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.

Why Today is the Most Important Day for Ducati…Ever

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.

Video: Community + Motorcycles = Motomethod

There is a lot that can be said about why dealerships fail or succeed (we’ve already seen an interesting insight on the subject of shops being open on Sundays), and one aspect on how to be a successful dealership that will surely rise to the top is one of community. Here, Vancouver-based Motomethod is all about the community, as the do-it-yourself community garden style repair shop has become a place for British Columbian riders not to work on their motorcycles, but also to congregate together with a shared love of riding on two wheels. Not exactly a new concept business-wise, but still a fresh perspective in an otherwise unwilling to change industry. More on this thought process to be published in the coming weeks. Enjoy.

MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at Phillip Island

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Sun, October 18th, 2009 @ 11:59 am, by Jenny Gun8 COMMENTS
Home » Racing » MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at Phillip Island

MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at Phillip Island Casey Stoner Phillip Island Australian GP 560x401

With good race action distracting specators from the looming wet weather at Phillip Island, the Australian GP proved to be another decisive step in the MotoGP Championship. An early “rubbing is racing” moment, could very well have shaped the the way this season will finish, but with racing still to occur at Sepang, Malaysia and Valencia, Spain, no one is declaring victory just yet. Click past the jump for spoilers and a full race report.

It was really a two-man show at Phillip Island this Sunday. The start was taken by Dani Pedrosa, who may have missed his calling as a drag bike racer with his consistent rocket launches from the starting grid. However, gobbling up Pedrosa quickly were Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi. For Stoner, the race meant pride in front of a home crowd, and a final ushering of silence to any of his critics. While for Rossi, the race meant 25 free points.

Watching his teammate Jorge Lorenzo crash in the first lap, Rossi knew that if he could keep his bike upright, and finish well, he would come out of Australia with a strong points advantage. With these two motivations in contention, the result of Casey Stoner on the top podium almost comes without question. That is not to say that Rossi didn’t make Stoner earn that top step honor. Keeping within tenths of a second of the Ducati throughout the whole race, Rossi kept the pressure on at Phillip Island. Riding with his head instead of his heart though, Rossi refrained from any risky passes, knowing that each lap was closer to locking in another MotoGP Championship.

The pace that Rossi and Stoner blazed was too much for the rest of the pack, even Pedrosa finished an astounding 20 seconds behind the pair. Alex de Angelis would be the number four man, 32 seconds behind Stoner’s finish, with the rest of the pack a more respectable distance from this time.

Lorenzo now trails Rossi in the Championship points by 38 points, which means that Rossi only needs 13 more points to win the Championship outright. To put this in finishing terms, Lorenzo will have to win the next two races, and have Rossi only manage 10th and 11th place finishes at Sepang and Valencia. If Rossi should DNF in either of those races, Rossi would have to finish 4th in the other race to clinch a Championship victory, but a 5th place finish would hand the Championship to Lorenzo. This analysis assumes Lorenzo victories in Malaysia and Spain, which Casey Stoner is making harder to do, as shown by today’s results.

Race Results from MotoGP at the Australian GP at Phillip Island, Australia

Pos.No.RiderManufacturerTimeDiff
127Casey STONERDUCATI40’56.651
246Valentino ROSSIYAMAHA40’58.5861.935
33Dani PEDROSAHONDA41’19.26922.618
415Alex DE ANGELISHONDA41’29.35332.702
55Colin EDWARDSYAMAHA41’32.53635.885
64Andrea DOVIZIOSOHONDA41’35.13338.482
733Marco MELANDRIKAWASAKI41’41.11244.461
814Randy DE PUNIETHONDA41’41.59244.941
936Mika KALLIODUCATI41’50.99654.345
1024Toni ELIASHONDA41’57.8561’01.205
117Chris VERMEULENSUZUKI42’02.0681’05.417
1265Loris CAPIROSSISUZUKI42’02.6011’05.950
1341Gabor TALMACSIHONDA42’14.6021’17.951
1452James TOSELANDYAMAHA42’14.6361’17.985
1569Nicky HAYDENDUCATI41’27.1271 lap
Not finished first lap
99Jorge LORENZOYAMAHA

Top 5 Related Posts:

  1. Jorge Lorenzo Injures Finger in Phillip Island Warm-Up Crash – Out of Australian GP
  2. The Six Ways Casey Stoner Can Clinch the 2011 MotoGP Championship at Phillip Island
  3. MotoGP: Decisive Racing at the Czech GP
  4. MotoGP: Qualifying Shows Some Surprises at Phillip Island
  5. Pedrosa Returning to MotoGP at Phillip Island

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Comment:

  1. Gordon Bengston says:
    October 18, 2009 at 1:39 PM

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  2. NascarFest says:
    October 18, 2009 at 2:20 PM

    RT @ClassicCarsBits: MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at Phillip Island http://bit.ly/fGTr1

  3. Asphalt_Rubber says:
    October 18, 2009 at 3:59 PM

    MotoGP: Australian GP Racing Starts with a Decisive Crash at Phillip Island – http://bit.ly/4vJRtK #motorcycle

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    October 18, 2009 at 3:03 PM

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    October 18, 2009 at 3:08 PM

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  6. Kerry Powell says:
    October 18, 2009 at 3:37 PM

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  7. Leone says:
    October 18, 2009 at 9:00 PM

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  8. Miguel says:
    October 22, 2009 at 7:30 AM

    Valentino has a clear path to be world champion, after lorenzo’s crash. I would have liked the excitement continue until the last race.