With BMW now getting cable television series and movie documentaries from celebrities when it lends bikes out, Duke is going to have to up the ante next time he wants to test the R1200GS. "A six-page internet bike test, Mr. Duke? Well, ah, we were thinking of something more along the lines of a novel based on a six-month spiritual sojourn you take through the Middle East."
This month we start with the world of film and TV which now seem to be embracing the motorcycle into their real-life action adventure scheduling for obvious reasons. BMW have realized the benefit of supplying machines for these various trips, working on the basis that the net cost of the bikes works out considerably cheaper than purchasing advertising on a global basis.
So, first off is former World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty and his wife Michaela who have just completed a tour of New Zealand on a factory supplied R1200GS and F650GS respectively. The couple was filmed for a TV program set to be seen in the UK later this year, which no doubt will be syndicated in due course.
This adds credence to rumors from insiders at BMW who report that actor Brad Pitt has requested bikes for him and his partner Angelina Jolie, so they can emulate fellow actor Ewan McGregor and ride around the world! BMW, needless to say, want a documentary or film in return to build on the success of the McGregor film, The Long Way Round.
Germany
On a more tangible note, BMW's director Dr Herbert Diess has admitted in a recent interview that the German company has been testing traction-control systems for bikes for many years. Unlike some of the competition that just cuts the ignition to deal with the problem of wheel-spin, the BMW system incorporates gyroscopes, which can also help with braking when the bike is inclined from the vertical.
On the heels of the F800S, BMW will welcome two more additions into its 800cc parallel-Twin family, including a GS version and an R version similar to the bike seen above, which is utilized by stunt rider Christian Pfeiffer.
This sophisticated system may well be available as an optional extra within five years, unlike the airbag system we recently reported on. He admitted they have tested airbags, but felt their safety contribution was overstated and it was unlikely they will be offered even as an optional extra in the foreseeable future.
Soon after launching a brace of new 800s, BMW are leaking news of two more bikes to join the 800cc parallel-Twin range, a GS version and an R version. The latter is being currently trialed by stunt ace Christian Pfeiffer, although his version is unlikely to be the finished item as it is so special to cope with 'exhibition' style riding he is famous for.
As far as the GS version is concerned, BMW will have to abandon the new belt drive and revert to chain drive, so there is some work to do before it can be released as a production machine. This is because the belt would not fare too well in the harsh environmental conditions off the beaten highway. However, expect both bikes to be ready for this year's Cologne bike show in October.
Italy
The Ducati Hypermotard will be one of the most anticipated models released in 2007, however, more vital to the financial well being of the Italian firm is the influx of $43 million in credit from the Italian Bank UniCredit Banca.
Aprilia has now officially revealed that the 1000cc V-4-engined bike that we mentioned last month will be launched at the Milan show in 2007. The road bike is expected to carry a price tag around $26,000 and will feature top-of-the-range suspension and carbon fiber bodywork. This bike will be the basis of their WSB race effort in 2008 and is being built to WSB current regulations, rather than hoping for the proposed change being pursued by Ducati for the limit to be raised to 1200cc.
Italian Bank UniCredit Banca has just given Ducati credit of 35 million Euros ($43 million). In addition, the restructuring bike manufacturer is seeking a further 25 million Euros ($31 million) from other banks as part of a shake-up after Texas Pacific sold off 30% of the company to InvestIndustrial Holding SA.
Ducati's Hypermotard has now been given the green light as a production machine and will be exactly the same specification as the one shown at last years Milan show. It is expected that production will be reached within 10 months.
A limited-edition $52,000-dollar race replica of Ducati's MotoGP Desmosedicci will have the capability of reaching 200 mph. If you can shell out 52,000 clams to buy the bike, maybe you can afford to hire Loris Capirossi to make it actually go that fast too.
Meanwhile on the shop floor in the Bologna factory, work continues on the Desmosedicci RR road bike that was due to be launched this year at the now-cancelled World Ducati Week event. Work actually started on this in 2003 when they first entered the MotoGP arena.
Realizing that there is considerable interest in the $52,000 limited-edition machine, they are now planning a cheaper production version that will cost roughly half that of the hand-built specials. If the rumors are true, expect a running prototype to break cover at the Italian GP in June. While this will be lower spec, the high-priced replicas will very closely replicate the race bike and have the potential for 200 mph. However, the motor will actually be different in the bore and stroke department, so that it will not require a team of mechanics to keep it running. (
We're not sure about the different bore/stroke, but our moles tell us the prototype goes through rear tires faster than it needs oil changes! -Ed)
Moto Guzzi's MGS-01 was victorious in two Daytona races which featured Twins without limitation. Should WSB loosen the ceiling for Twins to 1200cc, expect Moto Guzzi to enter the fray.
Lastly from Bologna, the somewhat unloved 999 is likely to get a more rounded profile similar to the GP machine and the original 916. It is hoped the gentler curves will make it appeal to more riders. Underneath the bodywork, the engine will go to 1200cc irrespective of what happens on the racetrack. Ducati believes that the twin-cylinder motor is actually still the best configuration for road use thanks to its combination of torque and power delivery. They believe that a 1200 will easily compete in the showrooms and remain reliable and under-stressed.
Moto Guzzi could be joining the sports bike market in the near future according to its Marketing Director Fulvio Parisatto. He recently stated that it would not be a full race bike like the MGS-01, but a fully road legal sports machine with a full fairing. If they do, expect to see them joining in with the pressure to get WSB rules changed to allow 1200 twins, especially after their recent racing success at Daytona with the MGS-01. Doubtless this will form the basis of the new bike rather than start from scratch. (Only 250 of the MGS-01s were made.)
Husqvarna is steamed about the V-Twin Aprilia uses in its current 450 and 550 models, which came about when many of the Husqvarna techs jumped ship. Oh baby! It looks like the Aprilia-Husqvarna company softball faceoff this year could be a Donnybrook.
Staying on the track, Italian competition bike manufacturer
Paton has just redesigned its 498cc parallel-Twin racer and is offering a limited quantity for sale. The classically styled racer is based on the bikes they ran between 1967 and 1970 in the domestic Italian championships and at world-class events. The track-only bike revs to 12,000 rpm and costs a staggering $66,000!
Bimota is apparently looking at the new Suzuki GSX-R1000 and the Yamaha R1 to provide engines for its all new Superbike. The firm had ideas recently of entering MotoGP with the WCM team, but this never got off the ground.
According to inside sources, the Italian-owned
Husqvarna factory is working on a V-Twin motor to replace the one they claim was 'taken' by Aprilia. Many of their technical staff defected to Aprilia when they decided to go with an off-road bike. Remaining employees believe that the current 450/550 V-twin would have had the Husky logo on the engine cases if they had not left!
MV Agusta's R version of the F4 1000 will feature ugrades in suspension, brakes, and engine power, as well as a $3,500 higher sticker price over the base model.
unveiled a concept bike called the Brutale Aero America at the recent Tokyo show. Basically it is a retro-styled version of the Brutale with a half fairing and single end can. It has been designed primarily for the Japanese market where retros are very big at present.
For the rest of the world, the new MV F4 1000R is a top-spec machine, but surprisingly it will come at a price not that much dearer than a stock F4 in an effort to attract more sales. The 'R' version gets uprated suspension, radial brake calipers and more power. This is upped from 166 bhp to 174 at 13,000rpm, which should be good for 187 mph. Other changes include thicker forks, alloy wheels and changes to steering geometry for greater stability. It is expected that these changes will only cost a maximum of $3,500 more than a standard F4.
Spain
First seen at last year's Milan show,
Derbi's GPX1 bike/scooter hybrid looks likely to become a production machine sometime next year. The machine is powered by a 50cc two-stroke motor mated to a 'twist and go' style constantly variable transmission system. No launch date or price has yet been announced.
This Triumph Scrambler has been customized by UK dealer Jack Lilly with an army green paint job including a Steve McQueen portrait on the gas tank. Throw in some Nazis, a barbed-wire fence, and the Swiss border and you can reenact The Great Escape. Just make sure to snag your mitt and ball for those stretches in The Cooler.
British firm
Triumph is now working on fuel injection for their twin-cylinder motor to enable them to meet the new tougher Euro 3 exhaust emission tests.
In the UK one dealer (
www.jacklilley.com) has taken a stock 'Scrambler' and turned it into a tribute to Steve McQueen. The bike has been resprayed army green, while the engine cases and wheel rims are now black and there is a guard over the headlight. A mural on the tank depicts the actor who starred in the famous The Great Escape film on a Triumph on which the bike is based.
Back at the factory, what looks like the final version of the new 1050cc Tiger has been spotted undergoing final testing. The spy shots seem to vindicate previous rumors mentioned in this column that it is now more like a Multistrada rather than still trying to have any serious off-road capability like a BMW GS machine. Expect to see it launched this summer.
In past Euro Gossip columns we have mentioned British logos finding their way onto Chinese-made bikes like this CR3 with the AJS moniker on the gas tank. The Matchless name may follow suit, as its name and logo trademarks are set to go to auction later this month.
The saying goes that only mad dogs and an Englishman go out in the midday sun. Well, Brit Nick Argyle must have spent a lot of time under what sun that does appear in the UK as he has just built a bike fitted with an 8.2 liter V8 engine complete with supercharger! Although road legal, the bike will be tested on a drag strip to see what 1000 bhp mounted between two wheels will do in terms of outright speed. The engine, previously fitted to a truck, is used as a stressed member, while the bodywork comes from an MV Agusta F4 and a Suzuki Hayabusa, so it already has speed credentials!
Over the past couple of columns we have mentioned some good old British factories who are now offering Chinese-made bikes with their logos on the tanks that are very different to those machines that made them famous. Well there is now an opportunity for somebody else to acquire a famous old brand and possibly do the same when the Matchless name comes up for grabs at an auction later this month. The European trademark for the name and logo are expected to go for upward of $100,000.
Austria
A production RC8 from KTM will ditch the aborted MotoGP V-4 for a juiced up 1150cc Twin. That could make the RC8 another Twin entered in the WSB mix, alongside Ducati and the previously mentioned Moto Guzzi. That is if WSB ups the capacity ceiling to 1200cc.
Last month we reported that
KTM was testing two engines for the RC8 concept bike in case it was decided to go into production. We can now reveal that they have plumped for the V-Twin with a capacity of 1150cc and it will go into production next year. They expect 170 bhp from the Twin, which should propel the bike to 175 mph. A V-4 based upon the stillborn MotoGP project was deemed too heavy and expensive. The bike will be on sale in the autumn of 2007 and will come with a kit to turn it into a track machine.
The RC8 that goes into production will be very close to the prototype we saw three years ago at the Tokyo show. However, insiders now say the frame and swingarm are new and the rear suspension linkage has been changed to allow it to be repositioned. These and other minor changes have not affected the profile or general appearance of the bike. More information as and when it becomes available.
As you might expect, KTM have joined Ducati in asking for a change in WSB regulations to allow the capacity of twins to be raised to 1200cc so they could return to premium class racing at an affordable level!
France
Last year we covered French manufacturer
Voxan's proposed new models, including the Charade Racing. This 100 bhp machine has now gone into production with a price tag of $23,000.
French manufacturer
Peugeot now has a new 125cc Supermoto, complete with aluminum frame and 17-inch wheels, in its current line-up. It is powered by a 125cc single-cylinder motor bought from Yamaha and comes in either blue or black.
Indian manufacturer Bajaj is miffed that its Pulsar model is competing with a similar Chinese-made Gulsar. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being subtle and 10 being blatant, how would you rate Chinese piracy?
We normally report on China spreading its motorcycling tentacles globally. However, this month
Harley-Davidson opens its first dealership in Beijing, although cynically one wonders where the bikes will be built and the pricing structure! Perhaps there will be some cheaper versions on sale very soon in the U.S. with similar sounding names!
Just in case you think this may not happen, even the Indian firm of
Bajaj is taking the Chinese to court. It appears their very successful Pulsar model is being upstaged in Latin America by a Gulsar, made in China!
Malaysia
And lastly, if you ache when you get off your bike, then Malaysia could be the place to relocate to. The government has just opened a massage center on the north-south highway to help encourage riders to stop for a break. A second similar center is due to follow shortly. The only question remains is how many other governments worldwide will copy them if it is deemed successful in cutting accidents!
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