New Voxan

New for 2009 the Voxan Roadster

Source Moto Revue via Faster and Faster

Ducati rendered speculation

What a Ducati Stradaperta 1200 might look like...

Source Omnimoto via Motorcycle Specs

Honda Hoot canceled

Seems like as everyday goes by, Honda cancels something else. First it was F1, then AMA Superbikes, and now the loved, and wholesome Honda Hoot festival. After 15 years of the very successful festival Honda is not putting on a 2009 event because, you guessed it, the economy.

Maybe it's just me but I think they should have the Honda Hoot because the economy is in poor shape. I know the people down south that rely on tourist money would agree with me.

Source Motorcycledaily

Honda planning electric motorcycle

In a recent speach Honda's CEO announced the company was working on a battery/electric motorcycle. He added that Honda will have an electric bike on the market in two years.

Source Honda via Motorcycledaily

New S&S powered Alligator

Alligator motorcycles, the low-slung bikes pioneered by racer Dan Gurney, has come out with a new model called the Instigator (get it? instant-gator). Unlike the original Alligator, which was powered by a 700cc Honda scooter engine, the new Alligator is powered by a 2023cc S&S V twin. Only 50 will be made.

Source Faster and Faster

Harley's CEO set to retire

It was recently announced that Harley-Davidson's chief executive officer and president, Jim Ziemer, will be retiring in 2009. Ziemer started work for Harley nearly 40 years ago as an elevator operator. He later became the CFO in 1990 before becoming the CEO in 2005. His successor has not been announced yet.

In unrelated news, here's the winner of Harley's "Bikes, Camera, Action" video contest.



Source Kneeslider and Harley-Davidson

Honda pulls out of AMA Superbike

Honda will no longer have a factory team in the AMA Superbike series. They will, however, still support independant teams running Honda bikes. It isn't clear whether or not the economic downturn effected this (as in Honda F1), or if it was because of Superbikes new owners, the Daytona Motorsports Group. So far only Yamaha has announced a factory team for Superbike.

Source Motorcycle Daily

FIM announces Moto2

Moto2 is the 600cc class set to replace the 250cc two stroke class in grand prix racing. Engines will be naturally aspirated four strokes. There will be rev-limits based on number of cylinders (16k for four cylinders, 15.5k for triples, and 15k for twins). Weight minimums based on the number of cylinders will also be in place. There are also a number of rules aimed at keeping costs low and competition high. Electronic aids on bikes are very limited. Teams will be able to buy other teams engines after races (teams must sell if there's an offer) for a fixed price of $26,700 USD.

It seems as though the 600 will run along side the 250 for the first races, with the 600's gradually displacing the two strokes. It should be interesting to see how this works out.

Source Faster and Faster and Motorcycle News

Ducati dealers issued a customization contest

To help spread awareness of the 1100 version of the new Ducati Monster, Ducati has given 58 of its US dealers a challenge. The dealers are given extra body panels and Ducati's accessory book to go wild and come up with some great designs. An online vote will be held from Jan. 1 through Jan. 13, presumably on Ducati's website.

In (somewhat) related news, Angelina Jolie is purportedly getting a Monster 1100 for her husband Brad Pitt. Jealous? I am.

Sources Autoblog and Faster and Faster

The AMA and the 50-500cc European motorcycle tariff

The US government is considering a 100% tariff on European motorcycles displacing 51-500cc's. The tariff would be a responses to the European Union's ban on US hormone-grown beef. The AMA has sent a letter to the US department of Commerce explaining the damage this would cause the industry. The AMA argued that any actions should be through agricultural tariffs.

I feel they have a great point. The models affected would be mostly European dirt bike models, a market that has nothing what-so-ever to do with hormone-grown beef. This move would really benefit the US in any way. It would simply punish European motorcycle manufacturers, and likely award Japanes manufacturers.

Source Motorcycle Daily

Kawasaki's new ZRX

Apparently Kawasaki has reintroduced (?) the ZRX1200. Though there doesn't seem to be any signs of it come in to the US (or UK).

Source Motorcycle News

Kymco's new sport bike

Kymco has been making inroads in the US with their affordable (cheap) scooters and ATVs. The Taiwanese company recently showed US riders their new sport bike, the Quannon 150. This bike is powered by a 150cc ohc single that produces 14hp. Not a lot, but the bike is only supposed to weigh 299lbs. 150 and 125cc motorcycles are especially popular in countries that have displacement limits for licensing requirements (I believe India has a 150cc cut off). The bike will go on sale in the states for $3449.

Source Motorcycle Daily

New Honda Interceptor?

There's been a lot of speculation over the next Honda VF, or Interceptor. So far we haven't seen anything from Honda themselves. This is a rendering of what the Interceptor may or may not look like. It appears to be base heavily on Honda's recent V4 concept bike.

Source Motorevue via Faster and Faster

New electric bikes

It seems like more and more electric bike concepts are poping up every day. A couple of, vintage sport bike-based examples made news recently.

Top - This bike is a prototype for the Isle of Man's newly proposed "green challenge" the TTXGP. It's based off an old GSX-R and uses two electric motors generating 86hp. The bike is capable of doing 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 105mph.

Bottom - Eva Hakansson, member of the KillaCycle drag bike team, rides around her creation - the ElectroCat. The bike is based off of a 125cc two stroke Cagiva. In place of the gas engine there is a  DC motor with lithium ion batteries that produce 7.5kw (about 10hp). The ElectroCat tops out at 60mph and will go about 50 miles on a charge.

Source Faser and Faster

XR1200 is US bound

Harley's dirt track inspired XR1200 is infact making it to the states. Harley is taking orders this December for a limited run of 750 XR's (750 for XR750 get it?). Fortunately the bike does add a some performance bits to go with it's sporty looks. Showa inverted forks, Nissin brakes, Dunlop Qualifiers (only Harley to offer those eh?) and engine tuning producing 90hp are all very welcome features. The bike will come in orange, black, and white and retails at $10,799.

It's interesting to think exactly what this bike will compete against: Kawasaki ER-6N, Suzuki SV650, Ducati Monster? It will likely overpower bikes like the Moto Guzzi V7 and Triumph Thruxton. Maybe Ducati's GT 1000 is it's closest match?

It's nice to see Harley diversify and appeal to younger, more sport oriented customers. A street legal XR is loooong overdue, so the XR is a welcome addition (even if it based on the heavy Sportster).

More on Honda's chopper

Pictures have surface from the rumored Honda crusier from Solomoto via the Kneeslider. It looks awfully extreme for Honda, it should be pretty good.

Source Solomoto via Kneeslider

Massimo Tamburini retires

It seems as though Massimo Tamburini, designer of some of the 

greatest  (and that's not subjective) motorcycle in recent years has

just retired from Cagiva. Tamburini has lead MV Agusta's design team 

for the last 13 years.This news comes as a shock (to me), as I have 

read Tambrini was excited to with MV's new owners Harley-Davidson. 

It's not clear why Tamburini chose to reitire now, but he is confident 

that the team that follows him will do well. Tamburini is responsible for 

designing greats like the Ducati 916 and the MV Agusta F4 series.

Source Kneeslider

Rummors of a custom Honda

Motorcycle daily has reported a rumor regarding a teaser video featuring a raked out factory chopper from Honda. The bike will apparently be fuel injected with "chopper" wheels, a 200 series rear tire, and will be based off the VTX1300.  Honda's attempt at Harley's Rocker C and Yamaha's Raider perhaps? We'll see.

Source Motorcycledaily

Harley XR1200 on its way to the US?

Rumor has it Harley-Davidson's Europe-only XR1200 will be available in the US soon. The story goes; 750 of the dirt-track-throw-backs will be for sale for around $11,000. All of which sounds great to me. Source Autoblog

Aprilia Mana X concept

Aprilia showed off their Mana X concept at this years Milan show. The bike continues Aprilia's recent strategy into automatic motorcycles with CVT transmissions. The bike is aimed to be as simple and easy to use as possible.

Source Motorcycle Daily

BMW gives us more of the LoRider concept

BMW apparently has a lot more ideas brewing behind the LoRider concept. It sounds as though the company wanted to try some thing new and different to BMW, I for one think they have succeeded. Here are some other designs that are being concidered for the (next?) concept. Click on the link for a better look.

Source Motorcycle News

Buell build its 125,000th motorcycle

Buell has reached the 125,000 milestone in motorcycle production. While it may be a far cry from Honda or Harley, Buell has come a long way from their "production" of the single RW750.

Source The Kneeslider

Corvette tunner combines 4 Yamaha engines

Calloway the Conneteticut based Corvette tunner has strung 4 1000cc Yamaha inline 4s together to form a stunning V16. The engine is a 4.0 litter 90 degree V16 with dual overhead cams and 5 valves per cylinder (that's 80 valves!). Callaway was actually involved with development of Yamaha's 5 valve engine in the 1980's, so its fitting the company should create a beast such as this.

Source Autoblog

Rossi to test Ferriar's F1 car

As if Schumacher on an SBK bike wasn't enough it seems as though Valentino Rossi will be taking part in test sessions with team Ferrari F1. Now this isn't the first time that the Moto GP champion has piloted a Ferrari Formula car.

Source Motorcycle.com

Honda offers Schumacher a SBK seat

Michle Schumacher, widely concidered one of the greatest F1 drivers in recent history, has been inveted to race in the World Superbike Championship. The invitation comes from non other than Honda. The seven time F1 champion has already been taking part in the German superbike series, and it is unclear whether or not he will

Source Autosport.com

Yamaha's Arbath tribute bike

Yamaha unveiled a the Arbath Assetto tribute FZ1. Arbath, a tunning devision of Yamaha's MotoGP sponsor Fiat, has made a major comeback in recent years with the arrival of the new Fiat 500. This special one off bike celibates the company.

Source Motorcycle Daiy

2009 Moto Morini 1200

Moto Morini, the small Italian firm, is going through with their 1200 Scrambler concept. The bike has a 1200cc V twin that produces 117hp, and goes on sale in Europe early next year.

Source Faster and Faster

Two new trikes

The Kneeslider recently brought us two interesting trikes. The top machine is called the Rayvolution and is powered by a GSX-R750 engine. The second trike is called the "sportcycle" and this contraption is half Kawasaki ZRX1100. Interesting creations, no doubt about it.

Source The Kneeslider, and The Kneeslider

BMW LoRider concept

BMW showed off their "LoRider" concept at the EICMA. The bike is a combination of scrambler, custom cruiser, and typical BMW styling cues. It certainly is an interesting bike to look at, but it is very unlikely any of it will make any sort of production.

Source Motorcycle Daily

2009 BMW F800R

BMW just released images of the 2009 F800R, a bike that either looks like a shrunken K1200R or a F800S without a fairing.

Source Motorcycle daily

2009 KTM 990 Adventure R, 990 SMT, and 1190 RC8 R

KTM recently introduced their new Adventure R. The R comes with more power, improved suspension and brakes.
KTM also introduced the curious Supermoto Touring. A bike that takes the fun and excitement and tries to modify it for a touring machine. Will have to wait and see how this bike turns out.
Finally KTM as improved their already impressive RC8 with the RC8 R. The bike comes 165hp and a genuinely cool paint job.

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/05november08_ktm2009.htm

http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2008/11/2009-ktm-990-adventure-r-unveiled-at.html

2009 Ducati Streetfighter and 1198

Ducati revealed the highly anticipated naked version of the 1098 in Milan. The Streetfighter, as its called, has the 155hp 1098 engine. The designers basically removed the 1098's fairing and fitted an ugly headlight. 
Ducati also showed off the 1198, a 100cc improvement of the 1098. The 1198 will have about 170hp and will eventually replace the 1098.

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/03november08_newducs_milan.htm

HD and MV

Of course the biggest news in the motorcycle industry is the purchase of MV Agusta and Cagiva by Harley Davidson. There had been a lot of speculation for the past weeks and it finally happed late last week. The move comes as a bit of a shock (to me anyway). Yes Harley has been looking for growth in other world markets, and yes there have been word that MV was up for sale (rumor was Volkswagen was at one time interested). But the two brands seem to have little in common. Harley as the maker of "old school" classic American iron, and MV/Cagiva makers of flashy sexy Italian machinery. On the other hand each have some common traits; they both make high dollar "passionate" motorcycles. Both have loads of brand equity and loyal customers. The biggest question is how the two (or three or four if you count all the brands) fit together.

It seems like the obvious reason Harley wanted MV/Cagiva is for a foothold in Europe where the Italian company has most of its dealerships. Another likely reason for the buy could be Cagiva's smaller less expensive models. Hopefully MV will benefit from Harley's deep pockets, although if Buell is any sign, growth will be slow. I'd like to see a return to Harley's Aermarcchi days. In the 1970's Harley had a line up of Italian singles as entry level bikes. Bringing in MV/Cagiva could help complete the Harley's model line up.

I think it would be far more interesting if Harley had gone after a different company. ATK for example. ATK is a US based off road motorcycle maker. The company uses innovative designs and Rotax engines. It seems to me this brand would have been a perfect fit with Harley's cruiser line-up and Buell's sports bikes. Another company that would make a good fit is Arctic Cat. Arctic Cat makes Snowmobiles and ATV's and is also based in the US. Either of these companies would add a lot of volume to Harley's operations and build their dealer network. But it should be interesting where this new US-Italian company is headed.

Battle for Europe: BMW vs KTM

There seems to be a growing power struggle raging between BMW and KTM. In recent years BMW Motorrad has had its eyes set on growth. The Bavarian company has expanded their model line up significantly. In the past BMW had a multiple variations of their parallel twin and flat four models along with the Rotax single G series. Lately we've seen the new line of singles based on the 650 single and a purpose built 450cc enduro. There's the special line of HP bikes built off the 1200 motor. And last but not least the introduction of the highly anticipated S1000RR super bike. In addition to this there's rumor of a 675cc triple (ala Triumph 675). It would seem BMW wants to be more of a full line motorcycle company rather than a touring/adventure niche brand.

And right across the border in Austria KTM has been flourishing. The off road company has become Europe's second larges bike maker (behind BMW). Like BMW, KTM has been growing. Recently (in the US) KTM has moved outside their off road market and moved into the street bike game. First there was the supermotos, then the Super Duke, and now the RC8. KTM has proven they can build a fine street bike as their new models have been praised by critics.

With both of these companies striving for market share there's bound to be some comparisons. It seems that BMW is filling segments where KTM has strengths. The BMW GS has the KTM Adventure. BMW is pushing their enduro program to attract potential KTM buyer. Even the sports bikes are likely to face each other head to head in super bike races both in Europe and America. In addition to this BMW acquired Husqvarna motorcycles (KTM's closest competitor) and KTM has been working on a partnership with US power sports company Polaris. It looks as though both companies are no longer satisfied with being small time niche players.

Return of the V Max

Here it is, the long awaited next gen. V Max. Fans of the bike have been waiting decades for a new Max and after 23 long years of the first generation the second has finally arrived. And from the looks of things it's the same only more. Now I'm a fan of the original V Max. As a general rule I don't much care for Japanese cruisers (cruisers in general aren't exactly my bag) especially early examples. The V Max, on the other hand, is an entirely different animal. It definitely wasn't a pretty bike, even in it's day when most bikes were usually ugly. With it's strange bulges and tacky "V boost" intake the bike was like a cartoon. What the bike did do though, was perform. The original V Max was one of the fastest bikes in it's day. Not only was it fast but it was fast and a cruiser. You'd assume anything that goes this fast would be covered in plastic and the rider would have to curl up into the fetal position to ride, but not the V Max. The V Max was like a knock off Harley, that would knock off a Honda on the twisty back roads. This is why I like the bike despite it's over the top looks. Apparently many others like the bike (presumably for the same reason) because it has been around so long.

Yesterday we finally got to see what Yamaha has been working on all these years. Now following up a smash hit is never easy. Change it too much and the loyal fans will complain, too little and people will loose interest. From the pictures Yamaha released it looks as though they've kept the original recipe for the V Max, and amplified it by about 25%. Everything looks bigger and more bulky. The overall shape of the bike is strange with a low seat and a high tank. The bike retains it's goofy rear fender/seat combo, as well as the cheesy fuel tank cover, and now features a funky new muffler.

Personally I was hoping for a restyle that would clean up the V Max. Make it look more modern and tasteful. Yes this may have resulted in a more bland looking motorcycle. And in a world full of cookie cutter motorcycles the V Max stands out like "special" brownie. But the strange looks have alway made me forget about the Max. Sure it has a sorts of power and a bad ass stance, but what kind of bad ass has a swooshy silver intake? It looks like Yamaha is doing what Kawasaki is doing with their 20 year old models (KLR, Concours, Ninja 250) taking one different looking design and update it to another different looking design.

Harley Davidson for the 21st Century

Last year Harley Davidson introduced their retro hooligan bike; the XR1200 to the European public. Funny thing is they only showed it to the Europeans. Yes Harley Davidson the one of the most American companies out there introduced a emotion evoking retro racer into a market that didn’t even have the original (the original being the XR750 dirt track machine) Naturally there were some confused and disappointed enthusiasts in the states. Not only Harley fans but those who normally think of Harleys as overweight, overpriced, bar hopers (and who could blame them for thinking that) were interested in this bike. What made this bike extra special was its focus on performance which unlike most motorcycles is not a common focus for Harley.

Now Harley is not known for making fast bikes, far from it. In the past Harleys were just as competitive as any other brand. The Sportser was one of the fastest bikes around. It was the fastest up until the Japanese came with their four cylinder superbikes. Like the once hot British bikes Harleys became slow and had to sell on nostalgia. Triumph a British bike maker was hit hard by the Japanese just like Harley. Unlike Harley they went under and came back as a modern company. Instead of relying on heritage (later they would cash in on it however) they relied on a modern competitive product. Triumph today has a diversified line up, yet every product they offer is 100% Triumph. I see no reason for Harley to not be able to make something different.

I think in today’s world of skyrocketing gas prices motorcycles are going to be receiving a lot more attention. Another factor to consider is the waning popularity of cruisers. The economy is weak and people are less likely to spend big bucks on a full dresser model. Harleys are now selling at or below their suggested retail price, a far cry from the days when a Harley could charge as they pleased. I think it’s time for Harley to diversify. It’s time to move outside of the cruiser market into the world of standards. I’ve often considered what would be a natural extension of the Harley brand. The V rod was a nice start, the new XR1200 is an even better step. A liquid cooled standard, something resembling the new XR would be a hoot. Harley could bring try to compete with the Gold Wing and Victory’s new Vision with a modern V Rod touring model. As for a sports bike I’ve always felt we could have had something great from the VR1000 project. So what if Harley has no sports bike experience that didn’t stop KTM from introducing the RC8. And yes Buell has sports bikes, but there’s no reason Buell and Harley can’t offer something that will get the blood boiling. Finally Harley could expand downward into the entry level market. This would be good for getting new customers to Harley and motorcycling in general. I predict the entry level market (under 600cc) will grow rapidly in the coming years as gas prices increase and the economy worsens. Harley offered an entry level offering in the past based on Italian bikes called Ameriachi. It would be cool to see what a modern version of one of these 250cc bikes would look like today, I think it could be an interesting niche. Whatever they do they really should look outside the cruiser market, but then again they’ve been around for over 100 years, so maybe they know something about surviving.

New Wave RWD

First Hyundai introduces their Genesis Coupe, then we hear about Toyota and Subaru cooking up a sporty car, now it seems the long rumored successor to the Nissan Silvia may be on its way. We are looking at what may be an exploding new category, small rear wheel drive coupes. The US market has been deprived of RWD cars for years, especially small and affordable ones. For as long as I can remember the only small RWD cars in the US that weren't sports cars (2 seats) have been BMW's, and to some extent Mercedes not exactly affordable. Sure there was the Miata and now GM's Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice. But those are roadsters, made for the wind in your hair experience.

Toyota's car will likely be a venture between themselves and their new interest Subaru. The car is likely to feature a Subaru boxer engine. So far we hear that both Toyota and Subaru will have their own versions, with Subaru fans hoping and praying for AWD. The Toyota version will be a modern day Carolla Levin, a Japanese cult classic. As with the Mustang/Camaro it wouldn't be right if one historic model got re-introduced with out a old rival showing up. We've been hearing about a new Nissan Silvia for years but now it seems more likely than ever. The new car would be based on a smaller version of the Z car chassis that seems to underpin every other Nissan product nowadays. This car will could fit nicely underneath the Z which has grown fat and ugly. Finally Hyundai comes form left field with their Genesis Coupe. We've known Hyundai wanted to be taken seriously as a maker of fine automobiles, so they created a RWD sedan to compete (on some level) with BMW and Mercedes. It seems that along with the sedan they made a coupe which will become a quasi Mustang competitor. So far the car looks pretty bad ass, which is something nobody would have expected from Hyundai, ever.

I'm traditionally not a fan of Japanese cars. But excited with the prospects of this small RWD trend. It's likely that the rising fuel prices have driven Americans away form SUV's and larger vehicles. So we will see sales grow in on the smaller side of the spectrum in every category. More over I'm excited about other companies jumping into the fray. GM already has their Kappa twins, and there upcoming Alpha small RWD car that will replace the Pontiac G6 and Cadillac BLS. Mazda has their Miata, RX8 and possibly a new RX7 on the way. But a lot of other manufactures don't seem to be jumping in. Whatever happens I say unlike SUV's their can't be too many entrants into this new category!

Has Honda lost its edge?

Honda's the world's largest most influential motorcycle maker. And it has been that way for many years. Honda has lead the industry coming out with revolution after revolution. First there was the CB750, then the CBX, the Interceptor, the Gold Wing, the RC30, the Valkyrie, the RC51 and so on. But the last few years have been different. It seems we've been getting fewer new models form the big H, at least in the US. And what we do get offered seems bland and devoid personality. Don't get me wrong Honda makes a fine machine, about as good as they get. But today a lot of companies make fine machines, its not enough anymore. You need new and exciting products.

Case in point; for the 2008 model year Honda has one new model, the CBR1000RR (pictured above). In contrast Ducati, a much much much smaller company stormed the industry with several new models. I understand it takes a lot of effort to produce a new sportsbike, but the other Japanese companies didn't seem to have any trouble creating a new one plus other models.

Finally there's the confusing move from their Ohio plant. Honda recently decided to cease motorcycle production in their Ohio manufacturing plants. Production (of cruisers and Gold Wings I believe) will be sent back to Japan, while the American plants will be used for Honda automobiles. What makes this strange is the falling value of the dollar makes domestic production relatively cheap. Plus cruisers will no longer have a "made in USA" appeal to them, which can be important to cruiser buyers.

So what's the cause of this slow down. Could it be Honda has grown too large and is not as nimble as they were in the past? Perhaps they have grown overly cautious and do not want to take any gambles. I'm not entirely sure, but I hope we see a change soon.

An Automotive World War

Look out. There's another earth shattering grunge match afoot. I just finished writing about the spectacular competition in the sports bike world, now I want to visit the sports car world. As just about every automotive enthusiast knows, Nissan has recently introduced the biggest thing to happen to performance cars since... I don't even know, but something huge. That thing happens to be the Nissan GT-R. Ever since rumors of incredible Nurburgring lap times hit the net the car has been a legend in its own time. People either love it or you hate it, but (based on tests so far) everybody should respect it. The car seems to be legitimately amazing at all things fast. Nobody can quite figure out how such a heavy car underpowered car (relatively) can easily beat lighter more powerful cars. Like the sports bike rivalries I couldn't wait, and still can't, for an epic show down between the GT-R and the established players. Some tests abroad have been conducted, but they're quite what I was hoping for. The Porsche 911 Turbo, Corvette Z06, Dodge Viper, Ferrari 430, and Lamborghini Gallarado are on my comparison wish list. So far though it seems these cars aren't going to cut it. Sure you could upgrade. There's the Porsche 911 GT2, Dodge Viper ACR, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, and the upcoming Lamborghini Gallarado LP560 all basically racer versions of the previously mentioned vehicles. But keep in mind there is a new and improved GT-R on the way too, the V-Spec. And while I'd absolutely love a test with any and all of these souped up sports cars there's on that is more exciting than all of them.

The Corvette ZR1, the final production version of the mythical "blue devil", is supposed to be the best sports car for the money since the Corvette Z06. That was until Nissan came out with their GT-R. Suddenly a storm begins to brew. A battle royal is about to erupt between Nissan and Chevrolet over the best bang for the buck title. Funny thing is these cars will probably wind up beating everything regardless of price. This then becomes a battle for the overall fastest, absolute supremacy, two cars enter one car leaves. On paper these cars are nothing alike. The Corvette is a two seater front engined rear drive with a supercharged V8 and about 637hp. The GT-R V-Spec is a four seater front engined all wheel drive with a twin turbo V6 and speculative 530hp. Now the ZR1 will have more power, a lot more power. And it will probably weigh less too. But the secret to the GT-R's success is traction, ridiculous traction. Something the Corvette will likely struggle with. So far the reported GT-R's lap times have have put it ahead of the estimated ZR1 times, as well as just about everything else. The ZR1 has been unofficially clocked at much slower times, but General Motors has publicly sated that the ZR1 will post numbers in the 7:20's, right where the GT-R can be found. Whether you like Nissan or Chevrolet, Japanese cars or American, or if you like any other type of vehicles you have to realize this is going to be one hell of a showdown.

If there ever was a sports car world war this would likely be one. You can find participants form the USA (Corvette, Viper, Ford GT) Japan (GT-R, upcoming LF-A and NSX) Germany (911 turbo, 911 gt2, upcoming R8 v10) Italy (430, Gallarado) UK (Aston Martin DBS-a bit of a stretch) and probably more. This gets me wondering were there any past world sports car wars? There was the first, or maybe second, wave of Japanese sports cars in the 90's. Cars like the NSX, GT3000, and Supra were challenging cars like the Viper, 911, TR12, and once again Corvette ZR1. In the 50's and 60's you had Aston Martin vs. Jaguar vs. Ferrari vs. Mercedes. I'm sure there are many other examples which is why I think cars are so fun. They come from such different back grounds yet they end up so closely matched. Its amazing to read about these beautiful machines going head to head. To me it doesn't matter so much who the winner is, rather how good the fight is.

The 2 Cylinder Superbike Revolution

I've finally did it. I'm doing the "b" word. I've never liked the idea of blogging. Bunch of whinny kids talking about their trivial problems. But I've got things on my mind too, so I might as well see if in fact people read these things.

The first thing on my mind is the impending worldwide superbike smackdown. Information about this apocalypse of moto-sweetness is sparse at best. There's a few forum threads here and there but nothing juicy. On a side note I can't seem to find anything about the Masterbike event online, other than a skimpy Wikipedia page. Anyway here's how its going down. Pretty much all of the major non-Japanese motorcycle manufacturers have just released a new 2 cylinder sportsbike. BMW, Buell, Ducati, and KTM have all just made an 1100cc+ sports bike. BMW has their HP2 an ugly but fast (for a BMW parallel twin) bike. Harley David... I mean Buell released their first (and loooong overdue) liquid cooled bike, the Rotax powered 1125r. Ducati introduced the drop-dead gorgeous 1098, 1098S, and best of all 1098R. And last but definitely not least is KTM and their RC8, the Super Duke's racy brother. Not only are all of these bikes going to be out on the street and coincidently the same time, but the track as well. I've heard of these bikes running around endurance races in Germany. Anyway here's a run-down of the specs.

BMW HP2 Sport
Horse Power 128hp
Dry Weight 178kg (392lbs)

Buell 1125R
Horse Power 146hp
Dry Weight 170kg (375lbs)

Ducati 1098
Horse Power 160hp
Dry Weight 173kg (381lbs)

KTM RC8
Horse Power 152hp
Dry Weight 188kg (415lbs)

The BMW is at a disadvantage with its air/oil cooling, I think it's more of a formula extreme bike, like the Buell XBRR. The Ducati seems to have the battle won on paper. I've heard reports of 1125r's beating 1098's and 1098's beating RC8s. I guess we'll have to wait for some big comparison test. The important thing to take home is that there's fresh blood, lots of it, in the sportsbike category. The traditional big four Japanese plastic fantastics vs. the occasional Italian bike has gotten stale. Consumers can now choose American, German, Austrian, Italian and of course Japanese when it comes to fast bikes.

On another interesting note BMW has another superbike coming the S1000R, though it uses a inline four like the Japanese machines. Aprilia is also said to have a super bike, but with a v four which should prove interesting. Finally I'm waiting on Triumph. Their 675 rocked the socks off the supersport world, where's the new big bike? It would only make sense for an 1100cc triple to compete against 1000cc fours and 1200cc twins. But these are all topics for other blogs. That's my two cents and I'm sticking to it.