Motorcycles Magazine

Aprilia RS3 Cube Cool Motor Design

Monday, 20 June 2011

Aprilia RS3 Cube Cool Motor Design

When Aprilia unveiled its RS3 Cube motoGP bike last year, it was widely acclaimed as the best looking bike in the MotoGP paddock. Now you can have those stunning looks without having to wait for a road-going Cube triple to arrive. QB carbon have released this RS3 replica kit which will fit on to the Aprilia mille V-twin. The full carbon-fibre kit costs just over £4000, but the firm has also developed cheaper alternative parts in glass-fibre.

The carbon-fibre upper fairing is modelled exactly on the GP bike - right down to the twin air intakes - and incorporates elements of the Mille's standard headlamp to mix stunning looks with road-legality. The fairing sides and belly pan are carbon-fibre race versions of the Mille bodywork. And there is also a carbon seat unit, modelled directly on the Cube's - which uses a subtle LED light to round off a neat rear end. And to really make you feel like Colin Edwards or Nori Haga the Mille can now be decked out in full MotoGP Aprilia warpaint.

Full Giannelli race exhaust is more WSB than MotoGP. It should add a couple of extra bhp and a whole load more noise. The seat has been redsigned to mirror the RS3 Cube's unit exactly - the only noticeable difference is th use of clear LEDs for rear and brake lights on this road-going version.Upper Fairing Modelled exactly on the Aprilia GP bike's fairing except for the headlight - which is an original RSVunit, with the central portions cunningly concealed.

Suzuki Intruder Cool Motor Design

The Suzuki VS Intruder is a series of cruiser type motorcycles. The Intruder family was introduced in 1986 and was in production until 2005 when Suzuki replaced it with the Boulevard range. In Europe, the Intruder name remains in use for certain of the Boulevard machines.

This model with 747cc engine capacity was produced specifically for US market between 1985 - 1991. Engine is four-stoke, water-cooled, OHC, 45-degree V-twin producing maximum of 55 HP at 7,500 rpm with compression ratio 1:10 giving the bike top speed of 165 km/h. Each cylinder has its own Mikuni carburetor. Transmission is 5 speed, constant mesh. Stopping power is provided with a single disc at the front and drum brake at the rear. 1985 - 1987 models could be easily recognized as these have front brake rotor on the left side instead of right side found on later models. Their sissy bar is also shorter.

All these models are shaft driven. In 1990 a map boost sensor was added to the VS1400 model to increase highway mileage. This correlated to a change in the ignitor unit, which went from a two socket 4/6 pin configuration, to a 4/9 pin configuration, with the left/right orientation of the two sockets reversed. Suzuki VS 400 Intruder is a middleweight chopper motorcycle. It features water-cooled 399cc, 4 stroke V-Twin engine capable of producing 33BHP.

Cool Victory Kingpin Motorcycle Design

This isn't to say the Kingpin is a replacement for the strong-selling Vegas. The Kingpin is instead an alternative take on the Vegas concept, reworked with a few choice chassis and styling mods to move Victory beyond the "custom-cruiser" niche the Vegas occupies and into the more traditional, "fat-fendered" category now dominated by various Fat Boys and the odd Road Star or Vulcan. The fact that the Kingpin actually works better on the road than the Vegas is but a happy coincidence.

Although the Kingpin's 1507cc displacement might seem meager compared with this year's crop of mega-motored competition, it offers plenty of poke (70.9 horsepower and 93.1 foot-pounds of torque when we dynoed our last Vegas), and our recent ride confirms that power delivery is as burly and broad as before. The Freedom engine is virtually vibe-free; still, Victory added a new, rubber-mounted handlebar and rubber-mounted floorboards to the Kingpin. Also new is a dual-density saddle that is significantly more supportive than last season's too-soft perch. Many tiny details have also been tightened up on the Kingpin. Last year's droopy-drawers turn signals are jettisoned in favor of stiffer—and shinier—chrome bits, though the stamped-steel license-plate bracket looks like something stolen from the undercarriage of an ATV—and then chromed.

Let the style-meisters in the chopper crowd viva las Vegas—if you want a cruiser that really rides, or if you just prefer more traditional fat-fendered lines, the Kingpin is the bike that should be at your side.

SPECIFICATIONS
MSRP: $14,999
Engine type: l-c 50-deg. V-twin
Valve arrangement: sohc, 8v
Displacement: 1507cc
Transmission: 5-speed
Weight: 639 lb. (claimed dry)
Fuel capacity: 4.5 gal.
Wheelbase: 66.5 in. (1690mm)
Seat height: 26.5 in. (673mm)

Honda Shadow Super Bikes

Friday, 13 May 2011

Honda Shadow Super Bikes

The Honda Shadow refers to a family of cruiser-type motorcycles made by Honda since 1983. The Shadow line features motorcycles with a liquid-cooled 52-degree V-twin ranging from 125cc to 1800cc engine displacement. The 250cc Honda Rebel is associated with the Shadow line in certain markets. The current line of Shadow motorcycles originated from the technical underpinnings of the Honda CX series. In 1983, Honda introduced the Shadow series of motorcycles in an attempt to address the needs of the American cruiser market with the "VT500c" and "VT750c". However, due to tariff restrictions in the United States on imported Japanese bikes over 750 cc, All other offers are known under the VTX or Rebel brands.

The Shadow line remains the smaller V-Twins at Honda, one of the most complete lines of V-twin Cruisers on the market, and arguably the best engineered. Honda Shadow Sabre was introduced, based on the Honda VT1100 engine. The most notable feature was the front cast aluminum wheel. Some models used chain drive, but the shaft drive returned in 2004. 2007 was the final year Honda made the Shadow Sabre.

Kawasaki Dirt Bikes Motocross

Kawasaki dirt bikes offer a great range of high-performance bikes for all types of rider, from low range dirt bikes to top-end performance and dual purpose motorbikes. If you want a bike that you can handle as a beginner but will still have the performance to help you move into basic competition then these dirt bikes from Kawasaki are the ones you should go for.

Kawasaki Concours Full Color Wallpapers

Kawasaki Concours has a couple of things in common with the Yamaha Vmax, it's been around essentially unchanged almost forever (introduced in 1986) and it has a very dedicated following of owners who absolutely love it. This year, though, Kawasaki finally decided to bring the bike into the 21st century and they are introducing the Concours 14.

The Concours has shaft drive, an electrically adjustable windshield plus different aerodynamics than the ZX14, designed to protect a rider and passenger from the wind as opposed to maximizing top speed. There are heated grips, an accessory power outlet and of course, detachable hard bags. But the really sweet part is the engine, which is the big ZX14 engine in a slightly different state of tune but certainly a helluva lot more engine than any other touring rig you'll run across.

If Kawasaki is true to form, what you see here is probably the Concours you'll see for many years to come and I can't argue with their reasoning, I don't see any reason they would want to change it again any time soon. I like this.