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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.