1975 Honda 175 Motorbike on 2040-motos

Moto blog

OEMs Plug into Electric Bikes

KTM introduced its prototype electric motorcycle earlier this week, and electric bike manufacturer Zero Motorcycles almost immediately responded by opening sales on its 2009 Zero X dirt bike (look for our review of the 2008 model next week!). But these two companies aren’t the only ones exploring the possibilities of electric-powered motorcycles. In September, Japan’s largest industrial information journal Nikkei Business Daily reported that both Honda and Yamaha have set target dates for launching their own electric-powered motorcycles.

Honda Reports Q3 2011-2012 Results

Honda reported a 41% decrease in net income over the third quarter, thanks primarily to the rising Japanese yen, continuing effects from the Japanese earthquake and floods in Thailand interrupting automobile production. Thanks to recovering auto sales and growing motorcycle sales in emerging markets, Honda reported a net profit of 47.6 billion yen (US$624 million) in the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2011.

Gardner chilling out and taking it easy

Away from the pressures of being a Grand Prix racer in the days when fierce on-track battles and unexpected highsides were common place, Wayne Gardner throws a Honda VFR750F around Oran Park in Australia. The bike that Wayne is likely to be riding is special VFR750F, that was given the codename '6X'. The VFR was an experiment with prototype components including titanium valves and magnesium flat-slide carburetors, the result was the bike that weighed less than a factory RC30.