Motorcycle news

In what went down as the biggest shift for the company, Ducati’s 1103cc Desmosedici Stradale powered V4 is being considered all around for being 2018’s best motorcycle. And rightly so is also the most powerful bike in its class with 214 hp and 91.5 lb-ft of torque.

This newfound love for a four-cylinder version of their street bikes which will most probably change the whole dimension within the segment will now trickle down to run on other segments and with smaller capacities. CEO Claudio Domenicali confirmed the firm’s interests in developing cheaper, lower-performance versions of their V4 engines to reap all benefits of the technological feat.

India celebrated its 72 Independence Day yesterday and is in the highest rankings in terms of growing economy. It looks like our motorcycle industry is also heading to the subcontinent in the jive to make more money. Why wouldn’t they? India became the biggest market for two-wheelers in the world, and it saw multiple international manufacturers setting up manufacturing or assembly units here.

The most recent speculation coming to the surface is the Italian Red making contact with Hero Motocorp trying to figure out how to make a 300cc baby. Although not official, these rumors don’t seem to slip away, and we strongly believe these to be true since all major manufacturers these days are looking at new ways to expand their market reach by introducing smaller displacement models to newer Asian countries.

When launched three years ago, the H2 was an elegant artwork of supreme violence making 207 hp, more power than any of the superbikes in competition then. Then came the rest of the chaps who caught on with the horsepower war, with the most recent Ducati V4 making 215 hp. But it looks like the Japanese Green team didn’t like losing this race yet.

So for 2019, they have bumped up their 998cc supercharged motor to produce a lathering 230 hp, and the non-street-legal H2R will be making a mind-boggling 300 hp at the crank! It will also come with a self-healing paintjob, new brake calipers, tires, TFT instrumentation and a new Bluetooth connectivity app.

What started as a passion to supply affordable, high-quality exhausts to the public, Akrapovic has come a long way since it setup shop in 1990 in Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia. Almost a decade ago, the company invested in new technology and modernization, upgrading computers in 3-D planning of configurations, programming of tools and computer-aided manufacture to make the top of the line steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber exhausts to the world of two-wheels.

Now, they have done one better and have set up the “Hi-Tech Durability Dyno”. This testing facility involves a human robot that does prolonged tests on a fully autonomous 200 kW durability motorcycle chassis dyno. Yes, you read that right. A human robot.

Rumors of a 1200cc Scrambler from the Hinckley chaps were floating the web for some time now. Triumph has finally confirmed this gossip when they released a teaser video of the “The all-new Scrambler 1200”. This is Triumph’s efforts to prove that they still can rule the popular scrambler category.

The 1200 Scrambler boasts of the new high torque engine used on the Brit’s Bonneville lineup, and to handle all that additional power, this Scrambler gets equipped with bigger wheels, bigger brakes, and bigger suspension.

When launched three years ago, the H2 was an elegant artwork of supreme violence making 207 hp, more power than any of the superbikes in competition then. Then came the rest of the chaps who caught on with the horsepower war, with the most recent Ducati V4 making 215 hp. But it looks like the Japanese Green team didn’t like losing this race yet.

So for 2019, they have bumped up their 998cc supercharged motor to produce a lathering 230 hp, and the non-street-legal H2R will be making a mind-boggling 300 hp at the crank! It will also come with a self-healing paintjob, new brake calipers, tires, TFT instrumentation and a new Bluetooth connectivity app.

The Sportster XR1200 was released in the United States in 2009, in a special color scheme including Mirage Orange highlighting its dirt-tracker heritage. The XR1200 had an Evolution engine tuned to produce 91 hp, four-piston dual front disc brakes, and an aluminum swingarm. But then it was discontinued on the United States Market for the 2013 lineup since it was sold in insufficient numbers.

Now, Harley Davidson has announced its future plans for at least the next five years, and has the XR1200 soul coming back in an all-new avatar. Called the ‘Custom’ for the moment, this new cruiser model might be the third new Sportster (after – Iron 1200 and Forty-Eight Special) from HD’s 100 new models in the coming decade.

In a country that is price conscious, it was a gamble played by motorcycle manufacturers when they decided to bring in their higher segment motorbikes into India. But luckily, people started investing in premium motorcycles that were lauded in the performance and engineering arena. More and more players started entering the Indian subcontinent to showcase their entry level performance machines. And the gamble paid off.

Now, Benelli, another Italian manufacturer (albeit owned by a Chinese firm) is setting up an assembly unit in the subcontinent. In a partnership deal with Adishwar Auto Ride India-Mahavir Group, Benelli will be selling their machines only to the Indian market.

Serving 100 million happy customers, the Honda Cub is the first two-wheeler to cross such a mark. Now, the moped is being made at 16 plants spread across 15 countries around the world that serves customers in more than 160 countries. That is some mind-boggling numbers considering the popularity and logistics involved with the Super Cub.

Looking at the future, a Chinese custom house that goes by the name Shanghai Customs is offering their answer to the depleting dinosaur fuel and the increasing environment concerns - the eCub 2. It is a 1000 watt electric scooter that can make a swift 28-mile distance in one full charge. It also comes in a DIY kit to convert an existing Honda Cub to the eCub 2.

In a huge salute to all women riders across the globe, Erin Sills with her team TOP 1 Oil and Hunter Sills Racing (HSR) broke a land-speed record for the World’s Fastest BMW Motorcycle previously held by none other than Erin Still’s late husband, Andy Sills, who set the record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2013.

Setting a new FIM world record of 229.266 mph, Erin Stills rode on a near-production BMW S1000 RR with aerodynamic aids and engine mods, but still a naturally aspirated machine at the ‘Cook Top of the World Shootout’. She overshot her late husband’s record by eight miles per hour.

Adding itself to this latest trend of the factory customization war, Indian Motorcycles called for non-pro builders to customize the Scout Bobber. Indian teamed up with Hot Bike magazine for “The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build Off” contest that began on March 15th, 2018. The top three designs were then awarded a new 2018 Scout Bobber to customize along with $10,000 for the build.

The Springfield company has finally unveiled the builds at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2018 after three months and they include builds from a NASA engineer from Las Cruces, NM, an OSHA safety inspector from Avon, OH, and a mechanical engineer from Buffalo, NY. Let’s find out how they stack up against each other.

There is a saying that goes - “There’s only one way to really understand Harley Davidson. Ride one.” All this while, this statement made complete sense of a brute machine that lets you cruise around in the brawniest fashion. But now, Harley is taking a whole new approach with the LiveWire electric motorcycles and a brand new segment – the naked streetfighter.

Yes, the Milwaukee brand is expanding its line of middleweight models with its first-ever streetfighter motorcycle that is planned for the 2020 year. This news comes along with the showcasing of its first-ever adventure bike, Pan-America, in a bid to bring new people to the brand from new markets across the world.

Joining the new electric trend, a new Finnish company called RMK Vehicle Corporation will launch its first futuristic electric motorcycle – the E2 – at the MP 19 Motorcycle Show in Helsinki, Finland. Why futuristic? Have you had a look at its rear wheel? Yes, that’s a hubless unit with the electric motor in it.

Designing out of the traditional book norms, the Tron-style rear wheel happens to be lighter than a standard wheel and houses a 67 hp motor. It can source power from a choice of two battery options offering either 120 miles or 180 miles of range, with a top speed of around 100 mph.

First showcased at the EICMA motor show in Milan 2011, the Diavel took all eyeballs for a trippy show. Long and low, with sleek and sexy lines, forward controls and a low seat height, this Bologna bruiser was something totally new from the Italian company known the world over for blending impeccable design and high-performance machines. Something like putting purists into a realm of more content and less bitter.

The bike always had a menacing outlook to it that was both handsome and evil at the same time. Rightfully it was quoted as ‘The Gentleman and The Bastard’. Now though, the Italians have upped the ante with a brand new 2019 Diavel built around the same exposed trellis chassis of the xDiavel. Don’t get too excited now, it’s just the spy shots under camouflage and a rendering is all that we have.

Harley Davidson, in a surprising PR stunt, has gone on record showcasing its future plans over the next five years in great detail. Blowing the door wide open, HD gave us a peek at all their new products coming in the next five years including new internal combustion engines (500cc, 750cc, 975cc and 1,250cc) that will go onto 16 new models and its Project LiveWire models.

Fresh information just came in with regards to a new patent filing by the Milwaukee brand suggesting ‘Emergency Autonomous Braking System’ in the event of a collision. The system will make use of multiple sensors to study the surroundings as well as the alertness of the rider before it intervenes to activate the braking systems autonomously.

The UK has been facing a notorious crime of motorcycle thefts. Things in London, however, is in a different level altogether. There were over 14,000 motorcycle thefts reported in London the last year, and 23,430 crimes were committed using motorcycles that were stolen of course.

On an average, 77 bikes worth are stolen per day and to crack this atrocity, London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke about manufacturers incorporating better anti-theft measures into their products to make it difficult for people just to whisk away bike without authorization. And joining Honda UK in this effort, Piaggio has offered to equip all the new Vespa GTS 300s’ and Piaggio Beverly 300/350s’ with tracking equipment free-of-charge.

Half a century ago, one man from a small town in New Zealand dreamt of setting a land speed record on a 1920 Indian Scout. In 1962 at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Burt Munro’s dream finally came true at the age of 68 and 184.71 mph. This number was finally crossed by Indian on July 16 at the El Mirage 2017 by none other than Burt’s nephew who drove the 2017 Spirit of Munro Scout at 186.41 mph in the MPS-G (Modified Partial Streamliner) 1350 cc class. (Since Burt’s record was on an SA 1000cc class, his record still stands unbeaten in that class.)

Driving the Indian “Spirit of Munro 50th anniversary 2017 Indian Scout” again, Lee Munro and the team is attempting to crack 200mph next week at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Spirit of Munro Scout bike will undergo small modifications to the intake and fueling while the streamlined body will have minor body adjustments.

During the World War II, Royal Enfield (“The Enfield Cycle Company Limited” then) was called upon by the British authorities to develop and manufacture military motorcycles. That was the birth of the Royal Enfield WD/RE series of motorcycles, also known as the "Flying Flea".

Conceived as a tribute this “Flying Flea” and Royal Enfield’s military heritage, Royal Enfield today launched a special limited run version of the Classic 500 called the “Pegasus” edition. With only 1000 units to be sold worldwide, the online bookings were opened for 250 of them last week in India and each one of them got sold out in under 3 minutes.

In an event attended by over 10,000 Ducatistis, the World Ducati Week 2018 saw passionate motorcyclists from all over the world. Folks participated in around 250 different activities along with 1 World Ducati Wedding and 2 marriage proposals. Serene.

Amongst the host of events and attractions was "The Race of Champions" where top Ducati riders from MotoGP, WSBK and other motorsports arena lined up on the track to battle it out on the new one-off purpose built Panigale V4 S specked out especially for this competition. And 13 of these machines were then put to auction on eBay, which has now concluded. The numbers are out, and it is staggering.

Harley-Davidson seems to be slowly shifting gears post its struggle to register any success stories due to its current downward trend in the market off-late. It has become a worldwide brand now after aggressive expansion that took place in the past decade, and to keep things from drifting away, HD dawned these new concepts upon us showing what the future holds in its sac.

And now, as part of its brand new “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” growth plan through 2022, HD has showcased multiple concepts under electric motorcycles, adventure-tourers, customs, and streetfighters being prominent ones. Surprisingly, Harley is also developing a more accessible, small-displacement product for the Asian markets.

Harley-Davidson promised to give us 100 new models in the coming decade and has already showcased 12 new ones this year. Nine new Softails, the Street Rod, and two from the Sportster series – Iron 1200 and Forty-Eight Special. With 88 more to come, Harley has gone ahead and registered three new names for their new motorcycle models: ‘Bronx’ ’48X’ and ’Pan America’.

Amongst the new names was also Harley’s newfound love for the LiveWire electric motorcycle that will run on the "Revelation" powertrain. And now, as part of its brand new “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” growth plan through 2022, HD has showcased multiple concepts under the LiveWire bandwagon including the 2019 production ready LiveWire motorcycle.