Motorcycle
Vectrix Electric Superbike unveiled at Milan
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November 23, 2007 Hot on the heels of its excellent electric maxi-scooter, Vectrix has finally delivered on its promise of an electric superbike, and it’s amazingly close to the concept drawings we saw a couple of years back. Unveiled at the Milan motorcycle show, the Vectrix Electric Superbike has a top speed of around 125mph, a range of around 70 miles and it’ll eat up the quarter mile in around 12 seconds, so it’s clearly got some punch behind the throttle. It'll go into production if interest is high enough - can this be the first true production electric performance motorcycle? And if so - how long 'til they start racing it? Read More
2008 Honda CB1000R
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November 7, 2007 Pictures have emerged of the 2008 CB1000R – Honda’s new sporty performance naked bike that sees a 1000cc Fireblade engine re-tuned for mid-range performance and dropped into a naked frame. Specs include fully-adjustable forks and radial front brakes taken from the Fireblade, all-new single backbone frame, single sided swingarm, a superb looking 4-swept-spoke ninja-star rear wheel, an all-digital dash and and H.I.S.S. security system. No horsepower figures as yet but expectations are for around 120hp from the re-tuned 1000cc engine. Read More
First ride: Piaggio’s MP3 three-wheeled carver
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October 30, 2007 What a hoot! Piaggio’s new carving three-wheeler, with two independently suspended front wheels, opens up yet another whole new category of motorcycle – a category that will surely explode once people get a glimpse of the ability of these stunning bikes. The MP3’s triangle footprint produces some sensational handling characteristics, making it an exceptionally fool-proof learner/commuter bike – as well as a hilarious hooligan tool for more experienced riders. Gizmag spent an afternoon with the scooter that just won’t let you mess things up. Read More
Suzuki’s hydrogen-powered Crosscage motorcycle
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Here’s one of the more radical concept motorcycles we’ve seen in a while – Suzuki’s Crosscage concept is a fuel-cell powered electric bike with single-sided suspension front AND rear. The brushless electric motor’s mounted inline with the rear wheel, and looks-wise it’s so far out there that it’s on its way back again. Seems like Bridgestone’s even developed a special futuristic-looking tyre to match the bike’s oddly tesselated discs. We’ve just encountered the amazing concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, where our heads are still spinning from all the ground-breaking technology on show. Read More
Bio-diesel powered motorcycle eclipses 100mpg
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October 22, 2007 The 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge got underway yesterday with 40 teams from across the globe competing in the 3000 km race from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia. Among the competitors in the Greenfleet Technology Class - a category for internal combustion vehicles promoting an enhanced environmental profile - is the BioBike, a biodiesel-powered motorcycle, constructed by a group of students in Adelaide, Australia, that happily does 96kmh and returns a staggering fuel economy of only 2.2 litres per 100 kilometres. As the design is further refined, BioBike’s creators expect this to drop below the 2 litres per 100km mark (around 107 miles per gallon), and they believe it can be manufactured for around the same cost as a petrol-powered dirtbike. Read More
Custom-built GEICO Chopper to be auctioned for charity
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October 21, 2007 Built by well-known motorcycle builder Rick “Big Rick” Hoffman, the customized “GEICO Chopper” will be auctioned online for the benefit of children’s charities with bids opening on October 22. Read More
2008 Yamaha YZF-R6 receives widespread “stealth” updates
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Next year’s R6 might not look very different to the current model, but under the sharp-looking bodywork Yamaha’s 600cc Supersport missile has received some significant revisions aimed at improving the bike’s already scalpel-like handling and screaming power. As always, the 600cc Supersport road/track bike category will be extremely hard fought in 2008. With Triumph’s class-smashing 675 Daytona ruling the roost from out of nowhere for the last two years, the Japanese companies are throwing all their knowledge and technology at the category to wrestle back their supremacy. The customer is surely the winner in this battle - next year’s Yamaha YZF-R6 will contain more electronic goodies and tricky technology straight from the racetrack than anything that’s preceded it. Read More
Triumph’s 2.3-litre Rocket III gets re-invented as a tourer
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October 18, 2007 Triumph have finally presented the touring version of their hairy-chested 2.3-litre mega-cruiser that they’ve been promising for over 12 months. The Rocket III Touring was unveiled to dealers last weekend in Atlanta. and rather than simply slapping a screen and a set of panniers on the original machine – which would have made for quite an acceptable touring bike – the British company chose to give it a full work-over. The engine has been “re-tuned for lazy, effortless touring” – which we take to mean it’s been partially relieved of its crazed top-end rush in favor of a torquier power delivery… Not that the tyre-smoking original could have been accused of lacking torque. Final power figures are yet to be released, but we wouldn't expect the Rocket III's 140 horsepower peak to be maintained in the Touring version. Read More
Lazareth’s supercharged Buell XB12S custom
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October 16, 2007 Ludovic Lazareth has impressed us before with his eye-catching and unique customs. Somewhat of a legend in the French motorcycle tuning and custom building scene, Lazareth’s latest has fascinated us on a technical level as much as for its brutal good looks. Read More
Ducati’s Desmosedici RR almost sold out before production begins
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October 12, 2007 Ducati didn’t believe punters would jump at their US$70,000 MotoGP replica motorcycle – how wrong they were. With production still yet to begin, less than 250 units remain to be pre-ordered of what is surely the most extreme production motorcycle on the planet, the Desmosedici RR. If you want one, you’d better move fast. Read More
2008 MotoGP teams begin to emerge
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October 10, 2007 This year's World Champion Casey Stoner, as well as Rossi, Vermeulen and the Honda team are staying where they are for season 2008 – but beyond that, MotoGP has been a huge game of musical chairs as riders jump from team to team hoping to secure the best bikes for next year. With teams finally settling, here’s what we know. Read More
Formotion: billet bolt-on timepieces for motorcycles
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October 6, 2007 Tired of working out dodgy ways to attach a clock you can read while you’re riding your motorcycle? Formotion has released a range of great-looking and affordable bolt-on clocks and thermometers to fit to any bike. Read More
KTM unveils radical factory stunt bike
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October 4, 2007 What is it about KTM motorcycles; does the factory fill the front tyre with helium? Many KTM riders treat their front wheels like ornaments, waving them at the sky at every opportunity. KTM must have realized this – and the factory’s clearly decided “why fight it?” Along with a very tasty range of bikes based on the tasty LC4 engine for 2008, they’ve released teaser pics of a dedicated stunt-riding model with some very stunt-specific gear integrated as standard. Read More
2008 Honda Fireblade gets a full makeover
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October 3, 2007 Details have finally been officially released of the Honda Fireblade’s end-to-end 2008 overhaul... and here they are: wet weight drops 6kg to 199kg, power climbs 7hp to just under 180hp. The ‘Blade finally gets a next-gen slipper clutch, as well as a remodelled HESD steering damper. It’s also had a complete style overhaul – not to mention a stubby underslung exhaust. In fact, just about everything except the already-superb suspension has been completely redesigned. Honda’s clearly seeing this model as a big jump forward for the “friendly” superbike, a makeover they’re hoping will be as stunning as the one the GSX-R got in 2005. Read More
2008 Ninja ZX-10R gets traction control
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September 29, 2007 UPDATED - NEW IMAGES Demonstrating the company’s total commitment to uncompromising racetrack focus, Kawasaki has revealed their 2008 ZX-10R flagship superbike will feature traction control as standard. The 08 model is a complete overhaul of the model, featuring a new chassis, updated suspension, a reworked engine and new front-end styling. Read More
First ride: Moto Morini 9½ and Corsaro exotic road bikes
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September 25, 2007 Moto Morini motorcycles have become rarities since the company's heyday in the 1970s, but the brand is enjoying a resurgence - not only is it back under Morini family ownership, but its new range of 1200cc twins are making a strong impression around the world. Loz Blain takes the 9½ streetbike and the Corsaro streetfighter for a back-to-back road test and discovers that even if they share their thunderous 1200cc V-twin engine, these two Italian exotics are as different as Meg Ryan and Naomi Campbell. Read More
KTM RC8 superbike set to launch
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September 21, 2007 With less than two months to go before its debut at the Milan Motorcycle Expo, KTM’s highly anticipated 1150cc RC8 superbike contender is undergoing intensive pre-release road and track testing. Has KTM’s early promise of the world’s most powerful V-twin engine been scuttled by the tyre-shredding Ducati 1098, or do the Austrians have something special up their sleeve? Read More
New all-American inline triple set to hit the motorcycle market
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September 11, 2007 American motorcycle manufacturer Vento Motorcycles today announced the first engine the company has had designed specifically for its own products. The new three cylinder, 400 cc, 30 horsepower engine, the most powerful inline triple ATV engine ever built, is the first American-made engine to be designed and used by Vento. The company will use the new engine in an expanded range of ATVs and middleweight bikes from 2008 onwards. Read More
Gilera shoe-horns an 840cc engine into its latest scooter
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September 11, 2007 An 840cc, 90-degree fuel injected V-twin, performance chassis, 200kmh top speed and braided brake lines… on a CVT, step-thru scooter? After sending heads spinning with its Nexus 500, a scooter that handles like a sportsbike in the twisties, Gilera have completely dumbfounded us with their GP 800 hyperscooter. Striking some sort of bizarre balance between a super-grunty commuter and a genuine sports-tourer, this bespectacled bad-boy is the new and undisputed king of the scooter segment. Read More
Christini’s All-Wheel-Drive dirt bikes find huge traction without power loss
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Four Wheel drive cars have taken over at the top-level of off-road rally racing, but dirt bike racing is still predominantly fought out on single-wheel-drive vehicles that spin up, fishtail and slide wildly across rough terrain. Make no mistake though, the All Wheel Drive (AWD) revolution is coming to the motorcycle world – Yamaha and KTM have done significant work with hydraulic front-wheel-drive systems, and when new ideas like this successful all-mechanical AWD kit from Christini hit the mainstream, dirt bike riding will never be the same again. Read More
Confederate's Renovatio – the handmade American streetbike goes modular
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If you thought Confederate’s previous motorcycles, the Wraith and Hellcat, were outrageous to look at, wait ‘til you see the company’s latest project. The virtually frameless Renovatio takes minimalism and modular design to the next level and flags a bold future direction for this iconoclastic New Orleans-based streetbike manufacturer. Read More
Casey Stoner unveils Tim Cameron designed Motorcycle of the Future concept
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Outstanding 3D designer Tim Cameron (of V-Rex fame) is behind the concept dubbed “Motorcycle of the Future” that seeks to outline the ideal design criteria needed for making bikes safer, cheaper to repair and harder to steal. The concept - which includes automatic brake drying, traction control, an accidental tip-over warning device and lots of sensible, clever ideas in between – was unveiled earlier this month by MotoGP championship leader Casey Stoner at a launch in Sydney. Read More
Buell 1125R: high performance sportsbike showcases all-new Buell platform
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August 6, 2007 Buell has announced the upcoming release of the 1125R – its first litre-class motorcycle built on an all-new Buell platform including a freshly developed liquid-Cooled V-Twin engine described as the most-powerful street-legal engine ever offered by the company. Just about every aspect of the bike has been changed from previous models – new chassis, fairing, front-brake, muffler, clutch… and on it goes, but the biggest news is the 1125cc DOHC V-Twin Helicon power plant developed in a collaboration between Buell and BRP-Rotax that aims to combine superbike power with the smooth torque characteristics of a V-Twin. The engine redlines at 10500 rpm, produces its 146 crankshaft horsepower at 9800 rpm and 82ft/lbs of peak torque at 8000 rpm. The Buell 1125R is expected to arrive in Buell dealerships in at the end of 2007. Read More
High-tech motorcycle training system puts learner skills under the microscope
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August 1, 2007 Those who choose to ride motorcycles, including many of us in the Gizmag team, choose to accept a higher level of risk in our daily transport than a car driver. We mitigate this risk through higher levels of attention, roadcraft and dedicated development of riding skills than are typically displayed by drivers – and rider licensing and advanced training courses are a critical part of most riders’ development as safe, confident road users. Still, rider training and testing typically focuses on fairly nebulous goals and results that give the rider very little concrete feedback on their progress or areas of weakness, so Australia’s DVExperts have come up with a device that brings a new level of hard science to the process. Their Motorcycle Operator Training Assessor (MOTA) unit is a set of sensors the size of a deck of cards that can be attached to a bike to record reaction times, acceleration, braking forces, swerving forces and lean angles to provide a very clear readout of a student’s performance in each testing or training exercise along with their levels of improvement after a day’s training. This means license testing can be brought to a new level of consistency and accountability and we suspect the MOTA’s also going to be a fun piece of equipment for the trainers themselves to play with after hours. Read More
All new Aussie Yamaha motorcycles to come with free DataDot theft protection
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July 31, 2007 Motorcycles offer a boundless sense of freedom to their owners – and they’re also seen as boundlessly free by bike thieves who know it only takes two men to lift a parked bike into a van and nick-off with it. But a bike that can always be traced back to its original owner is difficult for thieves to make a dollar from and Yamaha is taking advantage of this fact on behalf of its customers. Since February this year, every new Yamaha motorcycle, scooter and ATV sold in Australia has been sprayed with DataDotDNA theft protection – microscopic dots that carry identifying information linking every part on the bike back to its original frame number and making stolen bikes extremely difficult to on-sell or part out. DataDotDNA are doing these sorts of deals across the world with a number of different manufacturers now, and becoming a worldwide standard in vehicle identification. Read More
World Ducati Week - 200 bhp Ducati Desmosedici RR hits the track
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July 11, 2007 World Ducati Week is a strange phenomena – thousands of Ducatisti, members of the Ducati tribe, travel from all over the world for a week of entertainment and experiences based around Ducati’s values, lifestyle and products. Ducati rewards its most faithful regularly at these events, with unique experiences and first-to-see opportunities that are generally reserved for ballrooms and press only occasions by its competitors. This week the 200 bhp Ducati Desmosedici RR, the world’s first MotoGP replica roadster made its first ever public appearance in action at the event held at Misano racetrack in Italy. Over 170 people from 19 countries who have already placed orders for the Desmosedici RR travelled to WDW2007 to witness the public track debut of the bike that was first announced at the same event back in 2004. Back then it was a promising machine struggling to assert itself against the far larger and established MotoGP teams of Honda and Yamaha. This time the bike it emulates is leading the world title – the company even went as far as showing the prototype 1200 superbike it will run next season - amazing scenes at WDW2007. Read More
US$15,000 Carbon Fibre Enertia electric motorcycle to hit stores in early 2008
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The era of the electric roadgoing motorcycle is upon us and it’s ironic that it should come from a company that looked set to make its mark in automotive history in the supercar stakes with the Brammo GT, an American-designed and built V12 Supercar. That Craig Bramscher has since become one of the foremost evangelists of light weight performance motoring via the Ariel Atom might have foretold the direction, but the Enertia is a perfect commuter machine built with the same philosophy as the Atom. Using a rigid light weight carbon fibre chassis to contain the battery pack (and most of the weight), a small electric motor is all that’s required to see the Enertia accelerate harder than any automobile to its 50 mph top speed – all that’s needed around town. Most significantly in terms of its credibility as a motorcycle, the Enertia could best be described as an electric motard, and comes with impeccable handling credentials - fat tyres, disk brakes front and rear, quality suspension and a very compact centre of gravity – a trait that we’ve seen before in bikes with exceptional flickability and precise handling such as the Aprilia 250 and Buell. The Enertia’s secret is its weight -at just 275 pounds ready to roll, it’s 100 pounds lighter than the featherweight Aprilia Grand Prix Replica . With the carbon footprint of a few lightglobes, and sports motorcycling capabilities to medium speeds this looks like the first viable electric motorcycle to us –the US$15,000 limited edition "carbon" model will be snapped up as collectors items no doubt because it is a landmark machine in personal transportation. At US$12,000, the standard machine is only pricey until you consider how much it costs to run. You plug this sucker into any powerpoint and it'll be ready to go a few hours later for another 45 miles. If the transport authorities encourage responsible road usage as seems likely, ownership costs could be minimal. The Enertia is a landmark motorcycle and its coming heralds the dawn of a new era of electric motorcycles. Read More
sunRED solar powered scooter concept
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July 4, 2007 Solar-powered cars and boats are all very well; they've got a lot of surface area to exploit with photovoltaic panels. When it comes to developing a solar-powered motorcycle, though, Spain's sunRED had to get a little more creative. Sliding panels on this soon-to-be-built prototype roll back to give the rider access to the seat, and form a complete cocoon around the bike when it's parked. Featuring some other interesting innovations, the sunRED prototype could make a practical short-range commuter, with a range of 13 miles and a top speed around 30mph. It's interesting to look at too, in a "Tron meets an armadillo" sort of way - but I'd hate to see the damage bill if it falls over. Read More
Suzuki's 2008 RM-Z450: electronic fuel injection first for motocross
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July 4, 2007 In a move that will see other manufacturers scrambling to keep pace, Suzuki has announced the first production motocross machine to feature electronic fuel injection. Developed in the automobile industry throughout the 1970’s and first introduced to road bikes in the early 1980’s in models such as Honda’s CX500TURBO, fuel injection offers better roll on power and improved low-to-mid range delivery. The new system featured in the 2008 RM-Z450 has been tested by Suzuki's factory riders and given the ultra-competitive nature of the motocross environment, where having a bike that's not capable of winning is just not an option, it’s almost certain that fuel injection will become standard throughout the motocross market in the not too distant future. Read More
evDaytona: battery powered sportsbike does 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds
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July 3, 2007 Although the technology is still relatively new, motorcycles are emerging as a great platform for the launch of the electric engine revolution. While high-powered, light and compact electric engines (like the 350hp monster Killacycle Drag Bike) are already available, battery range has typically been an issue. This is perhaps more acute in relation to electric cars, whereas motorcycles are often used as joyriding fun toys and short-to-medium-range commuters, so a 100 mile range still leaves for plenty of practical and fun uses for electric road bikes. With major manufacturers being slow to put electric sportsbikes on the market, smaller enterprises are blazing a trail - like GoBike, who are awaiting DOT approval on a converted Triumph Daytona, with a max speed around 93mph, a cruising range of 143 miles, and a blistering 2.7 second 0-60mph acceleration time that should make it a blast to ride. Read More
It takes two-wheels to beat the traffic
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June 28, 2007 Traffic congestion has to be one of the world’s greatest time-wasters and spending long hours at the wheel just trying to get to and from work is not only unproductive, it’s also very stressful. Now new research from the U.K. suggests that the best way to beat this problem (short of working from home) is to switch from four wheels to two. Analysis conducted by the RAC Foundation has shown that commuters could shave up to three hours off their weekly commutes by choosing a motorcycle or scooter over the car, with the biggest savings to be gained in Central London and the East of England. Read More
Triumph Daytona 675 scoops Supertest and Masterbike awards again!
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May 12, 2007 Triumph's Daytona 675 has continued its insatiable award-winning appetite with victory in both the Supertest and Masterbike multi-bike comparison tests for the second year running. Both of the independent tests, held on Spanish racetracks, saw the Daytona 675 reign supreme despite being unchanged since its launch in 2006, a true testament to the bike's inherent qualities. Read More
Pfeiffer in Red Square
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May 7, 2007 We’re obviously huge fans of stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer, so excuse us for being a bit indulgent and running these amazing pics. No Adobe Photoshop is involved whatsoever – that’s Chris doing his thing on his F 800 stunt bike in Moscow's Red Square. "Moscow is an amazing place and I had been doing some stunt shows for BMW Motorrad over there as well as some 'guerrilla' activity with Red Bull," said Chris. "I knew it would be quite difficult to get these pictures but luckily for me one of the guys from BMW had a contact with the local police - who all ride BMW bikes - and he had seen one of my shows, so we were able to get permission to make these pictures close to the Basilica with the distinctive onion domes on the Red Square!" People have been shot for less, and not all that long ago either! Read More
BMW's 450cc enduro prototype impresses on its first outing
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May 2, 2007 BMW whipped the covers off its new 450cc enduro prototype on the starting line of a World Enduro Championship race in Puerto Lumbreras, Spain last weekend. It's BMW's first serious enduro contender - the brand's GS twin-cylinder bikes and recent 650 singles have all been more adventure-sport oriented than built for serious enduro racing. Still, the new bike leapt out of the blocks, scoring championship points in both races and looking like a genuine contender. Clearly BMW is set to invade the lucrative serious off-road segment which has helped to build its Austrian neighbour KTM into Europe's second largest motorcycle manufacturer. Read More
Harley meets Ducati - the Roehr American superbike takes shape
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April 14, 2007 The Harley-Davidson Revolution Engine Erik Buell dismissed as too large and heavy for a sportsbike may get its chance to fly after all. Roehr is seeking investors to capitalise its first production run of its flag-waving American RV1000 sportsbike.
