Motorcycle Blog on 2040Motos

Unique Sounds of the New Yamaha R1

When Yamaha announced its new R1 literbike last fall, company reps told us about the tractability assets of its new, MotoGP-derived crossplane crankshaft for the four-cylinder engine. It’s unique in that cylinders fire 90-degrees apart, allegedly enabling better grip during acceleration. A byproduct of this design is an exhaust note that is distinctive in this world of cookie-cutter designs.

Aprilia SMV750 Dorsoduro

After gaining experience from GP and supermotard circuits, Aprilia has designed and produced the Aprilia SMV750 Dorsoduro. Named after an area of Venice, the Dorsoduro utilizes a derivative of Aprilia’s 92 hp 750cc liquid-cooled engine with a second generation ride-by-wire control system. With the US debut of the mid-size SMV750 Dorsoduro, the Italian manufacturer now offers American riding enthusiasts a lightweight, high-performance V-Twin streetbike that combinesall the benefits of supermoto styling and riding position with precision handling and race-bred technology.

POW! 2008 Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Desktop Wallpaper

It’s not often that Picture of the Week gets to be dirty. This week we are happy to highlight a Motorcycle.com review from earlier in the year. The 2008 Yamaha XT660Z Tenere was put through the paces by Tor Sagen.

Kawasaki Special Edition Ninja Unveiled

In addition to Metallic Diablo Black, Sunbeam Red and Candy Thunder Blue, the 2009 Ninja 250R will be available in a Special Edition Lime Green and Metallic Diablo Black combination. The great-looking paint scheme of the new Special Edition Ninja 250R which features Kawi green with black side panels, echoes the MotoGP ZX-RR. This is a strange time to release such a bike since the British motorsports site Autosport.com recently reported that the Japanese manufacturer will announce its withdrawal from MotoGP racing on Jan.

Moto Guzzi Revives V7 in US

If contemporary society has taught us anything, it is that few things are held as sacred. Shameless film and television remakes are rampant while musicians sample (steal) any beats or mixes they deem suitable that will gain their crumby creation attention. In regards to motorcycles, there are times when retro-inspired modern engineered creations work, like the Triumph Thruxton for instance.

Bikes with Non-EPA Tagged Exhausts Out of Big Apple

Current New York state law and Federal law prohibit motorcycles from emitting exhaust noise in excess of 80 decibels. In a move to enhance the enforceability of laws governing exhaust noise specific to motorcycles, the New York City city council has drafted a proposed law, No. 416-A, to aid various law enforcement agencies in what would effectively be elimination of many motorcycles from the City of New York.

Top Motorcycle News Stories of 2008

2008 was an interesting year in the world of motorcycles. But the biggest stories of 2008 have left some big questions for 2009. What’s in store for the New Year?

BMW Offers Education in Adventure

I was never a fan of mathematics in high school. This would be of no surprise to any of my teachers or parents, I assure you. My justification was that none of my instructors could explain the practical applications for such numerical oddities as logarithms, permutations, or binomial theorem.

Sex on a Moving Motorcycle

I think I remember seeing the book ‘The Joy of Sex’ in my parents bedroom. It may have been a bad dream or I could have subconsciously removed it from memory. Pop culture suggests that the ‘70s was a dirty decade.

Kymco Quannon 150 Unveiled

Taiwan-based Kymco unveiled three new products earlier this month at the International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, CA., including the Quannon 150. The air-cooled 149.3cc single-cylinder “sportbike” weighs 299 lbs and produces 14 hp allegedly allowing it to reach speeds of 72 mph. Speed is unlikely to be the main goal for beginners or commuters who purchase such a bike, but the claimed 70-75 mpg fuel efficiency will surely strike their fancy.

Are Motorcycles Safer With Antilock Brakes?

A new report says riders with ABS-equipped bikes can dramatically reduce the chance of a fatal accident. The study compared fatality rates among riders on bikes that have antilock brakes, and it found that death rates were 38% lower on motorcycles equipped with the optional ABS systems compared to non-ABS bikes. In 2005-2006, the fatal crashes per 10,000 registered motorcycles without antilock brakes was 6.6.

Motorcycles: The Root of All Evil!

Lawlessness, rampant sexual promiscuity, theft, gambling, drugs and being a general menace to society are the stripes motorcycle riders wear… 40 years ago! No doubt the image of motorcycling in the U.S. hit a low spot starting in 1947 with the infamous, and allegedly staged, photo of a Boozefighter motorcycle club member surrounded by empty beer bottles in the gutter, lying next to his bike.

Holmgren’s Harley-Davidson

Mike Holmgren coached his last game for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, leaving behind a 4-12 record. Holmgren did lead the Seahawks to four straight division titles before this year however. In ten seasons as a head coach in the NFL, he also had three Super Bowl appearances, including a Green Bay win in 1997.

Ace Motorcycle Predecessor to Indian Four

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. This old adage has never been more accurate than when describing a rare collection of motorcycle drawings from 1919 that were recently found in a trash bin. Created in 1919 by William Henderson, a man considered by many to be America’s most impressive motorcycle designer, this rare collection of original drawings depict the design of a brand known as the Ace, which later became part of the Indian Motorcycle Co.

CHiPs Star Estrada is a Reserve Officer

The TV show CHiPs was what first got me interested in motorcycles. A young boy when the late 70′s show made its debut on the air, I thought it was extremely cool to be on the California Highway Patrol, but especially so while riding around on a Kawasaki 1000. Erik Estrada even had a cool name and car on the show, going by ‘Ponch’ and driving a Firebird.

Definition of a Motorcycle to Change in California

Several new laws have been passed in the California Legislature and ratified by Governor Schwarzenegger that will come into effect starting in 2009, one of which will pertain to motorcycles. The definition of a motorcycle has been expanded to include three-wheeled vehicles; they now have access to the high-occupancy lanes regardless of occupancy. The new designation will also delete the weight limitation and the separate definition of electric motorcycles to officially include them under the new motorcycle definition.

POW! 2009 Triumph Daytona 675 Wallpaper

In a recent Motorcycle.com Review, Tor Sagen took to Circuito de Cartagena [map] race-track on the 2009 Triumph Daytona 675. Photog’s Jason Critchell and Paul Barshon caught the action as Tor rocketed the machine around 3.506 km (2.179* Miles) of track. Luckily for us, some awesome shots were caught in the process.

Motorcycle Accident Leaves Cagefighter in Coma

WEC (World Extreme Cagefighter) bantamweight fighter Will Ribeiro was recently in a motorcycle accident that has left him in a comatose state in hospital in Rio De Janeiro according to WEC.tv. According to the report, Ribeiro was riding as a passenger on the motorcycle and was not wearing a helmet when the bike crashed on a slick road. “My assistant said that the doctor said for sure that [Ribeiro] has lost sight in one of his eyes,” Ribeiro’s manager, Ed Soares, told WEC.tv.

Motorcycle.com Weekly Community Round-up!

It’s that time again, folks. Here are a few things going on around the Motorcycle.com Forum Network: 2006 R6 Exhaust Picture thread! Wow, this thread has been going on since 2004!

Honda Electric Bike

Takeo Fukui’s speech this week was a bit on the gloomy side as the company adjusted its profit forecast by 67% in the wrong direction. Slumping auto sales and a sagging U.S. dollar were the main factors for Honda’s third profit forecast cut this year.

iPhone Moto Chaser Review

If you’ve got 99 cents burning a hole next to the iPhone in your pocket, the developers at Freeverse might have something for you to spend it on. Moto Chaser is a motorcycle game meant just for your iPhone or iPod Touch. It’s easy to find, just visit the App Store and search for ‘Moto Chaser’ and it will come right up.

Harley-Davidson Christmas Commercial

Every year it seems that newspaper advertisements, radio and TV commercials for Christmas start earlier and earlier. As soon as the sun begins to set on Halloween, department stores begin packing shelves and websites start stocking inventory in preparation for the impending feeding frenzy that will occur for the most commercial of holidays next to valentine’s day. While spending the holiday with family normally keeps me blitzed off eggnog and most of these aforementioned advertisements are enough to make me want to book a cruise for an entire fortnight at the end of December, this one commercial for Harley-Davidson made me laugh.

Valentino Rossi Shows Off His Face

Perhaps the most memorable helmet this season in MotoGP sat atop the head of the most memorable rider. Coincidence? The ‘Rossi Face’ helmet worn by Valentino Rossi at this year’s Mugello round is now for sale by AGV as a limited edition replica of the original helmet.

Motorcycle Taxi Business Booming in Thailand

According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) there are more than 100,000 motorcycle taxis operating in Bangkok alone. The motorcycle taxi, or “Motorsai” as it is known in Thailand, started operating back in 1981 but was controlled by gangs for many years. According to a story that was published in September 2002, it was estimated that Bangkok gangs were extorting at least 100 million Baht or about 2.9 million USD per month from the motorcycle taxi operators.

POW! 2008 Vespa GTV 250ie

Scooter excitement hit an all-time high this summer as two and four wheeled commuters alike looked for an economical ride. Gas sipping scoots’ seemed quench the expensive petrol thirst for many forced to fend-off their rising budgets. Luckily for us, Steve Guzman was there to get the low-down on the scooter market.

Harley-Davidson Film Contest

Get the Flash Player to see this player. And the Grand Prize winner is… Victoria Sampson of Shadow Hills, CA. Harley-Davidson challenged U.S.

Motorcycle Trials Riding with a Freestyle Twist

An up-and-coming extreme sport or a reckless destructive tendency? There comes a time in every boys life when he is forced to grow up, leave the foolishness of childhood behind and fully grasp what it is to be a man. All that added responsibility is fine and good but being forced to get rid of the toys is too much!

“Moto-Terminator” Fetches $140,000

The second annual auction in Dubai for Cinema Against AIDS on Friday raised $1.8 million for the cause. An abundance of Hollywood stars made it out to support or chair the event, including, Goldie Hawn, Salma Hayek, Oliver Stone, Laura Linney and Sharon Stone, to name a few. The highest selling item of the night went to the “Terminator Salvation” premiere package which contained tickets to the premiere as well as the “Moto-Terminator” from the movie.

J.D Power Cites Dealers as Deterrent

According to J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Motorcycle Escaped Shopper Study, a significant portion of motorcycle buyers rejected certain brands due to dealer-related issues. This inaugural study, which analyzed the top reasons why shoppers considered a certain motorcycle brand, but ultimately choose to purchase another, found that 51 percent of new motorcycle buyers cited their reasons for leaving a dealership was the dealers themselves.

Bajaj Auto Owns 25% of KTM

In India, Bajaj Auto is a major player in two and three-wheeled vehicles. They originally purchased a 14.5 percent stake in KTM last year, which was increased to 20.9 percent earlier this year and has now officially reached 25 percent. The companies have been working together to develop high-efficiency bikes, sourcing for production and the assembling of KTM bikes in India for export to Europe under KTM branding.