Honda Powersports has released its summer lineup of motorcycles, All-Terrain Vehicles and Multi-Utility Vehicles for 2010.
 
The renowned Honda Gold Wing 1800 is back in a new and improved 2010 model that packs in all the luxuries that a cruiser could want for. The Luxury Package for this motorcycle includes options like airbags, GPS navigation, cold-weather comfort and XM Radio with NavTraffic and NavWeather. This 1832cc six-cylinder fuel-injected motorcycle is expected to be in dealerships by September 2009 and costs from $22,899 to $27,999.
 
Honda also released its new 2010 CRF250R and CRF450R motocrossers. The CRF250R comes with a more powerful and more compact engine with electronic fuel injection and a twin spar aluminum frame, improving the power and the handling of the bike. Both these motorcycles will also be available in dealerships from September 2009 onwards.
 
Among the many All-Terrain Vehicles and Multi-Utility Vehicles to be released is the 2010 Honda Big Red. This MUV comes with an array of safety features like three-point seatbelts, and separate brake lines that keep your brakes working even if a line gets severed. The Honda Big Red comes with an assortment of different Honda Genuine Accessories including bumpers and windshields and is priced at about $11,699.
 
The other All-Terrain Vehicles and Multi-Utility Vehicles that now come as 2010 models are the FourTrax Rancher Series and the FourTrax Rincon. Earlier this year, Honda had also released its new 2010 chopper, the Honda Fury, and peppy scooters, the Honda SH150i, and the Honda Elite.

Click on the link below to read the entire press release
+ Honda Powersports: Press Release: American Honda Announces More 2010 Models

Indian Motorcycle Company has announced two new models, the Dark Horse and the Bomber, for its 2010 line-up, at its first official dealership meeting, held this week.
 
The Bomber, so named after WWII aircraft, is a limited edition of the Chief model, and comes with leather seats and saddlebags that have a similar feel and color to the old bomber jacket. The tank has painted on the same style of pin-up girl that could be found on the aircraft’s nose. The Bomber has been priced at $30,999.

The Chief Dark Horse, priced at $27,999, comes with darkened tappet blocks, suspensions, engine components, exhaust systems, hand controls, and blacked-out headlights.

All Chief Motorcycles come with a six-speed Baker transmission, a 105 cubic inch PowerPlus V-Twin powertrain with electronic closed loop sequential port fuel injection and the exhaust system is an integrated 3-way catalystic converter with heated oxygen sensors.
 
For more information about Indian’s new models click on the link below.
 
+ Motorcycle USA: Indian Motorcycles New Bomber and Dark Horse

Jason Battersby’s project, christened Nomad, is a futuristic concept where the rider sits atop an animal-like vehicle, which moves on four legs. The theory goes that this makes it ideal for off-road travel and adventurous terrain.

The rider is said to use hand and foot controls, similar to operating a motorcycle, to control Nomad. This beast shaped vehicle comes with a helmet and a survival pack for the rider. The on-board GPS helps the rider chose the best routes to take and helps find food sources.  The nomad feeds of vegetation and uses it as biofuel, making it even more animal-like. Unsurprisingly, there are no plans as yet to translate this concept into a working vehicle.

England’s Motor Cycle News has published spy photographs on Honda’s new 2010 VFR1200 (as it is likely to be christened).

Based on the Honda V4 Concept, shown at the Intermot Show, the new Honda has a transverse-crankshaft V-Four and reports state that the engine can shut down the rear bank of cylinders in low-load situations. It is rumored to peak out at about 200 horsepower.

Cycle World states that the bike seems almost ready for the production stage and that it appears to be the V4 Concept plus rear wheels and suspension. There is no news about when the bike will be ready for sale or what the price tag is.

Click on the link to below to see the source article.

+ Cycle World: 2010 Honda VFR1200

Last weekend’s Enduro World Championship, in Finland, turned out to be as exhilarating as it had promised to be. The Enduro World Championship is an off-road motorcycle series that travels around the world and competes on numerous different obstacle courses. Each round consists of an Enduro test, a motocross test and an extreme test.

The light rain at the Grand Prix Bike Magazine of Finland in Riihimäki, made the race more challenging for the drivers and Mika Aloha of Team HM Honda Zanardo emerged victorious with a timing of 1:04:47 minutes in the Enduro 1 class (100 to 125 cc 2-stroke or 175 - 250 cc 4-stroke). Johnny Aubert and the KTM Enduro Factory Team dominated the Enduro 2 class (175 to 250 cc 2-stroke or 290 - 450 cc 4-stroke) with a timing of 1:05:01 minutes and Ivan Cerevantes, also from the KTM Enduro Factory Team was fastest in the Enduro 3 class (290 to 500 cc 2-stroke or 475 - 650 cc 4-stroke) with a timing of 1:05:44 minutes; with all three of now holding the most number of points in the series so far. However, they will have to stay on the podium next week, at the Grand Prix IRS of Slovakia in Puchov, to keep their lead in the 2009 Series.

+ We.ABC-WEC.com: They did it again 

The annual Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy), in Scotland, is nearing its end this weekend with a bang. The Worlds first ever race for clean emission motorcycles, the TTXGP, was won by Team Agni’s Rob Barber in a nippy 25 minutes and 53.3 Seconds. Second place was taken by Thomas Schoenfelder and his team XXL Racing while Mark Buckley riding a Brammo came is third. According the TTXGP site listed below, Team Agni is one of the few teams to have had the most experience with electric race bikes.

A little later in the afternoon the Isle of Man TT’s most imperative race, the Pokerstars Senior TT, took place. A 30 minute delay due to a gentle rain shower did not deter the riders who soon turned it into a fast-paced breath-clenching race where only 29 drivers finished.

Team Honda’s (HM Plant Honda) Steve Plater shot past the chequered flag to win this years Pokerstars Senior TT. Plater’s teammate John McGuinness was leading by almost 19 seconds when he was forced to retire due to a broken chain, leaving Plater to take the lead. McGuinness, however, broke his previous records from a standing start on lap one, while Plater also proceeded to beat his own previous timings.

For more details about the Pokerstars Senior TT click on the link below.

+ iomtt News: Plater wins dramatic Senior TT

For more details on the races visit:
+ TTXGP.com
+ Isle of Man TT: News
 

BMW Motorrad, yesterday, approved Dunlop’s new Roadsmart Tires and has stated that they will be used on all BMW R 1200 RT-P police motorcycles operated in the United States of America. The new Roadsmart has been designed to provide longer tire life, which in the long run reduces the cost of maintenance on high-performance motorcycles.

According to Frank Stevens, Authority Program Manager, BMW Motorrad USA, “tires are the single most expensive maintenance item on a police motor” and that the Roadsmart tires should help keep reasonable operating costs, as they are very sensibly priced.

To capitalize on cornering performance and to provide unfaltering grip the Roadsmart rear tire is made of a durable compound in the center of the tire tread and lateral-grip compound on both shoulders. The long lateral grooves and a special silica additive reduces the risk of hydroplaning by removing large amounts of water and enhances grip in wet conditions respectively, while the minute carbon particles increase dry grip.

There are more than 400 agencies across the United States that use BMW Motorcycles. For more information about Roadsmart tires scroll down for the BMW Motorrad Press Release.

Electronics retailer Best Buy has signed on as a sponsor for the electric motorcycle maker Brammo’s racing team. In addition to giving the EV builder support for the upcoming zero-emission grand prix—the TTxGP on the Isle of Man—Best Buy may offer a high-profile retail outlet for the Brammo Enertia street bike.

So far, Best Buy has not only invested in Brammo but has also reportedly, “Committed to testing the bike in stores.”  The first retail Enertia’s will likely show up in West Coast stores first, priced at or around $12,000.

Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher has also said that two new EV bike models are to be announced sometime within the next six months. One to slot in below the Enertia in terms of price, and another model that’s more closely related to the race bike seen here.

+ Wired Autopia: Best Buy Takes a Flyer on Brammo Electric Cycles

J.D. Power and Associates has recently completed a customer survey, which asks users which motorcycle helmets are the most satisfying. While we tend to be pretty satisfied by any helmet that keeps our brains soundly inside of our heads, The JDP folks clearly chose to dig deeper. The survey measured satisfaction based on three key factors: ventilation, face shield, and design and styling. Helmet owners were asked for ratings on eleven attributes:

• Quietness
• Ventilation/air flow
• De-fogging
• Face shield ability to keep wind out
• Face shield ability to resist scratching
• Ease of replacing face shield
• Scratch resistance of shell
• Color/graphic design
• Weight
• Ease of fastening strap
• Fit and comfort
• Head-butting (kidding)

Click through our gallery above to find out the results of the survey (and check out some sweet lids), or through the link below to read the full-fat story.

+ JDPower.com

Triumph Motorcycles launched the 2010 Thunderbird, according to Hell For Leather, which also included the Q&A with the bike’s stylist, Tim Prentice. Triumph's new cruiser has been receiving mixed reviews.

The bike's 1597 cc engine is capable of 84.8 horsepower and 107.7 pound-feet of torque. Further specs are available for download from Triumph’s website.

Decide what you think for yourself by clicking through the gallery above or visiting the links below.

+ Hell For Leather: 2010 Triumph Thunderbird 1600 details released at world launch
+ Triumph Motorcycles: Thunderbird