Entry-level motorcycles too often feel like beginner bikes. Even if they don’t have training wheels, they have the vibe of first bicycles that are quickly outgrown and forgotten.

BMW has escaped this trap with the G 310 R, which is an ideal starter bike because of its affordable $4,995 price tag, its rider-friendly low seat that makes it easier to plant both feet on the ground, and its 349-lb. curb weight. The company even trimmed its regular $495 destination fee to $245 to help keep the price within reach for buyers on a budget.

BMW tells me that the G 310 R is a favorite at Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic RiderCourse. It is easy to see why, considering the bike’s combination of racy styling and ease of use.

But anyone who decides to start out on a G 310 R shouldn’t feel like it is a temporary ride, waiting to be replaced by a “real” bike once the owner gains some experience. That’s because the G 310 R provides “real” big technology like standard anti-lock brakes (ABS) and a sophisticated suspension that includes an inverted fork for the front wheel and a long-wheelbase cast aluminum swingarm for the rear.

Inverting the fork (also called “upside down” forks”) bolts the heavy forks sliders into the triple clamps that secure them to the bike’s steering head, leaving the lightweight tubes to stretch down to the axle. That leaves the lighter tubes as the unsprung mass that has to travel up and down with the road surface while the heavier part is fixed in place. This contributes to more responsive front suspension.

Meanwhile, the lengthy swingarm to the rear axle lends the bike greater stability compared to a short swingarm.

The value of anti-lock brakes should be self-evident, but to recap, the BMW’s computer prevents riders from locking a wheel under heavy braking. In a car, this produces a slide and prolongs stopping distances. On a bike, if the front wheel locks, it tends to immediately slip to one side or the other and pitch the rider to the ground. 

If the rear wheel locks, the bike will start to slide sideways. Riders’ typical response to this is to release pressure to the rear brake. Doing so while the bike is not pointed in the direction of travel when the rear tire regains traction causes the bike to catapult the rider off in a spectacular and painful “high side” crash. 

ABS is worth its weight in cryptocurrency because it prevents both kinds of crashes by ensuring that the wheels keep turning until the bike comes to a complete stop. It is also important because most riders, when faced with a potential crash, fail to apply the brakes hard enough. Ideally, knowing that they can’t lock the brakes will encourage more riders to brake harder so that maybe more of them will stop short of hitting the obstacle ahead.

Regardless, riding the Cosmic Black G 310 R test bike was enough fun to put such sober considerations in the background. I had the opportunity to test it alongside BMW’s sexy S 1000 R and I can confirm that the smaller bike held its own while slicing through mountain switchbacks, courtesy of its advanced suspension and light weight.

It also highlighted the G 310 R’s user-friendliness. While the S 1000 R has a very abrupt clutch friction point and brakes that grab aggressively with the slightest application of pressure (very much like Ferrari’s brakes), the G 310 R has a wide, easy-to-engage clutch friction point and brakes that grip progressively, making it very easy for even beginning riders to pull away from a stop and then arrive at the curb like pros instead of the amateurs they are.

Like most of today’s generation of starter bikes, the G 310 R has only one cylinder in its 313-cc engine, when earlier small bikes would have had smoother-running twin-cylinder engines. But the BMW’s 34-horsepower single incorporates a counterbalancer, so it revs to its surprisingly high 9,500-rpm redline with unexpected smoothness. This makes it easier to keep the engine spinning out as much power as possible while clicking through the six-speed transmission, letting the G 310 R feel adequately powerful.

The bike’s engine has an unorthodox configuration, with the cylinder tilting rearward like the back half of a Harley-Davidson V-twin. As with the Harley’s rear cylinder, that puts the BMW’s intake system in front, with the exhaust pipe trailing off the rear, which is the opposite of most single-cylinder bikes.

The rear-leaning cylinder lets the bottom of the engine and the heavy transmission shafts that live there slide forward, shifting the bike’s balance onto the front wheel for greater stability. It also clears space behind the transmission for the aforementioned long rear swingarm.

All of this speaks to the benefit of rethinking the engineering challenge from the beginning of a project and dismissing convention to deliver a superior result. The G 310 R is fun to ride for riders of all levels, not just beginners. But it treats them especially well, just as the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s rider’s school. The BMW engineer team should be proud of their clever solutions to creating an affordable bike that is a true BMW.

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“I always build things,” says Dan Hryhorcoff. 

Case in point: Hryhorcoff has constructed an absolutely delightful giant bumper car, a project that he says began during the pandemic. The rest of us may have baked bread as COVID came down the pike, but Hryhorcoff, who lives in northeastern Pennsylvania and has also built a submarine, constructed an enormous blue bumper car. It gets its propulsion from a repurposed Chevrolet engine and is street-legal. 

Before he constructed the big bumper car, Hryhorcoff had made a different vehicle, starting on it around 2013 or so. “When I retired, I decided I kind of wanted to build a car,” he recalls. For that project, he chose to focus on a 1950s pedal car for children called a Murray “sad face.” “I decided to copy that and make a large one.” (Those Murray models have a front that does indeed look like a sad face, but anyone who sees Hryhorcoff’s work will probably smile.) 

Creating that big red vehicle provided him with further experience working with fiberglass, a material he had also worked with when building the submarine. “I had a lot of fun with that [Murray car] at car shows and things, and it got a lot of attention from a broad audience,” he says.

“Then COVID hit,” he adds. He wanted a new project. His thinking? “Another car project would be good.” 

Building the big bumper car

He settled on a bumper car. To get the source material he needed for the project, he turned to an amusement park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania called Knoebels, and the bumper cars they have there. Specifically, he focused on the 1953-model bumper car that was made by a company called Lusse. He liked that it had a “Chevrolet pickup truck sorta look” from the 1950s. 

“I decided to copy one of those,” he says. Spending some eight hours at Knoebels gave him the chance to get the information he needed. “I measured, and took photos, and made templates, and whatever I needed to, to copy the car as well as I can.” He chose to make his version of the car double the size of the base model. As the Scranton Times-Tribune noted in a story about Hryhorcoff in July, the bumper car ride at Knoebels dates back to the immediate post-World-War-II era.

[Related: This Florida teen is making a business out of rebuilding old-school auto tech]

Inside, the big bumper car’s power plant comes from a Chevrolet Aveo. “I took the front of the Aveo, and chopped it off, and put that in the back of the bumper car,” he explains. “And the front of the bumper car is a motorcycle wheel.” That single wheel up front means it can turn very sharply. The exterior is made out of fiberglass. All told, it measures 13 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 5.5 feet tall, making it twice the size of a regular bumper car. A pole in the back mimics the way actual bumper cars get their electricity, except this one connects to nothing. 

A project like this would likely be a bumpy ride for anyone without the experience that Hryhorcoff, 72, brings to the table. “I learned to run a lathe when I was 13 years old, with my dad, and he was kind of a jack-of-all-trades,” he recalls. (A lathe is a tool for forming metal into a round shape, and a wood lathe is the kind of equipment you could use to make a baseball bat.) He built a go-cart, tinkered with lawn mowers, and learned about auto repair in a garage. His interest, as he describes it, was “all around mechanical.” 

He spent four years after high school in the Navy in the early 1970s, where he worked stateside and repaired radios for F-4 jets, and then studied mechanical engineering at Penn State. After working for a drilling company, he started his own machine shop called Justus Machine. 

Always diving into something new

The submarine he built came from plans for a K350 model purchased from George Kittredge, and is called Persistence. “I knew I was building something that wasn’t gonna kill me, if I build it correctly,” he says. (Watch a video of the sub in action here.) That sub has gone as deep as 540 feet with no one on board, Hryhorcoff says, and he’s taken it down himself to about 150 feet deep. 

[Related: How does a jet engine work? By running hot enough to melt its own innards.]

Hryhorcoff describes himself as an engineer, not an artist, and prefers to follow plans and undertake projects in which he knows any challenges he might face are surmountable. “Any project I’ve ever chose was a project that I knew I can get through it, but I had something new to learn in the process,” he says. “There were always some unknowns.” But those unknowns, he adds, were within the realm of doable for him and his equipment, even if he had to learn new stuff along the way.

“I’d rather big projects, rather than a dozen little ones,” he adds. 

Watch a short video about Hryhorcoff and this project, below:

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We may be decades away from replacing fossil-fuel-powered vehicles with a fully electric fleet, but at the same time, EVs have continued their impressive gains on US roadways. But the most innovative companies in the automotive industry are looking beyond just batteries and charging infrastructure. They’re making the most of what we’ve got while doing the heavy lifting that goes unnoticed: Making vehicles lighter, more aerodynamic, more useful, and less wasteful. They’re also giving us faster and extremely entertaining cars—and we’re here to honor their technical brilliance.

Looking for the complete list of 100 winners? Check it out here.

Grand Award Winner

Vision EQXX by Mercedes-Benz: The slipperiest EV

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This year, Mercedes-Benz introduced a one-off, world-beating car with an altruistic purpose: To make the most out of the heavy batteries at the core of the growing EV fleet. The numbers for the Vision EQXX are otherworldly for an EV: 3,900 pounds of car and 747 miles on a single charge. It’s slow by EV and gasoline standards, yet modesty was the mission. So how did they do it? Here’s one trick: Its body can extend its sweptback tail at speed another eight inches, helping cut drag by half that of a normal sedan or crossover. To further augment efficiency, Mercedes-Benz opted for a Formula 1 subframe, magnesium wheels, tiny side-view mirrors, and a 100-kWh battery that the company claims is half the size and almost a third lighter than the powerpack in their production EQS sedan. Reducing mass and improving efficiency are old mechanical concepts that all manufacturers need to revisit if EVs are to succeed in the gasoline era. For that to happen, however, the breakthroughs must be this dramatic. Though it’s only a concept, the Vision EQXX may be the spark that ignites that reality.

Uconnect 5 by Jeep: Putting the passenger in command

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Large SUVs typically allow the people in the back to zone out and watch whatever’s on the screens in front of them. But in the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, all the fun is in the shotgun seat—and won’t distract the driver. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system can run up to eight independent displays, including a 10.3-inch touchscreen built into the passenger-side dash. To reduce distraction, Jeep tints the display so it’s a faint glow to the driver while still looking bright to the passenger. You can connect an Xbox to the HDMI port, stream a ton of titles with the built-in Amazon Fire TV, control the 360 cameras, and set the navigation system by sending a chosen route to three of the driver displays. Best of all, there’s no ugly screen-mounting hardware to clutter the polished black dash.

Pilot Sport EV by Michelin: When tires go electric

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Electric vehicles—performance models especially—put the strain of extra mass and torque onto their tires. The Pilot Sport EV is the first of a growing segment of EV-specific treads designed to improve both range and grip. Typically, a manufacturer can increase range by reducing the rolling resistance—the slowing effects of friction—at the expense of grip. These Michelins find balance by putting different parts of the tire in charge of handling torque and mass: The center of the tire has a grippier compound to take the brunt of an EV’s torque, while the shoulders are optimized for lower rolling resistance. It’s a mix they honed over the last eight years on Formula E racers. Compared to the company’s gold standard, the Pilot Sport 4S, the Pilot Sport EV increases range by as much as 20 percent with nearly the same level of traction. 

Android Automotive OS  by Google: A car OS from an OS company

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Google’s suite of car-specific software has been mediocre for the past several years. Android Auto projects a limited array of Android apps onto a car’s infotainment display; then there’s regular old Android, which is tablet software that many automakers modify for their vehicles. In either instance, their interfaces feel half-baked. Enter Android Automotive OS, which is Google’s first operating system developed specifically and only for cars. Through it, the voice assistant, maps, keyboards, and the Play store run faster and function more intuitively than a smartphone connected to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay ever could. Thanks to it, the experience on the latest Volvo, Polestar, and Chevrolet vehicles is dramatically better than anything those automakers had ever coded themselves.

GR Corolla by Toyota: A three-cylinder powerhouse

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In 2022, it’s rare to see automakers develop all-new gasoline engines. To see Toyota craft an engine with as much output per liter as a Bugatti Chiron? That’s a cosmic event. The G16E-GTS spews 300 turbocharged ponies from three tiny cylinders displacing only 1.6 liters. This is the ferocious heart of the 2023 GR Corolla, an ordinary-looking hatchback. On the Morizo Edition, the turbocharger pumps 26.3 PSI of air through the intake—a monstrous amount that the fortified engine block can handle. First offered overseas in the smaller GR Yaris, this engine transforms the humdrum Corolla—the world’s best-selling car of all time—into an everyday sports car. It’s comfortable, practical, gets 28 mpg on the highway, and will absolutely embarrass a Porsche on a twisty road. 

FC1-X by Nitro: Rally racing at its most extreme

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The FC1-X is what happens when motorcycle stuntman and record-breaking rally driver Travis Pastrana and a Swedish race team agree that Red Bull’s Rallycross is too slow. The FC1-X is a custom, 1000-horsepower electric car that zaps to 60 mph in 1.5 seconds and can land a 100-foot jump. A major reason: The car’s silicon carbide inverter is a fraction of the size and weight of a typical EV’s inverter—the device that converts the battery’s DC output to AC for the motors—and the battery can handle major power draws without overheating. It’s unique to Pastrana’s Nitro Rallycross series. As it evolves, FC1-X stands to influence the next generation of EVs—for both the track and the road.

Super Cruise by General Motors: Best hands-free system

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General Motors’ Super Cruise strikes an ideal balance between hands-free driving assistance—giving the human operator a break—and safety. Using a network of laser-scanned highways at 10 times the accuracy of a GPS map with a full suite of ultrasonic, radar, and infrared cameras, Super Cruise can operate on more than 400,000 miles of marked US highways, including executing automatic lane changes. Most important, however, is when it won’t operate: Super Cruise will disable the system for the entire drive if the driver looks away for too long, a road is unmapped, the vehicle’s data connection goes dark, or any number of failure points to keep the person behind the wheel engaged. Next up is Ultra Cruise, which promises “door-to-door” hands-free driving, but that may be years away.

Hummer EV by GMC: A maneuverable behemoth

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Let’s get this out of the way. From the standpoint of energy consumption, the GMC Hummer EV is wasteful—and, at nearly 10,000 pounds, it’s a behemoth. Its battery pack is twice the capacity of the best Tesla Model S but delivers 80 percent of the EPA-estimated range compared to that vehicle. But underneath this super truck’s extravagance is a mind-blowing method of four-wheel steering. CrabWalk sounds too ridiculous and motion sickness-inducing to be true, but it is: All four wheels can steer the truck diagonally. The rear rims steer in tandem with the front at up to 10 degrees, enough to let this massive vehicle dance sideways like a crustacean that needs to parallel park, moving up to 25 mph. 

Nevera by Rimac: The most powerful production car

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A Croatian scientist who converted his broken BMW to run on electricity is now, at age 34, the CEO of a hypercar company that’s fresh off a merger with Bugatti. Mate Rimac’s dream machine, the 1877-horsepower Nevera, has four electric motors and the stiffest carbon fiber monocoque—that’s a combination of the car’s frame and body—around. It’s the world’s fastest EV: 258 mph. Car enthusiasts with $2.4 million to blow will soon show us the evidence. But more importantly, Rimac’s other partners, which include Hyundai and Porsche, will benefit from the company’s EV expertise in future cars costing a fraction of that price.

MotoE by Ducati: The hottest electric racing bike

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The heavy batteries that can be packaged easily in a car are harder to incorporate into a motorcycle that needs to balance. Instead of allowing a bulky, off-the-shelf battery pack to dictate the bike’s design, Ducati designed the battery on its MotoE—which the entire field of the 2023 FIM MotoE World Cup will ride—so that it functions as an integral part of the bike’s central frame instead of a bulky add-on. Two separate cooling systems (one for the 18-kWh battery, the other for the 150-hp motor and inverter) ensure the MotoE can sustain 171 mph and then pit for a recharge without needing to cool down. It might not be the first electric racing bike, but it is the first such bike that customers will ultimately want to ride on the road. 

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Honda has traditionally cultivated strong grassroots support for aspiring motorcyclists, with novice-friendly scooters and minibikes like the Cub and Trail 50. In recent years, the company, like the rest of the industry, has focused on pricey machines catering to veteran riders with disposable income. But the 2014 debut of the delightful Grom minibike demonstrated abundant demand for something smaller and friendlier, with global sales of more than 750,000 bikes.

Now Honda has topped itself with something friendlier still. In truth, the 236-pound Navi is a glorified Activa scooter, with the same 7-horsepower 109-cc single-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission.

But it has motorcycle looks and a lockable plastic storage box where a motorcycle’s engine would usually be, lending the Navi the look of an electric motorcycle. And with a price tag of just $1,807, which is less than half the price of the 10-hp, manual-shift Grom, the Navi is easily accessible for many would-be beginners.

Let’s clarify what we’ve got here. The Navi wears a license plate, and it has a headlight with high and low beams, taillight, turn signals, horn, and electric starter. It is street legal as a real motorcycle. It features a regular motorcycle speedometer and handlebar-mounted controls. There’s also an old-school kick starter, if you want to channel your inner Hell’s Angel. 

Unlike dirtbikes that some riders use for learning to ride, the Navi is not well-suited to riding off-road. Even yard use feels like a bad idea, as the street tires have poor grip on grass, and the suspension has very little travel (3.9 inches in front, 2.8 inches at the rear), especially when compressed by the weight of a full-size adult onboard. It really needs to stay on smooth pavement or at least gravel. And speaking of grass, our model came in Grasshopper Green, while Red, Nut Brown, and Ranger Green are alternative colors.

[Related: I rode an electric motorcycle for the first time. Here’s what I learned.]

Despite all these “real” motorcycle attributes, the Navi doesn’t have a gear shifter or a clutch handle. Riding away from a stop is as simple as twisting the right handlebar grip, just like on a scooter. With an adult rider, you’re going to probably twist the throttle all the way open until the Navi reaches your target speed.

In my neighborhood, it is the perfect toy for cruising around at 25 mph; I’ve been able to connect surface streets between neighborhoods to cover a decent area around without getting onto any bigger roads. It is purely a coincidence that there’s a Baskin-Robbins in the next neighborhood’s shopping center to serve as a popular destination!

I ventured onto one bigger road briefly, to test the Navi’s top speed: it reaches 47 mph, but it isn’t happy doing it. The tiny 12-inch front and 10-inch rear wheels provide great maneuverability in the neighborhood, but the ride gets busy—a little hectic and unstable feeling—at near-highway speed.

Front and rear drum brakes are cable actuated, just like on classic motorcycles of the mid-20^th century. Unlike those antiques, however, the Navi’s brakes actually provide crisp response to a squeeze on the brake handle, and the bike’s low speed and light weight mean that the superior heat dissipation of disc brakes is not needed.

The brakes also provide a solution for the Navi’s CVT transmission. Riders park traditional, manual-shift motorcycles in gear to prevent them rolling off their kickstands when parked on a slope. The Navi’s CVT won’t hold the bike in place when it is shut off, so instead there’s a parking brake to hold it still. (A CVT is the kind of automatic transmission that is familiar to scooter riders. It varies the drive ratio on the fly, with no discrete gears, so the engine speed changes depending on how aggressively the rider is twisting the throttle grip while the Navi gathers its speed deliberately.)

The Navi rolls on cheap, car-like stamped steel wheels that bolt on with four lug nuts, just like a car. This is instead of the usual motorcycle spoked aluminum wheels, and for this bike, with its low power and speed, these wheels are absolutely fine. 

Something to keep in mind, in a country where some people resist simple measures such as helmets, is that while the Navi doesn’t go very fast, riders are still exposed to other, bigger and heavier vehicles, so proper safety gear for every ride is a must. While the Navi is so much fun that it is reflexive to think of it as a toy, it is important to use a helmet, shoes, and long sleeves and pants. Shorts and flip-flops are not riding attire, even for the Navi.

Also, you’ll need to get a motorcycle license to ride the Navi in most places. But look for motorcycle riding schools to embrace Navis as their training bikes, so you’ll be able to get a head start familiarizing yourself with the bike while earning your license.

Early returns are already in, as Navi sales have been red hot, and Honda says the bike is on track to be the top-selling street bike in the US. The reasons for its popularity are obvious— low price, ease of use, fuel efficiency, and more—so I wholeheartedly endorse the Navi as not only a great starter bike for novices, but a fun toy for experienced riders to putt around their neighborhoods.

If all goes well, the next thing they know, Navi riders will be back at the Honda dealer to swing a leg over something like the CB300R or CRF300L to try them on for size as fuel-efficient commuter bikes and weekend playthings. Just like how the old Trail 50 put riders on a path to the company’s CB350 back in the day.

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Triumph is a motorcycle brand best known for its old-world flair and vintage-inspired rides, like the Bonneville or the Thruxton. There’s good reason for that, because the company’s heyday occurred sometime around the 1960s, when Steve McQueen slung a leg over one in the 1963 epic The Great Escape. However, with the new all-electric TE-1, the company is leaving the past behind and zipping into the future with its first electric offering. 

Not only does the new EV motorcycle build on Triumph’s streetfighter knowhow with its gas-burning Speed Triple lineup, which is similar in form to the TE-1, but based on the specs recently unveiled by the company, the TE-1 aims to completely blow every other electric motorcycle out of the water. Triumph’s upcoming electric whip will be perhaps the most advanced e-motorcycle to hit the asphalt, and other bikemakers are going to have a new target to aim for in the next decade. 

Triumph first kicked off as a bicycle manufacturer in 1885. Company boss Moritz Schulte felt the need for speed back in 1898, when he strapped an engine to a bicycle. It began developing ground-up motorcycle designs in 1904, and by the end of the following year it had produced 250 examples. Over 100 years later, despite having gone through some lean years and a bankruptcy in 1983 leading to the sale of company assets, hundreds of thousands of Triumph-branded motorcycles have hit the streets all over the world. 

[Related: How the stunt crew in ‘No Time to Die’ pulled off the film’s astounding motorcycle jump]

The electric motorcycle world isn’t nearly as crowded as the regular EV car and truck market right now, with Triumph essentially becoming only the third legacy motorcycle maker to dedicate resources to developing and delivering a ground-up electric machine, after Harley-Davidson and KTM. Harley launched its own electric streetfighter-style motorcycle in 2020’s LiveWire. That bike launched to near-universal praise, but little commercial success because of its high price. In 2022, that bike relaunched with a lower price as the One under Harley’s all-electric LiveWire sub-brand. KTM, meanwhile, went for the dirtbike segment with its Freeride E-XC. 

These are the details to know about the TE-1: The electric motorcycle project has been in the works at the British bike builder since 2019, but before Triumph issued a release on the bike’s progress on July 12, information was scarce. Triumph is coming out of the gate swinging with a bike that is both more powerful and lighter than LiveWire’s One. The TE-1 will feature a 175-horsepower motor and be a featherweight (for an electric bike) 485 pounds. Triumph is being conservative with its advertised acceleration times: The TE-1 is stated to sprint from 0-60 in just 3.6 seconds, but that’s a few tenths slower than LiveWire’s 3 seconds dead. 

Meanwhile, there are several electric-only motorcycle brands like Zero and Energica, which are sure to provide stiff competition to the traditional moto brands like Triumph. The TE-1 isn’t as quick or as fast as the ultra-aggressive Energica Ego, but it matches up fairly well against more standard sporty models like Zero’s SR/F. There’s no word yet on price for the Triumph, so we don’t yet know where it stacks up against marketplace competition, but based on these specs and what the EV bike market looks like today, it’s fair to expect the bike to be priced around $20,000. 

[Related: This new electric motorcycle is built for long-range adventures]

As for range, Triumph claims the TE-1 will deliver 100 miles on a full charge, but doesn’t specify whether that number is city, highway, or a real-world mix. The LiveWire One has a claimed 146 miles of city range, and in real-world testing can deliver about 90 miles on the highway. Triumph hasn’t revealed the size of the TE-1’s battery, but based on the fact that it weighs less than the LiveWire, our guess is that it is smaller than that bike’s 12.5 kWh unit. Triumph claims the TE-1 can be charged from 0 to 80 percent in just 20 minutes, which is blazingly quick in today’s motorcycle market. The LiveWire, by comparison, takes around 40 minutes for the same charge, and the Zero SR/F—lacking a DC Fast charging port—takes more than double that. 

Perhaps the best news, however, is that the TE-1 is apparently quite fun to ride. During a track test of the bike, Triumph rider Brandon Paasch had this to say about the experience: “The throttle response on the TE-1 is kind of incredible, it’s very torquey and when you first touch the throttle it’s instant power, which is obviously what I love as a motorcycle racer – I love when it’s super-torquey and picks up right away, so for me it was a really great experience. I got to peg this thing all the way from zero to 100% throttle and it’s unbelievably quick, it pulls like crazy.”

There’s no official timeline for when this bike will make production, or when you can expect to pick one up from your local dealer, but judging by how polished the machine looks already, it can’t be too far away—hopefully.

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Like their four-wheeled cousins, motorcycles are increasingly available in electric versions. And when it comes to battery powered rides, options like Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire or an offering from Zero might come to mind. Another key player is Energica, out of Modena, Italy. 

Energica has deep experience delivering electric two-wheeled performance to customers, having launched its first EV motorcycle over a decade ago. With several models worth of development under its belt, the Italian e-moto company is well placed to develop technology beyond that of its competitors. On May 31, Energica announced its newest model—the adventure-focused Experia—would deliver an impressive 261 miles of city range, which is significantly more than any other electric motorcycle yet on the market. Among the electric motorcycle competition, only Zero has been able to crack the 200-mile barrier, with its SR/S model delivering 223 miles of electric range. 

As the only chassis and electric-motor supplier for the electric motorcycle racing series MotoE since its inception, Energica has been given an opportunity to develop its bikes at an advanced pace. With noted international sport riders providing feedback, and hundreds of hours of wheel-to-wheel racing competition, Energica has been allowed to develop its new bikes in the crucible of motorsport. While the new Experia is not a track-focused machine, the company has gained knowledge in the development process, spending its school days where giants tread. 

[Related: I rode an electric motorcycle for the first time. Here’s what I learned.]

The new Experia aims to take on the rapidly expanding adventure touring motorcycle market, dominated for decades by gasoline-powered models like the BMW GS and Ducati Multistrada. It’s a motorcycle segment with fervent enthusiasm and significant competition. Energica is taking a risk by jumping into this competitive field, but based on the numbers, the all-electric Experia makes a compelling case for itself. 

Built as a brand new machine from the ground up, the new Experia is a so-called green tourer for the modern rider. Unlike any other electric motorcycle, it can travel more than 100 miles at highway speeds without needing to stop for a charge. Also, unlike the competition, the Experia offers standard onboard charging capacity for Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging. Some Zero models offer 1 and 2, while the much lauded Harley-Davidson-built LiveWire One only offers L1 and DC Fast, skipping over the often useful L2. 

While California-built Zero does already offer an electric adventure segment motorcycle in its DS and DSR models, both are built on aged platforms that are eclipsed by the new Experia by pretty much every measure. The DSR is an incredible machine already, and proves that there is room for an electric model in the adventure arena. But with just 163 miles of standard range, and only 70 horsepower available, it doesn’t measure up to the Energica on paper. 

While the Experia’s large battery gives it the ability to deliver impressive electric range, it is almost certainly going to also make the bike quite heavy. The LiveWire One, for example, makes do with just 13.6 kWh of usable battery capacity, while the Experia has a larger—and heavier—19.6 kWh battery. Depending on the type of lithium-ion battery used, that extra six kilowatt hours of battery capacity can account for an extra 60 to 100 pounds of rolling weight. 

That said, the Experia, as an adventure touring bike, plays to its strengths with that extra weight, because it shouldn’t be expected to handle nearly as well as the sport-oriented LiveWire. With around 100 horsepower and 85 lb-ft of torque (compared to the LiveWire One’s almost identical power numbers) it probably won’t have the same level of straight-line acceleration, solely by dint of the Experia’s extra weight. 

“We have focused on the real-world needs of motorcycle riders worldwide, creating an ex-novo state-of-the-art engineering platform,” Giampiero Testoni, CTO of Energica Motor Company said in a release. “We melded high-tech electric mobility with the roaming spirit of the motorcycle traveler. The intention was to create the first electric motorcycle created specifically for long-distance bike lovers. “

To combat some of the battery’s extra weight, Energica worked diligently to get the rest of the Experia’s heft to a minimum. For example, the new synchronous reluctance and permanent magnet electric motor is around 22 pounds lighter than the motor found in Energica’s other earlier models, like the Ego, Eva, or EsseEsse. The new motor is water-cooled for improved thermal efficiency, which also allows the motor to be placed lower in the chassis to help improve center of gravity, and thus the bike’s handling. 

Starting at $25,880, the Energica is not inexpensive. But what it will cost you in dollars it makes up for in advanced EV motorcycle tech. In addition to the largest battery on the market, this motorcycle offers seriously competitive rider aids as well. You’ll get seven distinct rider modes, four different levels of switchable EV regenerative braking, and six levels of advanced traction control intervention combined with Bosch cornering-intuitive anti-lock braking. 

With an increasing number of adventure touring motorcycles hitting the market every year, including recent highly-anticipated examples like the Harley-Davidson Pan America, or the Ducati Desert X (both powered by gasoline), the Experia has an uphill battle ahead of it to become a sales success. Being the most advanced electric example in the segment, however, has its benefits. It isn’t the first such electric adventurer, and it certainly won’t be the last, but for now it appears to be punching well above its weight. 

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There’s a competition in electric vehicle technology that has so far stayed distant from the United States. In many Asian markets, where scooters and small-engine motorcycles outnumber cars, several players are building electric two-wheelers powered by compact lithium-ion batteries that can be removed from the bike entirely and swapped for a freshly charged unit in seconds. As the concept has caught on in Asia, it is now jumping to the similarly scooter-friendly European shores, thanks to a new initiative from Taiwanese scooter giant Kymco. 

Kymco will begin European deliveries of its iOnex electric battery-swapping scooter lineup in Italy this summer. The Italian market has the right mix of residents familiar with riding two-wheelers and congested cities that likely make it a good place to launch an expansion. Italian urbanites often do not have the ability to charge their electric vehicles in a garage or driveway overnight, which makes swapping batteries all the more appealing. These Kymco scooter batteries can be removed from the two-wheeler and carried into a home for charging from a standard wall outlet, or the depleted batteries can be delivered back to a iOnex swapping station to be traded for full ones. Parking the vehicle with no batteries onboard is also a form of theft deterrent. 

Other players in the Southeast Asia battery swap market are looking to expand to the rest of the world. Gogoro, also based in Taiwan, sells electric scooters at a rate of ten to one in comparison with Kymco, and this summer is set to expand into Israel. Another major player in the battery swapping space is the newly-formed Gachaco, a partnership formed by Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki in Japan, with the help of oil giant Eneos. Each of these companies is working to distribute its own line of proprietary motorcycles, scooters, batteries, and charging stations around the world.

[Related: Could swappable EV batteries replace charging stations?]

Rather than sitting stationary plugged into a wall for a few hours to fill up with electrons, battery swapping scooters trade slight complexity for convenience. In the same way a rider might show up to a gasoline pump and fill up the tank, these swappable batteries and battery swapping stations, typically located at convenience stores and gas stations, allow a complete top-up of electricity to take place in a matter of a minute or two. 

The system is proving to be economically feasible, as well. These battery-swap scooters cost less than a comparable gasoline-powered scooter, because they don’t actually come with the batteries installed. New scooter buyers will purchase the vehicle, then sign up for a monthly battery-swapping plan. Kymco, Gogoro, or Gachaco each continue to own their batteries, simply leasing out the battery and tech to new vehicle buyers. It’s a smart scheme on both sides, lowering the cost of entry, and ensuring the rider never gets stuck with a dead battery. 

The system also means batteries within the system can constantly be upgraded, and the owner of the bike is never stuck with previous-generation battery technology. As soon as the company rolls out a new longer-range or higher-power battery pack, it can slot right into a bike. 

On a much larger scale, Chinese electric SUV brand NIO has deployed battery swapping for its four-wheeled vehicles. Stand-alone proprietary battery swap garages are popping up around China to unbolt the pack from the bottom of a vehicle, exchange it for a fresh one, and re-install it within just a few minutes. NIO says it currently has over 800 swap stations in China, and like Kymco has recently expanded to Europe with one new station in the EV-heavy market of Norway. Each station can reportedly complete as many as 312 battery swaps per day. 

Meanwhile, in the US, a different kind of trend is emerging, as Ford launches its electric F-150 truck and GM produces the enormous Hummer EV, both large vehicles that people will likely charge at home. But perhaps battery swapping tech for two-wheelers could catch on in densely populated cities like New York or San Francisco. 

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A few moments into a new episode of “The World According to Jeff Goldblum” devoted to motorcycles, Goldblum recalls something his mother used to say about the two-wheelers: “Don’t ride a motorcycle—don’t do it—it’s a magic carpet to death, and, and, uh, misery.”

“I’ve always found them kind of unnerving, to be honest,” he adds. 

The episode in question debuts on Disney Plus today, part of a series that has the actor exploring topics like fireworks, magic, and dogs. The motorcycle episode sees Goldblum skimming lightheartedly across the surface of the subject. He touches on the diversity of the riding community, speaking to Gurinder Singh Basra, the president of Sikh Riders of America. He checks out an electric motorcycle from a startup called Tarform. He hops on a dirtbike, thanks to the tutelage of two women from Babes Ride Out. It’s more about Goldblum’s feelings on motorcycles—as well as how others feel about them—than about the vehicle itself: Don’t expect a deep dive into their history, or how they work, or to see the Jurassic Park actor gunning it down the road at breakneck speeds with a computer-generated T. rex in the side-view mirror. 

Instead, the most interesting theme is a brief investigation he conducts into the idea of the danger that this form of transportation holds. He wonders, “Are motorcycles worth the risk?” He hops on a trapeze—it’s a metaphor for facing fear—talks to a rider who lost part of his leg in a motorcycle accident, and concludes, “Well, I think, everybody’s gotta find their own way of managing being scared.” 

Popular Science caught up with Goldblum to talk about motorcycles, acting, and feeling afraid. 

Fear as an ‘ingredient for the recipe of aliveness’

When it comes to living, or acting, Goldblum reflects that fear “isn’t something that you necessarily have to resist.”

Sure, it’s wise not to be “testing death at every moment,” he says. But when stepping out of your comfort zone, or doing creative work, it makes sense not to push the fear away. “This isn’t like brushing your teeth—there might be some nerves about this thing, or some fear about this thing, and it’s part of it—it can be a good ingredient for the recipe of aliveness.”

For high-stakes, important tasks—like riding on the Space Shuttle, he muses—fear is a reminder of the need to focus and be “very prepared,” Goldblum says. “It gives you some energy.” 

[Related: I rode an electric motorcycle for the first time. Here’s what I learned.]

With motorcycles specifically, Goldblum notes that he looked into their safety statistics. “It’s a riskier way of getting around than some other forms,” he says. 

It is indeed. More than 5,000 people died on motorcycles in 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a figure that represents 14 percent of all traffic deaths. Roughly the same number of people died on motorcycles in 2018. A starker statistic is to compare the death rate on motorcycles per 100 million vehicle miles traveled compared to the same metric for passenger cars: it was almost 29 times as high in 2019. 

Goldblum spends very little time actually on a two-wheeler in the episode, briefly trying out a dirt bike and also catching a lift on the back of a motorcycle piloted by a rider named Porsche Taylor. And to be sure, he says he felt like he was in good hands with the production team. “They assured me I’d be personally, probably, ok,” he says. “I wasn’t too scared.” In short: don’t expect the actor to be pulling any scary stunts. That’s not the point.   

Man on a wire

Goldblum steers the conversation down a more interesting road when he reflects on life beyond motorcycles. “You’re gonna be afraid, especially if you do things that are probably worthwhile—falling in love, or finally facing your mortality, or all sorts of things that have risk in them; having kids, or whatever it is,” he says. “You’ve got to go, ‘Hey, fear is part of this, and let’s see how that can be useful, how I can make it my ally, and use it as part of my energy.’”

Fear exists for a reason, says Dianne L. Chambless, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Her focus has been on treating and understanding anxiety disorders, and she notes that when it comes to “classic phobias that people have, they all have a sound evolutionary basis.”

“It is really quite sensible to be afraid of heights, so that we don’t walk off a cliff,” she continues. “It’s sensible to be scared of snakes, because many of them are poisonous. It’s sensible to be scared of the rejection of your group, because humans are inherently social animals.” 

“A lot of fears are there to protect us,” she says. “They’re meant to be a warning sign, and the problem is if that warning alarm is going off a lot of the time when it needn’t be.” Scared of motorcycles? Maybe that’s because you know they’re dangerous, and perhaps a safety class would be wise. Are you so scared that you can’t leave your house? That’s different. 

In fact, there’s a type of sweet spot when it comes to feeling anxiety, she notes, saying that the concept takes the form of an inverted U-shape. “Optimum performance is really somewhere there in the middle, when anxiety is moderate,” she says. “The people who were too anxious have difficulty performing a task, and people who weren’t anxious at all aren’t motivated enough, and [are] sloppy.” 

In short, the fear shows that you’re taking something seriously: Too much fear, and a person is paralyzed. Too little, and a person does a bad job. She recalls a friend who was too relaxed about giving a lecture: “He was so casual about it that he was terrible, because he didn’t really prepare, he just rambled.” 

“We need that little spurt of anxiety of wanting to do our best,” she says. 

It’s an idea that squares with what Goldblum says he learned about his occupation. “My acting teacher, Sandy Meisner, said that he wished that acting—getting on the stage—was like tightroping walking, because then nobody who was not qualified to do it would dare to do it,” he adds. “It’s not immediately evident that it requires a kind of masterfulness, if you’re really going to do it at a high level; and you should know that like tightroping walking, you’ve got to really be prepared.” 

He says he loves the film Man on Wire, about Philippe Petit, who literally tightroped between the two World Trade Center towers in 1974. “Talk about scary—I’m scared just watching that thing,” he says. “He got into a zone, and of course prepared his whole life to do that.” 

As for motorcycles and doing that episode, he looks back and says he enjoyed the community he met. “It’s a way to commune with other people from all different stripes, [and] that is a wonderful and nourishing kind of thing,” he says. “I feel like I’m part of the motorcycle family myself now, so I would happily engage in some sort of safe, and prepared, and jolly riding around.” 

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An electric vehicle’s fuel comes from its batteries. Those lithium-ion battery cells can be a source of problems if they have defects, like with the recent Chevy Bolt recall. But they’re also a root source for innovation. Automakers can introduce new technology to try to increase their energy density—and thus increase the vehicle’s range, too. 

Today at an event in New York City, Zero Motorcycles, which makes sleek-looking electric two-wheelers, unveiled a new battery architecture that they brag has around 20 percent additional capacity but weighs about 6 pounds less. They’re pairing this power pack with a new iteration of its SR motorcycle, which they also unveiled. 

The new battery system from Zero is housed in a fancy-looking module made from diecast aluminum and polycarbonate. It contains 56 lithium-ion battery cells, which are shaped like rectangular pouches and are roughly half an inch thick. 

Brian Wismann, the vice president of product development at Zero, says that a few changes allowed them to pack the increase in capacity into the battery system. One of those is changes to the cells themselves, which Zero purchases from a company called Farasis Energy. “Certainly, the cell chemistry has to improve to be able to achieve higher capacity,” Wismann says. “There’s improvements to just the chemistry itself, and then there’s also improvements to the chemical stability of the cell, to allow you to charge to higher voltages.” 

At their most basic level, lithium-ion batteries have a few key parts to their design. The anode is the negative electrode, while the cathode is the positive one. Positively-charged lithium ions travel between those two electrodes, shuttling through a liquid electrolyte. An aptly-named component called the separator keeps the two electrodes separate. Electrons discharge from the anode when the motorcycle—or cell phone, vacuum, or whatever—needs juice, traveling through an external circuit and eventually into the cathode. One drawback to that liquid electrolyte is that it is flammable, so some companies, like Dyson, are moving towards solid-state lithium-ion batteries.

[Related: Why Dyson is going all-in on solid-state batteries]

Managing the heat that the battery pack on an electric motorcycle produces when it’s discharging or charging is a key aspect of the design that Zero had to develop. “With that additional capacity in a small space, you’ve got some heat to deal with, both in charge and discharge,” Wismann says. “And if you’re trying to figure out how to charge faster, then you’ve got to consider that when a rider plugs in their motorcycle, the battery may already be hot.” 

Wissman says they’ve dealt with this hot issue in a couple ways. One is by “optimizing” its passive heat sinks—the diecast aluminum with the ridges on the sides of the battery pack. Those “extract heat from the cell,” he says. 

The more dynamic way they’re handling the heat issue is by adding two fans to the battery assembly to actively cool it down, a new move for the company. Those fans could be spinning “even when the bike’s sitting there and charging,” he says.

“That active management allows us to extract the most out of this new cell technology,” Wissman adds. “This is a fairly novel approach, and it’s been very effective for us in testing so far.” 

[Related: I rode an electric motorcycle for the first time. Here’s what I learned.]

These new batteries will go into three of the company’s fanciest bikes, which all have confusingly similar names: the SR, the SR/F, and the SR/S. The company literally took the wraps off both the new battery module and their new SR motorcycle today, and Sam Paschel, the company’s CEO, explained that the increase in battery density leads to better range for the bikes; he estimates that the 20 percent boost in capacity translates into a 16 percent increase in range for the motorcycles that have the new module, on average. “The reason you lose a bit there, is that no powertrain—even as efficient as ours is—is perfectly efficient,” he says. 

The base model of the SR will hit 104 mph and travel some 156 miles on a charge with city driving. It starts at about $18,000, but you can also spend more money on added features that will allow the electric motorcycle to go faster and further. 

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Towards the beginning of the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die, a stuntman pulls off a breathtaking jump on a motorcycle. A rider, ostensibly the film’s protagonist, races up a steep ramp in Matera, Italy, then soars over a wall. 

The 25th Bond film debuts on Friday, Oct. 8, and viewers can expect the typical excitement—car chases, explosions, gun battles, and the like. Popular Science caught up with the film’s special effects and action vehicles supervisor, Chris Corbould, to learn more about how they put some of those sequences together. There are no spoilers ahead; all the stunts referenced are visible in the film’s trailers, one of which is embedded below.

Here’s what we know about that motorcycle jump, and other awe-inspiring moments from this fifth and final installment in the Craig-as-Bond franchise; we also look back at one classic car scene from a 70s-era Bond film.

The motorcycle jump

The jump in Matera, Italy, features a stuntman named Paul Edmondson riding a Triumph Scrambler motorcycle. “That was absolutely done for real,” Corbould says. “Lee Morrison, the stunt coordinator in the film, has a big background in motorcycles.”

“Cary [Joji Fukunaga, the director] wanted one great bike stunt in that beautiful city, and that’s what Lee came up with,” he says. “I’ll never forget, when we did that on the day, there was a massive round of applause.”

“There was no trickery there—he just went up it and jumped it,” he adds.

Viewers interested in the jump can also check out Being James Bond, a documentary about Daniel Craig’s work in the Bond films; at about the 39-minute mark, there’s a brief clip of what appears to be the tail end of that stunt, with the rider wearing a helmet. Both Autoweek and MotorBiscuit have more details, and here’s some behind-the-scenes footage.

The donuts

In another moment towards the beginning of the film, Bond is behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB5, and there’s a scene in which the car spins in circles, spraying bullets from guns protruding from the front of it. “Daniel [Craig] actually did that donut in the square,” Corbould says, “where it was spinning around and firing the guns at the walls.” 

Corbould explains that the film involved a second unit, or the “action unit,” which filmed shots first, and then the actors arrived. “We shot the donut and DB5 shooting up the walls with stunt drivers,” he says, “and then when Daniel came out, he did another shot as well, so they could get shots with his face in it.” Autoweek also has more on those donuts, explaining that the scene involved modifying the stunt vehicle so that its front left wheel wouldn’t spin, thanks to a handbrake.

For the actual vehicles, the filmmakers relied on 10 physical versions of the DB5. Two of the vehicles were “pristine,” Corbould says, which they used for “whenever Daniel was getting in and out, [or] pulling away.” Meanwhile, eight additional vehicles played various roles. “Some were kitted out with gadgets; some were full stunt cars, with full rally roll cages in; they each had a job to do,” Corbould says.

[Related: Rolls-Royce’s zippy electric airplane wants to break speed records—and power air taxis of the future]

“You have to have multiples of each,” he says, “because if one gadget car clips the curb during the sequence, and bends an axle, you can’t have 600 people waiting around while we mend it, so you just pull that one out, and pull another one in.”

Those eight cars were Aston-Martin-built replicas, and by “gadget car,” Corbould means a vehicle that deploys gadgets, such as those machine guns in the front. Car and Driver notes that the guns “malfunctioned” back in 2019—the barrels didn’t spin as they were supposed to—when they were on set observing.

Bond films, of course, have a long history of action sequences. Back in early 1970s, for example, The Man with the Golden Gun involved a car’s crazy twisting jump over a river, which, as a company called Altair points out, wouldn’t have worked if the vehicle hadn’t been adjusted in a very specific way to include a type of fifth wheel to keep it on track for the stunt. 

The seaplane 

Finally, in another scene, a seaplane flies away from a fishing boat, towards the camera, as the vessel explodes in the background. “That was a real shot—that was a real trawler, and a real plane,” Corbould says. “It was all perfectly lined up from a helicopter shot.”

“We did it twice,” he adds. “The first time the framing wasn’t quite right, but the second time we absolutely nailed it.”

As for that fishing vessel, it didn’t actually explode. “We made it look like it was blowing up,” Corbould says. 

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In the pantheon of the open road, motorcycles are like adolescent gods: small, yep, but powerful for their size, which makes them very hard to catch. Still, ­within these teens’ ranks you’ll find hulks—the biggest, baddest kids on the ­proverbial schoolyard of ­Olympus. Either run with the ­troublemakers or get out of the way.

BMW R 1200 GS Adventure

The GS in BMW R 1200 GS Adventure is German for Gelande Straße, or “off-road,” where BMW’s big baddies have trod since 1980. Though this 580-pound two-wheeler is too heavy to be much of a dirt bike, with its relatively off-piste-friendly suspension, it’s as close as you’ll get in a bike that’s also at home on a highway. From $18,695.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14

This 593-pound body exists primarily to house the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14’s massive 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. At 191 ponies, it cranks out more power than a Honda CR-V. Overkill? Only if you call a sub-10-second quarter-mile and 2.6 seconds to 60 overkill. (So… no.) From $14,999.

Indian Chief Dark Horse

A 9-foot-long single-seater weighing 800 pounds would look imposing in your rearview mirror, even if it weren’t a light-swallowing black that seemed to bend spacetime. But the Indian Chief Dark Horse is, and its 1.8-liter engine has enough grunt to tow a small boat. So move. From $17,499.

This article was originally published in the May/June 2017 issue of Popular Science, under the title “Heavy Metal.”

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The Zero FX electric motorcycle is an exciting machine with a top speed of 85 miles per hour and enough acceleration to frighten yourself if you twist aggressively enough on the throttle.

But as a relative beginner to the motorcycle world, I didn’t ride it anywhere near its maximum speed when I had the chance to check it out for about a week in November. I’d never driven an electric motorcycle before, and a sense of curiosity coupled with pandemic-induced boredom urged me to try it out for rides in Manhattan (while another, very present feeling of caution urged me to do so carefully).

I’m not the only one hopping on a two-wheeler these days: Sales of new motorcycles and scooters are up by about 10 percent in the third quarter of this year, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. That bump is a smaller version of a large surge in bicycle sales.

If you’re curious about climbing onto one—whether as an alternative to public transportation during COVID, for fun, or some combination of those reasons and others—here’s what I learned as a beginner on a fancy new electric motorcycle.

The Zero FX

A standard-issue gas-powered motorcycle requires that its rider shift gears by pulling in the clutch with your left hand and changing gears with your left foot.

But an electric motorcycle strips away that requirement. Because you don’t need to shift, operating it is a cognitively easier task for a beginner like me. The Zero FX I rode, like other electric bikes, is operated simply by rolling on the throttle in your right hand. The rear and front brake controls are in their usual spots—engaged using your right foot, and right hand, respectively.

Because you don’t need to shift, accelerating is an easy, linear experience—twist that throttle and zoom forward. That allows you to zip away from any cars that you think might be encroaching into your space, but it also means that you can scare yourself if you twist it too much. Also, it’s very quiet—it makes a whirring sound when you drive it, and when you’re sitting still with it turned on, it’s completely silent. It’s wise to stay ready with the horn to warn others that you’re there. The common motorcyclist phrase “loud pipes save lives” doesn’t apply here.

The FX is a dual-sport bike: It’s great for both the paved streets of New York City and for venturing on rougher gravel roads as well. This type of ride is also on the rise: The Motorcycle Industry Council reports that sales of dual-sports were up nearly 21 percent from January to June of this year. A plush suspension and all-terrain tires help with its versatility, and I found that it absorbed the urban bumps I encountered well. And the torque, which helps power its strong acceleration, clocks in at 78 ft-lb: that’s a lot.

The bike was taller than I initially felt comfortable with—the seat height is 34.7 inches—and when I was on it, I could only touch the ground with my toes; its height made swinging a leg over it harder than I expected, and backing it into a parking spot was also a little challenging. But I found that my initial intimidation with the machine faded as I rode it around my neighborhood, and the fact that it felt maneuverable and easy to swerve around with helped me become more comfortable on it.

If you’re thinking of buying an electric motorcycle, here’s what to keep in mind: You’re obviously going to need to charge it. If you have a garage or other easy way to park and plug it in, that’s a simple problem to solve. If you live in a city—and the Zero FX felt great for cruising around one—then you’re going to need to think carefully. I live in an apartment building and parked the bike on the street, so had no way to recharge, meaning that I had to rely on what was already in the battery for the time I borrowed it. While the model I was using has an integrated battery, the same bike comes with a modular configuration. That means you can remove the battery to bring it inside and then charge it—but it weighs 42 pounds. That’s rough if you live in a walk-up.

Bottom line if you’re thinking about an electric motorcycle: It’s a great option for a beginner, because you don’t need to worry about shifting, and it can be a great way to commute or run errands around the city or suburbs, too. The range on the model I had was 91 miles, making short trips easily accomplished for days on end between charges, but of course you’re not going to easily take it on a road trip. Plus, the starting price is steep: $11,295 for the non-modular version. And beyond the Zero offerings, another famous electric motorcycle comes from a classic brand: Harley Davidson’s LiveWire, which begins as $29,799.

Keep in mind, though, that starter internal-combustion motorcycles are so much cheaper—they might cost you somewhere around $4,000 (like for a Honda Monkey) or $4,600 (for a Honda Rebel) or more, depending on what you want.

Getting started

Of course, a dual-sport electric motorcycle is just one option out of a myriad of two-wheelers out there, and they come in different types: The basic categories include standard motorcycles, sport bikes, dirt bikes, and others.

Andria Yu, a spokesperson for motorcycles.org, has some simple advice for anyone starting out. Visit multiple dealers, she says, “and sit on a bunch of bikes.” The aim is to feel comfortable on it. For example, a Suzuki TU250X has a seat height that’s more than four inches shorter than the Zero I rode, and is thus easier to manage when standing still, and its base MSRP is much cheaper than the Zero: $4,649. Of course, you’ll also need to consider other factors, such as what you need it for, whether that be for commuting, longer trips, or something else.

“Unlike cars, motorcycles are very individualistic,” Yu says. Besides the issues of ergonomics, what you need it for, and the relatively new electric-vs-gasoline question, there’s also a question of style and even the culture of where you live. That individualistic nature is “kinda the joy of it,” she says. That differentiates buying a bike from purchasing a simple car like a Toyota Corolla or Subaru Forester—you’re thinking more about comfort, capability, and image than you do with a four-wheel vehicle.

Last but definitely not least, she recommends taking a safety class, which can pave the way for getting your license. A good place to look for those is through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation or the website for your state DMV. I took a basic class twice, so had plenty of time to learn in the relative safety of a small parking lot in Queens, New York. Those experiences helped me feel comfortable with the basics of operating a standard motorcycle like a Suzuki, but also jumping onto that zippy Zero when I had the chance.

This story was originally published on December 9, 2020.

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On a recent misty day in Manhattan, I hit 26 miles per hour or so on one of Harley-Davidson’s new e-bikes. I was on a bike trail on the west side of the island, a stretch of path that was either flat or slightly downhill. I felt my legs working, but I’d also gotten a boost from the bike’s onboard motor. “Oh man, that is thrilling,” I said to myself, out loud, in a video note I made for my own records during the ride.

Riding an e-bike can feel both a little confusing and exhilarating: You’re pedaling, but an electric motor provides propulsion, at least until you hit a certain speed. On a typical bike, if you stop pedaling and coast, you’ll quickly figure out if gravity is pulling you downhill or not; and you always know it if you’re hoofing it uphill. An e-bike like the one I was on helps you out, so the subtleties of the terrain below you, as well as your effort-to-speed ratio, can become a little blurry. In another moment, I rode up a hill on a different model at around 12 mph, and didn’t work that hard while doing so.

In short, e-bikes are a fusion of exercise and battery-powered zip. Plenty of companies make them, and now Harley-Davidson has thrown its motorcycle helmet into the ring. More precisely, a company called Serial 1 that was born out of Harley has done so; the motorcycle company is a minority owner. Serial 1 unveiled new e-bikes this autumn, and I had the chance to check them out last Saturday.

The company makes two basic models of bikes. The first is called the Mosh/Cty, an option that’s fairly stripped-down in comparison to the others. It’s intended to be fun and playful and it’s the lightest of the lineup. It weighs some 48 pounds, and it felt relatively manageable, if unwieldy, when I briefly schlepped it into my apartment building during a quick break when I didn’t want to leave it on the street.

The other platform is the Rush/Cty, and it comes in multiple flavors. Unlike the Mosh, the Rush models feature front and rear fenders and storage racks to which you could lash a bag or two. With those accoutrements, the Rush model bikes are intended to be workhorse urban commuter bikes.

E-bikes can be confusing, but a good place to start learning about them is to consider the different classes they come in. Here’s a primer:

• A class-one e-bike contains a motor that will assist you up to 20 mph, but it only kicks in while you’re pedaling.
• A class-two e-bike has a throttle control, meaning that you don’t need to pedal to get a boost from the motor. It’s like a moped or scooter in that sense, but also only goes up to 20 mph.
• Finally, a class-three e-bike works just like a class-one machine—there’s no throttle—but will boost you up to 28 mph.

Confusingly, New York State defines a class-three e-bike as going no faster than 25 miles per hour; since the laws can vary by state, learn more about the regulations in your area here or ask someone in your local bike shop.

In brief, class-one and -three e-bikes are the most bicycle-like, and all of Serial 1′s bikes fall in those two categories. The Mosh only comes as a category-one bike, whereas the Rush line comes as both category one or as a category-three model, which is the fastest and called the Rush/Cty Speed. You get the idea—there are a lot of different metrics to consider.

Meanwhile, the category-one Rush/Cty model optionally comes with a step-though design, meaning that the top tube is lower and easier to get your leg over. I love step-through bikes because multiple hip surgeries have decreased my flexibility, so anyone who might dislike throwing a leg over a bike should consider one. All of them employ a 250-watt Brose motor that’s located in the bike’s center, where the pedals are, as opposed to positioned in the hub of the front or rear wheel. A belt, not a chain, connects to the rear wheel. The batteries, which range from 529Wh in capacity to 706 Wh, live right near the pedals and motor.

Of the two platforms, I preferred the Rush/Cty line—it’s the one geared most toward urban commuting, and is built with a little more stability when going fast than the Mosh/Cty. Plus, it comes with that step-through option. At 2.4-inches wide, the tires are a little skinnier than 2.8-inchers on the Mosh/Cty.

But other design differences set this line apart, too. The Rush/Cty bikes come with a display on the left handlebar that shows data such as your speed, as well as what riding mode you have engaged. You can control how much assistance you receive from the motor—from eco mode to boost—and the 1.5-inch screen reveals which mode you’re in as you click through with a switch below it. The Mosh/Cty bikes lack that, instead using a series of LEDs to indicate your selection, which was confusing when I tried it.

Another key difference between the two lines is that the Rush/Cty models employ a mechanism called an Enviolo continuously variable transmission (CVT) system in the rear hub. That CVT works as a high-tech gear shifter; you set it via Bluetooth to tell it what cadence you’d like to pedal at—such as 75 RPMs—and it does the work internally to make that happen. In other words, the set-up in the rear hub mimics the way you might shift a manual bike when you’re going up a hill and feel your cadence slowing.

None of these electric conveyances are inexpensive. The Mosh/Cty is $3,400, the Rush/Cty is either $4,400 or $4,500 depending on whether you get the less-pricey step-thought model or not, and the Rush/Cty Speed costs $5,000. The sweet spot in the lineup, to my eye, is the $4,400 step-through, but your interests may differ.

Prices north of $4,000 get you into honest-to-goodness motorcycle territory, but then again, an e-bike has perks that a motorcycle doesn’t. To name a few: You can bring one inside your apartment, and ride it on a bike path, and if you avoid those category-two machines, you’re going to have to pedal and thus get some exercise when you ride them.

This story was originally published on December 15, 2020.

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For a video lap around Laguna Seca, scroll to the bottom of the page (and turn up your volume).

A 747 takes off at 200 mph–the top speed of a Ferrari. MotoGPbikes break two bills with power to spare. MotoGP is the ultimate motorcycle racing series, a pure combination of advanced technology and athletes psychotic enough to pilot these overpowered machines at speeds most wouldn’t dare with four tires on the ground. Riders lean so severely into turns that they scrape their elbows and knees on the asphalt; brake so hard they have to force their weight over the back end of the bike to keep it from flipping; and accelerate so violently that their front wheels often leave the ground. The only reason the riders make it out alive is because they drive the most precisely engineered motorcycles ever made. Fortunately for the pro racer in all of us, that technology goes from pit lane to dealership nearly as fast as it gets around the track.

Take, for example, Honda’s RC211V-the bike Nicky Hayden rode to victory in the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix last July. The most advanced machine on the MotoGP circuit, it weighs less than 330 pounds yet packs more than 240 horsepower (around 150 hp more than an average street bike). It rockets to 100 mph in less than five seconds and can hit 215 mph. Oh, and it costs about $3 million. But much of the engineering that makes it all possible found its way to the Honda showroom on a 2006 model that anyone can pick up for around $11,000.

The CBR1000RR was designed concurrently with its MotoGP sibling, and it also benefited from lessons learned on the track. “The street-bike R&D teams worked side by side with the racing-development team,” says Honda vice president Ray Blank. “Typically you see technology transfer several years down the road, but in this case they were developed almost simultaneously. It’s real-time technology transfer.”

The CBR, which came out not three months after the 2005 season ended, incorporates virtually the same fuel injection, rear suspension and body-panel design as the RC211V, among other mutations of the track monster’s mojo. The CBR isn’t nearly as powerful-and it’s street-legal (spitting flames out your tailpipe is frowned upon in California)-but put it next to Hayden’s, and it’s hard to tell them apart.

This is, of course, much to the delight of superbike enthusiasts, who can buy a stock ride that packs a huge percentage of the MotoGP thrill. It´s also far, far more performance than any rider actually needs. But when it comes to buying a race-bred street bike, who said anything about need?

by Courtesy Gold & Goose and American Honda Motor

Trickle-Down Tech

• Chassis
  When you’re leaning the bike so far over that you’re almost parallel to the ground, suspension doesn’t do much; the frame itself has to soak up some of the bumps to keep the rider from losing control. Honda alternated the frame-wall thickness on the RC211V and CBR so that key areas can flex.
• Engine
  The MotoGP league mandates that every bike have a 990cc engine, but that´s about it. Honda chose five cylinders versus three or four because five smaller pistons can get up to their 15,000rpm redline faster. The CBR sports a four-cylinder with a marginally sane 11,650rpm redline.
• Suspension
  Instead of attaching the rear shock to the frame, as is conventional, Honda hid the suspension on both bikes inside the arm that connects the wheel to the frame. This freed up space for engineers to move the engine and fuel tank to tweak weight distribution.
• Fuel Injection
  MotoGP bikes need to accelerate fast and still have power at high rpms. To achieve this balance, Honda inserted a second bank of fuel injectors that kick in north of 5,500 rpm, doubling the amount of fuel in the cylinders. The CBR has a dual-stage system as well, but it’s tuned for lower top speeds (only 176 mph).
• Tires
  The middle section of a MotoGP slick is smooth, hard rubber that can handle speeds up to 215 mph. The edges are more porous and soft for grip on sharp corners. The stock bike gets treaded Bridgestones or Pirellis rated to withstand a measly 149 mph.
• Radial-mounted Brakes
  To fit the massive 320-millimeter front-wheel rotors necessary to stop the RC211V, Honda had to offset the calipers from the forks. The CBR has the same size discs, but they´re made of steel, whereas the RC211V´s are made from lightweight carbon fiber.

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Video courtesy Chet Burks Productions

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Nicknamed “silent professionals,” America’s Special Operations Forces exist on the edge of war, moving behind and around front lines, preparing battles behind the scenes. They are as protected by obscurity as they are their own skill, which means that when they move around, it’s best if they can do it without any loud engines giving them away.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon’s futuristic research wing, is making a silent motorcycle for the silent professionals. At a conference today in Tampa for Special Operations, DARPA showed off two different bikes.

As Defense One reports:

The combustion engines are for when the bikes don’t need to be quiet. Running on fuel, they reach 80 decibels — somewhere between a vacuum cleaner and a garbage disposal. Running on just electric power, the engines quiet down to 55 decibels — roughly as loud as an office. That silence becomes stealth, allowing the bicycling Green Berets to travel unheard, provided there is any other ambient sound at all.

What role does a motorcycle have on the modern battlefield? These bikes aren’t made to carry people straight into combat, but motorcycles can go where many vehicles can’t, and if the bicycles arrive by helicopter or a vertically landing V-22, then the special operators using them can go a great many places that adversaries would normally consider safe.

This is especially important for America’s long-running “light footprint” wars, where local allies do most of the major fighting with the support of American special forces and aircraft. Giving special forces the flexibility to move around countries undetected is a good way to do more with the resources we already have.

Both silent motorbikes are in phase two of a standard three phase development cycle, so they won’t make it to the battlefield just yet. Given how long America’s wars last, it’s likely they’ll still see some action before the conflicts are done.

Nightmare Silent Electric Motorcycle

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A dirt bike is a tool for getting a person to a place they shouldn’t be. Lightweight, made for rough terrain, and fast, motorcycles allow special forces to slip through woods, navigate narrow canyons, sneak through alleyways, or hurtle down footpaths. There’s only one problem: dirt bikes are really, really loud, so any secrecy gained by using a bike is lost to the engine’s roar. Which is why DARPA, the Pentagon’s future projects wing, is funding the development of a versatile electric dirt bike, so that special forces can have as silent a ride as possible on two powered wheels. The bike is called “SilentHawk,” and after receiving the first prototype, DARPA liked to so much they asked for two more.

SilentHawk is a collaboration between Logos Technologies, which makes military tools like drones and sensors, and Alta Motors, which makes electric dirt bikes. Creating a silent motorcycle meant starting from an electric bike. As designed, one modification of the SilentHawk uses a hybrid engine, so it can run on gas most of the time, and on electricity when it needs to be quiet. And it’s not limited to gas: It’s can run on diesel, as well as JP5 and JP8 jet fuels, so that the special forces using it in the field can power it with whatever fuel they might encounter. When running on fuel, the SilentHawk recharges its own batteries and any electronic devices the troops might have, like radios, GPS receivers, or tablets.

SilentHawk

“Because they’re motorcycles and they’re relatively small, you can put several of these in the back of a V-22 and they could be dropped off somewhere,” said Doug Rombough, VP of Business Development for Logos Technologies. “They could go 50 miles, and when they get within 10 miles of an objective, they could shut off that multi-fuel engine, and go all-electric—the only noise [they] will produce at that point will be the noise of the tires on the surface and or the chain of the motorcycle.”

Running on fuel with the generator activated, the bike is about 75 decibels, or the sound of a garbage disposal. Switched to all-electric, SilentHawk lead engineer Alex Dzwill says it produces less than 55 decibels, or about the sound of normal conversation. Is it possible to make it quieter?

“Literally the loudest thing is the chain, and it’s possible for us to outfit a belt, though there’s a whole host of reasons for why you wouldn’t want a belt on a dirt bike,” said Dzwill. “If you get a rock in there, it’s very likely that you’ll rip the belt up, but if you’re in a sandy location like the desert, it’s possible you could use a belt and be fine.”

So 55 decibels may be as quiet as a dirt bike gets. Competition dirt bikes are regulated to stay under 113 decibels, so compared to the roaring engines that normally come with such vehicles, the SilentHawk represents a world of improvement.

SilentHawk motorcycle

The bike is so quiet it even surprised its designer. Dzwill recalls a testing session in the woods where a rider was able to sneak up on him undetected. “He just popped up behind us, like the sound of us walking was enough to completely hide the sound of the motorcycle approaching behind us.” As a comparison, they were able to hear a traditional gas-powered dirtbike from almost a mile away.

There are no other stealth features for the SilentHawk other than its quiet engine, but that’s still probably enough for the silent professionals that may take it into battle. Traveling undetected is a tremendous advantage, provided the bike itself doesn’t end up a encumbrance. Which nods to one of DARPA’s goals in asking for new prototypes: reducing the weight, while retaining all the added functionality.

Off the shelf, an Alta Motors electric motorcycle weighs 270 pounds. With everything added to the first prototype, including two-wheel drive, the hybrid engine, and the control system, the total weight is 350 pounds. To get that heft back down, Logos is going to need to rework part of the hybrid engine. Originally built for the Parahawk unmanned aerial vehicle program, the engine is liquid-cooled. A new air-cooled engine could do-away with the radiator and shed pounds in the process.

And to provide flexibility as well as lightening the load of the bike, SilentHawk is somewhat modular. One kit will provide auxiliary power, a user interface, and equipment storage. Another one will extend the range of the bike. Both kits can work with the hybrid engine, and the seat with generator attached can be swapped out for a standard seat. (The generator can work even if the bike isn’t moving, too). The end goal is something flexible for lots of needs, which can be adapted in the field.

“You can transfer a hybrid power motorcycle back to an all-electric motorcycle, in about 30 minutes, maybe an hour if you’re not experienced at doing it,” said Rombough, “You could leave that in the environment, go back and forth if you want a slightly more nimble motorcycle for your upcoming mission.”

The soon-to-be-signed follow-on contract with DARPA will produce these new prototypes within a year. If DARPA likes what it sees, the next stage would be more of a production model, and then after that it’s possible special forces could get a brand-new bike for moving undetected wherever they may need to go. Just don’t expect them to make a big noise about it.

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This story originally featured on Motorcyclist.

Raw and thrilling, the sound of combustion is an inextricable part of the appeal of motorcycles. Asked to opine on the best-sounding bikes of all time, the staff of the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama, was more than happy to wax poetic on their favorites.

MV Agusta 500

The MV Agusta 500 four-cylinder was the MotoGP bike of its day, says Chuck Honeycutt, lead restorer at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. He wrung out a 1973 version on Barber’s track, offering a now-rare chance to hear the operatic howl it blasts through its four trumpet-shaped exhaust pipes. The sound drills into your chest and consumes your being like a spiritual assault. It seems natural to ascribe such a sound to one of Richard Wagner’s warlike Valkyries. But this is an Italian bike—Verdi is the only way. The MV’s dramatic mezzo-soprano blast recalls Amneris cursing the priests who have condemned her beloved to death at the end of Aida.

Honda RC161

If the MV Agusta sings a mezzo-soprano note, then the 250cc Honda RC161 could occupy the soprano role. As Honeycutt flung Barber’s RC161 around the track, the amount of noise wrung from so small a bike defied logic. The RC161’s blood-curdling shriek was once a familiar sound to roadracing fans. Revving out to 14,000 rpm, the DOHC inline-four-cylinder made a case for the then-novel engine layout as it finished second in the 1960 constructors championship.

Seeley-Kawasaki

The Barber museum’s 1974 Seeley-Kawasaki is an odd duck. For starters, it’s about as much Kawasaki as Robocop was Alex Murphy. It has a Kawasaki H2R 750cc three-cylinder, two-stroke race engine, but the chassis is Colin Seeley’s creation. The Kawi guts—and the exhaust system in particular—give this bike its unique angry chainsaw sound. Long, narrow exhaust exit tubes, or “stingers,” add a growling edge to the racket. It’s a name that makes sense; the sound stings the eardrums after a fashion.

Matchless G50

There’s a reason people refer to big singles as thumpers, and the Matchless G50 is a perfect illustration of this phenomenon. One of the premier racing bikes of the early 1960s, the G50 is somewhat slow by today’s standards. But it kicks up a hell of a racket as it eases up to speed on straightaways, and the thut-thut-thut-thut-thut it makes while decelerating is formidable too. Even its idle penetrates the air with a fast succession of whacks, and bystanders in the vicinity feel like they’re being hit in the chest with the flat end of a shovel at engine speed.

Britten V1000

When the Britten V1000 first appeared on the racing scene—at the 1992 Battle of the Twins in Daytona—no one heard it coming. But like fellow New Zealander Burt Munro and his famous Indian, John Britten, the guy who had hand-built the thing in his shed with some friends, emerged from Kiwi backyard obscurity and astounded factory teams with the bike’s power and capability. The V1000 won lots of races in the early 1990s. Britten built 10 of them, one of which was purchased new by George Barber. The bike’s exhaust note isn’t likely to drown out the competition, but its over-square 1,000cc 60-degree V-twin—which is also handmade and cranks out more than 160 horsepower—makes a lovely, silky sound. And mercy, is it ever fast.

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“This unprecedented time” is the worst offender among clichés surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. But when faced with an awful unknown, people don’t reach for the thesaurus. They try to survive, both literally and financially, regardless of risk.

In that spirit, American Flat Track, a dangerous motorcycle racing sport even in the safest of times, is back. And true to its nature, it’s debuting in one of the least safe environs around—Florida. To be fair, it’s managing the risk with the same mindset that goes into mitigating the standard, run-of-the-mill danger that’s normally faced.

After a four-month layoff, riders and teams made the short trip to Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida, on July 17 to 18 for the Volusia Half-Mile I and II hosted by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys. Having hosted World of Outlaw Sprint Car races, Volusia Speedway is certainly up to snuff for AFT’s Twins, Singles, and Production Twins.

Running doubleheaders over three days with a revised 12 minutes plus 2 laps race format, AFT is determined to salvage a season from the dumpster fire that is 2020. Basically, it’s the same number of races on half the number of usual tracks. And most of them are half-miles, with the notable exception of the historic Springfield, Illinois, date.

What was restarting a sport like in the face of a 100-year public health emergency? It took some planning.

“You have to supply a main roster,” AFT CEO Michael Lock informed riders and teams in early summer. Idea being, only riders and crew with a “job” are allowed in the paddock. No friends, “special” friends, hangers-on, or even wives in the paddock—unless they’re actually part of the crew.

“We changed all the usual ‘hard cards’ so we can track and trace people and work out where they’ve been and who they’ve interacted with,” Lock explains. So if anybody gets a positive for COVID, AFT will know who else to contact for testing.

And if you test positive? “They’ve got to go get tested and come back with a negative test before we let them back into the next race.”

It’s all part of a thick, 40-page book of COVID-19 protocol Lock holds up. Everything from mandatory mask wearing to hand-sanitizing stations is spelled out in it. He’s a bit dictatorial about his role. “I don’t care what your personal politics are, I have no interest. When I’m wearing this shirt and you’re wearing your team shirt, you behave according to the protocols.”

The big picture is clear. “We can’t afford to find ourselves on CNN.”

Rubber Hits Dirt

So how did things actually go, racing and otherwise?

Factory Indian Motorcycle’s six-time champion Jared Mees seemed unfazed by the protocol. “Frankly, I think it was fine. Wearing a mask is not ideal, to be honest, but we gotta do what we gotta do to get back to racing.”

Winning two races in one weekend definitely helps with coping. Mees dominated the SuperTwins Friday opener and won Saturday’s main by a healthy second over Briar Bauman—again.

To hear him tell it, the unwanted time off neither hurt nor helped. “I wouldn’t say either, really. I was ready for the season opener in March, and I was ready for Volusia. Either way, whether it be team preparation or my fitness training, we are always ready.”

Mees will have to work twice as hard over half the time to stay dominant. “The longer races are both mentally and physically challenging. As time goes on, I think the physical part will be more of a factor.”

From the Singles scene, Henry Wiles, RMR/American Honda’s newly minted rider, was unhappy about the extended layoff. “It hurt due to the time off and that time away just put me out of my rhythm.”

Wiles managed a third place in Friday’s main, and unlike Mees, he thinks the new 12+2 doubleheader format won’t change much. Will it shake up the leaderboard? “No, it won’t” is the short take.

That’s both good and bad. RMR/American Honda came within six points of winning the ’19 Singles championship with Mikey Rush. Richie Morris, the “RM” in RMR/American Honda, likes podiums but loves championships.

Fandom & Pandemics

The obvious other question is how this affected fans. In an odd way, they’ve adopted (maybe adapted to?) an element of danger, just like the riders they came to watch. The closer fans sit together, the greater the risk. Just like the handlebars clanging on the track, really.

A cursory review of track action shows a decent amount of social distancing in the stands, a good amount of masks in the paddock (careful, Mr. Lock is watching), and a conspicuous show of hygiene and protocol-following. The Honda Talon four-wheeler they use to terrify lucky guest riders on track during intermission saw lots of aerosol disinfectant between rides. Diapers might come in handier.

Afterward, Lock was upbeat and called the Volusia Half-Mile I and II a success. “I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly everyone adhered to the new protocols for distancing and use of PPE. Ultimately, everyone knows that our ability to do future races depends on this.”

While some see risk, others see managed risk. The pandemic may still be peaking in Florida, but given the chance to salvage the 2020 season, AFT will try. Although NBCSN’s contract and coverage is growing the sport, AFT relies on good old-fashioned gate receipts to survive. No fans in stands means no money. If it can produce an exciting season without ending up on CNN, true to its nature, it’ll try.

There are potential pitfalls in this approach, but AFT is rolling the dice. It’s not betting the house, but 14 days will tell if it’s playing with house money or not. If it succeeds, it’ll be one up on Major League Baseball—actual fans at a sporting event.

At the time of this writing, AFT reportedly has no interest in cutout fans. Take that, baseball.

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This article was originally published on Cycle World

Back in January, Triumph wowed us with the announcement of its new Triumph Factory Custom series, a line of ultra-premium limited-edition models that would pack top-shelf components and accessories (and in some instances completely unique one-off bits) available in a limited production run of 750 units worldwide, for each model.

The first model of that series, the new Triumph Thruxton TFC debuted as a lighter, more powerful, and more exclusive version of the Thruxton R, and we were duly impressed. Then Hinckley teased us with a hot-rodded working concept of the next bike on deck, the Concept Rocket 3 TFC, a full-tilt bored-and-stroked behemoth that claimed an all-new triple-cylinder engine.

And now comes that bike in all its official production glory, rolling with a massive new 2,500cc Triumph triple engine, a muscular presence, up-spec technology, a refined design, and an impressive level of premium specification equipment.

The original 2,295cc Rocket III was already a show-stopper when it launched in 2004, and this follow-up improves on the tank-like original’s lines with a cleaner, more elegantly swept demeanor that reshapes the fuel tank, tucks in or ditches much of the bodywork from yore, and sleekens the silhouette for a lighter visual load. The attitude adjustment is subtle though, and the 2019 Rocket 3 TFC still brings some swagger with those 20-spoke cast aluminum wheels and the signature 240mm rear tire.

But the main attraction has to be that whopping, all-new 2,500cc triple, which once again claims the title of “largest production motorcycle engine in the world.” It also claims to have the highest torque of any production motorcycle, with Triumph indicating a peak number of “more than 163 pound-feet.” It stands to reason that Triumph would piggyback on that claim by also alleging the new Rocket 3 TFC is the most powerful Triumph to date, with 168 hp said to be on tap, or 13 percent higher than the first-gen Rocket III.

The higher-capacity 2019 Rocket TFC powerplant, says Triumph, is central to its “class-leading performance.” Hinckley also boasts that the massive triple delivers a “staggering 70 percent more torque than its closest competitors,” but we’re not exactly sure who that would be. Regardless, the triple engine brings premium components to the table, like state-of-the-art lightweight titanium inlet valves to allow for higher revving, and custom-made Arrow mufflers with high-zoot carbon-fiber end-caps to push out the spent gases.

The Rocket 3 TFC cradles the big triple within an all-new aluminum frame that uses the engine as a stressed member for mass optimization, and also helps bring weight down by a significant 88 pounds so you’ll feel the engine’s added juice even more. The new aluminum single-sided swingarm, lighter engine components, carbon-fiber bodywork, and leaner braking components help the Rocket 3 shed pounds as well.

Less weight enhances power and improves handling, but upspec components help too, and the Rocket 3 TFC has that covered. In the braking department you’ll find premium Brembo Stylema calipers and Brembo Monoblock brakes, radial master cylinder, and MCS span, ratio-adjustable brake lever, and matching clutch lever. It’s all enhanced by optimized cornering ABS and traction control. Handling bounce duties is an adjustable 47mm inverted Showa cartridge fork, and a fully adjustable Showa monoshock out back with piggyback reservoir.

In the cockpit, controls and displays have been upgraded as well, with the latest full-color TFT instruments adding major boost in functionality; riders can choose from two information layout themes and can personalize their start-up screen. On the screens, you can choose from four riding modes (Road, Rain, Sport, and Rider-Configurable) that act to adjust the throttle map and traction control settings to either suit riding conditions or your own preference. The Rocket 3 TFC also comes with cruise control, Triumph Shift Assist, and Hill Hold Control as standard features; Shift Assist allows for clutchless shifts, while Hill Hold stops the bike from rolling backward on an incline. Added convenience and security features include a keyless ignition, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and a USB charging socket.

If you want to ride connected, an accessory Bluetooth module enables the Rocket 3 Triumph Factory Custom’s advanced TFT instruments with full connectivity to a motorcycle-integrated “GoPro” control system (the world’s first, says Triumph), Triumph’s “turn-by-turn” navigation system (powered by Google), as well as music and phone operation. The system looks similar to the recently released Scrambler 1200’s.

Back on the visual front, you’ll still see those familiar twin bug-eye headlights, though they’ve been reshaped and are now full-LEDs. Internally wired flat handlebars hover over a flat-ish carbon-fiber fly screen, with other carbon-fiber parts including the front fender, muffler end-caps, exhaust heat shields, drive shaft cover, heel guards, and tank strap. Smaller details are subtle but slick, like the one-of-a-kind, twin carbon black and matte carbon black paint scheme with brushed foil decals, gold accents, and electroformed 3-D Triumph badge all contributing to a minimal rear end.

RELATED: The most exciting electric motorcycles of 2019

Then there are the premium details that remind you of the TFC’s pedigree—things like a genuine leather interchangeable dual or solo saddle standard (with an infill pad supplied for the single-seat setup); a single-sided swingarm; sexy, sculpted three-header exhaust; and premium TFC badging with gold detailing. A pretty-sweet-looking numbered plaque on the instrument mount, each one totally unique, seals the deal. Additionally, every Rocket TFC owner gets a tailor-made TFC hand-over pack which includes a letter signed by Triumph’s CEO Nick Bloor, a personalized custom build book, leather rucksack, and a TFC indoor bike cover.

As we said earlier, only 750 of these beauties will be available worldwide, with 225 units slated for North America. Pricing is set at $29,000 (US). Once the production run is done, it’s done and won’t be repeated, says Triumph. More exclusive TFC models are in the works, so we’ll be keeping a sharp eye out.

2019 Triumph Rocket 3 TFC Specifications

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This article was originally published on Motorcyclist Online

If you want to travel by bike without tying yourself to a travel company, consider crossing some of the following destinations off your bucket list. These are all bike-friendly and adventure-worthy.

Whether it’s the drama of the scenery, the hospitality of the locals, or the richness of the motorcycling culture, these places all have one thing in common: You can discover them best on two wheels.

To say Spain is the epicenter of grand prix motorcycle racing is hardly a stretch. There must be an overlap between the spirit responsible for the good life of siestas and tapas (“you mean, as long as I keep drinking, you’ll keep feeding me?”) and one that acknowledges motorcycling as an endeavor worth pursuing. From mountain to sea, there are beautiful roads to explore. For motorcycle travelers, it doesn’t get too much better. Plus, anyplace that serves an array of cured meats for breakfast is A-OK.

Nowhere is the connection between land and machine more palpable than in Italy. The great cast of Italian marques (past and present) could only ever be from Italy. And you can sense it everytime you thumb the starter on an Italian machine. This is what wine snobs call terroir. It’s what motorcyclists call a hell of a good time. Is there a place more popularly photographed for its winding mountain passes and dramatic vistas? Practically everyone in Italy has a motorcycle story. Why shouldn’t you be one of them?

From the Scottish highlands to England’s Lake District, the UK is a motorcyclist’s bucket-list destination. Just look out for the rozzas. And the speed cameras. Depending on the location, you may not be able to discern the accent of the brickie sitting next to you in the pub, but at least the road signs are in English. The UK’s depth and breadth of biking culture—from the cradle of roadracing to the birthplace of café racing—makes it one of motorcycling’s great pilgrimages.

KTMs and mountains. What else do you need? A MotoGP race? Check. Strudel? Check. Austria’s mix of German precision and Italian exuberance (see: KTM) is evident when smooth pavement leading up mountain passes is buzzing with European motorcyclists on holiday. In many parts of America, performance motorcycles are looked at with a mix of disdain, ignorance, and apathy. In Austria, that’s not the case. Sign me up.

For the motorcyclist, Morocco is the gateway to Africa. It’s accessible, it’s tempting, it’s sublime. The snowcapped Atlas Mountains are an ADV rider’s dream. Riding through poor mountain villages is a reminder of how far away from America you are. It’s a reminder of how small your scope can be. Wherever you are, you’re always close to a helping hand. The Moroccan denizens are hospitable and eager to engage with strangers.

India’s sheer size makes traveling there daunting. Riding can be hazardous as narrow roads cling to cliffs and unyielding truckers ignore your existence. India is a land of extremes that accost every sense. The smells are either intoxicating or noisome. There’s abject poverty and lavish wealth. From the intimate beauty of Himachal Pradesh to the majestic Himalayas, India is a source of constant amazement. Riding a motorcycle there can be harrowing, but the support of locals makes it one of the friendliest as well.

The untrammeled wild of Patagonia is an allure to the motorcyclist in search of the spectacular. Unlike a lot of places, where the motorcycle seems right at home, Chile can make it seem like it doesn’t belong. Not that it’s out of its element, but the near-sacred sights of Patagonia seem to invite us to turn off the engine and put on a pair of hiking boots.

The land of the long white cloud is home to an unmatched diversity of landscapes. Glaciers, rain forests, sandy beaches, and quaint villages make it a dream vacation for anyone, but its smooth pavement and sparse population make it a paradise for the motorcyclist. New Zealand seems more exotic than other English-speaking countries, but remains a less daunting prospect than many far-flung destinations. Always nice to not have to rely on Google Translate to order a burger.

RELATED: How to plan a motorcycle trip

Sure, have your beach vacation. But then rent a bike and head north to the mountains for miles and miles of twisty roads. Thailand is as exotic as it seems. With a hospitable culture and, uh, Thai food, you really can’t go wrong. As in many other southeast Asian countries, congested urban areas mean you’ll be one of a zillion people on two wheels. Blend in with the crowd. Ride a motorcycle.

For our non-American readership, it should be said that the US is a great place to ride a bike. Ride the cycling meccas of California and the southern Appalachians; visit the Barber museum in Birmingham, Alabama; and the Harley-Davidson museum and factory in Milwaukee. Catch a down-home flat-track race at a middle-of-nowhere fairground. Wherever you wind up, there’s a road of note. For riding a motorcycle, the US offers an experience as vast as its borders.

Have a favorite place to ride a motorcycle? Tell us your story.

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Brutale 1078

Motorcycle aficionados familiar with designer Massimo Tamburini’s work know that his style is not for the faint of heart. His 2006 Ducati superbike, the company’s flagship 999, was just a one-year wonder; Ducati reverted to form in 2007.

For his latest work Tamburini has jumped ship to those other Italians at MV Agusta and come up with the Brutale 1078RR, which appears to have some staying power (though not at the cost of get up and go power). The naked Brutale “flawlessly incorporates peak power with a uniquely mean style all it’s own,” says MV’s General Manager Matthew Sutzman. This beast boasts a 1078cc, liquid cooled, 4-stroke engine that churns out a visceral 154HP. A cycloptic front end that flows into the bike’s trellis frame and dual exhaust pipes gives the Brutale a beautiful yet brutally fast appearance even standing still. Lets hope this fine example of Italian art and engineering sticks around for more than a year.

Available Spring 2008, mvagustausa.com

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A clear trend has emerged in the transportation world, at least when it comes to vehicles that roll around on wheels: They’re going electric. Sure, Tesla has been making splashy claims and manufacturing exciting vehicles for a while now, but lately the industry is seeing even more of a shift towards electric powertrains, especially with General Motors’ impressive new goal of moving to all electric light-duty vehicles by 2035.

Now Polaris, which makes off-road vehicles, has teased the next version of its electric Ranger vehicle. It’s a development that’s worth noting because it marks the first vehicle to come out of the company’s collaboration with Zero Motorcycles since the partnership was announced last year.

Zero is known for its zippy, futuristic electric motorcycles. It shares the electric two-wheeler space with, among other players, Harley-Davidson, which makes the LiveWire electric bike.

[Related: I rode an electric motorcycle for the first time. Here’s what I learned.]

Meanwhile, an electric Ranger vehicle from Polaris already exists—it’s a mid-sized two-seater with a bed box in the back, and it’s about 9 feet long and just shy of 5 feet wide. It runs off of old-fashioned lead-acid batteries, which are the kind of power cell you see under the hood of your combustion-engine car.

Polaris isn’t revealing much in the way of stats about how the new electric version, made with Zero, will be specifically different, but it will likely utilize lithium-ion batteries, which are the name of the game in modern EVs.

Expect it to be bigger, as well. A spokesperson for Polaris noted, via email: “The all-new Electric RANGER will be a full-size vehicle, leveraging entirely new technology through our partnership with Zero, and will be built for customers seeking more capability, more durability and more performance, which will be made possible with today’s state-of-the-art electric technology.”

[Related: GM wants its cars to be fully electric by 2035. Here’s what that could mean for auto emissions.]

We’ll know more about its specific stats when it launches in December of this year and then rolls into dealers in 2022, but look for improvements with what it can do. “The new electric powertrain will elevate the RANGER platform to a whole new level of capability, durability and performance,” Steve Menneto, the president of Polaris Off Road, said in a statement.

With the new electric Ranger, all we have to go on now is a teaser image, teaser video (below), and the promises of a larger vehicle with more capability and modern electric powertrain.

One more move to expect: this won’t be the only new electric vehicle that’s come from the Polaris-Zero marriage. When the companies announced that they’d be working together last year, Polaris promised that they’d be creating “an electric vehicle option within each of its core product segments by 2025.”

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Harley’s electric motorcycle, the Live has been on the market for some time now, and its first official electric bicycle drops early next year. Serial 1 is division of Harley-Davidson dedicated to e-bikes and its first release is a tribute to the very first Harley created back in 1903. Instead of loading it with advanced features, Harley is leaning heavily on the bike’s throwback styling, and so far reactions have been extremely positive.

The bike itself has a battery built into the frame and an electric motor integrated around the crank and bottom bracket. The styling has quite a few subtle nods to its motorcycle roots. There’s a red brake light on either side of the rear wheel and an LED headlight integrated into the head tube at the front of the vehicle. Instead of a chain, it uses a belt drive for its single-speed drivetrain to look more like its moto siblings.

There’s no built-in suspension—both the frame and the fork are fully rigid. Two springs under the backside of the seat, however, should provide a little bit of squish during your ride. A pair of disc brakes handle stopping duties, which is fairly common on e-bikes at this point. The curved tubes mimic the geometry of the original 1903 Harley without adding a lot of unnecessary over-the-top accessories like a fake gas tank or other purely aesthetic add-ons. The wrapped leather grips are a nice touch.

We’re lacking some hard specs and a firm price at the moment, but the bike will be jumping into a relatively crowded market. All of the major bike manufacturers have been working on e-bikes for several generations now, while other auto manufacturers like Jeep have recently gotten into the market either on their own or as part of partnerships with other manufacturers.

Recently, Jeep partnered with a company called QuietKat to create a heavy-duty, fat-tire, full-suspension e-bike built to cover pretty much any terrain you want to throw at it—even snow. Motorcycle maker Ducati also has its own e-bike, but it takes the form of a much more traditional full-suspension mountain bike called the Mig RR built for riding trails. The Ducati is built for Enduro riding, which is a kind of mountain bike racing that happens in timed stages, which encompass both uphill pedaling and downhill shredding.

You’ll be able to buy a Serial 1 starting in March of next year, but if demand is strong, you may end up on a waitlist or need to hold out for Serial 2 to come down the line.

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This story originally featured on Cycle World.

Call them what you will—show bikes, concept bikes, future bikes, whatever—they’ve been around for a long time. Sometimes they point the way to the future, most of the time they should wear a sign that says DEAD END. But the fun part is that nobody knows for sure at the time.

Suzuki Falcorustyco

The first memorable concept bike of the modern era may have been the Suzuki Falcorustyco (gyrfalcon in Latin), which appeared at the 1985 Tokyo Motor Show. Suzuki can deny it all they want, but it seems like the similarity between the Falco and the light cycles in Tron (1982) are a little too coincidental. Powered by a supposed square-Four four-stroke with three cams and packed with “hydraulic drive,” hub-center steering, etc., all of it was “so advanced in its development that it could be produced almost immediately,” said Suzuki. In January, 1986, CW bet “you won’t have to wait a decade to see its like on the street.” In retrospect, the Falco looks like it might have been a simple corporate diversion to throw curious types off the GSX-R trail—a conspiracy theory that unravels when you factor in that the GSX-R had already been introduced earlier that year. Maybe the Falcorustyco was just an internal diversion to keep the troublemaker engineers away from the GSX-R?

Suzuki GSX1000 Katana

Another Suzuki that had already been introduced, three years before the Falcorustyco, was the 1982 GSX1000 Katana. Penned by ex-BMW chief designer Hans Muth for the German market, where high-speed stability and aerodynamics are important, the Katana’s shape is not difficult to see in the concept bikes that came after it (right down to the suede seat).

Suzuki Nuda

Possibly still happily bemused at the reception the Falcorustyco had received, Suzuki was back at the 1986 Tokyo Show with the Nuda. This one, they said, is functional—not that anybody actually got to see it function. To keep it real, Suzuki said the Nuda contained a GSX-R750 engine, and then it was off to Tomorrowland again and babbling on about two-wheel shaft drive, hub-center steering and the “Suzuki Total Engine Control System”—a computer-controlled fuel-injection system regulated by air/fuel sensors, throttle-position sensor and engine-rpm sensor. Yeah, right! In any case, it all paid off in the form of the GSX1300R Hayabusa in 1999.

As with every show bike come to fruition, the stylists got a lot of what they wanted, and the technicians with the hub-steered dreams and three-cam square-Fours woke up alone on the couch yet again. Not that it mattered in the case of the Hayabusa: Its boring old inline-Four, telescopic fork and singleshock rear end provided more than enough kinesthetic stimulation.

Harley-Davidson Café Racer Concept

Not to be outdone at the ’85 Cologne show, Harley-Davidson was, as usual, way ahead of its time with this Sportster-powered, Katana-inspired Café Racer, which shared the limelight with the new GSX-R750, Bimota Tesi, et al. Even H-D’s visions of the future share parts with the past: Bend that rear pipe up a little, Bob. Perfect!

Craig Vetter’s KZ1000 Mystery Ship

Back in the U.S.A., meanwhile, we really were busy rolling our own. Having made quite a nice chunk of change by selling a Windjammer fairing to everybody in America with a motorcycle, Craig Vetter began cranking out his futuristic, modified KZ1000 Mystery Ship. Stylistically, the Mystery Ship looks like a sort of dead end, but thematically, Craig Vetter knew exactly where motorcycles were headed. And now that it had occurred to somebody that wind protection and styling were good ideas and didn’t have to be mutually exclusive, the floodgates were open.

Bates Clipper

The Bates Clipper (see ad above) fairing makes your bike look like it’s doing a constant cartoon double-take. What the?! Nice storage, though. And when the GL1100 Aspencade got its first factory fairing in 1982, the basic difference was that Honda moved the trunk to the back of the motorcycle.

John Mockett’s Yamaha XS11

Soon, the fiberglass resin was flowing like Gallo Burgundy; unfortunately, much of it flowed into molds that could’ve used a little more time in the barrel. One example was the creation of British designer John Mockett for the new Yamaha XS11 and available Over There as a dealer option; it never crossed the Pond. Just as well: It looks like a boating accident.

DuPont’s Version of the Future

One word: plastics. DuPont showed its version of the future at the Design Engineering show in Chicago, circa 1984. We’re told there’s a V-Four Honda and associated running gear under the DOX-designed plastic bodywork. In the real world, you’d be able to appreciate the silver paint and orange wheels and trim.

BMW Futuro

Meanwhile, in Bavaria… The 1980 BMW Futuro was powered by a turbocharged Boxer Twin in a wrapper reminiscent of the classic dustbin, but with hints of shapes yet to appear—including a nearly auto-motive trunk Honda would put to good use in its Pacific Coast 16 years later.

BMW K1

And 10 years after the Futuro, in 1990, that trunk reappeared wrapped around BMW’s inline “flying brick” K100, labeled (literally) K1 and, for the first time, marketed to compete directly with the Japanese superbikes. Heavy, slow, buzzy, hot, uncomfortable and also with some characteristics that did not appeal to BMW devotees, about 650 of a total run of 2400 bikes were reportedly sold in the U.S. Combine BMW-guy devotion with weird-bike fanaticism, and it’s not hard to imagine the loyalty of the current K1 cult.

Yamaha Morpho

Another interesting bike from 1990, the machine that stole the spotlight at the Tokyo Show that year, was the Yamaha Morpho (pictured above, alongside the oval-piston Honda NR750 inset). This was an FZR400 spin-off named after a genus of iridescent South American butterfly. In addition to its hub-steered front end, the Morpho’s claim to fame was adjustable ergonomics: Its bars and mini-fairing swiveled up and down, and its seat and footpegs were also adjustable. The future, we concluded, will therefore be lightweight, powerful, well-suspended and comfortable. Bring it on!

Yamaha GTS1000

When the payoff came three years later in the form of the fattish, expensive, not terribly comfortable and not-ergo-adjustable GTS1000, we’d been had again; and aside from the odd Bimota and the adventuresome folks at BMW, it’s been the tried-and-true telescopic fork for the lot of you ever since.

Honda NR750

In ’92, on the other hand, Honda’s awesome fuel-injected NR750 appeared, ready for public consumption and looking almost exactly like the prototype displayed three years earlier at the Tokyo Motor Show. In fact, the ovalpiston V-Four at the heart of the NR had been in development since 1977, when Honda decided a V-Eight disguised as a four-cylinder was the only way to achieve four-stroke parity with the two-stroke GP machines. (The FIM had declared that 500cc bikes could have no more than four cylinders.) It’s not so hard to translate “futuristic” into titanium and carbon-reinforced plastic when you’re only building three bikes a day by hand—200 total—and charging $60K for each one. Though the oval-piston NR racers never did achieve any success, the FIM declared in their aftermath that pistons would henceforth be round. That left the NR750 in a niche all its own, a futuristic cul-de-sac, a high-tech, outside-the-circle salute to Soichiro Honda, who died just a few months before the bike’s 1992 debut.

Yamaha MT-01

Shooting in the dark with a pair of rear-facing bazookas at the 1999 Tokyo show, the Yamaha MT-01 (pictured below) was sort of equal parts tube-frame Buell and V-Max. As a concept bike, it showed what could be done by rearranging existing parts; and when a production version appeared nearly everywhere but in the U.S. for 2005, it didn’t look terribly different from the show bike. The torquey (a claimed 150 foot-pounds at 3500 rpm!), 1670cc Twin from the Road Star Warrior fit right in, and the fork and swingarm from the YZF-R1 looked right at home. On the other hand, the small-batch MT did have a bespoke controlled-fill cast aluminum frame, which must have driven its cost up considerably. For U.S. buyers, the MT-01 remains a “show bike,” though Yamaha sold it for years it in many other markets, including Canada.

Suzuki B-King

“Streamlining,” wrote Technical Editor Kevin Cameron in a February, 2002, piece about the star of the 2001 Tokyo Show, “would just be an insult to the air-crushing power of the supercharged engine.” Correct! The Suzuki B-King added a belt-driven supercharger to the already potent 1299cc Hayabusa four-banger to produce more than 200 horsepower. And a fat, 240-section rear tire under a huge pair of glutei maximi exhausts encouraged even the dullest bystanders to take notice and clear the blast area.

Alas, when the B-King entered production in 2006, the supercharger was nowhere to be found (you’d have to make do with only 164.8 hp and 99.5 ft.-lb. of torque), and those huge exhaust cans hanging over a 200mm tire gave the look of a weightlifter who hadn’t spent enough time working on his legs. Suzuki sold a few, mostly to owners who must’ve parked the things under a cover once the honeymoon was over and reality set in. You really don’t see many B-Kings running around, do you? It’s destined to be a serious Craigslist bargain in another few years when owners throw in the towel after admitting that fashion is never going to catch up to this motorcycle.

The experimental Honda NAS (New American Sports)

When the experimental Honda NAS (New American Sports) design exercise appeared at the Laguna Seca World Superbike round in 2001, it made enough splash to appear on the October, 2001, cover of Cycle World. It was obviously a tarted-up version of the VTR1000F Super Hawk, a great Honda that had already been in production for three years by the time the NAS appeared. The top-secret Honda skunkworks basically took one of the best Hondas ever devised for street use and made it apparently uncomfortable and less affordable than the bike that already existed. As for the trick perimeter front brake disc and underengine exhaust can, the NAS shared the cover with the brand-new (production) Buell XB9R, which came standard with both. Honda’s design team said the New American Sportbike was about putting the focus back on street riding instead of racing, which was pretty confusing, given that’s exactly how the Super Hawk had been positioned, a machine that was (and is) an awesome sportbike for the real world. Looking back, could the NAS in fact have been an early Honda cry for help? Could we have done more to prevent the DN-01?

Kawasaki ZZR-X

The motorcycle industry was cruising full speed ahead when the blue-sky Kawasaki ZZR-X (pictured above) appeared on the cover in January, 2004, resplendent in chic, smooth bodywork with integrated saddlebags and truly futuristic running gear that included conical perimeter brake discs (which were supposed to cool better).

Again they teased us with adjustable ergonomics, this time in the form of handlebars that pivoted with the (fake) gas tank and fairing to allow the rider to go racy or relaxed at will, and with electric fairing leading edges that would allow airflow adjustment. As the home-equity bubble continued to inflate with no end in sight and motorcycle sales surged toward the 2005 high-watermark, Kawasaki designers brazenly pursued buyers’ significant others via softer, less-threatening curves that would go nicely with the new Shabby Chic living room ensemble. When reality eventually reared its head in the form of the 2008 Concours 14, precious little of the ZZR-X remained; the new bike was way more predatory ZX-14 than ZZR.

Suzuki G-Strider

Hey, money was flowing freely in the industry circa 2003—motorcycle sales were up seven percent and scooters were up 22 percent—so manufacturers tried some interesting things. The Suzuki G-Strider was one of a few cool crossover moto/scooter models that appeared at the Tokyo show late that year while we all grew fat and wealthy, sporting “posture that a relaxed human body assumes in a weightless environment.”

Looks like somebody at Suzuki pried the front end off the dusty old Falcorustyco and created a whole new future vehicle behind it, powered by a parallel-Twin with electronic CV transmission. What the G-Strider did get right was its “next generation telematics system, with interactive communications over a bidirectional wireless infrastructure…all controlled via glove-friendly trackball.” Which is actually similar to the thumbdrive controller that sorts through all the electronics on BMW’s new K1600s. This wouldn’t be the first time BMW took some good cues from the generally proletarian Suzuki.

The Victory Vision 800

If you knew you were going to introduce a touring bike as radical as the Victory Vision in a year or two, what better way to prepare everybody than to show an even radicaller concept bike of the same name at the Long Beach (California) International Motorcycle Show? The Victory Vision 800 showbike of 2006 was more of an urban scooter, propelled by an 800cc snowmobile Twin running through a CVT, but the Vision Tour’s direction was already apparent in the boomerang cab-forward sweep of the thing.

It was a nice try on Victory’s part, but touring riders tend to be a conservative bunch, many of whom still haven’t quite accepted the Vision’s aesthetic. Like the citizens of Rome carting off blocks of Coliseum to build apartments and Pizza Huts, the Vision’s advanced aluminum frame concept has gone on to form the foundation for more traditionally styled bikes like the Cross Country and now the Hard-Ball, complete with ape hangers.

It ain’t easy being a visionary.

Suzuki Stratosphere

Yet more shades of Katana (on that bike’s 25th anniversary), resurrected once again for the 2005 Tokyo show, and this time called Suzuki Stratosphere, arching above a lovely inline-Six. Using then-current bore/stroke numbers, Kevin Cameron suggested an 1100cc Six could be an inch or two narrower than a typical Four, and that 200 horses would be an easy target to hit for such a smooth-running, shortstroke engine.

In 2007, Suzuki went so far as to announce that the Stratosphere would be entering production at an unspecified future time. Shortly thereafter, as you may have noticed, the free-market system imploded, and our Suzuki contacts claim to have no knowledge of what became of the bike. Still, a running prototype was built and did appear in a Suzuki teaser video that’s viewable on YouTube (though it’s not clear in the darkish vid what exactly is propelling the bike). In the meantime, BMW introduced its six-cylinder K 1600 touring bikes to worldwide acclaim and has enjoyed a sharply upward trajectory in sales and profits.

Yamaha Gen-Ryu

Motorcycling’s answer to the Prius, the 2005 Yamaha Gen-Ryu hybrid invention melded a YZF-R6 engine with an electric motor. A lightweight aluminum frame, steam-locomotive wheels and Buck Rogers bodywork all come together with high-tech safety features such as a vehicle-to-vehicle distance warning system, a pivoting headlight like on BMW’s 2012-and-later K1600s and a noise-canceling system to reduce audible wind roar. Anticipating your iPhone, the Gen-Ryu also sports voice navigation and hands-free cellphone function. I could see a greener, gaunter me on this one cruising to Burning Man with one of those helmet Mohawks. You?

What do you do with the bratty, smart kids if you’re in charge of the kindergarten and you want a little peace and quiet? Put them to work in the corner with the crayons and Popsicle sticks, that’s what. And when times are hard and the class needs to be thinned, they’re the first to have their graham crackers and milk withheld: What the world needs is more mid-level managers.

In current times when motorcycle sales haven’t been skyrocketing every year, we haven’t been seeing so many concept bikes, but it’s interesting to note that the most outlandish ones we sampled here were Suzukis—a company known, really, for producing reasonably priced, hard-working motorcycles for the common man. Meanwhile, the Big Three Euro-brands conspicuous by their near absence—Ducati, Triumph, and BMW—have been busier cranking out striking machines (admittedly at a cost) for people to buy and ride. And in fact, BMW has taken a few Japanese showbike features and run with them: the inline-six and the menu-navigation multifunction wheel controller to name two. Let that be a lesson to you. Dreaming is fun. Doing is way more lucrative. Doesn’t mean we prefer one over the other.

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This story originally featured on Motorcyclist.

For a motorcycle to stand the test of time it needs to be in some way significant to the motorcycle world. Some motorcycles prove their import by the length of their production run. Others, particularly ahead-of-their-time motorcycles, prove their worth by increasing their appeal long after their production run ends. It seems like Honda has produced an inordinate number of motorcycles of lasting significance and interest.

The following list is by no means comprehensive of the all-time great Honda motorcycles—and, in fact, excludes some of the most iconic, collectible motorcycles that Big Red has ever built. Rare or homologation-spec bikes like the NR750, RC30 or RC45, VFR400, NSR250R, etc., are not present here. Instead, this list comprises models that for the most part are readily available on the used market.

Some of the bikes included have persisted in Honda’s lineup for decades; others had short production runs that only served to increase their current desirability. The hard part: narrowing the list down to just 10.

Honda Super Cub

If there’s one motorcycle that has been immune to the march of time, it’s the Honda Super Cub. In production (in various generations) since 1958, Honda has sold more than 100 million units of the little step-through. Which reportedly makes it the highest-selling motor vehicle in history.

When Honda reintroduced the Super Cub C125 ABS to the US market in 2019, it seemed like things came full circle. For decades, the Super Cub had been a workhouse in developing nations, where its utility and affordability made it ubiquitous—far removed from the spirit of leisure that it inspired in American riders in the 1960s. These days, its practicality is just as appealing to American riders looking for basic, easy transportation as is its reputation for “niceness.” You may meet the nicest people on a Honda, but you’ll also meet practical people on a Honda. Not that the two are mutually exclusive.

2004 Honda RC51

Back in the 1990s, 1,000cc twins versus 750cc fours seemed a fair fight on paper, but Japanese fours, including Honda’s built-to-win RC45 homologation special, were getting clobbered by a certain plucky Italian V-twin. The Japanese industrial machine outdone by a bunch of chain-smoking, long lunch-taking, summer holiday-going Italians? This was not to be borne. So to take advantage of a rule book that favored the Italian twin, Honda threw its hands in the air, went to the drawing board, and came up with the RC51.

When it hit showroom floors at the dawn of the new millennium with a price tag of $9,999, it put the RC moniker within reach of the (relative) masses and looked like a bargain next to the Italian competition—which it promptly started beating on racetracks around the world. For race fans, the RC51 will always be associated with its two most notable protagonists: Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden. These days, it’s like riding racing history. The most coveted model is the SP2, particularly the 2004 Nicky Hayden replica variant.

2001 Honda Gold Wing

Depending on who you’re talking to, the Gold Wing could be considered Honda’s flagship motorcycle. For a company whose heritage is firmly entrenched in racing, that’s a testament to the popularity of the Wing. Now in its sixth generation, the Gold Wing hardly resembles the original four-cylinder, fairing-less machine of 1974.

The Gold Wing practically created the heavyweight touring category and is still the benchmark for two-up, long-distance touring. Honda built a gajillion of the previous generation GL1800 Gold Wings (2001–2017), so if you’re looking for impressive touring performance for a song, chances are you can find one for the right price.

1994 Honda VFR750F (RC36-2)

When it comes to Honda V-4 sportbikes, motorcyclists have long wondered “what if?”

The original Interceptor eventually gave way to the RC30 (VFR750R) homologation special and the more street-oriented VFR750F. Over time, the division has become even more pronounced (see: the MotoGP-derived $184,000 RC213V-S and the staid VFR1200X “adventure” bike).

By splicing the Interceptor family tree into two branches—the unattainable and the “plebeian”—and by focusing its sporting endeavors on its inline-four-powered CBRs, Honda denied consumers one of their greatest dreams: a mass-produced V-4 race-replica sportbike.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to the VFR750F. In the ’90s, the VFR was one heck of a motorcycle: “plebeian” only in its price and availability. From ’90–‘97, the VFR showed up on Cycle World’s Ten Best list every single year. It’s not too much of a stretch to claim it’s one of the most universally acclaimed Hondas of all time thanks to its near-race-rep levels of performance and all-around usability. Honda’s reputation for refinement is no more exemplified than on the VFR, its liquid-smooth powerband a testament to the simple beauty of a cable-actuated throttle and a perfectly tuned carburetor.

Be that as it may, we can’t help but wonder, “What if the Interceptor had continued as Big Red’s sportbike platform?” And, can we please have a modern version of the RC36-2?

1993 Honda CBR900RR

It’s no stretch to say the 1993 Honda CBR900RR was a big factor in starting the liter-class wars of the following decade. At the time, liter-class motorcycles were more GT bikes than track weapons—think Kawasaki ZX-11. So when the CBR came out in 1993, weighing 144 pounds less than the ZX-11 (yes, you read that correctly), we should have known everything was about to change.

Since then, the CBR has been a mainstay in Honda’s lineup even while other bikes, like the RC51, made racetrack headlines. Tadao Baba’s original Blade is still one of the most iconic sportbikes of all time.

1990 Honda Hawk GT NT650

Imagine if Honda unveiled a 647cc V-twin naked bike with a racy twin-spar aluminum frame and a trick single-sided swingarm designed by ELF at EICMA in 2021. It’d be the talk of the show. You’d want it. We’d all want it.

The thing is, Honda built this very thing from 1988–1990. The NT650, or Hawk GT, wasn’t a hot seller. But now it’s a cult classic. It’s greyhound-like litheness makes the SV650 look like a barrel-shaped labrador retriever.

The Hawk GT is kind of a greatest-hits album of motorcycling must-haves. It’s undeniably cool yet has a utilitarian vibe, it’s light and sporty, it’s practically bulletproof. There’s just something about it. Something universal. The Hawk is so appealing and affordable that some people own several at once.

1989 Honda GB500

Honda’s interpretation of the classic 500cc British single, the GB500 Tourist Trophy is another cult classic. Built from 1989–1990, the GB never sold well. First, it was a single, and Americans haven’t been too keen on singles since, well, somebody put two cylinders in a frame. Secondly, 30 years ago, classic café racer styling wasn’t as en vogue as it is today. So what we have here is an ahead-of-its time motorcycle based on an old-fashioned-style motorcycle that was never immensely popular with Americans in the first place. In other words, a marketer’s nightmare.

Anyway, the GB500′s air-cooled mill was derived from the 1983 XR500 dirt bike, and sported a single 42mm round-slide Keihin carburetor. It also had preload-adjustable Showa suspension, electric-start and a kickstarter, and a single disc brake up front. And it weighed less than 400 pounds fully fueled. What’s not to like, America?

It may not be a real-deal Velocette or BSA, but it is a classic in its own right. Then again, Honda didn’t build the GB thinking it ever would be, you’d imagine. It’s classic for the very fact that it _isn’t_ an old British single, but a motorcycle built in Japan in the ’80s by people who romanticized a glorious era before their own. In other words, it was an idea that didn’t catch on until decades later. Classic Honda.

1983 Honda VF750F Interceptor

Honda has long been synonymous with four-stroke V-4s, thanks in large part to the groundbreaking 1983 Honda Interceptor, one of the first production motorcycles, along with the 1985 Suzuki GSX-R750, to create the sportbike category as we know it. Americans, common thinking of the time went, only cared about straight-line performance. The Interceptor either proved otherwise, or gave us a reason to fall in love with corners. It wasn’t long before consumers went sportbike mad—ironic, considering Honda’s primary objective for the Interceptor was racetrack success.

For the 1983 season, the AMA decreased the displacement limit in the superbike class from 1,000cc to 750cc with the hope of remedying the sphincter-testing handling qualities of the era’s brute-ish superbikes. While the Interceptor won six straight races in ’83, Wayne Rainey won the championship aboard a Muzzy Kawasaki GPz750. Then Honda went on to win the next five championships.

1979 Honda CBX1000

The 1979 CBX seems to represent broader cultural tastes than it does the motorcycling world’s own development trends. Consider: the Interceptor’s debut was only four years away, and the “light means right” mantra not far behind it. The CBX wasn’t a sportbike per se. It wasn’t a Gold Wing either. It was just…cool. The way its 1,047cc engine dangles beneath the frame sans downtubes, giving an uninterrupted view of its six glorious chromed header pipes accentuates its six-iness. The CBX is a double-take bike because it almost looks wrong. So, so wrong.

The CBX was designed by Soichiro Irimajiri, who was responsible for the now-legendary six-cylinder RC165 and RC166 grand prix racers. You can almost hear the Honda marketing men saying, “And if a little magic happens to rub off from Hailwood’s machines, then so be it.” And that association is just about where the CBX’s racing credentials end. While Honda notoriously added cylinders to its racebikes in the ’60s in search of more revs and more horsepower, the CBX revved to a conservative 9,000 rpm and produced 105 hp. Wet weight was a burly 600 pounds.

The CBX persists in giving the impression that Honda built it just because it could. It didn’t impact the motorcycling world like the Gold Wing or Interceptor did, but here we are still talking about it. And mentioning the RC166 in the same breath.

1969 Honda CB750

The CB750 can be considered both a fitting end and a rapturous beginning. Taking into account all Honda’s success in grand prix racing with multicylinder machines and its reputation for mass-producing reliable, affordable small-displacement single- and twin-cylinder motorcycles, the CB750 seemed to be the culmination of Honda’s decades-long work. At the same time, it triggered the beginning of a new era in which Japanese four-cylinders became the prevalent performance-oriented motorcycle.

The CB750 changed the motorcycle world.

There are plenty of other models that could fit on this list, like the CB400 or the XR650L. What other models do you think could make the cut? Comment below.

The post 10 classic motorcycles to drool over appeared first on Popular Science.

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This story originally featured on Motorcyclist.

There’s a lot of trepidation before setting out for the open road, leaving behind comfort and the known. This uncertainty can come from heading to a place you’ve never been before, perhaps away from civilization, out of cell service range, or from embarking on a solo journey—especially if you’re a woman.

I should know, I’ve ridden nearly 135,000 kilometers solo in the past five years on three continents. People constantly ask me if I’m afraid, regardless of where I am or how safe the area is perceived to be. While riding in Laos, an extremely peaceful country, an old grandma told me that men might come to slit my throat and steal my motorcycle. Likewise, I’ve had people in the US say something similar, though slightly less graphic. The general consensus is that I shouldn’t be riding alone. Well, to hell with that, I say.

I love riding solo. I adore being able to do whatever I want when I want. I enjoy not having to check in with someone to see if they also want to take this alluring detour or stop here or there to take photos, and I also value meeting myself during the hardest challenges. I’m not interested in following a man around, thank you.

I’ve also found that you’re more likely to meet interesting people and find yourself in incredible situations that wouldn’t have happened if you were in your secluded pair or group bubble.

I guess this all started when I planned my first trip abroad. My friends who I had made the travel plans with completely bailed. I was determined (one might say “stubborn”) and went anyway. I haven’t stopped traveling solo since. In fact, I’ve never really traveled with other people for much time, only taking day trips by motorcycle together, never touring. I’m curious what that would even be like.

Curiosity aside, perhaps some of you will benefit from my solo riding safety tips that I’ve gained over the years (and miles), so here they are:

Book ahead

Reserve your accommodations before you arrive. That way you have an address to navigate to so that you don’t have those moments of drawing attention to yourself (or your motorcycle) while looking for a hotel either on foot or riding around. Anytime you can omit looking like a lost, vulnerable tourist is a good thing. That being said, confirm the address before you set out as sometimes they are off (I have some stories to elucidate this but I’ll spare you for now).

Booking ahead isn’t always possible, such as in the remote mountains of Peru where you have no idea how long it will take you to get from point A to point B. I actually found prebooking to be a source of added stress in these situations, because I felt I had to make it there since I already paid for my hotel, when really, it would have been better to take my time and not rush. Therefore, I stopped trying to prebook once I realized I wasn’t sure how far I could make it each day. You can still write down the name and address of your top choice of places to stay so that you have an idea of where you’re headed if you do make it there, and consider looking for a place in a nearer town as well.

Fake it

Carry a fake wallet. Fill it with junk papers, business cards, some coins—make it look and feel legit. Keep it somewhere that is easy to hand over if someone ever tried to jump you. Also carry backup info, such as scanned passports and ID cards, but consider what you would do if you lost everything, just so you have an alternative plan and have already thought through it.

Don’t overshare info

Time and place predictability isn’t much of a concern these days by the majority of the population; just have a glance at social media. Don’t share your specific locations either online or in person to anyone who might ask you (such as “Where are you staying?”). This is especially a good call if you’re a woman traveling alone. Stay smart.

Often when people ask me where I’m going along the road, I tell them a different destination. I don’t post about my locations socially until after I’ve left—sometimes weeks after. If I don’t feel comfortable telling people I’m traveling alone, I tell them my boyfriend or friends are right behind me, or that they’re waiting for me just ahead.

Leave a trail

Carry a GPS tracker. There are plenty to choose from these days, such as the Garmin inReach Mini.

Diversity your maps

Carry a variety of maps with you. We are way too dependent on technology these days. Just recently, here in Colombia, my iPhone stopped communicating with satellites to register where I am on the map, even in my off-line maps. Digital navigation really only works when you know where you are in relation to where you’re going. It turns out my specific model of phone was recalled for a motherboard error. I was in the remote mountains of the coffee-growing region, using paper maps and a compass.

Show strength

Carry yourself with confidence. When I walk around in the city or small towns, I walk as if I’m about to kick someone’s ass. It’s about what you wear and how you hold yourself. I am not a large person, but I walk quickly, usually wearing my armored leather jacket and motorcycle boots. I try my best to always look like I know where I’m going, which sometimes takes some planning ahead or ducking out of view to recheck the map. Don’t wear headphones, even if you’re not listening to anything—the appearance of headphones makes it seem like your senses are hindered. If you must, only keep one earbud in. Don’t stare at your phone, be very observant of your surroundings. Do not go out at night to bars alone, or even with newly acquainted locals.

Smile, you’re on camera

Use an affixed helmet camera. Since using Sena’s 10C Pro, I’ve noticed that when I touch it just to turn down the volume around police or nefarious-looking people (like the gunmen outside of the Peruvian jungle who barricaded the road), they notice the camera and they start to act a little more respectful. Because they don’t know, exactly, what this low-profile, side-mount device is—they only see that it has a camera lens on it— they aren’t totally sure where the information is going at that moment. I have certainly seen the benefits of using a helmet-mounted camera which were totally unexpected before setting out on the trip. I think enough people know what a GoPro is that such a square box mounted on your helmet wouldn’t work the same way.

Stay lit

Travel during the day. No need for the added risks that darkness brings. Although sometimes you might unintentionally wind up navigating in the dark, plan your rides for the daylight hours, when our eyes work best.

Carry (legal) weapons

I feel that it is better to have them and not use them than to not have them at all. I always carry mace and a couple of blades with me. I even wear a fixed blade on my belt so that it is clearly visible, as a deterrent. Anyways, the knives are useful for all the delightful roadside fruit stands. I keep the mace in my jacket breast pocket for easy access. If you can’t travel with these defensive tools (if you’re flying with only carry-on luggage, for instance), look into where you can pick something up once you arrive. Keep everything in a consistent place so that you’re never searching for it and can easily find it in the dark.

Follow cultural norms

Depending on where you are in the world, showing parts of the body that are rather mundane to the Western world, such as your shoulders, can be a big deal. Living and riding in rural, traditional Thailand taught me modesty, because otherwise people perceive you as intentionally being “sexy,” which is not the ideal vibe you want to portray to the general public while navigating on your own.

Weigh the cost

Sometimes I might want to stop and take a photo, but based on the crowd that’s around or the sort of attention I may draw, I choose not to. I’ll never know if those situations would have caused a problem for me or if I would have just ended up with one more epic photo, but something—call it intuition or judgment—told me not to. Get to know that intuitive voice within you and listen to it. It could very well save your life, not just from criminals, but from choosing the right path in terms of your motorcycle journey and in life more generally.

Prepare for a breakdown

What if you break down? Obviously, the answer is going to depend on your familiarity with how motorcycles work. I personally am not the greatest mechanic, but I’ve learned a lot on the road—when my bike did break down. Thankfully, my older brother is a fantastic mechanic and has essentially talked me through motorcycle maintenance 101 over the phone. Most of the time, the problems have been accumulative; I noticed something was going wrong, the bike didn’t just quit (except that one time in the middle of nowhere, Laos). Therefore, if I couldn’t fix it myself, I’ve mostly ridden my bike to the mechanic…or even walked it there. Definitely carry a few tools and a flat tire kit; knowing how to use them helps.

Overall, my advice is to play it safe. Riding a motorcycle is risky enough, so be sure to take the steps necessary to protect yourself in case you are ever targeted. Personally, I’ve always felt welcomed in the world and I believe that most people are good. I move through the world with compassion and empathy, but I’m not a sucker who trusts everyone blindly. Being courageous doesn’t mean you don’t experience fear; it is about feeling fear and pushing through it anyways. Motorcycling solo is the perfect opportunity to learn to lean on yourself, to really get to know who you are in those stressful, difficult moments. You’ll cultivate the belief that you can get through anything and gain confidence—along with an extensive collection of adventure stories to share with your friends and family when you get home.

The post How to travel solo, according to an adventurous biker appeared first on Popular Science.

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This story was originally featured on Cycle World.

As I’ve been assembling my 1965 Yamaha TD1-B I’ve been impressed again and again by how heavy its parts are. My conclusion is that this weight was dictated by its engine vibration. Control when cracking appears by varying the wall thickness of frame tubes. Ah, thick is best!

Weight and vibration are connected in other ways too. When Honda built its 1997 1,100cc Super Blackbird, it decided to give it secondary balancers. Why on that model and not, for example, on the CB900F—also a transverse inline-four—of the early 1980s? At least part of the answer has to be that those massive earlier engines were so heavy that the shaking forces of their madly back-and-forthing pistons could hardly move them.

Here I’ll introduce the idea of vibratory excursion: The amounts by which piston shaking force could move back and forth the engine of which they are part, if it were a free body floating in space. Clearly, the heavier the engine in relation to its pistons, the smaller its excursion and the smaller the discomfort they can transmit to the rider. This explains why early British twins, which began as 500s, vibrated fairly tolerably. But as the market demanded more power, bigger, heavier pistons and rising rpm produced larger and more tingly vibratory excursions. At the end. Norton’s 835 parallel twin had to be mounted in rubber “Isolastic” mounts to keep the worst of its shaking from reaching the rider.

Looking closely at the CB900F we can see that the engine is quite heavy, and that it is rubber-mounted, and that many other parts of that bike are mounted in rubber. So much rubber that for those who wanted to make racers of the 900, “de-rubberizing kits” were made, substituting the positive alignment of metal sleeves for the vagueness of rubber. Such kits also included pre-cut reinforcement plates and gussets to be welded into the chassis to further stiffen it.

If you are trying to build a high-performance sporting motorcycle, it is a shame to have to rubber-mount the engine, as this robs the chassis of the engine’s inherent stiffness. To make the chassis adequately stiff without that, it must contain more metal and be heavier itself.

Earlier, Ducati had its unique formative experience of trying in the 1950s and ’60s to build bigger, more exciting sporting singles. Vibratory excursion became so large in the desmo 450 that, idling on its stand, it would slowly creep across pavement or a concrete floor from vibration alone. Dr. Taglioni changed course by applying the well-known fact that a 90-degree V-twin can be made to self-balance its primary (meaning crankshaft speed) shaking forces. A major result was Paul Smart’s sensational 1972 Imola 200 victory on the new bevel-drive twin, and endless US media acclaim from the late Cycle magazine.

When aluminum came under consideration as a possible chassis material—first in the form of MX swingarms of the early to mid-1970s, then as whole roadrace chassis starting in 1980, the impact of vibration had to be dealt with. Most aluminum alloys lack a valuable property that steel has—a fatigue limit. The fatigue limit is the level of cyclic stress below which a part has essentially infinite lifetime.

When Yamaha tested with a square-tube aluminum chassis for its inline-four YZR500 before the 1980 season, it cracked constantly and had to be welded after each test day. In 1972, I had seen the futuristic but impractical monocoque aluminum chassis of Eric Offenstadt (built for the vigorously vibrating Kawasaki 750 triple) being loaded up every evening after Daytona practice to be taken to have that day’s cracks welded. Aluminum remembers every insult, so if the lightness potential of aluminum as a chassis material was ever to be realized, such chassis would have to be effectively protected from vibration.

Here are four basic approaches to engine vibration:

1. Let ‘er rip. Bolt the engine in solid and dare the rider, hands, feet, and butt tingling, to complain. Man up and hang on.
2. Rubber-mount the engine and much else besides, and then restore chassis stiffness with extra structure weight.
3. Choose an engine architecture that is inherently self-balancing, and mount the engine rigidly as part of chassis stiffness.
4. Provide vibration cancellation in the form of balance shafts or other means (such as the dummy balance “piston” in Ducati’s clever and stylish Supermono of 1993). With low vibration, rigid mounting in aluminum chassis has become the norm.

“Let ‘er rip” was too much for me and my few 1967 rides on Yamaha’s TD1-B production racer—my hands became numb stumps. It is also too much for moderns who take a spin on a classic vintage British twin. “Do they all vibrate like that?” they ask, rather reproachfully.

Rubber engine mounting works well in cars, few of which (other than F1 cars) use engine stiffness as part of the chassis. But on a bike, rubber mounting requires that the chassis by itself be made rigid enough to do the job—needing extra material and weight. An exception was Erik Buell’s reprise of the Isolastic inspiration—an engine that vibrates in a single plane, as Harley V-twins do, can be allowed to orbit on mounts that permit this while retaining stiffness in twist.

Some engine configurations—an inline-six, flat engines such as BMW twins or Honda Gold Wing fours and sixes, or 90-degree V-engines—are inherently self-balancing and smooth.

The fourth way was the use of balancers to cancel engine vibration, entailing some weight and added friction.

In 1986, Honda put aluminum chassis into showrooms via the inherent smoothness of the 90-degree V-4 engine in the VFR750. Both Honda and Yamaha in the 1980s produced factory 250 roadrace twins in the low-vibration form of a 90-degree vee cylinder configuration. Yamaha in its 1986 TZ250 production racer used a balance shaft to eliminate the rocking couple caused by the two cylinders not being in the same plane. Some skeptical riders were sure that balance shafts must be sucking up big power, but when they deleted the shafts their bikes vibrated badly and were no faster.

The deed was done. The way forward was to quell vibration at its source and then to use a rigid-mounted engine as a major part of the aluminum chassis.

The post Motorcycle makers have put a lot of work into killing bad vibrations appeared first on Popular Science.

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This story originally featured on Motorcyclist.

There’s a lot to learn when you first start out riding a motorcycle. The mechanical aspects of handling the bike are typically the most apparent—how to shift smoothly, how to take a corner skillfully, how to perform an emergency stop, etc. But you also need to get your mind dialed in too, which means looking at the road and its many potential hazards more critically and predictively. This situational awareness goes a long way in keeping you safe on the road.

Ken Condon provides a great definition of what situational awareness is in this write-up, so here we’re going to take a look at some ways you, as a new rider, can intentionally work toward improving your road-reading skills.

Build on what you already do

The truth is, you’re already reading the situation in front of you whenever you ride. Responding to brake lights on the car in front of you, crossing an intersection at a green light, changing lanes to pass by a slow driver, these are all instances of using situational awareness to navigate traffic safely. A lot of these responses are likely automatic if you have experience driving a car, so developing your situational awareness as a rider is simply to build on the skills you already have.

For example, you may be stopped at a red light shuffling through your playlist or talking to your passenger in a car, not really paying attention to the movement of traffic in the lanes around you. When your light turns green you go, and 99 percent of the time you don’t have to think much about it.

On a bike, you’ll want to get in the habit of noticing all those other lanes and drivers. You’ll want to position yourself in such a way as to have a line to ride forward if someone comes up hot behind you, just in case they don’t see you. You’ll want to make note of whether there’s a left turn lane opposite you and whether there’s any chance a driver could miss seeing you as they try to make the turn. Are people in the lanes running crosswise trying to beat the yellow? Is the flow of traffic mellow or aggressive?

Look around you and adjust your plan once the light turns green to suit the conditions you observe. It might be as simple as taking a beat before accelerating just to make sure the drivers in the other lanes are fully stopped. It might seem like a lot to think about at first, but it won’t be long before these assessments become automatic.

Have a plan before you leave the house

Effective situational awareness starts before you even get on the bike. Give the route you plan to take some thought, and make some mental notes about the hazards you might face. You’ll face a different set of scenarios on a ride through town than you will on the freeway or during a ride up into the hills. Do you know the roads well, or are you exploring a brand-new route? Is it a typically busy time of day, or are you riding when traffic is light? Has it stormed recently and are there likely to be patches of debris on the road?

A mental checklist like this can allow you to feel more prepared and calm on the bike from the moment you pull away from your home. You’ll still need to respond to the actual conditions once you’re out there, but having a game plan in place early can make responding less stressful. Panicked decisions improve the likelihood of an accident, so do your best to avoid making them. Take a few minutes to give your ride some thought before you set off and make it part of your pre-ride routine.

Gear choices matter

The whole point of doing a pre-ride assessment of potential hazards is to get your mind locked into riding mode. Having the right gear on for the conditions outside is essential to staying locked in that mode.

Say you plan to cover a few dozen miles on the freeway on a cold day. All you have are a thin pair of mesh gloves, so you throw them on and head out. Unless you have heated grips or some grip guards, your fingers are going to feel like hell in a few miles. They’ll be freezing cold, aching, hard to move with dexterity. A situation like this taxes your ability to be present and attentive to the situation around you. A portion of your mental energy is going to be spent damning the weather, your numb hands, the gloves, yourself, and who knows what else. This will slow your reaction time immensely.

This is all to say that to maximize your ability to be aware of the ever-changing situation around you, you need to give yourself the chance to have a clear, focused mind. Make sure your helmet fits well and is comfortable, that it vents properly, and doesn’t fog up or impede your vision. Make sure you can move your body in your jacket and pants, and that your feet easily manipulate the foot controls in your boots or riding shoes.

Be sure your mind is up to the task

The right gear can ensure you’re physically dialed to ride, but you also need to consider your mental state and whether it will allow you to be situationally aware. Riding is a great stress relief, and hopping on a bike to blow off some steam when you’re angry or frustrated can be a great way to get past those feelings. But they can also impede your ability to be fully present for the task of riding. If you’re getting lost in daydreams about telling your boss off or just had a fight with your spouse, you should be wary of hopping on the bike. As a newer rider, you’re likely still in a learning phase and should give yourself every chance to be focused and alert on the bike.

Develop some standard operating procedures

Reading every continuous cue from the cars around you, the landscape, and road conditions can be a lot to process. It can help to make some rules for yourself as you ride to help ease the load.

Maybe you decide to always accelerate (if traffic allows) if you find yourself in the blind spot of the car beside you. Maybe you tap the rear brake just enough to flash your taillight a few times before you start to come to a stop in order to give the person behind you a little more of a visual cue of what you plan to do. After you’ve ridden for a while, take stock of some of the common situations you find yourself in and think about the things you could do to enhance your safety and visibility. Over time these will become habits and will allow you to keep a closer eye on other potentially hazardous circumstances.

Assume they don’t see you

You probably heard some version of this in your MSF course, but it helps to calibrate your thinking to riding: Assume other motorists don’t see you.

In practice this could mean having a plan when you’re at a stop and you see a car coming up behind in your rearview mirror. It could prompt an extra look at cross traffic before you ride across an intersection. It could influence when you start to signal for a turn, or where you position yourself in your lane. Give yourself evasion options whenever possible and find ways to keep some safe distance between yourself and others on the road. Getting clipped by a car changing lanes becomes a lot less likely if there’s no car directly beside you, after all. It won’t always be possible, but take advantage of the occasions when it is.

This may also play a role in how you outfit yourself on your bike. Hi-vis pieces might not be the coolest-looking pieces of gear, but a pop of color like that really does help make you stand out. Reflective material also helps, particularly if you ride in low-light conditions.

Scan, scan, scan

Keeping your eyes up is vital because you will need to constantly be assessing and reassessing your surroundings on the bike. Use your periphery to take stock of the roadside conditions and motorists that flank you, notice brake lights three or four cars ahead so you can be better prepared when the car directly in front of you begins to stop. Look out and then scan back closer to your current position. A constant state of attentive scanning will allow you to spot clues that pertain to the dynamic of the road ahead and will give you precious extra seconds to respond should you need to, and can help to reduce the number of unexpected situations you’ll face.

These tips will go a long way to improving your situational awareness as a new rider. This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but it contains the essentials. Tailor your approach to your needs, which will be different depending on where you live and where you ride. Here in southern Oregon for example, riding at dusk or in the morning in certain areas means you have to be on the lookout for deer and turkeys crossing the road. Riding in a congested urban area has its own set of unique challenges. The bottom line is awareness is one of your best ways to prevent an accident, so it’s worth developing to ensure you have a long, happy life as a rider.

And to the more experienced riders out there, if there are any essential elements I’ve missed, please share in the comments.

The post Ride safely with these essential motorcycle tips appeared first on Popular Science.

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This story originally featured on Cycle Volta.

Driving on Germany’s Autobahn is a bucket-list experience for many an automotive enthusiast. But what about pedaling a two-wheeler on it?

Hennigsdorf, Germany-based eRockit put the idea to the test recently, with German extreme stunt athlete Sebastian “Satu” Kopke piloting the company’s pedal-controlled electric motorcycle on the famed highway system.

“The eRockit is probably the most extraordinary electric motorcycle of today,” the company states not so humbly in a release. “You don’t control the speed with a throttle, but with pedals! It is intuitive and easy to use like a bicycle, but is as fast as a motorcycle. With a top speed of about 90 km/h (56 mph), the eRockit is even well-suited for driving on the Autobahn. It is powered by an air-cooled permanent synchronous motor with a peak output of 16,000 watts. The driving experience is absolutely unique, almost indescribable and magical.”

The eRockit has a range of 75 miles, according to the company, and enables riders to “move with constant light pedaling with little resistance, without fatigue. Overtaking cars in city traffic is very easy. Maneuvering, great agility, and very good road holding also make this motorcycle special.”

The eRockit’s forced-air-cooled brushless permanent magnet synchronous motor boasts 16kW/22 hp of peak power and 5kW/7 hp of continuous power. Its 52V/6.6kWh lithium-ion battery charges from 0 to 100 percent in five hours.

So what did Kopke think of his experience on the Autobahn with the eRockit? “I have driven a decent number of bikes from Kawasaki to Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda—all models from 600cc to 1,100cc. Everything was already there. But I have never experienced such a mixture of physical activity similar to cycling and this incredibly good acceleration. It’s doubling the fun!” he said.

The eRockit is priced at $13,000, and customers can reserve their bike with a deposit of $283.

The post Watch a stunt athlete hit the autobahn (hard) on a bike appeared first on Popular Science.

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This story originally featured on Motorcyclist.

Half car, half motorcycle—three-wheelers like Vanderhall Motor Works’ Venice GT ($33,950) are a growing segment in the powersport world. Defined as both a reverse trike and autocycle, this vehicle category blends features of the two- and four-wheeled world for an experience like nothing else on the road.

The Venice GT is powered by a General Motors-sourced 1,485cc inline-four. This LFV generation powertrain is used in Chevrolet’s 2016 and newer Malibu automobile and features direct injection, turbocharging, and variable valve timing with a claimed 194 hp and 203 pound-feet torque. The transverse-mounted engine is positioned in front of the vehicle and puts power to the 18-inch front wheels via a torque converter-equipped six-speed automatic transmission.

Swing a leg over the fixed composite plastic bodywork and step inside the cockpit and it’s hard not to be impressed with the Venice’s bespoke interior. From the beautiful wood-grain steering wheel to the finely stitched leather seats, aircraft-style gauges, and toggle switches, the Vanderhall screams premium. Bright LED lighting helps you stand out and headlights offer a deep spread of light when driving after dark.

An automobile-style three-point harness secures driver and passenger and the Venice offers generous legroom for this 6-foot-tall driver. A tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel and forward/back seat let you tweak ergos. Instead of a mechanical key, the Venice GT uses a keyless-style fob. Press the starter button, notch the center-mounted shifter into “D,” and it’s time to ride, er, drive.

With the GT’s larger-diameter 3-inch slash-cut pipes, the Venice has a mean growl even at idle. Mash the gas pedal and it jumps off the line in a muted way—initially. It takes a few moments for the turbo to spool but when it does, hang on. The whirl of the turbo and waste gate pop-off, paired with the Venice GT’s low-slung, open-air cockpit make for an exhilarating experience, even without a handlebar.

A broad spread of torque is available for just over 2,000 revs. A degree torque steer pulls the vehicle to either side during wide-open acceleration in lower gears. Stay loose on the wheel and it straightens out as the transmission upshifts though its six-speed gearbox. When manual shifts are desired, there is a left-hand side-mounted chrome bump shifter. However, its performance is slow, unlike a manual, or DCT-enabled motorcycle.

With a copious turbo boost at lower rpm, the powertrain favors a short-shift-type driving style, as opposed to revving it out to its 6,500 rpm redline. Still, with a claimed 0–60 mph time of 4.5 seconds the 1,465-pound Venice zips around town with slot car-like low-speed handling.

Sharp-feeling triple disc brakes are equally adept at shedding speed, however the brake pedal is extra sensitive, so be prepared. For those seeking even more stopping performance, Vanderhall offers a Brembo brake package as an upcharge. All European-bound Venices are outfitted with this setup due to homologation requirements.

With a wheelbase of more than 8 feet, the Vanderhall delivers favorable ride quality over bumpy stretches of pavement, and its pushrod-type front suspension makes for a compact hood line with 4.6 and 4.7 inches of travel forward and aft. The Venice’s 75/25 weight distribution affords inherent road stability, but just in case the vehicle is outfitted with traction control and ABS.

Still, the Venice GT isn’t subject to the same safety standards as an automobile, so caution needs to be exercised during drives. Vanderhall says it has engineered front and rear crumple zones, as well as pseudo roll bars (Vanderhall calls them “hoops”), however these features have not been crash tested. So buyer beware.

In terms of creature comforts, the GT-spec Venices have electronically heated seats and automobile-type heater and fan. A Bluetooth-enabled two-speaker stereo lets you listen to audio during drives, and is very easy to pair on our iOS-powered smartphones. Cruise control is another functional touch.

More car than motorcycle, Vanderhall’s Venice GT is a worthwhile option for those who want to make a statement around town. With its classic lines and bespoke finish, it’s a nice alternative for those seeking a fun, zippy, and charismatic three-wheeler that blurs the lines between a traditional convertible and a classic heavyweight motorcycle.

Gear Box

Helmet: Shoei RF-SR

Jacket: Rev’It Overshirt Tracer

Gloves: Racer Guide

Pant: Alpinestars Copper 2 Denim

Shoes: New Balance Arishi

2020 Vanderhall Venice GT specs

The post This bespoke ride is half car, half motorcycle, all fun appeared first on Popular Science.

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We’re well into the age of electric motorcycles. Harley-Davidson makes the electron-fueled LiveWire, and Damon is eyeing 2021 for delivery of its HyperSport. And today, Zero Motorcycles, which has actually been selling electric two-wheelers since 2007, literally took the cover off its latest bike, the SR/S.

The SR/S is a street bike with a top speed of 124 mph and a city range of 161 miles in its most basic configuration. It’s also the first bike from Zero with a full fairing—the injected-molded plastic components on the front, sides, and belly that make it more aerodynamic.

This new feature isn’t all about efficiency at all costs; instead it offers a more comfortable ride. Using a fairing just to maximize its aerodynamic qualities could, if taken to the extreme, be ridiculous. “The next thing you know, you end up with a bubble bike that is going to give you potentially much more range, but it’s going to look weird,” Abe Askenazi, the CTO at Zero, said during the bike’s unveiling. Their focus, instead, was on “protecting the rider” in a pocket of air and allowing them to have a more pleasant posture. Askenazi says they used computational fluid dynamics—a technique that digitally mimics a wind tunnel—in its design.

Compared to last year’s SR/F bike, this latest machine allows the rider to sit in a more upright position, with their feet lower. The range of the new machine is the same as the SR/F, meaning that the boost in aerodynamics is canceled out by the fact that you can sit more comfortably. Still, Zero claims that if the driver wants to hunch down for a lower profile, that sleeker position will boost the range by 13 percent when traveling at 70 mph.

“Motorcycles tend to be really inefficient aerodynamically,” Sam Paschel, the company’s CEO, says. That’s because the air is hitting the rider’s torso, a problem that only intensifies the faster you go; this more streamlined bike improves on that problem. Zero also has to ensure that the moving air could still cool the components like the motor and batteries, which it accomplished by “ducting the air in.”

Paschel turns to an aviation metaphor to characterize their new bike: if a more aggressive ride like the SR/F provides a rougher fighter-jet experience, the new bike is more of a business jet. “It’s just fundamentally a much more pleasant ride,” he adds.

The bike, which also boasts a cellular connection for software updates and a Bosch Motorcycle Stability Control system, goes for about $20,000. A premium variant will cost $22,000.

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While automakers have loaded their cars with increasingly sophisticated and effective safety technology in recent years, motorcycles—which are in more desperate need of a safety upgrade—have been left behind.

That was the observation of the founders of Damon Motorcycles, a startup out of Vancouver, Canada. They’ve resolved to address the shortcomings of current two-wheelers with the battery-electric Damon Hypersport, scheduled for delivery to riders in 2021. It is a no-excuses superbike that happens to be powered by a 200-horsepower electric motor and that boasts an array of rider-assistance sensors worthy of an F-35 fighter jet.

“Why are cars the only vehicles afforded safety?” asks Damon’s chief technical officer Dom Kwong, who previously worked on head-up display technology for Intel.

Damon is the dream of founders Kwong and Jay Giraud, who are serious motorcyclists with tech industry backgrounds; their chief operating officer was previously at the electric dirtbike company Alta Motors. They set out to develop safety technology to assist riders and then decided the only way to deliver that technology was to bake it into their own motorcycle.

“Motorcycles haven’t really changed in 100 years,” Kwong asserts. We can quibble with the hyperbole in that statement, but it is easy to see most of the fundamentals of today’s bikes in a motorcycle from 1920.

The problem is that while motorcyclists are menaced by oblivious drivers traveling in armored steel cages that are padded by air bags, riders have been left to rely on their eyes, ears, experience and reflexes to protect them.

The Damon Hypersport will supplement the human’s senses and skill with an accident warning system using cameras, radar, and artificial intelligence built on the bike. Damon calls the system CoPilot, and it uses 1080p cameras and front and rear 77 GHz radars to feed an onboard neural network that identifies potential threats.

This represents a fundamental change in philosophy from existing motorcycle safety systems such as anti-lock brakes and traction control, Kwong asserts. “ABS and traction control are reactive systems,” he said. “That’s already happened. We’re providing information to the rider so they can avoid the accident.”

The information from the computer does the rider no good if they don’t understand the meaning of the warnings in the split-second they may have to react, so Damon employs interfaces that it considers unmistakable.

The Hypersport has a row of LEDs on the trailing edge of its windscreen, where they are in the rider’s plain view. A center section of red LEDs will flash for collision alerts, while amber LEDs to the left and right sides provide blind spot warning. Motorcycles in general and sport bikes in particular have terrible blind spots in the rear-view mirrors, which typically provide a good view mainly of the rider’s elbows.

But a display screen in the Hypersport’s instrument panel shows the wide-angle view of the rear camera, without any elbows in the way, and the bike’s handlebars will vibrate with haptic feedback if the computer thinks a collision is imminent, literally shaking the rider to pay attention.

“These are very simple cues,” Kwong says. “I want the rider not to have to think about what is going on.”

The Hypersport, on the other hand, is paying close attention—not only to other vehicles nearby, but also to the rider, using sensors in the seat to know the rider’s position and force sensors in the hand grips to gauge how tightly the rider is squeezing.

“These can give me an idea how the rider is feeling,” Kwong explains, as a death grip indicates anxiety and interferes with the bike’s handling. A rider sliding smoothly from side-to-side in the saddle as the bike slices through corners, on the other hand, demonstrates comfort and proficiency.

This knowledge lets the Hypersport adjust the response to the twist-grip accelerator and its use of traction control based on its estimate of the rider’s comfort and skill level.

The Hypersport’s Shift system also can help the rider with comfort: it allows the handlebars, windscreen, seat and footpegs to adjust and change position. This lets the bike shift between full-on track-ready positions and more relaxed commuting-to-work positions, as well as making the bike configurable to suit riders of different sizes.

Shift uses power adjusters like the electric servos in your car’s power seats to move all the Hypersport’s controls to the rider’s preferred positions. “The subtly of the adjustment is so fine that it allows the rider to get the comfort they need on the fly,” said Kwong.

With all of these electronics, it is easy to overlook the Hypersport’s electric drivetrain. The 200-horsepower electric motor rockets the Hypersport to 60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds and to a top speed of 200 mph. The 21.5 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack (about the same size as the battery in the original Nissan Leaf) provides 200 miles of highway riding range at a steady 60 mph. At a more realistic 70 mph, range drops to 160 miles on the open road, but around town, regenerative braking recovers enough juice to bump range to 300 miles.

Even with a battery pack that is huge by motorcycle standards (the Harley-Davidson LiveWire has a 15.5 kWh pack), Damon claims that the Hypersport weighs only 440 lbs., which if true, is a coup. The Livewire weighs more than 100 pounds more than that with a smaller battery.

And for comparison, Zero Motorcycles, from Northern California, makes electric motorcycles like the Zero SR (which we tested) and that weighs 313 pounds and costs $15,495. But as nice as the SR is, it lacks the predicted performance and the safety technologies of the Hypersport.

Pricing for the standard Hypersport HS starts at $24,995. The Premier launch edition of the Hypersport is sold out, and is equipped with primo hardware such as Ohlins suspension components, Brembo brakes, and a carbon fiber single-sided rear swingarm. The suppliers of the standard bike’s components are still being determined, Kwong says.

And if you’re wondering what “Damon” refers to, that’s the first name of the company co-founder, Jay Girard.

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Quality accessories for you and your motorcycle can make a difference in how you ride—and how comfortable you are. The following list of gear will help keep you safe and address problems like storage, heat regulation, bike maintenance, and hydration.

Head protection: Shoei RF-1200 Full Face Motorcycle Helmet

SEE IT

In addition to protecting your precious brain during a fall, a helmet can keep you safe from bugs flying in your face, allow you to attach Bluetooth devices, and make you look super badass.

The Shoei motorcycle helmet features multiple ventilation slots, is aerodynamically designed for riding at speed, and keeps the noise down as you ride. (You should still wear earplugs too.) The lightweight helmet—just 5.8 pounds—comes in several colors, but this yellow model is hard to miss on the road. It is approved by both the Department of Transportation and Snell M2015 safety standards.

Body protection: ScorpionExo 1909 Men’s Leather Motorcycle Jacket

SEE IT

If your body makes contact with the ground, your jacket will take most of the drag instead of your skin. This Scorpion Exo leather jacket features armored elbows and shoulders, two zippered vents, and four pockets.

Tough: O’Neal 0325-110 Men’s New Logo Rider Boot

SEE IT

You’ll also want to make sure that your boots have ankle protection in case they take a blow during a crash. If your bike falls over—with you under it—an exposed ankle is going to take the hit first. These O’Neal boots are designed for Motocross and offroad adventures, but they’re tough enough for any kind of riding. They have metal toe guards, cover your shins, and use four adjustable buckles to keep everything tight. If your boots aren’t waterproof, you can also pick up a pair of boot covers.

Stylish: Maxler Jean Biker Jeans for men – Slim Straight Fit Motorcycle Riding Pants

SEE IT

These Maxler motorcycle jeans are made of a mix of spandex and cotton and have air vents on the sides. The pants also come with hip protectors, have built-in Kevlar protection on your butt, and Kevlar protector pockets on your knees with slots for knee guards.

Must-have: CruzTOOLS RTH3 RoadTech H3 Tool Kit for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles

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The CruzTOOLS RoadTech H3 tool kit includes combination wrenches, an Allen socket set, Torx wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, cable ties, and more. It comes in an organizer roll.

Secure: Roam Universal Premium Bike Phone Mount for Motorcycle

SEE IT

This universal phone mount from Roam attaches to your bike’s handlebars. Pair your phone with a Bluetooth headset and you can hear directions as you drive—without looking down.

Safety upgrade: Sena 20S-01 Motorcycle Bluetooth 4.1 Communication System

SEE IT

The Sena 20S-01 communication system connects to your smartphone over Bluetooth 4.1 and allows you to listen to music, carefully answer phone calls if you must, and talk to people you’re riding with. The device even lets you use audio “multitask,” meaning you can use the intercom system, listen to music, and get directions from your phone’s GPS at the same time. As long as you stay aware of your surroundings and don’t get distracted, the Bluetooth device can help you navigate and keep tabs on your friends.

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This story originally featured on Motorcyclist

The used market for Harley-Davidson can be strange, confusing, and oftentimes downright nonsensical. One model might be popular for a few years, sending its market price close to or above that of a brand-new motorcycle, and then drop back down to where it came from. Bikes costing $30,000-plus as new models can lose more than half their value after just a few years, while the $15,000 new bikes might only lose a couple thousand in value. That said, the used Harley market isn’t always random, and it certainly doesn’t have to be a crapshoot.

Unlike the used metric market which follows the more traditional and predictable automobile model, the depreciation percentage on Harleys differs across the varying model lines. Because of all the factors that go into the used Harley marketplace, this compilation of the five best used Harleys isn’t just a guide to the best deals or a list of the best Harleys ever made. It’s a starting point for someone looking to buy a used Harley and, with so many different options out there, might not know where to start. This list won’t tell you which Harley to buy, but hopefully it’ll help steer you in the right direction.

2007–2013 Sportster

Sportsters have long been seen as the cheap, entry-level Harley-Davidson that can provide joy to new and experienced riders alike. Years ago, in order to keep the price point low, you had to find a run-down old Ironhead or choose from a handful of 1990s-era solid-mount five-speeds. That’s not the case anymore. Fairly new, fuel-injected and rubber-mounted Sportsters can now be found in the $3,000 and $4,000 range, not much more than the price of basketcase Ironheads. With the excellent range of bikes available since the late 2000s in both 883cc and 1,200cc trim, buyers can choose from the edgy Iron, Nightster, and 48, the classy Custom, or the sporty Low series to find a model that suits them best.

The 2007–2013 Sportsters are easy to work on (not that you should have to), have most of the same tech as the current models (minus the improved CAN bus electrical system), and differ very little from the current models in terms of style. Depending on the condition and mileage, any of the models listed above can be found for $4,500 to $6,500 and in many instances, they’ll be well-cared-for, low-mileage examples. Under 10,000 miles is common on these and most have less than 20,000. Steering as close to stock as possible on these is advised since budget-friendly bikes tend to have budget-friendly mods with budget-friendly installations.

• Years Built: 2007–2013
• Engine: 883cc or 1,200cc V-twin
• Price: $3,500–$6,500

2016–2017 Dyna Low Rider S

It’s no secret Harley riders are demanding more than ever from their bikes in terms of power and handling. The pinnacle of the performance-oriented Big Twin came in 2016 when The Motor Company released the Dyna Low Rider S. The S sports a Screamin’ Eagle 110ci engine, upgraded suspension, brakes, tires, badass SoCal styling, and a sporty riding position. Only offered in 2016 and 2017, the Low Rider S gave enthusiasts in a stock package what they had been spending big money on with their Dynas. And the S has electronic cruise control, the only Dyna ever so equipped. The 2020 Low Rider S looks to capitalize on the 2017’s success.

Sure, the used prices on these twin-shock masterpieces is high, hovering awfully close to the bike’s original MSRP at $17,499, so it’s hardly a deal. But the bike’s near future collectability allows today’s buyers to pick up super low mileage examples and hold on to them. If the 110ci engine doesn’t seem quite so big anymore, H-D makes a hard-hitting 117ci kit for them to keep you running with the fastest bikes out there today, not to mention the seemingly endless supply of handling and ergonomics options available in the aftermarket.

• Years Built: 2016–2017
• Engine: 110ci V-twin
• Price: $15,000–$17,500

2009–2010 CVO Fat Bob

Love the idea of a high-performance twin-shock Dyna but can’t stomach the cost of a Low Rider S? The CVO Fat Bob built in 2009 and 2010 has the same engine, lots of brakes, and decent suspension. Originally retailing for $25,299, the CVO Fat Bob has become a steal at the $10,000 to $12,000 range that it retails for now. Evan Kay of Motorcycle Cruiser said that the 114 pound-feet of torque was “to go! and to go in a hurry, rear tire squealing, engine racing, mothers covering their children’s eyes, and fathers looking at the ground in embarrassment at their shortcomings.”

To accompany that sort of power is the “in-your-face” styling and paint scheme. Nothing screams, let me lay this fat black line on the pavement, like a Yellow/Platinum gloss and blinding chrome. Whether or not the chrome CVO styling is for you is a personal choice, but the price range makes it a hell of a buy for the performance-minded cruiser rider.

• Years Built: 2009–2010
• Engine: 110ci V-twin
• Price $10,000–$12,000

1984–1999 Evo Softail

For the rider looking for the classic Harley experience who’s also not afraid to get his hands dirty, an Evolution-era Softail (1984 to 1999) has it all. Evo Softails exude the ultimate badass look, sound, and feel that one imagines when riding a Harley. These sub-$5,000 used bikes are readily available, but they will usually require some level of maintenance or reconditioning.

The good news is that OEM parts are still easily available, but the aftermarket also provides massive support for them. Most custom bikes built even to this day use an Evo-type powertrain and Softail-style frame making true H-D Softails a wonderful basis for a custom build. You can get all the custom look you desire but with a Harley VIN which makes registration and insurance a piece of cake.

Values abound between the numerous models produced in that 15-year run, with specific models like the 1990 Fat Boy, 1993 Heritage Nostalgia “Moo Glide,” and Springers fetching higher prices than the others. If you can find one, the first-year 1984 model with kickstarter is still reasonably priced considering the cool factor it comes with.

• Years Built: 1984–1999
• Engine: 80ci V-twin
• Price: $2,500–$7,000

2009–2013 Touring Models

Have you seen the sticker price lately on Harley’s flagship Touring models? Road Glide Limited and Ultra Limited both clock in at $28,000-plus, and although they’re great bikes, that price tag isn’t for everyone. So what’s the best way to get into a quality Touring model without breaking the bank? We must venture back to a time before in-fairing infotainment and single-handed saddlebag latches were made standard thanks to 2014′s Project Rushmore redesign.

Harley-Davidson had previously redesigned its Touring lineup in 2009 with a bigger, stronger frame, and more modern components. Varying paint schemes were available and things like electronic cruise control, 103-inch engine in later years, six-speed tranny, and ergonomic rider and passenger seating positions were all there. With the Rushmore redesign and then the release of the Milwaukee-Eight motor, the values on 2009 to 2013 baggers plummeted. But they were great long-haul bikes at the time, and they’re still great at it today!

Unlike Sportsters, which owners tend to put cheaper aftermarket products on, bagger owners aren’t usually afraid to spend money on quality parts and installation. $1,000-plus sound systems are not uncommon to find on these models nor are heavy-duty performance upgrades. Don’t let high miles scare you away, either. When maintained properly, 70,000 miles on the odometer means that the bike still has quite a bit of life left. Many times at that mileage level a top-end job or full motor replacement has already been done anyways. Keep an eye out for bikes with a 120R or 120ST motor dropped in at higher-mileage in lieu of rebuilding the stock motor.

• Years Built: 2009–2013
• Engine: 96–110ci V-twin
• Price: $9,000–$15,000

2007–2017 Heritage Softail Classic

Look at any Harley in dealership showrooms today. Which model looks closest to that first overhead-valve V-twin from 1936? You’re probably looking at a Heritage Classic. Its flowing, two-tone painted fenders, chrome trim, spoke wheels, and leather saddlebags look like something that was designed when Willie G. was an infant. Heritage Softail Classics are all-around good bikes, though not necessarily great at any one thing. They won’t perform like a Dyna, eat up miles like an Ultra Limited, or draw stares like some of its other Softail stablemates, and maybe that’s why they’re not quite as desirable in the current used Harley climate.

Heritage Softail Classics often appeal to buyers who want the quintessential Harley of their childhood dreams, can afford a brand-new one and don’t ride very much. By the time that Heritage is ready for its next owner, it still has low miles and has likely been serviced at its original dealer since new. It’s been regularly polished, never ridden in rain, and stored indoors on an H-D branded battery maintainer. The Heritage gets lost in the used market with buyers who favor the aforementioned Harley models, which has driven prices down on them recently to the point of other Softail models that cost much less originally.

Is the Heritage Softail Classic your kind of motorcycle? With a 96–103ci V-twin, original styling, six-speed transmission, cruise control on later models, ABS brakes, comfortable two-up capability, and plenty of storage for the medium-haul, if it’s not, it should be. The price point they’re sitting at today should just be the icing on the cake.

• Years Built: 2007–2017
• Engine: 96-103ci V-twin
• Price: $7,000–$12,000

The post The best Harley bikes to buy for cheap appeared first on Popular Science.

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The bikes of the MotoGP racing series are incredibly fast, exotic and expensive, putting them out of the reach of all but the talented few contracted to race them. But the second-tier Moto2 series is slightly more within reach, thanks in large part to its reliance on a spec engine provided by Triumph.

Triumph is using a version of that Moto2 engine to power its Daytona Moto2 765 Limited Edition bike, an impressive near-race bike which will be available in limited quantities of only 765 motorcycles for North American buyers (with another 765 for the rest of the world). According to the company, it’s the closest thing you can get to an actual race bike for the road.

The carbon fiber bodywork wraps a machine that is lighter than the previous-generation Daytona, though official curb weight is not yet available. The 128-horsepower, 59 lb.-ft. engine is in Triumph’s signature parallel three-cylinder configuration and revs to a race-ready 13,250 rpm. The engine sounds travel through a stainless steel exhaust that is finished with a lightweight titanium muffler to deliver an authentic Moto2 race soundtrack.

The Daytona’s engine benefits from direct technology transfer from its Moto2 counterpart, with new upgrades that include titanium intake valves, stronger pistons, MotoGP-spec diamond-like coating wrist pins, hotter camshaft profiles, and higher compression. Triumph has also modified the connecting rods, intake ports, crankshaft, and cylinder barrels.

The all-new 6-speed gearbox employs a range of optimized ratios that include a first gear derived directly from Moto2 experience, according to Triumph.

In racing style, the engine’s output is adjustable via the Daytona’s data system that is integrated into the full-color video instrument panel. Just to remind riders, this limited-edition ride starts up with its own unique Moto2 splash screen.

Once the computer has started, it lets riders select among five riding modes: Rain, Road, Rider Configurable, Sport and Track. These changes adjust the throttle map, traction control, and anti-lock braking to suit the conditions. It also includes Triumph Shift Assist, for speed clutchless up- and down-shifts. And, of course, there’s a built-in lap timer.

As for suspension, an inverted Ohlins 43mm fork offers adjustable spring pre-load, compression, and rebound damping on the front wheel. On the back, a twin-tube Ohlins monoshock with a piggyback external reservoir and adjustability for compression and rebound damping handles the shock absorption.

The compact, sculpted Brembo Stylema 4-piston radial-mounted monobloc front calipers squeeze 310mm rotors and are backed by switchable anti-lock braking control. The less-crucial rear is a single-piston caliper on a single, smaller 220mm rotor.

Triumph says the five-spoke 17-inch cast-aluminum wheels are the lightest in the Daytona’s class. They carry Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tires front and back, the tiremaker’s latest, highest-performing motorcycle rubber to deliver the expected performance of a race-replica bike.

The ingredients suggest that Triumph isn’t engaging in hyperbole when it says the new Daytona is the next-closest thing to a Moto2 race bike, but hopefully we’ll get the chance to see for ourselves.

The post Triumph’s Daytona Moto2 765 Limited packs pro racing tech into a street bike appeared first on Popular Science.

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The Indian FTR 1200 S is a fantastically fun contemporary bike that is good enough to challenge European rivals and drag Indian from the past to the future. That might sound like a steep task for a single new model, but with the FTR, Indian Motorcycle shows how it aims to change its place in the world.

Revitalized by the brand’s acquisition by Polaris in 2011, Indian has understandably played to its strengths, starting with a line of traditional air-cooled big V-twin cruisers catering to wealthy traditionalists. Yes, the “investment bikers” who cosplay on motorcycles during their free time. Then Indian went after beginners with the affordable, lightweight Scout family of compact, water-cooled V-twin machines.

The FTR 1200 S we tested represents the launch of a new fully contemporary product line directly targeting enthusiast riders who currently have traditionally favored the Ducati Monster, Triumph Speed Triple and BMW R nineT. Those are formidable machines, so challenging them is a daunting task. The FTR’s Ducati Monster-style steel tube trellis frame will make comparison shoppers feel right at home.

The FTR 1200 S is relentlessly comfortable and easy to ride despite its 120 horsepower and 85 lb.-ft. torque.

The clutch lever pull is light and it engages with the feedback needed to avoid embarrassing parking lot tip-overs. Spills from standing might be easier than expected with the FTR, however, because its flat track racing-inspired design has produced a seat as high as that of a knobby-tired dual-sport model with off-road pretensions. With a 32-inch inseam, I was left stretching my tip toes to the ground when stopped on the FTR. Anyone shorter would be left to try to flop to one side or the other.

The FTR’s transmission clicks into gear slick as a cocktail olive evading your toothpick. As easily as it snicks up and down through its range of six gears, it is the ability to intuitively hit Neutral when stopping that is its best feature in everyday riding. Where some bikes leaving you clunking the shifter back and forth between first and second gear, then releasing the clutch tentatively when the ‘N’ light glows because it doesn’t seem certain you’ve finally got it, the FTR feels like it slid into Neutral so positively that there’s barely need to double-check with the instrument panel to confirm.

This, along with the tractable, smooth power of the FTR’s 1,203 cc water-cooled 60-degree V-twin, make the 1200 S the most user-friendly bike I’ve ridden since the discontinued Triumph Sprint ST. But the FTR has a lot more power, style and charisma than the old Triumph sport tourer ever had, so its friendliness will never be misconstrued as blandness.

Instead, it is a true American sport bike, like Harley-Davidson’s Buell line was, but without the archaic engine, dubious styling and annoying rim-mounted front brake rotor that caused Buells to stand up when braking in corners.

In contrast, the FTR holds its line in turns no matter what is going on with the powerful, linear brakes. They provide a nice alternative to the grabbiness of Ducati brakes, which can be challenging to bleed just a touch of speed. It employs four-piston Brembo front calipers squeezing 320mm rotors in front and a two-piston rear Brembo with a 265mm rotor.

One puzzling unfriendly characteristic I noticed in my time on the FTR was its cold-start and idle problem. It would start right up, no problem. But then after idling for a little while, it would sometimes just stall for no reason. It did this only on cold starts, but “cold” in this situation means only that the bike hadn’t run yet that day; the ambient temperature was in the 70s. It never did this once the engine reached operating temperature.

There could be no doubt when this was achieved, because the placement of the radiator and the airflow through it cooks the rider, even in a warm climate. The radiator itself is no aesthetic triumph, and the exposed radiator cap jutting out on the right side is the worst aesthetic offender. Surely there are less clumsy alternatives to a radiator placement and design that neither flatters the otherwise handsome bike nor protects the rider from bathing in the heat it removes from the engine.

When cruising along the temperature is fine and life is good. It is an easy reach to the Texas longhorn-wide ProTaper handlebars that provide good leverage in turns and lend to the FTR’s flat track racing aesthetic. The footpegs are surprisingly high for a bike in this class, leaving the knees bent in the sportbike crouch even while the upper body is comfortably upright.

This points to the obvious possibility of mounting road race-style clip-on handlebars and replacing the 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels with 17-inch road race-sized wheels to create a sportier variant in the future.

Certainly the inverted 43mm cartridge fork, which is adjustable for preload, compression and rebound and the rear shock, which is also adjustable for those factors, seem plenty capable for serious back road corner carving. The FTR wears special flat track-inspired Dunlop DT3-R tires, which seem to work fine for a fashion-first tire design. But I’d love to ride this bike with some proper high-performance tires on it to see the difference, especially with 17-inch wheels.

The tested FTR 1200 S enjoys some hardware upgrades over the base 1200 model, including better suspension hardware and a 4.3-inch Ride Command LCD touchscreen display instrument panel in place of analog gauges. The distance-to-empty indicator on the display was especially helpful.

Our test bike also featured the optional Akrapovic slip-on mufflers, which provide a great exhaust tone without being excess volume.

The FTR test bike was painted to resemble Indian’s FTR 750 racebikes, which makes sense. The FTR 1200 S is a great-looking machine that attracts deserved compliments. But I found the retro-style Indian script lettering on the faux gas tank (it is really the airbox) out of step with the FTR’s contemporary mission. I realize that it is Indian’s logo, but modern lettering here would seem better-suited to the FTR’s purpose of expanding the brand’s appeal beyond the fringed leather chaps set.

The bill for all this FTR awesomeness comes to $16,999, which is right in line with the bike’s European rivals. It is nice to see such a modern, high-quality domestic challenger to the pantheon of established Europeans, so I hope the FTR 1200 S attracts the customers it deserves. I also look forward to seeing potential future variants, as Indian will surely expand from the two current versions to a whole family with the aforementioned clip-on handlebar sport bike or a high-exhaust scrambler model.

The FTR is by far my favorite Indian model and is absolutely on par with the likes of the Ducati Monster 1200 S for style and fun.

The post Indian’s FTR 1200 S motorcycle is everything a modern sport bike should be appeared first on Popular Science.

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Indian Motorcycle released its 2020 Thunder Stroke models with a host of new connected Ride Command features, an all-new Roadmaster Dark Horse, redesigned Springfield Dark Horse, Chieftain Elite, and the announcement that several models will come standard with a 116ci engine.

The updated Ride Command infotainment system maintains its original rider-friendly features like a 7-inch glove-touch screen but is now backed by a new quad-core processor to speed up access to the system. New connected services include traffic and weather overlays right on the map so riders can easily see what they’re heading toward and avoid it if possible. Intuitive destination search capabilities make programming the GPS easier, while improved customizable screen options let riders fine-tune the Ride Command display to their specific needs.

Indian’s torquey Thunder Stroke powertrain has become well-loved by riders over the years, and for 2020, Indian offers more of it by way of increased displacement. The Springfield Dark Horse, Chieftain, Chieftain Dark Horse, Chieftain Limited, Chieftain Elite, Roadmaster, and Roadmaster Dark Horse all get treated to a new 116ci air-cooled V-twin that puts out 126 pound-feet of torque, thanks in part to new high-flow cylinder heads.

New for 2020 is that Indian’s long-hauler Roadmaster gets the blacked-out Dark Horse treatment, which also includes a number of sportier components over the standard Roadmaster. A 19-inch front wheel, open front fender, and extended-reach gunfighter seat mated with a blacked-out powertrain and matte color options offer a new twist on the Roadmaster platform. Standard touring amenities include the new 116ci Thunder Stroke engine, heated grips, and a mid-adjustable windscreen.

The classic Springfield Dark Horse also receives some updates based on fan feedback from the Jack Daniel’s Limited Edition launched at Daytona Bike Week earlier this year. The now-standard 116ci Thunder Stroke engine is joined by a sporty Rogue seat and 12-inch mini-ape handlebar.

Indian’s premium motorcycle lineup gets a new edition by way of a Chieftain Elite which packs all the styling goodies of the other Elite models in the Chieftain platform. A PowerBand Audio Plus system with saddlebag and fairing speakers is 50-percent louder than the standard audio system. Other styling features include a two-tone Thunder Black Vivid Crystal over Wildfire Candy paint scheme with matching motor highlights and badging, precision machined elite wheels, pinnacle mirrors, select rider floorboards, and a flare windshield.

Additional changes to the Thunder Stroke family of motorcycles were also announced with the 2020 lineup. The Chief Dark Horse and Chief Vintage are getting treated to the Springfield chassis, which will provide improved handling and adjustable rear suspension. The Chief Dark Horse as well as the Springfield will also come standard with a 17-inch front wheel for improved stability. The Roadmaster gets a redesigned, lighter trunk rack which lowers the bike’s center of gravity and improves rider confidence.

Indian also announced a host of new accessories available for 2020 that include performance components that produce up to 20-percent more horsepower than the stock Thunder Stroke 111. New passenger accessories are also available like low-vibration floorboard pads and a sissy bar.

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This story originally published on Motorcyclist.

So you’ve passed your motorcycle training course, you’ve got your license and some new riding kit; now it’s time to find the perfect ride. It’s a bike you’ll always remember, so better make it a good one. While there are plenty of excellent new options on the showroom floor, the used market is flush with bikes that will keep you in your comfort zone without screaming newb. In fact, the bikes we’ve listed below are just plain cool, regardless of how long you’ve been in the saddle.

There are more risks when you’re buying a used cycle, so do your homework and bring along a more experienced friend before dropping your cash. Expect that most used bikes will need a bit of love, like a new set of tires and a chain adjustment, but some will need special attention from a professional mechanic (we’re looking at you, Ducati).

While these picks are all relatively unintimidating, they aren’t the smallest capacity bikes on the market either, so you’ll be able to get a lot of mileage out of them. They’ll still be exciting even after you outgrow the “beginner” label.

Honda Hawk GT

A true cult classic that appeals to beginners and to connoisseurs who’ve been riding for decades. With its torquey V-twin engine and trick single-sided swingarm derived from Honda’s legendary RC30 superbike, the Hawk was undoubtedly ahead of its time. It wasn’t until 1993 that Ducati introduced the Monster, the sporty naked that launched a revolution. Today, it’s a bike that says you’re in the know.

Years built: 1988–1991 Engine: 647cc V-twin Expect to Pay: $2,000–$3,000

Triumph Bonneville

If there’s one bike more representative of timeless cool than the Triumph Bonneville, we don’t know it. The ’60s Bonnie was a favorite of icons like Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. Need we say more. The new Bonneville, introduced in 2001, is big on ’60s style, but does more than just play to our nostalgia. It’s a fun, reliable, and straightforward motorcycle that gets to the heart of what we love about two wheels. In 2007, all models were boosted from 790cc to 865cc, and in 2009 received fuel injection.

Years Built: 2001–current Engine: 790cc–865cc (through 2015) parallel twin Expect to pay: $1,500 and up

Ducati Monster 600

If you’ve got the Ducati bug, nothing else will do. We know how it goes. Whether you snatch up a 600, 620, 695, 696, etc. the smaller Monsters have the goods: steel trellis frame, air-cooled desmodromic L-twin engine, and attitude to spare. The baby Monsters retain the purposeful feel and characteristic charm of the breed, but without the intimidating power and torque of their big brothers, which is great for new riders.

Years built: 2001­–current Engine: 600(ish)cc desmodromic L-twin Expect to pay: $3,000–$8,000

Kawasaki W650

Two years before Triumph introduced its updated take on the Bonneville, Kawasaki gave us a retro that some feel is more true to the spirit of a ’60s roadster than the Triumph, badge on the tank notwithstanding. Nice touches on the W650 like a kickstarter (in addition to its electric starter) and bevel-driven overhead cams put you in the mood without the oil leaks and temperamental electronics of the real thing. Japanese reliability meets British charm.

Years Built: 1999–2007 Engine: 676cc parallel twin Expect to pay: $4,000–$6,000

Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster

Harley-Davidson has been making a version of the Sportster since 1957. It’s a logical entry into the American/cruiser/custom scene, and its peanut tank and low-slung look are iconic. Starting in 1986, the Sportster got a new Evolution engine and received a host of updates in 2004, including a rubber-mounted engine for reduced vibration. Add a set of drag bars and tape-wrapped open pipes and the 883 will look and sound as badass as anything on the street.

Years built: 1957–current Engine: 883cc V-twin Expect to pay: $3,000–$7,000

BMW F650GS or G650GS

Some of us personify the adventuring spirit more than others, and the BMW F650GS or G650GS will both scratch that itch. The F series began life as a single cylinder, but since 2010 has used a larger-capacity parallel twin. Even with its relatively long-travel suspension and larger tires to keep handling sure when the pavement ends, the Beemer is a great choice for shorter riders. It’s even available with a revised rear shock and seat to lower the height as much as 2 inches.

Years built: 1997–current Engine: 652 cc single, 798cc parallel twin (starting in 2010) Expect to pay: $3,000–$4,000

Suzuki SV650

The reason Suzuki brought us a new version for 2017 is because the original is so damned good. The term “UJM” (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) is usually sort of derogatory, but we’d apply it to the SV because its appeal and acclaim is universal. From commuters who bungee their lunches to the pillion seat, to racers who upgrade the suspension for trackday bliss, the SV is a sure-fire hit for a motorcyclist, no matter their skill level. It’s the kind of bike that’s likely to end up in any enthusiast’s garage at one time or another.

Years built: 1999–2008 Engine: 645cc 90-degree V-twin Expect to pay: $1,600 and up

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This story was originally published on Cycleworld.com.

Like many, I was shocked back in 2014 when Harley-Davidson, perhaps the most tradition-steeped motorcycle manufacturer on the planet, unveiled a prototype electric motorcycle with intent to bring a whisper-quiet hog to market. It was a bold step for a brand with legions of devoted disciples baptized in gas, oil, and ink. But the 2020 Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle is here, on schedule for an early fall 2019 delivery to 150 participating North American Harley-Davidson dealerships. I recently rode at the platform’s international press ride staged in Portland, Oregon, which marked the culmination of a near-decade-long development program.

Why electric, why now? “The barriers to entry are much lower than traditional product,” Harley-Davidson President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Levatich said at the event. “We can get people on an EV motorcycle and get them up the learning curve of full enjoyment much quicker. Then participation follows and investment in learning how to ride traditional motorcycles follows, once you catch the fever.”

Levatich then added, “We see EV as a very important catalyst. It is part of our new product investment, but not all of our new product investment. We are continuing to invest in great traditional Harley-Davidson motorcycles. We aim to lead in the electrification of this sport. This is part of the future of Harley-Davidson and we’re investing to lead in it.”

The LiveWire is meant to be a “halo” electric motorcycle product to showcase the potential of the technology, and at $29,799 it is priced as such. LiveWire is not likely nor even expected to sell in great numbers, but it declares the company’s commitment to new avenues of product growth and increasing ridership, while setting the stage for more affordable and varied Harley-Davidson electric models currently in the works.

But those are for the future. Right now it’s time for my first ride on the production 2020 Harley-Davidson LiveWire motorcycle. Approaching the bike for the first time, I dig the bike’s contemporary no-nonsense styling and sport-standard stance. And to my eye the LiveWire successfully conveys a genuine Harley visual feel, with a touch of XR and Buell Lightning influence. Fit, finish, and materials are of premium quality, as are the sourced chassis components such as the fully adjustable Showa Separate Function Big Piston fork and Balance Free Rear Cushion-lite shock. A six-axis Bosch IMU delivers state-of-the-art TC and ABS cornering bank-angle logic, while the pair of radial-mount Brembo Monoblock front calipers and braided-steel brake lines will stop you in your tracks.

At the core of the bike reside lithium-ion battery cells encased in a cast-aluminum housing featuring stylistic/functional heat sink battery cooling fins. Harley calls this an RESS, or Rechargeable Energy Storage System, that energizes the H-D Revelation permanent-magnet electric motor beneath. The RESS battery carries a 5-year warranty with a 10-year projected service life and is said to be a modular design allowing for future upgrades as storage technology advances. Claimed output of the Revelation powertrain is 105 hp and 86 pound-feet of torque, with range rated at a formidable 146 miles in the city and 70 miles at 70 mph during sustained highway use.

I gained a sense of the bike’s 549-pound curb weight as it took some effort to lift off the sidestand, but its 30.7-inch seat height and my 5-foot-10-inch frame allow solid footing at stops for an easy balance (there’s also a 1-inch-lower “slammed” accessory saddle available).

A proximity fob allows power-up by simply pressing a rocker switch located on the right grip. Boot-up is quick, with the default display appearing on the 4.3-inch TFT touchscreen dash following an H-D logo splash screen. Much of the provided info is familiar: odometer, dual tripmeters, digital clock, and a “Raise Side Stand” warning you can’t possibly miss. Although there’s no tachometer since it’s not of much use on a single-speed vehicle, there’s an optional speedometer display with an analog-dial appearance.

A pair of vertical light bars bracket the instrument cluster, and when lit, yellow indicates standby mode and twisting the throttle has no effect in this state. Arming the drivetrain requires thumbing an adjacent toggle, and once the lights change to green, it’s go time.

With Road ride mode selected (Sport, Rain, and Range are other options), a slight twist of throttle sets the bike into motion. The connection between the throttle and rear tire is very refined, delivering a communicative sense of control I immediately felt navigating between parked bikes at walking pace. The combination of intuitive throttle response, no clutch or gearbox to manage, and generous steering lock makes parking-lot maneuvering remarkably easy.

A bit more throttle input effortlessly whizzes the bike smoothly into the urban traffic flow. With no engine vibration or exhaust noise, the LiveWire wakes one’s senses differently from any Harley I’ve ridden. The soft chorus of tire noise and a signature whine emanating from its spiral bevel gear primary drive fill my ears until 50 mph when the wind smoothly rushing past my full-face-helmet then dominates the soundtrack.

Quietly squirting from one traffic signal to the next, our pack of bikers still drew attention from curious curbside pedestrians. Listen up Portlandia, the Stealth Riders MC is on the discharge! Well into our ride on this mild midsummer day I noted an absence of heat radiating from the powertrain—a riding revelation in itself. All was not bliss, however, as sharp-edged bumps riddling Portland streets delivered a dental-jarring ride even with the suspension dialed to a softer setting than standard.

Once free of in-town traffic, the pace picked up and the ride smoothed out. I gave the cruise control a go, finding its function seamless as a rheostat. It also provides a convenient dash notification of your set target speed when disabled, which is accomplished by applying brake or rolling the throttle forward beyond the closed position.

Roll-on acceleration at highway speed is impressive and the LiveWire pulls steady and strong through 100 mph. But even that pales to the thrill of blasting away from a standing start with the throttle pinned. Using a Vbox datalogger I verified Harley’s claim of 0-60 mph in three seconds to be an honest performance metric. While I’ve tested gas-powered performance bikes that are quicker out of the hole, none are as easily repeatable—and without clutch-abuse concerns.

The taut ride felt communicative and planted when whistling along winding roads outside the city limits. Steering was responsive and neutral, requiring light bar input to initiate turn-in and holding my chosen line with slot-car precision.

Encountering damp patches on a stretch through the forest proved just the environment to put the LiveWire rider aids to test. Harley-Davidson’s Reflex Defensive Rider Systems is the combination of TC, cornering ABS, Rear-wheel Lift Mitigation, and Drag-Torque Slip Control, the latter of which prevents rear wheel lock during regenerative braking. Even with a custom ride mode set to maximum power, throttle response, and regeneration, I was hard pressed to get the bike out of shape on corner entry or exit riding at a fairly quick street pace. I met a delivery truck crowding my lane while entering a damp downhill corner, and my trust in the cornering ABS allowed the LiveWire to slow up with room to spare.

Touchscreen functionality (only available while at a standstill) allows easy navigation of submenus offering customization of various dash elements and ride mode parameters, while thumb-operated dual mini joysticks located on the bar must be used when the bike is under way.

A bar-mounted mode switch allows on-the-fly selection of the factory-set ride modes, each offering hard-coded levels for peak power, throttle response, regeneration (engine-braking that puts charge back into the RESS during deceleration), and TC sensitivity. A trio of customizable presets allows for user-defined levels for those very same parameters.

A bar graph spans the bottom of the instrument display, providing a visual indication of battery charge level with percentage remaining listed to the left and miles of estimated range to the right. The range figure is a dynamic calculation based on recent power demand, a feature I found myself monitoring frequently while riding. Panel tilt angle is adjustable and the auto-brightness level makes it all easily readable in direct sunlight. Although I wasn’t able to toy with it, Bluetooth pairing a smartphone running the Harley-Davidson App integrates turn-by-turn navigation, music, and call information to the dash display.

At the completion of the 65-mile test loop my bike’s dash showed 23-percent charge and 19 miles of range remaining. Considering that energy conservation wasn’t a concern during the ride, Harley’s claim of 95-mile combined city/highway range seems very plausible. Range and charge time remain very important factors in EV ownership.

The supplied Level 1 charging cable that comes with the bike (and can be carried under the seat) plugs into any 120-volt household outlet and is said to require 12.5 hours to fully charge a depleted battery. While that may be fine if you have all night, for those on the go the LiveWire also supports DC Fast Charge which cuts that time to 1 hour. DCFC stations are cropping up at a fast-growing rate and the Harley-Davidson App will guide you to them. LiveWire owners will receive 500 kWh free charging at Electrify America DCFC stations. Better still, every H-D dealership that sells the LiveWire is required to install a DCFC station and provide LiveWire owners two years of unlimited use free of charge. That adds up to a pretty enticing incentive and clever thinking on Harley’s part.

Top it up with Edison while I kill time checking out those new Sportsters and Softails.

2020 Harley-Davidson LiveWire Specifications

The post First ride: Harley-Davidson’s new all-electric motorcycle appeared first on Popular Science.

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Your owner’s manual likely recommends a 600-, 1,000-, or even a 1,500-mile break-in process where you limit throttle angle and revs, and constantly vary engine speed so that all those new internal components can get to know each other. For a new-bike owner, it’s a slow, grueling march toward your first service. But do you need to bother with all those baby steps? There are riders who claim a gentle break-in is a waste of time and that you’re better off riding it like you stole it from the second you leave the lot. So, which is it?

Your new engine’s internals have microscopically rough surfaces that need to rub against their counterparts to bed-in, and that happens during the first miles of use. Once the components are polished smooth by wear, there’s less friction, better sealing, and you’re ensured good power, fuel economy, and reliability.

There are a lot of sliding and rotating parts within an engine, but what everyone gets riled up about when discussing engine break-in is the seal between the piston rings and cylinder walls. And rightfully so. Ring seal is the key condition that’s going to affect performance and longevity.

Our Test

We rebuilt two used Honda CB300F engines with new top-end parts and broke them in differently over the course of 1,000 miles.

We installed the first engine and followed the factory break-in procedure per the manual, which meant painstakingly limiting and varying throttle, and slowly ratcheting up the revs. We gave the second engine a few moments to warm up before subjecting it to plenty of hard acceleration and heavy use.

RELATED: How well does Tesla’s autopilot detect lane-splitting motorcycles?

The Results

There was hardly a discernible difference between the two engines once we tore them down. The compression and leakdown numbers were stellar and identical on both motors (235 psi and 4 percent, respectively), and all the measurements of the internal parts, including the piston diameter, cylinder diameter, piston-ring end gap, and valve clearances, were all within spec and in line with each other. The only real difference was that the ring end gap was a few ten-thousandths of an inch wider on the second engine.

The Conclusion

Was this a scientific and comprehensive test? Hardly. We had a sample size of two and only subjected the engine parts to the most fundamental mechanical analysis. But our test revealed that—for this particular engine—there doesn’t appear to be a night-and-day distinction between break-in methods.

That being said, taking it easy with a new bike is still a good idea. Even if your motor doesn’t technically need a stringent break-in, there are lots of good reasons to give yourself and your bike a day or two of gentle riding to shake things out. You need to scrub-in those new tires, bed-in the brakes, and get familiar with how your new bike turns, handles, shifts, and stops. But at least you’ll know that you aren’t causing any harm by opening up the throttle on the way home.

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This article was originally published on Cycle World.

Single-shock rear suspensions are near-universal today. Traditional twin-shock setups are still seen, but exist mainly for reasons of retro style. When the era of longer rear-suspension travel arrived in 1974, it made the best sense to implement it with a single-suspension unit.

Why have suspension at all? For decades, American motorcycles had rigid frames—no rear suspension. But as highways improved and speeds rose, rear suspension became necessary to provide chassis stability. Letting just the sprung wheel ride up and down over bumps saved the rider and chassis from their disturbance.

The rear shock provides two basic functions: Supporting the weight of the rear of the bike with a bump-softening spring, and controlling any up-and-down oscillations of the suspension by providing damping. Damping is a controlled friction force that drains energy out of unwanted suspension motions, such as the bouncing that would otherwise continue after every bump.

In the early days, dampers worked by dry friction, but their stick-slip motion was jerky. Modern dampers are smoothly supple because they consist of an oil-filled cylinder and movable piston linked to the suspension. The suspension motion drives the piston, which pumps oil back and forth through restrictive orifices. This converts the energy of suspension motion into the energy of fast-moving jets of damping fluid—energy dissipated as heat. The warmth of a rear shock in use is the energy taken from suspension movement.

As the damper piston moves, pressure ahead of it is high but the low pressure behind it can pull the damper oil apart, or cavitate it. To prevent impacts as cavitated regions collapse, damper oil is pressurized by gas behind an accumulator piston—whose cylinder is the “pistol grip” of today’s most common damper design.

RELATED: What every rider needs to know about their motorcycle carburetor

A simple fixed damping orifice, sized to be workable at low speed, quickly becomes harsh or even rigid as road speed and damper-piston velocity increase. This is because the pressure required to push fluid through a fixed orifice rises as the square of speed. What this means is that if a given orifice provides appropriate damping at a 3-mph walking pace, at double that speed, damping force will be four times greater, and at 60 mph, the damper would become rigid. This steep increase in damping force is called “orifice limitation.”

To avoid orifice limitation, variable orifices were invented, orifices which became larger as the pressure across them increased. One simple approach was to drill a number of holes through the damper piston, cover them with a thin washer, and back that washer with a spring. As the piston moved faster through the fluid, rising fluid pressure would lift the washer more and more against its spring, slowing the rate at which damping force increased with piston velocity. Variable orifices allowed damping force to be kept roughly proportional to piston velocity.

The most often-used scheme today uses the steel washer itself—covering holes through the piston or valve body—as the spring. It is clamped at its ID or OD, and the pressure of fluid driven by the damper’s piston deflects the washer into a slightly conical shape, allowing the flow to emerge from under the washer’s free edge. By stacking sequences of other washers and spacers onto this washer, a wide variety of curves of damping-force-to-velocity can be created. This is the all-important washer stack, also sometimes called a shim stack, so often referred to in suspension setup.

Damping force must be set in proportion to shock-spring stiffness. Otherwise, a stiff spring overpowers weak damping or vice-versa.

The two directions of suspension movement are: compression, as a bump lifts a wheel, and rebound occurring as suspension extends after the bump. For many years, dampers provided almost no damping force on compression because an orifice-limited compression valve could so easily kick a bike upward on hitting a bump, reducing tire grip as the bump passed. When engineers learned to “plateau” compression damping after 1978, it became less upsetting and actually useful.

For many years the rebound washer stack was located on the damper piston while the compression stack controlled flow into the accumulator—which used to be mounted remotely, at the end of a flexible hose. The flow controlling compression was just the small fluid volume displaced by the damper rod as it entered the cylinder. Today it is usual for the piston to be solid and to push nearly equal compression and rebound fluid volumes back and forth through washer stacks mounted outside the cylinder (as with this Öhlins TTX shock pictured), making adjustment and service easier. Over time, the flow passages through the damping elements have become ever-more streamlined.

The damping adjusters we call “clickers” typically adjust only low-speed damping; when we say “low-speed” this refers to how fast the shock is being compressed or extended, not the speed of the motorcycle. Altering damping at higher speeds requires altering the washer stacks.

Because damping slows suspension movement, it is a compromise: enough to suppress suspension oscillations but interfering as little as possible with wheel movement.

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Worldwide shipments of smartphones reached 1.5 billion units in 2017, from 680 million units sold in 2012. Statistics show that more than 28 percent of the world’s population owned a smart device in 2016, expected to increase to 37 percent by 2020. TechCrunch reported in mid-July that Apple’s App Store continues to outpace Google Play on revenue, with $22.6 billion in worldwide gross app revenue on the App Store versus $11.8 billion for Google Play, or 1.9 times more spent with Apple compared to Google. And now developers are introducing devices to make motorcycles smarter as well.

How The Rever RLink Works

Once you’ve installed the GPS tracker’s three-wire harness to your battery, and synced it with the Rever app, if someone touches your bike, starts it, or moves it you get notified on your smartphone. You can also check your battery level and, coming soon, other diagnostics in real-time. RLink also helps authorities track your bike anywhere in the world if it gets stolen by sharing a map pin.

On the less serious, non-security side, the $299.99 RLink (or $259.99 for Rever users) also allows you to automatically track your rides to share with friends later, or provide family and friends with live tracking in a new feature coming soon. Data nerds will also appreciate the ability to automatically track and save all of their rides and riding stats, such as speed and distance to their own private cloud, provided by Rever as part of its monthly membership plan. Subscriptions range from $10.99 monthly for a two-year plan, to $14.99 monthly.

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This article was originally published on Cycle World

In times past, a walk along Daytona’s pit lane during practice was a feast for the eyes, and one of the major attractions was the lightweight magnesium parts on factory bikes. My own home-built Kawasaki H2-R 750 had only the prosaic gray cast-aluminum ignition and primary gear covers carried over from the 1970–’71 500cc Triple. But on the factory bikes, those parts were finished with the gold chromic-acid process sometimes called Dow 19. Lovely because: unavailable, exotic, wonderful. In 1976, when Yamaha brought its four-cylinder monoshock 0W-31 you-can’t-have-it version of the TZ750 to Daytona, its magnesium Powerjet carburetors were a strange, almost furry brown color—maybe the dichromate process. Other processes are used to provide a base for paint, as seen on the black clutch cover and clutch-release lever of production TZ750s.

These parts were not given these special finishes to make privateers feel bad. They were a necessity because magnesium, a highly reactive metal, is particularly vulnerable to corrosion. (I have an oil pump from an aircraft engine that is encased in what looks like chalk, but it is actually severely corroded mag.)

Magnesium is attractive for use on racing machines because of its low density of 1.8—this means that a given volume of this metal weighs only 1.8 times more than an equal volume of water. Iron and steel each have a density of 7.8 and aluminum has a density of 2.8, so the desirability of mag is understandable. We have all seen the auto industry’s shift to special plastics for things such as intake manifolds and radiator-header tanks. As with mag, the goal is weight saving—but plastics give immunity to corrosion.

Light weight usually brings a downside, and in this case it is magnesium’s low stiffness, given as its Young’s modulus: a measure of the ability of a material to withstand changes in length when under tension or compression. For steel, this modulus is roughly 30 million, but for magnesium it is only 1/5 as much. Contrast this with super-exotic beryllium, whose density is the same as magnesium’s but whose Young’s modulus is almost 44 million—stiffer than steel. Life is compromise—beryllium is expensive and inhaling Be chips or dust gives you berylliosis, or metal poisoning.

Worse yet is magnesium’s behavior under stress at even moderately elevated temperatures (above 200 degrees F)—its creep resistance. This is the one that causes many engineers to regard mag as “butter.” Velocette motorcycles’ racing engineer in the 1930s, Harold Willis, called it “trouble metal.” When magnesium-wheel pioneer Elliot Morris sought up-to-date info on mag alloys from a friend at Lockheed, he was told, “We don’t even mess with that awful metal anymore—today we have engines that can lift anything.”

Yet magnesium’s ability to adjust to applied stress recommended it to Bud Aksland, who worked with Kenny Roberts on many racing projects over decades. He said he preferred magnesium crankcases to aluminum.

When Honda put aside the unsuccessful oval-piston four-stroke V-4 NR500 and fielded its NS3 two-stroke Triple in its place, Freddie Spencer brought them a 500 world title in its second year. Its mag crankcases slowly deformed in service but could be restored to original dimension one time by a re-machining at 372 miles of service. That was the plan, but Spencer’s high-rev downshifts and lower-gear over-revving meant that his pounded-out crankcases were “same as scrap” at 372 miles.

This explains why, in general, magnesium appears on racing motorcycles today mainly as wheels, case covers, and as small, fiddly castings. Some have predicted that we might see more magnesium on bikes in the future because the auto industry—always seeking to cut weight as a means of hitting CAFE fuel-consumption numbers—has funded development of improved mag alloys for such things as seat frames.

When Elliot Morris first released his seven-spoke bike mags in 1973, he urged users to have the wheels annually stripped and crack-checked by dye penetrant. A dye is applied to surfaces. Wherever there is a crack, the dye enters it. When the wheel is then solvent cleaned and lightly coated with an absorbent white chalk, the cracks are revealed as colored lines of dye, soaking out into the chalk coating. Today, many racing mag wheels are forged, greatly improving the material’s fatigue strength. The forging of wheels has allowed safe use of more slender spokes, because many riders prefer the performance of “softer,” more flexible wheels—on both pavement and dirt.

Experiments have been conducted with magnesium pistons and air-cooled cylinders but without success. Volkswagen famously used magnesium-aluminum alloys for the crankcase of the Beetle’s flat-four engine.

A major consequence of magnesium’s reactivity is that chips or thin sections can be ignited readily in air to burn with an intense white light. As I machined brake-disc carriers from magnesium plate one June day in 1978, a dulled tool ignited chips on the lathe by friction, producing a blaze that came close to setting my shop on fire. If you must machine magnesium, use only very sharp cutting tools and do not allow chips to accumulate!

Years later I would tour the Marchesini mag-wheel plant at Brembo and see the elaborate precautions taken there in the handling of magnesium chips.

Anyone remember the photo flash bulbs of years ago? A plastic-coated glass bulb enclosed a tangle of magnesium “wool” in oxygen. Ignited electrically, this gave a brilliant pulse of light.

An all too common fate of engines on the World War II Boeing B-29 bomber was the induction fire—ignition of the compressed mixture in the intake system by backfiring. If this ignited the magnesium supercharger-diffuser casting, the crew of 11 had 30 to 60 seconds to jump before the intense fire, blowing back against the aluminum main-wing spar, caused the wing to fold. Historians have often claimed that B-29 engine crankcases were magnesium: This is incorrect—in fact they were forged steel.

If you are a student of transportation history, you might have seen mention of light alloys called “Elektron,” used in zeppelin frames and historic racing cars. These were typically 90 percent magnesium, 9 percent aluminum, and 1percent other.

As well as being light in weight, magnesium casts and machines nicely, making it attractive for a variety of applications.

The post Why so many racing machines rely on this ‘trouble metal’ appeared first on Popular Science.

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Motorcycle weather is back, so pick your bike, get your license, and brush up on these common motorcycle terms.

Air-Cooled: Engines that transfer their excess heat directly to the air via cooling fins. You also see these on lawnmower engines.

Ape Hangers: Tall handlebars that require the rider to reach up, like a monkey hanging from a branch. Commonly used on Choppers.

Bikini Fairing: Small plastic wind deflector surrounding the headlight, usually with a small clear windshield on top. Commonly used on Café Racers.

Beanie Helmet: Minimal half-shell style helmet that sits on the head like a beanie. Popular with Cruiser and Chopper riders.

Belt Drive: A rubber belt that transfers power from the transmission’s output shaft to the rear wheel. Commonly used by Harley-Davidson, they are quiet and require no lubrication, but they are wider than a chain.

Bobber: A custom motorcycle with the rear fender “bobbed” off and usually with no passenger seat. They exhibit a minimalist design aesthetic.

Boxer: An engine with horizontally opposed cylinders, typically a traditional BMW, which has one cylinder sticking out from each side of the motorcycle.

Café Racer: Sporty motorcycles with low handlebars and other race-inspired modifications. Named for the British enthusiasts who were said to race their bikes from one café to the next.

Caliper: The brake component that houses sliding pistons which squeeze brake pads against the spinning brake rotors to stop the motorcycle.

Center Stand: A large stand mounted beneath the motorcycle’s frame that can swing out to lift the rear wheel off the ground, leaving the motorcycle level when parked. BMW riders with Boxer engines usually prefer these to the side-leaning side stands, because it prevents oil from running into the engine’s cylinder head on the downhill side while parked. It is helpful for when adjusting or lubricating the chain on chain-drive motorcycles.

Chain Drive: A simple chain connecting a small sprocket on the transmission’s output shaft to a larger sprocket mounted to the rear wheel hub to transfer power. It is similar to a bicycle’s drive chain.

Chopper: A motorcycle that has been modified with extended forks and has the steering head angle flattened to push the front wheel out far ahead of the rest of the bike. Choppers were a fad in the 1970s that was revived circa 2000 on the popularity of reality bike-building television shows like American Chopper and Monster Garage.

Clip Ons: Short individual handlebars for each side of the motorcycle that bolt directly to the fork tubes. Typically used on race bikes and racing-style sport bikes.

Cruiser: A motorcycle with a laid-back riding position created by tall handlebars, footpegs that mounted toward the front on the bike and usually a low seat.

Counter Steer: Pushing away on the handlebar that is on the side the rider wants the motorcycle to turn. Motorcycles don’t steer like cars at speeds above a couple miles per hour. Instead, the rider steers the front wheel away from the intended direction to initiate the turn by causing the bike to lean in the direction of the turn.

Drag Bars: Short, straight handlebars of the sort that are commonly used by drag racing motorcycles. Very similar in appearance to mountain bike handlebars.

Dual-Purpose: An off-road motorcycle that is also road-legal thanks to lights, horn, license plate and road-legal tires.

Dual Shocks: Traditional motorcycle configuration with one shock absorber and spring assembly mounted on each side of the frame to support the bike’s weight and control the motion of the rear suspension’s swing arm.

Faceshield: The clear protective shield on the front of a helmet that protects the rider from bug, gravel and other road debris.

Fairing: The plastic bodywork that protects the rider from the wind, and on sport or racing motorcycles, provides aerodynamic streamlining for higher speeds.

Footpeg: The short pegs protruding from each side of the frame for the rider and passenger to rest their feet.

Fork: The sliding telescopic tubes containing springs and hydraulic dampers that mount the front wheel to the motorcycle’s frame and provide suspension.

Full Face Helmet: A helmet with a chin bar and faceshield providing increased crash and weather protection.

Handgrip: The rubber grip on the ends of the handlebars.

Hardtail: A motorcycle that mounts the rear wheel directly to the frame with no sprung suspension. It is like most bicycles.

Helmet Hair: Matted hair that results from wearing a helmet.

High Side: When a sliding motorcycle regains traction it can catapult the rider off the opposite direction it was leaning.

Inline Four: An engine with four cylinders in a line, a layout that made its high-volume production debut with the 1969 Honda CB750 and quickly became ubiquitous (See UJM).

Kickstarter: No, this isn’t for raising money online. This is a flip-out lever from the transmission that lets the rider manually spin the engine to start it. It should really be called a jump starter, because the motion is one where the rider jumps up to bring weight back down onto the kickstarter, rather than actually using leg muscles to try to turn the engine.

Lane Splitting: Riding between lanes of stopped or slow-moving cars in places like California where this is the legal way to escape soul-crushing traffic delays.

Low Side: When a sliding motorcycle loses all traction and simply falls down in the direction it is leaning.

Master Cylinder: The hydraulic cylinders connected to the brake and clutch levers that send pressure to the brake calipers or clutch slave cylinder to actuate them.

Master Link: The removable link in the drive chain that permits the chain to be removed for service or replacement.

Open Face Helmet: A full-coverage helmet that lacks a chin bar and may or may not have a faceshield attached.

Overhead Cam: A camshaft mounted over the engine’s cylinder head that can press the valves open directly rather than indirectly using a pushrod. There is less reciprocating mass in an overhead cam valvetrain, so it can operate at higher engine speeds, permitting higher peak power in high-performance engines.

Parallel Twin: A twin-cylinder engine with the cylinders paired side-by-side. This is less expensive and more compact than a V-twin arrangement, but they aren’t balanced as well and are prone to shaking.

Pipe: Short for exhaust pipe, especially an aftermarket exhaust system added for higher performance.

Pushrod Engine: An engine whose camshaft mounts low in the engine. It activates the valves in the head by means of pushrods. These engines can be less expensive and more compact that overhead cam engines, at the expense of peak horsepower.

Rat Bike: A battered-looking motorcycle that wears its heavy use on its sleeve. Sometimes these are curated for effect, other times just the natural result of daily riding on a budget.

Rotor: The spinning brake disc that the brake caliper clamps to stop the bike.

Scrambler: An off-road-inspired motorcycle that is usually ridden on-road. These have a high-mounted exhaust and muffler and knobby tires, though they are usually for effect rather than practicality in most riders’ usage.

Shaft Drive: Some motorcycles, especially BMWs and long-distance touring bikes employ shaft drive in place of a chain or belt because of their durability. A down side is the “shaft effect” which causes the rear suspension to raise the bike when the throttle is opened and causes it to crouch lower when the throttle is closed. This can be offset by more complex rear suspension designs like BMW’s Paralever.

Side Stand: A bicycle-style kickstand that the motorcycle can lean against when parked.

Single Shock: A single rear spring and shock absorber assembly in place of the traditional dual-spring setup. It can have a longer suspension travel and benefits from the possibility of a rising-rate linkage that makes the shock dampening more effective.

Slip Ons: Higher-performance aftermarket mufflers that slip on to the factory exhaust header rather than replacing the entire exhaust system. This is usually more cost effective than a complete system, but it doesn’t maximize the potential weigh savings or power gains of a complete system.

Sport Bike: A race-inspired street-legal motorcycle, usually indicated by aerodynamic plastic fairings and windshield. These bikes have more powerful engines, better brakes and better steering than other styles, often with the compromise of a less-comfortable forward-leaning riding position that puts weight on the rider’s wrists.

Standard: A traditionally styled motorcycle with a comfortable flat seat, sensible handlebars that the rider can reach easily and footpegs directly beneath the rider to let the legs support some weight. These don’t follow any of the styling fads that come and go.

Steering Head: The pivot at the front of the frame where the fork attaches. Its angle determines the bike’s steering characteristics.

Stoppie: A hard application of the front brake that a skilled rider can employ to balance the bike on its front wheel.

Streetfighter: A sport bike with little or no bodywork. These evolved from conventional sportbikes whose riders had inflicted costly bodywork damage to otherwise rideable machines. Their solution was to put them back into service minus the damaged plastic, spawning a new design trend.

Swingarm: The moveable rear suspension component that mounts the rear wheel. Its movement is controlled by the spring and shock absorber(s).

Swingarm Stand: A separate stand for lifting a motorcycle’s rear wheel by a lever that is not mounted on the bike, but is kept in the shop. Also called a Paddock Stand, for its use on race bikes in the track paddock area.

Target Fixation: Riders’ inclination to focus on an obstacle and ride into it rather than avoiding it.

Touring Bike: Large, heavy, expensive motorcycles that are built for long-distance travel. They include obvious components like cushy seats, large-capacity fuel tanks, abundant wind protection and built-in luggage. Less-obvious details often include things like radios or reverse gear for backing these heavy machines out of parking spaces.

Twist Grip: The right handgrip controls engine speed by twisting it.

UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle): When the inline-four-cylinder standard motorcycle from Japan, cast in the mold of the Honda CB750, became commonplace in the 1970s, they were referred to as Universal Japanese Motorcycles. They were considered uncool at the time.

Unitized Transmission: When the motorcycle’s engine and transmission are built together, using shared oil. This is smaller and lighter than separate units, as used on larger-displacement Harley-Davidson models.

V-Twin: A twin-cylinder engine with the cylinders arranged at a v-shaped angle. This is most typical for Harley-Davidson, but other manufacturers like Ducati and Moto Guzzi have also built their reputations on V-twin motorcycles.

V-Four: When a four-cylinder engine pairs its cylinders in two banks at a v-shaped angle from one another.

Water-Cooled: High-performance motorcycles can’t shed heat efficiently enough for traditional air cooling, so they began uses automotive-style radiators to cool their engines with liquid. Since then, noise and emissions limits have driven other motorcycle types to embrace water cooling too despite the cost, complexity and styling challenges.

Wheelie: When a skilled motorcyclist accelerates abruptly enough to raise the bike’s front wheel off the ground and then ride with it balanced there.

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Driving an electric car like a Tesla Model S or a Jaguar I-Pace isn’t that different from a comparable modern internal combustion-powered car. Contemporary gas cars have a push-button start and an automatic transmission: press the button, select Drive, step on the gas and cruise away. The electrics whoosh a bit more quietly, but luxury gasoline cars are also pretty nearly silent.

Electric motorcycles, though, are very different from their four-wheeled counterparts. The sounds of thundering V-twins from Milwaukee and screaming inline four-cylinders from Japan rise and fall as the rider works through the gears, and bikes with loud aftermarket exhaust pipes let bystanders know you’re there. Battery-powered bikes like the Zero SR, on the other hand, will never be mistaken for gas motorcycles, either from the saddle or from the sidewalk. We wondered, if they aren’t like that, what are they like?

San Francisco’s Zero Motorcycles was happy to illuminate the subject by loaning us an SR for a couple weeks. Would the instantaneous 116 foot-pounds of torque from the electric motor prove to be unmanageable on take-off? For comparison, the fire-breathing BMW S1000RR peaks at 83 foot-pounds, and that’s at high RPM. Would the SR simply overpower the grip of the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II rear tire? Would we forever feel in danger of running out of juice?

It turned out that these concerns were mostly unfounded. The right twist grip meters power from the SR’s 70-horsepower electric motor in a linear, controllable way, so acceleration is smooth and calm—even though it is extremely quick.

Beginners will surely find electric bikes easier because there’s no need to shift, and thus no need to simultaneously slip the clutch using the left hand lever on the handlebars while twisting the right grip. Once rolling, the urge is to prepare to nudge the shifter up a gear with the left toe. But there is no shifter and there are no gears, just as there’s no clutch lever. The electric motor’s whine just increases in pitch as speed rises.

And here is where the SR differs from other machines. Electric cars accelerate hard from a stop, but their 50-70 mph passing acceleration tends to be less impressive. And conventional motorcycles can accelerate hard through those passing speeds, but you’ll need to click off a few downshifts to bring the revs up in preparation, or it will be sluggish.

With the SR, arm-stretching acceleration from 50 mph is only a twist of the wrist away, as the bike pulls so hard the rider will be left hanging onto the handlebars to avoid slipping off the back. And it does this without the commotion of a gas bike’s high-revving maneuvers, which makes it seem almost hard to believe.

Roll off the throttle and twist it open again; yep, same thing. It offers simply startling acceleration, even when the bike is already rolling along at highway speed. Amazing.

On releasing the twist grip (it isn’t called a “throttle” because it isn’t constricting the airflow into an engine), the SR doesn’t slow like a combustion bike does due to its engine-braking effect. It more just coasts, which takes a little getting used to for riders who use a combination of engine braking and friction brakes for negotiating the ebb and flow of traffic.

Given the choice, I’d like to see the strength of electric regeneration be rider-selectable so that they can have engine braking if they want it or can coast if that’s what they prefer.

The SR has an upright riding position astride a spacious, flat seat. The footpegs are directly beneath the rider and the wide, flat handlebar demands only a slight lean forward to reach. At highway speed, the wind noise is loud enough that the silence of the drivetrain disappears. At this speed, the SR is nearly indistinguishable from other bikes.

Braking is strong and progressive, with none of the unexpectedly aggressive grip demonstrated by the Ducati Monster’s brakes. The Ducati is a similarly styled and positioned premium bike that seems the most direct comparison among conventional machines. Stopping serves as a reminder that, nope, there’s still no clutch lever to squeeze to prevent stalling a combustion engine when the bike is at rest.

Zero says to expect about 120 miles of riding range for the standard 14.4 kilowatt-hour battery equipped model, like my $16,495 test bike. For $19,390, there’s an available 18 kWh battery that is rated for 150 miles in combined city and highway riding.

I got more like 90-110 miles in my use. Maybe it was those “I can’t believe it” cycles of slowing down just to speed up again. This sort of riding range is in keeping with what’s needed for most casual recreational riders and it will surely cover the everyday commute to work and back.

But going farther is a problem, because it will take at least an hour to recharge on a high-powered 240-volt commercial charger, and that’s a long time for a bathroom break during a ride. The built-in 120-volt charger will plug into the wall at home, but needs 10 hours for a full charge on the standard model and 12 hours for the big battery version.

Electric vehicles tend to be heavier than gas vehicles because of their battery mass, but the SR’s curb weight of 414 pounds is in line with similar bikes like the Monster and it carries that weight down low, which makes it feel lighter.

The SR isn’t the only game in town: Harley-Davidson has officially announced its long-anticipated LiveWire electric bike. But that one starts at an eye-opening $25,000 (and we thought the SR was spendy!), so it remains to be seen what the market is for those. The Zero’s price tag isn’t far off that of premium models from Ducati, BMW and Triumph, so it seems to be closer to the sweet spot of the market.

With the summer sun beckoning, the Zero SR is the truest plug-n-play motorcycle yet and it hints at an electrified motorcycling future that will still be fun. Just a little quieter.

The post Riding Zero’s SR electric motorcycle appeared first on Popular Science.

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This article was originally published on Motorcyclist

I’m not sure when we’re going to stop referring to electric motorcycles as the future of motorcycling because it seems to me that 2019’s crop of electric bikes suggests we’re already there.

I’ll be the first to admit that I love internal combustion. I’m all for electric bikes as an alternative, but the thought that one day that’s all we’ll have to ride really bums me out. I mean, will a Yamaha electric powertrain feel any different than a Ducati’s or a Harley’s? If not, what the heck will I even write about? Or daydream about, for that matter?

But when I look at the variety of electric bikes that are (or will very shortly be) available in 2019, there are some things worth getting excited about. I may not ever be ready to put down the gas pump, but there’s some serious right-thinking happening in the electric space right now.

From implementing new materials and new technologies‚ like AI and 3-D printing, to pursuing the electric path for the sake of speed and torque, electric bikes give designers the ideal platform to rethink what makes a motorcycle. No wonder some of the most exciting bikes in 2019 are from new names looking to etch their names in motorcycling history.

Here are our picks for 2019’s most exciting electric motorcycles.

The American Vision Of The Future: H-D LiveWire

The LiveWire is Harley-Davidson’s $30,000 answer to the electric question. It’s the first of Milwaukee’s comprehensive electric plan. We hope they’re great. After all, if H-D left Alta high and dry for nothing, we’d be bummed (because Alta made some killer bikes). Although H-D’s market-share is dwindling, don’t believe it’s about to abandon 115 years of 45-degree pushrod glory for batteries and copper wire.

The Genre Bender: Cake Kalk

Sure, $13,000 is a lot for an off-road-only toy, but the Swedish bike has a lot to offer in its 152-pound package. Think of it as a gateway drug. Because it straddles the bicycle and motorcycle worlds, it seems like just the thing to convert the unwashed masses to two-wheeled motorized fun. And with typical Swedish minimalism, it conveys just how much it isn’t your dad’s gas-guzzling, needs-regular-maintenance machine. The Kalk’s price tag makes it more blogosphere darling than legitimate contender, but as a model of things to come, it’s intriguing. Cake also unveiled a street-legal version at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver.

The Classic Reinvented: Vespa Elettrica

While Cake, Tarform, and other e-bike builders are distinguishing their machines from archetypal motorcycle forms, Vespa is going the opposite direction. The Elettrica scooter has the same charm and casualness that made the world fall in love with the original gas-powered style/motoring icon. Scooters are convenient. Makes perfect sense to put an electric motor in one if you ask us.

The Exotic Superbike: Saroléa Manx7

The Saroléa name is one of the oldest in motorcycling. In 2010, twin brothers Torsten and Bjorn Robbens revived the Belgian marque and have been making electric racing motorcycles ever since. The Manx7 is based on the SP7 which Dean Harrison campaigned in the 2017 TT Zero race, finishing in a respectable fourth place. The Manx7 features a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and swingarm and other high-end components. It produces 163 hp, 332 pound-feet of torque, and has a 205-mile range. Saroléa is building only 49 examples, so act fast.

The Standard Bearer: Zero FXS

While many of the bikes here represent what’s possible with electric motorcycles, the Zero FXS represents what’s financially attainable. Zero’s FXS supermoto starts at $8,495. With baked-in modularity, riders can tailor the machine to their needs and pocketbooks. You’ve got to hand it to Zero for having its feet on solid ground. In a space where designers and builders can get carried away with the hypothetical and the idealistic, Zero’s been churning out competent, affordable motorcycles at its home in California for the past decade.

The E-Confederate: Curtiss Zeus

In case you missed it, Confederate Motorcycles ditched its connotative name, revived the famous Curtiss moniker, and prioritized building new high-end electric bikes. As with machines built under the Confederate banner, the new Curtiss machines stand out for their thought-provoking aesthetics and robust motors. While the ICE-powered Confederates emphasize the mechanical members of the machine, the Curtiss de-emphasizes the same, for a design that takes as many cues from McIntosh audio components and utopian futurism as it does from conventional motorcycle design. The Zeus, Curtiss’s first e-offering, is available as a bobber or as a café “not-racer,” and has a claimed 190 hp and 145 pound-feet of torque.

The FIM Racer: Energica Ego

2019 is a big year for electric bikes. The FIM is sanctioning the first all-electric world championship series: MotoE. The sole manufacturer is the Italian firm Energica and teams will campaign bikes derived from the Ego sportbike, a machine that produces 145 hp and 144 pound-feet of torque in standard trim. Should be fun. The series will be cooler when it’s open to other manufacturers, but it’s a great place to start. And the rider lineup has some real talent. Ex-Rossi rival Sete Gibernau is even lining up on the grid to add some real star power. It makes the Energica Ego an enticing prospect.

The Off-Roader: KTM Freeride E-XC

KTM’s ICE-powered Freeride was always a tempting and beautiful machine (that cast aluminum subframe!), and the electric version promises to be pretty awesome too. KTM is smart to make its first electric bike in a form-factor that’s all about fun. Somewhere between an enduro bike and a trials bike, the Freeride makes pulling wheelies, bouncing off rocks, and other feats of tomfoolery seem irresistible.

The Techno Cool-Guy: Tarform Scrambler

Manufactured in Brooklyn and designed in Stockholm, Tarform is currently taking preorders for its first motorcycle: a machine that marries cutting-edge tech like artificial intelligence with small-batch craftsmanship. Tarform’s commitment to sustainability means it’s using 3-D printing and biomaterials to build its bikes. Eco-trendiness has made “sustainability” a bit of an eye-rolly word these days, but if it’s the impetus for developing a unique vision of motorcycling, so be it. The Collector Edition machine will cost $30,000; no word yet on pricing for production-run machines.

The Affordable Sportbike: Lightning Strike

Lightning is best known for its LS-218 sportbike, the 200-hp beast that made performance lovers take notice when it was introduced in 2014. Starting at just under $40,000, the LS-218 is as premium as premium gets. For 2019, Lightning is unveiling the Strike, a $13,000 machine capable of reaching 150 mph and with a 150-mile range. The Strike also boasts a 35-minute DC charge time. At the moment, that’s all we know. Sounds promising though.

What’s the most intriguing bike to you? Anything tempt you to trade in your ICE bike?

The post The most exciting electric motorcycles of 2019 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

This article was originally published on Motorcyclist

Modern fuel injection is amazing, but before injectors, ECUs, and fuel pumps motorcycles used carburetors. Some smaller bikes and two-strokes still do. Today on MC Garage we talk about the carburetor.

For those of you who have an older motorcycle model or a modern two-stroke, one of the most confusing and intimidating tasks is probably jetting the carburetor correctly. To some, it amounts to black magic. But if you know the theory and reasons for each circuit in your Mikuni, Keihin, or Lectron and you take it step by step, it’s really not too difficult. Today we are going to start a multipart series on how to tune or “jet” a carb. Step one is to understand how it works and what all the parts do.

So how does the carb mix that fuel and air? In simplest terms the air comes through the venturi and mixes with fuel supplied by the carb in a specific ratio. This is called the stoichiometric ratio. That ratio is theoretically 14.7 parts air to one part fuel. In reality, your machine probably runs better at a richer ratio. Some tuners say 13.2, some say 13.7—each motorcycle has its own happy ratio for proper combustion. This mixture is achieved using small orifices or jets to mix the fuel with the air.

First and foremost, there is the place the fuel is pulled from: the float bowl. The float sets the level of the fuel from which the jets pull. The float operates the needle valve, letting fuel flow in when the level drops and closes when the correct level is reached.

On the bottom for the carburetor you typically have two jets. The pilot, the smaller of the two, and the main jet. Let’s start with the pilot. The pilot jet handles the mixture from idle to 15 to 20 percent throttle. Air comes in through the front of the carburetor drawing fuel up through the pilot with a vacuum that is created as the air flows through the pilot circuit.

When your engine is cold, a richer idle mixture is needed to make starting and running easier. This is the job of the choke. It adds more fuel into the mix to assist the idle circuit or pilot when the plunger is moved to open an additional path for that extra fuel. Once the engine is working, closing the circuit returns the carburetor to normal operation, relying only on the pilot for fuel.

On the side of the carb you have the mixture screw. Generally, if the screw is located on the engine side of the slide or butterfly, it is a fuel screw. Or if the screw is located on the airbox side of the slide, it’s an air mixture screw. Here you can fine-tune the idle and compensate for moderate changes in temperature and altitude without changing the pilot jet.

RELATED: How auto-darkening lenses work

The larger jet next to the pilot is the main jet. This is screwed into the needle jet, sometimes this is referred to as the nozzle. More on the needle jet later. The main jet provides the fuel at 80 percent to wide-open throttle. The fuel flows up and out through the needle jet into the throat of the carburetor. When changes in air density are significant the main jet will need to be swapped.

Handling the mixture between the pilot and main is the needle jet and needle. This is your midrange, or about 20 percent to 80 percent throttle. Within the needle jet the needle moves up and down to vary the orifice size to meter the fuel. The tapered shape of the needle controls the amount of fuel coming up through the main jet and through the needle jet. As it goes up, the opening gets larger, letting more fuel into the mix. You can tune this function by moving the static position of the needle up or down or by changing the taper of the needle.

The needle sits in the slide that moves up and down with throttle position. That can be controlled by a cable the flat-slide we are using for this video or by airflow passing around the throttle butterfly on a CV, or constant velocity carb. In CV, a vacuum is created that sucks the slide up as airflow increases.

Those are the most important pieces of a carb and what they do. On the next episode we cover the tuning the idle circuit.

The post What every rider needs to know about their motorcycle carburetor appeared first on Popular Science.

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The warm rays of spring sun trigger almost irresistible thoughts of motorcycling following a cold winter. For bikers who live in colder climates, that means bringing motorcycles out of hibernation, maybe for a trip to Daytona Bike Week.

For want-to-be motorcyclists, that means visits to their nearby dealers to throw a leg over the sexiest rides in the showroom. Love can be impetuous and impatient, so we’re here to try to provide a bit of guidance aimed at maximizing your fun and minimizing the risk that worries your mom.

Get everything you need before the bike You can’t ride a motorcycle without the necessary skills, legal permission, safety gear and frame of mind. (If you want to skip straight to the bike recommendations, you can click here).

That means enrolling in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse, where they will provide you the motorcycle and teach you how to operate it properly. They’ll also prep you for your visit to the DMV to get your motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license so you can ride legally.

The MSF will loan you a helmet for the school, but you’ll probably want some other protective gear to protect the parts of your body you don’t want scraping against the pavement. Here’s a short list of the items you may want:

• A proper motorcycle jacket made from thick leather or ballistic nylon and backed by protective armor in the shoulders, elbows and spine.

• Armored gloves to protect your hands

• Boots that are high enough to protect your ankles and don’t have laces that can whip around the footpegs as you drive.

Helmets are slightly more complicated and exist in an unusual area where paying more doesn’t correlate to increased safety. Any full-face helmet (you don’t want to break your face like Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Rothlisberger did, do you?) with Department of Transportation certification will provide sufficient protection in a crash. This emphatically does not apply to the fake beanie helmets or cheap internet specials, which lack DOT certification and will not protect you in a crash.

More expensive lids have a nicer finish, better comfort features and are typically quieter because they block wind noise more effectively. Studies have shown that exposure to 20 minutes a day of motorcycling wind noise can inflict hearing damage.

With the accessories out of the way, it’s time to pick a bike.

New Versus Used

Beginning riders are often a bit intimidated by the thought of mechanical problems with a machine they may not yet know well. New motorcycles are almost certain to start and run without any trouble for many years, so long as you don’t crash them and provide basic maintenance on schedule. Plus, you get to pick your color and accessories.

The tradeoff, of course, is that new motorcycles are expensive, and come with even more costs when you factor in maintenance and insurance.

Used bikes can save you some cash and you have options about where to find them. Dealers typically have used bikes they will sell you complete with a warranty. Of course, there is also nearly infinite selection available online from sites like eBay Motors and Craigslist. For bikes bought from private sellers, the obvious factors are important. Avoid buying a bike that has visible crash damage. Buy a bike with as few miles as possible. Look for bikes whose owners have verifiable service histories. Those documents allow you to call the shop that has serviced the bike and an relevant information about its condition.

If everything appears to check out, have an experienced motorcycle technician inspect the bike before finalizing the purchase. Consider the cost of any needed repairs, such as replacing worn tires, when contemplating a purchase.

Obviously, the bike should start and run properly. Modern fuel injected bikes are more tolerant of sitting idle, but older carbureted bikes tend to suffer clogged idle jets when they sit. This is simple to fix, but sellers will use this as cover for more expensive problems when a prospective purchase runs poorly. Let someone else figure it out and move on.

Pick a style

Motorcycles vary dramatically in style and construction, from high-clearance off-road-capable dual-purpose machines, to forward-leaning sport bikes that look ready for the race track, to kicked-back cruisers for relaxing rides. There are also monster touring bikes, half-ton giants outfitted with massive windshields and luggage, but these are suitable for veteran riders bent on starting a ride at one ocean and finishing at the other.

Dual-purpose bikes like the Honda CRF230M or Yamaha XT250 are typically simple, durable machines with high ground clearance and soft suspension that can make them as suitable for the urban jungle as for the real kind. They provide a tall field of view over traffic, usually have commuter-friendly comfortable seats and they can soak up potholes without seeming to notice them. Other examples include the Husqvarna FE 350S and the BMW F850GS.

Scramblers, like the Ducati Scrambler and the Triumph Street Scrambler, are a fashionable variant that take their styling cues from the past and apply them to modern hardware. The BMW R nineT is another good example. Like, dual-purpose bikes, scramblers are narrow and light, which makes them good for navigating through traffic and for hopping up onto curbs to get into the places where many cities tolerate motorcycles parking to leave more regular spaces for the cars.

Sport bikes like the Honda CBR300R, Kawasaki Ninja 300, and Yamaha YZF-R3 are race-inspired machines with low handlebars that dictate a forward-leaning riding position that can feel unnatural to beginners. Contemporary sport bikes have plastic aerodynamic bodywork for high-speed riding that is expensive to replace in the event of even low-speed tip-overs that are common among new riders.

A better alternative is the classic-styled café racer, like the Suzuki SV650, Ducati Monster 696, which have some of the same nimble handling and sporty style of modern sport bikes, but in throwback style with little or no body work.

Cruisers like the Honda Rebel 300, Harley-Davidson Street 500, and Yamaha V-Star 250 take their styling from classic Harleys, even though nearly every manufacturer offers one. These bikes’ raked out front forks lend the necessary style, but the geometry of leaning the fork back at such an angle can create awkward low-speed handling that can unnerve learning riders.

However, a low seat is another hallmark of cruiser style, which makes these bikes appealing to beginners, especially shorter ones, because it is easy to put your feet down to catch the bike if it starts to fall over at parking lot speeds. Their low-slung position comes at the cost of suspension travel, so cruisers aren’t good for riding on bad pavement. They better for riding smooth boulevards on a Saturday night. Other cruiser models to consider include the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD, Indian Scout Sixty.

Another category of bike that is often overlooked is the so-called “standard.” Bikes like the Triumph Bonneville, Yamaha SR400, Suzuki TU250X eschew fashion in favor of function, so they don’t fall easily into any group. They tend to have a comfortable upright riding position, flat, cushioned seats, and reasonable suspension travel, so they do everything pretty well. These jack-of-all-trades rides may be the least trendy but most sensible choice of all.

Regardless of your choice, be careful and have fun riding this season.

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This article was originally published on Cycle World

Are you looking to transition to two wheels but feel a bit intimidated by the complexity of shifting? You’re in luck. Even though the overwhelming majority of motorcycles today use manual transmissions, there’s a growing segment of bikes that don’t require any shifting or clutch operation by the rider. And, no, they’re not scooters.

Yes, we’ve been down this road before: back in 2006, Yamaha’s FJR1300AE/AS model had a semi-auto clutch with electronic shifting, while a few years ago, Aprilia’s Mana 850 GT came with a CVT transmission with the option of either full-auto or manual shift. Of course Honda was already doing its Hondamatic thing on the CB750A way back in the 1970s, and Ridley Motorcycle had its three-quarter scale V-twin Speedster and Auto-Glide cruisers with CVT automatic transmissions. But today, it’s all (or mostly) DCT.

The DCT (dual clutch transmission) still uses clutches, but ditches the clutch lever—the bike’s onboard computer does the shifting for you (though you can usually manually override the computer shift via handlebar-mounted switches). We hear die-hards scoffing, but the net result is a smoother shift, more stable launches, and better fuel economy.

Lastly, we should mention that the only truly automatic bikes on the road today are electric motorcycles with a single speed or gear set controlled by an electrical current flowing through the electric motor (instead of mechanical energy acting on many gears). But we’ll sort the electric bikes out there in an upcoming article.

In North America, Honda is leading the charge in the automatic arena, and it has a diverse group to choose from—everything from ADVs to cruisers to touring bikes, and, yes, a maxi (or mega) scooter. Flip through for a list of motorcycles that you don’t have to shift.

Honda Africa Twin DCT/Africa Twin Adventure Sports

Adventurers or touring riders looking for a little less stress on the next expedition might want to check out Honda’s ADV machines, both powered by a 998cc, SOHC, eight-valve, parallel-twin engine. You’ll find automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) as an option on the base-model Africa Twin as well as the more premium Africa Twin Adventure Sports trim, which gets a bigger fuel tank and upgraded suspension. Big Red touts “consistent, rapid, seamless gear changes” from the now-familiar system, which deploys two clutches—one for start-up and first, third, and fifth gears, the other for second, fourth, and sixth—each independently controlled by its own circuit. You can also swap between three modes; Manual for when you want to shift (with the handlebar triggers), Automatic Drive mode for longer hauls, or Automatic Sport when you want to wick it up in the canyons. Off-road functionality gets a boost with the addition of a G switch, which reduces clutch slip during gear changes. The Africa Twin DCT retails for $14,399, while the up-spec Adventure Sports rings in at $15,899.

Honda CTX700N DCT/CTX700 DCT

With its unconventional styling and utilitarian bent, it should probably come as no surprise that Honda’s CTX700 DCT models share the six-speed automatic dual-clutch transmission with another offbeat Honda model, the NM4 Vultus. Laugh all you want though; the easygoing, 670cc parallel-twin engine and DCT transmission make the CTX about as easy to ride as any middleweight bike you can think of. The DCT system allows riders to go fully automatic, or shift manually using thumb paddles on the left handgrip. Honda calls the CTX700N a “modern cruiser,” but then that’s Honda for you; about the only thing cruisery about it is the relaxed riding position. The ‘N is the naked version, while the straight 700 is ID’d by its protective fairing. While it’s not offered in Honda’s 2019 cruiser lineup, you can probably still find a new 2018 CTX700N model for its original $7,399 MSRP.

Honda Gold Wing/Gold Wing Tour DCT

The flagship Honda Gold Wing got a much-needed reimagining last year as well as a new naming convention. In addition to the cosmetic reconstruction and a heap of new tech, this iconic heavyweight tourer also received a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) option and a seven-speed one at that (the seventh gear is overdrive). On a bike with this much mass, that can only be a good thing. The Wings share a common engine and chassis platform, but the more naked of the two is considered the base model GL1800 Gold Wing (formerly known as the F6B), while as a Tour variation gets the top box (there’s also a DCT/airbag option). The 2019 base model Gold Wing rings in at $25,000.

Honda NC750X DCT

Crossovers are big in the car world, so why not aim for the same on two wheels? On its website, Honda tags the NC750X as one bike to “do it all” and you could argue that mission gets easier with a liquid-cooled, two-cylinder, 745cc engine that has available selectable torque control as well as the automatic DCT option, allowing for fully auto operation or manual shifting. With a neutral, semi-upright riding position, a tallish windscreen, integrated storage, and fairly low center of gravity, the NC750X ticks enough boxes for riders looking to commute during the week yet still have enough punch for weekend bombing runs or sporty canyon duty. The engine has been tweaked and styling smartened up since the bike’s introduction as a 700 years ago; the NC750X is looking fully formed these days. Pricing is yet to be announced for 2019, but we’d expect it to come in around $9K for the DCT version.

Honda NM4

The Honda NM4 is kind of an unclassifiable freak. Your eyes will clearly tell you this is no conventional motorcycle, but would it be fair to call it a maxi-scooter? Even the Honda catalog agrees that the radical NM4 “is all about riding a bike that doesn’t look like it came out of someone else’s cookie-cutter idea.” The motivational chops come in the form of a 670cc fuel-injected parallel-twin engine designed for a wide power spread and easy automatic operation thanks to that ubiquitous DCT transmission. Those roomy saddlebags are integrated, as is the windscreen and flip-down passenger seat, which is probably why Honda lists this model under its Touring category. The NM4 doesn’t look to have made Honda’s 2019 lineup, but it is listed as an available 2018 model for a hefty $11,299. Futuristic styling and advanced design don’t come cheap, but you can rest easy knowing you won’t look like anyone else on the road.

KTM Freeride E-XC

Electric, yes, but, hey, it’s not a Honda. We’re also mentioning the KTM Freeride E-XC because dirt riders need options in the automatic category, don’t they? Not only that, but the Freeride E-XC is the first electric off-road motorcycle from a mainstream motorcycle brand, and it’s propelled by KTM’s E-Ride technology. The E-XC may look like a straight-up dirt bike, but its electric motor also comes with a single-speed transmission so you can focus on the single-track rather than the gear you’re in. On the down side, range is pretty sparse and the sticker price of $8,299 (for the 2018 model) is a hefty bit of coin for a playbike; extra PowerPacks will set you back another $3,600. But if you consider the cost of gas, fluids, and other maintenance items you’ll go through in a season with an internal combustion bike, it’ll probably work out to be close in total price.

Zero DSR

Again we’re including an electric bike here, but then all Zero motorcycles come with a single-speed transmission that doesn’t require shifting. And because Zeros have been recently used in rider training scenarios around the country, we know they’re not intimidating but extremely user-friendly. The top-of-the-range Zero DS and DSR are dual-sports, which means you’ll be as comfortable riding off-road as on the street, and for 2019 the entire Zero Motorcycles lineup received a host of upgrades, including better range, improved charging, and a higher top speed. Those are all good things in our book, regardless of the absence of a clutch lever. A short-range base-model FX can be had for under $9 grand, while the up-spec DSR will run you $16,495.

Honda Super Cub 125

Yes, the new Super Cub has a step-through design, but Honda wanted to be clear that it didn’t see the machine as a scooter so it listed the bike as a Motorcycle on its website. After all, motorcycles require a manual or semi-automatic transmission, while scooters are all automatic. But regardless of how you categorize it, c’mon now, it’s pretty cool. With its small, efficient engine, wallet-friendly price, and vintage styling, the 2019 Honda Super Cub C125 ABS may be the best way for some beginner types to start off on a motorcycle. At its heart is a fuel-injected, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine propelling a wet weight of just 240 pounds with standard ABS. Which makes it an ideal setup for commuters too. And because it’s semi-automatic, with a centrifugal clutch (no clutch lever, but you still have to select the gear) that makes it easy on new riders while still letting veterans get a little bit looser (but not by much). The $3,600 price tag might seem a bit steep for a beginner bike, but it still looks like a winner to us.

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This article was originally published on Motorcyclist Online.

It’s a great era to be a motorcyclist. Bikes are faster, more powerful, safer, and more refined than ever. And they come in all shapes and sizes. That means even the gnarliest machines out there can be surprisingly, paradoxically, wonderfully easy to ride—in spite of gaping ram air ducts, huge horsepower numbers, and evil-sounding exhaust notes that would suggest otherwise.

However, none of these motorcycles are for beginners. I can’t stress that strongly enough. Don’t confuse “easy to ride” with “suitable for novices.” With this batch of bikes, “easy to ride” means their mechanical and electrical refinement make them highly competent and confidence-inspiring—for riders who know what to expect when they open the throttle.

And if you’re keeping score, one of the bikes here just looks menacing. But looks can be deceiving. Which is maybe all we’re trying to say in the first place.

Ducati Panigale V4 S

With a claimed 214 hp at the crank, Ducati’s V4 superbike is a fire breather. It’s a motorcycle that demands respect. But unlike performance machines from the 1970s that had feeble brakes, bias-ply tires, and chassis unable to cope with substantial power output, the Panigale V4 S’s fury is contained and controllable. Smarter-than-you electronics (assuming you let them do their job) will prevent you from flipping the thing backward or locking up the front in a panic. Safety nets aside, the V4 S is one of the easiest bikes to ride because it’s so freaking good. Even when you’re going faster than you would on another motorcycle, you have a greater sense of mastery.

KTM 1290 Super Adventure S

KTM’s big ADV-tourer is intimidating just to swing a leg over on the showroom floor, but underway its size disappears. With 158 hp at the crank (or 128 hp at the rear according to our dyno), and seemingly endless amounts of torque (85 pound-feet on our dyno), the SA has an engine that can be rightly called a force of nature. The thing is, it’s paired with one of the most delicately precise gearboxes on any motorcycle produced. And that’s sort of indicative of the 1290 SA in general. It may seem more Mr. Hyde—and it can be when you want it to be—but precision engineering and overall refinement mean it has the bedside manner of Dr. Jekyll.

Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory

The consensus is the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 is one of the best performance bikes around. It’s a good candidate for representing what makes performance bikes so rideable these days. It may be brutally fast, but it’s also incredibly refined. Three engine maps, eight levels of traction control, and ABS that senses lean angle and lever pressure all look after the rider. It even has cruise control. Never has intimidating power and look-after-you control been so appealing.

Kawasaki H2

When we’re talking about a supercharged 998cc inline-four with an honest-to-goodness 190 hp at the rear wheel, calling it “easy to ride” is a pretty subjective assessment. It’s all a matter of perspective. Compared to entering the ring with a Muay Thai champion while you’re wearing a blindfold and nursing a bum knee, riding an H2 isn’t so terrifying. And compared to the original Kawasaki H1 two-stroke triple, it won’t try to kill you midcorner. Yes, the H2’s power output means it’s a violent thing by its very nature, but unlike it’s famous predecessor, its chassis can cope with it all. Sister magazine Cycle World‘s EIC Mark Hoyer points out you could live with the thing everyday. Still, calling it easy to ride may be a stretch.

Harley-Davidson Fat Bob

For those who know a thing or two about motorcycles, the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob’s Big Twin and brutish looks aren’t fooling anyone. The Fat Bob is no untamed steed. Show up to your neighborhood picnic, however, and the cornhole and macaroni salad crowd will probably think that its loud pipes (presumably aftermarket items, since the stock numbers are pretty tame) and the bar-and-shield badge on the tank make you someone who stares death in the face every time you saddle up. In reality, the Fat Bob is easy to ride. Its massive 150/80 bias-ply front and 180/70 radial rear tires make for vague, understeer-y handling, but other than that, it’s eager to please. But no one has to know that.

Yamaha MT-10

When a bike looks like the love child of Johnny 5 from Short Circuit and the eponymous character from Alien you know the manufacturer is trying to make a statement. Yamaha’s MT-10 doesn’t exactly look friendly. Like the Tuono, it’s based on a superbike—in this case, Yamaha’s YZF-R1—which means its performance can back up its aggressive stance. However, the 998cc crossplane inline-four is tuned for the road, which automatically makes it friendlier than the committed, track-focused R1. The MT can be as mild mannered as you like. Let your wrist decide.

Kawasaki ZX-14R

For $14,999 (MSRP), you can get 1,441cc of inline-four firepower. With 443cc more than the supercharged H2, the ZX-14 manages to put down roughly the same amount of horsepower—for close to half the money. If you’re looking for the most power per penny, the ZX-14 is probably the way to go. There’s no replacement for displacement, as the old adage goes. Functionally, that means you don’t have to work the throttle too hard to get tremendous stump-pulling acceleration out of the thing. Kawasaki even baked in a low power mode that delivers 75 percent of the goods. If that’s not a peace offering to the gods of ease and leisure, I don’t know what is.

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Electric motors do plenty of cool things: they power flying taxi prototypes and electric vehicles like Teslas and Chevy Bolts. Batteries, not fuel tanks filled with sloshing fossil fuels, make these contraptions go. But some of the most exciting developments in the field are happening on vehicles with two wheels: the electric motorcycle is coming of age.

Case in point is the latest electric motorcycle from California-based Zero Motorcycles, the SR/F, which the company unveiled yesterday. The bike can hit 124 mph, travel 201 miles in a city (if you pay for additional battery capacity) and has cellular connectivity, so it can receive firmware updates over the air, just like your smartphone. And Harley-Davidson is already accepting pre-orders for its electric bike, the LiveWire. It should ship in the fall.

With ranges creeping over 200 miles, some electric motorcycles can travel further than some gas-powered sportbikes can. Here’s what you need to know about Zero’s latest and greatest option, and the lay of this electron-charged landscape.

Zero Motorcycles

The flagship bike from Zero will start at $18,995 in a standard configuration. Zero has added a Motorcycle Stability Control package from Bosch to the bike, which manages aspects like torque. (And the SR/F has a lot of torque—140 foot-pounds, while an average gas cruiser might have around 80 foot-pounds.) That can come in handy if you’re on a wet road and hit the throttle aggressively when the light turns green. “The system knows how hard it can spin the back tire before it just starts to spin out, and it will accelerate you at the maximum speed it can accelerate without spinning the back tire,” says Sam Paschel, Zero’s CEO.

The stability system also helps on turns—a hazardous time for riders. Here’s a typical scenario for someone on a motorcycle: “You’re on a corner, you’re going too fast, you panic, you hop on the brakes, the bike stands straight up, and goes straight off the road,” Paschel says. The Bosch package can help with that situation. “Now, the bike stays at that lean angle—maybe stands up a little bit—slows down, and carries you through the corner.”

The fact that the bike will have a built-in cellular connection gives Zero new opportunities, too, like firmware updates straight from the cloud to the bike, without using your phone as an intermediary. (With previous models, you needed to be in Bluetooth range to see data about the bike or push through a software update.) While charging, the bike can also send you an alert when it’s received enough juice to get you a predetermined target distance, like 50 miles. Zero will pay for that cellular data needed for that function, and others, for the first two years, and after that it will cost riders an as-yet-to-be-determined amount.

The standard model will take 4.5 hours to charge, or 1.8 hours if you want to buy a “Rapid Charge” module.

Zero also produces electric motorcycles with less torque and a shorter range than this new bike. A model called the FX, for example, begins at $8,500, and with a 3.6 kilowatt-hour battery, will travel just 46 miles in a city. Other pricier models will do 223 miles of range, as long as you pay for an additional battery called a Power Tank.

But even those $8,500 models still can go up to 85 mph—and remember, you don’t have to shift gears on an electric bike. The SR/F will hit 124 mph, which is probably faster than you should go.

Harley-Davidson

Zero’s new bike, the SR/F, isn’t the only electric bike in town, as Harley’s LiveWire is expected in the fall. That bike is both much more expensive than the SR/F—it’s $29,799 versus $18,995—and the range will be lesser, too: 110 city miles compared to 161, which is what the SR/F gets with just its base battery. But like the Zero SR/F, the Harley will also be able to connect to the cloud via a cellular unit on board, meaning that you could check its charging status remotely. And the LiveWire advertises an acceleration of zero to 60 in less than 3.5 seconds.

“I think those two motorcycles will naturally be pitted against one another,” says Paschel, who notes that the LiveWire was criticized for its price and other specs. “I kind of wanted to jump to their defense—these are really hard problems to solve.” After all, a lithium-ion battery doesn’t have the same energy density as a tank full of fossil fuels does, and gas goes into a tank much faster than a battery charges.

“They should be applauded for recognizing that this is the next generation for the future of transportation,” Paschel added.

Besides Zero and Harley, keep your eye on another company: Lightning, which is planning to release a $12,998 electric bike called the Strike next month. That promises a range of 150 miles, and a top speed of 150 mph, and a price tag of about $13,000.

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This story was originally published on CycleWorld.com.

Let’s turn back the clock hands to 1978, when Steve Fehr of the Transitron Electronic Corporation built a one-off Harley-Davidson MK2 electric motorcycle prototype in Honolulu, Hawaii. And legendary designer Brooks Stevens was involved.

What are we looking at? The Transitron team started with a 1971 Harley-Davidson XLH Sportster, replacing the 900cc OHV internal combustion engine with a variable-speed electric motor and a series of deep-cycle batteries. The chain-driven, automatic four-speed transmission was powered by a proprietary control system with an integrated circuit mini-controller. Acceleration was a reported 0–30 mph in 5–6 seconds. The instrument panel was mounted to the handlebars, featuring an electric speedometer, a tachometer, and dual ammeters for measuring amps.

RELATED: These are the top 10 new motorcycles we’re dying to ride in 2019

The 24-volt, 95-amp Baldor electric motor was linked via a primary drive belt to a four-speed automatic transmission and linked to the rear wheel via a drive chain. The setup reportedly allowed the 628-pound Harley MK2 to reach a top speed of 50 mph while maintaining a range-friendly electric motor speed of just 2,500 rpm. A series of four deep-cycle lead-acid batteries were said to provide a run time of up to six hours.

Although Transitron was actively seeking funding and development partners, Harley-Davidson showed no interest in pursuing development of an electric motorcycle, but Stevens did. He already helped Harley design its game-changing 1949 FL Hydra-Glide OHV V-twin, and the then-67-year-old Stevens worked with Fehr to help test the prototype, racking up 360 miles of on-track testing of the prototype in Wisconsin (possibly at nearby Road America).

After $70,000 was invested on the MK2’s development, Fehr’s bike found a home in Steven’s transportation museum in Mequon, Wisconsin, where it stayed until his death in 1995.

The bike sold for $11,000 at the RM Sotheby’s auction at Amelia Island in 2014, the same year Harley introduced its LiveWire prototype.

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This article was originally published on CycleWorld.com.

History was made at the 96th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 24, as French driver Romain Dumas piloted an electric Volkswagen race car to the summit in 7 minutes, 57.148 seconds. His reward? A Connected smartwatch, presented by the official timekeeper of the event, TAG Heuer. Four-time motorcycle King of the Mountain Carlin Dunne also received a TAG Heuer Connected watch, which got me thinking about its use for motorcycling.

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As smartphones get bigger, staying connected is getting cumbersome. I’m not real keen to mount my phone on the handlebars, and with all the miles I rack up on the bike, there are times when checking directions, email, and text messages are important when stopping for gas or a meal. Such is the life of a moto journalist working remotely.

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I just bought a Samsung Gear S3 Frontier smartwatch from Best Buy. I prefer the Android OS, which syncs with my Samsung Galaxy S6 Active phone and Samsung Chromebook. Our editorial team relies on Google Drive and Slack to get it work done, so working in the cloud has now become de rigueur.

My wife calls me “go-go gadget boy,” and for good reason. Mobility has been my career foundation for years, and the reality of a connected world is hard to deny. As I write this on the front porch of my home, a Waymo vehicle drives by, collecting data for Google’s autonomous vehicle project. The frumpy white minivan with an overpaid intern technologist “behind the wheel” reminds me that motorcycling, with all its technological bits, can carry us away from the tech-mad connected world, if only for a few hours.

I just returned an Indian Roadmaster to Los Angeles, and picked up a custom Roland Sands Design Indian Black Scout to ride to Las Vegas for Travis Pastrana’s “Evel Live” event on July 8. I logged 800 miles in 32 hours, and downloaded the following apps to my Samsung Gear S3:

• Weather
• Navigation
• Gas Buddy
• Email
• Spotify
• Altitude

It was a little awkward at first to reference a wristwatch instead of a phone on my voyage, but I adjusted to the ritual and found it useful and most helpful. A quick glance for directions saved my bacon a few times, and I liked knowing information was available but not staring at me from a handlebar mount. I look forward to using the watch more, and will continue to download apps as I become more familiar with the options and user interface.

Will a smartwatch help or hinder our sanctuary from the office and work? Time will tell, or more accurately the Gear S3 will.

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This story was originally published on CycleWorld.com

Let’s face it, we all would prefer to spend our hard-earned cash on gas money and great food, so we’ve come up with a list of items that can make your riding experience a little better for under $40. We’ve included some of our favorite backup plans for hauling stuff on our bikes as well as some items like battery chargers and tank bags that are surprisingly inexpensive.

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A tire pressure gauge is one of the most important tools you can keep around. As you know, tire pressure is the easiest variable to control when it comes to managing the handling capabilities of your motorcycle. This applies to dirt and street, so pay attention. Every owner’s manual states that we should check tire pressure before every ride, but few folks actually follow this golden rule. While we prefer a high-end oil-filled analog gauge, these cheap digital gauges will get you in the ballpark without breaking the bank.

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This handy gadget connects to the quick-disconnect plug of your existing Battery Tender that you already have mounted to your bike’s battery. If you don’t have one already in place, then just know that you should. This handy USB plug makes charging your phone or any other USB-equipped electronic device very easy.

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These are the modern version of the bungee net. These multipurpose elastic bands are equipped with a buckle and are rated up to 110 pounds. Sold in pairs, they are an excellent way to expand your bike’s carrying capacity for under 20 bucks.

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This inexpensive kit comes with its own carry bag to make it easy to transport and convenient to access. A dirty visor or goggles are a real eyesore. They inhibit your ability to read the road ahead and look terrible in your GoPro footage. No matter if it’s bug juice, dust, or ocean mist the Muc-Off cleaner is strong enough to get the job done. The soft cloth helps reduce the chance of scratching your visor gear but it still requires you use your head. It’s important to try to wash the big stuff off with a liberal amount of spray before you start scrubbing on it.

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Phone/GPS mounts are more and more popular these days, so knowing which styles and brands are worth the money is a big deal. The Ram Mount X-Grip ($29) holder has been used to secure laptops in side-by-sides, phones on ADV bikes, and GPS on dual-sports. The design is so simple it doesn’t seem it could possibly work this well, but it does. It’s light, sturdy, and they can hold a device in place through some pretty gnarly conditions.

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This backpack can easily be overlooked because it packs into a pouch that fits in the palm of your hand. It’s lightweight and, although NR says it can handle almost anything you stuff into it, the CB-PK30 may not be optimal for hauling sharp, heavy stuff around the woods. It will however serve the purpose of being stashed somewhere on your bike until the time presents itself to haul extra clothes, groceries, or other important items.

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This air chuck has a swivel head that allows you to get to the most difficult-to-reach valve stems when you need to inflate your tires. It adapts to most common air-hose couplings but, unfortunately, it’s not a universal-fit item. This chuck is designed to be part of your shop tool kit. Just about every product from Motion Pro has made life easier for motorcyclists, without question, and we have found this one makes a lot of sense. We are surprised nobody else thought of this before.

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At one point in my riding career the bungee net was the single most important piece of equipment I had. There was always at least one strapped across the passenger seat or gas tank just in case I needed to bring a spare helmet, buy groceries or any other number of random reasons. The point is, these are still one of the cheapest, most useful items a motorcycle rider has at their disposal.

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The tried and true Battery Tender lineup has seen some stiff competition from the new NOCO line of battery chargers. The NOCO Genius G750 ($40) is compact and it gets the job done, but it is difficult to move away from the proven Battery Tender Junior ($40) and all of its simplicity.

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Basically, this mount is a nifty way to affix all of your data devices to the fuel tank of your motorcycle. It has a place for your GPS, mobile phone, and miscellaneous gadgets intended to make your long ride more enjoyable. With an MSRP under $40, the Journey Mate is available as a magnetic or strap-on version.

There are a bunch of other inexpensive ways to take care of you and your motorcycle so we invite you to leave some feedback, offer up some of your own best bang-for-the-buck products, and maybe we will include them in future lists. Our goal is to help you spend your money wisely as you prepare for your daily commute or your lifelong journey on two wheels.

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Cake, a Swedish company focused on developing light, electric motorbikes, has revealed its first-ever street-legal machine called the Kalk& (and). It debuted at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Denver, a fitting location considering Cake’s downhill and enduro mountain bike influences.

This is just an introductory launch however. The full sales launch with final sales price, complete specs and estimated availability will be in March of this year.

We do know that the Kalk& (and) is a close sibling of the Kalk OR, which was released in January 2018. The OR model is an off-road bike with a 51.8-volt, 2.6-kWh battery, Öhlins suspension front and rear, aluminum frame, three ride modes, carbon-fiber body elements, and a 2.5-hour charge time to full in a standard outlet.

The Kalk& (and) looks extremely similar to the Kalk OR, but Cake stresses that the components of the new street-legal version were “developed from scratch to support the category.” That includes changes to the chassis, suspension, drive train, wheels, and tires among other elements. It also carries a faster top speed, providing a claimed 100 kph (62 mph). The Kalk OR only reaches an estimated 46 mph, for reference.

Here’s what Cake founder and CEO Stefan Ytterborn had to say about the new offering in a company release:

“Bringing a high-performance, electric off-road bike to the market, and making it street legal, is an important step for us at Cake, inspiring people toward zero emission, combining responsibility and excitement. It’s the perfect commuter tool, while serving its users with thrill and fun, during weekends and vacations.”

RELATED: Here’s a look at Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric motorcycle

It’s a really interesting idea and the clean, minimalist look of the thing is appealing too. For riders who don’t want a fully fledged motorcycle, preferring something lightweight to tool around town with, this will be perfect.

While we don’t know the final price yet, we do know that interested customers can lay down $200 to reserve a preorder unit. We don’t expect the remaining balance to be cheap however, since the Kalk OR prices at $13,000.

And if you’re wondering about the name, Kalk is derived from the word kalksten, the limestone that forms the bedrock of Gotland, a Swedish island where Cake does its testing. The “& (and)” portion is meant to symbolize the “next phase in evolution of the Kalk.”

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Lane-splitting is a benefit to riders all over the world, but in the United States, the privilege is currently reserved to riders in the Golden State. California-based Tesla seems to know a thing or two about motorcyclist’s unique advantage in the state, and by all appearances the company is working to ensure that riders filtering through traffic stay safe when its autopilot systems are active. But does it work? Can Tesla’s Autopilot detect a lane-sharing rider?

Sort of. We can see Tesla’s Autopilot in action thanks to YouTuber Scott Kubo, who recently put together the video below to test the functionality of motorcycle detection while lane-splitting.

Self-driving cars are still a burgeoning field of technology, and it’s apparent there are still bugs to work out.

Detecting an approaching motorcycle seems to be hit and miss in Version 9 of Tesla’s neural net Autopilot software. It’s clear that the system confuses motorcycles with cars at times, and can even miss a motorcycle entirely if the motorcycle is moving at a good clip. It’s tough to determine how useful this detection would be in its current state. Being able to separate a lane-sharing motorcycle is critical when stopping or correcting an in-progress lane change, for example. It’s a start though—and an admirable one at that.

Teslas are well represented on California highways, and more manufacturers seem to take up the autonomous driving challenge every year. Any technology that helps keep riders safe on the road—wherever that road might be—is a positive one in my book.

Check out the video and tell us what you think. Where should technology like this go to be truly useful to riders?

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Few elements have as large an impact on a motorcycle’s design as the exhaust system. From header to exit, the gently curving shapes help define some of our favorite bikes, but the shapes are far from purely aesthetic.

Exhaust gas contains useful energy in the form of velocity, and smooth shapes minimize the loss of that energy. A piston’s full-throttle power stroke begins with combustion gas at roughly 1,000 psi a few degrees after top dead center. That pressure falls rapidly as it pushes down the piston, transmitting power to it. At the moment the exhaust valves or ports begin to open, roughly 100 psi is all that’s left of combustion pressure.

Can’t we go on expanding that gas with the piston to get all its energy? We could, but we don’t because the exhaust valves have to begin to open before bottom center, and such low cylinder pressure is more efficiently used in another way: in a tuned exhaust pipe.

Automotive engines ­increasingly recover exhaust energy in turbo-chargers, but so far, seriously turbo-boosted power has been too sudden for casual use on a motorcycle. Therefore exhaust energy is put to use as sound waves.

Both positive (pressure) waves and negative (suction) waves, moving in correctly shaped ducts, can be used to assist piston motion in removing spent exhaust gas and refilling the cylinder with a fresh charge.

The basic rule in shaping exhaust pipes is that anywhere the duct increases in cross section, a passing exhaust pressure pulse will expand, thereby radiating/reflecting a ­negative wave back upstream. Anywhere the duct decreases in area holds back the pulse, causing it to reflect a positive wave.

In a four-stroke system, as the exhaust valves begin to open, a pulse of exhaust pressure enters that cylinder’s header pipe. When it reaches a point of duct enlargement—either where the header joins a larger collector or joins a tapering megaphone—it sends back a negative pressure wave toward the engine. Header length is chosen to make that negative wave arrive at the cylinder during valve overlap—the period around top dead center at the end of the exhaust stroke when the exhaust valves have not quite closed yet but the intakes have already begun to open. That negative wave enters the cylinder, at first extracting inert exhaust gas from the combustion chamber above the piston, then entering the intake system to cause intake flow to begin entering the cylinder even before the piston has started to move down on its intake stroke. This boosts torque by 1) preventing dilution of the fresh charge by leftover exhaust gas; and 2) by giving the intake process a head start.

Because negative and positive waves alternate in the exhaust pipe, at some lower rpm, it is no longer a negative wave that enters the combustion chamber during valve overlap. It is a positive wave, which stuffs exhaust gas back into the combustion chamber, back through the intake valves and into the intake system. This, by diluting the fresh charge that the piston is about to take in, causes a drop in engine torque. This is the “flat spot” that all engine builders and racers are familiar with. Nature giveth, but nature also taketh away.

Two-stroke pipes look ­completely different. They begin with a slender header pipe just like that of a four-stroke, followed by a megaphone-like horn. Then the difference appears: After the horn comes a center section of constant diameter—after which the pipe quickly tapers down as a reverse megaphone—to a small-diameter “tailpipe” (which might be invisible inside some form of muffler).

As a two-stroke’s piston, ­descending on its power stroke, begins to uncover the large exhaust port in the cylinder wall, a pressure pulse is released into the header.

When it reaches the megaphone-­like horn, it is a negative wave that reflects back to the cylinder. There, the low pressure helps remove exhaust from the cylinder and helps fresh charge to enter through two or more transfer ports.

As the cylinder fills, some fresh charge begins to be lost out the still-open exhaust port—but help is on the way. Out in the pipe, the exhaust pulse has passed through the pipe’s center section and now enters the reverse megaphone, reflecting a positive wave back to the exhaust port. This positive wave arrives just in time to stuff back into the cylinder the fresh charge that has begun to escape out the port. In the narrow peak-power rpm zone of a two-stroke, this process actually operates as a highly effective supercharger, giving two-strokes their exceptional power.

The exhaust-pipe designer’s job is to create a zone of boosted engine torque wide enough that the rider, using the gearbox, can keep the engine operating in that zone most of the time. Their solutions help give the machines we love their characteristic thrust and snarl, and form the beautiful lines we remember most.

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While a few detractors have publicly wondered if Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric motorcycle would ever see production given its long, five-plus-year gestation, Harley addressed that issue at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show on January 7, 2019. Yes, The Motor Company officially declared, the 2020 LiveWire will be produced, it will cost $29,799, and you can preorder it immediately at the h-d.com/livewire website. Deliveries will begin in the fall of 2019. Additionally, The Motor Company showed two lightweight electric prototypes that hint about what Harley-Davidson electric motorcycles may follow by 2022 or so.

While production and delivery dates have been affirmed, Harley is only slowly filling in the spec sheet for the LiveWire. This announcement didn’t include significant details like weight, power, or battery capacity, but it did include some new information. The LiveWire will be a high-performance motorcycle, with the single-gear-ratio, clutchless machine ripping from a stop to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds and topping out at 110 mph, according to Harley.

And while battery capacity wasn’t given, we were told the MIC combined range will certainly be more than 110 miles. The MIC-combined-range rating for electric motorcycles averages range at 70 mph on the highway with the EPA urban-duty cycle range, and the 110 miles strongly suggests the battery in the LiveWire has slightly more than 10 kWh of usable capacity. It also suggests that highway range, at least at 70 mph, might be around 70 miles plus or minus.

Certainly highway range limitations are one of the reasons that Harley-Davidson is positioning the LiveWire as an urban vehicle, best for ripping down city streets or commuting to and from near suburbia. Where DC fast charging is available (more and more places as VW and other auto companies build out public charging networks), the LiveWire can go from a 0 to 80 percent charge in 40 minutes.

The 2020 LiveWire Harley-Davidson displayed is from a small production validation build that it is using for final vehicle testing, and as such has the high polish and refinement expected of a production bike. Notable is a full-color TFT dash that integrates with both your cellphone (for Bluetooth music and on-screen navigation) and an onboard Panasonic-supplied telematics module. The telematics module has GPS and connects with the cellular network at LTE (fast) data speed, and allows Harley to offer the “Harley Connect Service” through an app downloadable to your phone.

The Harley Connect Service app will show you the charge and service status of your LiveWire as well as ping you if any one touches or tries to steal your motorcycle—the GPS tracking will come in handy in that case. Harley Connect Service will be included for the first year of ownership but will have an annual charge for later years. Expect to see this technology show up on other Harleys in the future; there’s no technical reason to constrain it to electric motorcycles.

And while not a lot of machine details were available, a few new facts about the LiveWire emerged. Wheel sizes are 17 inches at both ends, and high-performance Michelin tires will be fitted at the factory—the original 2014 LiveWire prototypes had 18-inch front wheels, but the 17-incher was selected for the production bike for better handling and performance tire availability.

A single, liquid-cooling circuit chills both the electric motor and the power electronics, while the battery of the LiveWire is air-cooled in part by fins on its massive aluminum case. That battery case is structural, mounting to a frame that appears to be bolted together from high-vacuum aluminum die-cast sections that look tubular but aren’t. (Yamaha uses a similar frame on its MT-09 models.) But the most telling thing is just how polished the industrial design of the LiveWire looks. It’s simply an impressive-looking motorcycle, with Brembo brakes and Showa suspension and with none of the kit-bike artifacts that have marred pioneering electric motorcycles from smaller companies.

Harley-Davidson insists that electric motorcycles are going to be a significant part of its future, and the two prototypes it brought to CES in addition to the LiveWire suggest that electric drive technology may bring back truly lightweight, low-cost Harley-Davidsons again. Both showbikes were likely moped-class units, probably with power limited to 1 or 2 kilowatts and top speed to 30 mph. Both had unusual, almost invisible, thin-ring-section headlights—it would be interesting to know if these could actually meet lighting standards or were just showbike gimmickry. (If they work, we’ll bet you’ll see their like on other models.)

Electric power can allow lightweight machines like these to outperform anything with a 50cc engine, and in an increasingly urban world, may open up new markets to Harley. One is clearly the butch electric-moped version of an enduro, while the other is a modern, naked H-D Topper scooter. Whether we’ll ever see either in a Harley-Davidson showroom probably has a lot to do with the feedback Harley receives after CES.

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Arthur C. Clark famously said that any sufficiently ­advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. That certainly applies to face shields, goggles, and glasses that automatically darken. That sorcery has existed for decades, but it has been refined and is more widely available now than ever. This change of lens shade as light increases is called photochromism, and it depends on a reversible chemical reaction that takes place when a material embedded in glass or plastic is exposed to certain wavelengths of light.

Glass photochromic lenses were first offered in ­eyeglasses in a process invented by Corning Glass Works in the 1960s. Corning infused glass with a silver ­halide (generally silver chloride), and then, after casting, precisely heat-treated the lens blanks. Silver chloride molecules were transparent after the heat treatment, as was the lens, but exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light caused the silver chloride to decompose into its constituent elements. In bright sunlight, the lens filled with microscopic particles of elemental silver, darkening in the process. Remove the UV light, and the silver would again react with the adjacent chloride still trapped in the glass, and become transparent once again. Varying the percentages of silver chloride and glass created lenses of differing darkening characteristics.

All chemical reactions follow certain laws, and one of those is that the speed of reaction increases as temperature rises, and falls as temperatures decreases. On very hot days, the re-reaction of silver and chloride would occur so quickly that the lens wouldn’t fully darken—the chemical re-reaction raced ahead of the light-induced decomposition. The inverse would occur on extremely cold days. Also, because the photochromic additive was dispersed evenly throughout the lens, lens darkness would vary with lens thickness, which could be an issue with large-correction prescriptions. The reaction was not quite perfectly reversible either, so over a large number of darkening cycles the lenses tended to not come back to their original transparency.

One issue with these lenses for drivers is that car windshields have been engineered to filter out almost all of sunlight’s UV components. In a modern vehicle, the classic silver chloride photochromic glasses just stay clear, no matter how bright it gets. Of course, that’s not an issue for a motorcyclist.

Engineers have developed new photochromic additives with superior performance that can be more readily used on motorcycle-helmet faceshields or goggle lenses. These are organic photochromic molecules (indolino-spironaphthoxacins, for one family) that are applied to a plastic lens through one of two technologies. One is a heat-induced infusion process, where the outer 0.006 of an inch of an already fully formed plastic lens or faceshield has the photochromic molecule diffused into it. Workers can then apply normal scratch-resistant coatings.

Transitions, a company specializing in ­photochromic technology, has a different process it describes as Trans-Bonding, for those lens materials that are not compatible with the infusion process. Trans-Bonding creates a thin layer of photochromic material directly on the surface of the lens. In either case, the wide array of organic photochromic additives has allowed modern lenses to respond more quickly, to be less affected by temperature, and to be offered in a wider array of colors. They even respond to blue light as well as UV, so they can once again be effective in an automobile.

There is at least one competitor to photochromic lenses: electrochromic. If you’ve had the opportunity to ride in the latest Boeing, the 787, you’ll notice its side windows don’t have shades. Instead, they have a switch. Flip the switch, and the window dims from transparent to a deep-bluish cast in the first generation, and to almost black in the most recent iteration. This technology relies on a gel captured between two sheets of glass that changes transparency in response to a small electric current.

Electrochromic faceshields require a power source but offer much faster mode switching than photochromic faceshields. The E-Tint Akira family of motorcycle-visor inserts claims to switch transparency levels in one-tenth of a second. It can be expensive, as in the AGV face-shield that retails for almost $100 more than a Bell photochromic example. No one said magic comes cheap.

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We already live in a world of self-driving vehicles. Autonomous cars have a pretty clear function to offer: they can carry passengers from one place to another, with no driver required to do something old-fashioned like turn a wheel (or earn a paycheck). Other robo-vehicles are designed for a more discrete purpose. A rover from Postmates can carry burritos and other goodies, and a vehicle from Nuro can deliver groceries. Those little bots have no space for people, but are designed for cargo.

So what, then, could possibly be the purpose of a riderless motorcycle?

BMW demonstrated just that today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where a motorcycle with no human aboard drove across a parking lot, making tight turns left and right and cruising over the asphalt. When it came to a stop, its kickstand even deployed to catch it while it slowed down.

This project has been in the works at BMW since 2014, and the goal is definitely not to unleash a vehicle like this on the streets. Instead, it is to use individual pieces of the technology to help motorcycles navigate a streetscape where other autonomous vehicles are on the road, and to also develop safety features to help riders.

“The intent is not to deliver pizzas, or have the next Uber,” says Michael Peyton, the vice president of the Americas for BMW Motorrad. Instead, they’d like to “help the rider be a better rider,” as well as help them in a world of self-driving vehicles, where communication between cars will be key.

Possible applications for technology like this, Peyton says, could include adaptive cruise control for motorcycles. Or, consider the way that some cars will warn you if you try to change lanes and a vehicle is in your blindspot. Motorcycles could benefit from tech like that too, but in a more connected world, they might be able to do even more. “If the motorcycle was communicating with the car, then the car would know, ‘oh, there’s a motorcycle in this space,” Peyton adds.

Autonomous cars—and even the rover from Postmates—rely on high-tech sensors like lidar to perceive the environment around it. But this bike doesn’t have sensors like that, nor does it have equipment such as a gyroscope to keep it balanced. Instead, it’s driving with the help of a remote human controller, and the speed was set beforehand.

To make this motorcycle capable of riderless driving, they began with “a normal stock bike, and we integrated a motor for the steering,” explains Felix Deissinger, who heads up motorcycle safety and rider assistance at BMW Motorrad. They also automated elements like the clutch.

Deissinger notes that they didn’t begin the project with the aim of creating a self-driving motorcycle—“it just came out that way,” he says—but instead the goal is to be able to someday add layers of assistance, or autonomy, to a bike to give a rider options.

“The idea is to support the rider, not to take him out of the game,” he says. Intelligent tech in this general field already has a place in one BMW motorcycle: Deissinger points to the BMW supersport S1000 RR bike and its onboard sensor that can measure lean angle of the bike, and give that information into the vehicle’s traction control system and brakes, making a motorcycle that he says is safer.

Stan Horaczek contributed reporting from Las Vegas.

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Once all the new models have been unwrapped at EICMA and Intermot, it’s time to start looking forward to another year of testing, riding, and comparing. Right now, they’re all good motorcycles fresh off their press release blasts. But as the year unfolds, we’ll see which ones don’t live up to the hype, and which ones shine beyond their spec sheets. Of course, 10 models don’t cover everything for 2019, so drop your favorite in the comments. For now, let’s look at what we believe are the most compelling bikes for 2019.

2019 KTM 690 SMC R

For 2019, KTM is bringing the 690 SMC R back to the United States, wheelie fiends rejoice. It comes packing much of the componentry we enjoy in the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto. The engine is the same double-balancer 692cc liquid-cooled single found in the 701 Supermoto and Enduro, and we’d bet our lunch money that output is identical as well at a claimed 75 hp and 53 pound-feet of torque.

With the new motor, there’s also the inclusion of the up/down Quickshifter +, Sport and Street ride modes, cornering-sensitive motorcycle traction control (MTC), and cornering ABS with Supermoto mode. However, it’s not just a twin to the 701, the 690 SMC R is packing an all-new WP Apex suspension

Small changes aside, it’s always awesome to have more factory supermoto options, and welcome a return for a bike that helped define the segment. What would you like to see from a review of this bike?

2020 Harley-Davidson LiveWire

Not much is known about the Harley-Davidson LiveWire. The Motor Company previewed a (“production-ready” LiveWire at Milan’s EICMA Show, and confirmed again it will be released in 2019 as a 2020 model. It is also the same model ridden at the 115th Anniversary Celebration last August.

Power, range, weight, and price are all still mysteries, but we did learn the LiveWire will be packing some serious componentry. It appears to be Level 2 charging capable, has the latest Showa suspension, 300mm Brembo brakes, cornering ABS system, traction control, and a TFT dash. All signs point to a premium, and tempting, electric option—and one of, if not the best-looking electric motorcycle to date.

This is on the list as not only an exciting electric motorcycle to ride, but an exciting motorcycle, period. What are you looking for from the Harley-Davidson LiveWire?

Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE+

We really could have put the entire Kawasaki H2 lineup in this listing. For 2019, Kawasaki threw a treasure chest of tech at its hypersport offerings and expanded the lineup with more models than ever, but it’s the H2 SX SE+ that has us most intrigued.

It’s the sport-tourer out of the lineup, but Kawasaki added more componentry for curves, not just straight-line slaying. The Ninja H2 SX SE+ now has Kawasaki Electronic Control Suspension (KECS), a 43mm inverted Showa cartridge fork, and a Showa Balance Free Rear Cushion Lite (BFRC-lite) rear shock. Along with integration with their Rideology app, riding modes, and self-healing paint.

In Kawasaki’s opinion, this new model offers, “an unrivaled level of performance and comfort, with agile handling akin to its superbike counterparts.” We say, we can’t wait to find out.

Husqvarna Svartpilen 701

Last year, Husqvarna nearly made the list with its neo-retro café, the 701 Vitpilen. However, Husky is now firmly on the board with its flat-track-inspired Svartpilen 701.

The two have most of the same components, but the ride will be quite different. The chromium-molybdenum steel trellis frame is identical. The engine is the same double-balancer 692cc liquid-cooled single found throughout the lineup, and still outputs a claimed 75 hp and 53 pound-feet of torque. The WP suspension is the same, as are the Brembo brakes. But the addition of bars and more rugged look make this a more attractive option, at least initially.

With a revised tailsection, headlight mask, Pirelli MT 60 RS tires, and a more upright riding position, the Svartpilen looks like a proper street brawler, and one rowdy commuter that won’t be uncomfortable in the process. Does this bike have you excited as much as we are?

2019 Ducati Panigale V4 R

It’s shaping up to be an incredible year if you’re in the market for the ultimate in superbike performance, and the Ducati Panigale V4 R may be the most premier of the lot. For one, this is Ducati’s homologation special to go toe to toe in World SBK and bring a championship back to Italy. So it’s got a pretty big mission ahead of it.

To accomplish this, it features a 998cc version of the 90 degree V-4 that generates a staggering 221 hp at 15,250 rpm, and 234 hp with the optional Akrapovic racing exhaust system. It’s equipped with non-electronic Öhlins suspension and Brembo Stylema brakes, along with the full suite of Ducati electronics. And, of course, MotoGP-derived winglets on the fairings.

The price tag is just shy of $40,000 dollars, but this is the razor edge of superbike performance, and a truly staggering package available from a dealership floor. Can’t wait to ride this one.

BMW S1000RR

The other superbike at EICMA should not be ignored however. The BMW S1000RR is a confirmed ground-up redesign for 2019, and is looking to take both the attention, and podiums away from its Italian and Japanese rivals.

Power is touted as 205 hp from an all-new, ShiftCam-equipped 999cc inline-four (up 6 hp from the previous iteration) and 84 pound-feet of torque—with BMW promising peerless throttle response and tons of midrange punch. The whole motorcycle is slimmer, lighter, and features semi-active suspension in a package that is sure to be more exploitable than ever before.

The BMW S1000RR moved the goalposts for the superbike class upon its debut, and the impact of this bike has us excited for a full test, and we’re sure it has its rivals worried. Will it have enough power to satiate the spec-racers among us?

2019 KTM 790 Adventure and Adventure R

KTM took the oxygen out of the room with the announcement of the KTM 790 Adventure and Adventure R. These middleweight ADV entries will have a crowded field to navigate, but unlike the other bikes on this list, we’ve already gotten a peek at what’s in store—and like it.

They come ready to rumble with the LC8c powerplant out of the 790 Duke, premier WP suspension components (fully adjustable on the R), and a bevy of tech. Lean-sensitive traction control, four adjustable riding modes of Street, Off-road, Rain, and Rally, Motorcycle Slip Regulation (MSR)—all standard.

It’s a competitive segment, and KTM looks to be continuing its assault on the off-road space with a total package of the 790 Adventure and Adventure R. However, we’ll have to await a full test to see if they live up to the hype.

Indian FTR 1200

We’ve already briefly ridden the FTR 1200, but all eyes are on the FTR 1200 and FTR 1200 S for a comprehensive road test. With flat-track-derived looks and heavily revised Scout motor belting out a claimed 120 hp, Indian Motorcycle is looking to capture hearts and sales from Harley-Davidson with its new street tracker.

During our initial ride, we remarked that the FTR 1200 is dripping in its own model-specific parts and components to create a machine wholly different from the Indian Motorcycle lineup. At EICMA, Indian debuted an extensive lineup of accessories, and curated them into four unique packages for the FTR, showing the flexibility and individuality of the platform. And, yes, it showed that you will be able to get high pipes for the FTR.

It’s a performance, American standard motorcycle, with seemingly few corners cut to get there. We’re excited to ride not only the standard models, but also take the accessory packages for a spin. What will the FTR 1200 and 1200 S have to do to live up to the hype in your opinion?

2019 Honda CB650R

This is the sleeper hit of EICMA. The CB650R replaces the competent but dowdy-looking CB650F. With the transition, the CB650R transforms into a neo-retro stunner, with sharp lines, upgraded components, refined quality, and a clear relationship between its larger CB1000R and smaller CB300R siblings.

Underneath its looks are a revised 650cc inline-four powerplant with 5 percent more power, an inverted 41mm Showa Separate Function Fork (SFF), a lighter and stronger frame, and a keen eye taken toward engineering evocative engine sounds.

In a field that has largely abandoned the four-cylinder engine, Honda now finds itself with a unique engine option in a field of twins. The components are upgraded, and there’s a fair amount of electronics as well. This may be a surprising hit among riders and fans.

2019 Yamaha Niken GT

Why would a three-wheeler make it on this list? Well, for one, it’s classified as a motorcycle. Secondly, with our initial ride on the Niken we found it offered a riding experience unlike any other, and can still do wheelies to boot. With the Niken GT, we’re intrigued to see how slight changes to make it more touring ready can enhance the motorcycle.

The Niken GT takes the stated aim of the Niken and adds content to make it more touring friendly. Namely, the Niken GT adds a wider and taller touring windscreen, heated grips, specifically designed comfort seat, and quick-release 25-liter ABS side cases. For added convenience, the rear of the carrier base features integrated passenger grips.

Yamaha added largely tweaks and features to its existing lineup for EICMA 2018, but the Niken GT is an interesting take for the expanding sport-touring class.

BONUS: Top Disappointment

Yamaha made more news for what’s not happening in 2019 than what is happening. Instead of giving us the middleweight contender of our dreams this year, Yamaha announced the 700 Ténéré would be making its debut in, wait for it, 2020—as a 2021 model.

Release date aside, the production version underwhelmed on the spec sheet, with an LCD dash and not much mention of any electronic gadgetry. However, the wheelie-happy and torque-laden MT-07-derived motor is still there, and the looks are seemingly ripped right off Yamaha’s rally racers, which is a good thing.

However, the disappointment was palpable, and left adventure fans scratching their heads as Yamaha’s competitors clinked glasses of champagne in celebration. What’s it going to take for the 700 Ténéré to not underwhelm on its debut, and is the lack of technology potentially a good thing for the ADV space?

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For 111 years, the Harley Davidson has been known for many things—freedom, leather, and, most of all, its rumbling V-twin engine. This summer, Harley took a step in a new, quieter direction when it introduced Project Livewire, its first battery-powered bike. The Livewire has a lightweight aluminum frame rather than the classic tubular-steel version, and a 74-horsepower electric motor. With nearly 100 percent of its 52 foot-pounds of torque available instantly, it can hit 60 mph in under four seconds.

Several niche companies have marketed electric bikes over the past few years, but Harley’s entry into the market is telling. The manufacturer sees the technology as a way to court new riders. This fall, before the motorcycle goes into production, Harley will take it on a tour of 30 dealers on both coasts to get feedback. If customers approve, the company will sell the bike, or some version of it—a move that could shape the industry for years to come. What remains uncertain: Can anyone still rock a bandanna on a plug-in?

Harley-Davidson Project LiveWire

Engine: Clutch-less electric motor

Horsepower: 74

Fuel economy: n/a

Price: n/a

Range: 53 miles

Charge time: 3.5 hours from a 220-volt outlet

Top Speed: 92 mph

Car News You Should Care About

1) Ford will add adaptive steering into some models in 2015. The technology, thus far limited to luxury vehicles, varies the steering ratio with the speed, making parking easier and adding stability at high speeds.

2) Toyota has donated 208 used Camry Hybrid batteries to Yellowstone National Park, which when paired with solar panels and onsite micro-hydro turbine systems will power a cluster of five remote outbuildings.

3) San Francisco startup Cruise Automation is making a $10,000 sensor system (due out next year) that mounts to the roof of Audi A4 and S4 sedans, and enables semi-autonomous driving on highways.

4) Honda has started using 3-D visualization technology co-developed with tech firm 3DX CITE for crash simulations. Originally created for animated film, the software also allows for easier design changes.

This article originally appeared in the September 2014 issue of Popular Science.

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Key to many a successful military assault is the element of surprise. If an attacking force can arrive undetected—through terrain thought to be impassible—the battle is half won. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the arm of the Pentagon most responsible for shiny, futuristic technology, recently gave a $100,000 grant to Logos Technologies, a Fairfax, Va.-based defense tech company, to develop a silent, hybrid-engine motorcycle for the military.

What can the military do with a motorcycle that runs nearly silently? Wade Pulliam, the program manager at Logos Technologies, told Popular Science that while there’s “no CONOPS [concept of operations] set in stone,” it would be ideal for missions deep into hostile territory. Helicopters and V-22 Ospreys could deliver troops and bikes to where they’d start the mission, and then troops would ride the bikes farther into difficult terrain.

When not running on electric power, the bikes would use gasoline, JP 8 (a military jet fuel), diesel, and other fuels that could recharge the batteries as they propel the bike. The bike could also be used to charge electronic devices carried by the troops.

Pulliam says DARPA wants “military users to be able to scavenge fuel while on missions,” so compatibility with a range of fuels is important. The bikes are also two-wheel drive, which gives them even greater ability to maneuver difficult terrain, such as on narrow mountain paths and over fallen trees.

The hybrid off-road motorcycle has a strange parentage. The body comes from BRD’s RedShift MX, an off-road all-electric motorcycle. The engine is based on a hybrid electric/fuel drone engine that Logos Technologies is currently developing. The point of the hybrid motorcycle is not fuel efficiency, though there could be some gains there. Instead, the military motorcycle would run electric-only for up to an hour straight, which is one hour of nearly silent use. This is less than the two hours of running time that the civilian RedShift MX gets per charge, but the DARPA-funded bike project isn’t a direct modification of the RedShift; it’s a new hybrid bike that borrows some features.

DARPA’s noise goal is 55 decibels while running electric only, which is slightly louder than the ambient sounds of a quiet office and quieter than a normal conversation. That should be good enough to escape notice from all but the perkiest of ears. When running normally, the motorcycle will be 75 decibels—slightly louder than a normal conversation but quieter than a garbage disposal.

This isn’t the first hybrid-electric motorcycle; Hero Motocorp of India makes one. But Pulliam points out that this is the first developed that’s “multifuel and with two-wheel drive.” Pulliam expects that his team will start development of a prototype in the next three months.

The ability of an army mounted on two wheels to launch a surprise attack was best demonstrated during World War II’s Fall of Singapore. Alan C. Headrick, in his excellently titled study “Bicycle Blitzkrieg: The Malayan Campaign and the Fall of Singapore,” describes how the Japanese attackers managed to catch the British defenders from an approach they through was impassible.

While another Fall of Singapore-scale bike assault is unlikely, a silent and capable bike increases the reach of a military to otherwise inaccessible nooks and crannies of the world.

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At a time when screens are being integrated into everything, Skully engineers saw an opportunity to upgrade something that’s remained largely unchanged for decades: the motorcycle helmet. The P-1 is the first helmet with a digital head-up display. The one-inch screen sits at the right-hand edge of the driver’s field of view and projects a live feed from a 180-degree rear-facing camera, eliminating the blind spots that plague other helmets. The system can also broadcast turn-by-turn directions and pair with a smartphone to read back text messages, so the rider’s eyes can stay glued to the road.

Skully P-1

Rear camera viewing angle: **180 degrees
**Battery life: 9 hours
Safety approval: **DOT and ECE certified
**Price: Not set

P-1 Display

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The future has arrived – and it’s on one wheel. Check out the video above of the Ryno bike: a one-wheeled, electric-powered motorcycle created by Chris Hoffmann. The Ryno was based off a sketch by Hoffmann’s daughter who saw something like the vehicle in a video game. With 15 years of auto industry engineering experience, Hoffmann got busy building the very first Ryno.

Six years and three prototypes later, the Ryno travels at speeds up to 10 MPH and can travel up to 10 miles on a fully charged battery. The bike weights 160 pounds and can carry up to 260 pounds with its custom steel frame. LED headlights ensure riders can see where they’re going and others in cars or on bikes can see the rider.

Last week, Hoffmann came into the Popular Science office and brought with him the Ryno. A couple of us rode it around the halls of our floor, people pulling off their headphones and peeking behind corners to see what was going on. It felt a little weird getting on the Ryno at first – there’s no gas pedal or normal brake. You propel it by leaning forward and go reverse by leaning back. To steer, it’s more about rotating the hips than twisting the handlebars. Hoffmann guided me on my first couple of rides down the hallways, kind of like learning how to ride a bike. But once I got the hang of it, I pretty much felt like I was riding a motorcycle owned by the Red Power Ranger.

Hoffmann’s first-year plan is to have a limited amount of bikes sold by five dealers, and begin shipping on April 16. The Ryno bike will be priced at about $5,300. Check out more details about the motorcycle on its website.

Video by Gabe Bergado and Dan Bracaglia

The RYNO Bike

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Two years ago, engineers at Mission Motors, a California electric-vehicle manufacturer, set their prototype loose at the 2.238-mile Laguna Seca Raceway. The bike clocked a lap time of 1:31.3, nearly 13 seconds faster than any other electric bike and almost as fast as a 600cc gas guzzler. In 2014, the company will release the street-legal version of that bike, the Mission R. Despite its massive battery and thanks to a custom chassis and motor, the bike is both compact and powerful enough to chase down its conventionally powered competition.

Compact Package

Engineers kept the 550-pound bike about the same size as a gas-powered one. The motor doubles as the rear swingarm mount, which holds the axle and suspension, and the battery anchors the front of the steel-and-aluminum frame.

Horses To Spare

The AC induction motor produces 160 hp. Because it doesn’t need to rev up like a typical engine, it can deliver maximum torque (133.4 foot-pounds) off the line. The bike tops out at 150 mph and can hit 60 mph in three seconds.

Tighter Turns

At 30.5 inches wide, the Mission R is so narrow that it can lean up to 55 degrees in turns—5 to 10 degrees beyond the lean of most street bikes. A steeper angle means the motorcycle can corner at higher speeds.

Longer Rides

The Mission R comes with three battery options—depending on price and desired range. The small 12kWh model will run for up to 105 miles; the mid-range 15kWh will run for 120; and the large 17kWh for 140.

Bragging Rights

An HD camera records video, and a built-in cellular radio allows riders to upload footage. The five-inch in-dash screen also displays speed, weather, energy consumption, and navigation.

Mission R

Range: Up to 140 miles
Available: 2014
Price: From $32,499

This article originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of Popular Science.

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Click here to enter the gallery

The Future Of Motorcycles

There’s something about being perched above three massive plastic wheels that imbues ordinary crybaby toddlers with a terrifyingly kick-ass, gelled-hair attitude. Unfortunately, there’s something about adult trikes that is really, really uncool. Now designer Charles Bombardier, one of the creators of the three-wheeled Spyder roadster and grandson of the inventor of the snowmobile, has developed a trike motorcycle concept that looks just as fabulous to ride as your childhood Big Wheel.

Unlike the Big Wheel, the TrailTrike concept has two wheels in front and one in back. Bombardier designed the motorcycle concept to ride on asphalt as well as dirt roads and trails. The seat is another invention of Bombardier’s: To help maintain balance on bumpy backroads, the motorized “carving seat” tilts at various angles and speeds to respond to how a rider leans during turns and acceleration.

Bombardier tells Popular Science that he also imagines the TrailTrike with a so-called intelligent stability system, in which a rider can input a certain type of terrain (dirt, snow, or asphalt), and an algorithm will adjust engine power supply, braking on each wheel, and traction control as needed.

Powering the trike would be a 165-hp, 2-stroke, direct-injection engine with a continuously variable transmission. Two output shafts would provide power to each wheel. In order to concentrate most of the motorcycle’s mass around its center of gravity—thus making it easier to handle—Bombardier mounted the front disc brakes on the chassis of the vehicle instead of on the wheel hubs.

Check out the gallery for more images of the TrailTrike concept.

The Future Of Motorcycles

TrailTrike Concept by Charles Bombardier

TrailTrike Concept by Charles Bombardier

TrailTrike Concept by Charles Bombardier

TrailTrike Concept by Charles Bombardier

TrailTrike Concept by Charles Bombardier

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The Future Of Motorcycles

Russian inventors have created a motorcycle helmet with built-in navigation. The LiveMap helmet displays full-color, translucent images and text right on the visor, so riders can check their speed, view the time, and get directions, all without taking their eyes off the road.

Through Indiegogo, the device’s creators are hoping to raise $150,000 by July 12. The LiveMap, which is only slightly larger than a regular helmet, includes voice control, a digital compass, and a light sensor that adjusts display brightness depending on whether it’s dark or light out.

Inside the LiveMap helmet

The LiveMap helmet also comes with some smart safety features. The minimalistic interface means users will not be able to play games or watch videos on the device (phew), and the visor will only display an overview map if the bike’s speed is close to zero.

The inventors plan to sell the helmet for $2,000, though donors to the Indiegogo campaign can pre-order for $1,500.

Here’s a somewhat-hilarious video of the helmet in action:

The Future Of Motorcycles

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The Future Of Motorcycles

From designers Olegs Zabelins and Pavels Sevcenko, this concept for a streetfighter-style electric motorcycle is based around six easy-to-replace batteries. Rather than waiting for the vehicle to charge between trips, riders of this motorbike would simply flip up a side covering and swap fresh battery modules into the honeycomb-like storage compartment (see rendering below.)

Electric motorbike concept, battery modules

According to the concept’s creators, a recharge should take no more than 10 minutes. Another benefit of this design: Replaceable batteries could make the motorcycle cheaper to produce and easier to repair.

Electric motorbike concept, rendering

Electric motorbike concept, tech

Electric motorbike concept, engineering

The Future Of Motorcycles

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Nap Pepin had been waiting on the side of the highway near his Alberta, Canada, home for more than hour when the tow truck finally pulled up. The driver looked at the stranded electronics technologist and his homebuilt electric trike and asked, “Ran out of juice, eh?” Pepin wasn’t sure what the problem was, but he knew he still had plenty of charge. He had been tinkering with battery-powered three-wheelers since 2005, and by that point, late last year, he had spent hundreds of hours designing a battery pack to ensure that his vehicle, the Lithium Hawk, would never unexpectedly lose power.

Pepin, 48, has been making vehicles since he was a kid. After building an electric trike using some parts from a kit in 2010, he decided to make his own three-wheeler from scratch. He designed an aluminum chassis, chose an AC motor that could handle the trike’s 1,000-pound estimated weight without overheating, and selected a pair of car wheels for the front. He wanted the trike to be rear-wheel-drive, so the back wheel was critical. Conveniently, he found several people who had converted Honda Goldwing motorcycles into standard gas-powered three-wheelers and no longer needed the shaft drive that powered the bike’s rear wheel. The shaft drive was ideal for his project, in part because it allowed him to outfit the trike with highly efficient tires. He bought one, originally priced at $3,500, for $106 on eBay.

Despite all the mechanical engineering involved, the batteries presented the biggest challenge. Typically, as lithium cells run down, their performance degrades. Pepin wanted his vehicle to be more like a gas-fueled car, which provides more-consistent acceleration. So he ordered several types of lithium batteries, bought testing equipment, and spent two months analyzing the batteries’ performance under a variety of conditions.

Electric Bike View 1

When he found a winner, he worked for another few months on a copper-plated pack to encase the 1,976 cells. He spent more than 100 hours precisely welding the copper around the batteries, only to find that the welds weren’t holding. That forced him to get rid of the copper and start over with strips of nickel, which he spot-welded together with the cells at 23,712 different points.

Pepin may build a real body for the Lithium Hawk to increase its range, but right now he thinks it looks cooler without one. The vehicle gets plenty of attention and is street-legal. Pepin discovered that a manufacturing flaw in the motor controller caused his highway breakdown, and he has now corrected it. He’s also designing a system that will regulate the power sent to the battery pack to maintain a constant temperature, so that the Lithium Hawk will perform as usual even in the subfreezing Canadian winter.

Building an Electric Bike

Time 2 years
Cost $24,000

Electric Bike View 2

HOW IT WORKS

Steering: Pepin knew the Lithium Hawk would have to be registered as a motorcycle, so he opted for handlebars instead of a rack-and-pinion system; he was worried that the regulatory authorities might not approve a steering wheel. The handlebars he used initially were difficult to turn at low speeds, so he had to entirely rebuild the front of the chassis. (When he had the vehicle inspected, the regulators said they would have been fine with a steering wheel.)

Brakes: The vehicle has hydraulic brakes, but Pepin mainly relies on a regenerative braking system to stop. When he wants to accelerate, he twists the handlebar throttle toward himself, and to slow down, he turns it away. This sends a signal to the motor controller to slow the rear wheel. The Lithium Hawk’s motor behaves as a generator, and the controller captures the excess energy that’s produced and routes it to the cells, extending the vehicle’s range.

Performance: Pepin has driven more than 2,000 miles in the Lithium Hawk, and he says it out-accelerates practically every other vehicle on the road. He can jump from 45 mph to nearly 70 in about two seconds. At this point he won’t estimate the actual range of the vehicle, in part because it’s a skeleton. Had he decided to enclose the Hawk in an aerodynamic shell as he initially planned, the range would increase significantly at highway speeds.

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Since the days of $4 gas began, the single-cylinder motorcycles and scooters that dominate international megacities have become increasingly common on American streets. Engineers at Yamaha created the Y125 Moegi concept to capitalize on that trend. They based it on the company’s first motorcycle, the 1955 125-cc YA-1, but they also included some modern touches, in particular an ultralight frame and a new cylinder design that could help make the Moegi one of the lightest and most fuel-efficient motorcycles ever.

The Y125 Moegi, which is 90 percent aluminum, weighs just 176 pounds (50 pounds less than an entry-level Vespa). Engineers molded the aluminum frame using Yamaha’s proprietary “controlled-filling” die-casting process. Controlled filling reduces air bubbles in the finished parts by 20 percent, making it possible to build strong, thin components that are 30 percent lighter.

Like the original YA-1, the Moegi runs on an air-cooled, 125-cc engine, which connects to the bike’s 20-inch rear wheel with a simple belt drive. But engineers replaced the YA-1’s lawnmower-like two-stroke with a low-friction four-stroke. They also incorporated another Yamaha invention: the DiASil cylinder, the world’s first mass-produced all-aluminum, die-cast motorcycle cylinder. The DiASil’s abrasion-resistant aluminum alloy dissipates heat at three times the rate of steel. When the engine isn’t being adequately cooled by the wind (for example, when riding uphill or stuck in traffic), there’s less power loss resulting from increased engine heat.

Yamaha hasn’t announced a horse-power rating for the Moegi engine, but 10 to 15 horsepower would be enough to propel a bike this light to 50 mph. Yamaha engineers have said, however, that the Moegi could achieve 188 mpg, which would make it nearly four times as efficient as a typical motorcycle.

Mileage: Up to 188 mpg
Weight: 176 pounds

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I have never understood why people who aren’t circus clowns ride unicycles. They seem designed specifically to create wipeouts and, subsequently, schadenfreude (a lesson our writer learned all too well in 1967 when he undertook the massive challenge of learning to ride one). But who knew that tucked away in the pages of PopScis past were some of the weirdest, most delightfully retro-futuristic unicycles of all time? Now we all do. And I don’t think it’s a stretch to say our lives are all the better for it.

Click here to launch the archive gallery.

There’s the gyroscopic unicycle whose creator claimed it could reach speeds of up to 400 miles per hour, the motorized unicycle invented by an Italian policeman who rode it all the way from Milan to Rome, the unicycle war tank, complete with built-in machine gun and a one-in-a-million photo of the creator of a DIY moto-unicycle astride his creation wearing a leather jacket like the leader of the most badass (and probably only) unicycle gang in the world.

You’ll find all this and more in this week’s archive gallery. Join us as we delve into the depths of the unicycle’s history and all of its bizarre evolutionary branches that never quite took.

The Air-Propelled Unicycle: September 1917

A Long Way to Fall: June 1920

Gyroscopic Speed-Demon Unicycle: April 1923

Italian Policeman’s Motorized Unicycle: December 1924

Giant Iron Wheel Could Be Car of the Future: May 1932

The Unicycle of War: November 1933

Turn Your Bike Into a Unicycle: September 1934

Taming the Wild Unicycle: June 1967

A Turbo Segway Unicycle: October 2003

DIY Moto-Unicycle: June 2008

The post Archive Gallery: Single-Wheeled Vehicles Trundle Through The Decades appeared first on Popular Science.

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In the shadow of Launchpad 39A–where the Space Shuttle Atlantis once stood ready for orbit–a team of former NASA engineers laid off when the shuttle program ended are building a rocket-inspired street legal tricycle. And it’s not just for kicks. Treycycle Gold–as the company building the bikes is now known–aims to employ more than 100 people within the year, breathing new life into the Space Coast’s engineering economy.

The company started with roughly 15 NASA engineers facing imminent termination and a little help from the Emerging Growth Institute, a non-profit that works with emerging technology companies. They decided to flip their vast experience in vehicle design into a new breed of tricycle that is part car, part bike, and all muscle, accelerating from 0-60 in just 3.6 seconds.

The Treycycle packs a Chrysler 300 3.5-liter engine that supplies the vehicle with its 260 horsepower all packed inside a molybdenum alloy frame offering more strength than the average motorcycle. Unlike three-wheeled motorcycles with their high centers of gravity, the low-to-the-ground Treycycle’s long wheel base makes it extremely difficult to roll over while cornering.

All that may seem like novelty, but people are lining up to buy the vehicles–specifically, 150 people who are already on the wait list. The company is even developing a three-seater “family” trike. For now the company will roll out two Treycycles every three weeks, but as demand dictates they will grow the company further–perhaps to as many as 130 people within a year. That’s good news for a region packed with engineering talent but without enough industry to employ all the smart people falling out of NASA programs.

For career Space Coasters, finding new ways to apply their know-how is a matter of pride. Hence the specialized serial number plates, which also read: “Made on the Space Coast in the Sunshine State.”

[Yahoo via Discovery News]

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When they go on-sale at some point in the next year or so, the Brammo Engage and Encite dirt bikes will be the first production electric motorcycles ever fitted with a gearbox. The six-speed unit, mated to the electric motor and sitting beneath the battery packs, works just like it does on gas-powered counterparts — pull in the clutch with your left hand, click down into first with your left foot, feed the clutch out and you’ll pull away. Just here, you’ll do that silently.

By working to maximize an engine’s leverage over its wheels to increase acceleration or reduce the speed at which the engine needs to spin to boost efficiency, gearboxes have enabled gas-powered vehicles to be both faster and more efficient. Those are advantages single-speed electric vehicles haven’t yet enjoyed. Conventional wisdom stated they didn’t need to; the large torque outputs and flat power delivery of electric motors enabled reasonable performance without multiple speeds.

So what’s the advantage? Craig Bramscher, Brammo’s CEO, chiefly sings the praises of increased performance. “I’m afraid to give it full throttle, even in 3rd gear,” he says of the smaller of these two bikes, the Encite minimoto.

The Engage and Encite, which haven’t had performance figures released yet, will be able to take advantage of same ability to choose increased leverage or lower motor speeds, meaning that the huge torque of electric motors will be multiplied in lower gears.

The clutch lever will also eliminate a traditional electric bugbear — poor throttle control. On bikes without that clutch, electric manufacturers have only had throttle response tuning to work with to make their bikes both smooth and responsive, two properties that are mutually exclusive. Off-the-line acceleration was also blunted by the need to delivery safe, predictable acceleration, as we found in our test drive of the older Brammo Enertia, instead of wheelies or wheelspin. By giving riders the ability to control motor response with the clutch, Brammo should be free to program much more aggressive throttle response. Of course, riders will also be free to use that clutch to lift the front wheel off the ground, thus impressing onlookers with both their environmentalist bonafides and general badassery.

Four iterations of the two bikes you see here are planned, including road-legal and race-only supermotos, a motocross bike, and the mini dirt bike. Prices will run from $9,950 up to $11,995.

Brammo is being a bit ballsy with the introduction of these bikes. The motorcycles you see here are engineering prototypes without final styling or even drivetrain packaging and haven’t yet operated in a competition environment, yet they’ll debut this Friday at the MiniMotoSX race in Las Vegas, going head-to-head with single-speed electric competitors like the Zero MX and Quantya Track. We’ll find out then if gearboxes are really an electric motorcycle game changer.

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In November 2009, after spending three months recovering from a broken pelvis, Chris Yates, a motorcycle racer, engineer, and defense contractor, began staging his reentry into racing. This time, he chose a new niche, where his training as an engineer would be a particular asset: electric motorcycles.

He started by converting a gaspowered Suzuki GSX-R600 to run on a 194 horsepower electric motor that was built to power driverless U.S. Army tanks. Lithium-polymer batteries, 180 pounds of them, supply the charge. But to pack in even more power without adding extra battery weight, he designed a regenerative braking system that pulls otherwise wasted energy from both wheels to give the batteries a periodic boost. Yates and his team also custom-designed software that carefully manages overall energy usage. All that engineering was worth it.

In January, during a race against gas-powered Ducatis, KTMs and Hondas, Yates’s bike placed second, setting the fastest lap time (one minute, 39 seconds), and clocking a top speed of 158 mph. Here’s how.

A Peek Inside The Superbike

How It Works

Lithium-Ion Batteries

A 180-pound pack containing 102 individual battery cells stores 11.7 kilowatt-hours of energy.

Kinetic Energy Recovery

Kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) harvest energy from decelerating wheels and then convert it to electricity. On motorcycles, KERS is usually installed only on the rear wheel. But when a motorcycle brakes, most of the weight shifts to the front wheel, which means if you can pull it off, that’s the place to recover energy.

Yates managed to do so by connecting counter-rotating shafts to gears near the front fork and linking another shaft to the electric motor with a chain. When he squeezes the KERS lever on his handlebars, the motorcycle slows not by physically applying the brakes but by using the momentum of the wheel to turn the electric motor, thereby generating electricity.

Power-Management Software

An onboard computer collects data from gyroscopes, sensors and GPS; it then calculates the bike’s location, the distance traveled and the speed of each wheel, and limits power usage accordingly.

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As lovers of science and innovation, few things delight us more than tinkering around with spare parts. In our 138 years of publication, we’ve showcased scores of similar-minded inventors who could turn scrap heaps into motorcycles, robots, and four-wheelers. These people aren’t just hobbyists, they’re visionaries capable of imagining great machinery from what others had deemed broken and useless.

While people have created a great number of things from scratch, cars stand out as the prime project for professional engineers and bored tinkerers alike. We don’t blame them—who wouldn’t enjoy taking their invention for a celebratory spin upon completion? Join us as we take a look at some of the more curious vehicles assembled in garages over the past 100 years, and decide for yourself whether they’re clever or the work of a crackpot.

We begin in the spring of 1920, where a Pennsylvanian farm owner known simply as Mr. Geissinger has assembled a tractor from a stationary gasoline engine. In those days, stationary engines were used to run power tools and mechanisms like circular saws and pumps. An unlikely candidate for powering a car, sure, but its maker came up with enough scrap materials to convert it into a tractor. Granted, it doesn’t look much like a tractor at all, but we won’t spoil you—take a look below to see how Mr. Geissinger’s work turned out.

Then you have your series of go-kart-like vehicles, your bicycle-automobile hybrids, and even a couple of cage-like cars. All of the cars we cover in this gallery were made for personal use, and out of amusement, but all of them reflect how mainstream vehicles have developed over the years. A “motorized Ark” built in 1927 might resemble a modern-day funeral limousine, but during that period, it was a novel camping trailer equipped with a toilet, a stove, and a shower. Converting the chassis of a truck into a camping trailer is one thing, but to install a hotel room’s worth of amenities speaks for the dedication its creator had to his craft.

Elsewhere, you’ll find that most home-based automakers weren’t professional engineers or mechanics, but teenagers and artists pursuing a practical diversion. Not all of us carry a lot of automobile know-how, but with a little ingenuity, research, and an enviable hodgepodge of scrap items, you’ll be hosting joyrides in your washing machine-jeep hybrid in no time.

Read on to see how past hobbyists made their “midget autos,” egg-shaped cars, kitchen-equipped Fords and more.

Mr. Geissinger’s tractor: April 1920

While this homemade tractor might resemble something from a dieselpunk magazine, we can assure you that it’s a real vehicle. A Pennsylvanian farmer known only as Mr. Geissinger built his tractor out of spare parts in a scrap pile. He started with a 15 year-old, one-cylinder stationary gasoline engine, which in those days was used for running power tools, circular saws, pumps, and hay elevators. Soon enough, he assembled enough parts to give his tractor all the functions of a conventional one. It could work as quickly, had all the controls, and could turn in any direction. We reported that Geissinger successfully used it for threshing and plowing, as three plows could be attached at its rear. In total, his tractor cost $265.

The “touring Ark”: March 1924

Today, we have trailers. In the 1920s, inventor W.K. Kellogg had his “touring Ark,” a 27-foot truck equipped with everything you’d need to survive on the road: a refrigerator and ice machine, a washstand and sink, an oil stove, a fireless cooker, a toilet, cupboards, folded dining sets, a shower, a bunk, and radio set. It also held camping equipment, like a 15-foot folding motorboat. Pretty amazing for 1924, right? More so considering the abundance of luxuries in proportion to the size of his car.

Kellogg, a food manufacturer, built the Ark to indulge his lone hobby, motor touring. Not being one to rough it out in the open country or to stay in hotels, Kellogg built his car as a means of self-sufficiency. He started construction by attaching a special body and a 45-horsepower motor to a 27-foot truck chassis. Four armchairs mounted on swivels became seats, which could easily be converted into twin beds. The toilet came with running water from a pressure tank, while a small heater could make showering and travel more comfortable during winter. In total, the car weighed 11,000 pounds and could run between 30 and 35 miles per hour. Kellogg wrote this article while on the road with his wife, who accompanied him on cross-country trips taking upward of 18 months.

Washing machine go-kart: September 1932

What do you get when you cross a washing machine with a toy wagon? A car, of course—or as they called it back in the early 1930s, a “midget auto.” To build his car, Stanley McCrary, from Seattle, took the motor from an old washing machine and attached it to the wagon. He made the clutch and steering equipment by himself, and attached a little tank capable of holding a gallon of gas. There isn’t much else written about McCrary’s machine except that it could run at 12 miles an hour on level ground. We suppose the sight of a boy on his homemade auto spoke for itself.

Marcel Berthet’s Velodyne: December 1933

Unless you know your cycling history, a bike is the last thing you’d expect would be encased in Marcel Berthet’s shell-like vehicle, pictured left, above. Berthet, a French cycling champion, designed the Velodyne streamliner with Marchel Riffard, chief engineer at a renowned French airline firm. The machine was reportedly capable of moving between 40 and 60 miles an hour.

To ride the machine, the cyclist would enter a small door in the side of the shell and lower his head below the opening at the top. During race, he’d use a peephole to navigate. As strange as the vehicle looked, it was developed using principles of aerodynamics. Like the tip of a plane, the 2-foot wide front of the Velodyne was narrow enough to overcome a significant amount of wind resistance. Berthet ended up setting a new record after riding 49.992 kilometers in one hour in his Velodyne, prompting judges to ban recumbent bicycles from bike races in 1934.

A lightweight streamlined car: October 1934

As far as home-built cars go, this model is one of the more novel designs in our archives. Dr. Calvin B. Bridges, a biologist from California, designed his car for lightness and speed. Weighing just 700 pounds, his vehicle was powered by a motorcycle engine and was expected to run 60 miles per hour. A gallon of gasoline could power it through 50 to 70 miles of travel. Like the Velodyne, Bridges’ car reduced wind resistance to a minimum, while its light frame, which was made of welded chrome-molybdenum steel tubes, would help the vehicle attain more mileage than one would expect from a car of its size.

Homemade mountain climber: November 1937

Another year, another “midget auto.” This toboggan-shaped car was built by Wallace Henderson, an engineer from Glasgow, who assembled it for fun. While it looks simple and lacks a body, Henderson’s car actually drove 3,000 feet up the Ben Lomond mountain in Scotland. His surprisingly sturdy vehicle was powered by a 2 3/4-horsepower gasoline engine located in the rear of the car behind the driver’s seat. A chain drive kept the car moving while dual tires provided additional traction. To prevent the wheels from spinning out of control, Henderson installed sheet-metal lugs on the inside pair of tires. You can’t quite see it in this photo, but a curved shield kept dirt out of Henderson’s face as he drove.

Scooter car: July 1938

At first glance, R.L. Shepherd’s homemade automobile looks like a bike, but the Los Angeles inventor touted it otherwise. His vehicle, which was again made from various old parts, could run 8 miles on one cent’s worth of oil and gasoline. A half-horsepower lawnmower and a concave chassis rendered springs unnecessary, thus easing up the vehicle’s weight. Although the car came with four wheels, only two actually drove it forward; the remaining two kept it balanced, the way training wheels do on some bicycles. While small, his car succeeded in covering 140 miles on a single gallon of gasoline.

An unbelievably fast car: December 1938

This car was built by Mylio Ozuk, a high school student from Chicago who apparently had free access to a spare parts supply. Inspired by several advanced designs for cars of the future, Ozuk placed the motor and radiator in the back of the vehicle so he could have a clear view while driving. He also applied a streamline design for speed (exterior shell not shown) and claimed his car could break 130 miles per hour. There’s no word on whether Ozuk’s claims were actually tested and proven, but we’re willing to believe that this kid enjoyed a few thrilling joyrides in his time.

Steam-powered car: June 1940

Apparently, building cars was all the rage among teenagers in the 1930s and 1940s. Two young inventors from Jamesburg, New Jersey, raided a scrap heap to create their steam-powered, three-wheeled car. Parts included two space heaters, the transmission from an old truck, and a discarded gas oven, which they used as the steam engine’s firebox. Wood served as fuel, which generated steam with a pressure of 25 pounds per square inch.

Camping car: September 1947

Just a couple of decades after W.K. Kellogg unveiled his motorized Ark, Roy Hunt, a Hollywood cameraman, showed off his own take on the live-in car concept. In addition to his own supplies, Hunt used a Ford Model-A transmission and a four-cylinder, 90-horsepower, air-cooled Franklin engine from an old war plane. He installed the engine in the rear, stuffed some kitchen and dining equipment within the front hood and tweaked the seats so they could be converted into beds.

As you can see in the pictures, his car held a remarkable number of amenities. The shotgun seat could unfold into a full-sized bed, while the kitchen set held an icebox, a sink, and a GI gasoline stove At 4 feet, 8 inches high, and 16 feet long, his car wasn’t especially spacious, so he made the doors just an inch thick to increase the vehicle’s volume.

Egg car: May 1953

This lovely little vehicle wasn’t built by an engineer, but by an artist by the name of Paul Arzens. His insistence that “the mechanism must be a means and not the end” motivated him to built a car that defied conventional car designs. He began using a frame with steering gear similar to that of a Model T Ford. Next, he added a body of aluminum tubing to the steel frame and installed an air-cooled rear engine that could provide 5 horsepower at 5,300 rpm. Next, he added a small seat slightly wider than the ones in typical French cars. To maximize visibility, he made the top third of the car all Plexiglass windows. Finally, a canvas pull-over top gave his “Little Town Car” some shade. Capable of traveling just 50 miles per hour, Arzens’ car wasn’t the fastest thing in the world, but you can’t deny that it looks nice.

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Three motorcyclists competing in the final race of the international MotoGP circuit this month will have extra injury insurance, in the form of wearable airbags. Alpinestars’s Tech Air Race suit uses an onboard computer to sense the subtle differences between regular track turbulence and the motion associated with an impending crash, and it fires fall-cushioning airbags on the shoulders and collarbone (an oft-injured area for racers) before the biker hits the ground. These bags are nearly 10 times as effective at preventing injury as other armor. With foam pads, the impact at 200 mph is still more than 4,000 pounds of force; when this suit’s bags are inflated, that number is cut to 450 pounds—the difference between a collarbone fracture and a bruise.

Alpinestars anticipates that its consumer-grade suit—with two 2-quart bags, like those currently on pro tracks—will go on sale next year, with airbag-equipped jackets for everyday riders rolling out around 2013.

How To Cushion A Fall

A 1.1 pound computer set between the rider’s shoulder blades collects G-force, vibration and tilt data from seven sensors throughout the suit every two milliseconds. If four consecutive readings indicate that the rider is losing control – tilting too far into a turn, for instance – the computer triggers a nitrogen canister, which inflates the airbags in 0.05 seconds. The bags stay rigid for about five seconds before deflating, flattening back into the lining in 20 seconds. A second charge is then ready to deploy the system again should a persistent rider hop back on.

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Electric motorcycles no longer need be thought of as slow and boring. When the Brammo Empulse, successor to last year’s Enertia, goes on sale early next year it’ll be capable of reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph with an average range of up to 100 miles.

Click the thumbnails to launch the photogallery

That bests the Enertia’s 60 mph ceiling over a range of 45 miles. The key to the performance boost is a new liquid-cooled motor a little bit similar to the one used on the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc, but unlike that futuristic, one-off race bike, this one will be available at Best Buy and will be surprisingly affordable. Prices will run from $9,995 to $13,995, but a raft of electric vehicle tax breaks could bring that more expensive figure as low as $7,000 depending on which state you live in and which breaks you qualify for.

The Empulse puts out 55 HP and 59 Lb-Ft of torque while weighing just 390 Lbs. That should give it performance on par with a 650cc Suzuki Internal Combustion Engine motorcycle, which is to say it’ll accelerate faster than most sports cars.

Three models will be offered, with battery pack capacities the only thing separating them:

• Brammo Empulse 6.0: 6kwh battery capacity, 60-mile average range, $9,995
• Brammo Empulse 8.0: 8kWh, 80-mile average range, $11,995
• Brammo Empulse 10.0: 10kWh, 100-mile average range, $13,995

Those ranges have been calculated using an equal mix of city and highway riding. Stick to slower surface streets and the 10.0’s range will increase to 130+ miles, while long periods of high-speed cruising could see it shrink to 60-70 miles.

The big technology breakthrough here is the price-to-energy density ratio of the battery packs. While Brammo doesn’t plan to say much about the proprietary technology before the Empulse goes on sale early next year, expect some sort of Lithium Polymer chemistry. To put that ratio into perspective, Brammo’s biggest competitor, Zero Motorycles, offers bikes with a 4kWh capacity for $9,995.

Unfortunately, that new technology isn’t going to do much for recharge times. Using a standard 110v outlet, expect the 10.0 to take between six and eight hours for a full charge. Battery charge times aren’t linear though, a quick top-up of a half or three-quarters full battery should only take a couple hours.

Like all other electric motorcycles, the Empulse will be virtually silent and there’s no tailpipe to spew harmful emissions.

Leaning In

The bike you see in these photos is actually a pre-production unit fitted with a lower-spec motor. The guy riding it is Brammo’s designer Brian Wismann who says, “even with 40 HP, the bike has no problem reaching 100 mph.”

“It’s not the fastest thing on the road,” continues Wismann, “but it is really fun to ride and is plenty fast to get yourself into trouble.”

The Empulse isn’t just going to be a straight-line performer though. Its stiff aluminum frame and top-drawer suspension mean its designed to go around corners too. Brammo actually plans to unveil the Empulse to the public by racing it against the MotoCzysz at California’s Laguna Seca Raceway later this month. It might not win, but it will be the only race bike there you’ll see in a Best Buy showroom in six to seven months time.

Brammo Empulse

Brammo Empulse on the Track

Brammo Empulse Close-Up

Right Profile

Left Profile

Leaning In

Charging Up

Taking a Turn

In the Garage

The post Brammo Empulse: The New 100mph King of Consumer Electric Motorcycles, Sold At Best Buy appeared first on Popular Science.

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Dutch vehicle designer Allert Jacobs knew that his fuel-sipping, shell-encased motorcycle was street-legal. Unfortunately, the police didn’t, and impounded it after pulling him over during a test run.

Allert Jacobs’ Aerocycle

But Jacobs has a lot of patience. He first built a resistance-reducing nose cone in 2007, in an attempt to increase his Honda Innova 125i’s 114-mpg rating. That design fell short, so he built a 1:5 scale model, followed by a full-size polyurethane and wood mold. By 2009, he was crafting the fiberglass shell. Steel tubes welded to the bike’s frame attach it, and a frame and rails added to the front of the bike allow the front of the shell to slide forward like a door and lock shut. Last winter, he even made aerodynamic cones with indicator lights for his side-view mirrors.

In the Shell

Most of the mileage boost comes from the aerodynamic shape, but Jacobs also converted the bike’s automatic clutch to manual to keep it from slipping. Altogether, the changes worked: On one long trip, the bike got 214 miles per gallon. And as for the impound? “I got it back,” he says, “and they had to apologize.”

Time: 3 years Cost: $5,000

HANDLING

Jacobs can put his feet down to steady himself when stopped, but the shell prevents him from planting them out wide. He’s considering building a new version with open sides in order to reduce balance issues.

COMFORT

After lowering the seat and raising the footrests above the wheel, Jacobs decided that they would improve steering if they were closer to the hub, so he welded tubes to the frame parallel to the front forks and attached the footrests to them.

SECURITY

Jacobs welded and bolted a steel rail to the front of the bike so that half the shell can slide forward 18 inches, allowing him easy access and exit. There’s a security bonus too, since he can lock up his bike along with any valuables inside.

3 More MPG-Boosting Mods

Duct-Taped Dream

Duct-Taped Dream

Chang Ho Kim, who runs an auto-repair shop in Massachusetts, skipped doing airflow calculations and modified his 1989 Honda CRX HF largely on instinct. He added a narrow, wedge-shaped acrylic nose to move the air over the hood and roof, taped the seams between the body panels to prevent turbulence, and installed acrylic skirts to keep air flowing past the rear tires. An aerodynamic tail extends down off the hatchback glass. A few screws and lots of aluminum duct tape keep the pieces together. The mods yielded results: Previously, his Honda ran at 40 miles per gallon; now it routinely tops 60.

Greenie Van

GREENIE VAN

Glass artist and furniture maker Marcus Sabathil’s Toyota Previa minivan is a moving example of his dedication to green principles: He increased its highway mileage from 20 mpg to 36. Sabathil made more than a dozen mechanical modifications, crafted a clear Lexan plastic aerodynamic tail with stainless-steel trim, and added interior side-view mirrors so he could fold in the outer ones on the road.

Wonder-Trailer

WONDER-TRAILER

Phil Knox, an aeromodding legend, attached an inverted and partially sawed-off boat to the top of a utility trailer and added fairings in front of and behind the wheels, as well as a smooth aluminum belly pan to reduce drag beneath the trailer. As a result, unlike normal trailers, Knox’s 430-pound creation—still awaiting a few tweaks before it’s finished—does not appear to reduce his pickup truck’s mileage.

The H2Whoa Credo: DIY can be dangerous. We review all our projects before publishing them, but ultimately your safety is your responsibility. Always wear protective gear, take proper safety precautions, and follow all laws and regulations

The post You Built What?! The 200-MPG Aerocycle appeared first on Popular Science.

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Update on the world’s most advanced electric motorcycle: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc won the TT Zero electric motorcycle race yesterday, lapping the Isle of Man at a record 96.820 MPH, just shy of the 100 MPH goal the team was aiming for. The win is history-making for more than just electric motorcycles–it’s the first time an American-made bike has won a race at the Isle of Man since Indian debuted a two-speed gearbox in 1911 and only the second time an American rider has finished first there.

To put the MotoCzysz’s speed in perspective, last year’s electric race-winning 87 MPH is roughly equivalent to the speed of the winning Internal Combustion Engine bike in 1938, while this ear’s speed would have placed MotoCzysz second in 1957. With that kind of development pace, where will electric motorcycles be 19 years from now?

For more on MotoCzysz and their groundbreaking bike, check out our huge feature from earlier this week.

MotoCzysz E1pc on the track

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This is the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc, a race bike built by a tiny Oregonian company focused on pushing the limits of electric performance to the absolute max. It packs 10 times the battery capacity of a Toyota Prius and 2.5 times the torque of a Ducati 1198 into a package that looks like something out of a 24th-century Thunderdome.

Tomorrow it will race in the Isle of Man TT, the toughest motorcycle race in the world. The technology at work is so advanced, so unprecedented, that we may be looking not just at the future of motorcycles, but of all electric vehicles.

Click to view photo gallery

The reason the all-electric race bike is here, 4,600 miles from its home in Portland, Oregon, is to prove itself. Ever since 1907, the Isle of Man TT has been the race for bike manufacturers and riders to show their mettle to the public. The thinking goes that if you can lap its 37.7 miles of tiny, twisty back roads with an average speed in excess of 100 MPH, you or your bike become indisputably proven. Well over 200 riders and a handful of spectator’s have been killed trying to do just that.

But as recently as two days ago, the future of motorcycles was missing its body panels (stuck in customs). Before this week, the finished bike has never even seen the light of day. But even in its unproven, incomplete state, it’s been putting in laps that have the competition quaking in their leather.

The customs snafu (and the mad dash to even finish the bike in time for the race) is not the first time Michael Czysz, MotoCzysz’s founder, CEO and the driving force behind the E1pc, had suffered a set back on this tiny rock in the middle of the Irish Sea. Last year, the Isle of Man TT hosted the first ever all-electric motorcycle road race, and MotoCzysz was there with the E1pc’s predecessor. But while the machines that entered were technically impressive, their performance wasn’t. The race-winning team only averaged 87 MPH, well short of the 100 MPH watershed that defines a serious lap and way behind the 131.5 MPH lap record set by the fastest gas-powered superbikes. MotoCzysz didn’t even complete a full lap, suffering an electric spike from their experimental kinetic energy recovery system that fried the bike’s electronic control unit (ECU).

That was a major blow for Czysz (pronounced “sizz”). Five months of whirlwind effort from the former motorcycle racer and architect and his small team in Portland saw them abruptly transition away from developing a 200 HP, gasoline-powered MotoGP bike to produce an electric bike that blew the zero emissions competition away standing still. The E1pc looks like an X-Wing crossed with an iPod to the other electric racer’s cobbled-together adaptations of existing internal combustion engine bikes.

On pit row at the Isle of Man

“We overreached and it bit us in the ass,” says Czysz of last year’s race. “We’re trying to do too much with too little, we’re effectively building a Formula One level machine with one engineer, two machinists, one CAD guy, me and a body dude.”

But the E1pc was out in front when it broke down. Way out front.

Remake, Remodel

This year’s all-new 2010 E1pc is too–out front, that is, not broken down. During practice this week, it reached a top speed of 140 MPH—besting its closest electric competitor’s 102 MPH. The E1pc also clocked a 94.6 MPH lap, tantalizingly close to the 100 MPH goal. Yes, it completed that lap. But that’s not the amazing thing; the E1pc ran that time while using, on average, less than 40 percent of its throttle and crossed the finish line, according to Czysz, with “plenty in reserve.”

But this new bike is way more than just an ECU that doesn’t blow and a bit more battery capacity. It’s a ground-up redesign of 2009’s largely off-the-shelf approach. “A bike has a relationship with the rider and a balance that is way beyond cars and computers, so you can’t just randomly shove stuff around and hope it works,” describes Czysz. “You have to work around the batteries, they’re they largest component, the heaviest component and the most important component.”

On the 2010 E1pc the batteries are huge, visually dominating the bike and occupying the space traditionally reserved for an internal combustion engine. There are 10 individual lithium polymer cells that each weigh 19.5 Lbs and were hand-assembled by a company that typically builds batteries for NASA. The level of integration here hints at the kind of work that’s gone into the rest of the bike. There are no wires connecting the batteries to the bike or any exposed terminals. Instead, posts on the batteries lock into receivers on the bike’s frame, at once making the electrical connection and supporting the batteries’ weight. The proprietary internal arrangement is secret, so we can’t show you a picture of it, but it allows the batteries to be swapped out in just a couple of seconds.

That ability is crucial. The electric motor is powerful enough to chew through the 12.5 kWh of on-board power in just 40 miles under race conditions (in comparison, the 2010 Toyota Prius’s battery pack holds just 1.3 kWh and can travel only a single mile in full-electric mode). Quick-swap batteries allow the team to run road tests without waiting four hours between charges and, more importantly, removable batteries bring huge safety benefits. The E1pc is running close to the maximum allowable 500 volts, enough power to turn a wrench into molten metal in a flash of white light or split a mechanic’s hand in half (it’s already done the former). The ability to remove that power source from the bike before working on it renders the machine safe from accidental electric shocks. This level of safety and convenience have clear applications in mainstream electric consumer vehicles–don’t expect Czysz’s patents to stay on one-off race bikes.

But the custom-engineered, oil-cooled electric motor that sucks up those batteries’ juice may be the single most important individual component driving the E1pc’s exceptional performance; while most electric bikes repurpose electric motors built for forklifts or high-power drills, Czysz’s motor is the first to be developed from the ground up to win races.

The DC internal permanent magnet motor, which Czysz calls “D1g1tal Dr1ve,” is small enough to hide within the swingarm beneath the rear shock. The oil-cooled motor makes more power and torque than all three air-cooled motors in last year’s E1pc combined, while being smaller than one of them individually. And crucially, it develops its 100 HP and 250 Lb-Ft of torque continuously. Air-cooled electric motors, on the other hand, quote peak figures which they’re only able to reach for a very brief period of time due to the rapid buildup of immense heat. Sometimes, they can only reach peak power for a fraction of a second. The MotoCzysz can always make that 100 HP–as long as the batteries hold out, that is. The oil-cooling is key here, allowing the motor to exponentially shrink in size and weight for its output level; air-cooled motors are huge, so their large metal components can soak up the heat.

The batteries

Despite batteries’ limited ability to carry energy on board when compared to internal-combustion bikes, battery and motor together form a near ideal powertrain for racing. Adrian Hawkins, MotoCzysz’s lead engineer who left fabled engine design firm Cosworth to develop the E1pc’s electric drive technology, explains: “With the interncal-combustion engine, you’ve got a long way to go from where that throttle is: through the port, through the piston, through the combustion chamber, through the rod, through the clutch, through the gearbox, through the chain to the rear wheel.” In comparison, the E1pc’s electric motor offers a virtually direct connection between throttle and rear wheel. And for racing, that’s what engineers strive to develop. But power is not as important as control.

“I can pretension the chain with the throttle on that motorcycle,” says Czysz, explaining the implausible level of precision possible. “One percent throttle means one percent torque, it is the perfect drive. But now we have to work around all the other problems that aren’t perfect.”

First among those “other problems” is the constant struggle with a limited energy capacity and therefore limited power. Just as it’s pointless to pair a V12 engine with a two-gallon gas tank, there’s no point in carrying a motor that makes more power than the batteries can dish out. So a major design challenge for the E1pc is to insure it makes the most out of every single Lb-Ft of torque it makes.

“Ninety percent of a vehicle’s power is used simply to move the wind,” says Czysz, pointing out how aerodynamics play an even more important roll on electric vehicles than conventionally-powered ones (exhibit A: the Prius’s odd stub nose and compressed rump). Czysz has radically reduced the frontal area of this year’s bike — eyeballing the two next to each other, 2010 looks a third slimmer than 2009 — but it’s the wind’s exit that’s more important than its entrance.

“The low pressure area behind the bike is extremely vital,” explains Czysz. “That’s how planes work, the air accelerates so fast over the top of the wing that it creates low pressure that sucks the airplane up.”

So the challenge for a motorcycle aerodynamicist is to recombine the airflow behind the bike so it’s not sucked backwards as much as it is to split air cleanly around the front. Czysz also created ducts through the E1pc’s frame that suck air from the high-pressure area at the front through to the area beneath the seat, breaking up the low pressure. Gulfstream-jet-style winglets on the fairing whirl turbulence into these ducts just as the pull air rapidly through the motor and controller-cooling radiators.

The other extreme limiting factor to motorcycle aerodynamics is the big leather sack of human sitting on top, spoiling the airflow. Czysz has addressed this too, with perhaps the defining visual element of the 2010 E1pc. Turning to time trial bicycle racing for inspiration, he created a second riding position that the racer will move into on straights. By sliding their butt off the main seat and onto what’s basically a modified pillion pad at the extreme rear, the rider adopts an incredibly low, flat-backed riding position that still gives them the ability to keep their feet on the foot pegs and hands on the handlebars; they can still fully control the bike in this position and even attack high speed corners by weighting the pegs and turning the bars.

All this aerodynamic innovation is reaping rewards on the racetrack. While competitors have adopted all-enclosed 1950s-style dustbin fairings that can negatively impact stability and therefore safety, Czysz is reaching far higher speeds using his modern methods.

The Complete Package

Every one of the E1pc’s components — the motor, the controller, the battery packs, the aerodynamics — is all-new and class-leading, but they’re not what makes the machine so special, the real trick here has been integrating all those into a whole that actually looks and functions like a motorcycle should; a rider accustomed to a gas bike will feel right at home on the MotoCzysz.

So what’s the ultimate payoff for all this besides a one-off, priceless prototype race bike? MotoCzysz does plan to develop its own range of production electric motorcycles eventually, but right now it’s about proving ideas, inventing technology and laying the groundwork for a future electric motorcycle industry. But don’t be disappointed if you want to get your hands on some of what you see here in the near future–the patents MotoCzysz is creating will probably appear on production machines from other manufacturers very soon. Indian automobile giant Bajaj, which plans to enter the US market in the near future, has partnered with Czysz for that reason. Hawkins’ talk of the perfect relationship between rear wheel and throttle is also revealing. That’s technology that could easily find a home in hybrid cars or applied to Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems that are popping up in race cars with increasing frequency. In fact, there’s a couple of distinctly four-wheeled vehicles hiding under tarpaulins in the MotoCzysz HQ right now. What they are or who they belong to Michael isn’t saying, but you can bet some of what you see here on the E1pc will end up on production vehicles in the very near future.

The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc will be racing at the Isle of Man tomorrow (check back here for a followup on the results), and will return to America in July, where it will race at California’s Laguna Seca in support of the US Grand Prix on the 25th.

_ Wes Siler is the editor of Hell For Leather_

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

Gallery: The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

The post The Inside Story of the MotoCzysz E1pc, the World’s Most Advanced Electric Motorcycle appeared first on Popular Science.

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Many of today’s motorcycles use an electronically controlled suspension to make adjustments that used to require busting out the tool kit. Yet most of these systems can handle only minor modifications, such as softening the suspension to accommodate an extra rider. Ducati’s electronic suspension system on the 2010 Multistrada 1200 S is the first that transforms the bike’s entire personality. A button toggles among four customizable settings—Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro—that determine ride height, traction-control setting, throttle map, and horsepower setting (either 100 or 150). The system, which Ducati designed in conjunction with the racing-suspension manufacturer Öhlins, uses a CPU to control a set of actuators that do the fine-tuning. When we tested the system, the switch between modes was seamless, and Enduro (which raises the rear ride height by 0.6 inch) easily carried us across rugged terrain.

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How to build a commercially viable flying car: first, make it a motorcycle. The idea of creating a personal transportation craft that can both take to the skies and travel along the ground has been alive as long as science fiction. But meeting both the FAA’s regulations for aircraft while simultaneously meeting the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s guidelines for automobiles means compromises on both sides. Enter the Switchblade, a flying motorcycle that Northern California engineering firm Samson Motorworks hopes to have on the road and in the sky by next year.

The company chose a three-wheel design for the Switchblade to meet the criteria for a motorcycle rather than a car, thus side-stepping some automobile regulations, like the inclusion of bumpers, that add weight and reduce aerodynamics. The Switchblade still retains some car-like features — occupants sit side-by-side in an enclosed climate-controlled cab, for instance — but the long nose and canard is more rocket or drag bike than modern sedan.

Where it couldn’t dodge regulatory hurdles, Samson engineers have met them head-on, installing rearview mirrors that retract during flight to reduce drag and devising wings that scissor open during flight mode but stow away in contained, protective underbelly compartments during ground transit.

Other companies are racing their own ground-to-air personal transportation craft to market as well, most notably Terrafugia’s Transition flying car (or “roadable aircraft”), a four-wheeled, folding-wing vehicle designed to fit in a standard garage. But while the Transition is designed to hit all those NHTSA safety requirements that make it as safe on the road as your family sedan — bumpers, extensive crash testing, a stable four-point wheel base, etc. — its high six-figure price tag makes purchasing one wishful thinking for many.

Samson aims to have a $60,000, DIY kit to market as early as 2011, though a 120-150 horsepower engine and avionics will retail separately for about $25,000, all said. The skeptics in us think there’s a very slim chance they’ll hit that deadline; after all, we’ve seen a lot of pie-in-the-sky personal flying craft ideas come across our desks, but we have yet to see any cruise past our office windows. Still, that doesn’t mean we’re not anxiously awaiting the day that we do.

Scientific American

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In 1989, François Knorreck took a long ride in the sidecar of a friend’s motorcycle and enjoyed it so much that he decided to build a rig of his own. Now, 20 years, 63 bodywork molds and innumerable headaches later, he has it: a handcrafted masterpiece that’s part motorcycle, part Lamborghini.

Knorreck, a 45-year-old French medical technician, started by sketching pencil designs and then built a full-size wooden model. He had worked on motorcycles in the past, but figuring out how to distribute the sidecar’s weight and where to position its single wheel were wholly new challenges. After determining the dimensions, he machined an aluminum chassis and moved the sidecar’s wheel forward to keep the vehicle stable and prevent it from veering. He also had to beef up the motorcycle’s headstock bearing—a piece of the steering column that bears most of the sidecar’s weight.

At the motorcycle’s controls, Knorreck has pushed the vehicle to 125 miles an hour, near its estimated top speed, but never intends to fully open it up. After all, he says, despite the sidecar’s looks, it’s only along for the ride.

Hop In

How the Real Life Lunar Lander Recplica Works

Time: Ten years
Cost: $22,000

An Artistic Masterpiece

BODY
The sidecar isn’t merely welded to the motorcycle—the two are seamlessly linked, from the chassis to the wiring to the carbon-fiber, hand-crafted body. Getting the two pieces to work in concert was no easy feat. With the sidecar’s wheel positioned too far forward or back, the off-kilter weight distribution could cause the bike and sidecar to roll forward and to the right. (Errors distributing the vehicle’s 877 pounds could also put excess strain on the frame, leading to structural cracks.) To remedy these problems, Knorreck built an adjustable aluminum chassis so he could tinker with the wheelbase and other elements to see what worked best before adding interior parts. He found that moving the sidecar’s wheel forward just enough, relative to the motorcycle’s rear one, provided additional stability and ensured a straight ride.

FUEL
The original motorcycle had a gravity-fed system in which the fuel ran down to the carburetors from above. But Knorreck found that he had to relocate the tank and place it underneath the body of the sidecar. Then he added an electrical pump to route the fuel to the engine.

COMFORT
Knorreck built the entire frame and body of the sidecar (he had to make 63 different molds by hand to create its various carbon-fiber panels), but he’s no upholsterer, so he had a friend custom-manufacture the seats. Just in case tooling around in a freakishly cool sidecar wasn’t enough for his passengers (it can seat two at a time), he installed a stereo system. For that, however, he kept costs to a minimum, using an old radio from his father.

The Luxury Sidecar

The H2Whoa Credo: DIY Can Be Dangerous
We review all our projects before publishing them, but ultimately your safety is your responsibility. Always wear protective gear, take proper safety precautions, and follow all laws and regulations.

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Don’t call Lyle Rowell’s giant fire-breathing robot a dog. The artist, who lives in Rimini, Italy, insists that his 1,900-pound creation, Lrry (pronounced “Larry”), is actually a cloven-hooved, two-legged, half-donkey, half-raptor-type-reptile.

The contraption is the product of four months of Rowell “crawling around in the scrap and dirt” to gather parts that he liked. He took an engine from an old Volkswagen Bug–like Citroën and stuffed it into two chopped-up and welded-together motorcycle frames. Aside from propane for Lrry’s fire breath, Rowell was able to scrounge up nearly every part, all the way down to the linkages and sprockets.

A chain-driven crankshaft moves Lrry’s legs, and an electric-hydraulic pump turns the wheels in the back. Its top speed is a poky 0.6 mph, but Rowell isn’t ashamed of his robo-pet’s sluggishness. “I believe,” he jokes, “that it was Confucius who said, ‘It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop.'”

How Lrry works

• Time: 4 months
• Cost: $5,000

Skeleton

To give Lrry its hump-like shoulders, Rowell took part of an old BMW 650 motorcycle frame and welded it upside-down over the top of the engine. He built the rest of the chassis from box steel and the chopped-up frame of a Suzuki 750 bike. Then he added legs fabricated out of sheet metal for rigidity and decorated them with gearbox housings from a few old Fiats.

Guts

Lrry runs on a two-cylinder, 26-horsepower Citroën engine, which powers a modified gearbox with a built-in drive axle that Rowell hooked up to a chain drive. The chain connects to a homemade crankshaft that moves the legs. To cope with all the electric needs of the electro-hydraulic pump that turns the wheels, Rowell replaced the engine’s original alternator with a higher-output device from a more modern car. He took the handlebars from a salvaged motorcycle.

Head

Rowell stripped another gearbox (from the same Citroën) of its internal parts and mounted it on the motorcycle frames to make Lrry’s head. He used specialized valves to open and close the flame-spewing nostrils, which are fueled by a camping-style propane tank with a high-pressure regulator. Another valve in the tail spits fire out of the back.

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Flossie

Let me introduce you to Flossie, the creepy motorcycle-driving robot. She will drive through scorching heat and freezing cold without a complaint. She will shift perfectly every time. She will haunt your dreams.

Terminator

Flossie was constructed by Castrol to be used in lubricant testing for just about any motorcycle. Flossie allows testers to monitor how lubricants function over time in a variety of situations, with Flossie the one constant, shifting and riding the bike perfectly each time. The most disturbing part of Flossie’s design is that she learns, all by herself, how to get a feel for each bike and how to ride it. To what end, might you ask? Well, the obvious answer is: to become self-aware, evolve, and enslave us all.

In the video below you get a view of Flossie in action. The video ends ominously by calling Flossie “a safe rider”. Let’s hope we don’t regret those words.

[via Engadget]

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New motorcyclists are taught early not to out-drive their headlamps. Now, night riders (of the non-Hasselhoff variety) may soon owe Kawasaki a debt of gratitude for improving their safety after dark. The Japanese bike builder is reportedly fast-tracking new infrared night-vision technology to use on production motorcycles. Drawings uncovered by Gizmag show Kawasaki is using its 1400 GTR as a test mule, playing into its position as the Kawasaki line’s most tech-heavy machine.

The system works much like a similar car-based system from BMW: Two infra-red cameras mounted at the bike’s mirrors face forward, detecting objects and feeding the data to the GTR’s computer to judge the objects’ distance. One of the cameras also portrays the forward image on an LCD screen on the GTR’s instrument panel. The system is designed to work with new bikes as well as retrofit to older models, making it a viable aftermarket upgrade. Kawasaki has already prepared very detailed patent filings on the system, and Gizmag reports one of the lead designers of the GTR, Kaoru Kouchi, is also working on a helmet-mounted, heads-up display that will work with the new technology.

[via Gizmag]

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Buell did not break the mold when it made the 1125CR racing bike. Instead, it washed the mold away—to create a sturdier body.

The frames of other motorcycles are formed by pouring molten metal into a mold of sand and clay. Buell engineers instead developed a water-soluble bonding agent to use in place of clay. The new formulation allows them to start rinsing the mold away right after the aluminum is poured, rather than waiting for the cast to solidify and then breaking the mold. Water cools the alloy faster and in a controlled manner, preventing cavities from forming, which can weaken the structure. Buell used the method to produce a stronger rear frame that requires one less pound of metal.

It’s even possible to cast the entire frame that way, using water cooling to fine-tune the metal’s strength and rigidity for different components.

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Earlier this month, Japanese media reported Honda and Yamaha were each planning a line of electric motorcycles by 2010. The new bikes, which reports say can travel up to 60 miles on a charge, will use lithium-ion batteries for power. Now, word from Japan’s Mainichi news service is Honda is also planning new gas-electric hybrid motorcycles.

According to a report, the planned hybrid motos would employ a similar hybrid-drive system as the one used in Honda’s hybrid cars like the Civic and upcoming Insight sedan. The two-wheeled hybrids will reportedly come in engine displacements of between 200 cc and 1,000 cc and see fuel-efficiency gains of 50 percent over traditional motorcycles. Production cost savings would come from using common hybrid components in both cars and motorcycles.

[via Mainichi Daily News]

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The transportation program at the Art Center College of Design has produced legendary car designers, including BMW chief of design Chris Bangle and Henrik Fisker, the creator of the Fisker Karma electric supercar. But this year, after professor Bumsuk Lim’s inaugural motorcycle-design class, the buzz is all about bikes, especially Jake Loniak’s exoskeleton motorcycle concept Deus Ex Machina.

At Ease

Actually, to call Deus a “motorcycle” is a bit of a stretch. It would stand vertically when parked, so that the rider can step in and strap the bike on like a full-body suit. A computer would interpret the rider’s body movements, translate those into directional commands for the motorcycle, and steer the bike using 36 pneumatic muscles (artificial muscles made by the German company Festo that inflate or deflate to change the direction). “It’s like riding two skateboards at once, but stable, because the machine supports the rider’s body,” Loniak explains. These two skateboards, however, would be powered by lithium-ion batteries and ultracapacitors and capable of hitting 75 mph. “I never envisioned this as a commuter,” he says. “This is a sport bike.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Deus exists only in a few deceptively realistic computer illustrations, but Loniak is confident that it can be built. “I believe a working prototype could be made, but it would take a great deal of time and engineering,” he says. The basic technology already exists; the Watertown, Massachusetts, start-up A123 is already selling the lithium-ion batteries Loniak wants to use, and a number of companies are developing ultracapacitors for electric cars and hybrids. “This isn’t fantasy,” he says. “It’s a green vehicle, and all of the numbers are based in the real world.”

Video by Jake Loniak.

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Among his other unusual hobbies (he also builds sculptures featuring fire-spewing robots), 32-year-old Justin Gray makes custom electric motorcycles. To create his latest drag racer, the R144, Gray tore the motor and gasoline systems out of a 1999 Yamaha R1, a bike with a frame large enough to hold the extra parts he needed for the conversion. Since the gas engine had been an important structural element in the original bike, he built his own aluminum motor bracket to hold the modified bike together.

Forty-eight lithium-iron-phosphate batteries feed power into the motorcycle’s controller, which determines the rate at which electricity travels to the motor. The result is 420 pounds of unusually quiet motorcycle, with 100 horses and a top speed of 150 mph.

Build an electric bike

• Time: 10 days
• Cost: $10,300

Battery pack

Each of the 48 3.3-volt, 50-amp-hour cells weighs half as much as a lead-acid battery. Besides having a much smaller ecological footprint, the lithium-iron-phosphate cells are safe as well. “They don’t have the high energy density of lithium-ion [batteries],” Gray explains. “But they also don’t explode randomly.”

Controller

Gray used a Curtis 1231-model controller, which is commonly paired with the motor in Porsche 914 electric vehicle conversions, to move the power to the motor. He has turned down the rate at which it throttles up, because the intense acceleration at its maximum rate of 550 amps is “a little scary” for the rider.

Motor

The 60-kilowatt series-type motor turns a chain connected to the rear wheel. In proportion to how hard the rider hits the throttle, the controller modulates the current delivered to the motor. Although the manufacturer says 144 is the maximum voltage the controller can handle, Gray pushes it well above that for higher performance.

Charger

The bike plugs into a charger via a port located just underneath where the gas tank had been. Designed to solve the challenge of powering up 48 separate batteries without damaging them by overcharging, the charger takes just four to six hours to juice up the bike, which can go 60 to 100 miles on a single charge.

Other gas-free racers

Compressed-air moped

The air compressor it uses requires juice from an outlet but can refill the tanks in seconds. Stansfield also replaced the back wheel of the original moped with a BMX wheel and, to increase its efficiency, added the hub gear system from a bicycle so it could run in a range of gears.

The Dream Car

• Time: 18 months
• Cost: $8,000

With a body that’s a cross between ancient Egypt and the vehicle from Woody Allen’s Sleeper, the 6,000-pound Dream Car 123 is not your run-of-the-mill electric vehicle. Inventor Greg Zanis, who had imagined building a pyramid-shaped car since he was a young boy, sits inside, enclosed behind bulletproof glass. The heavily reinforced base contains 80 lead-acid batteries that drive the four motors (one in each wheel). The current version of the Dream Car travels 240 miles at a top speed of 45 mph, after charging for 3.5 hours on only about $5 worth of electricity.

This story has been updated. It was originally featured in the July 2008 issue of Popular Science magazine.

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The tripod is a fine and stable construct for photography and navigation, but how well will it work for motorcycles? We’re not sure,
but one student at California’s Art Center Pasadena is challenging singletrack motorcycles and typical three-wheelers with an anthropomorphic, Yamaha-branded three wheeler concept called the Deus Ex Machina.

The forward-looking personal conveyance is a mobile exoskeleton propelled by in-wheel electric motors—or, more succinctly, a trike you can wear.

The machine’s motors get their juice from a hybrid power pack of doped Nanophosphate batteries and ultracapacitors. It’s straight from the imagination of Jake Loniak, who foresees acceleration of zero to sixty in three seconds and a top speed of 75 mph. It also has seven artificial vertebrae, 36 pneumatically activated “muscles” and an attached helmet, just the thought of which gives us a phantom neck ache.

[via Hell for Leather]

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Stuntman Ray Baumann is accustomed to vehicles that soar through the air, vaulting over rows of cars. But the Australian’s latest ride makes its bones on the ground. It’s the Monster Motorbike from Hell, a 10-foot-tall, 15-ton beast that drags vans around racetracks and flattens sedans as if they were soda cans.

Baumann knew he’d need big tires to stomp cars, so he bought a pair of old three-ton wheels from a Caterpillar front-end loader. To power them, he used a six-cylinder diesel engine and gearbox ripped out of a tractor-trailer. Anticipating that balance would be a concern, he oversaw the construction of an inch-thick, 1.3-ton sump guard, a heavy metal plate that sits beneath the frame just five inches off the ground and keeps the vehicle’s weight low to the ground. He then attached the seat and frame from an old Honda motorbike to give himself a comfy perch. And he covered the engine’s innards with plates made of aKevlar-like material to protect them in collisions. “You could ram a car into the side, and you wouldn’t penetrate it,” he says.

The bike, which Baumann hopes to take around the world smashing cars at shows, has become more than a piece of machinery to him. “She’s beautiful,” he says. “She demands respect, and she gets it.”

How It Works

Cost: $230,000 | Time: 3 years

SPEED
The bike’s top speed is only 25 mph, but given that it’s 15 tons, Baumann says, at that pace “it’s certainly going to hurt something.”

SUSPENSION
His seat is attached to a custom-built pneumatic arm. Baumann rigged the air-pressure system that runs the pneumatic brakes so it controls the arm as well. Adjusting the air changes how rigid or bouncy his ride will be.

STEERING
The bike turns using an articulated steering system, in which hydraulic cylinders change the alignment angle of the front wheel. It can’t corner quite like its smaller brethren, but Baumann says the bike’s low center of mass and huge tires keep it relatively steady.

See more shots of the monster in action here.

The Monster Motorbike from Hell

The Monster Motorbike from Hell

The Monster Motorbike from Hell

The Monster Motorbike from Hell

The Monster Motorbike from Hell

The Monster Motorbike from Hell

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RED HOT ROLLER

Uno
Cost to Develop: $45,000
Time: 2 years
Prototype | | | | | Product
Just before his plane dipped into the clouds above Beijing International Airport two years ago, Ben Gulak caught the last clear view of the sun that he would see for two weeks. On the ground, the 17-year-old, who was on a family trip to China, quickly spotted a source for much of the thick haze hanging over the city: smog-spewing motorbikes. Thousands of them, everywhere. “Right then,” he says, “I decided that I wanted to create an alternative mode of transportation, something clean and compact.”

EASY RIDER

When he got home, Gulak drew up a plan for an all-electric unicycle that would emit no fumes and, he figured, be easier to weave through crowded streets than a standard two-wheeler. To give the ride more stability, he put the wheels side-by-side just an inch apart and directly under the rider, who accelerates by leaning forward, as he would on a Segway. When the rider leans into a turn, the inside wheel lifts and the outside wheel lowers, so both stay firmly on the ground.

Gulak put off college for a year (now 19, he enrolls at MIT this fall) and began building the Uno at a motorcycle shop outside Toronto. He modified the frame from a Yamaha R1, which is wider than most motorcycles, so it can house the side-by-side wheels. But he quickly realized that he was out of his depth in the electronics department: He would ride the Uno for a few seconds, and the circuitry would catch fire. So he contacted Trevor Blackwell, a robotics engineer who specializes in self-balancing software. With Blackwell’s help, Gulak equipped the Uno with a gyroscope and a control system that both keeps the rider balanced over the tires and manages the suspension.

The Uno’s two wheelchair motors should, theoretically, give it a top speed of 40 mph, but for safety’s sake, Gulak hasn’t taken it above 15 mph yet. “The only way to figure out if an alteration works is to jump on and ride the thing,” he says. “I’m pretty sure I chipped my kneecap in one crash.”

Gulak’s next task is reworking the suspension to handle more drastic leans, but he says he may need some help writing the code that keeps the Uno balanced at faster speeds. “The fundamental tech is figured out,” he says. “It just needs the right people to tweak it.”

More Invention Awards:

• A multi-rotor wind turbine
• A lifesaving beacon for miners
• The sewage-proof diving suit
• A more natural artificial foot
• The living air filter
• The rocket engine for the masses
• A homebuilt tumor-killer
• The better bridge beam
• A steam engine for your car

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Engineers have tried and failed for decades to build motorcycles with automatic transmissions. Honda finally gets it right with the new DN-01 “sports cruiser” bike. Conventional automatic transmissions, like those in cars, lag when you hit the throttle and can throw a bike off balance during turns. Honda’s HFT (for Human Friendly Transmission) responds to the throttle instantly by using hydraulic pumps instead of standard gears.

The HFT offers a range of gear ratios similar to a conventional six-speed manual, and it has about the same weight and dimensions. The motorcycle goes on sale in Japan this year, though a price has not been set. Honda hasn’t yet decided if America’s weekend rebels will get their own auto-shifting bike.

Launch the gallery to see how Honda’s truly fluid transmission works.

Honda DN-01 Transmission

Honda DN-01 Transmission (step one)

Honda DN-01 Transmission (step two)

Honda DN-01 Transmission (step three)

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Triumph Motorcycles introduces their newest streetfighter, the Street Triple ($7,999 www.triumphstreettriple.com).

Looking like Kermit the frog—if he were a Transformer instead of a muppet—the Street Triple is a genetics experiment gone oh-so-right. This beastie boasts the DNA of the race-bred Daytona 675 melded with the more aggressive skin of the naked Speed Triple. Extracting the award-winning engine, aluminum frame and swingarm from the sport bike, the Street benefits from the Daytona’s braking system as well. The front two Nissin calipers come in extremely handy considering those 675 cubic centimeters churn out 107 bhp and 51 foot-pounds of torque. Not to be outdone, the Speed Triple’s genes contribute strikingly to the overall look and more importantly, the feel, of the Street. A low dual-seat, new foot pegs and handlebars have sired an exceptionally comfortable riding position.

Available this September, the Street Triple seems poised to become the market leader in naked middleweights. Knowing how much fun the Daytona 675 and Speed Triple are to ride leads me to believe living organisms aren’t the only things to benefit from Darwin’s theory of evolution. -MotoMatt Cokeley

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