It seems that every time there’s a discussion about a hot lap around the Nurbugring, we immediately assume that another edgy supercar is at it again. The list of manufacturers that have taken stabs at the ’Ring is as long as the course itself so excuse us for being a little excited watching a motorcycle take center stage around the track.
The lap comes courtesy of Bridgestone test driver, Tim Rothiq, and a Kawasaki ZX-10R. We won’t have to remind you about the face-morphing characteristics of the Kawasaki superbike because Rothiq was able to do it for us.
The ’Ring offers plenty of challenges even for the most astute of riders so watching Rothiq navigate around the track and blast through it in spectacular fashion is a sight to behold.
Don’t be fooled by the 7:50 time being way short of the record 7:14 lap time of the Lexus LF-A; the latter is a supercar after all. It’s about as impressive a bike lap as you’ll find anywhere.
And a big kudos to Tim Rothiq for his incredible effort coercing the Kawasaki ZX-10R to behave during the lap time. Lord knows the slightest mistake can lead to a pretty nasty spill.
Check out the video and enjoy the ride, folks!
The Aprilia RSV4 has raced and been compared to a number of different things over the years so it’s a little refreshing that for a change, Aprilia USA is taking its competitive juices aside to pay tribute to the the of man’s greatest technological achievement: the space shuttle.
When the first shuttle mission launched back in 1981, it opened the gates for a golden age in technological advancements that coursed through various industries, including the automotive and motorcycle segments. The space shuttle program made so many things possible in this world and opened our eyes to a world full of never-before-though-of possibilities.
Now that the space shuttle is nearing its end, the folks over at Aprilia USA have released a pretty cool video paying tribute to the space shuttle program and all the men and women responsible for designing, building, and operating the very machine that made space travel possible.
As part of the video, Aprilia uses facts from both the space shuttle and their very own RSV4 superbike to note how the former set the precedent - in more ways than one - for the latter, and so many other machines, to become the technological marvels that they are in their own right.
It’s not so much a comparison video this time around for the RSV4, but more of Aprilia tipping their helmets off to one of mankind’s finest achievements as it makes its final voyage into the cosmos.
Erick Buell was once a bigwig at Harley Davidson, having served the role of head engineer and designer of Buell Motorcycles. But when Harley decided to part ways with the sub-brand, Buell likewise left as well, opting to run his namesake brand on his own.
For those wondering how Buell would fare without the financial muscle of Harley Davidson behind him, those questions have been answered with the launch of the company’s new superbike, the unconscionably gorgeous 1190RS.
Defying all the naysayers that said that it couldn’t be done, the 1190RS is a living testament not only to Buell’s fortitude, but also the fact that the company could produce a stunning and technologically advanced superbike on their own. The 1190RS was designed while drawing inspiration from their other previous work - the 1125R - except that the former clearly stands on its own as a superbike serving notice. The frame casting of the bike is all-new while the airbox on the bike is twice the size of the previous version. Other important elements of the bike, including the wheels, suspension, brakes, body, structural components, and controls are all new and stand-alone from anything else Buell Racing has produced in the past.
More details on the Buell Racing 1190RS SUperbike after the jump.
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Honda Racing Corporation has decided to unveil their long-awaited NSF250R 4-stroke bike at the Catalunya race circuit in Barcelona on June 2, 2011, just in time for the future Moto3 class that’s set to take the place of the current 125cc category of the GP125 class of the FIM Road-Racing World Championship.
The new NSF250R 4-stroke bike bears striking similarities to the bike it’s replacing, the RS125R. Incidentally, the RS125R was ridden by both Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso to their respective World Championship runs.
In developing the NSF250R, Honda Racing Corporation wanted to build a bike that took the same high-performance, lightweight, and compact elements of the RS125R. “We want users to ride with the same sense of comfort and inherits important elements from the RS125R such as the ability to learn the basics for moving up from entry level to the MotoGP,” HRC explains.
The bike is scheduled to have its official press face time on June 2nd at the Catalunya circuit in Barcelona with a public demonstration by Alex Criville happening a day later on June 3rd followed by another demo lap right after the warm-up session of the MotoGP race on Sunday, June 5th.
Those of you interested in keeping tabs on the new Moto3 class of MotoGP, you might find it worth your time to check out the bike that’s being groomed to contend in the new series beginning in 2012.
UPDATE 10/11/2011 : America has waited enough, Honda. Now the Japanese company is finally dropping the wait after announcing the arrival of the 2012 HRC NSF250R. Developed for the FIM GP road racing competition in the Moto3 class, the NSF250R promises to live up to the hype - and so much more.
Yahama has been around GP racing for the past 50 years and to commemorate this silver anniversary, the Japanese motorcycle maker will be unveiling a special livery for the YZR-M1 motorbike. Likewise, this special livery will also dress up the brand’s MotoGP racebikes at Assen TT and Laguna Seca.
As for what you need to look out for with the bike, the “YZR-M1 WGP50th Anniversary Edition” livery will come in a unique red and white paint scheme that celebrates the two-tone livery of the Yamaha Factory Racing team. There’s also a special 50th anniversary logo that will be used by the team this season. This logo will be displayed on the fuel tank of the 2011 YZR-M1 bike, as well as on the uniforms of all the members of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team, and team riders Jorge Lorenzo, the reigning MotoGP World Champion and 2010 Rookie of the Year Ben Spies.
The bike will make its official debut at a special event on June 22, 2011 where it will be broken in by no less than Lorenzo and Spies themselves. That event is still a little over a month away so in the meantime, you can check out photos and a video of the special edition bike.
Ducati will be unveiling the 2012 Monster 1100 EVO at the New York International Motorcycle Show (IMS). This new model will be the new flagship for the air-cooled Monster family and sales will begin in the Summer 2011 at a price of $11,995.
The 2012 Ducati Monster 110 EVO is powered by a 100 HP Desmodue Evoluzione engine - the most powerful air cooled Ducati ever. The new 1100 EVO is offered with the new "Ducati Safety Pack", a simple and effective combination of adjustable Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and ABS brakes designed to aid rider safety. Also the new APTC wet clutch which ensures quiet operation and long life will be on the equipment list.
The new APTC wet clutch works with a race-like ‘slipper’ system which reduces the destabilizing effect of the rear-end under aggressive down-shifting, and compared with other wet clutch used so far by Ducati, features an additional cush-drive damper mechanism which smoothes the repeated transition from drive to over-run during stop-start traffic.
The year 2010 is going to be remembered for the year when motorcycle brands from all ends of the world all went out and released new bikes. While a lot of these releases caught our attention, we have the unenviable task of having to choose one to name our official 2010 Bike of the Year.
Thankfully, the EICMA International Motorcycle Show in Milan happened last November, making our choice a little bit easier because that’s when Ducati officially unveiled their new Diavel superbike.
Taking it’s name from the Bolognese word for “devil”, the Diavel is Ducati’s crown jewel in 2010, a superbike that boasts a sleek and aggressive design with performance numbers that would make its Italian heritage proud.
The Diavel is powered by a Ducati Testastretta 11° - an engine that was born developed directly from the brands incredibly powerful, world-beating race engines of the Ducati Corse. With the Testastretta 11°, the Diavel produces a staggering 162 horsepower and an equally impressive 94 lb/ft of torque. The Diavel also comes with a revised intake and exhaust ports that are combined with radical adjustments done on the cam timing, allowing the bike to achieve torque curve levels at low rpm, allowing for the bike to remain sturdy as can be even through a wider rev-range.
The Diavel also boasts of Ducati’s Ride-by-Wire system that manages the torque levels the bike is subjected to, further improving the bike’s ridability while also keeping tabs on the Diavel’s power output, ensuring that no power is wasted and plenty is left when the rider decides to high-rpm riding.
So there it is, folks. Our 2010 Bike of the Year is the Ducati Diavel. If you’re as much a motorcycle fan as we are, then you’re going to love every split-second rev you’re going to hear from this two-wheeled devil.
After unveiling the 2011 Diavel two months ago, Ducati is already offering a special edition for it: Diamond Black. As the name suggests, this edition Ducati replaces the originally presented pearl white with a brand new diamond black with black frame. The new scheme will be further enhanced with black anodized headlamp body and lateral air intakes. It will be available starting February next year.
The new Diavel is powered by a Ducati Testastretta 11° engine - developed directly from the incredibly powerful, world-beating race engines of Ducati Corse. With its 162hp and colossal 94lb-ft (127.5Nm) of torque, the Diavel Testastretta 11° engine is all about authentic Ducati Desmodromic performance. The revised intake and exhaust ports combined with radical adjustment of the cam timing have enabled Ducati to achieve a fantastic torque curve at low rpm, which remains strong through a wider rev-range.
Press release after the jump.
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Mission Motors has announced the very first details on the Mission R, an electric racing superbike that will compete in the TTXGP racing series along with other races, events, and demonstrations.
The Mission R is powered by a liquid-cooled 3-phase AC Induction motor that delivers 141 HP and 115 lb-ft of torque. The power is delivered by a massive 14.4 kWh battery placed beneath its carbon fiber skin. This will allow the bike to hit a top speed of 160 MPH. The MissionEVT 100kW motor controller, with customizable regenerative braking maps and throttle maps, allowing the rider to tune the bike to his or her preferences.
"Mission Motors participated in the historic first Isle of Man TTXGP in 2009. Later that year, we went to the Bonneville Salt Flats and set an AMA Speed Record for electric motorcycles in 2009. With the help of our sponsors, including Texas Instruments and Pectel/Cosworth, we are excited to be returning to the track in 2011 with the phenomenal Mission R. The crucible of the racing circuit is one of the key ways we advance our technology. Pushing the envelope for what is possible with electric drive shapes not only the future of motorsports, but the future of transportation."
Press release after the jump.
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Before you start shouting ‘blasphemy!’ at the sight of this Ferrari motorcycle, we’re going to calm your nerves down and tell you that this bike wasn’t made by Ferrari, but is actually a custom-made bike made by David Kay and his people at Kay Engineering as a tribute to the father of the Prancing Horse, Enzo Ferrari.
Built in the mid-90’s after Kay received permission to put the Ferrari badge on the custom bike from Piero Ferrari, Enzo’s son, with a note including “the approval to place the Ferrari badge on your motorbike”.
After 3,000 man-hours of working on the bike, the final product is a beast that features a ’scratch built’ 900cc, transverse, double overhead camshaft, four cylinder, eight valve unit with magnesium and alloy casings, driven through a five speed gearbox. As for the body of the bike, Kay Engineering used hand-crafted aluminum while using magnesium black casings on the engine. The final product is a bike that produces 105 horsepower at 8,800 rpm with a dry weight of only 172 kg and an estimated top speed of 265 km/h.
So why exactly are we fawning over a Ferrari-badged custom bike made in the mid-90’s? Well, naturally, the bike is going to be auctioned off soon.
The Ferrari 900 bike is going to be on the auction block at a Race Retro event that’s set to take place at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry on February 25th-27th. So how much is this car going to cost? Estimates say that the custom bike is going to fetch a price of around £250,000, which, if you’re keeping count, is a shade under $400,000.
Still interested?
