Bonneville Speedway is an area of the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, which is famous all over the planet for being the location where most land speed records have been set. It is the home of the Speed Week, an event that every year attracts pure-speed maniacs from every corner of the world, but there is one specific reason that will make its last edition one to remember: among all the cars and bikes that were there hitting speeds of over 200 mph (320 km/h) in an attempt to beat some sort of record, one vehicle did actually manage to set a new speed world record. The only thing is: it was nowhere near that kind of speed.

Setting the new world’s land speed record for mass-produced all-electric motorcycles was the diminutive moped e-Solex, produced by long-running French manufacturer Solex, which recorder an outstanding top speed of about 32 km/h (more precisely, 19.893 mph). If you are wondering how this little thing got a certified speed world record, the answer is the most obvious there can be: the previous record was 0 km/h. In other words, the e-Solex is the first motorcycle ever that made an attempt to the record, and by doing so it has secured its place in motorcycle history.

We cannot help but congratulate the brave and cunning team (Gilles Pujol, Franck Figuls, Yann Bruneau and Jean Caillou) that carried out the whole operation. Besides, we think they are in for another new record: the most short-lived world’s speed record ever.

via | Le Repaire des Motards

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American company Brutus Electric Motorcycle presents the Brutus 2.0, an all electric cruiser that - as the name suggests - follows a first ‘Brutus’, which was introduced last October. The Brutus 2.0 shares quite some feature with its slightly younger sister - like the exposed trellis frame, the DC engine, those old-school mudguards and a 5-speed gearbox - but boasts some pretty distinctive trait of its own, such as the chrome cover for the primary transmission chain on its right side, a transparent box hosting the Hairball interface for the liquid-cooled Zilla controller on the left side, and also a little piece of fairing for the head lamp, providing some aerodynamic protection.

In light of the fact that the Brutus 2.0 weighs 243 kg (over 500 lbs), the performance available at the moment are not bad at all. The Brutus 2.0 is still undergoing its texting stage, but Brutus Electric Motorcycle’s main man, Mr. Chris Bell, said that the model can easily hit the 60 mph mark (96 km/h) in 4.7 seconds, while top speed should be well over 100 mph (160 km/h), a speed that has already been approached during testing. It can only get better. As for the breaking system, the model uses two discs with 6-piston calipers at the front and a single ring at the back, with a pair of clamps individually controlled by a handlebar-mounted lever and a more traditional foot pedal.

After the jump you will find a couple of interesting official videos released by the manufacturer, a one-minute long clip showing us the bike in action and a very short one giving us the chance to listen to the actual sound of the Brutus 2.0. While it has been announced that the first Brutus will become available on the market by the end of the current year, the 2.0 version will have to carry on with its development program for a while.

View the full Brutus 2.0 photo gallery

via | Brutus Electric Motorcycle and AutoBlogGreen

Continue reading: Brutus 2.0: a new all-electric cruiser made in U.S.A. (videos)

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Victory Motorcycles has introduced its brand new Judge model at the recent 2012 Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy, but the actual model wasn’t there. Apparently, they will proceed with the official unveiling of the Judge on European soil at a different event, but in order to help us to pass the time while waiting, the manufacturer has also decided to anticipate the unveiling by releasing an official video and a massive photo gallery of its new model.

The Judge is obviously a typical American V-Twin cruiser, but in comparison to the rest of Victory Motorcycles’ range, the new model sports a pretty distinctive 16″ 5-spoke wheel at the front that - in combination with its Dunloop tyres with white writings - somewhat brings to mind the very first American muscle cars. Other significant aesthetic features include a new round-shaped head lamp and LED technology for the rear, placed right at the end of the saddle on the rear mud-guard.

The model is powered by Victory’s signature 106 cubic inches (1,737 cc) V-Twin engine. The unit should be more effective on the Judge because of the riding position, which makes the bike more like a cruiser than a classic chopper. When defining bikes like this one, some people describe them as a ‘power cruiser’, or even ‘roadster’, but in case of the new Judge we would prefer to go for a more straightforward ‘muscle bike’.

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The news went a little unnoticed, but the recent 2012 India Auto Expo saw the unveiling of a quite interesting new motorcycle, the Continental GT, by historic brand Royal Enfield. Basically it is the first new motorcycle to come out with a Royal Enfield badge on the tank in over 40 years. The model is a concept cafe racer that recalls the lines of the original ‘British’ Continental GT - a model that was quite popular in Europe in the late 60s - and it also shares the same 500 cc engine with its illustrious ancestor, but it has never been less ‘British’ than this. With the exception of its 500 cc single-cylinder unit, this new Continental GT is their first bike ever to have been completely designed in India, with no parts lifted from the historic English models of the past.

However, Royal Enfield has become a fully-fledged Indian manufacturer by now. In case you missed the last episodes, back in 1949 the ‘old’ Royal Enfield opened a satellite operation in Madras, India, and in 1955 the Indian government chose their 350cc Bullet model as bike of choice for both police and army, making an enormous order for it. The English manufacturer shut doors in 1967, but the Indian plant just became independent and kept on producing the Bullet 350 and 500cc for years and years. And they are still doing it today: Royal Enfield of India now holds the rights on the name and sells several variants of the Bullet - some of which under a different name - in over twenty countries across the globe.

Even though the Continental GT is loyal to the classic old school ‘British’ design, the model represents a huge step forward for the company, the first real attempt at something different than the usual Bullet-based product. Unfortunately, no information has been released yet about production, performance and technical specs of the new Continental GT, but the work done so far by the Indian engineers is actually pretty interesting and worthy of attention. We will be waiting for more news on the subject.

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Among the new bikes introduced at the 2012 Motor Bike Expo in Verona there was also this ‘Sterling 2012′, produced by young Italian manufacturer “The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co.” The design of the model is clearly inspired by the old school - very old - but is equipped with modern day technology that makes it suitable for today’s standards. The frame for instance is loyal to the classic design but is way stiffer, while the trapeziod fork has also been built with modern technology to improve handling.

The Sterling 2012 is powered by a 200 cc single-cylinder 4-stroke engine developing 17 hp, licensed Euro 3, but a 125 cc version is also in the works. The bike weighs only 100 kg (220 pounds), which makes it ok move in the urban traffic with ease, has a 10 litres capacity fuel tank and is as thirsty as a moped. All models will be hand-built and can be customized in accord to the customer’s taste thanks to a large catalogue of optionals that also include a saddle for the passenger, dedicated bags and special color schemes for the tank.

The final version of the Sterling should become available in Europe this coming April with a starting price of 9,900 €, with the manufacturer aiming at a 40-unit production for the first year and twice as much in 2013, when the Sterling 2012 will go global. The first not-Italian market to receive the Sterling will be the UK, where the first 2 models will be shipped to “The Black Douglas” local dealer in the summer. Moreover, an all-electric version of the model will probably surface as well next year. To find out more about this manufacturer, check out its official website.

View the full The Black Douglas Sterling 2012 photo gallery

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Metzeler’s Calendars are as cultish as Pirelli’s and this 2012 edition is limited to just 6,000 copies worldwide, so if you’re not part of that exclusive club you have to be content to see this magnificent calendar online.

This year’s edition pays homage to Japan and celebrates memorable moments from Japanese two-wheeled competition history and the success of Japanese motorcycle manufacturing throughout the decades.

“An important part of international motorcycling history has been written by Japanese bikes,” said Francesco Pietrangeli, Marketing Director for Metzeler. “This is why it seemed right to honour them and the entire Japanese population at this particular moment, after the great disaster which struck them so fiercely this year – a disaster to which they have reacted in an exemplary way.”

Originally launched in 1994 and now in its 19th edition, the 50 x 53 cm Metzeler calendar is printed on extremely high-quality paper using a five colour printing process and an additional opaque finish, while both covers are printed on glossy coated paper. The 2012 calendar features 22 subjects, and is printed front and back and provides a bilingual description of each photograph in English and German.

Continue reading: 2012 Metzeler Calendar pays homage to Japan

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Thanks to 150elode.it - a project undertaken by Mercedes in association with Autostrade for the unification of Italy’s 150th Anniversary - we have the opportunity to bring you this small photo gallery by Massimo Sordi and Francesco de Luca. With the aim of getting the public to better understand Ducati’s behind-the-scene work, and together with work by other photographers such as Marco Zanta and Seba Kurtis, this project visually explores the reality of this successful brand.

In the gallery, we are going to show you few shots taken in Borgo Panigale (Bologna) the heart of Ducati’s production, where the Ducati factory headquarters and the Ducati Museum are located.

View the full Ducati Borgo Panigale photo gallery

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We were feeling harried after the end of the MotoGP and Superbike 2010 season, and all the news presented at the 2010 Intermot and EICMA shows. But now as Christmas rolls around and we’ve got the time to start dreaming about the 2011 motorcycle market, we can take the time to look at what the new motorcycle models for 2011 are, divided by brand.

We’ve obviously got our favourites and as our selection of pics suggest, for the hottest, most gorgeous 2011 bike around, the new MV Agusta F3 is our winner. We’ll be interested to see how the new Triumph Tiger goes in its challenge to the BMW F800GS, while we’re also keen to hear more on Honda’s production plans or otherwise for the Honda Crosstourer Concept and Crossrunner models. Despite having a special spot for Italian bikes here, we just don’t get the Ducati Diavel but will be interested to see if it increases Ducati’s slice of the US market, in which case we’ll tip our hat to a not-so-silly model after all.

Obviously there are the old standards from many manufacturers while Aprilia and Ducati were busy throwing all the electronics they could get their hands on at the RSV4 Factory APRC Special Edition and the 1198SP. Most of the 2011 motorcycles after the jump are new versions of bikes we already know, but there are a couple that stand out for a segment shake-up, including the KTM 125 Duke. See what’s in store in our list after the jump, of most of the big motorcycle manufacturers.

Continue reading: 2011 motorcycles: list of 2011 models

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With Bridgestone still unsure if they will continue to be the single tire supplier in MotoGP when their three year contract is up at the end of 2011, another manufacturer could show up and take their place for the 2012 season.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli’s Director of Racing Activities was spotted at Estoril this weekend and this could mean
that Bridgestone is indeed going to announce that 2011 will be their last season in MotoGP, as they have with their pull-out from Formula 1, with Pirelli will be taking their place.

Pirelli currently supplies all the tires in the World Superbike series and their contract is up at the end of 2012, when MotoGP will switch to the new 1000cc rules and adding MotoGP to their list could be another great marketing coup and making tires for an extra 17 and hopefully more teams, wouldn’t cause any problems to the Italian tire manufacturer, because according to Barbier, ” the differences between a superbike and a MotoGP isn’t that big, the two bikes are very similar.”

Apparently Bridgestone will announce their future plans in Valencia and also confirm if MotoGP teams will have to pay for their tires in 2011.

Source | moto.caradisiac.com

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Indian motorcycle manufacturer Bajaj must have an art director who loves to see women fighting and is a Matrix style fighting fan because this is the second video we’ve seen with two girls going at it to see who gets to ride pillion on a Bajaj motorcycle.

What we don’t know if the girls are fighting over the rider, who could be a Hugh Jackman look-a-like or just the pleasure of getting a ride on one of India’s best known motorcycles.

Check out the previous commercial after the jump.

Continue reading: Bajaj loves Girls Fighting to Ride Pillion

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