All-New Model Flaunts Massive Bad Attitude and Mile-Devouring Function

MILWAUKEE (August 1, 2014) – Harley-Davidson^® (NYSE:HOG) has more rush in the tank. Spy photos, gossip and wild speculation are flooding the Internet as Harley-Davidson fans around the globe anticipate the return of the Road Glide^® motorcycle. The wait is over and the Road Glide Special is here.

Weeks before the announcement of its complete 2015 model line-up, Harley-Davidson is previewing the Road Glide Special, one of its new 2015 motorcycles. Infused with DNA of the customer-led product development effort Project RUSHMORE, the sleek, shark-nose Touring model is being revealed today at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, USA.

“Road Glide has always had an incredibly passionate following, which is why its return to the model line-up is exciting for our customers and our company,” said Matt Levatich, President and Chief Operating Officer of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. “With Project Rushmore technology, intuitive features and great new styling, we’re delivering an improved ride for the Road Glide faithful and the many others looking for more cool Project Rushmore motorcycle options.”

One look at the new contour of the famous Road Glide Special fairing is all it takes to see past form and convention were put aside and a new rebellious design emerged. The Road Glide Special motorcycle earned its status satisfying the hard core and now it is back. From the wicked new Dual Reflector Daymaker™ LED headlights to the hand-adjustable low-profile rear suspension, the Road Glide Special motorcycle is proof of what can happen when you hold a higher standard and take the time required to meet it. The Road Glide Special sets out to make the ultimate statement in custom, high-mile aggression and backs it up with all the function riders demand.

“The Road Glide has always been a bike for a rider who’s cut from a different cloth, a person who wants to make a statement as they chase the freedom of the road,” said Mike Goche, Manager, Product Planning. “This new model respects that spirit while offering a significant improvement in comfort, and the full suite of Project RUSHMORE features that have been such a huge hit with touring riders around the world.”

Road Glide Special

Shaped by countless hours of wind tunnel testing, the new frame-mounted  Road Glide Special fairing features a triple Splitstream fairing that significantly reduces head buffeting while still providing  comfortable airflow around the rider. The brilliant white beams of the Dual Daymaker™ Reflector LED headlamp blasts through the murkiest of nights. Centered in the inner fairing is the premium Boom! ™ Box 6.5GT infotainment system with touch screen and GPS navigation which can also be controlled by twin joysticks located on a new swept-back handlebar that puts the rider in a commanding, comfortable position. A High Output Twin Cam 103™ V-Twin engine burbles through two chrome mufflers, its abundant torque always on tap with just a twist of the throttle. Touring features include One-Touch hard saddlebags, cruise control and easy-to-read gauges. For extra ride confidence the Road Glide Special features Reflex™ Linked Brakes with ABS and an exclusive painted inner fairing and hand-applied pinstriping move the styling up a notch 

Yet another manufacturer is to enter MotoGP, it was announced yesterday. KTM is to join Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki and, most probably, Aprilia in MotoGP, with KTM moving up to the premier class in 2017, a year after the new regulations take effect and Michelin takes over as single tire supplier.

The news was announced by KTM CEO Stefan Pierer, in an exclusive interview with the German-language website Speedweek In that interview, Pierer set out the approach KTM will take to MotoGP, which will be a departure from the more traditional route of the other manufacturers in the class. The idea is not to enter as a factory team, but to build a bike and make it available to customer teams, much as they currently do in Moto3. 

That bike will be a 1000cc V4, housed in a tubular steel trellis frame. The bike will have suspension from KTM subsidiary WP, as supplied with the Moto3 machines. Design work has already started on the V4 engine, and it is due to be tested on the dyno for the first time in May 2015. The complete bike will take to the track at the end of 2015, with 2016 being used to complete development of the bike, ready for the 2017 season. Pierer told Speedweek that wildcard appearances in the second half of 2016 are a definite possibility. The bike will be available to interested teams at a price of around 1 million euros, Pierer said, as that is the price at which Dorna has been trying to get the manufacturers to supply MotoGP bikes 

This would be KTM's second foray into MotoGP. The first attempt was an unmitigated failure, when the Austrian company built a V4 machine for Kenny Roberts' Team KR in 2005. That engine was known for being too aggressive, and suffering badly with underdeveloped electronics. Since then, Pierer emphasized, KTM's engineers had learned a lot about rideability and smoother power delivery. Furthermore, with all MotoGP entries to use spec software from 2016, the issue of software development had also been removed from the equation. The engine for KTM's RC16 (as the MotoGP bike is to be known) is being designed by Kurt Trieb, the engineer who developed the Moto3 powerplant which is dominating that championship.

The interview with Stefan Pierer contains a few aspects which are worthy of note. The first is the refusal to enter as a full factory team, as the other manufacturers have done. This is reminiscent of BMW's strategy, of supporting private teams but not taking part directly. That strategy has been extremely successful for BMW, the German manufacturer able to send out press releases boasting of the success of BMW privateers, without having to take responsibility for their failures. By concentrating on motorcycle design and production, KTM can keep their costs down, while still receiving both the R&D and marketing benefits of participating in MotoGP.

The more interesting aspect of the announcement is the way in which development is to be subsidized. The KTM RC16 is not only to be sold to MotoGP teams, but a cheaper version is also to be sold as a glorified track bike to private individuals. 'Cheaper' is a relative term here: where the full MotoGP version will have a price tag of a million euros, the retail bike will cost in the region of 150,000 to 200,000 euros. It will not be available as a street legal version, as the restrictions imposed on street bikes make it impractical to produce such a high-performance machine. The combined problems of producing a bike which complies with Euro 4 emissions standards and in sufficient quantities to homologate the bike for World Superbikes make that an impractical project, Pierer told Speedweek. It was better to aim at wealthy, dedicated individuals looking for an exclusive high-performance bike. Pierer estimated they should be able to sell at least 100 units of such a machine, which would represent a large proportion of any MotoGP development budget.

One of the reasons given by Pierer for going down the track-only route for the RC16 does not bode well at all for the World Superbike series. The discussions about safety have taken on ridiculous proportions in some EU countries, Pierer told Speedweek, especially after a streak of good weather had produced a string of motorcycle fatalities. There is a lot of pressure on bike manufacturers, and discussions are going on at the EU in Brussels about the possibility of imposing performance restrictions. There have even been calls from some quarters to ban so-called superbikes, Pierer said. KTM saw it as their responsibility to keep motorcycle performance within strict limits, he added. 'Anything with over 200 horsepower has no place on public roads,' Pierer told Speedweek.

Leaving aside the absurdity of the argument - it is virtually impossible to extract maximum performance from any sporting motorcycle on a public road; most fatal accidents occur at speeds a very long way below the maximum of the bike involved; the majority of motorcycle accidents are caused by other vehicles - Pierer's statements point to a significant threat to WSBK. Superbikes have become ever more extreme over the past twenty years, a factor which has played a major role in the decline of their popularity. The original Ducati 916 produced 114 bhp in 1994. This rose to 122 bhp with the 996, and 123bhp with the 998, which was sold until 2002. From 2003, the 999 produced 150bhp, which was then replaced by the 1098. The 2009 Ducati 1098R produced 180 bhp, and the current top-of-the-range Ducati Panigale 1199R is quoted as producing 195bhp. In the space of twenty years, power outputs have risen by over 70%. As power outputs have risen, sales have declined, the performance of such extreme bikes becoming less and less relevant on public roads which are more and more heavily policed, despite improvements in engine response and handling.

By dropping the RC8 and replacing it with a bike which will not be eligible for homologation, KTM has effectively abandoned the World Superbike championship. If the EU or another major motorcycle market imposes performance restrictions - or bans large capacity sportsbikes altogether - then the viability of WSBK in its current form is called into question. The current identity crisis facing WSBK could become a lot worse.

- David Emmett

Only days after announcing an ongoing partnership agreement had been reached for 2015, Ducati has announced that their collaboration with Britain’s Cal Crutchlow is over.

Observers note that this is most likely the result of Crutchlow asking to be released after now being offered a Honda with an expanded LCR squad, effectively replacing Stefan Bradl.

Ducati released this short statement.

Ducati Corse and Cal Crutchlow terminate contract ahead of 2015

Ducati Corse announced today that it has reached an agreement with its factory rider Cal Crutchlow to terminate, ahead of time, the contract that ties the British rider to the Italian team in MotoGP for 2014 and also for next season.

The two factory Ducati Team riders for 2015 will now be Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone.

Honda never entertained replacing Dani Pedrosa after the Spaniard recently clinched a new contract to continue as an official HRC rider until the end of 2016.

Despite having never won the MotoGP title in eight previous attempts, Honda’s loyalty towards Pedrosa appears to have no limits, with the Spaniard given a new two-year deal that will take him to an 11th season as a Repsol Honda rider.

Honda has always maintained its main priority was to keep reigning world champion Marc Marquez and Pedrosa together, though HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto did admit during the pre-season campaign that he intended to launch a raid for Yamaha rival Jorge Lorenzo.

Honda failed to lure Lorenzo away from Yamaha after lengthy negotiations in 2012, but Nakamoto never carried out his pre-season pledge to speak to the double MotoGP world champion.

Explaining why he had been so keen to offer Pedrosa a new deal, Nakamoto told MCN: “We only spoke with Dani and I am really happy to keep Dani. Marc and Dani are top riders and that’s the only reason we want to keep both. For me it doesn’t matter about nationality or personality, as long as they fast I don’t care. And the relationship with Marc and Dani is very good.”

Many thought Honda would insist on Pedrosa signing a one-year deal, so it could bring in a younger talent for 2016 to mould for the future next to mercurial Marquez.
But Nakamoto said: “We talked about one year, one plus an option and also two. Dani preferred a two-year contract.”

Asked why he had made zero contact with Lorenzo, he joked: “Too slow (laughs). We are happy with Dani and it is as simple as that.”

By Matthew Birt - 

MotoGP

This is the latest in a long line of boldly styled Victory motorcycles to emerge from the factory in recent years.

The most gaudy and garish designs to sit in the range have previously been released as special editions, and usually branded in association with the Ness dynasty.

The new Magnum you see here is a full factory effort – while drawing on some Ness inspiration – boasting a 21” front wheel, slammed back end with swept in hard panniers, a batwing style handlebar fairing, a six-speaker 100watt sound system, and some of the most striking paint jobs we’ve seen from any factory since the mid 1990s.

Massive chrome ape-hanger bars frame the view to the painted dash – something you’ll either love, or will see your Corn Flakes making a surprise return – and a raft of Arlen Ness special parts from victory’s ‘Bevelled’ collection – including pegs, engine covers, ignition covers, brake and clutch levers, footboards, grips and mirrors. Apparently there's “no such thing as too much attitude.”

The rear end has been dropped by an inch, and the seat is also one of the lowest options available, putting the rider closer to the floor than on any other Victory. The 21” front rim and flowing lines of the three-tone paintjobs accentuate the effect, while the ‘boomerang’ fairing screen keeps the overall profile low.

The Magnum gets ABS, LED lighting, and that thumping sound system as standard, while there’ll be a full accessories catalogue of upgrades for those who see this more as a blank canvas than an already pimped bagger.

The colour options include Metasheen Black over Supersteel Grey, Ness Midnight Cherry, Sunset Red over Supersteel Grey, and the most retina-destroying of the lot – Plasma Lime. Prices have not been set yet, but will be announced in early October, ahead of the bike’s late 2014 arrival.

Highlights
106 engine (1740cc)
Three-tone paintjobs
Arlen Ness Bevel parts
21” front rim
Lowered 1” at rear
100watt 6-speaker sound system
LED lighting

Story and pics by Jay Groat

For a second year in a row the ‘Dunlop show’ reigned supreme at the Isle of Man TT road races. Michael Dunlop mirrored last year’s results by bringing home another four wins during race week.

This time however claiming two of the quadruple on his new factory backed BMW?S 1000 RR Hawk Racing team outfit. According to sources Michael’s Honda contract had not been extended after last year’s races, and after turning his back on them and coming perilously close to walking away from racing altogether, he surprised them all by agreeing to race a factory BMW. Apparently the decision was made when Michael was invited to test the bike at a secret shakedown earlier this year, and after a successful test signed the big money deal with the German firm. This made the young ‘paddy’ the first BMW factory backed rider at the TT since 1974.

Now you can just imagine the amount of stuff this was stirring on an island no bigger than Boksburg, with every Irelander on the Isle wondering how Mickey would fair on his ‘unproven on the island’ BMW Hawk Racing team ride?

Practice week

With most of practice week red flagged and unable to run because of misty, time-mugging conditions around the circuit, racers were not too happy about being short of critical time to test and set-up for race-week. So with most of the week gone, we were relieved to find out that the final two days of practice week would be moving from dreary to dreamy weather. Untill then, Bruce Anstey had posted some seriously fast lap times on his Padgetts Honda racer with Guy Martin close on his heels on the Tyco Suzuki.

Unfortunately for team McGuinness practice didn’t look as good due to a crash earlier this season, which left him riding with a broken wrist. Surprisingly only slowed him down marginally on the time sheets for the smaller bikes, but taking it’s toll on the bigger superbikes. The time-sheets also exposed some insane lap times from new young gun Peter Hickman who posted a blitzing 129 mph lap in his TT debut.

There was very little news from the covert Dunlop camp during the week with the only mention of their switch from Metzeler to Dunlop tread being the highlight.

Dianese TT Superbike Race

With the ‘King of the Mountain’ John McGuinness nursing a broken wrist, BMW not only picked their timing right, but had the best man on the Isle for the job. So when the Dianese TT Superbike Race started everyone saw Michael Dunlop do just that, as he powered his way into history with an opening race win on the Hawk racing BMW S 1000RR. Breaking the outright lap record of 211.9 km/h and giving BMW their first win in 75 years. Michael took the lead on the opening lap from?Suzuki mounted Guy Martin who made no excuses for his second spot with his “I can’t complain, the bike was absolutely mega” remark on the day. By being just 20 seconds down on the BMW of Dunlop, Guy showed he’s still on the pace for that elusive win, with local island rider Conor Cummins just behind in third place on the Rostrum Honda.

Bruce Anstey’s effort didn’t go unrewarded as the Kiwi had a storming second half of the race. Bruce set an all time record lap speed of 212.4 km/h on his way to 4th overall.

Sure Sidecar TT

The side car duel leg TT Series saw Dave Molyneux exit while leading on lap 2, gifting the win to Conrad Harrison and Mike Aylott on their 600cc machine. They finished 17 seconds ahead of John Holden and Andrew Winkle with Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze completing the top 3.

Dave Molyneux and Patrick Ferrance went out with electrical gremlins in race one but after taking six previous podium places, Harrison was thrilled with his win.

The second side car race saw Dave Molyneux’s Kawasaki make no mistakes to take his 17th winning career spot. They won by a comfortable margin of 44 seconds ahead of John Holden and Andrew Winkle who had mechanical problems early on in the race.

Harrison and Aylott scooped second place with Holden and Winkle coaxing their ailing side car across the finish line just 5,6 seconds adrift in third place.

Supersport TT?Race One

A win for Triumph was recorded on Monday’s race card as Gary Johnson won the race by the smallest margin of the week.  Johnson, 33, led from the start, although Anstey produced a brilliant final lap to reduce the margin from four seconds to only 0.1 at one stage. Johnson held his nerve late on the last lap to win by 1.5 seconds clear of Bruce Anstey, with Michael Dunlop in third.  Johnson took his second career TT victory in the most thrilling race seen in the week. Johnson, who had been fastest in Supersport practice with a 202.6 km/h lap, gave Triumph their first TT success since Anstey's victory in 2003.

The Superstock Race Two suffered postponements due to persistent rain and foggy conditions on the mountain course. Previous race winner Gary Johnson fell off at the Waterworks on the first lap when it did start and broke his collarbone.

Michael Dunlop then won the Supersport TT race where he doubled up on his success. Dunlop dominated proceedings on his MD Honda as after the first lap he had gained a 9 second lead over Bruce Anstey and by staying just ahead, he knew that the 10 second time advantage was enough for his third win of the week. In a nice touch, second placed Bruce Anstey moved over, close to the finish line, to let Michael Dunlop take the checquered flag on his MD Honda, as Dunlop had won the race already on time difference.

TT?Zero Electric Bikes

This was the only race to run on Wednesday’s overcast conditions. The race is just a one lap wonder which saw John McGuinness breaking TT records with an electric bike lap record of 188 km/h on the Mugen Shindon Honda. McGuinness maintained a clear lead over team mate Bruce Anstey as the Brunel Racing Team and Kingston University machines became early retirements. McGuinness took the win with Bruce Anstey 30 seconds down in second place with Rob Berber behind them on the Ohio State University Buckey’s machine.

Lightweight TT

Postponed till perfect racing conditions the Monster Energy Race for 500cc twin cylinder machine class saw Dean Harrison lead home the race claiming his first TT win on Friday’s opener. The RC Express racing machine was a victor by 14.4 seconds over last years winning Kawasaki of James Hillier, with James Crowthorn in third place. Unlucky fastest qualifier Olie Lindell went out early with mechanical retirements. Only by lap three had the leaderboard settled. Harrison who had previously won the Manx Classic TT race said he had to slipstream Keith Amor to conserve fuel to get the win.

Pokerstars TT Senior TT

Finishing the week with four in a row wins the seemingly invincible Michael Dunlop commanded the BMW S 1000 RR bike to a final win in the 6 lap Senior TT race. He was never under any real threat as the four leaders circled one another over the first 2 laps. Michael Dunlop knew he held a big time advantage. His brother William Dunlop led until lap three and due to a bad pit stop, pushed so hard to make time up, that it led to his high speed smash off the road at the Les Graham Memorial on the Veranda. He broke his leg in two places.

Winning by 14 seconds Michael Dunlop only wanted to know how his injured brother was doing in hospital. As he had passed the wreck during the race, he said it put a dampener on the last win of the TT, but that he was glad it was not serious. Conor Cummins’ Honda sealed a dream week and the Ramsey resident had shown great skill in securing the podium finish. Popular Guy Martin scooped the final 3rd place while Anstey posted a new record lap of 212 km/h in fourth place.

When asked in the interview what he thought of the BMW Hawk Racing outfit Dunlop said “Taking a factory ride with a team which has never been proven on the circuit and winning the race for them here for the first time in 75 years, I would say, I think we’ve proved it.”.

With an estimate record crowd at the 2014 TT races, the weeks festival, although dampened by sporadic wet weather, was as good as it gets. With two race deaths in the week and top speeds of close to 340 km/h, one might say maybe the bikes have outgrown the track? But that said, it still remains the greatest show on earth for motorcycle road racing fans.

Norton SA a division of the Cayenne Group wheeled their very first shipment of the new 2014 Norton’s onto their showroom floor last week, the model line-up includes the Commando 961 Café Racer, the 961 Sport model and the 961 SF.

The Commando 961 Cafe Racer was built to replicate the old style cafe racers with all modern components and engineering whilst maintaining a classic appearance and style.

The commando 961 Sport is based on the original design for the Commando with conventional forks to give a smooth, more comfortable ride.

The Commando 961 SF was built after the successful launch of the sport. It has upside down forks and radial brake callipers with a carbon fibre mud guard and accessories.

All three models run the highly successful upgraded and modified 961 cc parallel twin with a dry sump and compression ratio of 10:1:1, 2 values per cylinder, with electronic fuel injection and bore and stroke of 88 mm x 79 mm. The power output is 80 PS @ 6500 rpm and torque is 90 Nm @ 5200 rpm.

They are all air cooled with digital ignition a 5 speed constant mesh gear box, and electric start. Front suspension are 43 mm upside down Ohlins USD with adjustable preload, compression & rebound damping, the rear are Ohlins twin shocks with a  remote reservoir, adjustable ride height, preload and compression.

The braking system is a full Brembo system, twin Brembo 320 mm fully-floating high carbon stainless steel discs & Brembo 4 piston radially mounted callipers, Brembo front brake master cylinder with integral reservoir, the rear are Brembo system a single 220 mm disc and Brembo 2 piston calliper and brake master cylinder. The rims are black anodised with carbon fibre chain guards.

All the Commando 961 models are available in the dual seat option and available in all colours. The dual seat option gives the rider a pillion seat as well as a single seat configuration option. The easy to attach single seat cowl quickly turns the Commando back into the stylish single seat form.

The new 3 bike model range can now be viewed on the showroom floor at Cayenne Kyalami. The prices for the Norton Commando’s are the SF Sport at R 299 000, the Café Racer R 329 000 and the flagship model the SF at R 349 000 all prices include vat.

“Included with all Norton purchases is our new exclusive package a residual the first ever in the two wheel industry, the no deposit guarantee, a guaranteed buy back package and free licence and registration, not to mention our great trade ins” Said Craig Langton Norton SA a division on the Cayenne group. “There is really nothing on the market to better this deal.”

In keeping with the company’s customer-led product development approach, starting next week select consumers across the country will be able to ride and provide feedback on the bike, helping to shape the future of Harley-Davidson’s first-ever electric motorcycle.

While not immediately for sale, Project LiveWire is specifically designed for the purposes of getting insight into rider expectations of an electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

“America at its best has always been about reinvention,” said Matt Levatich, President and Chief Operating Officer, Harley-Davidson Motor Company. “And, like America, Harley-Davidson has reinvented itself many times in our history, with customers leading us every step of the way. Project LiveWire is another exciting, customer-led moment in our history.”

Spurred by this heritage, the Project LiveWire Experience invites customers to test ride, provide feedback and learn more about the story of the motorcycle. Even those who don’t yet ride will have the opportunity to feel the power of Project LiveWire through Jumpstart – a simulated riding experience.

A 2014 U.S. tour – kicking off with a journey down Route 66 – will visit more than 30 Harley-Davidson dealerships now through the end of the year. In 2015, the Project LiveWire Experience will continue in the U.S. and expand into Canada and Europe.

“This builds on many recent reinvention successes for Harley-Davidson.” said Levatich. “In just the last few years, we’ve broadened our reach to serve an increasingly diverse society, as well as reinvented our approach to product development and manufacturing. This has resulted in cutting-edge products like the recently launched Project Rushmore, Street 500 and 750 and this reveal of Project LiveWire.”  

An Innovative Approach to Advance the Possibilities of Personal Freedom

This exciting new ride blends the company’s styling heritage with the latest technology to deliver a new expression of the signature Harley-Davidson look, sound and feel.

“Project LiveWire is more like the first electric guitar – not an electric car,” said Mark-Hans Richer, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Harley-Davidson Motor Company. “It’s an expression of individuality and iconic style that just happens to be electric. Project LiveWire is a bold statement for us as a company and a brand.”

The bike offers a visceral riding experience with tire-shredding acceleration and an unmistakable new sound.

“The sound is a distinct part of the thrill,” said Richer. “Think fighter jet on an aircraft carrier. Project LiveWire’s unique sound was designed to differentiate it from internal combustion and other electric motorcycles on the market.” 

Longer term plans for retail availability of Project LiveWire will be influenced by feedback from riders along the Project Livewire Experience tour. 

“We offer a no excuses riding experience in everything we do and we are led by what our customers tell us matters most,” said Richer. “Because electric vehicle technology is evolving rapidly, we are excited to learn more from riders through the Project LiveWire Experience to fully understand the definition of success in this market as the technology continues to evolve.”

Helping Preserve and Renew the Freedom to Ride for Generations

As riding in the great outdoors is one of the best elements of motorcycling, sustainability remains a core strategic focus at Harley-Davidson.

“Preserving the riding environment is important to all of us,” said Levatich. “Project LiveWire is just one element in our efforts to preserve and renew the freedom to ride for generations to come. As a company that has seen success for 111 years, we think in generational terms about our great riding environments for the next 111 years.” 

Fans can learn more about Project LiveWire, as well as specific dates and locations for Project LiveWire Experience stops at projectlivewire.com.  Harley-Davidson also invites anyone who is interested in the possibilities of the future to follow and engage with the company on its social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson's website at www.h-d.com.

The waiting is over for Cayenne as the first shipment of the legendry Norton and Bimota’s brands arrived this week. The complete team could not wait to view the latest Bimota’s first to arrive were the Bimota DB5, Bimota DB9, Bimota DB11, Bimota 3D TESI

“We are attending the world launch of the much anticipated Bimota BB3 BMW powered machine that is currently causing a sensation in the EVO World Superbikes class , this month and the first two BB3’s will be flown out to South Africa,  After then launch said Craig Langton dealer principal Bimota SA a division of The Cayenne group of companies 

There was tremendous excitement amongst the staff; some of the younger Cayenne sales guys had never seen a Bimota in its real life form, only pictures and images on the internet. The same applied to the Norton brand.

“We have had a tremendous response from customers since we announced that we had the agency for both these brands and all new customers have been waiting for their arrival” said Langton. “The arrival of these two legendry brands was something different for the Cayenne team.”

The Norton models include the famous Commando 961 Café Racer, the 961 Sport and the 961 SF and are all hand made in the new factory. All the models have the famous parallel twin 961 engines, which is electronic fuel injection, 2 valves per cylinder, 5 speed gearboxes. Upside down 43 mm Ohlins USD adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping forks, twin Ohlins shock with remote reservoir and adjustable ride height, for preload and compression.

The braking is the full Brembo system, single 220 mm up front and 2 piston calliper on the rear. Performance is 80 PS @6500 rpm and torque of 90 Nm @ 5200 rpm

Each of the 3 new models have their own styling, for the steering heads, instruments, handle bars, tanks, seats, tail ends and exhausts giving each of them a totally different look.

The new units can be viewed and Cayenne Kyalami, for more information call Cayenne on 011 244 1900