Motorcycles

Video: Steve McQueen Rides the 1970 Elsinore Grand Prix

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:57:01 -0600

The 1971 Bruce Brown motorcycle-racing documentary On Any Sunday is credited by many as perhaps the best of its kind ever made. In this segment, disseminated via YouTube for a generation that might otherwise never see it, Steve McQueen and his buddy Malcolm Smith spend a muddy day at the Elsinore Grand Prix. The grass roots motorsport event reminds us of much about racing that we love, helped in large measure by McQueen’s typical enthusiasm for the down-home GP. Be sure to stick around for aerial shots of Smith and McQueen weaving through traffic on dirt tracks.

+ YouTube: Elsinore Grand Prix - "On Any Sunday"

ELV to Display Electric Bicycles and Scooters at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show

Hardy Shen — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:40:35 -0600

Held every January in Las Vegas, NV, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will feature a Greener Gadgets Techzone section for 2009. The exhibits will be displayed in Central Hall, and highlight pioneering technologies that benefit the environment and sustainability of global economy.

Amongst the crowd will be ELV motors, one of the first electric transportation companies to participate at CES. The company presents a whole range of "Fleet Certified" electric bicycles and electric and hybrid scooters. At its booth will be both the regular and police versions of the company’s 2009 A2B electric bicycle, equipped with a 500 watt, throttle driven motor.

Also to be displayed at the ELV booth include the 2009 Verde Motors VM3000H, a 3000 watt, 149cc hybrid scooter that can travel 45mph with 130mpg, a dual motor E-1600 all electric scooter which has a 1600 watt dual motor electric scooter and can travel 30mph for up to 40 miles per charge, and finally the UM24 electric foldable commuter bicycle— a 250 watt pedal assisted electric bicycle that can travel 16 mph for 20 miles.

"New hi-tech and stylish electric bicycles like the A2B, the fun to ride electric scooters like the E-1600," said President & CEO of ELV Motors, Inc. Douglas Schwartz, "the all new Verde Motors hybrid gas/electric scooters are great ways to save money while helping to save our environment,"

The company believes that these electric bikes and scooters will be perfect for anyone— including companies, fleets, security patrol, police, commuters, students, and vacationers— who want to save money in an environmentally conscious way.

Custom Scooters from Japan

John Beltz Snyder — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:17:22 -0600

Like rats, we have an affinity for shiny objects. We especially like
shiny objects that go "vroom." It follows, then, that we find these
custom Japanese scooters to be worth a peek. Pink Tentacle put
together a gallery of some of Japan's most photogenic scooters, ranging
from artistic to futuristic to unnecessary.

Click through the gallery above for some examples.

+ Pink Tentacle: Japanese custom scooters

Video: Robot Scooter is Born

Seyth Miersma — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:20:57 -0600

Though it may fall mostly into the category of “things that are totally unnecessary,” this remotely controlled scooter project didn’t’ take long to warm our hearts. The video has a bit of an unfortunate soundtrack, so make sure to turn the volume down while you sit back and watch the purity of human invention unfold.

+ YouTube: Unmanned Motorcycle

Grind & Go: Inflatable Pumpboard Concept

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:43:55 -0600

Designer Maciej Puzon has envisioned what the world of skateboarding may look like in the not-so-distant future, with his Pumpboard concept that seeks to make the world’s most portable deck. The three-wheeled concept is inflatable with a removable rear axle, allowing the “board” to be rolled into a very compact unit when not in use. Pumpboard’s semi-ridged top and bottom give the needed superstructure when the deck has been filled with compressed air.

We’re still waiting on the hoverboards that were promised to us in Back to the Future 2, but Pumpboard might make and interesting intermediate step for board sports in the meantime. Have a closer look at the concept in our gallery above.

+ Maciej Puzon

Vintage Video Vendition: British Vespa Edition

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:26:19 -0600

Vespa; scooter enough for the manliest of British guardsman, perfect for the lady in your life, and even occasionally self-driving. These three vintage Vespa ads make a strong case for the iconic scooter, with a heavy helping of cheese on the side. Click on the video above and enjoy.

+ YouTube: go vespa go

Video: You Make Scooters Look Good

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:58:14 -0600

Have you always thought that you might look pretty good sitting astride a super hip motor scooter, but haven’t had the time/opportunity to take one for a test ride? That’s the premise behind a new guerrilla marketing campaign from one Italian ad agency, which has taken to the streets with a sort of scooter visualization device. A clever approach; have a look by clicking on the video above.

+ YouTube: Guerrilla Marketing - Lanzi Moto

Italian Micro: Moto Graziella Scooters Attract Cult Status in Europe

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:21:23 -0600

Regaining a measure of popularity recently in its native Europe, the supremely funky Moto Graziella foldable scooter seems to offer equal parts fun and humiliation to the daring rider.

The tiny bike with the stretched seat post and handle bars—and looking an awful lot like a little, motorized gazelle—is powered by a heroic Sachs 502/1A engine, which displaces 47cc and produces 1.8 horsepower at 4500 rpm. Believe it or not, but the Italian company maintained that that motive force was enough to carry riders of up to 286 pounds, though we’d guess any one that beefy would have a hard time reaching the quoted top speed of 25 miles per hour.

Have a closer look at the distinctive Italian mini scooter in our gallery above.

+ Museo De Transporte

Can You Design A Bike to Get Drivers Pedaling?

Seyth Miersma — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:55:04 -0500

The Bicycle Design blog has opened up a competition, whose goal is to find bike designs that might convince more commuters to get out of their cars and on to a cycle as often as possible. Bike maker Cannondale has agreed to chip in one of its Bad Boy bikes (pictured above) as a prize for the winning design.

Contestants are asked to design a cycle that could, “persuade the average person, with no prior interest in cycling, to park the car and pedal to work.” No mean feat, to be sure, but one that we’d guess will provide a fertile starting place for ambitious concepts. Thinking outside of the current market will be a key to success here, though submissions are required to not “break the laws of physics, etc.” Fair enough.

Click through the link below for more contest details and submission requirements, and be sure to check back in to see the results after the contest is called on December 5th.

+ Bicycle Design

Custom Segways: Not All Choppers are Motorcycles

Seyth Miersma — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:27:18 -0500

It seems as if the already rather geeky (and we mean that in the nicest possible way) cadre of Segway owners is taking a step towards the bizarre, by embracing the blooming trend of customization in the personal mobility market. Adorning their rides with acres of diamond plate and colored Lucite, these bold individuals aren’t afraid of standing out from the crowd—not as much as they fear walking a few blocks, at any rate.

Is a fully chromed and chopped Segway with matching tow-along trailer a true bid for individuality, or just another sign of the impending apocalypse? You can judge for yourself by sifting through our gallery above.

+ GeekAlerts

Question of the Day: Would Two Wheels Work For Your Daily Driver?

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:12:38 -0500

Just having spent some time in the scooter-happy (and year-round warm) Austin, Texas, we’ve been wondering about how many drivers would make the switch from four to two wheels for their daily drivers. Have you considered a scooter or motorbike for your daily ride, or will your everyday vehicle always be something a little more contained? Give us your choice, in comments.

Aprilia Launches 2009 SportCity Cube 250

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:19:45 -0500

Aprilia is looking to capitalize on a ballooning demand for commuter smart scooters with the release of its SportCity Cube 250. The 2009 SportCity has refined what was already a popular package for Aprilia, adding a bit more usability and performance to the big-wheeled scooter. The bike sports an even larger luggage rack with improved grab handles for passenger convenience, and has added an outlet for cell phone recharging to its already clever lockable glove compartment. Aprilia has also expanded the dimensions of the under seat compartment for even more stowing space.

A hearty 224cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine is called upon to haul around all this new found equipment along with a rider or two, and should prove suitably quick for around town runs and medium length commuting with its 22.5 horsepower and over 16 pound-feet of torque. The clean-burning engine is likely to be suitably frugal on fuel bills, though no official consumption information has been released.

The SportCity Cube 250 retails for $4699, not an insubstantial sum where motor scooters are concerned, but cheap enough that it should still be in the wheelhouse for those looking to seriously cut costs in their urban-oriented budgets.

Two-Wheeled Fantasy: Massive Exhibit of Dutch Bicycles at Designhuis

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:46:24 -0500

The Dutch city of Eindhoven is in the midst of a 100-day event which celebrates a vehicle which is of passionate importance in the Netherlands; the bicycle. Aptly titled “Bicycle” the event is centered on a stunning exhibit at the Designhuis gallery, which features any number of human powered vehicles. The cycles range from interesting applications of traditional bikes, to utterly sublime creations of pure fantasy. Check out some of the amazing creations in the gallery above, or click through the link below to see even more of the Designhuis stockpile.

+ Core 77: Core77 Photo Gallery: FIETS Bicycle Show

Vectrix EV Scooter Sales Going Bananas, Cheaper Model on the Way

Seyth Miersma — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:51:56 -0500

Vectrix, builders of a posh electrically-powered scooter, seemed at the beginning of the year to be on the verge of going belly up. The company built over 2,000 examples of its EV two-wheeler in 2007 but managed to sell only 123 of the bikes for the massive price of nearly $12,000 per.

Rapidly shifting values of American consumers have seen Vectrix fair quite a bit better in the first half of this year though. Helped in no small part we’d guess by a price drop to $8795 for the 2007 model scooter, the company has already managed to sell more than 1,000 examples in 2008. The sales explosion has seen the total of Vectrix retailers grow from just five in the U.S. during the spring of last year, to fifty locations currently. The company also claims some 75 dealerships in other countries.
The company is likely to see an even greater explosion in popularity in coming years, as there are plans in the works for an even more affordable model that will use a new NiMH battery, and should have an effective range of around 70 miles. Target price for the new scooter, which could launch sometime next year, is roughly $5000.

+ AutoblogGreen: Vectrix sales get their scoot on, more affordable model coming next year

Major Mobile Music: The Bikes of 'Made In Queens'

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:37:18 -0500

Now touring the art house screens across the country, Made In Queens is a stylish documentary about a group of Trinidadians living in New York. The startlingly imaginative group creates massive movable sound systems on the frames of BMX bikes, cruising around the neighborhood to the gawking wonder of the populace.

These kids use their improbable conveyances to set the streets roiling with music and energy, stirring impromptu small parties where ever they ride.

The bikes themselves are clearly quite impressive; managing to disperse massive speaker loads and battery power while remaining streetable (mostly). Have a look at some examples in our gallery above, or take a minute to watch the official Made In Queens trailer below.

+ Made In Queens

2008 Aprilia Sportcity 250

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:17:40 -0500

Aprilia’s 2008 Sportcity 250 is a great example of why people are starting to consider scooters as great urban commuters in ever increasing numbers these days. Quick, agile, and great looking, the Sportcity seems to be a whole world more grown up than the kid-size image most people have of small displacement two-wheelers. The Scooter Scoop has put together a great quick review of the bike in the video below, or have a closer look at the Aprilia in our gallery above.

Guide to the best electric scooters

Reilly Brennan — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:17:00 -0500

Yamaha Launches an All-New Zuma 125 Scooter

Seyth Miersma — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:54:37 -0500

Sensing perhaps that Americans are likely on the verge of a wholly new interest in motorcycles and scooters as more than just toys, Yamaha has introduced a new, and more mainstream, version of its economical Zuma scooter.

The 2009 Zuma 125 ditches its smaller sibling’s 49cc two-stroke engine for an altogether heartier 125cc four-stroke, air-cooled single. The bigger powerplant should make the 125 a willing around-town commuter, and its ability to deliver an estimated 88 mpg should be a huge selling point to urbanites these days.

Fat tires on 12-inch wheels, cool double head lamps, and storage enough for a full-face helmet (bag of groceries, six-pack?) all make the Yamaha scooter a slightly cooler proposition for perspective owners as well. At $2,999 Zuma won’t break the bank either.

It’s likely to be a while before scooters see the kind of take rate here in the U.S. that they’ve managed to achieve abroad, but with broke commuters running low on options, we think that a two-wheeled compromise will work for many. Would you consider a scooter as a working vehicle? Give us your opinion, in ‘comments’.

2009 Yamaha Zuma 125

Key Features:

The
Zuma 125 is all new for 2009. That tough off-road look isn’t just for
looks: the strong steel frame; fat, aggressive tires; oiled-type air
filters; beefy shocks front and rear and off-road style brush deflectors
make this scooter at home on unpaved roads while delivering all the
attitude you could want for the street.
All-new
125cc 4-stroke engine with 4 valves, a 10:1 compression ratio,
ceramic-composite cylinder plating, and electronic fuel injection gives
this new-generation Zuma a new level of performance.
Fully
automatic C.V. Transmission and pushbutton electric starting make the Zuma
super-convenient transportation. Both center and side stands, along with a
locking cover on the ignition switch, make it convenient to park, too.
There’s
room for two atop this new-generation Zuma’s seat, and lots of locking
storage beneath it.
The
Zuma 125 achieves fuel economy up to an estimated 88 mpg* with a fuel tank
that holds 1.6 gallons of gas.

Engine:

Zuma’s
new fuel-injected 125cc single cylinder 4-stroke engine pumps out lots of
power for its size, using an SOHC 4-valve head with 10:1 compression ratio
and ceramic-composite cylinder plating.
For
reliability and easy maintenance, simple wet-sump lubrication is used. The
centrifugal oil filter built into the crankshaft means there’s no messy
oil filter to replace.
Forced
air cooling system helps keep engine temperatures under control, even
while idling at stoplights, for maximum efficiency and longer engine life.
Fully
automatic, V-belt transmission with centrifugal clutch provides easy,
twist-the-throttle-and-go operation with great off-the-line acceleration.
Fuel
injection provides the optimal fuel mixture for the operating condition,
including temperature and altitude, and that means easy cold starts, too.
Super-convenient electric starting is standard.
Oiled-paper
type air filter helps trap dirt before it gets to your engine, even when
riding on unpaved roads. The V-belt housing has its own off-road-style
wet-foam air filter for durability.
Upswept
muffler incorporates exhaust catalyst technology to reduce air pollution
and meet emission regulations.

Chassis/Suspension:

Hefty
steel-tube frame has a step-through design for easy mounting. A two-stage
electrodeposition and electrostatic painting process provides a durable,
corrosion-resistant finish.
Telescopic
fork features beefy outer tubes for strength, while slider shrouds help
protect the 27mm inner tubes from debris.
Swingarm
has double rear shocks for riding comfort on the street and unpaved roads,
too.
Fuel tank holds 1.6 gallons for plenty of cruising
range. Fuel tank emission system includes a charcoal canister to control
gasoline evaporation and reduce air pollution.
Fat 120/70-12 front and 130/70-12 rear tires have an
aggressive looking block pattern for great handling on unpaved roads and
on the street. Tires run on lightweight five-spoke die-cast aluminum
wheels.
220mm hydraulic front disc and rear drum brakes combine
for serious stopping power.
Zuma provides both a centerstand and side stand for
parking convenience.

Additional
Features:

Two bright halogen headlights light the way—following
current sportbike practice, the left side provides the 55W low beam while
the right side is the 60W high beam.
For extra security when parked, the main switch is
equipped with a key hole lock cover.
The underseat storage compartment’s cavernous
5.2-gallon capacity is roomy enough for a full-face helmet.

* Fuel economy estimates are based on US EPA exhaust emission
certification data obtained by Yamaha. Your actual mileage will vary
depending on road conditions, how you ride and maintain your vehicle,
accessories, cargo, and operator/passenger weight.

Gravity and Glory: San Francisco’s Bring Your Own Big Wheel Race

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:00:20 -0500

One of many wacky racing events performed in the hilly domain of San Francisco, the city’s Bring Your Own Big Wheel Race is everything we love about motorsports, just without the motors.

This year marked the fourth annual running of the event, in which San Fran natives don silly costumes and race a variety of tiny bikes (and trash bins?) down the winding Vermont Street in Potrero Hill. Check out our gallery below for images of the race that are equal parts strange, terrifying, and hilarious.

Thanks to WINDING ROAD reader Shane Mahoney for the tip (photo credit Edward Aten) .

Schumacher Won’t Race MotoGP, Scooter Racing Still Viable

Seyth Miersma — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:00:33 -0600

The dream may be over for those fans who thought Michael Schumacher could make a good showing in the world of MotoGP, unless of course they open up a scooter class.

Schumi casually dismissed the rumors that have been flying lately, somewhat egged on by his long-time manager Willi Weber, that he was attempting to make a comeback to the racing world by entering the MotoGP round at Mugello as a wild-card. Turns out it was the rumor that was the wild-card, as Schumacher took time during his Monday run of Ferrari testing in Barcelona, to call the story, "an absolute lie." Despite that cut and dry statement of fact, it didn't seem like the driver held any ill-will because of the false reports, as he went on to say, "At the most, I can race on a scooter." Now there's something that we would pay to see.

+ F1-Live: Schumacher quashes wild MotoGP rumours

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