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Motorcycles

ferrari motorcycle

Ferrari Motorcycle Fails To Appreciate Ferrari Brand

The latest lame amateur motorcycle design to hit the web is this concept Ferrari, designed by Israeli design student Amir Glinik. In keeping with his genre’s established parameters, it’s a complete non-starter function-wise, but does have a cool looking Enzo-based V4 engine, which seems to put people into a tizzy. We don’t know what it is about freshman motorcycle designs. Why do people with no knowledge of or passion for bikes create them? Why do they have such resonance with a mass audience, with the blogosphere constantly picking them up despite their lack of real engineering, real design and good looks? If everyone is so fascinated with bikes, why aren’t they just really into cool new bikes like the Quantya Strada?

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jalopnik reviews

Quantya Strada, First Drive: The Street-Legal Electric Performance Vehicle You Can Buy Now

It wasn’t until I crashed into a pile of boxes and luggage that I realized riding a motorcycle — even a completely silent electric one with no emissions — around my Brooklyn apartment was a bad idea. I’d been attempting to do a burnout, but the painted concrete floor didn’t have enough grip for the Quantya Strada’s front tire and plenty for the rear, resulting in a wheelie. Compounding matters was the bar-mounted back brake that sits where the clutch lever normally does. When I went slip the clutch to bring the bike back in line, the brake just tossed me into the boxes. The nice thing about riding a bike in your apartment is that, while you might do irreparable damage to all of your and your friend’s worldly belongings, you probably won’t hurt yourself too badly.

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harley davidson

Harley-Davidson Says MPG Doesn't Matter To The True Rider

Harley-Davidson has released another "Screw it; Let's ride" print ad imploring Americans not to buy Harleys for their fuel economy. Of course, the company has the distinct advantage of having a customer base who likely ranks fuel economy at the very bottom of their purchase motivators. But still, what advertising copywriter wouldn't like to propose "MPG describes riding like biology describes sex" and see it get through legal? This message works great for Harley as its sales are image- rather than product-led. [Via About Motorcycles]

ad watch

Biker Babes Marketing Is A Brilliant Idea

Within the biking community, a woman driving her own motorcycle is more rare than an operational Harley Shovelhead, and as a result, people gawk when they see one on the road. With those eyeballs captured, what better way to capitalize on them than by doing some advertising? Biker Babe Marketing founder Leslie Slaasted developed a detachable advertising banner which holds a billboard, instantly creating a mobile marketing delivery system virtually guaranteed to be more effective than a billboard truck. What's especially genius about this is these women are getting paid to go riding all day. Consider us impressed by the creativity and jealous of the ride time.


[Biker Babes Marketing via Motorcycle USA]

meadow brook concours d'elegance

The Motorcycles of The Meadow Brook Concours

When we think of the Meadow Brook Concours D'Elegance, motorcycles don't normally come to the front of the mind — it's all about old and exotic automobiles. This year Meadow Brook featured a selection of classic motorbikes featuring sidecars. Great fun was had trying to figure out the mechanism details: Every motorcycle seemed to have a different solution to the same problem, and we had a good ole time trying to figure out what all the widgets did. It's safe to say these side car motorcycles are a fair bit more civilized than the Cat III.



motorcycles

Riding the Vespa S

Getting through a traffic jam on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is a game of inches. So even though I'm a fan of almost anything with a motor and two wheels, I was a bit skeptical about venturing onto the city streets aboard the Vespa S.

motorcycles

Suzuki Takes Crosscage Hydrogen Fuel Cell Concept To The Test Track

Proving that their Crosscage emits hot water instead of hot air, Suzuki just took their fuel cell-powered concept testing in Europe. Riding impressions are non-existent, but luckily for you, I've ridden the Intelligent Energy ENV that the Crosscage is based on.

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novelties

Make The Pain Stop, Lamborghini Chopper

Ow ow ow ow. Even though Cadillac is planning a motorcycle for the LA Auto Show, we thought the themed chopper craze was starting to die off. Apparently if you own a Tweety yellow Lamborghini Gallardo, it's alive and well. It speaks volumes of this custom chopper that it is trailered on a wonderfully classy diamond cut steel trailer behind its Gallardo inspiration. Don't feel bad, gagging is a completely natural reaction to seeing these images.


[Carzi]

industry news

VW, KTM Motorcycle Partnership Rumors Swirling, Could Result In 1-Liter Car

Rumor has it that Volkswagen is in talks with KTM about partnering up to produce VW brand motorcycles. For you car folks, KTM is an Austrian firm known for its race-ready dirt and street bikes - think Ducati but with less of the pretense and more of the color orange. As the rumor has it, this could even result in production of the crazy GX3 trike.

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