Bologna-based Italian motorcycle heavyweights Ducati officially unveiled their 2013 lineup of bikes at the 2013 Intermot show in Germany.

The Ducati stable offered the first glimpse of the 2013 Multistrada 1200 and the 2013 Panigale RS13 to the public, the latter of which would make its debut next year in WSBK. The Italian marquee also showcased a cosmetically upgraded 2013 Diavel, Monster and the 848.

The Diavel lineup included the Diavel red carbon, featuring a vivid gloss red stripe on the fuel tank and tail, and the completely blacked out Diavel Dark version. The Ducati Monster which turned 20 this year had a lineup comprising of the 1100 EVO, 796 and 696 Anniversary Editions dressed in the 1992 monster livery. Ducati also added an 848 EVO Corse Special Edition which was decked in the Ducati Test Team color scheme of matte black and matte grey and sported a new aluminum fuel tank. The 2013 1199 Panigale was showcased in a new arctic white paint scheme, along with the standard and Tricolore versions.

Ducati also featured a full line of accessories and apparel lineup for each model which included the full 2013 lineup of the Diavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Superbikes and the Streetfighter.

H-D riders and bicycle enthusiasts ride together to promote road manners

Mumbai, one of the most congested cities in terms of traffic, recently made for an ideal venue for the ‘Ride to Promote Safety Among 2-wheels’. The awareness event was organised by the Bandra Cycle Club and Harley Owners’ India (HOI) Group and supported by Track and Trail and TI Cycles.

This ride of unity witness the participation of over 35 cyclists and bikers, who rode together to spread the message of safe riding. The interesting mix of participants saw some brawny riders on Harley-Davidson Limited Edition Fatboys, Heritage Streetbob and Nightrods along with pedal-powered two-wheelers like the unique Mercedes-Benz, Scott and Kona.

Riding in formation and clad in proper riding gear, the enthusiasts hoped that the citizens of Mumbai would realise the importance of being safe and considerate on the road. India’s leading bicycle manufacturers, TI Cycles, offered their support by lending dozens of trendy Hercules and Avon bicycles to convert new riders, who otherwise would be uncertain because of road insecurity. The experienced riders came forward to help the newcomers to get over their fear and enjoy the ride.

This was a warm up for a mega charity touchdown event scheduled for October-November 2012 to support the Swagat Ashram orphanage.

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MTV and India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd is all set to bring out a new program called Yamaha MTV Road to Love.

The concept of this program is to bring together lovers who are separated due to their long distance relationship with the help of the Yamaha Fazer. Like Sir Walter Scott’s Lochinvar, the two lovers will unite but the only difference over here will be the Yamaha Fazer in place of a steed.

The lovers in question will have to surmount certain difficulties before being victorious. The program covers over 12 episodes and will feature 11 love stories and one grand finale. The program is passed on 11 couples and their stories of separation over a distance of between 200 to 255 kms in India. Social networking sites like Facebook and Skype will be the only means of communication between these lovers who cannot meet or be together on a regular basis either due to financial constraints or job opportunities.

The lovers will be using the Fazer to conquer the distance between them proving that nothing can come between love be it weather, distance or circumstances. Registration is be open for those wanting to participate in these 11 stories. Yamaha are trying to utilize the television medium for their brand strengthening and retaining market share.

The 15th of August is and always has been an important day for us Indians.

This year Mumbai witnessed a record-breaking spectacle when, for the first time, 1,300 Royal Enfield riders gathered to ride together in celebration of the Independence Day.

Royal Enfield owners get together on such occasions in a spirit of brotherhood and ride together either for a cause or to spread the message of brotherhood and safety. If you happened to live in the vicinity of Bandra, at about 8.00 am you would have awakened to the sound of hundreds of bikes and thousands of people all gearing up for the start of the rally.

The rally started from the Royal Enfield showroom at Bandra and made its way to the Gateway of India and back via Marine Drive and Worli Sea Face. The theme for this year’s ride was: ‘A royal salute to the Indian armed forces’.

Compared to previous local rides, this year’s ride was well organised and rider and pillion safety were of utmost importance.

The 110th anniversary of American motorcycle heavyweights Harley Davidson is all set to officially start with two groups of HD motorcycle riders to embark on rides to explore the opposite corners of the world.

Being one with the feeling of independence, one group is ready to break free on the American west plains and another group is going to be one with nature through the scenic Tibetan plateau in China. These two rides are the flag-off events for the year long kick-off celebrations at HD. And what is a first, the iconic American brand is inviting everyone to ride along through their social media platforms.

Mark-Hans Richer, HD CMO states, “Harley-Davidson’s 110th Anniversary year is about celebrating the experiences of riding and inviting all to join in on the good times, in ways and places our founders couldn’t have imagined. Our 110th Anniversary year starts tomorrow with journeys on two continents. The first with a group of riders who’ve never before experienced the adventure of Sturgis, and the other is on the opposite side of the world with a group of enthusiasts riding in China across the Tibetan Plateau.”

One group of riders which includes GoPro sponsored athletes will ride into the Badlands of South Dakota to experience the thrill of the legendary ‘Sturgis Motorcycle Rally’ for the first time. Another group of adventurers will head east – literally way east! Led by Richer and Harley-Davidson Asia Pacific Managing Director Dave Foley, this group of enthusiasts will explore the Tibetan Plateau across western China.

Richer states, “This kick-off marks how Harley-Davidson will celebrate our 110th Anniversary, through our riders and our fans around the world, and everyone is invited to join in on the rides to Sturgis and the Tibetan Plateau on our new 110th Anniversary Web site, www.h-d.com/110.” The official Harley Davidson Anniversary Celebrations will be held in Rome on June 13-16, 2013, and in Milwaukee, Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013.

Italian Superbike makers Aprilia have donated the late Marco Simoncelli’s 250GP championship winning Gilera to be put up on display at the Simoncelli memorial museum in his honour.

The rise of ‘Super Sic’ would always be embedded in our memories with the Gilera RSA250 on which he went on to win the title in 2008, adorned with his trademark 58# number. The bike was handed over to Paolo Simoncelli, Marco’s father yesterday. Luigi Dall’Igna, Aprilia’s Technical and Sport Director who came to deliver the bike stated, “Marco is an important part of history for Aprilia and the entire Piaggio Group. With us, astride the Gilera 250, he won a World Championship and thrilled millions of fans, leaving an indelible mark on the world of motorcycle competitions and in the hearts of those who had the good fortune of working with him.”

Paolo Simoncelli, who had also received his son’s white Gresini Honda RC212V at Mugello, said, “Another special day, another gesture that fills the hearts of our family in memory of a victory which made Marco happy and proud on 20 October 2008 astride this bike he achieved a dream he had always had.” The Marco Simoncelli Foundation was created in his honour to help sustain humanitarian projects for the needy, especially young people. Simoncelli took six and 12 podium places on the way to the 2008 250GP crown.

You will always remain in our hearts and your legacy will live forever ‘Super Sic’.

Over 150 volunteers celebrated the 94th birthday of renowned South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela by riding on their motorcycles through the capital and spreading his message of peace and change.

Organised by the South African High Commission Wednesday evening, members of motorcycle group Free Soul Riders (FSR) rode from the high commission’s office in Vasant Vihar area to Raj Ghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi.

“We all came voluntarily. Although we belong to FSR, the rally was open to anybody who had a motorbike and believed in Mandela and his principles,” a participant told IANS. “It was not a coincidence that we chose Raj Ghat as our place of gathering today. I always say, if Mandela is our father, Gandhi was our grandfather,” South African High Commissioner Harris Majeke said in his address.

Drawing a parallel between Gandhi and Mandela’s philosophies, Majeke said the South African drew inspiration from Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement of 1906 and India’s struggle for freedom. He added that after his release from prison, India was the first country that Mandela wanted to visit. Also present on the occasion, Gandhi’s grandson and noted author Rajmohan Gandhi recalled Mandela’s visit to India in 1990 and said that he would like “Indians to embrace Mandela and his ideology and make him a hero,” just like his grandfather is a hero for South Africans. “Gandhi and Mandela, both were passionate fighters for freedom, justice and reconciliation,” he added.

Watch the Bikers for Nelson Mandela Day highlights video, with Morgan Freeman here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHAAvxv6yPw&feature=youtu.be

Racking up 3.7m views in just 24hrs, Ken Block’s latest Gymkhana video is officially a viral sensation like all its predecessors.

YouTube’s very own king of stunt is back doing what he does best, insane driving in the city of the ‘Golden Gate Bridge‘ his so called urban playground. This spell bounding 10 minute clip showcases him on his fully customised turbo charged 2.0 L Ford Fiesta performing all kinds of crazy stunts, drifts, spins etc on the cleared out roads of San Francisco.

Dirt bike star Travis Pastrana also makes a cameo to perform a joint stunt with Block as the pair put the road in submission with their flawless stunt, and the highlight of this viral sensation features Ken Block circling a couple of the city’s famous trams. The film which took four days to shoot, is focused on fast, raw and precise driving action.

This is the latest installment in the award-winning series of films from the driving star and entrepreneur which have clocked up total views of more than two dozen million. Watch the Gymkhana 5 video here.

The 7^th edition of the extravaganza came to a close at Misano Circuit, Italy and the famed motorcycle-manufacturer is all set to return to its base at Bologna.

Entitled as the planet of champions, the WDW2012 has an incredible tally of 65,000 Ducatistis with approx 30% of the inflow coming from visitors internationally from USA, Europe, India, Russia, Brazil, China and even the likes of Nepal, Gabon etc.

 

The highlight of the WDW2012 would definitely be the drag races which featured the likes of Rossi, Troy Bayliss, Hayden, Checa, Smrz, Canepa and Zanetti etc It is sure to go down in WDW history as one of the most exciting, friendly and close-fought competition. The exclusive final showdown Rossi and Bayliss was some sort of a dream match-up with their rubber smoking Diavel’s burning the tarmac down.

The stage was also set at Piazzle Roma for one spectacular performance from the ‘Ducati All Stars’ featuring the likes of Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Billy Morrison (The Cult) and Isaac Carpenter (Loaded) etc to name a few. The show finished with massive fireworks display over the Riccione beach-front venue.

WDW2012 event visitors have been treated to an incredibly packed program including the prestigious Ducati Riding Experience track school with the Troy Bayliss Academy and Master Racing Courses aboard Ducati’s brand new 1199 Panigale. Audi and Lamborghini added a little extra adrenaline with Audi providing Ducatistis an opportunity to passenger the highly desirable R8 LMS and R8 V10 with professionals. Overall WDW2012 was by far the most successful event of Ducati till date.