Motorcycle Blog on 2040Motos

Daytona Bike Week 2009

UPDATE: 2009 Daytona Bike Week Report and the Daytona Girls Photo Gallery. The 68th Daytona Beach Bike Week officially kicks off today and will run until Sunday, March 8th. The event has become the unofficial start of the motorcycle season and claims to be the world’s largest motorcycle event.

Carbon Fiber Ducati 999S For Sale

This is defiantly not a good time to sell such a bike but if your interested and you have around $150,000 to burn then head on over to JamesList.com and check it out. The bike weights in at 315 lbs, with 170 hp, has a top speed over 180 mph and goes 0-60 in less than 3 seconds. The Ducati was tuned by the famous tuning specialist BeFaster in Hannover, Germany and has way too many additions and upgrades to mention here.

Yamaha to Cut Motorcycle Production in 2009

With mounting inventories coupled with a drop in demand, Yamaha will be cutting its motorcycle production in Japan by 24 percent this year or to about 260,000 total units; one newspaper reported this would be a 40-year low for the manufacture. Yamaha plans to cut production for motorcycles and other products by 30 percent in the Americas, 20 percent in Europe but will maintain production levels in Asia where demand has not dropped off. The company is forecasting its group sales to fall 22 percent with an operating loss of about $300 million.

Zen and Now: Book Review

Nearly every motorcyclist I have had the good fortune of meeting suffers from the same condition, albeit with varying levels of severity. This condition, which mystifies and frustrates our families, and unites us as brothers, is the inexplicable, often all-encompassing wanderlust. For some, it can be treated with a weekly Sunday afternoon ride, while others can never truly get it out of their system no matter how far or how often they ride.

Honda Fury and BMW S1000RR Forums

You might not be able to find them at your dealer yet, but BMW’s S1000RR and Honda’s Fury already have dedicated on-line forums. If you’re looking to get all the latest dirt on the new Beemer, just head over to the BMW S1000RR FORUM. Likewise, if you want to discuss anything about the yet to be released Fury, just head over to the HONDA FURY FORUM.

Tax Credits for Electric Bikes

Two major players in electric motorcycles, Vectrix and Zero Motorcycles, are eligible for a 10% Federal tax credit for plug-in vehicles. Zero Motorcycles, already known for its electric dirt bikes, is launching a new street legal version, the Zero S coming sometime this spring. As for Vectrix, you can still get a tax credit on its scooters but as for its street bike concept there has been no confirmation from the company if it’s in production or even will be produced at all.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned Review

The Lost and Damned is the highly anticipated Xbox360-exclusive add-on game to GTA IV. To sum it up, the game is good. It’s as simple as that.

Dealer Expo 2009 Photo Gallery

Our photo gallery is now up on motorcycle.com, there are 80+ photos for you to checkout. Pictured above is the Vectrix concept bike that was displayed at the show, along with all of the bikes that were on display, we saw some cool products, famous faces and of course all the booth babes. Photo Gallery

Michael Jackson’s Harley For Sale

This 2001 Harley-Davidson Touring Motorcycle could be yours, currently owned (I would safely assume never ridden) by the cash strapped, mega pop star Michael Jackson. In April It will be up for auction along with more than 2000 other items from the Neverland ranch in Santa Maria, CA. Julien’s Auction in Beverly Hills estimates a price range of $6,000 – $8,000.

The Hubless Monster

Besides looking cool, other advantages to hubless rims are more accurate steering, lower center of gravity, increased braking leverage and less vibration. Get the Flash Player to see this player. Amen Design and Engineering Inc.

Underwater Motorcycle

No, this isn’t one of Q’s creations for 007 agent James Bond, this is the Russian-built Aqua Star. Combining elements of an atmosphere diving suit from days of old and water propeller toys that your kids use in the pool, the Aqua Star is something of a motorcycle that allows its user to ride underwater without scuba equipment. Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Booth Babes at Dealer Expo 2009

What would a motorcycle show be without beautiful women? Fortunately for us, we didn’t have to find out when we went to the 2009 Dealer Expo in Indianapolis, Ind. Scantily clad women could be found in abundance at the Indianapolis Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium during the Dealer Expo.

Cool Products From Dealer Expo 2009

The best place to see the latest and greatest motorcycle gadgets and goodies before they hit the shelves of your local dealer is at the Indianapolis Dealer Expo. Unfortunately, you have to be an exhibitor, dealer or member of the media to attend. Luckily, we fall into the latter category.

GM Gets a Spark of Inspiration From Motorcycles

The Spark will make its official launch at the Geneva Auto Show in March and will be available in Europe in 2010, it will make its way to the U.S. in 2011. I don’t think this new look gage will inspire bikers to buy one but GM certainly hopes so, click here see the exterior of the car and get more information.

NASCAR Truck Star Rides Indian Chief

Three-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion Ron Hornaday recently took delivery of his 2009 Indian Chief Vintage at Indian Motorcycle Charlotte. Hornaday’s top-of-the-line black & burgundy Vintage was built to his specifications and features optional painted rims, black leather saddlebags and seat with fringed leather. Hornaday mentioned that one of his favorite photos is of his father, a racing legend himself, seated on an Indian Chief, just before he sold it to go into the Army.

Grand Theft Auto IV Add-On: Time to Join A Biker Gang

Let’s get the usual Grand Theft Auto talk out of the way: Yes, in GTA4 you can steal cars, kill innocent civilians (and not-so innocent civilians), hire prostitutes, and go to a strip club to get a lap dance. You’ve heard about Grand Theft Auto’s reputation before, I’m not going to repeat it again. What hardly gets out into the mass media is the quality of the game, from visuals to story telling.

Friday the 13th in Port Dover

While the Daytona and Sturgis bike rallies normally fall around the same time of year during favorable climates, the small town of Port Dover in Southern Ontario becomes a destination for bikers each and every Friday the 13th, no matter what the weather brings. The tradition started back in 1981 when ‘Biker’s Delight’ shop owner Chris Simons and a few friends got together at the Commercial Hotel in Port Dover for a few beers, which incidentally fell on a Friday the 13th. As the story goes, they all had such a good time that they agreed to do it again the next time a Friday the 13th came around.

Friday the 13th is circled on Jason Voorhee’s Calender

Friday the 13th is supposed to be bad luck for everyone, but is it good luck for Jason Voorhees? **SPOILER WARNING – If you’ve never seen a Friday the 13th movie I might ruin some stuff for you. You’ve been warned!

Charles Darwin’s Birthday

It’s Chuck Darwin’s 200th birthday! Or “DarwinDay” which is being celebrated all around the world. If you are not sure who this dead guy is, he was an English naturalist who came up with the Theory of Evolution.

A Different Bike Magazine

Motorcycle Retro is a pet project of former Motorcyclist editor Mitch Boehm, launching as Motorcyclist Retro in early 2008 under the Source Interlink media umbrella. It featured a contemporary look at motorcycles of the 1960s through the 1980s. However, the circulation numbers of MR didn’t meet the expectations of the media conglomerate, and they cancelled production of the magazine after just two issues.

Craigslist Motorcycle Rip-Off

Eduardo S. Cordero III, 22, allegedly robbed three Sierra Vista men at gunpoint in Tucson. Cordero advertised a Suzuki GSX-R motorcycle that evidently didn’t exist, on Craigslist for $4,000 and lured the buyers in by taking $500 off the listed price.

POW! 2008 FLHTCUSE Screamin’ Eagle Ultra Classic Electra Glide

Grab the wallpaper and click over to SPECs where you’ll find honest user reviews for this bike. Don Hutchinson reviewed the Electra Glide in December, calling it a “Great Machine” and gave it a perfect Rating! Phil Nuccio also gave it a 5/5 rating all ’round and uploaded a picture of his HD for all of us to enjoy.

Buell Motorcycle Ad. You Own the corners

Think you know everything about motorcycles? Did you know Buell owns the patent for the ztl braking system (u.s. patent 6,561,298 b2), fuel-in-frame (u.s.

2010 Harley-Davidson Edition F-150 Revealed

Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show this week, the 2010 Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 is officially the first Harley-Davidson edition truck to be constructed from the award-winning 2009 F-150 chassis. This niche market co-branding exercise marks the 14th Harley-Davidson edition of an F-Series truck dating back to 2000. The collaboration between these two companies has produced eight F-150 models, as well as six Super Duty F-250, F-350, and in 2009, the first Harley-Davidson F-450 edition truck.

Sandals Made Specifically for Bikers?

I have to admit that when I first saw this ad posted on http://www.600rr.net, I was convinced that it was a joke. After all, who in their right mind would condone, let alone promote wearing sandals whilst riding a motorcycle? Bata, the world’s largest footwear company, that’s who!

One Crazy Ride

From Dirt Track Productions, the makers of “Riding Solo To The Top Of The World” comes the release of “One Crazy Ride”, shot in the same format, with no back-up vehicle or film crew. Five motorcyclists take on India’s unexplored backcountry on a route that doesn’t exist. Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Harley Declares Women Riders Month

Back in July of ’08 Motorcycle.com announced that The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum and Nationwide Insurance were working together to mark July as Women’s Motorcycle Month in order to honor the contribution made to history by female riders. This May, Harley-Davidson is staging a series of events in order to celebrate women on two wheels by declaring May, “Women Riders Month.” Some of the Harley-Davidson Women Riders Month initiatives will include special rides in New York City and Milwaukee as well as an attempt to grace the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest number of women motorcycle riders trained in one weekend. Harley-Davidson dealerships will also be hosting women-only Garage Parties, which consist of informal meetings in an unintimidating environment where women can learn about motorcycling.

Wesll Quad Prototype

A number of manufacturers have tinkered with various three-wheeled motorcycle applications over the years. Companies like Piaggio, Can-Am, Brudeli and even Harley-Davidson have produced unique trikes with ranging levels of success. The Wesll Corporation is attempting to do one better, literally, as it develops a four-wheeled mechanism that could be applied to many different kinds of bikes.

MX for Children Sets Three Dates for 2009

MX for Children is running three locations for their 2009 Inside Line Experience. The behind the scenes Supercross experience will visit three cities this year including Houston, Toronto and Seattle benefiting local children’s hospitals. The Inside Line Experience is a reward for those who raise funds for their local children’s hospital and their research to prevent hydrocephalus – the number one cause of brain surgery in children. To qualify, participants must raise at least $500 in pledges or donations to the designated hospital prior to the pledge drive close date.

Electric Motorcycle on a Mission

The Mission One motorcycle was unveiled yesterday at the TED2009 conference in Long Beach. The bike has 100 ft-lbs of torque (available at any speed or rpm) and will allegedly have a top speed of 150mph. Fully charging the lithium ion batteries takes eight hours and its range is said to be 150 miles.