Spy shot & compare Yamaha Nouvo (version 2008)
Yamaha FZ - 150 (Prototype)
The FZ-150 "Prototype" shown in the Auto Expo 2008 has a 150 cc engine, carburettor (instead of fuel injection), fat rear tyres (about as big as Pulsar 200/220 rear tyres), air cooled engine (not liquid cooled like the YZF-R15), 5 speed gearbox (insted of a 6 speed one on the YZF-R15) and also the FZ-150 doesn't have the "delta" frame of the YZF-R15. The FZ-150 would look stunning even without that leggie "firangi" model on it. I don't see a reason as to why Yamaha India shouldn't launch it. The FZ-150 easily will easily overshadow the Pulsar, Apache RTR, CBZ Xtreme or the Hunk in the looks department. And if performance if the name of the game, then the YZF-R15 should take care of it.
Source : www.2wheelsindia.com
Polar Bear Grand Tour Visits Fort Dix, New Jersey
I don't know if you remember, but Fort Dix was in the news in May of 2007 after a terrorist plot was uncovered to attack soldiers at the base. That was after our last Polar Bear Grand Tour run to Fort Dix. We had our 2008 run to Fort Dix last Sunday, January 27, 2008 and security was tighter.
This was my first time back on my trike in three months and it felt good. I've been recovering from the removal of a couple of basal cell carcinomas, one on the back top of my left ear and one on the top right side of my forehead. These skin problems had conspired to keep me from putting a helmet on for nearly three months. Today I bit the bullet, put on my balaclava, gently placed my new Nolan flip-up helmet on my head and fastened the chinstrap. My glasses were rubbing against my ear and that brought a bit of pain. I was hoping that nothing was bleeding back there. The pressure of the helmet against the balaclava and onto the sore on my forehead was noticeable. The helmet felt smaller. Maybe it had compressed a bit from sitting in the garage for the last three months. At any rate, I was going to ride today. First was a four-mile ride to our monthly GWRRA Chapter F meeting. That went OK. Next was the 31 mile ride to Fort Dix. Surprisingly that went well too.
Jane and I rode with three other bikes from Chapter F. I cautioned the riders over the CB as we neared the fort to expect anything at the entrance because of expected tightened security.
The day was alternately sunny and overcast and about 33 degrees. There was a threat of light snow showers. Fort Dix was checking IDs today but not consistently. Sometimes IDs were checked, and sometimes riders were waved by. Some were stopped at the gate because their names were not on the Polar Bear roster. In one case, a rider was left at the gate while his wife was allowed in. Turns out his name was on the list all the time. But most got in.
Here are a few pictures and videos I took at Fort Dix. I confess I was a little apprehensive about taking pictures at the fort. I fully expected to be approached by an MP and have my camera confiscated but that never happened. I worry too much. There are a few pictures of me at the end taken by "Blondie," one of the Chapter F women who rode her own Honda Gold Wing 1800 with us. Hopefully, that will be enough pictures of me for a few years.
Honda iCon (version 2007)
Engine : 4 motors are rhythm SOHC let off the heat with the air
Cylinder capacity : 108 cc
The ratio is compressing : 9.5
Cylinder x distance draws : 50 x55 mm.
Dot system bursts : CDI
Start system : electric starting
Capacity fuel : 3.3 liter
Lubricating oil capacity : 0.8 liter
System sends the drive : V - MATIC
Carrying forward gears rate : 2.68 - 0.85
W x Lx H : 667 x 1859 x 1046 mm
Height : 135 mm
Space of wheel : 130 mm
Junction front/back wheels : 1,240 mm
Weight : 103 kg
Front suspension : Telehydraulic
Rear suspension : Unit swing
Brake : Disk Brake/ Drum Brake
Front wheels : 70/90 - 14
Back wheels : 80/90 - 14
Battery : 12 V - 3.5 Ah
Price : $1,455
Motorcycle Road Tests Index
These give information about where you can find the actual motorcycle road tests in the major motorcycle magazines. Also given are links to online motorcycle road tests.
I've noticed that many motorcycle road test reviews are now being posted in video form on services such as YouTube. You'll find a few of these videos listed in the new road tests that I've just added to my Motorcycle Road Tests Index. Expect many more road test videos in the future.
Check out the following links, just added:
2008 Models: Ducati Hypermotard 1100S, H-D Ultra Classic, Kawasaki Versys 650, Kawasaki ZX-14, Suzuki B-King, Victory Kingpin 8-Ball, and Yamaha Raider Custom.
2007 Model: KTM 990 Adventure.
Yamaha Nouvo 2008
Yamaha Motorcycle Price [update 28/01/08]
Suzuki Motorcycle Price [update 28/01/08]
Kawasaki Motorcycle Price [update 28/01/08]
Pictures of the Week - Bill
See Bill on his Kawasaki 1600 Vulcan.
If you'd like to see your bike as Picture of the Week, submit a picture of you and your bike along with a description of the bike.
Honda Motorcycle Price [update 27/01/08]
Spy shot new Yamaha Nouvo 2008
Motorcycle News : new model motorcycle , Yamaha Nouvo , year 2008 use 135 cc motors let off the heat with the water , go out sell 2 February 2008. spy shot by the-cycle.com team.
Kawasaki KSR Mini Supersport Bike
Kawasaki KSR : Touch the amusement of KSR the power is bold with 110 cc 4 stoke motors s give you has driven on hardship way dextrous or on way smooth road has swiftly , the figure passes to pass close by , nimbly modern the source and the Technology in now divisibly...
Engine : 4 stoke SOHC with the air coolingCylinder capacity : 111 cc
The ratio is compressing : 9.5:1
Cylinder x distance draws : 53.0 x 50.6 mm.
Dot system bursts : DC-CDI
Start system : Easy KICK
Capacity fuel : 7.3 liter
W x Lx H : 1,670 x 705 x 995 mm
Height : 225 mm
Space of wheel : 130 mm
Junction front/back wheels : 1,165 mm
Weight : 82 kg
Front suspension : UPSIDE-DOWN
Rear suspension : Swing arm
Brake : Disk Brake
Front wheels : 100 / 90-12 (49J / TUBELESS)
Back wheels : 90 / 90 - 14
Battery : 12V 3.5 AH
Price : 54,000 Baht
10 motorcycle highly popular of the year
Rank - Brand/Model - Amount
1. Honda/Wave 100 ----> 443,598
2. Honda/Click -----------> 309,703
3. Yamaha/Mio ----------->150,710
4. Yamaha/Fino ----------> 126,597
5. Yamaha/Nouvo MX ----> 49,910
6. Honda/Dream -----------> 48,494
7. Honda/Wave 100x -----> 42,988
8. Honda/Wave 125x -----> 42,259
9. Suzuku/Smat ------------> 30,568
10. Honda/iCon -------------> 9,327
Suzuki STEP 125 (version 2007)
Suzuki STEP 125 : Step of automatic motorcycle , abandon far everyone , with 125 cc 4 motors are rhythm , enjoy go to everywhere with automatic gears SUPER CVT , add the colour every , step have only FUN FUN FUN...
Engine : 4 motors are rhythm SOHC let off the heat with the airCylinder capacity : 124 cc
The ratio is compressing : 9.6 : 1
Cylinder x distance draws : 53.5 x 55.2 mm.
Dot system bursts : CDI
Start system : electric starting
Capacity fuel : 3.7 liter
System sends the drive : V - MATIC
W x Lx H : 654 x 1,859 x 1,046 mm
Weight : 95 kg
Front suspension : Telehydraulic
Rear suspension : Unit swing
Brake : Disk Brake/ Drum Brake
Front wheels : 70/90 - 14M/C - 34P
Back wheels : 80/90 - 14M/C 40P
Battery : 12V 3.5 AH
Price : 40,000 Baht
Honda Air Blade (version 2007)
Honda Air Blade : Ardent with new design in the generation , Phoenix Edition , pass pass close by freely in every driving grace , refect smart picture ... , first in every a degree has outstandingly , with for the first time of motor vehicle realm , with special techinque , Magic Painting , spurting color techinque are born the dimension is the design on color ground , fully give you confront with every touch sight stares , with the formed self TRUE actually the style , King of Cool
Engine : 4 motors are rhythm SOHC let off the heat with the water
Cylinder capacity : 108 cc
The ratio is compressing : 11:01
Cylinder x distance draws : 50 x55 mm.
Dot system bursts : CDI
Start system : electric starting
Capacity fuel : 4.7 liter
Lubricating oil capacity : 0.9 liter
System sends the drive : V - MATIC
Carrying forward gears rate : 2.59 - 0.88
W x Lx H : 682 x 1,894 x 1,120 mm
Height : 767 mm
Space of wheel : 130 mm
Junction front/back wheels : 1,270 mm
Weight : 103 kg
Front suspension : Telehydraulic
Rear suspension : Unit swing
Brake : Disk Brake/ Drum Brake
Front wheels : 80 / 90 - 14
Back wheels : 90 / 90 - 14
Battery : 12V 3.5 AH
Price : 52,000 Baht
Yamaha Fino (version 2006)
Engine : 4 motors are rhythm SOHC let off the heat with the air
Cylinder capacity : 113.7 cc
The ratio is compressing : 8.8: 1
Cylinder x distance draws : 50 x57.9 mm.
Dot system bursts : CDI
Start system : electric starting
Capacity fuel : 4.1 liter
Lubricating oil capacity : 0.9 liter
System sends the drive : V-Belt
Carrying forward gears rate : 1.880~ 0.807
The rate carries : 3.133/ 3.231
Filter the air : paper
Frame : steel
W x Lx H : 705 x 1,830 x 1,050 mm
Height : 745 mm
Space of wheel : 125 mm
Junction front/back wheels : 1,240 mm
Weight : 91 kg./ 95 kg
Front suspension : Telehydraulic
Rear suspension : unit swing
Disk brake (CT-115D, CA-115D) : disk brake/ drum brake
Drum brake (CT-115C, CA-115C) : drum brake/ drum brake
Front : 70/90- 14M/C34P
Back : 80/90- 14M/C40P
Electric front : 12 volt 32 watt/ 32 watt x 1
Battery : The dry
Price : 42,000 Baht
Airplanes and Motorcycles
2008 Motorcycle Models - Links to Information
The manufacturers are constantly evolving their Web sites and seem to enjoy restructuring many of their URLs with no thought to other Web sites that may be linking to them. That's why this mid-year update was done.
At this time of year, many riders are doing research to determine what bike they want to buy next. Hopefully, these 2008 Motorcycle Model links will be useful.
Major Motorcycle Rallies for 2008 - It's Time to Plan
My updated article, Motorcycle Rallies (Biker Rallies) - Major Rallies for Motorcycles, gives basic information about motorcycle rallies. The second page of this article contains my list of the top motorcycle rallies.
The picture shows me raising my arm after I parked my bike on Main Street at the 1993 Sturgis Rally. That was the year of the great Midwest floods.
Polar Bear Grand Tour Visits Lake Hopatcong, NJ
This was one of those iffy Polar Bear days. The temperature was near 40 degrees for most of the state of New Jersey but it lowered to near freezing or below at the higher elevations. Since our members come from all over the state and even Connecticut there was a good chance that some would find ice on the roads. That turned out to be true. Members of my own GWRRA Chapter NJ-F had traveled to North Jersey very early in the morning to attend another chapter's meeting before they rode to the Lake Hopatcong area for the Polar Bear Grand Tour. They encountered two icy parking lots and it was touch-and-go whether they would keep their bikes upright. They vowed never again to ride so early in the winter mornings.
This destination was the Wearhouse Grill. My GPS performed flawlessly to guide us right to the door. We arrived early and stood around until the flight leaders had setup to sign-in the riders. They had a special menu just for the Polar Bear Grand Tour. I especially liked the hot apple pie a la mode served in a glass mug.
Here are pictures and videos from this winter day run.
Antique Motorcycle Ads Gallery - Old Ads with Low Prices
One of my forum members, MadMichael, has a collection of antique motorcycle advertisements that appeared in magazines many years ago. These ads are pretty interesting and reflect the times they appeared. You'll find ads from WWI and WWII and before. There are currently 80 antique motorcycle ads in the collection.
The prices were very low in those days as you'll see. There are many Harley-Davidson ads, a few Indian ads and then some ads for obscure makes. Take a look at my Antique Motorcycle Ads Gallery.
I have just added four motorcycle ads to the collection. They are: 1908 Yale, 1916 Harley, 1924 Harley, and 1932 Harley.
Robbie Maddison Makes Record Motorcycle Jump in Las Vegas
In case you missed it, Robbie Maddison broke the world motorcycle jumping record Monday night, soaring 322 feet, 7 1/2 inches at the Las Vegas Rio All-Suite Casino and Hotel.
His jump, originally scheduled to coincide with the dropping of the ball in Times Square on New Year's Eve, was delayed because a previous televised football game went into overtime. In fact, I had set my Tivo to record the jump, then fell asleep and missed the jump completely because the Tivo stopped recording before the actual jump.
This was a jump dedicated to the memory of Evel Knievel. It's one not to be missed and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of Robbie as he tries to break his own record.
Members of my Motorcycle Views Forum did see the jump and provided links to videos of the jump. Take a look and add your own comments either in the forum or here, below, after you see the video.