There’s knock-off just about everything these days, including motorcycles. RideApart noted an interesting bike that is a very clear clone of a Kawasaki Z1000.
The bike is called the Yamax Z400. From far enough away, it looks exactly like the Kawasaki motorcycle. Upon closer scrutiny, however, the Yamax Z400 is nothing of the sort.
The motorcycle features only a 400cc parallel-twin engine, though it’s packaged in a way to really make it look like the bike is all that the Z1000 is.
The motorcycle features a 96 mph top speed and appears to be built in China. The bike is currently for sale at a Moroccan motorcycle dealership, and I don’t see it being offered in many other markets at this time.
The motorcycle is currently offered at 38,900 Moroccan Dirhams, which is about $4,230 USD. If I were in the market for a 400cc machine, I’d rather look to the Kawasaki Z400 for only about $700 more.
The Yamax Z400 is proof that knock-off motorcycles are everywhere. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kawasaki reach out to the owners of Yamax about some kind of infringement.
“I will do whatever is necessary to give the motorcycle family group a good hearing at State or Federal levels in Government as the motorcyclist is getting a raw deal in this growing environmental conscious society,” he says.
In fact, he would even ride up to Parliament steps in his racing leathers on a moped to press the point with politicians and the public.
“I would love to do this as I am totally 100% behind all motorcyclists in Australia to get a better deal for riders and help the environment,” he says.
Lower the cost of powered two-wheel registration and compulsory third party insurance ($50 – 50cc, $100 – LAMS, $200 – Open standardise across all states);
50cc scooters, mopeds, and equivalent electric bikes able to be ridden on a car licence Australia-wide;
Incentives for commuters to buy electric-powered bikes through green fund rebates (as per current solar rebates) and no stamp duty charges;
National exemption from motorway, bridge, and tunnel toll charges; and
Free parking and footpath parking, except in public thoroughfares and walkways.
“Motorcycles are my love and passion as I own many bikes that need management and service regularly,” Wayne says.
“I am appalled by the rising costs that all motorcyclists must endure when motorcycles have zero impact on our roads, highways, and infrastructure and emit considerable less pollution than cars, trucks, and buses in our cities, urban areas, and country.”
Wayne says he “firmly believes” that getting kids on to e-bikes and mopeds will lead to better safety and more future riders.
“In Spain, Italy, and some other countries, you can start riding at 14 years of age which creates huge sales of scooters and mopeds and biking for the younger and middle-aged population as it provides independence and low-cost travel, easy parking with Covid-19 distancing which is safer than public transport,” he says.
“I firmly believe in this system that Europe has adopted many decades ago as it gives the young more responsibility and a sense of independence at an early age but of course they must get some training and pass the road rules test but they can only ride 50cc mopeds, scooters or the equivalent 1500W in electric mopeds all limited to 45km/h.
“These types of mopeds or scooters are permitted in Europe for car drivers to use with current car driver licence as easy and low-cost transport.”
In Australia, only Queensland, Western Australia, South Australiana, and the Northern Territory allow drivers to ride mopeds without getting a motorcycle licence.
Wayne says mopeds and e-bikes are continuing to grow across Europe as a cheap form of transport with no parking issues in cities and urban areas where they can park on the footpaths as long, they are not impeding or blocking pedestrians or traffic flow. Wayne has appeared in several videos promoting the petition.
More videos will be rolled out over the next four weeks through Facebook and YouTube. Better Deal:
Triumph Motorcycles Australia has issued a recall for 928 motorcycles over an issue with the front brakes.
The affected vehicles may have experience the front brake pad detaching from the back plate, “resulting in reduced braking performance”, says the official recall notice issued through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
“Reduced brake performance may result in a dangerous fall or collision, causing serious injury or death to the rider or other road users,” the notice says.
The affected bikes are:
(2018-2020)
Tiger 1200 XR
Tiger 1200 XRT
Tiger 1200 XRx
Tiger 1200 XRx (Low Ride Height)
Tiger 1200 XCA
Tiger 1200 XCx
(2020)
Tiger 1200 – Alpine
Tiger 1200 – Desert
(2017-2021)
Street Triple RS
(2018-2020)
Speed Triple S and Speed Triple RS
VINs (vehicle identification numbers) of affected vehicles are listed at the end of this article.
Owners of affected motorcycles will be contacted by mail to arrange a time to bring their motorcycles to a Triumph dealer for the brake pads to be replaced free of charge.
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:
Proving there is still life in the two-stroke engine is new British company, Langen Motorcycles.
They will unveil a limited-edition, bespoke model, eponymously titled the Two Stroke, at the Salon Privé from 23-26 September 2020 at Blenheim Palace UK.
The road-legal 250cc Two Stroke will cost from £28,000 (about $A50,000) and only 250 will be made.
It’s powered by a two-stroke motor from Italian company Vins Motors who make lightweight, bespoke Duecinquanta motorcycles that cost up to $A80,000.
Major motorcycle companies have ditched two-stroke engines because they fail to meet the ever-more-stringent emissions regulations.
However, companies such as Vins and Langen are still producing expensive two-stroke bikes either for track use only or in limited-edition batches that are not governed by emissions regulations.
So there is still hope for those who love the two-stroke’s ring-ding-ding sound, light-switch power delivery, high revs, light weight, frugal fuel consumption and blue-smoke aroma.
Langen’s Two Stroke V-twin has a 14,000 red line and produces more than 75bhp (56kW) and 45Nm (33lb.ft).
The Vins engine has fuel injection, ECU-controlled oil injection, carbon fibre reed valves and electronic exhaust valves.
The whole bike weighs just 114kg (251lb) for a power-to-weight ratio of 660bhp/ton.
It features CNC-machined bits, laser-cut aluminium tubing, Hel Performance brakes, Ohlins forks, British K-Tech rear shocks and plenty of carbon-fibre, including the fuel tank.
Langen is designed, engineered and built in Wigan, Manchester.
Each engine will be built to order and individually numbered to match the customers motorcycle, with fully CNC machined casings and custom interchangeable gearbox. Customisation can range from paint colours, chassis finish and suspension type to wheels, along with tailored ergonomics for each individual rider.
Chris Ratcliffe, creator of Langen and designer of the Two Stroke, has more than 10 years’ experience designing successful motorcycles.
“The company has been founded with the aim of producing motorcycles with a simplicity and purity of days gone by, like the ‘Ton-up boys’ and their Caf racers – yet pushing the limits of modern technology,” he says
“My dream has always been to create a small piece of British motorcycling history. To be able to launch this special motorcycle under a completely new brand really is a dream come true.
The aim is to continue to push boundaries and create more interesting bikes, which we hope will really please people.”
The first run of 100 will be built from the second quarter of 2021 and will be road legal in the UK with 150 more in 2022 which all be road legal in other countries.
Orders are now being taken with a £1000 ($A1770) refundable deposit to secure one of the 100 initial bikes.
IMG Licensing will now be the exclusive licensee for MV Agusta. After surveying the options available to it, MV Agusta chose IMG for a multi-year agreement.
The company will handle the brand’s new lifestyle products and other new merchandising items.
“IMG is the best possible partner to achieve what we have in mind for our fans around the world,” said Timur Sardarov CEO MV Agusta Motor SpA, according to Motociclismo. “This strategic partnership will give a strong boost to our five-year expansion plan. MV Agusta is a strongly loved brand, an icon of design and style in the world of motorcycling.”
Marcelo Cordeiro, Associate Vice President of IMG Licensing sounded equally excited about the new deal. He echoed Sardarov’s claims about the MV Agusta brand and its strong supporters.
“It is our intention to take advantage of IMG’s global dimension and its vast experience in the field of automotive licensing to extend the brand with a range of consumer products through a series of selective agreements, brand partnerships, and collaborations,” he said.
The types of products that IMG will be handling include clothing, fashion accessories, video games, and collectible items.
BMW Motorrad Days will move to Berlin in 2021, according to a recent announcement. Previously, the event was held in Munich. There were 18 successful BMW Motorrad Days held in Munich, so the move to Berlin is an important one.
Berlin is “in the heart of Europe” as BMW puts it in its press release, and it’s where BMW has built motorcycles for half a century. This new location for the event is a new chapter for the event, and it should be a smart move.
“The BMW Motorrad Days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen has been a genuine success story – an event that has attracted tens of thousands of visitors every year and was founded on excellent cooperation with the municipality of Garmisch-Partenkirchen,” said Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad.
The idea behind the move is the “break new ground.” the company wants to shake things up, in a way, and focus on brand development and the new design concepts. BMW wants to keep the BMW Motorrad Days fresh and interesting for the future, which will likely include many new zero-emissions mobility solutions and unique urban mobility concepts.
“I am very pleased that the BMW Motorrad Days, one of the largest motorcycle events in Europe, will come to Berlin next year and that we were able to win this attractive and traditional event for our city,” said the mayor of Berlin, Michael Muller.
Hopefully, this will translate to further success for BMW and the BMW Motorrad Days.
Ewan McGregor and Jimmy Fallon had a bit of fun on the Tonight Show recently. Ewan was there (virtually) to help promote the Long Way Up.
Fallon and his team had sent out a request prior to the interview to have Ewan do a jump on a Honda Monkey over an Obi-Wan Kenobi action figure. So, Ewan was essentially jumping over himself.
The jump itself is little more than a couple of pieces of wood cobbled together. It looks like something me and my brother used to build to jump our BMX bikes off of. But the little mini-ramp is perfect for the Honda Monkey.
The video is expertly shot. Ewan calls out his daughter Anouk McGregor as the person behind the camera. He also made a point to say that one of the shots, where he’s going over the action figure and off the ramp where you can see under the bike, is his favorite.
“I’ve been making movies since ’92, and the shot of Obi-Wan with my bike coming over the top of his head and my tire comes into focus, that’s the best shot of my entire career,” McGregor said.
It’s fun and, of course, goofy, but maybe that’s what we need a little of in 2020.
The prices of electric motorcycles will eventually come down like the prices of flat-screen TVs did, but right now they are very expensive.
In fact, only rich, early adopters will be rushing out to buy most electric motorcycles.
As Novus states: “We don’t build motorcycles. We create desires.”
It’s more of a “look-at-me” thing, rather than an economical decision to save money on petrol.
There is also a lot of debate over the whole-of-life environmental impact of electric versus petrol machines, but that’s a whole other issue.
The Novus features a carbon-fibre monocoque frame, mono fork, swingarm and rims.
Interestingly the rear suspension is hidden in the swingarm and the front suspension has a proprietary, adjustable mono fork.
The non-removable 4.3kWh battery can be 80% charged in 30 minutes and sits inside the bottom of the frame to lower the centre of gravity.
Novus is powered by a 18kW rear hub motor with a top speed of 120km/h (74.5mph) and a 0-50km/h time of three seconds. That compares with the LIveWire that hits 100km/h in the same time.
Clever features are a Supernova headlight integrated in the handlebar and LED instruments which can be swapped for your mobile phone using a proprietary app.
Triumph is holding a Bonneville Build off on it’s UK website. You can vote for the best build from a list of nine of the finalists that have been selected so far.
Dealers across the UK are participating in the build-off and there are some truly unique builds here. The participants had to abide by one basic rule. They had to be a 900cc or 1200cc Bonneville. Otherwise, the builders were encouraged to get creative, and it appears that some of them certainly did.
There are very clearly some different design philosophies and techniques at work. Some sought to craft the Bonneville into a sportbike, while others took the model a completely different route and went after a WWII military bike look. There’s also just about everything in between from cafe racers to scramblers.
To learn more about each of the nine builds that you can vote for, check out the list of options at Triumph’s event webpage. From there, you can read more about each build and then vote for your personal favorite. You will have to give up your email to vote, but that’s not too bad of a trade.
Peugeot is known for its cars, but the company does make scooters, too. It has also made some motorcycles over the years, and now it sounds like the company will make a new 300cc bike.
Mahindra bought Peugeot’s motorcycle division in 2019. It intends to bring seven new two-wheeled models to market between 2021 and 2023.
The Italian motorcycle publication Motociclismo had a chance to sit down with GAM Distribution’s president, Mario Minella. GAM handles the importing of Peugeot Motorcycles to Italy. During that conversation, Minella said the company will introduce a GT model with a 300cc to 400cc engine.
He also said that the Peugeot P2X Concept motorcycle that was revealed in 2019 could be used as the basis for an upcoming motorcycle platform. That platform could be used to make bikes with displacements ranging from 125cc to 500cc.
Peugeot’s focus will be on the Asian market, but the platform will be developed for global use. This means there could be a modern Peugeot motorcycle sold globally fairly soon. A distinct timeline and details about the bike, however, are not yet known.