Original subtitles

THE SUPERBIKE IS RACING TO WIN

IN A BATTLE OF SKILL

ON ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS SUPERBIKE CIRCUITS.

THE SLIGHTEST MISTAKE CAN BE DEADLY.

OH! WHOA. NO.

MAN AND MACHINE MUST WORK IN PERFECT HARMONY.

BREAKING THIS SUPERBIKE DOWN INTO ITS COMPONENTS

WILL UNCOVER ITS TECHNOLOGICAL SECRETS.

FROM ITS SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT ENGINE TO A TRANSMISSION

THAT SHIFTS WITHOUT A CLUTCH AND SMART SENSORS

THAT KEEP THE BIKE'S WHEELS GLUED TO THE TRACK,

WE'LL REVEAL HOW THE SUPERBIKE EVOLVED

TO BECOME A MEGA MACHINE.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THIS IS THE MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT IN ITALY.

IT'S ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST CHALLENGING

MOTORCYCLE RACETRACKS.

WITH 2 1/2 MILES OF TWISTING TARMAC AND 16 GRUELING TURNS,

IT INCLUDES ONE OF THE FASTEST CORNERS ANYWHERE,

CALLED CURVONE.

OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS, ITALY'S TOP RACING TEAMS

WILL GO HEAD-TO-HEAD

FOR THE SUPERBIKE'S MOST CHERISHED NATIONAL TROPHY.

Announcer: WELCOME TO THE... [SPEAKING ITALIAN]

POPULAR IN AMERICA, JAPAN AND EUROPE,

THE SUPERBIKE IS A HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCTION BIKE

WITH JUST A FEW MODIFICATIONS ALLOWED.

TO SOUP THEM UP FOR TRACK RACING,

MECHANICS ADD LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM WHEELS,

CARBON-FIBER BODY PANELS AND TITANIUM EXHAUST PIPES.

YAMAHA, DUCATI, BMW AND APRILIA --

THESE ARE THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE SUPERBIKE WORLD,

AND THEY'VE ALL BROUGHT THEIR FINEST MACHINES

AND RIDERS FOR ONE REASON -- TO WIN.

MATTEO BAIOCCO IS A THREE-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION

AND APRILIA'S TOP RIDER.

YOU HAVE TO COME HERE AND TRY TO WIN.

IF YOU SEE THE LEADER, WHO IS IN THE FRONT,

YOU HAVE TO PUSH VERY HARD.

Narrator: MATTEO WON THE TITLE LAST YEAR WITH A DIFFERENT TEAM,

BUT THIS SEASON, HE'S MADE THE SWITCH.

MATTEO'S BIKE OF CHOICE -- THE RSV4.

UNDER A LIGHTWEIGHT CARBON-FIBER SHELL

UP TO 10 TIMES STRONGER THAN STEEL,

2,000 PRECISION COMPONENTS MAKE UP THIS SUPERBIKE.

A 200-HORSEPOWER, 60-CUBIC-INCH ENGINE

POWERS THE BIKE TO OVER 180 MILES AN HOUR.

A QUICK-RELEASE TRANSMISSION SPEEDS UP THE PIT CHANGES,

AND A NETWORK OF SMART ELECTRONICS

HELPS THE RIDER TAME THIS BEAST OF A BIKE.

JAM-PACKED WITH CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY,

THIS SUPERBIKE HAS WON SEVEN WORLD TITLES.

♪♪

SO FAR THIS YEAR, THEIR ARCHRIVAL DUCATI

HAS DOMINATED THE CHAMPIONSHIP,

TAKING FIRST AND SECOND PLACE IN EVERY RACE.

THEIR TOP RIDER IS 31-YEAR-OLD MICHELE PIRRO.

YEAH. IN THE PAST, I BEAT HIM A FEW TIMES.

IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT HIM.

BUT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, HE IMPROVED A LOT,

BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE.

HE IS NOT JESUS, SO WE CAN BEAT HIM.

Narrator: BEFORE THE BIG RACE,

MATTEO AND THE OTHER RIDERS HAVE TWO QUALIFYING SESSIONS

WHERE THEY'LL BATTLE FOR POLE POSITION ON THE STARTING GRID.

ON A SLIGHTLY LOWER-POWERED TWO-WHEELER,

MATTEO HEADS OUT TO INSPECT THE TRACK

SO HIS TEAM CAN START PREPARING FOR THE QUALIFYING ROUNDS.

HE KNOWS HOW DANGEROUS MISANO CAN BE.

Baiocco: YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL DURING THE RACE.

IT'S VERY, VERY EASY HERE CRASH.

Narrator: WITH RIDERS PUSHING THEMSELVES TO THE LIMITS,

CRASHES ARE GUARANTEED.

TRACK INSPECTION HERE IS CRITICAL.

ONE SLIP COULD END MATTEO'S CAREER OR WORSE.

THIS TRACK IS RELENTLESSLY DIFFICULT.

OVER 2 MILES LONG, ITS 16 CORNERS

AND FOUR SUPER FAST STRAIGHTAWAYS

PUSH RIDERS AND BIKES TO THE EDGE.

TURNS 8 AND 10 ARE BACK-TO-BACK HAIRPINS.

BIKERS MUST BRAKE HEAVILY

WITHOUT LOCKING THEIR FRONT WHEEL AND CRASHING.

TURN 14, CALLED CARRO, IS THE TIGHTEST ON THE TRACK.

MATTEO WILL HAVE TO EXIT IN FIRST GEAR

AND AVOID POPPING A DANGEROUS WHEELIE.

IN TURN 11, THE INFAMOUS CURVONE,

RIDERS HIT 165 MILES AN HOUR.

THEIR REAR TIRE MUST GRIP THE TRACK

TO KEEP THEM ON THE FASTEST LINE.

BUT SOME OF THE HAZARDS ARE BEYOND MATTEO'S CONTROL.

MATTEO HEADS FOR THE PITS TO ASK HIS ENGINEERING TEAM

TO FIND MORE GRIP FOR THE BIKE.

LOSING CONTROL OF A WHEEL

WHEN HE'S CORNERING COULD END HIS RACE.

TO SOLVE THIS, THE MECHANICS WILL HAVE TO MODIFY

THE SUSPENSION OF THE RSV4,

BUT BEFORE THEY MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS,

THEY MUST GET APPROVAL FROM TEAM MANAGER ROMANO ALBESIANO.

ROMANO AND HIS LEAD ENGINEER

WANT TO MODIFY THE REAR SUSPENSION OF THE BIKE.

THEY THINK THAT THE SOFTER SUSPENSION SPRING

WILL GIVE IT MORE GRIP.

OKAY. I'M GONNA CHANGE THE REAR SPRING FROM A 95 TO 100.

THE SOFTER SPRING ABSORBS THE BUMPS OF THE TRACK

AND KEEPS THE REAR TIRE IN CONTACT WITH THE TARMAC,

BUT IT DOES COME WITH A RISK.

IT'S THAT ONE.

TOO MUCH BOUNCE IN THE SPRING

CAN MAKE THE BIKE WOBBLE AS IT ACCELERATES.

IT'S A RISKY MOVE.

♪♪

WITH THE NEW REAR SPRING INSTALLED,

IT'S TIME FOR MATTEO TO HIT THE TRACK

FOR THE FIRST OF TWO QUALIFYING ROUNDS.

NOW HE MUST TEST THE NEW SETTINGS ON THE BIKE

AND ALSO CLOCK A FAST LAP TIME

TO EARN A GOOD STARTING POSITION FOR THE RACE.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST OF TWO QUALIFYING SESSIONS.

EACH RIDER GETS 25 MINUTES TO RECORD THE FASTEST LAP TIME.

Narrator: MATTEO IS THE FIRST RIDER OUT ON THE TRACK.

ROMANO WATCHES THE LAP TIMES FROM THE PITS TO SEE

IF HIS GAMBLE WITH THE REPLACEMENT SPRING PAYS OFF.

THIS IS A SHORT SESSION.

MATTEO HAS JUST SIX LAPS TO CHECK THE SETUP OF THE BIKE.

Narrator: THE NEW SPRING IS PART OF A COMPLEX SYSTEM

THAT ATTACHES THE BIKE'S REAR WHEEL TO ITS FRAME.

IT'S CRITICAL TO THE BIKE'S HANDLING.

BENEATH THE SKIN OF THE SUPERBIKE IS A LIGHT

BUT TOUGH ALUMINUM SKELETON.

IT HOLDS THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION

AND THE FUEL TANK FIRMLY IN PLACE.

ON THE REAR END, A SPRING AND SHOCK ABSORBER

LINKED TO A PIVOT ARM SUSPENDS THE REAR WHEEL

SO THE BIKE CAN SOAK UP THE BUMPS OF THE TRACK.

THE TEAM HAS PUT IN A SOFTER SPRING

TO MAXIMIZE THE REAR TIRE'S CONTACT WITH THE TRACK.

BUT WILL IT PROVIDE THE EXTRA GRIP MATTEO

NEEDS TO WIN THE RACE?

AS MORE RIDERS JOIN THE TRACK, EACH TEAM IS AIMING TO PULL OFF

AT LEAST ONE BLISTERINGLY FAST LAP

TO SECURE THE FRONT-ROW POSITIONS

ON THE STARTING GRID IN THE MAIN RACE.

VERY GOOD.

Narrator: AND IT'S "SO FAR, SO GOOD" FOR MATTEO.

SO NOW EVERYONE IS PUSHING.

MATTEO IS SECOND FASTER SO FAR.

PIRRO IS PUSHING VERY HARD.

Narrator: BUT THE RIVAL DUCATI RIDERS

THEN POST AN EVEN FASTER TIME,

PUSHING MATTEO DOWN INTO FOURTH PLACE.

NOW HE WILL TRY AGAIN.

Narrator: HE HAS JUST ONE FINAL LAP TO MAKE HIS WAY BACK

TO THE FRONT OF THE PACK.

HE FLIES INTO THE DIFFICULT CURVONE CORNER

AT 165 MILES AN HOUR,

PUTTING HIS LIFE INTO THE HANDS OF HIS ENGINEERING TEAM.

Narrator: AT THE MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT,

SUPERBIKE RIDER MATTEO BAIOCCO

IS HEADING INTO THE TRACK'S MOST DIFFICULT CORNER

AT 165 MILES PER HOUR.

THE NEW SUSPENSION SPRING WORKS LIKE A CHARM

KEEPING THE REAR WHEEL PINNED TO THE TRACK.

COME ON.

OH.

36.4.

GOOD.

Narrator: OUT OF A FIELD OF 26 RACERS,

MATTEO FINISHES IN SECOND PLACE.

HE'S ON TARGET FOR A CRUCIAL FRONT-ROW STARTING SPOT

IN THE ACTUAL RACE,

BUT THE TEAM CANNOT RELAX.

MATTEO IS VERY FAST.

HE'S BEEN VERY FAST TODAY, BUT THERE ARE TWO DUCATIS

WHICH ARE VERY FAST AS WELL AND ONE BMW,

SO WE ARE IN THE FIGHT.

I THINK WE HAVE PLENTY POSSIBILITY

TO BE IN THE FRONT ROW,

BUT IT'S NOT GUARANTEED, OF COURSE.

Narrator: MATTEO'S GOT SECOND PLACE FOR NOW,

BUT THE OTHER TEAMS WILL ALL BE WORKING

TO GET FASTER IN THE NEXT QUALIFYING SESSION.

TO FEND OFF THE COMPETITION, THE APRILIA TEAM MUST SQUEEZE

EVEN MORE SPEED OUT OF THE BIKE.

CAN THEY HOLD ON TO THEIR ADVANTAGE?

IF MATTEO WANTS TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP,

HE NEEDS TO FINISH IN THE TOP THREE IN THIS WEEKEND.

Narrator: THE SECOND AND FINAL QUALIFYING ROUND

IS LESS THAN 24 HOURS AWAY.

TO READY THE SUPERBIKE FOR THE SECOND SESSION,

THE ENGINEERS GET TO WORK STRIPPING IT DOWN

TO CHECK AND CLEAN EVERY SINGLE COMPONENT.

ONE OF THE FIRST PARTS TO COME OFF IS THE OUTER SHELL.

MATTEO NEEDS THIS TO PUNCH THROUGH THE WALL OF HEADWIND

THAT WILL HIT HIM AT HIGH SPEEDS.

OUTFITTING A BIKE WITH AN AERODYNAMIC SHELL

CAN CUT AIR RESISTANCE BY 30%.

IT'S AN IDEA BORROWED FROM TRAIN DESIGN.

EARLY STEAM TRAINS HAD A BIG PROBLEM --

THEIR FLAT-FRONTED SHAPE CREATED SO MUCH AIR RESISTANCE

THEY STRUGGLED TO GO FASTER THAN 100 MILES AN HOUR.

SO TO CUT DOWN ON DRAG,

ENGINEERS ADDED SLEEK SHELLS CALLED FAIRINGS TO THE NOSE

AND COVERED UP THE WHEELS,

GAINING MORE SPEED WITH LESS POWER.

THE RSV4 BORROWS THIS IDEA USING THE CARBON-FIBER SHELL

TO PUSH AIR OVER THE RIDER'S HEAD AND AROUND HIS LEGS.

ONCE THE CARBON-FIBER PANELS ARE OFF,

THE MECHANICS BRUSH DOWN EVERY INCH OF THE BIKE

TO REMOVE TRACK DEBRIS

AND DIRT BEFORE THE NEXT QUALIFYING SESSION.

JUST TWO TENTHS OF A SECOND SEPARATE MATTEO

AND THE RIDER BEHIND HIM IN THIRD PLACE.

WITH THE BIKE SPOTLESS,

MECHANICS MUST NOW FIND MORE SPEED

IF THEY'RE TO STAY IN CONTENTION.

MATTEO SHARES HIS TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR

DURING THE QUALIFYING ROUND.

THIS INDICATES A PROBLEM WITH HIS TRANSMISSION.

IF THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION,

THE TEAM MUST ACT FAST.

GEARS THAT DON'T SHIFT PROPERLY COULD SPELL DISASTER,

ESPECIALLY AT MISANO.

IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IN THIS TRACK,

WE USE THREE TIMES THE FIRST GEAR.

Narrator: IN THE TIGHTEST BENDS, MATTEO MUST SHIFT ALL THE WAY

DOWN TO FIRST GEAR

TO KEEP HIS ENGINE REVS HIGH FOR MAXIMUM ACCELERATION.

IF HIS TRANSMISSION IS STIFF ON THESE CRUCIAL HAIRPIN TURNS,

HIS CHANCES OF A FRONT-ROW QUALIFICATION

WILL GO UP IN SMOKE.

FORTUNATELY FOR THE ENGINEERS,

THE SUPERBIKE IS DESIGNED FOR LAST-MINUTE TWEAKS.

UNLIKE MOST PRODUCTION BIKES, ITS TINY TRANSMISSION

SIMPLY SLIDES OUT OF THE BIKE SO ENGINEERS

CAN WORK ON IT WITHOUT TAKING THE WHOLE ENGINE APART.

THIS COULD BE A LONG NIGHT FOR THE MECHANICS.

THEY WON'T GO HOME UNTIL THEY FIX THE PROBLEM.

♪♪

THE NEXT DAY IS RACE DAY,

AND IT STARTS WITH A FINAL ROUND OF QUALIFYING.

MATTEO CAN PUT IN THE RIDE OF HIS LIFE THIS MORNING,

BUT UNLESS HIS SUPERBIKE IS IN PERFECT SHAPE,

HE DOESN'T STAND A CHANCE.

HE NEEDS TO POST ONE OF THE THREE FASTEST LAPS

DURING THIS QUALIFICATION ROUND

TO GET ON THE FRONT ROW OF THE STARTING GRID.

FRONT ROW IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT

BECAUSE HERE IN ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP,

THE FIRST FOUR OR FIVE LAPS,

EVERY RIDER IS FAST WITH THE NEW TIRE,

SO YOU NEED TO BE IN THE FRONT TO DON'T LOSE TIME.

Narrator: THE TOUGHEST TEST FOR THE NEWLY REPAIRED TRANSMISSION

IS THE TIGHTEST CORNER, CARRO.

TO AVOID CRASHING AND FLYING OFF THE TRACK,

MATTEO MUST BRAKE DRAMATICALLY

FROM 125 MILES AN HOUR TO JUST 40

AND THEN SHIFT DOWN INTO FIRST GEAR

SO HE CAN ACCELERATE QUICKLY OUT OF THE CORNER.

THE SECRET TO SMOOTH GEAR CHANGES

SITS DEEP INSIDE THE BIKE.

ONCE MATTEO STARTS THE RACE,

THE FRICTION PLATES IN THE CLUTCH ENGAGE.

THEN THE BIKE TAKES OVER.

WHEN MATTEO KICKS THE GEAR-CHANGE PEDAL,

THE BIKE'S COMPUTER BRAIN MATCHES THE SPEED OF THE ENGINE

TO THE SPEED OF THE GEARS,

SO THEY CHANGE SEAMLESSLY

WITHOUT LOSING POWER

DURING THE SHIFT.

THIS QUICK-FIRE SEMIAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

GIVES MATTEO SUPERHUMAN SHIFTING SPEED

AND SAVES TIME WITH EVERY SINGLE GEAR CHANGE.

THIS IS GOOD IN THEORY,

BUT NOW MATTEO MUST PUT THIS TRANSMISSION TO THE TEST.

Narrator: WITH THE REPLACED TRANSMISSION,

MATTEO IS RACING THE APRILIA RV4 SUPERBIKE

THROUGH THE SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND

IN THE HOPES OF SECURING A POLE POSITION FOR THE RACE.

MATTEO STARTS THROUGH THE PIT LANE.

HE THEN OPENS THE THROTTLE AS HE HITS THE TRACK.

SNAPPING THROUGH THE GEAR CHANGES EFFORTLESSLY,

HE KEEPS THE REVS HIGH TO DRAW MAXIMUM POWER FROM THE ENGINE.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS WORKING WELL,

BUT TURN 14, CARRO, THE TIGHTEST ON THE COURSE,

IS FAST APPROACHING.

MATTEO BRAKES HARD INTO THE NOTORIOUS BEND

AND SHIFTS DOWN THROUGH THE GEARS...

...SLOWING TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.

HE USES ALL HIS STRENGTH

TO FORCE THE SUPERBIKE OVER ON ITS SIDE,

RELYING ON HIS TIRE'S GRIP TO KEEP HIM GLUED

TO THE TRACK AT AN IMPOSSIBLE ANGLE.

AS HE ACCELERATES HARD OUT OF CARRO,

THE PIT CREW SEES THE SPLIT TIMES

AND KNOWS THAT ALL IS WELL.

THE TRANSMISSION HAS PERFORMED PERFECTLY.

THE CREW CAN RELAX FOR THE MOMENT,

BUT THEIR SUCCESS OWES A DEBT TO AN UNSUNG HERO.

THE TEAM'S SECRET WEAPON IS A GEAR-CHANGING ROBOT

THAT ALLOWS APRILIA ENGINEERS TO TEST NEW DESIGNS

WITHOUT RISKING THE LIFE OF A RIDER.

INSTEAD OF HAVING AN ACTUAL FOOT,

WE HAVE A HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR

THAT MOVES UP AND DOWN THE LEVER.

Narrator: TODAY, THE ROBOT WILL PUT THE TRANSMISSION

THROUGH A DURABILITY TEST.

IN ORDER TO PASS, THE TRANSMISSION MUST SURVIVE

MORE THAN 200,000 ROBOTIC GEAR CHANGES

AND KEEP SHIFTING FLAWLESSLY.

THERE IS NO WAY A HUMAN TEST RIDER

COULD PERFORM THIS FEAT OF ENDURANCE.

MATTEO'S CURRENT TRANSMISSION TOOK YEARS OF TESTING

AND DEVELOPMENT.

IN THE ULTRACOMPETITIVE WORLD OF THE SUPERBIKE,

TEAMS SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

TRYING TO SAVE FRACTIONS OF A SECOND ON THE TRACK.

THE COMPUTER IS NOW SIMULATING A RACETRACK LIKE MISANO.

Narrator: AT EACH TWIST AND TURN OF THE SIMULATED TRACK,

THE ROBOT RIDER SHIFTS THROUGH THE GEARS

AND GUNS THE ACCELERATOR,

AND THE TEAM MONITORS THE DATA STREAM FOR ANY SIGNS OF FAILURE.

♪♪

THE TEST IS OVER, AND THIS NEW SETUP HAS MADE IT TO THE END

WITHOUT A SINGLE TRANSMISSION FAULT.

FROM AN ENGINEERING POINT OF VIEW, IT WAS A GOOD RESULT.

Narrator: IN A RACE WHERE EVERY SINGLE GEAR CHANGE

SAVES VALUABLE TIME,

THIS DEVOTION TO ENGINEERING PERFECTION

SEPARATES THE WINNERS FROM THE LOSERS.

BACK ON THE TRACK, MATTEO BAIOCCO IS INTO HIS LAST

FEW LAPS OF THE FINAL QUALIFYING SESSION.

HE WAS SITTING PRETTY IN SECOND PLACE...

COME ON, MATTEO.

Narrator: ...BUT HIS THREE CLOSEST RIVALS

HAVE JUST POSTED FASTER LAPS,

PUTTING HIM ON THE SECOND ROW FOR THE RACE.

♪♪

TEAM BOSS ROMANO CALLS MATTEO INTO THE PITS

AND TELLS THE MECHANICS TO PLAY THEIR TRUMP CARD,

A SUPER GRIPPY REAR TIRE

MADE FROM A SPECIAL SYNTHETIC RUBBER COMPOUND.

IT'S A RADICAL MOVE AS THIS HIGH-PERFORMANCE RUBBER LASTS

LESS THAN FIVE LAPS BEFORE DISINTEGRATING.

MATTEO TIMES HIS PIT STOPS SO THE TRACK AHEAD IS CLEAR.

HE HAS ONLY ONE LAP LEFT TO RE-EARN A SPOT ON THE FRONT ROW.

HE GUNS THE THROTTLE,

AND THE ENGINEERING TEAM HOLDS THEIR BREATH.

THIS IS THE LAST LAP.

PERFECT.

MATTEO IS NOW PUSHING HIS 1,000cc ENGINE

TO ITS ABSOLUTE LIMITS.

HE ACCELERATES DOWN THE HOMESTRETCH AND CLOCKS

HIS FASTEST LAP OF THE MORNING, 1 MINUTE AND 35 SECONDS.

BUT IS IT ENOUGH TO PUT HIM ON THE FRONT ROW?

Narrator: IT'S SUPERBIKE WEEKEND AT THE MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT,

AND APRILIA RIDER MATTEO BAIOCCO

HAS JUST COMPLETED HIS FINAL QUALIFYING LAPS.

THE TEAM NOW HAS AN ANXIOUS WAIT.

THEIR CLOSEST RIVALS ARE STILL OUT ON THE TRACK,

AND THEY'RE GOING FAST.

THE FINAL RESULTS ARE IN,

AND THE NEWS ISN'T GOOD.

THREE BIKES HAVE POSTED FASTER LAPS THAN MATTEO,

PUSHING HIS APRILIA INTO FOURTH PLACE

AND ONTO THE DREADED SECOND ROW OF THE STARTING GRID.

Baiocco: I'M A BIT DISAPPOINTED

BECAUSE I GAVE IT 100% THIS MORNING,

SO WHEN YOU GIVE ALL YOUR BEST,

AND IT'S NOT ENOUGH, YOU'RE NOT HAPPY.

Narrator: MATTEO WILL START THE RACE WITH THREE RIDERS

ALREADY IN FRONT OF HIM --

ONE YAMAHA AND TWO DUCATIS,

INCLUDING CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER MICHELE PIRRO.

THEY'LL HAVE A CLEAR TRACK AT THE FIRST CORNER

WHILE MATTEO WILL FACE THE CHAOTIC CROWD

OF SLOWER RIDERS AROUND HIM.

Baiocco: YEAH.

NOW THE START IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I'M IN THE SECOND ROW,

SO I HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL TO DON'T LOSE TIME,

SO I'VE JUST TO ATTACK THE FRONT GUYS

AND DON'T LOSE POSITION WITH THE GUYS IN THE BACK.

Narrator: TEAM MANAGER ROMANO KNOWS MATTEO

NEEDS MORE SPEED TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.

FOR HIM, THE SUPERBIKE'S POWERFUL ONBOARD COMPUTER

COULD HOLD THE KEY.

THIS ELECTRONIC BRAIN BOOSTS THE PERFORMANCE OF THE RSV4

FROM STANDARD STREET BIKE

TO TRACK-HUNGRY RACING MACHINE.

ROMANO'S ENGINEERS PLUG DIRECTLY IN,

AND HE IMMEDIATELY HAS A STREAM OF DATA AT HIS FINGERTIPS.

YEAH. THERE'S A LOT OF SENSORS

ON ALMOST EVERY PART OF THE BIKE.

IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY PARAMETERS YOU CAN GET FROM THIS.

Narrator: ROMANO SCOURS THE GRAPHS TO SEE

IF HE CAN FIND ANY TINY IMPROVEMENTS

IN THE SETUP OF THE BIKE THAT COULD INCREASE ITS SPEED.

THE DATA FOR THE SUSPENSION GEARS

AND BRAKES ALL SEEM PERFECT.

AND RIDER MATTEO ALSO REPORTS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BIKE,

BUT ROMANO BELIEVES THERE MAY BE A SOLUTION

HIDDEN IN THE NUMBERS.

THESE RIDERS ARE EXPERIENCED RIDERS,

SO THEY GIVE YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION

WHEN THEY STOP AT THE GARAGE,

BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE NOT THE COMPUTERS.

THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF RIDING A BIKE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE,

SO THEY GIVE US PART OF THE INFORMATION WE NEED,

BUT THE REST OF THE INFORMATION IS GIVEN

BY THE DATA RECORDING SYSTEM.

Narrator: THERE, ROMANO SPOTS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM

WITH THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WHICH COULD MEAN

THERE'S A FAULT IN THE COOLING SYSTEM.

IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS, FIRST A DROP IN PERFORMANCE WILL OCCUR,

AND THEN A RELIABILITY ISSUE CAN OCCUR,

EVEN CATASTROPHIC, YES.

Narrator: THE TEAM RACES

TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THE OVERHEATING GLITCH.

THE MECHANICS FIRST INVESTIGATE THE RADIATOR

TO CHECK FOR PROBLEMS,

BUT THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG.

THE GLITCH MUST BE INSIDE THE ENGINE,

BUT THE RACE'S RULES FORBID THE TEAM FROM OPENING IT UP.

THEY CAN ONLY SWAP AN OLD ENGINE FOR A COMPLETELY NEW ONE.

TEAM BOSS ROMANO DECIDES TO MAKE THE SWITCH.

IT'S A HUGE GAMBLE BECAUSE THIS NEW ENGINE

HASN'T BEEN TESTED UNDER RACE CONDITIONS.

MATTEO NEEDS HIS ENGINE TO PERFORM PERFECTLY

SO HE CAN USE ITS UNIQUE DESIGN TO HIS ADVANTAGE.

THE RSV4 ENGINE IS ONE OF THE SMALLEST

ON THE SUPERBIKE CIRCUIT.

THE CYLINDERS SIT IN A STEEP, NARROW V-SHAPE

SO THE RIDER CAN LEAN DEEPER INTO THE CORNERS

WITHOUT THE ENGINE TOUCHING THE GROUND.

TO BOOST POWER ON THE STRAIGHTAWAYS,

AN EXPANDED AIR BOX SQUEEZES EXTRA OXYGEN INTO THE CYLINDERS,

MAXIMIZING THE EXPLOSIVE POWER OF THE FUEL.

TITANIUM VALVES OPEN AND CLOSE OVER 100 TIMES A SECOND,

GENERATING TWICE THE POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO

OF A FERRARI ENZO.

♪♪

RACE TIME HAS ARRIVED,

AND MATTEO RIDES TO THE STARTING LINE

WITH HIS UNTESTED ENGINE.

THE START IS JUST MINUTES AWAY,

BUT THERE IS ONE FINAL ADJUSTMENT

TO BE MADE TO THE BIKE.

ENGINEER NICOLA MUST DECIDE WHICH TIRES TO USE.

SOFT TIRES GIVE A BETTER GRIP, BUT ON HOT TRACKS,

THEY'RE LIABLE TO SHRED TO PIECES.

HARD TIRES ARE MORE DURABLE, BUT THEY CAN SLIP ON TIGHT CORNERS.

THERE'S NO CHANCE TO CHANGE THE TIRES ONCE THE RACE STARTS,

SO NICOLA MUST GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

Narrator: NICOLA MEASURES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE TRACK

USING A HIGH-PRECISION INFRARED THERMOMETER.

IT HOWS A SCORCHING 111 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

WHICH IS TOO HOT FOR A SUPER SOFT TIRE.

INSTEAD, NICOLA CHOOSES A MEDIUM-SOFT TIRE

TO TRY AND BALANCE ITS GRIP WITH DURABILITY.

THESE TIRES ARE THE PINNACLE OF A DESIGN EVOLUTION

THAT STARTED 130 YEARS AGO.

EARLY BIKES HAD CAST-IRON RIMS.

EVEN WITH SOLID RUBBER TIRES,

THEY PRODUCED A REALLY BUMPY RIDE.

BUT IN 1887, A SHREWD INVENTOR NAMED JOHN DUNLOP

TIED A RUBBER TUBE TO A WHEEL WITH LINEN STRAPS

AND INFLATED IT WITH AIR USING A SOCCER-BALL PUMP.

THE AIR INSIDE THESE INGENIOUS PNEUMATIC TIRES

CUSHIONED THE BUMPS OF THE ROAD,

LETTING THEM ROLL FASTER THAN THEIR SOLID RUBBER RIVALS.

ON THE RSV4, TOUGH WIRES ATTACH THE TIRES TO THE RIM.

A STEEL BELT HOLDS THEM IN SHAPE AT HIGH SPEED,

AND A STICKY LAYER OF SYNTHETIC RUBBER GIVES THEM GRIP.

WITH THE TIRES READY FOR THE STARTING GRID,

FINAL PREPARATIONS ARE UNDER WAY AS THE MECHANICS SCRAMBLE

TO FINISH GETTING THE BIKE READY.

TO PLACE IN THE TOP THREE FROM THE SECOND ROW,

MATTEO NEEDS HIS BIKE TO BE BETTER THAN PERFECT.

♪♪

IT'S SHOWTIME.

THE FIRST FEW SECONDS ARE CRITICAL IN ANY RACE.

FROM THE SECOND ROW, MATTEO NEEDS A LIGHTNING-FAST START

TO CATCH THE RIDERS AHEAD OF HIM,

BUT IF HE USES TOO MUCH THROTTLE,

HE RISKS BURNING THE REAR WHEEL'S RUBBER.

HOW CAN MATTEO PUT THE FULL POWER OF THE SUPERBIKE

ONTO THE TRACK?

WHEN HE TWISTS THE THROTTLE GRIP,

AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL SHOOTS INTO THE BIKE,

BUT INSTEAD OF THE ENGINE, IT FIRST HEADS FOR THE COMPUTER.

THE ELECTRONIC BRAIN TAKES THE REINS AND GENTLY REGULATES

THE POWER OUTPUT OF THE ENGINE TO AVOID WHEEL SPIN.

IT CONTROLS THE THROTTLE VALVES WITH EXTREME PRECISION,

MIXING THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF AIR AND FUEL

FOR MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT WITHOUT LOSING TRACTION...

...ACCELERATING TO 60 MILES AN HOUR IN JUST 3 SECONDS

WITHOUT THE FEAR OF BURNING RUBBER.

ALL THE WORK THE APRILIA TEAM HAS DONE COMES DOWN

TO THIS MOMENT.

Narrator: AT THE MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT,

MATTEO BAIOCCO MUST START THE RACE FROM THE SECOND ROW.

TO CRACK THE TOP THREE,

HIS APRILIA RV4 SUPERBIKE MUST PERFORM FLAWLESSLY.

MATTEO SWINGS OUT WIDE AT THE START,

ACCELERATING TO OVER 160 MILES AN HOUR.

THROUGH THE FIRST TWO CORNERS, HE STAYS CLEAR OF TROUBLE

AND HOLDS ONTO FOURTH PLACE OUT OF THE SECOND BEND.

VERY GOOD START. VERY GOOD START.

WOW.

Narrator: AS THE FIELD STRETCHES OUT, MATTEO ON BIKE NUMBER 1

BATTLES FOR THIRD PLACE WITH A BMW IN FRONT OF HIM.

THE BIKES ARE SIDE BY SIDE

AS THEY ENTER THE BACK-TO-BACK HAIRPINS.

MATTEO TAKES THE LEAD THROUGH ONE CORNER,

BUT THE BMW NUDGES AHEAD THROUGH THE NEXT.

THE SUPERBIKE'S TIRES CLING TO THE TARMAC AS MATTEO

LAYS THE BIKE ON ITS SIDE IN THE CORNERS

AT BREATHTAKING SPEEDS.

I THINK WE MAKE THE GOOD CHOICE WITH THE TIRE.

Narrator: AT THESE SPEEDS,

MOMENTARY LOSS OF GRIP COULD SPELL DISASTER.

JUST BEHIND MATTEO, ONE RIDER LOSES GRIP ON HIS REAR WHEEL

WITH DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES.

Man: OH! WHOA. NO.

[ MEN CONVERSING IN ITALIAN ]

Narrator: FORTUNATELY, THE FLYING RIDER

ONLY SUFFERS A BRUISED EGO.

OBLIVIOUS TO THE CHAOS, MATTEO CONTINUES TO CHASE DOWN

BIKE NUMBER 11 IN FRONT OF HIM.

NOW HE'S IN FOURTH POSITION AND START TO CATCH THE BMW

IN THE FRONT.

Narrator: BOTH BIKES SEEM EQUALLY MATCHED ON THE STRAIGHTAWAYS.

FOR MATTEO TO OVERTAKE, HE'LL NEED TO BRAKE LATER

AND HARDER INTO THE CORNERS.

MORE THAN 90% OF THE SUPERBIKE'S BRAKING PERFORMANCE

COMES FROM THE FRONT BRAKE.

IT OFFERS SHARPER PERFORMANCE THAN THE REAR,

BUT PULLING IT TOO HARD RISKS LOCKING UP THE FRONT WHEEL

AND SKIDDING OFF THE TRACK.

IF THE RIDER LOCKS THE FRONT WHEEL GETTING INTO THE CORNER

IN BRAKING PHASE, ALMOST CERTAINLY, IT WILL CRASH.

Narrator: TO PREVENT THIS,

THE SUPERBIKE HAS AN INNOVATIVE FRONT BRAKE.

LARGE-DIAMETER STAINLESS-STEEL BRAKE DISCS PROVIDE INCREASED

BUT REGULATED STOPPING POWER.

IN A RACE, THE METAL HEATS UP

TO A BLISTERING 932 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

SO PRECISION-DRILLED HOLES PROVIDE VENTILATION,

COOLING THE DISCS FASTER, WHILE THEIR ASYMMETRIC PATTERN

AVOIDS CREATING WEAK POINTS IN THE METAL.

IF MATTEO BRAKES TOO HARD,

THE WHEEL WILL LOCK AND START TO SLIDE,

SO THE ONBOARD COMPUTER RAPIDLY FORCES THE BRAKES ON AND OFF,

KEEPING THE WHEEL ON THE TARMAC AND MATTEO ON THE BIKE.

WITH HIS FRONT WHEEL FIRMLY GRIPPING THE TRACK,

MATTEO FLIES THROUGH MISANO'S TOUGHEST CORNERS.

HE'S PUSHING HARD FOR THIRD PLACE,

BUT THE BMW RIDER IN FRONT ISN'T GIVING UP WITHOUT A FIGHT.

THEY CHANGE THE POSITION THREE TIMES IN TWO CORNERS.

Narrator: THE TWO KEEP OVERTAKING EACH OTHER,

THE RIDERS KNEE-TO-KNEE,

EACH REFUSING TO GIVE UP ANY GROUND,

BUT FINALLY MATTEO EDGES PAST HIS COMPETITOR.

HE IS NOW ON COURSE TO GRAB A PRIZE PLACE IN THE TOP THREE,

BUT MATTEO IS HUNGRY FOR MORE,

AND HE NOW SETS HIS SIGHTS ON THE TWO DUCATIS IN FRONT OF HIM.

THE FIRST RIDER, MICHELE PIRRO, IS BEYOND HIS GRASP,

BUT SECOND PLACE IS WITHIN REACH.

MATTEO IS DESPERATE TO OVERTAKE,

BUT HE MUST RESPECT MISANO'S NOTORIOUS CURVES.

THIS INFAMOUS TRACK HAS ALREADY DEVOURED

THE HOPES OF 10 RIDERS IN THIS RACE,

SOME IN SPECTACULAR STYLE.

OH, WOW!

IN THE LAST 20 YEARS,

MISANO HAS CLAIMED THE LIVES OF THREE RIDERS.

EACH TIME HE ACCELERATES OUT OF THE TRACK'S SLOWEST CORNERS,

MATTEO RISKS ACCIDENTALLY POPPING A WHEELIE

AND LOSING CONTROL OF THE BIKE.

IF THE WHEEL COMES UP, THE RIDER LOSES MOST OF HIS CAPABILITY

TO STEER THE BIKE,

SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT MUST BE LIMITED.

Narrator: SO THE SUPERBIKE IS ARMED

WITH AN ARRAY OF DIGITAL SENSORS

TO DETECT THE SPEED AND ANGLE OF EACH WHEEL.

THIS INFORMATION FEEDS INTO THE ONBOARD COMPUTER

SO IT KNOWS EXACTLY HOW THE BIKE IS PERFORMING.

WHEN THE REAR WHEEL SPINS FASTER THAN THE FRONT,

A WHEELIE MAY BE CLOSE AT HAND,

SO THE COMPUTER DELAYS THE SPARK TO THE IGNITION,

REDUCING THE POWER TO THE REAR WHEEL.

JUST ONE TENTH OF A SECOND LATER,

THE SPARKS RETURN AS THE COMPUTER EASES

BACK UP TO FULL POWER,

KEEPING BOTH WHEELS SAFELY ON THE TARMAC.

BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO KEEP HIM IN THE TOP THREE?

Narrator: AT THE MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT,

MATTEO BAIOCCO IS IN THIRD PLACE

AND GUNNING HIS APRILIA RV4 SUPERBIKE

FOR A CRACK AT SECOND PLACE.

MATTEO KEEPS ATTACKING THE DUCATI AHEAD OF HIM,

AND WITH JUST A FEW LAPS REMAINING,

THE PRESSURE HE EXERTS PAYS OFF.

THE DUCATI SUDDENLY PULLS OFF THE TRACK.

THE DUCATI IN SECOND POSITION BROKEN SOMETHING

AND GO OUTSIDE OF THE CORNER.

Narrator: THIS IS THE CHANCE THE TEAM HAS BEEN WAITING FOR.

IF MATTEO CAN HOLD ON, HE MAY TAKE SECOND PLACE.

NOW MATTEO IS IN SECOND POSITION.

Narrator: MATTEO STILL HAS FOUR TOUGH LAPS TO GO,

AND BEHIND HIM, THREE FAST RIDERS

ARE BREATHING DOWN HIS NECK.

SUCCESS NOW DEPENDS ON HOW WELL HIS MEDIUM-SOFT TIRES HOLD UP.

♪♪

♪♪

JUST TWO LAP FOR THE FINISH.

BUT THE BIKES BEHIND HIM AREN'T GIVING UP WITHOUT A FIGHT.

MATTEO MUST RELY ON HIS SUPERBIKE'S SMALL

BUT POWERFUL ENGINE.

IT'S THE RESULT OF A TWO-WHEELED EVOLUTION

THAT BEGAN OVER 100 YEARS AGO.

THE FIRST MOTORBIKES ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE BICYCLES

BUT WERE POWERED BY STEAM ENGINES.

THEY REACHED NEARLY 20 MILES AN HOUR

BUT WERE CUMBERSOME AND DANGEROUS.

IN 1887, A MUCH SAFER MOTORBIKE HIT THE MARKET.

IT RAN ON GASOLINE, BUT WITH A TOP SPEED OF 9 MILES AN HOUR,

IT WAS ACHINGLY SLOW.

OVER THE NEXT CENTURY,

COMBUSTION ENGINES GOT BIGGER AND FASTER,

BUT THESE OVERWEIGHT MUSCLE BIKES

WERE TOO HEFTY TO FLIP FROM SIDE TO SIDE THROUGH TIGHT CORNERS.

THE SUPERBIKE DELIVERS 200 HORSEPOWER

FROM A TINY ALUMINUM ENGINE

TO BALANCE RAW POWER

WITH FEATHERWEIGHT HANDLING.

THIS IS THE LAST LAP.

Narrator: THE TENSION BUILDS IN THE PIT GARAGE.

CAN MATTEO HOLD ON FOR HIS BEST RESULT OF THE SEASON?

IT'S A NAIL-BITING FINAL LAP FOR HIS TEAM AND THE FANS.

10 CORNERS TO GO.

FIVE.

TWO CORNERS.

COME ON, MATTEO.

THE LAST TURN AND ONTO THE FINAL STRAIGHTAWAY.

♪♪

MATTEO CROSSES THE FINISH LINE AND CLINCHES SECOND PLACE.

BRAVO!

Narrator: IT'S A GREAT RESULT

THAT TEAM APRILIA WAS HOPING FOR.

A TOP-THREE FINISH WILL PUT THEM IN CONTENTION

FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP,

AND THE BACK-SLAPPING ISN'T JUST FOR MATTEO.

PLACING SECOND IS THE RESULT OF HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF BLOOD,

SWEAT AND TEARS FROM THE ENTIRE TEAM.

YEAH. GOOD. GOOD.

THAT IS MY BEST RACE OF THE SEASON,

MY BEST RACE WITH APRILIA,

SO THAT IS MY BEST POSITION OF THE SEASON, SECOND.

WE ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE RESULTS.

MATTEO GOT ON THE PODIUM.

IT'S A GOOD POSITION IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP,

SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT RACES

WITH A GREAT LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE.

Narrator: THE RACE MAY BE OVER,

BUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

SOON, THESE LEATHER-CLAD GLADIATORS

WILL GO HEAD-TO-HEAD AT A DIFFERENT TRACK

ON THE SUPERBIKE CIRCUIT.

AND WHEREVER THE TEAMS GO,

THE AMAZING SUPERBIKE WILL BE THE REAL STAR OF THE SHOW.

IT'S ALL THANKS TO THE LIGHTWEIGHT CHASSIS

AND CARBON SKIN,

A TINY BUT MIGHTY ENGINE,

A QUICK-FIRING SEMIAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION,

A NETWORK OF SMART SENSORS AND AN ONBOARD COMPUTER.

IT'S THESE TECHNOLOGICAL SECRETS

THAT HAVE HELPED THE SUPERBIKE EVOLVE

TO BECOME A MEGA MACHINE.