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Imola

Brand Itali yang terkenal, Fantic, biasanya terkenal untuk jentera off-road dan scramblers gaya retro seperti Caballero 700, tapi sekarang mereka bawak satu konsep baru yang lebih tertumpu kat trek.

Motosikal ni dipanggil Imola, macam nama litar perlumbaan terkenal di Itali. Imola ni jenis sport bike yang ringan, canggih, dan berhati Yamaha dengan komponen chassis yang high-spec. Enjin 125cc, empat-lejang, empat-valve macam yang ada dalam Yamaha MT-125 dan YZF-R125. Tenaga dia dalam 15bhp, sesuai untuk lesen pembelajaran, tapi enjin bukanlah elemen yang paling seronok tentang motosikal baru ni.

Fantic masuk dalam perlumbaan Moto2 tahun 2023, dan sebahagian daripada pembelajaran dari Kejuaraan Dunia tu membantu dalam membentuk struktur rangka motosikal ni. Jadi, Imola 125 ni pakai rangka hibrid yang campur besi dan aluminium. Swingarm guna aluminium penuh, dan suspension depan-belakang boleh adjust sepenuhnya, dengan brek Brembo high-spec. Brek-brek ni juga ada sokongan sistem kawalan IMU canggih, bermaksud ada cornering ABS dan kontrol traksi yang sensitif kepada kemiringan – dua benda yang memang buat cun untuk kelas 125cc.

Tapi, ada soalan besar tentang motosikal baru ni. Diorang panggil ni ‘track concept’, so kalau dia jadi motosikal produksi penuh, spesifikasi akhir dan ciri-ciri motosikal untuk jalan raya mungkin sangat berbeza, mungkin juga tak seronok macam yang kita nampak sekarang.

Fantic juga keluarkan satu pilihan yang nampak lebih realistik kat pameran. Diorang panggil ni Stealth dan boleh dilihat kat gambar di atas. Motosikal ni sangat rapat dengan Imola, guna rangka dan enjin yang sama. Tapi, nampak lebih matang dan siap untuk produksi. Macam yang kita boleh nampak dari gambar-gambar yang Fantic kongsi, Stealth ni macam motosikal yang lebih matang dan dah siap untuk pasaran.

The renowned Italian brand Fantic, recognized for its off-road machines and retro scramblers such as the Caballero 700, has taken a distinctive turn towards a track-focused venture with its latest unveiling at EICMA.

Named after Italy’s iconic racing venue, the Imola introduces a lightweight and advanced sports bike, featuring a Yamaha heart and high-end chassis components. Powering the Imola is a 125cc, four-stroke, four-valve engine akin to the one found in Yamaha’s MT-125 and YZF-R125. With 15bhp, making it learner license-friendly, the engine is only one facet of this exciting new bike.

Fantic’s foray into Moto2 racing in 2023 has significantly influenced the Imola’s design, especially in the construction of its frame. The Imola 125 boasts a hybrid frame incorporating both steel and aluminum, with a full aluminum swingarm. The bike’s suspension is fully adjustable at both ends, complemented by high-performance Brembo brakes. Enhancing safety features, the advanced IMU control system provides cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control, notable additions in the 125cc category.

However, the Imola’s status as a ‘track concept’ raises uncertainty about its potential production version. The final specifications and features of the road-ready model may differ significantly from the showcased concept.

In addition to the Imola, Fantic presented a more practical option at the exhibition, known as the Stealth (Above). Sharing the same frame and engine platform as the Imola, the Stealth presents a more production-ready appearance. As depicted in the images released by Fantic, the Stealth offers a glimpse of a mature and refined machine, potentially setting a new standard in its category.

  • Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki finally ended Alvaro Bautista and Ducati’s WorldSBK 2019 winning streak.

  • Rea won in Race 1 at the Imola circuit in Italy.

  • Bautista finished second after winning the first ten races of the year.

Four-time and reigning WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki team ended Alvaro Bautista and Ducati’s winning streak in Race 1 at Imola, Italy.

Bautista and Ducati have scored a perfect ten out of ten races in five rounds prior. However, Rea proved the spoiler when Bautista tried to adapt to the tricky Imola circuit. It was the latter’s first race there. Rea had been strong throughout the practice sessions only to be pipped by Bautista’s teammate Chaz Davies in Superpole for pole position.

Come race day, Rea took the lead as soon as the lights went out, but passed by Davies soon after. It looked like the pair was going to resume their hard battles and rivalry through the last few seasons. Unfortunately, Davies’s bike encountered a problem and forced the Welshman to retire. In so doing, he handed second place to Bautista.

A battle soon erupted behind them.

Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) sat in third, while Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) fought up to 4thfrom 8thon the grid. Van der Mark’s teammate Alex Lowes followed in 5th, ahead of Rea’s teammate Leon Haslam. Independent rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Purcetti Racing) moved in 7th.

At the front, Bautista had no answer to Rea’s pace. The Kawasaki man began to pull away at 0.7s per lap.

Photo credit Visordown

On a day of seeing front runners suffering bike problems, Tom Sykes’s BMW started to slow and eventually retired. At the same time, Lowes started to slip backwards.

With the final position suddenly available, van der Mark and Razgatlioglu battled tooth and nail. The pair swapped paint and traded blows on the penultimate lap to the stage of colliding twice. But it was the Turkish rider Razgatlioglu who presevered to cross the line in 3rd.

There was no problem for Rea, conversely. It was his eighth win at the track and 72ndin WorldSBK. It was Kawsaki’s 128thwin in the series.

Race 2 continues today at 8pm Malaysian local time.

Final results after Race 1:
  1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
  2. Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
  3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)
  4. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)
  5. Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
  6. Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK)

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