My chance to ride the pre-production prototype MH900e stamped with number 0000/2000 on the silver plaque atop the fuel tank shroud enveloping a tiny 8.5 litre plastic fuel tank (this was not a bike for long journeys!) came on a freezing cold day in January 2001 with the mercury barely registering above zero, though it did provide me with some welcome surprises. Bottom line first: this was a far more capable road bike than I and probably most other people ever dreamed it would be.
Certainly, the proportions of the MH900e were quite unlike the long, relatively low Hailwood/NCR TT-winner’s, with its rangy riding position and lengthy wheelbase. At 1415mm on the MH, this was a far cry from the original bike’s 1500mm stride, and it also delivered a more close-coupled riding position than the older bikes’ stretched out stance. Also, because of its jacked-up rear end, there was a fair bit more weight on your wrists and shoulders than on the older V-twins. The abbreviated seat with the twin exhausts protruding rearwards was a standout feature, and so too was the pointy-nosed half-fairing blending with the fuel tank, shaped to recall the one-piece seat/tank unit of Hailwood's TT-winner, surmounted by the '70s-style Ducati logo. The intricately shaped single-sided tubular steel monobraccia swingarm was a true work of art, a clever reinterpretation of a modern day Ducati trademark in the materials of the past. For many people this represented the bike's single most admirable component - a masterpiece of tube-bending and metalwork, The MH900e's Marchesini wheels were unique to that model.
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Bike SA.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Bike SA.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A Ladies Perspective What a Surprise Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX
I’m sure as everyone knows by now there is little that compares to my BMW K1200S and out of the 13 different bikes I’ve been lucky enough to ride over the 18 months I’ve been riding, I finally came across one that I’m almost certain I’d swap my bike for…
Goodwood's 79th Members Meeting - Hunting, Shooting and - Racing
For that’s what marked the 79th Goodwood Members Meeting aka 79MM, held this year on April 9-10, which this time included two thrilling motorcycle races, each with a blanket finish which in Race 1 saw less than a second covering the first four bikes home.
MIDWEIGHT PUNCH - TRIUMPH TIGER SPORT 660
The Triumph brand seems to be going from strength to strength worldwide. New models are seeing the light of day in various sectors, and here in South Africa there is a carefully planned dealer expansion program in action.
Isle of Man TT-winning ABUS NORTON NRS588 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Exclusive track test of the last British bike to win the Isle of Man Senior TT in 1992, after what's widely considered to be the most exciting race ever held in the Island
NORTON ROTARY RACERS HISTORY - Rotary Race Record
For eight successive seasons the world’s first - and so far only - Rotary-engined racebikes swept to serial success on British racetracks. Here’s a timeline on their ebb and flow.
MOTO MORINI'S Alberto Monni - INTERVIEW
Exclusive interview with Moto Morini's CEO Alberto Monni, responsible for directing its ride along the comeback trail since its 2018 takeover by Zhongneng Vehicle Group/ZVG
KAWASAKI NINJA 1000SX - Surprise Package
I’ve recently written in my Editor’s note bemoaning the lack of available Sports-Touring motorcycles nowadays.
DRYSDALE HISTORY PART 4/5: 25 YEARS ON FROM CREATION OF FIRST 750-V8
2002 1000-V8 Bruiser mega-Monster was a Naked roadster with added muscle - the answer to the question of how to out-max a Yamaha V-Max!
GODIER & GENOUD KAWASAKI 1000 - Enquring Excellence
Exclusive track test at France's Carole circuit of what's arguably the first motorcycle of the modern era - the title-winning Kawasaki Endurance racer built in 1975 by Frenchmen Georges Godier and Alain Genoud
Unnecessarily Fast, or Unnecessarily Dangerous?
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” This truism comes from boxing, but applies to all walks of life. Innovative MotoGP superstar Marc Marquez, however, adds a new twist.