Category: Motorcycles

1. Top 10 Most Expensive Motorbikes

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 29th Dec 2022

   Motorbikes are more than a hobby - they can be a lifetime project, a labour of love. Some motorbikes are perfect for just getting from point 'A' to point 'B' fast, others are all about style. Today we’re going to take a look at some of the most expensive motorbikes on the planet.

   Whilst some people get their kicks from taking the tightest turns imaginable in a Kawasaki, other people enjoy online casinos. If you’re one of these people, you can check out the best slot machine games for android for all of your mobile casino gaming fun.

   Onto the list:

   10. £184,000 - Ducati Testa Stretta NCR Macchia Nera   

   The Ducati Testa Stretta NCR Macchia Nera is a fierce-looking beast and definitely a bike that will turn a few heads. The top range model comes with a cool 180 grand price tag, a pretty penny indeed, and is designed by the one and only Aldo Drudi.

   Lightweight (the beast is surprisingly only 135kg), nippy and limited edition, this Testa Stretta isn't the fastest bike in the world but when it comes to looks, it’s absolutely sublime. One for the collectors.

   9. £192,000 - Ducati Desmosedici D16RR NCR M16

   A titanium monster, the Ducati Desmosedici D16RR NCR M16 is purely designed around speed, with every inch being meticulously designed to help the model achieve some serious horsepower.

   Whilst the standard model will set you back around £60,000, the upgrades are what bump the price up here. You can get this machine up to 200 hp with a Ducati 989 cc v$ desmodromic engine - totally road legal and weighing in at about 144kg.

   8. £245,000 - Ecosse Founder’s Edition Ti XX

   If you have some money to splurge and want a classy-looking steel horse, then the Ecosse Founder’s Edition Ti XX could be the one for you.

   A titanium and carbon fibre chassis helps keep the weight down and the rear exhausts are also made from titanium. The engine transmits a mighty 228PS of raw power to the rear wheel making for some quick getaways. To top it all off, you've got an absolutely magnificent seat which is made from hand-crafted leather.

   7. £327,000 - Legendary British Vintage Black

   For a more classic style of bike, you should take a look at the Legendary British Vintage Black. Released all the way back in 1948, the modern version combines the vintage aesthetic with modern-day upgrades.

   The run of bikes was limited to only 33 models, making it highly collectable and the reason why the bike is priced so high. The 250cc of performance under the hood made it the fastest legal road bike in the world at one point in history. You can find this bike in many classic films, a truly iconic motorbike.

   6. £450,000 - Dodge Tomahawk V10 Superbike

   Looking like something that wouldn’t be amiss in a Mad max film, the Dodge Tomahawk V10 Superbike is a real show-stopper when it comes to its design.

   The futuristic-looking bike is one of the most expensive on the planet, although it’s just a concept bike and not actually road legal (yet!). Weighing a whopping 680 kg and reaching 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds, in theory, the bike could reach top speeds of 400 mph - certainly not one you would take out touring.

   5. £1.2 million - Harley-Davidson Cosmic Starship

   Yep - we’ve broken the £1 million mark! Starting off our top 5, the Harley-Davidson Cosmic Starship is a one-of-a-kind bike. It was painted by renowned artist Jack Armstrong, whose other works have sold for as much as £3 million.

   Whilst the performance of the bike isn’t anything to shout about, its aesthetic appeal is undeniable.

   4. £2.4 million - The Yamaha BMS Chopper  

   Yamaha has done more than create a bike with the BMS chopper - they’ve created a piece of art.

   Not designed for the road - you can tell immediately from looking at the bike - this is purely a collector's piece that’s meant to be enjoyed and appreciated as a piece of art. It almost looks like a vehicle out of a Marvel film

   Yes, there’s a scary 1,700cc engine on this, but the fact that it's coated in 24-carat gold and the upholstered seat is pure red velvet, you won’t want to take it on the road!

   3. £2.95 million - Ecosse ES1 Spirit

   Another limited edition titanium motorcycle, some bike lovers have described its appearance as a little bit goofy. But what it lacks in appearance it more than makes up for in performance.

   This mean machine is capable of almost 230 mph! This is why before you can even think about buying the Spirit, you have to take a special two-week class at Ecosse headquarters to see if you're worthy enough of riding.

   2. £5.7 million - 1949 E90 AJS Porcupine

   Whilst it doesn't look like anything special, you have to have some serious cash to get your hands on one of these porcupines.

   With 4 only ever being produced, one of them was used by Les Graham to win the 1949 World Championship, which only adds to the price tag.

   1.£9 million - Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Fighter

   Coming in as the world's most expensive bike is the limited edition fighter by Neiman Marcus. Limited to only one model, Neiman Marcus is a chain of high-end, extremely luxurious retail stores in America that decided to throw their hat into the motorbike game.

   When the bike was unveiled at auction, the start price was only £90,000 - but the bike eventually worked its way up to a staggering £9 million!

    

    

    

    

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2. Zapp i300 Carbon wins ‘Excellent Product Design’ Award at the 2023 German Design Awards

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 17th Dec 2022

   The Zapp i300 performance electric city bike has been awarded the Excellent Product Design award in the motorcycle category in the 2023 German Design Awards, with the independent jury of design experts commending the i300’s ‘outstanding design quality’.

3. Pricing for all-new V-Strom 800DE announced

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 16th Dec 2022

   Pricing for the most off-road ready V-Strom yet, the all-new V-Strom 800DE, has been announced at £10,499. 

   Powered by Suzuki’s new 776cc, long-stroke, DOHC, parallel twin with a 270° crank, the V-Strom 800DE is born to explore and is equipped with a host of electronic rider aids and chassis features designed to help it tackle the rough stuff, as well as ensure it remains capable and usable on the road, too. 

   Suzuki’s new powerplant delivers 84.3PS peak power at 8500rpm and 78Nm of peak torque at 6800rpm in the new V-Strom, though riders can choose their preferred power delivery thanks to three selectable engine maps, controlled by a rocker switch on the left handlebar and displayed on a 5-inch colour TFT screen.

   Also displayed on the dash in the selected traction control mode, with three on-road modes available to choose from and a G mode, for use off-road, that allows more wheelspin, which is suppressed only enough to help prevent excessive slip, so power continues to be delivered to the rear wheel with minimum interruption. It can also be disengaged completely. 

   There are also two ABS settings, providing greater or lesser intervention, plus there is the ability to disengage the rear ABS for improved confidence and control off-road, and a bi-directional quickshifter for seamless gear changes.

   A new steel frame with bolt-on subframe and aluminium swingarm is suspended by fully-adjustable Showa components providing 220mm of travel and ground clearance. That ground clearance also comes courtesy of 21 and 17-inch wire-spoked wheels, front and back, running tubed Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tyres. Wide aluminium ‘bars and tough steel footpegs are designed to provide greater control when stood up off-road. 

   All this is wrapped in unmistakable a new, sharper, taughter incarnation of V-Strom stylinge, complete with a DR-Z-esque beak, and comes in the classic yellow that pays homage to Suzuki’s off-road racing heritage. The V-Strom 800DE is also available in a striking matt grey, with yellow accents, and subtle black, with blue.

   It will be in dealerships in the spring.

4. Suzuki GSX-8S pricing announced

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 13th Dec 2022

   Suzuki has announced pricing for its all-new GSX-8S, with the parallel twin-powered naked coming with an RRP of £7,999 when it arrives in the spring. 

   The new-from-the-ground-up GSX-8S has a long-stroke 776cc parallel twin engine at its heart, with a 270° crank, designed to deliver punchy torque and a flexible character, while four valves per cylinder and a double overhead cam enable a free-revving nature. 

   With the GSX-8S born to thrill, that engine is wrapped in an all-new frame, with a separate tubular steel subframe, aluminium swingarm, 43mm upside down front forks and rear shock from KYB, lightweight aluminium wheels, shod with 120 front and 180 rear Dunlops – and wide, tapered, aluminium ‘bars providing a blend of stable roadholding and agility and flickability. Radially-mounted calipers and 310mm discs provide the stopping power. 

   Enhancing the riding experience further is a full-colour TFT screen, which displays settings linked to the new machines bi-directional quickshifter, its three-mode traction control system – which can be switched off – and three selective power modes. 

   Styling is unmistakably GSX-S, and is angular and futuristic, while bright, light blue wheels and subframe on the pearl cosmic blue and pearl tech white versions are striking accents. There’s also a matt and sparkle black option. Upfront, stacked hexagonal LED headlights and LED running lights all contribute to a slim, compact, and aggressive stance, while bold graphics make for a contemporary look. 

   The GSX-8S will be in authorised Suzuki dealerships in the spring. 

5. Bike-Farm Melle wins European Biker Build-Off 2022 with Indian Chief based Chopper

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 9th Dec 2022

   Indian Motorcycle Dealer Bike-Farm Melle wins top spot with a nearly 3:1 voting ratio
   Last weekend, during the Custombike Show in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, the finals of the European Biker Build-Off saw Indian Motorcycle Dealer Bike-Farm Melle gain nearly three times the votes with their Indian Chief based Longfork Chopper “Purple Haze“ over Harley-Davidson Bielefeld to take the title.

   First held in 2007 and the highlight of the famous Custombike show, the European Biker Build-Off sees two teams competing to complete their custom bike in just three days, live, under the eyes of the trade show visitors. This year’s title fight was even more exciting as both finalists come from the region, just 30km from each other: Bike-Farm, the Indian Motorcycle dealer from Melle and Reibchen + Stegemann the Harley Davidson dealer from Bielefeld.

   From Friday to Sunday at noon, the creation of two extraordinary custom bikes could be followed on the show stage and by 1 pm on the Sunday, the time had come: Judgement Day. With 529 to 179 votes, nearly a 3:1 ratio, the audience chose Bike-Farm’s ‘Purple Haze’ Indian Chief chopper as the clear winner.

   “A classic long fork chopper based on the 2022 Indian Chief! It’s absolutely stunning what the Bike-Farm crew has created here. This bike radically brings to flower the seeds that are at the core of the current Chief lineup: The spirit of the past combined with the technology of today.” said Ola Stenegärd, Director of Industrial Design at Indian Motorcycle. “We always had the builders in mind during development and we worked really hard to make the reimagined Indian Chief a delight to work on. So, it’s such a pleasure to see this great canvas to create motorcycle art.”

   Not only has ‘Purple Haze’ been completely designed around the current air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 engine, it also still features all the electronic amenities of the original Chief Dark Horse from which it evolved: from ABS to GPS navigation, via the touchscreen of the original gauge now centered in the revised Chieftain tank.

   Other core companets have also been adopted and adapted from the original bike such as the footrests and brake systems. The frame, with a full 48° rake, was manufactured by the Dutch experts VG Motorcycle Specials, and all other components are custom-made by the Bike-Farm crew: Sheet metal parts such as the tank cover with integrated gauge and GPS transmitter to the fender were created in-house just like the sissy bar, seat, wheels, handlebars, final drive, intake and exhaust system. Even the seal-less, oil-free fork with its Teflon-lubricated sliding tubes incorporating Progressive Suspension Cartridges. Finally, Lange Metallveredelung took care of the chrome surfaces, while Vossi Lackcenter Melle traditionally handled the finishing of the paint.

   “The entire bike was created within just eight weeks,” as workshop manager Tristan Frische recounts. “With four men, we wrenched, shaped and turned day and night. All the more we are delighted with this title. Not only have all the electronic features been retained, but also the fully road legal, including remaining Euro 5. So, this dream bike will soon be seen quite regularly on public roads.”

   In case anyone feels inspired to build their own Longfork Chief Chopper: the VG frame is available for order at Indian Motorcycle Melle, the Indian Chief, of course, at any official Indian Motorcycle dealer.