Filipino riders to take part in BMW off-road tilt
ARIS CUEVAS, who took the top spot in the 2017 BMW Motorrad GS Trophy Southeast Asia qualifying round held on Sept. 2 in Thailand, has been counted an official member of the motorcycle competition’s regional team.
BMW Philippines said Mr. Cuevas, along with fellow Filipinos Derrick Itchon and Leother Valderama, as well as the rest of the Southeast Asian team members, will face riders coming from various countries at the BMW Motorrad GS Trophy International 2018, to be held in Mongolia. The company noted the Filipino riders were among the 30 participants who competed in the event’s Southeast Asia qualifier.
According to BMW Philippines, the Motorrad GS Trophy International is the “most adventurous competition for riders from across the globe,” explaining that teams will compete daily on stages and numerous special challenges that “push riding skills, agility, fitness and team spirit to the limit.”
New V4 to power upcoming Ducati Panigale, other bikes
A NEW four-cylinder Desmosedici engine, derived from MotoGP, will soon propel Ducati’s sport bikes.
Ducati said its new Desmocedici Stradale, a 90-degree V4, will mark the first time a V4 will power a Ducati production motorcycle as such engines were reserved for the company’s race bikes. In transferring the technology of its most advanced power unit from the racetrack to the road, Ducati said it now “offers customers performance levels honed by years of MotoGP experience.”
“The Desmocedici Stradale represents the start of a new chapter for our company, underlining our vitality and an unshakable commitment to investment in new products,” said Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO, during the presentation of the Desmosedici Stradale.
Mr. Domenicali bared the latest engine will debut in the all-new Ducati Panigale V4 model, which will be unveiled in November at the EICMA motorcycle expo.
Ducati said the Desmosedici Stradale engine, while suited for track use, has been “designed to respond to the needs of the road rider,” citing the V4’s stout mid-range torque and slightly larger 1103cc displacement. The company placed the engine’s output at 210 hp at 13,000 rpm and 120 Nm at 8,750-12,250 rpm. As its name identifies it, the engine uses Ducati’s Desmodromic valve timing system, which makes it light, compact and high-revving.
