RideLust

If you’re into motorcycles then you probably know what the Can-Am Spyder is all about. For those that don’t however, here’s a quick synopsis. The Spyder is a three-wheeled motorcycle that utilizes a single drive wheel out back with the other two wheels mounted traditionally up front as you would see on an automobile. The engine is a 106-hp, 998-cc Rotax V-twin which is similar to the one first used in the Aprilia RSV Mille motorcycles built from 1998-2003. The Spyder is big, comfortable and perfect for long hauls which may explain why Can-Am is developing a hybrid plug-in of the bike. The Can-Am Spyder is built by Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) and in hybrid form is said to consume half the amount of fuel as its solely gas powered sibling. Right now BRP is working in conjunction with the Canadian Government and Sherbrooke University to develop a hybrid Spyder that is powered not only by traditional fuel, but by lithium-ion batteries as well. The bike is said to have a range of up to 375 miles. For those long haulers that want true comfort and versatility this may be exactly what they’ve been looking for.

Source: ConsumerReports.com

If you’ve ever been to San Francisco then you know that these people ride their bicycles. They take them on the train, into restaurants and even into the stores with them. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen more people using pedal power as their main transportation than in this City by the Bay. I mean I thought that New Yorkers rode their bikes, but these west coast granola crunchers take it to a whole new level. One thing that you won’t see in San Francisco however are bicycles that are powered by anything but human legs. That hasn’t stopped the 2011 PiCycle from hitting the market though. The PiCycle is an interesting machine for a few reasons. First off it’s electric, second it’s two-wheeled drive and third, it has a built in theft recovery system that updates its location on your smartphone. Personally I don’t believe in bicycles that power themselves, but I do believe in getting back at the bad guys that stole them. The PiCycle is currently being sold through Best Buy for $2,495.00. It’s not cheap, but with up to 20 miles on a single charge and a way to get it back if it gets nicked, it’s actually not a bad way to get around.

Source: PiCycle.com

Image: Victory Motorcycles

In biker speak, a “bobber” is a bike that’s had everything you don’t absolutely need removed to save weight. The front fender is usually the first to go, followed by the rear fender being cut short or “bobbed”, hence the name. Bobbers use a stock frame, as opposed to choppers, which generally have their frames modified to increase fork rake. Forks on bobbers are generally stock, while forks on choppers are usually stretched to provide a custom look (at the expense of handling). On the evolutionary scale of the motorcycle, bobbers represent the first climb out of the primordial stock bike-only-ooze, and they’ve still got a loyal following of riders. Read More…

If I asked you to name a bike built in Italy, you’d have no problem coming up with Ducati, Moto Guzzi or even Aprilia (although I’d give you bonus points if you said MV Agusta). If I asked you to name a bike from Germany, I’m sure you’d say BMW or even Munch. If I asked for a Chinese manufacturer, you might get Lifan, and you could probably identify Hyosung bikes as coming from South Korea. Now name one bike from the Czech Republic. Read More…

Ever try to load a heavy streetbike into a four-wheel-drive pickup? Every try to do this with a broken thumb, because you just crashed that very same streetbike? Unfortunately, I can answer yes to both questions, and I can also tell you that aluminum ramps meant for loading dirtbikes are good for “one time use” only when you’re dealing with the heavy stuff. The key thing is maintaining momentum, as the unlucky rider in this video learned the hard way.

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Participants in a rider safety course.

In years past, California teens could legally operate a motorcycle, with a learner’s permit, at the age of 15 years and 6 months. There were no requirements for training and no limits to the horsepower of the bike ridden: in other words, prior to your 16th birthday, you could get your permit and then go plunk down cash on a BMW S1000 RR or a Suzuki Hayabusa. Motorcycle dealers, reeling from the virtual collapse of the powersports market, certainly weren’t going to say “no” to a new rider with cash in hand.

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Let’s get one thing straight up front: despite Ms. Coates’ opinion to the contrary, the world IS filled with dangerous places, and she IS mad to travel like she does. If I had to toss out an estimate, I’d say that 75% of people are good, 20% are utterly indifferent and 5% are the ones you don’t want to run across in a dark alley. Still, those are pretty good odds, especially if you have a taste for adventure. If you want to see the world, riding a motorcycle is arguably the best way to do it, and any of BMW’s GS (for Gelände / Strasse, or field and road) bikes would make a superb mount.

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If you’ve been saving your lunch money to put down on the new (to the U.S.) Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200, Autoevolution tells us that pricing will begin at $11,999 for the non-ABS versions. That’s a lot of brown bag lunches, and it’s comparable to what you’d spend on a base 1100cc Ducati Hypermotard ($11,995). On the flip side, that’s a lot less than KTM wants you to spend on their 990 SMT, which stickers at $13,998. The Aprilia puts out 130 horsepower, which is considerably more than either its Italian or Austrian rival. The Aprilia beats the Duc, which by 35 horsepower and the Katoom by 16 horsepower, which should make the Aprilia the hoonmobile of choice. If the 750cc Dorsoduro was fast, the 1200cc Dorso promises to be stupid fast.

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Why is it that guys feel the need to always push the boundaries of common sense and physics. Over the years man has designed certain tools to help us get through certain jobs. The boat for instance lets us traverse through large bodies of water without getting wet. It does this in much the same way as a snowmobile lets us cruise through powdery white snow without sinking. However, some people tend to get these two machines confused, and in doing so end up in situations that are less than flattering. Take these two nimrods for example. Pilot number one seems to have a handle on what it takes to skip a snowmobile over open water. Pilot number two though, well, let’s just say he probably shouldn’t have eaten that last Christmas donut for dessert.

Source: Youtube.com

If you were going to build a motorcycle honoring Porsche, what would you create? Would you start with the V-Rod motor, since Harley-Davidson consulted with Porsche on its design? Would you shoehorn that into a light frame, hand built from aluminum and wrapped in carbon-fiber-goodness? Would you paint it in silver, the traditional color of racing Porsches, and would you make sure that it was fast in corners as well as in a straight line? Wouldn’t a bike like this embody what Porsche was all about?

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