Bikes shouldn’t make you nervous. Injections, job interviews, brown envelopes on the door mat and flashing blues in your peripheral are familiar triggers, but not motorbikes. They should make you smile and laugh out loud, so why do I feel the way I do? Why do I feel like I’ve had my collar felt, landed three parking tickets and been told to report to the boss all in the same day? Simple; Desmosedici. The Kaiser Sose of the two-wheeled world.
Peerless quality, outrageous bloodline, ridiculous price-tag and most importantly of all, sat between my nerve-wracked, disco- twitching legs for a couple of days. Th is isn’t like the Samurai. Mildly intimidating thanks to its value, the Type 5 isn’t actually scary. Not like the Ducati. The RR triggers a nervous excitement, like counting down to Christmas. In the run up to D-Day the red menace is, without fail, the first thought that popped into my head.
When the big day finally arrives, things get worse before they get better. The Desmo I’m set to ride is on slicks. It also boasts a quickshifter and a Power Commander. And I’ll be sharing a sun-kissed Donington Park with 40 other Desmosedicis as part of the most unique, exclusive and expensive trackday I’ve ever heard of.
To say I’m nervous would be an understatement of epic proportions. Produced in limited numbers, just 1500 Desmoedicis have been built, of which 170 came to the UK. If you’ve been living under a rock in outer space for the last three years and you’re unsure exactly what the Desmosedici is, just watch Eurosport this weekend, wait until a programme called MotoGP comes on and look out for the tombstone-toothed blonde fella on the red bike. He’ll be at or close to the front, going like the clappers on a bike that looks just like the one I’m riding.
Immediately I deploy the mantra I’ll stick to for the duration of my time with the Desmo; ‘it’s just a motorbike’, like any of the hundred or so other motorbikes I’ve ridden doing this job. The words spin around my head as I burble down pitlane.
Read more: http://www.visordown.com/road-tests/ducati-desmosedici-rr-road-test/12592.html#ixzz0xcUgNQt7
Bikes shouldn’t make you nervous. Injections, job interviews, brown envelopes on the door mat and flashing blues in your peripheral are familiar triggers, but not motorbikes. They should make you smile and laugh out loud, so why do I feel the way I do? Why do I feel like I’ve had my collar felt, landed three parking tickets and been told to report to the boss all in the same day? Simple; Desmosedici. The Kaiser Sose of the two-wheeled world.
Peerless quality, outrageous bloodline, ridiculous price-tag and most importantly of all, sat between my nerve-wracked, disco- twitching legs for a couple of days. Th is isn’t like the Samurai. Mildly intimidating thanks to its value, the Type 5 isn’t actually scary. Not like the Ducati. The RR triggers a nervous excitement, like counting down to Christmas. In the run up to D-Day the red menace is, without fail, the first thought that popped into my head.
When the big day finally arrives, things get worse before they get better. The Desmo I’m set to ride is on slicks. It also boasts a quickshifter and a Power Commander. And I’ll be sharing a sun-kissed Donington Park with 40 other Desmosedicis as part of the most unique, exclusive and expensive trackday I’ve ever heard of.
To say I’m nervous would be an understatement of epic proportions. Produced in limited numbers, just 1500 Desmoedicis have been built, of which 170 came to the UK. If you’ve been living under a rock in outer space for the last three years and you’re unsure exactly what the Desmosedici is, just watch Eurosport this weekend, wait until a programme called MotoGP comes on and look out for the tombstone-toothed blonde fella on the red bike. He’ll be at or close to the front, going like the clappers on a bike that looks just like the one I’m riding.
Immediately I deploy the mantra I’ll stick to for the duration of my time with the Desmo; ‘it’s just a motorbike’, like any of the hundred or so other motorbikes I’ve ridden doing this job. The words spin around my head as I burble down pitlane.
Read more: http://www.visordown.com/road-tests/ducati-desmosedici-rr-road-test/12592.html#ixzz0xcUgNQt7
Desmosedici Technical Information
ENGINE
Capacity: 989 cc
Camshafts: DOHC
Distribution: 4 gear-driven Desmodromic valves per cylinder
Connecting rods: Titanium
Crankcase: Sand-cast aluminum with magnesium covers
Clutch: Hydraulically actuated multi-plate slipper dry clutch
Transmission: 6-speed cassette type
Valves: Titanium
INDUCTION
Throttle Bodies: Four 50mm Magneti Marelli throttle bodies with injectors over throttle. Manual idle control.
Injection: 12-hole "microjet"
Airbox: Carbon fibre "ram-air"
EXHAUST SYSTEM
Exhaust: 4 into 2 into 1, oxygen sensor, catalyst
Exhaust exit: Ducted exhaust hidden in the tail cover exiting upward.
Emission standards: Euro 3 emission compliant
CHASSIS
Frame: Trellis hybrid
Front Suspension: Ohlins FG353 PFF forks. USD 43 mm pressurized with reservoir, preload, rebound and compression adjustment. TiN coated sliders.
Rear Suspension: Ohlins rear shock with rebound, low/high speed compression adjustment and hydraulic preload adjustment. Horizontal reservoir. Rear suspension geometry and layout of the GP6 bike with rear shock attached to the swingarm and to a rocker arm which is hinged to the crankcase.
Front Brakes: 2 radial "monoblock" calipers with 4 x 34 mm pistons. 2 semi-floating 320 mm x 6 mm discs, with machined flange: the same as GP6 wet race set-up.
Rear Brakes: Floating caliper with 2 x 34 mm pistons. 240 mm fixed disc.
Swingarm: Extra-long "built-up" cast, forged and pressed sheet aluminium alloy.
Wheels: Marchesini forged and machined magnesium alloy rims, with 7 spoke GP6 design.
Tyres: Bridgestone.
ELECTRONICS
Dashboard: Lightweight Corse dashboard; Lightweight Corse electronic multifunction dashboard with LCD bar graph tachometer, trip/odometer, anti-theft immobilizer, lap time measurement, oil pressure, fuel reserve, EOBD, clock, air temperature and rev counter.
CPU: Magneti Marelli 5SM ECU. CAN line electronics
BODYWORK
Carbon fibre: Carbon fibre body, mirror/dashboard support, rear seat support and airbox. Composite with high temperature resin intake ducts.
Handlebars: Clip-ons
Mirrors: Integrated LED indicators
Fuel Tank: Aluminum alloy
Aerodynamics: GP6 design optimized for road use. The front air intake is at the maximum dynamic pressure point for maximum air inflow to the airbox.
Controls: Radial front brake and clutch master cylinder with remote reservoir. Remote quick adjuster and hinged levers.
RACE KIT
· Exhaust
· 102 dB Silencer
· Dedicated CPU with race mapping
· Rear stand
· Bike cover
· Sponsor decal set
ENGINE
Capacity: 989 cc
Camshafts: DOHC
Distribution: 4 gear-driven Desmodromic valves per cylinder
Connecting rods: Titanium
Crankcase: Sand-cast aluminum with magnesium covers
Clutch: Hydraulically actuated multi-plate slipper dry clutch
Transmission: 6-speed cassette type
Valves: Titanium
