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Oct 15
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Concept Motorcycle for the Moon: global debut at ADV Overland exhibition

By General Posts

by Otilia Drăgan from https://www.autoevolution.com

This Spectacular Moon Concept Motorcycle Opens the Door to a New Space Experience

Since the “billionaire space race” has been accelerating, you might have imagined cosmonauts doing a lot of things, but we bet you didn’t picture them riding motorcycles on the moon. Yet, that’s what’s coming, because somebody just built an actual moon motorcycle, one of the most insane concept two-wheelers you’ll ever come across.

Last year, a Russian designer imagined what a “NASA motorcycle” would look like. Just one year later, that concept turned into reality and is about to make its world debut in California. The folks who made this happen are a small team from a German company called Hookie, which specializes in custom moto design and parts. Inspired by Andrew Fabishevskiy’s fantasy motorcycle, they were determined to bring it to life.

This is how Tardigrade, presented as the world’s first moon concept motorcycle, was born. You might wonder why it got the name of an apparently primitive creature, but these nearly-microscopic beings are incredibly resilient and able to adapt to any kind of environment, including outer space. Despite its otherworldly look, the Tardigrade motorcycle was also meant to be resilient and completely functional, “as close as possible to an original concept of a NASA moon rover.”

This futuristic-looking electric motorcycle blends a lightweight frame with single-sided swing arms, balloon tires, and drive-by-wire steering. With a length of 8.5 feet (2.6 meters), and almost 3-foot (0.9 meters) tall, Tardigrade has a battery range of up to 68 miles (110 km). Its maximum speed of 9 mph (15 kph) is comparable to that of the Moon Buggy. Plus, it’s designed to also carry equipment.

Incorporating 3D-printed parts, in house-developed wheels, plus a Cake drivetrain and sustainable lubricants from Puraglobe, this one-of-a-kind concept is innovative from start to finish. The folks at Hookie have shared glimpses from the building process along their journey, and are now proud to present their creation to the world.

Tardigrade, the moon motorcycle, will make its global debut at the ADV:Overland exhibition, held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in California, in mid-October.

Oct 24
Love0

2020 Ducati Streetfighter V4 packs 208 hp in a 400-lb package

By General Posts

by Ronan Glon from https://www.autoblog.com/

It’s an evolution of the world’s best-selling superbike

Over a thousand attendees wildly cheered as Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali unveiled the 2020 Streetfighter V4, a racing-inspired motorcycle that weighs less than a Chevrolet big-block engine yet packs more power than a Subaru BRZ. It’s revving proof that jaw-dropping horsepower and eye-catching design are still the guiding lights in the motorcycle industry.

The Streetfighter V4 is a Panigale V4 (the world’s best-selling superbike) stripped down to the bare essentials. In car terms, it’s like if Audi dropped the powertrain from the R8 LMS into a purer, simpler variant of the car. While that sounds relatively simple, Domenicali explained striking the right balance between performance, usability, and design was much more difficult than anyone anticipated. The company’s engineers put the Streetfighter through its paces all over the world — even at Pikes Peak.

“We test prototypes once a month. About one year ago, we were in Sardinia and we were very unhappy [with this bike]. We were worried, but we totally changed the situation. It has taken one year of hard work, but in the last tests we’ve carried out, you can really feel the difference,” he explained.

Andrea Ferraresi, Ducati’s lead designer, instructed his team to draw inspiration from the Joker; yes, that Joker. The Streetfighter’s face was extremely important during the development process, because it’s a model without any side fairing. The drivetrain is fully exposed, hence why this type of motorcycle is called naked. The front end consequently has to convey the bike’s identity on its own, yet it still needs to house the headlights, plus a growing list of electronics.

Stylists bent the rules to add biplane wings near the front. Domenicali conceded it was a contentious decision, but the winglets ultimately stayed because they add nearly 62 pounds of downforce at 170 mph. An unexpected wheelie is the last thing you want if you’re traveling at that speed.

The Streetfighter V4 can get there, too, and it will make it look easy. Its specs are bewildering, especially if you’re used to seeing horsepower and torque curves in the automotive world. The 1,103cc V4 engine screams its heart out until it produces 208 horsepower at 12,500 rpm and 90 pound-feet of torque at 11,500 rpm. Riders who want more can order a racing-spec Akrapovič exhaust that bumps the four’s output to 220 horses, which is eight less than the 2019 Volkswagen GTI. And yet, the Streetfighter weighs 392 pounds in its lightest configuration.

While Ducati developed the Streetfighter V4 with performance and style in mind, it couldn’t build it without a generous serving of technology; Domenicali underlined the importance of safety. It consequently features a six-axis inertial measurement platform that monitors its pitch, roll, and yaw angles and does its best to step in if something looks amiss. The suite of electronic riding aids also includes a power launch function, traction control, and cornering ABS. These life-saving features are slowly but surely seeping into motorcycles from the car world, and riders are accepting them.

“For a while, ABS was very special for riders. We’d hear it all the time. Customers would say ‘oh, I have it in my fingers, I have it in my hands.’ No way. ABS is very important,” Domenicali stressed.

Ducati will offer the Streetfighter V4 in two variants when it releases the model in early 2020. The more hardcore V4 S version gains an upgraded Öhlins suspension and weight-saving forged rims provided by Marchesini. Pricing start at about 16,000 euros, a sum that converts to nearly $18,000, but full information about the American version will be released in early 2020.