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Test Mondial Piega VTR 1000 SP
All over again
Mondial, having disappeared from the scene after glorious years, is back. The Italians do not bake small rolls, on the contrary: Donnerbolzen Piega, inspired by the powerful Honda V2 engine, is supposed to revive the myth.
The resurrection of legendary motorcycle manufacturers is booming in Italy. After MV Agusta, Benelli and Laverda, Mondial is now waking up from its decades of slumber. Roberto Ziletti, a manufacturer of printing plates, puts his savings on the new Mondial Piega. A few turns of the crankshaft from Monza, a small team is working on a concept that, whether intentional or purely coincidental, is very similar to the Ducatis 998. The only thing that has been saved is the horrendous cost of your own engine and the tried-and-tested power pack of the Honda VTR 1000 SP-1 and its electronics have been used. An engine disaster should be ruled out with great probability.
Mondial did not want to report back with an obligatory 08/15 aluminum chassis, which is why the technicians tied the 140 hp hammer into a classic tubular frame. Light, delicate and, with consistent use of the triangular connections, on par with the fat aluminum constructions in terms of rigidity. The Ducati colleagues? and not just the ?? have proven it several times. But in contrast to the bulging welded joints of the latest creations from Bologna, the newcomers from Monza sew the cane together with fine welding beads using an elaborate TIG process. Every seam is a splendor that only makes the calculator sweat.
But he has nothing to laugh about at Piega anyway. In the case of mass-produced motorcycles, where simple casting fiddling is used, at Mondial, spotlessly clean milled parts with a high-quality surface coating hold the machine together. The man with the red pen, close to madness, must have submitted his resignation at the latest when the cost statement for the swing arm construction is being made. The lattice tube structure made of square steel tubing, encased in a beautiful carbon fiber shell in first-class visual quality, is a delightful indulgence in noble material.
If you haven’t had enough, you are welcome to screw your way through to the last corner. For fine, absolutely backlash-free deflection on the Ohlins shock absorber, which can be removed in a flash without dislocations, past the solid 46 Paioli fork, whose stanchions are stretched in impressively massive bridges, to the neatly sealed inserts in the steering head with which the Geometry can be designed variably. The icing on the cake: the blue end caps of the frame tubes with the Mondial logo, which are expanded and fixed with a cone. At least now the merchant is lying lifeless on the floor.
The three cooler units housed in the huge air shaft do not fit into the picture at all, their jagged arrangement and shape do not reveal a clear concept. In addition, the short mudguard hurls a lot of road dirt in the direction of the engine up to the steering head.
It’s good that after undressing, all the metallic puzzle pieces find their place again precisely and without annoying fiddling. Which only applies to a limited extent to the fairing shells made of a carbon fiber-kevlar mix. Gaps: well. Paintwork: crumbles on some edges. Quick-release fasteners: Nothing. Instead, clumsy six-screw screws? the Mondialisti should make improvements. The cumbersome assembly of the self-supporting rear frame with the integrated silencer and the unstable fastening of the cladding front are a bit reminiscent of the sloppiness of some Bimotas. Or are we Germanic peoples so finicky?
Despite all the adversities, the Mondial is ready to go at the garage door the next morning. Ready for driving? Not quite, because the electric starter maneuvers tiredly from one work cycle to the next without a spark jumping over. Shortly before the battery exodus, the V2 shoots off. Single-cylinder on the first few revolutions, the twin finally finds its rhythm and roars unabashedly through the landscape. Which EU authority has signed and sealed this caliber? The officer on duty should be promoted to commissioner. Or to the ear specialist.
We try ear plugs, which work without side effects. Then saddled up with swing, 845 millimeters above the asphalt are not without. Especially when the steering angle is far too small and the mighty 20-liter aluminum tank is a few centimeters too long, my 172 centimeters spread in all directions. After laborious maneuvering, the Piega is aligned, the horizon beckons.
Take a deep breath, let the Honda engine rumble gently, learn to understand Piega. No, it is not an everyday motorcycle that, like a Honda CBR 600 F, is immediately accessible to everyone. The Piega is unique. A bit like the Duc 998 or MV-F4, because they involve the rider quite strictly, not like the new generation athletes with an ultra-short tank and wide-spread stubs tend towards the trial bike. You could say conservative. Or dignified. Depending on. In any case not bad and good for trust. The feedback via a firm seat cushion and intensive body contact with the machine is correct, the coordinates for the magic triangle seat / rest / handlebar are set correctly. If it doesn’t fit right away, the position of the notches can be adjusted several times.
A real treat: the V2 machine. In contrast to the Bimotas of bygone days, which were neatly brushed back by stubborn manipulations of the engine settings, the Piega prints a flawless performance diagram on paper, which is staged with brute force during the jagged country road dance. Below 2500 rpm, the chain knocks loudly on the carbon fiber housing of the swingarm, above it it goes ahead in a cultivated manner, with impressively precise throttle response and greedy intake snorkeling. Plenty of power and music, always and everywhere, with which the digital mouse cinema in the cockpit flickers to itself without being noticed. Hats off, this engine set-up is impressive. As is typical for Honda, the accurate gear changes combined with velvety load changes. Just great.
Length runs, also 1435 millimeters wheelbase. Undeterred, stable, but with astonishing lightness that one would not have expected of the long-legged Piega, which weighs only 209 kilograms. If the spring elements are correctly adjusted, the newcomer shines with acceptable comfort and homogeneous handling in sloping positions, also garnished with waves and separating joints. All in all, more exciting, more exciting than a trip with the Honda VTR 1000 SP-1.
B.However, the Pirelli Supercorsa SC2 rubbers lose their direction on longitudinal grooves and on very coarse-grained asphalt. Instead, the Piega tears on the sticky tires as if nailed around the corner. Oops, what scrapes and rasps? Violently the side stand on the left, with a gentle sound of the fairing keel on the right. A breakdown that one would not have expected from the super sports car from Monza. Is it because the home circuit is almost exclusively peppered with right turns? A question mark also with the Paioli fork, which is not quite up to the braking performance of the impeccable Brembos and goes through to the limit even with tightly adjusted compression damping. Feathers too soft? Regardless, retrofitting is easy with the small number of 250 units. Oh yes, the price. Hold on: 30,000 euros ?? not mark. At least the gentleman with the red pencil is breathing again now.
Technical data – Mondial Piega
Engine: Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 90-degree V-engine, transverse crankshaft, two overhead, gear-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, engine management, secondary air system, electric starter, 329 W alternator, battery 12 V / 10 Ah. Bore x stroke 100.0 x 63.6 mm Displacement 999 cm³ Compression ratio 10.8: 1. Nominal output 97 kW (132 HP) at 9750 rpm Max. Torque 102 Nm (10.4 kpm) at 8800 rpm Power transmission: primary drive via gear wheels, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain. Chassis: tubular steel frame, upside-down fork, guide tube diameter 46 mm, adjustable spring base , Rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of steel tubes, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, floating brake discs, Ø 320 mm, four-piston calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 220 mm, cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17 tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17 Chassis data: wheelbase 1420 mm, steering head angle 66 degrees, caster not specified, spring travel f / h 120/115 mm. Service data Service intervals every 6000 km, oil change every 6000 km / 3.5 liters, with filter every 12000 km / 3, 9 liters engine oil SAE 10 W 40 spark plugs NGK FR 9 Bb Bl-11 engine speed 1300 / min +/- 100 / min valve clearance inlet / outlet 0.16 / 0.31 mm tire pressure solo (with pillion passenger) front / rear 2.5 / 2.9 ( 2.5 / 2.9) barWarranty two years without mileage restrictionsColours silver / blue, carbon fiber Price 30,000 euros (32,000 with carbon fiber cladding) plus additional costs
MOTORCYCLE measurements – Mondial Piega
Top speed * solo 270 km / h Acceleration solo10 ?? 100 km / h 3.1 sec0 ?? 140 km / h 4.7 sec0 ?? 200 km / h 9.5 seconds pull-through solo 160 ?? 100 km / h 4.2 sec 100 ?? 140 km / h 4.0 sec 140 ?? 180 km / h 4.1 secTachometer deviationDisplay / effective 50/100 49/97 km / h Fuel consumption Fuel type Super at 100/130 km / h 5.8 / 6.7 liters / 100 km Country road 6.1 liters / 100 km Theoretical range Country road 328 km Dimensions and weightsL / W / H 2010/850/1160 mm Seat height 840 mm Turning circle 8640 mm Weight fully fueled 209 kg Permissible total weight * 280 kg Load 71 kg Wheel load distribution f / h 52/48% tank capacity / reserve * 20/3 liters1 Measurement conditions: Temperature 10 degrees, no wind, measuring location Magione; * Manufacturer information
Mondial
Mondial caused a sensation in 1948 with the world record over the flying kilometer with a 125cc four-stroke racer. The company, founded by the sports enthusiast Count Giuseppe Boselli and his three brothers, had built three-wheeled delivery vans before World War II. The imposing 125 cc double-cam engine was the basis for ten world championship titles under heroes such as Tarquinio Provini, Carlo Ubbiali and Cecil Sandford. But as with so many motorcycle manufacturers in Europe, the lights went out at Mondial in the 1960s due to dwindling demand. The first signs of life of the new company showed in the mid-90s, when a silver-blue Mondial was involved in the popular SoS racing class. In 2000 Mondial presented the prototype Piega (which means something like curve, bend) at the Munich trade fair Intermot. The distribution in Germany is carried out by the company Motorradwelt in Munich, phone 089/3571220, the delivery takes place immediately. The former Bimota importer Reinhold Kraft from Kiblegg / Allgau is responsible for the technical support, telephone 07561/826514, who as a Honda dealer can guarantee reliable access to all engine parts. The 250 Piega units are accompanied by a naked version, the Nuda. There will be no inexpensive variant like MV and Benelli.
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