Hey, what’s up guys? With the rainy season finally descending upon us here in the Bay, I have been more and more apprehensive about taking the KTM out. On the brighter side, I can finally test out the rain gear I got last year!
In any case, with the KTM in the garage, there were a couple of things I wanted to do before bringing her out to compete with the other big 1,000cc boys. Check out the video!
So, the RC8 is a few steps closer to competition condition. No sense in carrying extra baggage for something it wasn’t made to do right?
For more KTM fun in the meantime, be sure to log on to KTM Boards. Stay tuned!
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For those who love the Triumph Daytona 675 but wish it had a bigger, more powerful engine, German company Six Monkeys have built a special, one-off Daytona 1050. Triumph currently use the three-cylinder 1050 engine in only three bikes – Tiger, Sprint ST and the absolutely brilliant Speed Triple. But it seems a lot of people want a high-performance Daytona 1050 – an all-out supersports machine that can take on Japanese, German and Italian liter-class machines. And while Triumph aren’t building one – at least not for now – Six Monkeys have gone ahead and built one already.
With modifications to the Triumph 1050 engine’s fuel-injection software and the airbox, power output now stands at 139bhp at 9,100rpm and 116Nm of torque at 7,600 revs. The bike gets carbonfiber bodywork, suspension components and steering damper from Wilbers, Dunlop Qualifier RR tires and BOS exhaust system. Chassis and single-side swingarm is from the Speed Triple and the bike weighs 222 kilos wet.
Performance figures aren’t available, but the bike sure looks interesting. Perhaps Triumph will be inspired to finally build their own Daytona 1050…?
Stay tuned!
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Hey guys, It’s Jon again. I am here to continue the saga of the fall of Buell, selling of MV.
Within hours of Harley-Davidson announcing that they will shut down Buell and sell MV Agusta, Motociclismo were able to speak to Claudio Castiglioni, from whom Harley had bought MV last year and who still continues to head MV operations in Italy.
‘We are preparing to put up a great show at EICMA in Milan this year, where MV will unveil two new bikes. It would have been better for us had this news [of Harley’s decision to sell MV] come out later. But I am told this news had to be released immediately due to the requirements of the American Stock Exchange. But, perhaps, it’s just as well. MV is a strong brand, loved by all. The bikes that we will present at EICMA will be even more appreciated,’ said Castiglioni.
‘After Tamburini left us, our capacity to do another great bike had been diminished. So we must now go forward and resume interrupted work. To be honest, I think it would be logical – from the business perspective – that MV should move back into Italian ownership,’ said Castiglioni, perhaps implying that he might actually purchase MV back from Harley!
MV Agusta make absolutely, utterly gorgeous motorcycles. It would be fitting to see the brand ownership return to Italy. It would also be great to see Massimo Tamburini return to MV and design their next supersports machine. I guess only time will tell.
Stay tuned!
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Mission One, US-based Mission Motors’ electric bike, recently hit a top speed of 241.5km/h during the annual BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at the Bonneville Speedway, taking the AMA top speed record for electric motorcycles in the process. The Mission One achieved an average speed of 241.5km/h over a two-pass one mile run at Bonneville, though it got up to one-way speeds of 257.6km/h during the record setting attempt.
‘We set this record on our first visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats on poor salt conditions and in high cross-winds. And to set it with our production prototype vehicle, not a custom Bonneville bike, is truly amazing,’ says Edward West, Mission Motors Founder and President. ‘It’s a watershed moment for electric vehicles and further proof that the era of the electric superbike has begun. Electric is no longer the future of high-performance motorcycling; it is the present,’ he adds.
‘The Mission One is just an incredible motorcycle. This is a bike that can rip up the track at Infineon Raceway, do power wheelies at 128km/h and then come out here to Bonneville and dismantle the prior electric world speed record. It pulls hard all the way from 0 on up to 257km/h, all in one gear, with incredible torque. It’s a riding experience like no other. The important thing to understand is this is not a one-off race vehicle, this is a production prototype,’ says Jeremy Cleland, the AMA and AFM racer who shares duties as product manager and test rider at Mission Motors. ‘It is the same bike that we raced at the Isle of Man and features the same powertrain that we will be delivering to our customers in 2010,’ adds Cleland.
Indeed, the Mission One, with its top speed of around 250km/h and 250km range, does seem to be an incredible machine. Mission Motors aim to sell around 300 units of this bike in 2010 and you can reserve yours via the Mission website now. However, before you rush off to book one of these bikes, brace yourself for the price – a mind-blowing US$69,000.
While it’s mega-expensive, the Mission One is also one hell of a high-tech motorcycle. The usual bits are all there – fully adjustable Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes with four-piston monobloc calipers, Marchesini wheels and so on. And then there’s a fully equipped data acquisition system and wireless communication capability. Riders can adjust throttle maps, tune regenerative braking, and create multiple ride settings via their laptop computer. Try doing that on your R1!
With bikes like the Mission One coming to market next year, it does look like the ‘electric superbike’ is getting ready to go mainstream. Current price levels are, of course, a massive downer but that issue should be resolved over the next few years, as prices of lithium-ion battery packs and electric motors come down. Looks like the good old internal combustion engine will soon have a very, very big fight on its hands.
Mission One: Tech Specs Battery Pack: Lithium-Ion, with integrated thermal management system Motor: Liquid-cooled, 3-phase AC Induction Torque: 135Nm@0-6,500rpm Transmission: Single speed Final Drive: O-ring chain Suspension: Fully adjustable 43mm USD fork (Ohlins), fully adjustable monoshock (Ohlins) Front Brakes: Twin 310mm discs with radial-mount four-piston callipers (Brembo) Wheels and tyres: 17-inch Marchesini forged aluminium, with 120/70 (front) and 190/55 (rear) race compound tyres Top speed: 250km/h Range: 250km Recharge time: Less than two hours @ 240V, or about eight hours @ std 120V
This is the future folks. Er… present I mean. Stay tuned for more updates!
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Tiny Italian firm Vyrus will launch a new hub-center-steered superbike in November which in its ultimate form offers 211bhp. That makes it easily the most powerful street bike in the world – eclipsing Ducati’s MotoGP replica Desmosedici by more than 10bhp.
The 987 C3 4V is the latest evolution of Vyrus’s radical Ducati-engined superbike, replacing the 985’s 999R engine with the latest homologation-special 1198cc motor. An all-new electronics package – as well the 987’s inherently stable chassis, which doesn’t dive or squat – makes the bike’s monstrous power controllable, says boss Ascanio Rodorigo. “Everybody will be able to ride it without killing themselves,” he claims.
Three versions of the new 987 are planned, with deliveries of the ‘basic’ 987 – offering 170bhp and 163kg – beginning in the New Year, with two hotter versions commencing in April. An ‘R’ version is tuned for 184bhp and weighs 158kg (6kg less than a Yamaha R6), while the hottest ‘Kompressor’ version has just 154kg holding back its 211bhp. Prices are expected to be over $100k for the highest spec version.
Vyrus boss Rodorigo says the supercharged version has stretched chains and spun tires on their rims in testing, and a new generation of electronics has been required to bring the power in check: “The dramatic increase in power of this bike has meant we need very advanced traction control and settings to keep its behavior ‘human’.” Race-spec traction control including sensors for wheel speed and suspension stroke, plus a gyroscopic lean-angle sensor combine with three different engine maps to make the most of the power in the broadest range of conditions.
Chassis-wise the 987 has a new swing- arm, geometry and different weight distribution to the 985. Buyers will get bespoke engine maps to suit their riding style and weight. “This is essential when you are dealing with 107ftlb of torque,” says Rodorigo. That’s 26% more than an R1.
Rodorigo believes the bike’s hub-center-steered chassis is better suited to cope with near-MotoGP levels of poke on the road than conventional designs: “It’s curious at first, but it turns easily into corners, and the stability grows the closer you get to the limit. It’s incredibly confidence-building. The main drama is the light weight, not so much the power,” he adds. The 987’s predecessor, the similarly near-naked 985, topped out at 181mph – Vyrus has yet to speed test the new bikes.
Rodorigo, whose firm designed the famous Tesi 2D for Bimota, says he’s convinced the hub-center-steered path is the true one, albeit a lonely one at the moment.
“The advantages of this type of design are evident when riding the bike at any level. The front end of a Vyrus doesn’t dive when you brake into the corners, which means you don’t get the weight transfer on the front wheel.
“This allows you to brake later and corner harder and always keeps the bike tremendously stable and safe. At the same time when accelerating, the rear end, doesn’t ‘sit down’. The result is an experience that always feels easy and secure.”
Wow, that’s one helluva bike!
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