The racing adage of lightness equals speed is well known, and the 2018 Vin Duecinquanta 250 cc sports bike, priced at USD 48,000 (RM191,400) with the race version costing approximately USD 60,000 (RM239,250), takes it to the extreme. Coming in both road and race versions, does the Duecinquanta – meaning “250” in Italian – signal the return of the racing two-stroke?
Carrying a 249 cc (288 cc in race trim) liquid-cooled two-cylinder tandem-twin with the cylinders canted forward 90-degrees, the Duecinquanta claims a dry weight of below 95 kg. While no power figures have been published for the road version, we would hazard a guess at about 70 hp, a figure is not out of the question.
In Competizione fit out, the Duecinquanta weighs in below 85 kg and has a “more than 80 hp” power figure, giving it, according to Maranello, Italy-based Vins, a 240 km/h max speed. Said to be Euro 4 compliant, the Duecinquanta’s slightly over square engine bore is fed by EFI, and comes clad with carbon-fibre bodywork over a carbon-fibre monocouque chassis.
Front suspension is a Hossack style design with twin wish-bone arms holding a carbon-fibre upright, while the rear is a push-rod suspension with fully-adjustable monoshock. Carbon-fibre is also used for the wheels, and machined billet aluminium parts abound, going some way to explaining the cost of the Duecinquanta.
Braking is done with J Juan callipers, clamping twin full-floating 300 mm diameter discs in front, and a single 220 mm disc at the back, with ABS as standard. Vins claims the Duecinquanta is the lightest road legal sports bike manufactured, and we are inclined to believe them, when you consider a Honda EX-5 weighs 99 kg.
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250cc modern 2 stroke…now thats a thrill to ride.
Now the B2 is licking to get them. The biggest constraint is the price. Thus, waiting for Benelli to come out with their version.
That is hideous. I’ll keep my Aprillia RS250 GP1 thanks.