retro

Honda CB200 Modified Into An Electric Motorcycle

by Arun Prakash from https://www.rushlane.com The electric powertrain of the modified Honda CB200 has fitted onto a stylish aluminum enclosure Manufacturing EVs from scratch is an uphill task in itself but it is a whole new level of challenge when one has to convert a vehicle already fitted with an IC engine. We have earlier witnessed such projects being undertaken in four-wheelers such as Land Rovers and VW Beetles but this time an electric powertrain has been fitted into a motorcycle. An aftermarket workshop named Omega Motors, based out of San Francisco in USA, has converted a 1975 Honda CB200 into an electric motorcycle. The donor model back in 1970s and 80s was a hot-selling retro-style motorcycle with a cafe racer design. The makers of this modified prototype haven’t tried to alter the design of the motorcycle in any way. Updated Styling Rechristened as Omega EV200, it still retains a part-scrambler and part-cafe racer design with round headlamps, single-piece ripped seat and wire-spoke wheels lending it a retro appeal. The electric CB200 gets refurbished front forks, wheels and brakes while retaining the cable-actuated front brake and rear drum brake. Subtle modifications have been made to the chassis in order to incorporate a battery and electric motor setup. The frame has been shortened and the welded-in rear fender has been chopped off. The pillion footpegs have also been removed while a small part of its spine has also been cut in order to weld a mounting plate for the controller. Interestingly, the motor mounts from the original bike have been left intact while the new battery pack and electric motor are attached via a set of custom mounting plates. Specs & Features Speaking of specifications, the motorcycle has been fitted with an electric motor sourced from Golden Motor and raed to […]

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Yamaha XSR125 makes global debut

from https://www.financialexpress.com Smallest neo-retro XSR to launch in Europe in June. A new-retro-styled Yamaha has just been revealed which would make fun daily commuter, enter XSR125 – the smallest XSR to date. The Japanese manufacturer is expanding its 125cc portfolio with the XSR125 which is based on the same platform as the MT-125 and R125 but with classic clothing. Although it packs a range of modern features which are quite a necessity now. Yamaha XSR125 is powered by a 124cc liquid-cooled SOHC engine that puts out 14.7 bhp at 10,000 rpm and 11.5 Nm of torque at 8,000 rpm and is paired with a six-speed transmission. The engine boasts advanced Variable Valve Actuation and is Euro V compliant. Being a neo-retro, the XSR125 gets a round headlamp casing but with an LED lamp and an LED tail lamp as well, a rounded fuel tank design, and a long flat seat. Bodywork has been kept at its minimal with the underbelly revealing the engine and radiator, but it does get an engine guard. The instrument cluster is a retro-themed LCD display with a chrome outer finish. Colour options include Redline, Impact Yellow and Tech Black, along with contrasting decals for each. Suspension setup includes 37 mm upside-down forks and swingarm for the rear and brakes are covered by a 267 mm disc up front and a 220 mm at the rear. Tyre sizes are 110 and 140, front and rear. It weighs in at 140 kg with a seat height of 815 mm, 160 mm ground clearance and a fuel tank capacity of 11 litres.

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Royal Enfield is coming after Harley-Davidson

In its last financial year before the pandemic struck, Enfield company sold about 824,000 bikes globally. Harley, by contrast, shipped about 218,000. Last year Enfield company doubled the size of one of its three factories, bringing overall production capacity to 1.2 million motorcycles a year. To build buzz Enfield company has tried marketing to American customizers and flat-track competitors, and in 2018 it put Cayla Rivas, a teenage motorcycle racer, on a souped-up Continental in pursuit of a speed record for its bike class—and compelling footage for YouTube. (She hit 157 mph on Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats.) Although it may sound counterintuitive, “the U.S. and Europe are very important” to making Enfield the aspirational bike of choice for the developing world, he says. Lal wants to be as big a player in the West as possible, but he argues that Royal Enfield doesn’t necessarily have to sell that many bikes in developed countries for the strategy to be considered a success. What it does need to do is move enough to give them a patina of cool at home and in other emerging markets, such as Southeast Asia. Read the full article at Bloomberg. Click Here.

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One-Off Honda VF500C Magna Prides Itself with Tasty Retro Livery

by Silvian Secara from https://www.autoevolution.com Germans never fail to amaze us with their fascinating displays of top-grade engineering. Let me tell you, ANX Prototypes’ Nick Xiromeritis is no stranger to the automotive industry. Over the course of several years, this Detroit-born petrolhead’s career would carry him all around the globe. After spending a good chunk of time working for Mazda in Japan, he took off to Paris, where he was employed by Renault. As of today, he lives in Cologne, Germany. Xiromeritis founded his very own workshop a few years ago, while his interests gradually shifted towards motorcycles. He shares the workspace with none other than JvB Moto’s Jens vom Brauck, a gifted aftermarket surgeon that’ll happily tackle just about any two-wheeled custom exploit. For a clear demonstration of Nick’s abilities, we’ll be having a quick look at one of his spectacular undertakings. The project is based on Honda’s feral 1983 VF500C, otherwise known as V30 Magna. Needless to say, this bad boy loves its intricate retro-styled livery! Before we go into any details about the build itself, we’ll start by reminding ourselves of the donor’s main specs. This fiendish piece of machinery is brought to life by a ruthless four-stroke V4 powerplant, with a total of 16 valves and as many as four 34 mm (1.34 inches) Keihin carburetors. The liquid-cooled DOHC leviathan boasts a compression ratio of 11.0:1 and a respectable displacement of 498cc. Additionally, it has a glorious redline of 12,500 rpm. At around 11,500 revs, this nasty animal is capable of delivering up to 68 bhp, along with a torque output of 32 pound-feet (43 Nm) at 10,500 rpm. The engine’s force travels to a chain final drive by means of a six-speed transmission. Ultimately, this whole shebang enables VF500C to reach a top speed of

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Honda CB-F Concept revealed: Announces virtual motorcycle show

by Rahul Kapoor from https://www.financialexpress.com/ Due to the Coronavirus forcing the cancellation of the Osaka and Tokyo Motorcycle Shows, Honda has taken digital measures to showcase its new concept. Say hello to the Honda CB-F Concept retro-sports-naked motorcycle. Honda was scheduled to premiere its all-new concepts and motorcycles at the 36th Osaka Motorcycle Show 2020 and the 47th Tokyo Motorcycle Show. However, as both events have now been cancelled due to the global epidemic of the coronavirus, Honda decided that they were having none of it and went on with the premiere of their biggest showcase of the event, digitally. Honda has revealed its new concept motorcycle, the Honda CB-F Concept, a retro-styled sports naked motorcycle, a category that Honda likes to call “Neo-Retro Sports”. Honda has styled the concept to pay homage to the highly popular CB900F/CB750F models as a way to revisit the CB series’ six-decade-long history. The concept is said to be powered by a 998cc, water-cooled, 4-valve, inline 4-cylinder DOHC engine is said to provide easy power through the rev range and ample torque. How much power and torque is something that Honda has decided to keep to themselves for the moment, although it is paired with a 6-speed transmission. But essentially, the underpinnings of the concept are similar to the CB1000R as the motor is the same 145hp unit that churns out 104Nm for the CB1000R. For suspension duties, Honda has employed inverted forks at the front and a mono-shock rear suspension with a single-sided swingarm which Honda is made from lightweight aluminium. The bike measures 2,120mm in length, 790mm in width, and 1,070mm in height. Honda’s current global line-up consists of two high-capacity bikes in this segment. They include the CB1100 and the CB1300. The CB-F concept could spawn a replacement for the CB1000R

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Win this Retro Custom Panhead Bobber

If you have dreamed of building and riding a custom Panhead with a big motor and all the updates, here’s your chance to WIN the bike of your dreams! The hard work is done. The build components top notch. The custom fabrication, paint and assembly everything you would hope for as it was done in the J&P Cycles shop. The bike came out so well HOT BIKES featured the build in the May and June 2006 issue, and Corbin’s RIDE ON TV show featured the build in 2006 as well. The Museum’s drawing was held and it was given away to a winner at the end of 2006, But John Parham, who loved the bike, bought it back from the winner. Now Jill Parham has donated it to the Museum and it’s become the National Motorcycle Museum’s 2020 Fund-Raiser Bike! 2nd Prize is $500.00 J&P Cycles Credit 3rd Prize is $250.00 J&P Cycles Credit CLICK HERE TO DONATE John Parham supervised the build and here’s how it came together. Starting with Chopper Guys’ Fat Guys Rigid Custom frame and chrome Paughco wide springer fork and triple tree, the stock geometry chassis came together. Wheels are 40 spoke by DNA; 16 inch rear, 19 inch front for good handling. Brakes are the best; polished PM calipers with massive 11.5 inch Russell rotors. Fenders are straight from the J&P Cycles catalog as are the tanks and caps. But through custom fabrication, the oil tank is in the right fuel tank. Tail light is Knucklehead era. The ride is enhanced by the Burly handlebar, Lepera seat, footboards, lighting and controls from J&P Cycles with turn signals by Auto-Gem. Powder coating was handled by Custom Z Powdercoating. Red and silver paint plus unique graphics incorporating gold leaf were done by Scott Takes, Underground Studios right here in Iowa. Using S&S cases,

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Could Kawasaki Be Planning A GPz900R Comeback?

by Justin Hughes from https://www.rideapart.com It’s wild speculation time. Retro bikes are all the rage these days. As a GenXer whose first several bikes were UJMs from the early 1980s, I appreciate it. I am the market these bikes are trying to tap into. While the Suzuki Katana is one of the first to apply the retro formula to a true sportbike, I suspect that there may be another one potentially on the horizon: a remade Kawasaki GPz900R. The original GPz900R became famous in the original Top Gun as Tom Cruise raced an F-14 Tomcat down the runway. The trailer for Top Gun: Maverick shows him riding the same bike (albeit without a helmet, which is not only a bad idea but something the Navy would never allow him to do in the real world). We also know that he’ll be riding an H2R in the movie, so clearly Maverick isn’t against upgrading his ride while staying loyal to the Kawasaki brand. Kawasaki has also found success with the Z900RS retro naked bike. It has classic 1980s styling, yet packs all the performance and safety features you want in a modern motorcycle. I absolutely loved the Z900RS I rode last summer at a demo day. So did Kate, who would opt for the Z900RS Cafe. The standard Z900 is also a great bike, but the retro version is what speaks to me. With Suzuki throwing down the gauntlet with the Katana, there may be room out there for a competing retro sportbike. The Katana has a larger 999 cc engine, and Kawasaki would have to choose between competing against it with a Ninja 1000-based literbike or remaining true to the original GPz900R’s displacement. Either choice could be a winning proposition, particularly with Top Gun: Maverick providing a perfect opportunity to

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Kawasaki Announces the 2020 W800 and Z H2 Motorcycles

2020 W800 Motorcycle Evolution of Japan’s Original Big Bike The all-new Kawasaki W800 is Kawasaki’s latest addition to Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.’s retro lineup of motorcycles. It’s a true throwback to its 1960’s predecessor, the famed Kawasaki W1. For 2020, Kawasaki brings class-leading authentic styling, sound, and feel to the category of retro motorcycles. In building the W800, Kawasaki has meticulously crafted one of the most authentic retro bikes in appearance and design, paying homage to the past, all while tastefully incorporating modern technology and features. With the arrival of the W800, riders in search of a taste of history can now enjoy two flavors of W, the W800 and the W800 CAFE. 2020 Z H2 Hypernaked Motorcycle Supernaked Just Got Supercharged Kawasaki’s legacy of creating motorcycles that have unrivaled performance, excitement, and Sugomi™ styling continues with an all-new flagship model of the Kawasaki Z line of naked motorcycles, the 2020 Z H2. With the arrival of the hypernaked Z H2 and its powerful, balanced supercharged engine, the second chapter of Kawasaki’s Z history is about to begin and marks the beginning of a new era. Featuring a powerful and balanced supercharged engine, performance can be enjoyed across its entire rev range while still offering superb fuel efficiency. The innovative new Z H2 offers refined naked styling, a high level of handling and comfort, plus the latest technology worthy of the new Z series flagship model.

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Easyriders National Invitational Bike Show 2019

The Final Chapter of Re-Birth of a Shovelhead By the Stealth There were bikes from all over the country, California, Texas, Michigan, New York, Virginia just to name a few. There was serious competition here! Every style bike was represented, early style choppers, antiques, club style, baggers, drag and retro stock, they were all here! I think there were eight bikes that won the Peoples’ Choice vote, and they were moved into the Invitational class. I love the Shovelhead, the bike is named GLORY DAYS because it takes me back to some of my GLORY DAYS! READ THE FULL STORY with exclusive photos at Bikernet.com Cantina – Click here – Subscribe today www.Bikernet.com  

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