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Ducati Releases New 2010 Sportbike Motorcycle
| | | It’s confirmed, Ducati’s new top secret 2010 street bike is… an 848 Superbike. Yes you’ve read correctly, what was thought to be a new high-performance sport touring motorcycle is instead a limited-edition Ducati 848 Superbike painted in special Nicky Hayden No. 69 colors. The bike commemorates Nick’s relationship with the premier Italian motorcycle manufacturer, Ducati and is similar to the colors he’s going to run at this year’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.
The bike’s paint job was designed specifically for American Ducati enthusiasts and will allow just over a 100 customers to stand out from other Ducati sportbike riders with its flashy red/white/blue color scheme. In addition to its high-end paint job, the fuel tank features Hayden’s signature.
The price tag on it is $14,495, $500 more expensive than a standard 848 Superbike and will be available as soon as July 7 at your local Ducati motorcycle dealership. After the early release of the Streetfighter, the Hayden edition 848 is the second newest 2010 Ducati motorcycle to be released.
Mechanical updates new for this year include a new more legible Digitek dashboard (as used on the 2009 Ducati 1198 Superbike). Also new is a mirror extender kit that allows the rider to select between two different mirror stalk sizes for improved rear visibility. Also new are cam belt tensioner pulleys manufactured from aluminum and said to reduce rotating mass resulting in a slight increase in engine acceleration.
More information courtesy Ducati North America:
The new Ducati 848 Nicky Hayden Edition enjoys all the performance advancements of the entire Superbike family, while adding its own innovations to redefine the middleweight sport bike class.
The words ‘agile’ and ‘refined’ aptly describe the 848. At 168kg (369lbs) the 848 is an amazing 20kg (44lbs) lighter than its predecessor, and a significant 5kg (11lbs) lighter than its larger capacity brother, the 1098.
The highly advanced 848 engine uses an improved method of engine case production in which cases are vacuum die-cast formed. While providing significant weight savings of more than 3kg (6.5lbs), this method also ensures consistent wall thickness and increased strength. Further refinements include a sophisticated wet clutch that offers 1kg (2.2lbs) less weight, a much higher service l...
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