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Something for the 2-wheel Petrolheads

It's not the bikes that are the problem it is the car / van drivers who are blissfully unaware of bikes end result " SPLAT " I gave up riding bikes after second no fault accident , The last one put me in hospital for some time smashed up with broken most things and compression injuries , Must have owned 20 ish bikes including Goldwings and Big Harley's.
 
Not sure about the Bentley version really, but a friend of mine has one of the Ducati Diavels - the X version, the one with the mid pegs.
(Shares the garage with his other toy, an MV1000 F4.)

o6CxDzwh.png


I must confess I think the Diavel is a great looking bike. The engine is a gem too, the Testastretta 1260 lifted straight from the sports bike line, with 160bhp on tap. It's a seriously good bike imo. Not sure about the OTT aspects of the Bentley version, but I could certainly live with one of them there Diavel things :)
 
It is a bit funny looking. I guess that's the point if you're in the market for a lolprice bike.

My idea of a cool looking bike is a DT so I doubt Bentley care what I think : )
 
everything I'm not interested in in one product
No doubt invented in 'the big marketing meeting of meetings', somewhere in california.
All that says to me is...
Bentley and Ducati? It's bye bye then if you are that desperate.
And since I loved both makes since i can remember, that's a bit sad.
 
-alan- said:
Not sure about the Bentley version really, but a friend of mine has one of the Ducati Diavels - the X version, the one with the mid pegs.
(Shares the garage with his other toy, an MV1000 F4.)

o6CxDzwh.png


I must confess I think the Diavel is a great looking bike. The engine is a gem too, the Testastretta 1260 lifted straight from the sports bike line, with 160bhp on tap. It's a seriously good bike imo. Not sure about the OTT aspects of the Bentley version, but I could certainly live with one of them there Diavel things :)
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Where does your girlfriend sit?
 
"The limited-edition Bentley-inspired motorbikes are based around Ducati's latest Diavel V4 Granturismo grand touring bike whose prices start from £23,595"

The Bentley is £70k +, a 300% markup! .. Now that's what I call an expensive "Option" :)

Not visually, but conceptually, reminds me of the Bimota's of the 90's

Speaking of which, IF I were ever to spend that kind of money on a Motobike I'd rather have this:

bimota.it

Bimota - TESI H2

Exclusive appearance, it’s a Tesi motorcycle. Immediately recognizable as a Bimota Tesi H2
bimota.it bimota.it

Bimota-homepage-TesiH2-tricolore-carbon.jpg
 
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-alan- said:
Not sure about the Bentley version really, but a friend of mine has one of the Ducati Diavels - the X version, the one with the mid pegs.
(Shares the garage with his other toy, an MV1000 F4.)

o6CxDzwh.png


I must confess I think the Diavel is a great looking bike. The engine is a gem too, the Testastretta 1260 lifted straight from the sports bike line, with 160bhp on tap. It's a seriously good bike imo. Not sure about the OTT aspects of the Bentley version, but I could certainly live with one of them there Diavel things :)
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A good friend of mine surprised us when he turned up on a (then) new Diavel after years on R1s.
Oh, how we laughed, took the piss, asked why it had a truck tyre on the rear, is it a Harley that was parked next to a forest fire for a few weeks etc etc..

Then we hit the bendy B-roads where the R1s, GSXRs and ZX10s were getting out of shape trying to stay with him using that immense torque.
And the noise! Even on standard pipes - after fitting the Termis it stopped people in their tracks, scared grannies and had kids giggling.

Not a bike I would personally choose but it’s a fine example of a relatively small Italian factory taking ideas from Yamaha and the V Max and making it work.
Im glad it exists, my friend still has his and it’s good that I know he’s around 5 miles from arriving when visiting here without the need for a text.

The Bently version?
Nope…
 
gez said:
Though in truth, yes please!

rsv4-xtrenta-1.jpg
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Talking about small Italian manufacturers who just know what they’re doing…!!

Fragile valve train aside, these gems are fantastic and THE best handling package I’ve ever ridden.
I know the X is a track only bike with a choice of WSB engine internals where 200bhp is entry level but I consider myself lucky to have owned the vanilla RSV4 Factory in 2013.

I loved that bike but it only lasted a year - constant electronic niggles dropping into ‘safe’ mode and the local dealer unable (or unwilling) to show any interest even with a 3 month old bike with full warranty. He admitted later he only took on the super bikes as he was threatened with losing the franchised if he didn’t. Scooters were his bread and butter.
Its the most I ever paid for a bike and still fondly remember some of the things it was capable of but I wouldn’t touch another unless I lived within an hour of a dealer who knew what they were doing.
 
legzr1 said:
Talking about small Italian manufacturers who just know what they’re doing…!!

Fragile valve train aside, these gems are fantastic and THE best handling package I’ve ever ridden.
I know the X is a track only bike with a choice of WSB engine internals where 200bhp is entry level but I consider myself lucky to have owned the vanilla RSV4 Factory in 2013.

I loved that bike but it only lasted a year - constant electronic niggles dropping into ‘safe’ mode and the local dealer unable (or unwilling) to show any interest even with a 3 month old bike with full warranty. He admitted later he only took on the super bikes as he was threatened with losing the franchised if he didn’t. Scooters were his bread and butter.
Its the most I ever paid for a bike and still fondly remember some of the things it was capable of but I wouldn’t touch another unless I lived within an hour of a dealer who knew what they were doing.
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Yeah, Italian bikes had exactly the same issues and reputation back in the 90's when I used to ride motobikes. I seem to recall quite a few of them still only using 6V batteries at the time, which almost certainly didn't help the situation. Electronics was their bug bear back then.

I've never actually had the oportunity to ride any Italian Marque, but I used to hear mixed reports from people who had/owned them. The reviewers salivated over the 916 when it came out, calling it the best handling bike ever etc etc. But a few people I knew who had grown up with Japanese superbikes etc didn't agree. They called it agricultural and actually rather heavy handling (very well balanced but harder to tip in to a corner than the Japanese bikes of the time). One even likened it to a "harley engine in a sports chassis". I suppose it just comes down to the kind of engine and handling one prefers, and that's always going to be an individual thing. Nearly everyone agreed they were beautiful though.

Dukes cleaned up in racing because they had a significant low down torque advantage over the inline 4 Japanese bikes, and on the majority of race circuits that's far more of an advantage than top end power (which back in the 90's they were significantly down on in comparison), as most straights just aren't long enough for top end to count for much. And of course, any bike marque that does well in racing is always going to do well in production sales. That pretty much still stands today.
 
gez said:
Yeah, Italian bikes had exactly the same issues and reputation back in the 90's when I used to ride motobikes. I seem to recall quite a few of them still only using 6V batteries at the time, which almost certainly didn't help the situation. Electronics was their bug bear back then.

I've never actually had the oportunity to ride any Italian Marque, but I used to hear mixed reports from people who had/owned them. The reviewers salivated over the 916 when it came out, calling it the best handling bike ever etc etc. But a few people I knew who had grown up with Japanese superbikes etc didn't agree. They called it agricultural and actually rather heavy handling (very well balanced but harder to tip in to a corner than the Japanese bikes of the time). One even likened it to a "harley engine in a sports chassis". I suppose it just comes down to the kind of engine and handling one prefers, and that's always going to be an individual thing. Nearly everyone agreed they were beautiful though.

Dukes cleaned up in racing because they had a significant low down torque advantage over the inline 4 Japanese bikes, and on the majority of race circuits that's far more of an advantage than top end power (which back in the 90's they were significantly down on in comparison), as most straights just aren't long enough for top end to count for much. And of course, any bike marque that does well in racing is always going to do well in production sales. That pretty much still stands today.
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Out the crate, the 916 was set up for stability on long corners and had immense mechanical grip. This made them an aquired taste but time spent on suspension (especially getting more weight over the front) transformed them. They were lovely but expensive and had a relatively narrow power band which demanded use of 3000-8000 rpm for best results. Below 3K they were horrible and almost unbearable around town at low speed. Get them on an open road with a rider who knew their way around them and they were glorious.

I owned a slightly later 996S - looked the same with nicer (imho) 5 spoke wheels, Showa forks and Ohlins rear. I’d had years of inline 4s and never got the hang of low revs, high corner speed, on the throttle hard where a GSXR would be highsiding you to the moon. I missed the top end rush of the mad japs.

Worth remembering that they always had a capacity advantage over the others in racing which ended up with Honda ditching the glorious RC30/45 and playing them at their own game. Late 90s were the glory years - mega trick jap 750s v the Ducs in WSB :)

Around 2010 I had an 1198S - an absolute gem of a machine. Looks, noise, handling and an engine closer to a nuclear power station than a normal mechanical ICE. However, just TOO much torque in such a light and nimble chassis - scared myself shitless on a number of occasions on that thing - viscous mad bastard.
Still couldn’t catch more talented riders on R6s around a track though lol.
 
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Not surprised at your description of the 916. About 20 years ago I took the Mrs for a test ride on a ST4s (same engine), I really wanted to like it but the instruments shook so much they were useless below 3000 revs, the suspension seemed harsh and it wasn't very comfortable. We took ourselves off to a Triumph garage and bought a 955i Sprint ST, 500 miles a day comfortable, I kept it for 16 years.
 
Enfield boy said:
Not surprised at your description of the 916. About 20 years ago I took the Mrs for a test ride on a ST4s (same engine), I really wanted to like it but the instruments shook so much they were useless below 3000 revs, the suspension seemed harsh and it wasn't very comfortable. We took ourselves off to a Triumph garage and bought a 955i Sprint ST, 500 miles a day comfortable, I kept it for 16 years.
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I still own the 955i Sprint RS- good bikes, quick but not stupidly so. Still license destroying though. Loads of torque and sound great too.
 
As a short 60 odd (very) yo I was starting to find it a bit much.
I've always loved Rocket Gold Stars and Norton Commandos but am a bit crap wav da spanners so I bought a 650 Interceptor (black and chrome tank) and have farkled it mercilessly over the last 4 years!
 
What a hideous and disgusting example brand association, the two do not go together any better than Aston did with their little Toyota. But at least that was to get round EU laws to avoid going bust,
 
Enfield boy said:
Not surprised at your description of the 916. About 20 years ago I took the Mrs for a test ride on a ST4s (same engine), I really wanted to like it but the instruments shook so much they were useless below 3000 revs, the suspension seemed harsh and it wasn't very comfortable. We took ourselves off to a Triumph garage and bought a 955i Sprint ST, 500 miles a day comfortable, I kept it for 16 years.
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Below 3k revs? That's idling, isn't it?
 
On a proper race bike, yes, if it will idle at all. On what purports to be a sport-tourer it's a joke. Great Atco lawnmower sound effects at low speed too.
 
Enfield boy said:
On a proper race bike, yes, if it will idle at all. On what purports to be a sport-tourer it's a joke. Great Atco lawnmower sound effects at low speed too.
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I'm currently on a BM 1200 boxer (125 brake, 92 ft lb) and there are very few circumstances on the road where I'm riding under 3k, save for trickling somewhere or slowing right down. Second gear maybe, but get below 3k in third or above and I wouldn't expect it to feel nice. I've had litre v-twins before and various 4 cylinder bikes and I don't think any of them have been pleasant or provide enough flexibility below 3k revs. Every bike I've ever ridden feels better with the engine spinning a bit - better power delivery, better bike control.
 
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