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First Images of the Ducati V4 Superbike Appear

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We should have officially named this week Ducati Week, because the Italian brand can’t seem to stay out of the headlines. First, it was the announcement that the “Final Edition” of the Ducati 1299 Panigale would debut at Laguna Seca (the details of which leaked yesterday, too).

Then, it was news that Harley-Davidson might become the owner of Ducati Motor Holding, after news of Ducati’s possible divestiture from the Volkswagen Group has been swirling in business circles for the better part of the past few months.

And now, we have what look like the first photos of Ducati’s V4 superbike project, courtesy of our Belgian friends at MaxxMoto.

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MotoGP

MotoGP Preview of the Dutch TT

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For the first ten years I spent writing previews for the Dutch TT at Assen, I would start have to start of on a tangent, with a brief summary of the schisms and splits of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Without the background to the religious topology of The Netherlands, it is hard to explain why the race was held on Saturday. Last year, when the MotoGP race was held on a Sunday for the first time, I had to recap that, to explain why it was a big deal for the race to be held on Sunday, and to be moved from Saturday.

This year, 2017, I can leave aside the history of Dutch Protestantism and its aversion to any activity on the Sabbath. This will be the second time the race will be held on Sunday, and so the novelty of the change has worn off.

It has fallen in line with the rest of the calendar, and so it is just another race weekend, same as any other. Although of course, being Assen, it is still something a bit special.

If anything, the switch from having a Saturday race to a Sunday race has been a positive boon. Though some feared the traditionalists would stay away, offended by change, visitor numbers were up last year, especially on Friday and Saturday.

More people came for the race as well, despite taking place in an absolute downpour. Over 105,000 fans packed a flooded Assen, because being Assen, it is still something a bit special.

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Rumors

Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition Specs Leak Online?

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A document reportedly sent to Ducati dealers in the United Kingdom appears to spill some juicy details on the upcoming “Final Edition” Panigale superbike.

Allegedly, the “Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition” will come with 209hp at the crank, thanks to a number of engine modifications. The final installment of the v-twin superbike will also allegedly weigh a paltry 419 lbs when fully fueled (370 lbs dry). Shazam!

As we saw in the video teaser, the bike will have a red and white front fairing, with a green tail section, which looks similar to what was seen on the Ducati 1299 Superleggera, with a little tricolore flare.

It also appears to have a special Akrapovic exhaust, which we have seen already on the Superleggera and the Ducati Panigale R WorldSBK machine.

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MotoGP

Max Biaggi Has Successful Lung Surgery

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We bring you some good news today, Max Biaggi is said to have had a successful surgery this week at the San Camillo Hospital, after his supermoto crash from two weeks ago.

The six-time world champion underwent surgery to his chest, in what the hospital calls a “thoracoscopic toilette of the right pleural cavity.” This was to repair a tear in his lung cavity.

Biaggi will continue to remain in the hospital’s intensive care unit, with painkillers and supplemental oxygen, where his prognosis is listed as “reserved” for now. The surgery was considered a success however, and all signs seem to point to Biaggi’s recovery.

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MotoGP

Sylvain Guintoli, About The Suzuki GSX-RR vs. GSX-R1000

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Being a replacement rider is never easy. Being asked to replace a factory MotoGP rider is always an honor, and one which nobody wants to turn down, but it also means being thrown in at the deep end, with a new bike, new tires, and sometimes even new tracks to learn with little or no testing.

Bearing all that in mind, experience can make the world of difference. So when Suzuki were forced to replace Alex Rins, after he broke his left arm in Austin, they turned to one of the most experienced riders around.

Sylvain Guintoli spent five seasons in 250s and two full seasons in MotoGP, before heading off to World Superbikes, where he won the title in 2014. He is currently racing the brand new Suzuki GSX-R1000 for Bennetts Suzuki in the BSB championship.

In Barcelona, I found myself alone at Guintoli’s debrief, and had a chance to spend fifteen minutes talking to the Frenchman.

We had a wide-ranging conversation, covering topics as diverse as the changes to the bikes and tires since 2008, the character of the Suzuki GSX-RR MotoGP bike, and how it compares to Suzuki’s production GSX-R1000.

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MotoGP

Sete Gibernau Snagged in Spanish Tax Dragnet

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Spanish tax authorities have been stepping up their game in recent months, and now they have two high-profile cases to show for their hard work. This matters in the two-wheeled universe because one of the case involves former MotoGP racer Sete Gibernau.

According to prosecutors in Barcelona, Gibernau defrauded the Spanish government of roughly €2.8 million. Gibernau on the other-hand says that during the time in question, from 2005 to 2006, he did not live in Spain, but instead lived in Switzerland.

Spanish prosecutors however state that Gibernau did not live in Switzerland, like he says, but instead lived in Esplugues de Llobregat, a province in Catalunya.

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Racing

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Will Be Live-Streamed

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Traditionally if you wanted to watch the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, you would have to wake up around 3am in the morning, freeze your butt off in your car for a couple hours while you waited in line at the gates, and then jockey for position somewhere reasonably unsafe on the race course to watch the cars and bikes fly past.

With poor cellphone reception, spotty video coverage, and no strong media deals, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has floundered when it comes to engaging race fans in the digital age. Add into it more restrictive fan zones, and the viewing experience has certainly diminished, thus taking away from this once iconic race.

However for the 95th running of the “Race to the Clouds”, America’s only true road race has a new media partner, Matchsports, who will live-stream the event with 22 cameras, for racing fans. This has the potential to be a huge win for the struggling series…assuming it works this time.

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Rumors

Report: Harley-Davidson Looking to Buy Ducati

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Rumors and reports continue to swirl around Ducati, as the Italian manufacturer is linked to one brand or another for a potential divestiture from the Volkswagen Group. And now, the latest name being thrown into the hat is none other than iconic American brand Harley-Davidson.

In a report by Reuters, Harley-Davidson is linked to buying Ducati by unnamed sources, with a purchase price that is pegged around €1.5 billion, a number that has been put together by the bean-counting minds at Goldman Sachs.

Volkswagen is said to be taking bids on Ducati this July, which means the fate of the Italian motorcycle brand could be decided by the end of this year.

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MotoGP

MotoGP Silly Season Begins – Who Goes Where in 2018?

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With all twelve factory riders on two-year contracts, there wasn’t supposed to be a MotoGP Silly Season in 2017, or at least, not much of one. That impression was further reinforced when the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha squad quickly tied up both Johann Zarco and Jonas Folger for an extra year, until the end of 2018.

As usual, reality intervened, of course. Though the factory seats were supposedly taken, there was plenty of interest in the satellite seats once the season got underway.

All eyes turned to the Moto2 class, and especially to the remarkable performances by Franco Morbidelli and Pecco Bagnaia. Alex Márquez, too, raised eyebrows. And so speculation started.

Then there were those factory seats. Yes, all twelve factory riders have two-year contracts, but all contracts have clauses that allow for either side to make an early escape.

Great managers make sure the escape clause benefits their rider. Great factory lawyers make sure the contract is in their favor. The measure of a rider manager is where they end up on that side of the equation.

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Bikes

Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro Goes Pro with Parts & BNG

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The folks at Bologna seem to have a few mid-summer releases for us this year, with the Italian brand announcing today the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro Pro.

The Enduro Pro is a pretty straight-forward parts-bin special, with a rough-surface sand-colored livery and more than a few parts from the Ducati Performance catalog coming as standard. The big change is the Pirelli Scorpion Rally tires – 120/70 R19 at the front, 170/60 R17 at the rear, which come fitted stock.

Other highlights include Touratech bull bars with auxiliary LED lights; a lower windscreen for better off-road viewing; and a slip-on exhaust from Termignoni. So everyone will know that you’re headed off-road, the word “Enduro” is prominently emblazoned on the machine.

As such, this well-equipped ADV bike is the second model announced by Ducati this week, with the last iteration of the Ducati 1299 Panigale teased, ahead of its Laguna Seca debut, as well.

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