PAL-V looks to break new ground with its hybrid vehicle - part motorcycle, car, and helicopter. If it moves into production stage, maybe we can send the fearless Hutch for a test ride/flight. How about it Ken?
The Personal Air and Land Vehicle Company (PAL-V) are moving from Belgium to Holland in order to make use of the Dutch National Aerospace Lab to finish off developing their three-wheeled flying motorcycle. Thanks to private investment, it now looks as though the project can progress to a production machine within two years.
For those who have not heard of the project before, the PAL-V ONE is a combination of all the plus points of a car, a motorbike, and a gyrocopter. In other words, a hybrid vehicle that provides personal air and land transport. In appearance it looks like the now familiar
Carver, having twin wheels at the rear of its aerodynamic cigar-like body, these being powered by a conventional gas car engine. The body pivots from this point on to give motorcycle-like handling. A single rotor and propeller are folded away until the need for air travel presents itself, then the machine can take to the air when they are released from storage. Flying under the 4,000 feet (1,500 m) floor of commercial air space, it does not attract restrictive air traffic control regulation. It can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h both on land and in the air where it uses straightforward autogyro flying technology. Like a helicopter, it needs little space to take off and land, which it can do even if the motor fails thanks to autogyro technology. The question is "Is it a car, a motorcycle, or an autogyro as far as licensing is concerned?" For more information see
www.pal-v.com
Germany
German tuning experts have done a sweet job making the BMW K1200R Sport even sportier, dropping the weight with lighter wheels and a new exhaust and by switching out the steering head.
More information is leaking out of
BMW about the forthcoming 450GS Enduro bike which we have mentioned before. It would appear that the clutch is mounted directly on the end of the crankshaft, which means that it can be physically smaller as it does not have to transfer as much torque as a conventional geared down unit. The drive sprocket is mounted inline with the swingarm pivot so that the chain tension remains constant whatever the position of the swingarm. Despite these continued leaks, there has been no official comment from the BMW factory about the bike. Likewise they have denied they are buying Husqvarna, but they use their pits when testing the GS in actual German motorcycle competition!
The new BMW Superbike has now been spotted undergoing tests at the Spanish Cartegena circuit. The 1200 Boxer based machine is set to compete in several selected events, including some 24-hour events as part of its testing and it marks the first full factory racing effort for 50 years!
Unfamiliar with Pannonia Motos? That's not surprising, seeing how they were produced out of Hungary and sold in the U.S. under the 'White' brand name.
Meanwhile German tuning experts
AC Schnitzer has already released a tuned version of the K1200R Sport. New lightweight wheels replace the standard items (saving 8kg), along with a new lightweight exhaust that comes with or without a catalytic converter. The bike also gets their 'Superbike Steering' conversion, which includes a new steering head which alters the steering geometry for a sportier feel. There are also numerous other changes aimed at profiling their accessory range, although no prices have been announced either for the bike or the parts.
Hungary
Pannonia is another historical name from the past that is being revived on the tank of a brand new machine. A basic 250cc cruiser is the first new bike from the factory since 1975 and is powered by a 234cc motor giving just 18.5 bhp, but it could pave the way to a whole range of machines in the future.
A 1200cc supermoto by Aprilia is on the horizon as the company is planning on launching a new range of bikes in the next few years.
The original Pannonia motorcycle was produced under a range of names in Hungary and was even sold in the USA under the 'White' brand name. The bikes were manufactured by the State-owned company "Csepel" which also built Danuvia, Tunde and Panni motorcycles. Pannonia motorcycles were built between 1951 and 1975 before the factory folded after government funding was stopped. The bikes were powered by two-stroke single-cylinder motors initially before these became two-stroke 250cc twins to try and capture more of the market.
Italy
Aprilia it seems is planning a massive new range of bikes to be launched over the next few years. Included in this is a 1200cc Supermoto! The majority of the new models are to be based on the Shiver and Mana, with fully faired versions of both appearing along with a 1200 version of the Shiver. This is to be a new 1149cc V-Twin which during tests has given 130 bhp at 9000 rpm with 88 lb-ft of torque at 6500 rpm. This motor could also be fitted into a Supermoto based on the current SVX 450, which insiders can see may well also be offered with the existing 750 motor.
Watch out, Ducati Monster. Aprilia is looking to muscle in on a monster share of the market with its Mana.
Aprilia of course already manufactures the BMW G-series bikes. While in the past they launched their own branded version of a BMW (Pegaso), they are best known for their V-Twin-engined machines, hence the proposals.
The Mana is yet to be publicly launched, but already plans are in place to offer a faired version of the bike, which is aimed at Ducati's Monster market. The machine features an automatic gearbox and a dummy gas tank, which acts as storage for full face helmet. The aim of the bike is to appeal to the commuter market thanks to the ease of riding, but the addition of a fairing and integrated luggage could make it also appeal to the long-distance touring rider!
Aprilia has high expectations for the new 1000cc V-4 superbike engine, like capturing the World Superbike Championship.
Lastly, as we have previously mentioned, the 1000cc V4 will be in World Superbike in 2008. The bike, which will sit above the RSV-R Factory in status, will have 200-plus bhp and cost around $30,000 when it is revealed to the public at the end of this year.
Bimota is currently updating their DB5 and DB6 Delario models by fitting them with an air-cooled Ducati 1100DS motor from the Multistrada as the 1000cc engine is no longer manufactured. The change will involve a small price rise, although this has yet to be set by the company.
Meanwhile, work continues on the new Tesi 3D which is undergoing the final stages of testing. This is the latest incarnation of a model that goes back to the 1980's. The new bike has the latest evolution of the 'C'-shaped Omega chassis, with a trellis style front and rear swinging arms. This set-up separates out the braking and steering functions and is known for its stability under braking. The new bikes will use the same 1100DS engines as the models mentioned above. No prices have been announced for the limited-edition machines.
It seems that no matter what factory designers come up with in terms of radical new looks, there is always somebody else who thinks they can improve on them. Take the KTM Super Duke, love it or hate it, the design is very modern. Italy is of course the home of cool, so it is no surprise that they are home to the famous and not so famous styling houses and tuners. While
Pininfarina is one of the top well known ones, Milan-based EZ Tuning is not so, but that has not stopped them producing their own version of the aforementioned KTM called the 'Teddy Boy'.
Painted in a garish orange, white, and blue colour scheme using the new 'gummy' touch paint, the bike looks radically different from the donor machine. The rear end comes straight off a Yamaha R6 and the forks come off the bike's sibling, the 950 Supermoto. Weight saving has also been part of the exercise, so much so that the bike is now 161kg in road ready condition, some 20 kg below the stock figure. This weight reduction is due to new Inntek bars, GP Crono Speedo, Rizoma rear sets and Lightec screws, not to mention the latest must have, a 'Stubby' exhaust system. For more information on this and their other products see
www.eztuning.it
Moto Guzzi's Bellagio Cruiser is a new version of last year's 940 Custom, with new seating geometry and foot peg positions that should improve on the 940 Custom's shortcomings in comfort.
has admitted that it is now working on a new motor, although they have not been specific about the specification. Insiders suggest that it could be a 700cc single cylinder, or alternatively a smaller version of the 1200cc V-twin which powers the current Corsaro model.
Moto Guzzi has just released pictures of its new Bellagio Cruiser, which looks identical to the 940 Custom they debuted last year. The reason is simple, it is exactly the same machine, just re-named and tweaked with revised seating and foot-peg positions for improved comfort. The bike uses a unique version of the traditional Guzzi V-twin motor giving 75 bhp and is aimed at the Harley Davidson 883 Sportster market. It should do well given that it is 21kg lighter and more powerful by 25 bhp, not to mention that it is cheaper at $9,500.
If you read the Blog from long-time
Ducati CEO Frederico Minoli you might deduce that he is going to step down in the near future, probably in favor of Andrea Bonomi, who owns a large part of Ducati through his investment firm, Investindustrial. Whoever takes over will have a busy time with the rumored new entry-level machine and a revamped Multistrada to be launched this year.
Italian frame builder Massimo Pierobon is offering a kit to change your stock Ducati SS1000 into a minimalist track-only bike. The frame also accepts engines from the Multistrada and Monster ranges, allowing you to transform the bike without having to purchase too many additional parts apart from the donor machine.
The kit slashes weight to just 147kg and shortens the wheelbase to produce an ideal trackday weapon. Although it is not intended to be for road use, there is no reason why legal niceties cannot be added, either from the donor bike or from an accessory catalogue. You will also need a road-legal exhaust as the stainless race system that helps boost power will attract far too much unwanted attention!
First Honda slapped air bags on its luxo-touring king, the Gold Wing. Looks like an air-bagged scooter is next, as Honda has filed a patent for a scooter airbag.
Clothing firm
Alpinestars is now trailing itsAlpinestars Cervical Road-Race protector (A-CR) in GP's. The design is aimed at stopping violent head movement compared to the body during a spill and to stop the neck compressing or flexing uncontrollably. Tests are proving very positive, but it is still some way off from being available for the general public.
Japan
Japan's most famous tuner of European bikes,
Moto Corse, has now revealed its version of the Ducati 1098. It is called the 1098 AC for Alta Compressione (high compression) to indicate the changes over standard. Most of these currently revolve around bodywork and styling, although the bike now has a slipper clutch and a titanium exhaust. No prices have been revealed for the limited-production machine.
Now that
Honda has put the airbag version of the Goldwing into production, it looks like the next model to get one will be a scooter. The Japanese giant has filed a patent for a scooter airbag. Yamaha has already shown a concept scooter with an airbag, so it remains to be seen who will be the first to produce a production version!
Korea
Talk about wickedly-styled streetfighters! The 'Concept 10' by Swiss custom-tuning firm Streetfighters looks bad in black with a fatty rear tire and single-sided swingarm to go along with its GSX-R powerplant.
is set to launch a Supermoto later this year using a new 450 single cylinder motor. The firm already makes a twin-cam Single, which it uses in a quad. Watch out as well for their first 1000cc machine using the GT designation before it is used in their Aquila Cruiser range and GTR sportbike model line-up.
Switzerland
The 'Concept 10' from Swiss custom-tuning firm Streetfighters is big in every way. The low-rider machine is powered by an oil-cooled Suzuki GSX-R motor, which remains mostly stock apart from polished cases. This is mounted in a custom frame made out of aluminium tubing with a single-sided swingarm. What makes this bike really stand out is that the rear tire is a British-made Bunts 400 section item mounted on a 15-inch rear rim, which is complemented with a 180 section slick tire at the front. Bodywork is minimalist, to say the least, and what there is is all painted matt black. Although a runner, it is not road legal but if you are interested see
www.streetfighters-switzerland.com for more information.
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If you ever had any interest in the Swiss made Ecomobile, you will be interested in the latest variant the
Peraves Monotracer, which was shown recently at the Geneva Motor Show. Powered by a BMW K1200 motor giving 130bhp, the fully-enclosed machine is said to be capable of 52-degrees of lean and has a top speed of 155 mph. If this interests you, expect to pay around $72,000, the same as a new Ducati Desmosedicci!
United Kingdom
The family of Mike 'the Bike' Hailwood is auctioning off many of his racing trophies and riding kit at the end of the month. The biking legend was killed in a car crash a few years after having made a dramatic comeback to racing in 1978 with a win at the Isle of Man TT races after retiring some nine years previously. Many of his trophies, including his first TT replica, are up for grabs along with his leathers used in the 1971 Daytona race meeting.
www.bonhams.com
The family of Mike Hailwood is auctioning off racing trophies and memorabilia including his first TT replica.
have announced that the Street Triple we mentioned in the last edition will be launched at the end of June. Based on the top selling Daytona 675 sports bike, it is expected to cost around $11,000.
A UK dealer has combined the old with the new by producing a limited edition of the Daytona 675 in the old 'JPS' racing colors. The highly distinctive black and gold scheme was used on the Rotary Norton racing machines that dominated the UK tracks in the '90s. In addition to the historic paint work, the bikes feature a whole host of other extras, many coming from the official parts catalogue. Only five of the bikes will be built, so if you are interested you need to log onto
www.jacklilley.com very soon!
UK dealer Jack Lilley is offering LE Daytona 675s in the old 'JPS' black and gold racing colors made famous by the Rotary Norton racing machines in the '90s.
Ducati is recalling 115 Paul Smart 1000s, GT100s and sport 100s to prevent fuel hoses from detaching. It is believed that the fuel hoses going to and from the fuel filter and pump can become detached, which could cause the bike to cut out and has the potential for fuel spillage.
And Finally!
Police in Taiwan were astounded to see a rider using his right foot to steer and control the throttle of his machine. The man, called Hong, turned out to have lost his hands in a traffic collision. He therefore decided to adapt so he could continue riding and after several months practice became proficient enough to ride again. He offered to teach the amazed officers to ride in a similar fashion so that they had free hands to be able to shoot at the same time as riding. It is not known if they took up his offer!
