Saturday, May 4 marked the 5th annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel, California. With such a diverse collection of historical, rare and outrageous motorcycles, the Quail is an event we thoroughly enjoyed attending last year. To commemorate the occasion, this year’s guest of honor was none other than three-time 500cc Grand Prix world champion, and local area resident, Wayne Rainey. Continue Reading »
Photo: AMA Pro Racing/Dave Hoenig
Good news for AMA Pro Flat Track fans: the 2013 season will now be live streamed via AMA Pro Live, a multi-channel streaming video system that puts the fan in the director’s chair, allowing them to select from a variety of cameras located around the racetrack while monitoring live timing and scoring data and social media feeds. Continue Reading »
Last fall we attended the season finale of the AMA Pro Grand National Championship, and we were blown away with the intense level of competition. Our full report and video can be seen here.
As the 2013 season is ramping up, we just got wind of a new video Triumph produced to showcase its invigorated factory dirt-track racing involvement, now with Continue Reading »
Harley-Davidson dealers outscored dealers from other brands to take the top spot in the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index U.S. Motorcycle Industry Study for the second consecutive year.
The annual study measures the effectiveness of motorcycle dealerships, rating them on how they perform in different categories, such as inviting customers to sit on a floor model, offering demo rides and asking for a customer’s contact information. The study was conducted from July 2012 to April 2013 with data collected by 2,503 hired “mystery shoppers”.
We’ve included the full scores below as well as the scores from past years. One caveat however: Pied Piper PSI has rejigged its study questions and adjusted the weighting and scoring for the 2013 study to achieve an average score of 100. This resulted in a significant scoring changes compared to last year’s study and a wider range between the highest and the lowest scores.
A recall initially announced in Canada for turn signal stems on certain 2012-2013 Triumph motorcycles has now been announced for the U.S., affecting 3,799 units. According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall affects the Triumph Tiger 800, Tiger 800XC, Tiger 1050, Speed Triple, Street Triple and Daytona 675, as well as their various R versions.
As described in the Transport Canada recall, the supports for the front and rear turn signals may be prone to fracturing. In the case of a brake, the turn signals will remain attached to the motorcycle, but instead of staying in position, they would dangle by their electrical wiring. This not only puts a strain on the wires, it may also prevent other motorists from seeing the turn signals, creating a safety risk.
Triumph attributes the problem to a manufacturing error. According to documents released by NHTSA, Italian lighting supplier ECIE used an incorrect raw material that contains an excessive amount of ethanol. The material is prone to fracture after short periods of time.
Transport Canada has announced a recall for the 2012 and 2013 Triumph Daytona 675, Speed Triple, Street Triple and Tiger 800 because of a flaw in their turn signals. Several members of the Motorcycle.com forum network’s TriumphRat.net community have reported issues with turn signals breaking off, and this recall appears to address the issue.
According to Transport Canada, the supports for the front and rear turn signals were incorrectly manufactured and may break. In such a case, the light assemblies would dangle from their mounts by their electrical wiring. This may damage the wires but perhaps more importantly, the turn signals may not be clearly visible to other motorists, increasing the risk of an accident.
The recall notice only lists the non-R versions of the Daytona 675, Speed Triple and Street Triple, but we suspect the recall will include the R versions as they likely use the same turn signal components. The same applies for the Tiger 800XC which was not specifically listed by Transport Canada but is likely also included. Continue Reading »
New documents released by the California Air Resources Board reveal the existence of a new model from Triumph to be called the America Horizon for the 2014 model year.
As its name implies, the 2014 Triumph America Horizon will likely be based on the existing Triumph America (the 2012 America is pictured above with touring accessories as an illustration.) The CARB documents confirm it will use the same 865cc parallel-Twin engine as the America as well as the Bonneville, Scrambler, Thruxton and the Speedmaster. We predict a claimed output of 60hp at 6800rpm and 53 ft-lb. at 3300 rpm as found on the Triumph America.
The documents reveal little other details about the new Triumph America Horizon though we can make some conjectures based on how it will likely fit into Triumph’s lineup. Continue Reading »
The International Motorcycling Federation has updated its homologated model list for the 2013 World Superbike, Supersport, Superstock and Endurance racing seasons. The list is largely unchanged from the list released in February with the exception of a couple of additions.
The Superstock 1000 and Formula Endurance World Championship list now includes the 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R and the MV Agusta F4 RR. On the previous list, the F4 RR’s status was listed as being “in progress” while only the S version of the Panigale was initially homologated for Superstock 1000 and Formula Endurance.
Also worth emphasizing is the 599cc Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R remains homologated for the FIM’s Supersport and Superstock 600 championships but the 636cc version is not eligible for those classes. The homologation list distinctly includes the Ninja as the “ZX 600 R F” but not “ZX 636″. AMA Pro Racing differs in this regard, including the 636cc version on its list of eligible racebikes for 2013. Continue Reading »
Triumph has revealed Special Edition versions of the Bonneville and Speed Triple for 2013, proving once again that nothing delivers a bang for the buck like cosmetic enhancements to popular models.
Most appealing to our eyes is the subtle but sexy Triumph Speed Triple SE (pictured above.) Its Matte Graphite color is beautifully set off by soft blue accents of the frame, swingarm, subframe and wheel pinstriping. Included on the SE are a color-matched fly screen, belly pan and seat cowl.
Carbon fiber jewelry abounds, including the front fender, side pods and fuel tank cover. Other detail refinements consist of racing stripes on the fly screen and tank, with the stripe line continuing over the seat, new mirrors and a rubber tank pad. Restyled clutch, alternator and sprocket covers enhance the distinctive makeover. In addition, exhaust heat shields, handlebars and clamps are now black to complete the stealth appearance. Continue Reading »
Latus Motors Racing announced it will compete in the 2013 Daytona 200 with Jason DiSalvo, Elena Myers and Kenny Riedmann on the Triumph Daytona 675R.
DiSalvo should be considered one of the favorites for the Daytona 200. DiSalvo won the 2011 edition of the race on a Ducati 848 for Latus, and nearly did it again in 2012, finishing second on a Triumph Daytona 675R sporting a special livery in tribute to Gary Nixon. Amazingly, DiSalvo was just 0.048 seconds behind the winner Joey Pascarella despite having to make an early pit stop to replace his rear tire.
“I’m really happy to be back on the Latus Motors Racing team and can’t wait to get back to Daytona’s high banks,” said DiSalvo. “I’m especially excited about the opportunity to have Kenny and Elena as teammates. The past few seasons with Latus and Triumph have been awesome, and I’m so happy to continue this great relationship. We’re going to have some great racing.” Continue Reading »
