Suzuki GB has just announced that a limited number of white colour scheme 2008 Suzuki GSX-R600's will be available from Suzuki Dealers Look stunning doesn't it?
If you considering purchasing a commuter scooter check out the back to back road test of scooter manufacturer Peugeot's two leading commuter models the Satelis Executive 250 and the Geopolis 250 Executive which I've just published on inter-bike today. The direct link to the test is here.
If you own either of these scooters, tell us what you think?
If you a Triumph Sprint ST fan, you'll be interested to know that Triumph have just released the 2008 version of this much acclaimed sports-tourer. Improvements for 2008 include a steel tank enabling use of a magnetic tank bag, modified footrests with more durable rubber and improved headlight performance.
So Triumph have managed to improve their award winning tourer further!
Last Friday the BMF put out a release hightlighting the "Bus Lane Trial Cover Up".
The British Motorcyclists Federation have accused London Mayor Ken Livingston’s office of putting motorcyclists lives at risk by failing to authorise the use of London’s bus lanes by motorcycles.
Apparently along overdue TfL (Transport for London) report has been leaked which shows that accidents were nearly halved over a three-year period on two trial routes where motorcycles were allowed into bus lanes, with a 42% reduction in the rate of collisions.
So I'm sure like me you'd have thought that would have been the green light for motorcycles to be able to use bus lanes in London. No wrong, think again. Its motorcycles scooters and mopeds we're talking about here not pedal cycles!! The anti-motorcycling attitude rears its head again.
Apparently Mayoral staff have now ordered a re-write of the report to avoid a green back-lash from the cycle lobby. Luckily for us bikers the BMF will now be making a formal complaint against the Mayor who is also Chairman of Transport for London.
Well thank god for MAG battling away for motorcyclists rights in the UK. The latest crack pot thing to come out, is that the Home Office propose to increase the statutory charges for the removal, storage and disposal of motorcycles by the police, by a whopping 300%. That's a flat £300 charge and an additional £15 a day storage.
MAG have responded to the consultation process (which closed on the 25th Jan) by " highlighted the totally unjustified 300% increase and brought to the attention of the Home Office failures in communication between the police, insurers, and the recovery companies which results in unnecessary delays in the release of impounded bikes and escalating costs incurred by the biker"
Well lets hope MAG get this proposal put in the bin where it belongs.
Here in the UK Buell have announced the launch of the new Buell Ulysses XB12XT. If you want to catch up on all the details of this adventure sports bike model, you can read the full details of Buell's press release on www.inter-bike.co.uk by clicking here.
Also here at inter-bike we rode the 2007 Buell Ulysses and the link to our road test is here.
Harley-Davidson announces the new FLSTSB Softail Cross Bones. An authentic custom bobber. Read the full low down on this new Harley model on www.inter-bike.co.uk by clicking here.
Can't wait to see the new Suzuki B-King in the flesh? Well it will be at the London Motorcycle Show at Excel between the 31st January and the 3rd February. Full details and more info at www.londonmotorcycleshow.com
David Taylor, chief executive of the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) is calling for government, legislators, local authorities and transport planners to start treating motorcycling as a serious and relevant alternative to the use of cars and public transport.
Well about time too! Why oh why is motorcycling constantly ignored in the UK, as a viable alternative form of congestion reducing transport! Thousands of people use motorcycle, scooters and mopeds to commute to and from work or just to get from A to B. Motorcycling is a cheap enjoyable form of transport, yet it's IGNORED!!
Read the full text of the MCIA press release on this topic on the www.inter-bike.co.uk website by clicking here.
Plus here at inter-bike we'd like to know what you think?
Dani Pedrosa will undergo an operation in Spain today to repair a double break in his right hand following a high-speed crash on the opening day of 2008 MotoGP testing in Sepang.
Further medical examinations in Spain revealed the Repsol Honda rider had broken two bones in his right hand, suffered in a fireball crash on the first afternoon of testing in Malaysia.
Pedrosa was due to have a plate and screws inserted in the hand, and in a big blow to Honda's pre-season preparations, the triple world champion could be ruled out of action for three to four weeks.
That will keep him out of action until the Jerez session next month, but Pedrosa is fighting to try and be fit enough to ride back in Sepang in just under two weeks time.
Should he fail to have recovered enough strength in the damaged hand, he will miss eight days of winter testing in a serious blow to Honda and Michelin's development plans ahead of the 2008 season curtain-raiser in Sepang on March 9.
The relatively little-known (at least here in the States) Padova Motorcycle Show saw Moto Morini unveil two new models utilizing a version of their 1187cc, 87° v-twin engine. The Scrambler and 1200 Sport each have a six-speed transmission and a claimed 117 horsepower.
The Scrambler appears to ride on fairly aggressive dual sport tires, while the Sport has dedicated street rubber in the familiar 17-inch diameter size. Production of the two models is expected to begin before Summer.
There had been lot of speculations about Suzuki coming out with smaller GSXR series and now, it seems, that they are indeed working on the smallest Gixxer of all : the GSX-R125.
MCN magazine carried a feature in the 3rd Jan issue. Here is how the bike may look (pic taken from MCN site)
"The new water-cooled motorcycle will mimic the style and design of the rest of the GSX-R family, but with learner legal power and an easier ride.
The motorcycle is already complete – the design team are currently deciding on the final colour scheme, ready for launch in the second half of 2008.
The GSX-R125 will face stiff competition when it arrives in the UK – the four-stroke learner sports market is booming, with more machines going on sale in 2008."
More news on the bike coming soon. Watch out. Suzuki is also looking at getting the 250cc GSX-R and will rival the likes of the Ninja 250R.
You may also want to read about Yamaha's new 150cc for India here and here
Auto major, Bajaj Auto is believed to be scouting for an European firm after buying a minority stake in Austria`s KTM and announcing a distribution alliance with Japanese cult-bike maker Kawasaki.
The two-wheeler maker is in talks with the UK`s Triumph Motorcycles. Talks are said to have reached a more decisive phase now and indications are that Triumph may be open to offloading some equity stake to Bajaj in a bid to enter the Indian market.
Earlier this week, Triumph`s export manager Nick Bloor had said his company is keen to establish presence in India.
We told you about Triumph's plans for India (see) and now things do seem a little clear on how we can expect the Triumph Rocket III here!
Imagine a motorcycle that is just as comfortable carving canyons as it is eating up miles of highway and back roads on a long distance tour. That kind of adventurous versatility is distinctly delivered by the 2008 Buell Ulysses XB12XT.
The new Buell Ulysses XB12XT model was introduced today as the second model in the Buell Ulysses family of adventure sportbike motorcycles, which possess the handling and soul to own every corner. Read more onewheeldrive
Finaly its here the Suzuki B-King, conceived way back in 2001 as a concept bike. The production version is now available. Leading motorcycle journalist Ian Kerr has just road tested the Suzuki B-King and you can read his B-King road test on http://www.inter-bike.co.uk/ by clicking here.
Honda have launched the Honda CB 1000R XESS (eXtreme European Streetfighter Styling) and what a stunner this new naked streetfighter from Honda is. You can get the full lowdown from Honda plus more pictures by visiting www.inter-bike.co.uk. The direct link to this Honda press release on www.inter-bike.co.uk is here.
Here is a detailed post on the new 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R.
The Ninja 250R saw its first major change last year (called the 2008 Ninja 250R). The new look baby Ninja really looks one of the best looking bikes to be launched last year. While the older version sold for around USD 3000, the new one sells for USD 3500 (or around 1.3lakh indian rupees)
SPECIFICATION * Engine: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel twin * Displacement: 249cc * Bore x stroke: TBD * Compression ratio: TBD * Maximum power : 32PS (31.56 hp) at 11,000rpm (USA AND CANADA) * Maximum power : 30PS (29.59 hp) at 10,500rpm (EUROPE Model, India gets this one) * Maximum torque: 21.7Nm (16 ftlb) at 10,000rpm (USA AND CANADA) * Maximum torque: 21.0Nm (15.5 ftlb) at 8,500rpm (EUROPE Model, India gets this one) * Cooling: Liquid * Carburetion: Keihin CVK30 x 2 * Ignition: TCBI with digital advance * Transmission: Six-speed * Final drive: O-ring chain * Frame: Semi-double cradle, high-tensile steel * Wheelbase: 1390mm(NA Model) - 54.72 in * Rake / trail: TBD * Front suspension / wheel travel: 37mm hydraulic telescopic fork / TBD * Rear suspension / wheel travel: Uni-Trak with aluminum linkage / Preload Adjustable * Front tire: 110/70-17 IRC * Rear tire: 130/80-17 IRC * Front brake: Single 290mm hydraulic petal disc with two-piston caliper * Rear brake: Single 220mm petal disc with two-piston caliper * Overall length: 2080mm - 81.88 in * Overall width: 710mm - 27.95 in * Overall height: 1115mm - 43.89 in * Seat height: 780mm - 30.70 in * Dry weight: 151kg - 332.89 lbs * Fuel capacity: 18 liters - 4.755 gal * Color choices: Lime Green, Ebony, Passion Red, Candy Plasma Blue
While 30bhp may not sound too much, but it is enough to push the bike to around 165-170km/h on the speedometer with a 0-100km/h timing of just 5.75seconds!
These videos show the earlier Ninja 250. The new one will only perform better!
Compact size, exceptional personality and a low price tag highlight Kawasaki's new Ninja 250R quarter-liter performer. Considering how much fun it is to ride and the fact that it's the only 250cc sportbike sold in the U.S., it's no wonder the Ninja 250R has been a strong seller for over a decade. Its successful blend of a rider-friendly engine, easy-to-operate chassis and supersport styling worthy of its Ninja moniker, this model was developed to offer real world performance to riders of all skill levels and goes to show that good things do come in small packages.
LOOKS: If we were to rate the looks of the new bike on a scale of 10, we would definately give it a 10. And 5 for the old one! That lovely fairing from the bigger Ninja 650R, good looking upswept exhaust, pillion seat cover, petal discs, awesome alloys, everything lends it own bit to make this 250R look the best in its class but a HUGE margain!
ENGINE: We also know the engine has been retuned a bit, and although detailed technical specifications have yet to be announced, but the new machine’s power is expected to be in the region of 45bhp – with the firm saying owners will be surprised by power at high revs. The old one did top the 100mph (160 km/h) mark and this one will atleast do 110 mph (176 km/h). Acceleration wise, the old Ninja 250R shamed quite a few sports car, with a 0-60mph (96km/h) timing of 5.75 secs and a 14.6 sec quater mile timing. We can only expect the new one to do this better. To support the above fact, we have come to know that dual overhead camshafts have been revised and a new 2-into-1 exhaust system is in place for more low and mid-range torque from the dual-carbureted 249cc DOHC parallel twin-cylinder engine. Add in refined intake and exhaust ports for improved off-idle response and smooth power delivery. Also, reduced engine noise via an automatically adjusting cam chain tensioner. As of now, we dont have pictures of how the new Ninja 250R's instrumentation will look like. Stay tuned for more!
BODY WORK, RUNNING PARTS, OTHER FEATURES: The 250R's new fairing and windscreen not only look great, they deliver improved wind protection for a wide range of riding situations. This lightweight sportbike is loaded with even more rider-friendly features such as an easy-to-read instrument panel and positive neutral finder. A natural riding position and comfortable ergonomics combined with its lightweight handling, easy controllability and improved throttle response make the 250R a pleasure to ride on city streets.
* Also new for 2008 are larger 17-inch wheels that offer great handling and improved stability. * A larger 290mm front brake rotor is gripped by a powerful 2-piston caliper to provide a healthy dose of stopping power with a responsive feel at the lever. Like Kawasaki's other sport models, the Ninja 250R is fitted with petal discs for efficient heat dissipation.
The simple formula of providing easy-handling agility, lightweight responsiveness, and low ownership costs make the Ninja 250R a force to be reckoned with in the entry-level sportbike category.
Bajaj may be looking at giving the bike a completely new digital console
This is how the old version looked like!
Info and pics : taken from random sites and http://2008ninja250r.blogspot.com
We had told you about the KTM RC4 last year KTM RC4, and here are some more details on the bike then
The RC4 is not the top priority no doubt, but still, it is a big project for KTM. The RC4 is not just about putting low bars and a fairing on the 690 Duke.
On the track, the bike is just 2 seconds a lap slower than 600cc supersports bikes. It has a 230km/h (142mph) top speed and a new version of the engine pumping out 78bhp. The prototype weighs 132kg only, so that means it will be easy to ride! yes, the power at 78bhp is less, but a low weigh of just 132kg means the power to weight ratio will be good.
What is probably bothering KTM is if people will be willing to shell out high money for such a bike...
Auto Expo 2008 has a lot of surprises. Lot of you must have missed the little Triumph stall with the massive Rocket III taking center stage.
Speaking to Peter Huckin, Export Sales Co-ordinator, it seems like that we may see bikes from Triumph going on sale in India very very soon. As of now, according to him, they will enter India on their own. Heres wishing them all the best :)
UPDATED : THE BIKE HAS BEEN LAUNCHED. SEE MORE HERE
We had told you about the new Ninja 250 on 28th September last yr (CLICK)
Yesterday at the Bajaj-Kawasaki conference at the ongoing Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi, India, the guys at Bajaj somewhat confirmed that this bike goes on sale in India before Diwali.
-The all new 2008 Ninja 250 has a 250cc parallet twin engine, good enough for 30bhp. -The bike takes around 5.5 secs to hit 100km/h, which is in the league of Porsches!! -The engine is mated to a 6speed 'box and hits a max of around 165-170km/h -The bike will be imported from Thailand, and knowing that the FTA (Free trade aggrement?) allows stuff to be imported into Indian from some countries including Thailand means that we can very well expect the Baby Ninja to be priced below the 2lac mark : The bike looks hot, is more than fast for India. Yea, times are rocking for us now
Bajaj tied up with KTM some time back. In short, the benefits will be that we might get to see the RC8 (yes, thats what they said at the conference yesterday) and the 690 (Duke or the Motard) in India soon.
The Bajaj - Kawasaki conference will be today. Stay tuned. I will update the blog as to what we Indians might be able to go and buy ( I so hope its the Ninja 250!)
Well, the news had come out to us some time back but we thought it would be better for Auto Expo to be the platform for Yamaha to launch their new 150cc babies for India.
The D day was yesterday at Auto Expo, one of the biggest Auto shows, which takes places in New Delhi, India.
A little background : Yamaha in India sells 100cc (8odd bhp) and 125cc (12 odd bhp) bikes. Things havent being too good for them but yesterday, they blew everyone away. Here is what will be on offer
1. The Yamaha R15
Based on the YZF-R1, the R15 is : -150cc engine -With Fuel injection -Liquid Cooled, 4 valves per cylinder -Around 20-22bhp -Will weigh around 125-130kg only -6 speed gearbox.
Let the pictures do the talking then. PS : most of you readers are from UK. i believe the CBR125 and the YZ-R125 put around just 15bhp, right? Wont you want one of these there then?
2. Yamaha FZ150
This bike is based on the FZ1000 (The Fazer 1000). Looks too good (some of us choose this over the R15). But it may be a little down on power (just like the FZ1000 is down on power than the YZF-R1), but then the torque may be good. Here are some pictures:
Just put two great motorcycle book reviews up on www.inter-bike.co.uk. Both reviewed by leading motorcycle journalist Ian Kerr.
The first book is entitled Motorcycle by Steven E. Alford and Suzanne Ferris and as Ian sayes:
"The book charts the evolution of the motorcycle and the resulting effect on society right up to the current perceived modernist object that is ‘designed to unify the rider and machine in perfect balance.’"
The second book is entitled Ballington Unkorked and is the autobiogrpahy of multiple World Champion Kork Ballington. As Kenny Roberts says in his forward, just like his racing, ‘when he did, he did it right’.
by Steven E. Alford and Suzanne Ferris and as Ian sayes: