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A cross-country motorcycle trip filled with memories

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by Christina Leo from https://www.inregister.com Baton Rouge financial planner Daryl Ellis began riding motorcycles between six and seven years ago, but when his daughter landed a seat in graduate school in the cedar climes of British Columbia, he knew that the time had come to really put his gears to the test. With Emory’s possessions distributed between her Jeep and a U-Haul trailer, Ellis hitched his BMW K 1600 GT touring-class motorcycle on the back and accompanied her last summer as they made their way northwest, a long but straightforward path ending in a brief visit to Ellis’ brother’s Seattle home before settling Emory into her new digs. As for the journey back to Baton Rouge? Ellis had something a bit more wayward in mind. For two weeks, Ellis drove an alternative route home, traveling a total of 752 miles through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi and, eventually, back to Louisiana. “My wife had gotten me a book, Great American Motorcycle Tours, for Christmas a while back, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to check some of them out,” says Ellis. “As for deciding where to stay or where to eat, I was kind of just playing it by ear. Fortunately it all worked out better than expected, with blue skies almost the whole way home.” And a good thing, too, with so much sightseeing in so little time. The snowy peaks of North Cascades National Park, roadside waterfalls of Oregon’s national forests, wildflowers of Sun Valley, buffalo of Yellowstone, jagged knuckles of the Tetons, yellow farmlands of corn country and riverside roads of Hot Springs all served as welcome replacements for billboards and cramped car seats. “I had my iPod loaded up with music and podcasts and the like, so I had […]

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Triumph Speed Twin for 2021 offers all-round improvements

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com 2021 Triumph Speed Twin Gains Horsepower, New and Better Hardware All Around It’s Speed Twin time for Triumph motorcycle lovers, as they’ve finally got the news they have been waiting for: five months into 2021, the range is getting upgraded for the new model year, and we’re talking about some serious changes, at least from place to place. The “Modern Classic performance roadster,” as Triumph likes to call the range, was launched in 2018, and the three years that have passed since then call for an overhaul of the motorcycle. And that’s exactly what the British bike maker just announced. First up, power levels. Although the engine remains the same (the 1200cc High Power Bonneville twin), it has been massaged into delivering more power and torque, faster and better than before. The engine’s output increased by 3 hp, bringing the total to 100 hp at 7,250 rpm, while the maximum torque of 112 Nm (82 lb-ft) is now reached at 4,250 rpm. The riding modes for the powerplant (there are three, namely Road, Rain and Sport) have been upgraded too. As far as hardware improvements go, the Speed Twin gets several higher specification parts. They include new Marzocchi USD forks with cartridge damping, Brembo M50 radial monobloc calipers, Metzeler Racetec RR tires, and new 17-inch aluminum wheels in a 12-spoke design. All of these modifications should allow for improved handling of the two-wheeler, the bike maker says. Visually, the Speed Twin brings brushed aluminum front and rear mudguards, anodized headlamp mounts, and three color schemes. Over 50 accessories designed for the motorcycle are also thrown into the mix for the revised version. The new interpretation of the bike is already listed on the bike maker’s website, showing a retail price of $12,500. You can have

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New Pan America motorcycle drawing national attention

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by Sarah Hauer from https://www.jsonline.com Harley-Davidson Inc.’s newest bike — a less expensive and lighter motorcycle — is drawing national attention as the company tries to lure new riders. Harley-Davidson’s Pan America is arriving at hundreds of dealerships now. “(The Pan America) is definitely not your dad’s Harley-Davidson cruiser,” New York Times reporter Mark Gardiner wrote. The Pan America is about $2,000 cheaper and 200 pounds lighter than Harley-Davidson’s most popular touring bikes. The base model of the Pan America is around 530 pounds and starts at $17,319. Pan America’s launch was delayed a year. The company held a virtual launch event in February. Kevin Duke, who writes about motorcycles, was impressed by his test ride of the new bike. “The news about Harley for the past couple of years has been quite pessimistic,” said Duke, the editor in chief at Thunder Press in the New York Times article. “With the older demographic aging out, there was no real hint at what the company could do to gain market share, but this really changes it. The new motor is that good.” The Milwaukee-based company has been trying to expand its customer base for years. The company experienced a steep decline in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Motorcycle sales were up 9% worldwide for the company during its most recent fiscal quarter. That bump was driven by a 30% increase in North America motorcycle sales over the same three-month time period last year. Harley-Davidson launched its all-electric motorcycle brand LiveWire in May. The first motorcycle branded as a LiveWire bike is scheduled to premiere at the International Motorcycle Show on July 9.

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From the past: Honda PC800 Pacific Coast Motorcycle

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by Steven Symes from https://autos.yahoo.com This is probably the weirdest motorcycle Honda has ever made, but is it collectible? Quirky, weird, and car-like, the Honda PC800 Pacific Coast emerged for 1989 to woo people out of their Accords and onto two wheels. Amazingly, the bizarre touring motorcycle was manufactured through the 1998 model year, but many people today seem to have forgotten about it. If we didn’t know better, it would almost be like people have collectively tried to forget about the Pacific Coast. However, we figured now is a good time to revisit this now-vintage motorcycle and examine if anything about it could be considered desirable for collectors. At the other end of the spectrum was the Honda Valkyrie Rune. The origins of the PC800 go back to 1985 when Honda R&D Americas, Inc. was established in the name of efficiency. That characteristic is, after all, one of the main attractive elements of Hondas, so it seemed to make sense. That meant the same people were developing cars, motorcycles, and other Honda products. We know, we know, the jokes practically write themselves but we’ll leave it at that. Perhaps the most bizarre products of this shift in strategy was the Honda PC800. Designed as a motorcycle for people who prefer cars, the design was friendlier and more approachable than what you would find with a Harley, Ducati, Suzuki, or even another Honda motorcycle. The press for the most part were wowed by the PC800. It was portrayed as innovative, forward-thinking, and further testified to the master genius of Honda. Most definitely it was a gamble made at a time when the US economy was strong and companies were more willing to stick their necks out to take a gamble. After all, Honda risked losing a lot of its credibility

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DIY: Building your own Electric Motorcycle

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from https://www.financialexpress.com How to build your own 150 km/h electric motorcycle: DIY instructions for $ 10 There’s also a list of tools and parts you’ll need, including a 72V motor and a GSX-R750 front end. Plus a 32-minute YouTube video for a bit of handholding while you go through the process. DIY videos work really well on social media, don’t they? Especially since a lot of people have been home for over a year now due to the still ongoing pandemic. So, how about building an electric motorcycle? Right, bring out your welding tools and get to work. Too far? We thought so. But this video and CAD files could be a great help if you are working on an engineering project in college or even setting up an EV startup, that seems to be quite hip in the automotive industry these days. There have been several books on ‘how to build a motorcycle’ which are not just guides to actually building a bike but also a good read if you’re nerdy about these things. And until recently, you could buy plans for building everything from the frame to engine design. Now though, technology has raced ahead with computer-aided design. And the good folk at Renewable Systems Technology are offering plans or rather CAD files for $10 for building an electric motorcycle that can do 150 km/h. The website adds that the build should cost around $5,000. There’s also the 32-minute YouTube video above detailing the process and of course, there’s a long list of parts and tools you’ll need. The build in the video uses a 72V motor and a GSX-R750 front end. We don’t have any mechanical engineers on our team so we can’t vouch for if the instructions will hand you a multi-million dollar idea or a

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Hideout Harley-Davidson and Four Kings of Oklahoma hold car and bike show

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by Benjamin Kouchnerkavich from https://www.fourstateshomepage.com JOPLIN, MO. – Hideout Harley-Davidson and a motorcycle club are celebrating Memorial Weekend with a car and bike show. The Four Kings of Oklahoma held Saturday’s event to raise money for first responders. In addition to the cars and bikes, food trucks, local vendors and even artists were on hand. Artist Len Nordmann say, he has traveled the country making automotive art for over 25 years. Len Nordmann, Artist, says, “I’ve always had a love for automobiles and I sold my first painting when I was 10 years old. And from then on, I’ve always had an interest in doing special buildings and also doing homes and doing businesses and then also cars.” Dale Wano, Sales Manager, says, “We just want to have everybody come out, have a great time, look at some awesome cars, look at some awesome motorcycles and enjoy the fellowship of being together.” They also gave out door prizes from local businesses. SEE: https://www.hideouthd.com/

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Custom Harley-Davidson Monaco by Thunderbike

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com It’s not hard to link Harley-Davidson with racing. The moniker has been at the forefront of such efforts in all sorts of competitions over the years, going deep and wide all across the nation to take part in the most insane of races. Most recently, the Milwaukee company is doing its best to fight off Indian in King of the Baggers on historic circuits all over America. Whereas Harley is easily linked with pretty much all of the important race tracks across America, the name does not ring all that good when associated with Le Mans. Yet this did not stop a German custom shop by the name Thunderbike from forever tying the American two-wheeler with the famous French circuit with a special GP S Le Mans build. Presented at the end of last year, the GP S Le Mans is part of the shop’s Racing Series, a line of machines named after the great tracks of the world, including Silverstone, Laguna Seca, or Mugello. A few months after its presentation, the bike has now spawned a successor. It’s called the Monaco, also based on a Breakout, and a nod to the famed European city-state where one of the most exciting Formula 1 races of modern times takes place. Once a stock Breakout, the motorcycle was lowered for a more aggressive look, gifted with tons of custom parts, including a new triple tree, grips, fenders, a custom fuel tank, and countless covers. Thunderbike calls this build the “first Twin Cam on which we’ve fitted our newly developed GP Parts for this range,” and the result, as it can be seen in the gallery above, is nothing short of spectacular. We are not being told if any changes to the bike’s engine were made, apart from

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Six Ways to Sunday Racing

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One Rider’s Unique Racing Project by Kyle Smith from Hagerty.com I dreamt up the idea of racing six different disciplines on one machine about a year ago. Registered for all events in the Novice category, participating in events will encompass six racing disciplines in motorsports. The final push: Six Ways to Sunday racing begins this week. Click Here to Read this Fascinating Photo Feature on Race Preparation on Bikernet. Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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Torrot’s New Enduro Motorcycles for Kids

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by Otilia Drăgan from https://www.autoevolution.com Torrot’s New Enduro Motorcycles for Kids, Double the Fun While Keeping Them Safe The world of enduro can be just as exciting for kids as it is for adults, as long as parents can make sure that everything is safe and under control. Already known for making motorbikes for children, Torrot has recently launched a second-generation range, perfect for introducing the little ones to this great sport. Spanish-based Torrot is not a newcomer on the market. In fact, it’s got quite a history since its foundation in 1948, which led to eventually developing electric bikes, in the last few years. The company’s KIDS range was meant to help children begin practicing for enduro and off-road trials. Kids could start to learn by riding on on-road tracks, with the help of one of the 3 models in the series, Trial One, Motocross One and Supermotard One. Torrot has recently upgraded all the models in the series, for even better performance, but with the same excellent safety and control features. All 3 electric motorbikes come with new LiMnCo batteries that are lighter, which makes them easier to remove and recharge. And, in terms of components, they are made with a chrome-molybdenum chassis, a hydraulic aluminum front fork from EBR and MITAS tires. The Trial Two, Motocross Two and Supermotard Two have a maximum speed of 24.8 mph (40 kph), and the best part is that the Torrot electric engine comes with a programmable controller. The power can be programmed from 600W up to 1500W, which is perfect for progressive learning and also makes the riding experience much safer. Parents can do more than just adjust the power, thanks to the company’s ingenious “Parental Control” system. By simply using the Torrot KIDS App on their phone, parents can

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Latest 3D-Printed Electric Motorcycle From Tarform

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by Cristina Mircea from https://www.autoevolution.com Meet the Luna Racer Edition, Newest 3D-Printed Electric Motorcycle From Tarform. There’s a new Luna in town. Brooklyn-based motorcycle manufacturer Tarform Motorcycles has announced a new version of its Luna electric motorcycle model. The Racer Edition will enter production this summer but you can preorder it now. Tarform motorcycles might not have the most elegant and appealing design for everyone’s taste, but they compensate in other ways. The company aims to manufacture electric motorcycles that are modern in features, sustainable and upgradable, thanks to their modular design. Approximately 55 percent of the bike parts are 3D-printed using recycled materials such as recycled aluminium, biodegradable leather, flax fibers. You can upgrade pretty much anything on them, from the battery pack to the software and even body. The Luna was announced in 2018 and it initially came in one version, called the Scrambled Edition. But things got delayed and the bike is still just a concept. Now the company announced a new version, the Cafe Racer Edition, and they are both available to preorder for the same price of $24,000. Tarform says they’ll both hit the market this summer. There aren’t too many differences between the Scrambler and the Racer, as they both feature the same specs in terms of weight, battery, and motor. Both come with a 55 HP motor and 10 kWh battery pack. They both weigh 440 lb (200 kg). Inspired by the British 60s, the Racer differs from the Scrambler mostly in terms of design. It features the Avon Sport ST street tires, comes with a slightly lower suspension and there are some lines on the battery box, which are missing from the Scrambler. The Racer also has black anodized bars, swingarm, indicators, and mirrors. The Luna comes with a 3.4-inch HD display

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