New DB5R

[stryder]

Originally Posted by ZAWA

Looks like what a 1098 could have looked like.

I don't see Bimota winning a slew of design awards.

[chromekid01]

It looks good but i'd take a 1098 and put the rest into mods, and i am bettin this Bimota would never even get close enough to see my taillight....

[theduckllr]

Originally Posted by stryder

I don't see Bimota winning a slew of design awards.

A bit ironic that you say that. Robbiano won several awards for this very bike, and for best in show . Similar to the awards he won for the SB8R, and the VDue500. see: http://www.robbianodesign.com/


or better:
http://www.bimotausa.com/db5mille_intro.html

[stryder]

Originally Posted by theduckllr

A bit ironic that you say that. Robbiano won several awards for this very bike, and for best in show . Similar to the awards he won for the SB8R, and the VDue500. see: http://www.robbianodesign.com/


or better:
http://www.bimotausa.com/db5mille_intro.html

Clipped from another Ducati site: (seems people like the 1098 design as it is, not like it "could have looked like" :-) )

"MORE AWARDS FOR DUCATI

Readers of "Motorrad" in Germany and "In Moto" in Italy vote their "Motorcycle of the year 2007"

This time it was the votes of readers of two top-flight international magazines - the German publication "Motorrad" and the Italian mag "IN MOTO" - that decreed which would be the best motorcycle of 2007. Once again Ducati played a leading role, stealing the scene and winning both consensus and awards - clear indicators of the continuing worldwide success enjoyed by the latest "made in Borgo Panigale" models.

This international award involves some of the most important magazines in the industry. In Italy votes were gathered by the monthly magazine IN MOTO: on Tuesday 13th March, after counting up the 24,853 ballot papers sent in to the editors, the "Motorcycles of the year 2007" were finally made known.

Ducati triumphed in a good three of the eight categories into which the motorcycles were divided, winning first place among the sports models (with the superbly stylish and high performance 1098 of course) with 29.9% of the vote. The runner-up was the MV Agusta F4 1000 R and in third place it was Ducati yet again with the Desmosedici RR, the esoteric and exclusive MotoGP road replica. The Multistrada 1100 - in the road bikes category- also came up trumps by coming first with 12% of the votes, ahead of the Yamaha FZ1 Fazer and the Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport. In the enduro/supermotard category it was a landslide victory for the all-new Hypermotard (to be launched on the market in May): sweeping aside the competition, it took a massive 33.5% of the votes, beating the BMW R 1200 GS and KTM 950 Supermoto hands down.

During the night of 15th March, the renowned German magazine MOTORRAD which, with a circulation of 200,000 copies, is Europe's most-read bike mag, also elected the best motorcycles of 2007: readers sent in a whopping 36,672 ballot papers.

Once again, there were eight categories and, once again, Ducati cornered the votes.

In the sports motorcycles category awards were won by two Ducatis; in first place came the 1098, with 12.1% of the vote, followed by the Desmosedici RR (11.2%).

Like in Italy, it was a surprise victory for Ducati in the enduro/supermotard category where, with a percentage of 18.3%, the Hypermotard beat - playing away! - the German BMW GS 1200 (16.8 %). Acknowledged by 29% of readers as the best sports motorcycle brand, Ducati trounced the opposition in this segment, too, winning over 29 % of the readers of this authoritative German publication, who preferred the "Reds of Borgo Panigale" to Suzuki (12.2%) and Yamaha (10.1%)."

[asujosh1]

but, how do they ride? i havent heard of a bimota in racing in a loooooooong time. Feracci is finally getting MV to the track, maybe someone will come along and start racing Bimotas?

[bevel450]

Originally Posted by stryder

I don't see Bimota winning a slew of design awards.

And awards are the measure of exactly what ?

The same clowns that gave the big award to the 999 when it debuted in 2002 also just gave it to the 1098. Conclusion ? Nothing at all. Awards are truly meaningless.

[Oilhed]

Isn't is just a really nice looking sportbike with an air cooled 2V motor for a lot of money?

[stryder]

Originally Posted by bevel450

And awards are the measure of exactly what ?

The same clowns that gave the big award to the 999 when it debuted in 2002 also just gave it to the 1098. Conclusion ? Nothing at all. Awards are truly meaningless.

I think the awards mentioned in the article I posted above are voted on by the readers of the respective magazines mentioned. Are those the clowns you reference? They voted for the 1098 against other bikes in a similar class, and it garnered the most votes, and so it was awarded best design as chosen by readers/rider of those magazines. That's a good thing, not a bad thing, and certainly not meaningless. AFAIK, Ducati cannot keep-up with 1098 production. That's very meaningful for anybody who loves Ducati, as without style, you have low sales, like the 999, which is a bad thing in many senses.

My post was in reference to the above post that the new Bimota is what the 1098 could have been, but it seems to me the 1098 is doing okay in the style department. That's not to say the new Bimota isn't gorgeous.