Ducati reveals ‘Superquadro’ engine details for the 1199 Panigale

Ducati recently released some technical details and photos on the engine that will power its forthcoming superbike, the 1199 Panigale. Dubbed ‘Superquadro,’ the engine is completely new and only retains two elements from Ducati’s previous superbikes – Fabio Taglioni’s 90-degree L-twin configuration and Desmodromic valve control. The name comes from the massively over-square bore and stroke ratio of the liquid-cooled four-stroke 1199cc L-Twin. Bore has increased 6mm to 112mm, while stroke has been decreased 7.1mm to 60.8mm. This allows the more oversquare engine to spin at higher rpm than before.

Claimed peak power at the crankshaft is 198PS@10,750 rpm while peak torque stands at 133Nm@9000 rpm. To cope with the massively increased power, Ducati will be offering electronic ‘rider friendly’ power modes that lays down power to the tarmac in the most civil way possible. Besides increased power, the engine was also designed to reduce the overall weight of the 1199 Panigale’s chassis, the Superquadro acting as a stress member for the 1199’s monocoque frame.

The Ducati 1199 Panigale is set to be formally unveiled at the EICMA International Motorcycle Show next month.

The Royal Enfield has introduced two new colour scheme for the Classic range – Chrome & Desert Storm. The Classic Chrome carries chrome tanks, wide mud guards and oval tool box, apart from the tiger lamps that Royal Enfield bikes are famed for. It features a single spring saddle seat remind us 1950’s styling. While Desert Storm is World War era inspired, with sand colour scheme. The matt finish paint job, with the Royal Enfield monogram on the tank and the thigh pads, portray the same strength and grit that of a true veteran.

The Classic Chrome costs Rs 1,65,400 and the Desert Storm is for Rs 1,58,200 on road Mumbai, which are about Rs 10,000 and Rs 3,000 more than the current models respectively.

For more information visit: http://www.royalenfield.com/

This crystal-studded motorcycle can set you back by Rs 8 lakh!

The Delhi international airport has a new attraction for petrol heads. The next time you travel abroad from the national capital you can’t miss this glittering two-wheeled chariot at the Swarovski store. It’s a Royal Enfield Classic 500 that has been given a makeover by the enterprising chaps at the store. It is decorated with crystal-studded wings on the tank along with precious stone highlights on the front and rear fenders, side panels, the headlight and tail-lamp. The Swarovski bike comes loaded with crystals worth Rs 6.5 lakh! Now add to that the price of the Classic 500 and you arrive at a grand total of Rs 8 lakh. If this doesn’t get you attention on the road, then probably nothing street-legal will.

The Ducati Streetfighter gets a smaller and (slightly) cheaper sibling

Going by the official blurb, the brand-new model from the Italian manufacturer aims to add everyday accessibility to the naked sportsbike family. The press note issued by Ducati goes on to say that the 2012 Streetfighter combines a new 848 Testastretta 11° engine with enhanced geometry of a chassis to provide confidence-inspiring agility and that the new model is user-friendlier, with a smooth and flexible power delivery, revised ergonomics and ‘Ducati Traction Control’.

As informed BI readers might remember, the original Ducati Streetfighter entered the ring for the first time at the Milan show back in November 2008, storming the hearts of all who laid eyes on it, and going on to win the ‘Most Beautiful Bike’ title. Its high performance and achingly beautiful Italian styling became the object of desire for sports-naked connoisseurs everywhere and now the 2012 Streetfighter 848 hopes to widen that appeal further with enhanced usability.

Available from November 2011 onwards, the new fighter is dressed in red for Ducati traditionalists, while yellow makes a return for mid-range purists and ‘dark stealth’ provides a matte-black reminder of the Streetfighter’s aggressive image. Pricing remains unannounced as of now.

Kotak Mahindra Bank recently turned 25 and in its attempt to catch ’em young and to better understand their customers, they have flagged off a road trip of Enfield motorcycles.

The 3500km trip will be undertaken by 2 experienced bikers Vir Nakai and Leon Dawson and will be called Money ka Matlab Diaries (someone say Norton?). The ride starts at Chandigarh and ends at Bangalore with waypoints at Delhi – Jaipur – Ahmedabad – Udaipur – Vadodara – Surat – Mumbai – Pune and Goa. Since its flag off on 5th Sept, the trip will take 2 weeks to complete. The bikers will be stopping on all waypoints and ask people what money means to them, helping the bank gain insights into its customers’ minds.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI), has released its new refreshed look for its Aviator scooter and CBF Stunner 125-cc bike.

The Aviator will now be available in Berry Purple and Sunbeam White, in addition to the three existing colours – Rebel Red Metallic, Pearl Igneous Black and Monsoon Grey Metallic. The scooter will be available in two variants viz. ‘Standard’ with drum brakes and ‘Deluxe’ equipped with front disc brakes, with no changes in price.

 

The CBF Stunner would now be available with new black, white and grey graphics along with the logo on the front cowl. The 125cc machine now comes in two new colours – Candy Palm Green and Black; which are in addition to the two existing shades – Sports Red and Pearl Sports Yellow. Thankfully, no changes in price here either.

 

After creating a buzz in the 150-cc commuter segment with their Discover range, Bajaj Auto recently launched Boxer 150 in the country.

Delivering 12 PS power and 12.26 Nm torque from its single cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled engine, the bike caters majorly to the semi-urban areas. Coming with a rugged frame, twin 125 mm telescopic suspension and 190 mm ground clearance, it promises to fare equally good on poorly constructed roads as on smooth tarmac. The Boxer comes with 130 mm drum brakes (both front and rear) and stands light weight at 123 kg. The new Boxer has been priced at Rs 48,197 (OTR,Pune).

Yamaha’s performance bike YZF R15 is ready for launch this September in a all-new look.

According to a scanned invite on Facebook fan page of the YZF R15, the bike will be launched in New Delhi this September. That’s great news for all waiting for the bike with bated breath. We had reported about the revamped bike in January this year and will be getting you all the dope about the 2.0 version straight from the launch.

Watch this space.

The 150-cc bike in for a minor makeover

With news of Bajaj’s new work-horse, the ‘Bharat Bike’, and a revamped Yamaha YZF R15 making their way into the country, the 150-cc segment is becoming one of the most diverse and rapidly growing segments in India. In keeping with the trend of the times, Suzuki are planning to upgrade the GS150R, which was introduced in 2008. A quick nip and tuck and the Japanese company will launch this 150-cc bike with a facelift by October 2011.

According to the pictures posted by a Suzuki fan on Facebook, the new version of the bike will sport new body colours and graphics as well as a new exhaust system. We hope the new GS150R will carry the same price tag of Rs Rs 68,695 (OTR, Pune).

Now Bajaj gives its flagship bike a superficial upgrade

Looks like Bajaj is following the current trend to offer the same models with newer body-colour and graphics. A new lot of Pulsar 220s have hit the Bajaj showrooms sporting dual colour schemes and unfortunately with no changes in the engine specifications. All is not lost, as the new lot seems to be an attempt to make room in the Bajaj warehouse for the all-new Pulsar that the Indian firm has developed with its Austrian partner, KTM and is sheduled for a pan India launch in a couple of months.

We can wait to get our hands on the all-new Pulsar… till then feast your eyes on the latest colours of the current model. And before you say anything negative, check out Pulsar fan page on Facebook, where in just 20 minutes these pictures received over 500 likes!