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Motorcycles
Mission One unveils 150mph Electric Sportbike
By Mike Hanlon
15:39 February 4, 2009 PST
February 4, 2009 Mission Motors emerged from stealth start-up mode at TED2009 today, unveiling a truly landmark motorcycle and one which will no doubt be creating rumblings through every motorcycle manufacturer in the world as you read this. The Mission One is almost certainly the world's fastest production all-electric motorcycle, but at the same time catapults electric motorcycles into contention as genuine sports motorcycles. With a top speed of 150 MPH and a range of 150 miles, the Mission One rivals existing sportbikes, but it's the torque of the electric motor which will make ALL the difference - 100 lb-ft from 0 rpm all the way to 6500 rpm – by comparison, a 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 produces 85 lb-ft at 10,000 rpm and the torquiest motorcycle on the market, the 2.3 litre Triumph Rocket III, produces 147 lb-ft. Read More
AutoMoto tilting three-wheeler: cheap, practical commuting fun
By Loz Blain
02:00 February 3, 2009 PST
There was lots of interest last year when we wrote about Sidam's Xnovo, which essentially looked like a 500cc micro-minivan on three wheels. But the Xnovo hasn't materialized on the market yet, and its USD$10,000 projected price robs it of any practical claim to economy. The California-built AutoMoto, however, achieves many of the Xnovo's aims for less than half the price. It's got a roof, a windshield, wipers, an MP3 stereo, CVT, two seats and a large, lockable storage trunk - and it has three wheels, with two at the rear, which attach to a platform that allows the body to tilt when cornering. Its 150cc engine gets 83mpg in daily use - 30mpg better than the Toyota Prius - and it's much easier to park. It can squeeze through traffic like any other scoot, but it doesn't require a motorcycle license or helmet in many US states. The AutoMoto should prove itself to be a practical and fun way to get around and it looks like a bargain too, at only USD$3800. Read More
2009 World Superbike Championship: season preview and predictions
By Loz Blain
23:52 February 2, 2009 PST
The global financial crisis has clearly hammered the highest echelons of prototype racing, with established teams like Honda and Kawasaki pulling out of F1 and MotoGP respectively in the last couple of months. But for the production-based (and much cheaper) World Superbike series, things have never looked better than they do at the start of 2009. Despite the retirement of beloved champion Troy Bayliss, the 2009 WSBK grid will field a record 32 bikes from a record 7 manufacturers as BMW and Aprilia join the fray with exotic new machinery. There's also an influx of phenomenally talented riders - including AMA champ Ben Spies, BSB champ and ex-GP god Shakey Byrne, and precocious youngsters Tom Sykes and Leon Haslam to do battle with battle-hardened veterans like Nitro Nori Haga, Biaggi, Corser and Kagayama. The first pre-season test has been run, giving us a glimpse at who's fast and who's faster, so it's time for a WSBK season preview, looking at the class, the teams, the bikes and the personalities that make SBK the race series to watch in 2009. Read More
Ducati 1198S wraps 8-stage traction control into a bargain package
By Loz Blain
22:36 January 28, 2009 PST
MotoGP fans can argue all they like about whether Casey Stoner's 2007 World Championship was a triumph of Ducati electronics over rider skill - but the fact remains that traction control technology is certainly relevant to us lesser riders, particularly in an age where half the price of a family car can buy you a 180-horsepower, featherlight superbike missile at any dealership. Ducati's 2009 1198S packs a 170-horsepower, 97lb-ft L-twin, top-rate Öhlins suspension front and rear, 7-spoke Marsechini wheels, an upgraded data acquisition and downloading system - and the same 8-stage traction control system you'd find on Stoner's GP8 or Bayliss's 1098R. Oh, and if you paid USD$40K for the 1098R last year, you might be annoyed to find out that this year's 1198S, a virtually identical bike with just 10 less horsepower in stock trim, is going to sell for less than USD$22K. Ouch. Read More
The Fury - Honda builds a chopper
By Mike Hanlon
14:33 January 16, 2009 PST
January 16, 2009 Honda finally released the fine detail and first photos on its 2010 Fury motorcycle today at the New York International Motorcycle Show, and the rumors we’ve been hearing have at last been confirmed – Honda is to build a full-on chopper, styled far more radically than anything Harley has ever put into production. Though no-one outside Honda has ridden it yet, we’d suggest that it will be the best handling, sweetest running, most comfortable, most reliable and affordable chopper the world has yet seen, lacking just one thing – a Harley Davidson badge. Read More
Xtreme Green’s US$8000 65 mph Electric Motorcycle set for launch
By Mike Hanlon
22:17 January 12, 2009 PST
January 13, 2009 Start-up Xtreme Green is set to release several new and highly desirable electricity-powered machines in 2009, including a 4kW (5.4 bhp) motorcycle, a 3kW (4 bhp) scooter, a 250 pound Jetboard for watersport enthusiasts with a top speed of 35 mph, and three-wheeled Police Mobility Vehicle (see image gallery). The 266 pound lightweight motorcycle is the one that appears most likely to succeed in the marketplace in the short term, with a top speed of 65 mph, 2-3 hour plug-in charge time for the built-in battery charger, and a range of nearly 100 miles. Pricing has just been announced at US$7000 and with that much power and negligible running costs, we suspect the new company has lucked out in delivering the right product at the right time. Read More
The Royal Enfield Bullet – the world’s longest running production motorcycle
By Mike Hanlon
12:52 January 12, 2009 PST
January 13, 2009 The Royal Enfield Bullet has the longest production run of any motorcycle in history, having remained continuously in production since 1948, and with roots back to the1932 Bullet which was one of the fastest bikes on the road at the time – the Bullet has just been completely redesigned, and as the Bullet Classic, has all the hallmark design cues of its 75 year heritage, plus electronic fuel injection, a “unit construction” (one-piece), all-alloy engine/gearbox and a range of dress-up kits to turn it into a café racer or classic scrambler. It also makes more power than any previous Bullet, though with its modest 20.3 kW (27.3 bhp) output, it’s still regarded as a learner motorcycle in most countries. Most importantly, it’s cheap as chips, and returns better than 80 mpg. Read More
The 2WD Track diesel motorcycle with CVT
By Mike Hanlon
21:32 December 29, 2008 PST
December 30, 2008 The Dutch E.V.A. company has been working on both a diesel motorcycle and a 2WD system for several years and the two have finally come together, with the release of the EUR 17,500 Track Diesel Motorcycle with adjustable front wheel hydraulic drive system as an optional extra. The 50 bhp in-line three cylinder diesel is both turbocharged and intercooled and offers a whopping 130Nm of torque from 1800 rpm upwards. The CVT (Constantly Variable Transmission) helps the motorcycle keep its revs low and it hence uses very little fuel – 2.1 l/100km at 90 kmh – and is to be marketed as a go-anywhere adventure machine with an appetite for almost any fuel available (it’ll run on PPO), a full aluminium luggage travel system, and a desert-sand lifting device for lone adventurers. Read More
Honda to market electric motorcycle by 2010
By Mike Hanlon
22:30 December 18, 2008 PST
Honda has been quick to signal some radical changes in direction to enable it to endure the tough times expected in 2009. Following news that it is cancelling all F1 racing involvement and development, and likewise with the successor to the NSX sports car, the company has announced it intends to pursue ever cleaner automotive technologies and the most exciting of its announcements is that it will have an electric motorcycle on the market before the end of 2010. Honda’s original core product was the motorcycle and history shows that motorcycle sales remain strong in difficult times – the Honda announcement of an electric motorcycle is likely to spur rivals Yamaha and Suzuki into action, with both having shown fantastic electric bikes already, and both afraid to give Honda a head start in what will surely be a massive market. Read More
Single-sided front swingarm could steer the way to better motorcycle handling
By Loz Blain
04:56 December 2, 2008 PST
December 2, 2008 If center-hub steering like that found on the Bimota TESI 3D isn't radical enough for you, perhaps this'll do the trick: Tier Motorsports have released a set of concept illustrations featuring a Yamaha R1 that's been modified with a single-sided front swingarm. The aim of the design is to provide a completely vertical steering axis for the front wheel, making for a much more direct and responsive steering effect than is possible with angled forks - and the idea also opens up the possibility of virtually frameless bikes, in which both the front and rear swingarms mount directly from the engine and no heavy steering stem/headstock is needed. Fascinating stuff. Read More
The GBP20,000 TTX01 - 86 BHP, Electric 2WD Motorcycle
By Mike Hanlon
01:18 November 27, 2008 PST
UPDATED It’s the first electric superbike and though its range is considerably less than the first modern four-stroke superbike, the 1969 Honda CB750, its top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) is almost identical. Yesterday the first prototype of the TTX01 Electric Superbike was showcased at a press conference for the 2008 NEC Bike Show. Built to demonstrate the potential of electric sports motorcycles for the first emissions-free Grand Prix, the initial prototype is based on a Suzuki GSX750 frame and running gear and runs two 43 bhp Agni Lynch Electric motors arranged in line with the frame. Together, the motors produce 125 Newton Metres of torque and both have been modified to withstand high RPM using Kevlar-reinforced armatures. The vision is to create a lightweight, carbon fiber framed 2WD TTX02 with "hot swappable", 20 kilowatt hour battery packs, regenerative braking and a production run of 50 machines in 2010 with a target price of GBP20,000. Read More
Bimota's DB7 Oronero: a sportsbike symphony in carbon fiber
By Loz Blain
06:59 November 24, 2008 PST
In its past reincarnation, Italian motorcycle company Bimota built a reputation around its ability to take the great Japanese and Italian engines of the time and put them into a chassis package that would actually handle - but when the brand relaunched in 2003, many wondered what relevance Bimota would have in an era when the vast majority of modern sportsbikes handle brilliantly straight out of the crate. But it seems there's still room at the top end of the market for bespoke chassis designers, which is a good thing because otherwise we'd never see revolutionary designs like the center-hub steered TESI 3D or the magnificent DB7 Oronero, which boasts one of the first all-carbon fiber frame, subframe and swingarm packages ever to grace a production bike. A truly pornographic piece of motorcycle art, the Oronero also promises breathtaking performance with a weight of just 164 kilograms being propelled by the 164-horsepower Ducati 1098 powerplant. Read More
Greenfly: the LPG-powered custom motorcycle
By Loz Blain
23:27 November 20, 2008 PST
Alternative fuel motorcycles are a hot topic at the moment, with electric, hydrogen and diesel engines being bolted into two-wheeler frames more and more commonly in an effort to get maximum bang for the energy buck. But this is the first bike we've seen to take on a Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) tank. Apart from offering around 70mpg, Dave Akhurst's Greenfly is also a beautifully designed custom with some very special touches, such as a single-sided front fork and rims that detach from the star-shaped hub to make tire changes literally a five-minute job. Read More
Toyota and Ducati build motorcycle race transporter
By Mike Hanlon
03:12 November 19, 2008 PST
November 19, 2008 Ducati and Toyota collaborated to produce one of the most impressive motorcycle accessories we’ve ever seen at the recent specialist automotive equipment SEMA show in Las Vegas. Beginning with a 2009 Toyota Tundra as a base, the race transporter produced is something to behold – under the skin it’s turbocharged, with special suspension and brakes but the design and functionality of the vehicle was the knockout with a lengthened chassis, flip up bedsides, a motorized loading ramp, integrated tool and spares storage, and popup solar panels for accessory power. Twas all tied thematically to the bike on the back, the US$70,000 Ducati Desmosedici RR – the only street legal MotoGP bike yet produced – owned by such luminaries as Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Michael Jordan. Read More
KTM 2WD hybrid dirt bike
By Mike Hanlon
17:37 November 11, 2008 PST
Patents lodged by Austrian Competition Motorcycle Manufacturer KTM indicate that a hybrid 2WD dirt bike is not far away. Common sense dictates that a motorcycle with both wheels driven (2WD) will go around corners faster and with greater surety than one equipped only with the motorcycle’s traditional rear-wheel drive, much the same as 4WD cars offer superior traction to their rear or front wheel drive brethren. A lot of interesting development work has been done over the last decade with Yamaha offering Ohlins 2WD system on selected enduro bikes in Europe, Christini developing mechanical AWD (aka 2WD) kits for Honda and KTM dirt bikes and KTM talking publicly about its hydraulic 2WD development. Now it appears KTM is to employ a small electric motor on each wheel to supply additional torque when it’s needed. A recently filed set of patent applications heralds some exciting prospects. Read More
BMW unveils F 800 R roadster
23:08 November 10, 2008 PST
The 1200cc Lo-Rider concept may have been the big story to emerge from the BMW Motorrad camp at last week's EICMA 2008 Milan Motorcycle Show, but it wasn't the only new kid on the block. Set to join the F800S and ST in the company's mid-market line-up from May 2009, the new F 800 R naked roadster sports an 87hp in-line 2-cylinder engine, F800GS-style headlights, chain drive and a new light alloy cast double-sided swingarm. Read More
Ducati 1098 Streetfighter unveiled
22:05 November 5, 2008 PST
Ducati has officially taken the wraps off its new super-naked - the Streetfighter - and it's one mouth-watering package. The familiar Ducati trellis-frame houses a water-cooled 1098cc L-Twin putting out 155 horsepower, add an aluminum single sided swingarm, dry clutch, Brembo radial monoblocs, Marella electronic fuel injection, stainless steel 2-1-2 exhaust system and a weight figure of 167 kilos and you have a bike that backs its aggressive stance with performance topping anything the company has ever released without fairings. Read More
BMW's brutal Lo-Rider concept bike unveiled at EICMA Milan
By Loz Blain
23:01 November 4, 2008 PST
Big change is afoot at BMW's motorcycle division. After unleashing the ferocious K1300 series, the crazy HP2 Megamoto and the instantly-competitive S1000R superbike, BMW today showed a bruising concept bike to the fascinated crowds at Milan's EICMA motorcycle expo. Reminiscent of the certified bad-ass Confederate Hellcat, the 1200cc Boxer-engined Lo-Rider is a nasty-looking stubby musclebike that takes BMW's conservative image and beats it to a pulp behind the school toilets. The Lo-Rider is nearly ready for production if interest is high (which it will be) - and BMW are already talking about a mix-n-match sales process that lets customers choose their own headlight, seat and tail units, pipes and paint schemes for a true factory custom vibe. Read More
KillaCycle electric-motorcycle sets new drag record
23:31 October 27, 2008 PDT
The KillaCyle has again caused record-keepers to reach for their erasers with a world beating run of 7.890 seconds for the quarter mile at the Bandimere Speedway in Colorado. The day out for owner/designer Bill Dube’ and his team was topped off by an earlier run in which the 500hp two-wheeler set a new top speed mark 174.05 mph. Read More
Honda demonstrates V2V communication system for motorcyclists
20:52 October 22, 2008 PDT
No matter what your skill level, being aware of what's going on around you is THE most critical safety factor for all road users - if you don't see it coming, you are in big trouble. For motorcyclists, who are simply less visible on the roads and face a much greater risk of death or serious injury in the event that an accident does occur, this factor becomes even more important. In the past, the technology dedicated to inter-vehicle communication has been limited to blowing the horn or perhaps catching a radio report of an accident up ahead, but things are changing fast. This brings us to Honda's latest innovation in the field. The company has debuted a new Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication (V2V) system aimed at reducing road casualties of both motorcyclists and car drivers which links vehicles within a defined radio range via a wireless LAN network to provide immediate access to data on vehicle location, accidents, congestion or other potential threats that lie ahead. Read More
Peugeot's 3-wheel hybrid scooter concept puts a roof over your head
00:41 October 15, 2008 PDT
October 15, 2008 It's not a car and it's not quite a scooter. Peugeot's HYmotion3 compressor concept vehicle is an original mix of previously seen design elements - a semi-enclosed shell akin to BMW's C1 or the Benelli Adiva and the carving 3-wheel layout of Piaggio's MP3 - with hybrid drivetrain technology added to produce a 2-person vehicle that promises low CO2 emissions as well as greater safety and weather protection than conventional scooters. Read More
Bizarre Honda V4 concept bike has us scratching our heads
By Loz Blain
04:45 October 10, 2008 PDT
Honda have released a new concept sportsbike at Intermot that frankly has us completely stumped. The V4 Concept Model is meant to showcase Honda's intention to "use the power of dreams to take motorcycling somewhere it has never been before" - somewhere, presumably, where motorcycles do away with things like tyres, suspension, brakes, axles and final drive systems. Can YOU figure out a single piece of relevant information this machine is signaling about tomorrow's Hondas, or is it a simple styling exercise? Read More
Super-grandpa: BMW's most powerful bikes gain an extra 136cc
By Loz Blain
15:31 October 9, 2008 PDT
Whatever else could be said about the K1200 series BMWs, they could never have been accused of lacking power. The 168hp K1200R naked, for example, was the most powerful production naked going around, and by a considerable margin, until yesterday's announcement that BMW were re-building the S, R, and GT models with an extra 136cc, upping the power and particularly the torque to 175hp and 103 ft-lbs for 2009. Incremental improvements are found all over the bikes as well - including (finally) a standard single indicator switch, ironing out an annoyance that has plagued BMW buyers for decades. Read More
Stoner wins MotoGP, Rossi puts on a display to take second
17:48 October 5, 2008 PDT
Last year's world champ Casey Stoner led from pole to clinch victory in the Australian MotoGP today, but most of the excitement lay behind him as Valentino Rossi cut a swathe through the field from his 12th-place grid position, slipping past Nicky Hayden on the final lap to finish second. Read More
Unpredictable weather tests riders in lead up to Australian MotoGP
18:06 October 3, 2008 PDT
Quickly changing weather has given teams two starkly opposed practice sessions to prepare for Sunday’s Australian MotoGP race. After a completely dry and warm morning session, the first rains started to appear at lunchtime - and conditions were atrocious by the time free practice session #2 started at 2pm. Read More
windykites1
- November 24, 2009 @ 19:38 UTC
