News coming from our good friends at Ducati News Today, tell us that according to one Australian dealer, Ducati is set to debut a small-displacement learner motorcycle that would adhere to Australia’s Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS). Fraiser Motorcycles is stating that Australia will get the new model in the coming months, and good money says that the bike is a modified Monster 696.
Whether that machine will have a smaller bore or shorter stroke is up for debate, but we imagine whichever is cheapest to produce will likely dictate the answer. Also expect to see some sort of deliberate power reduction used in the design, as Australia’s LAMS calls for a 201hp/metric ton horsepower-to-weight ratio.
While our brothers in v-twins Down Under will finally be able to buy a Bologna bullet motorcycle as their first bike, something us Americans take for granted as we wheel new Ducati Superbike 1198 out the front door of a dealer (usually to binning the motorcycle about 3 blocks down the street), we can’t help but hope here at Asphalt & Rubber that Ducati eventually comes wise to the idea that a small learner bike can have worldwide appeal, and if done right appeal to more than new riders.
While the KTM 125 Duke is likely too small of a machine to appeal in the United States (the same goes for the Aprilia RS4 125, which actually is coming the American soil), a 250-500cc version of either bike could be equally massive fun for beginning riders looking for their first taste of the motorcycle culture, as well as for veteran riders looking for a second street bike for around-town/hooligan purposes. We can dream, right?
Source: Ducati News Today
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