Thursday, May 29, 2014

HONDA CBR 1000RR


There’s big news when it comes to the new 2012 Honda CBR1000RR. The CBR1000RR is already the essential Superbike, offering a perfectly integrated combination of power, handling, and overall balance for both the street and the track. But this year we’ve taken this versatile machine and given it some major upgrades. New suspension, new bodywork, new instrumentation, new wheels—and that’s just the start. All that in addition to its famously powerful 999cc liquid-cooled inline-four-cylinder engine and all-aluminum twin-spar chassis.

The future’s looking bright indeed—at least if you’re looking at it from behind the bars of a new 2012 CBR1000RR.

New Suspension.

The CBR1000RR features new suspension front and rear. Up front, the new 43mm “Big Piston” Showa fork is smoother and more responsive; in the back, the Unit Pro Link design uses a new Balance Free Rear shock that uses a double-tube design for a smoother response and better road-holding feel (traction performance).

New LCD Instrumentation.

The CBR1000RR’s new, full-screen LCD instrumentation includes a lap timer, trip and fuel-consumption computer, five-level customizable shift indicator, gear-position indicator and peak-rpm memory function.

Revolutionary doesn’t begin to describe these brakes.

The Combined ABS (C-ABS) system is the first of its kind on a Superbike. Even the most critical motorcycle testers rave about how well they work. Find out what the experts have to say about this revolutionary feature.

Hot Wheels.

New for 2012, weve added 12-spoke aluminum cast wheels, for a lightweight design that promises superb handling and a new layered outer cowl with a rigid inner cowl that reduces fairing weight and creates a dynamic form.


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

KAWASAKI CONCOURS 14 ABS



The Touring Rig with a Sport Heart

Expertly mixing high performance and long-distance functionality, the Concours™ 14 ABS inspires riders to pull out their big maps and harness the full capabilities of this sport touring motorcycle. Continuing the 26-year tradition of sport touring, the Concours offers just the right ratio of technology, comfort and reliability that coax riders to soak up the miles. 
This sport-oriented tourer can go the distance with the best world-class touring rigs yet still negotiate the twists and turns of America’s backroads in fine, Ninja-inspired tradition. Through canyons, over highways and even through the cities, the Concours is a category-defining motorcycle. 

The Concours 14 boasts several features that enhance comfort, convenience and safety, solidifying its position atop the sport touring heap. Dynamic bodywork increases comfort by routing heat away from the rider and passenger. A tall, electrically adjustable windscreen creates a calm cockpit experience with help from ducts above the instrument panel, which balances pressure areas outside and inside the screen. Handgrip heaters come standard, providing comfort when the temperatures drop to disagreeably cold temperatures. 

The Concours is packed with technological features that enhance the riding experience. The bike’s K-ACT (Kawasaki Advanced Coactive-braking Technology) braking system offers two modes of linked, anti-lock braking and great overall performance. A high-tech traction control system (KTRC: Kawasaki Traction Control) not only reduces wheelspin on slick surfaces, offering riders more confidence-inspiring feedback, but it can be easily switched off at the rider’s discretion. 


The heart of the Concours sport-touring package is an amazing and thoroughly modern 1,352cc DOHC inline-four sourced from the legendary ZX™-14 sportbike. The Concours 14 engine generates excellent low- and mid-range power, all followed by a top-end rush that would turn most open-class sportbikes green with envy. A big part of its tremendously wide power delivery is due to its variable valve timing (VVT) system, which automatically alters camshaft profiles according to rpm to boost low-end and mid-range power without sacrificing top end. Advanced fuel injection, ram-air induction and decades of experience building the world’s most potent motorcycle engines add up to a simply amazing powerplant, one that makes the Concours 14 ABS a force to be reckoned with in the performance sport-touring segment – just as the original Concours was 26 years ago.

The Concours 14’s chassis is very much up to the challenge of controlling this prodigious powerplant. Its unique monocoque frame provides massive stiffness along with excellent handling characteristics and a high degree of rider feedback. Cradling the engine from the top, the frame’s compact structure keeps the bike narrow where it needs to be and allows optimum packaging of the bike’s vital systems. The Tetra-Lever shaft drive, which routes all that power to the rear wheel, uses a four-link design to offset the lifting and squatting tendencies of lesser shaft drive systems when the throttle is opened and closed, all of which results in true sportbike handling. Plus, the Tetra-Lever system is almost completely maintenance free. No mystery, then, why the Concours 14’s powertrain has earned critical acclaim around the world for its silky smooth power delivery.

That amazingly solid foundation is augmented by a carefully sculpted and highly comfortable saddle and all the creature comforts you’d expect from a top-shelf sport-tourer, including a pair of beautifully integrated, capacious and waterproof saddlebags. Concours 14 ABS: A high-speed touring ship with unquestionable supersport DNA. It’s got everything you need to go far – and have tons of fun doing it

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

DUCATI Streetfighter s



The Streetfighters Superbike soul combines fighter attitude and naked sophistication to create pure adrenaline. ‘S treatment of the Streetfighter pushes its tech spec to the red line.
The Ducati Streetfighter is equipped with everything that made the Superbike a legend: Awesome L-Twin muscle with brutal, big-bore torque, thoroughbred chassis technology, beautiful single-sided swingarm, planet-stopping Monobloc brakes and pure, sophisticated class.
While the tank and seat shapes leave no doubt as to the Streetfighter’s roots, it is the upright and commanding riding position that really starts to shape the character of this ultimate naked. New, minimalistic controls, instrumentation and headlight design leave the front looking clean and mean, while twin-stacked right-side mufflers at the rear leave the tail-end high and sharp. No other Ducati has ever achieved such an aggressive stance while providing a comfortable, empowering, controllable and enjoyable ride.
Ducati’s ‘S’ treatment of the Streetfighter pushes its tech spec to the red line. Öhlins suspension front and rear and lightweight Marchesini forged wheels stack up serious credibility, while the front fender and cam belt covers in super-light carbon fibre help reduce the dry weight to an extreme 167kg (368lb). 

But the ‘S’ sophistication doesn’t end there. Awesome street-going Ducati Traction Control and Ducati Data Analysis are standard issue, making it clear that the Streetfighter S is not all muscle – it’s intelligent too.

Producing a ballistic 85lb-ft (11.7kgm) of torque and 155hp (114kW), the Streetfighter’s awesome 1098 power house fears nothing of the naked sports competition. The L-Twin, Testastretta Evoluzione engine gives both the best power-to-weight and the best torque-to-weight ratios in its class.


The handlebars are gripped by beautifully shaped clamps that flow sleekly into the bar-risers. Symmetrically mounted, remote brake and clutch reservoirs are small, low and compact and feed slim, radial master-cylinders by Brembo to complete the clean and uncluttered controls arrangement.
Taking care of the rear of the ‘S’ is a single high-spec Öhlins unit fully adjustable in spring preload with full adjustment and highly engineered control of compression and rebound damping. The unit is also fitted with a ride enhancing top-out spring which helps maintain rear tyre contact under extreme conditions.
The Streetfighter S pushes the spec way up with 43mm Superbike-spec Öhlins forks that have sliders treated in low-friction TiN. Fully adjustable in spring preload and precisely adjustable in compression and rebound damping, they ensure ‘S’ feeling and finesse when the fight gets rough.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

KAWASAKI Z1000



Super Futuristic, Super Fast, Super Fun


A thrill to look at, a thrill to ride. The Z1000 – carving a powerful line as it cuts through the atmosphere and even as it stands still – is one of those rare motorcycles that balance a distinctive aesthetic with an engine that pumps out arm-straightening power. 
Completely redesigned two years ago, the Z1000s aggressive bodywork reveals the design teams attention to detail. The aesthetic showcase begins with a low-mount front cowl that slopes back radically, highlighting the Z’s prow and, behind it, an adjustable instrument cluster featuring a multifunction LCD display covered by a trick-looking orange lens. The line-beam headlights guts are integrated nicely into that angled cowl. Moving rearward, you come to a shapely fuel tank that’s flared on the sides to let you grab it with your knees and that’s trim at the back for a snug fit. The seat is low and narrow at the front to make ground contact easy, and flows beautifully rearward to end in a futuristically retro LED tail light behind a red lens. It’s a thoroughly athletic shape, one sure to garner attention wherever it’s ridden.


The heart of every naked bike is its engine, so Kawasaki engineers paid special attention here for maximum impact: Dual cams. Sixteen valves. 1,043cc. Liquid cooling. High compression. A long stroke – 56mm – for instantaneous thrust. Six speeds. And digital fuel injection. It’s all there. 
 
The result? This inline-four packs impressive horsepower combined with the sort of flexible, mid-range-heavy power delivery that pastes a silly grin on the face of anyone lucky enough to be aboard. From nearly any rpm, rolling the Z1000’s throttle provides the kind of instant gratification most sportbikes just can’t quite muster, all with a silky smooth, highly intoxicating response.
The Z features a wide range of new-think moto technology, including an aluminum frame similar to the ZX™-10R’s that curves over the engine, cradling it from above. The design allows a narrow mid-section, which fosters a high degree of rider comfort and feedback in addition to keeping weight low and chassis rigidity high. The engine bolts solidly to the frame in three places, stressed-member-style, and there’s also a rubber mount at the upper rear crankcase area for added vibration damping and torsional rigidity. The main frame and swingarm pivot elements are cast as a single unit, with welds eliminated wherever possible for a more aesthetically pleasing look. And the subframe is a lightweight aluminum die-casting, which is light, smooth and beautiful.


Suspension at both ends is thoroughly modern and wickedly functional: a beefy, fully adjustable 41mm inverted fork up front and a spring preload and rebound damping adjustable Uni-Trak® shock in back that’s mounted nearly horizontally above the swingarm to shield it from exhaust heat and foster an added degree of mass centralization. Wheel control is simply superb, and the substantial feedback sent to the rider makes it easy to know exactly what’s going on at the bike’s contact patches.


There’s more, of course. Check out the Z’s five-spoke wheels, with spokes machined near the rims for a custom look. We carried forward the quad-pipe theme from the last Z1000 (and the first Z-1), but an under-engine pre-chamber lets engineers use shorter mufflers for great looks and better mass centralization. A solid-mount handlebar and aluminum footpegs lifted from the Ninja® ZX-10R contribute to the Z1000’s quality, top-shelf feel. Brakes? Totally modern: Radially mounted calipers, Ninja-spec 300mm petal-type rotors and a radial-pump master cylinder all provide the latest in braking feel and feedback.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

NINJA ZX 10R



Bristling with Technology, Built for Speed


When passion and technology merge, great literbikes are born — including the 2012 Ninja® ZX™-10R. Overhauled just last year, the ZX-10R bristles with the newest technology, including Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control, elevating it above all others in its class. Kawasaki engineers created an engine that produces an astounding amount of horsepower, yet maintains the realibility Kawasaki is known for. All of this technology only enhances the already incredible speed and intense feeling a rider gets while aboard a ZX-10R.


The highly advanced and customizable Sport-Kawsaki Traction Control lets riders harness and capitalize on the ZX-10R’s amazing blend of power and responsive handling. The system is called Sport-Kawasaki Traction Control, or S-KTRC. Exclusive to the ZX-10R, it offers a level of performance that raises the ZX above the rest of the open sport bike class.


Motorcyclists have long been challenged by traction-related issues, whether on dirt, street or track. Riders who can keep a rear tire from spinning excessively or sliding unpredictably are both faster and safer, a tough combination to beat on the racetrack. And when talking about the absolute leading edge of open-class sport bike technology, where production street bikes are actually more capable than full-on race bikes from just a couple years ago, more consistent traction and enhanced confidence is a major plus.

The MotoGP-derived S-KTRC system works by crunching numbers from a variety of parameters and sensors – wheel speed and slip, engine rpm, throttle position, acceleration, etc. There’s more data gathering and analysis going on here than on any other Kawasaki in history, and it’s all in the name of helping racers inch closer to the elusive “edge” of maximum traction than ever before. The S-KTRC system relies on complex software buried in the ZX-10R’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU); the only additional hardware is the lightweight speed sensors located on each wheel. 


Unlike the KTRC system on Kawasaki’s Concours™ 14 ABS sport tourer, which primarily minimizes wheel slip on slick or broken surfaces as a safety feature, the S-KTRC system is designed to maximize performance by using complex analysis to predict when traction conditions are about to become unfavorable. By quickly but subtly reducing power just before the amount of slippage exceeds the optimal traction zone, the system – which processes every data point 200 times per second – maintains the optimum level of tire grip to maximize forward motion. The result is significantly better lap times and enhanced rider confidence – exactly what one needs when piloting a machine of this caliber.






The S-KTRC system offers three different modes of operation, which riders can select according to surface conditions, rider preference and skill level: Level 1 for max-grip track use, Level 2 for intermediate use, and Level 3 for slippery conditions. An LCD graph on the instrument cluster displays how much electronic intervention is occurring in real time and a thumb switch on the left handlebar pod allows simple, on-the-go mode changes.


The system also incorporates an advanced Power Mode system that allows riders to choose the amount of power – and the character of delivery – available from the engine. Besides the standard Full-power mode are Medium and Low settings. In Medium mode, performance varies according to throttle position and engine rpm; at anything less than 50 percent throttle opening, performance is essentially the same as in Low mode; at more than 50 percent, riders can access additional engine performance. All three S-KTRC settings are available in each of the three Power Mode settings.


The potent ZX-10R engine is a 16-valve, DOHC, liquid-cooled inline-four displacing 998cc via 76 x 55mm bore and stroke dimensions. This powerplant is tuned to optimize power delivery, center of gravity and actual engine placement within the chassis. Torque peaks at an rpm range that helps eliminate power peaks and valleys that make it difficult for racers and track-day riders to open the throttle with confidence. A primary goal of Kawasaki engineers was linear power delivery and engine manageability throughout all elements of a corner: the entry, getting back to neutral throttle at mid-corner, and heady, controllable acceleration at the exit. 


Large intake valves complemented by wide, polished intake ports allow for controllable power delivery and engine braking, just the thing to smooth those racetrack corner entries and exits. Camshafts built from chromoly steel further contribute to optimized engine braking and more controllable power delivery. Lightweight pistons mount to light and strong connecting rods. Compression is a full 13.0:1.


A secondary engine balancer assembly allows a number of vibration-damping parts to be simplified, contributing to weight savings. Also contributing to weight savings are a light battery, ECU and fuel pump. 


A race-style cassette transmission allows simple trackside ratio changes. An adjustable back-torque limiting clutch assembly is fitted, which allows worry-free downshifts and corner-entry calmness.


Cramming all that fuel and air into this amazing engine is a ram air-assisted fuel injection system featuring large throttle bodies (47mm) and sub-throttle valves, a large capacity airbox (9 liters), secondary injectors that improve top-end power characteristics, and a large ram-air intake that’s positioned close to the front of the bike for efficient airbox filling and power.
The final piece of the ZX-10R’s power-production formula is a race-spec exhaust system featuring a titanium header assembly, hydroformed collectors, a large-volume pre-chamber containing two catalyzers and a highly compact silencer. Due to the header’s race-spec design, riders and racers looking for more closed-course performance need only replace the slip-on muffler assembly.


With the engine producing a massive quantity of usable and controllable power, engineers looked to the chassis to help refine handling and overall road/track competency. The aluminum twin-spar frame is an all-cast assembly of just seven pieces that features optimized flex characteristics for ideal rider feedback, cornering performance and light weight. Like the frame, the alloy swingarm is an all-cast assembly, with rigidity matching that of the frame itself.


Chassis geometry offers excellent stability and handling quickness. The front end geometry – with rake at 25 degrees and trail at 107mm (4.21 in.) – allows light, quick handling and complements the engine’s controllable power and the frame and swingarm’s flex characteristics.


Highly advanced suspension at both ends helps as well. Up front is a 43mm open-class version of the Big Piston Fork (BPF). Featuring a piston design nearly twice the size of a conventional cartridge fork, the BPF offers smooth action, less stiction, light weight and enhanced damping performance on the compression and rebound circuits. This compliance results in more control and feedback for the rider – just what you need when carving through a rippled sweeper at your local track or negotiating a decreasing-radius corner on your favorite backroad.


Suspension duties on the ZX-10R are handled by a Horizontal Back-Link design that positions the shock and linkage above the swingarm. Benefits include mass centralization, good road holding, compliance and stability, smooth action in the mid-stroke and good overall feedback. The fully adjustable shock features a piggyback reservoir and dual-range (low- and high-speed) compression damping. 


Lightweight gravity-cast three-spoke wheels complement the tire fitment. Up front, Tokico radial-mount calipers grasp 310mm petal discs and a 220mm disc is squeezed by a lightweight single-piston caliper in back. The result is powerful, responsive braking for plenty of rider feedback. 

Finally, Kawasaki engineers wrapped all this technology in bodywork as advanced and stylish as anything on this side of a MotoGP grid. The curvy edges and contrasting colored and black parts create a sharp, aggressive image. Line-beam headlights grace the fairing while LED turn signals are integrated into the mirror assemblies. Convenient turn-signal couplers allow easy mirror removal for track-day use. The rear fender assembly holding the rear signal stalks and license plate frame is also easily removable for track days. High-visibility LED lamps are also used for the taillight and position marker. 


The instrumentation is highlighted by an LED-backlit bar-graph tachometer set above a multi-featured LCD info screen with numerous sections and data panels. A wide range of information is presented, including vehicle speed, odometer, dual trip meters, fuel consumption, Power Mode and S-KTRC level, low fuel, water temperature and much more. For track use, the LCD display can be set to “race” mode which moves the gear display to the center of the screen.


The ZX-10R’s ergonomics are designed for optimum comfort and control. A 32-inch saddle, adjustable footpegs and clip-ons mean that this is a hard-core sport bike you can actually take on an extended sport ride – and still be reasonably comfortable doing so. 


The old saying, “power is nothing without control,” is certainly apt where open-class sport bikes are concerned. But when you factor in all the engine, chassis and ergonomic control designed into the 2012 Ninja ZX-10R, you begin to realize you’re looking at one very special motorcycle – one that can take you places you’ve never been before.

Friday, May 23, 2014

HONDA CB1000R



Think of a fighter, standing in the ring. Boots, trunks, gloves—and plenty of muscle. That’s the Honda CB1000R, a machine that offers Superbike performance, a comfortable, do-it-all riding position, and sense of style that’s off the charts. 
The formula is simple: We built a special chassis that puts the 998cc engine out front and center, and lets you sit more upright. The result is one of the most versatile open-class bikes the world has ever seen, as comfortable on a long trip as it is confident on the boulevard. When you need one bike that can do it all, and do it exceedingly well, the CB1000R is the machine you want in your corner.

Soul of a Superbike

The CB1000R is built around a superbike-strong 998cc DOHC inline-four engine that’s perfect for street riding, with plenty of torque and power on tap. Since it’s a four cylinder, it’s plenty smooth for longer rides too.

Ripped, and Ready to Show It

When you’re as muscular as the CB1000R you want to show the world. It’d be a shame to cover up that awesome engine, so we’ve put it out front and center so you and everyone else can enjoy it. Then our designers gave the CB1000R just enough styling touches (side radiator shrouds, fork-mounted cowl fairing, cast aluminum four-spoke wheels) to really set it apart. Get used to everyone else checking it out.

Rugged Chassis

The CB1000R offers exceptional handling, thanks to a Gravity Die Cast mono-backbone aluminum chassis that’s light and strong. A fully adjustable inverted fork and adjustable Pro-Link® rear suspension with a single-sided swing arm further refine the handling package.






Thursday, May 22, 2014

2012 Benelli TNT 899

Quality, innovation, variety. Benelli
restart after its centennial in 2011 to take on the market with even
greater determination. The objectives are clear: a high quality
product, a new range, more polished, production in Italy, but with
marketing operations worldwide. In all, 2012 is certainly an
exceptional year with the consolidation of the existing organization of
production, with a view to the gradual introduction of new models that
offer the icing on the cake of Benelli and years manufacturer five
since the brand began again after the acquisition to be completed QJ.  2012 Benelli TNT 899


2012 Benelli TNT 899 
 2012 Benelli TNT 899


Quality is first priority: the
enormous task of testing, development and commissioning of the entire
series of 2012 has enabled us to maintain the highest standards in the
market for reliability and copper Benelli, fuel consumption optimal
care and building bikes warranty. And that includes, of course, the joy
of riding a Benelli, that distinctive, essential characteristic of all
motors coming from the conveyor at the plant in Pesaro.


2012 Benelli TNT 899
2012 Benelli TNT 899


Pesaro, Italy: this is where Benelli
center is in an efficient, modern boasting that have the highest
standards of quality remains the main production site. The "Made in
Italy" label is still an indispensable element for Benelli, who is
looking forward to the opportunities the global market, aware of its
role as market leader with a legendary history and confident in its
range of up to grab -end products that stand out for its quality look,
design and sports.  Benelli TNT 899


The range of Benelli motorcycles for 2012 has been updated, improved and enriched with new models.


2012 Benelli TNT 899
2012 Benelli TNT 899


The TNT 899
range, quality and reliability is enhanced by a careful process of
optimization models that set the standard in their respective categories
to see. Minor cosmetic changes and new colors, the range even more
attractive, even for the most elegant riders who enjoy the features of
the chassis and the uniqueness of the three-cylinder Benelli TNT 899.