The 2009/10 KTM annual report, issued this morning, is full of phrases like, “all expectations exceeded,” “significant improvement” and “world market leader.” Hell, it begins with, “KTM back at the top” and makes the claim that, “market shares could be doubled.” But, even with sales of 85,000 vehicles during the financial year, is KTM as healthy as the sunshine and lollypops would lead you to believe? :continue:
The number of motorcyclists killed in road accidents fell at least ten percent in 2009 compared to 2008, the first decrease in 12 years. Industry wide, motorcycle sales were down around 40 percent year-on-year during the same time period. Coincidence? > :continue:
Kenny Roberts took his old TZ-750 for a spin on the Indy Mile — the scene of his famous 1975 victory — during this summer’s Indianapolis GP. Considered unrideable by anyone but Roberts (and Ben Bostrom), this bike is powered by the 125bhp, 750cc two-stroke out of the Yamaha TZ-750 road racer. Like all trackers, it has no front brake, but unlike other machines, it can reach speeds of 150mph on The Mile’s straights. In fact, it was considered so dangerous, the AMA banned it from competition after Robert’s victory there. As a holiday gift to racing fans everywhere, Yamaha has produced a short documentary on the event. > :continue:
Photos: Alfredo Escobar, Marcelo Maragni, Red Bull Photofiles
Tackling some of the most difficult terrain in the world — Chile’s Andes Mountains — the Red Bull Los Andes enduro also produces some of the most stunning photos. Here’s our favorites, details of the race below. > :continue:
The 2009 Moto Guzzi V7 Classic combines styling drawn from the company’s past with contemporary running gear and a proven engine. Is that enough to elevate it beyond the unremarkable spec sheet and give it an edge over established rivals like the Triumph Bonneville?
Click below for the feature:Initial Report: 2009 Moto Guzzi V7 Classic
Both Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have been wearing Dainese D-Air leathers in races since last month, but last weekend’s MotoGP round at Brno was the first time either rider has crashed while wearing the airbag-equipped suit. It’s impossible to definitively declare that the airbag is responsible for Lorenzo walking away injury-free, but doing so is a rare occurrence for the crash-prone Spaniard. > :continue:
Like motorcycles, beer and barbecue? Come to Greenpoint this sunday, 23 August, for the 6th annual Works Engineering motorcycle show.
Want to enter your bike? Awards will be given for the best bike in each of the following categories: Most Artistic, Best Race Bike for the Street, Eurotrash Award, Saved from the Jaws of Death, Compressed Disc, Best Desecration of Japanese History, Bailing Wire and Tetanus, What is That? and People’s Choice.
There’ll also be a raffle for a custom ’70s Bonneville, with proceeds going to Juliet Dostalek.
See you there.
Between all the drinking, boob exposing, Freebird listening, helmetless crashing and dying that takes place at the annual geriatric’s convention in Sturgis, South Dakota, some attendees actually take the time to be enthusiastic about motorcycles. The AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building is one of two important motorcycle-related rituals at the event, with the other being unloading and reloading your bike from the back of a pickup truck. At this one, drunk man children stare slack jawed at acres of chrome and imagine the day when they’ll have a high enough credit limit to park one of these creations in the living room of their double wide. Here’s seven bikes that we think best fulfill the desires of men who stopped maturing at the age of fifteen. There’s a whole bunch more over at the AMD website.
According to an independent dyno test conducted by Cycle World, the Yoshimura GSX-R1000RR that we scooped last month makes 176bhp at the back wheel. By our reckoning and assuming a 15% driveline loss, that puts it in the 202-208hp range at the crank. Considering the stock 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000 is supposed to make in the ballpark of 185-191hp at the crank, that’s a healthy increase. How does it make that extra power? > :continue:
July 3, 2009. California. A rider and his bike deep in the back-country mountains southeast of Monterey .
