Matt Wadsworth: Leap of Faith

Matt Wadsworth is blind. And he's going to attempt to set a record for a long distance jump on a motorcycle, with some help from his trainer, Micky Dymond
For more, visit Matt's website

2012 MV Agusta F3 riding impression

MCN ride the 2012 MV Agusta F3 and are hugely impressed with the bike...

With its 675cc three-cylinder engine that produces 128 horsepower at 14,500rpm and 71Nm of torque at 10,600rpm, utterly gorgeous styling, high-spec chassis and suspension and advanced ride-by-wire electronics (which includes a multi-stage traction control system), the MV Agusta F3 is perhaps the best supersports ‘600’ in the world today. At about 12,000 euros it’s definitely not cheap, but the F3 still represents riding nirvana for those who want a no-compromises track-focused mid-size sportsbike that’s sharp and exciting.

Watch the video (above) to see what MCN have to say about the MV Agusta F3. And here is a very interesting interview with Adrian Morton, the man who designed the MV F3.

Ducati may be up for sale for US$1.32 Billion

Ducati, one of the most iconic motorcycle brands in the world, is up for sale for about $1.32 billion. We hope the company gets a buyer who's ready to invest in its future...

According to reports on Reuters and Bloomberg, Investindustrial – the private equity owners of Ducati – may be looking to sell the iconic motorcycle company in the near future. Based in Italy and backed by the Bonomi family, Investindustrial expect to get about US$1.32 billion (one billion euros) for Ducati. This is about three times as much the amount which Investindustrial spent in 2005 for buying Ducati.

‘Ducati is now a perfect company but the further growth it requires needs the support of a world-class industrial partner. This year, we will work towards that partner,’ says Andrea Bonomi, Chairman, Investindustrial. Companies that might be interested in buying Ducati include the Volkswagen Group and Mahindra & Mahindra, one of India’s largest automotive conglomerates.

Ducati 1199 Panigale launched at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi

The 1199 Panigale, the lightest, most powerful production superbike in the world!

Ducati have now officially introduced the 1199 Panigale superbike, at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Three versions of the bike are available – the regular 1199 Panigale, the Panigale S and the Panigale S Tricolore. With an amazing 195 horsepower at 10,750rpm and 132Nm of torque at 9,000rpm from its 1,198cc ‘Superquadro’ L-twin, an all-new monocoque chassis and a dry weight of 164 kilos (wet weight is 188kg), the Panigale is the most advanced superbike ever produced by Ducati and the Italian company is rightfully proud of the mighty machine.

The Panigale also builds on the earlier 1198’s electronics, with the latest-generation sports ABS, Ducati Traction Control (DTC), Ducati Electronic Suspension (DES), Ducati Quick-Shift (DQS), Engine Brake Control (EBC) and Ride-by-Wire (RbW). All of these are programmed into one seamless rider assistance system, with all sub-systems working in tandem to ensure the bike goes and stops as hard as possible at all times.