from www.motorcycledaily.com

It’s hard to look back on the past. There are so many ways you can think “if only” and ponder how circumstances could have been different. Such is the case with Buell Motorcycles, condemned by Harley-Davidson management to the dustbin.

For those of us who appreciated what Erik Buell was trying to do with his innovative ideas, it’s sad to know that the 1190RR won’t be sold as a street-legal machine. Lighter, torquier, and more powerful than the 1125, this full-faired v-twin truly could have been a match for the Japanese thousands and the Ducati 1198. I for one would have loved to see one competing in AMA racing next year.

MotorcycleDaily has some more details on what could have been a very competitive superbike.

from www.zeromotorcycles.com

What’s that sound? Oh, wait, you can’t really hear anything? That’s because it’s the sound of an electric Zero Motorcycle whizzing by… no screaming 600cc supersports here, just the sound of the wind in your ears, loads of down-low torque, lots of environmental friendlyism, and crazy-good gas mileageism. Oh, and for 2010, COLORS! I might have a motogasm (whatever that is). Woo-hah, are we happy to see some pretty colors splashed on what were previously drab bikes.

Zero now has 4 different models to choose from so you can pick your poison – street riding, a dual-sport, or pure offroad fun are yours to be had – all for under $10k. Just plug one of these puppies into a 110 or 220-volt outlet, power up, and you are ready to roll.

Oh, and Zero Motorcycles is now doing test rides. Yeah, we love that too.

Check out all the goodness at the Zero Motorcycles Website.

from www.motorcycledaily.com

Ok, Ducati, damn you once again for making me lust after your Italian goodness. After launching the baby brother 796 hypermotard, Ducati just had to go out and pump up the big bro a little bit. And thus the 2010 Ducati Hypermotard 1100 EVO was born.

What does it mean? Only that the engine and chassis have been redone, turning the light, nimble, and powerful Hypermotard into an even lighter more nimble, and downright beastly ride.

Sick.

Oh, and you can get a higher-spec EVO SP too.

Check out motorcycledaily’s little intro bit, or, for more info, take a gander at the article over at Motorcycle.com.

Ciao.

Finally, after all the waiting and hype, the new Multi 1200. Enjoy:

from www.motorcycledaily.com

*drool*

If all Italian women were as gorgeous as all Italian motorcycles I would be living in Rome, like, yesterday. As for this Aprilia – the new RSV4 R, by the way – all I can say is “wow.” Angular and sharp, yet balanced by enough rounded edges to allow the lines to flow, this bike is truly beautiful.

The “R” designation of the RSV4 is different from the “factory” version – it doesn’t have the Ohlins suspension, and it is also more than $5,000 less. Priced at $15,999, it is competitive with other exotic superbikes (like the Ducati 1198 and a similarly equipped BMW S1000RR)

So sweet. Oh, and check out full details over at www.motorcycledaily.com

from www.motorcycledaily.com

MotorcycleNewsGuy has been on hiatus. Life gets in the way sometimes, y’know? Well, after seeing the shots of the new Honda VFR1220F I realized I needed to kick life in it’s stupid ass and tell it to take a seat because I need to get back on my game, and figure out a way to grab a ride on Honda’s new red gem.

Alright, so I hear the styling is “polarizing.” I guess that means people either love it or hate it. What do you think? I personally love it. I think it is bold (yeah, that’s an overused word, but I’ve been outta the writing game for a while, gimme a break.) I think I love the color. I think it pushes motorcycle design forward in a way that has been desperately needed given all the design clones out there right now. I really liked the look of the most recent iteration of the CBR1000RR, so I have to say Honda’s new designer has really been pushing all my happy buttons.

There’s a lot of good juicy details out there on the new VFR. Unfortunately, price isn’t one of those little details we have yet. I’m sure it won’t be cheap. But I’m sure I want one.

What do you think?

Oh, and for the full story on the US press intro (including more lovely pictures), check out motorcycledaily.com

from www.motorcyclistonline.com

A couple years ago I decided to give flying airplanes a try. It seemed fun, other than the whole airplane crashing and death thing that happens from time to time with small planes.

To supplement my flight training (which is almost prohibitively expensive) I bought a flight sim and a joystick and practiced on simulations of real airports in my area. It’s a great way for new pilots to become comfortable with the working of an airplane before hopping in a cockpit, and a useful companion to your actual flight time. I think it can help make a person a safer pilot.

Ever thought it would be a good idea for people to get some simulation time before trying out a motorcycle? Well, Honda does. (Maybe all those YouTube videos of people crashing their motorcycle on their first ride convinced them.)

So Honda crafted a motorcycle simulator that actually has handlebars, footpegs, foot controls – basically everything to allow your body to get trained on motorcycle controls without having to hop on a real bike. It’s kind of a cool idea, and I hope it saves some people from becoming newbie rider statistics. Motorcyclist Online has a full story on this motorcycle simulator.

from sfgate.com

Ok, so it’s not exactly a motorcycle… but it does have two wheels. And it’s not a scooter. Exactly what it is – well, it’s an electric, two wheeled, two seat vehicle, meant to help solve the world’s fuel issues.

Nicknamed PUMA – for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility – this vehicle would somehow network with GPS and other PUMAs to ease traffic flow and congestion.

Could you imagine riding around a city in one of these? Could you imagine streets covered in them? The future keeps getting nearer and nearer. Here’s the full story on the GM – Segway PUMA.

from www.wired.com

I love the fact that Zero Motorcycles is blazing the way and is already producing electric motorcycles with pretty decent performance that you can buy, today. I’m not going to buy one – well, not yet, anyway – but I hope someone does, and keeps this innovative company going and brings the prices down in the next few years.

For now though, Zero X is having fun. And throwing 24 hour “electricross” endurance races.

Ten mostly silent electric bikes leaving the starting gate sounds a whole lot different from your standard motocross mad scramble where engines are revved and exhaust notes hit a high pitch all together. But I still would have loved to see the event and it sounds like all the riders and teams had a lot of fun. Wired.com has a cool story about the electricross event.

from www.sportrider.com

There’s something special about being able to take a bike to it’s complete limit, flogging it all out and pinning the throttle. Hardly anyone can do that on a literbike. Most people can’t do it on a supersport. But I bet a lot of you could take a Ninja 250 and push that thing right up to the edge.

Kawasaki’s new iteration of the Ninja 250 is light, cheap, and with a few modifications would make a wicked fun track bike. The guys over at Sportrider magazine decided to give 250 racing a go, and reading their story really got the wheels turning in my head. It really would be a ton of fun to take on a 250 race, even though I have no expectations whatsoever that I would snag a podium spot. But the sportrider guys actually competed for some wins, and their story about it is worth a read. So check it out.