sportsbike Articles
What people think about bikers
Know that "What people think about..." meme that's going around? Well, we figured we'd make a few funnies for you. Yes, that is me, a bottle of Liquid Silk and Bike EXIF. Cripples need skin hydration and motorcycle pictures too. Here's some smaller version for the cheapskates. 1280px versions are in the gallery. Want to make your own? Put them on our Facebook Page....
Feb 15, 2012
Bust mirrors, not bark: sportsbike hand guards
Remember this year's Daytona 200? Or the famous Biaggi/Rossi elbow match from Suzuka in 2001? At the time, there was a lot of drama about how Biaggi did it to force Rossi wide, but Daytona is a good example of why a rider might think it's necessary to stick an elbow out. Why am I pointing out these two racing incidents? Well, somewhere along the evolution of the motorcycle, dirtbikes sprouted hand...
May 31, 2011
Dailies
How to steal a GSX-R
Five seconds is all it takes for this cop to hot-wire a CBR. A GSX-R isn't much harder. Snap the steering lock, plug in a "pigtail," and off you go. This video, which appears to be from 2007 (judging by the bikes), was uploaded two weeks ago and shows just how easy it is to steal a bike. It's just as unnerving now as when it was shot.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAwtMQLnT7k&sns=fb On January f...
May 02, 2011
Dailies
This is what 30 years of progress looks like
These graphs from French bike mag MotoRevue show thirty years of superbike development from 1978 to 2009. In case you don't speak French, the vertical column on this graph is horsepower while on the one below it's weight. The blip in the data round 2007 is due to the introduction of Euro3 emissions standards, the necessary exhaust catalysts boosted weight and reduced horsepower. As you can see, th...
Aug 05, 2009
Dailies
Quantya developing 100mph+ electric sportsbike
Quantya is planning an electric sportsbike to rival the Zero SS. Our man in Norway, Ivar Kvadsheim uncovered the news at the EVS24 green vehicle conference taking place in Stavanger. "The best description I can give is Italian sportsbike styling...think Ducati 1198 or Cagiva Mito, but more angular" says Ivar, who was shown renderings of the new bike. That sounds great, but we're more excited about...
May 15, 2009
Dailies
Zero SS electric sportsbike arriving late 2009
Zero Motorcycles is readying an electric sportsbike based on the Zero S supermoto. Neal Saiki exclusively revealed this to Hell For Leather, saying, "Later on this year, we'll come out with a micro sportsbike, we'll keep the 4kWh battery pack." Expect the Zero SS to make the same power as the S: 31bhp and 62.5lb/ft of torque.>In the supermoto, far less aerodynamic than a fully faired sportsbike, t...
May 08, 2009
Dailies
Roland Sands SXV 4.5 RoadRacer Concept: Aprilia considers production
Remember the Roland Sands SuperSingle? It seems that Aprilia has taken an interest in the project, commissioning Roland to build a one off prototype based on the SXV 4.5 supermoto. Piaggio -- Aprilia's parent company -- presented this concept at its 2008 dealer meeting earlier this month to see if they thought there'd be enough customer interest to justify a production run. The interesting thing a...
Oct 15, 2008
Dailies
Rocketshields wants to put a canopy on your sportsbike
We can think of about 1,000 reasons why this Rocketshields canopy is a bad idea. But despite visions of crosswinds running through our heads, it still has merit, if for the original thinking alone. For nearly as many reasons, sportsbikes make ideal commuters, offering light weight, reliability and the kind of safety that comes with sheer competence, but they're uncomfortable. If a canopy like this...
Jun 06, 2008