Italian Beauty

Last weekend i had the chance to test drive an Italian Devil, the 2010 Aprilia RSV4-R superbike.

The bike is a monster! 


Let's start with the edgy in your face i wana race all day design of the bike! the super narrow rear seat giving it a rocket forward feel, the triple headlight design fitting so well without cluttering the front, the sleek low race like window screen (doesn't provide much wind cover though). The bike's ivory white is it's only color in the UAE market, setting it aside from the Racing rocket big sister RSV4 Factory's gorgeous red and black colour theme!

Design and ergonomics wise, the bike is tiny, barely shorter than the Yamaha R6! this is mainly because of the genius compact V4 engine design, allowing for less space than Japanese inline engines. The seat is quite thin and hard, providing some comfort for short stints, but a numb ass is in waiting for long rides; the seat sits pretty high actually compared to other bikes at 33.3 inches from the ground. Being a tall rider, the footpeg position is quite challenging cuz of the compact design of the bike, but you get used to it. The handlebars are quite well positioned for a racing feel and you tend to dip more to the front compared to other bikes, similar to the Ducati 1198S i tried a while back (Review here).


The bike's compact design and light weight (almost as light as the Yamaha R1) gives it a light feel on the road with a very surprising ease in the side-to-side action. The low center of gravity and perfect balance gives you a boost of confidence in riding the bike hard!

The instrument cluster is very straight forward with a compact round tachometer and the classic Aprilia orange backlight LCD with a full range of rider info, even has a bike stand engaged light! unfortunately it does not have a fuel gauge which is a downer for such a thirsty bike, but has the low fuel light. i really like the orange fork touch and the side key position for better HDD display. im not a fan though of the cylinder shaped brake fuel canister, i prefer the squarish ones!

As far as the ride goes, MAMAMIA! 
The bike is a revving rocket! 
First off, the low rpm range of the bike is quite satisfactory, very smooth and not as nervous as you would expect, this is mainly due to the great engine design, with the pistons being perfectly calibrated at any rpm range.
The main grunt of the bike however comes at around 7,500rpm, with a huge umph! contrary to the full power you get at blast off from the jap bikes! that at least kept me from controlling wheelies every time i launch the bike at a green light :p 
You do notice however a tiny flat line when you reach the 10,000rpm mark, but it quickly kicks back into action! the bike is sensational on the road and mainly due to it having the same engine as the RSV4 Factory model, a 998cc with 180hp between your legs, the ride by wire technology, having the engine electronically control the fuel injection system to provide the right amount of fuel depending on gear selected, exhaust configuration, speed, braking power and etc... 
another great feature on the bike is the racing slipper clutch it has, making the shifting between all  gears as nimble as popping and un-popping a pen! it gives you a feel of having an electronically managed rev prediction system! 
I find it quite hard though to find the Neutral gear, it proved to require a super feather like touch :( 
The nicest feature i must say on the bike is the mode selection is has: Track, Sport and Road.
With the Track mode giving full power to all 6 gears, the Sport mode limits the full power to the first three gears, making it perfect for city riding and finally the Road mode actually reduces the power to 140hp instead of the full stable of 180hp, proving essential for any rainy conditions or "safe" riding :p
The braking power is a marvel as well, with the standard Brembo brakes on both front and rear wheel, though it does not provide you with much accurate feel, making it hard to reach the sought after limit of wheel lock; but gives you more confidence in late breaking into corners knowing you can rely on racing grade brakes! 
The ride on the bike was very smooth compared to the Ducati 1198S which had more of a stiffer suspension package, ideal for a race track; the Aprilia's suspension system provide by Showa front suspension and Sachs on the rear, both fully adjustable. the ride proves super comfy and well composed from corner exit, with a heavier hand on the gas on exit ;) 


This a superbike straight from the race track, a super competitor to the extreme BMW 1000RR and the Ducati 1198S and Desmosedici even!


Pros:
Great power
Track ready bike
Easy to control
Harmonious exhaust
Edgy look


Cons:
Mirrors are tiny and prove useless with shaking a high speeds
Uncomfortable seat
Gas guzzler
Cramped position


Finally, if you are looking for one of those bikes that come every now and then to shake every bike's cage and make you drool over, the RSV4 R is the bike to have for its lower price that the competition, the perfect composure and handling, on and off the track, and the chance to own a beautiful masterpiece of engineering! 


@Alexi13


My buttermint of the day

V-Muscle !!

A while ago i rented out a bike while my car was in service, the mighty '10 Harley Davidson V-Rod Muscle !!  here's my take on it !


First off, some boring specs for some:


Displacement: 1,250cc (V2 - four stroke)
Gearbox: 5 speed
Exhaust system: Dual side Satin Chrome
Cooling: Water Cooled
Weight: 292 Kg


Being a superbike rider (own a '06 Honda CBR600RR), my first concern was the weight of the bike when i first saw it. Gettin on it was daunting enough, with the wider handlebars than a sport bike, the seating position, more upright and feet upfront! Kicking off the bike stand, i realized how its low ground clearance makes it easier to handle the weighty bike, it does feel light, surprisingly! 

I really liked the instrument cluster on the bike, it does portray its sporty muscle side, clear rpm, tachometer and fuel gauges, pure and simple!

The bike has a keyless ignition system, kinda tricky, need to always keep in mind to lock it once you get off, but a nice touch to avoid the hassle of using the key, as long as u keep the bike in sight that is ;) 


Starting off the engine is a pure joy every time with the harley rumble along the exhaust tips, nothing will beat that! thank god they patented it :p Once you set off on the bike, you immediately notice the maneuverability of such a beast, it handles like a mix of a sport bike and a cruiser... Goin over the overpass bends in Dubai proved to be easy for the bike and much fun testing how far it would bend on the curves.. but the true power of this bike is the long stretches on SZR. With its water cooled engine, this is one of the most powerful bikes Harley has, the torque once you twist your right hand is phenomenal, like riding a saber tooth !!! The wide rear tyre does excel at providing a comfy very stable ride in any situation, the suspension system is phenomenal you don't feel the bumps at all!!! The seat, ohhh the comfyyy leathery sofa seat, my butt thanks it still!! 


Another nice touch on the bike is the signal lights integration on it, their placement keeps a clean design to the bike, without any hangin bits on the sides, very smartly done!! 

All in all, it is a great bike to own, if you seek a mix of a cruiser bike with immense power and sporty handling!! 


@Alexi13


Follow me on Twitter.com/Alexi13


That's my buttermint for the day!! 

Hounds from Hell (Ducati Bikes Review)

Ducati recently opened in the UAE, at MotorCity, location of the Dubai Autodrome for you track days junkies!! 

It certainly tickled my interest and that day finally came, Test Drivin' Ducatis!!! 

Ducati 1198S with Termignoni Exhausts

Ducati Streetfighter 1100

headed out to their shop, with the cheerful Martin (mind you, slavic, the size of a building and buffed as hell), the smile always on his face and guardian of the hounds.

Process is quite simple, you hand in your valid motorbike license, sign a waiver of responsibility, you are to pay up to AED2k for any damages to the bike, careful for the speed traps and you are set!

The first bike up for me was the sensational, sexy, terrifyingly powerful Ducati 1198S with Termignoni Exhausts.

Where am I to start :$ ...

The S edition comes with some juicy extras:

- Traction control with 8 levels adjustments (kinda won't need it if you are hardcore)

- Carbon Fibre front Mudguard

- Rear Ohlins Suspension

- Seven spoke Aluminum forged Marchesini wheels

- This one was even fitted with the loud musical Termignoni dual exhausts

- everything reducing the wet weight (ready to ride) to a mere 185 Kg!!! 

- finally 170bhp on the right handle !!! 

Gettin on the bike, it feels much lighter than my Honda CBR600RR (195 Kg) to get off the stand... first gear in and off we are..

First impression is the tight driving position, the tank is small and you must grip it tightly with your thighs if you dnt wana keep sliding inwards..  what can you expect from a track ready bike! 

The acceleration is out of this word, 4th gear and you already hit the last end of the tachometer, you wonder why they added two more gears to the whole thing! The nice thing about Dubai's outercity parts, the huge corners you find on the overpasses, well they are great to bend down the Ducati, and bow does she sways!!! almost having the knee down, had to be extra careful since did not have a suit on!! 

One great thing must be said about the exhaust, the amount of backfire you get on ever gear change is like a symphony in itself, apart from the striking chorus the bike screams out! 

The slipper clutch in the Ducati is a valuable asset to have, with the track days available now on Yas MArina Circuit and Dubai Autodrome, what better way to feel like you are racing for real!!! 

The water-cooled based engine is the main driving force behind this machine, propelling it to triple digit speeds in a blink of an eye, with still plenty of torque and power at any rpm level, marvelous! 

Finally, the bike is Satanic!!! yet very forgiving, for advanced drivers that is... Considering the stretches in Dubai and the places you can ride free on track with your bike, it is a sound investment,, however, it is kind of a hassle in traffic as it is not as nimble as you would want it to be,, and you'll be super scared on gettin it bumped, so avoid it if you are fan of the JBR and Jumeirah /Beach road cruising ;)

The next bike i took out was the Ducati Streetfighter:

This bike is something else!!! the first streetfighter type i ride and boy what a difference...

- 214Kg wet weight, but you can barely feel it with the power it holds in (1099cc)

- 155hp

- cool stopwatch function in the dashboard

The riding position is a challenge i must say, you are more upright, much more,, the handle bar is wider.. no windscreen and higher ground clearance...

Being conceived for the street more, i thought i'd put it through its paces throughout dubai... I must say thought that the drive from MotorCity to Dubai SZR was tiring !!! The wind resistance you face on this kind of bikes is pretty challenging to handle, you feel all your body tense up and your neck is battling and battling...

Once you get to slower traffic (0-120km/h) you can feel the difference in wind resistance, very bearable. And here is where this riding position gets in handy!!! you tower a bit more over car windows than the 1198 and other superbikes, the handling becomes much easier in tight spots between cars on traffic light stops, more comfort with the wider seat on the speeds bumps, easier to park it on the sidewalk with the higher clearance it offers... ALLL that with immense power between your legs, considering it is air-cooled, to be able to pull out 155 horsies from it it quite astonishing! 

The Streetfighter might be one of the best suited bikes for the dubai scenery for the newbies and comfy seeking riders. You get the power and speed from a superbike, with better city-mannered handling and accessibility.

My eyes are set on the 1198 actually, need to fix up my bike first, sell it and start financing a Ducati maybe? tempting, and hey you only live once right?!

P.S: For more info please contact Martin at Ducati Dubai on 050-658 09 56

and you can follow them on www.twitter.com/DucatiUAE

or check out their comprehensive website www.ducati.ae

@Alexi13

Follow me on Twitter.com/Alexi13

Zangetsu a.k.a Honda S2000

well i was like a kid in a candy store coupla weeks ago, i was granted the chance to drive one of the cars i fascinated about getting before i got my monstrous Nissan Armada !! 


The Honda S2000 !!!! 


(for reference only, the blue car is not the actual one)

My good friend @Wassim_Moumneh (a social media guru, ex-rugby player :p, you should follow him) exchanged his Honda S2000 for a week, and boy what a week that was for me... 


The car has been dubbed a motorbike with 4 wheels, and owning a superbike myself, from the same Honda familia, i must say the car earns it! 


The car looks like a tiny Japanese corvette, with its long bonnet, uber short tail and double exhaust pipes! 


The inside does looks close to the last generation of Corvettes, with the super simplicity it carries in matters of equipment, the radio for example is hidden behind a flip down hatch, and to be honest u won't need it with the deafening sound of the exhaust!!  


a quick look inside 

one of the most distinctive features in the mini-rocket, is the digital dashboard!!! your inner kid awakens and there you are, driving a car from a playstation game right one the street!!! thts a surreal experience, pretty challenging as well, you get confused whether you wana look at the road and watch out for traffic and things zooming by, or enjoy the digital rev counter and the rest playin in front of your eyes, hmmm safety wins and you end up looking at the road ahead :( 

The other clever design feature is the dashboard controls, you can notice in the pic above how closely packed they are... well the engineers wanted to have everythin within a finger reach, for the driver to use without having to take his hands of the steering wheel!!  man the Japs think of everything!! 

Well yes, you have no time to take your hands off the wheel, the only time you can i for shifting gears with the super short stick on the Honda S2000 giving you lots of umphhhh with every gear, making use, abusing this super high rev engine, up to 9,000rpm !!! yes its tht high!!1 

in the words of my friend Wassim, "Ali, below 5,000rpm, you are driving a Civic, but once the V-Tec engine kicks in at 5k, you are driving a little rocket!" 

@Alexi13

Follow me on Twitter.com/Alexi13

That's my buttermint for the day! 

Tribute to Champions !!

We are The Champions, my frieeeennndd!!! 

Champions OMD Racing

Yessss indeed readers!!! 

This past weekend (22-23 Oct '10), OMD Racing has won 1st place !!!! in the 24hr Karting Challenge - Round 2 at the Dubai Autodrome... in the Corporate racers leg..the race within the race!!!

A brief background on this whole thing… the Dubai Autodrome holds yearly 3 rounds of 24hr Karting Endurance Challenges, where both professional racers and corporate teams, ordinary auto enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies, posing as Clark Kent(s) during their day job, and passionate auto racers on the weekends :D 

Round one was held in March of this year, and our team ranked 2^nd after battling a series of misfortunes!! Well, in 24 hours of racing, you are bound to misfortunes! Of all sorts and shapes..

Well this 2^nd round, we knocked everyone else off the grid (corporate wise ;) ) Yup, we brought home the gold…

OMD Racing is a powerhouse fueled by determined racing enthusiasts!! Meet the team:

Thomas "Tom" El-Khoury - our Team Captain

Ziad "SignorZ" Jammal - our resident Hulk!

Saleh "TheGhazal" Ghazal - The poser of the team! And damn good at it too!

Maher "Il Ghazal" Ghazal - The Speedy Gonzales!

Firas "Kikous" Ghazal - The Screaming push we all love with his "GHADDAAAAABBBB" (arabic for anger, as motivation)

Saleh "Wolf" Agha - The fierce predator!!

Antoine "ASD" Challita - The restless attacker!! 

Mustafa "Moe" El Khatib - The Smiley face!

Ali "AA" Awada - The Wacko!! (moi!!)

Rawad "Insomniac"El Khoury - The priceless pit crew member!

and last but not least of all 

Hisham "The Boss" Abi Nassif - The master of ceremony, the graceful Pit Manager!! Hats off – RESPECT AND LOVE!!

With an early start, we all gather up at 8 am on friday, attend the teams briefing session, driver weighing session, registration and random picking of the kart numbers  - 20 was our calling card... we head onto our pit, set up the table, the comms for driver-pit contact, the pit board, the Mac with the trusty excel sheet, racing gear and the essential sleeping tent!! 

Practice goes well, car aint that perfect, but we decide to test it out on the qualification run, hmmpppfff barely satisfied, we come off 14th on the grid..

Safety car rolls the karts out, ready, set, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

With a thunderous rolling start, we pick up the pace and position ourselves into 10 positions after the first coupla hours, where we decide to change karts after realizing the deficiency in power output of ours.

With that done, the hours start piling up, drivers rotating (each driver is allowed a stint of 60 mins max, no back to back), night settles and track conditions change. Desert humidity peaks its ugly side in, and the track becomes slippery for the karts!!  we push through the night, resting our fast drivers with their intermittent sleeping breaks to keep those energy and concentration levels in check...

15 hours into the race, and voila, last round's bad luck decides to hang around :s

power output of the car decreases

kart's front axis misaligned

tremendous understeer on left cornering

wheel bearing starts grinding to the suspension arm

wheel almost pops out!!!

Change of kart is mandatory to keep our lead for the last 5 hours!!! 

With a monstrous battle for the lead without competition, overlapping them by 5 laps, the misfortune reduced it to a mere lead of 1 lap and 45 seconds into the final laps!!!! 

Thankfully, our determination, concentration, the never endless adrenaline pouring out of us more than sweat, and our biggest asset, our chief strategist's tactics, The Boss's eagle eye strategies pushed us through to crush the competition, lead the corporate teams in the race and achieve a well deserved and earned W I N !!! 

OMD Racing would like to thank the organisers of the race, the race directors, the race marshals, the race mechanics and most importantly their supporting fans and groupies!!! 

special thanks go to Dani, Rami, Lina, Reem, Marc, Faisal, Wael, Elie, Lana,  Sally, Ban, Dima, Anna, Lama, Sirine, Soulaf and Cirine!!

Sorry if we forgot anyone else, rest assure we are forever thankful !! 

Come cheer us on at the next round on December 10-11 2010!! 

Follow the racers on Twitter

@wousil - Tom

@zjammal - SignorZ

@TheGhazal - TheGhazal

@Hippo_crit - Il Ghazal

@firasghazal - Kikous

@tfehh - ASD

@SalehAgha - Wolf

@Alexi13 - AA

@Hisham75 - The Boss

@Rawadkh - Insomniac

Ridin' The Wind

 

Just got my baby Jade fixed up, new chain, new chain sprocket and new front tyre and we both feeeeeling goooooood!!! 

So what might have gone off in my mind to get a motorbike in Dubai ?! with an accident every, ekhh i lost count :s 

Jade: '06 Honda CBR 600RR

I must say it is not the sanest of things to do :$ but it was out of both a boyish dream to ride and ride fast, the whole experience, the adrenaline rush of it and lately the convenience of it, 8 months of the year that is in the desert.

It admit i went off a little crazy on a bit at first, after coupla falls, i had to tone it down and care for my safety more, much more!!  with that said, the convenience of a bike in Dubai is unparalleled!! Still the dangers never keep on popping out in the way, from the unexpected patches of water/oil, the crazy drivers, some even trying to run you off, to the slippery car park flooring... staying on super high alert and concentration is part of the fun too :) 

how many times did u circle the mall parking for more than 15 mins looking for a parking spot, sometimes even missing a movie cuz of it? well i don’t cuz i always park in the “bike zone”, the sidewalk hahaha!! 

how many times did you get stuck in traffic cuz of a silly fender bender and the drivers rubbernecking? well i just zip through and never miss an appointment :p 

ahhh  gas, with the long drives in Dubai, im happy refilling my baby costs me only 20Dhs for a full tank to get me zipping along for 150Kms !!! 

Ahhhhhh, the Crotch Rocket factor, yess, yess, it is an insaaaannneee feeling to reach the high speeds on the bike feeling every bit of wind, sand, dust, wiper water and yes, the infamous insects :s !! and nothing beats the feeling of driving under the rain in Dubai, as scarce as it is, i wait for it!!  just makes it even more challenging even more dangerous!! 

one of my vices is my adrenaline junkie side, it must admite, it gets me in trouble most of the time!!  i just can’t over it though, it is so addictive, even when driving go karts which barely touch the 90Km/h mark on the track, i still feel so high on adrenaline!! 

on a last note, try to get on a bike, experience it, embrace it even for once, it is exquisite and remember, ride fast but safe !!  ride the wind 

@Alexi13

That’s my buttermint for the day!

Follow me on Twitter.com/Alexi13

Boys And Their Toys

So I went Karting today!! 

Yesss Yess.. boys and their toys!! 

It all started out of boredom, when one day we decided to pass time me and some buddies, all of a sudden we find ourselves competing with each other for the best lap times (duuuhhhh, we are boys!! hellooo!!!) 

My buddy Zee is a formula 1 freak and loves it, he started sharing how most F1 drivers start off in karting, and we asked around and found that some competitions are on the calendar in the Dubai Autodrome! Ali and Zee, HOOKED!

We started training more, gathered some friends, got the support of our company and entered a 24hrs endurance race!!! yes the results were good :D 

Another round of this race is up in 4 weeks and we had our first training session 
tonight,, 

It is quite a pleasure to be part of a team that strives on friendly competition, we are able to push each other to our best performances with the classic guy teasing process!! Guess our male hormones are the hardest to control, our ego always finds a way to pop up and challenge others, even when we know we can’t be up to the challenges! Yet, I believe this is grounds for a healthy team spirit, ok sometimes ;)