Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

April 2008

More recent news has been placed in the MSL general news section - HERE
• Interested in classic news? Weekly updates can be found on our classic sites - CLICK HERE

 

October

1. Benelli to produce 675cc triple to enter Supersport category in 2009 - to be built in new Pesaro factory with capacity to produce 20,000 bikes by 2010
2. Benelli Mono single offroad models enter production in January, with many innovative features for offroad segment - 570 Supermoto launched at EICMA
3. Benelli Due twin starts production in July, available in 600cc and 756cc guises
4. Benelli seeking to produce volume production V5 Superbike, but can’t get OK to race in Superbike, will probably go the four-cylinder route instead
5. Fogarty pulls out of deal to race MV Agusta in 2008 SBK series - but Team Roberts won’t take his place, says MV owner Castiglioni - but Irish ace takes factory Superbike to Macau GP
6. Cagiva Mito 500 street single to reach production under MV Agusta badge - 80 bhp from dedicated dohc single motor, no longer modified Husqvarna
7. BMW confirmed as entering World Superbike in 2009, but need test riders - Alex Hofmann and Frankie Chili to the fore
8. BMW to race two-man factory team in Daytona 200 next March - hoping for victory on HP2 SportBoxer racers against faster but less frugal 600 fours
9. BMW motorrad president Herbert Diess is promoted to BMW Group board - leaves bike business in hands of beancounter division
10. Triumph to enter World Supersport officially in 2008 with Caracchi team, will produce limited edition versions of all models replete with Italian flair
11. The 2007 Isle of Man Centenary TT recalled in TT2007 book - if you were there, you’ll want a memento, and if you weren’t, see what you missed, plus the Hayden brothers’ story told at last - from the inside, with great photos
    

June/July

1. Vee Two Super Squalo visits Isle of Man TT for final real world testing, now in production as world’s most powerful and fastest-accelerating catalogued streetbike, with 203.9 bhp from Ducati 999S motor via Sprintex supercharger
2. Triumph’s new Street Triple 675 first of several new models from British manufacturer, including Rocket III Tourer, 1500cc parallel-twin cruiser, Tiger Cub 675 dual-purpose trailbike, and 1100cc three-cylinder Daytona Superbike.
3. Bimota continues path down comeback trail with new hub-centre Tesi 3D, has begun work on tricked-out DB7 Superbike with Ducati 1098 testatretta motor

March/May

1. BMW returns to road racing with factory team for the first time in 50 years, with works R1200RS Boxer competing in World Endurance series 24-hour races
2. Husqvarna’s all-new 250cc four-stroke engine impresses on debut, finishes joint runner-up in snowy opening round of World Enduro series as BMW undertakes due diligence on purchasing marque from its MV Agusta owners
3. BMW makes public debut of 450 Enduro bristling with innovation
4. BMW breaks 100,000 annual production marque for first time, reputed to be working on range-topping 1850cc six-cylinder luxury tourer
5. Cagiva to link with Kinetic in India to manufacture new 500 single as well as 125 Mito in both two- and four-stroke guise
6. KTM owners repurchase stock from Polaris bought in anticipation of aborted merger – but Americans hang on to 5% of equity, continue strategic partnership
7. Triumph Motorcycles sponsors English School Rugby champions – won’t go racing with factory team, though
8. Triumph sales up 18.3% in 2006 model year, to 37,400 units, profits up more than 10% as 675 Daytona wins International Bike of thje Year award
9. New Motorcycle Year Book 2 aims to be Motocourse for the street – needs to be more tightly written to attain that goal, but nice picturebook
10. Michelin delivers – new guide books for France and Italy uncover reasonably priced out of the way places with genuine character

 

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