motorcycle

Seattle’s motorcycle clubs ride free (but socially distanced)

by Agueda Pacheco Flores from https://crosscut.com Coronavirus has scooter, moped and motorcycle enthusiasts rolling with caution. Long before he was president of the Cretins Motorcycle Club, Nick Ziehe was just a kid growing up in Renton, fascinated by his dad doing a complete overhaul of a Honda CB350. The bike was a vintage racer, but one his father heavily modified. Ziehe recalls his dad plopping him on the seat of this “odd” looking bike for short rides on backroads around Lake Washington. In high school, when his friends were getting their first cars, Ziehe got his first bike, which he rebuilt with his dad. Today, Ziehe, 48, works at Boeing as a manufacturing engineer, and for the past five years has led the Ballard-based Cretins Motorcycle Club (aka Cretins MC Seattle), which he joined 10 years ago. Among members, Ziehe is known as “Double Tap.” The club’s preferred bikes are vintage cafe racers, with an aesthetic hearkening to 1960s London. The glue that holds the Cretins together is the love of riding. Spring usually marks the beginning of the riding season, when members take group rides and share the feeling of the road rolling out under their feet. But this spring is different. The global coronavirus pandemic put the group’s planned March 28 spring opener ride on hold. The annual Taco Dash (a fundraiser involving minibikes, silly games and homemade tacos) scheduled for May 2, is up in the air. And the customary, rain or shine, Thursday night dive bar meet-ups (Cretin Nights) have gone virtual, from vroom-vroom to Zoom. Washington is home to an abundance of motorcycle, moped and scooter clubs. In addition to the Cretins there are dozens of groups, including Jewish riding club The Tribe, the Moped Army’s Seattle branch, Los Gatos Gordos and women-only riding groups. […]

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Bikernet Bike Builder of the Month

Cole Rogers from Cycle Fabrications in Lebanon, Ohio By Bandit and Michael Lichter with photos by Michael Lichter This is a kick-off piece. For years I attended every show in the country and met all the old and new builders. As my travel budget decreased and my desire to work in the shop and go to Bonneville increased, I missed out on some of the shows and the chance to meet new builders. With the help of Michael Lichter, we are going to introduce Bikernet Readers to new, young, less well-known builders. The first one is Cole Rogers, from Lebanon, Ohio, who is 46 and has been building bikes since he was 15, when his brother scored a 1972 BSA A-70L for $300, 750 Lightening. There were only 201 built. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE ON BIKERNET JOIN THE CANTINA – SUBSCRIBE TODAY https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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Classic motorcycle ridden by George Lazenby has emerged for sale for £30,000

by Faith Ridler from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ On Her Majesty’s Secret Service: Classic motorcycle ridden by George Lazenby to the set of his only James Bond film goes on sale for £30,000 George Lazenby bought BSA Rocket III in 1969 and rode it on 17-mile commute He lived in Bayswater, London while filming On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Mr Lazenby, now 80, sold his motorcycle after the release of the sixth Bond film A classic motorcycle which George Lazenby used to ride to the set of his only James Bond film has emerged for sale for £30,000. The actor bought the BSA Rocket III in 1969 and rode it on his 17-mile commute from Bayswater, London to Pinewood Studios near Slough, Berkshire during filming for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Mr Lazenby, now 80, went on to sell the motorcycle after the release of the sixth James Bond film later that year. The Australian actor was the second to play the British secret service agent after Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice, who took on the role again in the 1971 film Diamonds Are Forever. Little is known about what happened to the bike after it was sold by Mr Lazenby until it was bought by its current owner, a collector based in Kent, in 2007. The unnamed vendor only discovered the machine was previously owned by the actor when he approached the BSA Owners Club, who revealed Mr Lazenby bought the motorcycle new in the 1960s. The collector has now fully restored the bike, with an engine and gearbox rebuild, new chrome and a repaint. During the restoration, a sidecar which had been installed after Mr Lazenby sold the bike was also removed. It will now be sold by Charterhouse Auctions in Sherborne, Dorset – who say they are expecting

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Whatever Happened to the Kawasaki J Shape-Shifting Electric Motorcycle?

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com In the very near future, electric motorcycles will become just as common as electric cars. There are countless startups working on such projects, and even giant Harley-Davidson has joined the party with the launch of the LiveWire. But there is one company that saw the potential of electric motorcycles years before all others. Back in 2013, at a time when electric cars were just beginning their ascension, Kawasaki introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show the J concept, a bike the likes of which the world had never seen before. Half a decade before Yamaha introduced the strangely shaped Niken, Kawasaki envisioned a motorcycle with two front wheels and also the ability to shorten and rise itself to suit a particular riding style. Moreover, the motorcycle was designed to be powered by an electric powertrain, something few thought about back then. The main trait of the motorcycle was that it could provide either a low riding position for high-speed motoring, or a more upright one just for cruising. It could do that by modifying the length and height of the wheelbase at a moment’s notice. The bike lacked handlebars in the traditional sense, and they were replaced by two controllers, governing each of the two front wheels. The concept looked fantastic, as you can see in the gallery above. It was of course too far fetched to actually spawn a production motorcycle anytime soon, but we would have expected at least some of the technologies previewed on it to actually make it into production. The two front wheel layout did, not at Kawasaki but over at Yamaha. The electric powertrain never made it into production at Kawasaki either – there is an electric version loosely based on the Ninja that was shown at EICMA 2019, but

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Royal Enfield Photon Electric Motorcycle Launch Price £20,000 approx.

by Abhinand Venugopal from https://www.rushlane.com This one-off Royal Enfield electric motorcycle was made by Newtown-based Electric Classic Cars Global automotive industries have termed EVs as the future of mobility and many environmentalists (actual and keyboard warriors) are glad about it. However, an ideal balance between electric vehicles and petrol hybrids would be the best scenario if the world really wishes to cut down emissions drastically. The reason for this is that many countries still depend on coal power plants to generate electricity. Hence, a world of only electric vehicles could only accelerate emissions, indirectly. On the bright side, the push towards electric mobility has introduced an array of interesting products. This ranges from the cost-effective Tata Nexon EV we have here to high-end performance cars such as Porsche’s Taycan Turbo S. Newtown-based (in Wales) Electric Classic Cars have done something similar at a smaller yet equally interesting scale. Dubbed as the Royal Enfield Photon, the project is essentially a Royal Enfield Bullet with an electric powertrain. It’s a one-off product like most other commissioned Porsche, Land Rover or Volkswagen projects from Electric Classic Cars. Attention to detail seems to have been one of the top priorities in the EV since it does not look like a half-baked design. The uber-retro electric motorcycle is finished in a beautiful shade of British Racing Green with neat-looking Gold pinstripes against gloss black. The quilted leather seat is done in tan. Purists may argue that it has ditched the original ‘Royal Enfield charm’, but it’s often forgotten that the current line of Bullet products employs an archaic architecture — especially in terms of output-to-displacement ratio. The story could take a twist when the next-gen ‘350’ models hit the market. The Royal Enfield Photon is powered by a 12kW (almost 16bhp) hub motor coupled to

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Benda Asura 400: Purely Chinese motorcycle with Indian name and somewhat inspired design

by Pradeep Shah from https://www.financialexpress.com/ The Benda Asura 400 comes with a single-sided swingarm, which is quite rare to see on a 400cc motorcycle. In the last few years, a lot of Chinese manufacturers have ventured into the motorcycling space. We have been bringing you a lot of stories on Chinese copy bikes that are particularly on sale in Pakistan. Well, today’s story is also about one Chinese motorcycle minus the fact that it is not on sale in our neighbouring country. This one is called the Benda Asura 400. What catches the attention at first is the Indian name used for naming the motorcycle. The Chinese manufacturer Benda had unveiled the quite futuristic-looking Asura 400 concept in February 2019. Now, very recently, the final production model has been revealed along with the technical specifications. For now, the Benda Asura 400 is on sale in China only with prices starting at 27,800 Chinese Yuan that translates to almost Rs 3 lakh as per the Indian currency. This is indeed a quite competitive price tag, keeping in mind the fact that the bike packs in modern and premium components like a single-sided swingarm, parallel-twin engine and more. Coming to the powertrain, Benda Asura 400 is powered by a 389cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine that is good for developing respective power and torque outputs of 36.7hp and 32Nm. However, while the concept was showcased, the company had claimed a maximum power torque of 43.5hp that was very much in line with that of the KTM 390 Duke. Acceleration time from a standstill to 100 kmph is 7 seconds while the top speed of the Asura is pegged at 160kmph. The company has also revealed the mileage which is 32.2kmpl, a figure that is reasonably impressive for a twin-cylinder engine. While you may think

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Harley-Davidson to hold virtual annual meeting, acting CEO says More Roads plan is working

by Margaret Naczek from https://www.bizjournals.com Amid the instability of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harley-Davidson Inc.’s acting president and CEO Jochen Zeitz reflected back on the advancements made in the More Roads to Harley-Davidson strategy in 2019. 2020 already was a pivotal year in the company’s strategic plan to grow more riders and expand dealership reach, but the year became a lot more crucial as the Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) looks to also overcome the difficulties during a pandemic. With concerns over public health and travel restrictions, Harley-Davidson organized its 2020 annual shareholders meeting to be conducted virtually via a live audio webcast on May 21, 2020. The annual meeting will elect nine directors to the board, approve the compensation of the company’s executive officers, approve amendments to the company’s restated articles of incorporation, approve the company’s 2020 incentive stock plan and ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as Harley-Davidson’s independent registered public accounting firm. “As we embark on our next chapter and seek new leadership, we are steadfast in our belief that we have both much to be proud of and much to look forward to,” Zeitz said in his letter to shareholders. On Feb. 28, Harley-Davidson announced former CEO Matt Levatich had stepped down and Zeitz would assume the role of acting president and CEO. The company is currently engaged in a search for new CEO. In his letter to shareholders, Zeitz shared some of the company’s accomplishments in 2019. While U.S. motorcycle sales continue to decline over consecutive quarters, Zeitz noted that in 2019 the rate of decline significantly tempered. “After four years of accelerating declines, such improvement was supported by our More Roads actions, notably in how we’re Amplifying our Brand and delivering on our New Products catalysts for growth,” Zeitz said in the letter. Recommended Some

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New Kalk INK SL Electric Motorcycle Revealed with $10K Price Tag for the U.S.

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com For a while now, a Swedish electric motorcycle manufacturer by the name of Cake has been moving to position itself as a noteworthy adversary in this expanding segment. Its moves have been rather shy so far, but as of this summer the company is going head on into the segment with a brand new entry. This week, Cake gave us a dose of optimism for an outdoor summer with the introduction of the Kalk INK SL, a vehicle meant to be used for off-roading and the casual trip to and from work in equal measure. Cake says the new bike can be legally used on the road both in the U.S. and Europe. It is based on the same technology that underpins other Cake Kalk products (OR, &, and INK), but modified in such a way as to provide the performance required from a street-legal electric motorcycle. Sharing the drivetrain, battery, and aluminum frame with the others from its family, the INK SL separates itself from the pack by making use of a non-linkage suspension at the rear and motocross suspension at the front, black fenders and bodywork made from polycarbonate and ABS, and two 19-inch wheels. In addition, as a means to make it legal to operate on the road, the motorcycle received turn signals, front headlight, rear brake light, and a license plate holder. Mechanically, the speed of the motorcycle has been increased to 62 mph (100 kph) to provide it with the required highway speeds. The range is of about three hours, which translates into anywhere between 22 to 53 miles (35 to 86 km), depending on how it is ridden. “With the launch of the Kalk INK SL, we introduce the fourth model of street-legal CAKE bikes next to the Kalk&

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Custom BMW R nineT Is a Two-Wheeled Lost in Space Robot

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com BMW’s latest motorcycle wonder, the R 18, is the freshest Bavarian creation, and the world keeps talking about it even days after it was launched by the Germans. But there are other BMW motorcycles worth talking about, both factory-made and custome, like the R nineT we have here. When BMW announced it is building a cruiser motorcycle based on the new Big Boxer engine it developed, it did so by tasking custom builders with advertising the powerplant. This is how with about a year left until the actual unveiling of the R 18, we got the Custom Works Zon R18, and later the Revival Birdcage. But the R nineT is even more tunable as the R 18, it seems. The bike pictured here is the result of work conducted in Moscow by a builder called Zillers Garage, allegedly with the support of BMW Motorrad Russia. It is, in essence, a tuned-up, futuristic version of a stock R nineT. Officially scheduled to have been shown at the now canceled Moscow motorcycle show, the bike made its online premiere this week. It presents itself as a stock two-wheeled Bimmer that sheds its skin and wrapps itself in a shell of aluminum, one that ends at the front with a large HID lamp that brings back memories of Lost in Space’s Robot. According to the information available, the modifications made to the standard motorcycle include altering the suspension to bring the body closer to the ground, some changes to the brake and clutch levers, and the additions of buttons required to control the air suspension. The engine of the R nineT remains the original one, and no modifications have been made to it. That translates into a 1,170cc powerplant, developing 110 hp and controlled by means of a

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Honda e and CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE win Design Awards in the “Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020”

Source: Honda and http://www.jcnnewswire.com TOKYO, Mar 30, 2020 – – Honda announced that the all-new Honda e electric vehicle and the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE supersport bike won product design awards in one of the most respected awards in the world, the Red Dot Award(1). Honda e Honda e won “Red Dot: Best of the Best 2020” in the automobile category, and also received “Red Dot 2020” in the meta category of “Smart Products”. Honda e is a new-generation electric vehicle focused on a simple design and ease of use built upon Honda’s philosophy of human-centric design, while bringing new values to customers that meet the needs of modern urban life through seamlessly connected technology and outstanding driving dynamics. Honda e’s dashboard features two large touchscreens which display a wide range of applications and connected infotainment services in a lounge-like atmosphere, seamlessly integrating with the occupants’ urban lifestyle. By accessing various connected services displayed on these large touchscreens, the driver and occupants can enjoy the same connectivity and comfort while driving, stationary or charging. The battery is situated under the floor, realizing a low center of gravity and a firm footing despite its small size, and contributes to an optimum balance between stability and handling. CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE received “Red Dot 2020” in the motorcycle category. The CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE was announced at EICMA 2019 in Milan, Italy in November 2019, with sales soon beginning in Europe. Positioned as the top flagship of CBR series, the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE was developed with the concept, “TOTAL CONTROL for the Track”, pursuing high performance on the track and in races. Its engine was designed with technologies from the RC213V MotoGP machine which continues to win world titles, resulting in the most powerful engine for a CBR yet. The frame has enhanced stability under acceleration and

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