Yamaha unveils 125cc motorcycle capable of 188 MPG

Courtesy Gizmag.com

Here is an interesting bit of news coming out of Japan; Yamaha unveiled its latest concept motorcycle that is capable of reaching distances of 188 miles on a single gallon of gas. 

Sitting somewhere between a motorcycle and a bicycle, the Y125 is a state-of-the-art machine that weighs a mere 176 lbs.  Yamaha used their first motorcycle, the YA-1, as the model for their new machine; and boy does it look spectacular.  I love the look of retro motorcycles (especially bikes built in the 30’s and 40’s); and this bike does not disappoint. 

 With a 125cc 4-stroke motor, LED lights, a belt drive instead of a chain, and a lightweight frame and brakes, this bike is a modern work of art.  Unfortunately these are all the specs I can dig up at the moment, but I will definitely update as soon as I can find some more.  Here is a link to more pics and a write-up at Gizmag; no doubt worth a look.    

Courtesy Gizmag.com

EMS in Texas using motorcycles to aid injured motorists

(Well this isn’t exactly one of the most recent stories I've reported but I thought it was interesting anyway....)

 

Photo courtesy of Govtech.com

The next time you are in Texas, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic due to an accident on the interstate and you hear the siren of the EMS working its way to the scene, you might see the blur of a motorcycle flying by instead of an ambulance.  

Apparently starting last June the EMS in Austin, TX, have been using motorcycles as a first response unit on interstate 35; following a strategy employed in the UK as well as in Miami, FL.  

Being able to maneuver in and out of traffic gives the motorcycles an edge over ambulances; allowing them to arrive a few minutes ahead of other rescue vehicles, providing them with the advantage of a few extra moments in life threatening situations.

“That can be special if the person is in severe respiratory distress or was having a cardiac problem," Eric S. Jakubauskas, commander of Austin-Travis County EMS Special Events, told Govtech.com.  "Two to three minutes can mean whether you resuscitate the person or you don’t.”  

Much like traditional police motorcycles outfitted with lights and sirens, these BMW G650 X-Ps aren’t your typical weekend touring bikes.  With an upgraded suspension, life-support equipment, and even an on-board defibrillator, these motorcycles are designed for one purpose; to save lives.   

N.H. man flees from police after being pulled over for texting while riding a motorcycle

Here is a good story I found recently, apparently a guy from New Hampshire was pulled over for texting while riding his motorcycle and then fled from police after they learned he did not have a license. 

Kevin Watt, 23, of Hampton, NH, was then indicted by a grand jury on a felony count of driving while being certified as an habitual offender, as well as misdemeanors for resisting arrest and disobeying an officer.

Watt was pulled over on July 19 when police saw him texting with one hand while steering with the other.  He then fled on foot while the officer was busy calling for a tow truck after learning Watt did not have a license.  Police officers and two canine units began the search and later found Watt after receiving a tip on his location.  He was subsequently arrested after a bit of verbal and physical resistance.  Now He faces a 2 1/2 to 5 year sentence and up to a $5,000 fine.  

This is truly a "bone head of the week" story.  I can't even imagine trying to text someone while riding my bike; that is just insane.  Why would I not be surprised to hear he was riding in a tee-shirt, shorts and flip flops?  Oh well,  I guess he will have a lot of time to spend texting in the near future, that is if he is even allowed to have a cell phone (my guess is no).  Here is a link to the original story.      

Lightning Motorcycles sets land speed record of 215 mph on an electric motorcycle

Courtesy lightningmotorcycle.com

SAN CARLOS, Calif. - Lightning Motorcycles recently made their mark in history last Tuesday when they set a new land speed record for an all electric motorcycle during the Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week.  Achieving an average speed of 215.960 mph, they became the first company to create an electric motorcycle capable of breaking the 200 mph mark.  The record has been recognized by the Southern California Timing Association/Bonneville Nationals Inc.

"Our team was confident and excited to participate at the Bonneville Salt Flats, which is the ultimate proving ground to validate the performance of our Lightning SuperBike," Lightning Motorcycle CEO Richard Hatfield said in a press release.  "We not only succeeded in shattering our previous record, but we confirmed that electric motorcycles will be an important part of our industry's future."

Driver Paul Thede, who is also the designer of the motorcycle's suspension system, reached 214.209 mph on his first run then clocked a speed of 217.712 on a second run to confirm the record.  This accomplishment now makes the Lightning SuperBike the fastest production motorcycle sold in North America, quite a feat considering the competition. 

The Lighting SuperBike sports a Remy HVH250™ electric propulsion motor.  This 3 phase liquid cooled 104kw AC motor is powered by a 345V 11kwh LiFePo4 nano phosphate battery pack that provides a combined city/highway EPA range of 150 miles.  This machine relies on dual Brembo 310mm disc brakes with 4-piston calipers for braking (yes, that’s 4 pistons per caliper).

An impressive record set by an impressive machine, no doubt raising the bar for electric motorcycles.  To learn more about this beast or to place an order for one of your own, visit their website at www.lightningmotorcycle.com.  Finally, check out this video of the record setting run:

  

"Ride With the 40" honors fallen United Flight 93 heroes to celebrate 10th anniversary

Courtesy ridewiththe40.org

San Francisco - Friends and Family members of United Flight 93 left San Francisco today to begin a cross country motorcycle ride to pay tribute to the brave men and women who took a stand against terrorists on the United Airlines flight that crashed in Shenksville, PA. 

Members of "Ride With the 40" left the San Francisco International Airport this morning, departing on a 10-day journey that will lead them from coast to coast. 

"We will start by leaving San Fransisco International Airport," the organization posted on their website.  "We will point our motorcycles east and ride every mile across this great country and arrive at the permanent National Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA on September 11, on or near the final moments of United Flight 93. We know this is not going to be an easy Journey, but to us, we know that the passengers and crew will be riding right along with us."

The group hopes to raise $250,000 for the memorial of United Flight 93, with all of the funds raised to go directly to the memorial.  In addition to the fund-raising, the organization hopes to bring awareness of the "heroic actions and character of the Heroes of United Flight 93" to Americans who were born after September 11, 2001 as well as to remind others of the stand those brave people made. 

For more information, a ride itinerary, or to donate funds, visit the groups website at ridewiththe40.org.

A brief hiatus and an epic fail

So it has been forever since I have had a chance to update this blog, I know all of you loyal followers were probably getting worried right?  (Insert cricket sounds here).  Between my full-time job, teaching a summer class, and a vacation to Florida, everything has been pushed off a bit.  Since I have been out of the motorcycle news loop lately I decided to do a quick search for some funny videos on Youtube and found this one.  Too bad we don't have any background info on it, because it is something else.  Check it out:

Hopefully granny got up to ride again, but I have a feeling she won't be getting back on a bike anytime soon.  So while I dig up some new stories feel free to have a laugh at granny's expense.  And you never know, maybe there was a swimming pool full of feathers on the other side of that fence. 

Man Builds Hoverbike Capable of 173 MPH

A man from Australian has pushed the limits of personal transportation and technology after he built an operational hoverbike.  The entire vehicle is built of a foam core frame covered with Kevlar reinforced carbon fiber and is powered by two horizontal propellers; one in front and one in rear. Inventor, Chris Malloy, claims the hoverbike is capable of traveling more than 10,000 feet in the air and can possibly reach speeds of 150 knots (173 mph); although the hoverbike has only been operated while tied to the ground.

 “Because we do not know 100% what might happen during testing the straps are there to cover the unknown,” Malloy said on his website.  “The hoverbike is quite stable and does not want to tip over, however if something unplanned happens during testing we don't want to break our prototype.”

Malloy, who builds hyperspectral sensors for an engineering company in Australia, got the idea to build this craft when his helicopter instructor compared a Robinson R22 helicopter to a flying motorcycle.  While he was not completely convinced, Malloy decided to build his own version of a flying motorcycle; the result is the hoverbike.

Another impressive fact is that all of this is accomplished by an 1170cc flat twin motor fueled by regular unleaded gasoline.   The propellers themselves are made out of Tasmanian Oak with a strip of carbon fiber on the leading edge to increase durability.    To help keep the weight of the hoverbike down to 231 lb, it features a custom made carbon fiber drive-shaft.   The propellers rotate in opposite directions (just like the rotors on a Chinook helicopter) in order to cancel out the torque, this gives more stability to the machine without the addition of a tail rotor to counteract the torque.     

Control of the hoverbike is a easier than it may seem; it is all accomplishsed at the handlebars.  Motorcycle-like controls on the grips direct the forward and reverse movement; the right grip controls the thrust, while the left grip is responsible for the forward and reverse movement.  This is done by control vanes under the propellers that adjust the pitch of the nose, down for forward movement, up for reverse.  Turning the hoverbike left or right is only a matter of steering the handlebars in that direction; although they do have the ability to be rotated up or down slightly, which in turn adjusts the angle of the control vanes under the propellers.    

If he can produce at least 100 units a year, Malloy anticipates the price to be around $40,000; although the hoverbike is still currently in the start-up phase.  The price could possibly come down if he can produce 1,000 units a year, then Malloy believes he can then lower the price to compete with most performance motorcycles. 

Get a Grip on This....The Gripper Vest

Now here is an innovative new product to give your passengers something to grab hold of, the Gripper Vest.  Created by inventor Stephan Pease, the vest features four removable handles that passengers can use to get a secure grip on the operator. 

“My wife and I were out riding on our motorcycle, and I noticed she was having a tough time finding a comfortable riding position,” said creator Stephan Pease.  “When we returned home I began to search for a solution to this problem. I discovered that there were no suitable products which would be safe and comfortable for both the rider and the pillion passenger, the idea for the Gripper Vest was born.”

While it was originally designed for motorcycles, the Gripper Vest can be used on scooters, snowmobiles, jet skis, ATVs, and even horses.  The vest is currently in the start-up phase, but production will take place as soon as enough funds are raised.  You can click here to help pledge money by pre-ordering your vest, and help to reach the $20,000 needed to put this into production.  Even though production costs would be higher, Pease also plans on having the vest manufactured in the United States anyway. 

“I am firmly committed to keeping jobs in the US, as well as making sure that the vest is manufactured to the highest possible standard,” Pease said.  “ I believe that employing a local workforce is the best way to deliver total quality to the customer.”

Built to “extremely high standards”, the Gripper Vest features 1000 denier Cordura and fastens with YKK zippers and Nexus buckles on the outside, and a nylon-webbed harness on the inside of the vest.  The vest is created to Department of Defense standards and can be used as an approved reflective vest on all military bases.  All together these features help create a solid vest that can help keep both the passenger and operator a little more safe.      

You can pre-order the vest as well as find more information and pictures here on the manufacturer’s website. 

Museum Honors NYPD Motorcycle Squad and 100 Years of Service

The New York City Police Museum created a new exhibit recently to celebrate the NYPD motorcycle squad and their 100 years of service.  The exhibit, called “The NYPD Motorcycle Squad: A Century of Service to New York City,” covers the origins of the squad and continues through the “heyday” of the 1950’s and 60’s up to the modern day division. 

  

“We wanted to show that [the squad] is not just something that comes out at parade time,” curator Joshua Ruff told DNAinfo.  “They’re an important part of New York City life.” 

From photos to uniforms depicting the past hundred years, the exhibit also displays four vintage motorcycles including a 1948 Indian with the P.D.N.Y.C. decals.  The division later switched to Harley-Davison motorcycles in 1957 and a bike on display closely represents the machine in service today.   

A large portion of the exhibit focuses on the 1950’s and 60’s, which was a significant time for the squad (they were the favored choice of traffic enforcement on NYC’s highways).  The squad has also been responsible for escorting presidents and foreign leaders who come to visit the famous city. 

Original film footage from the 1960’s and 70’s, along with oral interviews of people who experienced it first hand, can also been seen at the exhibit.  It is only going to be on display until January 9 2012, so make sure to stop by if you are in the vicinity, or planning a trip to NYC. 

It’s probably going to be a while until all that history is on display again, so check it out while you can.  Just think of all the stories the squad has gathered over the century they have been around, enough to fill a book I’m sure….

(Photos courtesy of Policemotorunits.com....click here for more, there are too many to post here)

Victory and KTM to Recall Motorcycles

The Wall Street Journal reported that Victory motorcycles is recalling a number of bikes manufactured in 2011 due to "flawed handlebar assemblies" that could cause the rider to loose control.  Polaris Industries filed an announcement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently, recalling 840 bikes that were built this year between Jan. 1 and April 11.  The recall, which is for the Victory Cross Country model, focuses on the handlebar risers which were "machined improperly" and could come loose.

 KTM motorcycles is also recalling bikes made in 2010 and 2011 due to similar problems.  This recall also focuses on the handlebar clamps that can crack as a result of an "improper heat treatment" when they were made.  Just like the Victory recall, this can cause the handlebars to come loose and slip.  Which is probably the last thing you want to happen, especailly if you are two stories in the air.  The KTM recall includes models 450 EXC, 530 EXC, 690 Enduro R, and the Husaberg FE 570.  

Dealerships will replace the risers and clamps for free.  For more information,  KTM can be reached at 888-895-6090 and Victory at 888-704-5290.

AMA Confronts Virginia Lawmakers over Motorcycle-Only Checkpoint

In an interesting story I found on Whowon.com, the American Motorcyclist Association recently contacted Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia over a motorcycle-only checkpoint that the AMA called “discriminatory”. 

Apparently the Arlington County Police Department set up a motorcycle-only checkpoint during the Rolling Thunder rally last weekend in Washington, D.C.  The event typically draws tens of thousands of enthusiasts between May 27-29 who gather to recognize POW’s and MIA’s.    

"The safety of motorcyclists is better served by efforts that minimize injuries and fatalities by preventing crashes in the first place," AMA rep Rick Podliska wrote in the letter. "The most efficient way of doing so is not through sporadic, discriminatory roadside checkpoints, but by mitigating crash causation."
 

The letter goes on to ask for a suspension of the checkpoints until certain “questions” can be answered.  Questions like: How do motorcycle-only checkpoints increase the safety of motorcyclists? Where do states draw their authority to conduct motorcycle-only checkpoints? Will "probable cause" be required to stop a motorcycle? If so, what constitutes probable cause?

Along with the governor, the AMA also sent copies of the letter to Police Chief of Arlington M. Douglas Scott, Virginia Senate Transportation Committee Chairwoman Yvonne Miller, and Virginia House of Delegates Transportation Committee Chairman Joe May. 

I’m happy to see the AMA standing up for motorcyclists and challenging lawmakers when they create blatantly biased situations like this.  You can click here to read a PDF of the letter.