No doubt hoping to capture a little of the magic that has seen Triumph’s class-smashing 675 Daytona make a massive impression in road tests, track tests and sales charts, MV Agusta is developing its own 675cc triple - and in typical Claudio Castiglioni style, just about betting the company’s survival on it.
The projected MV Agusta F3 supersport bike will feature 4 radial valves per cylinder, which the company believes will give it a significant top-end power advantage over the Triumph. With the Daytona making 123bhp, MV is aiming at 135bhp or more, as well as a lighter weight chassis due to the use of more expensive and exotic materials.
MV engine whiz Andrea Goggi is already working on the motor, and master designer Massimo Tamburini is working on the F3’s design. Tamburini has designed some of history’s most memorably beautiful bikes, including the Ducati 916, MV Brutale and Mv F4 - so it’s reasonable to expect the F3 will be utterly stunning. (more…)
So Honda has announced that future supersports bikes will carry a new electronically controlled braking system that adds antilock braking to an evolution of the Dual Combined Braking system in an effort to prevent brake lockup and allow maximal braking power with less of a tendency to pitch forward.
The new Combined ABS system will certainly be an evolution in terms of rider aids and safety equipment - and it’ll probably be a technically elegant system - but is anyone really asking for this on a sportsbike? Honda claims it’s designed to add minimal weight, given that it’s a supersports-focused innovation, but even the old hydraulic Dual CBS system on the old Blackbirds and VFRs doubled the number of brake lines and made for a generally more complicated and harder-to-fix motorcycle. (more…)
BMW are going racing, and in typical German fashion, they’re not going to do it by halves. The company dangled some fascinating tidbits of information in front of us with the official unveiling of its S1000RR Superbike in Germany yesterday. Reinforcing BMW’s commitment to taking the bike WSBK racing in 2009, the covers came off the carbon-festooned race prototype - and BMW Motorrad General Director Hendrik von Kuenheim’s presentation answered a few questions once and for all.
Firstly, it’s going to be an inline 4, making around 190hp and weighing about 190kg. “In the early project phase,” said von Kunheim, “we checked out various engine concepts. And as you know, we then decided in favour of a four-cylinder, with the straight-four offering the best qualities to meet the power, performance, weight, and package requirements to be fulfilled. In typical BMW style, the engine will of course offer a number of special features, especially on the cylinder head.”
Hmm… What special features could we see on a cylinder head… Might we be talking about pneumatic valves, lifted from BMW’s very experienced F1 racing development team? Ducati’s active valve technology has already caused upset and embarrassment for opposition teams in MotoGP, could the extra top-end power and revs make the difference in Superbikes too? (more…)
Yamaha’s current shape 2006-2008 R6 is developing a nasty reputation for turning into a giant fireball in even the shortest tarmac slides. It seems the way the tank is designed gives it a predilection to puncture on impact, spilling petrol which is ignited by sparks from the sliding metal. And while it’s a heartbreaker for individual owners like the fellow in the first video - whose small racetrack highside resulted in complete uninsured destruction of his pride and joy - this next video is a real pants-dropper for Yamaha…
Because it happened yesterday during the Valencia World Supersport race, in front of millions of viewers. We suspect the 09 R6 will be redesigned to address this fault, but bear it in mind if you’re looking to buy a 600cc bike in the near future. Valencia video after the jump. (more…)
The dream engine we’ve been drooling about over at Gizmag has finally come of age: Aprilia yesterday pulled the covers off the 1000cc, 65 degree V-4 engined superbike it plans to race in the 2009 WSBK series. And yes, because of WSBK’s homologation rules, we’ll definitely see the new RSV4 on the road.
Recognizing that the key to a successful V engine is to keep it as compact as possible, Aprilia have found an innovative way to drive the dual overhead cams; the inner (inlet) cams are driven by a conventional chain, and the outer ones are actually driven by the inner ones, through a series of gears. (more…)
MV has beefed up its top-of-the-range sports and naked bikes for 2008 with a new Brutale 1078 that features a detuned version of the F4 312 engine, and an RR version of the 312 that leaves us wondering exactly where the 312 was deemed lacking.
If there’s one company that manages to really nail the promo video, it’s got to be KTM. Brazenly flaunting an irresponsible, hooliganistic riding style, the Austrian company produces some of the most visceral, thrilling and exciting ads in the bike world. So here’s a few of the best!
1) 990 SuperDuke
Who could forget this one, featuring extravagant wheelies, ghostrider-style commando traffic splitting and hillcrest leaping on the public highways, all neatly intercut with shots of two sweaty blokes pummeling each other in a dusty warehouse to ram home the “streetfighter” angle? (more…)
Leaping to near the top of the list of motorcycles I’d desperately love to ride but probably never will is this beauty - Bimota’s TESI 3D, which we spotted through a drool-proof cabinet in Tokyo.
The Italian company built its name in the 70s and 80s by taking the engines out of the day’s top sportsbikes and housing them in extremely lightweight, gorgeous alloy trellis frames with top-rate running gear and superior handling. But how could Bimota apply the same philosophy to, say, a 2008 GSX-R1000 that is already feather-light, and equipped for extremes of cornering that few riders can really claim to explore?
Most of the recent Bimota range relies on exceptional styling and desirability to justify the price premium - but the TESI is different. It’s one of the only commercially available motorcycles you can buy that features a hub-centre front end. (more…)
