Over the past few years, especially since the height of the economic crisis, more and more women have turned to motorcycling both as a way to save on fuel costs, but also to experience the joys of the open road. In an article recently published by Consumer Reports, some tips are provided for women looking to enter the sport for the first time.
Vespa has relaunched its official website, Vespa.com, and will begin accepting bookings online for its new limited edition Vespa 946 scooter. Unfortunately, the online booking will only be available in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
That means those of us in North America will have to settle for waiting for our local Vespa dealers to begin taking orders for the Vespa 946. But those of you in the eligible markets can visit the “Store” section of the Vespa.com site and order their 946.
Available in its current configuration in either black or white until the end of 2013, the Vespa 946 is somewhat of a “halo” model, an exclusive high-end and high-priced model designed to give the Vespa brand a feeling of prestige. Vespa will produce a limited number and then create a new limited series in 2014. Continue Reading »
We knew it was coming after seeing it receive certification from the California Air Resources Board, but American Honda has officially announced it will offer the 279cc Forza scooter for U.S. consumers. First announced at the 2012 EICMA show for the European market and Canada, the Forza fills a gap in Honda‘s U.S. scooter lineup between the 153cc PCX150 and SH150i and the 582cc Silver Wing.
The Forza uses a liquid-cooled 279cc single-cylinder engine with Honda’s Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) system with power delivered through a Honda V-Matic continuously variable automatic transmission. American Honda did not offer numbers but the European-spec model claims 25.5 hp at 7500 rpm and 19.2 ft-lb. at 5000 rpm. American Honda did claim a fuel economy of 68 mpg which, with a 3.0-gallon fuel tank, should translate to a range of about 204 miles. Continue Reading »
The economic downturn hit the motorcycle world particularly hard, as many factory-backed road racing efforts closed shop. The decision, while unfortunate, isn’t hard to understand, as racing at the highest levels isn’t cheap, and a factory involvement means added pressure to succeed, which ultimately means spending more money to do so.
Through it all, however, Yamaha has remained involved with the sport, fielding factory teams and sponsoring various riding schools and even racetracks. Now, on the heels of the second round of the AMA Pro Road Racing Championship, May 31 – June 2, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the track has announced a multi-year agreement that will make Yamaha its official motorcycle. Continue Reading »
KTM announced it will bring its E-Speed electric scooter to production, with plans to introduce it to he European market in 2015.
Originally unveiled last month at the 2013 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, the E-Speed made its European debut at this past weekend’s Bike Austria show where KTM officially announced the scooter will enter production. The E-Speed will follow the Freeride E as the second electric model offered by KTM.
The E-Speed uses the same battery and motor as the Freeride E, but retuned for urban commuting rather than off-road riding. KTM claims 14.8 hp and 26.6 ft-lb. for the E-Speed compared to 29.5 hp and 30.9 ft-lb. for the Freedom E. Continue Reading »
April 26, 2013, marks the 67th anniversary of the day Enrico Piaggio went to Italy’s Central Patents Office and filed his plans for “a motor cycle with a rational complex of organs and elements with body combined with the mudguards and bonnet covering all the mechanical parts” which later became the iconic Vespa scooter.
Piaggio created several prototypes of the Vespa – so named for its wasp-like body with a narrow “waist” and wide rear – before coming up with the MP6 pictured above with the help of designer Corradino D’Ascanio and draftsman Mario D’Este.
The public was first introduced to Vespa at the 1946 Milan fair, with sales beginning shortly afterward. Piaggio produced 2,484 Vespa scooters in Italy in 1946 before seeing production jump up to 10,535 in 1948. In 1950, Piaggio expanded sales to Germany, increasing production to 60,000 scooters. The rest, as they say, is history. Continue Reading »
KTM unveiled a new electric scooter concept at the 2013 Tokyo Motorcycle Show called the E-Speed. The E-Speed is the second electric model from KTM, following the Freeride E dirtbike.
The E-Speed actually shares the same electric battery and motor technology as the Freeride E, but repurposed for urban mobility. The E-Speed’s motor isn’t as powerful as the Freeride E’s however, with KTM claiming 14.8 hp and 26.6 ft-lb. compared to 29.5 hp and 30.9 ft-lb. for the Freedom E.
According to KTM, the E-Scooter weighs 309 pounds and has a top speed of 85 kph (53 mph). The E-Speed’s lithium ion battery has a capacity of 4.36 kWh which KTM claims offers a range of 40 miles can be fully charged within two hours from a normal household power outlet. Continue Reading »
Honda will display a number of new motorcycles at the upcoming Osaka Motorcycle Show and Tokyo Motorcycle Show in addition to a new 400cc version of its 500-series models. Honda describes the new motorcycles as exhibition models or models planned for production.
The new models include the previously announced-for-North America CTX700 and CTX700N, and the Thailand-bound CRF250M motard (pictured above). The CTX700N and the cowled CTX700 will launch first in the U.S. The CRF250M has not been confirmed for the U.S. however, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if Honda did introduce this motard version of the CRF250L.
Other announced models are less likely to arrive in the U.S. Read more about them after the jump. Continue Reading »
Yamaha is initiating a recall on the 2009 Zuma 125 scooter due to an issue with its fuel pump. The recall campaign affects 8,700 units produced between July 2008 and April 2009.
According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there may not be the proper clearance in internal fuel pump components, potentially causing an inadequate supply of fuel. This could lead to difficulties starting the Yamaha Zuma 125, or, if the scooter is already in operation, could cause the engine to stall, potentially leading to a crash. Continue Reading »
The automotive world has been buzzing of late about BMW‘s upcoming i3 electric car having an optional range extending gas-powered motorcycle engine. As our sister site Autoguide.com reports, the i3 will be available with an optional two-cylinder BMW motorcycle engine to power a generator which can recharge the electric motor and extend the vehicle’s range to 250 miles compared to a range of 60-90 miles relying just on the battery.
It turns out that two-cylinder motorcycle engine will actually be provided to BMW by Taiwanese manufacturer Kymco. This should be no real surprise as Kymco supplies several engines for the smaller-displacement BMW motorcycles including the engine for the single-cylinder G450X and the parallel-Twin engine used in the BMW C650GT and C600 Sport maxi-scooters. Continue Reading »
