Bikes in the Fast Lane - Daily Motorcycle News

Switzerland: Motorcycle Riding To Be Put In The Constitution

Mike Werner — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0200

There is a movement going on in Switzerland to have motorcycle riding put officially in the constitution. It sounds pretty strange, but what the motorcycle groups are trying to do is make motorcycle riding a "normalized" form of transportation, guaranteed by the constitution.

The movement comes from a group of illuminated politicians, assisted by the motorcycle lobby groups.

The proposed constitution change will allow people to make the free choice of transportation vehicles, allow lane splitting, riding in the bus lanes, and for cities to have sufficient parking spots.

It should also mention that using motorcycles is an efficient way of transportation.

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France: Top Motorcycle Sales For 2011

Mike Werner — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0200

For a fourth consecutive year, sales of motorcycles and scooters in France has declined. While 2007 was a record year, 2011 is turning out to be one of the worst of this millennium.

But interestingly enough, the European motorcycle manufacturers saw incredible sales increases, while the Japanese (except Honda) saw the reverse.

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Europe: It Is So Cold Out Here That ...

Mike Werner — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0200

It's so cold out here in Europe, that even the motorcycles freeze over.

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Italy: Milan Congestion Charge Paying Off?

Mike Werner — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0200

We've already reported on Milan's congestion charge, something motorcycles do NOT have to pay, since they are allowed to go into the city without paying the tax.

After the first week of the congestion charge, authorities stated that traffic inside the inner city was reduced by 37%! Cars dropped from 122,000 to 77,000 during the operating hours of the congestion charge. Carbon emissions dropped 30%.

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Michelin Introduces Its New Motorcycle Tires With Changes To Race Cup

Mike Werner — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0200

French tire giant, Michelin, introduced a couple of new tires last year meant for discerning motorcycle riders, and to mark the occasion, they are adding new categories to their Michelin Power Cup motorcycle races.

Newbies, women only and endurance categories have been added, plus the ability to sign up for individual races, and not have to commit to a whole season.

Plus, they have instructors available to help you on the circuit.

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A New Nikon Camera, A Motorcycle, And A Great Video

Mike Werner — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 07:30:00 +0200

If you are into photo (and video) cameras, it will probably not have escaped you that Nikon launched its latest pro or semi-pro camera, the Nikon D800. This latest DSLR gives you what can be considered the latest technological goodies that cameras can offer, from a 36 megapixel photo cameras, to full HD video making capabilities.

For the launch, Nikon commission Sandro Miller to make a short video (5 minutes) with the D800 camera, and Sandro in his artistic vision, used his talent to create this beautiful video of a Joy Ride on a motorcycle.

You'll need to see the video itself, it's below, but for those of you who are interested in how it was done using this latest camera, there's a "The Making Of..." below it.

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Liquid Image: Ultimate HD Camera Goggles For Motorcycles

Mike Werner — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0200

Liquid Image, a company that makes extreme sports video cameras, have recently released the Torque HD camera goggles for motorcycle helmets.

The Torque HD video camera google not only record in full HD (1080p), or at 720 but at 60 fps, but it also streams to a smartphone app via onboard WiFi.

The motorcycle goggles will be available mid this year for US$399.

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Video: Learn Motorcycle Drag Racing

Mike Werner — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0200

Not exactly something you'd think they have schools for, nor would you expect to see TV commercials for them, but there you go, learn something new everyday.

This is an advertisement for the Rickey Gadson Drag Racing School, where you can learn to drag race your motorcycle.

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Potty Motorcycle - Go On The Go

Mike Werner — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0200

You've probably all seen the Japanese motorcycle using our natural excrement (read shit) as fuel.

Now it looks like the Chinese are trying to replicate it, but in their own unique fashion.

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Taddy Blazusiak Takes Third World SuperEnduro Title

KTM Press Release — Mon, 6 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0200

KTM factory rider Taddy Blazusiak continued his golden run on Sunday night to win the third and last SuperEnduro event of the FIM World Championship season 2011-2012 in Barcelona, Spain, to again clean sweep both the event and the series.

Engloshman Johnny Walker took second spot, also on a KTM motorcycle.

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Le Touquet Enduropale - Photos and Video

Mike Werner — Mon, 6 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0200

For those of you who saw the Enduropale beach race in Le Touquet (either on the spot, on TV or the Web), you'll agree that it was incredible... incredibly crazy that is. 1080 motorcycles leaving the start at the same time in snow & ice, not to mention the deep sand was a sight to see.

But this year, to slow down the holeshot winner, they made several curves in the circuit. Which is fine when you arrive as one of the first, but when the 1000+ Sunday riders arrive, they get stuck. On its own, not a problem, but it becomes an enormous problem when the front of the pack has done a complete lap (about 10-15 minutes), and reaches the backmarkers who are still stuck in their first curve or hill.

That is a sight to see. Check the video below (for as long as it plays since it might be removed). You'll see the front leader loose his position since he got stuck in a still-standing pack of Sunday riders, while the number 2 manages to pass on the outside. Fun. That's life on the Enduropale, it's not the circuit, nor the obstacles, nor the professional competitors who are a threat, but the Sunday riders, all 1000+ of them.

Here are some photos of the event, and below that videos. ...

France: Toll Roads Price Hike, Even For Motorcycles

Mike Werner — Mon, 6 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0200

The French government, in their "wisdom" has agreed that motorway operators in France are allowed to increase their tolls by an average of 2.5%.

That makes way to an incredible fraud by the operators, who already charge an arm & leg for their motorways, particularly for motorcycles. The last thing they need is an increase in tolls, since they are making filthy profits on roads that were paid for by tax payers.

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Enduropale 2012: Live On The Web

Mike Werner — Fri, 3 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0200

Even if you are not coming to that wacky and incredible beach motorcycle enduro, the Le Touquet Enduropale, you can still see it.

The France3 national TV stations will be broadcasting it live on TV, but will also be streaming it on their web, all 3 hours worth.

This year might just be a notable one, since they are predicting snow for the weekend....

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Yemen: Stuffed On A Motorcycle With Guns

Mike Werner — Fri, 3 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0200

This is what I call "being stuffed on a motorcycle".

No one sneeze... that gun might go off.

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Switzerland: 20 Times More Scooters Last 20 Years

Mike Werner — Thu, 2 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0200

These are pretty amazing statistics coming from the Swiss Federal Office of Statistics (OFS). Overall in 2010, there were 5.36 million vehicles circulating in Switzerland, of which 12% were motorcycles.

In the last 20 years, the number of motorcycle doubled, from 299,264 to 651,252 in 2010, but it's the number of scooters that blows your mind (well, at least it did mine). In the last 20 years, the number of scooters was multiplied by a factor of 20, representing 37% of the motorcycle park.

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Movier Review: Timerider

Mike Werner — Thu, 2 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0200

Review of the movie entitled "Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann", an honest-to-God Biker/Sci-Fi/Western movie. It's original, and reasonably good.

Image you are sent back into time, to the good old Western days, and all you have is your motocross motorcycle. That'll be fun...

All the usual suspects for a Western movie are there...

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Indonesia: Nice Motorcycle Protest - Impressive

Mike Werner — Thu, 2 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0200

That's quite an impressive display of strength these Indonesian motorcycle riders are putting up.

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Working On Your Vespa Scooter

Mike Werner — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0200

When you say that you're going to work on your Vespa scooter, most people will think that you're taking your spanners, screwdrivers and wrenches, and start tinkering on your motorcycle.

But not this Australian guy. He really means that he'll be working on his Vespa scooter. That's because he has taken this 1968 Vespa, that had died and was waiting for the taxidermist, and turned it into his office chair and desk.

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Video: Washington Lottery - Crazy Ideas

Mike Werner — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0200

Funny, if not wacko. This is a TV commercial for the Washington Lottery, and has as theme, what crazy thing would I do if I won the lottery.

In this case, the winner is going on a motorcycle ride with his biker friends. Just watch...

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