Ducati has announced that their 2018 Ducati XDiavel S will be getting a host of new upgrades including a brand new colour; Iceberg White.
The 2018 XDiavel S will also get a brand new suspension package to provide even more comfort for both rider and pillion.
Equipped with a 1,262cc V-Twin Testastretta DVT engine, the XDiavel produces 156hp and 129Nm of gut-churning torque for maximum dose of fun.
Hold on to your socks, folks. Ducati has just announced that their 2018 Ducati XDiavel S will be available soon with a bunch of new upgrades. The biggest update of all is that it’ll come with a brand new colour scheme called “Iceberg White”. (more…)
The folks over at Krautmotors in Germany have constructed a custom BMW C Evolution electric scooter dubbed the “E-LisaBad”.
Assigned by BMW Motorrad themselves, lead custom German builder Rolf Reick succeeded in building one of the most beautiful custom electric motorcycles of all time.
Lowered and fitted with some racing slick rubber, the BMW C Evolution produces around 72Nm of torque instantly; 9Nm more than the BMW C650 Sport scooter.
One look at this bike and you know the future of electric motorcycles is heading towards the right direction. What started out as the BMW C Evolution electric scooter, the geniuses over at Krautmotors were given the rare opportunity to customise this very special two-wheeler made by BMW Motorrad. (more…)
Ducati has unveiled the name for their latest V4 engine which is the “Desmosedici Stradale” or “Desmosedici Road”.
The new engine for the upcoming Ducati V4-powered production superbike will be unveiled this weekend during the San Marino MotoGP round.
The new Desmosedici Stradale is said to be a hybrid between Ducati’s V4 Desmosedici GP engine and their current V2 Superquadro power plant from the Panigale series.
It’s only a few days away before the next 2017 MotoGP round in San Marino and the boys over at Ducati has been working on something very, VERY special for the motorcycle industry. We all know that they will be introducing something about the new Ducati V4-powered production superbike this weekend and by the looks of it, Ducati has dubbed the new engine as the “Desmosedici Stradale”. (more…)
The signage has also been removed from the Rimini facitlity.
The BMW S 1000 RR-based BB3 project has officially stopped.
Bimota Tesi 3D Naked
Bimota, the small Italian motorcycle maker of revolutionary motorcycles has shut it doors again, probably for good this time.
Bimota YB1
The company started in 1973, its name being the amalgam of the two last letters of the three owners’ last names: Valerio Bianchi, Giusepper Morri, Massimo Tamburini. Wait! Tamburini? The late-Tamburini who designed the Ducati 916 and MV Agusta F4?
Yes.
The late-Tamburini with the MV Agusta F4 and Ducati 916
It was at Bimota that Tamburini sought to perfect the motorcycle, by delivering technical and styling excellence through hard work, often times with his own hands. He had cut, bent and welded chrome-moly steel tubing for the advanced frames. The same designs would later be seen at Ducati.
Tamburini welding a frame section
A fall-out with Giuseppe Morri forced him to quit unceremoniously, leaving Bimota bereft of the technical and design genius the company was famous for. Valerio Bianchi had already left by then. But karma seemed to reign as Morri was himself forced out a few years later.
Bimota DB5-R
The brand is currently owned by Daniele Longoni and Marco Chiancianesi, Italians who are residing and operating from Switzerland. However, rumours surfaced in as early as January this year that Longoni was buying time to sell off all stock and what remains of the stillborn BB3 project. Based on the BMW S 1000 RR, it was to be Bimota’s superbike to reclaim their prestige.
Bimota BB3
While some say Bimota isn’t closing much to anything, since the factory near Rimini has been empty for a while, the signage has also been ominously removed. The only hope left for this unorthodox motorcycle manufacturer is investors. But let’s hope these future fund managers truly understand what the Bimota stands for, otherwise the brand is forever doomed as a failed genius.
Defending 2016 Champ, Muhd. “Gabit” Habibullah ended the day 4th overall.
NAKHON CHAI SI, THAILAND, 3 SEPTEMBER 2017 – Beautiful weather and a , wonderful circuit welcomed Round 1 of the FIM Asia Supermoto 2017 Championship. The competition saw 17 riders from 13 countries striving for national and personal pride.
The day began with Free Practice, and as expected, the top three spots were dominated by United Kingdom’s Lewis Cornish, returning 2015 Champion, Thailand’s Trakarn Thangthong, and defending 2016 Champion Malaysia’s Muhd. “Gabit” Habibullah, respectively.
MOTO 1
Moto 1 started with the sun shining directly above the riders.
Pole sitter Cornish grabbed the holeshot, but was followed tightly by all riders onto straight of the tarmac section, instead being diverted into the off-road section.
Round 1 winner, Lewis Cornish
The tight hairpin turn immediately after the last table top remained as the biggest challenge, serving as an advantage to some riders and vice-versa for others.
With Cornish speeding ahead on an empty circuit, he opened up a two-second gap within a few laps to the pursuing Gabit and Thangthong. That left the latter two to battle between themselves, giving Cornish an even bigger cushion.
The top three remained the same, until five minutes before the end of Moto 1, when Gabit was overtaken by Thangthong. The Thai rider had planned his move at the right moment, giving Gabit no time to regain the second spot.
Gabit (#1) leading Thangthong (#5)
Lewis finsihed Moto 1 in 22:236.002, followed by Thangthong and Gabit in 22:42.962 and 23:14.056, respectively.
Dutchman Marcel Van Drunen, who had fought tooth and nail against Cornish in Qualifying and SuperChrono, was stuck in a fierce battle with another of Malaysia’s ace, Khairi Zakaria throughout the race to finish fourth, with the latter in fifth.
Marcel Van Drunen
MOTO 2
Cornish stole the holeshot again at the start and never looked back to win his second Moto of the day, finishing the race comfortably five seconds ahead of Thangthong.
“It was a very technical track. Most of us were using slick tyres to race on the track. With the triple dirt section, it feels more like a motocross track instead. I made multiple mistakes in Moto 1 but reduced it in Moto 2. I believe Trakarn and Gabit made mistakes as well, which gave me an advantage to the race,” said Lewis.
“I was fortunate when Gabit hit on a hole at the third dirt section. That was when I passed him. He grew so much since we last faced off in 2015. I enjoyed riding with all the riders, and hopefully, I can perform better in Indonesia,” said Thangthong.
Trakarn Thangthong
Seemingly making amends to his fourth place finish in Moto 1, Van Drunen fought with Gabit for the final podium spot. The two exchanged places multiple times with high-risk maneuvers in the tighter corners.
The contest ended just two laps from the end of the race, when Gabit ran off the track. It was a brave performance from the Malaysian, however, when the KTM Malaysia factory rider revealed later that he had lost his brakes.
Whereas most riders would have called it quits, Gabit Habibullah soldiered on to finish the race
“My front and rear brakes malfunctioned, and I lost control of my bike. This makes it even harder for me to maintain my pace, especially on this track. I tried my best to ensure the best possible result in this condition,” said Gabit.
Gabit landed the sixth spot in Moto 2, clocking a total time of 24:20.495.
Van Drunen (#17) battling with Gabit (#1)
Malaysia’s Khairi Zakaria attempted to close the gap to the Dutchman, but his efforts were forlorn when he made a mistake at the transition between the road and off-road section. Khairi landed fourth in Moto 2, finishing nearly two seconds behind Marcel with a total time of 23:50.924.
Khairi Zakaria
Japan’s Naoto Takayama performed well in Moto 2, and came home fifth .
“It was a perfect and successful race. We would like to congratulate the Asia Supersports Group, FMSCT, all the partners and all the riders. The opening round of the season was exciting, and everything was in order. The track is probably one of the most challenging tracks in the season’s history, but all safety aspects were taken into consideration,” said Stephan P. Carapiet, FIM Asia Safety Officer.
The 2017 FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship will commence in Jogjakarta, Indonesia on 7 and 8 October 2017.
FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship is promoted by Asia Supersports Group, a consortium of three companies namely Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, Trade My Superbike and E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd; sanctioned by FIM Asia and FMSCT; and supported by Malaysia Major Events, a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia), Malay Mail, Kelab Blogger Ben Ashaari and TX Sports.
The FIM Asia Supermoto 2017 Championship is underway in Nakhon Chai Si, Thailand.
Briton Lewis Cornish grabs pole position.
2016 FIM Asia Supermoto Champion, Muhd. “Gabit” Habullah of Malaysia qualified second.
Muhd “Gabit” Habibullah
QUALIFYING
Fighting for one of the six entries to SuperChrono, the riders put on their best show for the 2017 FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship.
The scorching sun returned briefly before the start of qualifying to dry the off-road section, creating a relatively easier track for the riders.
Japan’s Takashi Sasaki (#101) kicked-off the round with a tremendous performance on the track, taking advantage of the empty circuit in his attempt to secure the top spot tomorrow’s race (3rd September).
Shortly after, top riders Lewis Cornish (#8), Trakarn Thangthong (#5), Muhd “Gabit” Habibullah (#1), Khairy Zakaria (#32), Marcel Van Drunen (#17), and Thai wildcard rider, Natthapat Suksan Watthana (#28) entered the track and to steal the show.
The battle between Lewis and Marcel spilled over from Free Practice. However, it was Lewis’ experience that showed as he blocked Marcel from leading the race. The block effectively put Marcel two seconds behind Lewis, which resulted in a battle with defending champion Gabit.
Marcel Van Drunen
With Lewis securing a spot for SuperChrono, Marcel and Gabot battled out for the second and third spots.
While the track’s condition has improved, the hairpin turn immediately after a table top jump seemed to be the toughest challenge even for the top riders.
Gabit and the Thai fans’ favourite, Trakarn Thangthong almost slipped off the track in that turn, especially when they tried to go around backmarkers.
Natthapat Suksa Watthana shocked the spectators with a favourable performance, landing him the final entry to SuperChrono, after facing multiple complicated mechanical issues during free practice yesterday. With all eyes on the home riders, the host country is likely to see at least one rider claiming a spot on the podium tomorrow.
SUPERCHRONO
The Top Six riders qualifiers went on to SuperChrono in order to secure their definite starting grid spots for the race, among Lewis Cornish, Gabit Habibullah, Marcel Van Drunen, Trakarn Thangthong, Khairi Zakaria and Natthapat Suksan Watthana.
It was clear that Lewis overpowered the other riders and claimed the pole position, clocking the best time of 1:15.297. Gabit, on the other hand, tried to fight with speed but landed him second on the grid, with 1:16.632.
Gabit Habibullah
Malaysia’s Khairy Zakaria’s held back at all three off-road sections, landing him the fifth on the grid.
The Thai duos Trakarn Thangthong and Natthapat Suksan Watthana it easy without putting themselves at risk to secure the fourth and sixth positions, respectively.
Trakarn Thangthong
Moto 1 will commence on Sunday, 3 September 2017, from 12:00PM (+7:00 GMT).
For more information, visit www.supermotoasia.com or watch the race live for f ree in HD on www.twenty3.tv powered by E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd.
