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Mar 17
Love0

Game Over Cycles took first place in the “Over 1000 cc Custom” category

By General Posts

Last weekend in the USA during the Daytona Bike Week, the New York-Rzeszów motorcycle built by the Polish company Game Over Cycles took first place in the “Over 1000 cc Custom” category in the Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show. The competition was held in Florida as part of Daytona Bike Week 2020, one of the largest motorcycle events in the world, which annually gathers about 500 000 people. Rats Hole is a very prestigious and the longest (since 1952) organized custom bike show in the world. The prize awarded to the Polish machine was received by Bobbi and Lucy Wawrzaszek, Poles living in the USA, who own the motorcycle and on whose order GOC made the vehicle.

The New York – Rzeszów Motorcycle, as it is fully named, is an extraordinary custom Harley-Davidson Street Bob inspired by New York and Polish city of Rzeszów. The bike was made for a Polish couple born in the Rzeszów region and currently living in New York. The machine is intended to express local patriotism of both homelands of the vehicle owners. This is manifested in the unique design of the motorcycle, which contains characteristics of the architecture of given city. These parts are not only elements of ornamentation, but also fully functional components of the motorcycle. The main elements of the construction containing the architecture of given city are:

New York:
– wheels with Manhattan buildings engraved in metal. The wheel contains such buildings as the Empire State Building, 1 World Trade Center, Flatiron, Chrysler Building, old WTC towers
– exhaust pipe looking like the Chrysler Building (covered with 24-carat gold)
– ignition coil cover looking like The Oculus
– front plow in the shape of old WTC ruins with the “9/11 Never Forget” inscription
– timing cover with NY Yankees logo (covered with 24-carat gold)
– fuel tank cap made form brass and imitating a $ 1 coin with Rzeszów-New York inscription
– tank painting containing the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline

Rzeszów:
– Revolutionary Act Monument – the most famous monument of the city placed in the middle of wheel among Manhattan buildings (covered with 24-carat gold)
– seat in the form of the Tadeusz Mazowiecki bridge – the largest bridge in the city. The bridge is imitated together with brass ropes attached to the fender while motorcycle’s direction indicators look like the warning lights located on the bridge
– air filter cover in the shape of city’s most known and characteristic footbridge with Rzeszów’s coat of arms in the center (covered with 24-carat gold)
– rear brake light and position light in the shape of the Rzeszów coat of arms
– tank paitning containing Rzeszów skyline

All construction elements are made of brass, steel and aluminum, while the wheels, exhaust pipe, clutch cover, timing cover, the front brake holder and wheels are additionally gold-plated.

The unveiling of the motorcycle took place in May 2019 in New York, in the premises of Harley-Davidson of New York City.

 

Mar 16
Love0

Stripped Down Harley-Davidson Muscle Bike Is the Treat to Wait for in 2021

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com/

Despite the fact that it is probably the world’s most famous motorcycle brand, Harley-Davidson seems to be struggling to come to grips with the realities of the age. Plagued by financial problems, Harley recently lost its CEO, and more stormy weather seems to be looming ahead.

There are however plans in place for a turnaround. These plans cover everything from new models to the reinvention of the dealership network.

As far as new products are concerned, we already talked about the two new motorcycles Harley plans to launch by the end of this year. Both – the Bronx and Pan America – are built on a new middleweight platform and use new Revolution Max family of engines.

But perhaps more exciting than anything is the return of the bike maker to the custom scene, with a yet unnamed motorcycle announced for 2021.

Previewed at about the same time with the other two, the custom machine is described as one with “a muscular stance, aggressive, stripped-down styling and 1250cc of pure performance.”

Officially, that’s about it when it comes to this product fom now, but by the way it looks (see in the gallery above) and given the fact that the Pan America will use the same 1250cc Revolution Max engine with 145 hp and 90 lb-ft of torque, we expect the specs on the custom to be even more extraordinary.

All the bikes we mentioned here are part of a plan meant to reinvent the company by 2022 and increase the number of Harley customers by 1 million by 2027, for a total of 4 million in the U.S. alone.

“The bold actions we are announcing today leverage Harley-Davidson’s vast capabilities and competitive firepower – our excellence in product development and manufacturing, the global appeal of the brand and of course, our great dealer network,” said in a statement back in 2019, when the moves were announced, Matt Levatich, at the time the company’s CEO.

“Alongside our existing loyal riders, we will lead the next revolution of two-wheeled freedom to inspire future riders who have yet to even think about the thrill of riding.”

Mar 10
Love0

This 1937 Harley-Davidson UH Is the Best You’ll Find Anywhere

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com/

Decades-old motorcycles are not as widespread as cars. Whereas in the world today there are countless four-wheeled machines, in better or worse condition, going back perhaps a century or so, not the same can be said about two-wheelers.

That essentially means that when we come across a bike as old as the one we’re going to write about here, there’s reason to gloat. Especially because we’re talking about one that was built, in very limited numbers, in the years before the start of the second world war, but runs just as good as it did back then.

What’s being displayed in the gallery above is a 1937 Harley-Davidson UH. It is one of just 185 made in 1937, just a few short years before all civilian bike production would be halted to make room for the WLAs requested by the U.S. Army in the years that followed. Of the 185, this one here is probably the only one that (still) looks this good.

And it owes its looks to a restoration process that tried to stay as close to the original as possible.

Part of the U model family, the UH is powered by the same 80ci engine that was fitted on it back in the day. It runs, as it was rebuilt while keeping all the innovations brought by Harley to the U that year, including the recirculating oil system instead of a total-loss one, and dry-sump lubrication.

The engine sits inside the original frame of the bike, and so is that era’s dash, Parts of the bike hiding beneath the blue and white bodywork may seem a bit different, but that’s because many of the original parts have been chromed during the restoration process.

When the bike was made, it sold for a little over $400. Now, someone is selling it during the Mecum Glendale auction that starts on Wednesday, March 11, and they’ll probably get a lot more for it.

Mar 09
Love0

BMW R 18 Motorcycle with Monster Big Boxer Engine to Be Unveiled on April 3

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

It’s been a long time in the making, but BMW Motorrad’s newest entry to the cruiser segment, a bike aptly called the R 18, is just around the corner. On Friday, April 3, the Germans will pull the wraps off what is to become one of the most potent motorcycles in its segment.

And this bike owes it all to a new engine BMW likes to call the Big Boxer. First shown on a bike called the Concept R 18 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May 2019, the engine moved over to two custom builds, before getting the official thumbs up at the end of 2019.

The two-cylinder powerplant has a capacity of 1,802 cc, which should make it the highest-capacity engine ever used on a production motorcycle. According to the specs revealed by the Bavarians, the engine has a power output of 91 hp and 158 Nm of torque, and that should also make it the most powerful boxer ever built by BMW.

It’s the R 18 that will see the first application of the Big Boxer, and on the bike it will be linked to a single-disc dry clutch that sends torque to the 6-speed transmission. Although the power ratings have already been announced, the performance specs are still unknown.

“All of us at BMW Motorrad are very much looking forward to the absolute highlight of the year for us – the world premiere of the BMW R 18,” said in a statement Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad.

“BMW Motorrad achieved record sales for the ninth year in succession in 2019. With the R 18 and the associated entry into the cruiser segment, we are consistently pursuing our growth strategy with the clear goal of becoming the number one in the premium segment worldwide.”

More details and official photos of the bike will become available at the unveiling.

Feb 06
Love0

Futuristic SA motorcycle to go into production

By General Posts

by Denis Droppa from https://www.businesslive.co.za

Unlike anything yet seen on two wheels, Pierre Terblanche’s R1.1m Hypertek electric bike takes shape

A futuristic South African motorcycle that attracted interest at a recent international motorcycle show is to go into production in two years’ time.

Looking like a prop from a Blade Runner movie, the prototype of the outlandish Hypertek electric bike was unveiled in November at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, the motorcycle industry’s premier annual showcase.

The Hypertek is a collaboration between SA’s Blackstone Tek (BST), a Johannesburg-based company specialising in carbon-fibre automotive components, and well-known SA designer Pierre Terblanche who penned iconic motorcycles like the Ducati 749 and 999.

The striking Hypertek takes a bold sidestep from conventional motorcycle design. Looking like it was assembled from a giant Meccano set, it features no fairings and has all its mechanical elements on display, with the lithium-ion batteries housed in a finned, engine-like casing.

Is it pretty? You decide. Is it spectacular? Heck yes.

The bike is powered by an 80kW electric motor and has an estimated range of about 200km, taking as little as 30 minutes to fully charge on a DC quick charger.

BST’s Terry Annecke says the $80,000 (R1.14m) bike is aimed at the high-end luxury market and will be hand-assembled in small volumes at BST’s Joburg factory from early 2022.

She says the Hypetek has received 10 confirmed orders with at least 50 people “seriously interested” since the bike’s appearance at EICMA. Annecke expects a mostly international clientele for the bike, although the first two orders were placed by local buyers.

“The Hypertek is aimed at people who appreciate it for its exceptional design and Pierre’s reputation,” she says, adding that the world-famous Barber motorcycle museum in Alabama, US, wants one for its collection.

Terblanche, the former director of design for Italian motorcycle company Ducati, says current battery-powered motorcycles are rather boring and that he created the Hypertek as a more emotional electric bike.

Apart from the flamboyant design, emotion is created by a built-in sound generator that makes the Hypertek roar like a conventional combustion-engined bike, or any sound of the customer’s choosing. Unlike other electric bikes it also has a clutch that allows riders to perform wheelies and burnouts.

There is no instrument panel. Instead, data and infotainment is projected on a head-up display (HUD) inside the rider’s helmet. Mirrors are absent too, and a camera projects the rear view onto the HUD.

It has some novel engineering solutions too, including the rear suspension being incorporated into the swingarm. That leaves the seat floating in an open space on a short tailpiece, well forward of the rear wheel.

Calling the Hypertek the best work he has ever done, Terblanche says he wanted to build an iconic electric motorcycle with excellent performance and beautiful styling.

“Motorcycles have become very formulaic and paint-by-numbers, and I wanted to create something that didn’t carry over existing bike ideas.”

Terblanche isn’t a fan of the retro-styled trend sweeping the motorcycle industry, and a small plaque on the Hypertek’s rear end reads: “Warning: for fans of curated replicas of 40s, 50s or 60s motorcycles, you are at the wrong stand”.

With its estimated 200km range the Hypertek is a primarily urban machine, but Terblanche says battery and supercapacitor technology is constantly improving and later editions of the bike will be able to travel further out of city confines.

BST’s Annecke says the Hypertek is a true South African story, including the fact that most of the prototype’s bodywork was 3D printed by a Brakpan company.

BST manufactured the carbon fibre wheels and frame for the Hypertek. The Randburg-based engineering company also makes carbon fibre components for motorcycle companies such as Ducati, MV Agusta, and the Arch Motorcycle company co-founded by Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves.

Jan 13
Love0

London Motorcycle Show on the horizon

By General Posts

by Fraser Addecott from https://www.mirror.co.uk/

Check out all the latest machinery, plus a whole lot more, at the capital’s big bike fest

The post-Christmas winter months are probably not most bikers’ favourite time of the year – seeming cold, wet and miserable.

One bright spot on the horizon, however, is the ever-popular London Motorcycle Show.

This annual extravaganza continues to go from strength to strength and the 2020 edition looks like being no exception.

Alongside the latest machines from the world’s leading manufacturers, visitors will be able to see explosive live-action racing, rare classic machines, biking celebrities and a UK-exclusive celebration of iconic racer Barry Sheene.

All the new models from AJS, BMW, CCM, CF Moto, Ducati, Ecooter, Honda, Husqvarna, Indian, Kawasaki, KTM, Mutt Motorcycles, MV Agusta, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph, Yamaha and Zero will be on show.

Nine of Sheene’s legendary race machines (including his two title-winning bikes) are being flown in from Australia specially for the show.

And teammate Steve Parrish and Suzuki chief technician during Sheene’s winning years will be onstage sharing insight and anecdotes.

Race fans will be kept enthralled with a completely revamped Michelin Thunderdrome live-action event once again taking over the centre of the show.

The free races will see the world’s fastest road racer Peter Hickman going head-to-head with fellow Isle of Man TT competitors John McGuinness, Michael Rutter and James Hillier.

Visitors can purchase a VIP paddock pass, which allows them access to the racing stars and an unbeatable view of the action.

Alongside that, the Classic TT will officially be launched at the show, while, in between races, John McGuinness will be found propping up the bar at his own pub.

The 23-time Isle of Man TT winner will be pulling pints and sharing tales from his incredible career with punters throughout the weekend.

Statistics show 41% of riders are wearing helmets that are more than five years old and beyond the manufacturer’s service life.

Anyone who brings their old helmet to the show will receive a free gift and the opportunity to purchase a replacement at a bargain price.

Those wanting to take part should sign up beforehand at helmetamnesty.com.

Motorcyclists looking to escape on an adventure this year will find plenty of inspiration in the Adventure Zone and Bonhams will be bringing rare and exotic machines from the legendary Italian manufacturer Giancarlo Morbidelli collection.

The show is on February 14-16, at ExCel, East London.

For information and reduced-price early-bird tickets, visit mcnmotorcycleshow.com.

Jan 05
Love0

Canton veteran who lost leg rides again thanks to customized motorcycle

By General Posts

by Kelly Byer from https://www.cantonrep.com

Challenge America: Makers For Veterans helped Charles Zollicoffer get back on the road.

Challenge America: Makers For Veterans helped Charles Zollicoffer ride a motorcycle for the first time in eight years.

More importantly, he said, the fall program renewed his faith in humanity.

“I was left for dead on the side of the road,” he said. “So, during my time in this last seven or eight years, I have lost a lot of faith in people. A lot.”

In 2011, a drunken driver pulled in front of Zollicoffer’s 1995 Kawasaki motorcycle on state Route 800. The now retired U.S. Marine Corps and Army National Guard veteran had completed three tours in Iraq and was scheduled for deployment to Afghanistan.

Another person came across the early morning wreck and stopped to help. Zollicoffer, a 53-year-old Canton resident, spent months in a coma and had his left leg amputated at the hip.

This past Veteran’s Day, he received a modified trike at the Makers For Veterans closing ceremony. His family’s safety concerns had kept Zollicoffer from pursuing a costly trike, but they talked and accepted what it meant to him beforehand.

He’s taken a few rides.

“I can’t even describe the feeling, when you get that wind blowing through your hair,” joked Zollicoffer, who has a shaved head.

Makers for Veterans

The Colorado-based nonprofit Challenge America began the Makers for Veterans program (CAMVETS) in 2019. It brought together volunteers with various expertise to solve challenges posed by veterans.

Dallas Blaney, executive director of Challenge America, said the inspiration came from a similar initiative in Israel. Challenge America members participated in the international program and wanted to recreate the experience in the United States.

Blaney described it as “human-centered design applied to the veterans space.” The process begins by asking participants, selected from across the nation, what they want to do that they haven’t been able to.

“That forces the veterans to frame their challenges in a positive way,” Blaney said.

A team — built “from scratch” — with skills relevant to the individual’s challenge then meet at a kickoff event. That is followed by about eight weeks of planning and work culminating in a three-day workshop.

CAMETS then works with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other partners to identify prototypes to patent and undergo additional product development.

“So that we can get those promising solutions out to market where other veterans and civilians, too, can benefit from these things,” Blaney said.

CAMVETS coordinated a spring and fall program. From 17 total projects, Blaney said, the partners produced 15 working prototypes and, so far, filed for five provisional patents.

Blaney said a digital service dog application designed to help a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder is expected to be the first product ready for market.

Both programs were held in the Cleveland area, not far from where Blaney grew up. He said the region has a great blend of medical, manufacturing, entrepreneurial, academic and innovative institutions.

The Cleveland Clinic, Bio Enterprise and St. Edward High School are some of CAMVETS’ partners.

“It just seemed like such an amazing fit, and it’s a very friendly place to do business,” Blaney said.

The nonprofit likely will host another program in Northeast Ohio this year, but only one. He said CAMVETS plans to expand to a new city.

Zollicoffer’s custom trike

De Ann Williams, executive director of the Stark County Veterans Service Commission, heard about a CAMVETS opening during a conference and nominated Zollicoffer. It was the first she’d heard about the organization, but she thought the program might produce a longer-lasting prosthetic leg.

Zollicoffer used to play basketball and entered the program thinking he’d leave with a prosthetic for athletic activities.

“With the level of my amputation, that was close to impossible,” he said. “So they started asking questions.”

Zollicoffer, who grew up riding motorcycles, then told his team he’d like to ride again.

“As a motorcycle enthusiast myself, I understood and respected that,” Williams said.

Zollicoffer worked ’hand-in-hand” with his team as the plan evolved — from modifying his prosthetic leg to modifying a three-wheeled motorcycle. However, he said he wasn’t privy to the end product until the Veteran’s Day reveal.

When he was asked to visit a Harley Davidson store as the project wound down, Zollicoffer began to wonder if he’d get a new trike. He later learned that sitting on a $35,000 motorcycle was more for measurement.

The engineers, students and other makers on Team Z turned a two-wheel 1972 Harley Davidson into a trike by replacing the rear portion with wheels from a 1978 Mustang. They also moved the typical, left-side motorcycle gears to the right.

“So, it was a totally customized job,” Zollicoffer said.

Community comes together

After he saw the trike, Zollicoffer saw the executive director of the Stark County Veterans Service Commission.

“I turned around and there’s De Ann standing there,” he said. “That’s when it became clear to me that the whole outreach team got together and they did this thing.”

CAMVETS has paid the “lion share” of most projects, Blaney said. The local commission, though, was tasked with raising $5,000 to buy the bike, which was complemented by donated parts.

Williams said she believes the plan to have the bike donated didn’t work out, so the commission reached out to area service organizations. They had the money within a few days.

“I was just beside myself,” she said. “I couldn’t believe the community came together like that.”

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 38 was the major donor. Others were American Legion Post 548, American Veterans Post 124, and Coyote Motorsports.

DAV Commander David May said the project aligned with the group’s mission to assist disabled veterans.

“We’re happy to do it,” he said.

Those involved with CAMVETS said they were glad to learn of the program and plan to volunteer or recommend it to other veterans in the future. Zollicoffer said he made “lifelong friends.”

“We’ll definitely stay in touch with CAMVETS,” Williams said. “I think that that’s definitely going to be a partnership that I hope lasts for a long time.”

Jan 02
Love0

Segway tries to be sexy at CES, presents new electric motorcycle

By General Posts

 

by Chris Matyszczyk from https://www.zdnet.com/

Will this be the great victor at CES? Oh, please let that happen.

Admit it, you’ve pitied them.

The tourists, the mailpersons, the mall cops, the aging techies who now resent the future, they’re all regularly seen on Segways. Some, perhaps in a vain attempt to salvage their image, even wear a crash helmet while they ride the much-derided machine.

In recent times, though, Segway was bought by China’s Ninebot. It’s started to develop robots. Well, robotic heads that ride on Segways.

Now, though the company wants to make you drool and not because you’re laughing so much. It wants every attendee at CES 2020 to be talking about nothing other than the enormous strides Segway has made toward being alluring.

Just before Christmas it released a (possibly) dynamic video of its new Apex.

This is an electric motorbike, one that you can ride on a track. Yes, with no one else there but a camera crew.

Some may be moved that there is only one wheel at the front and one at the back.

More may be excited by the idea that this seems like a bike they’d actually be happy to be seen on, even beyond an enclosed track. It is alleged to be capable of going of going from 0-60 in 2.9 seconds and reaching 125 mph.

Some bike aficionados may, however, endure qualms. The Apex sounds less like a bike and more like a one-person metalwork factory. Moreover, the rider in the video doesn’t make it look quite like the muscly monsters that occasionally overtake me on the freeway going 100 mph. (I’m going 65, honest.) He doesn’t lean over very far, does he?

Perhaps, though, it’s a fine bike for our precarious times, one that melds dynamism and sanctimony in one glorious ride.

Naturally, this is being billed as a concept vehicle. But when excitement builds at CES, the momentum can become uncontrollable. As was witnessed last year with the award, unaward and award again of a truly innovative — so I’m reliably informed — sex toy.

Soon, we might be living in a world where Segway Apex’s are disturbing Tesla drivers on the freeway.

What could be more beautiful than that?