Ducati's Regis Laconi has been riding well on his 999, but the manufacturer may be looking to up displacement over the one-liter mark.
Ducati may be improving their placing in the WSB championship, but they are still having a hard time in the showrooms. Plans therefore are reportedly afoot to take the 999 over the one-litre mark by
upping its capacity to 1079cc so it can match the power of the Japanese Supersports machines.
This can be achieved by increasing the bore and/or stroke, and the extra 80cc should give in excess of 150 bhp, with higher-spec engines pumping out around the 160 mark. However, if they do this, the bikes will not be eligible for the race track as the rules cap the capacity at 1000cc.
This may lead them to consider using the
Desmosedici RR MotoGP replica bike as a WSB replacement for the current machine. Ducati CEO Federico Minoli recently admitted they are struggling against the four-cylinder Japanese factory machines and they may have to match them with their own Four.
Will Ducati use a Desmosedici RR MotoGP replica to replace the 999 on the WSB circuit?
The MotoGP replica machine was expected to be a limited edition costing around 35,000 pounds ($61,000), so if they do go down this route at least 150 will have to be homologated for sale before they can enter it in the WSB championship. Good news for any potential buyers who thought they may have to fight to buy one!
As previously reported,
Moto Guzzi now looks secure thanks to its new owners Piaggio sinking 17,000,000 pounds ($29,784,000) into its regeneration program started by Aprilia. They hope within the next two to three years to reach a break-even point with profitability following shortly after.
Obviously the new Breva 1100 carries the main thrust of the revival forward, but hopefully a new liquid cooled V-twin will join it. This has been under development for the past three years at Aprilia. It is thought that this is a 1200cc eight-valve motor using a chain to drive the DOHC. The traditional 90-degree V will remain, as will shaft drive.
A running prototype is expected within the year, and eventually when tests are completed this new generation of motor will slip into some models and run alongside to provide a price/performance differential to increase sales.
While this is all good news, there is some suggestion that to move forward they will either have to totally rebuild the historic factory on the shores of Lake Como or move out to a new facility. They are of course well aware of the history associated with the building and wind tunnel and will not make any snap decisions especially about the magnificent museum contained within!
Staying in Italy,
MV Agusta now has the 910cc Brutale, which is designed to give a massive power boost over the somewhat gutless 750cc machine. The new motor has more mid-range and an extra 7 bhp at peak power, which is 1,000 rpm lower than before.
MV Agusta now has the 910cc Brutale, which is designed to give a massive power boost over the somewhat gutless 750cc machine.
The bike is not expected to be that much more expensive than the current machine, but the increase to 134 bhp should put it more on a par with the Benelli TNT and the Triumph Speed Triple, despite the smaller motor. The new bike has the patented adjustable foot-pegs of the F4 1000 which can be moved forwards, backwards and up and down. It is to be offered in matt black, gloss black or in a silver and red combination.
Italy never seems to stop producing bikes, no matter what the current market may be doing in terms of sales.
Yet another bike manufacturer has surfaced called the
Rondine. Their first bike, the RRV1, has been designed by aerospace engineers, which might explain the sky high price tag of 42,000 pounds ($73,600)!
The work of brothers Fillippo and Marco Nuccitelli, it was originally destined to become a Bimota back in 1998 when they started work on it. The brothers were asked to design a bike before the company folded, but they just kept on working on the project. (Bimota is of course now back in production!)
As one might expect from people involved in the aerospace industry, it has many exotic and trick parts. The chassis, which is designed to take any Ducati engine, is made of aluminium honeycomb. This helps keep the overall weight down to 140 kg (309 lbs).
The carbon fiber fuel tank is mounted under the engine, and the air-box which fills the dummy petrol tank is part of the bikes overall structure, adding strength but without the weight penalty. The firm only intend to build 100 before moving onto a new model. Shades of Bimota here; let's hope they do not keep collapsing and re surfacing!
In Spain,
Derbi recently played host to Juan Carlos, the King of Spain, after the Formula 1 car race at the Catalunya. The factory is located a few kilometres from the track and he watched as a new hall of fame was opened after a tour of the factory which is pressing ahead with many new models.
The Mulhacen 659 is the
biggest bike that Spanish firm has ever built. The model is named after the highest mountain on the Iberian Peninsula to symbolise the free spirit nature of its design. Running prototypes have already been seen on the roads and look remarkably similar to the prototype that they showed last autumn at the Munich bike show.
Derbi's head of design Klaus Nennewitz, who previously worked on the Aprilia RSV and Tuono, claims it is a modern interpretation of the American flat tracker but built for the road. He also intimated that a range of customising parts would be available for the machine.
Some testing is being done by Derbi's 125 GP rider Pablo Nieto, who has been impressed with the bike agility's and power. The machine is powered by Yamaha's XT 660 water cooled single cylinder motor giving just under 50 bhp. However, thanks to a target weight of 160 kg (353 lbs) this should be more than enough to provide a very exciting ride for purchasers who can expect to pay around 5,000 pounds ($8760) for the privilege of owning one.
Peugeot, who have dominated the European scooter market for some years, is now edging towards 'proper' motorcycle production. Badged as a Peugeot, the new 125cc trail bike is actually built in Spain by Moto Hispania using a 124cc four-stroke single.
In a previous
column we told you about the
threat to off-road sport in Britain caused by the threat to farmer's subsidies from Europe if they allowed motor sport to take place on their land.
Well, thanks to extensive lobbying, a few petitions, and the threat of court action from the ACU who govern motorcycle sport in the UK, this has now gone away. Farmers can now run up to 28 events a year without losing the all-important subsidies. Despite the loss of some events, this has meant that off-road motor sport is now safe for the foreseeable future!
Lastly,
in Holland, a specials builder Star Twin has fitted a 1200cc Turbo Diesel engine from a Volkswagen Lupo car into a Ducati frame. They intend to race the creation in Ducati Club races. It begs the question: why?
Share your thoughts on Euro Gossip - July 2005 in the MCUSA Forum.
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