Aprilia SXV 5.5 Wins Pikes Peak Climb

Motorcycle.com Staff
by Motorcycle.com Staff

Aprilia SXV 5.5 wins Pikes Peak climb

549cc bike beats larger displacement machines
By Motorcycle.Com Staff, Jul. 25, 2008
Davey Durelle rode an Aprilia SXV 5.5 to the top of Pikes Peak, recording the best time of all motorcycles in the 86th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Durelle completed the 12.42-mile course and climbed 4,721 feet to the top of the Colorado mountain in 11 minutes, 42.991 seconds to win the 750cc class. The 549cc SXV 5.5 beat motorcycles with much larger engine displacements and surpassed the 1200cc class winner by 23 seconds and the Super Stock Car class winner, a 2002 Ford Mustang, by three seconds.

This is really a great victory for us and would not have been possible without the assistance of members from the Aprilia flat track team, the Aprilia Supermoto team, and the local Aprilia dealer, says Rick Panettieri, Aprilia brand manager. Davey is a great rider and earned this awesome victory.

Mickey Dymond recorded the second fastest time by a motorcycle, completing the hill climb in 11:46.217 on a Husqvarna SMR 610, also in the 750cc class.

Greg Tracy won the 1200cc motorcycle class with a time of 12:06.602 riding a Ducati Hypermotard.

Davey Durelle topped all other motorcyclists in the 86th Pike's Peak Race to the Clouds.

Gary Trachy set a new Supermoto class record with a time of 11:51.865, winning by a 30-second margin on a Yamaha YZ450F. Mark Miller also set a class record for 250cc motorcycles with a time of 12:40.479.

Eddie Mulder piloted a 1969 Triumph Bonneville to win the vintage motorcycle class with a time of 13:27.949.

Brothers Allen and Bryan Wenzel recorded the best time in the Sidecar class, riding a 1982 Yamaha Wasp to the top with a time of 15:40.466 while Marlin Bruno and Jeandemange Sylvie won the Sidecar Unlimited class, recording a time of 13:19.194.

The fastest overall time was recorded by Nobuhiro Tajima in the unlimited class, driving a Suzuki XL7 mid-sized sports utility vehicle in a time of 10:18.250, falling 17 seconds short of the overall record that he set in 2007.

The Pikes Peak International hill Climb, also known as the Race to the Clouds pits cars, trucks, motorcycles and quads in a race up the 156-turn course.

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Motorcycle.com Staff
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