General Motorcycle News
In the world of used affordable motorcycles, there is almost no bike that can compete with a Suzuki SV650. SV’s were great values when they were new and they still are among the best as used bikes. They came in Naked and Sport styles to suit different tastes- I prefer Read more…
I was talking to a friend yesterday and he mentioned that Spies needed a little help to guarantee victory in the Superbike Series. Well, he got it- courtesy of Haga- I really like Spies but I was still pulling for Ducati. From USA Today: PORTIMAO, Portugal (AP) — Rookie Ben Read more…
Today, I am starting a new series on the best bikes for the money- ie. bang for the buck bikes. Obviously, the Buell 1125 deals I reported on over the past couple of days are right at the top of the list. At 5500.00, an 1125R or CR is just Read more…
One of my friends went down to Harley Davidson of Atlanta and bought a new 09 Buell 1125CR for 5500.00 plus taxes. These bikes were 11,999.00 MSRP a week a go! Wow, that is a smokin deal. They had 4 left yesterday when I was there and by this afternoon, Read more…
Ever since Harley announced the demise of Buell last week, there have been reports on various forums (like SVrider.com) that Buells can be had for ridiculously low prices. One guy said that he bought his 1125R for 6000.00 plus fees and taxes. That is an insane deal for a bike Read more…
I saw this over at Autoblog and thought it worthy of posting- especially in light of the Harley Davidson/Buell divorce/death. It has been a crazy day for the motorcycle industry, for sure. As recently as last year, Piëch – himself a Ducati rider even at age 72 – commented that Read more…
This FZ1 and SV650 were in my shop for the past couple of months so I got to ride them both side by side. It is kind of a strange comparison, but I saw a guy on the FZ6 forum asking about which bike would better for him and so Read more…
Saturday was a dismal looking day with a low overcast sky and occasional light rain. Th clouds were so low and thick that the Aero Shell Aerobatics team only did 2 low passes because of terrible visibility. But in some ways, it was a blessing in disguise because the temp Read more…
Thursday nights are bike night at the world famous Vortex in Atlanta. There are always some cool and not so cool bikes that show up. But the atmosphere is always good. Guys hanging out and talking bikes. I didn’t get a picture of it, but one guy showed up on Read more…
Wow, this really sneaked up on me and I almost forgot to post about it- If you are at all into the Vintage and classic bike scene- or think you might want to be, don’t miss this event. It is 3 days of exhibits, swap meets, races and tons of Read more…
Well, here are a few pictures of the finished product. As you can see, it totally transforms the bike. Apparently, Yamaha does have a kit similar to this in other parts of the world but I’ve never seen one in the US. Tapeworks.com will have the graphics available as a Read more…
Very cool… From Ducati During the upcoming World Superbike weekend, to be held at the Italian circuit of Imola from 25th to 27th of September, the Ducati Xerox Team, in collaboration with Ducati.com, will allow fans from around the world the chance to see right to the heart of the Read more…
Very cool… I saw this over at Hemmings Auto blog and thought all you bike nuts would like to see it. By collector car standards, bikes are amazingly cheap. I doubt it will stay that way since people are really into collecting just about anything- and bikes have got to Read more…
No, not the Tomahawk from a couple of years back- this is a new design from British Bike builder Allen Millyard. And quite the bike it is. 500 HP and unless he is a really small guy in the video, the bike is huge. I was hoping for a crazy Read more…
If you want perfect integration for your Nav system on your BMW, you better be ready to pay…Why it is $900.17 instead of $900.00 I have no idea. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – August 24, 2009…Take the long route on your next motorcycle adventure with confidence and ease. BMW Navigator IV Read more…
The Monterey Historic races and show happened over the weekend and while there were plenty of cool cars to look at, there were also some really nice bikes. Autoblog was there and snapped a few pictures of 2 1098’s that Ducati did as a tribute to former race teams. The Read more…
New York, NY – July 30, 2009 – Aprilia USA defended its crown at the 87th Annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, with Davey Durelle outdistancing a competitive field on the Aprilia SXV 5.5. With a time of 11:48.649, Durelle proved to be the fastest rider on the mountain for Read more…
“0 HP, 0 Torque, 360 lbs.” It can also be used as a coffee table. Pretty dang funny advertising. The real story is that my Friend Wayne, who used to be Buell’s stunt rider, called me and said “check out Buell’s website for the new 2010 Blast”. I could have Read more…
One of the cool things about working for an oil company has got to be the huge budgets you get to work with when you are developing new products. Castrol is one of the leading oil companies in the world and develops lubricants for just about everything- including motorcycles. When Read more…
With the pricing on Japanese 1000cc Sportbikes in the 13K range, BMW is being quite aggressive with their new S 1000 RR price. At 13,800.00, it is right in the mix and will put a lot of pressure on the Japanese big 4 to cut prices. But the other big Read more…
Two of the best ever at what they do… and it is pure fun to see this kind of skill. Enjoy.
Very cool… as technology continues to improve and manufacturing becomes cheaper, the ability to ride more safely will increase significantly. Honda already has an airbag system for the Goldwing, but that of course wouldn’t help sportbikes or naked/streetfighter style bikes. I do have to say that the test rider is Read more…
I saw this over at Autoblog and thought you guys might be as offended as I am. Wow, apparently there is no accounting for taste- especially from a high end clothing designer. Tacky doesn’t do this justice. In fact, there is no justice for something like this. Maybe someone will Read more…
With the push to make everything green and efficient, it should be expected that an electric powered bike racing series would happen- and it has. Autoblog has the details of the FIM series to launch in 2010. While some of it is really cool, I just wonder if people will Read more…
It came out far better than I had envisioned. Most people are raving about it, so I guess they like it too. Painting the rear hugger and headlight really gives it a retro-custom look. Anyways, here are a few pictures of the finished product.
For those of you who like standard style naked bikes, you might be interested in my latest project- a FZ6 converted to naked bike and painted in the classic RZ350 yellow and black with strobe stripes. I worked with Rob at Tapeworks to develop the graphics and he will be Read more…
Alright, as someone who has high-sided in a race, I know how hard it is to do anything once it happens. It is usually over in a second and you are on the ground wondering what happened. So when you see a save like this, it really is just amazing… Read more…
This is really a sign of the times- Piaggio group is giving people a full year of riding their scooters to decide if they want to keep them. With the economy in shambles, people are simply not committing to big new purchases so like some of the auto makers, they Read more…
There are already a plethora of boutique bike companies and some of them make some very nice stuff. But the new kids on the block are a British company called Mac and they seem aimed at a very, very limited audience. Since they will be using the 500cc Buell Blast Read more…
Well, I’m really trying to decide if I’m going to step into the vintage bike scene with a 75 Yamaha RD350 that I can get for a decent price. I have a friend who is very much into vintage Japanese bikes, and he thinks it is a good bike to Read more…
I guess dominant is not too strong a word for AMA Superbike star Matt Mladin. In fact in might not be strong enough. At Barber Motorsports Park yesterday, he totally dominated the race and would have won by 5 or 6 seconds if it hadn’t been for a caution due Read more…
Well, if you are Jay Leno. Hey Suzuki, What about the rest of us! Quit giving bikes to people who can buy your whole company and give them to the average guy. That will really get you some press. On a serious note, Leno is a great spokesman for motorcycles, Read more…
Sounds crazy, but the press release says it all. I suspect that Ducati is very happy about getting their name and bikes in front of the cameras. But, I really don’t know if the Teutul’s are really “Ducatista” material. Time will tell. PRESS RELEASE: PREMIUM CUSTOM CHOPPER BRAND ‘ORANGE COUNTY Read more…
I posted something about this a while back, but I really wanted to keep it front and center until congress does something about this absurd ban on motorcycles for kids. It is so ridiculous that only the government could have done it… The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 Read more…
The next round of the AMA Superbike Series is at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL May 1-3. Barber is one of the really nice tracks for spectators and the facilities are top notch. I plan on being there to bring you some pictures and updates, but if you can Read more…
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…