Lap time: 1:46.7Top speed at end of straight: 164.01mphMax braking (g): 1.19Max lean: 50.94 Why it’s so specialDucati built this homologation special for World Superbike racing. It shares the same Marchesini wheels, Ohlins electronically-adjustable suspension and Brembo monoblocs as the S model and the power and torque is the same, too. But the R has new titanium conrods, giving the ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 17 May 2013
Lap time: 1:47.7Top speed at end of straight: 167.7mphMax braking (g): 1.29Max lean: 46.85 Why it’s so specialIt’s the first sports bike to be produced with semi-active suspension. The damping inside the HP4’s Sachs forks and rear shock adjusts as you ride, based on your road speed, throttle position, lean angle, shock movement and intervention from the traction control and ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 16 May 2013
Lap time: 1:49.8Top speed at end of straight: 164.4mphMax braking (g): 1.38Max lean: 48.2 Why it’s so specialThe 1199R and HP4 may be the latest and greatest superbikes to arrive, but neither can boast two World Superbike championships like the RSV4. Reputed to have been made for Max Biaggi from the beginning, the Aprilia made the world take notice when ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 15 May 2013
Lap time: 1:53.86Top speed at end of straight: 163.6mphMax braking (g): 1.19Max lean: 41.62 Why it’s so specialMV Agusta F4s are the ultimate poster bikes. The iconic Massimo Tamburini-designed lines haven’t really changed over the years, just tweaked, refined and polished, but even today, 14 years after the original F4 750 was released, this latest evolution is unutterably beautiful. It ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 14 May 2013
These are ‘Top Trump’ superbikes – the kind of machines you’ll probably only ever see in pictures and rarely in the flesh. The new Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC, BMW HP4 Carbon, Ducati 1199R Panigale and MV Agusta F4RR are all about the big numbers: power, capacity, top speed, electronic rider aids and, of course, price. If you’re in the market ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 13 May 2013
If someone told me a few years ago, I’d want a bike with panniers and a centre stand, I’d have thought they were mad. But here I am, about to spend the summer with the 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada – a bike with panniers, a centre stand and even 12v power sockets, for god’s sake. Of course, the Hyperstrada is about ...
- Motorcycle News
- General news
- 07 May 2013
We’re here at the new Circuit of the Americas MotoGP track in Austin, Texas, riding Ducati’s new £26,550 1199 Panigale R. Apart from dripping in sexy carbon fibre, a taller racing screen, racing seat, a Ducati Corse paintjob and ABS, race exhaust and a datalogger as standard, this homologation special has engine and chassis tweaks, specifically designed for racing. During ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 20 March 2013
Ducati's all-new, water-cooled, 2013 Hypermotard is currently being put through its paces in southern Spain by MCN Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves. Here are his first impressions: "It's track this morning on the £11,850 SP version and road this afternoon on the £9950 standard bike. Both will be available from dealers next month. "The new motor is a long stroke version ...
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- First rides & tests
- 21 February 2013
We're riding the mountain roads near Barcelona on the new £9599 Tiger 1050 Sport, Triumph's adventure-styled sports tourer. It's an updated version of the Tiger 1050 that's been with us since 2007 and has another 10bhp, more torque, more stable steering geometry and better comfort. It has 120 new parts, including new swingarm, wheels, bars, seat and styling. With all the ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 12 February 2013
We all know that sportsbikes are so focused that you need a track to get the best out of them. But, as has always been the case, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them every day. The Ducati Panigale and BMW S1000RR we have here might have close to 200bhp, sticky tyres and track-orienated suspension, but power deliveries are smooth, ...
- Motorcycle News
- First rides & tests
- 29 January 2013
