Motorcycles

We have developed a fondness for delightfully eccentric companies here at Gizmag, and the Confederate Motor Company is about as avant-garde as it's possible to be. The company is just about to release its fourth motorcycle, and indications suggest a landmark vibration-canceling technology is on the cards for its new big V-twin. No images have been released of the complete bike, but it is expected to be as visually challenging as its predecessors (pictured). The X132 Hellcat will use a new motor (also pictured) developed in collaboration with S&S Cycle and you can see quite clearly that there's some considerable space been devoted to the "revolutionary" engine mounting system. Read More

American manufacturer ZEV has issued a fairly blunt challenge to other electric motorcycle manufacturers such as Vectrix, Zero Motorcycles and Brammo, by claiming to have the fastest and most powerful production electric scooter on the market in its US$7237 ZEV7000. "We tell them to bring their street legal production bike and to bring their betting money. There can be only one "fastest" street legal production electric motor scooter or bike in the world." Read More

The yogo, by fledgling British company econogo, is the UK's first and only full production electric scooter that has removable lithium batteries. What’s so good about that? Well, instead of having to run an extension lead from a mains electricity socket inside the house or garage, the yogo’s removable battery allows owners to recharge their scooter’s battery inside their home - or office, which greatly increases the flexibility of a scooter that only has a range of 22 miles per battery charge. Carry another charged battery with you and double the distance you can travel before having to recharge (it only takes an hour). With a top speed of 38mph, the Yogo’s 1.5kW motor is billed as the equivalent of 100cc motorbike. Read More

A British company believes it has come up with a revolutionary seat upgrade for racetrack riders. The Chicane saddle unit ditches the traditional foam butt-pad for a series of rollers and gears to allow riders to slide smoothly from knee-down left to knee-down right in a tight series of corners without having to lift their entire bodyweight off the seat to do so. It's a fascinating idea, particularly for those of us that find track riding physically demanding on the legs - and the inventors believe it could help dampen the bowel-loosening sideways flick of a highside as well. Read More

We've spent plenty of time looking at the spec sheets for Aprilia's barnstorming new superbike, the 180-horsepower RSV4 - and marvelling at the potential of what has to be the most race-focused roadbike ever to hit the market. Now it's time to take this beast out on the road and see how it goes. Sit back and enjoy our most in-depth video review yet - it's white knuckles and brown underpants as we road test the 2010 Aprilia RSV4-R. Read More

Yamaha has finally released full specifications for its new middleweight street sportsbikes, the naked FZ8-N and semi-faired Fazer8. A 779cc engine derived from the FZ1 donk is the star of the show, with a complete FZ1 frame and swingarm as well. The new engine makes significantly more torque than the smaller FZ6 for a gruntier, more accessible power curve around town - but builds to a healthy 105-horsepower top end rush when it's time to get a boogie on. It looks like a fun, fast and friendly street sportsbike - and yes, FZ6 fans, it has formally replaced the 600 in the FZ lineup. Read More

Things seem to be going well for US-based electric motorcycle company Zero Motorcycles which has debuted its 2010 lineup consisting of four new bikes at Daytona Bike Week. The new Zero S, DS, X and MX are equipped with performance enhancements that allow for higher top speeds and greater acceleration than earlier models and feature enhanced power pack technology. Read More

There’s no doubt that wearing a motorcycle helmet is better than not wearing one, but various studies have shown that there’s one potentially-lethal injury that they don’t protect against - rotational injury, also known as intracerebral shearing. When a rider’s helmet hits the road, its rigid shell catches against the pavement and causes the helmet to very rapidly twist around. The rider’s head twists with the helmet, but does it so quickly that the brain doesn’t quite keep up, moving a few milliseconds after the skull it’s contained in. The result is the shearing of nerves and blood vessels, resulting in disabilities or even death. Lazer Helmets is now offering something claimed to reduce the risk of this injury by almost 70% - helmets with skin. Read More

Gizmag travelled to Phillip Island, Australia for Yamaha's unveiling of the new Super Tenere 1200 adventure motorcycle - one of the world's first chances to take a look at this highly anticipated challenger to BMW's R1200GS. Check out the video after the jump, as we talk you through the bike's features and specs. Read More