Motorcycle Blog on 2040Motos

AGV Releases Rossi-Replica “Double Face” Corsa Helmet

This just in from AGV: At the official test in Sepang last winter, Valentino Rossi amazed everyone with a brand new helmet for the first laps of 2014. As usual, “The Doctor” showcased a designed that made the entire paddock chuckle. After the more conservative yellow and gray AGV Pista GP, which he wore during the last year’s Winter Test to match the color scheme of his bike, the new helmet, which was exclusively created for the Malaysia track, is anything but conservative.

Can-Am Announces 2015 Spyder F3 and Biketoberfest Contest

Can-Am/BRP has just taken the (photographic) wraps off the 2015 Can-Am Spyder F3! Although little official information is available, we can take some educated guesses based on what we can see in this photo plus the spy shots we published a couple weeks ago. The new, more aggressive front end prominently features a radiator grill, which we expect will provide the increased cooling required by a beefed up version of the liquid-cooled Rotax 1330 ACE in-line 3 cylinder mill currently powering the Spyder RT tourer.

DMG Out as Wayne Rainey Takes Over AMA Pro Road Racing

The long and largely disappointing Daytona Motorsports Group era is over as the American Motorcyclist Association will sanction a new professional road racing series to be operated by the KRAVE Group LLC, an organization that includes three-time World Champion Wayne Rainey. The AMA announced it will regain the sanctioning, promotional and commercial rights to top top tier of U.S. professional motorcycle road racing from DMG, beginning immediately after the Sept.

Yamaha Introduces 2015 Vino Scooter, Now With Bold New Graphics

This just in from Yamaha: Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. is excited to announce the launch of the 2015 Vino Classic scooter.  The Vino Classic combines retro styling with modern Yamaha engineering. High quality paint and chrome accents make the Vino Classic a true stand out.

Yamaha’s Zuma Line Of Scooters Back For 2015

More returning Yamahas for 2015: Yamaha’s “go anywhere, do anything” Zuma line is iconic in the scooter world, and they are back in the lineup for 2015. Known for their peppy engines, durability, large underseat storage, unique headlight designs, powerful front rotors, and aggressive fat knobby tires, the Zuma scooter is offered in three different configurations for 2015, based on style and engine displacement. The race inspired Zuma 50FX and the bold and aggressive designed Zuma 50F are equipped with a low maintenance, fuel injected 49cc four-stroke engine that gets an incredible 132mpg.

Yamaha PW50 And TTR Line Back For 2015

Even more news from Yamaha: Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. has announced the launch of the complete 2015 TT-R line and the iconic PW50 for 2015. The PW50 has long been the motorcycle to introduce kids to the joys of off-road riding, and is often the launching platform for a lifetime of two wheel fun.

Kawasaki Teases Ninja H2

Kawasaki announced it will unveil a new motorcycle called the Ninja H2 at the Intermot show on Sept. 30 and the evidence suggests it will be a new supercharged sportbike. The Japanese manufacturer first announced last November it was developing a supercharged I-4 engine at the Tokyo Motor Show, and the Ninja H2 announcement suggests that’s exactly what we’ll see in Cologne.

Bring A UFC Fight To Your Hometown, Thanks To Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) launched a new contest at UFC 177 this weekend sure to make one fan an instant hometown hero. The Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown III event puts one lucky fan and their city in the spotlight; the two iconic brands will roll into the winner’s home town with the ultimate prize package – a UFC fight and tailgate party topped off with custom Harleys, live music, Octagon Girls and more. The contest, running through Dec.

Yamaha Files Patents for Leaning Three-Wheeled Electric Scooter

Yamaha has filed a number of patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office for an electric three-wheeled scooter. Unlike the Yamaha Tricity which has two wheels at the front and a third wheel at the rear, the patents are for a scooter with two rear wheels, each driven by an electric hub motor.

Bimota to Miss Remainder of WSBK Season

Bimota has failed to meet the World Superbike Championship‘s homologation requirements and will not be allowed to participate in the rest of the 2014 season. Bimota had been under probation where it was allowed to race but would not receive any championship points for its efforts, until it could produce 125 street legal examples of its BB3 superbike. The probationary period has now ended and Bimota has informed series promoter Dorna and the FIM that it has not met the 125-unit minimum required for homologation.

2015 Yamaha XC155 Scooter Gets CARB Approval

The Honda PCX150 may be getting some new competition, as  the California Air Resource Board granted an executive order certifying the 155cc Yamaha XC155 scooter. Available in Asian markets last August under the names Majesty S and SMax. Sporting a fuel-injected 155cc liquid-cooled four-valve Single, the XC155 inherits the styling of larger Yamaha scooters including the 395cc Majesty that was part of the company’s U.S.

Tire Life At The Isle Of Man + Video

If you’re like us, you never get enough Isle of Man videos. While the men and machines that fly around the course are nothing short of mesmerizing, let’s take a moment and talk about a crucial aspect of any race: the tires. In this Honda-supplied video, Dunlop technicians, along with 21-time TT winner, John McGuiness, talk about the challenges the Isle throws at tires.

Mississippi’s Rattlesnake Bay OHV Trails To Reopen Sep 20

Mississippi off-highway-vehicle riders will have 9.5 miles of additional trails available when the U.S. Forest Service reopens Phase One of the Rattlesnake Bay OHV Trails in DeSoto National Forest on Sept. 20.

Gage McAllister, Monte Frank and Johnny Lewis Comprise U.S. Team At Supermoto Of Nations

The American Motorcyclist Association is pleased to announce the U.S. team that will compete at the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocylisme) Supermoto of Nations in Cremona, Italy, Oct. 12.

Roadgear Offering 25% Off, Through Saturday, August 30

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to get yourself some new gear, the time to act is now. Until Saturday, August 30, Roadgear will take 25% off your order if you use coupon code A25L7. Tailored towards the touring rider (though suitable for everyone), Roadgear has the products you need.

Harley-Davidson Goes Low for 2015

Harley-Davidson revealed the new 2015 Electra Glide Ultra Classic Low and Ultra Limited Low, offering what it calls the the lowest seat height of any premium touring motorcycle on the market. Designed with riders 5 feet 7 inches and shorter in mind, the two Low models have a seat height of 25.6 inches from the ground, or 1.7 inches lower than the regular models. The lower seat isn’t the only change to accommodate shorter riders.

2015 Harley-Davidson Freewheeler Revealed

It’s no surprise, as we’ve already seen the spy photos and California Air Resources Board documents, but Harley-Davidson has officially introduced its new Freewheeler trike, adding a second three-wheeled model to go with the Tri Glide Ultra Classic. Whereas the Tri Glide is designed for touring needs, the Freewheeler is more of a cruiser with 12-inch mini-ape-hanger handlebars and bobtail fenders. Up front is a seven-piece nacelle with a dual halogen lamp mounted tight to the 49mm telescopic fork and frame.

2015 Harley-Davidson CVO Lineup Revealed

Harley-Davidson revealed its four-model Custom Vehicle Operations lineup for 2015, adding new CVO versions of the Road Glide Ultra and Street Glide to go with the returning CVO Softail Deluxe and CVO Limited. Our own Evans Brasfield is currently in Sonoma, Calif., for Harley-Davidson’s 2015 press launch, and he’ll have full first ride reports later this week. For now, let’s take a look at the CVO models.

Third Annual ‘The MEET’ at ACM

More than 2,000 attendees visited America’s Car Museum for its 3rd annual Vintage Motorcycle Festival ‘The MEET’ last weekend in Tacoma, Washington, where over 300 motorcycles and scooters were showcased on the Haub Family Field at LeMay. The event drew pre-1981 motorcycles and scooters from the U.S. and Canada, including an antique motorcycle display, swap meet, cruise-in and a 78-mile roundtrip tour from ACM’s Anderson Plaza to Mt. Rainier.

American Honda Signs Cole Seely To Factory Team

American Honda Motor Corp., Inc. announced today that it has signed Cole Seely to its factory supercross/motocross team with a multiyear contract. As a member of the Troy Lee Designs Honda satellite squad, Seely this year finished a close second in the AMA Supercross series’ 250 West title chase and also performed well during three appearances as a substitute rider on Team Muscle Milk in the premier class.

The Latest Motorcycle Helmet Brand: Nutcase

The name might sound a bit, uh, nutty, but Nutcase Helmets, a recognized designer of lifestyle sports helmets, is gearing up for the spring with the global launch of MOTO, the brand’s first widely-available collection of scooter, moped and motorcycle helmet designs. With a name like Nutcase, it’s no surprise the brand is known for its signature tongue-in-cheek graphics with performance that has made the brand a global hit with bike nuts, water sports fans, snowboarders and skaters. Available in the spring of 2014, the MOTO line includes eight eye-catching designs – Stumptown Woody, Hypnotic, Americana, Modern Argyle, Union Jack, Retro Racer, Salt, and Pepper.

Hero MotoCorps Hires Ex-BMW Designer Braunsperger

Hero MotoCorp has hired former BMW designer Markus Braunsperger to lead the Indian company’s research and development division. Braunsperger once held a similar position with BMW in the early 2000s, developing models such as the K1200S before moving on to BMW’s automobile division where he helped design the 5, 6 and 7 series sedans as well as the X3, X5 and X7 SUVs. Braunsperger will head Hero’s new R&D center in Rajasthan, India, starting in October.

Sturgis Motorcycle Ralley, Inc. Wins Trademark Infringement Suit

Those who can remember way back to 2001 may recall a kerfuffle over the rights to the name Sturgis being held amongst some of the rally’s players in Sturgis, SD. According to Trademark’em, “[t]he trademark dispute concerning the “brand” Sturgis goes back to January 30, 2001 when the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce filed a trademark application for STURGIS (‘Sturgis Mark’).” This legal wrangling continued until it was at least partially resolved with the creation of Sturgis Motorcycle Ralley, Inc. (SMRi), which assumed the Sturgis Mark assets in 2011. Since this time, SMRi has actively pursued any perceived infringements of the Sturgis brand.

Polaris Industries Delivers Ice Bucket Challenge to Dealers + Video

Polaris Industries, Inc.’s CEO and all around good sport, Scott Wine posted an Ice Bucket Challenge video this weekend, calling for all Polaris dealers to accept the challenge. After pointing out Polaris’ long history of support for the fight to end ALSthrough events like the Black Woods Blizzard Tour and pledging to donate $10,000 to ALS research if 100 dealers accept his challenge, Wine was doused with ice water. “Polaris has a long history of giving back and is proud to support this effort,” said Wine.

NHTSA Launches Recall Look-up by VIN Tool

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have launched a new free online tool that should make it easier for consumers to inspect their vehicles’ safety recall histories. The new search tool, available at http://www.safercar.gov/vinlookup, allows people to look for recall campaigns by entering Vehicle Identification Numbers.

Yamaha Patents Tricity Variant Design

Yamaha has patented the design for a new variant to its Tricity leaning three-wheeled scooter featuring a broader fairing resembling the TMax. Yamaha has previously announced it would introduce more leaning multi-wheeled vehicles, and this newly patented design may be the next one to go into production. The new design is heavily-based on the original Tricity.

Scorpion V-Rod Reverse Trike

There’s a lot going on in the world of three-wheelers. From Can-Am’s Spyder to Polaris’s Slingshot, and Travertson’s recently announced Striker, we have a sudden abundance of reverse trikes from which to choose. Joining the fray early next Spring is Scorpion.

2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure Confirmed

KTM has officially confirmed it will launch the new 1290 Super Adventure on Sept. 30 at the Intermot show in Cologne. To tide us over until then, KTM released this official image of the adventure-tourer and provided a few details, describing it as the “absolute pinnacle of luxury sport-touring riding.” Based on its name, we assume the Super Adventure will use the same engine as the 1290 Super Duke R.

Go On Tour With European Touring Route

With 12,638 kilometers (7852 miles) of country roads from Nordkapp to Cadiz, the European Touring Route leads the motorcycle tourist through wild scenery, along unspoiled and rugged coastlines, through breathtaking mountain ranges and over fertile rural landscapes, with interesting locations and ETR Sites, hotels, attractions, and places to visit along the way. European Touring Route engages and inspires motorcycle tourists from all over the world, to explore the countries of Europe, and experience the diversity of interesting activities that Europe has to offer. The route is designed to breathe new life into rural areas in each country, with a focus on rural towns and villages, secluded mountain and coastal areas, where locals can sell their produce, products and services to tourists using the ETR Route.

HGTV’s Anthony Carrino Goes “Out of the Way” on his Motorcycle

What does a motorcyclist who has multiple TV shows on the HGTV network do on the weekends to unwind? If you’re Anthony Carrino, one of the two cousins in three successful DIY shows featuring the word cousins (Kitchen Cousins, Cousins on Call, and Cousins Undercover), you combine your passion for motorcycling with your knack for television and produce a web series about your motorcycle adventures to unusual locations. While only two episodes of Carrino’s Out of the Way are currently online, the under four minute shorts give viewers a good idea of what to expect in the future.