2008 Ducati 848 Road Test

When you think of hallowed Italian marque of Ducati, several glorious models come to mind, such as 750 Supersport, the iconic 916, the successful line of Monsters, and more recently the exciting 1098 superbike and Hypermotard wild thing. 

But not many revere the 749, a middleweight V-Twin based on the platform of the little-loved 999, whose styling failed to ignite the passions of the Ducatisti. While a competent performer, the 749 weighed nearly as much as the 999 and wasn’t on anyone’s list of prettiest bikes.

All that’s changed with the introduction of this new 848. It not only shares the lovely shape of the wildly successful 1098, it also shames the legendary 916 in terms of horsepower output. We measured nearly 116 hp at the rear wheel. Consider that the revered Ducati 916 had a hard time cracking the 100-hp barrier, and the brawnier 998 barely topped 110 rear-wheel horsepower while weighing considerably more than this Slim-Fast-ed 848.
In general terms, this new Italian scalpel is little more than an all-new engine in the impressive 1098’s structure. Its nimble chassis and gorgeous bodywork are same-same, which is fine with us.

The noteworthy addition to this platform is a bespoke powerplant that uses a new vacuum die-casting method called Vacural which results in an engine that weighs about 7 lbs less than the old 749. The “Testastretta Evoluzione” motor uses a 94.0 x 61.2mm bore and stroke to yield 849cc. No, that’s not a typo - this continues Ducati’s disregard for its nomenclature matching the engine’s displacement: the old 749 displaced 748cc; the standard 999 was 998cc; and the 1098 has a 1099cc engine.

In conjunction with the V-Twin’s increased bore and stroke, everything else in the engine is correspondingly larger. Intake valves are up 2.5mm (39.5mm) and the exhaust’s are enlarged 1.5mm (32mm). Feeding those valves is a pair of 56mm throttle bodies that are fashioned in the contemporary F1-style elliptical shape, up from the round-port 54mm injectors from the 749.

The result is yet another sweet and torquey Twin from the Boys in Bologna, and it’s a major upgrade over the somewhat lethargic 749. Good grunt is available from low revs until it falls a bit flat around 4500 revs before a satisfying surge at 6000 rpm. From then on it continues a 10-horse-or-more advantage over the 749 all the way to its 10,900-rpm rev limiter.

The Honda Difference

At Honda, we’ve built our reputation on quality, value, innovation and performance. It’s clear in every product we build, but especially our motorcycles, ATVs, and personal watercraft. Look closely, and you’ll see some of the areas in which Honda leads the way.

Rapom V8: A Bike Big on Power and Low on Mileage

The Rapom V8 has been designed by a British Engineer Nick Argyle. The engineer has a simple concept of squeezing an 8.2 liter supercharged V8 engine of a monster truck in a bike. The result is a Rapom V8 bike, which delivers an awesome 1000 bhp of.

Victory Vision: The first bike with iPod connectivity

What makes the Victory Vision special? The bike is as good as it gets with sleek looks and a powerful 106 c.i. V-Twin with a six-speed transmission. It’s fuel tank can take in six gallons of fuel that ensures you go a long distance before you get your bike refueled, but that isn’t what I am talking about.

Harley-Davidson XR 1200TM rolling off the floor in 2008

Harley-Davidson has officially announced the company’s intention to begin production of the XR 1200TM motorcycle for the European market in the spring of 2008. The XR 1200 is a naked street, great handling high performance bike with styling cues inspired by the legendary Harley-Davidson XR 750 flat track racer.

The XR 750 is a deliberately built race bike that has conquered more race wins than any other racing mobike in the history of motorcycle sport. The XR 1200 prototype was first unveiled to huge acclaim from customers and the media alike by Bill Davidson (great-grandson of one of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s founders) at the Intermot motorcycle show in October, 2006.

The XR 1200 is the result of a close collaboration between the Motor Company’s Milwaukee-based product development team and Harley-Davidson’s European product planning team. The European team has played a significant role in defining the specifications and ergonomics of the XR 1200. The team has collectively worked with US Ride and Handling engineers on suspension, braking and handling development.

According to John Lewis, Marketing Director for Harley-Davidson Europe, the XR1200 is the perfect way to round-off a superb 2008 product line-up. Harley-Davidson has acknowledged an overwhelming customer and media feedback since the XR 1200 prototype’s unveiling.

The XR1200 will be equipped with a cooled motor to air from 1200cc, answering to the European detailed lists, and product in series, more powerful that never has been realized from Harley-Davidson. With a freedom for the lean angle; specially tuned Showa sports suspension, including 43mm inverted front forks; high performance Nissin brakes; and specially developed Dunlop Qualifier tyres, the XR 1200 is set to become the best handling Harley-Davidson regular production machine ever seen. 

The XR 1200 is a bike full of purpose and character united with great performance, handling and a unique feel. Above all else it will be a bike that will offer a hugely rewarding riding experience.

The price of XR 1200 is still in phase of appraisal, but it presumes that the price, to clearly of the taxation, can be maintained to of under of the 10,000 Euro.

Technical characteristics

� Styling and livery inspired by XR 750 � Motor from 1200 cc, the elevated performances, painted to silver-plated powder � Feeding with vertical culverts and electronically arranges assets of aspiration of the controlled air � Tires Dunlop Qualifier (front 120/70ZR18; posterior 180/55ZR17) � Circles in alloy from the reduced weight, only in their kind, with design inspired to that one of the motion from dirt track � Sport Showa suspension to calibration, specifically developed for this model, with staple to steles turns upside down to you from 43 millimeter � Great dowries of agility and ease of handling, and generous lateral rake � Nissin brakes to high performances � Studied ergonomics according to the medium height of the European customers � Position of raised and sport guide, with wide handle-bar and leggermente rear footrests � New exclusive instrumentation for the model

Yamaha gives four wheels to its new motorcycle

Yamaha’s new motorcycle, the Tesseract is very different from what you would expect a motorbike to be, simply because this one has four wheels. An additional pair of rims provide extra stability, but still the driver is able to lean the bike around bends and park it upright.

The company says addition of more wheels has not increased the width of the new motorcycle, as compared to conventional motorcycles. Set to debut in Tokyo Motor Show this month, the Tesseract has a V-Twin petrol engine and a hybrid drivetrain. Apparently, even motorcycles have decided to go hybrid.

New Trendy helmets from Aita

The Aita network of stores has added new helmets for autumn-winter 2007-2008 period. The new models look trendy and cool, and ofcourse, work well towards safety, the first priority for helmets.

This new collection features 25 new designs for helmets, all upto the safety norms of the European Union. There is an ample range of colors and weaves, should you decide to personalize your helmet. Interiors of these helmets are made of fiber and are extractable for cleaning/dusting.