A French builder attaches the body of a sports car to a motorcycle
11.30.2009
Red Hot The sidecar’s design is inspired by the look of a Lamborghini and the McLaren F1, and the color is a tribute to Ferrari. Philippe Rony Photography
In 1989, François Knorreck took a long ride in the sidecar of a friend’s motorcycle and enjoyed it so much that he decided to build a rig of his own. Now, 20 years, 63 bodywork molds and innumerable headaches later, he has it: a handcrafted masterpiece that’s part motorcycle, part Lamborghini.
Knorreck, a 45-year-old French medical technician, started by sketching pencil designs and then built a full-size wooden model. He had worked on motorcycles in the past, but figuring out how to distribute the sidecar’s weight and where to position its single wheel were wholly new challenges. After determining the dimensions, he machined an aluminum chassis and moved the sidecar’s wheel forward to keep the vehicle stable and prevent it from veering. He also had to beef up the motorcycle’s headstock bearing—a piece of the steering column that bears most of the sidecar’s weight.
At the motorcycle’s controls, Knorreck has pushed the vehicle to 125 miles an hour, near its estimated top speed, but never intends to fully open it up. After all, he says, despite the sidecar’s looks, it’s only along for the ride.
Hop In: The sole door opens Lamborghini-style, driven by an electric motor. Philippe Rony Photography
Zero Motorcycles to Field its First Street Racing Team
Zero Motorcycles to Compete in the 2010 TTXGP Electric Motorcycle Championships
-- Zero Motorcycles to Field its First Street Racing Team in 2010 --
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Dec. 2
Zero Motorcycles announced today the creation of its first street racing team and its plans to enter the upcoming 2010 TTXGP electric motorcycle series. Zero has indicated that its race-ready motorcycle will be using the same Z-Force powertrain technology that is currently used in its production electric motorcycles. Few additional details have been released on the development of Zero's race bike, but it has been hinted that many of the design cues will come from the production Zero S street motorcycle.
TTXGP is the world's first zero carbon and zero emissions motorcycle race series. The inaugural TTXGP race took place on the historic Isle of Man TT course in June 2009 and will return again in June 2010 with the addition of a new race class. The first TTXGP race in the 2010 season will be the TTXGP North America Championships at Infineon in Sonoma, California on May 14 - 16.
"Electric motorcycles are powerful, exciting and available now. There is no race that highlights electric motorcycle technology more than the TTXGP and we are excited to support their efforts with our own racing team," said Gene Banman, CEO of Zero Motorcycles. "We have identified a series of strategic partners for this program and will be making announcements shortly about their involvement."
Zero Motorcycles is not a stranger to competitive racing. Recently, Zero Motorcycles took first place in a sanctioned motocross race (finishing third overall in points for the series), in France hosted by the French Federation of Motorcycles. The Zero MX beat out more than 200 450cc gas motorcycles in fierce competition.
Zero's Z-Force technology includes its patent pending Z-Force power pack which is capable of delivering a tremendous amount of energy from a highly compact and lightweight system. It also includes a newly announced Z-Force Air Induction system that allows Zero to fully leverage their power pack's capabilities by dispersing excess motor heat. This development also paves the way for Zero to increase performance in upcoming models.
"We've spent four years developing the Z-Force electric power train technology for high performance dirt and street riding. We're excited to take it to the track and compete. We expect to gain valuable information through the competition of our motorcycles and plan to apply that knowledge to the development of future products," added Neal Saiki, Zero Motorcycles Founder and CTO.
Zero Motorcycles is the next step in motorcycle evolution and represents the ultimate electric motorcycle technology. Unencumbered by conventional thinking about how they design, manufacture and sell high performance electric motorcycles, they are on a mission to turn heads and revolutionize their industry by combining the best aspects of a traditional motorcycle with today's most advanced technology. The result is an electric motorcycle line that's insanely fast and environmentally friendly.
Harley-Davidson workers have overwhlemingly approved a new 7 year contract.
The vote was 1,587 for and 193 against.
The contract was supported by union leaders. It calls for changes in work rules...a workforce reduction...and a soft commitment by the company to keep the plant in York County.
Harley makes Touring and Softail motorcycles at the plant near York.
The company has been in discussions to move the plant to Kentucky.
Harley's board is expected to consider the contract on Dec. 9th.
BlueAnt unveils F4 Communications System for motorcyclists
December 8th, 2009
There are tons of Bluetooth headsets for car drivers to use for hands free calls. I’m not user if there are as many available for motorcyclists though. BlueAnt has announced a new communications
system for motorcycles called the F4.
The system will allow riders to make and receive phone calls while riding and supports A2DP technology. The system can stream stereo music form a Bluetooth device. It can also act as an intercom system for double eiders.
As long as the riders are within 1640 feet of each other, it will work on separate bikes too. The F4 promises clear calls up to 110mph. The system is available now for $225 each and it works for closed face or open face helmets.
Harley recalls 111,569 motorcycles to fix fuel tank
12/9/2009 3:08 PM
Harley-Davidson Inc., the biggest U.S. motorcycle maker, is recalling 111,569 Touring cycles to reinforce front fuel-tank mounts, which can distort in crashes and cause fuel leaks and fires.
The voluntary U.S. recall affects certain 2009 and 2010 model-year Touring family motorcycles, including CVO touring and Trike products, Harley said in a letter posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Web site. Harley, based in Milwaukee, said it hasn't received any reports of fires, injuries or deaths caused by the defect.
Harley said it crash-tested a 2010 model bike in May, and found the bike didn't meet the company's requirements for fuel containment. Owners will be notified by next week, the company said in the letter.
Bob Klein, a Harley spokesman, didn't respond to phone messages seeking comment.
Through the nine months ended Sept. 27, shipments of Harley-Davidson brand motorcycles fell to 187,085, from 226,898 in the period a year earlier.
Last year, the company recalled all 47,579 of its 2008 Touring models because of risk that the fuel-filter shell could crack, causing the bikes to slow or stall.
Harley fell 14 cents to $27.36 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have gained 61 percent this year.
The following is a recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration...
Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
BMW / K1300 GT 2009-2010
BMW / K1300 S 2009-2010
Manufacturer: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC Mfr's Report Date: DEC 04, 2009
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 09V471000 NHTSA Action Number: PE09052
Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Potential Number of Units Affected: 2019
Summary:
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 K1300 S AND K1300 GT MOTORCYCLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 AND NOVEMBER 19, 2009. POOR FUEL QUALITY MAY LEAD TO SMALL DEPOSITS WITHIN THE THROTTLE BODIES. DURING ENGINE OPERATION IN A LOW RPM RANGE, TYPICALLY NEAR IDLE SPEED (WHEN COMING TO A STOP) AIR FLOW COULD BE SUFFICIENTLY RESTRICTED AND ENGINE STALLING COULD OCCUR.
Consequence:
ENGINE STALLING COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy:
BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE MOTORCYCLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-201-307-4000.
Notes:
OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TOHTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
Nitro Model: R/T 4X4 Stone White
CAT-BACK Exhaust, CAI, Projector Head Lamps
Fully-Equipped w/all factory options
Triumph is introducing a special edition to its café racer-styled Thruxton, giving an even sportier look to the classic British design.
The stunning powder-coated red frame with matching red stripe
complements the luxurious crystal White bodywork.
The 2010 Thruxton SE debuts a stunning powder-coated red frame and Crystal White bodywork with red stripe, color-matched fly screen and blacked out engine cases. The new Crystal White paint contains a high metallic content that results in a luxurious paint finish, and creates a striking contrast to the dramatic red frame.
In what was an anticipated but yet-to-be-announced move, Kawasaki has officially released a statement today regarding its decision as to whether or not it will go road racing in the U.S. in 2010. The answer: No.
J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Customer Satisfaction With the Motorcycle Ownership Experience Improves Considerably From 2008, Reaching a Record-High Level
Dealers Who Follow Up after a Sale May Positively Impact Overall Satisfaction with the Sales Experience
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Dec. 17 Overall satisfaction with the motorcycle ownership experience increases for a seventh consecutive year to its highest level yet, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Motorcycle Competitive Information Study(SM) released today.
The study finds that overall motorcycle ownership satisfaction averages 838 on a 1,000-point scale in 2009, up 24 points from 2008. Satisfaction improves across all five factors measured in the study--product; quality; cost of ownership; sales; and service--with the most substantial increases occurring in the sales and service factors.
In addition, product quality has improved compared with 2008, primarily due to a decrease in the number of engine and braking/ride problems experienced. On average, the overall number of problems reported is 126 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), which is an improvement of 26 PP100 since 2008.
"Given that industry sales are down roughly 30 percent during the past year, manufacturers are competing more than ever for every customer," said Todd Markusic, senior director of the powersports practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "The result of this increased competition is that the quality and performance of bikes is at an all-time high, and dealers are paying much more attention to their customers' sales and service experiences."
The study also finds that dealers may positively impact satisfaction with the sales aspect of the ownership experience by following up with their customers after the sale. On average, the sales satisfaction score among customers who received a follow-up phone call is 170 points higher than among those who did not get a follow-up call.
"The follow-up phone call is a simple concept that may have a significant impact on customers' sales or service experiences," said Markusic. "While it might seem that calling customers after a visit would be standard practice for dealers, 20 percent of customers don't receive a call after a new bike purchase and 56 percent don't receive a call after having their bike serviced."
Motorcycle owners who take their bike to a dealer for maintenance or repair-related service work present dealers with an opportunity to make a lasting impression, as the length of time a motorcycle is in for service greatly impacts overall service satisfaction. The average repair time for maintenance work is one day, while the typical repair takes three days to complete. Dealers who are able to complete repairs in less than three days may benefit greatly, as their customers tend to be significantly more satisfied with their service experience. The average satisfaction score among customers who have a repair completed in less than three days is 857, compared with 753 among those who receive their bike back in three days or more.
The 2009 Motorcycle Competitive Information Study, now in its 12th year, includes responses from nearly 8,000 owners who purchased a new 2009 model year on-road or dual-sport motorcycle between September 2008 and May 2009. The study was fielded August through October 2009.
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, Capital IQ, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at Home - The McGraw-Hill Companies.
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
Nitro Model: R/T 4X4 Stone White
CAT-BACK Exhaust, CAI, Projector Head Lamps
Fully-Equipped w/all factory options
Harley offering special extension on two-year warranty
Dec. 19, 2009
Harley-Davidson is offering customers extended warranty coverage on new, previously untitled 2009 and 2010 model-year motorcycles purchased and delivered between November 20, 2009 and March 16, 2010.
The offer extends coverage through April 2, 2012, and allows customers to gain additional time and benefits of the warranty, especially for motorcycles purchased in colder weather areas.
Additionally, effective December 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010, customers who purchased a bike that is still under factory warranty through February 28, 2010 are now eligible to have street-legal parts and accessories installed at their selling dealer and added to their 2-year factory vehicle warranty as an extension of the Custom Coverage program.
Highlights of the extended warranty include:
Eligible motorcycles sold during this timeframe will have the manufacturer’s limited warranty coverage extended through April 2, 2012.
The extended manufacturer’s warranty will also apply to street-legal Genuine Motor Parts and Genuine Motor Accessories installed by the dealer on a Harley-Davidson prior to retail delivery.
New, previously untitled 2009 and 2010 Harley-Davidson motorcycles are included in the extended warranty offer with the exception of company owned vehicles (COVs), FLHP and FLHTP police units, and rental or leased motorcycles.
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