Clutchless Aprilia headed for SA

A version of the futuristic Aprilia Mana, which incorporates technology that negates the necessity for a clutch, is on its way to South Africa and could soon become a regular face on our roads.

Unlike earlier self-shifting motorcycles that faded into oblivion due to lack of interest caused by sluggish performance, the lively Mana offers riders the option of using any of three fully automatic modes (Sport, Touring and Rain), as well as two manual options. These are operated either through the usual lever near the left foot, or sequentially via using two buttons on the handle bars.

The auto modes are continuously variable, with electronics manipulating gear ratios and throttle response to suit the selected riding conditions, and the two manual options both provide slick shifting through seven ratios without the need for a clutch - much like the speedshifter on a racing motorcycle.

According to the Aprilia factory gear changes are quicker and slicker with this system than with a standard transmission.

The Mana (which means ‘the stuff from which magic is made’ in Polynesian and other Oceanic languages) is unique in that it’s a full-sized 850cc V-twin motorcycle that combines exciting sports-bike levels of performance on the open road with the practicality of a scooter around town.

The bike is loaded with features that make it perfect for the city commuter. A dummy fuel tank opens to expose a non-slip, non-scratch luggage compartment and courtesy light. This compartment is large enough to accommodate a full-face helmet, along with cellular-phone and document storage compartments.

The Mana also features a 12V power socket, an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT) that relieves the rider of the burden of operating clutch and gear levers in traffic, an under-the-seat fuel tank that keeps the centre of gravity low, a handbrake for when you park on hills, and a stainless-steel exhaust incorporating a catalytic converter. But the Mana is not only practical as an urban commuter, it can also be used with great effect to cover large distances cross-country.

The 850cc 90° V-twin creates 57kW and is linked to a seven-speed manually operated sequential gearbox that allows quick clutchless shifting. The power unit is housed in a steel trellis frame with a single-piece aluminium swingarm and complemented by 43mm upside-down front forks, monoshock rear suspension adjustable for preload and rebound damping, four-pot radial front brake calipers clamping twin 320mm discs, and a single 260mm rear disc.

The Aprilia Mana has been well received in Europe, where many scooter riders are expected to use it as a means of shifting from basic two-wheeled transport to serious motorcycling. Motorcyclists who do a lot of city commuting are buying it to make life easier in heavy traffic on weekdays, while the sporting nature of the machine makes it an suitable recreational machine.

Source: Wheels 24

Piaggio Launches Premium Scooters

THE Piaggio Group in association with their local partners, the Alfardan Motorcycle Centre, launched a range of scooters in Qatar at a function on Thursday.

Products are being launched under the Piaggio, Vespa and Gilera brand names. The launch was held at the recently opened Alfardan Motorcycle Centre at Khalifa Town.

The products are the Vespa, Piaggio’s three wheeled 400cc MP3 and the Gilera 500cc “performance” scooter which promises to embarrass many motorcycles.

The MP3 is the first three-wheeled scooter, with two wheels in the front which provide “much greater grip and safety than conventional scooters and two-wheelers”.

Gilera will soon be launching the fastest scooter ever made, the GP800, which Piaggio claims will be capable of 200kph.
The Gilera will retail for QR39,000 and the MP3 will go for QR37,000.

Three Vespas of 250cc, 125cc and 50cc are available. These will sell for QR23,000, 19,000 and 13,000 respectively.
The three-wheeled scooters are opening a new market and are aimed at people who have never ridden two-wheelers before _ providing a safe option for beginners because of the stability provided by two wheels in front.

The Piaggio Group’s area manager, Georges Marianelli, said, “scooters are the fastest growing means of individual transportation across the globe”.

Scooters deliver “practicality, fun and leisure in one package”.
“Because of parking and other contemporary traffic issues, scooters are an option that is growing in popularity with people in cities,” he said.

About Vespa, a name which is now synonymous with the scooter, he said: “Vespa is today not only tradition, classic style and fashionable design, it is also state of the art from the technical point of view.”

He felt there was room to grow in Qatar and the Middle East and was confident of the market’s potential.
Marianelli said market share in Qatar or the region is difficult to calculate.
“Unlike in Europe there is no group to assess and gather data from the region.”

The Piaggio official said: “We represent the high end of the market. We are not aiming at this stage to achieve double digit growth in this region.

Marianelli stressed the firm’s effort to “globalise” its presence.

“We have to invest in each country which presents an opportunity. You cannot just produce in the home country and export.”
Marianelli said all products are in line with Euro III norms and said that a new 125cc fuel injection engine will soon join the existing injected engines of 250, 400 and 500cc.

Also present at the function were Robert Zarzour, director of motorcycles and lifestyles at Alfardan Motorcycles Centre, and Roy Burt, chief operating officer, of Alfardan Autombiles.

Burt said: “We welcome another prestigious addition to Alfardan Motorcycles Centre. Our country’s economic outlook is evolving and so are its aesthetic features, a fact that require innovative solutions in transportation. As a pioneer in the vehicles market we look for constant expansion schemes, allying ourselves with world leaders to keep pace with our country’s growing cosmopolitan needs.”

Zarzour said that 2007 was the first full year for Alfardan Motorcyles Centre after its opening in November 2006.
The centre is already exclusive importer of Ducati, KTM and BMW Motorrad.
He expressed his satisfaction at having secured the dealership for an important brand like Piaggio.
Piaggio also includes other names like Aprilia, Scarabeo, Derbi, Moto Guzzi, Ape and others.
In 2007 Piaggio achieved a production of over 600,000 units with sales of E1.2bn across 100 countries. It has plants in Italy, Spain, Chain and India with new plants to be established in Vietnam.

Source: Gulf Times

Triumph’s 2008 Street Triple

THE 2008 Street Triple is Triumph’s version of a rock music supergroup. The British manufacturer has taken two of its stars — the Daytona 675 sport bike and the Speed Triple street fighter — and put them on a single stage.

The result is something like Bono fronting the White Stripes. It’s a bold and exciting concept on paper, but it doesn’t entirely succeed.

Triumph’s goal was to harness the best attributes of each bike and create the Velvet Revolver of pedal-to-the-metal motorcycles, but there’s something off about this bike that I can’t quite figure out. In its attempt to make an affordable and fierce middleweight naked bike, Triumph has made a motorcycle that’s light, powerful — and unrefined.

Looks-wise, the Street Triple takes much of its style from its hulking big brother, the 1,050 cc Speed Triple. It has the same Marty Feldman headlights, Miss Prim seating position and dirt bike handlebars.

But pop the hood and it’s pure Daytona. The Street Triple uses the same aluminum twin spar frame, dual-sided swingarm, cast aluminum alloy 17-inch wheels and 3.8-gallon gas tank as its sport-oriented fraternal twin. The 675 cc, in-line three-cylinder power plant is also the same; it’s just been retuned for more grunt off the bottom end and a smooth progression of power that will satisfy riders’ need for speed well before they hit the red. What that means on the street is quick and brutish performance. The Street Triple is a Marlon Brando of a bike that comes off the line with its fists swinging. The throttle is unusually sensitive, which was great when I was accelerating but annoying when I was trying to hold it steady.

The throttle, which works with the same 44 mm throttle body and sequential electronic fuel injection as the Daytona, didn’t just respond to my twisting of the grip but to whatever imperfections I happened to be rolling over on the road; it made for a frustratingly jerky ride on less than pristine pavement.

For straight-up sport riding, the throttle wasn’t an issue because all you do is ride like a lunatic and brake hard, both of which the bike does well, even if the front brakes have been downgraded from the four-piston radial system on the Daytona to a less expensive and more conventional two-piston Nissin. But for casual riding and commuting on streets and freeways, the Street Triple wasn’t as impressive as I wanted it to be.

There was something vaguely cheap feeling about it. The transmission felt a little clunky and the finish wasn’t, well, finished. On a naked bike, it can be difficult to hide and/or route the cables in a way that’s aesthetically appealing. I found the rat’s nest of cables to be particularly unartful on the Street Triple — especially the front brake cable, which ran over the top of the front fender.

Priced at a low $7,999 — the same price as Triumph’s carbureted, retro models — the Street Triple seems to have cut corners with less-than-finessed engineering so Triumph could keep the price low and lure entry-level buyers of exotics away from Ducati and KTM, both of which offer steep competition.

If Triumph was hoping to have another rock with the Street Triple, I’m afraid it’s ended up far afield of Billboard.

Source: latimes.com