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megwaynebrundell · 6 years ago

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Back to the Burt Feb 2019

Oreti Beach New Zealand (8 Feb 2019)

Readers of this blog will recall that in Aug-Oct 2016 Megan and I took Meg's Australian based Moto Guzzi Lemans 1000 to Europe along with 47 other Australian registered Moto Guzzis. Including pillions, more than 60 of us took off from Melbourne bound for the Netherlands where we picked up our bikes and toured. On that occasion Megan and I travelled some 10,000 kilometres across Western Europe and most of those kilometres were not quick efficient kilometres on autobahns but rather meandering back roads so we really got to appreciate Western Europe and enjoy the bike and each other.

I declared at that time that it was the best holiday I had ever been on. Megan and I enjoyed the motorcycle tour of Europe so much that on the day we were obliged to return our black Moto Guzzi Lemans 1000 to its container bound for home in Melbourne that we purchased a red Moto Guzzi Lemans 1000 in Europe to leave in Europe so that we could repeat the pleasure of touring Europe on a classic old Moto Guzzi annually.

The Black Lemans on which we toured Europe 2016 (22 Sep 2016)

The sad day we packed the black lemans up to send her home after spending our best holiday yet riding her around Western Europe. (27 Sep 2016)

After sadly packing away the black lemans we cheered ourselves up by buying the red lemans to leave in Europe so we could continue the best holidays ever for years to come. (27 Sep 2016)

Given our enthusiasm for the 2016 trip with its high point of celebrating the 95th birthday of Moto Guzzi at the factory on the shore of Lake Como at Mandello del Lario, it is hardly surprising that when Teo Lamers advised he was organising a tour last year (February 2018) of New Zealand that Megan and I again loaded the black Moto Guzzi Lemans 1000 into a container this time heading out from Melbourne Australia and bound for Auckland New Zealand. The highlights of this tour would be riding from the top of New Zealand's North Island to the bottom of its South Island (Invercargill) where we would celebrate the Southern Hemisphere's largest Motorcycle event, the Burt Monro Challenge.

Riverton South Island New Zealand (8 Feb 2019)

Again Megan and I had a magnificent time and here is where a pattern in Megan's and my behaviour began to emerge. As the motorcycle tour of New Zealand came to a close, Megan and I began to think of ways we could have a New Zealand based motor cycle sitting a couple of days ride from Invercargill. Yes, if we could hatch this cunning plan, we would have not only all of our Australian based motorcycles with us here in Melbourne but we would also have two motorcycles based outside of Australia with one being in Nijmegen Netherlands near the centre of Western Europe and the other a couple of days ride from Invercargill on the South Island of New Zealand. If this plan could come to fruition, not only would we have motorcycles on which we could tour the oldest continent of earth (Australia) but would could also have a motorcycle on one of the most highly populated and culturally and geographically diverse continents on earth (Europe) as well as that we could have a further motorcycle based in the true antipodean outpost with its winding mountain roads, glaciers, earthquakes and an old fashion culture of living and motorcycle racing that reminds me of the best of Australia during the 1970s.

As time passed a plan emerged. Our favourite New Zealand motorcycle racer Vince Burrell of Guzzi Café who races a 1970s round barrel Guzzi across New Zealand was moving his business to Christchurch which is located two days ride from Invercargill on the South Island of New Zealand. Vince who is a great laconic New Zealand character whose needs in life are articulated simply in his desire to be genuine, decent and to ride motorcycles fast on a race track. Yes Vince agreed we could store our motorcycle at his new motorcycle workshop in Christchurch New Zealand year round. All that remained was to secure the right motorcycle.

If past behaviour had been anything to go by we should have purchased a Moto Guzzi Lemans 1000 MKV. Why not I already had three of them and clearly love the bike but somehow the conditions on the South Island of New Zealand when they spoke to me said something different. The pace of life on the South Island of New Zealand is slower than Europe and Melbourne Australia. Of course it had to be a Moto Guzzi but which model??? I can be very fussy when it comes to bikes and in that respect I am no different to every other motorcycle enthusiast on the planet. I only like old bikes, being bikes which are designed before 1985 and to me they must have carburettors and be air cooled. I realised all of these features are old dinosaurs which have been superseded, much like myself, by far better and more efficient models but my preference is my preference.

Again it wasn't long before the 'correct' answer became evident. New Zealand is a large archipelago with great mountains so a large reasonably reliable engine would be essential but the South Island is also a place that moves slowly (in a nice way) and harps back to bygone eras from the 60s and 70s when the world was a simpler place. Yes, I would have the very first model Moto Guzzi which had the simple transverse twin cylinder engine and even old drum brakes. The first model V700, it would have enough torque to transport Megan, me and our luggage but would lop along slowly in a way that would not be out of step with the slow lopping pace of life that exists in the South Island.

A good place to start, a 1968 Moto Guzzi V700. The before shot.

Progress? 11 Aug 2018

Coming together, thanks Teo & Tony (24 Nov 2018)

A team effort, thanks Andy and Teo (1 Dec 2018) Time is running out.

I even knew the perfect place to source this motorcycle. I knew Teo Lamers of Yea Victoria Australia had a couple of these in his collection. I had seen a perfect red and silver V700 there during the preceding year.

After a discussion with Teo a V700 Guzzi was mine and given the need for this bike to be exceptionally reliable despite its age, Teo and I had agreed on a full nut and bolt restification that would see all mechanical parts of this bike disassembled and where necessary refreshed.

Thanks Teo the result is amazing and so are you.

Thanks to Vince of Guzzi Café, Teo Lamers of TLM and Mark Townsen we would have a New Zealand based beauty awaiting us in Christchurch. The only thing we could now do to make the New Zealand Guzzi experience better would be to share it with great friends.

Ready to be shipped to New Zealand and just in time for the Burt Munro. (6 Jan 2019)

The longest close friendship that I have enjoyed during my lifetime is the relationship I have with my younger brother Daryl. Daryl is almost four years younger than me and since we were both able to speak in early childhood we have both had an informal and sometimes formal pact to annoy and irritate those around us to our own selfish amusement. It is true we have been detested by many over the years for this trait but it is also many others have loved us and enjoyed watching our craft. I also owe Daryl because it was he who introduced me to Megan all those years ago.

Not only have I enjoyed a great relationship with Daryl over the years but also back in the eighties when we were young Daryl married Arlene who also became a great friend to Megan and me. Since that time we have lived in proximate neighbourhoods and our current houses even adjoin each other's. All four of us grew up together having similar aged children who socialised and went to school together. Even now our 30 year old daughters are currently sharing a house. Our friendship has been a true lifetime relationship.

The final and significant point to our relationship with regards to this blog is that Daryl and I share a passion for motorcycles and more particularly Moto Guzzis In fact Daryl already had a 1968 V700 Moto Guzzi. So the next step was clear. We would invite Daryl and Arlene to relocate their 1968 V700 Moto Guzzi with our 1968 V700 Moto Guzzi at Guzzi Café in Christchurch New Zealand. Vince Burrell of Guzzi Café agreed and the deal was done. Let the Buccaneering Brundells Big Bash across the Tasman begin.

Buccaneering Brundells at the airport. 3 Feb 2019

There is that book which everyone has heard of but few people have actually read called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I fall into this category where I imagine I practice the art but really I have never read the book so have no idea if that is true. To me the idea of the book is the pleasure I get playing around with my old classic motorcycles keeping them on the road and in the process of doing that I push all the pressures of modern day life out of my head. While I ride and maintain our stable of classic old motorcycles there is no space in my head to worry about the pressures of life including what others think or what is happening at work or with finances etc.

This trip falls into this category. As we ride our bikes from Christchurch to Invercargill we need to iron out those little niggles that beset bikes which are older than 50 years but have many new components fitted. Are all the recently installed nuts and bolts still tight? It is common for rebuilt old motorcycles to vibrate a few nuts and bolts loose as the bikes bed in. For us the newly installed points inside my bike's distributor did what points often do when they are new and that is they close up faster than normal as the felt block settles in. For me this caused the bike to run very roughly and unevenly. The unevenness was exacerbated after running out of petrol as this bike has no reserve (I found out the hard way) and presumably the carbies picked up some dirt from the bottom of the fuel tank. The bike was running terribly and it appeared we would not make Invercargill for the Burt Munro Challenge. Would we be stranded on the side of the road? At first I thought maybe I had the choke in the wrong position as the Italian bike has two settings on the choke being A and C. A meaning aperto or open and C meaning chiuso or closed. I started to doubt which was open or closed and as the bike ran marginally better with the choke aperto I left it on for a while. This improved the situation a little but a texting communication with Teo confirmed that when the engine is warm the choke should be chiuso. So I closed it but the bike ran worse and at times it could not even sustain speeds of 70 kilometres per hour. At first I cleaned the carburettor float bowls where I found sediment and in the left hand carburettor even lumps of rubbish. After a couple of cleans it began to improve but it wasn't until I got to Invercargill that Teo suggested I check the points. Of course, new points have a tendency to close more quickly when first installed. It has been so many years since I have had a car or bike with old fashion points and I had forgotten how quickly they wear out or simply require adjustment. I opened the points and the problem was resolved quickly.

Side of the road repair to Daryl’s bike. Makeshift gear lever. (10 Feb 2019)

The other early feature of the bike which needed to be ironed out was the propensity which became evident immediately after we took off for the first time. The bike had an unnerving weave at speeds below 15 km/h. At first I was very concerned but it quickly became evident that the issue disappeared above 15 km/h. My first attempt at diagnosis was tyre pressure and readers of this block will recall the issues that initially beset Megan and me when we took off in Holland 2016 with an almost unrideable bike. Once tyre pressure was ruled out I recalled that I had left the rear suspension settings on the softest setting while riding the bike two-up with a lot of luggage most of which is up high and out the back in the top box.

I upped the suspension rating and the problem reduced significantly although did not disappear altogether. At speeds below 15 km/h it would be little more than an unnerving inconvenience. Later I also realised that the new Ikon rear shock absorbers installed on the bike had a preload setting which I later also changed, again things improved but some weaving is still present below 15 km/h. Oh well, something for me to work on over time.

The four of us hanging out at Oreti Beach (8 Feb 2019)

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meacenas · 6 years ago

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Its a Motorcycle from the capital of Sexy. The Moto Guzzi V1000 Convert

Your looking at a 1977 Moto Guzzi V-1000 Convert. Its a 1000 ( actually 960 cc) cc V twin that put out 65 hp. Instead of the usual fore and aft like a Harley or a Ducati, this is side to side. It makes for an interesting ride when you blip the throttle. You can use that ‘interest’ in a very unusual way on occasion, more on that later.

I rode this bike for 20 years. Smooth, powerful, even a bit of a canyon carver. Actually, I had two of these. They were for all intents, the same bikes, one red and one black. The black one I found in back of a mobilehome under a leanto. When I asked the guy if he wanted to sell it, he told me he had bought it for his 10 year old son to learn to ride. Thats more than a bit odd, this is a tall bike. My friend who had a 77 Harley told me one time that my bike was like riding a 2x4 on edge. Maybe, but I am 6′2″ and if fit me fine.

Convert? The factory called it a convert because it was essentially a 1000 SP (sport) bike that was fitted with a automatic transmission for the old farts. Yep, a 2 speed slushbox, but it was far from a being slushy. This bike could idle in gear at a light, and as you turned up the throttle....run in 1st gear (! ! ) to about 50mph. THEN, you shift as a regular transmission, to second gear, which I never had the nerve to see how fast it would go, (90 anyways). I took down many bikes at the stoplight, just because the powerband was so smooth and long and i didn't have to shift while they rowed through their gears. You could start off in second gear, and the torque converter would slop along so you never had to shift, but you did not get anywhere fast like that.

The ‘thing’ with the V twin torque? If you went slow around a right hand corner, and it felt like you were a bit too low, just twist the throttle a bit more and the bike would rise towards upright like a magic trick. I remember once, I was in a parking lot, turning around and my boot buckle got caught on the floorboard as I was gettig ready to stop. SInce I was in that turn....that was the only thing that saved my ass from just falling over. Twist and it stood up just fine.

All in all, the Moto Guzzi line of motorcycles are a luxury brand that uses the same parts that you would find on a Ducati, Ferrari or Lamborghini. Brembo brakes, Dellorto Carbs, Borranni spoked wheels, it was a high quality machine. The problem was finding a mechanic that knew how to deal with fine machinery. There is a big difference between working on a Harley that has mechanical tolerances so sloppy it leaks oil out of every hole and fitting and a Guzzi that is set up like a Ferrari and requires the same delicate touch. The first year I took it to a mechanic that worked mostly on British bikes. That did not work out well at all, I paid over $300.00 and the engine had no power, pinged, backfired. I went to a friend who had a Guzzi and he showed me how to start a by- the- book- tuneup by setting the valves first, then the dual points, (fun fun) then the timing, then the dual carbs, It took about two weeks to get the kinks worked out, but once done, my Guzzi never had a problem for the next 20 years.

Ride Guzzi.

#motorcycle #ride #love #art #dream #leather #meacenas #new content every night at 9 #Meacenasartisan.etsy.com #circles #NFL

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sdog1blog · 4 years ago

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Red Hair and Black Leather

Richard Thompson’s song Vincent Black Lightning had been out a couple of years and I was fully agreement that women with red hair, wearing black leather was a comely combination. I was hanging around Bob’s Java Hut in its old location on the west side of Lyndale Ave in Minneapolis. It as a nice evening for sipping coffee, telling lies and looking at bikes. Around this time the hippster bike to ride was moving on from BMW /5′s, particularly toaster tanked to vintage Moto Guzzi’s, V-series and Le Mans’ and anything two-stroke.

One evening a woman pulled up on a bumble-bee RD-400. She sported the requisite red hair over black leather and had a lovely derriere that was properly framed by the clip-on bars that had been added to the Yammy. As she walked past I complemented her on the bike, she smiled and took a moment to tell me about it, before moving on to join two other women. Green eyes to go with the red hair, I was in lust. Not long after they hopped on their bikes and took off into the night.

A few weeks later, I was again at Bob’s with a couple of friends, when she road in again, this time on a Moto Guzzi, V-50, also fitted with clip-ons and a café fairing. Complements were offered and accepted again, with a bit of the bike’s background given. Before walking off she asked me what I was riding?

At that time, my only running bike was a BMW RT, a truly boring pipe and slippers motorcycle if there ever was one. The bikes only redeeming features is that I could ride it Minneapolis to Dallas, or Minneapolis to Boston in two days and not need to see a chiropractor, also, I had it for nearly 20 years and well over 100K on the odo and it only needed maintenance. But those are only defensive benefits when arguing the you’re really not that boring. On learning about my ride, she moved on so quickly I wondered if I mistakenly told her the I had the clap.

Saw her and those bikes several times that summer but not the following. This was 25 or so years ago, so along the way she likely sold them, when she gave up riding to have kids. Bet she’s looking back and kicking herself for getting rid of them. How about me and that RT? Not so much.

Sleeping Dog

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narcisbolgor-blog · 6 years ago

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Is the NewBigger, Beefier Ducatithe One for You?

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 does not come in red.

If you don’t know Ducati, that may not seem a big deal. But for fans, the color red is as core to the brand as it is to such fellow Italian brands as Ferrari or Valentino.

There’s a reason for this: The motorcycle maker wants to make sure you know that the Scrambler line is different from its other bikes—ones such as the high-powered, rocket-style Monsters and Hypermotards and, most obviously, SuperSports. By contrast, the genial Scrambler—with its flat seat built for two and higher handlebar—sits you more upright and is happiest cruising sunny urban neighborhoods or on hot summertime dates over bridges and through tunnels. It’s the hipster model of the line, aimed squarely at attracting riders who may also sport trimmed beards, perfectly roughed-up denim, and favorite roasts of local coffee.

The Scrambler chassis was developed in parallel with the engine in order to make it more ergonomic and easier to ride at higher speeds.

Photographer: Hannah Elliott/Bloomberg

The 2018 Scrambler 1100 also does not showcase Ducati’s signature trellis frame. Nor, even more sacrilegiously, does it have Ducati’s most famous engine. Instead, it comes with a choice between black and yellow or slightly muted two-tone color schemes and a 1,079cc air-cooled twin engine good enough for 86 horsepower and easy highway cruising speeds of 100 miles per hour-plus.

The 1100, which I rode around New York last week, is the most powerful of the Scrambler line. It has two round, thick, silver tailpipes stuck under its seat—unlike other Scramblers, which lack such heavy metal—and a turgid tangle of pipes stuck underneath its wide tank. It’s a beefy bike for a mature rider.

The seat is 31.9 inches above the ground, taller than other models in the Scrambler range.

Photographer: Magnus Walker

Where sales of cruisers and superbikes continue to decline, pockets of Scrambler-style motorcycles and flat-track dirt bike culture are blossoming. Ducati needs these bikes more than it needs any other of its models—even the best-selling flagship Monster.

The Past and the Future

The most arresting thing about riding the Scrambler 1100 is how it combines the style and feel of a bike from the 1960s (the era on which it’s based) with modern technology and safety systems so myriad they’re almost excessive.

This stands in stark contrast to the Harley-Davidsons and Moto-Guzzis of the world, which can feel outdated in terms of actual operation, gauges, screens, and mechanical systems but have components with delightful heft and grittiness. Alternately, electric bikes from cool companies such as Zero and Alta feel coolly futuristic to ride but also feel like plastic appliances everywhere you touch. (Not cool.)

The dual LED gauges show system diagnostics, speed, gears and mileage, among other things.

Photographer: Hannah Elliott/Bloomberg

The body on the Ducati 1100, meanwhile, is made nearly exclusively of steel and aluminum (the seatpan and airbox are plastic, though these are out of sight and mind; the 1100 Special even has aluminum mud guards). Everything that meets the eye looks meaty—substantial. Its tubular steel trellis and aluminum subframe are hidden by blacked-out paint and those winding steel tailpipes. The 10-spoke light alloy wheels and two-tone teardrop tank even out the bike’s heft, as does the wider-than-other-Scramblers stitched seat. The front mudguard is held in place by two die-cast aluminum supports, while the rear one incorporates LED indicators. (Old and new combine, see?) Even the single, round headlight is a real glass parabola, rimmed in polished aluminum.

Even better, the unique, deeper growl of the 1100 sounds just like what you’d dream this metal beast would sound like.

Once you get on the bike and turn the key, everything fast-forwards into the future, and a universe of computerization appears; three riding modes adjust throttle and brake response, among other things. (I mostly used “City,” as that’s where I rode.) There’s also Bosch Cornering ABS and traction control, which manages how you ride you ride, in order to help prevent a crash, a dump, or an over-the-handlebars number it happens. (For example, traction control activates when it senses the wheels are on a slippery surface, helping drivers make the most of the traction that’s available on the road surface.) The dual-element LCD instrument panel monitors gas levels, trip distance, and engine output; unlike nearly every motorcycle until the last year or so, automatically turns off blinkers. There’s even a USB outlet underneath the seat cover for charging your iPhone. Ahh, modernity.

Details such as this script on the gas tank make the bike special. Ducati has also announced a Scrambler-dedicated apparel line, made with Roland Sands, that includes a leather jacket, a fabric jacket, and an open-face helmet.

Photographer: Hannah Elliott/Bloomberg

Compared to the smaller engines in the Scrambler lineup, which come in 400cc or 800cc, riding the 1100 feels as you might expect: a little more power at your fingertips, which you feel especially in the upper of its six gears; a little more torque; a little heavier; and a little more gristle. It’s fun to ride, though the cornering is nimbler in the smaller versions with their smoother tires, and it generates obvious interest from pedestrians and other riders as it passes. Yes, it’s loud.

Why should you get the 1100 when the less-expensive 800cc one is so good? To be honest, most people won’t need it. The 800 fulfills the purpose of the Scrambler line in a way that is nearly impossible to improve. After all, this is a bike meant for urban driving and short trips, not longer cruises—which the 1100 tends toward.

But it’s a solid motorcycle. And, it should be noted, one especially well-suited to larger riders, since it weighs 40 pounds more, has a wider tank and seat, and is taller, with a longer wheelbase than the 800cc version. If you’re looking for a motorcycle you can ride mostly in the city, with additional longer rides in more comfort and power, you may find the Scrambler 1100 is just your tune.

The two tailpipes are bold and unique to the Scrambler 1100 line. If you want something really cool, choose the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport As the name implies, the Scrambler 1100 Sport takes a sportier angle, with different shocks and forks and a cool “Viper Black” tank with yellow sides and dual yellow striping down the middle. It has the same handlebars as the 1100, which Ducati describes as “low, tapered” but could stand to have some after-market adjustment for a truly cool look.

Photographer: Hannah Elliott/Bloomberg

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 is already available.

Photographer: Magnus Walker

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motorcycleparts2day · 7 years ago

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Skull aluminum black mirrors w/ red eyes for Buell Ulysses Moto Guzzi Aprilia BUY IT NOW – Skull aluminum black mirrors w/ red eyes for Buell Ulysses Moto Guzzi Aprilia

#Skull aluminum black mirrors w/ red eyes for Buell Ulysses Moto Guzzi Aprilia

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businessliveme · 5 years ago

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Harley-Davidson LiveWire Review

(Bloomberg) — It’s becoming increasingly impossible to talk about any electrified vehicles—racing, luxury, or otherwise—without clarifying just which ones you mean. These days, referring to an EV could mean one of the two-wheeled variety.

On July 12, Harley-Davidson unleashed its first electric motorcycle, LiveWire, on a Formula E racetrack temporarily carved out of the streets of Red Hook in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The idea was to allow a few journalists enough lap time on the $29,799 bike to give them a sense of what it can do under optimal conditions. It’s a crucial step in Harley’s unrolling of its new baby, the first chance for critics to get seat time on the bike that must help save the 116-year-old Milwaukee darling.

Harley has stagnated in recent years, hurt by an aging fan base, tariffs, and encroachment from such brands as Triumph, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, and BMW. (The last has unveiled multiple electric motorcycle concepts and electric scooters for years but has yet to make a distinctive motorcycle of its own for the U.S.)

A 30-minute joyride around the track’s 14 corners and two major straightaways proved the black LiveWire I rode to be thrusty, powerful, nimble, and—at 460 pounds—more weighty in every sense of the word than other electric offerings from California-based startups Zero and Alta.

The Best Side

As you’d expect, if you’ve driven anything electric at all, the first and best thing about the LiveWire’s performance is the strength and smoothness of the instant torque. This is the greatest gift electric technology has given to people who love to drive, and ride.

The bike runs from zero to 60 mph in three seconds and 60 mph to 80 mph in 1.9 seconds. LiveWire has the kind of excellent and smooth roll-on acceleration from any speed—coming out of a tight corner or barreling down a backstretch—that you dream about.

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Seven drive modes include ones that will conserve battery power or enhance track performance; the LiveWire increased in handling finesse the faster it went.

It’s special because it’s heavier and looks beefier than something like Zero’s streetfighter-style bike. I loved how it handled itself around corners; the LiveWire is balanced so well, with a rigid aluminum frame and high-up, stylized battery pack that also add to its visual appeal. It felt powerful as I rode around Red Hook, with no hesitation or lagging. Rather than feeling like an electric appliance, the LiveWire felt like a proper motorcycle.

The bike emits minimal sound and no real vibration—I couldn’t tell the difference between when it was on or off, except for a green light band across the 4.3-inch color touchscreen between the handlebars. It also emits no heat, a boon for the day we rode, when temperatures approached 100F.

The Harley also boasts a new logo meant to reflect this era, which the company says will include multiple electric offerings—an electric blue outline of the traditional Harley badge, sans any lettering. (When I first saw it out of the corner of my eye, I thought it was something from Nissan.)

As with all electric motorcycles, LiveWire will require no engine oil, spark plugs, air filter, or major servicing. (Things like belt tension, gearbox oil, brake fluid and pads, and tires should all be checked regularly. Not that there was any mechanical trouble on my brief ride—it would take much more than that to show cracks in the Harley system.) It will seem top-heavy when you get on, heavier than other electric bikes, but that feeling will dissipate the moment you twist the throttle past 30 or 40 mph. And with the firm Harley seat placement—along with ergonomic not-too-high, not-too-low handlebars (a two-person seat is optional)—there’s much to mitigate any extraneous back and shoulder stress from the road.

What’s special about the LiveWire is, despite the new logo, it looks and even feels like a real Harley when you’re on it, even without those hog pipes. After all, perception is reality, right? (Let go of your attachment to the sound thing for this bike—keep a second Harley in the garage if you need to remind yourself that “loud pipes save lives” every once in a while.)

The Caveats

Of course, a 30-minute track session necessitates ample disclaimers: The ride was controlled by Harley PR executives, who rode at the front of the rider group and kept us under 70 mph or so at the fastest point on the backstretch.

The power regeneration mode that engages when you brake adds charge to the battery, like every other braking system on electric cars. It’s especially useful for regathering energy in congestion and traffic that requires slow-rolling and stop-and-go riding, though I rarely touched the brakes during our Brooklyn ride.

And it was a curated ride—30 minutes on the back of a precharged bike is a far cry from the real-life demands of charging and maintaining an electric motorcycle in the city. That dissonance is the biggest challenge in the marketing and selling of electric motorbikes—and electric city cars, for that matter—in the foreseeable future: Automakers are making EVs they say are perfect for the urban rider, but most urban riders have nowhere to charge one. Running an extension cord down to the sidewalk from your fifth-floor walkup is not an option. And I don’t care what your salesman who lives in Connecticut or New Jersey tells you—most parking garages in Manhattan do not have chargers in them, and the few that do struggle to keep them functional. Those plugs are also typically occupied by the dusty Teslas of longtime users or Nissan Leaf-loving neighbors of the garage. You’ll find yourself on a waiting list just to get some juice.

What’s more, the 146 miles of range (95 miles if you’re sitting in traffic) and the charging time required—one hour for a full charge on a DC Fast Charger—are not conducive to taking this bike to get away from it all on any sort of weekend excursion.

Harley-Davidson has yet to prove it can resolve the disparity between how and to whom its electric vehicles are marketed, as well as the real-world daily lives of said consumers. If the point of a Harley is to feel the freedom of the open road, your freedom on LiveWire will be severely curtailed.

Then again, Harley-Davidson knows it has to come up with some new tricks if it’s going to court a younger, fresh, and vibrant audience. (To stay alive, it must.) LiveWire looks cool, retaining the best styling cues from the iconic brand, and it performs powerfully within urban constraints. It’s a new trick from an old dog—and it could be just what the old dog needs.

The Harley-Davidson LiveWire motorcycle is available for preorder. It goes on sale in the U.S. later this year, with expanding global availability starting in 2020.

The post Harley-Davidson LiveWire Review appeared first on Businessliveme.com.

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wetsteve3 · 3 years ago

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From Mecum:

If any motorcycle deserves the nickname “two-wheeled Ferrari,” it’s MV Agusta’s 4-cylinder Hot Rods of the 1970s, and this 1971 750S is a perfect example. MV Agusta motorcycles earned their magical aura by dominating the racing scene in the 1950s, ‘60s and early ‘70s, winning 37 World Championship titles. Whether a humble single-cylinder two-stroke or a magnificent big-bore 4-cylinder, as we have here, all MVs promise speed; they’re full of win with their gorgeous design and long race history. Count Domenico Agusta hired Gilera’s designer Piero Remor to design a new 4-cylinder DOHC racer with the aim of making MV a dominant force in the premier Grand Prix series for 500cc racers. MV’s new fours were on par with the best racers in the world by the mid-1950s, and after 1956, much of MV’s competition evaporated when BMW, Gilera, Moto Guzzi and NSU abandoned expensive Grand Prix racing. As such, MV Agusta reaped a harvest of World Championships. When Japanese fours began to compete in the 350cc and 500cc classes, MV Agusta was the only European factory to successfully battle the newcomers in the premier capacity class, taking its last World Championship in the 500cc class in 1974, though still taking second place in the world title in 1975.

MV Agusta introduced its first 4-cylinder roadster in 1965, a 600cc that was dubbed the “Black Pig” for its ungraceful styling. The company rectified the situation by offering what the public really wanted, which was a red-hot roadster: the 1969 750 Sport. The Sport had fantastic styling with swelling curves and impeccable engine castings, and terrific handling as well with the best frame, forks and shocks available from Ceriani, Marzocchi and the MV race shop. It handled like a proper racing motorcycle, unlike its only 4-cylinder competition, the Honda CB750, and the MV was also much faster with its DOHC motor and free-breathing carburetors and exhaust. However, it was also three times the cost of the Honda, which meant not many were sold, though every Sport that did reach a customer was a coveted machine and owned with great pride.

This 1971 MV Agusta 750S was imported Moto EJF Import of Eric Ferdinansen, to the MV Agusta agent in Konga, Sweden. In the mid-1970s Ove Johansson of the MC Collection acquired this 750S, and it has been in his possession ever since. Its last service in 1977 was made by Ferdinansen, and over the course of a year, parts of the engine were sent to the factory in Italy for updates. Ferdinansen worked closely with MV-Meccanica Verghera SpA, its engineer Arturo Magni and designer Dr. Giuseppe Bocchi. This is a genuine MV Agusta 750S with comprehensive history from new, and it is an absolutely stunning motorcycle.

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griftercompany · 6 years ago

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thegloober · 6 years ago

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Our First Look At The Production-Ready Moto Guzzi V85

For those who got excited by Moto Guzzi’s V85 TT Concept revealed at EICMA last year, we have some good news. The production version of the model has finally shown its colors on the group’s Discover V85 website and as we suspected earlier in the summer, the showroom-ready version is loyal to the concept.

Tutti Guzzi

The new model will make its official debut at EICMA this year, looping the loop, however it looks like Moto Guzzi was happy to give us an early taste of their brand-new adventure bike. The V85 heading for the production line sports all the same features as last year’s concept with some minor tweaks.

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It sports the same contrasting red trellis frame, modified slightly around the head of the bike. The exhaust pipe is longer and the coil spring at the back is now black rather than the original matching yellow. The hand guard design has also changed and the shells are now black rather than body-matching. The mesh panel located at the forefront of the bike, tucked under the gas tank is now full. As we said: the tweaks are minor and it’s only when scrutinizing the concept side by side with the production model that we actually notice the changes. We’re glad they stuck with the classic-looking spoke wheels.

The pictures also reveal the motorcycle’s display that suggest quite a few interesting things. The “Pioggia” indication, or “Rain”, complete with a rainy cloud icon, suggests the model will receive riding modes, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering other models in the lineup have the modes as well. Even more interesting are the tiny icons located above the odometer which lead us to believe the bike’s computer will offer navigation and will even sync with a smartphone. We also like the radar pattern that decorates the screen frame.

The V85 will be powered by an 853 cc, 90-degree transversal v-twin engine rated at 80 hp. It will replace the discontinued Stelvio 1200 NTX. Further details, including the price, are expected to be revealed in Milan in November.

The post Our First Look At The Production-Ready Moto Guzzi V85 was shared from BlogHyped.com.

Source: https://bloghyped.com/our-first-look-at-the-production-ready-moto-guzzi-v85/

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businessweekme · 6 years ago

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Is the Bigger, Beefier Ducati Scrambler 1100 the One for You?

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 does not come in red.

If you don’t know Ducati, that may not seem a big deal. But for fans, the color red is as core to the brand as it is to such fellow Italian brands as Ferrari or Valentino.

The Past and the Future

Even better, the unique, deeper growl of the 1100 sounds just like what you’d dream this metal beast would sound like.

Once you get on the bike and turn the key, everything fast-forwards into the future, and a universe of computerization appears; three riding modes adjust throttle and brake response, among other things. (I mostly used “City,” as that’s where I rode.) There’s also Bosch Cornering ABS and traction control, which manages how you ride while you ride, in order to help prevent a crash, a dump, or an over-the-handlebars number before it happens. (For example, traction control activates when it senses the wheels are on a slippery surface, helping drivers make the most of the traction that’s available on the road surface.) The dual-element LCD instrument panel monitors gas levels, trip distance, and engine output; unlike nearly every motorcycle until the last year or so, automatically turns off blinkers. There’s even a USB outlet underneath the seat cover for charging your iPhone. Ahh, modernity.

The post Is the Bigger, Beefier Ducati Scrambler 1100 the One for You? appeared first on Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East.

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