Motorcycle Blog on 2040Motos

What's Bayliss up to these days?

Troy Bayliss might not be in the limelight these days, but the ex-World Superbike champ has been busy down under testing Aussie V8s for the Jack Daniel's Racing Holden team. Bayliss has made it quite clear that he wants to race V8s as the next stage of his racing career. He allegedly turned down a multi-million dollar contract from Ducati when he decided to quit WSB.

Graph of 30 years of superbike development

WE SPOTTED this on French site Motorevue earlier today: The two charts plot the evolution of the typical weight and power characteristics of key motorcycles over the last 40 years. It's a simple but striking bit of info, plotting the increase in power and the decrease in weight of some of the iconic machines that changed the face of motorcycling. Just look at the power leap from the 1998 YZF-R1 to the 2004 ZX-10R, compared to the small increase between the '04 10R and this year's GSX-R1000.

Orange County Choppers goes electric

The video you're watching isn't the electric chopper built by Orange County Choppers, but Paul Teutal Sr. has been showing off the Siemens Smart Chopper that he did build, a chopper built for Siemens to display their technical prowess. According to Teutal Sr., the Smart Chopper has a range of around 60 miles and can do up to 100mph.

Criss Angel’s Motorcycle Tricks [videos]

Get the Flash Player to see this player. Love him or hate him you have to admit that Criss Angel is entertaining.  Sure, many call him an imposter or a big fake but then aren’t all illusionists or magicians scam artists (other than Pen & Teller anyway)?  I am not a big fan of his delivery or style, the fact that he thinks he’s the coolest guy on the planet but if you get past that he is worth a look. Check out some more motorcycle tricks after the jump.

Motorcycles Can Fly!

Equipped with a cell phone and about $1,600 invested in a motorcycle engine and some other spare parts, Wu Zhongyuan, a 20 year old in China has built a helicopter that can climb 2,600 feet in the air.  Zhongyuan, claims he learned everything he needed to know via the Internet (though his cell) and by recalling his physics lessons in middle school but the Chinese government has grounded him for safety issues, you have to love this guy’s ingenuity! Source

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler Falls off the Stage at Sturgis [video]

The lead singer for Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, suffered a broken shoulder and stitches in his head after tumbling of the stage at the South Dakota concert in the Buffalo Chip Campground during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  Tyler, 61, was singing the song “Love in an Elevator” when he went down. Hit the jump to watch the video. Get the Flash Player to see this player.

2010 Sachs MadAss 125

UPDATE:  2010 Sachs MadAss 125 Rreview Article Link Here! The 2010 Sachs MadAss 125 is now available in the U.S. through Peirspeed dealers (owned by Cobra Powersports), demand has remained high since dealers started taking pre-orders a year ago.  Carl Marschütz founded SACHS in 1886 in Germany; today SACHS produces several 50cc to 400cc scooters, motorcycles and mopeds.

John Cusack rides Can-Am Spyder across Ireland

Irish-American actor John Cusack recently completed a tour of Ireland on a Can-Am Spyder roadster. The star of such films as Runaway Jury, High Fidelity and Grosse Point Blank was in Ireland for his grandmother’s 80th birthday. After the celebrations, Cusack hopped on his Spyder and toured Ireland with his family, visiting places such as Dublin, Kenmare and Galway.

Rich’s Custom Motorcycle Seats [video]

Rich O’Connor is the owner of Rich’s Custom Seats in Kingston, WA, which is about 1 hour North of Seattle.  O’Connor’s specialty is motorcycle seats and has been creating them for over twenty years and on average he does about 2,700 of them per year, he has built a great reputation and is considered a true artist by many. Being a motorcycle enthusiast himself, O’Connor has been riding for forty years with hundreds of thousands of miles under his belt he has a good understanding of what it takes to create a perfect seat.  O’Connor thinks of his shop more like an art studio because every seat is a one-off design and fit, requiring every customer to test-drive the new custom seat. I can make a seat any shape in the world, but the one thing I can’t do is be their body down the road.

9 Handy Guides to Motorcycle Road Racing

There’s a great series running on Motorcycle.com all about getting you and your motorcycle ready for road racing.  If you are interested at all getting out on the track to be just like those MotoGP racers, you have some very interesting reading ahead of you. The series is very extensive, it starts off with just you and your motorcycle and proceeds all the way to what you should expect, learn, know and bring to the track.  Any expenses made are highlighted in each article so you can get an idea just how much it will cost to get you on your way with this addiction.  The author, Jeremiah Knupp, took his 2000 Ducati 748 along on this journey. Here’s 9 handy guides to help you start motorcycle road racing: Introduction: Leaving the lawn chair Geoff May: one man show to AMA pro – Pointers and Interview with Pro Geoff May Prepping your bike for track school Cleared for Take-Off: Getting Your Race License Building a Supersport racer – the minimum Building a Supersport racer – the priorities Advanced Supersport modifications Building a Supersport Racer – Stage III, the Finishing Touches Preparing for your first race weekend Even if you don’t plan on ever getting into road racing, I found the articles to be quite fascinating as to how Jeremiah Knupp (the author) got prepared for his new hobby.

"You f'ed up the best f'ing race of the year"

I don't know where to start with this. But it's clear that AMA is in a complete state at the moment, what with Mat Mladin retiring. I feel sorry for AMA race fans most of all.

The story behind the 2010 Buell Blast Motorcycle [video]

If you haven’t heard, or have seen the new 2010 Buell Blast, you should check it out before viewing the video below. Buell has re-branded itself over the last month or so and have been taking a very close look at themselves.  Not only did they change their logo, but they decided to put to rest a motorcycle that just didn’t fit what they really wanted to be making.  Sport bikes. So the 2010 Buell Blast is a crushed hunk of metal signifying the end of that model.  There will be no Blast in the future so don’t hold your breath!

Please BMW: don't build this

BMW have taken a rapid step in the right direction, what with their K1300S, S1000RR and F800R. Recently rumours have been flying around that BMW are to produce a scooter, possibly a hybrid. And while we know it's well within their means, we'd rather they concentrated on the sharpening the cutting edge of road bikes.

Foggy vs. Edwards Monza 1999

Foggy was starting his long reign of success in WSB when I first got into bikes and he was a massive inspiration to me, when all I cared about was the riding. But over the years Foggy's battles with his opponents turned into bitter rants and snipes. Where at one stage I used to scour the news to see what Foggy had been saying, I started to actively ignore him.

Electric Honda Motorcycle to Debut Next Year

According to Honda’s head of motorcycle operations, Tatsuhiro Oyama, the lithium-ion battery powered motorcycle will target corporate customers which may include Japan Post and delivery companies, the bike will debut in Japan next year. Oyama, made the announcement on August 1st at a test drive event in Motegi, Japan. Honda started building a battery factory earlier this year with joint-venture partner GS Yuasa, manufacturing batteries for Honda’s electric hybrid cars but Oyama declined to disclose the motorcycle battery supplier.

Spy Shots of New Ducati Multistrada?

We have been sent what the Motorcycle.com team seems to think are spy shots of the new Ducati Multistrada which is supposed to be liquid-cooled and faster.  Judging from the tape on the motorcycle pictured above, it looks like it was out for road testing and they didn’t want to reveal some details of the bike. What more can I say?  They’re spy shots! What do you think of this thing?

Community Tip: How to Mount Guns on your Harley… wait, WTF?

In my search through the Motorcycle.com community forums (see the links at the very bottom of this page) to find some handy, insightful and practical tips or projects for readers to check out, I’ve stumbled across a few bizarre things. I felt I had to post this one.  It is awesome and scary all at the same time. Blackdog 15 of the harley-davidsonforums.com has posted his method on mounting a sidearm (or two) on his motorcycle.  He admits that he and a buddy had a few drinks to inspire them on how they would attach such instruments of death to their rides.

10-seater Harley. Just what you need.

Ever gone to take your Harley for a spin and thought "You know, I wish this thing had a couple more seats, infact no, I wish it had 10". Well, you might not have done that, I know I haven't, but one man who did was Steve Hopkins who built this bike using 7 Harley-Davidson engines some which date back over 100 years. To prove it rides, Hopkins and nine passengers hopped on the bike on Saturday to start the 900 mile ride from Wisconsin to Sturgis.

Alpinestars 2010 rucksack range

Alpinestars have expanded their range of rucksacks and backpacks for 2010, with six new models. Alpinestars rucksacks are a firm favourite in the office, with their good-looking design, nice details from iPod pockets and holes to pass earphones through, to key clips and waterproof zips. Although with frequent abuse, we have managed to break a few of them they're still up there for quality and value for money.

Alpinestars 2010 range: Monza leather suit

Alpinestars are a firm favourite in the office and their 2010 range arrived here today, amid much excitement. So first up is the Monza leather suit. It's available in a 1pc and 2pc and is described by Alpinestars as being a relaxed-fit sleek entry-level suit designed to withstand the abuse of performance road riding Here's the full specification: Built for comfort •    Shoulder, elbow, knee, calf and back accordion leather panels are made with .9mm full grain leather for refined fit and feel.

Can’t find a QLINK Dealer? QLINK will Ship a Motorcycle to your Front Door!

QLINK is taking online shopping to a new level with their ‘Ready-to-Ride’ delivery service. What is Ready-to-Ride delivery? Well, QLINK’s online store allows you to buy their motorcycles right from your computer chair.  It’s pretty surreal to be able to add a motorcycle to your “cart” and proceed to the online check out.

Dave Grohl Drums to the Sound of a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle

I’ve got a lot of respect for Dave Grohl.  He’s amazingly talented and very driven.  Even after Nirvana, the guy is still kicking and in the spotlight with the Foo Fighters and the millions of other side projects he’s done (ie: Queens of the Stone Age). Apparently he’s also a big motorcycle guy. Harley-Davidson did a little video on Dave, featuring him drumming on a snare drum to the exhaust pipes of a Harley-Davidson.  The seven minute video goes on about how Mr Grohl bought his first motorcycle when the Nirvana album “Nevermind” started to become big.

Anyone checked if Erik Buell is feeling alright?

We love different. We love entrepreneurialism. We love maverick.

New 2010 Buell Blast has Impressive Specs

Buell is getting their priorities straight these days, and nothing says this more then their new 2010 Buell Blast (pictured above). How do you ride that? You don’t.

Community Tip: How to Shave your Motorcycle Seat

Motorcycle communities are a huge resource for any kind of project or help you might need.  It’s incredible the amount of stuff people post and the effort they put into it! arturo3rd on Kawiforums.com posted some great tips and photos on how to shave down your motorcycle seat for a more comfortable ride. Things you’ll need: flat screwdriver pliers sharp knife(steak) rough grit sand paper staple gun I’m unsure if all motorcycle seats are made of the same material so be wary before you start if your motorcycle isn’t a Kawasaki.

50 Cent: not the sharpest knife in the drawer

Now I like a bit of 50 Cent as much as the next man, but judging by this pic he's got rich and is gonna die tryin'. Someone needs to teach the US rap star a thing or two about motorcycles. Number 1: That thing resting on your head.

Official Tron 2 (Tron Legacy) Trailer Released! Light Cycles are Bad Ass!

Comic-Con has just finished up and tons of fun, geeky and crazy things have been announced. A long long time ago we posted a very crappy version of the Tron 2 trailer that I believe was played at last year’s Comic-Con.  Well it’s officially been released to the public, and it looks pretty slick in glorious HD. The new light cycles look and act amazing.  Kudos to Disney for keeping the same style of the bike but updating them for the modern audience.

2009 LA Calender Motorcycle Show Babes [Pics]

The 2009 LA Calender Show was recently held in Southern California, marking it’s 20th year anniversary.  And what would a show celebrating babes and motorcycles be without babes and motorcycles? Motorcycle.com’s Alfonse Palaima was there taking a boat-load of pictures, many of them featuring babes in bikinis (you lucky dog, you). We’ve gathered a few motorcycle babe pics for your viewing pleasure, to help you get through Tuesday.

New 2010 Harley-Davidson CVO Motorcycle Video Previews!

Harley-Davidson revealed their new CVO line-up over the weekend and Motorcycle.com’s own Alfonse Palaima was there to cover it … and video tape it! The 2010 Harley-Davidson Street Glide, Fat Bob, Ultra Classic Electra Glide and all-new Softail Convertible were there and Fonzie was able to take a close look at each one. Here’s a quick run-down of the new 2010 models: Short Course Recap Model Street Glide Softail Convertible Ultra Fat Bob Built York, PA York, PA York, PA Kansas City, MO MSRP Base $30,999 $27,999 $35,999 $25,299 Production Run 3500 2500 3450 1300 Class Touring Touring/Cruiser Touring Cruiser Features, Standard ABS/Cruise/Alarm/ESPFI ESPFI/ Alarm ABS/Cruise/Alarm/ESPFI ESPFI/ Alarm History All-new for CVO All-new for CVO CVO Elder at 6 years 2nd year CVO For the full details of these amazing motorcycles, head to Motorcycle.com’s 2010 Harley-Davidson CVO Model Line-Up Preview.

Moto2 is winning me over. Slowly.

I love 2-strokes and I love watching the GP250 class as much as MotoGP, so I greeted the news of the 600ss replacement class with about as much excitement as unwrapping another pair of socks for your birthday. But I have to admit, these two pics of the new Moto2 class have got me excited about the years ahead. None of us know exactly how much influence these bikes will have over our current 600ss road-going sportsbikes, but you can bet they're going to be going in the Moto2 direction.