We recently presented a rendering according to which the Triumph Rocket III could go RR and become the alternative for the Star VMAX and while that looked plausible, this Ducati concept designed by Luca Bar is simply mind blowing from where I’s sitting. Called D66, the Ducati custom motorcycle is so similar and yet totally different to the Harley-Davidson V Rod, it stands as the European alternative to a consecrated American muscle cruiser.
Now, the question is: would you consider buying this thing? Or let me rephrase that… Would you buy this thing over the V Rod if they would both cost pretty much the same?
Note that it allows for some serious customization.
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The Italians from blog triumph che passione with the help of Pio have imagined a British power cruiser perfectly suitable to compete with the 2009 Yamaha VMAX. In their vision, the Triumph Rocket III RR also develops 200 horsepower and it is fitted with suspensions and brakes taken straight off the Daytona model and modified to match the cruiser.
All possible extra weight is eliminated and the bike reduced to its bare essence. An Arrow exhaust with titan silencers will be fitted as well as Brembo brakes with huge wave discs.
No doubt about it, these guys ca really work with their computers and create an exact result of their imagination, but we reckon that this is what the Triumph Rocket III RR will remain.
The word is out that the Italians form Café Racers and Superbikes are undergoing a café racer project based on an approximately 2 liters big S&S X-Wedge engine. Performance is clearly what they aim for and the Marvic wheels, Brembo brakes as well as the large diameter Ceriani inverted fork also show that, but in a kind of American way considering the fact that this thing will weigh around 410 pounds dry.
Although not that revealing, these early images show the single tube backbone frame and single sided swingarm that will most likely end up on the bike.
Now this is a concept of which any builder in the United States would be proud of, but, according to the latest information we have, the industry’s tendency here is towards hybrid two-wheeled vehicles. Despite the fact that US builders carry on with their “routine”, aren’t we spotting a complete U-turn on both continents?
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The English site Performance Bikes has created the latest hypothesis – a very accurate one, if you allow – regarding the 2010 Triumph Daytona 1050. Basing on the fact that Triumph will use the three-cylinder engine currently powering the Speed Triple and Tiger models, they designed basically a sharper Daytona 650 on steroids.
Indeed, the 2010 Triumph Daytona 1050 is expected to look much like his middleweight brother and the rendering, although very realistic, is a little exaggerated. For instance, those Audi-like headlights do look good, but would never light the bike’s way into the night while the passenger seat is rather narrow, but apart from that it shouts out loud the Triumph name.
With a single-sided swingarm –and the implicit Speed Triple wheel –, narrow body and two beautiful colors, this is one very good overall image of what Triumph will be adding to their lineup in 2010.
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MCN spotted Ducati’s latest adventure touring motorcycle while it was being tested and they captured some accurate images which confirm our suspicions related to the latest creation of the Bologna house.
Aimed to replace the Multistrada model, the bike is built around the water-cooled 1099cc V-twin engine of the Ducati Streetfighter. The
yellow cables seen in the pictures are for the portable datalogging unit, meaning that they retuned the engine through the fuelling system for greater sport-touring performance.
While we loved what we’ve seen on the left rider side of the bike, including the single-sided swingarm, the right side unveils an awkward
looking exhaust. The collector box is positioned under the engine (that will most likely be covered) while the pipes look like every kid’s dream slingshot…not quite what you would expect from a big boy’s machine.
Comfort and appropriate styling is a must for the new Ducati so while the generous bodywork allows for plenty of room both for rider and passenger, the windscreen is adjustable as seen from the hinges on the side mounting. With a pair of aggressive ram air scoops and 1098’s LCD dashboard, this bike looks ready for this autumn’s EICMA show in Milan.
If we could only get a glimpse of it without all that duct tape on…
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Despite the fact that the Fury isn’t scheduled for official release until the New York International Motorcycle Show on Friday, we’ve come across what seems to be the first official picture of Honda’s all-new chopper that is ready to hit dealerships any moment after the launch.
The picture shows a long (actually, at 1808.5mm, the Fury has the longest wheelbase of any production motorcycle ever built), low and sleek motorcycle that looks like nothing ever built before by Honda and yet exactly how the Honda Fury patent images did.
As we anticipated, the bike is powered by a fuel injected version of the 1312cc liquid-cooled V-twin on the Honda VTX1300. Other great features are the 200mm wide rear tire, 21-inch front wheel and also the fact that the Fury features a shaft drive instead of belt, like on most custom models and choppers.
Ducati has long been planning to replace the Multistrada 1100 go anywhere, do anything bike and by what this spy picture shows, this is the model that will substitute Pierre Terblanche’s creation.
The bike was spotted during tests in Italy and it seems that Ducati is close to giving a green light for the new model. By what we’re able to see in the picture, the sport tires and a thick single-sided swingarm will keep it on the streets and – if it is to listen to the rumors – it will very much belong there.
No wonder, as insiders “leak” that the Multistrada replacement will feature the 1099cc engine that currently powers the Ducati 1098.Just to spice things up, I’ll mention that the DTC traction control won’t be excluded, but that’s all we know for now.
Fans are eagerly waiting to see this bike at the Milan show in November and, later, in their garages as 2010 model years.
We’ll be back with more information on this future model as soon as we have it, hopefully, together with some better spy pics.
Will the Cagiva Elefant and Raptor models return in full force now that Harley-Davidson has turned their eyes on them? Most likely, yes. With financial support from the American icon combined with Italian heritage, these models are rumored not only to be revived, but to be powered by engines developed by Harley-Davidson in collaboration with BRP Rotax.
After acquiring MV Agusta and Cagiva, HD tries to make its debut in the world of all-around motorcycles, but there are also plans for scooters
and large-displacement motorcycles. Apparently, the firsts on the line are the Cagiva Elefant and Raptor for which the 140 hp waiting harnessed in the 1125cc liquid-cooled V-Twin of the Buell 1125R and the 1125CR seems to be the most adequate. The year of turning point for these models is likely to be 2010.
According to Solomoto, Harley also discusses with BMW about the possibility of these last to provide single or even twin-cylinder 650cc and 800cc more docile engines for future Raptors. Later on, Piaggio will be assigned for delivering 125cc four-stroke engines for entry-level bikes such as the Raptor/Planet and Mito models so they’ve apparently figured pretty much everything out.
If the brand’s reviving goes according to plans, we should not be surprised if, in a couple of years, Cagiva will launch a superbike built in the pure Italian style and driven by a 1200cc BRP Rotax V-twin engine developing as much as 180 hp. This is also part of HD’s plans for Cagiva, but we can only wait and see what will end up being reality and what not because they tend to seem too promising.
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Following Zero X’s success will be the Supermoto non-polluting Zero S model displayed in the picture above as the recently born company announces. They’ve planned the new model’s arrival for the Spring of 2009 and have already presented the official headline figures: 70mph top speed, 60-mile range and 50lb/ft. Considering that an electric motor is behind all this, you cannot stop wondering how that’s even possible. It seems that they’ve went for a "Patent-pending lithium ion array" high-capacity battery which might require an on-board quick charger.
The great thing about Zero motorcycles is not the fact that they’re existing as there is still a lot of petrol to be burned on this planet (rich people’s ideas), but the fact that they’re expanding their offering and actually head to the Supermoto track. Still, the bike will be street-legal and $1,000 deposits have already started being accepted.
Go to the Zero Motorcycles website to find out more.
Motorvue has proposed their interpretation of Ducati’s future enduro motorcycle, the Hyperstrada which is expected to hit production as a 2010 model year.
The model has already been announced by the Italian house at various dealers and it is expected to be a fierce competitor for the BMW R 1200 GS. The present year’s Ducati Multistrada will most likely evolve into a radical new motorcycle with a futuristic look inspired on the recently launched 1198, but we’re sure there’s more of it yet to come.
Chances are that we’ll be seeing an official pre-production version of this bike by the end of 2009.
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