Will single-cylinder 650cc motorcycles save us from roasting in a world cooked by global warming? Add on an automatic gearbox and one European Commissioner's report says yes.
We start this month's report with news of a plan hatched by the European Commissioners to restrict bikes to a single cylinder with a capacity not greater than 650cc. Coupled to this would be an automatic gearbox in an effort to reduce emissions.
The 126-page report was commissioned to help form the basis of legislation aimed at dealing with Global Warming and was compiled by 15 so-called experts from all over Europe. According to those who have seen this document, what is very evident is that none of them has any automotive knowledge, let alone knowledge of motorcycles or motorcycling. Needless to say that riders groups and manufacturers are keeping a tight watching brief on this and will strongly oppose any legislation based on its recommendations!
Meanwhile one piece of legislation that has got through is the harmonization of legislation throughout Europe to allow fines and other punishments such as penalty points to have effect in every other country. So if you get banned whilst on holiday, it will follow you home and take effect in your country of residence and vice versa!
Austria
What will roll off the KTM assembly lines in 2007? Well, a re-worked Duke is has been spotted in Italy, sporting a single-cylinder motor and taking styling cues from its larger Super Duke sibling.
It looks like
KTM's long serving 'Duke' is up for a major re-launch after a prototype was recently spotted testing in Italy. Spy shots show that there is a brand new single-cylinder motor powering the bike, and informed sources believe that this will be at least 690cc. A larger radiator goes along with this assumption, as there would be more heat to dissipate from a larger motor, especially one producing a lot more power.
A new trellis style frame can also be seen in the spy shots, similar to the recent rally raid Singles and V-Twin road bikes. At the rear, the swing-arm is a lot longer than normal and the overall styling is similar to the Super Duke. At the front the forks appear to be from Dutch firm WP, with just one single Brembo radial-mounted caliper. Judging by the pictures the bike looks as though it could be in the final stages of testing so we could see this being launched at the prestigious
Cologne Intermot show in October later this year.
Germany
BMW's plan to enter MotoGP in 2007 is old news by now, but the timetable, which includes participation in selected rounds this season, is much quicker than expected.
now has a second machine for the HP series - the HP Sport. Following on from the success of the HP2, (basically a high performance R1200GS) they have now turned their attentions to the road market. The 135-bhp bike will be loosely based around the R1200S but will weigh in at 30 kg (66 lbs) less and have 13 bhp more. This bike will also feature their advanced traction control system we have mentioned in some detail before. In addition it will have
Ohlins suspension, an Akropovic exhaust and other top-quality components to justify the expected price tag of around 20,000 pounds ($36,500) when it is publicly shown at Cologne later this year.
Meanwhile BMW's MotoGP bike is rumored to be almost race ready and capable of making the grid this year, according to experts who have studied spy shots of the machine undergoing recent testing in Spain. One of racing's worst kept secrets is likely to race at one or two selected rounds to give them the winter to iron out any serious bugs prior to a serious assault on the MotoGP title next year!
Dutch engineer, Yordy Reniers, has taken a stock Mito 125, like the one above, and managed to cram in a two-stroke Yamaha RD350 YPVS powerplant.
The Dutch have always had a reputation for producing some innovative and fine-handling bikes. No surprise then to find that one engineer by the name of Yordy Reniers has taken a Cagiva Mito and shoehorned in a two-stroke Yamaha RD350 YPVS motor so it now has 70 bhp thanks to some tuning mods. The bike, normally powered by a 125cc motor, needed an alloy cradle added to the chassis to take the bigger powerplant.
Having proved it worked, one customer had one built with a Ducati 916 front end grafted onto the modified frame. The new 'Yamito' is currently gaining quite a following and Reniers is now marketing a kit along with a self-build manual to help with the conversion. Full details available at (
www.mito350.tk)
Italy
Falling under the umbrella of parent company Piaggio, Aprilia benefits from the cost-saving measure of sharing components with sister company Derbi. A good example is the re-vamped RS50, which sports the same chassis as the Derbi GPR50.
seem to have taken the easy option with their RS50 re-vamp. The basis of the bike comes from the
Derbi GPR50 (both companies are in the
Piaggio stable), therefore cutting down costs.
So underneath the new Aprilia sharp angular fairing sits the engine from the previous model now mounted in the Derbi chassis. It gets a braced alloy swingarm, inverted
Marzocchi fork and a radially mounted four-piston brake caliper. Marchesini look-alike wheels keep the bike rolling along, sure to keep it as the teenager's number-one choice of machine in Europe.
The same approach has been also taken with Aprilia's small off-road bikes, which are now just re-badged Derbi Sendas!
Sergio Robbiano was the creative force behind the original DB5 (above) from Bimota. Now an even lighter incarnation of the machine, dubbed the DB5R, will sport more power and tip the scales at 364 lbs.
has just announced an even lighter version of its already lithe DB5 that is powered by Ducati's 1000DS motor. Called the DB5R, time has been spent shaving weight from the unit, as well as unleashing more power from the motor with use of items like the Zard titanium exhaust which gives a claimed extra 5 bhp. Carbon fiber bodywork clothes the bike, which retains
Ohlins suspension, now adorned with Brembo radial calipers gripping the discs on the OZ wheels. The result is a bike that weighs in at 165 kg (364 lbs) complete with all fluids.
More importantly, Bimota claims to have eliminated the fuelling and electrical issues that have blighted the reputation of the DB5 in the past. If this rocks your boat then you will need to find 18,000 pounds ($32,900) to have one sitting in your garage.
Cagiva is set to launch a new Massimo Tamburini-designed machine later this year. This will have a new mid capacity V-Twin motor and is said to be styled along the lines of a Supermoto. It is rumored to have a device in the frame to allow the steering geometry to be easily altered by the owners. It would appear that this is also the bike mentioned in an earlier column to be sold as a Husqvarna but fitted with a new 650cc single-cylinder motor.
Ducati is ripe with rumor and hype: The headline-grabbing Desmosedici RR (above) has been in high demand, with almost all 400 spoken for; the Hypermotard, promised to be production bound, has hit a few snags; and the jaw dropper, a leaked document outlining the Bologna-based firm's plan to cut 17 models from its lineup by 2008.
Ducati's Desmosedici RR - the world's first road-legal GP machine - is now a reality as long as you have 37,500 pounds ($68,500)! The Bologna firm claimed at the recent launch to have tested it against all leading one-liter sportbikes and found it to be better than all of them. However, despite the public June launch, there are still 13 months until the first customer bikes are delivered.
The bikes are probably the closest thing possible to the race bike, while still meeting all legal requirements. Ducati claims the only real differences are in the engine which has 40 bhp less than the track machine. Despite meeting emission controls and other stringent tests, it still makes a claimed 205 bhp with the race kit that is included in the purchase price. Only 400 of the bikes will be built and Ducati already have orders for over 300. (
U.S. production is already sold out -Ed)
However, if that is all a bit rich for you then stand back for a while as this could be the first of a whole range of race replicas to follow soon. An 800cc version will obviously be the first to coincide with MotoGP changes for 2007.
Although we reported on the green-light being given to the Hypermotard, it would appear that there is some serious redesigning that needs to take place before it can become a production machine. Two main areas mentioned for serious attention are the airbox and exhaust volumes.
The 999cc Vyrus 4V, designed with the Bimota Tesi in mind, will be produced in small numbers from the Italian firm.
A secret factory document recently appeared on the official Ducati website by mistake and spilled the beans on their plans to axe 17 of their machines by 2008. The current six model ranges will be reduced to four and there will be just 12 bikes to choose from including the new models mentioned above.
Piaggio, the parent company for the likes of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi, has just published its financial results for the first quarter of this year, showing that its sales have grown by 19.8% compared to a similar period in 2005. A strong performance in the U.S. and Indian markets was credited for the increase in sales and overall profits.
The
Vyrus 4v, based on the original Bimota Tesi, is now in production. The 38,000-pound ($68,500) machine will be built in small batches by the firm that built the original Bimota hub-center steered machine at their factory in Rimini.
Ever wanted to combine a Quad and Jet Ski? Then the Quadski from the British firm Gibbs is for you. Does 007 gadget man Q have an engineering job at Gibbs or what?
British firm Gibbs has created the Quadski, a 140 bhp quad that also doubles as a jet ski. The wheels retract at the touch of a button when on water and it is claimed that 50 mph is achievable on either surface. Production is expected within three years.
With just one year to go to reach its century, this year's Isle of Man TT (
www.IOMTT.com) gave visitors a year to remember and metaphorically gave the finger to those who claim its days are numbered. Superb weather meant that racing took place in almost ideal conditions in all races, despite the odd hours delay due to sea mist. This also allowed all of the other events like the Ramsey Sprint and the various beach races to run to time with decent crowds watching.
On the TT course, Cumbrian John McGuiness raised his own outright lap record to 129.45 mph for the 37.75-mile mountain circuit during the final race, the historic Senior TT, as well as taking the overall win to end a week full of records. Arguably, had he been pushed he may well have found the 4.43 seconds needed to crack the 130-mph average lap as he took his third win of the week to give him an island total of 11 TT wins.
Honda rider John McGuiness snagged three victories at the 2006 Isle of Man TTs, including the prestigious Senior TT held on the final day.
Established names like McGuiness shared the rostrum with some relative newcomers, showing that there are still plenty of competitors willing to take on one of the most challenging road races in the world and continue to push the limits to new levels.
Certainly the American and Canadian Ducati dealers who were there as part of a sales incentive trip were blown away by what they saw and many are vowing to return next year.
During the practice for the event a GSX-R 1000 ridden by Kiwi Bruce Anstey was clocked at 206 mph on the mile long Sulby straight. This is the same figure that Karl Muggeridge achieved during the Monza round of the World Superbike championship. The difference is that he had the safety of track to do it on, not a public road!
Far East
Besides having a massive domestic market, Indian manufacturers like TVS and Bajaj are set to compete oversees. Like the rest of the world, however, they are facing the challenge of cheap knock-offs manufactured by Asian neighbor China, who as we reported in April's Euro Gossip has created the Gulsar, a copy of the Bajaj Pulsar (above).
We have highlighted before in this column the continued rise of the Chinese and how they continue to copy existing products, hence the various lawsuits that are currently taking place. So it comes as no surprise that the Malaysian Motorcycle and Scooter Assemblers and Distributors Association and the Federation of Asian Motorcycle Industry have admitted that 5% of the 430,000 bikes registered last year were assembled using copied components!
Indian firm TVS has created two concept bikes, a V-Twin cruiser called the Predator and a Supermoto-styled Single called the Isotope. The top-spec machines have no production dates assigned to them, but it suggests that it will not be long before India become innovators and produce brand-new machines, rather than act as cheap production facilities for other manufacturers.
Beijing now has a BMW dealership, the first that the German firm has opened in China. It retails on and off-road machines, but the prices are very high in comparison to the rest of the world.
And finally,
A triumph for common sense in a world intent on litigation to blame somebody else. Police Sergeant Veera from Penang took his local Honda dealer to court after his bike was stolen. He alleged that the bike had insufficient security measures fitted as standard to stop it being stolen and therefore should be provided with a replacement machine. He lost his case!
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