untuk semua: Desember 2010

Selasa, 28 Desember 2010

Design Ducati 1198S Corse Special Edition

The 1198 S Corse Special Edition sports a bold red, white and black colour scheme to mark the historic introduction of a new Ducati Corse logo and celebrate the winning of both the World Superbike and Superstock Manufacturers’ titles. The Special Edition ‘S’ features a factory team-style aluminium fuel tank and race kit as well as world-beating Ducati Traction Control.

At 168kg (370.3lb) (dry weight) the Special Edition model weighs in at 1kg (2.2lb) less than the 1198 S thanks to the beautifully made lightweight fuel tank, which also boosts the bike’s fuel capacity by 2.5 litres (0.66 US gal) to 18 litres (4.75 US gal). The tank is formed in 2mm thick aluminium, brush finished and clear-coated to maintain a factory race tank feel and proudly displays the new Ducati Corse logo on top.

Ducati 1198S Corse Special Edition(3)

The 1198 R Corse comes in the red, white and black Corse Special Edition livery bodywork with the new aluminium fuel tank clear-coated for all to see. The Trellis frame is also in red with the front and rear 7-spoke Marchesini wheels finished in black. The front fender and side panels are left in a contrasting natural carbon fibre finish while the belly-pan is painted, but reveals its carbon fibre material inside the aerodynamic recess for the side-stand. A subtle ‘1198 R Corse Special Edition’ graphic on the tail fairing leaves no doubt as to what this magnificent bike is.

This top-of-the-range model is supplied with a race kit that includes a full racing exhaust system with 102dB carbon fibre mufflers by Termignoni and dedicated ECU which raises power output to approximately 186hp (intended strictly for track use only). Also in the kit is a unique Ducati Corse branded bike cover designed by Aldo Drudi and rear paddock stand as well as an official cased plaque of authentication that confirms the collectable value of this exclusive motorcycle.

Picture Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R

Picture Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R(1)

Picture Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R(2)

Picture Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R(3)

Hats off to the Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-6R then, winner of 600cc comparison tests in just about every publication and website of note on the planet. With an engine the critics agree feels bigger than 599cc, and a chassis that out handles all others, the ZX-6R returns as the bike to beat in 2010.

With a fine-tuned chassis including a class-exclusive Big Piston Fork and fully adjustable shock out back, razor-sharp handling sets the ZX-6R apart. To optimize front-rear rigidity balance, frame stiffness around the swingarm pivot and the rear engine mounts is carefully tuned, with the compact engine rotated forward around the output shaft for a steep cylinder bank angle and optimal center of gravity. An exhaust layout with a short side muffler keeps the weight low, and an exhaust pre-chamber further contributes to the ZX-6R’s mass centralization.

But Kawasaki didn’t just declared themselves satisfied with that, it needed to bring that power and torque to the rider’s right hand without this involving jerks, only smooth and instant throttle response and control. In order to achieve that, engineers added cylindrical guides to the top of the air cleaner box, bringing chirurgical precision to air intake systems and getting the maximum bang from every fuel load going into the cylinders. The throttle bodies were lengthened, increasing distance between oval sub-throttle and round main throttles 10mm, resulting in a much smoother transition, reducing inlet turbulence and increasing efficiency. Also, the cylinder porting and ignition coils were revised in the quest for performance.

As weight is a key factor, the making of this inline-four involved finding solutions for reducing it. And if that meant making the camshafts from SCM, revising the top injector mounting plate, narrowing the transmission gears, revising and relocating coolant reservoir and heat pads, Kawasaki engineers didn’t boggle in doing it.