Aprilia RSV 4 Factory Team Aprilia Alitalia Racing

APRILIA ALITALIA RACING TEAM: FLYING THE TRICOLOUR FLAG IN THE SBK 2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

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Another year’s experience under the belt for a bike and a team which took the world Superbike championship by storm in their debut season. This time, however, with the livery of a prestigious new Italian sponsor adorning the bikes’ fairings, a name evocative of legendary chapters in the history of Italian motor sports.

Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team will be entering the 2010 World Superbike Championship without hiding its ambitious goals.
And yet this is only the second season for both team and bike in this highly prestigious and competitive world series dedicated to motorcycles series production.
The success of last year is thanks to Max Biaggi and the all new four cylinder Aprilia RSV4 which, during their first season in 2009, demonstrated a competitiveness which – even though the arrival of this bike and Max Biaggi’s return to Aprilia after twelve years were both hotly anticipated events – astonished everyone.

Now the challenge begins again. Every one of the most competitive opponents (seven different constructers are competing in the SBK world championship, representing the best that the motorcycling world has to offer) will be waiting for the Aprilia RSV4 and its riders at the start line. This means that the team can no longer count on being able to surprise its competitors, who are now fully aware of the capabilities of the Italian four cylinder. However, what the team can now count on is a vital year of experience with both the circuits and the bike.
Aprilia RSV4 enters the 2010 world championship with a magnificent Tricolour livery representing the team’s partnership with Alitalia. This livery, which brings together two prestigious and proudly Italian brands, is evocative of legendary chapters in Italian motor sports history, when teams flying the Alitalia colours won world championships in disciplines ranging from rally to offshore power boats.

Maurizio Roman, Piaggio Group Director of Product Development and Strategy: “Partnerships are often forged between brands and sponsors that have very little in common, with no relation whatsoever between their respective activities. Today, however, we are witnessing one of those rare cases of an auspicious union between brands that share many values. They share the same Italianness and, above all, the same commitment to technological advancement and excellence. Behind both are companies that strive to elevate prestigious brands to new heights, and which have made history in their respective segments.
In the early days, the Aprilia logo featured a tricolour capital A, which was strongly inspired by the graphic symbol of the national Italian airline. Today we are truly proud that Alitalia has chosen the fairings of the magnificent Aprilia RSV4 as the canvas to continue its history as brand involved to world class motor sports. It is a great honour and opportunity for Aprilia to bear the colours of a prestigious brand such as Alitalia and to represent its values in the highly competitive arena of the world Superbike championship”.

Leo Francesco Mercanti, Director of Aprilia Racing & Product Development: “It is cause for great pride for us to take part in a motor sports season that sees three major Italian groups represented on the starting grip in a world class technological competition with all of the world’s greatest motorcycle brands. It is a challenge not just in terms of sports, but also on a business and an industrial level, with the image of an entire country at stake. We understand the responsibility and

honour of carrying a little piece of Italy with us around the world. These are brands that have written entire chapters in the history of Italian motor sports: Alitalia did so with its fantastic wins in rallying, the Eni-Agip group did it in Formula 1, and, naturally, the Piaggio Group has done so – and continues to do so to this day. We have a great tradition to uphold; it is a tough challenge that comes after a 2009 season in which Aprilia exceeded our expectations, proving its competitiveness with three world MotoGP titles and surprising everyone with its results in the Superbike series. These successes justify great ambitions and expectations; to fulfil them will be a great challenge. It is difficult to make predictions at the beginning of a season, but we have prepared well for the challenge, working hard and improving on every front”.
In 2009, there were many expectations for Max Biaggi’s return to Aprilia, the marque with which he had won three consecutive world championships in the 250 cc class from 1994 to ‘96. Now the team is looking forward to seeing the results he manages to bring home, in light of a debut season that demonstrated both the potential of the bike and the ability of the Roman rider to steer its development and take it to the top of the leader board, right up to the win at Brno.

Max Biaggi: “The presentation of a new season, of a bike with new colours, is always very emotional for a rider – it’s like witnessing the birth of a living creature. It will be an honour to carry these prestigious colours onto the circuits of the whole world – a tricolour that will make both the bike and team unique. We also have a new team member: Leon comes from the tough British championship, and he certainly has all the right cards to become the strong wingman that both I and the team need.
Aprilia did a fantastic job in 2009, we made giant strides from a technical standpoint, which were made possible by the whole team and by the work that let the debuting RSV4 make progress race after race. The win at Brno was just the crowning moment of a continuous process of growth. Of course, we were the great surprise of the 2009 season, and I am really happy with the results; nobody could ever have predicted that we would be so competitive at our debut, nobody would ever have expected a fourth place season finish. And yet I still feel as if the greatest satisfactions are still to come, we haven’t reached the top yet – only a win will really crown it all for me. We are now facing the forthcoming season armed with more knowledge, more experience on the circuits and with the awareness of our potential”.

The four times World Champion will be joined on the grip by 23 year old Englishman Leon Camier, in what is his season in SBK. Leon comes fresh from winning the title of British Superbike Champion, after dominating the 2009 season of his national championship for production derived bikes with an incredible 18 wins out of a total 26 races.
Leon Camier: “Being a part of this team, a part of the RSV4 project, is an incredible opportunity for me. This championship will be very tough, with extremely high levels of competitiveness. I’ll be racing against some outstanding, highly experienced riders. This is why it is so important to be in a team like Aprilia Alitalia, one of the very few that offer a rider extraordinary opportunities in terms of developing the bike. My first impressions of the RSV4 were phenomenal: it has enormous potential and is a very quick bike. Now, I must first get as much experience as possible to fully exploit the potential that Aprilia puts in the hands of the rider. It is a great challenge for me to learn how to develop a bike and make it better. Everyone wants to win and everyone sets off from the grid to win, but my first goal will be to understand the bike and constantly improve my performance. I think that we have already found the right direction for the development of the bike, our goal now is to continue in this direction and to improve together with the bike”.

Sweet Digital Mockups of Fantasy Ferrari Motorcycle

Never in a million years will Ferrari build a motorcycle — and with Ducatis being so awesome who needs it to? — but it’s fun to think about what might roll out of Maranello if it ever decided to give two-wheelers a try.

Many have envisioned such a machine and a few have actually built one or two of them, the best being the Ferrari-sanctioned bike Kay Engineering built in honor of Enzo Ferrari. But few have been so wild as what Amir Glinik’s come up with. The Israeli industrial engineer started toying with the idea in 2005 and has been working on it ever since.

“Vintage and modern Ferrari projects influence my design,” he says on his website. “It’s a mix of what I find to be the best Ferrari lines with the latest technology I could think of in terms of engine, gear and driving management.”

Frankly, the body doesn’t quite work for us, and with that wheelbase the bike would handle more like an Escalade than an Enzo. But the engine. Oh, wow, the engine. It’s a work of art. And isn’t that what Italian machinery is all about?

Previous Ferrari-themed motorcycles have used conventional V-twin or four-cylinder motorcycle engines, although one guy shoehorned a V6 from the Dino and a V8 from the Ferrari 308 into a pair of custom-built bikes. Glinick’s concept, which is so far just files on a computer, uses one-third of the V12 from the Enzo supercar. “The idea of ’slicing’ a V4 out of one of Ferrari’s engines was something I saw at (a) very early stage of the project, and that’s what I did,” Glinik says.

The bike features fly-by-wire throttle and controls modeled after those in an F16. Dual-caliper brakes clamp down on a single perimeter rotor like those found on Buell motorcycles. There’s a touch-screen control pad mounted where the fuel tank is on conventional motorcycles (speaking of, where is the tank on this bike?). It’s used for engine management and to control suspension settings, the GPS unit and other functions.

As for those huge slats at the front of the bike, Glinik calls it an “active intake system” that controls air flow to the engine, and they close completely to increase drag under hard braking. You’d no doubt do a lot of that with that sweet V4 screaming between your legs.

More info and pictures at Glinik’s site, which we found while surfing The Kneeslider.

Read More http://www.wired.com/autopia/2008/09/never-in-a-mill/#ixzz0fluZXZiO

Ryder Motorrad – BMW Motorrad Dealership

R1200 RT

As far as 2-cylinder fans are concerned, first-class touring has a memorable abbreviation – and it’s been around for 30 years: RT.

For long-haul travellers there can hardly be any other term which has always stood for perfectly conceived motorcycling concept from start to finish: excellent wind and weather protection, optimum ergonomics, highly convenient operation combined with a top-class chassis fitted with the unique optional extras ASC and ESA II.

Yamaha – Pinetown KwaZulu Natal

Yamaha – Pinetown KwaZulu Natal

YAMAHA DISTRIBUTORS based in Pinetown, KwaZulu Natal, are the exclusive importers and distributors of most Yamaha products in South Africa. The company has been distributing Yamaha motorcycles since 1962 and has added other product lines as Yamaha has grown and diversified.

FJR1300

If you enjoy traveling first class, the new YAMAHA FJR 1300 is for you. Nothing opens up your world like motorcycle touring – you see, hear and feel things that you probably won’t even notice if you traveled any other way. But just because you like the adventure of exploring country roads on a motorcycle doesn’t mean that you have to ride a bike that handles like a bus!

Introducing the 2008 Yamaha FJR1300 – our latest sport tourer that handles like a sport bike with the performance to match.

TDM900

If you love all kinds of travel, here is the motorcycle that will take you wherever you want to go. The 2009 TDM900 is an ultra-versatile performer with a sportbike’s soul, created to do it all, from taking you on unforgettable touring trips through the mountains to your everyday, workaday commuting trip. It is the ultimate in versatility, with a flexible big-twin powerplant, well-balanced chassis and excellent comfort for both rider and passenger.

YZF-R1

The YZF-R1 is a legend of the supersport world, an acclaimed one-litre performer that’s become a motorcycling icon, an all-powerful World Superbike race-winning machine that’s also a monument to the power of beauty. The R1’s performance is electrifying and yet what makes this motorcycle truly remarkable is its superbly rider-friendly character because Yamaha’s avant-garde, race-bred technology puts you confidently in control.

All-new YZF-R1, light, powerful and packed with motoGP technology, the YZF-R1 is the most advanced Open-class production motorcycle ever built with the world’s first electronic variable-length intake funnel system.

The YZF-R1 uses the YCC-T fly-by-wire throttle system for flawless response under all conditions.

All new aluminium Deltabox frame and swing-arm take Open-class handling to the next performance level.

YZF-R6

The 2008 R6 is packed with tech from our world championship race programmes to take your riding excitement to the extreme. The R6 enhances man-machine connection, giving you the confidence to exploit your skills. You get track-developed electronics: YCC-T chip-controlled throttle for ultimate acceleration and YCC-I electronically controlled variable intake funnels for bigger power and torque. Plus a race-developed chassis spec for razor-sharp handling.

FZ6-R

A rider in the market for an entry level or commuter 600cc bike doesn’t have to compromise performance or style to get value: introducing the new 2009 FZ6R! It’s a great combination of performance, handling, and exciting sport bike style, but also with a low seat height that’s both adjustable to fit a wider variety of riders and also narrower where it counts to make it even easier to put both feet on the ground.

The newly designed engine delivers smooth power just the way today’s rider needs it, brisk acceleration with plenty of torque that makes it a pleasure to get around town, with lots in reserve for when you want more. This is certainly not a “no frills” motor. It’s based on the awesome, previous-generation R6 motor, fuel injected and tuned for real world street riding with no-hassle reliability and all-day comfort.

Even if your primary goal is commuting to school or work, you want to be able to get out and have fun riding some twisty back roads. The FZ6R is ready to put a grin on your face! The newly designed diamond-shaped frame made of high-tensile steel pipes, using the engine as a structural member of the chassis, becomes the foundation for handling performance. It’s designed to provide the right rigidity balance to contribute to smooth cornering performance.

When it comes to putting power to the pavement, the new FZ6R uses nothing less than quality radial tires, 120/70R 17-inch front and 160/16R 17-inch rear. And this bike’s excellent stopping performance is due to dual 298mm front discs and a 245mm rear disc, both with comfortable to use controls.