2008 Yamaha V-star R Silverado on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Japan Needs Your Help

By now, we’ve all seen pictures and video of the devastation in Japan following the March 11 earthquake and the ensuing tsunamis. Japan, of course, has contributed much to motorcycling, with the Big Four of Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, as well as tire manufacturer Bridgestone, helmet companies Arai and Shoei and many other motorcycle industry stalwarts all coming from the Land of the Rising Sun. Jon Bekefy and Greg Hatton, two motorcycle enthusiasts, industry employees  and above all, humanitarians, have set up a fundraising campaign benefiting the Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan.

Kenny Roberts Joins Inaugural American International Motorcycle Expo

We’ve posted several articles over the past few months about the inaugural American International Motorcycle Expo (AIME) because the motorcycling public is invited to attend what looks like an industry/trade show. And we’re not the only ones excited to check it out. Kenny Roberts, perhaps the best-known American motorcycle racer of all time, has signed on to the AIME show as “American International Motorcycle Champion.” In this role, Roberts will serve as the proverbial face of AIMExpo, joining in the celebration of the inaugural show with the entire powersports marketplace – industry, trade, media and consumers.

Yamaha XTW250 RYOKU Concept at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show

Of the concept models Yamaha announced it would introduce at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, it was the heavy-duty looking XTW250 RYOKU concept that drew the most attention from our readers. Here we have new photographs of Yamaha’s “SUV motorcycle” from the show floor of the Tokyo Motor Show courtesy of Colum Wood, editor of our sister site Autoguide.com, who was in attendance. Yamaha describes the XTW250 RYOKU concept as an “unrestricted, anytime, anywhere” mobility vehicle offering performance, operability the capacity to carry heavy loads.