We’ve got no news yet on how on the new BMW Husqvarna Motorsport 450cc prototype faired, but over the weekend the first prototype bike was used at the FIM Enduro World Championship. The bike is competing in the E2 class and is based on a Husqvarna chassis and a BMW Motorrad four-stroke, 450cc engine.

The idea behind the prototype is to pool the experience and resources of Husqvarna and BMW which will now compete in the E2 class under the name of BMW Husqvarna Motorsport. The debut on the weekend follows extensive testing and was ridden by Marko Tarkkala and Andreas Lettenbichler (after an injury to leading rider Juha Salminen).

The testing phase has concluded and while the project was to have seen the two companies competing under the combined banner since the beginning of the season, there have been a few set-backs. The aim is now to keep the BMW G 450 X-based prototype in competition and hopefully come away with some victories, as well.

2011 Husqvarna 450 preview

Continue reading: 2011 Husqvarna preview: BMW Husqvarna Motorsport prototype

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This Harley Davidson-based motorcycle hearse might be the only way to go for many die-hard bike fans. The bike hearse concept was built by Mike Price from New Zealand, and starting with two mag wheels and a coffin, took about five years to build in his spare time. It’s based on a 1350cc Harley engine, is five metres long and weighs 900 kg.

It cost about 50,000 NZD to build, which is equivalent to about 27,000 euros. Price is hoping to get some purchasers for his concept which might sound silly, unless you think of the many crazy things that people like do for their last farewell…Check out the motorcycle hearse video after the jump.

Continue reading: Hog motorcycle hearse video

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Pannonia motorcycles, a Hungarian motorcycle brand, has been undergoing a revival since 2002 and it is now hoped that this new Pannonia Bol d’Or will be ready to be released later this year. After a few years of planning and development, a prototype has been built with approval pending from the Hungarian government.

Pannonia motorcycles were originally produced by the Csepel state-owned company from the 1950’s to the 1970’s and produced its last bike in 1975 after investment interest from Yamaha was rejected. The team working on the new bike is made of up fans of motorcycles and the Hungarian brand, and it seems that so far production has not been easy, with the first bike originally planned to appear in 2007.

The Pannonia Bol d’Or is named after an historic 24-hours French race which was won in 1956 by the original Pannonia model, but there are doubts as to whether the bike will make it to market. Despite the scarse information around, I gather this has been quite an interesting project and certainly a group effort from a few Hungarians bold enough to believe in it. So far 20 people described as passionate about bikes have been working on the model, and the local council of the town where the bike is set to be manufactured has a 10 percent stake in the project.

A Hungarian publication that has apparently tried the bike has cited serious design faults, but nothing seems concrete. If the Pannonia Bol d’Or does get to production, plans are to produce a limited series of 55 units before examining long term production plans for six to eight models. Quite an ambitious target, but where there’s a will there’s a way, and we will certainly be interested to see if Pannonia can make a modest start to a bona fide Eastern Europe motorcycle.

Source | Caboodle.hu

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While Paolo Berlusconi bought the Moto Morini Italian motorcycle manufacturer, MV Agusta is still in dire straits after its owner, Harley Davidson, floated the sale of the company a while back. With no buyer to have yet emerged, MV Agusta projects are currently on hold, including the new three-cylinder MV Agusta F3 which was set to launch the brand in the mid-size sports market.

That was until MCN discovered an F3 prototype track testing in Spain and managed to get a video of it (after the jump) doing some laps. MCN assures us it’s a recent video, putting the date problem down to a new camera and technical difficulties. The three-cylinder F3 is similar to the MV Agusta F4, looking more compact and shorter in the body.

Depending on what happens with the woes of MV Agusta ownership (and it’s hard not to be tempted to ironically thank Harley Davidson for that), this three-cylinder F3 project may never get off the ground, which is shame because it looks like it could be an interesting bike. There has been some vague interest from some quarters in purchasing MV Agusta and fans are hoping it will soon return to Italian ownership, in which case we hope to see more pics and videos of this new F3 in the future…

Continue reading: MV Agusta three-cylinder F3 track testing in Spain

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We’re going to call these General Motors EN-V concepts scooters, for want of a better word. Developed in collaboration with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, the concepts are a vision for new urban mobility vehicles, which were developed with help also from Segway. The EN-V (Electric Networked Vehicle) models each have a different design representing the themes of: Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh).

Jiao (the blue one) was designed in Australia by Holden, Miao (the black one) comes from GM in California and Xiao (the red one) was created in Europe. Where SAIC comes in exactly is anyone’s guess. The EN-V concepts are based on all-electric, two-wheel drive trains with GPS, vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity and sensors and cameras for automated driving. The main principle behind the development of these vehicles is the reduction of city congestion and traffic, and its pollution.

The lithium ion batteries have a range of approximately 60 km on a single charge, and have a top speed of about 40 km/hr. Each weighs about 210 kg. These EN-V concepts have been designed for major cities and metropolises and will be on display at the SAIC-GM hall at the World Expo in Shanghai in May. See below for the videos of how the EN-V works and more pics of these bizarre but promising vehicles.

General Motors EN-V Concept

Continue reading: General Motors EN-V electric urban vehicles pics and video

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Here’s a look at the Moto Guzzi, or Millepercento bike design seen at the EICMA, although neither Moto Guzzi nor Millepercento itself has released much detail about these bikes. Millepercento was once a dealership and repair shop back in the 60’s and 70’s for Moto Guzzi bikes, but also Moto Morini, Benelli and MV Agusta. Owned by the Valli family, throughout the years it saw some tough times but also had the expertise of a dedicated few, including Bruno Scola in the 90’s, from Moto Guzzi’s racing department.

The Millepercento brand today was founded in 2005 by a young Stefano, eventually taking over the Scola name. He believed in Italian motorcycles and saw new innovation and products emerging from Moto Guzzi. The company now occupies itself in parts and accessories for Moto Guzzi and other brands, along with a racing department and trial equipment for the bikes, functioning as a kind of racing tuner for Guzzi bikes.

The bikes that have been used for racing include the Moto Guzzi MGS-01 and the BB1, seen in 2007 as the first Millepercento branded bike. This year at EICMA, Millepercento displayed its sports prototype Alba model, based on the Moto Guzzi twin-cylinder, four-valve, 1200 engine. Alongside it was the Millepercento Motard One, designed by Filippo Barbacane and equipped with the Big Bore 1420 cc engine.

It was the engine of the BB1, originally based on the Moto Guzzi Griso, and is housed in a trellis frame where the overall chassis and bike should not exceed 180 kg in weight. This Motard One will most likely be sold as a one-off piece, as an exercise in style and design (and not necessarily comfort!). Barbacane is becoming known almost as a guru in Moto Guzzi bikes, as he also produced the Diamante concept seen a while ago.

Continue reading: Millepercento bikes and design: Alba and Motard One from Barbacane Diamante fame

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Here is the Ossa TR-i 280 prototype, which we first mentioned in October with news of the Ossa brand relaunch. The Spanish company was mostly active in the off-road and trial segments from the 1960’s to the 1980’s, and here is its TR280i trial model ready to roll off the production line before June next year.

The TR280i is a 280cc, two-stroke with electronic ignition, and a focus on weight distribution and correct engine cooling. The motor is compact, thanks to the monobloc carter, and the cooling unit is angled slightly backwards, using concepts from both enduro and trial models. Given this new placement and compactness, modifications to the motor can be achieved easily and economically. The fuel tank has a capacity of three litres and sits in front of the motor.

The radiator, however, is situated towards the back of the tank, and in front of the air box, which lowers the centre of gravity of the bike, but which also requires a fan cooling system as no air arrives from the front of the bike. For more details on the history of Ossa, and past models, see ossamoto.es. More official TR280i pics after the jump.

Continue reading: Ossa TR280i trial prototype

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Spanish motorcycle brand Ossa is coming back, appearing at this year’s EICMA show with a niche range of trial motorcycles. Ossa originally made its name back in the 70’s with a range of enduro and trial bikes, and the occasional appearance in the road bike sector, too.

Ossa will present its first revolutionary prototype at EICMA, called the TR-i 280. We only have the name at this stage, and no pics, but they’ve certainly gained our attention and we’ll be interested to see what the bike is like.

The new Ossa prototype will also launch the brand back into the world of competition and should prove to be a highly innovative bike. We’ll be bringing you more details from EICMA.

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The Honda U3-X looks just like the kind of contraption I could fall off without too much effort. It’s an intriguing concept however, half segway, half….electric motorcycle? The U3-X seems to work via the sitting weight transfer of the passenger, and can travel at 6 km/hr. It weighs 10 kilos and looks like other pedestrian vehicles for getting around town more quickly. The U3-X will be presented at the next Tokyo motor show. What I really want to know is whether it will do my abs and love handles, or should I just stick to walking…?

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Anyone who loves Japanese Manga design is sure to appreciate these 3D computer graphics from Yutaka Igarashi

In 2008 Yutaka created two unique concept bikes: a cafè racer and an electric riderless racing bike. We’ve already showed you the robot bike and its simple but innovative design. In this further gallery you can also see other Yutaka Igarashi concepts.

The aim for the robot bike of beating a MotoGP lap time is always going to be a challenging task, but never say never! These prototypes have some impressive technical solutions, that while original now, might one day appear on our own road motorcycles.

Continue reading: Yutaka Igarashi concept bikes gallery

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Two American engineering students have created a hydrogen bike prototype, comparing the efficiency of three different types of engines: an internal combustion engine, a fuel cell electric engine and the hydrogen engine.

Alex Bell and Andres Pacheco developed their project at the Swarthmore College, using a Buell Cyclone motorcycle with a modified chassis and rear suspension that would have been originally fitted to the twin cylinder engine.

The combustion cell is a Ballard, 1.2 Kw (1.6hp) and the electric engine was built in Italy by CFR in Modena. The hydrogen is stored chemically in two cylinders called Ergenics, and is released via a heating process.

Continue reading: Hydrogen prototype: a new look Buell

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In these pics you can see the hybrid, three-wheel scooter presented by Peugeot at the Eicma show. Models such as these could become a new alternative in urban, ecological vehicles.

The main characteristic of this scooter is the all-wheel drive on three wheels. The thermal 125cc engine has Satelis Compressor and produces 15kw (20hp) from the rear wheel.

There are two 3kw electric engines situated near the front wheels, which are equipped with lithium ion batteries that are rechargeable in deceleration. The cooperation between the two engines is electronically controlled by the “By Wire” system.

Continue reading: Eicma 2008: Peugeot hybrid scooter prototype, Hymotion 3

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