Ducati owns probably the most valuable brand name in motorcycling, and like many brands Ducati finds ways to monetize this asset by licensing it out to other companies. One great marriage and example of this is the Ducati branded apparel available from Puma, which sees both brands benefitting from a racing/apparel association. One not so great example of this concept however is the Toshiba Satellite U500 Ducati Edition laptop, which sees the vanilla of portable computers get stamped with the mark of Corse Rosa.

When it comes to rings, women get all the bling, leaving men to choose bands that have a de minimus amount of creativity to them. Well that’s all about to change as Kinekt has come up with a ring that should warm the hearts of engineers and gear-heads alike. The Kinekt Design Gear Ring is both functional, in that it turns on itself…not that it actually serves any purpose other than as a constant reminder of your love and devotion. Check the video of it in action after the jump.

For 2010 Pirelli is introducing a new high-performance streetbike tire, the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa. Replacing the Pirelli Diablo Corsa III, Pirelli intends the Diablo Rossa Corsa (DRC) to be the weapon of choice both on the track and on the street. With a pair of DCIII”s on our Ducati Streetfighter, we’re excited to see what the DRC brings to the table after hearing about the tire at EICMA this year.

J.D. Power and Associates has completed its 2009 Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study, and the results are in. In their research, J.D. Power & Associates measures the overall satisfaction of motorcyclists with their new helmet in three key factors:

• ventilation 
• face shield
• design and styling

These three factors are then marked into 11 attributes:

• quietness
• ventilation/air flow
• de-fogging
• the face shield’s ability to keep the wind out 
• the face shield’s ability to resist scratching 
• ease of replacing the face shield 
• scratch resistance of the shell
• color/graphic design
• weight
• ease of fastening the strap
• fit and comfort.

Continue reading after the jump for the results.

Things have been quiet on the Italian front after Harley-Davidson acquired premium sportbike manufacturer MV Agusta last year, with the American company apparently leaving the brand alone for a while after its purchase. The company we love to hate from Milwaukee has finally started to make some changes in the old Italian brand, drawing a clear line between what product lines will focus on a premium road bike experience for the rider, and what products will be developed for track day weaponry for the weekend warrior.

Pirelli’s Cyber Tire will provide real-time tire performance information via a chip/transponder setup embedded in the tire tread. The system will send and store a myriad of information such as: operating temperature, pressure, road conditions, and vertical load. The system will work in conjunction with another Pirelli invention, the Cyber Wheel, which will convey wheel information such as hub loads in a similar fashion. While the naming is gruesome, the potential for data logging and analysis could be extremely useful to racing and enthusiasts.

Pirelli has also partnered with Brembo and Magnetti Marelli on the Cyber Tire project. While details are not certain, we’d suspect the partnership would mean a system that quickly transfers information from the tire to the driver, car, and brakes, and allows for more informed and instantaneous performance changes based on driving conditions.

The technology’s use is centered around automobiles, but the mechanics and application could easily be carried-over into motorcycles. Just don’t hold you breath on seeing it soon though. The car version is expected in 2010, with no details on whether there will be a motorcycle version. As we are all well aware, motorcycle tires already cost considerably more than car/truck tires, and last an even shorter amount of time. Presumably the decreased longevity and added costs of the Cyber Tire/Cyber Wheel system would make the technology a bit harder to justify cost-wise in a motorcycle application outside of racing.

Source: Autoblog

Michelin is set to retire the tried and true track-oriented Power Race with the new Power One tire. Details are still thin, since the tire will be officially released to the world in March, but we do know that the One is the result of three years of work, more than 35,000 track laps, and will come in slick and treaded form. Michelin reports that it uses eight new technical solutions in the manufacturing of the Power one, including a new compound housing.

Expect the tire to come in three different compounds: A (soft), B (medium), and C (endurance). Slicks will be immediately available in 16,5” and in 17″ form in 2010. There is also talk of a rain and supermotard version of the tire.

Rossi pulled no punches this year at Mugello when he debuted his customary custom helmet design for the home venue race. Emblazoned with a picture of his own face, wide-eyed and mouth agape, the design was the talk of the paddock, and a sight to be seen as he put his head down around the chicanes and straight-aways. 

Because of all the attention this helmet created, AGV is now offering a limited edition replica of Rossi’s likeness in their top-of-the-line GP-Tech series of motorcycle helmets. The helmet features all the usual GP-Tech bells and whistles, including a carbon-Kevlar shell construction.

 

Source: AGV