supersport

Hot new KTM 250 Duke and RC 250 revealed

March 30, 2015 by Jim Gorde 2 Comments

KTM have officially unveiled the 250 Duke and RC 250 at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show this past weekend. [Read more…] about Hot new KTM 250 Duke and RC 250 revealed

WSBK Rules clarification and a new 300cc class

December 26, 2014 by Team Bike India Leave a Comment

The end of the year calls for a revision of the rules and regulations for the World Superbike series and the superbike commission, composed of the top brass at FIM, Dorna and the WSBK met at the Dorna headquarters in Madrid to revise the rules for the upcoming season. The revision will see changes across sporting, disciplinary and medical regulations, which will now be harmonised as much as possible to the Grand Prix regulations. The move will benefit everybody including the riders, teams, technical staff, event organisers, track authorities and marshals. This will also allow circuits to host either both events or switch between the two series.

The changes on the technical end include changes in the balancing rules for different engine designs thus allowing a healthy competition between teams using different engine formats. Also, teams will be allowed to use the 2014 Electronics package for the first two races of the season, in case the new system should cause any technical problems to the bikes.

The meeting has also led to discussions about the prospective Supersport 300cc class, which will be the new entry-level class for the WSBK series. The commission is creating a working group to look at this new class and has approved the assembly of any interested machine manufacturers to develop a class structure for said category. The move is intended to provide a low cost impetus to young riders without making a dent in their bank account.

If Dorna and FIM are able to garner enough interest in this new entry-level category, then there is a high possibility of WSBK coming to India. It will also give riders from the Sub-Continent a chance to enter the glamorous world of WSBK.

Story: Aniruddha Mulgund

Yamaha set to launch 2015 YZF R1 & R1M

November 4, 2014 by Team Bike India Leave a Comment

The YZF-R1 is a motorbike icon, and Japanese auto-maker Yamaha’s flagship. Now, Yamaha used the celebrated EICMA show in Milan as the launchpad for the 2015 avatar of this legend, and its performance-oriented sibling, the YZF-R1M.

Supersport Fest at Mallory: Triumph Daytona 675R On Track

October 27, 2014 by Jim Gorde 1 Comment

Having visited the Triumph factory at Hinckley, it was time to savour the Daytona at the historical Mallory Park. Here is what the experience was like.

Story: Aspi Bhathena
Photography: Aspi Bhathena and Triumph Motorcycles

After the plant visit it was time to ride the Daytona 675R and the British Supersport Championship leading Daytona at the historical Mallory Park circuit. The Mallory Park was well known in the past for the race of the year and especially for that epic battle between John Cooper and Giacomo Agostini where John beat Ago and his 500-cc factory MV Agusta on a production-based 750-cc BSA Rocket 3.

It was midday by the time I had finished the paperwork at the circuit office and the two stunning Daytona bikes were ready for me in the pits. The crystal white 675R is a very sharp and aggressive looking motorcycle. The 600 Supersport class was dominated by the Japanese big four until the launch of the Daytona. Apart from the three-cylinder engine configuration of the Triumph, there is hardly any difference between the English motorcycle and its Japanese counterparts.

The new short-stroke three-cylinder motor has a bigger bore and a shorter stroke, allowing it rev 500 RPM higher, and a broader spread of torque, at the same time lowering the piston speed for less wear and tear. For the first time a production motorcycle from Triumph has been fitted with titanium valves. The lighter metal allows the valves to be shaped for better gas flow. Now the cylinder-block is separate from the crankcase and has Nikasil bores compared to the cast-iron wet liners.

The fuel injection system has two injectors per cylinder for accurate fuelling throughout the rev range. The ram air intake is routed through the head stock. The power output is up by 3 PS to 128 PS and the maximum torque is up by 2 Nm to 74 Nm. The three-cylinder motor is mated to a six-speed gearbox via a slipper clutch. The slipper clutch prevents the rear wheel from locking up under aggressive downshifts. The six-speed ‘box now has a quick shifter for track and road use.

The all-new frame incorporates improved air-flow to the air-box through the head stock and uses fewer sections in its construction, improving strength and reducing the number of welds required. The rear sub-frame is made of two-piece high pressure die-cast aluminium. The wheelbase is shorter thanks to the sharper head angle. They have achieved better mass centralisation by moving the under-seat exhaust to below the engine.