Recall: 2010 Honda VT1300s were shipped with the wrong sticker
Posted August 11, 2010
Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
HONDA / VT1300CR 2010
HONDA / VT1300CRA 2010
HONDA / VT1300CT 2010
Manufacturer: HONDA (AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.) Mfr's Report Date: AUG 09, 2010
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 10V369000
N/A
NHTSA Action Number: N/A
Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Potential Number of Units Affected: 3184
Summary:
CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 HONDA VT1300CR, VT1300CRA, AND VT1300CT MOTORCYCLES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 17, 2009 THROUGH MAY 24, 2010, FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS OF PART 567. THE GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING (GAWR) IS INCORRECT.
Consequence:
AN OWNER MAY BE LEAD TO BELIEVE FROM THE INCORRECT INFORMATION THE MOTORCYCLE CAN CARRY MORE WEIGHT THAT IT IS CERTIFIED TO CARRY, RESULTING IN AN OVERLOADED CONDITION WHICH CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:
THE OWNERS OF ALL AFFECTED MOTORCYCLES WILL BE MAILED A LETTER CONTAINING A DURABLE CORRECTION STICKER AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. IF THE OWNER PREFERS THAT THE DEALER APPLY THE STICKER, THEY WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THEIR MOTORCYCLE TO A HONDA DEALER WHO WILL APPLY THE CORRECTED LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE CAMPAIGN IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 20, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-310-783-2000.
Notes:
HONDA'S RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS R41. 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 TO HTTP://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
Viper Motorcycles Moving HQ and Production to Auburn, Alabama
Area Development Online News Desk (08/10/2010)
Viper Motorcycle Company is moving is headquarters and production center from Minnesota to Auburn, Alabama. The company will begin producing vehicles in Auburn in 2011. Viper will occupy a 63,000-square-foot space in the Auburn Technology Park West and create 100 jobs over two years.
“The Auburn facility and community support places us in a position to achieve our annual goal of 2,000 motorcycles and 2,000 aftermarket engines within five years,” said John Silseth, CEO of Viper Powersports, the parent company of Viper Motorcycle Company.
The proximity of Auburn University helped attracted Viper to Alabama. Andrew Broadley, the company’s technical director, said the presence of the school offered a chance to combine student and faculty knowledge with Viper’s technical capabilities. That “will allow [Viper] to expand our research and development capability towards new projects,” Broadley said.
Viper produces high performance, super cruiser motorcycles.
__________________
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
It used to be women only rode on the back of motorcycles.
Times are changing.
According to Anita Cruickshank, publicist for Orca Communications Unlimited, women make up 10 percent of all motorcyclists; that is 4.3 million out of 23.5 million riders.
Valerie Thompson, a professional motorcycle racer, said she's seen the number of women riders double in the past 10 years.
“The female biker population is growing rapidly, as is the whole motorcycle industry,” said Julia Hutton, CEO of Biker Babes and Beyond, LCC. She said according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of sales of on-highway motorcycles has increased 91 percent since 1997.
“It's the guys who get us girls into it,” said Thompson, who first got involved when a friend of hers asked her to go riding with him. She said she showed up and, worried her jeans would scratch his fender, he decided she couldn't ride with him. According to her website, Thompson bought a motorcycle the next day.
CA man will attempt to ride 95-year-old motorcycle 3,300 miles
CAN HE MAKE IT?—Simi Valley resident Paul Watts, right, poses for a picture with his family and his 1915 Harley-Davidson 11F, the antique bike he plans to ride coast-to-coast in the inaugural Motorcycle Cannonball Run. From left are daughters Michelle and Sami, and wife, Bea. In 1915, the Harley-Davidson 11F was one of the fastest motorcycles on the road.
Nicknamed “The Silent Gray Fellow,” the bike’s three-speed 61- cubic-inch engine was quiet but— by the standards of that time— powerful. With larger intake valves than its predecessors, it could produce up to 11 horsepower. Its max speed: about 45 mph.
While the antique motorcycle’s thrust pales in comparison to today’s street bikes capable of speeds in excess of 200 mph, Simi Valley resident Paul Watts, the proud owner of an 11F, is hoping the 95-year-old bike is capable of carrying him across the country.
Watts will be one of 90 participants in the inaugural Motorcycle Cannonball Run, an endurance race from Kitty Hawk, N.C. to Santa Monica that features only motorcycles manufactured before 1916.
“This is kind of like a once-in a-lifetime thing,” Watts said. “Hopefully the bike will hold up, and I will hold up.”
Starting Sept. 10, riders will travel an average of over 200 miles a day for 16 days (about 3,300 miles), almost entirely on back roads and scenic routes. Any time a bike breaks down and cannot complete a section of the course, the rider loses points.
Watts, 51, said the “race” is more about camaraderie than it is about competition.
“There’s a trophy if you win, but it’s not about the prize,” he said. “It’s about antique motorcycle enthusiasts getting together.”
The owner of a furniture refurbishing business in Chatsworth, Watts found the 1915 Harley- Davidson online four years ago and purchased it for about $10,000.
“The (previous owner) bought the bike with the intention of rebuilding it, but the bike sat in his airplane hangar unrestored,” he said. “Whatever shape the bike was in in the late ’20s was the way I found it all those years later.”
Busy with his family and business, Watts didn’t get around to working on the bike until last November, after learning about the Cannonball Run.
“It really gave me the motivation to get on this thing.”
The father of three was optimistic that he’d have the bike running by race time, but finding parts was difficult. He tried to keep as many vintage parts as possible and had an expert mechanic redo the engine and transmission.
“It’s been a huge research project as I was tearing apart the bike. You get into all sorts of problems with each item,” he said. “I restored the bike in fast forward so it could be ready for the race.”
Watts said he got the vintage bike running for the first time last Friday. And he won’t even get to test ride it: His brother, Bear, is towing it to North Carolina this week.
“We’re really doing this on the fly,” he said.
The Motorcycle Cannonball Run is the brainchild of a promoter and owner of Jurassic Racing in Sturgis, S.D. Motorcycle daredevils and cross-country endurance riders of the previous century, like Erwin “Cannonball” Baker and George Wyman, inspired the race.
Motorcycles expected to appear in the run include Pope, Sears, Flying Merkel, Excelsior and Harley-Davidson. Some of the bikes have only one gear and top out at 30 mph.
Watts and his wife, Bea, an admissions officer at Cal State Northridge, have lived in Simi Valley since 1996.
They have three daughters: Danielle, 25, married and soon to be a mother; Michelle, 21, who attends CSUN; and Sami, 11, a sixth-grader at Valley View Elementary School.
“Paul has been into Harleys all his life and spent a lot of time working on the vintage bike,” Bea Watts said. “He’s very excited about the trip and I support him wholeheartedly.”
Watts originally hoped his family would be able to attend the race with him, but their busy schedules wouldn’t allow it.
“They’ll probably still try to come out for a day or two,” he said.
Oddly enough, Watts prefers a mountain bike to a road bike, but said he entered the race for “the adventure of it.”
Even though he expects an uncomfortable ride, complete with inclement weather, he said he’s fit enough to take on the endurance challenge.
His motorcycle? Well, that’s another story.
“I don’t know if my bike can make it all the way on the road. After all, it’s 95 years old,” he said. “Anything can happen, but I’m going to try. It’s a pretty big ordeal but it’ll be fun.”
Star Motorcycles Rolls Out 2011 Models
The all-new 2011 Stryker makes its debut
September 01, 2010
Quote:
Sept.1, 2010 - Not to be forgotten in the new model release wars is Star Motorcycles, who today released its lineup for 2011. The bulk of the 2011 bikes are carryovers from 2010, but the big buzz for Star this year is the new Stryker, a 1300 cc V twin cruiser that combines raw chopper-ish looks with modern performance bits.
Yamaha has announced the 2011 model line up for Yamaha motorcycles and scooters, as well as Star cruiser bikes. The new lineup includes three new models, as well as many returning favorites.
Returning sport motorcycle models include the YZF-R1, YZF-R6, FZ1, FZ6R and FJR1300A in all new colors. Yamaha's new model for Supersport riding is the awesome new FZ8 (read more on the Yamaha FZ8 here), a naked with street fighter styling and the promise of performance to match.
Yamaha's 2011 scooter line up includes the TMax, Vino Classic, Zuma 125, Zuma 50, and the cult-favorite C3.
Returning motocross models include the award winning YZ450F with increased fuel capacity and YZ250F four-strokes, along with the YZ250, YZ125 and YZ85 two-strokes.
Serious off-roaders will welcome back the 2011 Yamaha WR450F and WR250F, both of which took last year off. Play riders can choose from the TT-R230, TT-R125LE and TT-R110E.
Smaller minibikes are on hold until the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) works out the lead-content controversy.
Dual-sport enduro models for 2011 include the Yamaha WR250X supermoto, WR250R, TW200 and XT250, with the Super Ténéré XT1200 coming out in the Spring as an early 2012 model (read more on the 2012 Tenere here). It's a bike that has its roots in the Paris-Dakar Rally.
Lightning Motors sets electric motorcycle world land speed record at Bonneville
* September 1st, 2010
BREAKING: This week the Lightning Motors team is on the Bonneville Salt Flats for the yearly time trials, and on their first time run, with a speed of 162 miles/hr, they have set the AMA and FIM land speed record for electric motorcycles. They are making this speed attempt fresh from winning the TTXGP North American series two weeks ago at Virginia International Raceway.
Last year in a time trial event organized by the Southern California Timing Association they achieved a 166 miles/hr speed record. This time around it is AMA and FIM accredited.
According to Richard Hatfield, team owner, in a telephone conversation last night, the speed record was set on their first day on the salt, with the bike still configured for the recent TTXGP road race. During that race they were clocked with a highest speed of 134 miles/hr. To reach the higher 162 miles/hr speed they changed only the gearing ratio (rear sprocket). Their rider is Paul Thede, of Race Tech, and author of the Motorcycle Suspension Bible. They have a couple more days on the salt, and may soon set an even higher speed.
Honda has announced four 2011 street bikes, two dirt bikes and an MUV (Multi-Purpose Utility Vehicle). "The 2011 model year lineup continues to expand for Honda," according to Powersports Press Manager Bill Savino.
"Here we have a variety of very popular cruisers and customs, a pair of Honda off-road machines that have remained extremely popular with riders over the years, plus a revamped and very impressive Big Red MUV. Our selection of models for 2011 keeps growing and there will be more to follow."
The first two machines will be introduced in November 2010. The Honda CRF100F returns with no changes. It will continue to be a durable and reliable machine for youths or small adults to use as a trail riding machine.
The Big Red MUV is back, with some updates, including increased load carrying and towing capacity, revised suspension, a contoured bench seat is claimed to allows easier entry/exit, Maxxis Big Horn tires and a Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS) that meets OSHA requirements.
The CRF100F will be available in red only, but you can get the Big Red in olive, Natural Gear Camouflage and, yes, red.
Five 2011 motorcycles will have their debut in December 2010. The Shadow RS sport cruiser gets a new paint job that reflects its AMA Flat Track Racing heritage. The red, white and blue color scheme recalls the RS racers ridden by Bubba Shobert and Ricky Graham. The Shadow Phantom, which was also introduced in 2010, is back in black only.
Those looking for a wilder 2011 ride will be happy to see the Honda Fury chopper and custom Honda Interstate bagger. The Fury will be available in Dark Red Metallic, Pearl White and Matte Orange Metallic. At a later date, Furys and Interstates with optional ABC and CBS (Combined Braking System) will be available.
Young off-road riders will be happy to see the December 2010 release of the 2011 Honda CRF80F, a classic youth motorcycle. It will be available in red only, just like it's CRF-R racing cousins.
While cars feature numerous safety technologies to help protect the driver, there isn’t a whole lot you can do for motorcyclists. But one company has a solution to help protect bikers who get in an accident. Armored-Air Jackets is offering jackets and vests with integrated airbags, a CO2 cartridge and a ripcord. You attach the ripcord to the bike and if you get thrown from the bike it will automatically trigger the airbag to inflate around the spine, chest and neck. It only takes up to a half a second to inflate the jacket. They can be reused but must be inspected first and the only thing that needs to be replaced is the CO2 cartridge. The jacket costs nearly $600 while the vest retails for $250.
About the Armored Air Airbag Technology
When a motorcycle rider or horse back rider is ejected the airbag instantly inflates developing an armor of protection to reduce the possibility of injury to important body parts such as the spine, chest, neck, and major organs of the upper body.
We strongly advocate putting on an Armored Air Jacket as it will definitely enhance the joy of motorcycle riding or horse back riding. Most importantly, it will improve the overall safety aspect of a motorcycle rider and horse back riding.
Please Note: The Armored Air Jacket is made for adults and children 100 lbs and over.
Sept. 14, 2010
Victory for Harley-Davidson
Wis. unions take cuts to save jobs
WAUKESHA, Wis. -- Harley-Davidson's Wisconsin unions approved a labor contract Monday laden with steep concessions, reacting defensively after the motorcycle company threatened to move hundreds of jobs out of the state.
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