2009 Honda CBR1000RR
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Thursday, March 31, 2011
Diamond Posse at Arizona Bike Week 2011
The Diamond Posse, a veteran outreach program from Milwaukee, Wisconsin is at Arizona Bike Week on a fundraising mission. They hope to raise at least $20,000 in 2011 in order to provide a trained service dog at no cost to a disabled combat veteran. Members of the Diamond Posse will be at the Team Diva Booth all weekend (March 31 to April 3rd) at WestWorld, where you can also meet this year's celebrity rider, Sturgis Hall of Fame member Betsy "Gypsy" Lister. WestWorld is at 16601 N. Pima Road in Scotsdale, Arizona.
"The women riders in the Diamond Posse have a deep heart-felt gratitude for combat veterans, who have made our freedom possible by way of their sacrifices," said Gypsy.
The public is invited to stop by to say hello to these women, check out their bikes and learn more about the Diamond Posse and the non-profit program, NEARDS that trains service dogs.
The Diamond Posse rode every day to honor veturans during National Armed Forces Week in 2010. They hope to share their passion for riding with everyone, while also raising awareness and support for disabled veterans who have proudly served the United States of America.
Women are also invited to join the Diamond Posse's Ride to this year's 9-11 rally in September in Kansas City. Members of the Diamond Possee will ride from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Park City, Utah; Dallas, Texas and Boston, Massachusetts, arriving in four separate waves on Saturday, September 10th with each group saying Thank You for their privilege to Ride Free. To register to ride, visit www.diamondposse.us/
The Diamond Posse is a non-profit veteran outreach program that consists of Vicki "Spitfire" Sanfelipo, "Diva" Amy Skaling, and Cat Hammes RN, their "One Legged Blonde". The Diamond Posse was formed in 2010 to honor veterans by giving hope and encouragement to veterans who are facing challenges as a result of their service to the United States of America.
NEADS is a non-profit program established in 1976 in Princeton, Mass. to train and provide independence to people who are deaf or physically disabled through the use of canine assistance. These assistance dogs become an extension of their owners and bring security, freedom, independence and relief from social isolation to their human partners. Details at www.neads.org/
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
2009 ducati streetfighter
2009 ducati streetfighter
2009 ducati streetfighter
2009 ducati streetfighter
2009 ducati streetfighterWith apologies to one of the greatest bands ever, this time around in Andalucía it was an Italian bombshell that was stealing hearts. Ducati’s new Superbike-based Streetfighter truly is the bomb.
Unlike nearly every naked bike we can think of, Ducati has created a stripped-down, super-sporting roadster without excuses – no tuning for torque, and no dumbed-down suspension.
The Streetfighter’s engine is ripped nearly unchanged from the 1098 sportbike, differing only in shorter intake tracts that knock off a scant 5 hp. The result is a claimed 155 hp at 9500 rpm, aided by a midrange-inducing exhaust valve. The use of the 1198’s Vacural cast-aluminum crankcase shaves nearly 7 pounds from the engine.
“It’s like 100 liters of adrenaline,” Giulio Malagoli, the Streetfighter’s project leader, told Motorcycle.com about his latest creation. Malagoli is also the inspired mind behind the recently launched Monster 696 and 1100 air-cooled models. The new Streetfighter is now the most radical of Ducati’s naked bikes, replacing the discontinued Monster S4RS that measures up 25 hp short of the SF’s 1099cc Testastretta Evoluzione powerplant.
The standard Streetfighter retails for $14,995, and it boast a fully adjustable Showa suspension and lightweight magnesium for the headlight bracket and clutch and cylinder-head covers - magnesium is about 30% costlier than aluminum but is about 20% lighter, says Malagoli. The higher-end S version’s V-Twin powerplant is in an identical state of tune, but it includes top-shelf Ohlins suspension, lighter forged-aluminum Marchesini wheels and tasty carbon fiber for the front fender and cam-belt covers.
This is quality stuff, but it’s not enough to justify the $4,000 price increase of the S model. Helping it earn its lofty $18,995 MSRP are the most sophisticated electronics offered on any sportbike. DDA is the Ducati Data Analyzer, which records various channels such as lap times, throttle and gear positions, and the speeds of the engine and bike – it’s an extra-cost option on the standard Streetfighter.
But the S’s piece de resistance is Ducati’s traction control as used on the recent 1198 superbike. It first softly retards ignition timing, but if slippage is still detected by the wheel-speed sensors, the fuel injection will cut out to varying degrees to inhibit wheelspin. There are eight settings on the DTC, ranging from “It’s either raining or you shouldn’t be on a bike like this” to “Let’s spin up the rear tire on our way to victory circle.”
The Test
The rain in Spain may fall mainly on the plain, but we found out the wind can howl like a banshee in the Spanish hills. We were greeted at the fabulous Ascari Race Resort near Ronda, Spain, by 50-mph gusts that shook our confidence but didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for this most potent of naked bikes.
The Streetfighter’s riding position is decidedly sporty yet fairly accommodating.
The Streetfighter’s riding position is decidedly sporty yet fairly accommodating.
Big-time V-Twin torque is available at the flick of a wrist.
Big-time V-Twin torque is available at the flick of a wrist.
The Streetfighter’s riding position lives up to its name, with a tapered-aluminum handlebar placed sportily forward yet several inches higher than the 1098/1198 model. There’s more distance between the seat and its footpegs than the old Monster S4RS, but that’s mostly because the seat is way up at 33.1 inches. This is surprisingly tall for a bike without undertail exhaust pipes, but the Streetfighter’s lean and unfaired design forced the tailsection to contain the electronics, battery and exhaust valve servo. The SF’s fuel tank is an inch shorter than the 1198, allowing a rider to get closer to the front wheel, and its extra height isn’t a problem with the taller bars.
The handlebar is graced with new, compact switchgear. Flicking down the kill switch covers the starter button which is meant to emulate the “trigger catch” of a fighter plane. The instruments are contained in a tidy gauge pack that includes a wealth of information, including a lap timer and a low-fuel tripmeter for the 4.4-gallon tank. Its mirrors are fairly useable, even if they aren’t very pretty.
Pulling out of the pits at Ascari reminded me that the ’Fighter uses a dry clutch system, as it proved to be a bit grabby when taking off from a stop. Toggling through the transmission requires considerable effort in relation to a Japanese literbike, but gearshifts are nonetheless positive. Dialing on the throttle reveals the massive torque (a claimed 87.5 ft-lbs at the crankshaft) offered by the booming V-Twin that easily lofts the front wheel in the first two gears.
We knew, even before riding the Streetfighter, that its engine was going to impress – we fell in love with it when we first tested the 1098. And the note from the stacked twin mufflers is satisfyingly deep and soulful. The major unknown element prior to our ride was its handling qualities.
The SF uses a frame very similar to the 1098/1198 series, but it differs substantially in the steering head area. While the 1198’s fork is set at a moderately sporty 24.5-degree rake, the Streetfighter’s is kicked out at a slower-steering 25.6 degrees. The amount of trail correspondingly is lengthened from the 1098’s 94mm to 114mm. Additionally, a 35mm longer single-sided swingarm extends the wheelbase from 56.3 inches to 58.1 inches.
With these specs rolling around in our heads, we were worried this relaxed chassis geometry might result in a piggish-steering motorcycle. Not to worry.
2010 Ducati Streetfighter Nice Review
The Ducati Streetfighter S is a sexy, expensive machine. It’s like Tyler Durden in Fight Club: not a real bare-knuckles pugilist, but a good-looking imposter. The streetfighter that sits in my garage is a 2001 Suzuki SV650 that some dude crashed and resurrected as a snarling, punk-rock beast. The knackered front end was upgraded to GSX-R750 spec, an ear-splitting Yoshimura pipe and metal handguards were bolted on, the tail section was kicked up and the bodywork was sprayed rattle-can black. It was my $2,500, high-octane dose of post-Katrina, post-divorce therapy. Perfect for the road-warrior streets of Los Angeles, but frowned upon by the much less preoccupied police here in sleepy little Ventura.
Of course, we wouldn’t expect Ducati to resell wadded superbikes stripped of plastic and tarted up with motocross handlebars and agro-looking headlights. But in this distressed economy, such a business model might work. Rather, Ducati applied essential streetfighter elements to its 1198 superbike.
Of course, we wouldn’t expect Ducati to resell wadded superbikes stripped of plastic and tarted up with motocross handlebars and agro-looking headlights. But in this distressed economy, such a business model might work. Rather, Ducati applied essential streetfighter elements to its 1198 superbike.
2010 Ducati Streetfighter
2009 ducati streetfighter
2009 ducati streetfighter2009 ducati streetfighter2009 ducati streetfighter2009 ducati streetfighterWith apologies to one of the greatest bands ever, this time around in Andalucía it was an Italian bombshell that was stealing hearts. Ducati’s new Superbike-based Streetfighter truly is the bomb.
Unlike nearly every naked bike we can think of, Ducati has created a stripped-down, super-sporting roadster without excuses – no tuning for torque, and no dumbed-down suspension.
The Streetfighter’s engine is ripped nearly unchanged from the 1098 sportbike, differing only in shorter intake tracts that knock off a scant 5 hp. The result is a claimed 155 hp at 9500 rpm, aided by a midrange-inducing exhaust valve. The use of the 1198’s Vacural cast-aluminum crankcase shaves nearly 7 pounds from the engine.
“It’s like 100 liters of adrenaline,” Giulio Malagoli, the Streetfighter’s project leader, told Motorcycle.com about his latest creation. Malagoli is also the inspired mind behind the recently launched Monster 696 and 1100 air-cooled models. The new Streetfighter is now the most radical of Ducati’s naked bikes, replacing the discontinued Monster S4RS that measures up 25 hp short of the SF’s 1099cc Testastretta Evoluzione powerplant.
The standard Streetfighter retails for $14,995, and it boast a fully adjustable Showa suspension and lightweight magnesium for the headlight bracket and clutch and cylinder-head covers - magnesium is about 30% costlier than aluminum but is about 20% lighter, says Malagoli. The higher-end S version’s V-Twin powerplant is in an identical state of tune, but it includes top-shelf Ohlins suspension, lighter forged-aluminum Marchesini wheels and tasty carbon fiber for the front fender and cam-belt covers.
This is quality stuff, but it’s not enough to justify the $4,000 price increase of the S model. Helping it earn its lofty $18,995 MSRP are the most sophisticated electronics offered on any sportbike. DDA is the Ducati Data Analyzer, which records various channels such as lap times, throttle and gear positions, and the speeds of the engine and bike – it’s an extra-cost option on the standard Streetfighter.
But the S’s piece de resistance is Ducati’s traction control as used on the recent 1198 superbike. It first softly retards ignition timing, but if slippage is still detected by the wheel-speed sensors, the fuel injection will cut out to varying degrees to inhibit wheelspin. There are eight settings on the DTC, ranging from “It’s either raining or you shouldn’t be on a bike like this” to “Let’s spin up the rear tire on our way to victory circle.”
The Test
The rain in Spain may fall mainly on the plain, but we found out the wind can howl like a banshee in the Spanish hills. We were greeted at the fabulous Ascari Race Resort near Ronda, Spain, by 50-mph gusts that shook our confidence but didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for this most potent of naked bikes.
The Streetfighter’s riding position is decidedly sporty yet fairly accommodating.
The Streetfighter’s riding position is decidedly sporty yet fairly accommodating.
Big-time V-Twin torque is available at the flick of a wrist.
Big-time V-Twin torque is available at the flick of a wrist.
The Streetfighter’s riding position lives up to its name, with a tapered-aluminum handlebar placed sportily forward yet several inches higher than the 1098/1198 model. There’s more distance between the seat and its footpegs than the old Monster S4RS, but that’s mostly because the seat is way up at 33.1 inches. This is surprisingly tall for a bike without undertail exhaust pipes, but the Streetfighter’s lean and unfaired design forced the tailsection to contain the electronics, battery and exhaust valve servo. The SF’s fuel tank is an inch shorter than the 1198, allowing a rider to get closer to the front wheel, and its extra height isn’t a problem with the taller bars.
The handlebar is graced with new, compact switchgear. Flicking down the kill switch covers the starter button which is meant to emulate the “trigger catch” of a fighter plane. The instruments are contained in a tidy gauge pack that includes a wealth of information, including a lap timer and a low-fuel tripmeter for the 4.4-gallon tank. Its mirrors are fairly useable, even if they aren’t very pretty.
Pulling out of the pits at Ascari reminded me that the ’Fighter uses a dry clutch system, as it proved to be a bit grabby when taking off from a stop. Toggling through the transmission requires considerable effort in relation to a Japanese literbike, but gearshifts are nonetheless positive. Dialing on the throttle reveals the massive torque (a claimed 87.5 ft-lbs at the crankshaft) offered by the booming V-Twin that easily lofts the front wheel in the first two gears.
We knew, even before riding the Streetfighter, that its engine was going to impress – we fell in love with it when we first tested the 1098. And the note from the stacked twin mufflers is satisfyingly deep and soulful. The major unknown element prior to our ride was its handling qualities.
The SF uses a frame very similar to the 1098/1198 series, but it differs substantially in the steering head area. While the 1198’s fork is set at a moderately sporty 24.5-degree rake, the Streetfighter’s is kicked out at a slower-steering 25.6 degrees. The amount of trail correspondingly is lengthened from the 1098’s 94mm to 114mm. Additionally, a 35mm longer single-sided swingarm extends the wheelbase from 56.3 inches to 58.1 inches.
With these specs rolling around in our heads, we were worried this relaxed chassis geometry might result in a piggish-steering motorcycle. Not to worry.
2010 Ducati Streetfighter Nice Review
The Ducati Streetfighter S is a sexy, expensive machine. It’s like Tyler Durden in Fight Club: not a real bare-knuckles pugilist, but a good-looking imposter. The streetfighter that sits in my garage is a 2001 Suzuki SV650 that some dude crashed and resurrected as a snarling, punk-rock beast. The knackered front end was upgraded to GSX-R750 spec, an ear-splitting Yoshimura pipe and metal handguards were bolted on, the tail section was kicked up and the bodywork was sprayed rattle-can black. It was my $2,500, high-octane dose of post-Katrina, post-divorce therapy. Perfect for the road-warrior streets of Los Angeles, but frowned upon by the much less preoccupied police here in sleepy little Ventura.
Of course, we wouldn’t expect Ducati to resell wadded superbikes stripped of plastic and tarted up with motocross handlebars and agro-looking headlights. But in this distressed economy, such a business model might work. Rather, Ducati applied essential streetfighter elements to its 1198 superbike.
Of course, we wouldn’t expect Ducati to resell wadded superbikes stripped of plastic and tarted up with motocross handlebars and agro-looking headlights. But in this distressed economy, such a business model might work. Rather, Ducati applied essential streetfighter elements to its 1198 superbike.
2010 Ducati Streetfighter
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