RSD V4 Desmo Tracker

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RSD V4 Desmo Tracker
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Driving report: RSD Desmo Tracker

Desmosedici RR conversion to dirt tracker

A dirt tracker with a V-engine? Completely normal. But not if instead of the so frequently used Harley V2 it is a Ducati V4 engine and the transverse driver was a brand new sports icon before the conversion – a dreadful Ducati Desmosedici RR. Spin the Americans?

Mess! Real Ducati fans are stunned. Is the man abandoned by all red spirits? The D.ucati Desmosedici RR doing the laundry in such a way, ripping off her haute couture clothes and turning her into a dirt tracker, is like the sacrilege of giving the Mona Lisa in the Louvre in Paris a mustache and glasses with a felt pen . But builder and racing freak Roland Sands is ultimately not responsible for the decision, he acted on behalf of owner Justyn Amstutz. And if he can, he can call three of the rare and much sought-after racing replicas his own. The daring project should be in the best of hands with the renowned remodeling company RSD (Roland Sands Design) – ex-racing driver Sands even owns one of the classy red racers himself.


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RSD V4 Street Tracker.

So let’s get down to business: The fairing had to give way, the engine should remain original, the frame and chassis as far as possible. The fork bridge to accommodate the adapted standard fork had to be modified to create space for the 19-inch front wheel and to enable the desired steering angle of 45 degrees. RSD replaced the carbon subframe with a filigree tubular steel construction, which carries the seat in the flat tracker style. A pretty aluminum tank was tailor-made, and a 38 millimeter longer single-arm space tube swing arm was created to replace the standard two-arm swing arm. Coarsely profiled Dunlop racing tires on self-designed forged wheels ensure grip, while one of the two 320 mm discs on the basic bike must be sufficient to slow down the 168 kilogram light weight. Thanks to the throughput-friendly self-made exhaust system, the V4 with the control unit of the race kit delivers the full 200 hp. The start of the exclusive ride is slightly tense: everything begins with the decisive pressure on the button – all hell breaks loose.

The grim volleys of the V4 thunder from the exhaust quartet and echo back from the surrounding mountains. The typical rattle of the dry clutch almost drowns out the soundscape, accompanied by the howling of the spur gears of the camshaft drive. Every burst of gas creates a high-pitched whistle as the engine greedily draws in the fresh mountain air through the airbox. As soon as the first stage of the racing gearbox has been engaged and the load starts moving, the tamer has his hands full to stay in the saddle and to keep the wheels on the ground and on the track with some slip-free. At least the builder raves. Well then it’s time for your own experiences.


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RSD V4 Street Tracker.

The sitting posture is amazingly unspectacular: wide, quite high, barely cranked handlebars, relaxed leg angles, this is how the beast can be easily controlled. One hopes. But despite the long standard gear ratio, which theoretically would reach up to 302 km / h, the following applies: If you pull the cable nastily, you will also reap cool power wheelies in third gear or stand sideways faster than you can curse at the exit of a curve. Nobody should expect great grip on asphalt from the cleats, but at least they rub away easily and controllably, and the tracker can be easily caught with the wide handlebars and directed very precisely. The handling of the Desmo, which weighs just under 170 kilograms? Simply sensational. Shifting gears early helps convert the extra fat torque curve into propulsion, especially on these winding mountain roads.


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RSD V4 Street Tracker.

What would Roland Sands reply to critics who compare the Desmo Tracker with the Sultan of Brunei’s Ferrari station wagon conversion in terms of bad taste? The answer is decided: “I don’t give a damn. The Desmosedici is not a monument, not a sanctuary. It is a product. Point. And if you don’t like the Desmo Tracker, you will definitely reject my next Ducati project. One guy asked us to convert his pre-ordered Panigale into a retro cafe racer. This thing is going really crazy, really sick, and all hardcore Ducati fans will hate me even more. ”If this is even possible after this bike.

Technical specifications


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Naked like Sands created it, light and puristic, and with all the necessary racing suitability, much too good for rough dirt track racing: the sinfully expensive Desmo Tracker.

engine
Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke 90 degree V-engine, four desmodromic valves per cylinder controlled by gear-driven camshafts, injection, Ø 50 mm, hydraulically operated multi-disc dry clutch, anti-hopping, six-speed gearbox, chain.
Bore x stroke 86.0 x 42.6 mm
Cubic capacity 989 cm³
rated capacity 147 kW (200 hp) at 13800 rpm
Max. Torque 116 Nm at 10500 rpm

landing gear
Steel tubular frame, fully adjustable up-side-down fork, Ø 43 mm, tubular steel single-sided swing arm, fully adjustable central spring strut, front disc brake, Ø 320 mm, rear disc brake, Ø 267 mm, front tires 27.0 / 7.0 x 19, rear 27.5 /7.5 x 19

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1480 mm, steering head angle 65.5 degrees, weight with a full tank approx. 168 kg, tank capacity approx. 11.5 liters. Info: www.rolandsands.com

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