FIAT YAMAHA 2008 LINE UP

Vale and two time 205 cc world champion Lorenzo will compete in Moto gp 2008 as team mates in the Fiat Yamaha Team.

Its also confirmed that Rossi wiil switch to Bridgestone rubber while Lorenzo will b on Michelin

Well a hard season comes to an end and we await the new. Also i am happy that Vale is on Bridgestones next year. I hope the tyres suit him. Dont know if yamaha are going to be much faster than others next year but i am hoping for the best for our man.Vale ,, 2008 World Champion :))))

These were Rossi's comment after d race @ Valencia.......

“I have no words. For sure, after today, I can say that it’s not just a matter of misfortune. I did everything I could in order to be on the grid today, because I wanted to try and confirm my second place in the championship, which I think I deserved. I was riding very fast, even though my bike was not perfect. When I got into 14th place, I told myself that my task was done, but I was feeling quite good and I wanted to try to pass some more riders. Unfortunately however I felt that I had a problem with my bike and I was forced to come in. Now we are checking the data to understand what happened, because at the moment it’s not so clear. I will need 20 days to fix my hand and then I will be back in Jerez to start my winter testing programme. I’d like to thank Claudio Costa and Marco Montanari, as well as everyone at the Clinica Mobile, because they made a great effort with my hand to enable me to race today.”

Latest news from Moto gp 07 - 08 Winter testing

# World Champion Casey Stoner fastest in opening pre-season test in Valencia.

# Konica Minolta, title sponsor of JiR for the past three seasons, will not back Gianluca Montiron's Honda team during the 2008 MotoGP World Championship.

# YAMAHA APOLOGISES TO ROSSI

Yamaha has apologised to Valentino Rossi for the engine problem that robbed him of second place in the 2007 MotoGP World Championship - but isn't sure exactly what went wrong.

"We would like to say sorry to Valentino because he made a great effort to race with his broken hand," said team director Davide Brivio. "Unfortunately a technical problem stopped him from getting the second place and we're very sad about this. Our engineers are doing everything they can now to understand what happened today, because Valentino felt that he had a problem and that the engine was not working properly. From our first analysis we are not yet sure what the problem was, so we have decided to send the engine back to Japan for further investigation."

# Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) has confirmed that the Repsol Honda Team will remain on Michelin tyres for the 2008 MotoGP season.

# MICHAEL SCHUMACHER ON A MOTO GP BIKE

Just one day after the season-ending Valencian Grand Prix, Schumacher took to the same twisty Spanish circuit on board Casey Stoner's 800cc Desmosedici.He finished the Spanish track in a best lap time just five seconds behind Pedrosa's race record of 1min 32.748secs! Schumacher's 1min 37.9secs also put the former Ferraridriver three seconds a lap from the back of the MotoGP field. Michael was 'coached' by former 500GP star Randy Mamola during his extended session, which lasted for most of the afternoon.

# 2008 Honda RC212V, the new motorcycle features pneumatic valves, as already used by Suzuki and Kawasaki - and rejected by Yamaha. The bike is described as an evolution of the 2007 machine , but features a new V4 engine with, as rumoured, pneumatic valve springs, plus an all-new chassis and exhaust system.

Motorcycling-Rossi hints at future Ducati move

"All the Japanese underestimated Ducatithis season, "Ducati was intelligent and aggressive, and worked better. We were competitive with Honda, but they had the money and people required to catch up [to Ducati] more quickly, this is where Yamaha has been lacking.

"Yamaha has never had the quickest motorcycle but this year we were 15-20 km/h slower," continued Rossi, who lost second place in the 2007 world championship when his M1 suffered a technical problem at the Valencia season finale. "And every time we've tried something new it has broken. We need to make big changes to win the title again; we need more capable people and more money.

"I still have a lot of desire to fight, but I need tyres and a machine that are competitive."

But what if the 2008 Yamaha isn't competitive; could Rossi switch to Ducati or Honda?

"We will wait and see how the Yamaha, especially the engine, improves for next year. If it is not competitive then there is nothing more we can do... I have good relations with both Ducati and [former employer] Honda, but Ducati would be my preferred option because it is Italian."

Bajaj Auto enters into association with KTM and Renault..

In what probably is one of the big news for the Indian two wheeler sector, the country's second largest 2 wheeler maker, Bajaj Auto has joined hand with KTM, an Austrian brand famous for its off road/moto cross bikes.Bajaj Auto has also entered into an agreement with the French Auto maker Renault to co develop a $2,500-3000 car for India..
Carlos Ghosn with Rajiv Bajaj
Recently Renault President and CEO, Carlos Ghosn visited the Chakan plant of Bajaj..Read more about it here, here and here.. Bajaj-KTM Alliance:Lately there has been rumours about Bajaj trying to buy into European brands viz. Ducati and Triumph. Meanwhile here is some confirmed news about Bajaj Auto actually buying 14.5% stake in the famous Eurpoean Brand KTM, for Rs 300cr.
A 250 cc bike by KTM
According to news reports: Bajaj Auto Ltd has announced wide-ranging co-operation with KTM Power Sports AG. Which includes..
Development of engine and vehicle platforms: The KTM Group will provide the know-how for the joint development of high-efficient water- cooled 4-stroke engines (125-ccm and 250-ccm).KTM will use these engines for its street motorcycles in the new street entry segment. The joint developments will also be available as basis for Bajaj-products.This arrangement will see Bajaj Auto and KTM working together to 3 -4 models in the 125-250 cc categories. 20,000 units of the bikes co-developed by bajaj and KTM will initially be exported to Europe and will be rolled out in the first half of 2010.The alliance will not only enable Bajaj to take over the distribution of KTM products in India and South East Asia, it will also enable the Indian two wheeler major to access the European market through KTMRead more about it here, here and here.
KTM has strong brand presence in Europe and United States. It offers more than 23 motorcycles, ranging in engine size from 50cc to 950 cc and is the largest non-Japanese off road motorcycle manufacturer in the world.Like Bajaj Auto's future plans for building a four wheeler, KTM has also recently developed a sporty four wheeler.. called the X-Bow.
KTM X-Bow
One look at the KTM X-Bow and its obvious that the KTM brand shines through even though is a four wheeler.. and in fact it goes to reinforces the KTM brand. But the X-Bow at around $50K-$55K is a costly toy.Maybe Bajaj should take a leaf from KTM when it decides to launch its four wheeler (with Renault). The Bajaj-Renault four wheeler need not be as expensive as the KTM X-Bow.. but the offering must reflect the spirit/essence of the Bajaj brand.Instead of trying to outdo the Maruti 800 or the 1 lakh car from Tata, a Bajaj four wheeler which embodies the spirit of its most famous brand "the Pulsar", would be just great..!!

source: indian2wheels.blogspot.com

CB1000R Honda rocks with new 2008 naked model

via: Honda

Here comes new naked bike from Honda. The new CB1000R has radical styling and radical performance for the naked market. It seems the CB1000R model is available only in Europe, its not available in the U.S.

Check the details give in Honda website

Specifications

Type Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 16-valve DOHC inline-4

Displacement 998cc

Max power Output 57kW / 10,500min-1 (95/1/EC)

Max torque 59Nm / 8,250min-1 (95/1/EC)

Fuel capacity 17 litres (including 4-litre LCD-indicated reserve)

Dimensions 2,090 x 775 x 1,090mm

Kerb weight 213kg (F: 103kg; R: 110kg)

Tyre front 43mm inverted HMAS cartridge-type telescopic fork with stepless preload, compression and rebound adjustment, 120mm cushion stroke

Tyre rear Monoshock with gas-charged HMAS damper featuring 10-step preload and stepless rebound damping adjustment, 128mm axle travel

Clutch Wet, multiplate with coil springs

Features New design crankcase covers feature eye-catching nickel-plated bolt heads

Short, compact and lightweight seat and tail cowl

LED taillight integrated under tail cowl

Advanced gravity die-cast aluminium Mono-Backbone frame

256mm rear disc brake with compact dual-piston calliper

Attractive new cast aluminium wheels feature swept 4-spoke design

Monoshock rear suspension with adjustable HMAS damper

Lightweight and powerful 998cm3 liquidcooled fuel-injected inline-4 engine based on 2007 CBR1000RR Fireblade

310mm floating front disc brakes feature same radial-mount callipers as new Fireblade

Combined-ABS version features 3-piston front brake callipers

Fully adjustable 43mm inverted front fork same as new Fireblade

Triangular multi-reflector headlight with distinctive LED position lamp

Honda Ignition Security System (HISS) helps prevent ride-away theft

Small and stylish 3-section LCD meter panel features wide-throw multi-segment LCD tachometer

KTM bikes will be available very soon in Bajaj Probiking Showrooms

Yep!! you heard it right…."MG_Biker1806" a XBHPian revealed this news. KTM bikes will be available very soon in Bajaj Probiking showrooms. For the moment they have 3 models for India. They are:
1)990 Superduke2)690 Duke-Adventure Sports3)250EXC-F
250EXCF will be priced at 2.5 to 3 lakhs
KTM 990 Superduke
KTM 690 Duke
KTM 250 EXC-F

KTM 990 Superduke
You can barely find words to express the riding fun and the feeling that the KTM 990 Superduke gives you when it’s in motion. Just as KTM re-invented the Streetfighter, you try to invent new words for what happens beneath you curve after curve. The KTM 990 Superduke sweeps through curves – ultra-precise, radical and agile. The landscape flies past fast, faster, much too fast. You feel the road, the centrifugal force and want more.
KTM 690 Duke
KTM presents the 690 Duke, the ultimate single-cylinder naked bike! It's driven by themost powerful, 65 HP (48 kW), street-legal single of all time, equipped with a superior street suspension and assembled with a discernible passion for design and technology.
KTM 250 EXC-F
If a bike can truly earn the name “muscle man” in the small class, then this super-light and extremely agile four-stroke does. Equipped with state of the art, four-valve technology, the XC-F delivers plenty of power, which it applies perfectly to the track every time. Excellent power development – from enormous force at lower speeds, to maximum performance at peak rpms.
But that is only the first key to success. Because, with its new chassis and totally new bodywork, the 250 XC-F is certainly a constant guarantee of podium placements.
via: MG_Biker1806 a member of XBHP