Tag Archives: Motorbike news

Motorcycle News, News

Movember Teams With ‘the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride’ for New Veteran and FR Program

Leave a comment

What Goes Hand-in-Hand With Open-Face Helmets and Classic Cafe-Racer Bikes? Moustaches of Course.

Movember has been a huge success since its inception in 2004. They have provided millions of dollars in funding to raise awareness for men’s health.

This year, they are partnering with Triumph to bring you ‘The Disguinshed Gentleman’s Ride‘. What started on the 27th of September has become a solo event for riders to register, fundraise, and take a ride through downtown taking photos on your classic bikes showcasing your glorious facial hair to support the men’s health initiative.

This installment in specific is geared towards supporting the mental health of veterans and first responders in Australia, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Ireland, and the USA.

In the event that you crash your bike, who’s there to save you? First responders put their own lives in danger every single day they suit up for work to ensure citizens like you and I are safe and out of harm’s way.

Unfortunately, they are disproportionately affected by suicide and other mental health issues when compared to the rest of the population. In 2019, record numbers of US police officers died by suicide; a spike from 172 in 2018 to 228 in 2019 according to ABC news.

An initial investment of 4.34 million dollars has already been secured over the next two years to support these heroes, and now you have the opportunity to partake in the event this year and make a real impact.

The organization states, “Applications for grants are open until 23 November 2020. For more information about the grants program, eligibility, how to apply, and process, visit movember.com/vfrgrants”.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Zero and Polaris Ink Partnership for Future Vehicles

Leave a comment

A 10-Year Partnership

California’s Zero Motorcycles has signed a 10-year partnership deal with Polaris. This partnership is part of Polaris’ “rEV’d up” initiative. The company wants to make in-roads into electric powersports and it has chosen Zero as the company it wants to work with, according to RideApart.

Polaris plans to offer an electric version of all its main products by 2025. That’s a pretty ambitious ask. The first product is supposed to come in 2021. Polaris owns Indian Motorcycle, so this move will likely mean we’ll see some electric Indian bikes in the future.

“Thanks to advancements in power, pricing and performance over the last several years, and with customer interest surging, now is the right time for Polaris, with Zero Motorcycles as a key strategic partner, to implement our rEV’d up initiative and aggressively accelerate our position in powersports electrification,” wrote Polaris CEO and chairman Scott Wine. “We believe this transformative partnership will enable us to leapfrog technological hurdles around range and cost while providing a tremendous speed-to-market advantage – an instant offense.”

women's motorcycle conference online

Polaris isn’t new to electric powertrains. It purchased Brammo Electric Motorcycles in 2015. This has allowed the company to make the Ranger EV UTV, but the partnership with Zero will take things to the next level.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

400cc Motorcycles from the Arctic to Antarctica in 99 Days

Leave a comment

A Dominar Polar Odyssey

Would you ride a 400cc motorcycles a long, long way? Personally, I would. I love small-displacement bikes, but even I am not sure I would want to ride one from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. That, however, is exactly what these guys did.

Deepak Kamath is a seasoned motorcycle adventurer and he managed to get his two adventuring buddies to go with him on this epic journey. The trio also managed to get a few sponsors for this wild ride. The guys rode 400cc Bajaj Dominars from Alaska to Usuaia, Argentina. From there, it was a boat ride to Antarctica. They had 99 days to make it happen, according to ADV Pulse.

The team did suffer a bad crash in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were stuck there for three weeks. However, they still managed to complete the 51,000 km (31,960 miles) on time.

They had no chase vehicle and did maintenance and repairs themselves on the fly. When absolutely necessary, they found shops that would work on their bikes and get them back on the road as soon as possible. In the end, they made it, and you should watch the epic journey unfold below.

aprilia adv bike

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

The 2021 Tokyo Motorcycle Show Is Cancelled

Leave a comment

Coronavirus Is the Cause

The 48th Tokyo Motorcycle Show has been canceled by the Tokyo Motorcycle Show Association. It will be rescheduled in 2022. The reason is because of the risk of infection due to the Coronavirus, according to the Japanese publication Young Machine.

The event was supposed to be held in 2021 but now it will be pushed out to 2022. This is a truly unfortunate turn, but not something that is totally a surprise. The event would have been one of the larger motorcycle events to happen this year, and with the whole idea of the show to be to get up close and personal with the motorcycles, it’s clear why it had to be canceled.

This decision will push the date for the event out to 2022. I’m not seeing a time or specific date specified at this time, but that information will likely come at a later date closer to the actual event date. 

KTM dealer

COVID-19 has really wrecked havoc on motorcycle show season this year and it’s tough to see the effects of the virus bleeding into 2021 already. We’re not even through 2020 and events in 2021 are being canceled. With that said, it makes sense. Japan has had a low death rate from the virus, but it hasn’t been totally able to handle the situation in the country easily, and there’s a much larger portion of the population that’s elderly. So, I get the Tokyo Motorcycle Show’s decision. I’ll just be glad when all of this is far behind us and we can have motorcycle shows again.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News, Uncategorized

Video: Is a $2000 Amazon Dual Sport Worth It?

Leave a comment

The chads over at Bikes and Beards are back with another video overview of cheap amazon bikes. Funny enough, I say “cheap Amazon bikes”, but this one happens to be the most expensive model available on the site emptying your wallet with a $2000 cost-to-own. That’s still really cheap in terms of new bikes, as you’re looking at a $4k minimum barrier to entry if you’re looking to pick up a new dual-sport ride.

For an inexpensive bike, you’re definitely getting what you pay for. To put things into perspective, I recently picked up a 2001 Yamaha WR426F used for $2000 CAD. With the Hawk DXL coming straight from China, corners will be cut anywhere to save on costs to provide potential customers with the cheapest bike possible. When shopping for a dual-sport bike catered to offroad riding the last thing you want is cheap parts such as shifters and rims etc, but those are easy to replace in the event they snap or break anyways.

Previously, they unboxed and tested a different version from Amazon by the same manufacturer and it wasn’t quite as bad as you might think. This is the DXL version of the “Hawk” bike they reviewed in the last video, bringing a fuel injection system to the ride providing quite a bit more power. The bike requires full assembly to save money on the packaging/shipping which is odd to me because if you’re experienced enough with bikes to assemble one from (almost) scratch you probably aren’t going to be in the market for a cheap $2000 motorcycle anyways.

After assembling the motorcycle and giving an overview of the cheaper parts used on the bike, Sean gave it a quick test ride around the block to see its capabilities. He says the bike has much more power than the cheaper version, which is hopeful seeing as how the non-DXL version was lacking in power and overall performance. The only real problem that came up on the first impression ride was a frequent stalling issue which I’m sure he will cover and remedy in the upcoming videos.

Be sure to keep up to date with the series as he has a video planned to put the Hawk DXL up against more traditional production bikes in the same category to really illustrate the difference in cost-to-performance.

Travis Pastrana recreates Evel Knievel stunts

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

BMW 1250 Models Recalled Over Noise Levels

Leave a comment

BMW Motorrad Australia has recalled all its current 1250 models over missing or faded compliance plates and/or exhaust noise labels.

We all know how police can be officious about noisy motorcycle exhausts. The last thing you would want when pulled over for any reason is to be found riding a bike with a missing or illegible compliance plate and/or noise emissions label.

The official recall notice filed with the Australian Competition ad Consumer Commission says the “compliance plate and/or noise emission label may partially detach from the motorcycle or become illegible over time”.

It’s bewildering how BMW can supply these labels and plates over many years and then suddenly they are faulty. Perhaps they have changed suppliers to cut costs.

The Australian Design Rules (ADR) 61 and 83 require vehicles to be fitted with a compliance plate and noise emission label.

BMW boxer R models all get Shiftcam technology
BMW R 1250 RS

A cop could impose a defect notice on a vehicle with either of these missing.

This not only attracts a fine, but also requires the owner to present their vehicle for inspection at a later date to their state’s transport authority with the correct label/notice fitted.

The 72 vehicles affected in the recall are 2020 models: R 1250 GS (K50); R 1250 GS Adventure (K51); R 1250 RT (K52); R 1250 R (K53); and R 1250 RS (K54).

Owners should contact their authorised BMW Motorrad dealer, or call the BMW Group Australia Customer Interaction Centre on freecall 1800 813 299, to arrange for replacement of the labels.

Consumers can also contact BMW Australia via the BMW Motorrad Australia website: http://www.bmwmotorrad.com.au

BMW Rninet kit

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS ON RECALLS

Even though manufacturers and importers usually contact owners when a recall is issued, the bike may have been sold privately to a rider unknown to the company.

Therefore, Motorbike Writer publishes all motorcycle and scooter recalls as a service to all riders.

If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.

To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Video: ‘Live With Creativity’ Restores Honda CD70 Tank In Relaxing New Video

Leave a comment

Why bother with the satisfaction of restoration when you can watch someone do it for you?

There is nothing I enjoy more in the world than watching in-depth restoration videos with only audio from the process itself. On a slightly unrelated note, my favourite youtube channel makes videos just like this with no added audio doing engine restorations for vehicles.

Ever seen the ‘power washing porn’ subreddit? There are more communities than I can count dedicated to watching dirty things get cleaned. There is just something so satisfying about it.

In this video, YouTuber ‘Live With Creativity‘ takes a completely trashed Honda CD70 tank and restores it to what looks like brand new condition in the most recent instalment of this restoration process. Honestly, from the thumbnail alone, I thought there was not a snowballs-chance-in-hell this thing was gonna be restored to the point of perfection that the final product showcases; But as usual, I am left speechless with the skill level some of these back-yard enthusiasts possess.

The kicker of this ‘magic trick’ was when he added the rocks and rust remover to the inside of the tank to clean up the erosion and rust that may be permeating on the interior of the tank. Although it’s a simple trick I would have never thought in a million years that was due-process for an inside AND out tank clean-up. Call me naive, but I learn something new every time I bare witness to a restoration project on youtube.

Harley-Davidson 2019 prices Sportster Forty-Eight Special

These videos can also act as great guides and assistance in your own restoration projects as every single step of the process is carefully documented with no filler or fluff. Whether you’re watching for knowledge or falling asleep to the peaceful sounds of hard dedication to craft, I will always have a soft spot for content like this.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Amanda Zito Rode 8,000 Miles Around the United States

Leave a comment

Follow the Story

Amanda Zito is the person behind the YouTube channel As The Magpie Flies. She recently completed an 8,000-mile trip from her home in Portland, Oregon, to the east coast of the U.S. and back again.

She recently posted part one of her journey to YouTube, and it’s an absolute must-watch experience.

She took her trip in August and encountered all sorts of things, including 111-degree heat. Along the way she hit some snafus and camped. She says “just gotta roll with the punches,” when she hits snags. 

You can watch her go through some of the most impressive terrain and landscapes in all of North America. She also connects up with family in Montana and South Dakota.

Honda CB70 Tank Restoration

The entire trip is an honest and impressive look at what it really takes to do a trip like this Zito is an inspiration and her skill with the camera is worth watching, too. As The Magpie Flies has been around awhile and she’s definitely improved her cinematography. This is a very good well-made look at the trip, and it’s certainly worth watching. 

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

A Phoenix, Oregon, Man Saves KTM Motorcycles From a Fire

Leave a comment

Save the KTMs

Scott Flick watched a fire engulf his Pheonix, Oregon, community (in the U.S), but the motorcyclist wasn’t about to let it take everything.

His home and neighbor’s home were completely burned. He watched as the flames engulfed D and S Harley, but when the fire spread to the nearby Oregon Motorcycle Adventures KTM dealership he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to do something to save those motorcycles.

Flick was able to break the door open to the dealership. Once it was open, he saved nine motorcycles from the flames before the building burned to the ground. 

Flick is a reasonably well-known motorcyclist in the community.

“When they told me that a guy broke into the store and saved the motorcycles I had a really good idea of who it was,” OMA-KTM owner Jeff Moffett said.

RSD Dakar GS

It’s a true shame to see a community ravaged by fire like this but Flick is trying to stay positive despite the destruction it caused.

“You gotta focus on the little good there is because that’s all there is,” said Flick. You can read more about Flick and his efforts to save the KTM motorcycles by clicking here.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Čezeta Electric Scooter Company Is For Sale

Leave a comment

Retro Style, Modern Technology, For Sale

The company Čezeta is a historical brand that’s well-known in certain circles. It had a real winner back in the 1950s. Today it makes electric scooters and is based in the Czech Republic. According to RideApart, the company is now for sale.

Would you want to own a well-known brand that is on the cutting edge of the electric scooter world? Čezeta could be your answer.

The CEO, Neil Eamonn Smith, recently released a statement that said he was seeking a company or investors to partner with so that Čezeta could continue operations. So, it’s not exactly a simple “for sale” situation, but if someone invests a lot of money or partners with the company, then they would likely own a majority stake in the business and more or less own it.

It’s unclear if COVID-19 contributed to this, but it seems possible. In his statement, Smith said over the last 12 months it has become clear that “the company cannot move forward without a new partner who has adequate resources.”

RSD Dakar GS

I, for one, hope Čezeta is able to find a buyer. I could see the scooter company doing big things, and the electric scooter scene is really just heating up. Things are going to get very interesting in the next decade or so.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com