Etc.

etc.

BIMOTA GETS NAKED

Although stripping the bodywork off of a DB5 to make the new naked DB6 Delirio isn’t exactly a huge stretch for reborn Bimota, it is a good indication that the Italian bike-maker is really back in business. And the trellis-framed, Ducati 1000DS-powered naked bike is undeniably cool. No word on price or Stateside availability, but the upright riding position and inclusion of a passenger seat may make it easy to convince your spouse it is “practical!”

ROSSI KEEPS DRIVING

Seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi was at the wheel of a Ferrari Formula One car again, this time at a track he really knew: Italy’s Mugello Circuit. The 26-year-old spent two days last November testing for the fabled marque, missing the Valencia MotoGP test in the process, further fueling speculation that he will make his move to car racing in 2007 after his contract with Yamaha expires at the end of this year.

WINDSPLITTER

Craig Vetter of Windjammer fairing fame is also an mpg nut, going so far as to sponsor his Fuel Economy Contests in the mid’80s. Winner of the 1985 event squeezed an astounding 477 mpg out of a Honda XL80 engine using streamlined bodywork designed by Vetter and Charly Perethian of Rifle Fairings. Given the recent bump in fuel prices, Vetter is again producing the fiberglass bodies, the latest version priced at $1312, and especially adaptable for current scooters. For more details, log on to www.craigvetter.com.

FIRST DUCATI, NOW HONDA

Basketball legend Michael Jordan’s annual trip to Valencia, Spain, for the final round of the MotoGP series was capped this year in fine style: a handful of laps on championship-runnerup-and Valencia victor-Marco Melandri’s factory Honda RC211V. Last year, Jordan rode a Desmosedici V-Four. Hey Michael, how ’bout a riding impression?

TROUBLE IN RENTSVILLE

Orbitz and EagleRider said they had formed a partnership to make booking trips and renting HarleyDavidsons easier {Roundup, December, 2005), but as several readers pointed out when they tried to do so, there is no clear way of actually renting Harleys on Orbitz. A rep for the online travel company countered that it was mandatory to book a flight first, but there was no prior way of finding out if a rental H-D was available!

EagleRider, for its part, has no readily apparent partnership information on its homepage, not even under the “Friends of EagleRider” banner, but did say they were trying to improve the interface with Orbitz. Not much of a partnership, guys!