Day 8 of Circuscoffee's road trip:
Well...this was one of the hardest days in a loooooong time. Up to this point I rode in snow and very cold temps...but 3 hours in heavy winter rain ...
...
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Ductalk: What's Up In The World Of Ducati
Ducati News Roundup  Curated by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Day 8 of Circuscoffee's road trip:
Well...this was one of the hardest days in a loooooong time. Up to this point I rode in snow and very cold temps...but 3 hours in heavy winter rain ...
...
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Mick Walker, famed lover, importer and racer of Italian motorcycles has passed away after a long battle with cancer. Rest in peace, Mick, you'll be missed.
All who knew Mick will remember an ever-helpful, ever-smiling man who was always willing to help fellow enthusiasts. One time Ducati and Cagiva importer, he actually tried to buy the old Aermacchi factory when Harley wanted out (for the first time!): after Cagiva stepped in to buy it, Mick supported them and helped develop their products.
His knowledge and memory was legendary. When Ducati had a shuffle about in their factory and realised their usual lack of records meant nobody knew what all the old spares amounted to, it was Mick who went to Italy to sort out the mess and tell them what they had. No wonder he was far and away the most prolific motorcycling author the world has ever seen....more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Ductalk editors note: We saw this and decided since most people have never seen one of these, we would include it in today's posts. We know nothing about this seller, other than his post includes some good photos of a very rare, collectable fine time piece.
I have this beautiful JLC Extreme World Chrono Valentini Rossi Ltd Edition in 18k Rose Gold with Titanuim inlays....more (lots of photos on the link)
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Ducati 1199 Panigale
$18,000 base, $23,000 S-model, $28,000 Tricolore
Three obvious but crucial points to ponder about superbikes: 1. They are brutally fast machines, with specific outputs and acceleration figures that (aided by a general lack of governmental regulation) put seven-figure supercars to shame. 2. They only get fiercer, thanks to an arms race fueled by an insatiable desire to claim bragging rights and beat the other guys on the world’s race circuits. 3. Most cost about as much as a Kia Rio.
Ducati, that more-exotic-than-the-next purveyor of two-wheeled tomfoolery, spent two decades incrementally evolving its superbike design and sticking to a trellis frame layout before completely reinventing its 2012 flagship. Dubbed the “Panigale” after the Bolognese neighborhood where the Italian manufacturer is based, the newest bike addresses its predecessor’s shortcomings with a completely re-imagined design retaining two quintessentially Ducati features: a big twin engine layout, and Desmodromic valves. Though the trellis frame and butt-burning underseat muffler are gone, the signature Ducati exhaust note remains....more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
(Translated from Italian)
I was able to see new photos of the GP12 test at Sepang. E. .. surprise! I noticed some very interesting details. In my previous articles I analyzed the work done by Ducati in Valencia during the 2011 tests, with different frames (3) and the changes implemented as experiments to determine the real substance of the future GP12. That is then seen that in Sepang, where in addition to the aluminum frame were rotated back to the cylinder banks.
From other articles had established a rotation of 45 degrees. Following the words of Preziosi's letter, I assumed that the words: " We have redone the guard "were due to adaptation of the stone blocks placed in a new context. Where, however, inclined to cylinder banks, all the organs had been "retained" in place of having made ​​a new engine.
I explained the work done with this picture, deliberately leaving the oil pan tilted to better understand the change in place and make it visually more understandable....more
Ductalk editors note: (you will need google page translate for the rest of this but as always with this author, it's worth the effort)
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Parochial fans too often talk about the 1978 TT as Mike Hailwood’s comeback. The familiar story goes that he returned after years away from racing, his Isle of Man victory made even sweeter by unexpectedly choosing to ride a Ducati rather than returning to Honda. Some people even gild the lily with tales of Hailwood arriving on the Island and having to come to terms with a left-foot gear change and a big Desmo twin when he’d last raced a right foot-changing 500 multi. Yet like so much of the received wisdom on Mike’s comeback, it’s all wrong. After the Nürburgring crash that mangled his right leg and ended his F1 career, Mike might have moved to New Zealand, but he certainly didn’t give up on bikes. The story of his real comeback to racing, and his journey to the Isle of Man was via the race tracks of Australia. The truth involved racing a Ducati 750SS in the Castrol Six Hour Race at Amaroo Park, a properly scary, knarled little race track where rock faces and concrete walls count as run off...more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Checa believes the power struggle between the MSMA and Dorna needs to be resolved before it damages the series...
MOTOGP is currently facing a 'power struggle' between Dorna and the manufacturers, as noted by 2011 World Superbike champion and former GP rider Carlos Checa.
A proposal for a new rules for 2013 onwards is being drafted by the manufacturers association, MSMA, with an aim to keep costs down whilst maintaining the development of exciting prototypes. The deadline for the final proposal is during the three-day test at Jerez in two weeks time.
Commenting on the current issues facing the premier class to GPOne.com, Checa said: "It's the victim of a power struggle between Dorna and the manufacturers, especially Honda. It is clear that MotoGP is struggling right now. A true world championship needs manufacturer participation, and they don't really have that now.
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Ferdinand Piech's dream may be on the verge of coming true: Audi is reaching out to potentially buy Ducati to bring Piech to the pinnacle of his entrepreneurial career with "Project Eagle."
Ferdinand Piech's dream may be on the verge of coming true: Audi is reaching out to potentially buy Ducati to bring Piech to the pinnacle of his entrepreneurial career with "Project Eagle." As you read these lines, the integration of Porsche into the Volkswagen empire is nearing completion, and also due this year is the further consolidation of the truck business with increased synergy between Scania and MAN. And had it not been for General Motors' unexpected rise to its former glory, the VW Group would have climbed to the global top of the sales chart long before its 2018 target date.
Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/1203_ducati_future_in_four_rings/index.html#ixzz1ogsD9i8a
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Our industry insider gets down to the brass tacks of racing motorcycles in America and its troubling surge in costs over recent years.
I’ve been thinking about inflation in racing for the last few months. Over the winter, my friend Chris Van Andel ran for a second term as President of the American Federation of Motorcyclists race club. When he lost, I figured he might want a chance to speak freely, and I interviewed him about his experiences and his thoughts on the future of club racing.
The AFM might be the healthiest race club in the country. It’s based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the economy is buoyed by the continued strength in the tech sector and the fact that the region’s housing bubble barely even deflated. But Van Andel made it clear that even the AFM was hit by the ’08 economic downturn. In the years leading up to the recession, the club membership flirted with 1,000 riders, and there was a worry about what they’d do when they ran out of three-digit race numbers. Now, about half that number of people are racing....more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
The MotoGP™ History app offers you a chance to re-live the most significant and exciting events of the MotoGP decade, and it is now available in Spanish and Italian, along with the current version in English.
The app is available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad and offers an interactive look into the first ten years of the MotoGP era through exclusive photos and video coverage of every race weekend within the 2002-2011 seasons.
In the app you will find profiles and images of all the riders that defined the era through exclusive images, videos and special features, as well as technical details and high resolution photos of the bikes of the decade, from the 500cc 2-strokes, the ground breaking 990cc 4-stokes to the 800cc super machines....more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Adding to the drama that has dogged Austin's Formula One race track project, the Circuit of the Americas is facing contract issues with what would be its second biggest attraction: a MotoGP international race slated to begin a 10-year run at the $300 million track in 2013.
Motorcycling legend Kevin Schwantz, who figured to be the public face of that race, has been mum on the subject for months. But in February, Schwantz sent a letter to Steve Sexton, the president of Circuit of the Americas, saying, "I urge you one final time to contact Mr. (Tavo) Hellmund about obtaining the rights to host a MotoGP race in Texas, after which I would be glad to open discussions with you as the new promoter. If you have not obtained such rights from Full Throttle, then unfortunately Circuit of the Americas will not be included as a round of the FIM Grand Prix Road Racing World Championship."...more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
The Ducati 1199RS will be used by two BSB teams in 2012, Moto Rapido Racing and Jentin Doodson Motorsport.
Ducati UK Managing Director Tim Maccabee said: "It is incredibly exciting to have the very first 1199 Panigale Superbikes arrive here at Silverstone. It is a privilege and an honour to know that we, in the UK will be the first to race the 1199 Panigale in Superbikes anywhere in the world and BSB is the perfect stage."..more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
A 1m Euro (£830,000) cap on the cost of leasing a MotoGP bike in the future will make it impossible for Ducati to deliver the same high level of technology featured on its existing customer bikes.
To ensure MotoGP is more affordable in the future for independent teams like Tech 3, Gresini, LCR and potential new entries, factories could be forced to charge no more than 1m Euros for their bikes under radical proposals currently under discussion.
But Ducati boss Filippo Preziosi said it would be impossible to lease a current GP12 for that price and he told MCN: “That bike with all the technology, no we couldn’t lease for that price. It is necessary to be very clear about what the fee includes...more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Sometimes one little thing can cause a chain reaction you'd never think possible. The bikes we press guys get from manufacturers are usually unregistered, coming only with a dealer/distributor/manufacturer plate, and sometimes not even that. It's not a big deal; in California frequently people drive around without plates, sometimes for months without ever getting stopped. If we do get stopped on a press bike, we have the backup of a loan agreement from the OEM, which 95% of the time allows you to skip away from the traffic stop without even a warning.
However, because the arrangement is so casual, things can easily get sloppy. When the Ducati Diavel seen here got dropped off at my house, I forget to ask for the loan agreement. No big deal -- it's got a plate. Or at least it had a plate. Somewhere in western New Mexico it fell off, and I know this because I took a picture of it in New Mexico with the plate still firmly attached. Actually, the plate itself is probably still attached to the mount, because that's what ejected itself. As evidence, I've got the stub of the wire that powered the light that lit the plate before they both left the building.
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
(translated from Italian)
Five more days to win the domes of the bikes of Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden for auction on eBay . The proceeds will be donated in favor of the non-profit organization Dynamo Camp. The domes, the Ducati GP11, were donated by Telecom Italy, sponsor of the Ducati brand TIM, the association engaged in projects Recreational therapy for children suffering from serious and chronic.
The auction, which began yesterday and ends Thursday, March 15 . Those lucky enough to be awarded the memorabilia will receive them directly from the pilots on Monday 19 March, at the launch of the Desmosedici GP12 to be held in the Auditorium at Borgo Panigale Ducati.
The event can be followed live on the Facebook fan page Tim, from 13 . All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Association Dynamo Camp Onlus.
In less than a day on the windshield of Rossi has already reached 1,610 euros , but it is rapidly growing while that of Hayden at the time of this writing is 315.
Read more: http://www.gpone.com/index.php/en/201203096270/Rossi-e-Hayden-all-asta-su-eBay.html#ixzz1octmyvOv
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Ducati Grandstands at Italian 2012 World Superbike rounds...
Ducati Grandstands return to the Imola, Monza and Misano rounds of the World Superbike Championship ready for hundreds of passionate Ducatisti to support their favourite Ducati riders.
Team Althea Racing's reigning World Superbike Champion, Carlos Checa and Superbike newcomer and last year's Superstock 1000 Champion, Davide Giugliano, head a list of Ducati-powered riders that include Jakub Smrz, Sylvain Guintoli and Niccolo' Canepa....more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
@ducachef
Duca Chef - Andrea
Diavel by http://t.co/dsYg0sGN http://t.co/uwqFZitq
Mar 09 via Twitter for Android Favorite Retweet Reply
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
From a pure engineering standpoint, Walt Siegl is one of the top bike builders in the world today. Anyone who would argue against that statement is unworthy to ever sit in the saddle of a motorcycle.
The level of craftsmanship that goes into a bike like this one, the WS Sport Classic, is clearly evident. If you don’t think so, read on. The bike is essentially the prototype for a small scale production run and almost everything about the original Ducati Sport Classic has been replaced, rebuilt or re-thought. See that frame? It isn’t the original Ducati tubular steel, it’s a handmade chrome-moly chassis built in Walt’s workshop, the fuel tank and seat are all hand fabricated by Walt, the brakes are now 4-pot Brembos and those front forks are fully adjustable Showa’s. The rake angle was increased by half a degree from 24.0° to 24.5° and Walt added 39mm flatslide carbs on top of handbuilt manifolds.
Now you see what I mean by craftsmanship, this build was a hell of a lot more than a paint job and some mail order parts....more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
First introduced at 2008 EICMA Milan Motorcycle Show, the Ducati Streetfighter quickly gained notoriety, the naked sportbike winning the "Most Beautiful Bike" award.
The debut 2009 Streetfighter featured a 1098 desmo for asphalt-ripping power stuffed in a minimal chassis, a direct cue from the Monster and Hypermotard models.
Due to its popularity, Ducati continued to offer the naked desmo throughout the years, with the latest being the 2012 version. With the introduction of the 2012 Ducati Streetfighter 848, though, the Streetfighter is only available as a "S" model for 2012....more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
M1 PowerSports is excited to announce M1 MotoMadness, a Facebook promotion based on M1’s motto - Get People to the Track. The first 1,000 fans to like M1 PowerSports on Facebook will be entered into a drawing to win a VIP ticket and hospitality package for the 2012 Triumph Big Kahuna AMA Pro Road Racing Nationals at Road Atlanta, scheduled for April 20 - 22, 2012.
“M1 understands how important social media is to communication in this day and age. If you’re not hitting it hard, you’re missing the boat,” said Cameron Gray, CEO of M1 PowerSports. “As we are building our social brand, we want to get our voice out there in a way that will get people to the track and this is just the first of many social media promotions that will allow us to give back to the fans this year.”
The winner of the M1 MotoMadness Facebook promotion will be chosen at random from the list of M1 PowerSports’ Facebook fans as soon as it hits 1,000 likes. With the AMA Pro Road Racing season-opening Daytona 200 and the ensuing lead-up to the return of the Big Kahuna Atlanta, this promotion may not last long so act now by liking M1 PowerSports at http://www.facebook.com/M1PowerSports?sk=app_321484137884204.
This special VIP package will include:
Two Triumph Big Kahuna Cabana Passes
Two Pace Car Rides (1 per person)
Two Fan Lap Passes
Two Event T-Shirt vouchers
more....
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Six full-face helmets to get you ready for the road this spring...
1. Arai Signet-Q: Arai asked a simple question: How to improve on the best-selling RX-Q? The answer? Make it fit more people. Enter the new Arai Signet-Q. Though outwardly nearly identical to the RX-Q on which it’s based, the Signet-Q’s interior is very different. Where the RX-Q is an intermediate oval shape, the Signet-Q is a long oval shape. Its many features include a fully-removable liner (including the neck roll), with removable and replaceable cheek pads for better interior cleaning. It also features Arai’s Brow Vent shield, which comes equipped for Pinlock visor inserts. Arai helmets aren’t cheap, but the great build quality of an Arai is obvious the moment you first try one on. The padding is firm yet comfortable, and the interior feels even more plush than the RX-Q editor Backus has become so fond of. And to customize the fit even further, the 5mm-thick pads in the top of the headliner can be removed if the shape of your head requires a bit more room at the top. Arai also offers cheek pads in varying thicknesses for a custom fit. Available in a variety of colors and graphics. Snell 2010 and DOT approved. Price: Starting at $609.95.
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
Much like several Aussie World Champion predecessors, Casey Stoner rarely resists the chance to land a mental blow on his rivals through the media.
Last Saturday, Repsol trotted out its sponsored 2012 World Championship riders in a dog-and-pony show in Madrid (team intros in Spain actually do include horses). Reigning World Champion Stoner stepped into that opening to jab MotoGP rival Valentino Rossi and his troubles with Ducati during testing last week at Sepang.
"All the other Ducatis were faster than his during the test," Stoner said about Rossi. "He wasn't worried about a single fast lap, but he is the lead rider on the team, and he should be the fastest before complaining so much. He needs to figure out why the GP12 performed well in the first test, and poorly in the second ... but I honestly hope they can turn things around, as it would be good for the entire championship."...more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
This week’s Tech Tuesday article is about the improving the suspension components on your motorcycle. Changing the suspension on your motorcycle is probably one of the simplest component changes that can be done, and give you the best bang for the buck. On average the first performance enhancing purchase a person makes on their new motorcycle is an exhaust or a fuel management system. The purchase of motorcycle suspension upgrades for the average street riders are the last thing on the upgrade list. A person that does track days or races occasionally knows that the suspension upgrades would put upgrading the suspension higher on the” to do” list, Why is that?
On average the motorcycles stock suspension is not bad, the materials that make up the suspension components are of good sound quality. The major problem with stock motorcycle suspension is its set up for a generic rider. The components inside the fork tubes and shocks are made to work for a generic setting for street. When the suspension is set correctly, it allows the motorcycle to gain or maintain traction by aiding the tires to maintain contact with the ground surface. This added traction is caused because the motorcycle has better ability to transfer weight, and better absorb upward and downward momentum when it needs to...more
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
"There is no doubt Marco Simoncelli would have been right up there challenging for the MotoGP title this year.
The new MotoGP season is just a month away and we are getting a picture of what lies in store when the new 1000cc bikes hit the grid for the first time in Qatar.
Most of the riders were in Malaysia last week for testing and the situation remains the same: the Repsol Honda is looking like the best package.
They had a bit of an engine scare but I can't honestly imagine that that is a problem they can't address, and it shouldn't have any impact on the season, so reigning champion Casey Stoner appears the man to beat again .
Next up in line is Jorge Lorenzo, who will be strong, while if Dani Pedrosa can hang a season together, he can be world champion.
He is as fast as anyone, and if he can somehow keep cocooned and protected all year and not crash, then it could be his year.
Unfortunately for his hordes of fans worldwide, it's looking like Valentino Rossi will be back where he was last year. At best he will be in fifth or sixth place...more