When Honda showed off its new “Leyla” paint scheme for the new middle weight CBR600RR, the name had us a little confused, but the sometimes clever folks at MCN have spotted what many in the industry (including us) missed. That black & white camo-eque paint job is in fact a woman…moaning in delight…we think her name is Leyla. Take a second look, and you’ll see it.
As we edged closer to the official unveiling of the 2010 Honda VFR1200F, more details about the bike are starting to emerge. This latest detail confirms the rumor that the new VFR would be fitted with a dual-clutch transmission, making it the first motorcycle to incorporate such a gearbox design.
Similar to the DSG clutches found on Audi and Volkswagon cars, the Honda dual-clutch transmission will incorporate two clutches that alternate what gears they actuate, making for rapid shift times. Click past the break for pictures, video, and more on the VFR1200 transmission.
Now that Ben Spies has taken the points lead in the World Superbike Championship, Yamaha feels comfortable releasing the secrets behind “Elbowz’s” success on tracks he’s never seen before.
Walking us through his process, this is a rare insight into the mind of a motorcycle legend in the making. Check the video after the jump for the interview with Spies, and comments from his fellow Yamaha riders from the MotoGP series.
In 2004, BMW produced its 500,000th motorcycle equipped with anti-lock brakes. Now five years later, BMW has doubled that number with its one-millionth motorcycle with ABS, a K130oR no-less.
Norton Racing let it all hang out that last few days of Bub Week’s motorcycle speed trials at Bonneville this past week, and we know this for two reasons: One, check out the lad on the far left of the above photo, he’s not sucking in that gut, that’s just pure British sexiness at its finest. Secondly, the Norton Racing team is coming back from the salt flats with a recorded speed of 173 mph.
To help raise money for the student housing that was toppled by the Aquila earthquake, MV Agusta Corse and Citroën have teamed up and created a special edition of the C2 that will be auctioned off on eBay. Dubbed the Citroën C2 Brutale, the C2 will sport styling cues similar to those found on the MV Agusta Brutale 1078 RR. To help facilitate that task, the design folks of MV Agusta came in, and gave the Citroën its fit and finish.
*Note, our copy editor was sacked after printing this headline. Video after the jump.
Los Angeles County riders may be sad to hear that the famed Angeles Crest Highway will be closed for an unforeseeable duration because of recent fire damage to the roadway.
Because of the Station Fire, more than 40 miles of twisty asphalt heaven have been closed indefinitely because of burned off road stripping, destroyed guard rails, and charred signs, making the road too hazardous to drivers according to Caltrans officials.
Bombardier is expanding its Can-Am line, and adding a touring model to the Sypder trike offering. Called the Spyder RT, the 3-wheeler was made specifically because so many customers expressed an interest in a highway tourer. The RT joins the RS sport model, which has seen strong sales and a rabid customer base that evangelize the brand.
Take a good look at the Honda CB1000R, because you won’t see it here stateside. That’s right, its de-tuned CBR1000RR motor, single-side swingarm, and streetfighter looks will be staying on the other side of the pond, and we think we’re the lesser for it.
Honda might be the lesser for it as well. With no fairing-less sportbike in its arsenal, we have to wonder what the folks in Japan were thinking on not making the CB available in the US. The only conclusion we can come to is that they just don’t like being competitve in the largest motorcycle market in the world worried that the CB would cannibalize on VFR sales.
But, seeing as how we all know the Interceptor as we know it won’t exist in 2010 (and is slated to fill a different hole in Honda’s line-up), we still have a hard time wrapping our heads around this strategy. Apparently at Honda, sportbikes must still have fairings in order to his US soil. We guess us American riders will have to somehow manage with the Tuono, Streetfighter, Z1000, FZ1, & B-King’s available to us…or move to Europe.
After World Superbike’s long hiatus, and recent round at the Nürburgring in Germany, we thought we’d update you on the points standings. Find them after the jump.