The good folks at On The Throttle got a chance to talk to Ben Spies after the racing action at Portimao, Portugal, and have shared the video with us. Spies talks about the season, Haga, and his move into MotoGP. Video after the jump.
Gary McCoy will always be near and dear to our hearts for his exhibitions of manual traction control, but Casey Stoner made a strong showing for second place in this category while at Phillip Island this weekend.
Sliding his way around the Australian track, Stoner put on not only a show for his home crowd, but also did it with champion Valentino Rossi in tow. We’ll let you decide who is the reigning King of Swerve and Sultan of Slide. Videos of both Stoner and McCoy after the jump.
Brian Wismann and David Schiff are on a mission two Brammo’s riding from Detroit, Michigan to Washington DC, retracing the steps of the Big 3 automakers with an end goal of meeting with President Obama. Brammo feels they have a solution to the transportation crisis and America’s dependence on oil, and they want Obama to see the Brammo Enertia first hand.
After releasing grim third-quarter financials today, Harley-Davidson has also announced that it is discontinuing Buell Motorcycles. In a somber video (posted after the jump), Erik Buell confirms the news, and praises the Buell team for taking on the industry giants with “this little American sportbike company.” Buell will continue to sell its motorcycle stock, and Harley-Davidson will continue to honor any warranties and part needs for Buell motorcycles.
With the assistance of ram-air, the ZX-10R motor produces 200hp peak-horsepower at the crank, making it a popular track weapon and canyon carver. For 2010, Kawasaki (like many of the motorcycle manufacturers) is choosing not to make any significant upgrades to its liter-bike offering, instead opting to freshen up the ZX-10R with styling cues from the ZX-6R.
Team Green loyalists will be glad to hear that the ZX-10R will get some upgrades beyond the 6R bodywork, in the form of an upgraded Öhlins steering damper, smoother gearbox, and redesigned blacked-out exhaust pipes. Videos, photos, and specs after the jump
We loved the Z1000 when it originally came out. A unique style, a superb power-plant, it was everything you wanted in a factory produced streetfighter. So, it warms our hearts to see that the Z1000 is back for 2010, and continues to push the envelope with its aggressive styling.
With an all-new 1,043cc inline-four motor that makes 136hp and 81lb•ft of torque , the 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 shouldn’t disappoint the butt dyno. Other than the now standard ugly exhaust pipe that seems to be plaguing sportbikes lately, we have a hard time not liking what Kawasaki has done here. Specs, photos, and videos after the jump.
With fall in the air, the narrow window of time to race on the salt flats of Bonneville is rapidly coming to a close. However, that didn’t stop Chris Carr and the BUB Racing team from getting an LSR at last week’s Land Speed Shootout promoted by Mike Cook. Carr and the BUB Racing crew took their Streamliner Seven motorcycle up to a staggering 367.382 mph (unofficial). Going at one point 380 mph, Carr’s run is still pending official approval by the FIM. Click past the jump for a video of their record pass, some photos, and more.
You’ll remember a month ago we brought you spy shots of what appeared to be the new MV Agusta Brutale testing around the Almeria Circuit in Spain. In that outing we spotted what appeared to be both the revised versions of 990R and 1090RR, and now we’re happy to report that the 2010 MV Agusta Brutale has officially broken cover.
You wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but the Brutale has had over 85% of it components redesigned and replaced. Clearly MV Agusta has kept the basic shape of the Brutale true to its original form, but if you look closer you can see where the details have changed. Video, pictures, technical specifications, and more after the jump.
When Mission Motors first came out of stealth mode, they used the slogan “The World’s Fastest Electric Production Sportbike”, and quoted a top speed of a 150 mph. It seems only logical then, that the company would have to back that claim up at some point, and apparently that time is now.
Last week we showed you a simple YouTube video entitled: “Electric Motorcycle 160 MPH”, and now we know the story behind that 160 mph run, and can report that the Mission One electric motorcycle is the fastest production electric motorcycle in the world, with an official land speed record of 150.059 mph. Video and more after the jump.
As Honda continues to dribble out all the details on the VFR1200, more information about the V4 motor is starting to surface, and it is shaping up to be one of the most technologically advanced power plants in the motorcycle world.
You’ve probably already read about how the VFR1200 will incorporate a dual-clutch gearbox, and now Honda has released more information on the V4 configuration itself, which will include space/weight-saving design elements, cylinder deactivation, and a unique firing order. Video, patent diagrams, and more after the jump.
Although initial reports suggested that John Hopkins went relatively unscathed after his crash at the Nürburgring (video above), .