Happy National “Ride the Wind” Day from the wBW team!
On this fine day, Napolean I kicked himself out of Egypt and back to France (1799), the first sea-to-land wireless message was received by a U.S. station from ship (1899), and, if you were born August 23, your zodiac says you’re going to “achieve their goals in an orderly, practical manner.”
You also share the same birthday as Kobe Bryant, famous for the quote, “Dedication makes dreams come true.”
No excuses on whatever bike you’re bent on getting, then, yeah? 😇
As we begin our slow descent into the end of August, we’ve caught wind of movement from several brands, including a bit of a to-do with our own Jim Pruner that we’ll be excited to chat about next week!
In the meantime, despite saving most of our Team Red “ado” for Ducati’s World Premiere Episode 2 on Sept 19th, here’s the week’s lineup:
- Ducati’s just premiered their motocross prototype in the Netherlands.
- Can-Am’s electric beasties can now be confirmed via pre-order.
- Triumph is going to auction off some 007 bikes that were signed by Daniel Craig.
- Buell’s begun an interview series, and their most recent one challenges the bet that “America can’t make sport bikes.”
Let’s dive in.
Ducati Debuts Desmo450 MX Prototype, Big Test at Motocross World Championship (MWC)
The First Brainchild of Ducati’s Off-Road Range has Survived it’s First Big Test!
Back in 2023, we covered that Ducati was signing up for motocross with Tony Cairoli, with the following article including Alessandro Lupino as a test rider for Team Red’s new MX efforts.
Now, after a look at the machine with Tony back in February, Ducati’s officially debuted their Desmo450 MX to the masses by entering with it into the Motocross World Championship (MWC), held this year in the Netherlands.
According to coverage from Nye Davis (MCN), the Desmo450 MX will be in next year’s MXGP where she will be in “all rounds of the Italian Motocross Pro Prestige MX1 Championship with the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team” (Ducati). We also understand this same year to be when Ducati plans on entering the Desmo450 into public production.
To Cairoli – who rode the Desmo450 for the MWC – the results were extremely good:
– Tony Cairoli, nine-time world champion/Desmo450 MX rider, Ducati (MCN) |
What’s next after this machine, you ask?
Per usual, Ducati’s got multiple irons in the fire. There’s the new enduro model (and smaller MX motorcycle) that Nye mentions at the end of his article…, and then there’s the remainder of Ducati’s World Premiere, the next episode of which is slotted for September 19th.
What’s next? Hold on to your beanie, and if we twiddle our fingers enough, I’ll wager it’s the usual episodial boatload of bougie bikes.
Don’t quote me on that.
What motorcycle do you think Ducati has lined up to debut next?
Electric Everything: Pre-Orders Open for Can-Am’s EV Motorcycles
How’s the Range, Bob?
Remember when, back in 2022, patents submitted by Can-Am’s parent company surfaced showing an electric motorcycle platform? A mere two days later, Can-Am sneak-peeked an ultra-flirty, silhouetted quartet of machines complete with LED lighting and – on one of these machines – we spotted spoked wheels.
Today, we know two of these machines by their christened titles: The Pulse and the Origin.
Both of these bikes now have a price put to their power, so we naturally went for a good look at the one thing everybody is dying to know before taking a test ride:
How far can Can-Am’s electric motorcycles ride on a single charge?
As it turns out, the range specs are nothing beyond what you would typically see for a two-wheeled zippy offering. See below:
RANGE
According to Can-Am’s website, both the Origin and the Pulse’s ranges are around 160km, or 99 miles.
That beats out the city range of 68 miles for CAKE’s Ösa, or 41 miles for Kawasaki’s Ninja E-1 (via CycleWorld) – though it doesn’t touch the 261 miles of Energica’s Experia (via Energica), the 180 city mile range of Zero’s DSR/X (via Zero), or even the 112 city miles of LIVEWIRE’s S2 Del Mar (via LIVEWIRE).
The biggest competitors to Can-Am’s EV beauties, then, will likely be companies looking to offer more budget-friendly rides with extended range. I am immediately reminded of Royal Enfield’s electric platform – the same that was tested alongside RE’s Himalayan 450 and could be out and among our good riders as soon as next year, 2025 (via CycleWorld).
PRICE
As for pricing, Can-Am’s Pulse is currently listed at $18,299 USD, while the Origin will be going for $18,999 (via Can-Am).
That puts both bikes at a higher premium than that of CAKE’s Ösa+ ($11,470, via FieldMag) and Kawaski’s Ninja E-1 ($9,499, via Kawasaki)… and it doesn’t beat out LIVEWIRE’s S2 Del Mar ($15,499, via RevZilla) nor does it quite meet the funds required for Zero’s DSR/X ($19,995, via RoadRUNNER).
In short, we really won’t know how these bikes will perform until we’re able to get a leg over one of them. One thing is for sure, however, and that’s that Can-Am’s team is incredibly proud of these machines.
Are you excited to see how Can-Am’s electric motorcycles will fare in our markets?
“Shaken, Not Stirred:” Daniel Craig Signs 007 Motorcycles to Support RNLI with Triumph
Triumph + RNLI = Saving Lives at Sea
It seems Bond is still at work making the world a better place, thanks to a handful of motorcycles that Triumph’s going to be auctioning off in the name of aiding a charitable organization called RNLI.
I wasn’t as familiar with this charity, so imagine my surprise when up popped the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a “charity that saves lives at sea” (via RNLI). This organization is in its 200th year of saving lives at sea.
All the more reason to raise a stupid amount of money for them in the form of Bond Edition bikes, signed by the man himself.
According to coverage from 007.com, the bikes are the very ones used in the most recent 007 installment, “No Time to Die” (2021):
- #003/250 Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition
- #001/250 Tiger 900 Bond Edition
Daniel Craig’s signature is scribbled on both machines, and the lucky owner will apparently receive both original V5C documents in Craig’s name and a certificate of authenticity, as well as an opportunity “to ride with James Bond’s stunt coordinator, Lee Morrison, and 007 stunt double, Paul Edmondson.”
Most excellent!
Now, on to why RNLI was chosen for this special auction: Apparently, it was Daniel Craig’s first choice, and his birthday decision to boot!
Give the man his cake, and see his statement below:
| “The RNLI has been close to my heart all my life since growing up near the RNLI station at Hoylake. I have incredible memories of going afloat with the RNLI crew at Ramsgate to experience firsthand what it’s like to be part of the organization that has saved over 146,000 lives since starting up over 200 years ago.
I am honored and immensely proud to support the RNLI and hope the auction of Triumph’s Limited Edition Bond motorcycles proves popular. The riding experience with Lee Morrison and Paul Edmondson adds another unique and exciting dynamic to the lots. I worked with Lee on Casino Royale all the way through to No Time To Die; the opportunity is not to be missed and will help raise funds for the truly lifesaving cause that is the RNLI.” – Daniel Craig, “James Bond/007,” actor from “No Time to Die” (2021) (007.com) |
Naturally, Triumph’s CEO and the founder of RNLI are equally jazzed to be a part of the auction experience, with statements courtesy of Motorcycle Sports and RNLI:
– Nick Bloor, CEO, Triumph Motorcycles (RNLI) |
– James Stensel, Cars/Motorcycles Dept. Head, Bonhams (Motorcycle Sports) |
If you’d like a gander of the proceedings, be sure to stay tuned for the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show on October 12 and 13 in Staffordshire, UK.
How much do you think James Bond’s motorcycles will fetch for the RNLI in this auction?
Buell Challenges the Bet that “America Can’t Make Sportbikes”
Jacob Stark Sits Down for an Interview on the World’s Last Production V-Twin Sport Bikes
Buell has been making some decent headway with their goal to go global. They’ve recently hopped across the Canadian border (near me, thank heck), and they’re also continuing the refresh of their brand in the form of content designed for the rider.
One of the benefits of this last major move is the series of blogs and interviews that are designed to be published as the company moves forward with its goals.
Take this interview I found on the Buell website, for instance. In “Tech Talks with Jacob Stark: Buell and the World’s Last Production V-Twin Sport Bikes,” a Buell engineer sits down to answer some questions about the machine whose roots have been carried over from EBR days to the present-day lineup.
In other words, if you’ve ever wanted to take a Buell for a test ride, it’s not only an easier task these days, but Buell’s engineer just gave us the next best thing: Perspective from a guy who has spent more hours in the bike’s chassis then even he would probably like to admit.
My personal favorite? It’s got to be why America can’t make sportbikes… and what Buell’s doing about that.
Take a look below at some of Stark’s answers:
Do you like V-Twin power?“Oh, yeah. I love V-twins… the only reason why I got into Buell is because they were one of the few sport bikes that ran a big, aggressive V-twin. I grew up with Harleys, with that American image of a motorcycle… but I was also young and liked to go fast. Buell’s bikes are real fast.” What are the benefits of having a V-Twin sport bike?“Well, V-Twin sport bikes have a lot of predictability and useability, they give a great road seal. To that, I’ll add that they have character. Both Ducati and Buell proved this that a V-Twin is not just a street fight but also a capable, high-performance engine design with great driveability and performance. It’s the most versatile of the engines.” Why do you think America hasn’t been able to make sports bikes on home turf?These days, everyone has the idea that Japanese, Italian, and British sports bikes stay around, but American sports bikes don’t. When you get as big as Buell did and you still don’t last, it kind of creates a ripple effect through the industry. But we did make it, and we’re back at it again. It’s not cheap, and competition usually crushes the smaller brands, but we’re happy to disrupt the industry and make a ruckus while we’re here.” Do you think you could find a sports-oriented bike that performs better than a Hammerhead (or 1190 SX) for less money?“It’s actually very difficult to go out and buy a bike that costs less and still outperforms the 1190 on the track, especially straight out of the box. I mean, let’s do the math. You can go out there and buy a Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP for an MSRP of $17,228 USD. This bike’s got ABS, it’s got Traction Control, it’s got cornering ABS… it might have a few more ponies, but it’s not any more competitive or that much better than the Hammerhead. In fact, I wouldn’t even argue that it’s better – I would say that there’s a give-and-take there. Sure, it might be a thousand dollars less, but you definitely didn’t get a bike that is faster than the 1190… the tricky part is, it can be really hard to show that unless someone gets on a Hammerhead for themselves.” – Jacob Stark, Engineer, Buell Motorcycles (Buell Motorcycles) |
Currently, Buell’s working on a series of development updates for its Super Cruiser, a machine whose Version 2 prototype was purported to be a major highlight of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally about a week or so ago.
My favorite of their lineup – the Hammerhead – has now completed over a month of reviewing from a guy named ChaseOnTwoWheels (via YouTube), and the 1190SX continues to be the brand’s do-it-all naked model.
With Buell’s three-bike lineup now as far as Calgary, Canada, I’ll be curious – and excited – to see how far the machines are able to travel in the next year or so.
Where would you like to see Buell’s motorcycles? Have you ridden a Buell motorcycle before?