Motorcycle Blog on 2040Motos

Travertson Has A Trike In The Works

American Motorcycle Manufacturer Travertson, the same folks who brought you the V-REX, which we’ve reviewed before is in the process of making The Travertson Trike. In a press release issued by Travertson, we know the trike will have a four-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, reverse and large cargo space. Christian Travert, the company’s namesake, even touts the trike will be a capable handler, able to carry two people.

Brough Superior Fetches $427k At Bonhams Auction

The ex-George Brough, Brough Superior SS100, which was projected to sell in the neighborhood of $235k – $300k, actually brought in nearly half a million dollars Sunday. Registered in 1939, the motorcycle was campaigned by George Brough himself in the London-Edinburgh Trial that same year.The grand final tally for the Bonhams Stafford Sale of Pioneer, Vintage, and Collectors’ Motorcycles & Memorabilia totaled $3,419,981. “We are delighted with the results achieved for this long and well-established sale.

2014 WSBK – Assen Results

Heavy rains and a fortuitous red flag were the difference in the World Superbike Championship‘s visit to The Cathedral of motorcycle racing, the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands. Aprilia‘s Sylvain Guintoli captured his second win of the season in Race 1, which was halted early by a red flag with five laps to go just as it looked like reigning WSBK champion Tom Sykes was gearing up for a final challenge. The second race was also shortened, not by a red flag but because of a rain, turning the 21-lap race into a 10-lap sprint.

Innovative Luggage From Nelson Rigg

Nelson Rigg, one of the premier motorcycle luggage manufacturers around with 32 years in the business, has released three innovative pieces. The trio covers a wide range of riders, from the sportbike rider looking for a little extra space, to the cruiser rider who refuses to drive to the airport. CL-1060     First up is the $79.95 CL-1060.

2014 AMA Supercross – New Jersey Results

A crowd of 62,217 fans in East Rutherford, N.J. witnessed the coronation of Ryan Villopoto as the 2014 AMA Supercross Champion. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider took the holeshot and led very lap in a decisive victory to clinch the championship, his fourth in a row.

2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb To Use Airfence, Thanks To Honda Sponsorship

After a successful 2013 campaign in the 91st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, where Honda’s own Jeff Tigert won the Pikes Peak 450 class and set a new record, Honda is stepping up its involvement for 2014, as both a sponsor and race participant, with plans to field products in seven distinct race classes. In addition, Honda will be working with the AMA and the Pikes Peak sanctioning body on improvements which will provide new levels of safety to the Motorcycle / ATV / UTV / Sidecar competitors. American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Harley-Davidson Breakout Recall Caused by Fuel Tank Angle

An official recall announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sheds some light on the cause of a recall campaign on 2013-2014 Harley-Davidson Breakout and CVO Breakout models. We wrote about the recall last week, after campaigns were initiated in Canada and Australia to address a problem with the fuel sensors not properly reading the correct volume of fuel. We now know the problem is caused by the angle of the fuel tank.

Ducati Offering Free Ticket To World Ducati Week If Coming From Outside Europe

World Ducati Week 2014 will once again be held at the Misano World Circuit in Italy from July 18th to 20th. This year, Ducati is offering something really special for Ducatisti: if you’re traveling to WDW from somewhere outside Europe, Ducati will offer you a free ticket! During the three-day event, there will be plenty of on-circuit attractions to entertain participants looking for excitement and an adrenaline kick.

Yamaha Has A Full Slate Of Activities For This Weekend’s Yamaha SoCal Nationals + Video

For the Yamaha SoCal Nationals at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, the first round of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented By Yamaha, the tuning-forks brand has lots of fun activities lined up for fans to participate in tomorrow and Sunday at the Southern California racetrack. Q&A Session With Yamaha Riders And Crew Chiefs On Saturday On Saturday, April 26 from 1:30 to 2:15 PM PST in the Media/Rider Center located in the infield paddock at Auto Club Speedway, Yamaha’s “Fast Four,” Josh Hayes, Cameron Beaubier, Garrett Gerloff, and JD Beach, will participate in a Q&A Session that fans and track day participants can attend absolutely free of charge. Yamaha’s Pro Superbike duo and pair of Pro Sportbike riders will have already completed their morning practice sessions on the 21-turn, 2.36-mile road course at Auto Club Speedway, so the Fast Four will be ready to share insights about their fast lines around the racetrack and answer any other questions you might have.

Evading a traffic fine: what’s your sob story?

‘YOU, pull over!’ said the policeman as he pulled up alongside me. I timidly rode to the next junction and pulled over as soon as I could. Before I had time to remove my helmet, I could hear the cliché ramblings of the militant officer who’d clearly woken up on the wrong side of the bed several days over.

Honda Reports 2013-2014 Sales Results

A strong fourth quarter helped Honda see a 9.8% increase in motorcycle sales and a 9.3% increase in motorcycle revenue for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2014. The Japanese manufacturer reported sales of 17.0 million motorcycles and ATVs over the fiscal year, up from the 15.5 million sold in the previous year. Honda’s worldwide motorcycle sales increased in each of the previous seven quarters going from 3.8 million in the Q2 last year to 4.5 million in the most recently completed quarter.

Harley-Davidson Launches The Harley-Davidson Riding Academy

Harley-Davidson‘s rider training program has revamped itself and even changed its name. Now the new Harley-Davidson Riding Academy is the only national rider training program hosted by Harley-Davidson dealerships and conducted on an all-new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Since its inception in 2000, Harley-Davidson’s rider training program has successfully trained more than 350,000 new riders with a premium Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF)-approved rider training experience that guides students on their journey from the classroom to the street with an emphasis on building student confidence on their road to independence.

Two Flagstaff Residents To Ride Small Motorcycles Across Arizona For Charity

In June, Flagstaff residents Eva Rupert and Josh Remer will be riding vintage 100cc motorcycles across the state of Arizona to raise money for Blood:Water Mission, a Nashville non-profit that builds HIV/AIDS clinics and clean water wells in Africa. Both Josh and Eva are avid motorcyclists and wanted a way to use what they love to make a difference in the world. They see their ride as a more exciting version of a walk-a-thon.

Yamaha Announced As AMA EnduroCross Premium Sponsor

Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S. has just announced it will support the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship for 2014.

Watch A BMW R1200GS Being Built From Start To Finish + Video

BMW’s venerable R1200GS has a lot of fans around the globe, including us. To my eyes, the GS does a fine job of maintaining a traditional dirtbike’s minimalist appearance, minus those bulging cylinders protruding from either end. But now more than ever, thanks to the introduction of liquid-cooling, the GS is a modern marvel of mechanical and electrical engineering.

Expansion Forces Polaris Industries to Cancel 2014 American Victory Rally

Growth is a good thing, but sometimes it comes at a cost. This year, unfortunately, Polaris has realized that its American Victory Rally will not be able to take place at the company’s Spirit Lake, Iowa facility because of “extensive transformation of manufacturing lines.” “All of us at Victory are disappointed that we are unable to host the rally this year as we know our riders are passionate about their bikes and the opportunity to connect with each other, the Spirit Lake community and Victory employees at the annual rally,” said Marcy Bosch, committee chair, American Victory Rally. “We will be transforming our manufacturing lines this summer to keep up with the demands fueled by the continued enthusiasm for Victory bikes and our other products, which means we won’t be able to free up the facilities and dedicate the resources necessary to support a quality rally.

Edelweiss MotoGP Tours Going To Brno And Sachsenring In 2014

If you’re a MotoGP fanatic with wads of cash burning a hole in your wallet and two weeks of vacation you don’t know what to do with, Edelweiss, one of the world’s leading motorcycle-tour companies, has just what you’re looking for. In 2014, Edelweiss has two grand prix tours lined up. The first is the Sachsenring Grand Prix in Germany, July 9-16, and the second is the Brno Grand Prix in the Czech Republic, August 13-20.

2015 Vespa GTS Gets ABS and Traction Control

Piaggio announced new updates for the Vespa GTS, adding anti-lock brakes, a traction control system and its new Enahnced Sliding Suspension system, bringing the company’s latest scooter technologies to the largest, most powerful Vespa model. The new additions on the GTS should not be a surprise, as they have already been adopted by other new Vespa models such as the 946. Piaggio was the first company to introduce ABS and ASR traction control system for scooters, and the updated GTS will now receive the technology as a factory-installed option.

Harley MotorClothes Reminds Us April Is Check Your Helmet Month

Since April is Check Your Helmet Month, Harley MotorClothes sent us a little reminder to perform this vital task. They also took the opportunity to reveal a few new helmets in their line. As riders, we all try to keep our helmets looking shiny and new.

The World Endurance Championship Starts This Weekend

Endurance racing is perhaps the ultimate test of both man and machine. In the past, teams would pace themselves in order to rest both elements enough to make a final push at the end. These days, however, motorcycles are more reliable than ever, and riders train like triathletes.

Polaris Reports Q1 2014 Sales Results

Polaris Industries reported a 52% increase in motorcycle revenues over the first quarter of 2014, thanks in large part to the addition of Indian Motorcycles. Motorcycle sales generated $78.9 million in sales revenue for Polaris, compared to $51.8 million in the same quarter last year. The key thing to remember however, is Indian Motorcycles wasn’t relaunched until late summer, so last year’s first quarter sales were made up almost entirely of Victory Motorcycles.

Image Gallery From The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show

Housed in a renovated warehouse in one of Austin’s hottest neighborhoods, the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show paid homage to the growing league of design-driven motorcyclists and drew several thousand spectators over its two day run. The custom bikes on display varied greatly, from 50cc two-stroke scoots, all the way to land-speed racers built to shatter records on the salt flats.  To add to the excitement, the popular Wall of Death was stationed just outside the confines of the warehouse, and was built to resemble the wild circus act from decades gone by. The entire event, including admission to the Wall of Death, was free, though donations were warmly accepted.

Round 1 Of GEICO Superbike Shootout Is This Weekend

Round One of the GEICO Superbike Shootout kicks off with the Yamaha SoCal Nationals this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The event is the first of a three-race series that will crown overall champions in two individual race classes: Pro Superbike and Dynojet Pro Sportbike. The Superbike Shootout is a three-race series meant to fill the long void in the AMA Pro Roadracing schedule between round one at Daytona and the second round at Road America.

Top-Selling Motorcycles in US in 2013: Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special and Breakout

It’s almost automatic every time we write about Harley-Davidson that the company’s critics jump out to say how its bikes are heavy or assembled from parts bin leftovers or technologically decades behind its competitors. What these naysayers either forget or completely ignore is that Harley-Davidson motorcycles continue to sell. In its first quarter 2014 financial report, Harley-Davidson reported a 5.8% increase in motorcycle sales including 3.0% in the U.S.

Dynojet Sponsoring GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Pro Sportbike Class

The new three-event GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented by Yamaha is gaining steam as Dynojet Research has stepped up to provide sponsorship for the Pro Sportbike class. Dynojet will also have its popular dyno performance truck on-site for race support. Devised to fill an 11-week gap in professional road racing between mid-March and late May, the Superbike Shootout was inspired by the successful British Superbike Championship series.

Kick Gas, The Movie, Released Today – Earth Day + Video

Kick Gas, a documentary about a gang of electric vehicle enthusiasts on a mission to set a new Guinness World record, has been released on this day, Earth Day, 2014. The vehicles included a Nissan Leaf, 2012 Zero S, a Xenon electric scooter, and an A2B Alva electric bicycle. The goal, then, was to cover 4000 miles in 44 days, starting from Charleston, South Carolina, to Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Pentagon Developing Stealth Electric Hybrid Motorcycle

When it comes to missions for the Special Forces, it’s imperative to maintain a stealth appearance and get in and get out quickly. Under development now, DARPA is experimenting with a gas/electric hybrid motorcycle to allow agents to reach difficult areas as quietly as possible. Based on the $15,000 RedShift MX, Logos Technologies is currently developing a preliminary design with the help of a DARPA-awarded $100,000, six-month Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract.

Harley-Davidson Reports Q1 2014 Sales Results

Harley-Davidson kicked off its 2014 fiscal year with a first quarter net income of $265.9 million, an 18.1% increase from the profit reported in the same period of 2013. Consumers purchased 57,415 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles worldwide in the first quarter, up 5.8% from the 54,254 units sold in Q1 2013. U.S.

AMA Go Ride Safely! Week Focuses On Rider Responsibility And Driver Awareness

AMA Go Ride! Month, sponsored by the American Motorcyclist Association, rounds out its month-long motorcycling celebration with AMA Go Ride Safely! Week.

EPA Recognizes Harmful Effects of Ethanol on Motorcycle Engines

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has publicly acknowledged the dangers that ethanol may have on motorcycle engines. The EPA has approved the use of E15, a blend containing 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline in newer vehicles but not for motorcycles and ATVs.