Honda, the largest (by volume) motorcycle manufacturer in the world has launched one of its least expensive motorcycles.
Made specifically for the booming two-wheeler market in India, the 109cc Dream Yuga is set to retail for 44,642 Indian rupees. That price wouldn’t translate directly here in the U.S., but a simple currency conversion at today’s monetary values equates the rupee cost to $830.
Remember the Honda U3-X? Unveiled in 2009, the U3-X was Honda‘s personal mobility device concept, essentially a self-balancing electronic unicycle that can move in any direction by simply leaning. Honda has created an updated version it calls the UNI-CUB.
The UNI-CUB uses the same “Honda Omni Traction Drive System” (or “HOT Drive System”) introduced on the U3-X, using a large ring as its main wheel with several much smaller wheels along its rim. The UNI-CUB adds a second, smaller wheel, mounted perpendicular to the main wheel. This second wheel adds stability while also aiding with turning, either around corners or even on the spot.
Honda also added a new saddle which looks much more comfortable than the fold-away seat found on the U3-X. The saddle is height-adjustable from 29.3 inches to 32.5 inches, placing the rider’s eyes at the same level as other pedestrians while making it easy for the rider’s legs to comfortably reach the ground when needed. Continue Reading »
BMW earned its first-ever World Superbike race win at the U.K.’s Donington Park, but missed out on sweeping the round after teammates Leon Haslam and Marco Melandri crashed on the final corner while battling for the lead in the second race.
Melandri earned BMW its landmark first win in Race One leading Haslam in a one-two finish. They could have repeated that finish in Race Two but Haslam low-sided after making contact with Honda‘s Jonathon Rea trying to pass on the inside. That sent Haslam skidding into Melandri, ruining the chance for another double-podium.
The Race Two incident could have overshadowed the milestone victory in Race One, but BMW must be relieved its flagship S1000RR superbike finally earned a race win in its fourth year of competition. Continue Reading »
Motorcycle tour operator EagleRider is launching a new program for non-riders. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, EagleRider offers motorcycle rentals and guided motorcycle tours. Until now however, you had to have a motorcycle license or ride as a passenger with another traveler who does.
The new Pillion Ride & Day Tours programs puts people on the passenger seat behind Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified tour guides who will show them the sights. As of now, the Pillion Ride & Day Tours are only offered from EagleRider’s Florida locations but the company plans to offer the program to other locations in the future. Continue Reading »
Ryan Dungey scored his fourth win of the season but it was not enough to take second place in the points race behind champion Ryan Villopoto. That honor went to JGRMX Yamaha‘s Davi Millsaps who placed second to Dungey in the season-ending race at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.
Dungey took the holeshot and led every lap to take the win for Red Bull KTM. The victory was his fourth in 12 rounds, giving him 257 points on the season. Dungey also missed five rounds due to injury, during which time Villopoto scored four of his nine victories for Monster Energy Kawasaki. The championship would have been much closer if Dungey had remained healthy. Instead, Villopoto ran away with the championship and clinched the title back in March at the Houston round. Continue Reading »
Harley-Davidson dealerships topped the rankings for the 2012 edition of the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, an industry benchmarking study examining how well dealerships treat customers, and turning shoppers into buyers.
The Pied Piper PSI rated different manufacturers’ dealerships in a number of categories to produce an overall score. The study was conducted between July 2011 and April 2012 with 1,653 anonymous “mystery shoppers” gathering information at different dealerships across the U.S.
The study gave Harley-Davidson dealers a score of 108, a four-point improvement from 2011 and five points above the industry average. According to researchers, Harley-Davidson dealers scored the highest of all brands in 16 different categories, including offering test rides, obtaining contact information and asking customers if for the sale. Continue Reading »
Dani Pedrosa is probably the most enigmatic of MotoGP’s “Aliens”. He doesn’t have the charisma of a Valentino Rossi, he doesn’t attract controversy like teammate Casey Stoner, and he doesn’t have the exuberant victory celebrations of Jorge Lorenzo.
There’s also a large segment of American fans who still can’t forgive Pedrosa for taking out his teammate Nicky Hayden at Estoril in 2006, almost costing the Kentucky Kid the championship.
Honda Racing has released a video offering a peak at the everyday life of Pedrosa at his winter home in Switzerland. In the film, we see how Pedrosa trains, what he does for fun, but perhaps most tellingly, how he values his privacy (yes, it’s a bit ironic, with the camera following him around).
Check out the video after the jump: Continue Reading »
Ryan Dungey returned to the top of the podium for the first time since late February with a victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. With the injured Ryan Villopoto already crowned the 2012 AMA Supercross Champion, the win put Dungey back in contention for second overall.
The Red Bull KTM last tasted victory Feb. 25 in Atlanta, Ga., but missed five rounds due to injury. Dungey returned to action last week in Seattle, Wash., placing sixth, but staged a late come-from-behind win in Utah for his third victory of the 2012 AMA Supercross season.
For most of the race, it looked like a sure victory for Davi Millsaps. The JGRMX Yamaha rider took the holeshot and led the opening 18 laps. Monster Energy Kawasaki‘s Jake Weimer was second for most of the race with Dungey biding his time in third. Continue Reading »
Honda set a new record for most motorcycles sold in any quarter over the first three months of 2012.
The Japanese manufacturer sold 3.456 million motorcycles over the quarter ended March 31, 2012, capping off its 2011-2012 fiscal year. By comparison, Honda sold just 2.934 million units over the same quarter last year. Figures include motorcycles, scooters and ATVs.
Asia accounted for 2.741 million units, thanks to increased demand for the Activa and Shine in India, the Vision, Air Blade and Wave in Vietnam, and the Click 125i and Wave110-i in Thailand.
North American sales were up over the quarter, with Honda selling 53,000 units, a 39.5% increase from 38,000 units sold in the same quarter last year. Honda cited strong performance from its entry-level CBR250R, Shadow cruiser, its Ruckus and PCX scooters, as well as the CBR1000RR sportbike. Continue Reading »
Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz headlines a star-studded group of racers taking part in a parade lap during the 2012 Isle of Man TT.
Schwantz leads the group of six racers, past and present, selected by helmet-maker Arai to take part in the parade lap of the Isle of Man’s Mountain Course. Schwantz has visited the Isle of Man before, but this will mark his first closed lap of the circuit.
Joining the 1993 World Champion will be fellow American Randy Mamola, former TT racer Phillip McCallen, former British and World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson, eight-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson, and MotoGP racer Cal Crutchlow. Continue Reading »
