Y2K Ducati 748 details
Motorbooks on the block?
New Superbike series sponsor?
The big Honda-thon is on Thursday October7, 1999 from 7-10 pm @
Speedway International Racing Bistro & Bar
353 E. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Newport Beach, Ca. 92782For more information, please call FS Productions at 714.585.2930or for
directions, please call Speedway at 949.675.5900Witness the U.S. premiere of the new RC51 Superbike.
Special guests will include:
Miguel DuHamel
Kurtis Roberts##
Here's the details on the 2000 Ducati 748 series machines that will be imported to America by Ducati USA. There will be three different 748s brought over: they will be the standard 748, the 748S and the ultra-cool (and not legal for the street) 748R.
My sources in Italy say that the model equipment breakdown for the 748 (or, as the Italians pronounce it: "de seven four eight") will go something like this:
748 base model: a cool grand cheaper than the mostly same bike went for last year, it'll retail for $12,495 and it gets a bronze painted frame and wheels. Showa suspension all the way around. All Ducati models shag the self-retracting sidestand.
748S: gun metal gray frame and wheels, it also gets five spoke Marchensini hoops. It gets all the stuff the base model has, but also gets more carbon bits, upgraded engine internals (they were non-specific) and Showa suspension all the way around. White number plate. This machine will cost you $13,995 to purchase at the retail level.
748R: Yes, it has a headlight but is not intended for street use, say the guys at Corse, closed course, competition use only. Yet, not an SPS, either. Pretty much a culmination of everything they have learned in working with Casoli in WSS racing, this machine has not yet had a US price set yet. 43 mm upside down Showa forks with the titanium nitrate coating on the sliders. Showa rear shock, big valves, CNC machined hundred-off internal items, and 54 mm throttle bodies. Titanium connecting rods. Can you say Pro-Thunder?
More on this when they send me the slides.
Chronicle Publishing has been selling off chunks of their massive empire for the past six months, including the San Fran Chronicle newspaper and a few smaller firms like television stations and things like that.
Waaayyyyy down the list of Stuff They Own at Chronicle is Motorbooks International, based in Osceloa, Wisconsin and the largest motorcycle/auto/aircraft book publisher and distributor in the States. They have published scads of motorcycle books, like KC's All My Yamaha TDY Anecdotes (AKA: Kevin Cameron's Superbike Preparation), and Jewell Hendrick's Superbike Preparation, and they also distribute Motocourse, and the recent Mike Doohan biography. According to printed reports, MBI is on the block and bids are being taken to continue Chronicle's unload-a-thon. More.Although there is no official word, MBNA is not expected to re-up with the AMA Superbike series next year and a new series sponsor is being sought. Will this new sponsor be a co-sponsor with Parts Unlimited, which co-sponsored this season's championship with MBNA? Unknown. Rumored cost to have your firm sponsor the 2000 AMA Superbike series: $400k, which includes all the normal stuff AND a nice slathering of television commercials at each round. And increased personnel, support at the office, etc. Related: PACE rumors have it that they have already got Chevrolet on board as series sponsor for their 2000 season.
MCI/ and Fed Ex will not be back with CART when their term expires, so say the 'mongers.
