Yamaha R7's, delivering the same
advantages in terms of traction and
grip as the Yamaha sportbike though the team has experimented
with a shorter one, in pursuit of even
better traction, without finding it necessarY'. The steering-head angle is
adjustable over a two-degree range
from 22.5-24.5 degrees via eccentrics,
and is currently run at 23.5 degrees,
with 98mm of trail for the new-type
43mm Ohlins TIN forks - while the
swingarm pivot is also adjustable for
height, as standard.
Ohlins suspens'ion and Brembo
radial brakes complete the list of toplevel hardware fitted to a bike that
feels remarkably slim when you sit on
it - the narrow engine delivers a build
that's as slim as a twin, with your
arms tucking close in to the sculptured green 'fuel tank' that is actually
the airbox shroud: the real fuel tank
lies behind and beneath it, taking up
the space behind the forward-mounted motor. Seat height on the prototype racer is very high, to allow the
rear suspension to work at its best,
but on street bikes will be quite a bit
lower, says Rosa, with less of the
rider's weight on the bars - and his
forearms - than at present.
However, this wasn't the problem
that most concerned Goddard, when
he gesticulated urgently to Rosa as
he gridded for race one at Misano,
after the sighting lap: "There's a
problem with the fork preload," he
shouted. "Relax, Peter," said Rosa
reassuringly. "There are 24 liters
[6.24 gallons] of fuel in the bike, and
it's the first time you've ridden it with
a full tank ... !"
More than a decade after production finally ceased of motorcycles
bearing the historic Benelli family
name, another of the lost legends of
Italian motorcycling has joined its former racetrack rival, MY Agusta, in
hitting the comeback trail - but
Benelli has beaten MY to the World
Superb ike grid, and in scoring championship points by doing so.
In creating the new Benelli Superbike, Merloni has also achieved a personal milestone, as he publicly
admitted two years ago, at its lavish
launch in front of the movers and
shakers of Italian industry.
"Everyone has a dream they long
to make come true," he said, "but
only a few are fortunate enough to
see it achieve reality. I'm one such
person, who dreamed of bringing
Benelli back to existence, with a
model incorporating distinctive
design and leading-edge engineering.
Thanks to Ing. Rosa and his team, the
dream is coming true. Now our next
step is to share it with our customers,
and go after Superbike success."
Misano and Laguna Seca represented the first steps toward that
goal.
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AUGUST1S,2001
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