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Is Ferrari Working on a Motorcycle?

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Lately we have seen a lot of car manufacturers taking an interest in the two-wheeled world — Audi bought Ducati from Investindustrial, and MV Agusta is expected to announce that Mecerdes-AMG is taking a minority stake in the Italian motorcycle company.

These collaborations and consolidations make a lot of sense from a business perspective: economies of scale, common four-stroke technology, shared R&D, and CAFE standard benefits, just to name a few.

So that’s why the latest news that Ferrari has filed a patent on a motorcycle engine doesn’t surprise us in concept. Nor does the press’ intensity of the subject.

Filed with the European Patent Office (not yet granted) by Ferrari S.p.A., the patent itself is comprised of language for an engine with a “V” arrangement for the cylinders.

Fairly broad in its claims, and the patent doesn’t stray to far from describing basic engine design theory. There is no mention of a motorcycle in the patent’s words, and the document covers designs for two or more cylinders.

In fact, the only tip-off in the filing that Ferrari could be working on a motorcycle design is the first image (shown above), where a cruiser-styled bike can be seen as an example of where this engine design could be used.

Not exactly a smoking gun, but it does make for some interesting ruminations in the headlines…and sells pageviews in the meantime. Motorcycle publications will take either outcome, truth be told.

Ferrari-Motorcycle-Patent-02

Source: Autocar & EPO

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