MV Agusta and Harley-Davidson announced today that H-D have struck a deal to buy 100% of the MV Agusta Group shares. Claudio Castiglioni owns 95% at present and will act as the chairman and in an R&D role after the acquisition. The purchase is worth 70 million Euro that will cover the 45 Million Euro debt. As you can see from our choice of pictures to illustrate this, the optimism in both companies are now at a very high level! With this deal struck, expect MV Agusta to spearhead some spectacular racing activities in the future too. At the end some thoughts: What happens to Buell now? Hopefully Harley-Davidson will do a better job with MV than TPG did with Ducati... More on this later including a exclusive interview with Claudio Castiglioni. Tor Sagen
Sources close to the Ducati factory have told me that not too long ago they contemplated a naked version of the Desmosedici RR roadbike. Hence I instructed one of our in-house Italian designers to create such a bike, to illustrate the story. We have called it the Monstersedici. In the world of B-Kings, Vmax and Brutale's such a concept wouldn't be too way off and that's why Ducati actually did a small study of such a concept. The result of the study was off course that Ducati would not go ahead and produce such a motorcycle. Due to the super expensive V4 hand built engine it wouldn't make a big price difference to remove the fairing. Ducati have also believe it or not underpriced the Desmosedici RR heavily compared to the cost of building one and the price people actually are willing to pay for such machinery. It's all a big PR stunt to look at it with a cynical point of view. It has worked out brilliantly for Ducati and chance had it that a young Aussie named Casey Stoner won the MotoGP championship that year too. So even though we have made this concept ourselves and not Ducati, it is a fact according to my source that the naked Desmosedici RR was discussed. What you can expect from the Italian factory however, is a naked 1098 Monster S4R style and I believe it's one of the big Ducati news due this autumn in Milan. Ducati would not give us any official comment on this story, but off the record one of my sources stated that he wouldn't buy such a bike because it would have too much power. Any Suzuki B-King owners or potential Yamaha Vmax II buyers that begs to differ? By Tor Sagen/CG: Luc1
I can feel my integrity crumble into pieces as I see the 08 MV F4 1078 RR 312 polished to perfection in front of me. In pearl white and black this is almost a moment that equals seeing your sexy new girlfriend naked for the first time. People that I don't know and never talked to have told me that a supermodel in bed might not be all ace. Trying to ride her slowly past the village church is pure torture. Go fast like a rabbit on steroids and she loves you and you love her. Worst part here is that I'm holding back. More in the full test of this 190 horsepower beauty when I get over the fact that I was dumped over Brad Pitt. Tor Sagen
Mama Mia! MV Agusta and Moto Guzzi 08's in two days!
Videos, words and much more coming from my recent visit to Varese and Mandello Del Lario at the MV Agusta and Moto Guzzi factories. A hint of what's to come in the piccies below and a video of the awesome MV Agusta Brutale 1078RR... Tor
We have just returned from Paris where we have tested the 2008 Ducati Monster 696+ again. This time in the busy streets of Paris, first dry and then wet. More on the bike later, in the meantime please enjoy the footage we shot at the Monster fashion show. Some cool moves in there... TS
In 2008 the R1 turns 10 years! In 1998 the 150 horsepower R1 was nothing less than revolution. Whilst being more vicious than the rest, it left the 143 horsepower 1998 Kawasaki ZX-9R for dead. Honda and Suzuki were nowhere near and got caught with their pants down. It took 3 full years for the others to catch up and only Suzuki managed to keep up with the all new GSX-R1000 in 2001. Without the R1 we wouldn't have had the big Gixxer so soon. So Yamaha upped the ante and the others followed as the Japanese always do. Therefore, we believe that Yamaha will... More here
2008 Yamaha R6 first roadtest vid, Yamaha celebrates R-series in 2008
This year it's 10 years since Yamaha launched the 98 R1. The first light supersport with 150 horsepower. To help Yamaha a little with the celebrations, we are currently road testing the 2008 R6. The video below shows a detailed walk around and a short onboard teaser. Enjoy! TS
Raptors & Rockets and Tor Sagen had the privilege of riding one of only 6 Bimota DB7 1098 available at the Misano GP circuit. It's fast, it looks good, it's Italian and hand-made! You can't get more exclusive than this. The DB7 features the Ducati 1098 engine of 160 horsepower. However, Bimota have altered the exhaust and ECU to boost the midrange between 4-7.000 rpm. Yes, you got it, more torque from an engine that already produces massive torque! With carbon fibre fairing, machine billet aluminium parts everywhere and a super cool and steady chassis this is something special. Watch the vid below! Tor Sagen
Various Buell sources have confirmed off the record that the next natural step for the firm is an RR version of the 1125R. Buell have only just started its racing activities in the US though, so our guess is that a fully faired 1125 is still some way away. Two main changes can be anticipated and that's a higher quality suspension package and more horsepower from the already powerful 1125cc liquid-cooled V-twin. The exhaust is always a major feature on any Buell. There's innovations and despite the fact that Rotax produces the power train, Buell makes the exhaust for that engine. The Rotax engineers told me at the 1125R launch that Buell had a more efficient exhaust system than what they could make. It's evident just looking at the compact under engine exhaust that this bike was made from the beginning also with a full fairing in mind. Our Italian designer was given the task of adding a few changes... More here
Recently I spoke with Aprilia about the new 1200cc V-twin that is the next big news from Noale along with the V4 race bike. I got both a 1200cc Shiver and Dorsoduro confirmed by a reliable factory source. It'll be the same motorcycles with the same frames (as this has been developed also with the 1200 in mind from the start) but with the new 1200 V-twin. I am not sure whether Aprilia will launch both models at the same time or just one at a time, but certainly one of them will be a 2009 model. We then had these mock-ups made to illustrate. See all the pix here. Tor Sagen/CG: Luc1
2008 Aprilia SMV750 Dorsoduro, first launch report & video!
I am now back from the outskirts of Rome at the Aprilia Dorsoduro launch. The new Aprilia street supermoto is aimed at the true hooligans amongst us and there's no soft approaches to the concept. For that you've got the Shiver. The white version we first saw at the Milan show is destined to become the Factory version. Now Aprilia offers the Dorsoduro in Black, Silver and red first. There'll be an update number 2 soon... Tor Sagen
2008 Harley-Davidson XR1200, first R&R film from the launch in Valencia!
The long-awaited XR1200 is finally here! We have ridden it in Valencia with pretty much everyone that can walk and talk in the European motorcycle press. We are willing to bet however on the fact that no one have got as cool films as we do including onboard riding, wheelies and burnout (oh so forbidden and frowned upon by our friends at H-D) The Harley-Davidson XR1200 is without doubt the most fun H-D I have ever ridden. That's because it has got XR750 genes and help in the development from people like US legend Scott Parker. H-D emphasises that the XR1200 is a light bike, but the truth is that the XR is a heavy beast compared to its European counterparts from Ducati, BMW, Aprilia and Triumph. That fact however didn't stop the fun one bit. The XR is miles better than the firms own V-rod on European roads and the 1200cc air-cooled V-twin is a beauty. The only thing stopping the XR from delivering Buell horsepower is the fact that the XR air box is about half the size and the exhaust volume less too. But the 90 horsepower that is available in the chassis Harley have built is just suitable. More soon on this landmark Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Tor Sagen
2008 Yamaha XT660Z Tenere, worlds first test from Morocco!
April 8th, Tiznit - Morocco. Yamaha unleashes its comeback into the premium adventure segment with a brand new XT660Z Tenere. I was one of the very first journalists in the world to ride the new XT660Z Tenere in the Southern Atlas mountains. The new Tenere have a lot going for it and it's not just a touring prepared offroad bike. The 2008 Tenere is a true adventure motorcycle and feels just as much at home in the dunes of North Africa as on roads in the Alps. Before I reveal it all in the full test I can certify first hand that the new Tenere is fantastic offroad. Watch our first film from the world launch below. It's a walk around, but we have got plenty of onboard too both off and on road. Tor Sagen
We have so much more coming from the Barcelona launch of the 2008 Ducati Monster 696. We are starting the coverage with films from the presentation, press conference and the behind the scenes hotel blog. Walk around and some cool onboard action from Barcelona coming next! See them all here. TS
Last week we tested the 2008 Bimota DB6R Delirio as one of the first in the world. Here's the first video from the event showing the Delirio R version in all its glory! TS
See our first video from the Benelli TNT 899 and 899 S launch below. It sounds good, runs well and looks every bit as exotic as the original TNT 1130. It's Italian and we give you a taste of the roads that we rode between Pesaro and Urbania. On the way back we even passed the house Valentino Rossi grew up in outside of Urbino. More soon. TS
We are now testing the 2008 Triumph Speed Triple on UK's best roads. Check the blog and watch these two first videos from the test whilst waiting for the full test. This week we also ride another big triple, the Benelli TNT 899. TS
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