Akrapovič Magazine vol. 17 by Akrapovič

model one

The Sound Engineered and Handcrafted in Slovenia

UBIQAUDIO

www.ubiqaudio.com

model one

The Sound Engineered and Handcrafted in Slovenia

UBIQAUDIO

www.ubiqaudio.com

Contents

05 letter

06 akrapovic news

20 REVOLUTION

28 INTERVIEW

34 GO WILD

Milestone

40 FANTASTIC

42 CUSTOM STAR

48 ADVENTURE

52 DRIVE WITH US

58 CRAZY STUFF

60 ORIGINAL

In 24 years, Akrapovič has grown in an unbelievable way. We moved from the small workshop, our first headquarters, to Ivančna Gorica, where we have constantly added new facilities until we reached the location’s limit. The demand for higher volumes and the growing complexity of products has pushed the company to continuously invest in higher production capacity, new technologies and research & development. All of the above caused us to transfer production to a bigger factory and we started the move to the new production facility in Črnomelj last August. The move itself was not an easy project, since many activities were going on in parallel: the construction of the new logistics and warehouse center, the renovation of the production facility, setting up infrastructure, moving production and product manufacture … all at the same time. But we made it, because everything is possible with an excellent team. So, after 24 years we passed a new milestone. Production and logistics are now run from a big and modern facility that will enable the future growth of the company. At the same time, we gained room to expand R&D, the toolshop and titanium foundry capacities at the “old” location. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but it is interesting that the first employee of Akrapovič is now set to retire. Mr. Igor Ržek, who was the first person Mr. Akrapovič hired as a welder, is saying goodbye to the team after a long run. In the beginning the team consisted of one or two men, today it numbers nearly 850 people. And this is certainly a milestone. With all the novelties, new

66 HIGH GEAR

// Si

NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine

This magazine and its entire textual and pictorial content are subject to copyright. Any reproduction thereof without prior written consent of the copyright holder is prohibited. The articles contained herein do not necesseraly correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d. the publishers of the editors. Not for sale. Printed in Slovenia in April 2015 in 5.000 copies.

will include a text that will be marked with the // Si sign and placed in a special frame. The Akrapovič company is based in Slovenia and this is why we decided to keep this part of the text in Slovenian as well.

Letter

14 VISIT WITH US

photo: Bor Dobrin

AKRAPOVIČ Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine Issue 17, April 2015 Akrapovič d.d. Malo Hudo 8a SI-1295 Ivančna Gorica Slovenia www.akrapovic.com Publisher: Korpmedia d.o.o. Tomšičeva 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.korpmedia.si Managing Director: Mateja Kos ID No.: 2272237000 VAT No.: SI14601737 Editor-in-chief: Miran Ališič Photo editor: Bor Dobrin Art directors: Neja Engelsberger, Saša Kerkoš Cover design: Zdenko Bračevac Contributors: Alenka Birk, Jasmina Dvoršek, Matevž Hribar, Primož Jurman, Peter Kavčič, Matjaž Korošak, Hermina Kovačič, Mitja Reven, Julian Ryder, Karin Sturm. Contributing Photographers: Bor Dobrin, Jasmina Dvoršek, Saša Kapetanovič, Žiga Lovšin, Profimedia, Daniel Reinhardt, Alex Štokelj. Translation: Matjaž Horvat Lectorship: Michael Manske Client Editor: Primož Jurman On the cover: On the cover – Akrapovič Slip-On Line (Titanium) exhaust system for the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4. Photo by: Alex Štokelj Printing: Tiskarna Premiere, d.o.o. Vikrče 21, 1211 Ljubljana Šmartno, Slovenia

Contents

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equipment, a new factory, and certainly a different way of organizing and running the company and the business itself, we are starting a new era, a new lifetime. But one thing— the most important thing, the reason why the company exists—must always remain the same. This is our dedication to providing the best possible product to our customers with all the passion and drive for moving the boundaries through continuous innovation and improvements. And there is another milestone. The milestone of developing and producing exhausts for three mega vehicles. The latest one was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show: the megacar Koenigsegg Regera with a revolutionary hybrid drivetrain maxing out at 1500HP. But there is another hybrid in the vehicle - the Akrapovič exhaust system made of Inconel, stainless steel and titanium. The mega motorcycle Kawasaki Ninja H2 and Ninja H2R with 200HP and 300HP, featuring our new muffler design, were already presented at Intermot and EICMA. And there’s also the Lamborghini Aventador, for which we developed an extraordinary exhaust with amazing weight savings, featuring an Inconel and titanium combination as well as the new generation of the Akrapovič Sound Kit with wireless remote control. We are moving forward and a new milestone is already on the horizon…

Uroš Rosa CEO

Warning

Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those law.

pecially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d., Akrapovic America LLC nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws.

Warning / USA

Warning / California

Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, es-

California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts

unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d., Akrapovic America LLC nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.

Contents

05 letter

06 akrapovic news

20 REVOLUTION

28 INTERVIEW

34 GO WILD

Milestone

40 FANTASTIC

42 CUSTOM STAR

48 ADVENTURE

52 DRIVE WITH US

58 CRAZY STUFF

60 ORIGINAL

66 HIGH GEAR

// Si

NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine

Letter

14 VISIT WITH US

photo: Bor Dobrin

Contents

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Uroš Rosa CEO

Warning

Warning / USA

Warning / California

Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, es-

California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts

06 / 11

Akrapovič News

News 06

Akrapovič’s partners on two wheels and four wheels have collected a total of 98 world championship titles so far. The first two were won in 2000 by Joerg Teuchert (Yamaha) in WSS, and Colin Edwards (Honda) in WSBK, but this year the number of world champions who race with Akrapovič exhausts will top 100. Who will be Akrapovič’s 100th world champion? Predictions are always risky, especially in racing, so come visit us at www.akrapovic.com and read our race reports. There are a lot of male and female candidates who could win the 100th world championship title with the aid of Akrapovič exhausts, ranging from partner teams in MXGP, MX2, Rally, WMX, SX to Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP, EWC, WSBK, WSS, WEC and FIA WEC.

Dakar double 2015 Akrapovič partners KTM and X-raid repeated last year’s victories. The team of Al-Attiyah/ Baumel (MINI ALL4 Racing, Qatar Rally Team) took first place in the four-wheel category, giving the Akrapovič exhaust its second consecutive victory. Marc Coma and his KTM 450 Rally, also equipped with an Akrapovič, meanwhile won his

fifth Dakar, increasing the Austrian team’s tally to 14 victories at the rally of all rallies, which was especially tough this year. Competitors battled temperatures of up to 45˚ C, crossed a salt lake at 3˚ C and traversed the Andes at almost 5,000 meters above sea level at temperatures plunging to a decidedly frosty -11° C.

Taddy’s sixth top finish Red Bull KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak finished yet another SuperEnduro season on the top step of the podium. “Each title has its own story. I have really been working for this one and it’s great after all the injuries and all the hard work. I

just love what I do and I hate to lose,” Blazusiak said after his sixth title in SuperEnduro. Winning this year’s SuperEnduro world championship title pushed the number of world championships with Akrapovič exhaust systems up to 97.

Photo credits: Future7Media / KTM Images

100th on the horizon

Photo credits: RallyZone Bauer/Barni / KTM Images, X-raid

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Mega exhaust for a Megacar “It’s sometimes difficult to express how proud and excited we are by some of the things we’ve achieved at Akrapovič, and this collaboration with Koenigsegg is one of those times. The idea for the exhaust system came from Koenigsegg but the Akrapovič engineers made it a reality; they refined it and built it to the highest possible standards. We’re delighted with the final result and are honoured to have played a major role in one of the most amazing cars ever built,” CEO Uroš Rosa said recently, on the subject of the cooperation between Swedish extreme performance car maker Koenigsegg and Akrapovič. The Geneva Motor Show was the stage for the world premiere of the Koenigsegg Regera

Megacar. The supercar’s name means “to reign” in Swedish and it ideally suits the fastest-accelerating and most powerful production car ever built. It utilizes the world’s mightiest productioncar electric-motor combination—over 700 HP—combined with Koenigsegg’s already enormously powerful internal combustion engine to serve up an output of over 1,500 HP and 2,000 Nm of torque. It takes less than eight seconds to get from 0 to 400 kph! Because only eight will be made, we believe they won’t be on sale for long. With Regera, Koenigsegg wanted to make sure everything on the vehicle was special and the very best it could be. This is why Akrapovič, the Slovenian

exhaust expert, was chosen to tailormake a system envisioned by Christian von Koenigsegg. The unique titanium “fish tail” exhaust was refined and produced by Akrapovič’s highly skilled and dedicated R&D specialists. Akrapovič took the initial CAD of the exhaust from the Koenigsegg Advanced Engineering team and turned the design into reality, producing a system that gives the Regera a truly unique sound and look. With the shortest possible layout from the engine to the rear of the car, this custom-made system only uses the most carefully selected and best materials to make it as light as possible. Utilizing a special titanium alloy, Inconel, and stainless steel, the entire exhaust is a thing of beauty.

Best Brand double

Tenth time in a row Motorrad magazine readers decided for the tenth year running that Akrapovič is the best brand of motorcycle exhausts. We are honoured that 77.6 % of the magazine’s more than 48,000 readers were convinced by the quality of exhaust systems from Ivančna Gorica. Thanks to all Motorrad readers for their trust!

The acclaimed motorsports magazine Motorsport aktuell published the results of its Racer of the Year 2014 survey, pleasing us enormously, as the readers voted Akrapovič as the best brand for both motorcycle and car exhausts. A sincere thanks goes to all readers for their votes, which stood at an impressive 72.7% for motorcycles and 54.6% for cars.

Quintuplets Aston Martin Racing will go on the hunt for this season’s FIA WEC world championship title with five race cars. Three Vantage GTE’s will duke it out in GTE Pro and two in GTE Am. Aston Martin Racing has been on the track for 10 seasons now and has 19 victories and three titles under its belt. The team aims to claim the coveted GT manufacturer’s title, as well as both GT titles at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

06 / 11

Akrapovič News

News 06

Photo credits: Future7Media / KTM Images

100th on the horizon

Photo credits: RallyZone Bauer/Barni / KTM Images, X-raid

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Best Brand double

06 / 11

First Akrapovic Partner Seminar

After organising Akrapovič Dealer Seminars, the company also hosted its first Akrapovič Partner Seminar, where key members of the company presented the latest developments and innovations to a selected audience from Akrapovič’s racing partners all over the world. The event focussed on the know-how partners tap into when racing with Akrapovič exhaust systems and the knowledge and experience that were gathered in almost a quarter of a century of the company’s racetrack presence.

Unique in every way BMW with a newcomer BMW Motorsport published a list of drivers that will race for the German brand in this year’s DTM season. In accordance with the slogan “never change a winning team” the team that won last year’s title remains unchanged. Defending champion Marco Wittmann will continue to race alongside Maxime Martin, last year’s “Rookie of the Year” in the BMW Team RMG. 2011 champion Martin Tomczyk returned to BMW Team Schnitzer for his fifteenth season in the DTM, where he will be accompanied by new team member António Félix da Costa. The only new face at BMW is Tom Blomqvist, who will drive his first season for BMW Team RBM, where he will be able to count on help from team colleague Augusto Farfus. After three years with BMW Team Schnitzer, 2012 champion Bruno Spengler moved to BMW Team MTEK and Timo Glock. “We go into the new season with a very strong driver/team lineup,” BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt said. “This is the best line-up we could wish for. In total, our eight drivers have racked up 334 races and 31 victories in the DTM.”

The German Custombike Show was the place where Akrapovič unveiled its Full Moon show bike – how it rides is also detailed in this issue. Apart from the global premiere, Akrapovič presented all of its new products in the area of custom bike

exhaust systems in Bad Salzuflen. Akrapovič also stood out with its display area, first unveiled at the European Bike Week at Lake Faak, Austria, and now shown in Germany for the first time.

In WSBK with Ducati After partnering with the Ducati Team in MotoGP, Akrapovič and Ducati Corse joined forces in the WSBK championship as well. Akrapovič and Ducati engineers prepared a unique titanium exhaust system for the Panigale R of the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Superbike Team, which will this year count for Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano. “The world-famous Slovenian company will provide us with their technical support throughout the year and they’ve also produced a tailor-made, high-performance exhaust system for our Superbike machine,” were the welcoming words of Luigi Dall’Igna, General Manager at Ducati Corse. Because Giugliano suffered an unfortunate

injury just prior to the start of the season, he was replaced at the first two races by the legendary Troy Bayliss and at rounds 3 and 4 by Spaniard Xavi Forés.

Akrapovič News

State-of-theArt Sound Kit The Akrapovič Sound Kit is the name of an invention that will allow buyers of certain motorcycles and cars, equipped with Akrapovič exhausts, to manage the exhaust’s valves and thus sound. Valve management is carried out over a Sound Remote Controller or a mobile phone application (iOs or Android OS) and utilizes Bluetooth 4.0. The first car to come equipped with this is the Lamborghini Aventador with an Akrapovič Slip-On exhaust system. Furthermore, the Akrapovič Sound Kit will be soon available on exhaust systems for HarleyDavidson Dyna and Touring models.

Racers enthusiastic about RS 5 DTM The first weekend of May marks the start of the DTM 2015 season, which will offer spectators not one but two races per racing weekend. Teams have prepared well for the season. Audi, which will defend the constructor title, carried out its preparations in windy and occasionally rainy Estoril. The Portuguese track was the first opportunity after the winter break for the drivers to test the racing Audi RS 5 DTM. “This was the first time for me to sit in the RS 5 DTM since the finale at Hockenheim and I immediately felt comfortable. The car is superbly balanced,” Timo Scheider said. Apart from the former DTM champion, the Audi RS 5 DTM was also driven by all other

Audi racing drivers for the 2015 season: Mattias Ekström, Miguel Molina, Adrien Tambay, Edoardo Mortara, Jamie Green, Nico Müller and Mike Rockenfeller.

New Audi R8 LMS Audi unveiled the all-new Audi R8 LMS race car. The successor to GT3, which won last year’s 24-hour races at Nürburgring and Spa, was officially presented at the Geneva Motor Show and is being prepared for these exhausting endurance events by quattro GmbH. “Our new Audi R8 LMS is ready for a rigorous testing program in racing conditions,” Romolo Liebchen, Head of Audi Sport customer racing, said.

06 / 11

First Akrapovic Partner Seminar

exhaust systems in Bad Salzuflen. Akrapovič also stood out with its display area, first unveiled at the European Bike Week at Lake Faak, Austria, and now shown in Germany for the first time.

injury just prior to the start of the season, he was replaced at the first two races by the legendary Troy Bayliss and at rounds 3 and 4 by Spaniard Xavi Forés.

Akrapovič News

Audi racing drivers for the 2015 season: Mattias Ekström, Miguel Molina, Adrien Tambay, Edoardo Mortara, Jamie Green, Nico Müller and Mike Rockenfeller.

06 / 11

Two Red Dots Akrapovič himself. Both winning products vied for the jury’s affections together with 4,928 products from 56 countries. The new awards are further proof of the excellence of Akrapovič product design. The awarded exhaust systems will be exhibited at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen and showcased in the Red Dot Design Yearbook.

Ryan Dungey takes KTM’s first-ever Supercross world title Ryan Dungey won the Supercross world champion title at the 14th race of the season in Houston, Texas. This is the first Supercross world title for KTM, whose factory team is equipped with Akrapovič exhaust systems. Dungey had an incredible season, having stood at the podium at 13 out of the first 14 races, winning six times and wrapping up the title three races before the season’s end. KTM’s achievement is also world champion title No. 98 for Akrapovič.

Audi wins WEC opener at Silverstone Audi Sport managed a dream start of the 2015 motorsport year. In the season opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Silverstone, the Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer took victory after a thrilling six-hour race in which the lead kept changing and was fiercely contested. “Congratulations to Marcel, André and Ben, who delivered fantastic motorsport for six hours today,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “This victory is a dream start of the season and a great reward for the whole squad for the hard work last winter. At the same time, this success motivates us even more for the great challenges awaiting us the next few weeks. The weekend at Silverstone has also shown that we could be facing what may be the most thrilling and fiercely contested WEC season ever.”

Akrapovič organised its traditional Employee Gathering in December, where the company’s management presented the year’s achievements and plans for the future. Surprise guests in the form of racers Marco Wittmann and Andrea Dovizioso made an appearance, signing autographs and taking photos with employees alongside their race car and bike. Ducati’s MotoGP star and last season’s DTM champion, as well as an Akrapovič brand-ambassador, took a tour of Akrapovič alongside company owner Igor Akrapovič and CEO Uroš Rosa and saw first-hand the process of development and manufacture of top exhaust systems.

Photo credits: Cudby S. / KTM Images

2015 Red Dot awards in the category Product Design went to the Akrapovič Evolution Line (Titanium) exhaust system for the BMW M3/M4 with carbon fibre tailpipes and a diffusor and the Akrapovič SlipOn Line (Carbon) exhaust system for the Kawasaki Ninja H2, which was presented as a design concept at last year’s Intermot show and designed by none other than Igor

Race stars come to visit

Akrapovič News

Akrapovic Joins Forces with Ducati Performance Akrapovič is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Ducati Performance that will see the Slovenian company designing and producing exclusive exhaust systems for this famous Italian build. The first product available is the stunning Evolution Line titanium exhaust system for the 2015 Ducati Panigale. Developed exclusively with input from Ducati Performance, this lightweight system is available with mapping software. Designed, developed, tested, and produced exclusively at

Akrapovič’s state-of-the-art premises in Slovenia, this beautifully crafted system is created using hi-tech methods, from the company’s own foundry for casting the intricate parts of the system right through to the acoustic engineers that work on producing the very best sound to accompany highquality workmanship. This exquisite attention to detail makes this new addition to the Ducati Performance range one of the most stunning pieces of mechanical engineering available for any motorcycle.

Bentley Continental GT3-R Bentley’s new Continental GT3-R is the company’s most dynamic and fastestaccelerating Bentley ever produced. The beauty with a 572 HP V8 heart of a beast, inspired by the Continental GT3 race car, also comes equipped with an Akrapovič titanium exhaust. Hand-built in Crewe, England, the car is finished by Bentley’s motorsport department. The GT3-R is limited to just 300 examples globally.

Perfection

Official 2015 Racing Line Up

The winners of last year’s Akrapovič Innovation Day were rewarded by a trip to Sweden, where they took part in BMW Ice Perfection Training. Judging by their faces upon return, the best innovators of 2014 had a great time skidding BMW M4’s over a frozen lake, despite the biting cold. Applications for Akrapovič Innovation Day 2015 are already underway.

Yamaha Motor Europe has launched a comprehensive challenge for 2015 racing victory across multiple classes both on- and off-road. The special launch event at the headquarters of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team at Gerno di Lesmo in Italy saw an impressive nine teams line up to show their 2015 racing colours. The arrival of the all-new YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M have made it the perfect opportunity for selected road racing teams to collaborate further with Yamaha and aim to dominate their classes. The 2015 season also sees a revised racing infrastructure to offer the best support for Yamaha Motor Europe’s Official Racing Teams. A new Racing Department has been established inside the Yamaha Europe Marketing Division, with Andrea Dosoli returning to Yamaha as Road Racing Project Manager and Erik Eggens promoted to the role of Motocross Racing Manager. Based in Yamaha France, Marketing and Communications Division Manager Alexandre Kowalski will add responsibility for Enduro and Rally operations to his duties.

06 / 11

Photo credits: Cudby S. / KTM Images

Race stars come to visit

Akrapovič News

Perfection

Official 2015 Racing Line Up

12 / 13

5 minutes before the race I made the step to touring-cars; it was from a sporting perspective and the possibility of making a decisive step forward in my career.

Marco Wittmann

In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between a formula car and a touring car for the driver? Firstly, the perspective from the car. In contrast to a formula car, you can’t see the wheels in a touring car. On the other hand, the cars are very different in terms of weight. A touring car is much heavier than a formula vehicle.

“ AT A K R A P O V I Č , YOU C A N F E E L T H E PA S S I O N FOR RACING!

Is the DTM your absolute dream-series now - and if yes, why? In the DTM I feel at home. The work within the teams between drivers, mechanics and engineers is very professional. Furthermore the series has a high-quality roster of drivers. More is not possible.

His c a r e e r a ctua ll y b e g a n i n for mu l a- s p or t s but the bi g g e st he a d li n e s M ar co W i tt man n (b or n on Nove m be r 24 t h, 1 989 ) mad e w a s w h e n h e b e cam e the y oung e st Ge r m a n DT M c h amp i on of a l l t i m e at age 24 . Thi s s e a s on t h e gu y from F ü r t h (n e a r

How about the technical standards of the DTM, the high-tech factor, when compared to Formula 1? I can’t answer this question, because I’ve never driven a Formula 1 car. The technological standard in the DTM is very high at all events.

Nürnbe r g in no r t h e r n B av a r i a ) w ou l d l i k e to repe at his succe s s. T e c h n i c a l sup p or t from Slov e ni a is he r e to h e l p h i m: Both his R a cing - B M W a s well a s his p r ivate B M W hav e be e n f i tt e d w i t h

Your DTM-BMW is fitted with an exhaustsystem by the Slovenian company Akrapovič - is it possible that an exhaust makes a difference in a DTM-car? How important is it in the overall scheme of things? Our cars are focused on performance, every single part, and that includes the exhaust system too. It’s part of the vehicle’s success and can be a deciding factor behind winning or losing.

an exhaust- s y st e m b y A kr ap ovič. by Karin Sturm photography BMW and Akrapovič

Being the youngest German DTM-champion of all time, is it special to you? Marco Wittmann: It is something special. I never expected to win the title in what was just my second year. But entering the history books as the youngest German DTM champion todate makes me enormously proud. Did winning the championship in the DTM change anything in your life? No, I’m still the same guy as before. Maybe the other drivers do respect me more after winning the title. But I haven’t changed. The aim for 2015 is probably to defend the title. Will this be even more difficult than becoming champion for the first time? This will not be an easy task for sure, as the DTM is one of the most competitive racing series in the world. Everyone resets to zero again in 2015. But my aim is clear: I want to become champion again. On the other hand, there are a

lot of new things this season. There will be two races every weekend. Everyone has to get used to that. But I will give my best to be at the very top again.

fully focused on the DTM. I feel very good in the BMW family. I became champion last year and am hoping for many more successful years in this series.

As a child, did you always dream of becoming a racing driver? Who were your role-models? My whole family is crazy for motorsports, so I always dreamed of racing. In my youth, Michael Schumacher was the big role model of all junior drivers. But, in the meantime, BMW brand-ambassador Alex Zanardi is my role-model – both as a human being as well as an athlete.

So why did you change to touring cars then? Were there financial reasons for this? The way to the top is very costly in formula sports, of course. To have a manufacturer like BMW supporting you, building up your talents and abilities, makes things easier. When BMW offered me the chance to test the DTM car at the end of 2011, I took the chance. I impressed them, got a contract as a test- and development-driver for the 2012 season and was later promoted to permanent drivers. It’s great fun to fight for victories and titles in the BMW M4 DTM. That’s the reason why. I didn’t really have financial reasons for why

You originated in formula-sports, and have been very successful there, too - did you dream about Formula 1 back then? Everyone who’s active in formula sports dreams about being in the Formula 1 at least once. But that’s behind me now. Currently I’m

Do you know Slovenia? Have you been there once, how did you like it? Yes, I have been to Slovenia three times and was visiting our partner, Akrapovič. It was a very interesting experience, I liked it very much. You can feel how passionate everyone in the company is about motorsports. Which of your cars are fitted with an Akrapovič-exhaust? I use an Akrapovič exhaust system in private as well. Many of the BMW M Models I drive in private are also fitted with one - just like my racing car. How does the racing driver Wittmann drive privately? I’m a sporty driver, but always respecting the traffic regulations.

5 minutes before the race

12 / 13

5 minutes before the race I made the step to touring-cars; it was from a sporting perspective and the possibility of making a decisive step forward in my career.

Marco Wittmann

“ AT A K R A P O V I Č , YOU C A N F E E L T H E PA S S I O N FOR RACING!

an exhaust- s y st e m b y A kr ap ovič. by Karin Sturm photography BMW and Akrapovič

lot of new things this season. There will be two races every weekend. Everyone has to get used to that. But I will give my best to be at the very top again.

fully focused on the DTM. I feel very good in the BMW family. I became champion last year and am hoping for many more successful years in this series.

5 minutes before the race

14 / 19

Visit with us

DUC AT I CO R S E 14

BE HIND THAT DOO R

by Primož Jurman photography Bor Dobrin

EVERY MAJOR FACTORY, EVERY COMPANY THAT TAKES PRIDE IN ITSELF, NURSES A SPECIAL DIVISION IN ITS HEART. THIS IS THE COMPANY’S ESSENCE, THE CORE, WHERE IDEAS MIGHT BE BORN OR FUTURE TECHNOLOGY MIGHT BE TESTED. IT IS THE APPLE OF THE Paolo Ciabatti.

COMPANY’S EYE, CAREFULLY GUARDED FROM THE UNWANTED AND INQUISITIVE GAZE OF THE

“At Akrapovič, they are

OUTSIDE WORLD. AT DUCATI, IT’S

very passionate about what

THEIR RACING TEAM DIVISION:

they do, as we are here at

DUCATI CORSE. AND THERE, IN

Ducati, so working with

BORGO PANIGALE, THEY OPENED

someone and sharing the

THE DOOR A CRACK AND LET US

same passion is a nice

TAKE A PEEK AT WHAT LIES

working experience.”

WITHIN.

Not everybody gets the chance to walk through this mechanical sanctuary of two-wheeled racing, which gives birth to machines that are among the fastest in the world. The photographer and I got stopped at the factory gates by a security guard who put special stickers on our mobile phones and made us sign separate forms. We knew that this was serious business. Just entering the factory requires extra work, as the Corse racing team division is usually off limits to outside visitors. But an exception was made for us and the door separating the public from the hallowed ones was opened.

Paolo Ciabatti

racing. Photographs from races are everywhere, the employees watch them and follow the sport with their heart and soul. They cheer for “their” bikes and riders. Basically it all originates from sports. Both companies share the same passion for racing, from which they draw their energy and desire to win. Different forms of cooperation between Bologna and Ivančna Gorica originated in racing – but Akrapovič is today also a partner of Ducati Performance. The Corse racing team division was established in 1954 and employs more than a 100 people, about a tenth of Ducati’s entire workforce. It is divided into four departments: R&D, sporting activities, commercial activities and marketing.

THE SAME VALUES AND EQUAL PASSION DUCATI CORSE & FOR RACING AKRAPOVIC PARTNERS Akrapovič and Ducati have been cooperating in MotoGP since 2014 and in 2015 began working together in the Superbike World Championship. As we stroll among disassembled racing machines, whose mechanical guts are worked on by mechanics, I realised that Ducati is, like Akrapovič, very much attached to

We spoke about the division’s activities, philosophy, plans and cooperation with Akrapovič to three higherups at Ducati: Paolo Ciabatti, Luigi Dall’Igna and Diego Sgorbati. We caught them at their posts, which

we found in the labyrinth of offices, workshops and manufacturing facilities with the help of Julian Thomas, the extremely friendly Ducati MotoGP Press Manager.

more than just our supplier, we’re partners, we share and exchange ideas, and carry out performance tests. The cooperation has paid off so far, as we kicked off the season in Australia by being on the podium twice.

Paolo Ciabatti – Ducati Corse Sporting Director

What did Akrapovič bring to the Ducati Corse?

Sports and motorcycle racing are in the genes of both companies – now Ducati and Akrapovič have become partners on the track. What is your take on this era of cooperation?

Akrapovič is a leading company in the field of exhaust systems; they are probably the best company in the world working with titanium. Apart from that, they have extensive racing knowledge – they’re involved not only in motorcycle racing, but in car racing as well. Our engineers have their ideas, but they work closely with Akrapovič engineers and they share notions about what would work best for our bikes. I think that Akrapovič’s knowledge is really beneficial for us.

We approached each other many times in the past, but cooperation was impossible for numerous reasons, with one exception – when we used Akrapovič exhausts at the Superstock Cup a few years ago. Now we’re starting our second season together in MotoGP and will extend our cooperation this year to the World Superbike Championship. At the same time, Ducati started working with Akrapovič as an aftermarket exhaust partner for the Panigale. It’s very important for us to have a partner like Akrapovič because of the development support we receive in dealing with exhausts, a key component of a bike’s performance. Akrapovič is

You now have some experience working with Akrapovič, especially in MotoGP and now extending to Superbike. Are you satisfied with the level of cooperation? It’s a real partnership, and when you work with a partner, you share information with them. Sometimes

it’s not easy, sometimes our requests are probably very demanding in terms of timing, but the response so far has been fantastic. I must admit this cooperation went beyond our expectations, and we even established close personal relations with some people at Akrapovič. They are very passionate about what they do, as are we here at Ducati, so working with someone and sharing the same passion is a nice working experience. We also did some marketing together and it is a pleasure to work with such company.

one race this season. This is quite an ambitious target, since we must beat Honda, Yamaha, and four of the best riders currently in MotoGP. However, I think our two riders are strong and that they can fight their way to the top spots. Both Andreases are very fast and very determined, so I see no reason why we can’t achieve our target, even if it’s a very ambitious one.

What are your plans for this MotoGP season?

We have aspirations in Superbike as well. We have a new partner and team sponsor and together we would like to win races. We think we are among the title contenders in the championship. We were unfortunate regarding Davide, who was injured and will not be back on the track until Imola. On the other hand, Davies did a good job, and was able to fight for the win. Regarding the exhaust, we did a lot of runs during preseason tests, and we got positive feedback, also from all our satellite teams now using Akrapovič.

They are quite ambitious, actually. Last year our aim was to close the gap with the fastest guys to 10 seconds or less, which we accomplished in the second part of the season. We just introduced our new bike, the GP15, which has some similarities with the previous model GP14.3 and which took part in the second preseason testing in Sepang. It’s a brand new bike, with a brand new engine, and we had almost no reliability problems, which was the main goal. The bike still needs some refinement and development. Our aim is to be able to fight for the podium very soon and to win at least

Akrapovič is also partnering with Ducati at the Superbike World Championship this season.

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DUC AT I CO R S E 14

BE HIND THAT DOO R

by Primož Jurman photography Bor Dobrin

COMPANY’S EYE, CAREFULLY GUARDED FROM THE UNWANTED AND INQUISITIVE GAZE OF THE

“At Akrapovič, they are

OUTSIDE WORLD. AT DUCATI, IT’S

very passionate about what

THEIR RACING TEAM DIVISION:

they do, as we are here at

DUCATI CORSE. AND THERE, IN

Ducati, so working with

BORGO PANIGALE, THEY OPENED

someone and sharing the

THE DOOR A CRACK AND LET US

same passion is a nice

TAKE A PEEK AT WHAT LIES

working experience.”

WITHIN.

Paolo Ciabatti

we found in the labyrinth of offices, workshops and manufacturing facilities with the help of Julian Thomas, the extremely friendly Ducati MotoGP Press Manager.

Paolo Ciabatti – Ducati Corse Sporting Director

What did Akrapovič bring to the Ducati Corse?

Sports and motorcycle racing are in the genes of both companies – now Ducati and Akrapovič have become partners on the track. What is your take on this era of cooperation?

What are your plans for this MotoGP season?

Akrapovič is also partnering with Ducati at the Superbike World Championship this season.

14 / 19

Visit with us

34 1 6

Luigi Dall’Igna.

Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager With the new GP15 bike rolled out at the start of the new season, are your hopes high for MotoGP 2015? Well, it’s quite difficult to predict what the season will bring, since we only did 1,000 kilometres with the new bike. We’re at the beginning – the first impressions from the riders were quite positive and the first data we collected points in the same direction. I am quite confident that we have made a giant leap forward, compared with all the issues we faced in the previous season. Naturally, some kinks still need to be ironed out and I hope we’ll be able to do our next batch of improvements soon. The aim for Ducati Corse in this season is to win at least one race. It won’t be easy,

Diego Sgorbati.

since we’re dealing with strong competition from the likes of Honda and Yamaha.

Are you satisfied with the level of cooperation you get with Akrapovič?

How do you see Akrapovič exhaust as a part of the bike?

Absolutely. Our joint work is more like a partnership, since we don’t consider Akrapovič to be a mere supplier. Bike exhausts sometimes cause problems with regard to the bike’s design and Akrapovič has a different approach from all other exhaust manufacturers. For that reason, I admire their work.

I’ve been working with Akrapovič for my entire career, dealing with 4-stroke engines, and for me Akrapovič is the best exhaust brand. I have a good relationship with everyone who works there. The exhaust is one of the most important parts of the bike. It’s important when it comes to performance, handling the engine and durability. It’s a difficult part to produce, due to the high temperatures around the engine; it’s a high-temperature part and it’s difficult to manage the heat exchange with the other parts of the bike. It’s really important to get the right shape and the right positioning for the exhaust.

“I’ve been working

“What we found in

with Akrapovič for my

this project is something

entire career, dealing

very special that we

with 4-stroke engines,

only seldom find with

and for me Akrapovič

our partners:

is the best exhaust

beauty.”

brand.”

Diego Sgorbati

Luigi Dall’Igna

Diego Sgorbati – Director of Motorcycle Related Products How did cooperation with Akrapovič begin? As the person in charge of motorcycle-related products – parts, accessories, apparel, everything that has to do with Ducati – it was a very logical choice to move forward with Akrapovič, especially since our colleagues from Corse decided to join forces with the Slovenian brand. Our goal is to transfer emotion, the Ducati Corse emotion, to our customers. The apex for our brand is when our bike wins the race – that is what Ducati lives for. We want to deliver bits of the genuine Ducati experience to our customers and fans and we want our customers to believe in this experience. For which projects did you cooperate with Akrapovič? We developed a new exhaust for the 1299 Panigale, which defines Ducati better than any other bike. It is a bike that contains all our commitment and experience.

There can be no success without passion.

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34 1 6

Luigi Dall’Igna.

Diego Sgorbati.

since we’re dealing with strong competition from the likes of Honda and Yamaha.

Are you satisfied with the level of cooperation you get with Akrapovič?

How do you see Akrapovič exhaust as a part of the bike?

“I’ve been working

“What we found in

with Akrapovič for my

this project is something

entire career, dealing

very special that we

with 4-stroke engines,

only seldom find with

and for me Akrapovič

our partners:

is the best exhaust

beauty.”

brand.”

Diego Sgorbati

Luigi Dall’Igna

There can be no success without passion.

14 / 19

Visit with us

Bikes for new champions are quietly born in Ducati Corse.

1954 – Ducati Corse established We want to share our racing experience as closely as possible with our customers. What we found in this project is something very special that we only seldom find with our partners: beauty. The exhaust that we developed for 1299 is more than just tremendously powerful, its every detail speaks of the special attention paid to its performance and looks. What do you see as the strongest point of Akrapovič exhausts? The values of Akrapovič are very close to those of Ducati. We always stress style, personalisation and performance and I think Akrapovič does the same – we’re really aligned with the things we do, so we’re extremely satisfied to have a partner like Akrapovič. I have to say that when we first presented the exhaust to dealers at our dealer meeting last year, we showcased it like a piece of art. Our dealers were very excited about it.

What are your next steps in terms of cooperation with Akrapovič? Our roadmap of cooperation with Akrapovič involves projects for our future models. In addition, we will try to involve our dealers a little bit more, so that they understand what Akrapovič is and what this partnership between Akrapovič and Ducati means. We will try to communicate that we are reliable partners and stand strong together. Most of our cooperation with Akrapovič in the future will focus on performance. Would you say that Akrapovič is beneficial for Ducati and vice versa? I’m certain that this is true; because we share the basic values of doing things in a certain way, it seems quite clear that both parties will enjoy the advantages of this partnership. Both brands were bolstered and made

sharper. When Akrapovič partnered with Ducati, it became even stronger in terms of style, sophistication and performance. Ducati, on the other hand, quite possibly represents the spirit of Akrapovič more than other brands Akrapovič works with. I must admit that there are only two or three exhaust manufacturers with the same clear brand profile as Akrapovič.

2003 – Ducati enters MotoGP class 2007 – Casey Stoner becomes MotoGP world champion on Ducati 1990 to 2011 – 14-world championship titles in WSBK for Ducati

Na obisku v Ducati Corse Vsaka pomembnejša tovarna, vsako podjetje, ki da kaj nase, ima v svojih nedrjih oddelek, ki je nekaj posebnega. Je bistvo tovarne, kjer se rojevajo ideje ali preizkuša nova tehnologija za prihodnost. So njena punčica, skrbno varovana pred nezaželenimi in zvedavimi pogledi zunanjega sveta. V Ducatiju je to tekmovalni oddelek Ducati Corse, kjer so nam odškrnili

vrata, da smo lahko poškilili izza njih. Ko se sprehajamo med razdrtimi tekmovalnimi stroji, po katerih mehanskih drobovjih si mehaniki dajejo opravka, spoznamo, da je Ducati, tako kot Akrapovič, zelo navezan na dirkaški šport. Obe znamki si delita enako dirkaško strast, iz nje črpata energijo in motiv za zmagovanje.

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Bikes for new champions are quietly born in Ducati Corse.

2003 – Ducati enters MotoGP class 2007 – Casey Stoner becomes MotoGP world champion on Ducati 1990 to 2011 – 14-world championship titles in WSBK for Ducati

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revolution

Revolution K AWA S A K I NI NJ A H2 AND TOM SYKES ON THE REMA IN S O F T H E HI STO RI C AD RI AT I C GRA N D PRIX

T H E ‘ M O NT E CARLO ’ O F NO RT H E RN

From The Past To The Future

AD RI AT I C The long drop and the equally steep climb above the coast presented challenges for the technology, putting loads on both the engines and brakes. But it did try to make amends with the wonderful vista and the cosmopolitan Opatija, also known as the Monte Carlo of Northern Adriatic. It was this, alongside a rich history of racing, that brought us on this early spring trip, not to mention what it was made on – a uniquely designed motorbike with what every rider wishes for – brutal power! Its appearance, design and power also excited Tom: “I love powerful bikes, I love to feel that power and tame the engine beneath me.” Tom was obviously not racing on that day as he respects traffic rules and speed

by Peter Kavčič photography Bor Dobrin, historical photos: Aleksandar Popović (personal archive)

limits, but he nevertheless enjoyed riding on his new Kawasaki, despite the restrictions. Down the startfinish straight, pass the stands, one of the few mementos of the town’s racing past, the road gently undulating alongside the coast until a long left turn and two quicker ones bring you to a right hairpin, called the Opatija turn, and the westernmost point of the former track. Then follows a series of quick left and right turns to the highest point and then the descent to what must be the circuit’s most harrowing feature, an S bend at its quickest part. The bravest riders flew through it at speeds reaching 250 kph! Then sharp braking to navigate the easternmost point of the track, the Rijeka turn, actually a sharp right-handed hairpin that led the riders towards a series of downhill S bends and then to a long right turn leading back to the finishing straight. The motorbikes that are used by MotoGP and WorldSBK riders today

would make racing on this circuit extremely risky and the tolerance level for errors would be zero! After taking a look of the track, Tom, who finished the 2013 season with a world champion title in WorldSBK and came in second last year, admitted that he did not see himself guiding his Kawasaki between the rocks and the precipices. “I’ll definitely stay on closed circuits! I have tons of respect for the guys doing road racing today, especially the races such as the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man. When I thought of TT races I knew they were all mad, but when you see it live, it’s four times as crazy! I stood by the road, right next to the fence and heard an approaching bike. As it sped past me, just a few centimetres from the rails, I got goose bumps. Big respect for the guys on TT races and all who were racing over here.” >>

The track was famous for its long climbs, severely testing the bike.

Descents were not easy either, with cliffs on one, precipice and sea on the other side.

T H E A L L - N E W A N D D A R I N G K AWA SAKI NI NJA H2 WAS THE RI DE O F CHOICE FOR FO RMER WO R L D SB K C H A M P I O N TO M SY K E S AS HE TO OK TO THE REMAINS O F THE FORMER ADRIATIC G P R A CE T R A C K O N A G R O U N D - B R EAKI NG SPO RTS M OTO RBIKE, M IXING THE PRES ENT WITH T H E PA ST O N A C I R C U I T T H AT H O STED S UCH A GREAT NUMBER O F BI G NAMES I N GP RAC ING . Today the street circuit is no longer used as such; actually it has not been since 1978, when the event was moved to the Autodrom Grobnik racetrack. The old circuit, known to locals as Preluk, was abandoned because it could not even meet minimal safety standards. The speeds kept increasing and the road, hedged between crags on the one and precipices and the sea on the other side, became too dangerous. But this was the place where motorbike history

was written by Giacomo Agostini, Angel Nieto, Kent Andersson, Ricardo Tormo, Godfrey Nash and the king of Preluk Dieter Braun, who won here more often than anybody else – five times. The road, caught between the steep coast and cliffs rising above the blueness of the Bay of Rijeka on the one and rocky crags on the other side, was dangerous already in 1969, when the first Yugoslav Grand Prix,

also known as the Adriatic Grand Prix, was held. But a reminder that the golden age of racing has not been forgotten by all citizens, came in the shape of an older lady who arrived to the bus stop. Mrs. Djurdjica regularly attended races as a young girl and when she saw Tom riding past on the road, the former racetrack, she became emotional. “Thank you boys for remembering something that spread the fame of our city. I am moved.”

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

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revolution

Revolution K AWA S A K I NI NJ A H2 AND TOM SYKES ON THE REMA IN S O F T H E HI STO RI C AD RI AT I C GRA N D PRIX

T H E ‘ M O NT E CARLO ’ O F NO RT H E RN

From The Past To The Future

by Peter Kavčič photography Bor Dobrin, historical photos: Aleksandar Popović (personal archive)

The track was famous for its long climbs, severely testing the bike.

Descents were not easy either, with cliffs on one, precipice and sea on the other side.

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

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revolution

G I A CO MO A GO ST I NI V S MI C K DO OHAN As the talk turns to idols and racing legends, Tom admits that he is a bit too young to really know the riders who dominated the scene in the seventies and eighties. One of the most successful ones here in Preluk was Italian superstar Giacomo Agostini, who won a total of three races on

these roads. But Tom began to get interested in closed circuit races in the 1980’s and 90’s so his idols were born later. “In my younger age I was a big fan of Mick Doohan. His style and what he did on the bike was fantastic. I’m also a big Colin Edwards fan, he is one of greatest ever in WorldSBK. So this two had big influence on my racing career.

The former main stand has been overgrown by grass and bushes.

Tom appraises: “I’d ride into the final turn in 4th gear on my superbike... Hmm, that would really be interesting...”

“When I started racing, I discussed former race bike riders with my granddad and he would tell me to try to follow the style of Troy Corser or Max Biaggi, but that didn’t work for me in the end. I still talk races with granddad, he is a fantastic person, always supporting me and giving me his point of view.”

KAWAS AKI NI NJ A H 2 O N ‘ P RE LU K’

The paddock of the days gone by is a business and industrial zone today and the mechanics readying the motorbikes have been replaced by MOT tests. There is absolutely no trace that 50 years ago a World Championship race was held here. The most magnificent reminder of the times when Preluk attracted up to 80,000 people is the stands. Laughingly small for today’s spectators, but back then they housed the best seats, typically reserved for VIP guests. Today the rocks are covered by grass, bushes and thorns, but that did not stop Tom from climbing the fence and sitting down amongst the ghosts of spectators. He was quiet for a few seconds and then exclaimed in his characteristic Yorkshire dialect: “I’d use the 4th gear here in the last corner. It should be very interesting what speed I could carry through it. Would be definitely surprised. Real shame I can’t push it a bit with Ninja H2 here.”

At the bleeding edge: The new Akrapovič muffler blends in perfectly with the design of Kawasaki Ninja H2.

When the topic shifted to the bike that he used on the former circuit, his eyes shone. He was visibly excited with the Ninja H2. But this story runs deeper than it seems at first sight. Back at home he has the legendary Kawasaki model Mach IV. The two-stroke machine is considered one of the wildest and least tameable bikes and is part of the heritage of Kawasaki motorbikes which had forever etched themselves in the hearts of sports motorcycle fans. Tom’s bike is currently awaiting restoration to make it safe for riding on the road or, occasionally, on the track. But the Ninja H2, which he checked out for the first time right here at the Opatija Riviera, was love at first sight: “For me it’s a great bike. Sure I like the design. I have some ambitions and will try to get one.

Z revolucionarnim motociklom kot v starih časih S povsem novim Kawasakijem Ninja H2, drznih oblik, se je po sledeh legendarne dirke za veliko nagrado Jadrana zapeljal nekdanji svetovni superbikovski prvak Tom Sykes in postavil motocikel, ki premika meje v športnem motociklizmu, na prizorišče, kjer so dirkala velika imena dirk GP. Danes se tu ne dirka več, pravzaprav se ne dirka že od leta 1978, ko so dirko prestavili nekoliko višje na avtodromu Grobnik. Preluk namreč ni več dopuščal vsaj minimalnih standardov varnosti.

Hitrosti so se povečevale in cesta, ukleščena med skale na eni in prepadi in morjem na drugi strani, je postala prenevarna. Tom, ki je sezono 2013 okronal z naslovom svetovnega prvak v razredu WorldSBK, priznava, da si ne predstavlja, kako bi s svojim Kawasakijem dirkal med skalami na eni in prepadom na drugi strani. Vendar za lep izlet, kot je bil tale z novim Kawasakijem Ninja H2 z unikatnim Akrapovičevim izpušnim sistemom, si bo še vzel čas.

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revolution

The former main stand has been overgrown by grass and bushes.

Tom appraises: “I’d ride into the final turn in 4th gear on my superbike... Hmm, that would really be interesting...”

KAWAS AKI NI NJ A H 2 O N ‘ P RE LU K’

At the bleeding edge: The new Akrapovič muffler blends in perfectly with the design of Kawasaki Ninja H2.

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revolution

A T RI P TO AD RI AT I C RI VI E RA...I N T H E F U T U RE Tom also rides bikes in his free time. Not as much as he would like to, but that is the cost of travelling from one race to another and doing all the testing and preparations of a WorldSBK champion. His current street bike is the versatile Kawasaki Versys 1000. “It’s perfect for a bit of fun, to go for a coffee or visit my family and friends.” When asked about vacationing with a motorbike, for instance would he come here to the north Adriatic

In bygone days, the brave riders were cheered on by up to 80,000 fans!

Kawasaki did a great job, they just went right outside of the box with it. For me this bike is like a sports car. It’s just more than a normal sports bike. It’s fantastic what they did with speed, with the trellis frame, the design and colour. Man I love that colour, I would love to have this on my race bike. Also the Akrapovič exhaust looks really special, they did this signature series especially for this bike and they fit so well. It gives nice control over engine and response, beautiful! And the sound! While passing rocky walls beside the road, the echo just pumped up the powerful sound.” True that Akrapovič recently unveiled an all-new Slip-On, designed by Igor Akrapovič himself, and the Kawasaki Ninja H2 is the first motorcycle that the new exhaust is already available for.

“I can imagine that the closed circuit Kawasaki Ninja H2R model is even sharper. I’ve heard it sounds just fantastic with that supercharged engine and more open exhaust. I think it shows the level of engineering capacity Kawasaki put into these two bikes. The ride is radical and talking about adrenaline, well this machine provides tons of it.” For Sykes, the adrenalin rush is at its highest when crossing the finish line as first, in front of the pack of fellow competitors. But starts are the most nerve-wrecking, tension is the highest then, he says. With more power, winning also gets easier. Sadly Tom cannot place this engine into his WSBK spec Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R. Kawasaki’s closed circuit bike, the Ninja H2R has a massive 300 bhp of power and must be tons of fun. Sykes already has his plan. “You can

do a lot with that power! Especially with my riding style. I think it would be nice. I can manage power quite well, it fits my riding style. This year new regulations brought in a decrease in power in WorldSBK championship and we are still learning how to use the bike to its utmost. The Ninja H2 that I rode today has a lot of potential. It’s nice to ride a bike with that much power and supercharger. They did a great job! I’m really really aching to use all that power and could hardly hold myself back when passing that 40 kph road sign. I would like to try this on a track with proper race tires, just to understand its real potential. It’s also way more comfortable than my race bike, with the sitting position and my height feels relaxed. The centre of gravity is low, so handling is nice. The acceleration is really good.”

Riviera, he admits that he really has no time yet for such a holiday. Usually he just packs his bags and flies somewhere where he can lay down and relax, a complete change from his racing day. “It would definitely be nice to go for a trip with friends. It’s so pretty here in Croatia, the sun is nice and warm, the sea is clean, you can see the islands in front and snow-covered peaks at the back. The vibe here is relaxed, quite special in fact.”

TO U GH O N E : C O F F E E O R TE A ? Tom enjoyed his ride on a pleasant sunny day and while relaxing on the

terrace of Opatija’s finest hotel with a cup of cappuccino in his hands, he was presented with a rather interesting dilemma. Coffee or tea? After a few moments of hesitation, he replied with a Yorkshire man’s typical straightforwardness: “Yeah... It depends on the scenario. If I could only drink one for the rest of my life, I would pick tea! A nice pot of bloody Yorkshire leaf tea!” After his last sip, he gently put the cup back on the table, stretched his legs and took in the scenery. A Kawasaki Ninja H2 with the new Akrapovič Slip-On exhaust system in the late afternoon sun. What a view!

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revolution

In bygone days, the brave riders were cheered on by up to 80,000 fans!

TO U GH O N E : C O F F E E O R TE A ? Tom enjoyed his ride on a pleasant sunny day and while relaxing on the

Hot Stuff from Akrapovič Akrapovič exhaust systems are designed for riders who demand maximum performance from their motorcycles. They feature exceptional production qua-lity, hi-tech materials, increased engine performance and of course amazing sound and appearance. The change is also visual, as our mufflers Kawasaki Ninja H2 + 4.0 HP/10,900 rpm perfectly fit the exterior line - 5.7 kg (-71.25%) of modern motorcycles and add a clean racing image.

Hot stuff

Car Stuff

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Welcome to our range of aftermarket exhaust systems for cars. We offer complete, partial, open or EC-type approved products that significantly improve performance. We use only the best and exclusive titanium and stainless steel. We combine these two materials with high technologies and craftsmanship of our welders that divide this exhausts systems from anything else on the market.

Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 + 9.9 HP/3,100 rpm + 28.2 Nm/2,100 rpm - 13.8 kg (-46%) Titanium, Inconel Akrapovič Sound Kit

Yamaha YZF-R1 + 3.6 HP/13,700 rpm - 5.2 kg (-52%)

26 Porsche 911 GT3 (991) + 19.9 HP/3,950 rpm + 50.6 Nm/3,900 rpm - 22.2 kg (-57%) Titanium BMW S 1000 R + 3.5 HP/11,100 rpm - 6.8 kg (-62.96%)

27 Ducati Hypermotard + 2.0 HP/6,800 rpm - 2.4 kg (-57.14%) BMW M3 + 10.2 HP/5,200 rpm + 16.0 Nm/2,450 rpm

Harley-Davidson Dyna FXDWG Wide Glide More power Less weight

Renault Mégane Coupé Renault Sport + 4.6 HP/5,850 rpm + 6.8 Nm/3,600 rpm - 4.1 kg (-35%) Titanium

Honda CB650F More power Less weight

- 11.4 kg (-28,8%) Titanium Carbon fiber diffuser

Car stuff

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Hot stuff

Car Stuff

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 + 9.9 HP/3,100 rpm + 28.2 Nm/2,100 rpm - 13.8 kg (-46%) Titanium, Inconel Akrapovič Sound Kit

Yamaha YZF-R1 + 3.6 HP/13,700 rpm - 5.2 kg (-52%)

26 Porsche 911 GT3 (991) + 19.9 HP/3,950 rpm + 50.6 Nm/3,900 rpm - 22.2 kg (-57%) Titanium BMW S 1000 R + 3.5 HP/11,100 rpm - 6.8 kg (-62.96%)

27 Ducati Hypermotard + 2.0 HP/6,800 rpm - 2.4 kg (-57.14%) BMW M3 + 10.2 HP/5,200 rpm + 16.0 Nm/2,450 rpm

Harley-Davidson Dyna FXDWG Wide Glide More power Less weight

Renault Mégane Coupé Renault Sport + 4.6 HP/5,850 rpm + 6.8 Nm/3,600 rpm - 4.1 kg (-35%) Titanium

Honda CB650F More power Less weight

- 11.4 kg (-28,8%) Titanium Carbon fiber diffuser

Car stuff

Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!

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Interview

Interview RI CC AR D O ILLY

We are Dedicated to Good Coffee

by Hermina Kovačič photography Bor Dobrin, Illy Archive

My first thought when hearing the word Trieste and, usually,

Slavic, Romanic and Germanic, a history and insularity that

jor European port already in the first half of the 18th century.

with the Hungarian Francesco Illy. Today the story continues

my first destination as I depart for this seaside Italian city,

give it perennial charm, the prejudiced conservativeness and

Coffee shops, roasting mills, sales companies sprung up left and

with Francesco’s grandchildren, the third generation, headed

is the Piazza Unità d’Italia, in my opinion the perfect, most

its counterpart, openness to the novelties that come by sea and

right. Brands were born which became synonymous with high

by a president of Gruppo Illy Spa and vice president of Illycaffè

beautiful square in the world. It is flat, blanketed by 19th cen-

land. Trieste smells of the sea and its fruits, which end up on

quality coffee…

Riccardo Illy, a marketing expert, former mayor, governor of the

tury historic buildings on three sides and overlooks the sea. It

the plates of numerous trattorias and restaurants, Aperol Spritz

Brands like Illy, a leading global company with a presence in

Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and a national MP. We met for coffee

encapsulates all that Trieste stands for: a mixture of cultures,

and…coffee. How could it not. Coffee began arriving in this ma-

over 140 countries and with a rich history that began in the 1930s

at the terrace of the Duchi d’Aosta Hotel, built in 1873 and located at, where else, the Piazza Unità d’Italia.