26/07/2011 | By:

If there’s one thing I like more than motorcycles, it’s hot supermodels, such as Victoria’s Secret Angel, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covergirl and Harley-Davidson spokesmodel Marisa Miller.

Miller has appeared in a number of promotional spots for The Motor Company in recent years, most notably for the Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle and to support Harley-Davidson’s U.S. Military Appreciation programs (one of Miller’s “American Bombshell” post cards is currently my computer’s desktop wallpaper).

In the latest promotional tie-in, the statuesque model appears in a new video for Harley-Davidson’s Rider’s Edge new rider course. Joined by her father, Marc Bertetta, and husband Griffin Guess (both reportedly, experienced riders themselves), Miller enrolls in the course, riding Buell Blasts in the rain.

As a new rider myself, having recently taken a rider training course, I shared the same feelings, first nervousness, and eventually, accomplishment, that Miller felt. Her husband and father also taking part helped provide Miller with support, but also reminds us that even experienced riders can get something out of a riding school. Check out the video after the jump.

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25/05/2011 | By:

Aprilia U.K. will offer a quick shifter as an optional add-on to the Aprilia RS4 125 entry-level sportbike.

Inherited from the Aprilia RSV4 R APRC, the quick shifter allows for clutchless upshifts without needing to close the throttle. While the racing and trackday applications for the quick shifter on the RSV4 R APRC are clear, on a beginner-level model like the RS4 125, it helps ease the learning curve for new riders.

There’s no word yet whether the quick shifter option will be offered in the U.S. when the Aprilia RS4 125 arrives later this year as a 2012 model. In the U.K., the quick shifter adds an extra 99 pounds (US$160) to the Aprilia RS4 125′s 3,999 pound (US$6,500) price tag.

Related Reading
EICMA 2010: Aprilia RS4 125 Coming to US

Press release after the jump.

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30/12/2008 | By:
Taiwan-based Kymco unveiled three new products earlier this month at the International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, CA., including the Quannon 150. The air-cooled 149.3cc single-cylinder “sportbike” weighs 299 lbs and produces 14 hp allegedly allowing it to reach speeds of 72 mph. Speed is unlikely to be the main goal for beginners or commuters who purchase such a bike, but the claimed 70-75 mpg fuel efficiency will surely strike their fancy. As will the range of over 250 miles from the 3.6-gallon tank.

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