Tag Archives: motard

Meet Ducati’s Motard and Desert X Scramblers

Ducati is poised to add two more Ducati Scrambler models to its fleet, an 803cc street motard and an 1100cc desert-racing Dakar model.

Boss Claudio Domenicali showed the future direction for Scrambler at the recent launch of the 2020 model range in Italy.

Among the new bikes is a Scrambler Icon Dark the new entry level 803cc model. It will be €800 cheaper which should mean at least $A1000 off the current price of $A13,990.

It features a matt black frame, black engine with polished fin ends, black seat with grey trim and round black mirrors.

Claudio also presented two styling department drawings of a Motard version and a Desert X racer.

Motard ScramblerDucati Scrambler Motard Desert X

He says their styling department was asked to create “something unprecedented but entirely possible”.

The results are these images which have been turned into concepts to be shown at EICMA motorcycle show in Milan on November 4.

The Motard will be based on the 803cc Scrambler.

“This is a bike we are working on right now,” says Claudio, so a production version can’t be far away.

Desert X ScramblerDucati Scrambler Motard Desert X

The Desert X is based on the 1100cc Scrambler and celebrates the 1990 Paris-Dakar Rally victory by Italian rider Edi Orioli on the Ducati-powered Cagiva Elefant. That bike is in now in Ducati’s museum above their Bologna factory.

Ducati Scrambler Motard Desert X
Dakar-winning Cagiva

“We want to build the future without forgetting the past,” Claudio said.

Interestingly, Desert X is the name of a contemporary art exhibition held in the Coachella Valley in Southern California.

While Ducati already has an 803cc Desert Sled which is more off-road capable, the Desert X will be the 1100cc equivalent.

Scrambler Ducati Desert Sled country road
Scrambler Ducati Desert Sled

Claudio says Scrambler is now the company’s biggest seller with more than 70,000 sales since launch in 2015.

The production versions of these and other new Scramblers are likely to be announced this time next year.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Is Ducati planning new naked models?

Ducati looks like it is planning a GP-inspired Hypermotard 950 and a naked “streetfighter” version of its V4 Panigale.

A Hypermotard 950, customised by the company’s styling shop, Centro Stile Ducati, has won first place in the Concept Bikes: New Design and Prototypes by Manufacturers and Independents category at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este held at Cernobbio on Lake Como, Italy, at the weekend.Ducati naked Hypermotard 950 Concept

The concept features a compact full LED projector plus styling and technology inspired by the MotoGP bike.Ducati naked Hypermotard 950 Concept

The Hypermotard was introduced in 2005 and has been through many iterations.

Now it could have a GP-inspired version.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t have those ridiculous partially red tyres and rims!

Naked V4

There has been talk for some time of a naked version of its V4 Panigale for some time.

In February, a custom V4 Penta by Italian design company Officine GP Design was unveiled.

Ducati V4 Penta naked
Ducati V4 Penta

Now, Drop Dead Gorgeous magazine has released spy photos of a naked V4 being track tested.

Ducati naked V4
Image: Drop Dead Gorgeous magazine

The blurry images show it has the V4 headlight, but only a lower fairing and bellypan like an Aprilia Tuono.

As a street fighter it gets MX-style bars rather than clip-ons.

Since the famous Pikes Peak Hillclimb in Colorado does not allow bikes with clip-ons, this could just be a prototype to run in the event which Ducati has won on several occasions.

The hillclimb is on June 24, so the track testing seems relevant.

But surely Ducati wouldn’t go to so much effort just for one race. We think a production version will not be far away.

Ducati naked V4
Image: Drop Dead Gorgeous magazine

However, don’t expect the 1103cc engine to have the same 213 horsepower (158kW) as the V4.

No doubt they will tune it down for a street fighter version, probably just a little more than the Tuono’s 173hp (129kW).

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

80-year-old Malaguti brand returns

Over the past few years we have seen old motorcycle brands return to the market and more to come including little-known 80-year-old Italian brand Malaguti.

Brands that have returned include Bultaco, Brough, Hesketh, Levis, Matchless and Norton and there are several more to come including Jawa, Cagiva and BSA.

Now Austrian KSR Group has announced at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan that they have bought Italian brand Malaguti.

They will launch next year with six models, five being single-cylinder 125cc road and trail bikes and a 300cc scooter.

Malaguti Montepro125
Malaguti Montepro125

Malaguti was founded in 1930 by Antonino Malaguti in San Lazzaro di Savena, a suburb of the traditional university town of Bologna, as a bicycle dealership and repair shop.

The passionate cyclist began to make his own bicycles soon afterwards. From 1949 onwards, he built bicycles with auxiliary engines, soon after that also small motorcycles, finally also scooters.

In contrast to other manufacturers, he refused to participate in the “arms race” of motorcycle manufacturers with increasingly larger and more expensive models.

He concentrated on smaller bikes for younger riders.

Similarly, this new breed are small bikes.

KSR Group has partnered with an unidentified production partner, but claims the bikes are equipped with “reliable and proven Italian technology”.

The models presented in Milan are powered by water-cooled injection engines developed by Aprilia.

Their 125cc engines have 11kW of power for use in Europe by riders with novice A1 licences.

Malaguti

Malaguti

The Supermoto XSM 125, cross-country XTM 125, naked Monte Pro 125, RST 125 and Dune 125 will be made from February 2019.

Madison 300 will be the Italian company’s first scooter and will be available from April 2019.

Malaguti Madison300 scooter
Malaguti Madison300 scooter

They will hit the European market at €2999 for the XSM and XTM models.

There is no word on other prices or whether they will be exported outside Europe.

The Austrian owners say they will also produce Malaguti motorcycles with larger displacement and a three-wheeled scooter.

As a supplier of electric two-wheelers, KSR will also develop electric Malaguti motorcycles and scooters.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com
https://motorbikewriter.com/80-year-old-malaguti-brand-returns/