Dakar 2016 – the 4 superheroes
21/01/2016. Category: People. Topic: cars, motorcycles.
If you don’t like sleeping, try to do a Dakar race next January. Many participants would get to the end of a stage late at night, then repair the vehicle, sleep perhaps for 2 hours, get up and go to the start point of the next stage. Every day for two weeks.
The Dakar is acknowledged as the world’s toughest race. It’s tough on the competitors and the support staff. Every participant is a hero even if a team did not finish the race.
Read more…Early Xmas for motorcycle fanatics
26/11/2015. Category: Wheels. Topic: motorcycles.
It is early Xmas in 2015 for motorcycle fanatics with the introduction of more than 50 new models.
Some of the motorcycles were long rumoured, others were total surprises. Some will be available by Xmas but most are scheduled for release in 2016.
The biggest surprise was the Yamaha MT-10, basically a naked R1, with the same chassis, swingarm, suspension and electronics as the YZF-R1S – but slightly re-tuned for more mid-range oomph. It is an impressive-looking machine. Read more…
Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin Specs
24/07/2015. Category: Wheels. Topic: Honda, motorcycles.
“Survivor, champion, icon. The Africa Twin was designed to withstand thousands of miles of desert and dirt – now it’s returning to do it all over again.”
“It’s been a long wait. But—trust us—it’s worth it. The all-new Honda Africa Twin is the machine that will let you wander wherever your adventures take you. The 998cc parallel twin uses Honda’s exclusive four-valve Unicam® cylinder-head design for smooth, tractable power. Offered with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a new DCT transmission with selectable on- and off-road modes.” Read more…
New Honda Africa Twin in action
23/07/2015. Category: Wheels. Topic: Honda, motorcycles.
A replacement for the legendary XRV750 Africa Twin, which was based on the Dakar-winning NXR750 and was produced from 1989 until 2003, always was going to be a big call.
That call finally came when Honda announced the new 1000cc Africa Twin in May 2014, creating quite a stir. Early pictures showed promise but it was more than a year later that the new Africa Twin in action was released in “leaked” videos. Read more…
Excellent review of Kawasaki ER-6n
19/06/2015. Category: Wheels. Topic: Kawasaki, motorcycles.
Reviews of the Kawasaki ER-6n concur: it’s a bike for all reasons. Nimble in the city, surprisingly good in the twisties and a mile-eater on the open road.
The 650 parallel twin is a gem, with a nice spread of power and torque. This is a “little” naked motorcycle with a big heart.
One of the best reviews on the Kawasaki ER-6n is the excellent video by the Moto Journal team. The aptly call it, “Test Kawasaki ER6-n: the schizophrenic bike!” Read more…
Retro and real retro – the Dirico Flyer
25/02/2014. Category: Wheels. Topic: motorcycles.
You have a choice of meanings when using the word “retro.” Retrofit means “to add a component or accessory to something that did not have it when manufactured.” Retrograde is “going back in position or time.” Retrospective as noun means “an exhibition or compilation showing the development of an artist’s work over a period of time.”
Whichever, when we say something is retro we mean to say it is cool. Even nostalgically nice. And then you have Real Retro. Something massively WOW. Totally awesome. Like the Dirico Flyer. Read more…
Cody Webb – King of King of the Motos
07/02/2014. Category: Wheels. Topic: motorcycles.
How tough can motorcycle enduro get?! Bajaj, Dakar, Erzberg, Red Bull Romaniacs, Roof of Africa, Six Days. If you haven’t broken any bones yet in any one of those enduros – or any other endure, for that matter – try North America’s toughest extreme enduro, the King of the Motos.
First held in 2012 as the motorcycle class to the grueling King of the Hammers, King of Moto has quickly become a bucket list race for the fearless few crazy enough to tackle the unrelenting desert dust and rock crawling presented by the Means Dry Lake at Johnson Valley, California. Read more…
Laia Sanz and Honda’s return to Dakar
28/01/2014. Category: Wheels. Topic: Dakar, motorcycles, Woman of the month.
The 2014 Dakar Rally once again delivered in heaps. There were spectacular moments… and grueling hours as many competitors made it back to the bivouac just in time to start the next leg of the rally! No sleep, just racing,
It was one of the toughest Dakar rallies yet. Honda rider Joan Bang Bang Barreda would attest to that. The charging Barreda saw a possible first win since 1989 for Honda disappear in the smoke of melting electrical wires in the last stages of the rally.
Read more…Harley-Davidson Street 750 and 500 liquid-cooled Revolution X urban beauties
06/11/2013. Category: Wheels. Topic: Harley-Davidson, motorcycles.
V-twin. Obviously. H-D sound. Obviously. Authentic H-D looks. Obviously. Big moto? No. The new Street 750 and 500 models might just do for Harley-Davidson what the iPhone did for Apple: a smaller-engine model that probably will have a huge impact on the motorcycle market.
The 749cc and 494cc Street models might not put a Harley in every household but certainly will make it accessible for many more wanna-be hog riders. Read more…
Motoport Ultra II Kevlar Mesh Intelligent Alternative ADV Jacket
22/10/2013. Category: Wheels. Topic: motorcycles.
There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to jackets for adventure motorcycle riding. They are available in different types of material and designs for different types of conditions. Pricing varies a lot too; you get what you pay for.
The only difficult part – and the most confusing – in choosing a jacket, adventure riders will tell you, is finding a do-it-all jacket. Some brands have jackets with good crash armour protection but they can be heavy and stiff. Others have excellent rain protection but they are too hot in summer. Read more…