Presentation: Supermoto by Terra Modena

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Presentation: Supermoto by Terra Modena
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Presentation: Supermoto by Terra Modena

Terra Incognita

With a Ferrari engine and high-quality components, the brand new Terra Modena brand aims high: the Supermoto title is due to be launched in 2005.

The Italians call the Emilia region the »land of engines«
Romagna. Here sit Ducati, Morini,
Malaguti, Minarelli, Maserati, Lamborghini,
Minardi and the most famous racing team
of the world: Ferrari in Maranello near Modena. A new Italian two-wheeler brand is named exactly after this area: Terra Modena, in German about »Modeneser Land«.
It was founded by the former Ferrari and Pirelli manager Dario Calzavara. And now, after just a year of preparation and development, he presented the first model, the beautiful Supermoto SX2. Its components are some of the best the market has to offer: central strut from Ohlins, radial brake from Brembo, upside-down fork from Marzocchi, wheels from Marchesini, exhaust from
Arrows, tires from the supermoto top dog Dunlop. On top of that, was Terra Modena can come up with a few clever details. For example, an airbox, which is mostly located under the front fender, or the exhaust system, the tailpipe of which drills up through the rear fairing.
The crowning glory is the 500 cc single cylinder from the Ferrari manufacturer High Performance Engineering (HPE) with seat ?? How should it be different ?? in Modena. It belongs to Piero Ferrari, son of the legendary Enzo, and it’s not the first time that it’s involved in the two-wheeler industry. The renowned engineering office supported Ducati in the MotoGP project Desmosedici. Ferrari has now developed the for Terra Modena
water-cooled four-stroke four-valve engine with injection, six-speed cassette gearbox and anti-hopping clutch. With a more traditional look, the Single comes with a 98 mm bore and 59.6 millimeter stroke
unusually short stroke for a Supermoto drive. It remains to be seen whether this will bring advantages in the World Cup.
The cooperation with HPE came about for personal reasons: Dario
Calzavara and Piero Ferrari have been friends for a long time, together they calculated the project and decided to take the risk. “Terra Modena has a total of
2.8 million euros invested, ”says Calzavara. The lion’s share, namely 75 percent, is in the development of the engine and transmission. In May, the presented racing version will start in the Supermoto World Championship. And as early as July, Terra Modena plans to send a homologated copy of the SX2 onto the road. The price for both variants is a whopping 25,000 euros. Size
Names and fine parts have their price. 35 motorcycles are targeted for this year, in 2005 there should be 150 units. If that is not enough, Terra Modena wants to be on the stock market by 2010 at the latest
Cause a sensation. Fittingly, the presentation of the SX2 took place in a conference room at the Milan Stock Exchange.
So that these plans actually existed
have, the sporting goals look very ambitious: With the previous Honda drivers Alexandre Thiebault and Michele Lavetti, Calzavara expects great deeds in the first World Championship season. »We want to be among the leaders in 2004, even if we don’t know the motorcycle or the racetracks. And in 2005 we want the title. «There is also a main sponsor: none other than that
Watch manufacturer IWC from Schaffhausen was immortalized on the tank for a six-figure sum. »Like our watches, the SX2 is not a mass product, but an exclusive one. We are also technically oriented and mainly appeal to men. It fits together perfectly, ”says a delighted IWC manager Georges Kern.
The incognita of the whole project remains how the SX2 performs in practice. Because only if you are successful in the Supermoto World Championship will Terra Modena become another well-known manufacturer from the “land of engines”.

Interview with Piero Ferrari

MOTORRAD spoke to Piero Ferrari, owner of HPE:
“We’ve been beating Honda for years.

How do a Formula 1 forge and a supermoto fit together??
The two-stroke engines are gradually disappearing in the motorcycle sector. A four-stroke is typical for the automobile-
construction and therefore also for Formula 1. And that we have world-class structures in Modena
no one doubt it. Insofar it works
We also develop a motorcycle, of course.
As ?? no differences?
But of course, a motorcycle engine has to work very differently than
a Formula 1 drive, especially in a supermoto. The focus is on drivability and on the
Torque. That‘s why we have a traditional single cylinder with two
developed overhead camshafts. But we have them with us
used the most modern computing facilities available.
How much horsepower does the engine have?
We’re not going to reveal that yet. Only so much for details: the engine has a valve angle of 20 degrees and turns
up to about 12,000 rpm. The compression is 13 to one. There are kick and electric starters, plus a six-speed cassette gearbox that can be converted to electronic control if necessary.
Should the single only be used in a supermoto?
Of course, the engine is designed in such a way that it allows multiple uses. But first we are going to use the supermoto.
There is strong competition in the Supermoto World Championship. Don’t worry about that?
But no. Take Honda for example: That’s right, they are
better than Ferrari in selling. But technically we are superior? we’ve been beating them in Formula 1 for years.
Will you continue to work with Terra Modena?
If the motorcycle is too
proves convincing in practice, definitely. You have to wait and see. But I am very confident. There aren’t many companies that are in
so short time ?? just a year? such a promising project
like Terra Modena.

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