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ridingirlsblog · 5 years ago

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Photoshoot of the Week: December 30th 2019 - January 5th 2020 - Suzuki GSX-R750 & Miray

Can you believe we are in a new decade? I couldn’t have imagined the year 2020 when I was a young boy. Do you remember all the movies that took place in the future and how futuristic 2020 was depicted? What about the flying cars and interstellar travels on exotic planets? We haven't gone near it so far: in a few days I'll have to take my motorbike to the repair shop, again! Anyway I don't mind at all: I believe that each and every day should be our main focus. When we do things from a place of feeling the way we want to feel, it all flows together with so much more ease. For me, my #1 goal this year was to continue the practice of strengthening my inner world – to feel joy and gratitude daily. To fully and completely feel it so deeply that happiness just oozed out of me in my relationships, in my work and in my blog, especially in these weekly posts for all of you. I’ve been working on my 2020 goals and I’m going to continue with last years intentions, which is adding goodness into my life, not setting resolutions on things I think I need to give up. But, as I decided a long time ago, there is always time for ridin' my motorbike, whether in my neighborhood or around the whole world, and that's what makes my life interesting, thus, worth living. I'm not personally interested in flying ships yet, and like the King sang I feel that 'there's so much world to see'. I think that many of you totally agree with me on this, and surely Turkish-German bikergirl and misterious socialite Miray endorses those words: you know, she never shows her face on Instagram but I bet there's a big fat shining smile ridin' around her Suzuki GSX-R750 behind that black HJC helmet! Why don't you show it to us? That smile will make all of us just walk on the moon! *** More than thirty years ago Suzuki GSX-R750's introduction revolutionized the sportbikes segment. Ever since then, the GSX-R750 has remained true to its original concept and championship-winning heritage. On the road or on the track, the GSX-R750 delivers a breathtaking combination of outstanding engine performance, crisp handling, compact size, and light weight. Its secret is an unequaled pairing of 750cc performance with the lightweight, compact chassis of a 600cc Supersport, complemented by technologically advanced suspension front and rear. The GSX-R750’s look was born and raised on the racetrack, and for its whole lifetime that styling has two new, dual-color paint schemes. Riders can choose the Glass Sparkle Black/Pearl Glacier White scheme that includes red bodywork graphics and striping on the black cast aluminum wheels. Also available is a scheme that blends a shiny and flat finish via Metallic Matter Black/Glass Sparkle Black bodywork that also includes red graphics and accents on black wheels. The GSX-R750’s fuel injected, 750cc, four-cylinder engine powers a balanced sportbike experience. This engine pulls strong off the bottom like a larger-displacement powerplant while it builds revs like a smaller mill – it’s the best of both worlds. The Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS) lets the rider adjust the engine’s power delivery to suit the riding conditions. The twin-spar aluminum frame effectively connects the steering head with the swingarm pivot portion of the chassis in a way that balances light weight and strength. The engine is suspended below the frame to keep mass low and the wheelbase short to promote nimble handling. Compact 750cc, four-cylinder engine with a race-proven over-square bore/stroke ratio managed to produce a remarkably strong high rpm power delivery. The energy-efficient engine employs forged pistons, shot-peened connecting rods, chrome-nitride-coated upper compression and oil control rings, and pentagonal ventilation holes to reduce frictional and mechanical losses. Lightweight titanium alloy valves are controlled by single-coil valve springs to reduce valve-train mass, reducing mechanical losses at high rpm. Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) fuel injection uses eight fine-spray eight-hole injectors for improved fuel atomization, which contributes to more complete combustion. An Engine Control Module (ECM) provides state-of-the-art engine management and has enhanced settings to suit the intake and exhaust systems, resulting in better fuel economy and linear throttle response. Advanced, MotoGP-developed transistorized ignition control programming helps maintain more precise spark timing across the range of engine speed and temperature. Four-into-one stainless steel exhaust system with a titanium muffler is fitted with a Suzuki Exhaust Tuning (SET) valve that maximizes torque and improves throttle response, especially in the low- to mid-rpm range. Lightweight and compact twin-spar aluminum alloy frame is constructed of five cast sections to produce a balance of light weight and strength. The frame is mated with a cast aluminum swingarm and multi-piece rear sub-frame that’s ready for racetrack use. Race-developed, lightweight Showa Big Piston front Fork (BPF) delivers superb feedback and consistent performance. Single Showa rear shock features externally adjustable rebound and compression damping, along with adjustable ride height. Electronically controlled steering damper provides lighter steering at slower speeds and more damping force at racetrack and highway speeds. Front brakes with fully floating 310mm discs are grasped by radial-mount, four-piston Brembo Monobloc calipers. Three-spoke cast aluminum alloy wheels are shod with lightweight, high-grip front and rear tires for sharp handling. Three-way adjustable foot pegs, adjustable shift lever, and short fuel tank help compose a comfortable riding position that permits the rider movement required for performance riding. Compact, lightweight instrument cluster with a built-in lap timer/stopwatch and programmable engine rpm indicators to alert the rider to certain shift points. The GSX-R750 survived in several incarnations from its launch in 1985 all the way to 2016 before it was finally dropped from the Suzuki range. During its lifetime, the GSX-R750 had to see off competition from impressive rivals such as the Yamaha FZ750 and YZF-R7, Kawasaki ZXR750 and ZX-7R, the Ducati 749 and then a new generation of larger-capacity superbikes such as the FireBlade and Yamaha R1. The GSX-R was much lighter (thanks to its aluminium beam frame, a first for a mass-produced bike) than the FZ750 and its better looks and more futuristic design gave it the edge in the battle of the showrooms. The battle for middleweight supremacy waged on into the 90s and it took a serious overhaul for the Suzuki to respond to the Kawasaki ZXR750 and later ZX-7R models, but the GSX-R kept moving with the times and remains a brilliant choice of machine whether you’re a trackday addict or a road rider. #bikergirl #fastbikes #RidinGirlsBlog #racing #suzukigsxr750 #gsxr750 #gsxr #gixxerkidz #Suzuki #gsxr1000 #hjchelmets #biker #bikelife #bikersofinstagram #bikerfamily #bikergirl #motorrad #girlsonbikes #HJC #sportbike #sexybiker #Suzuki #GSX #gsxR #motard #moto #suzukigirl #bikerchick #bikerlady #motorbike #speed #roadracing #ridingsexy #girlswhoride #riderich #girlsonbikes #gsxr #suzukigsxr #motogp #moto #helmetporn

Same top, different bike (Honda CBR 300 R 🏁)

Visualizza questo post su Instagram Merry Christmas everyone ______________________________ #motorcycle #motorrad #мотоцикл #bikerofinstagram #bikergirls #bikekingz #tbt #picoftheday #lifestyle #mototurkey #bikergirl #twowheels #riderchicks #fireblade #rideout #munich #rideordie #hondacbr #instagood #instamoto #sportbike #superbikesgram #motogirl #motolife #bikegeneration #instalike #fashion #motoask #motolifestyle Un post condiviso da @ miraycno in data: 24 Dic 2019 alle ore 12:14 PST Read the full article

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secondhandbikesinraipur2pahiya · 2 years ago

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fascino price 22200 yamaha fascino price 22200 yamaha fascino 125 18100 fascino scooty price 12100 yamaha fascino price on road 9900 fascino 125 8100 fascino mileage 8100 yamaha fascino 125 colours 8100 yamaha fascino on road price 8100 yamaha fascino on-road price 8100 fascino on road price 6600 fascino scooter 5400 yamaha fascino mileage 5400 mileage yamaha fascino 5400 fascino new model 4400 yamaha fascino 125 price 4400 fascino colors 2400 fascino colours 2400 yamaha fascino 125 on road price 2400 yamaha fascino 2020 2400 yamaha fascino scooty 2400 fascino 125 price 1900 fascino scooty price in india 1900 fascino mileage per liter 1600 fascino scooter mileage 1600 yamaha fascino colours 1600 fascino price in hyderabad 1600 fascino hybrid mileage 1000 yamaha fascino 125 mileage 1000 yamaha fascino 2020 price 1000 yamaha fascino mileage per liter 1000 fascino 125 mileage 880 fascino scooty on road price 880 fascino showroom near me 880 yamaha fascino new model 720 yamaha fascino hybrid mileage 720 yamaha fascino showroom near me 720 fz showroom near me 720 fascino old model 720 yamaha fascino 2021 price 590 yamaha fascino bike 590 yamaha fascino old model 590 fascino new model 2021 price 480 fascino new model price 480 yamaha hybrid scooter mileage 390 fascino 125 fi price 320 fascino blue colour 320 fascino bs6 mileage 320 yamaha fascino 125 color options 320 yamaha fascino average 320 fascino 125 colours 260 yamaha fascino 125 colours price 260 yamaha fascino 125 fi hybrid mileage 260 yamaha fascino color options 260 yamaha fascino weight in kg 260 fascino electric scooter price 260 fascino color options 210 yamaha fascino 125 hybrid mileage 210 yamaha fascino 125 mileage per liter 210 yamaha fascino blue colour 210 yamaha fascino colours 2021 210 yamaha fascino hybrid specifications 210 fascino 125 fi hybrid mileage per liter 170

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perfectriders · 3 years ago

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Switch to a smarter ride with Yamaha Fascino. Equipped with amazing features, to ensure your riding needs are taken care of.

Visit Yamaha showroom near me for more details.

Book now: https://bit.ly/2YfAPMp or Call: 8497816000

#Fascino125FI #YamahaFascino #Europeanstyling #Fascino #YamahaMotorIndia #YamahaIndia #YamahaRacing

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abijithautobrix · 4 years ago

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Guide To Maintain The Bikes

Numerous Two-Wheeler owners won’t be conscious of the facts of bike servicing and maintenance. They may wonder if the mechanic was right in suggesting to substitute some parts at particular usage. For new bikes, showrooms provide owner manuals where all details of the bike maintenance schedule are available. Still, most of the time people will read it interestingly for half an hour or so and leave it - they may then examine the manual while going for the free service offered by the authorized bike service center till a circumstantial usage.

After that, many bike owners start getting service done from local garages due to nearness and faster transmission. They will have to rely on the mechanic’s expertise in recommending and substituting the parts. That leaves owners admiring whether the mechanic has created them or not.

It is the main reason for me to write down some small tips on the maintenance of bikes and also the feasible time/KM of usage after which particular parts need to be changed. To stop the article from becoming very difficult, I am using the case of the 106cc bike which I owned, but the same can be applied too for other bikes.

During Pre-delivery

Before giving the bike, the seller will have to take care of all fundamental things like exact engine oil level, electrical status, tire pressure, and if any accessories to give. The buyer manual is provided for the maintenance of bike service reports which will be helpful for warranty claims. The new buyer should inspect the bike and make sure that all the liquids level is proper.

Warranty

I own a Yamaha bike, for which Yamaha motors give a warranty of two years or 30000KM, whichever is earlier. In the terms and conditions, which are somewhat general. It is stated that the guarantee is applicable if the motorcycle proves to be faulty due to material or performance from the manufacturer. Bike repairs would be done free of cost including the labor costs and spares. However, it’s necessary to get all service done at the sanctioned service center and keep a record of the same, which is given for claiming warranty.

Also, there is a big list of parts that will not include under warranty. It shows the difference in mileage things like brake shoes, Fasteners/Shims/Washers, gaskets, and elastic or plastic segments, oil seals, electrical wiring, bulbs, channels, sparkplugs, drive chain, sprocket, grasp plate, misalignment, or twist, and so.

It is also mentioned that the bikes do not service according to schedule, and an authorized service center would lose the warranty.

Free Bike Services

The primary support of the bike happens at least 500 - 700 KM or one month of utilization. During this online bike service, the motor oil does remove, and the water service ice is finished. The use is still not exactly what the organizations suggest and a difference in oil as odds of contamination of oil are more because of the utilization of little metal pieces in the tank as the setting of the new motor.

The subsequent help is offered out between 2500 - 2700 KM and three months from the primary assistance. During this assistance grasp plates are changed alongside evolving oil. Aside from this chain oil and checking of all fasteners and nuts are finished.

The third assistance is done at 4500-5000 KM and within three months from the subsequent help. This help will incorporate a difference in oil and different liquids. Likewise, at this point, the bicycle may have had some harm or slamming during basic use, which may require substitution. For instance, in my bicycle, the back seat hassock edge was broken during a little mishap and subsequently, the equivalent must be supplanted with another one as it is a shaped part.

The fourth help is done at 6500-7000 km or two months from the date of the third assistance. Here separated from the difference in oils, it is prescribed to change the grasping plate, likewise with grip riding the plates will in general wear out. That being said, the harm wasn't awful and continued with a similar plate for the time being.

The fifth help is completed at 8,500-9,000 km or 60 days from the date of the fourth assistance. Now, the grip plate change can't be deferred and ought to be done.

The 6th help is completed at 10,500 to 11,000 km of use or inside 60 days from the fifth assistance. During this assistance, again motor oil is supplanted, yet now there is a more careful actual check, like stray pieces, electrical check, battery water wash, and so forth It is now that you will locate your bike beginning to age.

The End of Free Services

Yamaha provides only six free services. It covers water wash and labor, and all others are liable. The session is scheduled to be done on 2000 km, then except for the first free service which is taken out at 500KM.

With the status of the engine and regular bike repair service schedule, it is unclear that you would battle any wear and tear during these first six services. I have not demanded a single part under warranty during the free service period.

When the free service period ends, then when most users will move on to get the service from trusted local mechanics. Then which is comfortable and cheaper for owners.

Additionally, now, one need not stick to exceptionally tough help stretches. Notwithstanding, adjusting your bicycle like clockwork or 2,000 KM stays prudent.

Paid Services

During the seventh assistance, aside from the variety in oils, the chain socket will need assessment because of excessive chain slack.

In the eighth service, you should take a goose in the driver's seat foundation, aside from frequent help, You will find that wheel bearing will require replacing to avoid intense wobbling.

Just support including change of oils and washing. At the 10th service, the battery will likewise require attention, aside from the usual oil change. Likewise, the clutch plate would be taken a goose at once more.

After the 10th Service

At every service and every 2000 KM, you will need to change the oil.

Also, for every five services, you will need to change the clutch plate. The battery will need care after every ten services, while the chain sprocket wants to be seen at every 10,000 KM or so.

To date, then my bike has run for almost 55000 KM and it is still in good shape.

That being said, apart from the above conventional issues, you will find flat tires and accidents. These need to be assessed on an ad-hoc basis.

I found one breakdown due to misfitting of clutch plates by a mechanic. The bike came to an unexpected halt in the middle of the road and could not be even pulled. It had to be raised and taken to a garage with the help of a tractor passing by. Later, it was found that one nut was not tightened correctly due to which gears got jammed. Such small parts of Rs 2/- can have a tremendous impact on your bike and your safety. Make sure that your mechanic is a good one, and don’t push him!

Mileage

During the initial days of usage, and with very regular service, I was getting the mileage around 58KMPL from my bike. But, with the increase of use and many maintenance servicing carried out, etc. It has dropped the mileage to 50KMPL. Hence, while initially, you will get mileage, it will start decreasing as it reaches a peak.

Conclusions

Though the above was formulated based on a single two-wheeler. The purpose is to give information for readers about different stages of maintenance and servicing of a bike and feasible breakdown problems. That could come if the performance is not so good. We welcome our readers to share the experience with their cars/bikes. It will be too instructive if maintenance carried out is also mentioned.

#online bike service #bike service #bike service near me #bike repair shop #bike service center #bike service at home #two wheeler service #bike service Bangalore

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tonyb-blog · 6 years ago

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It’s not so often that you get a new motorcycle dealership that opens fairly near to where you live (in my case probably only around five or so miles away), but that is exactly what has just happened.

The actual location is down near the J&S Accessories (Manchester branch) in Openshaw – which is about two and half miles outside the city centre, 10 or 11 miles from Glossop (at the end/start of the Snake Pass) and probably less that two miles from that modern day cathedral of football – Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.

For one reason or another this store has taken an age to open – it must be at least 18 months or so since I noticed a sign that went up on the building that is now the CMC Manchester Store, to say that a new motorcycle dealership was coming soon, but in fact it was only a week or so ago that it actually opened.

CMC Manchester

Yesterday my wife and I were driving past, noticed that it was open and decided to call in for a browse. They are a Yamaha main dealer as well as selling used bikes from all the major manufacturers and I’ve got to be honest and say that first impressions of the store are pretty impressive.

The layout of the new bikes section (Yamaha) is spot on, well lit, spacious and plenty of room to look at a decent range of models – and it actually reminded me of the sort of sense of order that you get in the Williams BMW (Manchester) store. We spent some time chatting to Simon the Yamaha Brand Ambassador (I think that’s his correct title) and he came across as a decent person and one that’s probably good to deal with if you’re in the market for a new machine.

One of the bikes that struck me was a new XV 950R from the Sports Heritage range beautifully finished in gloss grey although I’m sure Yamaha have a more marketable name that simple ‘gloss grey’. My wife and I looked at one of these a couple of years ago when we were looking around for another bike and as much as I could be tempted by this one, it’s doesn’t quite strike me as ideal for riding ‘two up’. There’s some photo’s of the new bike area in the gallery below and clicking on any of the pictures should open a scrolable gallery – they give you an idea of the showroom layout.

CMC Manchester

The used bike section is decent as well and there was a good selection of machines all of which were immaculately presented. My only criticism of this section (and indeed of the store) is that none of the used bikes for sale that we looked at had the mileage on the ‘sales ticket’ – which for me isn’t really that helpful. I sort of get it if the idea is that by asking for that information it starts a potential ‘sales conversation’ but for me as punter I want that information up front, but maybe not everyone is bothered about that?

The gallery below has some snaps from the used bike area, an example of when having the mileage on the ‘sales ticket’ would have been helpful (to me) is the blue BMW R1200R – a 2015 model, very clean, very well presented but no mileage on the ticket! When I checked with one of the sales guys it was only 4,721, but he had to go and get the keys, turn the bike on etc before he could tell me (although it must have been on the documentation wallet that he had in his hand). In fairness if you are browsing on line, the mileage of the used bikes is all clearly shown.

Used bikes at CMC Manchester

We also had a wander round the accessories area, and in keeping with the rest of the store seemed to be well stocked, with decent choice and well presented. The pictures in the gallery below will give you an idea.

And almost finally, like any decent bike shop there should be somewhere to get a drink and there’s space set aside with tables, chairs and vending machines – we didn’t have time to check out the coffee from the machine, but I will be doing on my next visit and I’ll post update when I’ve been there again

And if you’re wondering how they get the pictures of the bikes on what looks like a decent summers day, take a look at this neat idea in the pictures below:

So all in all, it looks promising and it’s got to be good to have a new store close to home (for me) and with plenty of parking space as well. I really hope they do well, although I did wonder what the folk at the J&S store a hundred yards away think – from a buyers perspective competition has got to be good and I guess most folk will wander between the two. My own view is that CMC might have the edge in terms if first ‘port of call’ – what biker doesn’t like a brew and a browse around new and used bikes?

Other posts you may want to check out:

motorbikes blog – home click here

words and pictures from 2018 road trip – click here

words and pictures from 2017 road trip – click here

words and pictures from eastern europe trip – click here

new motorcycle dealership in manchester… It's not so often that you get a new motorcycle dealership that opens fairly near to where you live (in my case probably only around five or so miles away), but that is exactly what has just happened.

#Accesories at CMC #CMC #CMC Manchester #CMC Motorcycles #CMC used motorbikes #Etihad #J&S #J&S Manchester #Manchester City #Used motorbikes Manchester #Yamaha #Yamaha dealers #Yamaha Manchester #Yamaha XV950R

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technato · 7 years ago

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GhostRider: The Self-Driving Motorbike That Launched Anthony Levandowski

IEEE Spectrum unearths a 14-year-old press kit revealing the notorious engineer’s early ambitions

Photo: Kim Kulish/Corbis via Getty Images

Just because Waymo settled its high profile lidar trade secrets case against Uber earlier this month, it doesn’t mean Anthony Levandowski is out of the spotlight. The U.S. Justice Department could still file criminal charges against the ex-Waymo engineer for the alleged theft of technical documents from his former employer. And then there’s the question of what Levandowski is planning to do next: Will he use his vast experience with autonomous vehicles to launch another startup—and make a comeback?

During a deposition last April, Levandowski did not want his experience and plans scrutinized. When Waymo lawyers asked him hundreds of questions, mostly about his activities at Waymo and Uber, Levandowski took the Fifth, to avoid answering questions that might incriminate him. There was, however, one project he was eager to talk about: GhostRider.

“What was your entry into the [2004] DARPA Challenge?” asked one lawyer, referring to the Pentagon’s famous $1 million self-driving vehicle competition that kickstarted the entire industry. “The entry was called GhostRider, and it was a two-wheeled motorcycle,” replied Levandowski. “It was the first of its kind… [and] frankly, a pretty crazy idea.”

Building GhostRider cast Levandowski as a robotics wunderkind, secured his place at a follow-up DARPA Grand Challenge, and ultimately enabled him to build Google’s first self-driving car—a step that would later make him a multimillionaire. In 2007, Levandowski immortalized his role as an autonomous vehicle pioneer by donating GhostRider to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Levandowski, who has been profiled numerous times, has discussed the project before. And yet GhostRider’s full story has never been told. In particular, it seems the riderless motorbike that launched Levandowski’s career was lucky to race in the first DARPA Grand Challenge at all.

IEEE Spectrum has pieced together GhostRider’s history from new and contemporary interviews with Levandowski, as well as records that include a 14-year-old press kit—a glossy white folder with the words “GHOSTRIDER ROBOT” on the cover—recently discovered in a box of old files by a Spectrum editor.

A press kit prepared by the Blue Team for the 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge included a slide deck on the project’s history, technology, and future plans.

Levandowski first heard about DARPA’s Grand Challenge while a graduate engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley in 2002. He decided immediately he wanted to enter the race.

While brainstorming in a hot tub, Levandowski and his friend Randy Miller came up with a bunch of ideas, including riderless motorbikes and a robotic forklift. “But the idea for a motorbike got cemented when we were driving back from a Grand Challenge conference and a bunch of motorcycles went around us on the freeway,” Levandowski said in an interview last week.

The motorbike, originally a Honda XR, was light enough to be loaded into a pickup, and for Levandowski to physically pick it up when it inevitably fell over. The bike was also one of the cheapest vehicles to star in any of DARPA’s Grand Challenges, with Levandowski estimating the multi-year project at around $100,000. The money came from his own pocket and also from corporate sponsors and individual donors.

“People gave money through PayPal, ten bucks here, a hundred bucks here,” he said, adding, “It was a bit like an early Kickstarter.”

Photo: Kim Kulish/Corbis via Getty Images

Anthony Levandowski transformed his tiny garage into a robotics lab while working on GhostRider.

Levandowski began building the self-driving motorbike in his own garage near Berkeley, gathering together half a dozen fellow engineering students to help. The volunteers were paid in burritos and some of them even eventually moved in. The group would be called the Blue Team, a reference to the friendly team in military exercises. They named their robot bike Dexterit.

One of the members of Blue Team, Bryon Majusiak, who now builds agricultural robots, remembers getting a call from Levandowski at 11 one night to help unload the motorbike. “He was so impressed that I actually showed up and I started with him all the time,” Majusiak remembers.

The first task for the Blue Team was installing servos to control gas, clutch, and brake. A dc motor and worm gear reducer operated the handlebars. A lead-acid battery powered the electronics. Levandowski went through a couple of Honda bikes before settling on a Yamaha 125 for the first Grand Challenge. (The final GhostRider bike would be a child’s Yamaha 90 dirt bike, chosen for its automatic clutch that Levandowski called a “lifesaver.”)

Once the mechanical controls were installed, the Blue Team faced its hardest challenge. “To get a car to move down the street, you can kind of apply a little bit of accelerator and not steer, and the vehicle will do that,” Levandowski said in his deposition. “To get a motorcycle to move forward, you have to build a lot of technology beforehand to make it able to just drive in a straight line.” He added, “It turned out that the complexities and challenges of adding the balancing before you could start testing all of the other navigation and optical [systems] were hard.”

At one point in early 2003, after struggling to make progress, Levandowski remembers telling his team that if they could not get Dexterit to travel a mile [1.6 kilometers] before the next Sunday, he was going to abandon the project.

But then they had a breakthrough, an elegant solution to the twin problems of balancing and turning. Instead of shifting weight on the bike to balance it like a human rider, the Blue Team realized that steering the Yamaha slightly in the direction it was tipping would create a force to balance gravity.

“Counter-steering creates centripetal acceleration, which causes a torque in the other direction,” Levandowski told me. “You then balance that back and forth to keep going straight.”

Turning was accomplished by allowing the motorcycle to lean into a curve while keeping the handlebars straight. In a video from 2003 or 2004, an early version of the bike can be seen balancing itself while stationary in a driveway. In a later video, a more advanced version drives in circles on a lawn.

Video: Blue Team/GhostRider

Blue Team tests GhostRider in preparation for the 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge.

While the concept sounds simple, it took months of work for the Blue Team to achieve a smooth, human-like ride. Levandowski said they flipped the motorcycle hundreds of times.

A technical document for the 2004 competition reveals that the motorbike’s primary sensors were optical, with a range of about 40 meters. A pair of forward-facing monochrome webcams scanned for moving obstacles, while a single color camera was used to detect the road itself. An on-board computer using an AMD Athlon 64-bit CPU and 512 MB of RAM was able to process only about one frame every 4 seconds.

The cameras were mounted on a gimbaled gyro-stabilized mount above the front wheel, and another gyro and an inertial measurement unit provided orientation and acceleration data. Optical encoders tracked steering angle and speed, and a GPS unit fixed its location.

The plans was to take a dataset of waypoints—to be provided by DARPA shortly before the race—and process it with a custom application to “increase the density of waypoints to provide a tighter route for the vehicle to follow.” The bike would rely on that data to guide itself through the desert, while at the same time using its cameras to detect rocks, pits, and other vehicles.

“It was basically a bunch of people putting stuff together and seeing what worked,” said Levandowski. He had hoped to get a 77 GHz mechanically scanning radar on board but could never get it powered up. “I got shocked like 10 times in one day trying to work out where the short was in the device,” he remembers. “We never got it to work—and we never tried lasers.”

Many components were supplied as in-kind sponsorship from manufacturers and retailers. Hobby Engineering, an internet seller of robotics kits, got involved when Levandowski called its founder, Al Margolis, at 3 am one morning. “[Levandowski] was dumbfounded to have the call answered,” Margolis wrote in a press release at the time of the Challenge. “He wasn’t really expecting an answer, let alone actual help, but he was desperate enough to try.”

A few hours later, the two met at the Hobby Engineering showroom, where Margolis provided some microcontroller chips and debugging assistance to help Levandowski meet a demonstration deadline.

No one on the team worked harder than Levandowski himself, remembers Randy Miller, now an engineer and developer: “He would work through the night and go two or three days without sleep, just grinding away.”

As the Challenge approached, Levandowski gave more thought to what might happen if the Blue Team actually made it through a week-long qualification event in California to the high-profile (and potentially lucrative) competition itself. Levandowski changed Dexterit’s dorky name to the more evocative GhostRider and put together a press kit containing a profile of himself (in which he calls Bill Gates his hero), a slide deck, and letters from sponsors like Agilent and Crossbow Technology. Early in 2004, he also set up a company called Robotic Infantry Inc. to “explore the possible military and commercial applications of this technology.”

Levandowski changed Dexterit’s dorky name to the more evocative GhostRider and put together a press kit containing a profile of himself (in which he calls Bill Gates his hero), a slide deck, and letters from sponsors

According to the slide deck, Robotic Infantry’s next steps would be to model GhostRider’s components in 3D, build an electric-powered carbon fiber model, then refine its sensors and improve its software. By 2007, Levandowski hoped to have a road-worthy product and be ready to “consider technology acquisitions” and “investigate venture capital potential/IPO.”

The Blue Team worked on GhostRider until the last minute, only adding a remote emergency deactivation feature required by DARPA days before the competition. “Like a lot of other people at the Grand Challenge, it was very difficult to get [GhostRider] working in time,” Levandowski said. “We prioritized making the thing work before making it stop. Stopping wasn’t really a problem for us: If the system didn’t work, it just fell over.”

On 8 March 2004, 25 teams arrived at the California Speedway near Los Angeles for the qualification event. DARPA had marked out a 2.2-kilometer course with obstacles that the vehicles would meet on the real race, such as dirt hills, ditches, cattle grids, and a sand pit. The vehicles had to pass a safety inspection and were expected to complete at least two runs of the course.

Photo: DARPA

Anthony Levandowski prepares GhostRider for its run at the DARPA Robotics Challenge on 13 March 2004.

Only the 15 fastest and most capable vehicles would be allowed to enter the Grand Challenge proper, and GhostRider was facing well-funded teams from the likes of Stanford and Carnegie Mellon universities, Caltech, and the Oshkosh Truck Corporation.

“On the first year, we actually did manage to qualify,” Levandowski said in his deposition last year. “And out of the 109 teams or so that applied, you know, 14 or so qualified, and we were one of them.”

But how, exactly, GhostRider ended up in the finals is a bit hazy. The Blue Team was due to make its first run on 9 March, and its unique two-wheeled design attracted a large crowd of spectators. Sadly, the Los Angeles Times reported that GhostRider fell over that day after traveling only about 4.5 meters. The next morning, GhostRider was up again but, once more, failed to make a run, according to a DARPA news release. In fact, Levandowski told DARPA that the Blue Team had terminated its attempt. GhostRider was not alone—many teams were struggling to get their vehicles moving without bumping into obstacles or veering off course.

On March 11, the final day of qualification, a total of 38 last-minute attempts were made to complete the course. The Blue Team was not among them. By the end of the qualification event, a total of seven vehicles had managed to complete at least one circuit of the course, and eight more had made what DARPA considered partial completions. That neatly added up to the 15 teams that DARPA wanted for the race itself on March 13.

Fourteen of those fifteen teams duly made it onto the race-day roster. But one, Rover Systems, an innovative off-road robot with a low center of gravity and four-wheel steering, was not on the list, despite having completed parts of the course on two occasions. Instead, DARPA selected GhostRider, which had only made a little progress on the first day.

Levandowski’s explanation is that “we earned our spot” in the race. “We had showed that we were able to get the motorcycle out of the gate, make a turn, go straight and then crash into a fence,” he said. GhostRider probably also benefited from Levandowski driving it in circles in a parking lot, outside the official qualification runs.

Whether it was that impromptu demonstration or Levandowski’s knack for showmanship, GhostRider would get to compete for the $1 million prize in a challenging 230-kilometer off-road race between Barstow, Calif., and Las Vegas, Nev.

Photo: Susan Goldman/Bloomberg via Getty Images

GhostRider flips over after crashing into a wall during a qualification run for the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. The bike did not compete in the final race.

Levandowski was realistic about GhostRider’s prospects. “There was never a chance we were going to win, as we didn’t even have enough gas to make it the whole way,” he said. “But we were hoping to make out of the gate, past the first turns, and then perhaps crash into some tree 300 feet away.”

But when the starting gun fired, GhostRider could not even match its personal best of 4.5 meters. Instead of buzzing off into the desert, the bike simply fell down. Its Grand Challenge was over in a matter of seconds.

“It’s really difficult when the bike is trying to balance itself and you’re walking it—it’s fighting you,” Levandowski told me. “So we turned the stabilization off while walking the bike to start line and then forgot to flip the switch to turn the balancing on again. It was highly embarrassing.”

Embarrassing or not, GhostRider’s participation in the original Grand Challenge marked out the 23-year-old Levandowski as a name to watch. Because no vehicles completed the Challenge that year, DARPA invited all the finalists back to compete in a follow-up race in 2005, this time with a $2 million prize.

GhostRider once again failed to finish the qualification course, although this time DARPA passed it over for the main event. The race was won by Stanley, an autonomous Volkswagen Touareg SUV built by a Stanford University team led by Sebastian Thrun.

Photo: NK

From left: Anthony Levandowski, Sebastian Thrun, and Chris Urmson with one of Google’s first self-driving cars.

Thrun took a shine to Levandowski, and after the race gave him a tour of Stanford’s lab. In 2006, Thrun invited Levandowski to help out with a camera mapping project called VueTool that caught the eye of Google, which hired the entire VueTool team the next year to develop its own StreetView system. Within a couple of years, Levandowski and Thrun were building Google’s first self-driving car, and the rest is history.

As to what he plans to do next, Levandowski is not ready to share any details. But it probably won’t involve motorcycles. He laughs when I ask him whether he has ever given any thought to revisiting the idea of a riderless bike. “I don’t think it’s actually a great robotics vehicle platform,” he said. “It’s a great training tool and you can totally get it to work but the added complexity isn’t worth it, as you can’t carry cargo very easily.”

“It would be fun to remake GhostRider for pure enjoyment,” he added, “but it’s not significantly relevant to self-driving cars.”

GhostRider: The Self-Driving Motorbike That Launched Anthony Levandowski syndicated from https://jiohowweb.blogspot.com

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olivereliott · 7 years ago

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Review: The 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS

We’ve been salivating over the new Kawasaki Z900RS since it said konnichiwa at the Tokyo Motor Show. The new Zed has a clear lineage back to the iconic Z1, and marks the rebirth of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle.

It’s also a damned attractive bike that promises strong on-road performance. So I’ve just spent a day ripping through the sun-baked canyons of Malibu on a Z900RS, 30 miles west of downtown LA, to see if Kawasaki have delivered the goods. And I’m happy to confirm there are reasons to keep drooling.

First off, this bike is gorgeous, especially in the metal. The depth of color in the Candytone Brown lacquer is lost in pixels alone. Get up close and personal and it’s exquisite.

The tones change from near black to a warm Sarsaparilla, depending on how the light hits. And the orange accents score top marks, too. Even if you have never seen a Z1 before (cough, millennials, cough), the new Z900RS makes a compelling argument for brown.

That beauty runs deeper than the paint. Touches like the machined fins on the inline-four engine, the low teardrop style tank and that ducktail rear-end are clear retro hallmarks; Kawasaki has paid attention to the miscues of some other OEMs.

It’s a bike that is voluptuous and curvy from above, while maintaining a clean and flat stance.

Of course, the RS isn’t immune to aesthetic criticisms. Purists have been quick to comment that spoked wheels, twin outboard shocks and a Z1-style 4-2-4 exhaust would pay better homage.

And I tend to agree, at least with the last bit. The thrice-buffed headers look the business, but the Euro-4 compliant pre-chamber hiding below is an eyesore. And that silencer, although slim and shiny, does nothing to add visual personality.

Presumably, the aftermarket will provide solutions in due time, but you probably won’t want to change the noise it makes. Full credit goes to Kawi’s engineers for tuning the RS’s exhaust note: At idle she’s a throaty beast, without being loud. But at full boil, the 948cc mill screams with an appreciable wail. And the overrun is even better. She burbles with just the right amount of anger and ferocity, making lips curl and hair stand up in salute.

Combine that with intake noise from the shortened downdraft throttle bodies, and the Z900RS eggs you on with its huffing and puffing.

Acceleration is quick and linear. The re-tuned mill, pulled from the Z900, delivers its oomph lower in the rev range and climbs quickly to its peak. But I warn you, fuelling is abrupt.

Modulating the throttle through tight, twisty and especially bumpy bits of canyon country was a touch frustrating. The Z900 is praised for a silky smooth digital throttle, but the RS’s behaves more like a light switch. A few of us journos surmised that this could be fixed with a Power Commander—but a reflash from the factory would do worlds for the confidence of buyers who prefer not to tinker.

That’s a shame, because the handling deserves to be exploited. Underpinning the Z900RS is a modified version of the Z900’s street fighting trellis frame. In RS guise the upper rails sit narrower, to hide beneath the tank. And the stance has been flattened, thanks to a lower rear subframe.

There’s also a revised triple clamp to reduce trail. Riding on those cast, 17-inch hoops the RS is a nimble and predictable machine.

Before heading into the canyons, we battled the congested postcard that is the Pacific Coast Highway. But the upright, neutral riding position made it easy to see where and when to split traffic. The reach to the wide bars is relaxed, and with a wink and a nudge, the new Zed will wiggle its way towards open road.

Once there, brace yourself for the surge. Grab a mitt-full of throttle and the front wheel will lift, sniff the air briefly before touching down, and then you’re gone. The needle on the analog tach sweeps quickly to double digits; the equally attractive clock on its left does the same.

A small digital readout between the two delivers info on gearing, fuel, traction control and trip related metrics. Kawi worked hard on crafting gauges that mix the schools of old and new, and they’ve nailed it. I’ll take these over iPad-sized TFTs any day.

With only a quick glance, your brain understands the message your retinas deliver: You’re speeding.

Have no fear, though. The twin radial mount, 4-pot binders up front will reign you in with just a finger on the lever. An upgrade over the Z900, they are communicative and easy to modulate.

The rear brake is smooth too: When the twists started to tighten in the upper reaches of Mulholland, I had no fear of letting my right foot work as the only anchor. And when I got a little more aggressive than my abilities should permit, the ABS never kicked in and the rear never kicked out.

And then my left peg carved out a chunk of California asphalt. Under normal riding conditions, when you’re not trying to chase down ex-racers turned journalists, the suspension set-up would be near ideal.

Maybe I should have taken the time to dial in a bit more preload. I’m guessing that (and some post-lunch lethargy) was the culprit for firing debris at the dudes behind me. Sorry, lads.

For aggressive riding, the ergos on the Zed may be a bit too relaxed. I actually prefer the triangle offered by the XSR900, which is a touch more ‘forward’ than the Z900RS. But Kawi’s Retro-Sport is the more versatile and comfortable bike by far.

If I lived in California and had this playground at my disposal, I’d consider a move to lower bars—which the Cafe Racer variant will wear. And swap to the lower, ‘Ergo-Fit’ seat that Kawasaki already has in its catalog. It has a deeper groove with more of a butt-stop, to help get the weight up front.

While perusing the factory bolt-ons, I’d also add the passenger grab bar and a set of the proper Z1-style tank emblems to my cart, too. I get why Kawasaki chose to use their modern script on the stock Z900RS—it is a modern bike after all—but applaud them for offering up the classic badging option.

While we’re on the topic of changes, there there’s one more that caught my eye. The mounts for the front mudguard are a sci-fi looking, intertwined set of aluminum lumps. They’d look as cool as chips on the futuristic Z900, but on the RS they’re just wrong. A chrome mudguard mounted with hidden hardware, please.

But apart from those cosmetic changes, and sorting out the fuelling and fitting a proper looking exhaust, there’s little to complain about.

The Z900RS is a lively, capable machine that can be ridden comfortably, with a style that has raised the bar for modern retros: It’s a true UJM, through and through. And priced as it is, even after the $200 premium for the Candytone paint, it makes a compelling case to skip past the Triumph and Yamaha showrooms and into a Kawasaki one.

The Z900RS is available at dealers now. Two colors are available, including Metallic Flat Spark Black and Candytone Brown/Candytone Orange. ABS and KTC (Kawasaki Traction Control) are standard. Prices in the US will range from $10,999 to $11,299.

Kawasaki Z900RS | Kawasaki Facebook | Instagram | Images by Drew Ruiz

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