2010 Ducati 848 Nicky Hayden Edition

Ducati produces a premier group of motorcycles that comes out of Europe.  For many riders that prefer a street bike with unique looks and an unforgettable sound Ducati is it.  There are those, believe it or not that, that do not always gravitate towards a Harley Davidson.  We all know the Harley’s have a very distinct low gravely sound but a Ducati does too, with a sound that reminds us of speed.  It is Italian of course and speed is a natural occurance with any thing we associate being from Italy. 

In 1926 the Ducati brothers in Bologna, Italy started the company that would offer motorcycles for pleasure and racing.  The company has changed hands a few times since the Ducati brothers started it in 1926 and at one time owned by a US company.  In 2008 it is again in Italian hands and going private.

Ducati North America announced the Nicky Hayden Edition which will only be in North America. This model was unveiled on July 4 at Laguna Seca Raceway. With the Red, White and Blue paint scheme, it seemed fitting to have its debut on the 4^th of July.

This amazing Ducati is 44 lbs. lighter than its predecessor and 11 lbs lighter than its larger capacity 1098 brother. The 848’s 134hp is not only 30% more powerful than its predecessor, but it provides a power-to-weight ratio even better than the potent 999. So hold on when you twist the throttle on this motorcycle. As with all Ducati’s this bike offers power, smoothness and agility.

A few upgrades have been implemented for this motorcycle. The LED dash illuminator has better visibility for the night. Also with this bike there are two options for mirror stem length. For better acceleration, weight reduction and less moving mass aluminum cam tensioner pulleys were introduced.

Engine

Type: L-Twin cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder Desmodromic, liquid cooled.

Displacement: 849.4 cc

Compression Ratio: 12:1

134 hp

Torque: 70.8 ft-lb – 96 nm

Electronic fuel injection

Transmission

6 Speeds

Final drive: Chain; Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 39

Clutch: Wet multiplate with hydraulic control

Dry weight: 370 lbs

Seat height: 32.6 inches

Fuel capacity: 4 gals

Nicky Hayden was born in Kentucky in the year 1981. Nicky is a professional motorcycle racer and in 2006 won the Moto GP World Championship. At the age of 17 he got his first factory ride with Honda. In 2002 Nicky won the Daytona 200 on a Honda Superbike and would become the youngest AMA Superbike Champion. In 2008 rumors were abound that he would be leaving Honda and would be joining the Ducati Marlboro Racing which he did in 2009. During the year he suffered chest and back injuries in a crash but this did not stop him from racing.

Nicky Hayden has come a long way from the kid that had to be held up on his motorcycle at the starts of races because he could not touch the ground.