Poggipolini NCR Millona - Motorcycle.com
In this day and age of readily-available high-performance sportbikes it's nice to know that you can still come by a hand-built Italian stallion. The quality, agility and power of mass-produced sportbikes are unquestionable, but what if you want to stand out from the crowd? Even Ducatis have become something of a mainstream machine. The company's racing successes have raised its profile to that of status symbol. And everybody wants a Duc, whether they can ride it or not.
So where does a moneyed sportbike fanatic turn to fill his or her desire to be different? Enter Poggipolini NCR and their exclusive Millona. With a starting price tag of $25K, even seriously considering a purchase puts the prospective buyer head and shoulders above the crowd. Maybe that's why NCR isn't immediately recognizable to most enthusiasts. Like a secret meeting at the "non-existent" Area 51, you have to be kind of "special" to know about them. This bike must offer something truly unique then.
Indeed it does. Not only is the Millona made from all manner of exotic materials like, titanium, carbon fiber/Kevlar, magnesium and super-lightweight aluminum, it wears only the best components. The kind of brakes, wheels, levers, etc. that most of us can only fantasize about. But what really makes this bike the cat's meow is its unusual combo of an air-cooled two-valve Ducati engine and extreme light weight thanks to an aluminum trellis frame and a bespoke aluminum swingarm.
With a claimed weight of around 125 kilograms (275 lbs) and up to a claimed 126 horsepower, there isn't a sportbike today that can meet that nearly one-to-one power to weight ratio.
If money really isn't an object for you, the Millona can be customized to just about any configuration of materials and components you choose. Pushing the envelope of tasty bits like a titanium frame will also push the price to around $45,000.
NCR has been around since 1967 when they began hopping-up and customizing Ducatis into race-winning machines. In 2001 the Poggipolini Group bought NCR (Nepoti Caracchi Racing), bringing with them a world of experience making parts for World Superbike and Formula One. Out of the merging of the two companies came the Millona.
If you already own a Ducati of one type or another that you're perfectly content to keep, but want to spruce it up a bit, making it a little more Italian, a little more exclusive and a little more you, NCR manufactures plenty of lightweight performance parts for most Ducati models.
Ah, those Italians... They sure make life interesting, no?
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