It’s been quite the weekend for Suzuki, hasn’t it? On the same day that Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima broke his own record at the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb while driving a Suzuki SX4 Hill Climb Special, the Japanese auto and motorcycle builder also went ahead and unveiled their latest product: the 2012 V-Strom 650 ABS.
Among the changes made on the new V-Strom 650 include a bevy of aesthetic and aerodynamic improvements that should get fans of the bike up and excited over the 2012 version.
For starters, the bike’s windscreen is now adjustable in three positions and the new V-Strom-embossed logo now sits 15mm higher than its predecessor, improving rider comfort by giving them the chance to stretch their legs a little more. Likewise, the air outlets on the both sides of the cowlings further improves the bike’s cooling and wind protection, while also giving it a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. Even the muffler and the rear luggage rack each sport new designs with the latter now made out of resin material, as opposed to the aluminum make of the existing model.
The new V-Strom 650 also gets a new liquid-cooled oil cooler, which should help in stabilizing oil temperatures, thus improving the bike’s engine reliability.
As for the engine, Suzuki also gave the 2012 V-Strom 650 a new V-Twin, 645cc engine that further improves the bike’s overall performance, especially in the low-to-mid rpm range.
All in all, the 2012 Suzuki V-Strom 650 takes all the elements of its predecessor and completely improves them. The new model is even 13 lbs lighter than the previous version, making for a lighter, more powerful, and more rounded bike.
Every once in awhile, it’s good to push all worries out of your head and do something you enjoy just for the sake of enjoying it. Too many times, many of us get wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of everyday life and we just forget to sit back and take in all of the good things around us.
That being said, we could learn a lot from the gentleman in this video. This guy loves his motorcycle and decided that he wanted to explore the world around him. Thankfully, he brought his video camera along with him to capture his journey through the beaches and mountains of Panama, even catching a glimpse of the bridge of the Americas which crosses the Panama Canal.
This unknown man says, "I love riding motorcycles, any kind of motorcycle. It just so happens that right now I have a KLR650, and in my mind that means it must be the best motorcycle in the world. In time I will get a different motorcycle, and it will become the best motorcycle in the world. This film is about loving, and riding what you have now. Stop worrying about not being able to afford your dream bike, and just enjoy this moment with whatever motorcycle you may have."
Now it’s time to take his advice, sit back, and enjoy his journey. After that, go out and enjoy your won journey.
When you put together two professional racing superstars, something cool is bound to happen. Let’s take Gee Atherton and David "Knighter" Knight for example. Atherton is a professional racing cyclist who specializes in downhill and four cross mountain bike racing. He is also a multiple national champion, multiple World Cup winner, and 2010 downhill World Cup Champion. David "Knighter" Knight is a three-time world champion enduro rider from the Isle of Man.
Now, give them two bikes to toil around with, put them together, and what do you get? This ultimate challenge of man versus machine took place at the home of UK mountain biking, Fort William.
Atherton is a little bit more familiar with this track, after all he has been practicing here for around three years, but will this be enough to take on Knight? To be honest, we don’t really care. What we do care about is that we got the chance to watch these two guys battle it out while proving that they absolutely know what they are doing.
For the sake of our sanity; please don’t try this at home.
Having “smelled” the recent frenzy generated by the launch of the all-new Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré and Ducati Multistrada 1200, which come as direct competitors for the BMW R1200GS, Oberdan Bezzi decided to bring a fourth player to the game in the form of the Honda Africa Twin 1200. He so revives the Japanese enduro legend that was only produced with a middleweight engine (750cc) through the 1990s and up until 2003.
In order to make it on today’s much more competitive market, the new bike would have to develop around 140hp and rely on an extremely versatile chassis, just to start with. Comfort, good looks and many touring accessories should tip the scale in favor of Honda if they ever decide to revive the Africa Twin in the upgraded form demanded by today’s enduro standards. We believe Obiboi’s sketch marks the spot.
Following the evolution of its bigger sibling (the Suzuki DR650SE), the Suzuki DR-Z400S remains visually unchanged for 2010, but ads a few distinctive touches in order to stand out by its own. Mechanically, the new DR doesn’t feature any late additions worth to brag about, so it remains the same bulletproof built machine on the trails and a docile commuter when not on them. Full story
