The 2010 ; Aprilia Shiver

While Ducati is pushing Monsters like hot cakes, Aprilia hasn’t had the same success with its Shiver model since its 2007 launch. Importers I’ve spoken to put it down to a lack of flair and while BMW and Honda are getting away with murder in the shape of the silver grey paint bucket, Aprilia hasn’t. I must admit that I’ve agreed with the importers and what a change in that respect the 2010 Shiver is. Italian racing red tubular frame and more thought into an eye-catching set of decals has sort of already done it for me.

But that’s not all; Aprilia has made changes to the Shiver ergonomics, too, with a narrower and more comfortable seat and re-positioned footpegs. The handlebar position has been altered as well. As I discovered on a beautiful stretch of road in the south of France, comfort is impressive. I spent half the day on the Shiver and the rest on the Dorsoduro Factory and there’s a major difference in comfort to the Shiver’s benefit. In addition to improved comfort, the Shiver is also now more sports orientated as the pegs and handlebar have been adjusted to give the bike more front-end feel with more weight over that front.
The mixed steel trellis and aluminium plate frame is the most desirable feature on the Shiver. That’s what gives the Shiver a sporty feel over all other features. The Shiver rides great through the corners and despite having, for Aprilia, basic suspension the feel is great. The Shiver is a bike that loves corners due to that quality chassis from Noale. Despite being heavier than the top competitors, the Shiver feels solid and easy to throw through the corner combinations. The brakes have been upgraded with wavy discs for the 2010 model and the ABS system works well.

The Shiver features the most powerful version of the 750cc V-Twin engine and it produces a claimed 95 hp at 9,000 RPM. I still have to use the six-speed gearbox like a laboring ant, but on these southern French roads it's only fun. The Shiver has more emphasis on the top-end power than the Dorsoduro so at the top-end revs things happen quickly and I found myself wanting more over-rev capacity for the fastest corners.

In Sport mode the throttle is aggressive and not the smoothest throttle in the world. In Touring mode, however, there’s not a hiccup reaching the top-end through a much smoother midrange. I didn’t try Rain mode as it’s only for, yes you guessed it, a rainy day. It’s easy to select modes, but as you use the starter button the engine must be running for you to change them. While riding you can change the riding mode, but only with a closed throttle which is unnecessary as there are no massive changes.
A small fly fairing is now standard equipment on the Shiver 750, which deflects a little more wind than before. As the 750cc V-Twin is friendly enough with a decent midrange I’d have no problems recommending it to new riders. Benefits for a new rider include a comfortable seat, big engine sound and ABS. For more experienced riders it’s difficult to see how you’d keep yourself excited for much more than a year, but it’s a great intro into Italian bikes and V-Twins.

Conclusion

The 2010 Shiver is now a lot more “Italian” and doesn’t share the same dull silver grey paintjob from Piaggio’s scooter range. The ergonomics are better on both the comfort and the sport side. The 750cc V-Twin does its job, but I’d personally soon want to see that 1200cc engine for more oomph in higher gears on low revs because that’s not a strong side.
Midrange is decent enough but fairly high in the revs for a V-Twin. The brakes are great even with ABS and the Shiver handles better than the engine can do. All in all a great beginner’s bike, but still not enough for somebody looking to move up in the world.

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Russian Motor cycle made Kalashnikov

The makers of what has been described as the “world’s greatest weapon”, the Russian Kalashnikov machine gun, were also pretty handy at constructing motorbikes, selling around 11 million of them since their formation in 1927. For many years, this Soviet motorbike factory ran second only to Japan in production numbers. One of its most popular bikes was the 1929 Izh-1, and this is a 2012 take on the motorcycle by designer Igor Chak. The concept design comes with more safety features than 10 Volvos combined and is aimed at making riding on the highways and byways safer than walking.

Some of the safety features include dual front airbags and a type of crumple zone for front-on crashes. There’s a radar system, on-board cameras for safe braking distances, traction control and ABS.


Like some systems in hi-tech cars, the bike would be able to detect vehicles braking suddenly in front and automatically apply the brakes safely. It would also include proximity side sensors to detect blind spots, and the handlebars vibrate to warn riders of potential collisions.

Chak has designed the bike to automatically adjust traction for icy conditions, wet roads and the front intakes double as aerodynamic stabilizers for high-speed riding.
Crumple zone

The motorcycle’s airbag system works similar to a car’s crumple zone, absorbing much of the impact and keeping the rider safer. The front airbag has a unique design – it’s pointy arms catch the riders’ shoulders as he/she is thrown forward. Installing airbags on a motorbike isn't as far-fetched as you might think. Honda has been looking into installing airbags on its motorcycles for some time, and systems are in development that are worn by the riders themselves.

The skeleton fork design crumples on impact to take the maximum hit, not the rider.

An on-board computer keeps the rider connected through an LCD 3D touch screen that displays warnings, maintenance requirements and diagnostics, as well as which level the bike is being operated in – sport, comfort or manual.

The Izh 2012 concept would also connect with your smart phone to allow you to answer calls hands-free (but only when stationary, of course).

To ride this bike though, if it ever goes into production, you’d want to live nowhere near speed humps as the bashplate looks so low you’d practically have to dismount and carry your bike over one.

Other features include night vision camera display, a 140hp V-twin engine (50 percent plastic), a Lithium sulfide-powered 60W electric engine with two-speed gearbox (for emission-free riding), or an automatic or six-speed gearbox for the petrol-powered motor, magnetic brakes, hydraulic back-up system.

Pie-in the-sky stuff, but safety is always worth thinking about.

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Electric Motorcycles Primer

Ready or not, here they come!
Electric motorcycles are part of the whole initiative to bring all sorts of electric vehicles into the mainstream. This article discusses some of the bigger issues, while focusing on a few American companies that are leading the way. Look for more coverage to come as we continue to get further plugged in…

Native, Brammo and Zero are three U.S. electric motorcycle manufacturers that within the past three years have begun offering road-legal models for under $10,000, a price considered attainable by average consumers.

Alongside their move into a world long dominated by gasoline power, questions persist: Will they merely carve a small niche and go no further? Will they have what it takes to earn increasing respect? Could there even come a day when they take preeminence over traditional motorcycles?

According to a study publicized mid-February by Boulder Colo.-based Pike Research, 466 million new electric-powered two wheelers will be sold between now and 2016.

"China is already switching at a rapid rate to small electric bikes..."

However, 95% of these sales are predicted to be in China. Of them, 56% will be electric scooters, 43% will be electric “motorcycles” – defined as any powered two-wheeler that can exceed 12 mph – and less than 1% will be electric bicycles.

In a country still dominated by foot and pedal-powered traffic, China is already switching at a rapid rate to small electric bikes, and is seen as having nowhere to go but toward greater acceptance of electric vehicles (EVs).

But what is “made in China” has a way of finding its way everywhere else. And besides this, the U.S., Europe and other nations have their own economic, political and technological motivations that together could jump start the electric motorcycle’s future.

A lot of money, innovation, and desire are already pushing to make it so.

Although the fledgling industry has yet to prove itself to some, its potential has already been bought by others, as evidenced in part by funding from private investment firms and government subsidies.

Electric vehicles are also gaining traction among those wanting to reduce dependence on foreign oil, cut global emissions, or just save a buck on their daily drive.

Advocates are dogmatic that electric motorcycles are ready – enough – to begin the road toward their goals, and some do predict a day when most people will no longer need or want gasoline-powered transportation.

Motorcycles are seen as a natural place to begin advancing the frontier because they can be built and sold for less money than cars, while delivering greater efficiency and performance.

And whether new electric cars such as Chevy’s Volt, Nissan’s Leaf, and others could be seen as additional votes of confidence, it’s at least clear that significant players in the global transportation industry agree that electric power is ready to be invested in.

What is more, intense research and development toward hybrid and all-electric powertrains is advancing in the face of otherwise depressing economic conditions.

Yes, despite a recession that led Suzuki this year to save money by importing essentially zero streetbikes to its U.S. lineup, others are risking money to let startups like Zero Motorcycles launch its first two road-legal machines.
California-based Zero is largely backed by a private equity firm, Invus. And according to Brammo Inc’s founder, Craig Bramscher, in addition to his own money, his Oregon-based company receives significant support from Best Buy Capital.

On the other hand, Electric Motorsport which produces its Native Cycles brand, has been around longer, is self-funded, and even helps its potential competitors on their way.
The California-based company runs its own “open source” parts distributorship, and for around 10 years has provided educational tech info, wiring schematics, electric motors, controllers, batteries and more needed by do-it-yourselfers or larger concerns to build electric vehicles.

Electric Motorsport’s President, Todd Kollin, says the company currently sells to 10 other motorcycle manufacturers. It began offering its own streetbikes and scooters in 2007 before Zero or Brammo, and in the past year began distinguishing them with the “Native Cycles” name.

According to Harlan Flagg, co-owner and founder of Hollywood Electrics, the first all-electric bike dealership in L.A., Native’s GPR-S street bike can be configured to a few performance levels, and sells for around $5,000 to $10,000 depending on setup.

With KTM, Yamaha, and others talking about entering the electric motorcycle market – and Honda having just announced its scooter-like “EV-neo electric motorcycle” – in question is whether U.S. companies will remain competitive when the big boys show up.

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NEW STREET TRIPLE R

Street Triple R. It’s a Street Triple with attitude. The most fun you can have on two wheels.

Take a standard Street Triple and add supersport specification suspension and brakes. Mix in some premium color schemes and take the skills and experience of Triumph’s outstanding development engineers to hone to perfection. The result? A motorcycle that has won universal acclaim since its introduction in 2008 and which it guaranteed to leave the rider grinning from ear to ear.

The Street Triple R’s lightweight frame has been lifted directly from the award winning Daytona 675 sport bike. Fitted with fully adjustable front and rear suspension, Nissin four-piston radial front calipers and radial master cylinder, the Street Triple R’s sublime handling and control are the stuff of legend. You won’t believe it’s a 675.

Distinguishing the Street Triple R are three stunning color schemes: Matte Graphite, Matte Blazing Orange and a new Phantom Black and gold combination. The Street Triple R is not a subtle motorcycle. It’s a bike for those who like to take it to the max.

Use the top navigation to find out more.

Derived from the class leading Daytona 675, the Street Triple R’s 675cc water-cooled, three-cylinder, 12-valve engine delivers strong low and mid-range performance, from start to redline and produces more than 44ft.lbf of torque from 3,500rpm right through to 12,300rpm. The close-ratio, six-speed gearbox maximizes the effectiveness of the engine’s impressive power and torque, always giving you the perfect gear.

Suspension :
Fully-adjustable, 41mm, upside-down forks and a top-spec rear monoshock unit with piggy back reservoir deliver a taut, yet refined, riding experience.

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2010 Honda NT700V Review

We Americans want everything. And when we spot a sexy new model (motorcycle) on the showroom floor (okay, the women too), in Europe that we can’t have, we start whining. But Americans just don’t buy naked-type bikes like the Euros do and the cycle continues.

Once in a while, the manufacturers ante up and bring something stateside despite its potential for dismal sales. They want us to like them, remember? Even more rare is the occasion for the OEMs to bring us a model that we ‘need’ here in the states. Honda has done it for the second time this year, for model year 2010, supplying U.S. riders with a unit that’s already popular in the European Union.

Earlier this summer, we saw the best-selling scooter in Europe come to us in the form of the fuel-injected liquid-cooled economic-minded SH150i. Shipped to the U.S. for the first time, Honda again seeks to fill a gap in its lineup with units priced for everyone’s wallet.

Today we’re looking at the next model to come from Japan, via European consensus, as yet another economical price-point bike for its 2010 lineup, the NT700V.

You’ve already heard the news, maybe even sat on the bike at the IMS show, but we got a ride on the girl this week and we’re impressed with its overall package, if not for it’s striking similarity to the bigger brother ST1300 – a husband and wife combo for sure!

Isn’t the Deville a Cadillac? That’s Deauville, ya dork!

Selling in the EU since 1999, the Honda Deauville has been serving as a popular commuter and weekender-touring bike where short trips are more common. Since we’ve got this big ol’ piece of land and wanna take everything with us when we travel, Honda has been offering the American market the full-touring capable ST1300. However, not everyone can afford the $15-grand or the vacation time these days, thus the NT700V gets dropped on our doorstep for next year as a smaller sibling to the bigger ST. In fact it’s already at your local dealership.

At the core of this middleweight tourer is a 52-degree, 680cc, SOHC, 4-valve-per-cylinder V-twin with the same architecture and spec as the DN-01 (and Transalp in Europe), sans the auto-tranny HFT, of course, in a decidedly more commuter- and touring-oriented package.
For detail www.motorcycle.com

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Naked Middleweight Comparison

Kawasaki ER-6n vs. Suzuki Gladius: Six of one, half dozen of another
What brought you to motorcycling? Maybe you grew up riding ‘cause your old man rode, so it was only natural you would, too. Or perhaps you came to the two-wheeled world a bit later in life, either out necessity for affordable transport or because a friend talked you into taking a ride on the back of their bike despite your previously having no interest in riding. You might even be one of the many recent moto virgins who finally reached a point in life where years of squirreling away enough discretionary coin finally granted access to two wheels.
Of the various paths that brought us to motorcycling, one common factor keeps us here: fun! The fun factor is either what first wooed us to bikes or, like a bad drug addiction that you wouldn’t have unless a “friend” introduced you, it’s what kept you hooked from the first taste.

If you’re in the market looking for that next injection of bike or have completed some rider training and are ready for bike numero uno, boy, have we got a couple fun bags for you! To ice the cake, these new middleweight machines even offer some sensibility to go with the laughs.

Twofer Twins

Gladius and ER-6n Specs Comparo

Though Kawasaki’s ER-6n has been available in Europe since 2006, it’s finally made it to U.S. shores in a newly revised form for 2009. The ER is the fraternal twin to the Ninja 650R, the bike the U.S. got in 2006 and is also updated for ’09. It shares identical chassis and engine specs (just as they did in ‘06) to the Ninja but does away with virtually all bodywork, save for minimalist radiator shrouds that house turn signals, and a prominent headlamp that functions somewhat like a flyscreen.

This year marks the first revision to both the ER-6n and Ninja 650R. In our review of the 2009 ER, Kevin “Canadian Bacon” Duke, educated us with the news that Kawasaki smoothed out engine vibes inherent in the parallel-Twin engine architecture. Team Green reduced buzz by way of rubber bushings in the upper-rear engine mounts, rubber mounts for the steel handlebar, rubber-covered footpegs, and even included rubber mounts for the pillion grab rails. Other updates include revised frame stiffness, a lighter catalytic converter, and reshaped fuel tank and seat that are more welcoming of shorter riders. The Ninja 650R also received updated bodywork styling, and both bikes share a new instrument cluster.

Whether by a need to capitalize on shifting market trends or some other undisclosed logic, Suzuki laid to rest the venerable SV650, a bike that quickly reached cult status after its 1999 introduction. Oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth that must’ve happened amongst the Suzuki loyal when they learned the naked SV650 was no more for 2009 (a fully faired SV650SF remains in the lineup at $6,999). Although Suzuki refuses to refer to the 2009 Gladius as a “replacement” for the SV650, the fact that the Gladius is powered by a revised and updated V-Twin that made the SV so popular makes it hard not to see this new naked sportster as an SV reborn.
for detail....www.motorcycle.com

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2010 Honda VT1300 Sabre

Big numbers can seem impressive, especially when tied to something tangible rather than pie-in-the-sky predictions about what “could be,” or “only if.”
As a case in point, during a recent press introduction Honda flashed a big, tangible number across a projection screen: 82,900.

That’s the number of VTX1300 cruisers (models C, R and T) sold in the U.S. from 2003 to 2009. To make that figure a little more monumental, look at it this way: Big Red moved a rough average of 11,843 VTX1300 cruisers per year for seven years running.

Other than releasing the above data, Honda usually guards closely its sales volume figures, so we don’t how VTX sales compare to, say, total CBR sales for that same seven-year period. But during our recent review of Star’s Stratoliner Deluxe we learned that for approximately the same period the VTX sold so well, cruiser sales for the U.S. motorcycle market at large obliterated sales volumes of all other segments.

Probably safe to say nearly 83,000 VTX sales is significant, no matter how you slice it.

With such volume, even a blind squirrel could see how important this platform was for Honda. So for 2010 Big Red has updated its mid-weight cruiser line.

Known as the VT1300 models, the new bikes are powered by the same 1312cc, liquid-cooled, SOHC, 3-valve-per-cylinder, single-pin crank, 52-degree V-Twin the VTX models employed. But instead of inhaling air-fuel mix through CV-style carbs, the VTs benefit from EFI utilizing 38mm throttle bodies.

Power gets to the back wheel via a 5-speed gearbox and shaft final drive, just as it did on the VTX models.More information ...Motorcycle.com

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