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/128640
Ben Bostrom's NCR Ducati 996 (Above left) Bostrom prefers a w idespread handlebar layout th at allows hi m to keep a ha nd le on his wobbling machine - another reminder of his dirt track days. He also uses very little damper on t he motorcycle , so as to allow the machine to steer as freely as possible. (Abo ve) The front en d of the machine feat ure s pow erf ul Brembo f ron t discs with radial-mounted calip ers and 4 2mm Ohli ns fo rk s. (Left) Th e rea r of the Michelin-shod ma chin e incorporates a sophisti cated FG re ar shock (instead of the Oh li ns unit t he Infost ra da team uses) and custom Italian Leo Vinci exhausts. tially b ring ing with him the obligation to us e a n O hlins rea r s hock as well as th e factor y-spe c for ks . In his first race with th e team in Germany, Bostrom was righ t o ff t he p a c e - b u t t h en Ca racc h i s u c ceede d in pe rsua d ing Ducati Cor se to let the m refit th e FG s hock a nd a dapt it to Be n 's style. Th e rash of rostrum finis hes tha t e ns ue d at once pr ov ed th e worth of the Ital ian su spen s ion - and afte r sampling it for myself, I ca n unde rsta nd why. Getting back on the power as yo u ride the bumps in th e middle of the th ird gear swee per at the e nd of the Magione stra ight underlin ed this. With the suspension co m p ressed as yo u get ba ck on the ga s, you ca n fee l the bike rid ing s mooth ly over th e rippl ed ta rm ac induced by car racing held in tor rid Itali an s ummer te mpera tures. But yo u m ust a lso be prepared to have th e h and leb a rs waving ge ntly in yo ur hands as it does so, a reminde r that, in Bostrom mod e , th is is not so m uc h a ner vou s bike, as one that ta lks ba c k at yo u and tells you what it's doin g , as well as what it wa nts to do next. Ben says he likes to have the bike mov ing a round be neath him with both wheels sliding - ot he rwise he can 't fee l wh at it' s doi n g , a nd c a n' t be s u re wh a t' s coming next. This on e does just th at: 18 NOVEMB ER 22, 2000' cue it's ju st th at th e tr ic k of le a rn ing to translate what it's s ay ing to yo u ta kes some skill a nd tim e to ac q uire . My intr oduction c ourse in t h is a t Ma gi on e , un d er more or les s c on trolled c irc um sta nc es , was a b it like ta king a PADI scu ba diving intra class on a house reef: You c o m e b ac k eithe r s ca red stiff, o r wanting m o re . Well - let's jus t say I'm go ing for m y PAD I lice nce thi s win ter, so m a ybe this ti me ne xt yea r Bo s trom , aka S up erb ike ra ci ng 's Maestro of Move , can find ti me to fit me in for a full c ours e in han g in ' lo o s e o n two wheels. Of course, th at woul d be a fter he ' s won th e World Sup erbi k e title doing just that. eN I e n e vv So