Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2011 – The Ducati Story

Grab some popcorn, because this video from Ducati North America is over 14 minutes long. Telling the story of Ducati at the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), DNA has put together a great video that really captures how special the racing is at Pikes Peak, and how gorgeous the scenery is of the Colorado Mountains. With Santa Barbara Ducati’s Carlin Dunne winning the overall motorcycle category on his dealership’s Multistrada 1200 demo model, Alexander Smith from the Spider Grips Ducati Team made it a double podium for Ducati in the 1205cc class. If you’re new to racing at Pikes Peak, or wanted a quick re-cap of last year’s race, Ducati’s video pretty accurately sums up racing on the mountain and the anxiety around last year’s race.

Ducati Announces Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Team with Carlin Dunne & Greg Tracy

Ducati has announced its factory team for the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), and the Italian company has secured the services of last-year’s winner and Rookie of the Year Carlin Dunne as well as six-time PPIHC winner Greg Tracy. Ducati has also partnered with the Spider Grips team, who will help prepare the teams Ducati Multistrada 1200 for the “Race to the Clouds” on July 8th. For 2012, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be fully-paved to the top of the mountain, which will surely see the speeds of competitors increase, and lap times drop on the 12.42 mile long course that ends at 14,110 feet.

Cutaway Photos of the Ducati Superquadro Engine

I was flipping through some photos from the 2011 EICMA show, and found these shots of the Ducati 1199 Panigale’s Superquadro engine. Unfortunately at the show, Ducati had its 1199cc v-twin motor behind a Lexan case, which created a bit of a glare, reflections, and of course had smudges from the touchy-feely Italian crowd. But still, the photos give a good idea of what’s going on in Ducati’s most-advanced production engine to date, and are better than just looking at the CAD renders. If you look at the shots very closely, you can almost see where the 195hp and 98 lbs•ft of torque is lurking inside.

AGV, Please Make This Helmet!

In addition to testing the factory Ducati Desmosedici GP12 “Phoenix” this week at Sepang, Valentino Rossi is also trying out a new lid from AGV. Aside from the carbon fiber goodness, and of course the Rossi stickers (which add 5hp & $200), AGV’s prototype helmet sports a noticably pronounced rear spoiler. Tucked in behind the windscreen, it is obvious why the Italian helmet manufacturer designed such a large protrusion off the back of the prototype helmet, as it looks to be clearly helping the flow off the back of the helmet, across the rider’s hump, and down his backside.

2012 Honda RC213V Debuts in Malaysia

While Ducati Corse is busy playing hide-the-Desmosedici at Sepang, HRC is all business in Malaysia this week, and has debuted its 2012 Honda RC213V MotoGP-contender. Honda isn’t saying too much about the RC213V, simply stating that the race bike is all new, but is also a continuation of the company’s design with the 800cc Honda RC212V. Testing the Honda RC213V over the course of last season, reigning-World Champion Casey rode the new 1,000cc machine three times in 2011, while teammate Dani Pedrosa swung a leg over the RC213V twice (missing one test because of injury).

No, This is the “90%” New Ducati Desmosedici GP12

You may have been misled by some eager journalists today and yesterday, if you saw a Ducati Corse livery-clad Ducati Desmosedici GP12 that some sites were passing off as the first shots of the “90% new” GP12. With the alleged new GP12 looking surprisingly similar to the aluminum-framed “GP0″ that was tested at Valencia, Valentino Rossi’s mechanic has now Alex Briggs confirmed that the photos taken were not of the all new “GP12 Phoenix” that the factory team will race this season. While the Ducati lords can taketh away, they can also giveth, and Valentino Rossi himself has posted the first photo of the factory Desmosedici GP12, and the bike is clearly different.

Zero Motorcycles Commences 2012 Model Line Production

Zero Motorcycles has announced the full-commencement of production for its 2012 model line, which is expected to hit dealers in February & March of this year. First off the line was the 2012 Zero DS back in December, though the electric motorcycle company has recently started building the Zero S, Zero XU, Zero X, and Zero MX at its Scotts Valley facility as well. A story we broke back in November, Zero Motorcycles debuted its important 2012 electric motorcycle line up at the 2011 EICMA show in Milan, with the 2012 range being a substantial improvement upon the company’s previous offerings.

The Dainese D-Air Racing Airbag Suit Comes to America

Getting a look at Dainese & AGV’s 2012 collection, Asphalt & Rubber was down in Orange County earlier this week to see the highly anticipated Dainese D-Air Racing leather suit, which has a four liter airbag system that helps reduce the risk of injury during a motorcycle crash. Dainese has been working on the D-Air Racing system for 10 years now, and after soft-launching the airbag suit in Europe, the Italian company is ready to bring the game-changing technology to American soil.

I Love the Nightlife. I’ve Come to Boogie.

Us Danes, we’re a strange breed. From the culture that taught you how to rape and pillage, Scandinavia is making yet another contribution to the motorcycling world with this latest video. Featuring Danish Supermoto Champion Andreas Mikkelsen, we get a RoToR camera-esque perspective (this rig is actually home made) on the Dane’s practice session at the Als Supermotard Club in Denmark. It’s videos like this that are slowly eroding my will-power to resist getting into supermotard riding. Also, I don’t know who was in charge of the music selection on this thing, but my hat is off to him/her. I love the nightlife. I’ve come to boogie.

Confirmed: KTM 350 Duke in 2013 – Moto3 Inspired 350cc Sport Bike in 2014

Our friends over at IndianCarsBikes.in were in attendance at the KTM 200 Duke launch in India this week, as the Austrian brand launched its somewhat bigger-displacement version of the popular KTM Duke 125. During the press event, KTM talked about the future of the mini-Duke line and its product roadmap for the emerging country, as well as abroad. With the Austrian brand confirming/clarifying that KTM would release a KTM 350 Duke for India in 2013, zie Austrians also confirmed that the KTM 350 Duke would be built locally in India by Bajaj, but would be exported worldwide — allaying fears that the KTM 350 Duke would be an India-only model.

2010 Bimota DB6 Superlight – The Carbon Fiber Trellis Frame Dream Bike

Thu, March 11th, 2010 @ 6:18 pm, by Jenny Gun10 COMMENTS
Home » Bikes » 2010 Bimota DB6 Superlight – The Carbon Fiber Trellis Frame Dream Bike

Debuting at the Rome Motodays event this week, Bimota unveiled a very special bike: the 2010 Bimota DB6 Superlight. Unfortunately we weren’t there to witness this wonderful piece of carbon fiber mastery, but the good folks at OmniMoto were, and have a gallery full of delicious photographs that are sure to become your next desktop wallpaper. Why is the Bimota DB6 Superlight so special? It could be it’s carbon trellis frame, or it’s carbon trellis swingarm, or its feather light weight, or it could just be a combination of all of the above. Find out more about the DB6 Superlight after the jump.

It could be said that the 2010 Bimota DB6 is an exotic version of the Ducati Monster 1100, since both bikes share the 1,100cc air-cooled Ducati two valve lump and have a standard riding position. The 2010 Ducati Monster 1100 weighs 390lbs dry, and makes a modest 90hp. Bimota of course has taken the essence of the monster, and built extensively upon it. The result is the 2010 Bimota DB6 Delirio, which is similarly weighted and powered as the Monster, but makes a exceedingly larger impression visually.

This visual improvement wasn’t enough for Bimota. They had to beat the Ducati in every way possible, and thus the Bimota DB6R was born. For 2010 the DB6R tips the scales at 370lbs, while making 95hp. For those keeping score that’s 20lbs less, +5hp, 2x more aesthetics by our count. Bimota could have stopped here, but they had to take it one step further with the 2010 Bimota DB6 Superlight. With carbon fiber everywhere (frame, forks, swingarm, body panels, you name it), the DB6 Superlight drops another 20lbs to come in at 348lbs dry, making it one impressive piece of machinery both visually and technically. Rumors have it that when Bimota gets its hands on the latest version of the 1100 DS, another 7lbs could be lost from the bike, and five more pony powers found.

Added on top of this impressive spec sheet is one of the nicest looking carbon fiber frames we’ve ever seen, and a bike that looks fit for MotoGP duty or an art show…we’re not sure which. BR Bikeresearch is responsible for helping Bimota mate the carbon fiber trellis to its machined aluminum subframe. This combination can be found on both the main frame and on the Superlight’s swingarm. Carbon fiber covers the bike’s forks, and also makes up all the body panels. Everything else is your standard Bimota exercise in eye-candy creation. Check out OmniMoto’s post for more pictures of the 2010 Bimota DB6 Superlight.

Source: OmniMoto

Top 5 Related Posts:

Tagged under: 2010 BImota DB6 Superlight, Bimota, Bimota DB6, Bimota DB6 Superlight, carbon, carbon fiber, carbon frame, carbon trellis, DB6 Superlight, DS 1100, DS 1100 motor, Ducati, Ducati DS 1100, eye candy, Superlight

Comment:

jim says:
March 11, 2010 at 6:39 PM
this is porn.i love it
Peter Lombardi says:
March 11, 2010 at 8:13 PM
umm, yes please!
-peter
Foggel says:
March 11, 2010 at 8:17 PM
that beautiful frame is hidden under all the unnecessarily sharp edges they put on rest of the bike.
Asphalt_Rubber says:
March 12, 2010 at 2:18 AM
2010 Bimota DB6 Superlight – The Carbon Fiber Trellis Frame Dream Bike – http://bit.ly/a7lN1u #motorcycle
Charlie says:
March 12, 2010 at 4:14 AM
Stunning. While the new MV F4 (i.e front fender, exhaust) and Brutale (dash) look dreadful, Bimota continues to carry on the Italian tradition of stunning aesthetics and techno innovation.
Sean Mitchell says:
March 12, 2010 at 8:32 AM
What, no carbon wheels? Pfff, talk about half arsing it. ;)
And carbon fork covers? Okay I admit they look cool, but are contrary to the spirit of functional carbon like the frame. While it’s not much, those just add weight.
patron says:
March 12, 2010 at 1:41 PM
I just went from six to midnight
Scatterbrained says:
March 12, 2010 at 6:41 PM
carbon fiber forks. Wow. Absolutely sick. I love it!
Bjorn says:
March 12, 2010 at 11:06 PM
@ Sean Mitchell – I dont think those are carbon fibre fork covers. Check out the integrated lower clamp, I’d put money on those legs being just carbon fibre tubes.
I’m somewhat suprised that they chose to closely replicate the steel trellis frame in carbon, rather than use the properties of carbon fibre to free them from the neccessity of straight lines.
Maybe carbon fibre motorcycle frames will follow the path bicycles took and start by copying the existing shapes before getting more organic. Of course organic forms would clash with that stying and Bimota are probably scared of creating another sales success like the Sacha Lakic styled Mantra.
Handyguys Podcast says:
March 25, 2010 at 6:05 PM
Two VERY different trellis designs: garden > http://bit.ly/dos9qb and road > http://bit.ly/cR8rM4 One u can build and one I WISH I could buy