Gilera 600 supersport.

[K-Style]

http://www.twowheelsblog.com/post/11...rsport-in-2009



I hope this is true! The source is MCN so it probably isn't

[Cannon]

This would be a great bike if they can make it work - however the only reason that the smaller manufacturers seem to stay out of the road bike 600 class is that the Japanese change their bikes every 2 years and the development costs involved are high to say the least.

[RS4EVER]

All Spanish online magazines spoke about this rumor, so there seems to be some true in it!!!

http://www2.solomoto30.com/noticia.asp?ref=22481

How will this 600cc Gilera supersport affect the other sportbike maker of the Piaggio group (Aprilia) that doesn't seem to want to enter the 600cc category?. It would be a pity not to use the engine in a new 600cc supersport Aprilia and being Aprilia the sports make of the group, they would have two competing makes in the group, which I don't know if it will be for good or not for both.

[zvez]

This would be a great bike if they can make it work - however the only reason that the smaller manufacturers seem to stay out of the road bike 600 class is that the Japanese change their bikes every 2 years and the development costs involved are high to say the least.

And from what I understand profit on 600s is razor thin, the ultimate goal is to get the buyer into a liter bike with higher profit.

Triumph was smart to stop trying to compete and went into the 675 instead which appears to have been pretty successful.

Chris

[Key Walshe]

This isn't the first time there's been rumours of Gilera having a 600 contender under development. Does anyone remember the beautiful all red one from a few years back? I believe it used a K1 GSX-R600 generation engine, and had the looks of a slimline Honda SP2 (RC51) and made all the Japanese 600's instantly look dated, boring, and slightly overweight! There were a few test mules knocking around but it never made production due to financial troubles, as always, and the project got shelved.

Could this be a development of that project, something Gilera feels it needs to do, or just a publicity stunt to get some interest in the brand again? If they did go head-head with the Jap's then it'd have to be a mighty piece of engineering at a good price to succeed - or do as Triumph did and side step the 600's with something different, the 675 triple, as MV Agusta are rumoured to be doing aswell!

[suedboy]

Don't get too excited. A very good friend of mine is one of the head designers at Triumph (675, new Tiger, Rocket 3 touring and some other projects I can't speak of yet) and is friendly with Oberdan Bezzi. He has yet to pen a bike for a manufacturer. All of the sketches you see that keep popping up are nothing more than design studies for his portfolio. There are a bunch of so-called next generation Triumph designs that he penned circulating on MCN and the like, and there is not a grain of truth to them.
He has penned some very cool looking designs, but seems to have a design language of "one look fits all". Not bad stuff, just doesn't vary much from his signature look.
You can see the rest of his work here: http://www.alphaomegadigital.com/oberdanbezzi/

[cosaro]

argh, I know who does these vector arts... *notices suedboys message*....

.....him

[suedboy]

Here is his blog: http://motosketches.blogspot.com/

He is a great illustrator, but not much of an engineer when you look closely at some of his designs. Some are impractical and others down right impossible.

[MVF4r]

The one little realm of plausibility here (and it is a stretch) is that Gilera very well may be developing a 600cc bike for the 250cc GP replacement. Gilera, as part of the Piaggio group, is involved with GP's running rebadged Aprilias. I could certainly see the two companies sharing development expenses to build a 600cc bike for the 250 series. With the change over only a season away (2010 last I read) the timeline would be right for them to be developing such a bike, but again it is a stretch.

[suedboy]

The only problem with that theory is Piaggio has already announced they will be abandoning the class after the switch to 4T. They already have CAD designs being worked over for a new V4 MotoGP motor. Don't get too excited about that either as it is just in the embryonic stages at this point. Piaggio doesn't see the cost benefit of creating a prototype 600cc four stroke when they have no plans of entering that market segment.
On top of all of it, there are strong rumors that the new class will be running spec motors, likely HRC.

[PeterM]

Sounds like a gig for Bimota/Cagiva more so than the other Italian makers. Two specialist companies that have made a living out of making frames around someone else's engine.

[MVF4r]

The only problem with that theory is Piaggio has already announced they will be abandoning the class after the switch to 4T. They already have CAD designs being worked over for a new V4 MotoGP motor. Don't get too excited about that either as it is just in the embryonic stages at this point. Piaggio doesn't see the cost benefit of creating a prototype 600cc four stroke when they have no plans of entering that market segment.
On top of all of it, there are strong rumors that the new class will be running spec motors, likely HRC.

Wasn't aware that they where abandonong the class. I have to say that the switch to four strokes rally is screwing the class.

[AndyD]

Wasn't aware that they where abandonong the class. I have to say that the switch to four strokes rally is screwing the class.

Can you say global warming....



HA....

[olie]

Don't get too excited. A very good friend of mine is one of the head designers at Triumph (675, new Tiger, Rocket 3 touring and some other projects I can't speak of yet) and is friendly with Oberdan Bezzi. He has yet to pen a bike for a manufacturer. ..../[/url]

hmmm, I guess you have friends at ...Marabese Design, where the recent Guzzi's, Morini's, Tiger's and other Triumphs were designed!!!

[suedboy]

Indeed I do. Don Cammorata was a customer of mine when I ran the service department at Scuderia West and became a good friend. He is no longer there and is working as an independent, though is mostly under contract at Triumph.