Motorcycle Blog on 2040Motos

Energica Partners With Chargepoint

Energica, the Italian manufacturer creating buzz in the electric motorcycle world for its Ego model, has partnered with Chargepoint, to provide riders access to over 18,300 EV charging stations worldwide. If you aren’t familiar with the Energica Ego, E-i-C Kevin Duke rode the prototype in Italy some months back. He also took a spin on a production unit here on home soil just last weekend. Click here to see what he thought about it.

Danny Gray Introduces Independent Suspension Line Of Motorcycle Seats

Danny Gray Enterprises, the Santa Ana, Calif.-based designer and manufacturer of custom motorcycle seats, recently introduced the IST (Independent Suspension Technology) line of motorcycle seats, designed to eliminate the compression and shock the body receives from riding on a traditional solid seat pan while providing the hand-crafted look, quality and performance of an aftermarket seat. Sitting on a traditional motorcycle seat, the shocks and bumps of the road transmit into the rider’s hips and up their spine. This “whole body vibration” often leads to pain and fatigue, ultimately shortening the amount of time a person can ride comfortably.

SMEC To Promote Supermoto Events In North America At All Levels

The East Coast based company – Supermoto East Coast (known as SMEC) – was formed to organize and promote Supermoto events at all levels starting with a local series to a National Pro series. SMEC has dedicated themselves to provide racers with a professional racing environment and the highest level of competition over the last one and a half seasons since SMEC was created. Having extensive knowledge of the European SuperMoto market, Co-founders Marco Pedde and Jay Kliger have made it their mission to build a similar structure and race atmosphere in North America.

Kevin Schwantz To Serve As Embassador For AIMExpo

The American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) has announces that 1993 500cc GP champ Kevin Schwantz is the 2014 “AIMExpo Champion.” Schwantz will play an integral role in pre-event publicity and promotion, will be a focal point of several of AIMExpo’s festivities, and will share his stories and experience with attendees. “I feel truly honored to be selected as this year’s ‘AIMExpo Champion,’” says Schwantz. “This event has completely changed the landscape of the motorcycle industry and provided a much needed jolt of energy for the business in North America.

Harley-Davidson Launches Denim Line For Men

Harley-Davidson has just released new denim styles to supplement the existing line of jeans offered as part of its Harley-Davidson MotorClothes collection. The two new styles offer a variety of washes, waist size and inseam. Highlights include a slimmer fit, darker washes and features developed specifically for riding.

Arrow Exhausts Introduces 2014 Yamaha FZ-07 Fitments

New fitments from Arrow exhaust are now available from SpeedMob, Inc. for the 2014 Yamaha FZ-07. The new exhaust applications include Arrow Street Thunder and X-Kone silencers, both of which are designed to work in conjunction with a full stainless steel racing collector (headers), much the same as Arrow’s 2014 FZ-09 fitments.

Built For Speed Art Exhibit To Be Displayed At Sturgis Buffalo Chip

“Built for Speed – Race Inspired Motorcycles and Art” is the title of Michael Lichter’s 14th annual “Motorcycles as Art” exhibition in Sturgis this August, which for the second year in a row, will be jointly curated by Michael and Paul d’Orleans of the Vintagent. ‘Built for Speed’ is sure to impress visitors with a beautiful and thought-provoking display of motorcycles and related art, the race-inspired theme making connections between motorcycle racing and custom bike designs inspired by racers. Each custom bike in ‘Built for Speed’ reflects a branch of racing; Speedway, Flat Track, Drag Racing, Board Track,  Grand Prix, Land Speed Record, and will be displayed beside the racing machines suggesting the origins of each style.

Kevin Schwantz To Race Goodwood Aboard Norton Featherbed

If you didn’t already notice, Kevin Schwantz has a full plate this year. At 50 years young, the 1993 500cc World Champion will be competing at the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hours in a few weeks, and he’s followed that up with the announcement he will be making his Goodwood Revival debut during the September 12-14 event on an iconic Manx Norton ‘Featherbed’. Schwantz, last raced on UK soil during the 1994 British 500cc Grand Prix at Donington Park, but will tackle the daunting Goodwood Motor Circuit this year in the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy, which will be run for bikes of 1951-54 period.

Yamaha Champions Riding School To Debut One-Day “Day Camps” This August

On August 13, the Yamaha Champions Riding School, at New Jersey Motorsports Park, will debut its new one-day clinic. In addition, YCRS will head an N2 Track Days SED or “Skills Enhancement Day” on August 12. After eight successful two-day programs in the past four months, the YCRS Day Camp is being put into play and being paired with the proven success of the N2 (formerly NESBA) SED.

Polaris Reports Q2 2014 Sales Results

The relaunch of Indian Motorcycles continues to be a resounding success for Polaris Industries, helping the company report a 107% increase in second quarter revenue from motorcycle sales. Polaris reported revenues of $103.1 million in the quarter ended June 30, more than double the $49.9 million in revenue reported over  the same quarter last year. Polaris continues to see strong demand for Indian, which relaunched last summer, while demand for Victory decreased by the mid-single digits.

AMA Petition To return Lane-Splitting Guidelines To California Government Websites

The American Motorcyclist Association initiated a petition drive today to convince the California Office of Administrative Law to allow state agencies to once again disseminate important information on safely and responsibly executing the motorcycling technique called lane splitting. The online petition can be found here: https://cqrcengage.com/amacycle/app/sign-petition?1&engagementId=55066.  A recent Office of Administrative Law order resulted in the California Highway Patrol, the Department of Motor Vehicles and other agencies removing CHP lane-splitting guidelines from their websites and ridding their offices of pamphlets, fliers and other documents that contained the safety information.  “Removal of the DMV brochures is a big loss,” said Nick Haris, AMA western states representative and a member of the California Motorcyclist Safety Program Advisory Committee, which helped write the guidelines. “The DMV offices and website are the first places California drivers look for information.

BMW Motorcycle Festival At Big Bear, Sep. 19-21

The members of So Cal BMW Motorcycle Dealers Group have partnered with MotoQuest to create an all-new festival celebrating BMW Motorcycles and motorcycling culture at Snow Summit Resort in Big Bear, CA September 19th-21st. This BMW Motorcycle Festival will feature guided and self-guided test rides both on and off road on the latest machines from BMW Motorrad, seminars from event sponsors like Schuberth Helmets and Twisted Throttle, and excellent riding through the mountains of Southern California. World traveler and author Glen Heggstad will be featured Saturday night with his exciting tales of danger, beauty and people riding a BMW through more than 50 countries.

Harley-Davidson Reports Q2 2014 Sales Results

Harley-Davidson reported a net income of $354.2 million over the second quarter of 2014, thanks to a 12.4% increase in sales revenue. Actual motorcycle sales volume stayed about even, however, with unit sales increasing to just 90,218 motorcycles from 90,193 sold in the same quarter last year. Though sales were statistically the same as they were last year, Harley-Davidson generated $1.48 billion in revenue from motorcycle sales alone, up 16.2% from the $1.27 billion reported in the second quarter of 2013.

Bonneville Salt Flats Record-Setting BMW S1000RR To Be Auctioned For Charity

Jack Broomall holds eight different motorcycle land speed records, set at the world-famous Bonneville Salt Flats on a variety of bikes. The records are cherished, as are the machines. But Broomall won’t think twice about auctioning his BMW S1000RR later this month, as a donation to the Austin Hatcher Foundation (AHF) for Pediatric Cancer.

Dunlop’s Newest DOT Race Tire: the Sportmax GP-A Pro

Dunlop has released its newest DOT-legal racing tire, the Sportmax GP-A Pro. Being the spec tire manufacturer for the AMA Pro Roadracing series gives Dunlop plenty of top-level R&D test riders to develop the next line of tires. Couple that with the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Buffalo, New York, and the days of grabbing a set of UK tires over their American counterparts is over.

The Manis Back Protector, From Dainese

The first back protector was invented by Dainese in 1981. While advanced for its time, technology has vastly improved since then. Today, Dainese’s latest back protector, the Manis, represents the cutting edge of back protector innovation.

Riding Impressions Of The Virginia Tech Bolt+ Video

During last weekend’s round of the eMotoRacing series, held at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the series had a special entry. Mixed among the Brammo TTXs and Empulse Rs that are normally seen in the series, the Bolt II electric motorcycle from Virginia Tech University filled a grid slot amongst them. Here, series founder, promoter and competitor, Arthur Kowitz tells us what it’s like to ride this completely student-built electric racing motorcycle.

Lone Complaint Forces CHP To Remove Lane-Splitting Guidelines From Website

A single complaint from a Sacramento man has forced the California Highway Patrol and other state government agencies to remove information from their websites that was intended to help motorcyclists safely execute the allowed lane-splitting maneuver. Kenneth Mandler, a longtime state employee who now conducts training sessions on how to get a state job, petitioned the California Office of Administrative Law in 2013, claiming the CHP created an “underground regulation” by formulating and distributing guidelines for safe lane splitting.  Lane splitting, also called lane filtering, is the practice of riding a motorcycle or scooter between lanes of stopped or slowly moving traffic. The practice has been permitted in California for decades and no statute prohibits it.

EBR First American Sportbike To Score Points In WSBK, Makes History

The EBR 1190RX had its best finish to date in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WSBK) series during the only US round at Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif., this past weekend. In an exciting twist, the wild card entry of Larry Pegram running the #72 Foremost Insurance/EBR/AMSOIL/Hero entry garnered a 14th place finish in the second race, earning the first-ever WSBK points for an American motorcycle manufacturer.  [In actuality, Pegram's EBR crossed the line in 16th place. However, the two Bimota BB3 entries who finished eighth and ninth with riders Ayrton Badovini and Christian Iddon, respectively, have had their finishes nullified all season because Bimota has not met the FIM's homologation requirements.

BMW HP4 Gets New ABS that Works in Corners

BMW has developed a new anti-lock braking system designed to work when a motorcycle is leaned over into a corner. The new ABS Pro system will initially be offered as a retrofit upgrade on the BMW HP4 sportbike, but it’s likely only a matter of time before the technology becomes available on other models. The ABS Pro uses the same sensors already employed by BMW’s Dynamic Traction Control and Dynamic Damping Control electronic suspension, both of which are already available on the HP4.

Honda Ticket Packages Ramp Up The Red Bull Indianapolis GP Experience

Race fans planning to attend the 2014 Red Bull Indianapolis GP on August 8-10 can enjoy an epic weekend of racing courtesy of Honda. This VIP-level experience comes through two ticket packages that will make your “Brickyard” GP weekend an unforgettable time. Honda Premium Package  - Three-day general admission to Indianapolis Motor Speedway  - Corner 9 select seating  - Corner 9 Club exclusive access with unlimited food and beverages, closed-circuit TV, air conditioning and entertainment  - Paddock Pass  - Special Honda meet-and-greet session with Honda MotoGP racers Friday evening*  - Motorcycle parking  - Track lap of the famed Brickyard  - Special Honda goody bag**  - Cost: $550 per ticket  Honda Reserved Seating Package  - Three-day general admission to Indianapolis Motor Speedway  - Reserved Front Straight grandstand seating  - Motorcycle parking  - Track lap of the famed Brickyard  - Special Honda goody bag**  - Cost: $103 per ticket The Repsol Honda Team is super-hot in 2014: current champ Marc Márquez is on fire, with veteran teammate Dani Pedrosa on his heels.

Aaron League To Become Youngest American To Tackle Manx Grand Prix

Charlotte-based motorcycle racer Aaron League is set to become the youngest ever American to tackle the Manx Grand Prix next month. The 23-year-old will join Lancashire-based Rea Racing to pilot a Suzuki SV650 in the Newcomers B and Supertwin classes. League will make his debut on the Isle of Man at this year’s Manx Grand Prix ahead of a planned assault on the 2015 Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship, as he bids to break onto the British short circuit racing scene.

Brough Superior to Make Moto2 Debut at Silverstone

The Taylormade Brough Superior racebike will make its Moto2 racing debut at the British Grand Prix at the U.K.’s Silverstone circuit. Backed by insurance company Bennetts, the one-off entry will feature British Supersport racer Luke Mossey riding the Taylormade Carbon 2 racebike. Led by California-based but British-bred Paul Taylor and John Keogh, the Taylormade project was started to rethink the spark the impending relaunch of the Brough Superior brand as well as to explore new ways of designing prototype race machines.

Arrow Exhausts Available For New Honda Interceptor

New fitments from Arrow exhaust are now available for the 2014 Honda VFR 800F. The new exhaust applications include Arrow Race-Tech and Arrow Pro-Racing exhausts, both available from SpeedMob, Arrow’s North American distributor. Race-TechThe Race-Tech silencer was the first Arrow silencer made with a diamond shape, rather than the standard round/elliptical shape.

Shakeup In The Kawasaki Media Relations Department

The public relations team at Kawasaki Motors Corporation led by Kevin Allen, Manager, PR + Brand Experience, has a new structure. Brad Puetz has been promoted to the position of Media Relations Supervisor and will be responsible for developing and implementing new public relations activities and new model launches. Greg Lasiewski will join the Advertising team as Senior Brand Communication/Sponsorship Specialist, managing the development and implementation of sponsorship, lifestyle and marketing programs for KMC.

eMotoRacing Race Report From New Jersey Motorsports Park

The newly-developed eMotoRacing electric motorcycle racing series made its way to New Jersey Motorsports Park last weekend, where the field of Brammos were joined by the student-led team from Virginia Tech, running their e-bike, dubbed the Bolt. A total of six contestants were entered, though former Daytona 200 winner, David Sadowski failed to start the race. The e-bikes were the second wave of a two-wave start, with 750cc ICE bikes starting first.

Mustang Announces Metal Flake Seat Colors and Display for Sturgis

Just in time for Sturgis, Mustang Seats has release new color options for its custom seats. Designed to match the retro colors on Harley-Davidson’s Hard Candy Custom collection, the vinyl seats have metal flake in six available colors available on Mustang’s Tripper Solo, Tripper Fastback and DayTripper seats. According to Mustang, after the starting its custom seat program last fall, so many customers requested a metal flake option that they had to provide it.

The TT800 From Deus Ex Machina

Deus Ex Machina, the surf/moto shop known for creating throwback, one-of-a-kind motorcycles, has released its latest work of art, the TT800. Paying tribute to the highly successful Triumph factory TT machines from the mid-1960s, Deus’ expert builder, Michael Woolaway, created the TT800 for a customer requesting a new, old Triumph. It sources a Kawasaki W650 bored out to 800cc with CR carbs, a custom TT inspired exhaust, custom chromoly racing frame, re-valved Öhlins forks, and a custom gusseted swing arm for more stability. A Beringer six-piston caliper front brake provides stopping power.

A Peek Inside The Ducati World Superbike 1199 Panigale + Video

When Ducati introduced the 1199 Panigale, it announced it would take an entire racing season to develop its World Superbike challenger before entering it into competition. Being a new design for Ducati, where the Superquadro engine is the main stressed member of the chassis, meant a significant amount of testing was required to prepare the bike for battle. In this video, former racer, and now TV commentator, Steve Martin, explains a few nuances of the 1199.

Melissa Paris and Shelina Moreda on Talking Motorcycles with Barry Boone

Fans of racers Melissa Paris and Shelina Moreda should tune in to this week’s edition of Talking Motorcycles with Barry Boone online radio show, airing live tonight at 8 pm EST on NextMotoChampion.com. Paris and Moreda are two of America’s top female racers, making them excellent choices for the show during Women’s Motorcycle Month. Paris is currently competing in the FIM CEV Repsol International Championship while Moreda has been racing in the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series, the FIM eRoadRacing series and recently returned from racing in Qatar.