Motorcycle Talk from Sabikers http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:20:44 +0000 1440 http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13949-arent-you-glad-you-live-in-south-africa/ California Wants Quieter Motorcycles
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California Wants All Exhaust to Be EPA Approved

It’s a trend that is quietly building momentum across the country. States and Cities are enacting legislation to force motorcyclists to comply with federal noise emission standards as a way to quiet loud pipes.

On Monday August 30, California joined the growing number of states who passed legislation making it a crime to operate a motorcycle manufactured after Jan. 1, 2013, without a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency label certifying that the bike’s exhaust meets the federal standard.

The problem, say critics, is that most of the EPA stamps and labels on stock exhaust pipes are difficult if not impossible to find and as a result, many motorcyclists will be unfairly ticketed and harrassed.

The police chief of North Hampton Maine told lawmakers that clean stock pipes on the police department’s Harley-Davidson’s are easy to locate if you lay on the ground, but that would require two officers to check. ”I would still need two people (present when checking a motorcycle for the EPA label),” Page was quoted on Seacoast online saying that he would want one officer in position to watch the operator while the other checked for the label. “I’m not going to have anyone lie under the cycle with the rider (on it).”

New York and Denver have passed similar legislation this year.

]]> Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:20:44 +0000 http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13949-arent-you-glad-you-live-in-south-africa/ http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13941-coming-2011-kawasaki-z750r/ Z750R 2011.

Is this going to be a race bike?
]]> Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:11:23 +0000 http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13941-coming-2011-kawasaki-z750r/ http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13923-bmw-special-editions/ Press release

BMW Motorrad is excited to announce two special edition motorcycles as part of it’s 2011 range: the F 800 ST Touring and K 1300 R Dynamic. These new editions will join BMW’s comprehensive range of motorcycles, providing customers with a range of factory-fit options and accessories at a significant saving. There are also new audio options for the R 1200 RT. A selection of new colour schemes are available across the range, including two for the award-winning S 1000 RR supersport bike.



F 800 ST Touring
The F 800 ST is a popular parallel twin sports-touring motorcycle which combines an economic engine with a sporty chassis and looks. The ‘Touring’ special edition is designed to make long-distance riding even easier with a range of options and accessories. Available to order now.

Features:

• ABS
• Key-matched, expandable Sport Panniers (15L-25L capacity each side)
• On-board Computer
• Heated Grips
• Main Centre Stand
• New 2011 colours
• £1658 worth of official BMW options and accessories
• OTR price is £8510 - a saving of £458 over standard model

K 1300 R Dynamic
The K 1300 R is BMW’s largest capacity naked street bike which combines sleek, minimalist looks with a stunning engine. The ‘Dynamic’ special edition features a selection of options and accessories which enhance its aesthetics and performance even further. Available to order now.

Features:

• Electronic Suspension Adjustment 2
• Gear Shift Assist
• Sports Wheels
• On-board Computer
• Heated Grips
• Sport Windshield
• LED Indicators
• New 2011 colours
• £1835 worth of official BMW options and accessories
• OTR price is £11,250 - a saving of £835

New BMW R 1200 RT features:
The audio package for the 2011 BMW R 1200 RT has been upgraded. It now features integrated Bluetooth audio and telephone handsfree kit connectivity and improved menu navigation software.

2011 new colour options
Alongside the new special editions and R 1200 RT audio package, the 2011 BMW Motorrad range includes a selection of new colour options for the F-, K- and S-series motorcycles. The following new colours are available on 2011 motorcycles:

BMW F 800 ST/Touring:

• Sapphire Black Metallic
• Light Grey/Sapphire Black/Granite Grey Metallic

BMW F 800 R:

• Bright Yellow Metallic/Black Silk Gloss
• Granite Grey/Black Silk Gloss
• Alpine White non-metallic/Lupine Blue Metallic/Magma Red non-metallic

BMW K 1300 S:

• Magma Red non-metallic/Sapphire Black metallic
• Lupine Blue metallic/Alpine White non-metallic/Sapphire Black metallic

BMW K 1300 R/Dynamic:

• Acid Green metallic/Black silk gloss
• Black silk gloss/Granite Grey metallic matt

BMW S 1000 RR:

• Shine Yellow metallic
• Light Grey metallic

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Love the small fairings but the paint job ummmmm http://sabikers.co.za/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/huh.gif but I suppose as a promotional show piece .........

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[IMG]http://sabikers.co.za/forum/uploads/1282294493/gallery_2375_8_41229.jpg[/IMG]]]> Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:45:00 +0000 http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13917-custom-r1/ http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13910-ping-paul-zx/ Boet I sent business to your side.. answer your phone or answer mail on soundslave Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:16:53 +0000 http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13910-ping-paul-zx/ http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13907-mv-saviour/ Is this the bike that saves MV Agusta?
http://dalefranks.com/cycles/wp-content/themes/Kneeslider2/images/postdateicon.png August 11th, 2010 | http://dalefranks.com/cycles/wp-content/themes/Kneeslider2/images/postauthoricon.png Author: Dale Franks Italians seem to be pretty happy that MV Agusta is back in Italian hands, “where it belongs” according to Italian motorsport enthusiasts. Sadly, though, while Harley-Davidson gave MV a reprieve from an untimely death, it remains to be seen whether that temporary reprieve turns into a permanent salvation. Hiring Massimo Bordi, who did fantastic work making Ducati successful, as MV’s new CEO is a good first step, but some of MV’s old problems are still there. Before the Harley purchase, MV produced fantastically expensive bikes in very small numbers. Reliability problems were an issue, and troublesome one, as MV Agusta dealers were few and far between. The slightest mechanical problem might keep an MV off the road for weeks or months while some arcane part was produced and shipped from Italy.

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2011 MV Agusta F3 Spy Shot

But that may be changing. In an interview with the Italian web site Il Solo 24 Ore (Italian), MV’s new owner–or is that re-owner–Claudio Castiglioni, opens up about the bike he hopes will save the company.

Pictured at left is the brand new MV Agusta F3. According to Castiglione, the F3 is powered by a 675cc triple, just like the Triumph Daytona 675. This bike will come in a base model, as well as an upgraded “sport” model.

Where things get really interesting is that Castiglioni quotes a base model price of €9,000 ($11,520 at today’s exchange rate), and a price of around €10,500 ($13.440) for the sport edition. The actual price in US terms probably won’t reflect straight exchange rate calculations, however, so, we might see a price of around $10,000 here in the US. They’re also planning an as yet unnamed Brutale-like model of this bike, which will probably go for somewhere in the vicinity of $9,000, pleasing the fans of naked bikes.

At that price point, the F3 seriously undercuts the $12,995 sticker price for the base model of the Ducati 848, and even puts it in direct competition with the Triumph Daytona’s MSRP of $10,000. With pricing at that level, Castiglioni hopes that MV can sell 10,000 of these bikes next year.

Having said that, it’s still an open question whether MV even has the capacity to produce 10,000 supersports in the next year. If they can–and they can sell them–then MV stands a good chance of not returning to it’s pre-2009 state of slowly running into the ground.]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:29:15 +0000 http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13907-mv-saviour/ http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13905-bike-trends/ The Next Motorcycle Trend May Be No Trend at All
by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 8/17/2010

in Motorcycle Builders,Motorcycle Business,Motorcycle Design

"Choppers are over." That's really old news, their day came and went and may, some time down the road, come again, ... or maybe not. What's interesting are comments we see on many posts here showing a cafe racer, board tracker, street tracker or some other style of motorcycle where the complaint is we're seeing too many of those, implying that style is also too popular and reaching the end of a cycle. It makes a person wonder, what's next?

Whenever there's a style or trend in bike building, it means everyone is building one, or in terms of owners, everyone wants one in their garage, but, the truth is, "everyone" never wants one, some riders do, some don't, some never will. Maybe we should stop talking about "everyone" and start concentrating on just you or me.

When choppers became popular, TV shows popped up, custom builders everywhere were turning them out, small manufacturers grew larger, they exploded in numbers and a lot of guys looking for a weekend hobby thought choppers were what motorcycles were all about. At the same time, a lot of riders never thought much of choppers and never wanted one. They continued to buy what they liked and the chopper fad faded away without affecting their riding in any way. There's always a market for motorcycles of every type, absolutely everything has a dedicated family of followers, the problem of styles, fads or trends is manufacturers need something big to support sales in large numbers, maybe the day of any style being dominant is over and ALL styles can have their place ALL the time.

When a fad dies out, you see hundreds or thousands of those bikes for sale and it brings out comments like, "no one is buying those anymore." It's not true, some of those bikes for sale are snapped up by bargain hunters who still want one but couldn't afford the hot trendy prices of the recent past. There's always someone willing to buy because people are different in their choices, tastes and desires. When someone says too many of a certain style of bike are being built it usually means, there are a lot of bikes being built they don't personally like and if they say too few exist, it means no one is building what they personally want.

Manufacturers selling a bike based on trends and fads, are the ones in jeopardy because when the fad dies, the numbers drop fast. If another trend doesn't follow quickly, the company sinks. If manufacturers are selling something more utilitarian, those sales tend to be much more stable. The Japanese companies are selling far fewer sport bikes and cruisers over here in the US and probably world wide, but those same companies are selling huge numbers of 125cc bikes in Asia, hot trend versus utility transportation. Companies like Harley Davidson are looking for countries around the world where the big cruiser and Harley style still appeal to large numbers of riders with disposable income to spend, a tougher target, but that's the narrow choice they've made, it's a niche market strategy requiring mass market numbers.

Smaller builders and manufacturers appealing to solid niche markets could be in better shape than you might think as long as their success doesn't depend on selling in big numbers and isn't attached to a fad. A small builder trying to capitalize on sales to a larger market already served by the big guys and lots of other small builders is going to be vulnerable when the market turns.

On the other hand, if someone wants that cafe racer or street tracker or board tracker or anything else, those could be solid markets for a small builder to cater to. They may never support sales numbers the Japanese big four would like or Harley or the European builders, but they could provide a nice business and keep the riders looking for those styles happy.

A big problem in the motorcycle industry is it requires big numbers, lots of buyers after one kind of bike. Maybe that day is over, it's now all niche, all the time and that's not a market the big guys are comfortable serving. Maybe we should forget the next hot style or big trend, let's think about what everyone individually wants, all of the styles, all of the applications and riding types, all of the displacements and engine types, all of the time. Small builders don't need to start their own trend, they just need to find a small niche, probably too small for the big guys to cater to, and focus on them. Think small builder for small niche and let the big companies worry about trends and fads. Instead of selling to "everyone," just focus on you and me and the next rider, the guys that buy and ride. If someone finds a trend in the resulting sales numbers, let them chase it]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:10:46 +0000 http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13905-bike-trends/ http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13904-scary-stats/
It's not nice seeing these kind of statistics, specially when you're on holiday. In Belgium, according to the authorities, this summer, a motorcycle rider died every other day on their roads.

Since June, when the weather cleared up, many took their motorcycles out of the garage for the first time this year. With no honed reflexes and built-in danger warning systems, the bikers became easy victims of the deadly roads.

It's not that the bikers were at fault, since the stats show that only 20-25% of the accidents were caused by the bikers themselves, but with inactivity comes the non-ability to "see" the traffic situations up ahead. If you ride your motorcycle everyday, then you can see the cages making stupid and lethal mistakes, but if you've lost touch, you will not.

So the moral of the story is: keep on riding.]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:07:06 +0000 http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13904-scary-stats/ http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13897-bmw-r100-race-replica/
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You can read more here]]> Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:37:14 +0000 http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13897-bmw-r100-race-replica/ http://sabikers.co.za/forum/index.php?/topic/13892-ktm-wins-bike-econorun/
Gurnell completed the 900km, two-day contest, held as always over the roller-coaster roads of Mpumalanga Province (who said it was supposed to be easy?) with a fuel-consumption figure of 3.22 litre/100 km.

Second overall and first in class B (701-1000cc) was previous winner Peter de la Rey on a BMW 800 (3.38 litres/100 km) with another former winner, Graham Mephius on a Kawasaki ER6F (3Jerry Paice finished 35th with blind navigator Bonita Blankenberg riding pillion.56 litres/100 km), third for the second consecutive year and runner-up in class A.

Making up the top 10 were Mike Peel on a BMW F800ST (fourth overall and second in class , Grant Scott (fifth overall and third in class A on a BMW 650 CS), Andre Schoeman (sixth overall and winner of class G – adventure motorcycles up to 1000 cc - on a BMW F650GS), first rookie Charl Krebs (seventh overall on a class A Kawasaki ER6F), first woman rider Dianne du Rand (eighth overall on a class A BMW F650CS), Callie Fouche (ninth overall on a class G BMW F800GS) and Gerhard Schutte (10th overall on a class A Kawasaki ER6N).

Jerry Paice, a regular driver in the Blind Navigators Rally championship, finished 35th overall on a Kymco Xciting scooter with blind navigator Bonita Blankenberg riding pillion.

BMW F650 CS rider Kristene Smuts, who made history in 2009 when she became the first woman rider to win the event, came close to making it two in a row but a missed turn-off in Middelburg cost her a 16Clive Strugnell crashed only 44sec from the start.5-litre penalty and she finished 44th out of 53 riders.

Clive Strugnell, who has competed in all 29 motorcycle economy runs, had the misfortune to fall off his Suzuki SV1000 only 44sec from the start and was awarded the Bertus Luus memorial trophy for good sportsmanship.

CLASS WINNERS

Class C: (1011cc to 1200cc)
George Booker, KTM RC8, 20th overall, 4.58 litres/100 km.
Class D: (1201cc and above)
Neil Smith, Suzuki GSX, 19th overall, 4.51 litres/100 km.
Class E: (sport touring)
Dave Adam, BMW 1300GT, 22nd overall, 4.78 litres/100 km.
Class F: (luxury touring):
Johan Nelson, BMW R1200RT, 15th overall, 4.42 litres/100 km.
Class H (adventure motorcycles 1001cc and above)
Kevin Martens, BMW R1200GS, 23rd overall, 4.81 litres/100 km.
Class I: (cruisers)
Doug Moss, Triumph, 27th overall, 4.99 litres/100 km.
Class J: (pillion up to 1200 cc):
Marchand and Elaine Rossouw, BMW F650GS, 13th overall, 4.35 litres/100 km.
Class K: (pillion 1201cc and above)
Lawrence and Emmery Meintjies, BMW K1300S, 25th overall, 4.93 litres/100 km.
Class L (bikes older than 10 years)
Tobie Beetge, BMW R1150GS, 42nd overall, 5.78 litres/100 km.
Class M: (modified)
Daan and Glenda Hugo, Kawasaki ZZR1200, 32nd overall, 5.22 litres/100 km.

http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5603351&fSectionId=3558&fSetId=381
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