the test! If this is true, then I have a good idea who it is!

Why Buy One in 2012?

Aprilia to replace the RSV4 Factory at the end of 2013

During yesterday’s Aprilia Factory Team presentation and press conference in Milan, five time World Champion Max Biaggi let it slip that 2012 will be an all important season for the Aprilia Superbike team as it will be the penultimate year for the RSV4 Factory, as development on the bike will be halted in 2013 and that it will be replaced at the end of 2013.

What Aprilia has in store for fans has yet to be leaked, but if they want to compete against the stunning 1199 Ducati Panigale, we could see another important step forward in Italian design and performance.

HRC PR Stunt back fires!

HRC Makes the Comparison: Stoner vs. Rossi

It may still be the pre-season, but the banter regarding MotoGP on Twitter is certainly getting us ready for the start of the 2012 MotoGP Championship. Sending out a simple infographic this morning with the message, “this picture says it all,” HRC’s official Twitter account posted some interesting statistics that compared Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner to Ducati Corse’s Valentino Rossi.

Breaking down Stoner’s win percentage over the past five years, the results of course paint an interesting picture. Of course the image “didn’t say it all” as the reaction on Twitter is about what you’d expect from a world widely divided by international boundaries. This of course lead to the image’s immediate removal, but alas nothing truly dies in the digital age.

In case you aren’t already aware, Valentino Rossi is a nine-time World Champion, and also happens to be the favorite son the of MotoGP Championship. Casey Stoner on the other hand…well, the Australian has at best a tumultuous relationship with the public. Naturally, backlash ensued, and HRC finally removed the graphic from its Twitter account.

Asserting that it was all in good fun and simply pointing out some statistics about the last five years, HRC surely was trying to bolster Stoner’s record, and remove the Repsol Honda rider from the “Most Underrated” list in MotoGP — a hard thing to do, even on the heels of a World Championship.
Is Casey a force to be reckoned with in MotoGP? Absolutely. Has a new dawn of riders entered MotoGP? Certainly. Has Rossi’s complete domination of premier-class racing been challenged by riders like Stoner, Lorenzo, and Pedrosa? Only a fool would say no. Does Rossi still have a rabid pack of fans inside and outside of the MotoGP paddock? You bet.

Commenting on HRC’s graphic, Rossi’s response to the matter was interesting. “eh eh,very easy compare the numbers between me and Stoner from 2006,when I won already 5 champs and 53 races mgp,” tweeted Rossi. Here’s the question though, do past laurels count for anything on race day? While we already have our favorite response so far, leave yours in the comments.
Source: Twitter (Original Post Removed)

The GS I want!

--  Special edition BMW R 1200 GS Rallye

Extended tours, long distance travels, and even journeys to the remote places of our planet run like a thread through the history of BMW GS, just like spectacular adventure rallies and magnificent sporting success. All of this now finds testimony in the special model R 1200 GS Rallye from BMW Motorrad.
Body parts in solid Alpine white, graphics in the legendary BMW Motorrad Motorsports colours, and fork and engine in black. The Paralever swingarm in Asphalt grey metallic, cylinder head covers in Granite grey metallic, and an all chrome exhaust system. A particular eye-catcher is presented by the rear frame with Magma red paintwork.
The sporting look of the 110hp travel enduro is underscored by the seat in black and white.
Cross spoke wheels, heated grips, hand protectors in white, case holder, onboard computer, and the electronic suspension adjustment Enduro ESA make this extraordinary GS ideal for a very wide range of applications.

The highlights of the BMW R 1200 GS Rally special model:

• body parts painted in Alpine white
• graphics in the BMW Motorrad Motorsports colours
• fork slider tubes lined in black
• engine lined in black
• rear frame lined in Magma red
• swingarm (Paralever) lined in Asphalt grey metallic
• cylinder head covers in Granite grey metallic
• seat in black and white
• Enduro ESA
• all chrome exhaust system
• cross spoke wheels
• heated grips
• hand protectors in white
• pannier holder
• onboard computer

New KTM Super Duke

MCN spies the Super Duke!

KTM's all-new 1290cc V-twin Super Duke has been spotted strapped onto a trailer in Tenerife as the prototype machine undergoes endurance testing before its launch later this year.
It is clear from the picture that the Austrian firm is using a modular design concept - the main chassis, engine and fuel tank of the naked Super Duke are identical to the Adventure seen last week.
The picture also shows the extent of the Super Duke's redesign. There is little remaining of the current 990cc V-twin super naked which has kept its hardcore nature since its launch in 2005.
The bike has a new LC8 engine, completely new steel trellis chassis, a single-sided swingarm to replace the double-sided version of the current bike, a new side-mounted exhaust and it appears the bike is getting a full compliment of electronics judging by the number of sensors on the bike.

BMW trumps Aprilia and Ducati in their own back yard!

BMW GS Riders have attitude!

Don’t expect to find Ducati, an Aprilia or a Moto Guzzi to be the best selling motorcycle in Italy, that title in 2011 went to the BMW R1200 GS (5.134 units sold) and to celebrate the model a special website for GS riders has been launched called ‘GS Attitude’ (in Italian only so far).
GS Attitude is where GS riders can post their personal thoughts, stories and photos of their adventures and they even have their own seven point manifesto:
Some people prefer the stars to a 5 star hotels
There are those who challenge the intense cold because the road warms the heart
It doesn’t matter where you sleep, but when you start.
Some people don’t choose the destination, but the trip
There are those who still prefer the fascination of silence and history
There are those who create their own trails
There are those who still believe in adventure and the challenge
Check out the video to see some great footage from the winners of their latest contest.

Source | motoblog.it
 

Interesting 3 day MOTOGP test at SIC

Look at Stoner and Rossi slide the rear...

Stoner backing it in...

Rossi backing it in...

Pictures taken at the same corner... with shots like this. 2012 MOTOGP will get very interesting indeed.

Ducati Team happy with first results from Sepang test

When was the last time you saw Rossi doing this:

 Ducati’s aim during this final day of testing at Sepang was to be within a second from their rivals, which didn’t exactly happen as Valentino Rossi finished 1.2 seconds adrift and in fifth spot, but that was also due to the fact that Casey Stoner set the new record, but the Italian managed to improve 1.568 seconds over the three days. 

It may not seem much compared to the Honda’s and Yamaha’s, but considering that the GP12 got its first real test with the factory riders at Sepang and had no big technical problems, something that Filippo Preziosi was afraid of with a new bike, the Ducati team left Sepang seemingly happy that both Rossi and Nicky Hayden seem happy and confident.
Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 5th, 2:00.824 (42 laps)

“We on the team are all happy with how this test has gone, especially today. With a 2:00.8, we’re starting to get to a decent time. The two Hondas and the two Yamahas are still ahead of us, but we consider this test to be a starting point. The most positive things we’ve achieved are that the front now lets me ride a little more as I’m able, that the bike reacts well to changes and that we have very clear ideas on what’s still missing. In particular, if we manage to improve the bike’s behaviour on acceleration, we’ll be able to take a consistent step forward. I know that the work has never stopped at Ducati, and now with the information we’ve gathered, they’ll keep working on the areas that we’ve identified. That might take a while, but there’s still some time before the first race. We have to keep improving, so we’re not getting too excited, but I’m pleased with how things have gone so far.”
Posted: Thursday 02 February 2012 by Toni M.

Motogp Pictures 1st day of Testing January 30, 2012

Pictures are better than a thousand words:

Valentino Rossi onboard the Ducati GP12 at Sepang

2 Video's of Valentino Rossie riding the Ducati GP 12

The first videos from Sepang are already hitting YouTube and obviously everyone is curious to know more about the Ducati G12 that had an almost complete make-over in just three months.
Valentino Rossi seems already delighted with his new machine and says that his riding position on the bike has definitely improved as does his corner entry, braking and he can now get the tires up to temperature faster, four of the big problems he had with last season, besides the tricky front end feeling. The wider range of set-ups has also convinced Rossi that Ducati has taken the right direction.
Testing will continue tomorrow and we’ll see if Rossi continues to improve - he was 0.7 seconds adrift from leader Jorge Lorenzo today and Casey Stoner was missing from the grid - or if the GP12 Phoenix will turn into another GP11 chimera.

2012 MotoGP Sepang 1 Test Monday Pre-Test Round Up: Phoenix Unveiled, HRC's Launch, And New Tires For All

The Long wait is over!

So the day that MotoGP fans have been waiting for throughout the long, dark, bikeless winter break has nearly arrived. In a few short hours time, the MotoGP bikes will be tearing up the track in Malaysia once again in preparation for the 2012 season. Indeed, all day Monday, a few MotoGP bikes - the cynics and naysayers would refute that the Aprilia CRT bike is a MotoGP bike, but they are wrong - have been howling round Valencia, but as that is a private test it has not impinged upon the consciousness of MotoGP fans as much as Sepang has. On Tuesday morning, the winter is officially, finally over.
A very great deal of the interest in the Sepang test has been focused on Ducati, a rather logical result of Valentino Rossi's dismal debut year with the iconic Italian brand. In the break between the Valencia test and tomorrow's test at Sepang, the Desmosedici GP12 has been redesigned from the ground up, Ducati Corse boss Filippo Preziosi claiming that the bike is 90% different, even though it would look strikingly similar to the bike labeled the "GP Zero" by the press at Valencia. To further stir the interest of the fans - as if they needed any stirring - Ducati then failed to display the bike at their traditional Wrooom! launch event in mid-January, leaving even more room for speculation and conjecture. Even a private test of the bike organized by Ducati Corse at Jerez went off without anyone managing to sneak any photos or information out to the ever-eager press.
But they cannot hide the bike any longer. The first picture of the redesigned GP12 was revealed - fittingly, given his role in pushing for the redesign - by Valentino Rossi himself on his Twitter page, and though the bike does indeed appear superficially similar, there are a number of key differences, some highly visible, others which can be inferred, despite being hidden behind fairings. For an overview, see the illustrations over on Italian site Motocorse.com, but to summarize, it's clear that much has changed. The shape of the chassis is clearly different, hinting that the engine itself has changed significantly. From the way the relationship between the swingarm pivot point, the top rear suspension mount and the upper spar of the twin spar chassis has changed, the engine is radically different.
The tank is another clue: the aluminium tank shown in the photo appears taller than the original GP12 tank, though the difference in color schemes between the painted red of last year's bike and the raw beaten aluminium of the GP12 can deceive the eye. The new tank sports two huge dents at the front, cutouts for the handlebars, suggesting that the space underneath the tank has been occupied by something that wasn't there last year. Given that the part generally labeled "tank" on a racing motorcycle usually does not contain any fuel - mostly, they are simply covers over the airbox, with the ECU located behind the airbox - any change in tank shape means that major changes have happened underneath the cover.
The real clue, however, is the pair of exhaust pipes peeping out below the swingarm mounting strut. On the GP Zero, those pipes were routed over the top of that strut, coming as they did from a relatively upright rear bank of cylinders. On the GP 12, they have been routed underneath the strut, suggesting that the rear bank of cylinders is at a much greater angle from the vertical than the former design. This fits in nicely with all of the rumors coming out of the Ducati factory - though very few and far between have they been - that the angle of the engine remains at 90°, but that the entire engine has been rotated backwards around the crankshaft, in much the same manner that the Panigale 1199 V-twin Superbike engine has been.
Putting two and two together - the exhaust routing, the higher, shorter tank, the altered chassis shape - it seems a safe bet to conclude that the engine has been rotated backwards, and probably by a significant amount. The trouble with speculative mathematics, of course, is that the result you get putting two and two together can end up being spectacularly wrong, if you don't know the precise values of two that you are working with.
Whether all of the work put in - and Ducati have crammed between two and three years of normal work into a period of just a few months - will pay off will only become apparent on Tuesday, when Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi put the bike through its paces for the first time. Lap times from Tuesday will not tell much of the story - the bike is brand new, and much work will be needed to ensure that everything is working correctly and to find a base setup - but the response of the riders to the bike should be telling. After the intense work put in all last year, and intensified over the winter, the word "Stakhanovite" springs to mind to describe the efforts of Ducati. Whether the rewards showered upon Comrade Aleksei Grigorevich Stakhanov will come also to Ducati remains to be seen.
Much will also depend on the tires. Ducati's biggest problem has been getting temperature into the tires, and almost all of the changes have been aimed at using the Bridgestone front better. To some extent, Bridgestone is meeting Ducati halfway, as the Japanese manufacturer is bringing their all-new 2012 tires to Sepang. The front uses a less stiff carcass than last year's tire, making it warm up much faster, and improving the feel, something that all of the riders complained about last year - though notably, Casey Stoner was cagey about wanting changes, fearing perhaps, like Mick Doohan before him, that he may lose the advantage he had over his competitors. In Doohan's case, it was being able to handle Honda's 500cc two-stroke screamer engine; in Stoner's, it is the ability to use the treacherous Bridgestone front better than anyone else. Bridgestone will be spending much time liaising with newly appointed Safety Officer Loris Capirossi, who has already been extremely outspoken about the tires.
While Ducati was generating most of the buzz, HRC held the official factory Repsol Honda team launch in Kuala Lumpur. Casey Stoner presented the #1 plate he will be using for 2012, and Stoner and teammate Dani Pedrosa faced answers from the press. The color scheme is virtually unchanged from 2011, with only the hardcore fans able to pick out the minor details. The chassis is changed slightly, revised in line with input from Stoner and Pedrosa at the Valencia test and tailored to their specific requests, and both men will be comparing the new bike to the Valencia bike to evaluate progress.
The engine of the RC213V - HRC Vice President Shuhei Nakamoto was typically cagey about capacity, saying only that it was "larger than 800cc, smaller than 1000cc" - is listed as producing "more than 230hp" in Honda's press information, but given that press handouts typically understate horsepower by around 10%, the bike almost certainly is capable of producing 250hp. All that power will add to top speeds, Nakamoto revealing that the RC213V was topping out some 10 km/h faster at Valencia than the 800cc, which was managing 310 km/h in the hands of Casey Stoner. Controlling wheelies will be the biggest problem with the new bikes, but apart from that, both Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner reiterated that they expected the bikes to be similar in riding style to the old 800s, with the added torque meaning the bike required less revs.
But HRC's budget was larger this year than it was last, Nakamoto revealed, a natural result of the change in regulations. Nakamoto was also careful to point out that even something like the increased minimum weight - introduced in December last year - meant increased costs, as the already designed bike had to be modified to comply with the rules. Nakamoto also responded to questions from journalists about their interest in an all-CRT championship, which he estimated to be zero. Given that an all-CRT championship is not on the cards - only the factories can afford the sky-high salaries of the top 6 or 7 elite riders, and the factories need MotoGP to showcase their brand and their technology - HRC should remain in MotoGP for a while.
Yamaha, meanwhile, were operating in the shadow of both their rivals, though the Japanese factory did announce a new oil sponsor, JX Nippon, confirmation of the news leaked earlier in the year. Yamaha, too, have brought revised bikes to Sepang, modified based on the input of Ben Spies and Jorge Lorenzo over the winter. For Lorenzo, it will be the first time he has ridden a MotoGP bike since October, when the Spaniard crashed out of practice for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, losing the tip of his finger in the process. His finger is now healed, and Lorenzo has been training on dirt bikes - a dangerous pastime, given the injuries to Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden over the winter - and he should be quickly up to speed again.
How the injured Hayden and Dovizioso hold up will also be a factor. Both men are in Sepang, and both are aiming to ride. Hayden's fractured shoulder blade has healed well, and Dovizioso has a plate in his broken collarbone, but how well their respective injuries cope with the stresses and strains of a MotoGP bike - especially a heavier, more powerful MotoGP bike, that will be arriving at braking points at much higher speeds, a particular problem at Sepang, with two long straights followed by two sharp corners - remains to be seen.
At least we don't have very long to wait any more. Covers will come off, engines warmed up, and bikes rolled into pit lane in just a few short hours. The 2012 season gets underway properly tomorrow.

Source: 

https://twitter.com/ValeYellow46/status/163911316661223424/photo/1/large

http://manziana.motocorse.com/blog/31622_Gp_12_VS_Gp_ZERO.php

http://www.gpone.com/index.php/en/201201305944/Nakamoto-nessun-interesse...

Ducati GP 12

As mentioned by Ducati GP mechanic "Alex Briggs" - How cool is that that Vale posting the GP 12 on twitter.

Valentino Rossi has revealed via his Twitter account his brand new Ducati Desmosedici GP12.
Like Filippo Preziosi, who is present at Sepang, said it wouldn’t look completely different from the GPZero, maybe slighter slimmer and smaller, but what’s important is what’s underneath the fairing and what Rossi can pull out of it during these next three test days, even if Vittoriano Guareschi has already played down any immediate expectations, “A good result could be to finish the three-day session within one or 1.2 seconds off the quickest riders. With a completely new bike, that kind of result should not be scorned.”


Note: Alex Briggs is the mechanic in the middle.

2012 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC

Tired of waiting for the Ducati Pannigale 1199.... then you can get this in Manila soon!

2012 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC

FROM THE QUEEN OF SBK APRILIA DISTILS THE PERFECT BIKE FOR THE TRACK DAYS ENTHUSIAST GENTLEMAN RIDER.

THE ONLY SUPERSPORT BIKE WHICH ALLOWS THE RIDER TO SAFELY REFINE HIS RIDING ABILITY THANKS TO THE APRC DYNAMIC CONTROL PACKAGE.
AVAILABLE IN THE R VERSION AND IN THE EXCLUSIVE FACTORY OUTFITTING, RSV4 APRC APPLIES APRILIA PATENTED TECHNOLOGY TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR THE DYNAMIC CONDITIONS OF THE BIKE AND OPTIMISE PERFORMANCE.

Created with the single-minded goal of being simply the best on the track and on the road, since its inception the Aprilia RSV4 has astonished the world with its looks, technology and performance. The first 65° V-4 engine ever in a sports production bike, a chassis worthy of a 250 GP, Ride By Wire, multimap engine management: all these are accomplished achievements for the Aprilia RSV4, that tops unique architecture and specs with Aprilia's signature excellent rideability brought to the next level.
A project conceived not just to create a motorcycle that delivers the utmost in performance, but one that also allows the rider to make full use of every last iota of its competitive potential.

The excellent results obtained by all of the champions who have ridden in races is not by chance, nonetheless the true revolution which accompanies the new Aprilia RSV4 APRC is that you don't have to be a champion to explore its potential and have fun, thanks to the exemplary dynamic balance obtained by APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control), the exclusive traction control system which can be adjusted to eight different levels and can self-calibrate based on the different types of tyres, the wheelie control feature, launch control and the electronic transmission.
Concrete aids in the vehicles rideability which restore greater confidence and control to the rider in extreme conditions, helping to identify the most effective lines to follow and making the ride less psychologically and physically demanding.
The introduction of such advanced technology to large volume production is the demonstration of the Aprilia's enormous design capacity, developing all of the electronic management "in house" for Max Biaggi's RSV4 Factory SBK as well as the dynamic controls platform applied to the new RSV4 APRC.
With this new version the Aprilia staff has made it possible to build a bike which is faster on the track but at the same time more "communicative" for the widest range of riding experience and capability, fine tuning what can be considered the patriarch of a new generation of supersport bikes.

State of art technology
This new technology is brought together in the APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) package, basically the state of the art in dynamic performance control, a multi-patented system that makes Superbike winning technology available to professional racing riders and hobby riders alike. All this comes in an easy to use, intuitive package.
But the improvements to the Aprilia RSV4 APRC do not stop with electronic management. The 65° V4 engine offers improved lubrication and closer spaced gears for better acceleration. The new, lighter exhaust features an advanced butterfly valve management system to suit the Ride By Wire mapping for improved breathing and efficiency throughout the RPM range.
The new features introduced by the Aprilia RSV4 APRC in detail:
APRC Aprilia Performance Ride Control, the electronic management package including:
- ATC: Aprilia Traction Control automatically adjusts to different types of tyres, with 8 settings conveniently selectable while racing from a joystick on the left handlebar without turning down the throttle;
- AWC: Aprilia Wheelie Control with three settings;
- ALC: Aprilia Launch Control, for use on the track only, with 3 settings;
- AQS: Aprilia Quick Shift, for ultra-fast shifting without closing the throttle or using the clutch.
Dual display mode for instrument panel display: ROAD and RACE;
New exhaust is lighter and offers improved performance;
Optimised gear ratios for the utmost track performance;
Improved engine lubrication;
Lighter three double-spoke wheels.

GP 12 - The Phoenix!

Is this Valentino Rossi's GP12 Phoenix?

This photo is supposed to be Valentino Rossi’s almost 90% brand new Ducati Desmosedici GP12, now dubbed by the press as the ‘Phoenix’ and taken at Sepang just several hours ago.

Is this the GP Zero that Rossi tested at Valencia or is it the GP12? Ducati brought both bikes to Sepang for a comparison test, so let’s play spot the differences as Filippo Preziosi said that the bike would be smaller, but all the major changes would be underneath the fairing.

Photo Source | hardly_angel@twitter

MotoGP Testing: Who Is Testing Where And When

MotoGP's long winter break is drawing to a close, and the testing season is about to kick off once again. For the last couple of years that's been very easy to follow, as everyone headed to the official MotoGP tests organized by IRTA. With the introduction of the Claiming Rule Teams, however, MotoGP's testing schedule has become a lot more complex, as some of the CRT teams will be joining the test in Sepang, while others will be remaining in Europe.

Below is the schedule as we know it so far. Everyone on a factory prototype (that is, all of the factory and satellite teams) will be heading to the two Sepang tests (Jan 31st - Feb 2nd, and Feb 28th-March 1st), with Colin Edwards on the NGM Forward Suter BMW and the BQR CRT team consisting of Ivan Silva and test rider Robertino Pietri aboard the FTR Kawasakis at the first Sepang test at least. The Aprilia-powered CRT bikes will be firing up their engines in Europe, starting at Valencia on January 30th. PBM's James Ellison will join the Aspar bikes at Jerez on February 20th, while a fuller compliment of CRT bikes is expected at Aragon on March 8th. Testing then culminates at Jerez in late March, as everyone gathers for the final CRT test.

With the relaxation of testing restrictions, however, there could be more testing still. Both the CRT teams and factory teams are likely to organize private test sessions to get more miles on the bikes. Ducati especially are expected to have a full test schedule ahead of them, after the complete redesign of the 2012 Desmosedici GP12 which was undertaken during the winter. Those dates will be reported on as and when they become known.

Here is the testing schedule as we know it 

Circuit/Date	Participants
Valencia, January 30th-31st	Aspar Aprilia CRT: Randy de Puniet, Aleix Espargaro Speed Master CRT: Mattia Pasini
Sepang I, January 31st , February 1st & 2nd	Factories: Repsol Honda, Yamaha Factory, Ducati Marlboro Satellites: Gresini Honda, LCR Honda, Cardion AB Ducati, Pramac Ducati, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha CRTs: NGM Forward (Colin Edwards), BQR (Ivan Silva, Robertino Pietri)
Jerez CRT, February 20th - 22nd	Aspar Aprilia CRT: Randy de Puniet, Aleix Espargaro Speed Master CRT: Mattia Pasini Paul Bird Racing CRT: James Ellison
Sepang II, February 28th & 29th, March 1st	Factories: Repsol Honda, Yamaha Factory, Ducati Marlboro Satellites: Gresini Honda, LCR Honda, Cardion AB Ducati, Pramac Ducati, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha BQR and NGM Forward uncertain
Aragon, March 8th-9th	Aspar Aprilia CRT: Randy de Puniet, Aleix Espargaro Speed Master CRT: Mattia Pasini Paul Bird Racing CRT: James Ellison BQR and NGM Forward uncertain Gresini Honda CRT: Michele Pirro, though not yet confirmed
Jerez Full March 23rd, 24th & 25th	All teams likely to attend.