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Yamaha dropped another teaser image of their new FZ8 today. They promise that more information about the 800cc I-4 will be released in March.
Yamaha FZ8 Official Image
As you see, it’s a fairing. On a motorcycle. Which isn’t very interesting, really.
But, the folks at motociclismo.it have captured images of what they say is the the actual production models of both the faired and naked versions of the FZ8.
Yamaha FZ8 with Fairing
A more extensive photo gallery can be found here.
Yamaha FZ8 Naked
Again, the photo gallery is here.
Victory Motorcycles has announced a new, high-powered version of the Vegas. The new bike has a set of Stage 2 cams to pump up the output of its 106ci V-Twin. The special edition Vegas will sport 97HP and 113 lb-ft of torque. Victory will only be producing 100 of them, however, and pricing them at $15,999. Oh, and you have to order it before the end of February, for March delivery.
Victory Vegas LE
The Aprilia RSV4 has been one of this year’s most eagerly awaited motorcycles. It seems like it’s only just hit the showroom, however, and Aprilia is already issuing a serious recall. Apparently, the problem–which hasn’t yet actually occurred in any of their motorcycles–requires replacing the entire engine.
Following extensive testing and verification, the Italian manufacturer assessed that one component in a small group of engines assembled during a specific time period had failed to meet stringent factory quality standards, resulting in an unacceptable risk of future engine failures. To-date, there have been no warranty claims related to this potential issue in the U.S. market. However, in line with the premium quality standards of Aprilia motorcycles and potential safety implications, the manufacturer and its dealerships are committed to immediate action to ensure complete Aprilia owner satisfaction.
Kudos to Aprilia for recognizing and immediately fixing the problem. Unlike some manufacturers, for instance, one that hasn’t admitted their bikes have a final drive problem (cough–BMW–cough).
If you haven’t seen this month’s Sport Rider magazine, their cover proclaims that The BMWS1000RR is the real deal, writing “No joke: This could be the new King”. It’s apparently wicked fast.
Fast enough, in fact, to kick the crap out of a 700HP Corvette Z1.
Well, two reasons are responsible for my shameful blog output since the holidays. One is that my business has picked up quite a lot and I’m just slammed with work. The other is that my Cane Corso, Contessa, dropped a litter of 10 puppies.
Unless you’ve done this before, you really don’t know how much time 10 puppies takes up. They have been here for more than a week now, and they require feedings every two hours. Since my dog can’t feed all of them, we have to bottle feed as well. It’s very tiring, but darn it, they sure are cute.
It’s been a while since there’s been any real news of substance about Motus Motorcycles, but the Feb 2010 issue of motorcyclist has a feature article (PDF) on the new sport-tourer, that reveals some of the specs of the new machine.
The MST-01 sport tourer is expected to weigh 545 lbs–substantially less than the current generation FJR or Connie, and will be powered by a 90° V -4 with an expected output of 140HP at 7,800 RPM and 120 lb-ft of torque at 4,500RPM. That torque figure seems…high. Tire-shreddingly so. That power will be channeled through a 6-speed gearbox to a chain final drive…and that last bit is where they lose me. It’s 2010. I’m not gonna spend my Saturdays lubing a chain like some kind of animal.
The MST-01 will have integrated luggage, including an interestingly-designed two-position trunk. The price point for this is supposed to be competitive with a fully-equipped BMW K1300GT, so let’s call it $25k out the door.
Working prototypes are supposed to be hitting the test track later this year, with 2011 production models available as early as this December.
My Cane Corso is expecting her first and only litter. Mastiff Cane Corso Mastiff puppies in San Diego. These Purebred, ICCF/CCAA-Registered puppies will be arriving in the middle of January 2010. The puppies will be available to go home with you at the middle of March.
Sire is a European Cane Corso import, dame is first generation American born. Both are registered purebreds.
We are located in San Diego, California. Actually Contessa and her puppies will be residing in Escondido which is San Diego North County. If you are looking for Cane Corso puppies, we are centrally located close to Rancho Bernardo, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos and more.
See more of Contessa on a video posted on YouTube at the link below.
Contessa is well trained and has a wonderful temperament. Her puppies will begin their socialization and training from the moment they are born to create Cane Corso puppies with fine temperments like their parents.
We have hundreds of photos of Contessa and Vittorio Cane Corso available upon request and more when the puppys are born.
Today, we took Contessa to the vet to get a puppy count. The xrays showed a minimium of 8 puppys.
7 Lucky people will get a wonderful new family member (we’re keeping one).
Be sure to contact us now if you are interested in a puppy, we will send out notifications and updates via email.
We expect that Contessa will whelp around January 18, 2010.
All Cane Corso Puppies will have the following before they are sent to their new families:
1- Puppy tail and dewclaw removal
2- First set of vaccines and health evaluation
3- Puppy Deworming
4- Love, socialization and continous training up until the day they are sent to their new families.
Contessa, the expectant mother.
Today's Puppy X-ray
I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
BMW S1000RR Dyno Chart
Motorcycle Daily reports that the BMW S1000RR appears to be a real superbike.
Apparently, our Brit cousins at MCN strapped the S1000RR to a dyno, and got the HP/Torque results shown over at the right (click to enlarge). The results show 183HP at the rear wheel with stock exhaust, and 185.5 with an Akraprovic setup.
Oh, and about 81 lb-ft of torque, if anyone cares.
So, if they’re putting out 185 at the wheel, then they’ve got to be pushing 200+ HP at the crank, which is…a lot. A lot more, in fact, than BMW even admits to.
As Gabe Ets-Hokin notes:
Used to be 180 hp at the back wheel was the result of tens of thousands of dollars of soup-up work: a turbo or nitrous, or just getting your hands on a megabucks works racebike.
Back when I was a kid in the 70s, we thought a 70HP bike was wicked fast. 200HP would have been seen as…insane.
BTW, the nearest competitor–according to the dyno-tested models, at least–to the S1000RR was the Suzuki Hayabusa at 179.5 HP.
Yet, with all that horsepower on tap, Troy Corser is being beaten like an egg-sucking dog in WSBK by guys riding 170.6 HP Fireblades.
Loser.
Paul Crowe, over at the Kneeslider, addresses one of my personal hobby horses: electric motorcycles, and makes a key point.
The engineering expertise available today made short work of the obvious, designs began to make the bikes look good, powerful electric motors were built, the suspension is just adapted from standard models, nothing unusual there, it’s those pesky batteries. We need a small, light, fast charging, long lasting battery with big capacity. That, definitely, is not one of those easy parts, that’s a real head scratcher and, though there is a huge reward waiting for anyone who can design one, we’re just not there yet, which, itself, tells us a lot. Anyone who takes a cursory look at electric vehicles quickly sees the potential and monetary windfall waiting and still, no battery that takes the performance leap has been developed.
That last phrase is the key point. No matter how much we might want or need electric vehicles–or some other zero-emissions technology–it will not magically appear simply because we want it…or because politicians mandate it by fiat.
Back in the 90’s, when I was hosting The Business Day on KMNY in Los Angeles, the state of California approved a mandate that required something like 40% of all vehicles be zero-emissions by 2006. I spent an entire week talking to the big electric and alternate fuels execs at GM, Chrysler and Ford, and they all told me the same thing. The technology to make electric vehicles with range and performance similar to internal combustion engined vehicles does not exist.
It didn’t exist in 1995. It doesn’t exist today. And despite the Olympian pronouncements of politicians in Sacramento, the zero-emissions mandate was superseded by that reality. And even if you get the range and power, there’s still the inconvenient 8-hour wait for the battery to recharge.
Somewhere, there’s a breakthrough in zero-emissions technology waiting to be found. Until it is, though, all this electric motorcycle stuff is pure, feelgood, hype
I‘m sorry that the posting has been so light here the last several days. I haven’t gone away or lost interest or anything. There just hasn’t been all that much to report that caught my eye. I suppose it’s natural during the holidays for thoughts of motorcycling to turn to other things, and, of course, the industry itself is gearing down for the holidays.
Hopefully, after the new year, the news will pick right back up.
I have an update to the post on Mesa, Arizona ’s police department switching to the new Connie for duty motorcycles, thanks to a reader. Apparently Kawasaki has nothing to do with kitting out a police version of the bike. Instead, Wattco/Whelan is offering a ZG1400 kit for police work. Click on the image below to enlarge it.
Kawasaki Police ZG1400
Wattco has lots more info here, including a video of drop-testing the crash bars.
Honda USA has announced the pricing for the manual-transmission version of the VFR1200F as $15,999. Still no pricing for the dual-clutch model, but we can expect it to be significantly higher, I suppose.
I guess I still don’t get it. Who is this bike for? Certainly not touring people, who will hate its “fuel-suckery +_small tank = limited range/no standard luggage” equation. Not sport-bikers, who’ll hate dragging around it’s lardy bulk. Honda had the chance to bring out a really game-changing sport-tourer or hyperbike. People who’ve rode it say it’s nice, but not spectacular.
Even the old VFR fans I’ve talked to seem disappointed by the specs for the 1200.
And, for 16 grand–probably 17 grand for the duel clutch version…well, that’s almost in BMW territory.
Somehow, I don’t see K13GT riders making a switch to the VFR any time soon.
I wasn’t aware that Kawasaki made the Concours 14 in a police version, but I stumbled across this story tonigh, which says the city of Mesa, AZ will be shelling out a cool half-million to completely replace its current fleet of 1000Ps with C-14s.
Historically, the department has used a Kawasaki 1000 P, which has largely remained unchanged since it was introduced in the 1970s.
“Incidents where there were very serious conditions and collisions could be related to the lack of ABS and poor lighting,” Wessing said. “Those were the major safety downfalls of those motorcycles.”
Technology and safety features, such as anti-lock braking systems (ABS), on the new Kawasaki Concours’, which will replace the 1000 P, mean officers will be able stop their bikes within half the distance.
So, apparently there is a Concours 14P. I can’t seem to find any images of one, but I have to admit, I’m curious.
The Norton Commando is one of the iconic bikes of motorcycling. Back when I was a kid, and the average rider was tooling around on a 500cc BSA, the Norton Commando was the bike to have if you wanted a big, hellishly fast–in 1970 terms–motorcycle. Sadly, when Nortun went TU several years ago, the Commando disappeared…until now.
2010 Norton Commandos
Stuart Garner’s revived Norton Motocycles is now offering the 961cc Commando for the 2010 model year.
The 961 Commando will come in three models: the SE, Cafe racer, and Sport models shown here.
The differences are mainly stylistic, as all three models come with a 961cc parallel-twin, dry sump, pushrod engine, much like the venerable original, which is rated at 80HP at 6,500RPM, and 59 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 RPM.
They all sport Öhlins suspension with full adjustment. Stopping power is provided by twin Brembo 320mm semi-floating hi-carbon stainless steel discs & Brembo 4 piston radial calipers up front, and a single Brembo 220mm disc, with Brembo 2 piston “Gold Line” calipers out back. A 5-speed gearbox sends the power to the rear wheel via a 525 O-ring chain drive.
The three models have minor weight differences, but the ball park is 415lbs dry, although oil, hydraulic fluid, and enough gas to fill the 4.5 gallon tank will add another 50 pounds or so.