Valentino Rossi’s 100km dei Campioni race at the VR46 Motor Ranch always attracts some interest, but there’s even more hype this weekend thanks to Danilo Petrucci.
The VR46 Motor Ranch will host the 10th edition of the 100km dei Campioni this weekend, and not content with merely showing up on a 450F like everyone else, Danilo Petrucci has brought something more spectacular.
Namely, a Tomasin T500, which, as suggested by its name, uses a 500cc engine. But this isn’t a trick frame with a KTM 500 EXC-F four-stroke engine swap. Instead, the Tomasin takes a Honda CRF450 (2021-24 model years), throws away the 450cc four-stroke motor, and replaces it with a 500cc two-stroke engine.
The engine is a more modern two-stroke motor - certainly compared to something you’d find in a Honda CR500, for example - and comes with electric fuel injection and electric start. There’s even launch control, five engine maps to choose from, and an electric water pump.
Tomasin’s 500cc engine swap kit for the CRF450 is also particularly handy in that you can swap back to the original 450 engine with relative ease, as fitting the 500 requires no modifications to the chassis.
We’re not sure whether Barni Ducati WorldSBK rider Petrucci will win the 100km dei Campioni - which will also feature riders such as Valentino Rossi himself, reigning MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia, and 2023 Moto2 World Champion Pedro Acosta among many others - but we are pretty sure he will achieve whatever result he does sounding far better than anyone else.
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