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Motorcycle Riding Creates Bug Art

Fri, 23 Jan 2009

Being an artist, A.D. Maddox (pictured above) believed that all of the dead bugs accumulated on her leather jacket while riding her motorcycle were going to waste and could lead to an artistic endeavor. Her creative solution?  Slap on a painting to the front of her Ducati and bring her art to another level.

Motorcycle Ride for Diabetes

Fri, 23 Jan 2009

Photograph by: Roy Antal, Leader-Post By and large, motorcyclists are some of the most generous citizens in the world. Riding events all over the world bring in untold millions of dollars for numerous worthy charities. Keeping with this theme, one hardy Canadian rider is braving the Great White North’s frigid winter temperatures by riding his Harley coast to coast to raise awareness for diabetes, a disease that has seen a rapid explosion of new afflictions.

2009 Yamaha R1 Reviewed!

Tue, 20 Jan 2009

Get the Flash Player to see this player. After much speculation and anticipation regarding the 2009 YZF-R1, MO finally got some seat time in the recently updated numero uno. After hearing much about this new “Cross-plane crankshaft” technology, we were ready to write it off as media hype and PR propaganda, but it turns out that the Yamaha R1 has actually tightened the gap between MotoGP technology and street applications.

Vectrix VX-2 and VX-1E Added to Lineup

Tue, 20 Jan 2009

The Vectrix Corporation introduced its “entry-level” VX-2 and 2009 VX-1E urban commuting model at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in New York this past weekend. These two new models will join the VX-1 in Vectrix’s lineup.The VX-2 is a smaller, more compact electric equivalent of a 50cc internal combustion engine (ICE) bike with a weight of 429 lbs, a wheelbase of 54.5-inches and seat height of 29.9-inches. It features a 40-50 mile range, 30-mph speed capability and a 48V/20A battery charger that plugs into a standard 110V/220V outlet and safe, near-silent operation.

Vespa GTS 300 Debuts in NYC

Tue, 20 Jan 2009

Vespa made its fastest scooter a touch faster with the debut of its GTS 300 Super, which replaces the GTS 250. Upping displacement to 278cc, the four-stroke offers 22 hp and 16.5 ft-lbs of torque, instead of the claimed 22 hp and 14.9 ft-lbs for the 250. The new GTS 300 Super offers mostly cosmetic changes meant to create a more sporting aesthetic, such as the side grill, a red spring on the front shock, two-tone alloy rims, a black-rimmed headlight and a new chrome air intake.

Legendary Motorcycles Book Review

Fri, 16 Jan 2009

For every rider who has ever thrown their leg over a bike, there is surely one particular model that they can recount as being responsible for infecting them with the contagious riding bug. While some were fortunate to have biking in their blood and Hogs in their garage, others have undoubtedly become acquainted through the various forms of media within popular culture. Whether you caught the itch from seeing Marlon Brando in The Wild Ones, or Erik Estrada in CHiPs, many riders were inspired by images that shone upon the silver screen or appeared on their television sets each week.

IMS New York City

Thu, 15 Jan 2009

What the hell is that? Come back tomorrow to find out! The New York City stop of the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show starts this Friday and I think my ears have begun bleeding from all the chatter going on around the Motorcycle.com virtual office about the 2010 Honda Fury.

Early V8 Motorcycle

Wed, 14 Jan 2009

Before venturing into aeronautics, Glenn H. Curtiss began his long and storied career by working with motorcycles. In fact, the early aviation community sought out Curtiss due to his reputation for constructing powerful and lightweight motorcycle engines.

Honda Fury Videos

Tue, 13 Jan 2009

Here is a shot of the Fury from the official unveiling at Honda HQ last month, finally we can now show it to you! Click here to read the full article. While the Honda Fury won’t be officially unveiled until this coming weekend at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in NYC, Honda has been doing some underground marketing to get the word out by releasing videos to the public.

Ducati Multistrada Ready for Serious Update?

Tue, 13 Jan 2009

This fabed-up image from a French magazine of what a new Ducati Multistrada might look like is more like a fable than fact. If nothing else, the Internet is great for generating entertaining rumors, speculative talk, spewing hearsay, etc, etc. With the exception of chatter on where the next lucky third-world orphan to be assimilated by Brangelina might come from, nothing seems to spread faster than talk of a venerated bike receiving a thorough update.

Behind the “Bathing Suit” Picture

Fri, 09 Jan 2009

Few motorcycle photographs are as iconic as that of the famous Bonneville “Bathing Suit Picture.” While you have undoubtedly seen this image before, you may not know the story behind it. The scantily clad and debatably crazy rider was a man by the name of Roland “Rollie” Free. The bike, often thought by many to be a Vincent Black Shadow, was in fact a Black Lightning – the fastest Vincent ever to see production.

Tricked Out ZX-14 to Debut at IMS New York

Fri, 09 Jan 2009

Among the many bikes set to be unveiled at the New York Cycle World International Motorcycle Show next Friday, is a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 tricked out by Steve Kehler at Tricked Out Custom Cycles (TOCC). This ZX-14 sportbike was created as a rolling testament to the success Rickey Gadson earned during his 25 years of motorcycle drag racing. Gadson, an eight-time world champion, will join Kehler for the official unveiling of the bike during the New York IMS show.

Helmet Laws All Over the Map

Thu, 08 Jan 2009

The number one perennial hot-button item of discussion amongst U.S. motorcyclists has to be the mandatory helmet law issue. It has been for years, and will be ‘til the earth stops spinning.

2009 Indian Motorcycles Delivered to Dealers

Thu, 08 Jan 2009

The long-awaited introduction of the all-new 2009 Indian Chief motorcycle has finally arrived. After almost five years of, product development, testing, speculation and dealer development, Indian Motorcycle has announced that the first shipment of 2009 Indian Chiefs has been shipped to seven dealerships across the nation. For 2009, Indian will offer four distinct Chief models, including the Chief Standard, Chief Deluxe, Chief Roadmaster and Chief Vintage with base prices ranging from $30,999 to $35,499 respectively.

Harley-Davidson Archive Collection

Wed, 07 Jan 2009

Harley-Davidson has been building motorcycles for a long time. Over 105 years in fact, according to the summer celebration I attended in Milwaukee last summer. Who could have guessed over a century ago that the company would be alive and thriving today?

Unique Sounds of the New Yamaha R1

Tue, 06 Jan 2009

When Yamaha announced its new R1 literbike last fall, company reps told us about the tractability assets of its new, MotoGP-derived crossplane crankshaft for the four-cylinder engine. It’s unique in that cylinders fire 90-degrees apart, allegedly enabling better grip during acceleration. A byproduct of this design is an exhaust note that is distinctive in this world of cookie-cutter designs.

Aprilia SMV750 Dorsoduro

Tue, 06 Jan 2009

After gaining experience from GP and supermotard circuits, Aprilia has designed and produced the Aprilia SMV750 Dorsoduro. Named after an area of Venice, the Dorsoduro utilizes a derivative of Aprilia’s 92 hp 750cc liquid-cooled engine with a second generation ride-by-wire control system. With the US debut of the mid-size SMV750 Dorsoduro, the Italian manufacturer now offers American riding enthusiasts a lightweight, high-performance V-Twin streetbike that combinesall the benefits of supermoto styling and riding position with precision handling and race-bred technology.

POW! 2008 Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Desktop Wallpaper

Tue, 06 Jan 2009

It’s not often that Picture of the Week gets to be dirty. This week we are happy to highlight a Motorcycle.com review from earlier in the year. The 2008 Yamaha XT660Z Tenere was put through the paces by Tor Sagen.

Kawasaki Special Edition Ninja Unveiled

Mon, 05 Jan 2009

In addition to Metallic Diablo Black, Sunbeam Red and Candy Thunder Blue, the 2009 Ninja 250R will be available in a Special Edition Lime Green and Metallic Diablo Black combination. The great-looking paint scheme of the new Special Edition Ninja 250R which features Kawi green with black side panels, echoes the MotoGP ZX-RR. This is a strange time to release such a bike since the British motorsports site Autosport.com recently reported that the Japanese manufacturer will announce its withdrawal from MotoGP racing on Jan.

Moto Guzzi Revives V7 in US

Mon, 05 Jan 2009

If contemporary society has taught us anything, it is that few things are held as sacred. Shameless film and television remakes are rampant while musicians sample (steal) any beats or mixes they deem suitable that will gain their crumby creation attention. In regards to motorcycles, there are times when retro-inspired modern engineered creations work, like the Triumph Thruxton for instance.

Bikes with Non-EPA Tagged Exhausts Out of Big Apple

Thu, 01 Jan 2009

Current New York state law and Federal law prohibit motorcycles from emitting exhaust noise in excess of 80 decibels. In a move to enhance the enforceability of laws governing exhaust noise specific to motorcycles, the New York City city council has drafted a proposed law, No. 416-A, to aid various law enforcement agencies in what would effectively be elimination of many motorcycles from the City of New York.

Top Motorcycle News Stories of 2008

Wed, 31 Dec 2008

2008 was an interesting year in the world of motorcycles. But the biggest stories of 2008 have left some big questions for 2009. What’s in store for the New Year?

BMW Offers Education in Adventure

Wed, 31 Dec 2008

I was never a fan of mathematics in high school. This would be of no surprise to any of my teachers or parents, I assure you. My justification was that none of my instructors could explain the practical applications for such numerical oddities as logarithms, permutations, or binomial theorem.

Sex on a Moving Motorcycle

Wed, 31 Dec 2008

I think I remember seeing the book ‘The Joy of Sex’ in my parents bedroom. It may have been a bad dream or I could have subconsciously removed it from memory. Pop culture suggests that the ‘70s was a dirty decade.

Kymco Quannon 150 Unveiled

Tue, 30 Dec 2008

Taiwan-based Kymco unveiled three new products earlier this month at the International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, CA., including the Quannon 150. The air-cooled 149.3cc single-cylinder “sportbike” weighs 299 lbs and produces 14 hp allegedly allowing it to reach speeds of 72 mph. Speed is unlikely to be the main goal for beginners or commuters who purchase such a bike, but the claimed 70-75 mpg fuel efficiency will surely strike their fancy.

Are Motorcycles Safer With Antilock Brakes?

Tue, 30 Dec 2008

A new report says riders with ABS-equipped bikes can dramatically reduce the chance of a fatal accident. The study compared fatality rates among riders on bikes that have antilock brakes, and it found that death rates were 38% lower on motorcycles equipped with the optional ABS systems compared to non-ABS bikes. In 2005-2006, the fatal crashes per 10,000 registered motorcycles without antilock brakes was 6.6.

Motorcycles: The Root of All Evil!

Mon, 29 Dec 2008

Lawlessness, rampant sexual promiscuity, theft, gambling, drugs and being a general menace to society are the stripes motorcycle riders wear… 40 years ago! No doubt the image of motorcycling in the U.S. hit a low spot starting in 1947 with the infamous, and allegedly staged, photo of a Boozefighter motorcycle club member surrounded by empty beer bottles in the gutter, lying next to his bike.

Holmgren’s Harley-Davidson

Mon, 29 Dec 2008

Mike Holmgren coached his last game for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, leaving behind a 4-12 record. Holmgren did lead the Seahawks to four straight division titles before this year however. In ten seasons as a head coach in the NFL, he also had three Super Bowl appearances, including a Green Bay win in 1997.

Ace Motorcycle Predecessor to Indian Four

Wed, 24 Dec 2008

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. This old adage has never been more accurate than when describing a rare collection of motorcycle drawings from 1919 that were recently found in a trash bin. Created in 1919 by William Henderson, a man considered by many to be America’s most impressive motorcycle designer, this rare collection of original drawings depict the design of a brand known as the Ace, which later became part of the Indian Motorcycle Co.

CHiPs Star Estrada is a Reserve Officer

Wed, 24 Dec 2008

The TV show CHiPs was what first got me interested in motorcycles. A young boy when the late 70′s show made its debut on the air, I thought it was extremely cool to be on the California Highway Patrol, but especially so while riding around on a Kawasaki 1000. Erik Estrada even had a cool name and car on the show, going by ‘Ponch’ and driving a Firebird.