Spy picture and all we know about the next generation Duke
Ducati is developing their next generation superbike and it is already rolling on the road! Successor of the 1198, the bike is rumoured to be named ‘1199’, slated for a launch at the EICMA motorshow in Milan at the end of this year.
Ducati has given its traditional trellis frame and under seat exhausts the boot to create the most radically designed motorcycle the Italian firm has ever come up with. At heart the bike will still be a Ducati, with an all new V-twin engine producing a power output of around 200PS! As seen in the pictures, the bike is very small in size but has a reasonably sized fairing. The shark inspired nose has LED strip headlamps while the tail piece follows Japanese idealogy of sleek and short ends. The bike has a horizontally mounted monoshock rear suspension connected at a right angle to the single sided swing-arm while the stubby exhaust sticks out from under the belly. The biggest difference however, is the stressed-airbox monocoque chassis as seen in their MotoGP machine. The Desmocedici has a carbon fibre monocoque where the engine is a stressed member of the chassis, the sub-frame, front fork mount and the swing-arm all bolted on to it. The road bike will most probably have an aluminium alloy semi-monocoque.
The bike is being developed with inputs from Valentino Rossi and his MotoGP race engineer Jeremy Burgess while Ducati’s ex-WSBK rider Troy Baylis recently concluded a three day test of the bike at the Mugello circuit in Italy.
Benelli, one of the oldest motorcycles in the world, recently turned 100. To celebrate this very special occasion, the Italian manufacturer launched two special edition machines – the TNT 899 Century Racer and TNT 1130 Century Racer – both fitted with Benelli’s trademark three-cylinder engine.
No impediments when an enthusiastic motorcycle rider, who is a speech therapist by profession, takes up the pen to chronicle his long and adventurous journeys. Bike India talks to Dr Ajit Harisinghani, whose second travelogue is to be published soon.
Anyone who knows Norton motorcycles knows what the brand stands for. A bike manufacturer with a perfect blend of 20th century nostalgia, woman-on-bike based advertising, a loyal following and dollops of class and respect.