Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128237
2003 Milan Motorcycle Show Part I DUCATI 5 T3 C Y L I N DER H EAD DUCATI 9985 F INAL EDIT IO N 620ie) linked with th e m ov ie of th e s a m e name , h ig h lig hts a t Mil an incl uded a reva m ped ve rs ion of the 749 5 delive ring a hefty 7 bhp mo re than th e mod e l launch ed a year ago, wit h 1 10 bhp no w o n tap at 10 ,000 rp m com pa red 't o th e 10 3 bhp of the ba s e -l e v el 749 , tha nks t o re v ised ca msha fts, new valves and a ligh te r c ra nk , a nd its 749R s iste r, which ha s be en co m p le t e ly re -eng ine e red in u ltrash ort -stroke Te s t a s t re tt a g u is e , with th e int enti on o f putting Du cati bac k a t th e fro nt of the Supe rs p ort g rid on the racetra ck, jus t like ha lf a de ca de ago . This m e ans that, just like the 104 -b or e 999R co m pa re d to th e s ion which Vcr is ex pecte d to la unch itself ne xt year - ju st in tim e to g ive Ap rilia some com pet ition. Du cati m an agem ent turn ed down th e c ha nce to pu rc hase Vor ea rlie r th is yea r, before Mo nd ial's Zi let ti s te p ped in t o do so, a nd th e y j ust ..m ight be re g re tting that now, as the o nly m ajor Ita lia n manufacturer without a dirt bike ra nge for the thr iving off-road market. The reason for t he sli ghtly down beat Du c a ti displ a y at Milan - well, com pa red to Muni ch a year a g o , wh en it com pletely over hau led its entire model range - turn s out to be that the Ital ian firm will be waiting until the To kyo S how opening o n Octob er 24 to launc h t h ree ne w Cla s sic Sports m od els, re lia bly unders too d t o inclu d e t h e lo n g -a wai t e d Pau l Sm art Re p lic a (a lbei t ju st o ne ye a r too la te to ce le b ra t e th e 30th a nnive rsa ry of his victory in the 19 72 Imo la 200 , Duc ati's first major V-twin race victory of ma ny ). Alon gs ide a pai r o f dark g re en Ma t rix m o d el s ( 9 9 8 and Mon s t e r 30 OCTOBER 22, 2003ยท eye BENEL L I T O RNADO R5 I e nevus ba s e- le vel 100mm 999/9995, rath e r th an th e 7 4 9 /7 4 9 S ' s 90 x 5 8 .8mm di me ns io ns , t he new 7 49 R fea t u re s 94 x 54mm cy linders, in whic h guise th e street version cost ing $23 ,4 24 de livers a clai med 1 16 bhp a t 10,500 rp m , fitted with tit a n iu m co nro ds , semico nica l titanium valves and other rev ised inte rna ls , a sli pper clut ch, a nd loads of ma gn esium and c a rbon fiber. This , whe n c o m bine d with the ul tr alight we ight fo rge d Marchesi n i wheels wei ghing 6.5 po unds less tha n th e st ock 749 Brembo o n e s , pro duc es 422 pounds dry. just under 15 Ibs . le ss than the base -le ve l mode l. Give n th at it must be built in at least