We all know the new model season is upon us, and Ducati has wasted no time in already letting slip two new models for the 2016 model year: the Ducati Monster 1200 R and the Ducati Diavel Carbon.
The Bologna Brand has a few more tricks up its sleeve, as it plans to debut nine new models at the upcoming EICMA show in Milan. In addition to that, Ducati says we can expect machines the will push the company into two market segments that the Italian brand is not in with its current lineup.
Do you like the current Ducati Diavel? Do you like carbon fiber? If you answered yes to those two questions, chances are then that you will like the 2016 Ducati Diavel Carbon model that has just been released.
At the core of the Ducati Diavel Carbon remains the same Testastretta 11° Dual Spark engine, which makes 162hp claimed and is packaged into the same 452 lbs mass that carves turns and turns heads.
The only actual technical change then is the Zircotec ceramic coating on the exhaust headers being the mainstay, along with a new seat that has special trim. In the motorcycle world, we call that bold new graphics for the Diavel – though tastefully done, as only Italians can do.
In addition to the Carbon version, the 2016 Ducati Diavel will also be available in a “Dark Stealth” model.
With the flyaways fast approaching, MotoGP’s silly season for 2016 is reaching its climax. All of the factory seats are taken – including the seat at Aprilia vacated by Marco Melandri – and the top satellite rides are filled as well, either officially or unofficially.
A few pieces of the puzzle remain, but fitting those together is more or less complex, depending on the team and the rider involved. Here’s a look at where we stand so far.
Suter Racing’s 500cc V4 two-stroke track bike project is back, in case you didn’t hear. Now called the Suter MMX 500, the ~200hp / 284 lbs motorcycle is set to debut again, as the Swiss firm gears up for the World GP Bike Legends event.
Presumably, not too much has changed on the GP-inspired machine, though we can expect to see an updated set of bodywork, suspension, and other farkles. At the core will remain that beautiful pre-mix consuming engine, in its V4 configuration.
We say presumably, because Suter is staying tight-lipped on this project, simply teasing the Suter MMX 500 with a dedicated website and with dyno-run soundtrack. So…stay tuned.
In the meantime, we have seriously just copy-and-pasted the same photos and information that was available four years. At least we’re honest.
Taking things all the way to the last round of the championship – the Bol d’Or 24 Hour race – the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team can finally lay claim to being the the 2015 FIM Endurance World Champions.
Though endurance racing is very much a team effort, this victory for SERT couldn’t have been achieved without the team’s EWC veteran riders: Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle, and Etienne Masson.
The trio’s results have allowed Suzuki to claim its 14th EWC title, which is just one part of the Japanese brand’s domination in the FIM Endurance World Championship.
On its road to EWC glory, SERT won at Le Mans, finished fourth in the very competitive specialist field at Suzuka, landed second on the podium at Oschersleben, and wrapped up the Bol d’Or in the third position.
Debuting its World Supersport replica today, the MV Agusta F3 RC is a rolling tribute to the efforts of the Reparto Corse squad on the race track. Only 100 units of the race-legal 675cc machine will be made, compared to the 250 units of the track day weapon that is the F3 800.
Like its 1,000cc counterpart, the MV Agusta F4 RC, the Varese company’s paint scheme is very fetching, though the F3 models comes without the improvements found on the F4.
Some of that has to do with the more limited rules in WSS – and this being a race replica and all – but we still think MV Agusta could have massaged a few extra ponies into this “RC” model, and thus buck the trend of only liter-class bikes getting the über limited-edition treatment. Our tastes certainly are picky, no?
That all being said, we thought A&R readers didn’t quite get enough Italian for lunch today, so here is a mega gallery of the new MV Agusta F3 RC. Beware of clicking the photos, we spared no pixel, and some of these images are huge. Bring a napkin.
The rumors were true, mostly, as MV Agusta has just released details on its World Supersport replica motorcycles, the MV Agusta F3 675 RC & MV Agusta F3 800 RC (mega gallery here). Unlike its four-cylidner compatriot, the MV Agusta F4 RC, the F3 675 RC is all show, with unfortunately no added go.
Changes, in addition to the paint job, include mirror block-off plates, Ergal clutch and brake levers with anti-break joints, a solo-seat cover, Ergal “running boards”, and a complimentary rear-wheel racing stand.
We doubt that will hurt sales much though, as the Reparto Corse branded F3 will be an exclusive affair, with only 100 units of the 675cc machine being produced, while 250 units of the 800cc variant will be released as well. There are surely 350 well-heeled collectors who would love to add this MV Agusta to their collection.
After this weekend’s World Superbike racing in Jerez, Jonathan Rea has finally emerged as the 2015 FIM Superbike World Champion, clinching the title with a fourth place in Race 1, and then backing up that result with another fourth place in Race 2.
The championship title has been a long-time coming for Rea, having first shown himself to be the only man capable of wrangling the factory Honda CBR1000RR to success, and then this season showing his brilliance on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.
Absolutely dominating the 2015 season on the track, and continuing his typical humble nature off of it, Rea is a popular choice for the WSBK Championship title, and will certainly be a force to reckon with now that he’s on a competitive machine.
“This is an amazing moment for me in my career because I started schoolboy motocross when I was six years old, spending time at race circuits with my father and growing up in a racing environment, so I always dreamed of being world champion. So to finally be here and be world champion is incredible,” said Rea.
As we speak right now, Endurance World Championship machines are lapping around the Paul Ricard Circuit, competing in the 2016 Bol d’Or 24-Hour race.
Ahead of the endurance event though, Yamaha’s factory teams debuted a tribute to the company’s 60th birthday, as Yamaha Motor Company was founded in July 1955.
For us YZF-R1 fans, this weekend means a special yellow and black “speedblock” livery for the Yamaha race bikes – a paint scheme that will be available to the general public (in Europe, at least) starting December 2015.
This isn’t the first time that Yamaha’s special limited edition speedblock livery has helped spice up the R1, and like its previous efforts, we like the result. The added Akrapovic pipe is a nice touch too.
Speaking of results, Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) is sitting in second place, at the time of this writing, just one lap behind the leaders, Honda Endurance Racing. Meanwhile, the French factory team that is Yamaha GMT 94 team sits in 5th (+4 laps), with roughly 11 hours remaining in the event.
We’re sure Yamaha would love to tie-up this press debut with a victory at the French track, with either of its yellow-clad factory teams. Until then, we have some super high-resolution photos of the 2016 Yamaha YZF-R1 in its 60th Anniversary livery. Drool over them, after the jump.
The Husqvarna brand will continue with its FS 450 offering for the 2016 model year, though you would be wrong to confuse the 2016 bike with its predecessor.
Trimming the fat off the 2015 model, it is clear that Husqvarna looked for ways to make the FS 450 even lighter than before, for 2016, and the Swedish brand look successful in that endeavor, with a 232 lbs machine (sans fuel).
To hit that target weight and other benchmarks, the 2016 Husqvarna FS 450 needed a new chromium molybdenum steel frame, a potent 63hp, 450cc, SOHC, engine, and a bucket of weight-saving items.
Our press release says the new FS 450 will be out in dealers in September of this year, but we take that to surely mean European showrooms, not American. We hope this bike will come the USA though, as it sounds like two wheels of hoon for sumo enthusiasts, and a lighter option than the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto.
The Aruba.it Ducati World Superbike squad is to remain unchanged for the 2016 season. Today, Ducati announced that they will be retaining Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano as their riders for next year, making it three seasons in a row the Ducati line up has remained the same.