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Motorcycles
Honda aerodynamic scooter conversion results in 214 mpg
By Paul Ridden
14:50 February 3, 2010 PST
Adding a self-built aerodynamic outer shell to a brand new Honda Innova 125i big-wheeled, step through scooter has resulted in its already pretty impressive fuel efficiency being improved considerably. Experienced Dutch cycle designer Allert Jacobs has spent the last couple of years designing, building and tweaking his machine before hitting the road recently for the all important road test. Read More
Tilting 'bullet-proof’ 150mph 3-wheel EV … Urban Jet or urban myth?
By Jeff Salton
22:36 February 2, 2010 PST
The race to produce a narrow, tilting, hybrid motorcycle/car/EV continues with another boutique manufacturer throwing its hat into the ring. This time, its Cherban who has released plans of its concept Urban Jet, a 150mph three-wheeler EV that is said to be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in less than 3.5 seconds. It’s a two-seater (bobsled style – though hopefully not as scary) that leans up to 45° into corners, and is reminiscent of the Dutch Carver (see it briefly in our video on the Nissan Landglider and other narrow track vehicles). Read More
Scala rider G4 headset lets bikers be heard
By Darren Quick
23:09 February 1, 2010 PST
Making oneself heard over the roar of a motorcycle engine can be difficult at the best of times. But being heard over the roar of a motorcycle engine when tearing down the highway with your head encased in a helmet is downright impossible. Naturally technology has come to the rescue in the form of Bluetooth enabled helmets and helmet-to-helmet communication systems. The latest solution to keep chatty bikers happy is the scala rider G4 bike-to-bike Bluetooth headset that offers group intercom between up to three riders at distances of up to one mile (1.6km). Read More
The Vyrus 987 C3 4V: the world's most powerful production motorcycle
By Gizmag Team
20:59 January 28, 2010 PST
The name Vyrus may not be familiar to motorcycle enthusiasts when they begin reading this article, but by the end of it, there’s every chance it will be at the top of their list of “dream bikes.” The small Rimini-based Italian company is currently best known for producing the Bimota Tesi 2D, but the company's new, top-of-the-range, Vyrus 987 C3 4VV naked superbike is just about to propel it to even greater world renown, leapfrogging past a gaggle of superbikes to become the most powerful production motorcycle in the world. It's more powerful than Ducati’s Desmosedici RR, MV Agusta’s F4 312RR, Suzuki’s Hayabusa or Kawasaki’s ZZR1400. The hub-centre-steered Vyrus runs a 211 bhp supercharged 1198cc 1098R Ducati engine, weighs just 158 kg and costs EUR 65,000 (US$91,700). Read More
Peugeot’s incredibly frugal electric E-Vivacity scooter
By Gizmag Team
01:18 January 25, 2010 PST
Peugeot mass produced the first electric scooter 15 years ago and it’s just about to launch another. Way back in 1996, the 40 km range of the Peugeot Scoot'Elec produced a chorus of yawns but when the new E-Vivacity hits showrooms late this year, it will be greeted by a much wiser and ecologically-aware public. Emissions aside, the biggest motivating factor behind the E-Vivacity’s likely sales success will be its remarkably low cost of use. Though its 4kW engine is the equal of a frugal 50cc scooter, its running costs will be one tenth as it recharges from a domestic powerpoint at regular tarrifs. In Paris where its 100 km range will be more than adequate, that will equate to EUR 0.4 (about US$0.56) per 100 km. So if you cover the yearly average scooter distance of 4,000 kms, total running costs will be EUR 16 (US$22.67)! Read More
Suzuki Gladius 650 wins major design award
By Gizmag Team
14:53 January 18, 2010 PST
Now here's one out of left field. Despite the massive development costs of hundreds of new models by dozens of motorcycle manufacturers, and numerous landmark motorcycle launches of 2009, Suzuki's middleweight Gladius 650 has gained the most prestigious award of the Japanese market, taking the honours in the motorcycle category of the famous 'Good Design Awards'. Launched in the spring of 2009, the Gladius features a trellis-styled steel frame and a unique style but unlike most motorcycle award winners (generally assessed by sports oriented motorcycle journalists with added testosterone), it's not a bike designed for the racetrack – it is an entry-level machine aimed at people who want an all-round machine for economical and enjoyable road usage. Read More
The world's first motorcycle comes up for auction
By Gizmag Team
14:22 January 16, 2010 PST
An unrestored example (top left) of the very first vehicle to which the name ‘motorcycle’ (motorrad in German) was ever applied is to come up for auction in April. The 1895 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller motorcycle sounds like a modern motorcycle in its specification – twin-cylinder, four-valve, water-cooled, 1488cc engine – but it is indeed as unconventional as it is rare. Check out the diagram and you’ll see the rear wheel doubled as a pseudo flywheel and indeed, the piston connecting rods and the pushrods that actuate the valve gear are also attached to the rear wheel, there’s no clutch, no brakes and there’s a lot of work to be done on a machine that’ll cost you GBP40,000 to 60,000 before you start. At the end of it all though, you’ll have a bonafide centrepeice for any transport museum. Read More
Yamaha's 1200cc Super Tenere secrets revealed
By Gizmag Team
11:14 January 11, 2010 PST
The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show last October saw some bizarre non-debuts as there had been an accord between the Japanese manufacturers that all would cut back their expenditure on the show in deference to the retrenchments resultant from the GFC. We mentioned this with our coverage of the Yamaha stand's Super Tenere “Art installation” at Tokyo. Here was a somehow fully formed motorcycle that was not really on show. Well the mystique has been maintained, because no images have been released yet, but we now know a lot more about the bike's fine details – the 1200cc parallel twin will have a 270 degree crank (for a v-twin feel), and will use Yamaha's YCC-T ride-by-wire throttle, have switchable engine-mapping, traction control, three-position anti-lock braking, a Unified Braking System that links the front and rear brakes, … Read More
2010 Comoto blurs the boundaries between electric motorcycle and MTB
By Loz Blain
02:31 January 11, 2010 PST
Once you throw out the internal combustion engine and all the bulky bits that go with it, the definition of a motorcycle can suddenly become a lot wider. Take the Comoto from Hirsch Design - it's even smaller than the Zero S bike, and begins to blur the boundaries between motorcycle and mountainbike. Using an electric motor mounted in the rear wheel hub to eliminate the need for a chain drive, the Comoto can do more than 40mph (65kph) and do just over 30 miles (~50km) on a charge under normal riding conditions. Best of all, it weighs just 118 pounds (53kg), making it one of the lightest motorcycles we've seen. Read More
Roehr set to unveil 96 bhp electric sports motorcycle
By Gizmag Team
01:42 January 5, 2010 PST
Roehr Motorcycles, producers of the American-built 180 bhp 1250sc sportbike, is to introduce two electric motorcycles before mid-year, topped by a 96 bhp motorcycle with race level performance, 210 lb/ft of torque, and premium suspension and brake components which it has dubbed the eSuperbike. Significantly, even a lower spec eSupersport model with 48 bhp, 105 lb/ft of torque will top 100 mph. No details have yet been announced on the range of the bikes, but viable electric sports motorcycles are clearly going to be available before the end of the year. Read More
HD Video road test: Victory's Vision megatourer
By Loz Blain
12:40 January 4, 2010 PST
For millions of commuters around the world, motorcycles are a compact and cheap way of getting around town in congested traffic. The Victory Vision is the absolute opposite - there's only been a handful of production bikes ever made that are bigger and heavier than this 400-kilogram, 1740cc American behemoth. It's built to eat up thousands of open-road miles with Harley-beating performance and buttock-coddling luxury - but in a surprise twist, this retro-futuristic mammoth can actually handle surprisingly well to boot. Loz Blain discovers how 10 days on one of the top five heaviest production bikes ever built can change your perspective on motorcycling in our video road test. Read More
Heavy metal concept bike with green cred
By Gizmag Team
04:22 December 29, 2009 PST
Jordan Meadows is best known for his automotive work such as the Award-winning Kaan, Mazda Kiyora and Mazda Furai, but his portfolio includes some remarkable work such as the Hellfighter VTOL aircraft and Hydroplane Racer concepts. His latest concept is the Metalback cafe racer motorcycle, fashioned to exist where substance and sustainability meet speed and style. The engine is a V4 diesel running on environmentally-friendly bio diesel fuel, while the frame and skin are crafted from recycled aluminum. Read More
The AsphaltFighter Stormbringer - 280 bhp production motorcycle
By Gizmag Team
15:38 December 23, 2009 PST
German company Asphaltfighters' latest creation has the most outrageous set of raw numbers we’ve seen for a production motorcycle. The 999cc Stormbringer has 220hp and an extra 60 ponies kick in over 180kmh for a 280bhp total. It’ll run "more than 198mph", hits 62mph in 2.9 seconds, 124mph in 6.5 seconds, and 186mph in 13.9 seconds. It comes standard with a HELD riding suit and kevlar/carbon X-Lite helmet, and the riding position and suspension are all tailored for the purchaser. The machine has the full array of cutting edge technology such 10 stage traction control, heads up display, rear-view camera, programmable speed limiter and, considering what it offers, a remarkably reasonable price tag of EUR 57,500 (USD86,000). Read More
Ceramic coated exhausts protect panniers and pillions
By Alan Brandon
14:38 December 16, 2009 PST
Nothing ruins a motorcycle trip like the smell of burning nylon and the sight of your possessions scattered across the highway. Soft-sided panniers are great when you want to pack some gear for a weekend getaway, but they’re not so great if they come into contact with your bike’s hot exhaust pipe. By applying a Zircotec ceramic coating to your bike’s exhaust system, the manufacturer says you can get rid of the heat shields and protect your panniers (and passenger!) from heat damage. Read More
Honda’s new US$900, 110cc, 164mpg CB Twister
By Gizmag Team
15:01 December 14, 2009 PST
One of the most important motorcycle launches of the year happened on Friday though you’re unlikely to read about it in any of the testosterone-infused websites – it was the Indian unveiling of Honda’s new fuel-efficient and low maintenance 110cc motorcycle model, the CB Twister. Honda sells a million motorcycles a year in India, and next year expects to sell 220,000 Twisters, based on its similar looks to the company’s CBR1000RR flagship, its low maintenance and its outrageous fuel economy (164 U.S. mpg and 197 U.K. mpg) and a price of just US$900. Read More
First ride: BMW S1000RR superbike stuns us at Portimao
17:47 December 8, 2009 PST
For a company which has never built a four-cylinder uncompromising sports machine before, this first effort is incredible. With its combination of breathtaking power, agile handling and incredible rider assistance technologies, BMW’s S 1000 RR could well become the benchmark sportsbike against which all others are compared. Where better to take a first ride of this monster than the glorious Portimao racetrack in Portugal, with a wet morning to test the amazing Race ABS and traction control systems, and a dry afternoon to open BMW's sportiest bike ever up to its full 193-horsepower motherlode - Cycle Torque's Nigel Paterson reports from the world press launch. Read More
Zero Motorcycles to hit the road in 2010 TTXGP
18:38 December 3, 2009 PST
The running of the first ever clean emissions Grand Prix at the Isle of Man in June made 2009 a landmark year in the history of two-wheeled motorsport. Next year is shaping up to be even bigger. A series of races will be run throughout 2010 beginning with TXGP North America Championship at Infineon in Sonoma, California in May. The latest competitor to throw its hat into the ring is US-based Zero Motorcycles, which will make its road racing debut on home turf with a bike that's expected to be based on the Zero S model. Read More
Ducati prepares to smash the adventure bike market to pieces with its 2010 Multistrada 1200
By Loz Blain
00:31 December 2, 2009 PST
The Ducati team set itself a very ambitious goal when it went about re-imagining its least popular model, the Multistrada adventure bike. The aim was to make the 2010 Multistrada a much more flexible bike than anything before it, offering proper sportsbike performance, true long-range touring abilities, easy commuting and a genuine ability to get offroad and play in the dirt. Starting with the monstrous v-twin from the 1198 superbike, the design team has pulled together and integrated a huge range of cutting-edge technologies to get there. In fact, with its traction control, variable engine maps and electronically adjustable Ohlins suspension, there's a good argument to say that it'll be the most technologically advanced motorcycle in production next year. Oh, and it'll be much, much lighter and much, much more powerful than anything else in the adventure bike world. Forget everything you know about Multistradas, this bike is going to be an absolute animal. Read More
Electric Voltra concept paves the way for sexy next-gen motorcycle design
By Loz Blain
00:06 December 1, 2009 PST
As we wrote in last week's article about the ECOS Harbinger, one of the best things about electric vehicles is that they're much simpler in many ways than a petrol vehicle to build. Freed from the necessities of fuel tanks, airboxes, cooling systems, exhausts and the bulky combustion motor itself, designers are going to be able to start with a pretty blank sheet when it comes to designing tomorrow's electric motorcycles. Take the Voltra, a design study by Aussie student Dan Anderson - with its low-slung, bulldog looks, a seat unit that looks like it's floating on air, detachable dash and an engine-mounted swingarm pivot. It's a filthy sexy bike - and yet unlike anything we've seen before; a blue-sky reinvention of the motorcycle based on the new rules the electric age is going to bring in. Read More
E is for electric: The BMW C1-E concept scooter
By Alan Brandon
21:36 November 17, 2009 PST
When BMW released their original C1 scooter in 2000 nobody had seen anything like it on the road. And not many C1s were seen on the road after it was released either. In the three years that BMW produced the scooter-with-a-roll-cage, only about 12000 were made. The riding public didn’t quite know what to make of the C1 and BMW never sold as many as it had hoped. Now BMW has brought the urban runabout back as the C1-E concept vehicle with an electric drivetrain. Could it be the C1’s time has come? Read More
Piaggio shows high performance hybrid two wheeler
By Mike Hanlon
15:03 November 14, 2009 PST
Piaggio's MP3 was the world's first hybrid three-wheeler and at EICMA this week, it showed what is likely to be the first two-wheeled hybrid – the Piaggio USB (urban sport bike). The combination of a highly efficient, low-emmission GDI (gasoline direct injection) two-stroke motor and an electric motor, the USB is much smaller than it looks in the images and weighs in at just 130 kg. The USB runs 50km (30 miles) on electric only, and returns 1.5 l/100 km (156 U.S. mpg and 188 imperial mpg). Read More
BMW brings back the six-cylinder motorcycle with its hottest concept bike ever
By Loz Blain
22:35 November 12, 2009 PST
BMW released stunning images this week of a new concept motorcycle that nobody saw coming, featuring the resurgence of an engine configuration we all thought was long-dead. In recent years Triumph has stamped itself as the master of modern triples, and now BMW has made a clear statement of intent that it's bringing the inline six back to the bike world. The Concept 6 showcases a brand-new 1600cc engine that's four inches narrower than any previous production six, and produces truly prodigious power and torque throughout the rev range. And it's housed in a cafe racer body that has to go down as the sexiest motorcycle design BMW have ever produced. Sensational stuff... We can has production model plz? Read More
Exclusive pics: Mavizen TTX02 electric superbike
18:17 November 10, 2009 PST
We've long argued that electric motorbikes make sense - low-emissions, quiet operation, instant torque and hardly any maintenance compared with their gas-guzzling cousins. The sluggish reaction of the established industry players to this e-revolution has created an opportunity for names like Brammo, Vectrix and Zero to try their hand, and now a brand that dares to put the words "electric" and "superbike" in the same sentence. Launched last week in Las Vegas, the 130+ mph, GBP25,000 Mavizen TTX02 is based around a KTM RC8 frame, ships with two Agni motors and boasts a hot-swappable battery and drivetrain architecture. Born from, and bred for, the world's first electric GP, the bike is a "laptop on wheels" that runs on the Linux OS, comes with with integrated IP connectivity and a USB based system bus for open source engine management, and although it's not being sold as a street legal machine, TTXGP founder Azhar Hussain says the package can still provide a pathway from the racetrack to the road. Read More
Wraps to come off Mavizen TTX02 electric superbike
By Gizmag Team
23:38 November 1, 2009 PST
A new era of motor sport began in June this year with the running of the world's first zero-emissions GP at the famous Isle of Man circuit. Now the TTXGP’s manufacturing arm is set to unveil a factory production electric superbike. Billed as "a computer on wheels", the Mavizen TTX02 is designed to deliver racing performance in a versatile package that will serve as a development platform for would-be competitors in the fledgling world of the e-GP... and it even comes with its own dedicated IP access and connectivity to the network. Read More
VFR1200 Tourer: The World's safest bike?
By Ben Purvis
05:08 October 27, 2009 PDT
The oddball styling of Honda's forthcoming VFR1200T tourer isn't just the result of a designer's whim; the shape is designed to radically reduce rider injuries in the most common sorts of accidents. The appearance of the touring version of Honda's fourthcoming V4 has already been revealed in design patents which copyright the bike's styling, but for the first time we've managed to dig beneath the skin and discover that the looks aren't simply there to catch buyers' eyes. In fact, they've been dictated by the technology underneath. Read More
Mr Stiffy
- February 9, 2010 @ 06:26 UTC
