Zero has introduced their new street legal electric motorcycle and it looks promising as an around town alternative to a scooter. At 228 lbs, with 62 lb-ft of torque, it should have really excellent (and entertaining) acceleration. With a 60 mile range and a 60 mph top speed, it will Read more…
All of the auto makers are jumping on the “lose your job, bring the car back” bandwagon and it has certainly helped Hyundai who is one of the few companies that hasn’t lost massive numbers in their sales. It is no secret that the motorcycle manufacturers are hurting in a Read more…
Aprilia’s demo rides at Daytona were such a complete success, that they are taking the show on the road to several other events this summer. That means that if you missed out in Daytona, you now have a second chance to get an extended ride on the Aprilia of your Read more…
Well, that bike lasted all of 1 day after I finished it. I was hoping to keep it and ride it for a couple of months, but the first customer who saw it, bought it. He has a very sweet looking bike now! At any rate, here are a few Read more…
Well, I got the FZ6 put back together today, and except for some wet sanding and buffing, it is done. The pictures look good, but like most bikes, it looks better in person. As you can see from the last post, it was wrecked and needed the whole front fairing Read more…
Yep, you read that correctly. But it isn’t a new factory model, it is a 2005 FZ6 that was wrecked and I am repairing. It will be missing the quarter fairing and headlight assembly in favor of a naked single round 7in headlight. The “Daytona Special” designation comes from the Read more…
Here is a quick picture of the SV with the tank on it. I should get it put back together this weekend and have some more pictures on Monday.
Well, we all know that there has never been a SV650 Flat track bike, but I love the colors of the old Harley XR’s (and the new ones!) so I decide to paint a 05 SV in those colors. Looks very cool so far. More pictures to come as I Read more…
One of my friends had his GPz550 entered in the Daytona Vintage Auction last weekend. His bike was at the tail end of the auction, so he got to sit through the whole thing and watch what the bikes were selling for- or not selling for. One thing he noticed Read more…
Well, it is Bike Week in Daytona and I’m sure that the festivities are well under way. We probably won’t get down there until the end of the week- if all goes well. I do wonder if the economy will have a large effect on how many people go this Read more…
It looks like the answer might be yes- but a qualified yes. Corser is in the hunt, but still a long way off from the Ducatis which are qualified 1&2 presently. From BMW- BMW MOTORRAD MOTORSPORT – SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA – QUALIFYING 02/27/2009 Lap times close Read more…
The quick conversion is 143 mph… I remember hitting a giant dragonfly on my bike at about 100 mph one time and I thought I had been shot. It really is a miracle that he didn’t crash. The progress continues as the first race gets closer. Munich. BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s Read more…
I went to the National Powersports Auction in Atlanta on Friday and they were auctioning off almost 2000 bikes. It was crazy. If you don’t have a game plan in place, you will be overwhelmed since they are running 4 lanes at a time- Sportbikes, Cruisers, ATV’s and Harleys. Tons Read more…
Here is today’s press release from BMW concerning their new World Superbike team. If the bike is competitive they have a couple of riders who can get on to podium. Any time there is new competition from a major player like BMW, it is a good thing for the sport. Read more…
Here is a new twist to the standard free Demo rides that practically all the manufacturers offer at the various motorcycle events like Daytona, Barber, etc. – a premium demo ride that you actually pay a small $20.00 fee (relatively speaking) for. This might just work since it will keep Read more…
Ducati’s contests are always cool because they give the regular, average owner a chance to show what they have done at a variety of venues. The first “Showdown” this year is at Daytona, so if you are taking you Duc down for bike week, consider leaving it at the Island Read more…
This actually happened last month, but it is worth posting for those who might not have heard about it. The possibility exists that the frame could crack below and behind the steering head on a bike that has been stunted or crashed. I find it hard to believe that Suzuki Read more…
Years ago- back in the 70’s, Consumer reports tested motorcycles for their readers. As bike sales fell in the 80’s, they quit. Well, when bike sales soared this past summer due to 4.00/gal gas, they got back in the motorcycle testing business. But the question is “can we learn anything Read more…
This event happens every year, but it is worth mentioning for those of you who will be in Daytona for Bike Week. This year they are shining the spotlight on 2 flat track legends- Parker and Springsteen. All of the proceeds go to the AMA Motorcycle Museum in Ohio. Plus, Read more…
A Vincent Black Shadow is one of the rarest and most desirable motorcycles ever made. Leno has one is his collection and you can watch the video to get some of the history. Very cool bike. I suspect that the final price of this bike will be way out of Read more…
Well, you know the old saying- “Scooters are fun to ride, you just don’t want your bike friends seeing you on one”. That is generally true, but scooters have gotten a lot better and a lot faster making them even more fun. So, if you have a garage to hide Read more…
Check this out from over at Autoblog… In a follow up to yesterday’s post on Hayden and Stoner in the Italian Alps, we have a few pictures of them racing the Ferrari F1 drivers in Karts on the ice. Looks like a lot of fun and as it turns out, Read more…
Here is a nice picture of Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner showing off their new GP ride for the 09 season, the GP9, in the new team colors. The bike was officially unveiled last week in the Dolomite mountains in Italy. Sweet bike and a sweet place to hang out Read more…
Well, this is crazy… Northrop Grumman is celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the B-2 bomber and so they commissioned OCC to build a custom bike for the event. Custom is cool except when you are a gov’t contractor and are basically using tax money on toys. Oh well, check Read more…
I saw this over at 2 Wheels Blog and had to post it. How cool would it be to get a new RD350 2 stroke from Yamaha. It’s all speculation, but it’s always fun to dream- Thanks Jerry!
I’ve seen this ad all over the web – Harley is advertising that you will get your full purchase price back on any Sportster model if you trade up to a bigger model within a year. Harley’s idea of riding free is a little different than my idea. You do Read more…
Yep, Aprilia is offering a hooligan bike in the US to compete with the likes of Ducati’s HyperMotard. Too bad Suzuki has discontinued the SV1000S. They were easily converted to the 03 only naked style and offered tons ‘o fun for very cheap money. But the Aprilia is really priced Read more…
Craig over at Hemmings Auto Blogs posted a few pictures of stuff he saw just standing around while he was at Mid-Ohio’s Vintage days. After going to the Vintage weekend at Barber (Birmingham, AL) this past October, I can attest to the fact that you will see a lot of Read more…
Wow, things must really be tough at Honda. It shouldn’t surprise us with what is happening in the economy, but for some reason we tend to think of Honda as being above it all. But the reality is that not only are their auto sales down over 30%, but motorcycle/powersports Read more…
Here is another Motorcycle Survey done by JD Power assessing the satisfaction of new motorcycle buyers. The numbers are good and trend upward suggesting that the quality of the bikes and service is getting better each year. But there is one trend that is not good- the average age of Read more…
Ducati Seattle has been nice enough to post 48 pictures of the new Streetfighter. Lots of detail shots and different angles. So if you aren’t likely to get a chance to see one in person anytime soon, this is the next best alternative. Happy viewing! This is motorcycle prOn, so Read more…
Here is some good info for those who are either buying or selling motorcycles. One area I can completely sympathize with the dealer in, is the test ride problem. It is not as simple as test driving a car since you have no idea of the buyers riding skills and Read more…
Well, Buell’s have never had very good resale, but up until recently, they actually did pretty well in the showroom. However, with the recent, umm, economic downturn, you can score a new 08 1125 for under $8000.00 in some locations. That is a smokin deal no matter how controversial the Read more…
For a quick virtual tour of the new Harley museum, click on the different areas for descriptions of what you will find there. They also have wallpapers, Facebook backgrounds, a webcam and other cool stuff. From the look of the webcam, nobody is riding in Milwaukee today! If you are Read more…
If you have visited Ducati’s site recently, you have undoubtedly seen the new 170HP 1198 Superbike. I’m not too crazy about the white color, although it would look a lot better if the wheels were white as well. Still, with just a little paint work, this could be a stunning Read more…
OK, this is crazy… A Smart Four Two (usually about 70HP) with a 200HP (give or take) Suzuki Hayabusa motor grafted into the engine compartment makes for a crazy and wild ride. Looks like fun. Especially the stoppies. What won’t people try? BTW, if the car looks crazy, you should Read more…
Green is in even if gas is relatively cheap again. So Jay Leno takes a look at Zero Motorcycle’s new dirt bike. At 7500.00 it is a very expensive trail bike, but green is usually expensive… Even so, the allure of having a completely silent dirt bike that has 100% Read more…
I saw this over at DucatiSpot and thought you all would like to see it too. From the SEMA show we have the ultimate race setup. I’m sure there is a matching tent and trailer to rest in between races:)
This was posted up over at the Kawasaki Triples Forum. Supposedly happened up at Deals Gap, which if you are familiar with it, is one of the best but most dangerous places to ride in the eastern US. Lots of guys buy bikes and head up there thinking they are Read more…
Vicki Smith of Ducati.net fame has posted up a huge gallery of photos and comments from the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. It is worth the visit just to see some of the models- human and motorcycle;) Thanks Jerry! When it comes to motorcycle shows, EICMA is the macdaddy. It’s Read more…
The only feeling I have right now is um, lust. It has been a long time since I have had bike lust. All the new bikes are cool when they come out each year, but I have a hard time getting really over the top excited about most of them. Read more…
This is a good program and undoubtedly saves lives and reduces injuries. I read a couple of years ago that most of the Navy’s Blue Angels pilots ride sportbikes and that they viewed it as a measured risk like many other things in life. But they were quick to point Read more…
This post is by my friend Jerry who is a vintage nut and guru… The T-125 in the picture above was the winner of the VJMC show at Barber’s a couple of weeks ago. My favorite was the 1970 Suzuki T-125 Stinger. I am partial to these; they are one Read more…
It has been about 20 years since I did any real racing, but that may change soon. Well, actually, what I’m going to do is not real racing, it is just for fun. The cool think about pocketbike racing is that you can set up a track in just about Read more…
There is a great photo blog by Vicki Smith about “Old Blue”, the Ducati that won the 1977 Daytona race and the men who did it. Since the original bike is no longer available, Barber commissioned a replica for the museum, and it is amazing. Take some time to scroll Read more…
It is very rare that you see anything at all about motorcycling on any of the major news networks unless it is about a tragedy. So when I saw this article linked on MSNBC’s front page, I was shocked. The author is an avid motorcyclist and obviously loves to ride. Read more…
I’m tired, sunburned and need a shower… Did I mention I’m tired? So here is a quick look at a few of pictures from the literally thousands of bikes that were there. Awesome weather, awesome bikes and great racing. More to come in the following days.
The Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club has some good info on their participation at the Vintage Festival this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. One of my friends will be showing his Bridgestone at the event and as you can see he is hard at work getting it ready! This should be Read more…
Don’t forget to put next weekend’s vintage festivities on you calander- October 17-19. If you like the old cool stuff, this is the place to be for the swap meet and vintage races. Heck, I keep saying I’m going to find me an old FJ600 to race, but the reality Read more…
With 175 HP and a dry weight of 503 LBS, performance should be excellent. My only complaint with previous K series bikes was their top heavy feel. But it looks like BMW has totally reworked this bike so hopefully that is a non-issue now. We will have to wait and Read more…