2011 Ducati Monster 796 First Ride

His insatiable thirst for life is only surpassed by his monthly fuel bill. Whether rocketing on land, flying through the air, or jumping the seas, our Associate Editor does it all and has the scars to prove it.

Italian motorcycle manufacturer, Ducati has released its first new model of the season: the 2011 Ducati Monster 796. This mid-range street bike fills the void between the entry-level personality of the Monster 696 and the advanced road performance of the Monster 1100. With a base price of $9995, the 796 is a sensible choice for motorcyclists looking for an amusing and easy-to-maneuver motorbike that’s ideal for jaunting in-or-around the city.

The beauty of the Monster line is that the basic architecture of the bikes, including the chassis, air/oil-cooled V-Twin engine configuration, and sleek minimalist body panels are shared between models. However a closer look reveals there are some key differences between this one and its siblings.

The primary difference that distinguishes the mid-level Monster is its use of a 4-valve, 803cc V-Twin, identical to the unit employed in the Hypermotard 796 street bike. Compared to the other Monsters this engine is in a higher state of tune, employing an 11.1:1 compression ratio (versus the Monster 696/1100’s 10.7:1 ratio) courtesy of pistons with a different crown shape. Fuel is received from a 3.8-gallon fuel tank through 45mm throttle bodies, each equipped with a single fuel-injector. Exhaust is piped through a 2-1-2 stainless-steel configuration that terminates with twin shorty-style under-tail mufflers. Each header pipe is fitted with an oxygen sensor which ensures optimum engine running conditions.

A six-speed transmission and a hydraulically-operated APTC clutch control the engine’s power through a chain drive. Furthermore the clutch is bathed within the engine’s oil supply enhancing reliability and reducing noise as compared to the racing-style ’dry’ clutches used on the 1198 Superbike. The clutch also incorporates a slipper/back torque limiting functionality which helps prevent the rear wheel instability during downshifts at high rpm.

The engine is cradled in a lipstick-red steel trellis frame. It attaches to a reworked subframe which is compatible with passenger grab handles that are available as a Ducati accessory ($129). The 796 also gets the same well-crafted single-sided aluminum swingarm as used on the more expensive 1100 model.

Suspension is comprised of a Showa inverted fork and an Sachs hydraulic shock that is mounted directly between the frame and swingarm without a linkage. Although the fork doesn’t offer any damping adjustment, the shock provides spring preload and rebound tuning abilities.

The 796 rolls on a pair of beautiful black 5-spoke cast-aluminum wheels featuring a small red pin stripe around the edge to draw attention to them when in motion. Attached to the front wheel is a pair of 320mm brake discs clamped by a radial-mount four-piston Brembo calipers. Rear brake consists of a solo 245mm disc pinched by a twin-piston caliper. Both brake systems are powered hydraulically through stainless-steel lines. Anti-lock brakes are also available as an option on the new machine however pricing is TBD. Lastly, the wheels are shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso tires in sizes 120/70-17 front and 180/55-17 rear. Hop into the seat and the first thing you’ll notice is how similar it feels to the smaller 696 model. The bike feels short and skinny, which makes it easy to manhandle on the road. The seat height measures 31.5 in. above the ground which is 0.4 in. lower than the 1100, and 1.2 in. taller than the 696. Grabbing a hold of the aluminum handlebar isn’t as much of a stretch compared to other Monsters courtesy of the bar risers that elevate the bar position by nearly an inch.

Thumb the starter button and the new Ducati fires to life with deep, thumping exhaust note. Surprisingly, the 796 doesn’t get the same sleek slimline switch gear as used on some of the Italian manufacturer’s other new street bikes, including the Streetfighter. Instrumentation is comprised of a small, yet functional, white-backlit LCD display that is both easy to read and quickly operated via the switchgear on the left handlebar.Clutch lever pull is light and offers 4-way lever position adjustment to accommodate different sized hands. The clutch also delivers an ample level of feel for riders who might not have a lot of experience launching a motorcycle. The lower first gear ratio only adds to its user-friendly demeanor when pulling away from a stop. Switching between the remaining five gears was smooth and trouble-free, though we wish the gearbox felt tighter.

Twist the throttle and this Monster delivers a much more robust spread of power compared to the smaller 696. Sure, it won’t win any drag races against a modern liquid-cooled sportbike, yet it will still surprise you with just how much torque it cranks out at low-to-mid rpm. The engine has plenty of juice to loft the front wheel in first gear and is capable of bursts of speed whenever it’s revved out to redline. While the engine delivers a bit of vibration, it never becomes annoying, even at freeway speeds.

In terms of handling the 796 feels every bit as nimble as its smaller sibling. Direction changes can be accomplished with a light touch of the handlebar. The center of gravity also feels low which aids in steering and railing around corners. Though suspension spring rates are calibrated for lighter riders, when pushed this Monster still delivers enough grin-inducing performance for even an experienced, sport-oriented pilot. The bike we rode came equipped with the optional ABS system. By default the system is always on, but you can disable it easily by navigating through the menu system on the instrument display. Braking power and feel is adequate and we appreciated the added confidence provided by the ABS. But we were more impressed by the fact that you can quickly turn it off with a few clicks of a button if you‘re feeling mischievous. We also appreciated that the position of the brake lever could be moved based on rider preference.

If you’re a motorcyclist who covers a lot of ground in the city then the $9995 Monster 796 is a bike you need to consider. It’s an easy machine to ride, looks awesome, and is compact enough to slice through any urban gridlock. Its peppy air-cooled engine not only delivers punchy acceleration but a level of charisma that is sadly missing from many other street bikes in this same price point segment.

Big Motorcycles

Big Motorcycles

Big Motorcycles

Big Motorcycles

Split hoods and split bonnets

Split hoods and split bonnets
As you can imagine, a lot of consternation arose when I mentioned doing a section on split hoods and bonnets. Bre wanted to know how that makes your car go faster, and he's got a point, it does nothing for car performance; but it's a must have for a customized show car. While it may have nothing to do with car performance, it has everything to do with car customization and is ideal for our section on pimped out cars. It also goes to show that with a little imagination mundane looking car parts can be turned into something realy unique!

For those of you who might not know what we're talking about, a split hood is a hood consists of two halves and opens from the middle like French doors. While a conventional hood is hinged either at the back or the front of the hood, a split hood is hinged at the sides, allowing it to open from the middle to each side. It's the latest craze at the car shows but split hoods date back to the 1920's and 1930's when they were stock items on cars such as the 1929 Ford Model A sedan and the 1939 Plymouth P8 DeLuxe. Only those were more practice as they were hinged from the middle and opened from the sides. On this page we'll look at split hoods and fitting a split hood kit but be warned, this is a fairly simple job but requires a fair amount of skill and is intended for show cars and not street cars!

PLANNING

Planning is a crucial part of fitting a split hood. Begin by removing the sound deadening material on the underside of your hood so that you can see the support braces that give the hood its rigidity. The idea is to split the hood without losing rigidity so you may need to weld additional support braces, especially along the split, to regain rigidity.

When it comes to making the split, you've got quite a bit of choices. You can go for a straight cut down the middle, an off center diagonal cut, a curved cut, a zig zag cut, or any other imaginable shape. But the easiest yet still most impressive split hoods are the off center diagonal cut and the 'S' shaped curve cut.

You also need to take into consideration the location of the hood release catch as you still need to close the hood. On anything other than a straight cut the hood release catch must be on the part of the hood that will be your leading edge as the leading edge will rest on the other part of the hood. On a straight cut or a cut that is in the middle of the hood release catch, you will need to replace or move the hood release catch.

SPLIT THE HOOD

Once you've planned your cut, mark it out on the hood with heavy duty masking tape. Then take an angle grinder or jig saw carefully cut through the outer sheet metal on the hood and the support braces below it. The angle grinder is best if you're going for a straight or curved cut, while the jig saw is better for making zig zag cuts and shapes with sharp bends.

Now you need to weld an overlapping seam on the underside of the half of the hood that is not the leading edge. The leading edge will rest on this overlapping seam and hold it down as the leading edge is the part that has the hood release catch. This part may be a little tricky as you need a fairly flat overlapping seam. Therefore you may need to remove some of the support braces near the edge so that the hood can close flush. You may also need to add a support brace along the seam to increase rigidity.

Once that's all done, you'll need to repaint the hood to protect the cut against corrosion and to give it a nice finish. You can also replace the sound deadening material once the hood has been repainted.

REFITTING

Now it's time to refit the hood. You'll need a split hood kit to refit the hood or you can fabricate your own hinges and opening mechanism. Some split hood kits come with articulated opening mechanisms and some come with remote openers, but fabricating your own kit is a viable option. All you need are hinges that will be fixed to the inside of the front wings (i.e., the front fenders) and the spring mechanism and counter balance pistons from a car trunk. The counter balance pistons will allow you to balance the split hood against the spring tension so that you have a smooth hood opening action.

When you fit the hinges remember that the hood must open without causing the hood to foul against the front wing. You also want to have a nice even gap on either side of the hood, as well as along the cut where the two halves meet.

Now when you pop the hood, the spring loaded hood release mechanism and the spring mechanism will allow the split hood to flip up smoothly.That's it then; another successful pimped out car customization from custom-car.us even if it is a bit more complicated than fitting a tilt hood kit, lambo doors and shaved door handles.

( 2010 ) NEW MINERVA FISCHER MRX 650

NEW MINERVA FISCHER MRX 650

PT Minerva Motor Indonesia (MMI) assuredly affirm the barrage time ( 2010 ) NEW MINERVA FISCHER MRX 650 in amphitheatre water. The plan, Minerva will authority a bendable barrage that backpack motor action 650 cc agent in July 2010.

Fischer's arrival, according Kristianto absolutely appropriate because it is the buyer of the motor in accession to Fischer, Fischer additionally accepted as the above Superbike champion. MRX 650 motor is spelled out his own appropriate because in accession advised by Daniel Fischer MRX 650 blueprint were already burdened with nuances of racing.

Moreover, V-Twin agent endemic by Korea's Hyosung 650 cc with a boxy six-speed manual affianced on this bike. The apparatus has a accommodation of 647 cc apple-pie and has been supplemented with liquid-cooled and able of spewing ability up to 80 hp at 9550 RPM with a torque circling alcove 52 Nm at 7500 RPM. In Indonesia later, Fischer MRX 650 will be ambidextrous anon with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R is additionally planned to appear to the Indonesian market.

MINERVA FISCHER MRX 650 PICTURE

NEW MINERVA FISCHER MRX 650 Specification

Specification of ENGINE
Engine type 647 cc liquid-cooled 90 degree V-twin
Bore and Stroke 81.55mm X 62.0mm
Compression Ratio 11.47:1
Valve Train DOHC four valves per cylinder
Fuel Management Dual Mikuni 39mm
Ignition Computer-controlled digital with variable mapping
DRIVE TRAIN
Transmission Six speed
Final drive 525 Regina O-ring sealed chain
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION / BRAKES
Front suspension 43mm inverted telescopic with compression and rebound adjustment
Rear Suspension Ohlins single shock with adjustable ride height, compression damping, and spring preload
Front Brake Dual semi-floating 310mm disc, Brembo master cylinder, Goodridge steel brake lines
Rear Brake Single 210 mm disc
Front Tire Bridgestone, 120/70 ZR-17 radial
Rear Tire Bridgestone, 160/60 ZR-17 radial
DIMENSIONS
Rake 24.0 degrees
Trail 3.86 inches/98.0 mm
Wheelbase 55 inches / 1397 mm
Seat height Adjustable 29.5-31.5 inches / 749-800 mm
Actual Dry Weight, MRX 382 lbs / 166.47 kg
Actual Dry Weight, MRX (SP) 357 lbs / 157.4 kg
Actual Dry Weight, MRX (Race) 346 lbs / 150.59 kg
Fuel capacity 4.6 gallons
PERFORMANCE
Horsepower, crankshaft 80 @ 9550 RPM (with Ram Air)
Torque 52 @ 7500 RPM

source : oto.detik