You Already Know - BMW HP4 Now Confirmed

Maybe you remember back to the BMW HP2 and how it was very focused and in limited production? It had a high price, but it sold out even with its limited usefulness. Now comes something in the same vein, but with a much different purpose - the S1000RR-based HP4. BMW claims it as the lightest 4-cylinder bike in the liter class; I'm not so sure about that as it depends on what you put in that category (Ducati's latest?). However, with 193 HP on tap, 199 kilograms wet feels far lighter than it ever has previously...so, make up your own mind - include the Panigale or not?

http://tinyurl.com/bocmmsq

Honda Goes to Dakar in 2013!

Will Big Red be able to conquer the Dakar as they did the Baja and many other grueling endurance events the world over? They lost out at the Baja 500 this year for the first time in 15 years to an upstart Kawasaki team (not really - the THR Monster Team was very strong as evidenced by the results), but Team Green does not yet have a factory-backed bike in the Dakar and it is Honda after 23 years away. It will be an interesting few months as we hear more from Honda about their Dakar 2013 machine.

We know the team, though: Helder Rodrigues, from Portugal, motocross and enduro rider Felipe Zanol of Brazil, Sam Sunderland from the United Kingdom and Javier Pizzolito of Argentina. For a little more have a quick read here:

http://tinyurl.com/6rgstwk

Daimler AG to Produce "smart escooter" Electric Scooter

This appears to be an actual fact and not some rumor. According to high-level officials at Mercedes-Benz, and parent Daimler AG, the company will begin selling an electric scooter under their smart automobile brand. It is now known as the smart escooter (all lower-case letters as is their standard with smart) and will be seen in dealerships and on the roads by 2014. Almost no details are available presently, but this is a firm commitment, so more information is certainly forthcoming. Until then, have a read:

http://tinyurl.com/d27z8uo

Chip Yates and the Flight of the Century

Chip Yates will be familiar to those of us following American motorcycle road racing - not only is he an accomplished racer on gasoline-powered bikes, he is also the only person to put an electric motorcycle on a podium in a race full of old-school fire-breathers - but he may also be known for his technological prowess. His SWIGZ.COM team - both the engineers and the race crew - are all top-notch on their own, and they make Yates look good. However, this is a different story; this is about the guy who wants to fly an electric airplane around the world - Chip Yates is after the Flight of the Century:

http://tinyurl.com/7g23fxr

Rocket Science Meets Triumph Street Triple

The idea was for XCOR Aerospace - a private company developing a reusable launch vehicle for low-earth orbit research and just about anything else someone would want to do in space - to test a piston pump which they plan to use in their Lynx spacecraft. Considering the cost of doing such tests in the far upper atmosphere, they searched for another test bed. It turns out that the Triumph Street Triple has the same cylinder arrangement as their engine's liquid fuel pumps, so they took a far less expensive route - and it worked brilliantly!

http://tinyurl.com/7vclut4

A Pair from New Zealand Arrive in Alaska

They call themselves "Two Moto Kiwis" and they are on an 'epic mission' from Prudhoe Bay in the great US state of Alaska all the way to the southern-most point of South America at Ushuaia, Argentina. The pair on this incredible motorcycle trip are Andi and Ellen Delis (44 and 43 years of age, respectively) and they are riding the entire route on two Suzuki DR650's with a wide assortment of adventure gear bolted on. Now that they have arrived in Alaska - about a week ago now - they will be on to build up their mounts for the trip; the bikes are new and showroom fresh, so they must be outfitted expressly for this trip. Next, it's a trip around Alaska and then a drive to make the Laguna Seca round of the 2012 MotoGP Championship. Check their site for the latest and see if you might be able to catch them when they come through your town!

http://www.twomotokiwis.com/

Aprilia-Powered Norton to Compete at Isle of Man TT

Norton will not be bringing their own V4 to a MotoGP circuit anytime soon; no one has any doubt that they want to, and as soon as they are able. As a stop-gap, and a very good learning experience, they will field a kit Aprilia RSV4 engine - not too different from what the CRT teams have access to - in a Spondon frame in this year's Isle of Man TT. That last connection is interesting as Spondon used to frame many racing Nortons in its previous incarnation. And, Norton's new owner, one Stuart Garner, also happens to own Spondon. It's better to keep the program in-house as much as possible so as to learn everything it is possible to learn when using another marque's engine. In this way, Norton can prepare to create their own future MotoGP CRT engine. Since Norton already has some designs for this, I doubt very much that they will make a duplicate RSV4 engine - they will want their own. Norton has a reputation to protect if they plan to stay connected to their heritage in a meaningful way.

http://tinyurl.com/7xogr79

Volkswagen Owns Ducati - Bought for $1.12 Billion

It is now final and official; after months - nee years if you listened to VW fans and their chatter - of rumor and speculation, VW's Audi brand has officially purchased Ducati for the sum of €860 million (US$1.12 billion). Some are arguing over why they did this. One of the articles linked here gets close. Audi wanted Ducati for the same reason VW wanted Bugatti and Lamborghini - prestige, a nameplate to put on the stock and letterhead. And, why not? Really, what kind of idiot would not buy a company on the rocketship rise, as is Ducati, for what is essentially a few days of revenue for VW/Audi? Not this idiot! Check it out and lust after the Panigale (someone needs to tell the Wired author that Ducati has actually named this one; no, not a great name, but a real name) in the photo here.

First tiny blurb: http://tinyurl.com/7s5zloj

Wired piece (far more informative): http://tinyurl.com/cmllp7e

Monocasco Concept Bike by Air-Tic - Object of Desire

Though the Monocasco Concept Bike is only that - a concept with no technical details whatsoever - it is something to behold. I only say that due to its mix of classic and modern themes; very stout-looking running gear, whitewall tires, a high-tech braking system, and classic bends of very cutting-edge materials all come together in a tight package which has the distinct appearance of possessing magnificent handling. Spanish design firm Air-Tic is responsible for this dream machine and they based it on the monocoque chassis from the mind of Grand Prix racer Santiago Herrero...well, you can read all that we know here:

http://tinyurl.com/cpw8qlu

Boulder Motor Sports and Shane Turpin to Race at MMP World Superbike

Miller Motorsports Park hosts a round of the FIM World Superbike Championship during 26 to 28 May 2012, and many of the world's best motorcycle racers will melt rubber in pursuit of winning - or at least finishing in the points - on the Utah circuit. Alongside them will be a name well-known to US fans of AMA Pro Racing, riding a Boulder Motor Sports Ducati 1198R will be Shane Turpin. You may also know him from the Yamaha Champions School, where he instructs, or from his many Championships accumulated from his time in the MRA series in Colorado, or for him riding for Segway / MotoCzysz in the TTXGP (see photo above). Please get in touch with him and wish him well! He could use a few sponsors...


http://tinyurl.com/csbafjr

Akira Lives!

This dedicated fan spent US$121,000 and seven years building his dream machine...and it rides! Some criticise its size and that it is not a perfect replica of Akira's motorcycle (if you have to ask, look it up), but I say that Masashi Teshima realized a dream - made it real! - and gets to live with it and even share it with the world. Personally, I think this artist deserves full credit for all he has accomplished!

http://tinyurl.com/76dyhxe

http://tinyurl.com/bob2y36

Rare MV Agustas at Auction - The Gary Kohs Collection

See, this is absolute proof that I was never meant to be a collector of fine motorcycles. The past few years have seen some of the nicest, rarest, and most beautiful MV Agusta machines roll across the auction block...and this writer is worth more dead than alive! These bikes will only go up in value in the next decade as the super-wealthy start collecting vintage motorcycles (and it is becoming a fad among the Wall Street set). Thus, those lovely 'fire engines' and fire-breathing beasts will forever remain a dream, even to ride as they will probably be put behind glass and displayed or locked away in a massive garage outside Manhattan.

Anyway, if you happen to have some spare coin, head to Monterey in August:

http://tinyurl.com/7brk6b8

Shell Advance 7 Riding Wonders FINALLY!

This was a story which I wanted to write last year, but the contest seemed to only be focused on central Asia and parts of Europe, so it did not match the audience I had at the time. Searching did not even turn up an entry link on the Shell Advance USA website. I have never ridden in India, but the contest certainly seemed to turn up a number of Indian roads - and the winning route is located there - but there are many who have been and their stories make this seem a little more possible. And, after all, it was an Italian who won the grand prize of the trip there and two Ducati motorcycles on which to experience it!

I still want to ride this road no matter how the decision was made:

http://tinyurl.com/ca5lquz

Erik Buell Racing and India's Hero MotoCorp - A Joint Venture

Again, another one late to be posted, but it remains significant:

Now that Erik Buell is free from the traditionalists at The Motor Company, he can fully explore his imagination, and that of the incredible engineers employed by his marque. Erik Buell Racing can also look to the future, and take on a partnership with the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world - Hero MotoCorp. For their part, Hero will become a minority owner of EBR; this will secure a "free-flowing relationship" between the two companies with an emphasis on research and development and sharing of technology. Under HD, Buell could have never done this, and Hero may not have even tried; Hero may have only taken this step since they dissolved their technology agreement with Honda (BTW: it did not "collapse" as they say). EBR should gain access to an amazing amount of engineering knowledge and technology, and Hero will learn so much from what Buell has always done - excel at the new and better.

http://tinyurl.com/d6ojmeo

http://tinyurl.com/d2p9nqo

Moto Morini is Back! with a new model...for some reason

Sorry to be so late with this...again.

Moto Morini is actually ramping up production of the company's first new model since Sandro Capotosti and Ruggeromassimo Jannuzzelli bought the rights to the firm and brought it back from the receivership. Unfortunately, the first model is what the company has dubbed the Rebello; it sounds like it could be a cool name for a genre-bending bespoke machine. Instead it seems a bit humorous and over-the-top for a machine which looks much like it was designed on an 8-bit PC used for a 1980's video game. It's just my first opinion, but the lines simply do not flow well - the stop lines are all wrong and that makes it look like a Transformer in mid-change. It does sport top-shelf components, though, so maybe she rides better than she looks...judge for yourself:

http://tinyurl.com/6p3hf2m

http://tinyurl.com/d7o5xw9

P.S. The process for getting hands on one of the new Rebello models is a bit convoluted too...

Lorenzo Legally Allowed to Ride a Motorcycle on the Street

Jorge Lorenzo has officially passed his motorcycle license test in Spain, his home. Although he can only ride a bike with less than 47 bhp, I'm sure he'll get around just fine - as long as he wears a full-face helmet. The Spanish are Moto-Mad, and we all love that great nation for that...and so much more. Anyone want to lend me a place in Spain?

http://tinyurl.com/86s6s24

TT Zero Welcomes Honda via Mugen

The Isle of Man TT has run the TT Zero as part of the race fortnight since it replaced the TTXGP in 2010. Since that time, no major manufacturers have entered their own machinery; partially, at least, this is due to the fact that they do not have much to enter at this point - everything is in development and their cycles require more time since they are trying for mass production and mass acceptance - and somewhat to the need that a big company not get embarrassed on a regular basis by people working out of a glorified garage. This, though, is about to change, even if it is only through an indirect route. An electric motorcycle designed by Honda as a prototype - this is speculated at this time - will be fielded at the 2012 running of the SES TT Zero Race, scheduled for 26 May to 8 June. As more comes out, I'll see if I can post it...until then, have a quick read to back this up:

http://tinyurl.com/7h3ymhp

Casey Stoner's Wife Gives Birth - on Rossi's Birthday!

Yes, the news is all about Casey Stoner becoming a father, but it was his lovely wife, Adriana, who had the difficult part; Stoner's contribution was far more fun. Even so, his firstborn will share a birthday with MotoGP great, and current competitor, Valentino Rossi. This means very little in the long run, unless you are into astrology, but it will sure make Stoner's child's birthday easy to recall...and Rossi's easier for Stoner.

http://tinyurl.com/87prpgg

The Coolest Little MotorBike You May Ever See - The Derringer Cycle

It's a 49.4 cc engine shoehorned into a custom frame that resembles a bicycle frame, it gets over 200 miles on one US gallon of fuel, and in many states you need no more than a driver's license to operate it - no insurance, no registration - and it can be taken into the bicycle lane in some cities. It is high-style and utilitarian at the same time. I cannot do it much more justice, so please take the link to read the Motorcycle Classics article about this ultimate cool machine:

http://tinyurl.com/6m6wzrt

New Website Aims to Help Make Riders Ride Safer

Though this does not make the same impact that a new, wild, high-tech concept motorcycle often does, the new YamahaChampions RidingSchool motorcycle safety website is an important new source of riding knowledge and should receive the same sort of attention. The instructors at the school led the effort - well-known rider, teacher, and writer Nick Ienatsch and AMA Superbike racer and teacher Ken Hill, specifically - with the simple idea being to "improve the performance of the motorcycle's weakest link, the rider." Every rider should at least have a look at what is contained there since riding is a life-long learning experience - or, at least, it should be!

PR: http://tinyurl.com/7rk89v6

The website: www.FasterSafer.com

Bulding and Racing a Vintage Seeley Norton

Putting your mind to something and then getting it done is what often makes the difference between those who go somewhere in life and those who don't even know where they are. This of course, is not always true, as absolutes are very hard to come by in this universe. And, when goals like this are achieved, it is often only possible due to money, incredible skill, access to certain special resources, and a number of the right connections. However, the task is difficult and the path treacherous and the journey is filled with failures no matter who you are or what the scope of your project.

To read, see and hear a story of incredible dedication from two undeniable talents in vintage motorcycle racing - building, modifying, and racing them - please check out this story of the Seeley Norton and the two people behind the quest, Kenny Cummings and Dan Rose. The visuals alone are worth the click!

http://seeleynorton.com/

A Triumph Concept That Should Inspire the Marque's Future

Triumph is at the top of the industry again, leading its own niche with some incredibly competent motorcycles which impress even motojournalists who ride hundreds of bikes every year. Many of them own at least one example from the Birtish manufacturer. What I am hoping, though, is that they are willing to take yet another risk - another chance at making a motorcycle which will transcend its category and, perhaps, become an instant classic, provided it is given adequate power and suspension. Both of those Triumph knows and has done many times before...

Take a look at the Triumph Speed Twin Concept, a bike designed by two recent design school graduates with an amazing amount of help from Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. That does mean that this concept has been bred in the same R&D lab that the Speed Triple, Daytona 675 and Rocket III Roadster, so this machine can be built by them...if only the will. The frame, the modern girder forks, and those lovely spoked wheels matched to that stripped down bodywork, it all speaks to the eye and seems like it cannot stand still - it looks like it is always in motion. Please read up on this one; follow the link below.

http://tinyurl.com/7szrto7

Wooden Motorcycle Helmet? Yes, and a Quite Nice One!

Roof Helmets is not exactly a household name in the motorcycle apparel industry; those who do know them are often impressed with the small French company's ability to innovate and have no small number of compliments about the design aesthetic Roof applies to their helmets. Inside the lids Roof manufacturers, though, are the modern and thoroughly-researched safety features we have all come to expect. Their latest is an idea which was bandied about many years back but never seemed to actually materialize - a motorcycle helmet made from bamboo. The appropriately named Bamboo is made from the fast-growing, super-strong, lightweight wood and even manages to live up to ECE 22.05 certification. It is a 3/4-style lid with the 'Jet' look and even carries some e-cred with it. Take a look, but you cannot yet buy them in North America, unfortunately.

http://tinyurl.com/8xamzoq

Brutal Electric

No, it's not from MV Agusta, but it is called the Brutus (a name, not a concept like Brutale) and it is definitely electric. What you see here is the second generation of the original Brutus from Chris Bell, a Las Vegas builder. This machine sports a mechanical, but clutchless, five-speed transmission which drives the rear wheel via a chain drive, as opposed to the belt used on the first model. It also is rumored to have a top speed in excess of 100 MPH, a range of 100 miles, and does 0 - 60 MPH in 4.7 seconds. Given the 535 pound weight, that is power! The battery providing that juice is an all-new lithium polymer which should last 50,000 miles. Since Mr. Bell is being mostly mum on specs, that is about all the information available. For more, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/6wqy4x7

Watsonian Squire Ltd - 100 Years in the British Motorcycle Industry

One-hundred years is a long time or any company, but it is an especially important anniversary for a company whose work is in the British motorcycle industry. Many great companies have come and gone - and come again, for some of them - and they have left many great bikes behind them. But, one which has been there through just about all of it is Watsonian Squire Ltd. They have also made a name for themselves within a certain set of accolytes.

Watsonian Squire Ltd is the company known for producing the historic and classic looking sidecar rigs used in the world-renowned Harry Potter movies, so you have probably seen their work. They also have made specials for the likes of Ewan McGreggor and the Two Fat Ladies, world-famous TV chefs. This was all accomplished by a small, 12-person operation based in a small British town. For a little more and a look at some of their work, take the link:

http://tinyurl.com/7qtvlec

Yamaha Brings Design Brilliance to Small Displacement

In the ever changing motorcycle market, we often only see the high-end models grab the attention of the more creative designers. Much of his comes from economic reality as a manufacturer will not spend large amounts of money on something which has a very narrow profit margin already - it could all be wasted if the bike itself isn't making enough of the green stuff to cover the initial outlay. However, one important aspect often over-looked in the markets which cover North America and Europe is that small bikes outsell their larger relatives when examined from a global perspective - in fact, those tiny bikes dominate the powered two-wheeler industry everywhere they are sold. And, that is exactly where Yamaha's bean-counters' minds were when they allowed the Yamaha Y125 to be conceptualized.

Take a close look at the Y125 and you will see massive influence from the very first road-going Yamaha ever, the YA-1. It is equipped with a "world-approved" - meaning it is legal everywhere - 125 cc engine which can deliver 188 MPG (U.S.) and is small enough to be handled like a bicycle. And, it is not hard on the eyes, either. The flowing lines of the tank and frame, the bulbous exhaust slung under the engine, the fancy six-spoke wheels, and that metal finish used throughout on all 'natural' metal surfaces all come together to give the world what may be the most organic, lovely and unusual small-displacement motorcycle available...where it will be available, though, is still an open question.

http://tinyurl.com/c6mygf8