Motorcycle Blog on 2040Motos

Triumph Speed - A City Tool

The Triple and I have covered 2500 miles now and most of that has been commuting through London. Last year I was riding Kawasaki’s ZX-6R and the constant gear changing, braking and acceleration was taking its toll. After 5000 miles the Kwak was feeling loose, rough and generally hard to ride smoothly.

Not Even Death Can Stop Him From Riding

How much do you love riding? Probably not as much as this guy did. David Morales Colon, 22, was shot to death April 22 in Puerto Rico.

Michelin Power Pure Offer

Motorcyclists buying and fitting a pair of Michelin Power Pure motorcycle tyres between 1 May and 30 June will receive the chance to win one of 20 Akrapovic slip-on exhausts. Thanks to Michelin's patented Light Tyre Technology, Michelin claims that the Power Pure type weighs approximately 2lbs less than competing tyres in the same category and is the lightest dual-compound tyre approved for road use.  In addition to the competition draw, a Michelin Man digital pressure gauge (RRP £8.99) will be given free to all riders buying and fitting a pair of Power Pure tyres. The claim form can be obtained from participating tyre dealers or downloaded from: Michelin.co.uk from the 1 May.

Triumph riding experience

Just got back from a sunny Silverstone where we’ve been given the chance to sample Triumph’s Riding Experience. Very nice it was, too. It’s not a track day.

Yoshimura adds KTM Super Duke to it's aftermarket line-up

Yoshimura have released a set of exhaust cans for the KTM Super Duke. The RS-3C slip-on is described as a new design for the slip-on end can, based on the traditional oval can but with carbon fibre coned end-caps incorporated. There is a considerable increase in performance over the standard can.

Excitement on the oval

The races may only be four lap sprints but speedway racing features some of the most exhillarating battles in motorsport. Watch the above video for a perfect example of race craft. For more on speedway racing check out issue 10 of Visordown.

10 points if you can guess what this bike is

Spotted outside my hotel in Assen. I'm not talking about the big red bike with DUCATI written on the fairing, no. I'm talking about the one it's locked together with.

Avon calling!

AVON TYRES recently invited Visordown to test some of the company's range of motorcycle tyres at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire. So we sent Jon Urry along to find out what was on offer.“Since we stopped racing we have effectively virtually become unknow,” admitted Peter McNally, Avon’s technical product manager. “We only have about a 5% share in the UK market, mainly because we aren’t OE equipment on any bikes.” The problem Avon has is that riders form habits.

Commute 20 miles or less a day?

THIS IS THE Pedego: a retro-funky e-bike costing from $1,695 (£1,100) to S1,875 (£1,220).The California-based company produces several: a classic cruiser and a cruiser with a step-thru frame. There's even a tandem for two-up fanatics. All run via a 500W brushless hub motor, controlled by a regular bar-mounted throttle.

Pink Knitted Motorcycle

Artist and Washington DC native, Theresa Honeywell, has knitted herself an interesting creation.  From what I have gathered on her site, the idea behind her work is to take an item from “macho” culture and wrap it up in a traditional “feminine” medium.  Pretty in pink or just another pathetic attempt to call this art? Check out some closeup photos after the jump.

Proof: You can highside a scooter

LAUGH ALL you like about scooter racing, but a well-prepped step-thru armed with a tuned up engine and a set of sticky tyres can be a lot of fun. And while we're on the subject of race rubber, take a look at this clip of a scooterist getting a little too throttle-happy, while taking part in a heated race. It's slip, grip and flip!

Mini Moto Go...

It's garage clear out time at MF Towers. Boy number two has now outgrown his Polini 4.2 minimoto and it's time to move it on. Not to be confused with the often rubbish Chinese stuff, this GP2 steel Polini is old and a bit scruffy but as sweet as a nut.

Art Director vs Predator

These matt black end cans from BC in the states looked and sounded sweet when I put them on the Bonneville. They turned the bike from a sewing machine into a proper growler and with lagging on the headers completely transformed the look. They’re a great alternative to brands available in the UK not least because they come in ceramic black which looks awesome.

Take part in the 2010 National Road Rally

The 2010 Express Insurance National Road Rally will be taking place over two days on the third and fourth of July. There are four different entry types for the event, they are as follows: The National Daytime Rally, Saturday 3rd July 2010: Start at 14:00 and ride a minimum of 200-miles up to 275-miles max with a midnight finish.   The National Rally, 3rd-4th July 2010: This is 20-hours and ideal for those who wish to ride overnight with the bronze award for beginners, silver award for experienced, gold award for the more experienced and special gold for very experienced riders.

Speed Triple exhausts

The Speed Triple sounds quite throaty with the standard pipes, on the overrun it pops and farts to its heart content but it could be louder. Also standard pipes are usually quite heavy, on the Triple they weigh 9.3kg!!! Triumphs preferred exhaust manufacture is Arrow and they offer side and under seat options as official Triumph accessories.

Puncture of the year

A spark plug! Yes that’s what was hanging out of my rear tyre as I pulled into our work car park this morning. Only 10 minutes before I had been thinking the factory fitted Metzlers had done 2200 miles now and still had loads of tred in the middle.

Riding in groups

Saturday morning was a stonker wasn’t it? A group of us ranging from neighbours, brothers, mates and girlfriends got up and headed down to the coast for a spot of bacon and eggs. We had a real diverse selection or bikes actually with a GSX1400, XJR1300, Triumph Speedmaster, MT01, A Yamaha R1 and my Triumph Speed Triple.

Is this the new MV Agusta 600?

NO, IT'S NOT but we thought you'd like a shufti at this: a 1968 MV 600 4. Looking more BMW than MV Agusta, the forty-two-year-old 600 features a gorgeous sandcast DOHC inline four engine, shaft drive, cable-operated front disc brakes and some rather bizarre styling. Weird, eh?

Leather Therapy Motorsports Sampler pack

With the slogan, "Makes Leather Behave...Beautifully" you would be inclined to put a lot of trust in a company that takes itself this seriously. From Leather Therapy comes the Motorsport Sampler, for £18 there is an overall sample of the products they offer. Included in the pack are 1 - 2oz bottles of water repellent, leather finish, wash and restorer and conditioner treatments and a sponge.

Live from the launch of the Yamaha FZ8

THAT, MY FRIENDS, is our test rider's transportation to the 2010 Yamaha FZ8 launch in Marseille. Today, Jon Urry will endure 700 miles in a bazzed-up Ford Transit with other UK bike journalists, thanks to the infamous cloud of volcanic ash that's turning our skies a worrying shade of crystal-clear blue. So check back later for Jon's updates on their progress to southern France.

MotoGP Technology Second Edition from Neil Spalding

From Chief Eurosport MotoGP Geek Neil Spalding comes the Second Edition of his MotoGP Technology book. And we like it. With his in-depth knowledge and insider access to photograph and study all of the bikes to give a comprehensive technical history of the first eight years of MotoGP, from the 990-era to the 800s that were introduced in 2007.

Ford Ranger Wildtrak: part three

Clocked over five thousand miles in the Ranger, lugging bikes to track events, back to importers and dealers, that sort of thing. It’s freeing up, especially the suspension. I can drink a cup of coffee now without inhaling it.

Draggin Jeans awarded CE Approval

AFTER FIVE years of research and development Draggin Jeans has been recognised for producing the first motorcycle jean in the world to receive full CE Approval.  The certificate was given by SATRA Technology Centre, an independent body responsible for granting CE Approval.Grant Mackintosh, CEO and founder of Draggin Jeans, was elated to receive word of this incredible safety endorsement. “This is a fantastic result that we were confident we would receive. It is gratifying to now have the certification hanging in our Head Office.

Toby Moody Tweets new paintjob

EUROSPORT'S voice of MotoGP - scrub that -  THE voice of MotoGP, Toby Moody has posted up a picture of his newly-painted Arai helmet, courtesy of painter to the F1 stars Mike Fairholm. "Newly painted helmet just arrived. Thanks to Mike!

Is this Valentino Rossi's missing NSR500?

CHECK THIS: the poster of this video on YouTube is asking if the machine in the clip is an ex-Valentino Rossi Honda NSR500 GP racer. Although, the bike looks the part, we doubt it's a 'missing' Valentino two-stroker. We weren't even aware the nine-time world champ had lost one!

We're not bugs!

THIS IS Norway's latest road safety video that's aimed at reminding the country's car drivers that motorcyclists are more than just bugs. We're not quite sure what useful message is contained in the clip. It's seems to be aiming to use pointless shock tactics, which don't really work.

2010 Vyrus 987 C3 4V [video]

The new Vyrus 987 flies high even in the rarefied air of ultra sportbikes. It marries a 185-horse Ducati 1198R engine with a hub-center-steered Bimota chassis unlike anything else on the market. Still not cool enough for ya?

Single sided chain adjustment

We don’t get the manuals with our long term bikes and I didn’t want swallow my pride and ask triumph how to adjust the chain on the Speed Triple. For the life of me I couldn’t figure it out. The single side swing arm with centrally mounted disk is a work of art but how the hell you are supposed to adjust the thing?

Head-on trail riding crash

ANYONE WHO'S ridden green lanes before may appreciate this clip, shot in Texas, USA. No lane markings and no speed limits mean many trails are pretty much a free-for-all, especially out in the Texan wilderness. It's all too easy to think you and your mates are the only riders on the trail.

Look who's in fifth in the Qatar superbike championship

YOU'VE got to love Nicky Hayden. First he sends us pictures of the local talent floating around Qatar, prior to the start of the first MotoGP weekend of 2010, and now he sends us this. Snapped at Losail circuit, venue for Sunday's nighttime MotoGP race, Hayden says: 'look who is up to 5th in the national superbike championship....lol' So that's where he's been hiding.