1998 Honda Shadow 1100 on 2040-motos

Moto blog

R&G announce cheaper engine case cover kits

R&G Racing has reacted to the rising cost of official motorcycle parts from manufacturers by creating money saving packages on its Engine Case Covers.As a reaction to the parts price rise, the crash protection leader has created a kit package on its Engine Case Covers (ECC) – offering an overall saving of more than 10% when compared to buying the items individually. The ECCs are designed to protect the engine cases and the inner workings of the motor in the event of a drop by acting as a sturdy ‘second skin’.By simply bolting over the original items, fitting the durable Engine Case Covers doesn’t require draining any engine fluids or replacing gaskets. Extensively developed in the ACU R&G Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 Trophy, as well as being tested and approved by the California Superbike School in the UK and USA, the covers can allow a bike to be ridden after a crash or prevent terminal engine damage from oil leaks or casing punctures.Protection benefits aside, financial savings for riders are evident by looking at official parts prices; to replace only the clutch cover on a Suzuki GSX-R1000K7 would cost £206 including a new gasket, but all three R&G Engine Case Covers for this bike cost only £143.

Day 2 Dakar 2014: Sunderland Wins First Special Stage

Honda won the second day of competition with Team HRC’s Sam Sunderland claiming victory in the first special stage of this year’s Dakar. Sunderland has had a frustrating time at previous Dakars, dropping out after three days of racing in 2012 and withdrawing a month before last year’s event due to fracturing both his wrists. Today, however, Sunderland made a grand entrance into the club of elite riders by brilliantly winning his first special stage of this year’s Dakar. Having started well behind his teammate, Joan Barreda, the 23-year old Brit superbly overtook Michael Metge and Juan Pedrero on the first part of the route.

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.