We already knew BMW’s subsidiary Husqvarna is planning three new road bike models due for launch in 2012, so we were getting excited to hear news on how the project is going. The company has just introduced details on the engine that will power the first street bike model, which apparently is an unexpected 900cc unit.

The company decided to use the BMW F800R’s 800cc twin-cylinder engine that would have been adapted to the specific needs of Husqvarna’s new bike concept.

The capacity has therefore been upgraded to 900cc and many of the main components have been reworked for an increase in power and torque. The air-box and exhaust layouts have been designed to create the optimum balance of performance and functionality in terms of weight reduction and mass distribution.

Husqvarna isn’t letting any other information out at this stage other than  claiming the power delivery is linear and smooth at low rpm, but strong and outstanding at high revs. “This means that the bike is easy to ride, giving immediate confidence to less experienced riders, while also delivering a great riding experience for more accomplished and experienced motorcyclists,” Husqvarna explains.

“We are very excited about the future for Husqvarna. Thanks to the massive resources BMW is able to put in place, Husqvarna will benefit from their R&D capabilities and expertise to launch a new breed of road motorcycles,” Massimo Granata, General manager at HVUK Ltd said.

“The first bike to be launched using the new 900cc power plant will be a naked street bike in two versions (standard and factory). The bike will retain the distinctive Husqvarna aggressive lines, performance and balance. The same power plant will then be the base for other exciting new Husqvarna models that will be launched in the years to come,” he added.
Article Written by: Alina Dumitrache

Share

Thanks to our friends of at Burly Brand for posting this on Twitter!

You can check out more footage by clicking here

Share

There’s a short list of talented custom bike builders out there who use baggers as their medium. Coincidentally, two of the best come out of Arizona. Jim Nasi out of Phoenix is one of them. Nasi opened his own shop in 1998 and has been honing his craft since. From full on bagger conversions to custom parts, Nasi products are a hot commodity. We caught up with Jim at the 2011 Laughlin River Run where we had a chance to ask him a few quick questions.

Motorcycle USA: What led you down the path to become a custom builder?

Jim Nasi: Well, I was born and raised in Detroit. My two older brothers and my father did a lot of street rods and cars. I relocated to Arizona. You can’t ride motorcycles that much in Detroit, you know. The weather was better and bikes were just more popular over here so I started to get into them.

What have you been working on recently?

A lot of the bagger stuff. Baggers are real popular so we’re making a lot of parts. And there’s so much you can do to a bagger. When you build a custom and you do the work to it, it is what it is. You’re not going to add anything else to it. But a bagger you can just keep adding stuff on. So we spent a lot of time with R&D making some really good quality ABS products. Economical, obviously, with the economy now. Nice easy bolt-on parts, stuff like that.

What’s your hot selling product right now?

I have a brand new fairing out for the Street Glides and my side covers, I’ve been making those a long time. Stretched side covers. I have a bagger conversion kit, it’s an entire rear kit, saddlebags, steel fender, those are selling well, too. A lot of guys are bringing me their baggers and just dropping them off and letting me do my thing.

Where do you find inspiration for your builds?

A lot of is just things I’m thinking of. I mean, I’ve probably got about 10 bikes in my head right now that I want to build. You meet a customer and get to know them and talk to them about what they’re looking for and eventually I can use one of those bikes in my head to suit their needs.

Tell me a little bit about Sangre Azul.

That was built for a guy named Robert Renero in New Jersey who became a good friend of mine. He pretty much told me he wanted his family crest on the tank and his wife’s family crest on the front fender. It’s got kind of a medieval theme and he let me do whatever I wanted to. That was one of the bikes I had in my head. The airbrush and the black chrome, I wanted it to look like old armor sitting somewhere. I wasn’t going to put swords and s@#* all over it so what I did was make the whole bike look like a weapon. It’s got a 124 S&S engine, dual Keihin carbs, open belt primary, Baker 6-speed, front and rear air ride suspension, air-operated kickstand and a lot of homemade stuff.

The one out in front, the silver bagger, is my newest one. All steel and aluminum, no glass or plastic. Took over a year to build. Stretched the whole thing out. A lot of these baggers you see with the big front wheel and the back’s still kind of pushed in so we stretched it out so it’s more proportioned. It’s got a 24-inch front hoop and a thicker tire on it so the overall diameter is the same as a 26 but it’s got more meat on the tire.

I know you were with Titan Motorcycles. Now another similar company, Big Dog Motorcycles, has gone under. Do you think those styles of bikes are played out?

My brother’s been at Big Dog for 10 years. It seems like the mid-range guys just aren’t buying bikes anymore. That’s why what I’m doing is parts and high-end motorcycles. Unfortunately that middle range has just really taken a hit. It’s unfortunate, but that’s just the way it happened. And then the financing all went to crap. No one’s lending money anymore and those guys can’t buy those bikes.

Article Written by : Bryan Harley, Cruiser Editor  www.motorcycleusa.com

Share

Motorcycles a method to save on gas: wlfi.com

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – “That was a low one, but not bad,” said Tippecanoe County resident Chris Patrick as he calculated his gas mileage at a West Lafayette BP station.

On Monday, he found his motorcycle was giving him 33 miles per gallon. When he’s doing less city driving, he says he’s used to 38 to 40.

“When you figure out how much mileage you save, versus my SUV, which gets around 17 miles to the gallon, it [the motorcycle] actually will make up for itself almost, monthly payment wise,” Patrick said.

Patrick said as gas prices have climbed since 2007, he rides his motorcycle as much as he can in the summer.

Another motorcycle rider in Lafayette told NewsChannel 18 even the winter cold didn’t stop him, as he’s been riding his bike all year long.

At Beyond the Limits motorcycle shop in Lafayette, owner Cheryl Chapman said she sees plenty of customers just like Patrick. And the rising cost of fuel could make her familiar customers even more regular.

“We have a lot of customers that take care of what they have, and they bring it in during the winter time for their tuneups and their maintenance work that needs to be done so that they’re ready,” Chapman said.

While some people are finding it takes $50 to fill up their cars and SUVs, Chapman said motorcycles and mopeds take about $8 to fill up, and that gas will last you about 80-100 miles.

Since a tank usually holds about two gallons, riders are getting 40 to 50 miles per gallon, Chapman said.

She said those numbers are peaking the interest of new customers. And people are asking questions.

“‘What’s the gas mileage? Is it going to be lucrative for me to purchase this instead of my car?’” Chapman said. “Since the gas prices are skyrocketing and there’s not light at the end of the tunnel at this point.”

With the likelihood of more motorcycle riders on the road this spring, state police are warning drivers to pay attention.

According to Indiana State Police Sergeant Kim Riley, last year about 2,600 crashes across the state involved motorcycles. Those crashes led to more than 100 deaths.
Posted on www.wlif.com

Share

ATK is marketing its GT250 and GV250 motorcycles as perfect trainers for riders’ education classes. Last year, the Utah-based company partnered with S&T Motors to sell re- badged, small-displacement Hyosung motorcycles in America with plans to eventually assemble them in Utah. Among the models it acquired is a small, classic-styled, entry-level cruiser with a DOHC 75-degree V-Twin and a constant mesh five-speed transmission. It also has a more sport-oriented standard called the GT250 that’s powered by the same V-Twin engine.

ATK believes these motorcycles would be the perfect addition to a training fleet for motorcycle rider training courses like the one offered by the MSF. According to ATK, its 250cc motorcycles meet essential “MSF Training Bike Requirements” – they’re under 500cc, weigh less than 400 pounds and have a seat height under 30-inches. The company is also willing to furnish and support “trainer bikes” at dealer cost. ATK is promoting the idea of providing newbie riders a bike to take the course on with the prospect of selling them one after they complete their training.

ATK is giving dealers about a $500 price break on its GT250 and GV250 models with EFI, undercutting its competitors. Sportbikes with a comparable displacement to the GT250, the Ninja 250R and Honda CBR250R, both list for $3999. The GV250’s direct competitor, the Honda Rebel, also has an MSRP of $3999.

ATK launched a new website to showcase its recently acquired line of motorcycles and also is working to develop “The Women Riders Program.”

Article Written by : Bryan Harley Cruiser Editor motorcycle-usa.com

Share

Special Bike’s Fuel Tank Was Signed By Victory Bike Assembly Team in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

MEDINA, MN (March 31, 2011) – As part of its ongoing recognition and support of United States military personnel, Victory is sponsoring the MilitaryTimes.com “Warrior Made” series that recognizes the 12 greatest innovations in military history, and is giving away a special 2011 Vegas 8-Ball.

The fuel tank of the “Warrior Made” Vegas 8-Ball was signed by the entire production team that built the bike at Victory’s Spirit Lake, Iowa, final assembly plant. Several of those team members are military veterans themselves.

“Knowing the bike they were building would be awarded to the winner of the ‘Warrior Made’ give-away, the Victory team built the bike with a special sense of gratitude for our nation’s military personnel,” said Victory General Manager Steve Menneto. “We have the greatest respect for our military’s service and sacrifice, and are honored to support them through this and other Victory promotions.”

Registration for the “Warrior Made” bike give-away is available at MilitaryTimes.com, which also has complete contest details. The entry deadline is June 4, 2011. The website currently features the Victory-sponsored “Warrior Made” series, which recognizes “12 icons of American fighting forces that have come to symbolize true-grit ingenuity and the can-do spirit.” These innovations include the Jeep, the continuous track, camouflage, Kevlar, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and more.

Victory Military Support

Sponsorship of the “Warrior Made” series and the special Vegas 8-Ball give-away are the latest examples of Victory’s continuing support for active U.S. enlisted personnel. Victory has also teamed with Operation Gratitude to collect personal items for troops deployed worldwide, made a special contribution to Fort Hood in Texas in the aftermath of the 2009 incident, and featured military personnel and their motorcycles in Victory Rider magazine and on the Victory website.

Victory is currently offering the “Victory Full Throttle Salute,” which provides enlisted personnel with $1,000 cash back on the purchase of any new Victory motorcycle. This offer has been extended through June 30, 2011. Details and a downloadable coupon are available at www.victorymotorcycles.com.

The Vegas 8-Ball

The “Warrior Made” Vegas 8-Ball is a custom cruiser that’s long on style, value and performance. The Vegas 8-Ball is sleek and stylish, with a raised spine on the bodywork running the length of the bike, a split-tail fuel tank, and a tall front wheel. It is powered by the Victory Freedom 106/6 engine with a displacement of 106 cubic inches and a 6-speed transmission. The black bodywork and numerous blacked-out components give the Vegas 8-Ball a distinctive look, and make it an ideal candidate for customizing.

Like every Victory motorcycle built since the first bike rolled off the assembly line on July 4, 1998, final assembly of the “Warrior Made” Vegas 8-Ball took place at the Victory plant in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

About Polaris

With annual 2010 sales of $1.99 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the Polaris RANGER® Side x Sides, snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility use and has recently introduced a new on-road electric powered neighborhood vehicle.

Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry; and one of the largest manufacturers of ORVs in the world. Victory motorcycles established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the cruiser and touring motorcycle marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.

Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P MidCap 400 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.

Article by : Press Release Victory.com
Viewed Article on www.roadracingworld.com

Share

Honda has announced it will resume production at its motorcycle-manufacturing Kumamoto Factory on March 28. The company will extend its suspension of production for finished units, however, at the automotive facilities in Sayama, Saitama and Suzuka through April 3. Honda also announced more extensive delays at its Tochigi facilities, which were the most affected by the March 11 earthquake. – MCUSA Ed

Following is the most current information regarding the impact of the major earthquake in Northeastern Japan on Honda’s operations.

About the suspension of production
Honda had previously announced the suspension of production through Sunday, March 27. Today, Honda made the decision to extend the suspension of the production of finished units of automobiles at Sayama Plant at Saitama Factory (Sayama, Saitama) and Suzuka Factory (Suzuka, Mie) through Sunday, April 3, 2011. Concerning operations from April 4 on, Honda will make decisions based on the status of the recovery of Japanese society as a whole as well as the supply of parts. We deeply regret any inconvenience we may be causing our customers. Honda will resume motorcycle and power product production at Kumamoto Factory (Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto) on Monday, March 28.

Recovery of operations in the Tochigi area where the impact of the earthquake was more severe
At Tochigi Factory (Moka, Tochigi), the repair and inspection activities were completed for almost all facilities and equipment.

At other operations, including the Automobile R&D Center (Tochigi) of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. and Honda Engineering Co., Ltd., associates who will work on the restoration started returning to work. However, based on the expectation that it will take several months until the complete recovery of these facilities, Honda decided to temporally transfer some functions such as the automobile product development, development of manufacturing technologies and procurement to Honda operations in other locations such as Sayama, Suzuka, and Wako.

Recruiting activities for the next year – associates who would join the company in April 2012
On March 14, Honda announced that the testing/interviewing of applicants from the affected areas would be conducted in June or later even without their request so that people in the affected areas can focus on their daily life and recovery efforts. Today, considering the fact that the various issues are affecting people all over Japan, Honda decided to delay the entire recruiting process by about two months so that all of applicants can enter into the process without any concerns. Based on the changes in the situation, Honda will take additional measures as needed to reduce the burden on applicants as much as possible. More details will be posted on the recruiting section of the Honda website in April.

Honda is working toward the recovery with the utmost efforts, and appreciates the understanding shown by everyone during these challenging times.

Article Written by: Bart Madson Managing Editor motorcycle-usa.com

Share

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) motorcycle production facilities, located in Akashi, did not sustain any damage from the recent, tragic earthquake centered in the northern part of the country.

However, the company obviously relies on a large number of outside component suppliers and vendors in order to complete and deliver finished products. While normally relying on “just in time” daily deliveries from these business partners, KHI is understandably sensitive to the issues that many of them could be facing as a result of the recent tragedy. KHI will, as circumstances dictate, make adjustments to fit the needs of all concerned.

At this time, no long-term production stoppages are planned for the Akashi plant and Kawasaki plants in Thailand and the U.S. are in full operation.

Obviously, the tremendous devastation that has occurred in Japan, and the subsequent humanitarian issues, must take precedence, but KHI will strive to maintain successful business operations during this difficult time.

To provide support to those affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the presidents of all of the U.S.-based Kawasaki entities are collecting donations from employees and forwarding them to the American Red Cross. The U.S. organization will then forward the funds to the Japanese Red Cross, assuring distribution where help is needed most. Individual contributions by Kawasaki employees will qualify for the Kawasaki matching gift program.

The Kawasaki Good Times Foundation is contributing $50,000 to initiate the charitable giving campaign.

Share

Cruising down the road, hair blowing in the wind, living wild and free. That’s the American dream of riding a motorcycle on the open roads as one sees the landscape while being part of it, not driving through it with windows up, AC blowing and video playing to entertain the kids. Most motorcycles tend to be gas guzzlers, however, so it isn’t always the best for the environment. What about going electric instead?

As you can see from the photo gallery we’ve gathered below (each photo, if clicked on, enlarges the image and also offers a link to more information), there are a variety of electric motorcycle types to choose from. Some have classic motorcycle design, while others go for a sportier feel. All tend to go pretty fast, have a decent range and only require a short charging time before you are back on the highway.

For more information, along with more pictures of electric motorcycles, click here

Article Written by: Nino Marchetti,  www.earthtechling.com

Share

At the U.S. press introduction for the 2011 GSX-R750 and GSX-R600 models this past weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala., American Suzuki Motor Corporation generously donated the first production 2011 GSX-R750 in the United States to the impressive motorcycle collection at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum was founded by George Barber in 1994 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the presentation, interpretation, exhibition and history of motorcycles, vintage vehicles and motorsports. The collection on display at Barber Vintage Motorsports Musuem, according to Museum Director Jeff Ray, is considered the world’s largest collection of motorcycles, and features an eclectic array of models from around the world, spanning over 100 years of motorcycling history.

Suzuki donated this groundbreaking new sportbike to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum to both contribute to the Barber museum’s collection and cement the legacy of the revolutionary Suzuki GSX-R750 model for the public with a new 2011 model representing the innovative technology and performance of the GSX-R series.

“We are very honored to contribute this GSX-R750 to the Barber museum’s impressive collection,” said Suzuki’s Motorcycle/ATV Division Senior Communications Manager Steve Bortolamedi, “the GSX-R750 model, like the Barber museum itself, is an institution representing a commitment to power, technology and the history of performance motorcycling. It’s an honor for Suzuki to contribute this incredible sportbike to this remarkable collection.”

The donated 2011 model was signed by the Suzuki staff present, and now resides in the museum’s permanent collection overlooking the racetrack at the Barber Motorsports Park.

For more information on the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, please visit www.barbermuseum.org

For more information about Suzuki, please visit www.suzukicycles.com

Share