Friday 17 December 2010
Rossi says shoulder progressing well
Thursday 16 December 2010
Cal Crutchlow to undergo shoulder surgery
Spies: MotoGP podiums up there with WSBK title
Urging him on to sixth position in the overall standings, while some had predicted Spies would challenge for wins at times in 2010, the man himself plays down the weight of expectation, insisting he was merely hoping to break into the top five.
“We were the top satellite bike, but I honestly didn't think we'd see the podium this year,” he told the MotoPod podcast website. “If we were going to get a few top fives, then I would have been happy. At the end of the season I look at who is around me and behind me. The guys in front of me, you know their credentials, but me and Nicky battled it out at the final race, and he has a world title.
“We finished on the podium twice and at Indy I beat both of the factory bikes, but if anyone honestly expected me to win in my first year, they are a little crazy. To learn half the tracks, be on a satellite bike and to win in the first year, I don't think anyone can really do that. It wasn't on my agenda.
“The finishing on the podium part was up there with winning a World Superbike title for me.”
Spies, who has been rewarded with a full factory Yamaha ride in 2011 as the replacement for Valentino Rossi, was also pleased to be pairing up with Jorge Lorenzo, claiming he is the ideal candidate to learn from.
“We get along as well as any team-mates can in MotoGP.
Wednesday 15 December 2010
MotoGP eyes new global venues
Monday 13 December 2010
Moped riders - new rules to improve safety
Moped riders across the state could be required as soon as next year to wear brightly colored vests, have strobe lights on their cycles and carry liability insurance.
Several state lawmakers said they are planning to introduce moped-related legislation in the wake of six Upstate deaths this year, including two in a month on U.S. 123 between Greenville and Easley.
Mopeds are among the smallest, slowest and most unregulated vehicles on the road, with some operators legally taking the handlebars as young as 14. Laws in other states vary with some, such as North Carolina, making youths wait until they are 16 to start driving mopeds.
Tracking how many mopeds are on the road can be tough. They don’t have to be registered, and state law leaves murky what constitutes a moped.
In some ways, golf carts are more regulated than mopeds. Golf cart drivers need a valid license and liability insurance to travel on state roads, while moped operators don’t.
Drivers with suspended licenses can operate mopeds for up to six months before having to get a moped license, and they don’t ever have to ever get liability insurance.
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Scooters aren't cars
If you have a mobility scooter, do you need insurance? In my vehicle, I have to carry liability, have a mirror, lights and registration. How about those driving scooters?
— Brett H., via e-mail
Brett, by mobility scooter, we assume you're referring to what Medford police Lt. Bob Hansen calls an "electric, personal-assistive device." They're also referred to as electric scooters and essentially serve the same purpose as an electric wheelchair — but they're much cooler for cruising about.
Since they are classified as motorized vehicles, Hansen says, they do have to meet certain guidelines — even though they are not specifically addressed in the Department of Motor Vehicles handbook.
The mobility scooter falls somewhere between a moped and a Segway. They must yield to pedestrians, not exceed 15 mph on bike lanes or paths, travel in the same direction as traffic and have a front light and rear reflector.
No title, registration or liability insurance is required for this kind of device.
David House, spokesman for DMV, says the only vehicles that require title and registration are those that meet U.S. Department of Transportation standards and have a vehicle identification number.
Bicycles, ATVs, mini bikes, scooters — and mobility scooters — don't fit into that classification.
Liability insurance is mandatory only for titled and registered vehicles, operating on public roadways.
"It would be really hard to do that much damage with something that small that doesn't move that fast," says House.
Nonetheless, Hansen says, anyone driving a mobility scooter while impaired could suffer legal consequences.
"If they are impaired, and they are on a motorized vehicle or even a bicycle, they can be arrested for driving under the influence," said Hansen.
Hansen said police are more concerned about other drivers than about the scooter operators. He urges drivers to be careful and suggests that scooters be equipped with a very visible flag.
Source: www.mailtribune.com
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Kymco 300i - new scooter for 2011
Kymco Canada has introduced a couple of new scooters for the 2011 model line-up.
The Super 8 150 is a four-stroke powered 150 cc scooter with fully automatic transmission and enough power to serve as a commuter in comfort, yet it offers exceptional fuel mileage, according to the company.
It retails for a suggested $3,695.
For those who prefer more power in their scooters, Kymco introduces the Downtown 300i. No, it’s not a luxury German car, but a luxury Korean scooter.
The 300i has enough power to handle city streets and rural highways with aplomb. It’s powered by a new four-valve engine with EFI and retails for a suggested $5,995
Wednesday 3 November 2010
BMW moves into the scooter market
While the European motorcycle industry is in crisis due to dramatically falling sales, BMW is moving in the opposite direction thanks to its loftier perspective of the mobility (as opposed to motorcycle) industry. After years concentrating on larger capacity two wheelers, it is moving into the scooter field. Having already shown an electric version of its ultra-safe C1 scooter, plus several MINI scooter concepts in recent weeks, BMW Motorrad yesterday unveiled a maxi scooter concept. Two premium scooters will be derived from the concept vehicle in the near future and there’s also an electric version being investigated.
For many years, scooter segment riders were looked down upon by regular motorcyclists, and it was only when Suzuki kicked off the maxiscooter craze with a lively 400cc engine just over a decade ago that the scooter form factor got some respect.
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Mahindra Records Success In Two Wheeler Sales
The early account of the sale for September 2010 for Mahindra two wheelers has brought some cheers. The company is said to have reaped a whooping 451% growth against its performance in the past one year period. The net sale in that month was 16,569 scooters and the sale of the company was stagnated at 1.5 lakh units.
Mahindra&Mahindra’s status is $76.1 billion. The company is concentrating on its power scooter concept targeting the youth and women. The products are one of the most stylish in 125cc sector. Mahindra two wheelers is taking its next giant step in the motorcycles segment by launching new products as confirmed by the President of the two wheeler segment.
Two models of Mahindra two wheelers, Mojo and Stallio has Aamir Khan doing the brand ambassador role. Mojo is equipped with sophisticated technology. M&M believes that this bike will bring in a grand brand reputation for it in the highly competitive in Indian and global market. Mahindra & Mahindra's MD and Vice Chairman said that Mojo reflects the company’s capability in two wheeler manufacturing. He claimed that it is to run as the fastest Indian bike as on date as it has been designed so.
Stallio 110cc satisfies the customers with its fuel efficiency, economy pricing and latest features. Having tested its presence in this two wheeler market, Mahindra & Mahindra is actively engaged in promoting its products through vigorous campaigns. As a part of it, it has come forward to make a ride show of its bikes by employing 20 bikers who will all along ride from Ladakh to Nagpur. They will be gifted with the bike once the drive journey is over. M&M’s journey began last year with its gearless scooter acquired from Kinetic, by getting 80% stake at Rs110 crore.
Source: oneindia.in
Monday 18 October 2010
Scooters in UK
Scooters - we've all got an opinion on them whether we think they're essential accessories for cool, urban living or just wannabe motorbikes that sound like an annoying wasp.
Here in the UK, scooters conjured up a particular image for many a year - that of a mod heading off for yet another weekend of handbags with the rockers at some faded seaside town.
Nowadays, of course, you can hardly move in the city without seeing some trendy metrosexual dodging the lines of black cabs and, most recently in London, the legions of Boris Bikers on the crowded streets.
So, it's a welcome relief to find that in some parts of the world, there are plenty of people with enough time on their hands to perfect their scooter skills.
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Man builds world's fastest mobility scooter.
A plumber has built the fastest mobility scooter in the world, capable of hitting 69mph.
Colin Furze, 31, spent nearly three months converting the machine which has a powerful 125cc motorbike engine installed under the seat, five gears and twin exhausts.
The petrol-powered super scooter, which is British racing green, can almost reach the national speed limit and keep up with cars on the motorway.
It does 10 miles to the gallon and is nearly nine times faster than an average mobility scooter which glides along at just 8mph.
"It is quite scary when I'm driving it fast as the frame is pretty flimsy and designed for going along at slow speeds," said Mr Furze, from Stamford, Lincs.
"You can't take your eyes off the road when driving it as any rash steering decisions could make it flip over and the slightest dip or bump in the road makes it drift off course."
Mr Furze decided to transform the scooter after he was given the machine by a friend.
He was determined to build the fastest mobility scooter in the world and applied to Guinness to set the record as there wasn't one already in place.
He was told his scooter would have to travel at least 61.4mph and still look like a commercial mobility scooter.
"You hear lots of people complain about scooters going really slowly around supermarkets and blocking the aisles so I thought it would be a laugh to make a really fast one," he said.
"I was told I could modify the engine but I wasn't allowed to change the appearance in any way so I couldn't give it bigger wheels or make it more stable.
"I initially tried experimenting with battery power but I only got to about 30mph and the batteries died really quickly so I knew then it would have to be petrol powered."
He removed a 125cc engine from his motorcross bike and spent a week rebuilding the frame of the scooter.
"I was a bit nervous when I first started it up as I wasn't sure if it would work, but it sounded good and got to 64mph, then 69mph very quickly," he added.
"I was worried it would be a real death trap to drive but it's not too bad when you get used to it.
"It takes people by surprise as it looks like the real thing but it's really noisy when it gets going."
Mr Furze is now going to do a time trial at the Santa Pod Raceway, Northants and hoping to gain a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
"I will be wearing full leathers and a crash helmet for the record attempt," he said. "My aim is to hit 70mph - that would make me really happy."
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Monday 4 October 2010
Hayden gets two more years at Ducati
Sunday 3 October 2010
Stoner not looking at Honda form
Pedrosa unstoppable in first practice
Saturday 2 October 2010
Rossi 'quite happy' with Misano practice
The Italian, who has taken one podium from the four races since his return from a broken leg, was 0.767sec behind fastest man Dani Pedrosa - but only 0.155sec from second placed Andrea Dovizioso and less than a tenth from Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, in third.
"I'm quite happy because we did a good job during today's practice, especially towards the end when we made a big improvement to the setting of the bike and I was able to make some faster lap times," said Rossi, who will join Ducati next season.
"We have some more things to try, some electronics and some tyre settings, but I already feel confident so this has been a good way to start. We're quite far from Pedrosa, who was very impressive today, but we're close to Dovizioso and Lorenzo.
"Tomorrow we will try to find some tenths and improve our time a bit.
"My physical condition is okay, I don't have too much pain but this track has two or three hard braking sections to the right and I suffer a bit with my shoulder at those points," he added.
Lorenzo feels the need for speed
The new Spanish circuit contains a long, downhill, back straight, where fellow front row starters Casey Stoner (Ducati, pole) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 3rd) were able to reach 324.5km/h and 326.8km/h respectively in qualifying.
Despite qualifying second on the grid, Lorenzo was only able to reach 318.6km/h on the straight, and also feels he's losing out to his main rivals under acceleration.
Acceleration isn't measured by MotoGP organisers, but in terms of top speedLorenzo was faster than only one rider this afternoon - Tech 3 Yamaha's Ben Spies.
All four M1s were in the bottom five for top speed in qualifying, with only Honda's Marco Simoncelli slower than a Yamaha.
"I'm riding good and every lap I improve my riding style and understand the track, which is not so easy," began Lorenzo, after extending his run of successive front row MotoGP starts to 15.
"The problem is that we lose a lot on the straights and under acceleration. We don't have the same power as the Ducati and Honda, so this is the worst point we have now.
"But anyway we can't change the bike, so with this bike we must be perfect and ride perfectly to have some more chance of victory or a podium tomorrow."
Lorenzo starts round 13 with a 63 point lead over Pedrosa and has finished on the podium at every round this year.
Friday 1 October 2010
Two Nifty New Scooters–Why Don’t Americans Like These Things?
At the Paris Motor Show this week, both BMW’s Mini subsidiary and Daimler’s Smart subsidiary showed new electric scooters, or e-scooters as some are calling them. Meanwhile, Honda is expected to introduce one in Japan later this year, and Peugeot plans one for 2011. Scooters sound like a more sensible, cheaper way into the new era of electric vehicles than cars. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the lithium ion battery for a scooter costs just $2000, while an electric car battery can run upwards of $16,000.
Judging from the pictures, the new Mini and Smart e-scooters look way cool–a kind of Jetson Vespa. You plug them into any normal AC outlet for four or so hours, which gives you enough juice to go around 60 miles–plenty of range for the kind of city driving these things are made for. No word so far on expected price.
I have never understood why scooters never caught on in major U.S. cities the way they have in Europe. Certainly a big metropolis like New York would seem as ripe for a scooter invasion as the cities of Europe, where a cluster of them precedes cars at every red light. Maybe more so, since the special indignity of the New York subway system constitutes an even more compelling argument in their favor. Maybe it’s just the greater European tolerance for two-wheel vehicles in general. You see lot more people on bicycles here too, including commuters off to work and housewives doing the daily shopping. I use a dinky little 50cc Peugeot scooter as my basic transportation in Paris–you don’t even need a license to own one– and it gets me around town much faster than any other kind of public or private transportation. A trip that takes me half an hour on the Paris metro takes ten minutes by scooter. It’s also more fun than a barrel of monkeys, as the Beach Boys pointed out some time ago in “Little Honda.” Wet Paris winters do present a challenge, however.
Source: forbes.com
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Tougher tests for motorbike riders
Tougher licence tests and more specific training is on the way for motorcycle and moped riders.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce says the government has moved to tackle the growing issue of motorcycle and moped safety with a number of actions aimed at better training for novice and returning riders.
"Cabinet has approved changes that will ensure people have a range of safe skills when they start riding motorcycles and mopeds. These are of part of a package completing first actions from the Safer Journeys road safety strategy," said Joyce.
Actions to improve motorcycle and moped safety are:
- Strengthen motorcycle licence tests and make them more motorcycle specific.
- Remove the option for motorcyclists to complete an approved driving course (Defensive Driving or Street Talk) to reduce their time on a restricted motorcycle licence and introduce motorcycle-specific training as an alternative to the standard testing regime.
- Require all novice motorcyclists, regardless of age, to be subject to the same minimum time requirements at the restricted licence stage. Currently, over 25 year olds have a shorter time requirement on the restricted licence before they may progress to a full licence.
- Require all moped riders to complete a moped-specific basic handling skills test along with a motorcycle learner theory test to obtain a new Class 6M licence (to be phased in over three years).
- Introduce a power-to-weight restriction for novice riders.
- Develop appropriate refresher training for returning riders and encourage uptake.
- Promote the benefits of high-visibility and protective clothing.
A power-to-weight restriction for novices replaces the current cc restrictions, as there are now high performance bikes available with a low cc.
"Power-to-weight restrictions would allow novice riders a greater range of bikes that are suited to their skill levels. Promoting refresher training and protective clothing will help improve the safety of both novices and returning riders," said Joyce.
Motorcyclists are 20 times more at risk of being involved in a fatal or serious injury crash than car drivers per kilometre driven, he said.
"With more new riders every day, these steps are vital to keep riders safe on the road."
Since declining in the late 1990s, motorcycle related deaths have increased by 68% since 2004, said Joyce. This had coincided with a quadrupling of motorcycle registrations.
Actions for improving the safety of moped and motorcycle riders will be included in a Driver Licensing Amendment Rule and consultation on the rule will start shortly.
Source: tvnz.co.nz
Monday 27 September 2010
Three wheels good. Scooters are taking over London’s pavements
WITH hindsight, some strange fads marked the dawning of this millennium. There was the Y2K bug, and, for much of the year 2000, the spectacle of adults teetering about London on aluminium scooters. The craze ended swiftly: it wasn’t really becoming for grown-ups to scoot down pavements, scattering pedestrians. They also looked silly. A decade on, scooters have returned to London, this time powered by children. And some surprising folk, from school heads to local councils, are keen on them.
Many of the scooters in question are light three-wheelers, which even three-year-olds can ride with (alarming) confidence, and which offer a useful alternative to both bicycles (not pavement-friendly), and walking (not always popular among children). These were being imported to Britain in minuscule quantities until Anna Gibson, a former lawyer with three children of her own, spotted one in a park and began selling them from home. She and her friend Philippa Gogarty talked Micro Mobility Systems, the Swiss manufacturer, whose main interest was adult scooters, into granting them sole distribution rights in Britain.
The pair’s first order from a big department store, John Lewis, in 2005, was for 600 units; despite a price tag of up to L90 ($140), their scooters are now John Lewis’s bestselling toy. Last year, they sold 120,000 in Britain. They also hold distribution rights for America.
The devices and their proliferating cheaper imitations have drawbacks. At school-run times, some London pavements resemble racing tracks, as tiny speedsters weave and zoom. Parents subjected to intense nagging may not be altogether grateful to Mrs Gibson and Mrs Gogarty. But the benign impact on traffic and carbon emissions may offset such annoyances.
At Oxford Gardens, a diverse primary school in the inner-London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the number of scooting pupils has risen from fewer than one in 100 in 2005 to almost one in seven—while the proportion of children arriving by car has fallen from 20% to 16%. Half a dozen schools in the borough report scooter-commuting rates of over 30%. Transport for London (TfL), the capital’s transport overseer, is to begin collecting separate data on scooter use (it was previously bundled together with walking), to check whether scooters are replacing car journeys or other sorts.
The machines may also have a role in chivvying along reluctant pupils. Oxford Gardens won praise from TfL for its “Scooter Scoop” programme, aimed at children with poor attendance records or bad timekeeping. The school loans such pupils scooters, then sends teaching assistants (on adultscooters) to gather them into convoys in the mornings. When the children and the scooters have assembled, they trundle to school.
Source: economist.com
Friday 24 September 2010
Wednesday 22 September 2010
British engineers to build world’s fastest motorbike
A team of British engineers will be in London this week to talk of their dream to build the world's fastest motorbike.
Members of the Angelic Bulldog project will be at the IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) on Thursday 23 September to tell their inspirational story.
The 50-strong team of engineers will be attempting to smash the Motorbike Land Speed Record and smash the 400mph barriers in either 2011 or 2012, but need to secure L100,000.
If they are successful, they will return the land speed record on two wheels to the UK for the first time since 1937.
Details known so far include that the bike will be a streamliner with a groundbreaking supercharged engine delivering around 700bhp.
The project will utilise British design, manufacturing, engineering, products and services, and, according to the team, also aims to restore Britain's heritage of outstanding engineering achievements and inspire the next generation of engineers through its educational programmes.
Chief engineer Jim Brown, a Chartered Engineer, gave up his job at Siemens Gas Turbines to devote more time on the project, and is the only full-time member of staff.
"The UK has a great track record in engineering, which is so often ignored. We hope this inspirational project will help achieve global recognition for British engineering skills and talent," says Brown.
Located across the UK, the team has expertise from Formula 1, 24 Hour Le Mans, as well as other successful UK land speed record teams.
Monday 20 September 2010
Tank Scooters Are Making A Comeback
Chinese scooters took a lot of flak after several complaints and hate blogs flooded the internet. The latest news about Chinese scooters has it that these are now meeting the stringent requirements of the DOT and the EPA in the United States. This is welcome news indeed, since Tank scooters are really nifty and low-priced, and comes with a 3-year warranty.
Satisfied tank scooters customers admit that there are better but expensive brands, but still tank scooters are taking strides to be at par with its other Asian and European counterparts. Since these scooters are ideal for short trips, these must serve the purpose adequately.
Competitive Edge
If one particular Chinese scooter brand has made a boo-boo, then Tank scooters are out to prove that Chinese scooters can be at par with better or expensive brands. In California, Tank scooters are CARB approved for use. However, batteries of all Chinese scooter brands though, including Tank scooters should be fully charged before it can be used.
The tank scooters’ fluid lines suggest a brilliant blend of design and technology. It has amazing power for a small body. It seats comfortably, has a remote start, alarm, radio and a battery charging indicator. Tank scooters have compartments to hold tools and other knick-knacks of your trade.
Tank has 50cc riders that can go at a speed of 35 mph. Their 150 cc and 250cc scooters can score 68 mph and 78 mph respectively. The scooters have a 36 months warranty. The warranties are issued when the tank scooters are given the once over by authorized mechanics.
A Little of the Downside
Like the rest of the scooters shipped in from China, these have to be assembled at the warehouses. The advice to check out the nuts and bolts of assembled scooters is valid then.
The only remaining hitch with tank scooters are the incomprehensible manufacturer’s manual, although written in English. Because of this oversight, many customers who have purchased Tank scooters remain in the dark about the use of the alarm system that is part of the sophisticated features of the Tank scooters.
As tank scooters have shown improvement along quality, several positive comments have been posted in the internet. It may take time though before Chinese scooters can recover from the setback.
The Upside
The efforts of the Tank scooter manufacturer do not go unnoticed, and the scooter is getting the approval of regulatory boards across some States. As a matter of proof, several Tank scooters sightings have been reported. Before everybody can notice, these scooters might be giving stiff competition to name brands.
There may be some apprehensions for getting these scooters. This is understandable in light of complaints from previous shipments or models. However if tank scooters are purchased from reputable suppliers, who can provide repair and replacement of spare parts, it would make sense. Why not? Tank scooters have the looks, the power, and the unbeatable low price. It is indeed making a comeback.
Friday 17 September 2010
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Electric scooters and motorcycles
This is still at the pioneering stage, with none of the major players even participating, leaving the field open for a motley collection of strange brands, rebadging, a very wide mix of quality and no clear leader or single growing force.
That's not to say everything looks like it's come out of a garden shed, but equally it's unrealistic to expect the levels of design sophistication or build quality you'd find in a Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki or Yamaha.
Only two electric motorcycles are available and sales of these still register in the dozens so you're as unlikely to see one as hear one.
The rest are scooters, the majority Chinese built (which generally bodes ill for quality) and the handful of different models come with a multitude of brand names that seem to come and go. In other words, while there are some reasonable products out there, beware.
Do I need a special licence to ride one?
The licence requirements for an electric motorcycle depend on the category in which it is classed, in line with conventional two-wheelers. Most electric scooters are counted as mopeds, which means a top speed of no more than 30mph.
These can be ridden on a car licence without L-plates if you passed your test before February 2001, otherwise a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) certificate is required, but still no L-plates. Mopeds are not allowed on motorways.
A 125cc equivalent demands a motorcycle licence, either the full class A or the A1 light motorcycle class, or it can be ridden with L-plates after CBT has been passed (as long as a provisional A or A1 category is on the licence).
Note that passing a test on an electric two-wheeler will restrict you to automatic motorcycles or scooters only.
Monday 13 September 2010
MINI and Smart to unveil electric scooter concepts in Paris
Scooters seem to the in thing at Smart and BMW-owned MINI, as they both announced the presentation of electric models in Paris, at the end of the month.
Along with a few sketches of the concept electric model, MINI has revealed plans of showcasing the scooters in three different trims. One will even feature a design similar to the MINI E project, their plug-in electric Cooper.
No other details about the scooter have been released, but speculation has pointed to the use of lithium ion batteries in MINI’s bikes.
Similarly, apart from a few sketches of their scooter concept, Smart has revealed very little of its electric concept.
Friday 10 September 2010
Red Arrows marathon charity scooter ride
A Lincolnshire Red Arrows pilot who was seriously injured in a mid-air collision earlier this year is planning a marathon charity scooter ride.
Flight Lieutenant Mike Ling will swop his Hawk jet for a Vespa scooter for the 1,000 mile journey from Lands End to John O' Groats later this month.
He'll be joined by 13 other pilots and crew from the Red Arrows and the BBMF to raise money for charities including Help for Heroes and Whizz-kidz.
Flight Lieutenant Ling had to eject from his aircraft after it collided with another Red Arrows jet during a training exercise in Crete in March.
He said: "The forces charities are close to all our hearts, but I am especially keen to help organisations like Whizz-kidz and Fly2help - especially as I've spent time in a wheelchair myself and appreciate the great work these charities do to help people get around and fulfil their ambitions."
As well as raising money, the ride will promote Get on, a campaign offering free taster sessions to encourage more people to ride scooters and mopeds.
The team will set off from Lands End on the 30 September and aim to cover the distance in four days, a journey which would take about an hour in a Hawk jet.
Source: www.news.bbc.co.uk
Wednesday 8 September 2010
Scooters still create parking headache: Students want more spaces
Scooters may seem small, but when it comes to parking on campus, they may not be small enough.
The scooter parking lots, or “corrals,” that dot the University campus have proven insufficient for several student scooter drivers.
Students must park their scooter or moped — which must be under 50 cubic centimeters to be considered a scooter — on the brick pad of a corral and not on the sidewalk or grass if they do not want to be issued a ticket.
Scooter or motorcycle drivers pay $10 each month for a parking permit, according to the Parking Services website.
This allows drivers of these vehicles to park in any corral designated specifically for scooters and mopeds.
One student scooter driver said there simply is not enough parking space for the number of scooters on campus.
“They have cut back on scooter parking dramatically,” said Ricky Lowe, a junior biology major. “If you look at any of these parking places, everyone is really clamoring for a spot.”
Another student, Alex Vagasi, a freshman from Lilburn, said many of the most populated parts of campus are devoid of scooter parking.
“A lot of places that students go to — like the dining halls and the science buildings — don’t have scooter parking,” she said. “And where they do have parking, it’s too small and it’s always overflowing.”
The problem of overcrowded lots for scooters has been on the minds of parking services for some time now.
Earlier this year, The Red & Black reported on a proposal which would eliminate small and crowded scooter parking corrals located in the central areas of campus and move them to larger lots found on the outer edges of the University.
The proposal was laid out by Parking Services and a scooter task force — a committee made up of Parking Services, University Police, scooter riders, motorcyclists and University faculty.
The group worked to help eliminate the safety issues and parking issues caused by scooters and mopeds and enforce existing rules about these vehicles.
University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said he receives frequent reports about moped misconduct.
“I get complaints daily about scooters and scooter riders,” he said.
For instance, scooter drivers may use the sidewalk to access some of the scooter corrals on campus.
This puts the pedestrians using those thoroughfares in danger.
However, the scooter parking proposal, which was created to help put these issues to rest, has yet to take effect.
“Nothing has changed — it’s exactly the same,” said Don Walter, parking services manager.
For student scooter drivers, this means the crowded parking corrals will remain the status quo.
Even if the proposal became policy, the change would be unwelcome.
“I got a moped to go from class to class, and if they passed this proposal it would defeat the purpose of having a moped,” Vagasi said.
Of the 13 scooter and moped parking corrals located across campus, only a few of them — such as the Fine Arts building and the south side of Myers dormitory — might be considered centrally located.
And for Lowe, this isn’t good enough.
“There’s 50 people trying to clamor for those few places that are worth parking at,” he said. “Its unfair that they sell way too many parking permits than they can handle.”
With the increasing number of scooters piling up at each corral, the potential for scooters being knocked over or students’ legs being burned by hot exhaust pipes is much higher, Lowe said.
Though the scooter parking proposal has yet to take effect, the call for more scooter and moped parking on campus is still on the minds of employees at Parking Services.
“More scooter parking is being discussed,” Walter said.
Source: www.redandblack.com
Monday 6 September 2010
Scooter India Attracts Tata And Piaggio
First, it was Mahindra and Atul Auto, which were known to have had interest in Scooters India stake. Now, its Tata and Piaggio, who are likely to join the stake buying race.
According to top officials of the Heavy Industries Ministry, Piaggio and Tata Motors feel like purchasing the 74 percent of stake in the Lucknow-based three wheeler company Scooters India, which once produced the Lamby scooters in India. The officials further say that the four companies, Mahindra, Atul Auto, Tata and Piaggio, have already given indication that the formal Expression of Interest (EoI) can only be made after the Cabinet approval. Many companies see huge potential in SIL because they expect a strong growth from the north Indian and Uttar Pradesh markets.
The company which will buy the majority stakes of Scooters India, will be allowed to use the 150 acre land and equipment. The turnaround plan for the PSU has also made clear that the old debts of the sick company, amounting to about Rs 100 crore, while any fresh investment will have to be made by the new private partner.
The ministry officials, have stated that nearly 800 out of the 1200 strong work force will retire in the next two years, which will be a welcome change for Scooter India's sales. In 1996, the union tried to sell the stakes, but then, labor was a big issue for the private players.
The Ministry hopes that the cabinet approval and the sales process will surely take place by the end of this month.
Source: living.oneindia.in
Sunday 5 September 2010
Scooter speed limit 'ridiculous'
A SSuggestion by Maryborough MP Chris Foley to reduce the speed limit for mobility scooters to 5kmh has been labelled “ridiculous” by Fraser Coast scooter users.
The current speed limit is 10kmh.
Safe Scooter education sessions are held regularly in Hervey Bay.
Torquay man Greg Sweeney has attended one and was also instructed on scooter safety when he bought his scooter.
“Dropping the speed limit down to 5kmh is absolutely ridiculous,” he said.
“I’ve got one of the bigger scooters and I ride around the mobility corridor at about 10kmh.
“On footpaths around town I slow down and inside shopping centres I go at a minimum speed.
“It’s a bit like a car – you have to ride to the conditions.
“I’ve never crashed my scooter but I have nearly been taken out by motorists a couple of times.
“The scooter is basically a motorised wheelchair for people who can’t walk and most riders I see are very responsible.”
One Maryborough woman said the real issue was making footpaths safer for mobility scooter users.
The woman did not want to be named because she had already suffered abuse.
“I’ve been verbally abused because people think I’m not disabled,” she said.
“This scooter only does up to 9kmh and I go about as quick as an Olympic walker.”
She said a reduced speed limit for mobility scooters was not needed.
“If people are educated properly in the first place it’s not necessary,” she said.
“You can easily tip these things. The three-wheelers tip very easily.
“I am careful and when my scooter was donated to me I was shown all the dos and don’ts.”
Mr Foley suggested reducing the speed limit for scooters after receiving complaints from residents about “irresponsible” scooter riders causing accidents and injury to pedestrians.
He asked Transport Minister Rachel Nolan to consider introducing a speed limit of 5kmh – the average pedestrian speed – and restricting the maximum speed of the machines to 10kmh.
Thursday 2 September 2010
Beauty and the bike
A girl meandering her way through the traffic on a bright-coloured scooter not only makes for a pretty picture, but exudes a lot of confident too. While the small town-girls in India, somehow, have been a trend setter in this, their more stylish counterparts in the metros are fast picking up the trend.
“It was impossible for me travel on a public bus at office time,” says Asha Bhowmick, an insurance consultant, who rides a TVS Rdeo. “And I can’t afford an auto every time I step out. So, a scooter was perfect for me,” adds the Vasant Vihar resident.Affordability is not the only issue here. While the comfort of a car can’t be replaced, when it comes to staying hassle free, nothing can beat a two-wheeler. “I had to walk nearly a kilometre from the parking space to my office, so I got a scooter, which I can park at office as it takes less space,” says media professional Richa Sharma.Femme power
“We wanted a scooter only for girls, and not one of those unisex models,” says Anil Dua, senior VP, marketing and sales for Hero Honda. “After all, why should boys have all the fun.”The otherwise slackening scooter market got a shot in the arm — the growth has been about 48 per cent from the last year — due to these cuties on road. And makers are in no mood to slow down. “It’s actually very exciting to be selling two-wheelers for girls in the present scenario,” says Devendra Shinde, senior VP, Mahindra Two-wheelers. And for this, the auto giants, that have been taking care of robust motorbikes and vromming torques all these while, have no qualms in thinking about lipsticks now. “Scooters for girls are designed to carry everything that a girl may need,” says Dua. On asking whether riding a two wheeler is a safe option in the metros, the reply seems readymade. “Point me one place that’s secured in in this city,” says Tshering Gyaltsen, a DU student. “Atleast on my scooty, I’m in control.”
- Two wheelers for girls are usually light in weight
- Colours plays an important role with Pink, Red and Black being hot favourites
- Auto-start and front fuelling are the latest features to make riding easy for girls
- Gearless and electric scooters are in demand too
- Companies even have special classes for beginners
Source: hindustantimes.com
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Thousands of Bikers not Properly Protected
Many bikers could be in breach of road safety laws and their insurance policies, recent research has discovered - and what’s worse is that may of them don’t even know they’re doing it.
This startling lack of knowledge has been highlighted in a survey that quizzed 500 bikers about their habits and behaviour – and the results really are worrying. For example, despite it being illegal, 40% of provisional licence holders have carried passengers, even though 88% know they shouldn’t. Not only is this illegal, but should an accident occur there is all sorts of potential for an insurance company not paying out.
More than one in five riders of large engined bikes also admitted that they were not properly licensed to ride them as well, another nightmare should an insurance claim ever need to be made – In fact, by riding a bigger bike and not having proper insurance the money spent on insurance is wasted: Not only is it illegal, but the company will almost definitely reject any claim made against you.
Riders with bigger engines are statistically the most reckless as well: 14 percent had travelled more than 10mph over the speed limit in the last month compared to 5% of small engine riders, and 20% of large engine riders had crossed the centre road line to overtake compared to 16% of low-powered bikers. More riders also crossed the stop line at traffic lights while the lights showed amber or red as well.
When broken down by age, the over 55s are seemingly the most accident prone, with 35-44 being the safest age group (Of whom only 10% had been in an accident in the last month).
The best way to protect yourself from injury whilst on a motorbike is to be properly attired – helmets and leathers all round, natch – but this is seemingly lost on the 5% of women who admit to riding their bike or moped in heels – although the 82% of people quizzed who thought that it was illegal to wear red whilst riding will be happy to know that it is, in fact, perfectly legal to wear it.
With so many easy ways of invalidating your motorbike insurance, the best thing to do is to make sure you know the law. Keep up with revisions of the Highway Code, and you could consider taking a few lessons every couple of years, just to keep yourself on top.
Monday 30 August 2010
Vintage Cool Takes Place in Goodwood
A Bonhams auction on Sunday will celebrate 20th-century cool. The sale takes place during this weekend's "Vintage at Goodwood," a festival of popular music and fashion from the 1940s to the 1980s at the West Sussex estate of the Earl of March. The festival, which is being held for the first time this year, is the brainchild of British fashion designers Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway of the "Red or Dead" label, in conjunction with Lord March. The Bonhams sale offers an iconic hodgepodge of cars, motorbikes, watches, guitars, posters, photographs, jewelry, furniture and film props covering 1940-1990. Celebrated names associated with the items include the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who and Eric Clapton. A top highlight is a Challen upright piano from Studio Three, Abbey Road, used by the Beatles for a number of recordings, including John Lennon's "Tomorrow Never Knows" (1966); and by Pink Floyd for the band's album "Wish You Were Here" (1975). The piano is expected to fetch L100,000-L150,000. A charcoal-gray wool jacket with a velvet collar that was custom-made for Rolling Stone Brian Jones is a major lot in the fashion section (estimate: L12,000-L15,000). It is offered alongside one of the iconic, crocodile Kelly bags by Hermes from 1988 (estimate: L10,000-L15,000); and a triple-strand simulated-pearl necklace worn by Jacqueline Kennedy in the early 1960s (estimate: L25,000-L35,000). Swinging London lives again in British photographer David Bailey's "Box of Pin-Ups" (1965), a set of images of the legendary figures of the time, including Mick Jagger and model Jean Shrimpton (estimate: L3,000-L5,000). An enameled City of Westminster street sign for Carnaby Street, one of the coolest shopping destinations in 1960s London, is expected to fetch L800-L1,200. The Lambretta motor scooter was a style icon of the 1960s, favored by the fashion-conscious Mods, a pop subculture primarily in Britain. A circa 1968 Lambretta SX 150 covered with the Union Jack carries an estimate of L4,000-L5,000. Source: www.wsj.com
Saturday 28 August 2010
Bikers Welcome: Monday Is Ride To Work Day
If you haven’t already, you should take time this weekend to top off your motorcycle’s gas tank, check the tires and battery, and hope it doesn’t rain on Monday. June 21 is the 19th annual Ride To Work Day, and organizers say they expect a large turnout — perhaps the biggest ever.
Ride To Work, a group that coordinates the event, says an increasing number of people are using motorcycles and scooters as economical, fuel efficient transportation for commuting, errands and other trips. They can also add an element of fun to an otherwise boring journey. More than 80 million passenger cars and light trucks are used for daily commuting in the U.S., the group says. There are about 200,000 people commuting on motorcycles and scooters, and that number typically swells on Ride To Work Day.
While motorcycle commuters expose themselves to greater risk than most drivers, they also enjoy advantages in parking and maneuverability in traffic. Studies also have shown that commuting motorcyclists make better time than those in cars over similar distances. Motorcycles and scooters also use less fuel per mile and take up less space on the road.
Mugello MotoGP - Qualifying times
Reigning seven time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi has been ruled out of his home event after fracturing his right leg in morning practice.
1.Dani PedrosaESPRepsol Honda Team1m 48.819s
2.Jorge LorenzoESPFiat Yamaha Team1m 48.996s
3.Casey StonerAUSDucati Marlboro Team1m 49.432s
4.Nicky Hayden USADucati Marlboro Team1m 49.546s
5.Colin Edwards USAMonster Yamaha Tech 31m 49.683s
6.Randy de PunietFRALCR Honda MotoGP1m 49.737s
7.Ben SpiesUSAMonster Yamaha Tech 31m 49.861s
8.Andrea DoviziosoITARepsol Honda Team1m 50.0650s
9.Aleix EspargaroESPPramac Racing1m 50.168s
10.Hiroshi Aoyama JPNInterwetten Honda MotoGP1m 50.224s
11.Marco Simoncelli ITASan Carlo Honda Gresini1m 50.434s
12.Loris CapirossiITARizla Suzuki MotoGP1m 50.479s
13.Hector BarberaESPPaginas Amarillas Aspar1m 50.561s
14.Marco MelandriITASan Carlo Honda Gresini1m 50.664s
15.Mika KallioFINPramac Racing1m 50.970s
16.Alvaro Bautista ESPRizla Suzuki MotoGP1m 53.243s
Friday 27 August 2010
Yamaha 'deflated' after Rossi's crash
Rossi fracture pinned during successful surgery
Rossi was flung from his Fiat Yamaha at highspeed on entry to Turn 13 and was clearly in considerable pain as he lay in the gravel trap. Initially taken to the circuit medical centre, Rossi was then transferred by helicopter to hospital in Florence where he underwent immediate surgery.
Rossi was operated on by Dr. Roberto Buzzi and assisted by Dr. Claudio Costa of the Clinica Mobile. Dr. Buzzi made the following statement following the 2.5 hour operation:
"We received Valentino Rossi at the Careggi Hospital, where we made detailed checks in order to rule out any other injuries, and the results were satisfactory. We therefore decided to proceed with the surgery for the exposed fracture of the right leg. We performed a spinal block (epidural) and cleaned and washed the fracture, which was then aligned and stabilised with a pin.
“The surgery had good results; the alignment was good and the bone is now stable. The wound remains open, as is usual in these cases, and it will be stitched in the next few days with another short surgery. We are confident that Valentino will be able to leave the hospital in a week to ten days, able to put weight on the leg with the aid of crutches.
"It is difficult to say how long the post surgery rehabilitation will take, we need to evaluate the progress of the patient and also what the x-rays will show. But I think that we can reasonably think of six weeks partial weight-bearing with crutches, after which Valentino needs to be re-evaluated, according to his feedback and further x-rays."
Six weeks on crutches surely rules Rossi out of the next six rounds, up to and including Laguna Seca on July 20, after which the summer break begins.
"It was a very sad day today for Yamaha and the Fiat Yamaha Team, seeing Vale in so much pain and seriously injured for the first time in his career,” said Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing.
“It is especially tough for Vale to have this accident at his home Grand Prix and this w ill surely be a huge disappointment for him and for all his fans here at the Mugello circuit and around the world.
“As a team we are very deflated right now because we had our two riders challenging for the championship lead and now that challenge is over - at least for the immediate future. We wish Vale the very best for a speedy recovery and hope to have him back with us as soon as possible."
Rossi is presently second in the 2010 MotoGP World Championship, nine points behind team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who will start Sunday's race from second on the grid. Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa starts on pole with Ducati's Casey Stoner third.
Rossi's injury brings an end to 230 consecutive grand prix appearances since his 125cc debut in 1996.
Thursday 26 August 2010
Pedrosa pulls away for Mugello win
Reigning seven time MotoGP champion Rossi missed his home race after fracturing his lower right leg in a Saturday morning highside and could be sidelined for months.
Just before the start, Lorenzo held up a message for Fiat Yamaha team-mate Rossi saying "Everyone can feel pain, but not everyone can be a legend”, while the whole of the Ducati grandstand displayed the word “Vale” with red and white cards.
Rossi himself then gave a message via telephone from hospital, which wasbroadcast over the circuit PA system to the fans. Rossi, who was watching on TV (see separate story), said he missed everyone and would be back soon.
In Rossi's absence, Pedrosa converted pole into the race lead and simply rode into the distance, helped by nearest rivals Lorenzo and Dovizioso exchanging second place in the early stages.
Pedrosa's lead over the Lorenzo/Dovizioso battle reached eight seconds, before the Spaniard put his factory RCV into cruise control to claim his ninth MotoGPvictory by 4.014sec.
Lorenzo shook off Dovizioso in the closing stages to be the only rider to finish all four races this season on the podium, and the #99 now holds a 25 point lead over new nearest rival Pedrosa, with Rossi slipping to third.
Dovizioso at least had the honour of being top Italian and standing on his home podium, after his third third-place of the year.
On the podium, an unhappy Lorenzo - he later said he wanted to win to dedicate it to Rossi and couldn't understand his lack of pace - wore a “VR 46” t-shirt.
The fight for fourth was the only contest to stay alive to the flag, with Marco Melandri, Randy de Puniet and 2009 Mugello winner Casey Stoner trading places for much of the race.
Stoner secured fourth - his best result of the season - with a last lap pass on Melandri's Gresini Honda, while LCR Honda's de Puniet was left to settle for sixth, having led the group on the penultimate lap.
Ben Spies, who ran as high as fourth in the early laps, lost touch with the trio ahead on the final lap, but seventh place was just the kind of solid race he needed after failing to reach the flag in the past two events.
It will also do his chances of being called up to replace Rossi no harm at all, especially since Monster Yamaha Tech 3 tam-mate Colin Edwards - favourite for the temporary promotion - sunk back to 13th in the race.
Rossi is likely to be replaced by Catalunya at the latest, which follows Silverstoneand Assen on July 4.
Stoner was the only Ducati rider to finish after team-mate Nicky Hayden suffered his first DNF of the year, the American sliding out of sixth on lap six. Another Desmosedici rider, Mika Kallio, also failed to finish.
Behind Spies, the top ten was completed by Aleix Espargaro, Marco Simoncelli and Suzuki's Loris Capirossi.
Pramac's Espargaro claimed his best MotoGP finish, while Honda Gresini's Simoncelli charged through the field after running off track on the opening lap.
.voteAreaMugello MotoGP - Race results
Reigning seven time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi was ruled out of his home event after fracturing his right leg in Saturday morning practice...
1.Dani PedrosaESPRepsol Honda Team42m 28.066s
2.Jorge LorenzoESPFiat Yamaha Team42m 32.080s
3.Andrea DoviziosoITARepsol Honda Team42m 34.262s
4.Casey StonerAUSDucati Marlboro Team42m 53.789s
5.Marco MelandriITASan Carlo Honda Gresini42m 53.801s
6.Randy de PunietFRALCR Honda MotoGP42m 54.031s
7.Ben SpiesUSAMonster Yamaha Tech 342m 56.872s
8.Aleix EspargaroESPPramac Racing43m 8.238s
9.Marco Simoncelli ITASan Carlo Honda Gresini43m 9.460s
10.Loris CapirossiITARizla Suzuki MotoGP43m 10.173s
11.Hiroshi Aoyama JPNInterwetten Honda MotoGP43m 11.161s
12.Hector BarberaESPPaginas Amarillas Aspar43m 11.429s
13.Colin Edwards USAMonster Yamaha Tech 343m 42.459s
14.Alvaro Bautista ESPRizla Suzuki MotoGP43m 52.455s
DNF:
Mika KallioFINPramac Racing
Nicky Hayden USADucati Marlboro Team
Wednesday 25 August 2010
Peugeot HYmotion3 Hybrid Power 3-Wheeler
Peugeot unveiled their stunning new HYmotion3 concept at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. This radical vehicle defies definition and is designed to offer a solution to the issues of urban mobility.
Based on the extensive experience of Peugeot Motorcycles, specialists in the scooter field, and the creativity and innovative capabilities of stylists and engineers working for Automobiles Peugeot, the HYmotion 3 offers an ideal mix of the benefits of a scooter and particular characteristics of a car. It's design is based on three wheels for maximum stability, safety and drive ability.
Its width of 82 cm enables it to thread a path through urban traffic with all the efficiency of a two-wheeler. The front windscreen extends to the rear of the vehicle to form a highly effective shield against bad weather for the rider and passenger. Two polished aluminium roll-over bars support the "bubble" which protects the two occupants. To preserve the vehicle's clean lines, there are no rear-view mirrors, this function being carried out by two display screens on the instrument panel offering optimal rear vision. Tilting front wheels give excellent traction and ABS brakes, one disc per wheel, add to overall safety.
Environmental performance is class leading thanks to HYmotion technology, also featured on other concept-cars in the Peugeot exhibition space at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. This new generation hybrid technology incorporates the supercharged petrol engine already featured in the Peugeot Satelis scooter. With a power of 15 kW (20 bhp) driving the rear wheel, it is combined with two electric motors, each with an output of 3 kW, located in the front wheels. This configuration provides a particularly low fuel consumption of 140mpg and CO2 emissions of 47 g/kph in the combined cycle, or zero in electric only mode.
Yamaha not eager to replace Rossi
Davide Brivio
"Today Valentino underwent another small operation to close the wound, which is looking good,” said Dr. Roberto Buzzi, head of Trauma at the CTO Careggi
Tuesday 24 August 2010
PIAGGIO GROUP, PARTNER OF THE eSUM PROJECT
Piaggio Group and Barcelona Municipality collaborate in demonstrating safer PTWs in European’s cities as partners of the eSUM (European Safer Urban Motorcycling) project The eSUM project includes the promotion of safer models of Powered Two Wheelers. It is co-financed by the Road Safety research program of EC’s DGTREN, and led by Barcelona Municipality.
The demonstrations will be carried out in each city involved in eSUM with a Piaggio Mp3 Hybrid, the world’s first hybrid scooter which integrates a low environmental impact thermal engine with a zero emissions electric motor, summing the advantages of the two units.
The Piaggio Mp3 Hybrid offers all the same qualities in terms of safety as the whole Piaggio Mp3 range. This means impeccable road holding, braking and stability in all road conditions thanks to the two front wheels and the exclusive quadrilateral front suspension layout. As with all the other models in the Mp3 family, the Piaggio Mp3 Hybrid also boasts an electronic front suspension lock system, which allows the rider to stop the vehicle without needing to put his or her feet down and park without using the stand.
The demonstration of Piaggio’s Hybrid Mp3 in Barcelona is the first of a series of demonstrations in Europe’s leading cities. The aim of all the demonstrations include:
- dissemination of information about Piaggio MP3 Hybrid and collection of feedbacks from different users,
- the raising of awareness about best practices regarding PTW safety in general,
- communication of the safety features of those models that have been found to be safer-than-average in the research carried out in earlier work packages of the project.
Rossi hints at staying in MotoGP 'many more years'
Speculation has been building of late that once he is well enough to come back, Rossi might elect to call time on his extraordinary career on two wheels and switch to four, either by indulging his second love of rallying on a full-time basis or – in a move that would no doubt delight many fans of both MotoGP and F1 – turn his occasional 'just-for-fun' testing outings for Ferrari into something altogether rather more serious and join the grand prix grid.
The Italian, however, has hinted that far from hanging up his motorcycling record, he is in no frame of mind to call it a day just yet. There are, after all, even more records to be set.
“Sincerely, I haven't felt any fear,” the 31-year-old underlined, when asked if he had considered over the past week quitting the sport. “I was a bit horrified when I saw the leg, yes...but the thing I dislike the most is to miss so many races! I will take all the time I need and be sure not to do anything stupid because I want to return quickly, but only if my condition allows it. I know I have a bike for next year and I don't need to rush my return to demonstrate anything.
“I could miss just four races, but I still wouldn't come back to win the championship. It's better to be careful, finish the rehabilitation in the best way and come back to race for many more years. I've heard of many other sportsmen – a lot in fact – who have had the same problem as me. One example for everyone – Mark Webber called me, and he has had an exposed fracture of the right leg. He told me to be very patient and that I would have some moments of discomfort, but that in the end recovery is guaranteed.
“Now I have a lot of time at home to rest, to recover and to think. Firstly, I want to use this time to improve some things. I want to improve my English, learn something new, read a lot. Basically, I want to improve and learn. This I will do for sure. This incident will not influence my choices for next year in any way. Last Saturday hasn't changed anything – I just have one broken leg extra! The result of 2010 has never been relevant to my decisions for the future.”
Dani Pedrosa’s Silverstone crash
The Spaniard, who took his and Honda's first victory of the season last time out at Mugello - where world champion Valentino Rossi was eliminated from the title chase with a broken leg - lowsided at the end of the Wellington straight whilst trying to improve on third place, during his last lap.
What should have been a harmless fall then turned nasty when Pedrosa was hit by his bike (see gallery below for further pictures) as he slid across the newly laid Silverstone asphalt and was taken to medical centre for checks.
Those checks fortunately revealed that Pedrosa, who battled injury in both 2008 and 2009, had suffered nothing more than bruising to both his knees and will thus be fit to try and reduce the 25 point deficit to title leader and Silverstone pole sitter Jorge Lorenzo on Sunday.
Monday 23 August 2010
Silverstone MotoGP - Qualifying times
Dani Pedrosa fell in the closing seconds, was clipped by his own bike and had to be carried away (conscious) on a stretcher.
Fellow front row qualifier Randy de Puniet, who led the final stages, also crashed on his last lap but was unhurt...
1. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 2m 3.308s
2. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 2m 3.434s
3. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 2m 3.586s
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 2m 3.995s
5. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 2m 4.332s
6. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 2m 4.394s
7. Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2m 4.477s
8. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 2m 4.555s
9. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 2m 4.868s
10. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2m 5.035s
11. Hector Barbera ESP Paginas Amarillas Aspar 2m 5.354s
12. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP 2m 5.712s
13. Aleix Espargaro ESP Pramac Racing 2m 5.748s
14. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2m 5.821s
15. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2m 6.607s
16. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 2m 6.980s
Fastest practice time:
Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda 2m 4.944s (FP2)
World’s smallest car back in production?
Can you believe it? Dragon’s Den Investment is actually thinking about resurrecting the Peel!
In case you forgot or never watched one of the most entertaining episodes of Top Gear, the Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar manufactured in 1962 and 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. Brand new it retailed for L199 (the equivalent of $2224 when converted to USD and adjusted for inflation), and currently holds the record for the smallest-ever automobile to go into production.
Designed as a city car, it was advertised as capable of seating “one adult and a shopping bag.” The vehicle’s only door was on its left side, and equipment included a single windscreen wiper and only one headlight. Standard colors were Daytona White, Dragon Red and Dark Blue.
How’d you like to decorate your home or office with one? Well, you might just get a chance to make it happen! If you go to the Peel Engineering website right now, you can reserve one for a deposit of $775 USD (not including shipping and tax). I don’t know that I’d recommend you buy one as your morning commuter, with its top speed (downhill) of under 40 mph. It might go faster if fancy yourself a scooter tuner and have a death wish. The good thing about having such a small car though, is that you don’t have room for the Grim Reaper to ride along with ya! (but, then again, he’d be easily capable of keeping up on horseback) SERIOUSLY though, if you were riding this microscopic device downtown, you’d have NO problem being noticed by surrounding traffic.
Lorenzo breaks pole drought at Silverstone
The sole factory Yamaha rider after team-mate Valentino Rossi broke a leg last time out in Italy, a superb end to the long Silverstone lap saw Lorenzo take pole from Honda riders Randy de Puniet and Dani Pedrosa with three minutes to go.
de Puniet and Pedrosa then both crashed on their final laps, confirming Lorenzo's tenth pole in MotoGP and the 36th of his career.
"I am so happy about this first pole of the season, but I'm even happier about the fact that I felt so good on my M1 this afternoon,” said Lorenzo, who starts round five 25-points in front of Mugello winner Pedrosa.
“It is really important to be on the front row for tomorrow because this gives us the best chance of another podium.
“Today we did 18 consecutive laps with the hard tyre and then another eight with the soft, which is a good sign, but the track was quite cold today and it took time for the tyres to reach the right temperature, so we have to wait and see how the weather is for our final choice.
“I feel comfortable and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, although I hope it isn't going to rain,” he added.
"I've said before that it's sometimes better not to be on pole because then there's less pressure, but today we are on pole and we're really happy about it!” confessed team manager Wilco Zeelenberg.
“Jorge worked very hard in the first 13 or 14 laps, pushing hard to learn the track and understand the limits, and this paid off for him. de Puniet and Pedrosa were fast but they both crashed, but Jorge was fast and finished safely.
“There are of course no points for pole and we have to see what tomorrow brings but it's nice to have a rider who is fit and doing fast lap times and a bike that's consistent. We're hoping for another good race tomorrow."
Pedrosa was taken to the medical centre after hurting his legs, but is expected to race.
Sunday 22 August 2010
Silverstone MotoGP - Race results
Hiroshi Aoyama did not start the race after being injured in morning warm-up...
1.Jorge LorenzoESPFiat Yamaha Team41m 34.083s
2.Andrea DoviziosoITARepsol Honda Team41m 40.826s
3.Ben SpiesUSAMonster Yamaha Tech 341m 41.180s
4.Nicky Hayden USADucati Marlboro Team41m 41.397s
5.Casey StonerAUSDucati Marlboro Team41m 41.577s
6.Randy de PunietFRALCR Honda MotoGP41m 43.138s
7.Marco Simoncelli ITASan Carlo Honda Gresini41m 48.508s
8.Dani PedrosaESPRepsol Honda Team41m 49.396s
9.Colin Edwards USAMonster Yamaha Tech 342m 2.0370s
10.Aleix EspargaroESPPramac Racing42m 16.477s
11.Hector BarberaESPPaginas Amarillas Aspar42m 17.448s
12.Alvaro Bautista ESPRizla Suzuki MotoGP42m 17.491s
13.Mika KallioFINPramac Racing42m 17.663s
DNF:
Loris CapirossiITARizla Suzuki MotoGP
Marco MelandriITASan Carlo Honda Gresini
US MotoGP - Qualifying times
1.Jorge LorenzoESPFiat Yamaha Team1m20.978s
2.Casey StonerAUSDucati Marlboro Team1m21.169s
3.Andrea DoviziosoITARepsol Honda Team1m21.617s
4.Dani PedrosaESPRepsol Honda Team1m21.655s
5.Ben SpiesUSAMonster Yamaha Tech 31m21.679s
6.Valentino RossiITAFiat Yamaha Team1m21.688s
7.Nicky Hayden USADucati Marlboro Team1m21.920s
8.Colin Edwards USAMonster Yamaha Tech 31m22.217s
9.Marco Simoncelli ITASan Carlo Honda Gresini1m22.300s
10.Hector BarberaESPPaginas Amarillas Aspar1m22.366s
11.Marco MelandriITASan Carlo Honda Gresini1m22.407s
12.Loris CapirossiITARizla Suzuki MotoGP1m22.647s
13.Aleix EspargaroESPPramac Racing1m 22.712s
14.Alvaro Bautista ESPRizla Suzuki MotoGP1m 22.770s
15.Mika KallioFINPramac Racing1m 23.127s
16.Alex de AngelisRSMInterwetten Honda MotoGP1m23.226s
17.Roger Lee HaydenUSALCR Honda MotoGP1m23.764s
Saturday 21 August 2010
Honda Fury VT1300CX review
When is a custom bike not a custom bike? When it’s made by a conservative mainstream manufacturer from Japan.
It took me a long time to decide what I thought of Honda’s new Fury. In fact I’m still open to persuasion.
The Fury is a full-on chopper, the sort of thing you might see rolling out of the workshop of the tediously feuding Teutuls of Orange County Choppers (purveyors of some of the world’s most acclaimed custom motorcycles) - except the mass-produced Honda is far better made.
For the uninitiated, “chopper” is a derivative term for a bike with a long wheelbase, extra-long forks, high bars and low seat. Think the bikes ridden by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider.
The fact that the Fury comes from the most conservative and mainstream of the Japanese factories makes it arguably the most radical motorcycle we’ve seen for years.
Stylistically it’s a bona fide chopper, with an absurdly raked-out fork angle, high headstock, space above the engine big enough to poke your head through, and a beautifully sculpted fuel tank that’s both delicate and elegant, if inevitably rather small at 2.7 gallons.
The front mudguard hugs the tyre tightly, the nine-spoke wheels look great, and a lot of attention has been paid to achieving an uncluttered appearance that many one-off custom builders fail to achieve. There’s too much wiring in the handlebar region, otherwise it succeeds.
The Honda script appears only on the keyfob, perhaps in an attempt to fool bystanders into thinking the Fury really is a one-off. But when you buy a bike from a Honda showroom you expect it to work and ride like a normal motorcycle. It does.
There aren’t even any steering quirks despite the absurdly long forks common to the genre, although low-speed manoeuvring can be demanding.
It doesn’t even flop down into corners like the laws of physics say it should, and most riders will find it perfectly easy to master.
You could even call it ordinary, especially as the 1,312cc engine is muted and smooth, with little of the character - read vibration - of a big American
V-twin. Unlike most bespoke choppers, you could use it every day. Even the small tank isn’t a great problem. At the 48mpg I was averaging you could scrape 130 miles from the fuel capacity.
Comfort isn’t too bad despite the very low seat, so you could even go places on this bike - although it would have to be solo, because the backwards-sloping rear seat probably contravenes human rights legislation.
So why can’t I make up my mind? Because choppers exist outside the realm of motorcycles I understand.
They populate a place where form precedes function to a degree I find absurd, where the aim is a particular visual signature - which can be pleasing - but which is so dated it’s nearing its 50th birthday.
Yet Honda has created a viable production motorcycle around this idea, and it’s the first big manufacturer to do so, which has to be lauded.
I even managed a 250-mile round trip on one, with my oldest daughter as pillion for half of that (she still hasn’t forgiven me), so it’s a genuinely useful machine. The Fury handles better than any chopper I’ve ridden, with the most neutral steering and best high speed stability, and is superior to many much less radical factory cruisers in these respects.
The suspension could be better and ground clearance is poor by most standards. The brakes work well enough and it even has shaft drive, keeping the back end clean aesthetically and physically, pointing form and function the same way.
My biggest problem is that many of the components which look like - and indeed ought to be - steel, iron or chrome are made of plastic. Real choppers are hewn from honest metal. Plastic won’t rust, of course, it’s lighter, cheaper and strong enough. A prime example of function defeating form so I ought to like it, but I don’t.
Where there is metal, it’s sometimes joined in an unsightly fashion, such as some of the tube welding on the frame beneath the tank. The acclaimed Teutuls generally do a worse job (I’ve seen it first hand) but at least it’s blokes behind the blobs - on the Honda it’s like that because of state-of-the-art automated welding machines.
Looking at it objectively, the Fury is pleasing, even beautiful, and no other manufacturer has made anything as radical. It’s also easy to ride and likely to be very reliable and durable. So instead, complain only about the L12,575 price, which looks a little steep against more substantial cruisers.
But if you like the Fury, nothing else will do as there’s nothing else like it. It’s a job very well done.
THE FACTS
Price/availablility: L12,575/Now
Power/torque: 57bhp@4,250rpm/79lb ft@2,250rpm
Top speed: 110mph (est)
Fuel tank/range: 2.7 gallons/130 miles
Verdict: Who’d have thought Honda would make such a bike? You get the improbable combination of genuine chopper styling with some of the highest reliability and build quality standards
Telegraph rating: Four out of five
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk