Alitalia, Italy’s former national airline company, now called Alitalia-CAI is close to closing a two year sponsorship deal with Aprilia’s Superbike factory team.

CAI is owned by a group of Italian investors led by Piaggio’s President Roberto Colaninno who also controls Aprilia, Derbi, Gilera, Vespa, Guzzi and Scarabeo. Colaninno is believed to be behind Aprilia’s dropping out of Moto2 in order to concentrate all their efforts in winning the Superbike title next year.

Alitalia has sponsored four wheel racing teams in the past such as the FIAT 131 Abarth and the Lancia Stratos.

Source | sbkpoint

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The guy in the video is Richard Gryzch who claims that this is the world’s first solar charged electric motorbike that can travel up to 50 miles on a full charge and hits a top speed of 9o mph.

The Solar Flyer as it’s called by Gryzch has taken him more than two years to build and to finance his project sold his other motorcycles and even a house.

“Everyone told me I was crazy for doing it, but I’m riding it and it works. And it could change everything. No gas, just hit the throttle and go. People look at me at the stop light and just say, ‘What is that?’ I just shrug my shoulders and tell them, it’s solar powered.”

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Derbi has presented its new Buolevard range for 2009 in 50cc 2T and 125cc 4T versions. The agile scooters are adapted to both a young public, and adults who need something small and zippy for the city.

The 12 inch wheels with a low and wide seat make the Boulevard comfortable and easy to ride, even with a passenger, especially in city traffic. The two engine options are made for young riders with the 50cc two-stroke, while the 125cc four stroke is designed as a more powerful, but economic engine easy to maintain.

The new Derbi Boulevard 125 4T is available at a price of 1,990 euros in colours white, black and grey. The 50 2T will be available from May in red, white and black colours at a price of 1,490 euros.

Continue reading: New Derbi Boulevard 2009: 50cc 2T and 125cc 4T

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Ben Spies won his second race of the WSBK season in Qatar on his Yamaha R1, even if he didn’t have a brilliant start from the pole position he obtained yesterday, leaving the lead to an impressive Max Biaggi on an even more impressive Aprilia RSV4, with Haga, Smrz, Spies all Nakano all following the Black Corsair.

On lap 5, the Texan slipstreamed both Jakub Smrz and Shinya Nakano and took third place. The following 8 laps Spies put in a series of fast laps but never overtaking the two in front of him until on the 13th lap when NitroNori gave up on a pass on Biaggi and found Spies overtaking him, and when Biaggi who made a small error he then found Spies in front of him.

Spies with a clear field in front of him left Biaggi and Haga battling for 2nd place with Haga getting the best of Biaggi on the second to last lap when the Roman ran wide. On the final lap Biaggi and Haga exchanged places, but it was Haga who crossed the finish line just in front of the Roman Emperor.

Continue reading: Ben Spies Takes Race 1 in the Qatari Desert

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The Senda range from Derbi is up for some renewals in 2009, with the introduction of the new DRD 125 R and the SM. With a completely new look, the Spanish enduro has been built with high quality materials. The chassis is the same as the Derbi Terra 125, though with reinforced elements to make it more adapted to off-road use.

In the rear the progressive leverage suspension stands out with piggy back shock absorber and a separate expanded tank. The brakes both front and back include wave discs, with high quality calipers. The front upside down fork measures 41mm.

As in the case of the new GPR 125, the new Senda DRD uses a single cylinder 125cc engine, liquid cooled and four-stroke. This motor has 15hp and complies with Euro 3 norms. The new Derbi Senda DRD 125 R and SM have a technical instrument panel, completely digital with orange illumination.

Source| Derbi

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