Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
By Glenn LeSanto
The Bologna Motor show isn’t on the scale of the Milan (or Munich) bike show, for starters, 75% of the exhibits are cars, leaving only 2 halls for the bikes. Secondly, it doesn’t host the same volume of new launches as the Milan and Munich shows. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a look, especially as each year at least one Italian manufacturer uses the show to launch something special – Ducati launched the production version of the MHR900E there two years ago. This year it was Aprilia’s turn.
Aprilia used the show to launch a new model, a prototype and the company’s 2002 GP program. Next year Aprilia will be using a three-cylinder four-stroke in the new GP1 class. The RS3 990 features such F1 technology as pneumatic valve springs, and testing will begin soon. The company also announced the return of 26-year-old Japanese star Nori Haga to the World Superbike Series, riding Aprilia’s sole RSV entry for 2002. The running of the SBK team has been contracted out to the Florence based FGF Corse outfit. There’s more info on the Aprilia at:
http://www.aprilia.com/gp-1/eng/home.htm
Aprilia RSV Mille Tuono
On the road Aprilia revealed a new variant of the 60 degree V-Twin RSV theme and another prototype based on the same motor. The RSV Mille Tuono is aimed directly at the Ducati Monster / Cagiva Raptor market. The market for these naked or semi-naked roadsters is huge in Europe and the Aprilia men are keen to get a piece of that action. The Tuone has the same 60 degree, 1000cc, 130 bhp V-Twin power unit fitted to the standard Mille and shares the Mille’s chassis – except for the trick super-light OZ racing wheels, that is. But the bodywork is a radical departure, with a sit up riding position and streetfighter styling.
Aprilia Mana
Meanwhile, the prototype, the Mana, takes the styling exercise further down the road to radicalism. There’s a hint of Suzuki Katana rolled into the streetfighter/roadster mix. Motorcycle styling is a very personal thing and bikers have been notoriously conservative in the past. But the success of machines like Cagiva’s Raptor, Triumph’s Speed Triple and, the best selling roadster of all, Ducati’s Monster, all indicate that maybe bikers are getting more adventurous. Now an entire range of these roadsters, including the MV Brutale has sprung up to exploit the demand for these ‘individually’ styled machines. Again, there’s nothing really radical about the Mana, apart from the styling. Under the pretty parts it’s still a 60 degree V-Twin, this time in 100-bhp trim and in a Capo Nord frame, with chassis parts from various other Aprilias. Aprilia officials announced that the previously aired concept bike, the Boxer designed Blue Marlin, would go into limited production of 500 ‘sometime soon’ and be sold exclusively on the web for around $19,500.
Moto Guzzi V11 Le Mans Tenni
Moto Guzzi is now part of Aprilia, along with Laverda. There was no sign of the Laverda brand, but Aprilia boss Ivan Beggio has made the revival of Guzzi a personal mission. But with a full-scale slump in Aprilia’s bread-and-butter scooter market squeezing his cash flow severely, Sig. Beggio’s going to have his work cut out dragging this historic company out of the past and into the future. A range of ‘new’ models were on show, all of them little more than reworked bikes from the pre-Aprilia era. The company showed the V11 Le Mans Tenni, which is very nice with a faux-suede saddle and is named for a successful Guzzi racer who rode for the factory before WW2. The venerable California was shown in a new ‘Stone’ guise. This is basically the Jackal with a new name. There’s also a Stone Metal, confused? You should be. This one is the California Stone (that was the Jackal) with a polished metal tank. Very nice. I am sure the new Guzzi range are all fantastic motorcycles in Guzzi’s great tradition but if Beggio really wants Guzzi in the 21st century then the rumored new water cooled V-Twin engine needs to surface soon, and even that’s not really new, but a merely rework of a motor originally destined as a Superbike contender.
BMW chose Bologna to show the world a new member of the RT range, the R850RT. BMW has historically done very well with the smaller RTs, and this should be no exception. It features everything its bigger brother the R1150RT has, just with less motor. Since less motor also means lower insurance in most cases, this should prove a useful sales point for BMW. The German company is also pushing the C1 scooter/car hybrid. Sales of this safety-caged scoot have been disappointing and BMW officials are keen to ramp up interest in Italy, Europe’s biggest bike market. But with sales of scooters and small motorcycles in a serious slump in Italy at the moment, BMW has its work cut.
Honda Dylan
Elsewhere in the show Honda, unveiled a scooter called the Dylan. A moment of pause is required while you all stifle your giggles. There’s no doubting that the little 125 or 150cc four-stroke scoot is a gem, it’s been carefully conceived for the European market by Honda’s R&D facility in Rome. But it will never sell in Britain, given that it’s named after a stoned rabbit from a children’s television show screened in Britain in the 1970s. Or is it named after a certain now rather ancient minstrel crooning songs about war and peace, man? Either way, I’m sorry to put it in print (and to ignore all the positive attributes of the scooter), but Dylan is a very silly name for a scooter.
Honda concept scooter
Ducati dragged out the company’s trio of WSBK stars, Bayliss, Bostrom and Xaus, to show them off to the enthusiastic Bolognese public. The firm also had the new 998 replicas on show, in Bayliss and Bostrom colours. The Bostrom 998 looks particularly trick, as does its namesake who has a dedicated following of female fans around the globe; I know, my teenage daughter’s one of them!
Ducati 998S Bostrom
Notable absentees from the show were Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Omissions from the home producers included Benelli, no doubt concentrating all its resourses on the Tornado road and race bike project. Triumph, Harley-Davidson and MV were also absent.
The news on the MV front is that Piaggio is trying to buy the remaining 80% stake in the struggling Castiglioni MV Cagiva empire. High-level financial discussions are in progress to seal the deal so expect an announcement sometime in the New Year. Piaggio also indicated that the new 600cc Supersport machine will definitely race at world level in 2003. That might be in the World Supersport category or it might be at GP2 level as a support race to the new GP1 format. The GP2, which allows more scope for tuning both motor and chassis, and allows slick tires, is being ‘tested’ in Spain at national level in 2002. Dorna own the series so it’s not too much to suggest they’ll replace 250s with it in 2003. Many World Supersport teams are already talking about running in the GP2 series if it should get World Championship status. This increases the pressure on Flammini’s SBK show, which relies on the awesome and highly competitive spectacle that is World Supersport racing to keep the crowds entertained between two Superbike races.
Vespa scooter, Mad Cow edition
The Bologna show may be only a regional affair that’s mostly for cars anyway but, as long as at least one motorcycle manufacturer sees fit to release a new model or two there, it will remain well worth the visit. This year Aprilia provided the focus, but I wonder which of the Italian manufacturers will be around at the end of 2002 in sufficient strength to provide the show stopper next year?