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Honda showcased its new RC-E Electric superbike at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. While details are limited about the new concept, the machine is designed as a dual-purpose track heathen and commuter.
Tiny LED headlights are tucked into the front fairing and rear of the bike with turning indicators. While the bike is purely a concept at this stage, there is a small change that the RC-E may hint at what Honda has planned for the future of the company’s motorcycle design.
source: Autoblog
A week after the tragic death of IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon, comes another fatality for the motor sport industry when 24 year-old MotoGP racer Marco Simoncelli was killed on the second lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang on Sunday.
The young Italian, racing for the San Carlo Gresini Honda team, lost control of his bike at the start of the second lap when his front tyre lost grip and his bike fell causing him to skate to the left. When the front tyre gripped again, Simoncelli swerved into the path of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards who couldn’t escape a collision. Simoncelli, who lost his helmet at 150mph during the crash, lay motionless on the track.
Half an hour after the race was stopped in was announced that Simoncelli’s injuries were too severe and he had died with reported tyre marks on his neck. Fortunately Edwards had suffered only a dislocated shoulder while Rossi escaped uninjured and returned to the pit.
In a statement, medical director Michele Macchiagodena revealed that Simoncelli “suffered a very serious trauma to the head, to the neck and the chest and suffered from cardiac arrest in the ambulance.”
Simoncelli’s death was the first fatality in MotoGP since Japan’s Daijiro Katoh died at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix.
Image source: BBC Sport
Smart has plans for a new two-wheeler concept, which will be revealed in the September Paris Motor Show. What’s exciting is that it will be a plug-in electric scooter.
We never lost passion for bikes, but for some reason our favorite two wheelers stopped from making it front page on CarBlog. That’s about to change, and the first model to revamp our series, is the new Iron 883 from Harley Davidson. Based on the entry-level Sportster platform, it’s part of the Dark Custom lineup dedicated to the young. All wrapped in a black matte finish, with a fuel-injected 883cc V-twin engine perfect for those city rides, the 2009 Iron 883 is the stylish ride you’ve been looking for. Available for an affordable $7,899, we can already feel the adrenaline rushing and hear the classic sound of a Harley. Don’t you?
There’s nothing official yet, but rumors say that Harley-Davidson quietly launched the XR1200 bike in the US. First intended for the European market, the guys at HD never ruled out the option of selling it in the United States, too, but only if the demand proved to be strong. And that’s exactly what happened. At least one dealership in Westminster California is taking preorders and what you should know is that you only have till December 15 if you want to be on the list. The rumored prices for the orange XR1200 in the US is going to be $11,179. – via AutoBlog
Though we’d like Ferrari to keep focusing on building amazing cars, we can’t take a look and not say anything about that incredible concept bike. Dubbed V4 Superbike, packing a modified engine from a Ferrari Enzo, F-16 fighter jet hand controls and buttons like those from a F1 race car, this must be the most amazing bike I’ve seen in my whole life. Badass enough?
Ok, it’s one thing looking at pictures of Ken Brough’s awesome hand-built ATV (or Quad-Bike) that’s powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine from a Subaru Impreza WRX STi but seeing and hearing it in live action, is something else. Once you’re finished watching the video (don’t be shy, do it more than once, we did) you can click here and read the story behind this invigorating Quad.
A quad-bike with a turbocharged Subaru Impreza WRX STi engine? We’ve seen some crazy stuff here at Car Blog but this “thing†is totally nuts and we want one ASAP! The hand made ATV (All-Terrain-Vehicle) was built by a Ken Brough, a New-Zealander who describes himself as “a 50-year-old with petrol in my veinsâ€.
The insane quad-bike, which Ken calls the STiATV, is fitted with a 90′s Subaru Impreza WRX Sti engine and a 5-speed gearbox using a clutch assembly from a 1.8-litre Leone. We don’t have any acceleration or horsepower figures but Ken supports that the STiATV weighs a mere 530 kg (1,168 pounds) so performance is definitely not a problem. What may create a few problems is the weight distribution of the AWD quad as it’s split 70/30 between the front and rear end. However, that’s something we could live with. What’s really bad is that, despite his efforts, Ken couldn’t get the STiATV approved for road use in New Zealand.
