MotoGP Season - 2010 Qatar Results

The 2010 MotoGP premier class flavour opened much as due Sunday night in beautiful Doha, Qatar, with Casey Stoner on the pole and the two Fiat Yamaha studs on the front row. Five laps into the race, Stoner was finished for the night, and Round 1 was suddenly up for grabs. Valentino Rossi then spent added day at the duty demonstrating that he is the prizewinning in the business and the odds-on favorite to repeat as World Champion. However, whatever emerging guns are suggesting that it’s not all going to be business as customary in 2010.

Early on, digit could see this wasn’t going to be no steenkin’ procession. Although Rossi ended up leading 17 of the 22 laps, Dani Pedrosa, Stoner and an antecedent Andrea Dovizioso every enjoyed some time in the lead. At the moment when Stoner lost the front end on Lap 5, Rossi, Pedrosa, Nicky Hayden and Dovizioso were every within 3 seconds of him and within a half second of digit another. 

Jorge Lorenzo, New Kid in Town Ben Spies and a surprising Randy de Puniet were all running within three seconds of Dovizioso. Lap 6 of this race was about as good as it ever gets in MotoGP, with the top 13 riders all within 9 seconds of each other. It was, as they say in the Southwest Airlines commercials, “ON”.

• Three of the crowning octad finishers were Americans.
• Nicky Hayden is feat to be a factor again this year, the way he was in 2008. Not the champion he was in 2007, but a definite contender.
• Ben Spies is for real. A legitimate danger to win the denomination in the foreseeable future. Ditto for Dovizioso.
• Yamaha is the crowning machine discover there. Ducati haw be the most overrated machine discover there. Honda has a puncher’s quantity most weeks. Suzuki is discover to lunch.
• Randy de Puniet is improving. He haw belong in my mythical Division 1. In that he’s French, I wait him to run stronger in training than in races. At Doha he qualified 4th and ended 6th.
• Dani Pedrosa is not yet up to speed this year. Although he got soured to his usual un-freaking-believable start, he qualified 7th and ended 7th.
• For perhaps the prototypal time EVER, Jorge Lorenzo exhibited whatever patience and maturity. After getting soured to his usual poor start, he appeared content to settle backwards in 6th place. At Stoner’s exit he moved into 5th. At Lap 7 he sat in 4th place, where he remained, biding his time, until Lap 21, when he ate Hayden’s, and then Dovizioso’s lunch and got Rossi in his crosshairs. At the finish, he trailed Rossi by a plain second. If the race had lasted one more lap he probably would have won. Is this a new, improved Jorge Lorenzo, one with exclusive six engines to last an whole season? We’ll encounter out.

Sport Motorcycles - BMW HP2 Megamoto

Introducing newborn bike concepts with an modify higher level of emotion, BMW Motorrad is proudly presenting the newborn Megamoto: Based on the BMW HP2 Enduro, this unequalled bike module rank right at the top among all street-legal two-cylinder Supermotos thanks to its supreme action and the ingest of top-class materials.Consistently following the HP2 help line, the Megamoto impressively demonstrates the outstanding dynamism and broad range of the Boxer concept.Weighing less than 200 kilos or 440 lb in road trim, the Megamoto offers significantly more noesis and torque than modify the coercive HP2 Enduro. 

Classic sport Motocycles - The Little Honda CB Classic Cafe

You wager the Honda Classic diminutive cc builds. Makes me wish I as 25 years younger and 100 lbs lighted. This Honda CB looks like cafe racer style

Sport Motorcyles - YAMAHA 2009 YZF - R1

specification:

Engine
Type 998cc, liquid-cooled 4-stroke DOHC 16 valves (titanium valves)
Bore x Stroke 78.0mm X 52.2mm
Compression Ratio 12.7:1
Fuel Delivery Fuel Injection with YCC-T and YCC-I
Ignition TCI: Transistor Controlled Ignition
Transmission 6-speed w/multi-plate slipper clutch
Final Drive #530 O-ring chain

Chassis
Suspension/Front 43mm inverted fork; fully adjustable, 4.7-in travel
Suspension/Rear Single shock w/piggyback reservoir; 2-way adjustable, 4.7-in travel
Brakes/Front Dual 310mm disc; radial-mount forged 6-piston calipers
Brakes/Rear 220mm disc; single-piston caliper
Tires/Front 120/70ZR17M/C 58W
Tires/Rear 190/55ZR17M/C 75W

Dimensions
Length 81.1 in
Width 28.1 in
Height 44.5 in
Seat Height 32.8 in
Wheelbase 55.7 in
Rake (Caster Angle) 24.0°
Trail 4.0 in
Fuel Capacity 4.8 gal
Fuel Economy** 33 mpg
Wet Weight 454 lb

Other
Main Jet Not Applicable
Main Air Jet Not Applicable
Jet Needle Not Applicable
Needle Jet Not Applicable
Pilot Air Jet 1 Not Applicable
Pilot Outlet Not Applicable
Pilot Jet Not Applicable
Primary Reduction Ratio 65/43 (1.512)
Secondary Reduction Ratio 47/17 (2.765)
Gear Ratio - 1st Gear 38/15 (2.533)
Gear Ratio - 2nd Gear 33/16 (2.063)
Gear Ratio - 3rd Gear 37/21 (1.762)
Gear Ratio - 4th Gear 35/23 (1.522)
Gear Ratio - 5th Gear 30/22 (1.364)
Gear Ratio - 6th Gear 33/26 (1.269)

First Look - Honda VFR1200F 2010

The VFR distinction has carried Honda's flag since the early '80s, when Honda realized that the locomote from the old Sabre could, with appropriate tweaks, power the Interceptor. By the instance bikes like Suzuki's GSX-R750 and Honda's own Fireblade had come along, Honda's race-rep V-Fours – the RC30, then RC45 – seemed exotic but somewhat beside the point.

Starting with a blank sheet of paper and highlighted by a V-4 engine and optional dual-clutch automatic transmission, Big Red calls this machine a future look into for their two-wheeled brand. Can you say: V-4 powered CBR sportbike? Who knows, but it sure makes my glands salivate. For now, here’s a look at the details on the 2010 VFR.

According to Honda, the idea was to create “a futuristic sport motorcycle for the sheer joy of riding, custom tailored for experienced hands who ride hard, ride long, ride far and ride often.” With a “MotoGP derived” V-4 engine at the heart of this mega-mileage sportbike, it features “a unique cylinder layout with rear two cylinders located innermost on the crankshaft and front cylinders located outboard.” This is said to narrow the rider interface aboard the VFR1200F. 

Conceptually, dual-clutch tech is simple: a pair of clutches split the power transmission between odd- and even-numbered gears. If you're, say, accelerating in second gear, third gear is already engaged but the 'odd' clutch is disengaged. When you want to upshift, you touch a paddle on the left 'bar, and in an instant the 'even' clutch disengages and the 'odd' one engages. There's no detectable interruption in power to the rear wheel. Such systems have been around for quite a while in racing cars and are about to become fairly common in some run-of-the-mill production cars, like the Ford Focus. However until now, no one but Honda has managed to make one small enough for motorcycle use.

The 76-degree liquid-cooled V-4 engine is designed to be as light and compact as possible, measuring 1237cc by virtue of an 81mm x 60mm bore and stroke. Compression ratio is 12.0:1, while it has a single overhead Unicam valvetrain setup with four valves per cylinder. The crankshaft is what Honda calls a “Symmetrically Coupled Phase-shift unit, using a 28-degree crankpin offset to eliminate primary engine vibration.” In other words, no counterbalancer is needed. Delivering fuel to the engine is “Throttle By Wire” technology that is mated to four 44mm throttle bodies, each with a single 12-hole injector spraying fuel. 

The most noticeable difference on the new VFR is styling, which Honda says comes from GP technology "with a layer-concept aero fairing for unrivaled air management.” We're guessing this means the goal is to be both slippery through the air and comfortable behind the screen. The ergonomic package is also totally new, designed to aid in a more comfortable rider interface while remaining sporting. The new hand and foot controls are “smoother and more precise tactile feel to enhance the riding experience,” while new seat construction “permits a higher level of seat shaping and forming details,” says Honda's PR men.

The VFR will come standard with saddlebag mounts on both versions. Claimed ready-to-ride weight is 591 lbs for the standard VFR1200F, while the dual-clutch is only slightly heavier at 613 lbs. Price has yet to be announced, but it will be available in Spring 2010. 

 

Honda Shadow Phantom 2010 Review

On a quick glance, it nearly looked same it belonged as part of the family – at small a not-so-distant cousin.But even with its blacked out, ready for-the-boulevard looks, on fireman scrutiny this bike unmistakably relic a Honda.For one, the dig final drive is an immediate visual giveaway. And within its 52-degree, long-stroke 745cc engine, there are no pushrods. Instead, a single overhead cam operates two intake valves and a single exhaust valve. New to the engine is a fuel-injection system delivering the air-fuel mixture to each cylinder, while twin spark plugs per cylinder ensure efficient combustion.

The exhaust note is tuned to serve up a suitably aggressive rumble, the way cruiser fans like it, but unless you are tone deaf, you probably would not mistake it for the distinctive sound of a genuine 45-degree Harley.

These observations aside, this latest version of a design first penned in 1983 has definitely evolved one step closer to the intimidating look, sound and feel of something from the H-D brand, while ironically producing a bike with very little intimidation factor for the rider.

Take, for example, its 25.7-inch seat height. It was a bit too low for my 34-inch inseam, but shorter riders and those just starting out will find this a benefit. New riders who are on the taller side may yearn for a bit more legroom, but the low seat height otherwise makes the bike less daunting to ride. 

Likewise, the programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI) adapted to the formerly carbureted mill makes for easy start-up and reliable power delivery. Its single 34mm throttle body meters the combustible mix well.
The engine provides enough grunt for the 549-pound machine to leave a stop light in enough of a hurry to easily outpace most automotive traffic, and its wide-ratio five-speed transmission is long-legged enough to travel the interstate if you are so inclined.


In fact, if you added a windscreen and saddlebags, this mid-sized iron horse could be ready to run through a few states or more, and ought to do it fairly reliably, if not sparsely.
But its primary design goal, as mentioned, is to sweeten the eye candy for those whose tastes favor the evergreen American Cruiser style. And it is that image to which this Honda unabashedly pays homage, as the company continues to carve its slice from the cruiser market-share pie. Getting a piece of the action is further made possible by the Shadow Phantom’s fairly reasonable MSRP of $7,999.
But again, though it may be considered entry level, this bike basically delivers. It rides on fairly beefy non-adjustable 41mm forks offering 4.6 inches of travel, while the rear is held up by dual shock absorbers offering 5-position preload adjustability and 3.5 inches of travel.

Sport Motorcycle - Vyrus 987 2010

After launching its first street-legal bike last season the Electric Supermoto, or Zero S California-based Zero Motorcycles has introduced the 2010 Zero DS, a road-worthy dual-sport sibling and stylish horse to a growing distinction of on and off road machines.

I’m pleased to say that I fresh proven my very first Vyrus. Vyrus have basically worked nearly exclusively with Alan Catchcart and Roland Brown in the past. They’re simply too small and busy with building their highly foreign bikes to deal with all of the press on a regular basis, permit alone organizing effort rides.

But I was acknowledged conference with digit very angry beast of a motorcycle. The 2010 Vyrus 987 follows in the 985’s footsteps (999R powered) and features a full on barking mad Ducati 1198R tuned engine. With homologated exhaust and engine map the 987 produces a claimed 185 hp and weighs in at only 155kg full fueled and ready to ride. The 987 is also available with a compressor that boosts noesis to 211hp where the compressor only runs at digit fifth of its capacity. That compressor version is the digit I’m desperate to test, but until that haw be possible later this year I had to settle for the “standard” 987.

My first impression is that this is a completely disturbed bike that’s as expressed as they come. With the race exhaust and race Vyrus engine mapping the effort bike produces a mind blowing 194hp and God exclusive knows how such torque. Ducati’s 1198R Testastretta engine is a pure racebred beast in itself, now envisage that engine in tuned state in the hub-steered Vyrus chassis that weighs the same as a supermoto chassis and you’ll start to get an idea. It’s bonkers and I was allowed out on it in the hills of San Marino on Pirelli Superbike slicks. It doesn’t get such better than this for a humble bike journalist.

 

BMW HP2 Sport Motorcycle

BMW's $25,375 HP2 Sport motorcycle combines old-school air-cooled technology with advanced powerplant engineering, resulting in the fastest and lightest BMW boxer ever.

Scheduled for production in 2008 and based on the R 1200 S model, the HP2 Sport features racing-derived features including:

• A twin-cylinder engine that produces 128 horsepower at 8,750 rpm.
• Radially mounted Brembo monoblock brakes with four-piston front calipers and an optional ABS system that can be disabled
• Fully adjustable Öhlins suspension
• MotoGP-style instrumentation with lap data display
• "Gearshift assistant," which enables quick shifts of the close-ratio 6-speed transmission without clutch application
• An underseat exhaust routed beneath the engine.

Weighing in at 392 lbs dry, the BMW HP2 Sport should provide some stiff competition in the sportbike segment.

Sport Motorcycles - Ducati Monster

As a stable seller in the European manufacturer’s line, the Ducati Monster has always helped ready Ducati afloat on several occasions in difficult times. First launched in 1993, the example Ducati Monster spawned numbers of different models and sizes.

Designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi, the Monster is a naked-style bike defined by its sporting appearance with fully exposed engine and frame. All bikes feature Ducati’s trademark L-Twin, or 90-degree V-Twin engine in a host of sizes. The first procreation was made up of air-cooled engines available in 600cc, 750cc and 900cc sizes, called the M600, M750 and M900. All bikes were carbureted and featured almost identical looks, just varying engine sizes. 

The Ducati Monster line remained nearly the aforementioned throughout the ‘90s. It wasn’t until 2000 that any of the Monster models saw major changes, with fuel shot introduced to the Monster range, first to the M900. In 2001 the Ducati Monster S4 was unveiled, which for the first time place a liquid-cooled Superbike engine in their unclothed platform. Several variations of liquid-cooled Monsters followed, including the limited edited S4R and S4RS Testastretta models. These were highlighted with Ohilns suspension and higher performance Superbike engines, both produced in limited numbers.

Big Ducati Monster news in 2007 was the release of the Monster 696, making for an all-new and totally restyled entry-level Ducati Monster, one which was extremely successful at bringing in potential new Ducati owners as well as women due to its filler and low price point. Following this was the launch of the Monster 1100 in 2008, which is based on the aforementioned updated styling of the 696 but with a much larger engine and single-sided swingarm, among other things. This marked the first major overhaul for the Ducati Monster since its inception and rounds out the current line, which is made up by the Monster 696, Monster 1100 and tricked-out Monster 1100S, which features Ohlins suspension and limited-edition colors.

Currently Monster sales account for over half of Ducati’s worldwide sales, this for a company known almost all for their racing heritage and their Superbike lineup. 

Sport Motorcycles - Honda CBR1000RR C-ABS 2010

Whether it’s only coincidence, a barometer of the still-weak world economy or a clew of changing OEM methodologies, we’re not exactly sure, but that no momentous updates prefabricated their artefact into the crop of Asian literbikes for 2010 is a concern of fact.

The past assemblage saw two all-new models (the R1 and GSX-R1000) continue the typical two-year development cycle from Japan. Prior to 2010, each newborn model assemblage generally saw at small digit model from the Big Four receive heavy revision. This assemblage is something of a dry spell. But, hey, at small there are a pair changes in the liter class. In the 600cc supersport arena there’s nothing even worth mentioning in cost of revisions for 2010!

With Yamaha and Suzuki supplying clean-slate designs of the R1 and Gixxer 1K in 2009, the ammo thrush writing cycle had us anticipating news of bounteous changes from Honda’s and Kawi’s literbikes. Especially since the last overhaul of each came in 2008. Alas, it was not to be, as Big Red and Team Green implemented only mild updates.

Kawasaki’s ZX-10R received the widest array (and by panoramic we mean more than two things!) of tweaks and minor but applicatory refinements. Most notable are improvements to shifting mechanisms, slightly longer throttle cables for improved throttle action and a newborn Öhlins control damper. Cosmetic touch ups here and there ammo discover the unpleasant up.

Honda’s CBR1000RR didn’t necessarily stagnate this season, but an unspecified increase in flywheel size, a newborn device cover and revised authorise plate redact are just most on par with the Zed’s “news.” So we begrudgingly grant the Honda a status update, but clearly things are speed downbound in hyperbike land.

While attending the 2009 U.S. ammo of WSBK at Utah’s playwright Motorsports Park a Honda cloth told me this reeling in of rapid-fire changes might happen for the full sportbike class, and indeed it seems it has.

sport motorcycles - 2010 Kawasaki ZX-10R Review

For the 2010 help year, Team Green has made a few subtle refinements to the 10R, although its basic mechanical bits are unchanged.

The most distinguishable change is the adoption of new ZX-6R-inspired bodywork that makes for a slimmer appearance.  The ZX looks lighter, even if its wet (fully fueled) weight of 459 pounds is unchanged since it debuted as an all-new help in 2008.

Along with the new upper, center and lateral fairing panels, the big Ninja’s overall look is also tweaked by an embossed antimonial gray color on its titanium muffler that visually shrinks it in size to derogate its awkward shape. Trim pieces around the fairing’s cockpit area cleans up the rider’s receptor view.

The Ninja’s instrumentation is quite legible and comprehensive, but we’d like to see a second tripmeter and a fuel gauge to augment the lap timer, clock, and engine temp readouts. The gauges’ shift light is small but readily visible. 

For 2010, the 1000cc Ninja is available in only two color choices. The standard edition is painted in Metallic Spark Black and retails for $12,999. An extra $200 will buy the Special Edition (Lime Green/Pearl Stardust White) version of our test bike that also includes pinstriped wheels – it drew many positive comments during our rides. It ships with a green passenger seat; shown is the accessory seat cowl which costs $119.95.  

 

Sport Motorcycles - Can-Am Spyder RT 2010

The boys up there in Valcourt, QC, Canada hit been busy creating more unreal machinery. As if creating the most technologically engineered three-wheeled motorcycles on the market wasn’t enough, they’re expanding their lineup.

When I caught wind of whatever yet-to-be-released changes to the Can-Am Spyder Roadster, I thought I might learn more about the accessory saddlebags I’d seen on display at the easterly coast’s premiere touring event, Americade. Uniquely sculpted and matched to the Spyder with color–matching paint and high carrying capacity, those were just the tip of the iceberg. I wasn’t expecting to find an entirely newborn help in the press outfit I received just terminal week.

Further process Can-Am’s substance to existence the most stable, most comfortable and possibly the biggest auto on the market today, parent company BRP module deliver the Can-Am Spyder RT (Touring Roadster) this fall. Similar to the Spyder RS (Roadster Sport) I'd ridden for Motorcycle.com terminal fall, the newborn RT is also available with a pick of transmission setups: drill or semi-automatic. Toss in an onboard stereo system, cruise control, heated traveller and passenger grips, electrically adjustable screen and more than 40 U.S. gallons of storage capacity (155 liters). With so many accoutrements and enough space for clothing, the kitchen sink and maybe even a toaster oven, the Spyder RT is primed for some road trip.

Selling now in over 50 countries, you could potentially ride the Spyder on any continent, and through possibly any season thanks to the RT’s Touring package which includes a higher windscreen than the RS’s comparable bikini-like screen, the Spyder’s inherently steady Y-architecture (can’t tip over in the ice!), the whole structure of field acronyms found on the RS (TCM, VSS, SM5, SE5, ABS, TCS, and 5 ECUs and heated assistance grips. The new RT is fashioned to keep you in the wind and comfortable for many miles to come. Maybe I’ll ride digit to the North Pole to find out; I need to complete my transcontinental North American tour anyway