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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Kawasaki's 2012 ZX-14R will be the most powerful production motorcycle ever


Kawasaki has released details of its 2012 ZX-14R and the Japanese giant has once again gazumped the competition to retake top spot on the motorcycle horsepower ladder.
No horsepower figures have been released, but the company has stated quite clearly that the 2012 ZX-14R will be the fastest accelerating motorcycle in production and that it has the most powerful production motorcycle engine ever built.

The whole "fastest" thing is now getting beyond a joke, even with the normally squeaky clean integrity Kawasaki applies to its claims. Across its press statements and web sites, Kawasaki is claiming the following for this bike "the World's Most Powerful Sports Bike" (from the press release headline), the "most powerful production motorcycle engine ever" (from the press release), and "the fastest production motorcycle on the planet."
For starters, it is not "the World's Most Powerful Sports Bike" because there are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of more powerful sports bikes in the world.
Even putting the word "production" in the statement is open to contention because the definition of production is hardly specific enough, and as you can see below, to say that safely, given the current crop of mega-beasties, means the new ZX-14R has to be putting out a LOT more than 200 horsepower at the crank. Rumour suggests that Kawasaki are talking 210 bhp at the crank for the ZX-14R.


For starters, there's Kawasaki's own recently introduced ZX10-R (pictured above at its release last October in Koln), which puts out 207 bhp with its ram air effect, andthe existing ZX14, which has now been around six years, putting out 190 brake horsepower and 201 bhp with ram air effect at 120mph. 




Then there's Horex's triple-overhead camshaft VR6,which is yet to begin production. It's claims of more than 200 bhp are believable given that it is powered by a supercharged 1200cc six cylinder engine. The bike was an instant classic the moment it first appeared at Koln Motorcycle Show this time last last year - a masterpiece of design and mechanical ingenuity that, IMHO, richly deserves success. It's an unknown quantity still, but still with as much right to make such claims as Kawasaki.
Ducati's 200 bhp Desmosedici Racing Replica had a limited run of 1500 motorcycles and sold out before production. The entire 500 unit allocation for the United States sold out in five hours. It is the only roadgoing version of a MotoGP race machine ever produced, and sold for US$72,500.
One of the most intricate motorcyles ever assembled in this number, the 197.3 bhp engine was a 90° "Double-L-Twin" (four cylinder in non-Ducati speak), with a twin pulse firing order, with two sets of gear-driven Desmodromic DOHC valve gear controlling the four titanium valves per cylinder.

The bike has not been produced again, and with results not running Ducati's way at the moment, the company's efforts seem to have been focussed on the upcomingPanigale twin cylinder road bike which has the intoxicating raw numbers of weighing 176 kg wet and producing 195 bhp.
Will the Kawasaki ZX-14R accelerate faster than the lighter, similarly powered Ducati Panigale? When the production bikes get here, we'll know. One thing's for sure though, and that's that the Ducati will be very close to the ZX14R, despite being a different genre of motorcycle. As the legendary Colin Chapman was famous for saying, "adding power makes you faster on the straights - subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere." He may have been refering to cars, but the basic premise is still the same.

Now some of those aforementioned mega-beasties are limited edition models, and there's also an even more powerful set of VERY limited edition models with claims to more than 200 bhp. We might have missed one or two (let us know and we'll add them to the article), but they include:

The Confederate C3 X132 Hellcat has a V-twin engine with a capacity of 132 cubic inches (2163cc). It produces a monolithic 145 foot-pounds (196.6 nm) of torque and a lot of horsepower, reputed to be in the 200 bhp range. Only 150 will be made, selling at US$45,000 apiece.

The Asphaltfighters' Stormbringer puts out 280 bhp and there's no limit to how many will be produced, but at US$86,000, that's probably not going to be very many. It's based on a production bike (the ZX10R), but I'm not sure if it can be classified as a production bike?
Several others fall into this category of adding forced aspiration to existing production engines to achieve phenomenal horsepower figures, and then wrapping the engine in an exotic frame and the finest aftermarket go-fast and look-good bits and charging a King's Ransom to own one.

The US$170,000, 257 bhp Icon Sheene is the latest in this genre, and only 52 of the tribute bike to the British roadracer will be produced - one for each year of Sheene's life. It uses a Suzuki gixxer motor with a blower and will be featured in depth on Gizmag shortly. It is not yet in production, though there is a prototype.

Still another is the turbocharged Ducati-engined Super Squalo, which also produces more than 200 bhp at a cost of around US$45,000.

Two motorcycles that definitely vie for a top three finish in the list of the world's most expensive motorcycles (and hence the more exclusive category) are theUS$275,000 Ecosse Titanium which quotes only 200+ bhp for its own engine, and the US$185,000 jet-turbine-powered Y2K which has "more than 320 bhp" and a top speed of over 400 km/h. You can download the brochure here.

Both are in production, though the Ecosse's price and extraordinary specifications indicate a fair wait, as the bike sports the world's first all-titanium frame and the 2150cc polished billet aluminium v-twin donk is made in the same factory. The there's MotoGP-spec Ohlins suspension at each end, and radially-mounted 6-pot billet ISR front brake calipers (12 individual brake pads) and the price ... US$275,000. If you want to insure one, might we suggest a reputable bookmaker.
For the sake of this article, we'll presume that by production, Kawasaki is talking about readily available motorcycles from a relatively local dealership.

Which means the main contenders are Yamaha VMAX, MV Agusta's F4RR and Suzuki Hayabusa.
The MV Agusta F4RR costs US$32,500 and unlike some previous F4 models which limited production runs, the F4RR appears to have no limit to its production run.

Yamaha's V-MAX has had many claimed figures on its horsepower output since it was first announced, but the Suzuki Hayabusa is unquestionably the bike that appears most likely to stand between Kawasaki and its claims for the 2012 ZX-14R.

Verification of the claims in relation to the Hayabusa can be had in the form of an article written by nine-time World Champion Motorcycle drag racer Rickey Gadson, who ran the bike through the quarter mile at 9.7 seconds with an exit speed approaching 150 mph on a slow strip - untouched from the crate.

That puts it well ahead - about half a second behind over a quarter mile - of the 2011 Suzuki Hayabusa, according to Gadson's own figures - figures that he's achieved on both bikes on the Hyabusa previously. On the strength of Gadson's reflections, the claims appear genuine.
I think it's fair to say that now that motorcycle manufacturers have agreed to a limited top speed (the top speed of all motorcycles is now electronically limited to 186 mph - 299 km/h - by agreement of the major Japanese and European motorcycle manufactures), we have new entered a new phase of the horsepower race which has been going on in earnest since two-strokes ruled the roost.

Two-stroke engine technology produced immense power, but spewed hydrocarbons into the atmosphere at an alarming rate. Built in an era before we realised what we were doing to the environment, Kawasaki built its reputation for horsepower with the Kawasaki H1 Mach III 500cc three-cylinder, air-cooled two-stroke.
I had such fond memories of the H1 that a few years ago, while I was building a motorcycle collection, I purchased a mint-condition H1 and restored it to absolutely original. I rode it around the block a few times, but its speed was just not as awesome as it had been in the day, as I'd updated my frame of reference by riding bikes developed decades later. It was also an ecological disaster, had drum brakes, agricultural suspension, and just wasn't all that much fun.

It's interesting that the H1 was the fastest thing on two wheels just over 40 years ago with just 60 bhp. Honda's CB750 was a contender with a top speed of 200 km/h. Forty years later, Superstock 600cc four-strokes from all four Japanese manufacturers can run more than 280+ km/h trap speeds at Monza, indicating how much faster things have become.
After the H1 came the Kawasaki H2 Mach IV 750cc three-cylinder two-stroke. Honda's 750 four of 1968 might have been the king of the road, with its civilised manners and longevity and broad usable power, but the CB750 couldn't hope to compete against the Mach IV for performance.
Kawasaki is very unlike the other members of Japan's big four motorcycle manufacturers. Its roots are in heavy industrial and military machinery. Its factories are still staffed by thousands of people wearing the same green-grey uniforms they have worn for most of the last century.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries is an industrial powerhouse with 30,000 employees and US$15 billion in annual profit. The company is vast, with many divisions producing quite diverse technological systems: the Shinkansen Bullet train, entire energy plants, giant ships, jet engines, tractors, a range of military aircraft, helicopters, simulators, missiles, robots and space systems are just a fraction of the genres of complex machinery that wear the Kawasaki name.
Most of the things Kawasaki builds are not seen as Kawasaki product by the public though because they are not branded. Hence, as the primary outward facing brand wearing the Kawasaki logo, the motorcycle company is required to reflect the company's brand values to the public.
Once the Honda 750 had ushered in a new era of motorcycling, Kawasaki responded with the Z1 four-cylinder 900cc four-stroke, completely redefining the limits of what was possible.
Every few years since, the company has gone out of its way to produce the fastest road bike on the market.
Verification of this thought pattern in Akashi can be evidenced in the company's other "outward facing" showing of the Kawasaki brand, the Personal Water Craft marketplace.
Kawasaki pioneered this marketplace in the mid-seventies and the company's proprietary brand name (Jet Ski) is still synonymous with PWC to most folk. Sea Doo might own the category, and sell a lot more units, but it hasn't stopped Kawasaki from spanking them from time to time, in exactly the same was as the motorcycle division had done to the rest of the world's manufacturers.
The Kawasaki's Ultra 250X was a landmark model. It took the highest performance PWCs 250 bhp Jet Ski eclipsed all before it a few years back in a similar milestone model in the evolution of the PWC as we have seen in the motorcycle market from Kawasaki.
As there's a similar agreement in place between manufacturers of PWCs and the United States Coast Guard which limits top speed of PWCs to 65-67 mph in the most important PWC market in the world, SeaDoo and Kawasaki have been slugging it out with electronically limited top speeds, and ever increasing acceleration.
Quite remarkably, the old ZX14 motor forms the basis for the 1500cc supercharged Kawasaki motor in the Ultra 300X, so presumably the same next version of the 300X will use the same motor too. The needs of a PWC motor are quite different from those of a motorcycle - for starters, the engine is routinely subjected to long periods of sustained full throttle, far longer than you'd get with a motorcycle, and also from the very get-go to its top speed of 65 mph. That the strength is there to sustain such punishment should be very comforting to Kawasaki motorycle owners too.
Mechanical robustness was already one of Kawasaki's brand values, largely due to the strength of the company's four cylinder engines which have been one of the racing fraternity's favourites since the Z1 arrived nearly four decades ago.
Hence in upgrading the motor for the next generation, it's interesting to see where Kawasaki has gained power and increased longevity incrementally in dozens of ways in a motor that's technologically unremarkable in its basic layout.
The swept volume has been increased by 89cc from the current model's 1352cc to 1441cc with a 4mm increase in stroke, giving each of the four cylinders dimensions of 84 x 65mm. Interestingly, the combustion chambers have been reshaped, and are now surface milled instead of relying on the accuracy of the casting.

The intake ports have also been reshaped to improve air-flow and for the first time in a mass volume motorcycle engine, the inlet tracts are hand polished - this method of extracting the last bit of flow available is the time-honoured process of "porting" an engine, though Kawasaki already has the shape it wants, and the porting is designed to remove any minor production blemishes where they will count most.
Even the intake valves are new, being longer and using different materials than the previous model's.

The forged pistons are lighter than the old model, and by virtue of a new oil-jet cooling system which keeps the pistons cooled with a constant spray from underneath, the thickness of the piston has been reduced while the the compression ratio has been boosted from 12.0:1 to 12.3:1. This results in less reciprocating mass and higher combustion efficiency and lower temperatures.
The attention to every detail is astounding. The conrods are re-designed from a new metal with bigger small-ends and the crankshaft main journals are now 2mm bigger at 40mm.

The accuracy of valve control has also been increased with a stronger cam chain and the tensioner system has been redesigned, all helping to ensure the engine can run stronger for longer.
The camshafts are all new in both timing and lift and although the fuel and air are still mixed by the same Mikuni DFI, there's now automatic idle adjustment and the mapping has been tweaked to achieve lower emissions. Though 44mm throttle bodies still supply the air, breathing has been improved by redesigning the air cleaner filter so it not only has 10% more surface area for improved cleaning, but 40% better airflow, for the improved breathing necessary in producing the world's most powerful motorcycle engine.
Just to complete the process holistically, the exhaust system now begins with all-new tapered header pipes and concludes with larger-volume mufflers with dual catalyzers to ensure emissions are as low as possible.

The cogs in the gearbox have also come in for a different manufacturing process, with different heat- and surface-treatments from the previous model, while the biggest improvement in the transmission area is in the form of a slipper clutch which will smooth downshifting and help prevent rear wheel lock-ups when the engine is revving hard and you're on the limits of tyre adhesion under brakes.
Though we haven't seen the horsepower charts, Kawasaki says the new engine has more torque at all rpm in comparison to the old ZX14, and lots more power from 4,000 rpm up.

The torque is apparently robust enough to pull away from standstill in first gear and fuel economy is 8% better than the current ZX-14.
The rest of the bike is revised and upgraded in ever way.
The inverted 43mm forks and single rear shock have better resistance to bottoming and entirely revised internal settings to enable better roadholding, which has also been improved with new 10-spoke wheels that each reduce unsprung weight by 3.3 pounds.

Those massive disc brakes may have the same dimensions, but they're made of a more rigid material and the brake pads have also been improved.
Weight is of course the enemy of performance-related cars, boats and motorcycles, and it's interesting to see that the new ZX-14R weighs 265 kg (584.4 pounds), an increase of 8 kg over the current ZX-14. Its new weight is almost exactly the same as the 2011 Hyabusa but it has a fair bit more mid-range grunt.
The ZX14R also features KTRC (Kawasaki TRaction Control) which has three settings other than "off" to cater to different conditions and 2 stage Power Mode selection offers Full Power + Low Power (about 75% of Full). The ABS has also been improved to work better on bumpy roads.
While the 2012 ZX-14R might look kinda similar to the old ZX14 but the whole bike is new and comes with a level of attention to internal detail never before bestowed on a production motorcycle.

BMW reworks the S1000RR

We were mightily impressed by BMW's S1000RR superbike the first time round, now the German manufacturer has announced the S1000RR mark II. Power and maximum torque figures remain at 142 kW (193 hp) and 112 Nm on the revised superbike with the mostly subtle changes centered on improving response, power delivery and handling. The torque curve, throttle response and suspension have all been tweaked along with the (very effective) ABS and Dynamic Traction Control systems. Externally, the 2012 SS1000RR gets an upgraded instrument cluster, revised rear-end, redesigned side panels with the addition of two winglets for improved aerodynamics and a new range of colors.







The S 1000 RR has has wasted no time populating the trophy cabinet since its release in 2009, winning 13 titles and over 120 race victories in superstock and superbike championships during its first full year of competition. BMW Motorrad, which offers a support service to customers who want take the S1000RR racing, says feedback from the track played a major role in the bike's overhaul.
"We listen very closely to our racing colleagues in many teams, especially the BMW Motorrad Italia superstock team or the IDM Team BMW Motorrad Wilbers Suspension," said RR Product Manager Sepp Mächler." We help these teams out and they give us quick and reliable feedback, which helps reduce development times."
Here's a run down on the key changes:
  • reconfigured throttle with 25% less twisting force and tighter twistgrip for improved response
  • more linear torque curve and expansion from two to three performance curves (one each for Rain and Sport modes and an additional one for Race and Slick modes); Rain mode now 120 kW (163 hp)
  • enhanced tuning between Race ABS and Dynamic Traction Control (DTC)
  • final drive now 17/45 (was 17/44)
  • modified steering head angle, swing arm pivot position, fork projection, and rear shock absorber length
  • new internal structure for upside down fork and the rear shock absorber
  • new mechanical steering damper adjustable over ten levels
  • leaner tail section, modified stainless steel exhaust system, larger intake air guide, redesigned side panels, side aperture grilles and winglets
  • revised LCD instrument cluster easier to read rev counter, five dimming levels and additional functions such as "Best lap in progress" and "Speedwarning"
  • revised RR logo
  • new color variants: plain Racing Red with Alpine white, Bluefire, Sapphire black metallic, BMW Motorrad Motorsport
The revised BMW S1000RR was shown this month at EICMA in Italy and is set for release in January 2012. No RRP has been announced as yet.

650 horsepower, 200 mph 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 debuts at L.A. Auto Show



The latest high performance variant of the Ford Mustang bearing the Shelby name has been unveiled at the 2011 LA Motor Show, and it's a beast. Packing a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 producing a headline-grabbing 650 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque, Ford claims the new 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is the most powerful production V8 in the world. While the Mustang has never been the most aerodynamic vehicle on the road, the vehicle's completely reworked drivetrain provides the power to propel it to a top speed of over 200 mph (322 km/h). And as surprising as the grunt under the hood, Ford says the new Shelby GT500 even manages to avoid the United States' Gas Guzzler Tax.


While the 1964 Mustang provided the template for a new class of car dubbed the "pony car" by the editor of Car Life magazine, Dennis Shattuck, it was the high performance variants built by Shelby American from 1965 to 1970 that really pushed the vehicle into muscle car territory. In the summer of '69, Carroll Shelby terminated his agreement with Ford but after a break of over 30 years, Shelby and Ford teamed up yet again in 2005 for the Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 show car. Other vehicles followed, culminating this week in the new 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, which 89-year-old Carroll Shelby was on hand to unveil in L.A., proclaiming it his "favorite Mustang of all time."







Ford says producing the new GT500's additional horsepower required nearly every part of the powertrain to be optimized. This includes a new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, new carbon fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, transmission and axle, and a new TVS Series 2300 supercharger that creates 2.3 liters of displacement.
The new 5.8-liter engine also sees updates to the entire cooling system, with a larger cooling fan, fan shroud with high-speed pressure-relief doors, more efficient charge air cooler, higher-flow intercooler pump and an intercooler heat exchanger with 36 percent more volume.
To manage the torque and make the car more "driver-friendly," nearly every gear on the 2013 GT500 has been revised. After considering more than 35 gearing combinations, engineers finally decided on one they say transmits balanced torque all the way through the wheels and grip to the ground. The six-speed manual transmission has a final drive ratio of 3.31:1, while the dual-disc design clutch has increased torque and rpm capacity.

While the 3,850 pound (1,746 kg), 2013 GT500 doesn't really look any more aerodynamic than its forebears, Ford claims significant work has been done in this area to ensure the car has the proper downforce for optimum performance at all speeds. Modifications to the front fascia and splitters were made to handle the extreme loads felt at speeds of 200 mph and plant the vehicle's 19-inch front and 20-inch rear forged-aluminum wheels more securely to the road. Ford says that, compared to the 2011 model, the 2013 Shelby GT500 offers 33 percent more effective aero loading at 160 mph (257 km/h).
The vehicle is also designed to be as at home on the track is it is on surface streets, with the traction control system and electronic stability control settings that can be completely disabled for skilled drivers in controlled track situations, or fully engaged for maximum safety in normal driving situations or in less-than-ideal traction conditions. There's also an intermediate sport mode that permits more aggressive driving before the traction control and electronic stability control cut in.
"We took a completely different approach with this car so drivers can choose their settings instead of a computer making the selection," said Jamal Hameedi, Special Vehicle Team (SVT) chief engineer. "Nearly every system the driver interacts with can be tailored to his or her situation including the Bilstein electronic adjustable suspension, launch control, AdvanceTrac and steering assist levels."
To keep all those horses under control on the street or on the track, the optional Performance Package includes a Torsen limited-slip differential and SVT0-designed Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers that can be accessed on the dash with a push of a button. In Normal mode, these provide a more comfortable ride over bumpy roads, while Sport mode delivers improved response times on the track with less body roll while cornering and pitch under braking.
"The adjustable shocks let us develop our car on the track without any compromise," said Kerry Baldori, Ford SVT Global Performance Vehicles chief engineer. "Before, we had to tune the car with street implications in mind. Now we can go as extreme as we want on the track setting and still offer the customer a comfortable ride on the road."

Those looking for all-out performance can upgrade the Performance Package with an additional Track Package that includes an external engine cooler, rear differential cooler and transmission cooler. These coolers improve the durability of the vehicle by preventing crucial components from overheating under high-speed conditions.
Ford is yet to reveal the vehicle's acceleration times, gas mileage or pricing of the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, but says it will built at the AutoAlliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, with sales due to begin next year.


Monday, November 28, 2011

Toyota's sporty FT-86 II concept



Perhaps fearing that the brand is losing touch with "passionate drivers", Toyota is developing a new "affordable" sports car to fill the gap it left when it dropped the Supra and MR2 from its lineup. The FT-86 II concept, built on a Subaru platform under a partnership agreement, is a rear wheel drive coupe with smart styling that's clearly aimed at younger drivers. Toyota showed off the car in Melbourne, ahead of this weekend's Australian International Motor Show - and took the opportunity to give the press an advance look at the Prius C concept, Prius V, 2012 Hilux and all-new Yaris as well.


Toyota has signaled its intention of breaking back into the younger male demographic, a segment it has neglected in favor of more practical, sensible cars in recent years. The FT-86 II concept heralds a new sports model projected to sell around the AUD$30,000 (approx. US$31,380) mark when in launches sometime mid next year.
The FT-86 II is built on Toyota's partnership with Subaru - which has provided the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and Impreza chassis. The styling is Toyota's work, and reminiscent of a Supra/Batmobile lovechild in its aggressive, LED-lit front jawline and long, low stance.



At the same event, presented at the impressive new Toyota Style Australia facility, we were shown the new, broadened Prius family, including the Prius V (for Versatile) station wagon, and the Prius C (for City) compact. 


The revised Hilux was also revealed, a facelift for Australia's most popular utility vehicle, and the local press also got its first chance to see next year's Yaris compact.


Toyota's new GT 86 for those whose driving is a passion

Toyota will be officially showing its GT 86 sports car in Tokyo, after several years of concept cars and redesigns and extensive collaboration with Subaru, which will sell an almost identical car.




The compact 2+2 sports car is an incredibly important release from the world's largest auto manufacturer, which is hoping to bolster its reputation by creating a superb handling, driver-focused, low center of gravity, beautifully balanced with excellent power-to-weight ratio.
The front-mounted 197bhp Subaru 2.0-litre flat-four has rear wheel drive, goes on sale mid-2012 and is expected to sell below GBP30,000 in the UK to "those for whom driving is a passion, not a necessity."
The GT 86 measures 4,240mm long, 1,285mm high and 2,570mm wide, dimensions making it the most compact four-seater sports car available today. The driving position have been set as low and as far back as possible to achieve a 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution and an ultra-low center of gravity, at just 475mm.

Subaru's new horizontally opposed, naturally aspirated 1,998cc four-cylinder boxer engine features separate twin injectors for both direct and port injection, and a high 12.5:1 compression ratio. The flat-four has equal bore and stroke of 86.0mm and drives through either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The manual offers quick, precise shifts using a tactile, short-throw lever; the automatic transmission can be controlled using paddle shifts mounted on the steering wheel.
Power is distributed to the rear wheels via a limited slip differential to give the best possible grip in all driving conditions. The ABS and switchable vehicle stability control systems have been tuned specifically to deliver dynamic stability at the limit of the car's performance envelope with minimal electronic intervention to help preserve the purity of the driving experience.

The GT 86 may be launched as the world's only current sports car to feature a front-mounted, horizontally opposed engine and rear-wheel drive, but it cannot claim to be the first. That honor is held by Toyota's two-cylinder boxer-engined Sports 800, which the company began developing in 1962. Since then, Toyota has established a long history of producing exciting, driver-focused sports cars with a front-engine, rear-wheel drive format that have proved as popular with the public as they have been successful in competition.

Ducati v-twin to go under the hammer

Just 40 years ago, Ducati was known for its outdated desmodromic singles and little else. On April 23, 1972, Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari debuted Ducati's new desmodromic 750 v-twin with a 1-2 victory at the Imola 200 Mile Race.


They beat Giacomo Agostini's MV Agusta, plus the best that Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph, BSA, Laverda and Moto Guzzi could offer.
The famous victory set Ducati on a course that saw its big desmo V-twins dominating superbike racing for four decades. The official factory reserve bike from that day is coming up for auction, with bidding expected to finish beyond EUR150,000.
This is a significant example of the first of a new breed of Ducati and its desmodromic valve system.
Horsepower has a direct relationship with the revolutions per minute that an engine can turn. There are many factors which conspire to limit the rpm an engine can reliably achieve, but valve gear has had the greatest influence over the last century.
The inlet and exhaust valves in an internal combustion engine are usually opened mechanically, and closed with a spring. Springs worked well at low and medium rpm, but at high revolutions, the spring has trouble pushing the valve down fast enough.

Hence the desmodromic system, which mechanically closes the valve, was tried by many companies with varying degrees of success in numerous racing cars from the 1920s onwards.
The most famous vehicle to have ever used this system, which both opens and closes the inlet and exhaust valves mechanically, was the Mercedes Benz Silver Arrow which won two world Formula One championships and countless other races in the hands of the likes of Fangio and Stirling Moss.
As with Formula One racing these days, top flight car racing was a testbed of some remarkable future technologies and the V8 W196 which debuted in 1954 featured desmodromic valve gear and fuel injection.
The car's 100 mph average at the Mille Miglia (held on public roads in Italy in ) is still one of motorsport's favorite bedtime stories.
Enzo Ferrari, whose cars were being beaten by the Silver Arrows, is reported to have discussed the advantages of demodromic valve gear at length with Ducati's designer Fabio Taglioni during the mid-fifties, and it's hence not surprising that Taglioni decided to give the system a try in Ducati's 125 single cylinder racing engines.
The engines were fast, and they could rev several thousand rpm faster than their counterparts but they were brittle. In the late fifties Ducati desmodromic singles won four Grands Prix - three in 1957 when the bike could easily have won the 125 title, and once in 1958, in the hands of an up-and-coming British rider named Mike Hailwood.
In the subsequent few years the multi-cylinder 125cc race machinery of MV Agusta and Honda rendered the 125cc single uncompetitive of paved race tracks and the project was shelved. Ducati's Fabio Taglioni learned a lot about metallurgy and even more about the reliability and perfromance of the desmodromic system though the continued production of Ducati's road bikes.
He also knew for certain by then that the mechanical valve system enabled the desmo motor to rev far harder than engines with conventional valve trains, which were limited in their ability to rev by valve bounce (the springs could not close the valves fast enough).
There's a downloadable PDF booklet (9.3 MB) on the Ducati website which plots the history of Doctor Taglioni and the evolution of the Ducati desmodromic valve system and its racing bikes and it's well worth a read - on the cover of the book is Taglioni with Smart and Spaggiari. This was Taglioni's finest moment, and despite more than 50 world titles, probably Ducati's finest as well.
The bike to be auctioned is identical in ever way to the bikes which went one-two that day, and had there been reliability issues with any of the works machines, this bike would have been substituted.
It is being auctioned as part of the disbursement of the Saltarelli Ducati Collection which represents one of the largest private collections of Ducati motorcycles ever to be offered at auction.

Spanning the marque's full history from road to racing machines, the 100-bike collection was carefully selected over the past 30 years by lifelong enthusiast Carlo Saltarelli, an ex-Ducati factory test rider, racer and owner of a Ducati dealership.
The catalogue describes the bike as an "immensely-desirable works 1972 Ducati 750SS 200 Miles Imola Racer" - it is actually also the first Ducati v-twin as we know it.
There had been a 500cc v-twin race bike used the previous year, but this was one of the original eight Ducati 750s prepared for the first race - it produces 80 bhp (60 kW) at 8,500 rpm. This bike would undoubtedly have felt the hands of Taglioni himself. Which makes the estimated price of EUR150,000 to EUR200,000 seem extraordinarily cheap. It will be offered without a reserve price on May 11 next year by RM auctions.





 
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