Honda XL500S Motorcycles, page #61

Moto blog

Looking after number 1

There was a time when a rider’s number indicated his position from the previous season, with the ultimate accolade being the number 1 emblazoned on the front of the champion's bike. The rise of branding in MotoGP and a rider wanting to market themselves, born from Barry Sheene and his retention of no.7, saw riders decide against displaying their finish from the year before. Rossi, who on winning his numerous championships, stuck with his famous #46 in defence of his titles, instead of stamping a great number 1 on his bikes.

Hero Moto Unveils Leap Hybrid Scooter Concept, Claims 235 MPG

Indian manufacturer and former Honda partner Hero MotoCorp has unveiled a new hybrid scooter prototype at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi. The Hero Leap runs on a series hybrid powertrain with the battery-powered electric motor providing most of the power and the gasoline engine acting as a range extender, charging the battery and supplying power when the battery runs low. Hero claims fuel economy of up to 100 km/l, which translates to an eye-popping 235 mpg.

BSB 2012; Mystic Mac investigates

In my opinion, the smartest move in the BSB off season has to be Michael Laverty moving from Swan Yamaha to HM Plant Honda. With a ban on electronics for 2012, and in particular traction control, WFR's Graham Gowland has already proved to Laverty how competitive an EVO spec Fireblade can be - so I’m tipping both these riders to be bang on the money at the Brands Hatch season opener in April. Unlike BMW, Kawasaki and Yamaha, Honda have deliberately developed their road-going Superbike without electronics to give a user friendly feel with good mechanical traction, so it’ll be interesting to see how the opposition copes with their high-tech trickery stripped off.

On Board the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR with Jake Zemke

Veteran AMA racer Jake Zemke was on hand for the recent press intro for the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR. We asked Jake to go a couple of laps for us at Infineon Raceway with our GoPro camera to show us what it’s like to ride the CBR for someone used to pushing the bike to its limits. Check out the onboard video after the jump.

2012 'Blade tail tidy from R&G

R&G Racing have released the first available tail tidy and crash protection accessories for the 2012 Honda Fireblade This is what R&G have to say about the new products for the 2012 Fireblade: Crafted from 2mm thick stainless steel for lightness and powder-coated black for a high quality finish, the Tail Tidy is easy to install and comes with comprehensive, step-by-step fitting instructions. Currently the only product of its type available for the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR, the £79.99 Tail Tidy features an ultra bright LED number plate light and can retain the standard Honda indicators or be used with R&G’s own Micro Indicators (£27.49). Also included in the box are spacer options for the indicator mounts to work round different size number plates.

Recall on Kuryakyn Transformer Passenger Floorboards for Honda Gold Wing

Accessory manufacturer Küryakyn is issuing a recall on its Transformer passenger floorboards for the 2001-2011 Honda Gold Wing. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the mounts of the Küryakyn Transformer floorboards may crack and break free from the mounting bolts. The floorboards may unexpectedly fall off the motorcycle, potentially leading to a crash or injury.

Honda CBR250R Challenge Series Announced for 2012 Canadian Superbike Season

Honda Canada has officially announced a new racing series featuring its CBR250R entry-level sportbike, to be held at 2012 Canadian Superbike racing events. The new Honda CBR250R Challenge series replaces the previous CBR125R spec series and will include a double-header at each CSBK National race weekend. The series is open to riders 15-25, though riders as young as 13 may be eligible if they have competed in at least three sanctioned CBR125R events.

The week's most popular stories

Want to know what people are looking at on Visordown? Well for the past 7 days, these have been our most popular stories: Motorcycle Racers on Twitter, 5 things no-one told you about becoming a biker, Thieves nick copper's bike, Honda Moto Compo, Irony. So there you have it, that's what everyone else has read, have you?

2012 Honda CBR1000RR First Ride

First some bad news: the new 2012 Honda CBR1000RR doesn’t come with traction control. The good news: It doesn’t matter. It’s still an absolute blast to ride.

Mopar to Sponsor Canadian Superbike Championship

Chrysler’s parts and accessories brand Mopar has signed on to be the title sponsor for the 2012 Canadian Superbike Championship. Mopar replaces Parts Canada which recently ended a 22-year partnership with CSBK over controversial comments made by the series organizer on an Internet forum. The seven-round CSBK series includes separate pro and amateur Superbike and Sportbike classes, as well as a Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup and a new spec series for young riders featuring the Honda CBR250R.