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.
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.
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.
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).
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Now that the first Ducati 1199 Panigale has rolled out of the door in Bologna, the die is cast, the chips are in play, and our course is set to see if Ducati has created a “massive breach of brand trust and honesty.” The realization of course should be that Ducati’s brand was never in danger with bikes like the Hypermotard, Multistrada 1200, or Diavel. Instead, the danger of serious brand dilution has always rested on how Ducati handled its Superbike line. A failure to produce a two-wheeled machine that is both as striking visually as it is kinetically, could permanently alienate a loyal fan base that has endured a great deal in the past half-decade.
The sound is, er, pant soiling good.
so much for America looking to be a forward thinking country
Video: The Motus KMV4 GDI Engine – http://aspha.lt/152 #motorcycle
Well if they are making a sport touring bike they better get rid of the chain drive. I doubt many people will buy a touring bike with a chain drive. Better spend more time and money on developing the touring amenities like a radio, cruise control, heated seats and grips etc. and less time on a engine with lots of power. Who needs a big engine on a touring bike? Everything seems to be getting bigger. Look what happened to the Lead Wing and Harley Ultra – 1,000 lbs.
The crankshaft is pointed the wrong direction. I know they can engineer a solution, but it’s a lot of extra work. Don’t really get the concept either. It’s supposed to be tuned, but then it has direct injection which ads stratified charging and infinite extra degrees of complexity.
Sounds great though. That could be enough to win the day.
love the sound, definitely can hear a bit of that muscle car grunt in it.
i’m not sure about the touring aspect of this bike either… it seems a bit confused as to it’s real identity, i still think it’s an awesome bike though, love anything new being built in the US.
i think i might have gone for more of a big sportsbike concept instead of the tourer, but i could be wrong, this is only going to be for people that have too much money and not enough toys anyhow.
-peter
I like it! I think the anti-chain gang is mostly old codgers who grew up before they made decent chains. Nowdays a good quality X-ring chain lasts 40k and almost never needs adjustments or even much oiling. heck that’s better than the final drive units on certain shaft drive bikes:)
I quite like the machine, direct injection is the way forward – greater fuel efficency and power gains can be had because you can run much more compression without preignition. Many cages have it and its about time motorcycles got in on the fun.
the push-rod design makes some sense for getting power at lower rpms. If you aren’t displacement limited, but are rather limited in terms of weight and total engine volume its not a bad way to go. Look at the LS7 for example in the cage world. power per cc isn’t good, but power per lbs or unit volume is quite good and that power comes in at relatively low rpms with a wide power curve.
the engine deff gives you goosebumps, I think the overall package as a bike needs just as much thought that has not happened as of yet. Some type of “pure” sport bike needs to come of this, just not in the common sense.
This article didn’t mention it, but Motus is partnering with Katech in the design and construction of the engine.
Katech, for those who don’t know, builds engines for Corvette endurance racers, so if the Motus engine sounds like a small block, that’s no accident. Considering how well Corvettes have fared in the endurance racing circuit, the partnership is very promising.
Oscar.
“Balking at the advice of others not to build their own powerplant, Motus has teamed up with Katech to design an in-house motor for the Motus MST-01.”
Yes they did mention it….
………………..and the Radical/small sports race car community likely has orders in for dozens of engines already
check out Motus’ other walk around video. The chassis & engine footage is cool. Love the chassis and that motor so far.