Hell For Leather

Zero partners with Agni for inaugural US TTXGP

2010-03-18T16:12:55Z

Zero Motorcycles CEO Gene Banman has exclusively revealed to Hell For Leather that his company will be partnering with Agni Motors to create a new motorcycle to enter the first American TTXGP race on May 16. The partnership makes a lot of sense; Agni's Cydric Lynch essentially invented the modern archetype for electric vehicle motors, while Zero has enormous expertise in constructing very lightweight, very strong frames. In addition to the new racer, Agni motors -- the same ones that were used in the 2009 TTXGP winner -- now power the 2010 Zero DS and Zero S.
]]> Zero's proprietary frames are made from aircraft grade aluminum -- the company's founder, Neal Saiki, used to work for NASA -- and are among the lightest motorcycle frames in the world. The Zero X and MX frame weighs just 13 pound while the one holding the DS and S together is 18 pounds.

Agni won the TTXGP race on the Isle of Man last year with two of its motors housed inside a GSX-R frame while the Mavizen TTX02 is also powered by two of those motors, but houses them in a KTM RC8 frame. Even Michael Czysz used the Agni motors, three of them in the E1pc.

The Agni 95 reinforced permanent magnet brushed motor in the 2010 Zero S and DS develops 39lb/ft of torque (peak) and 19lb/ft (continuous). That was good for an indicated 70 MPH top speed during our test ride yesterday. Look for our review in the next couple of days and check out Fox Car Report Live at 3:30 EST where I'll be appearing alongside Gene Banman to discuss his new bikes.

Report: Harley could have, should have sold Buell

2010-03-18T03:06:26Z

Writing in American Motorcycle Dealer, respected journalist Alan Cathcart reports on growing stockholder unrest following Harley management's decision to shutter rather than sell Buell. According to Cathcart, Bombardier made two separate offers to Harley after Buell's closure was announced, but both were declined seemingly for reasons of vanity. Now, HD stockholders have savvied to the fact that declining the offers cost the hemorrhaging doo-rag manufacturer $125 million in shutdown costs and potentially many times more due to negative publicity. Remember, Harley shut Buell without first calculating the costs.
]]> Bombardier -- a Canadian company to which motorcycles are little but a side-line to massive aircraft and public transport operations -- owns both Can-Am and Rotax. Rotax makes the 72° v-twin that was used in both the Buell 1125CR and 1125R, Can-Am makes the utterly pointless, non-leaning Spyder trike that's also powered by a Rotax V-twin (the 60° one that was also used in the Aprilia RSV 1000 R). Seeking to protect a major outlet for Rotax engines, Bombardier initially offered to purchase the design and manufacturing rights and tooling to produce the two water-cooled Buell motorcycles. When that offer was refused, Bombardier then offered to acquire the entire Buell operation. While this would still have meant the end for the Harley-powered models, Cathcart says it could have seen Bombardier use Buell's existing East Troy, WI facility to produce not only the 1125s, but also that Can-Am Spyder; the bikes could have been re-badged under the Can-Am brand. The terms of both offers are unknown, but would have likely covered most, if not all of that $125 million, especially appealing when you consider Harley actually had to pay Bombardier a large sum of money to cancel its 10-year contract for the Rotax motors.

So why didn't Harley take the easy and less costly way out and make the sale to Bombardier? According to Cathcart, it was the risk of getting "considerable egg on their corporate faces" if the 1125s had found more market share simply by being marketed properly and placed in more appropriate dealerships. That's not going to sit well with stock holder calling for blood after larger than expected fourth quarter 2009 losses.

Harley has declined to comment on the potential sale of Buell many, many times, only saying, "We decided not to sell Buell because it is too inextricably tied to Harley-Davidson operations. Bottom line, we thoroughly explored it and decided it was not the option to pursue." We thank them for their good humor and patience in putting up with our constant hassling.

via AMD (page 51)

Mugen Honda CB1100 faithfully translates concept to reality

2010-03-18T00:52:31Z

Look closely, this isn't the Honda CB1100 Customize Concept that was shown alongside the production Honda CB1100 back in September, but rather a customized version of that production bike from Mugen. It's hard to tell the difference, so look at this Mugen's weedier forks, rear grab handles, smaller "Mugen" branded seat hump and slightly darker shade of red, those're the changes. Not bad, this is a near direct interpretation of concept to reality. Are we getting any CB1100 here in the US? Well, it's up to American Honda's product planners, who are under pressure from across the company to find a way to bring it in.
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There don't appear to be any actual mechanical changes over the standard CB1100, which is a little disappointing. While the 1140cc air/oil-cooled inline-four makes a fairly convincing case for a retro standard, 87bhp and 535lbs (wet) don't translate terribly well into a more performance-oriented bike. We'd like to see clip-ons beefier forks, some basic engine work and wider wheels that could fit stickier rubber. Guess that's not the point though, you could always do that yourself.

Like the Customize Concept, this Mugen gains the silver bikini fairing, black fenders, bullet seat and megaphone exhaust over the standard bike.

Mugen via BikeEXIF

KTM FREERIDE: electric supermoto and enduro coming to Tokyo

2010-03-16T18:16:34Z

KTM is planning to show both supermoto and enduro versions of its new electric bikes at the 2010 Tokyo Motorcycle Show next week and thanks to some tricky work in Photoshop from Grant, we're able to bring you exclusive details and images. The KTM FREERIDE twins are an evolution of the KTM Zero Emissions Motorcycle that was shown in prototype from in October, 2008, but unlike that bike, these use a twin-spar aluminum frame, beefy WP forks and full-size motorcycle wheels.

Update: KTM describes these two bikes as, ""Near-series prototypes which in one year's time will transfer the "Ready to Race" sporting spirit of the brand into a series model fit for the 21st century." Which means these are slightly blingier versions of production bikes coming for 2011.
]]> In fact, these two bikes look like such a drastic departure from the Zero Emissions prototype that its specs -- 29.5lb/ft of torque, Lithium Ion batteries 40 minutes of operation under "race conditions," a 90kg (198lbs) weight -- probably can't be applied to these apparently production-ready motorcycles.

KTM previously committed to mass producing an electric motorcycle this year, but more recent rumors have indicated that production could be delayed until 2012 due to the financiapocalypse. These two models appear to indicate that production plans remain on track.

After lightening up KTM's dark teaser shots, both the enduro and supermoto models look identical with the exception of wheels. In the supermoto's case, they're clearly 17s, but the enduro's appear to be the same 21" front, 18" rear items that are used on other KTM EXCs. This is an important point, even if its a bit boring. The prototype used a mountain bike-like 21" rear wheel that may have compromised both performance and reliability.

We'll be bringing you full details on March 25.

KTM

Harley-Davidson Takeover: shares spike as KKR becomes rumored buyer

2010-03-16T15:01:46Z

Harley-Davidson (HOG) stock is trading frantically right now as speculation that private equity firm KKR may purchase The Motor Company in a leveraged buyout offer. Harley shares are up five percent already. We'll keep you updated.

via Reuters

Update: Both KKR and Harley are declining to comment on what they describe as "market rumors and speculation."

TTXGP Trust: own electric motorcycle racing

2010-03-12T17:24:47Z

Seventy percent of ownership in TTXGP is being turned over to participating teams in a move designed not only to encourage new entries in the international electric motorcycle racing series, but also to give those teams a controlling interest in their sport. This will give participants a stake in the series' profits and also a say in its governance. You won't be able to buy into the TTXGP Trust, you have to race to join and shares in the trust won't be sold, they'll be given away to teams based on the number of races they complete and their points standing. Such a trust is unprecedented in motorsports, radically blurring the lines between participation and ownership.

We'll bring you more analysis shortly, in the meantime, check it out for yourself at Trust.eGrandprix.org.

When Bill Paxton was a badass biker

2010-03-12T01:50:00Z

Before Bill Paxton became a successful polygamist he was in a band called Martini Ranch. They only ever made one album and two music videos, one of which, "Reach", was directed by blue fetishist James Cameron and cast Paxton as a biker cowboy rolling into a small town. We actually have no idea what the plot of this is supposed to be, but it involves motorcycles, Paul Reiser, Judge Reinhold and a chick in a very skimpy leather bathing suit pounding some iron. If this is the post apocalyptic future, Glenn Beck better start advertising leather and chains. ]]>

What's up, you zany Germans?

2010-03-12T01:07:43Z

Long known for their self-deprecating, totally not cheesy in the least sense of humor, ze Germans at Continental Tires have applied that to this BMW S1000RR. The rest of the modifications are just catalog bolt-ons, so let's focus instead on the jaw-dropping paint job. According to it, the S1000RR eats gas, body builds with exhaust pipes (we may not get this one) and signals that it can't stop using its brake lights. Also, it plays on the Nurburgring, which is actually pretty cool and the tires apparently equal "riding performance." And yes, acid wash jeans and rubber-spiked backpacks are still in fashion. Germany, you rule.

via MotorradOnline

Thanks for the tip, Paul.

Unboxing a Honda NR750 and RC30

2010-03-11T18:22:07Z

A lucky dealership in Stockholm got its hands on a Honda NR750 and RC30, both brand new and still in their original boxes. These aren't toys we're talking about, but the real deal. Two of the rarest bikes ever made, the NR750 was a technological showpiece while the Honda RC30 was an homologation special built by HRC for World Superbike. Only a few hundred examples of each were either produced and these must be among the last to still be in their boxes. That means this could be the last time such an unboxing is ever experienced. The dealership plans to display the bikes in its showroom.

An update from Ivar at MC24.no: The owner of Stockholms MC-Varuhus (yeah - Motorcycle Warehouse), Bengt Gunnarson, has kept them in the basement for 20 years. Apparently for no other reason than the fun of unpacking them now!
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Just because we love you, here's what an NR750 sounds like:

Thanks for the tips, Axel and Alex.

Aprilia Dorsoduro Factory in action

2010-03-11T02:20:04Z

When the Aprilia Dorsoduro Factory was originally released at EICMA back in November, all we got was four studio photos. Now, we get to see it moving. As far as Factory Aprilia's go, the Dorsoduro is relatively tame, gaining only carbon bodywork, fully-adjustable Sachs forks, a fully-adjustable remote-reservoir shock and four-piston radial Brembo brakes. All that manages to shed a kilo from the dry weight (now 185kg) meaning the Dorsoduro is still relatively porky compared to the now-lighter 172kg (dry) Ducati Hypermotard 1100 Evo. At 92bhp and 60lb/ft of torque, the Dorsoduro is 3bhp and 15lb/ft down on the Duc too. ]]>

Aprilia

Dainese Jacket Wave Pro: can you get any safer?

2010-03-11T02:12:23Z

Until the Dainese D-Air or Alpinestars airbag suit reach the market, we're guessing the Dainese Jacket Wave Pro (combined with a leather jacket or suit) is the safest you can practically and comfortably make your upper body on the road. Combining protection for the neck, chest and shoulder blades with the usual elbow/shoulder/back stuff is what makes this system special, but the aluminum honeycomb-core armor doesn't hurt either.
]]> You could, of course, wear an Alpinestars Bionic Neck Support or Leatt brace for increased neck protection, but they don't tend to work well over bulky leather and we hear they can reduce the degree to which you can turn your head, not ideal when you've got to be checking over your shoulder constantly.

Unlike full neck braces, Dainese's neck protectors don't prevent your head from being jammed down between your shoulders or side-to-side movement, but rather prevent your next from flexing too far backwards and provide protection from impacts. Less protection than a brace for sure, but you're more likely to wear this kind of neck protection more of the time, meaning you're more likely to have this on when you need it.

All of this protection is incorporated into Dainese's high-end jackets or is available in component form. We've never actually figured out a practical application of a street-use armor jacket since we prefer our armor incorporated into our jackets and wear our back protectors separately, but it does illustrate the degree of protection that is offered.

Also, what's the deal with the guys that wear jackets like this without leather over them? They get the need for safety, but don't execute it fully? Of course, we'll never understand the need for an extended swingarm on an R1 either.

Removable battery packs, FTW

2010-03-11T00:58:05Z

Why are we writing about a shitty little electric scooter? Because the e-max city 80L does something no other realistic means of two-wheeled transportation does: the battery comes out easily so you can charge it inside your house or office. Designed specifically for urban use, scooters like this offer equivalent performance and equivalent ease of licensing to 50cc ICE scooters -- long a staple of cities outside the United SUVS of America -- but have always suffered from one major drawback: if you live in an apartment building or work in an office building, they're impossible to charge unless you get very creative with a very long extension cord. No longer.
]]> The plot thickens further when you realize this isn't one of the cheap Chinese-built electric scooters being sold at Pep Boys, but rather a high-quality product of Germany. e-max was just bought by Australian company Vmoto, which hopes to expand the brand across Europe in the near term.

Aside from the removable battery, the rest of the specs are rather competitive. There's a 50cc regulations-meeting 30mph top speed and a range of up to 40 miles. Not bad when you consider these are intended solely for short distance urban commuting and that the removable Lithium battery does a full recharge in less than three hours.

One of the major objections to electric motorcycles is that their limited speeds make them most suitable for urban riding, yet the difficult recharging makes them unsuitable for urban living. Hopefully this dinky little scooter is the harbinger of more electric two-wheelers adopting removable batteries.

e-max

Thanks for the tip, Will.

Dainese Vintage Racer: this is how you do color

2010-03-11T00:22:21Z

It's a rare item of motorcycle gear that can be anything but solid black and still be appropriate for adults to wear. These Dainese Vintage Racer gloves do just that. I guess the trick is they don't use much color; what they do use is vibrant and classic; it's contrasted by black detailing and the white leather is perforated so it doesn't look cheap. It helps too that the leather is high quality and the gloves aren't covered in a bunch of plastic. We wouldn't want to crash in these anywhere outside of town, but they should provide decent abrasion resistance thanks to the reinforced palm and kevlar stitching.

Dainese

Could Ducati and Piaggio merge?

2010-03-10T15:05:09Z

Despite unconditional denials by Piaggio's owner, Immsi, rumors of a possible merger between Ducati and Piaggio are intensifying in Italy. Word is that leading global management consultancy McKinsey & Company has been contracted to evaluate potential merger candidates for the struggling Piaggio Group and that the now privately-controlled Ducati is being tipped as the best option.
]]> In an official statement, Immsi defined as baseless, "any assumptions about possible integration of the Piaggio Group and other industry groups." The company then goes on to deny "categorically, that they have heard of projects or documents of any kind, developed by McKinsey in relation to that hypothesis."

You're likely familiar with the Ducati brand already, but many people don't realize that, in addition to manufacturing scooters under its own name, Piaggio owns Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Derbi, Vespa, Gilera and Ligier.

Italian wire service MF suggests that the McKinsey study is at the preliminary stages, but will be examining the possibility of integrating Ducati and Piaggio. The thinking appears to be that major investment could be drummed up for a Ducati/Piaggio super company since such a merger would create a major competitor for the big four Japanese motorcycle makers. Not only would such a company have a a wide range of products -- running the gamut from scooters to SBK competitors and everything in between -- but it'd also have the volume and the manufacturing capacity to tackle emerging markets in Southeast Asia.

via Reuters and Borsa Italiana

Ducatis, Daft Punk, Light Cycles and Jeff Bridges

2010-03-09T21:04:26Z

Could you ask for anything more? Disney's just dropped the second HD trailer for Tron Legacy and it's got more details of the Ducati GT1000-filled world outside the game. ]]>

via Jalopnik