Motor Cycles

[mw000]

[QUOTE=jcotteri;159645]
Ducati Desmosedici RR

I had the lucky opportunity to sit on a Desmo RR.. It is a serious serious race machine.

It very well balanced with the best of everything.

Aside from the 1098, I think the Duc Streetfighter looks pretty damn cool.

Vintage Triumph's and Nortons are just beautiful! Definitely want to ride some vintage bikes and a few choppers before I die

[MikeN]

My Vespa

[mw000]

Vespas are pretty cool

Derbi scooters are pretty fun as well. They are 49cc so they're pretty zippy

People seem to be going crazy over the Honda Ruckus. I've never ridden one, any insights?

One thing I hated about sport bikes were the horrible impracticality (even though I'm a pretty impractical person)

I would always ride with full leathers and running errands was just awful. With a custom exhaust and no storage, it was basically whatever I could carry on my back.

I would highly recommend people trying one of these. Handling is different than a sport bike, but it is pretty quick (1000cc v-twin) and it holds a full size helmet in the trunk or a 6 pack of beer and more!

[jcotteri]

If you do get an MV which I would highly recommend I would be very interested in seeing some pictures showing the details or even some video of it.. Such beautiful bikes

paging Tiger..

I want to see that Duke

[jcotteri]

that Can AM is an absolutely nuts machine..



was it just that small storage issues that prompted you to get one? I can imagine that parking would be made difficult again, which is one of the best things about owning a bike sometimes. Especially if you live innercity.

[hommedeguerre]

Owned this Ducati for a while...this was the exact bike:

http://redlabelmoto.com/details.asp?...srImageID=1504





Amazing bike, but just too big for me...so I got my vespa:

http://adamstransportation.blogspot.com/

[mw000]

that Can AM is an absolutely nuts machine..

was it just that small storage issues that prompted you to get one? I can imagine that parking would be made difficult again, which is one of the best things about owning a bike sometimes. Especially if you live innercity.

It was more of a time issue. My last 2 bikes have been R1's and though they are a blast to ride and fast as hell, I found that I had less and less time as I got busier with work and whatnot.

Every time I used to go out I would ride in a full 1 piece leathers (Vancouver has some TERRIBLE drivers) so riding started to become way more of a hobby-sport rather than being part of my daily life.

After I sold my 2 bikes, I tried one of these and loved it. It fills the void there was after I sold my sportbikes. It's got pretty good handling, good torque and power, and is a 5 speed manual with reverse gear.

Jumping on it for a long ride or doing daily errands is a lot more convenient than strapping on all the leathers. I do drive cars as well so this isn't my primary but I do find myself riding this at least 2-3x more than I did my sportbikes!

[jcotteri]

When I think of handling I generally think of a few names, but one in particular Bimota, and the only one I have much experience with and thus a heavy bias towards is the Bimota YB11. This somewhat rare and beautiful bike was engineered and designed by Pierluigi Marconi the successor to Federico Martini at Bimota.


YB11 Superleggera

Federico Martini as a young engineer was in turn the successor to the great Massimo Tamburini, who left Bimota in 1983 to pursue work with the CRC (Centro Ricerche Cagiva) a subsidiary of MV Agusta. Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri and Massimo Tamburini together founded Bimota in the small Adriatic seaside city of Rimini. Massimo Tamburini is said to be the inspiration behind the companies beginnings, had he not crashed his Honda 750 Four at the Misano racetrack in September 1972 there wouldn’t be a Bimota. The Bimota name is simply the portmanteau of the first two letters from each of company founders’ surnames, hence BiMoTa. Their bike designs were created around a pre constructed proven Japanese or Italian motorcycle engine design (other than the 500 V due), they then hand cut the chassis from a cast aluminium block or used a hybrid trellis as is evident with the later bikes. In the case of the YB11 the chassis is hand cut from an aircraft alloy frame known as a “Scatolato”. Bimota later add to the YB11 high quality parts and fixtures, such as a Brembo brakes system, Paioli suspension, Michelin tyres and Antera forged aluminium rims (much stronger than cast) yet still extremely light and I must say they look quite pretty. A standard R1 just doesn't compare against this, nor does the Thunderace its predecessor of course : P

Bimota has been on the forefront of GP racing, with riders carrying such great names as Virginio Ferrari (YB4), Davide Tardozzi ( YB4), Anthony Gobert (SB8), Alberto “Johnny” Cecotto (YB1, YB4), Stéphane Mertens (YB4, YB6), Giancarlo Falappa (YB4), Walter Villa (HBD2) and Randy Mamola (YB3) bringing many race victories and even a championship in 1987.

Bimota have produced distinctive motorcycles with innovative solutions to motorcycle design, construction and chassis dynamics, most notably the use and development of the centre hub steering design seen in the Tesi series, one of Robbiano and Marconi’s most memorable projects along with the V Due. Other developments such as hybrid trellis frames and improvements of direct electronic fuel injection have seen Bimota to the top of the game, joining companies such as Ducati, Aprilia and MV Agusta. Like many companies their dedication to development has led them to near demise, as with the development of the 500 V Due, the first ALL Bimota motorbike and as hinted by its name a 500cc GP replica bike.


Tesi 1d showing centre hub steering

The V Due launched in 1997 was fitted with Bimota’s own two stroke 500cc, electronic fuel-injected liquid-cooled 90 ° v-twin making 110bhp at 9000rpm, and 90Nm of torque at 8000rpm, hence the quickest power to weight ratio of any production bike at the time. Unlike past carb-equipped two-strokes (from other companies), the V Due’s fundamental and advanced direct-injection two-stroke engine (eight long years in the making) was supposed to be light weight, environmentally friendly with low emissions meeting the current strict global standards. Ridding the engine of the polluting and fuel-inefficient carburettor proved to be the demise of the company for a short period, as the lack of engineering manpower and heavy demand caused the bike to be prematurely released with some lingering direct injection problems still remaining unresolved. It wasn’t long before the new owners were complaining of a multitude of problems; loss of oil, poor performance, intermittent power, dodgy electrics, plug fouling, belly pan cracking, weak cranks etc. etc. There was a demand for a refund and Bimota quickly agreed, recalling all of the bikes along with pulling the plug on further production at a total of around 340 units. They then went on to retrofit many of the models with a Dell'Orto carburettor, dubbing it the V Due Evoluzione Strada but never had a chance to sell them as the company collapsed in late 1999.


V Due 500cc V Twin electronic direct injection Engine made by Bimota ( :

The V due featured as with all of Bimota’s motorcycles all specialty parts. As follows: a hand cut alu-alloy chassis with internally braced swingarm, Paioli forks and an Öhlin rear shock, Brembo goldline 4 pot calipers on the front and a single pot on the rear, 6 speed cassette gearbox (upside down, so you are shifting 1 up and 5 down), 3 spoke Antera forged alloy rims, handmade stainless steel Bimota racing expansion chambers carbon fibre can exhaust system and a built in quickshifter.


V Due

These two bikes along with most of their range I feel are amazing but the V Due despite its shortcomings, is just the perfect iteration of a 500cc 2 stroke, with such amazing lines. I one day hope to own one, or at least ride one... Bimotas are quite well known for their handling, it’s just breathtaking, such a smooth ride if you know what your doing. I thoroughly recommend trying one out whether it’s a Ducati Bimota, BMW Bimota, Harley Davidson Bimota, Suzuki Bimota, Yamaha Bimota etc. etc.

HDG I don't know how you could give that Paul Smart 1000LE : (

It's beautiful

the size I guess is understandable.. perfect imo

[MaxM]

Moded 1992 GSX-R

[prednisone]

2001 SV650S

[prednisone]

was mine :)

Had a wreck 2 years ago and the bike was totalled. I was dressed in full gear. When the bike and I stopped tumbling my head was pinned under the bike courtesy of the exhaust pipe. Had to grab it with my hand and push the bike off. Came out alive with a broken rib and badly twisted ankle :)

[mw000]

Moded 1992 GSX-R

I've never seen a GSX-R done like that. Pretty damn sweet!

[MaxM]

It's the MV exhausts

[interest1]

Hot bike. Really, really like it. :) BTW, thanks for that PM last night. Always nice to get a guy's perspective. And that was quite a perspective. ;)

This is what I would ride to afterlife.

Matte Black is usually unavailable everywhere, you have to custom paint it. But result is awesome. I am blessed with uncle being a car freak enough to owe a custom design company as hobby business. Matte black Ducati's are... breathtaking... (Matt black Porshe 911 Turbo even more so)

[jcotteri]

Maybe I am destined to be a Rev Head (bogan)