The NCR Millona is a competition motorcycle built from 2004 by NCR of Bologna, a company that has prepared Ducatis for racing since 1967. Designed to the Supertwins rules, it relies on low weight rather than on a big engine: a tuned air-cooled Ducati twin in a titanium frame gave it a dry weight of 112 kg.
NCR Millona at a glance
| Maker | NCR (Nepoti Caracchi Racing), Bologna, Italy |
|---|---|
| Prototype | NCR 100ONE, shown at the Milan motorcycle show in 2002 |
| Production | from 2004, in small series |
| Class | Supertwins competition motorcycle |
| Engine | air-cooled Ducati Multistrada twin, tuned to 105 hp |
| Frame | trellis of titanium tubes |
| Suspension and brakes | Ohlins fork, Brembo radial brakes |
| Bodywork | carbon semi-fairing designed by Aldo Drudi |
| Dry weight | 112 kg |
| Racing titles | Italian Supertwins 2005, European Supertwins 2007 |
| Successor | NCR M16 of 2010, with the Ducati Desmosedici V4 |
This article is based on one source, the Italian Wikipedia article on the Millona, which also covers the history of NCR and the 2010 M16 successor.
History of the NCR Millona
The machine first appeared as the NCR 100ONE at the Milan motorcycle and cycle show in 2002. The prototype and its drawings were then offered to Bimota, which considered selling it for racing under its own name as the Bimota 666 L.E.; the only change would have been the livery, the rest of the motorcycle staying identical to the NCR prototype. The agreement was not concluded, and NCR decided to market the bike under its own name. At the end of 2004 the first pre-series 100ONE machines were built and went racing.
When regular small-series production began in 2005 the motorcycle took its final name, NCR Millona. The design was shaped by the rules of the Supertwins championship, which is reserved for large-capacity twin-cylinder machines. The regulations ruled out an engine that was at the same time liquid-cooled, multi-valve and fuel-injected, so NCR chose the dual-spark engine of the Ducati Multistrada, tuned to deliver 105 hp. It was installed in a trellis frame made of titanium tubes and combined with carefully chosen components, among them an Ohlins fork and radially mounted Brembo brakes, while a carbon semi-fairing drawn by Aldo Drudi helped keep the dry weight down to 112 kg.
In 2010 NCR presented the M16 as the Millona’s successor, powered by the V4 engine of the Ducati Desmosedici. On the track the Millona won the Italian Supertwins championship in 2005, the European Supertwins championship in 2007 and the Sound of Thunder race held during Daytona Bike Week, one of the support events of the Daytona 200.
Design and features
- Light weight first: a titanium tube trellis and carbon bodywork brought the dry weight to 112 kg.
- Tuned Ducati twin: the air-cooled Multistrada engine was prepared to give 105 hp within the Supertwins rules.
- Racing components: Ohlins fork and radially mounted Brembo brakes.
- Bodywork by Aldo Drudi: the carbon semi-fairing was drawn by the designer long associated with Italian racing machines.
NCR Millona versions
- NCR 100ONE (2002): the prototype shown at Milan and offered to Bimota as the 666 L.E.
- Pre-series 100ONE (2004): the first machines, which went straight into competition.
- NCR Millona (from 2005): the small-series production version under its final name.
- NCR M16 (2010): the successor, with the Ducati Desmosedici V4.
The Millona was nearly sold as a Bimota, and it was replaced by a V4 machine from the same Bologna workshop. More Italian motorcycles are in the NCR collection.
Video: NCR Millona One Shot with Paradise Moto
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- NCR Millona, Italian Wikipedia: history, prototype, engine, frame, racing results