volume 7 | issue 06
JULY 2016
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MOTORCYCLE NEWS
New Ducati Coming Mix - 0/35/85/0
Ducati have a habit of giving the hordes of Ducatisti who make the pilgrimage to Misano for World Ducati Week a bit of an extra treat. Unfortunately for Ducati, and despite their best efforts to try to confiscate them, someone always manages to sneak a camera in, unmasking the private treat to the whole world. And yes, it’s happened again. Ducati’s latest WDW treat is codenamed Project 1312 (the thirteenth project bike started in 2012). So what do we know about Project 1312 - the new Ducati Supersport S? Product Manager, Paolo Quattrino, confirmed the new Supersport is much more than a concept, and will arrive in 2017. Quattrino, revealed: “The engine is tuned to be really smooth because it’s a sportsbike with road focused performance. “The bike is brand new, it’s just the frame that comes from XDiavel and Monster trellis frame. There are some components used on other bikes but otherwise it’s a completely new bike. “The Supersport is not an entry-level sportsbike. This is a sportsbike designed for the road. “There will be two models, the Supersport and the Supersport S. The main difference is that the S has Öhlins suspension front and rear, and a removable rear seat cowl. “The dash is completely new with new functionality, and is ready for the Ducati multimedia system, the same as on Multistrada. The headlamp shape is completely new, the shape was inspired by Panigale but the headlamp has daytime running lights. The exhaust is new as well as the complete fairing. “This bike is for customers who desire a sportsbike with versatility and with road focus performance. It is for riders who don’t want a bike for trackdays so this is a bike that is sporty and at the same time comfortable in terms of seating position.
There was no question that BMW Motorrad could let the 80th anniversary of the R 5 pass without officially marking the occasion. And what better way to honour one of the favourite BMW motorcycles of all time than by creating a dedicated homage bike to showcase all the classic beauty of the original, but incorporating a whole host of modern twists. Rider thrills, race wins and an elegant, timeless design are just a few of the many valid reasons why the 1936 R 5 is considered by classic motorcycle enthusiasts as one of the very best of the pre-war BMW boxers. Among the many R 5 fans is current BMW Motorrad head of vehicle design, Ola Stenegard, whose long-held
30%K
BMW pays respect to one of its all-time greats. dream of creating a concept bike to pay homage to the fastest and most modern BMW motorcycle of its time has brought together a select group of experts in classic racing and restoration, design, engineering and custom building. The surge in popularity of building cool custom bikes based around old BMWs has seen interest and demand for old airhead boxers skyrocket. But when BMW Motorrad had the idea to celebrate the 80th birthday of the R 5 with a modern, yet sophisticated homage bike that would showcase the beautiful proportions, lines and details of the original, the last thing on anyone’s mind would be taking apart an historic R 5, as Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design,
BMW Motorrad, explains. “The R 5 is one of mine and Ola’s favourite BMWs from a design point of view. It’s got it all – the rigid frame that’s the purest and most beautiful solution and that special motor at the heart of the bike. But customising old historic vehicles is super sensitive. Where do you put a modern part and what do you leave stock? It’s a balancing act and we knew we wanted to give it a modern feel by updating brakes, suspension and things like that but we didn’t want to fit a prototype motor or a 9T engine. A new motor just wouldn’t cut it, because it wouldn’t honour the R 5 in the right way, but we couldn’t just chop up an old original R 5 – CONTINUED ON P.03