In retrospect, the 1980s weren’t entirely bad. Sure, they gave us weird clothing, big hair and some tragically awful music, but they also gave us factory turbocharged motorcycles, at least for a few years. Between 1982 and 1985, you could walk into your local Honda / Suzuki / Yamaha / Kawasaki dealer, plunk down an astonishing amount of cash, and ride out on a factory-built, forced induction bike, complete with a manufacturer’s warranty.
I’m a big fan of different, but Julien Rondino’s Motiv trike concept is just wacko. The insect-like inline three wheeler has fully independent suspension, hub steering front and rear, and a center drive wheel. The theory is the extra wheel provides more contact with the road and allows for higher cornering grip. I can’t imagine how it would handle if it were were ever hatched into reality. I would, however, love to see it built just so I could marvel at its insanity. Hit the jump for an animated film of the concept in action.
The Dorsoduro 750, coming soon in extra strength formula.
Confirming the worst-kept secret in all of motorcycling, Aprilia has apparently posted a copy of the Dorsoduro 1200 service manual online. There’s no information on horsepower (plenty) or availability (Soon, we hope), but Autoblog seems to think the Dorsoduro 1200 will be introduced at the November EICMA Show in Milan.
Ducati’s uber expensive and exclusive Desmosedici RR is basically a GP bike for the open road. It’s light, fast and for all intensive purposes a masterpiece of engineering. With almost 200 hp and a top speed of 190 mph the Desmosedici RR is a two wheeled force to be reckoned with. There are those however who look at machines of this caliber and simply think that they can be better and thus, take a shot at it, NCR is one such company. There goal in the motorcycling world is simple:
“To prove itself to the motorcycling market as a designer and manufacturer of very exclusive motorcycles that use the highest available technology and leading design to a knowledgeable and demanding customer”.
First off I have to apologize about the crappy quality of the video, but I felt that this needed to be shown. Apparently there is a stunt rider out there who decided to make his own wheelie machine out of a Home Depot trailer and a homemade dyno-roller. I think that the basic premise of the machine is actually quite good and has potential, but I have no idea how this compares to the real thing. My biggest concern would be trying to train someone on a machine that hasn’t been tested, as I can’t imagine the physics are identical. I do however give the guy props for showing ingenuity but for God’s sakes man, where a helmet.
Your mortgage (or your rent) is late, the job you hate is on thin ice and your 15 year old beater car is on it’s last legs. There are no jobs, the economy is in shambles, our cars are trying to kill us and everything you eat, drink or breathe contains something to ensure you die a slow, horrible death. We’re about a year away from killing each other in the streets for food, and no matter how many guns or how much ammo you own, it still isn’t enough.
So what else can you do but laugh about it? We’ve got you covered with 35 more demotivational posters, just in time for the collapse of Western society (or the weekend, whichever comes first). Enjoy!
This three-wheel, two seat “motorcycle” is created by the Canadian auto/bike manufacturer Campagna Corporation in Quebec. Although the T-Rex is classified as a motorcycle, with the an altered seating position and the angle of the steering wheel, along with the suspension, makes it feel and drive more like a sportscar. The interior has two seats with three point retractable seatbelts and is protected with a tubular steel roll cage for maximum safety and protection. With a 1.4 L, four cylinder engine, the T-Rex can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 157 mph. The amazing acceleration is due to the streetbike technology available today that Campagna uses to their advantage. This motorcycle has been in production since the mid 1990′s however they’ve just recently gained recognition and popularity due to some television shows such as MTV’s Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, where it is possible to see a white T-Rex in use. The three wheeled monster is available at the suggested retail price of $43,190 and can be purchased directly from http://www.campagnamotors.com/. For the average person who wants the thrill of driving a motorcycle but is looking for a little more safety and security, the Campagna T-Rex is waiting for you.
Classic Porsche 911s have been in the midst of a retro-mod renaissance lately, with lots of money going into taking fuzzy, sentimental visions of grainy oversaturated ’70s awesomeness and transforming it into a real-world rolling art. R-Gruppe cars, love ‘em or hate ‘em, are the ultimate Porkers in this genre. However, Singer Vehicle Design of Los Angeles has jumped into the fray, seriously reworking an air-cooled long-wheelbase 911 into a modern performance car, doing what Porsche couldn’t (as they switched to water-cooling with the 996). As Singer puts it, “… have the evolved water-cooled 911’s proven more enjoyable? Is the drive more fulfilling? What of the magic behind the wheel?” It’s inarguable that the package Singer has put together answers all of those questions. Click through for a HUGE gallery of pics and more info.
Electric motorcycles are so new that it’s hard to put their performance characteristics into perspective. Mission Motors, one of the new breed of electrified two-wheeled manufacturers, has accomplished the mechanical equivalent of sprinting a couple of weeks after you’re born: breaking the 150 MPH mark (and unofficially breaking the electric motorcycle land speed record) less than two years after the company was founded. Mission’s baby took to the Bonneville salt and hit a two-way average of 150.059 MPH, with an earlier unofficial sprint of up to 161 MPH. The bike is still a prototype; however, it’s the same bike that took 4th place at the TTxGP “Green Grand Prix” at the Isle of Man earlier this year.
I usually like to harbor a healthy disdain for marketing subterfuge, and it began about ten years ago with a particularly compelling commercial for the Chevrolet Tahoe. The 30-second spot featured a poem by Patrick O’Leary entitled “Nobody Knows It But Me” read by the bass-voiced James Gardner, and so convincing was the delivery it was almost possible to overlook the Tahoe scaling the mountain in the foreground. Unfortunately, it later came to light that the poem had been written specifically for the commercial, thereby killing any perceived artistic patronage assigned to Chevy. From that point forward, I vowed to never again allow myself to be ensnared by a crafty advertising campaign and, Volvo ads notwithstanding, I’d been pretty successful. Then, a few weeks ago, I was assaulted with “The Fastest Indian,” a 1-minute commercial for the Bajaj Pulsar 220 cc set to, bar none, the catchiest song since “Eye of the Tiger.”
Hit the jump to view “The Fastest Indian” Read More…
