Milan show features Italian and other new bikes for '08
Courtesy, Ducati.com  There has been a huge flood of visitors to the Ducati stand to admire the surprises from the Italian motorcycle company, recently crowned MotoGP World Champion. Since the first day of the show, the press and sector employees have surrounded the Ducati stand (pad. 18).
Troy Bayliss, the Australian official Ducati Corse rider, visited EICMA to see Ducati’s new bikes for 2008, like the new Monster 696 (already labelled by the international press as the “queen of the show”), the powerful 1098 R and the agile, light 848. Bayliss’s attention was focused on the brand new Ducati 1098 R, the new “made in Borgo Panigale” sportbike which he and new team mate Michel Fabriziowill use in next year’s Superbike World Championship.
 The new 1098 R is the lightest, most powerful twin-cylinder bike ever produced by the Borgo Panigale factory, with the highest torque/weight ratio in the sportbike category. The numbers speak for themselves. A total of 180 hp is on tap for this new hypersport machine, together with an amazing torque value of 13.7 kgm. The 1098 R is equipped with technology and components usually reserved only for racing bikes, like the exclusive DTC (Ducati Traction Control), extraordinary traction control intended for track use, fitted to a Ducati production bike for the first time ever. This extreme version, built for the track but equally enjoyable on the street, a masterpiece of incredible performance and innovation, has been developed using Ducati Corse’s experience in both the GP and SBK. “The bike is really fantastic,” Bayliss said, getting on the bike, exhibited at the Ducati stand, while surrounded by a crowd, “and I can’t wait to do the tests, and more than anything else, drive it next year in the Superbike Championship.” With Bayliss was Nicolò Canepa, recently crowned the 2007 Superstock 1000 World Champion with the 1098 S in his racing debut. |
