Saturday, December 25, 2010
Forza Italia! Ferrari 458 Italia vs. Ducati 1198 S
But how much do the products of these two companies really have in common? Cars and motorcycles possess profoundly distinct dynamics and provide widely varying sensations. High speed feels vastly different when you’re reclined comfortably behind a glass windshield instead of in a tight crouch, seeking shelter from the wind.
Still, the Ferrari 458 Italia and Ducati 1198S we’ve chosen for this test share high performance specifications, combiningeverything you need to go fast in a straight line, as well as around a track, in one street-friendly package. As apex models in their respective worlds, the Ferrari and Ducati are equipped and tuned to excel at everything enthusiasts and connoisseurs expect from such pedigreedmachinery.
Monday, March 8, 2010
2010 Ducati Hypermotard 1100
After having ridden the revised 2010 EVO edition – with more power and less weight – Lucifer proves to be more insistent than ever.
The new Hypermotard’s EVO moniker is earned by the highly revised air-cooled V-Twin lump dubbed Evoluzione Desmodue (evolution, two-valve-per-cylinder engine). The same bore and stroke yield the same 1078cc displacement, but that’s where most of the similarities end.
Fuel and air are directed via a Siemens ECU and throttle body (that replace the previous Marelli components) before entering a completely new cylinder head. Altered intake ports feed a combustion chamber that uses a single spark plug per cylinder rather than the old DS (dual spark) head. The compression ratio is up from 10.7 to 11.3:1, and Ducati claims improved cooling and lubrication.
New, too, are the Hyper’s smaller engine cases. Together with Vacural vacuum-die-cast technology, Ducati has shaved about 7 lbs from the engine. Further weight reduction comes in the form of a lighter “848-style” flywheel, a magnesium alternator cover and lightweight rare-earth alternator magnets.
A slightly larger airbox enables freer breathing, and the exhaust of each cylinder now has its own lambda sensor on their way to the twin undertail mufflers. A new oil cooler offers 85% more radiating area.
The boys from Bologna claim 95 crankshaft horsepower at 7500 rpm, up five from the previous 90 hp at 7750. Peak torque of 76.7 ft-lbs arrives at 5750 rpm, a surprising 1000 revs later than the old DS mill. Ducati likes to note that the service intervals of its bikes have recently gone up to 7500 miles and that its bikes come with a two-year warranty.