Category: Motorcycles

1. MICHELIN RIDER, DALEY MATHISON, WINS MOTO E CHAMPIONSHIP

   Posted on 9:00am Tuesday 20th Oct 2015

   Michelin-sponsored racer, Daley Mathison, has been crowned champion of the 2015 MotoE series with his electric motorcycle, UoN-01, built by an expert team from the University of Nottingham. Having competed at rounds across Europe, Mathison, famous for his road-racing success, took the final win of the championship at the Portimão circuit.
   
   The MotoE series is a five-round European Championship Cup for electric motorcycle racers with teams from across the globe competing against each other. Constructors come from a variety of different backgrounds, from technical colleges to commercial engineering specialists, and traditional motorsports professionals to privateer inventors.
   
   The bike that Mathison rode to victory was designed and built by a small, highly-talented team within the University of Nottingham’s Power Electronics, Machine and Control Research Group, part of the university’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Daley Mathison was appointed as the team's rider, based on the recommendation of senior officials from the Isle of Man TT.
   
   With a maximum speed of over 180mph and power in excess of 265hp (200kw), the UoN-01, is certainly not your average motorcycle, although it does share some standard superbike parts such as Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes that sit alongside a purpose-built frame and swing arm.
   
   Riding on Michelin tyres, Daley admits that the demands of racing an electric motorcycle are different to a petrol bike: “The electric bike performed fantastically for me throughout this championship. A lot of it is down to the fact there is not as much to do whilst you are on the bike. With a petrol machine you’re constantly thinking about gears and engine braking, while on the electric bike you’ve just got to brake and accelerate, which allows you to really concentrate on hitting the apex and getting the drive out of the corner.”
   
   Daley’s team had a range of Michelin’s high-quality performance tyres to choose from such as the new Power Slick Evo, Power Cup Evo and Power Rain. The Power Slick Evo is designed to provide optimum power on the track, and when racing in the heat of Portugal’s Portimão Circuit, having rubber you can rely on makes a big difference.
   
   For more information about Michelin’s range of motorcycle tyres visit moto.michelin.co.uk or to follow Daley’s racing success check out www.daleymathisonracing.co.uk

2. Museum To Restore Foggys First Bike!‏

   Posted on 10:00am Tuesday 16th Jun 2015

   The National Motorcycle Museum is proud to announce that four times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty MBE has chosen the Museum’s workshop to restore his very first motorcycle!

   This little Honda C50 based special was the product of Honda dealer Ken Martin who made the bike for his son Chris around 1972. Indeed, the specially manufactured tank badge’s still read “motochris” in recognition of the little bikes first owner.

   Purchased from Ken Martin in 1975 by Carl’s dad George the bike was given to Foggy for his 10th Birthday.

   Recently re-united with the bike after nearly 40 years, Foggy was looking to get the machine restored and phoned Museum Director James Hewing.

   Speaking of the call James recalled: “I have worked with Carl in the past & was really pleased that he thought of the Museum’s restoration team to restore the bike for him. We have restored everything from the earliest and rarest veterans through to superbikes of the 1970s but never anything like this!”

   Foggy commented: “It’s in a rough state but I know the lad’s at the Museum will restore it back to just how it was when my dad gave it to me back in 1975”
   
   www.thenmm.co.uk
   

3. Grand Adventures with KTM

   Posted on 9:00am Wednesday 13th May 2015

   £1,000 TRADE-UP BONUS ON A NEW KTM 1050 ADVENTURE
   KTM UK has launched its ‘Trade-Up’ promotion to give riders of all machines an extra £1000* discount towards the exciting new 1050 ADVENTURE when trading in their existing bike.

   The promotion runs from 1st May to 31st July at all KTM Street dealers in the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The dealer assesses the present value of the trade-in bike to set this amount against the purchase price of a new KTM 1050 ADVENTURE and then pays an additional £1000 Trade-Up bonus on top of that.

   To make the purchase of a new 1050 ADVENTURE even more manageable, KTM Finance has a range of finance packages available through its UK dealer network that include retail finance and personal contract purchase agreements.

   The 1050 ADVENTURE - £10,999 on the road – is fast proving the perfect choice for those who demand a travel enduro that delivers pure riding enjoyment in comfort over long distances but with a chassis that can exploit twisty routes or simply out-manoeuvre traffic, without the need for neither excessive power nor equipment.

   At its heart is the LC8 V-twin engine that is derived from the 1190 Adventure, but the reduction in outright capacity comes without a decrease in fun – matching its bigger brother for power and torque all the way up to its more than sufficient 95 hp. Top level braking and suspension components from Brembo and WP are matched to a sophisticated ABS and traction control system from Bosch. For riders on an A2 licence, the 1050 can also be restricted to meet these requirements.

   As with all KTMs, a dedicated array of official PowerParts allows riders to customise the 1050 ADVENTURE with products that are developed side-by-side with the bike. The catalogue of these optional products includes a varied choice of luggage systems, options to personalise the ergonomics further, mounting brackets for adding GPS systems, right through to adding alarms, auxiliary lighting, enhancing the style or even a stunning lightweight Akrapovič exhaust.

   For further information on the KTM 1050 ADVENTURE, visit www.ktmadventure.com

4. SAROLEA ANNOUNCES NEW SP7 ELECTRIC SUPERBIKE

   Posted on 9:22am Friday 10th Apr 2015

   Belgium outfit Sarolea has launched its new 2015 Saroléa Electric Superbike at Autoworld, the vintage car museum in the centre of Brussels.

   The new Saroléa is an evolution of the 2014 model and has been modified and enhanced on a number of levels. The Belgian team is now targeting a podium place at this year's SES TT Zero Race on the Isle of Man. The talented Scottish rider Robert Wilson, who flew over for the presentation, will once again ride the Saroléa SP7.

   Team Saroléa are using the data obtained during last year's race and testing to optimize and improve its motorcycle. The new design has improved aerodynamics, which will provide higher top speeds. The motorcycle is considerably slimmer which also enhances the position for the rider.

   Modifications to shift the centre of gravity will also increase the bikes handling. Saroléa has also managed to reduce the bike's weight. The modifications are mainly related to the use of more Carbon Fibre and more Titanium parts as well as the use of 3D printed parts.

   A proprietary Vehicle Control Unit and Battery Management System have been implemented. All communication is now flowing through fibre optics.

   The biggest improvement however is the new motor. It has been entirely developed in house and it has a major increase in torque. Early tests by Saroléa are demonstrating a 50% increase.

   With the launch of the new SP7, it is clear Saroléa wants to become one of the major brands on the electric motorcycle racing scene. Saroléa is using the extreme racing conditions presented by the TT Mountain Course as a research and development platform for its propriety Saroléa Electric Drivetrain.

   

    

   Bike specifications

   
   SAROLEA SP7 ELECTRIC SUPERBIKE

   Total Weight (kg) - 190
   Acceleration 0-100 kph (0-60 mph) - 2.8 sec
   Maximum Speed (kph [mph]) - 270 [168]

   
   TYRES:
   Front - Bridgestone Racing Battlax V02 120/600R17
   Rear - Bridgestone Racing Battlax V02 200/655R17

   
   BRAKES:
   Front - Beringer 320mm Aeronal discs with Aerotec Radial Calipers
   Rear - Beringer Aerotec 2D1 caliper

   
   Maximum Output (KW [hp]) - 110 [150]
   (Isle of Man configuration)
   Maximum Torque (Nm) - 900
   Battery Output Voltage (V) - 370 or more

   
   PARTNERS

   Bridgestone Europe
   Beta Tools
   DQ Advocates
   Punch
   Motokouture
   Seco Tools
   Beringer
   Autoworld Brussels
   Benton Apps
   Atelier Noterman
   Stoddart Racing

5. Are electric bikes ready to hit the roads?

   Posted on 2:38pm Thursday 26th Mar 2015

   Whether you’re determined to get your moped licence or love nothing more than whizzing down the road on a strong, powerful and exhilarating £2,750 Kawasaki ER6, you’re not alone. The motorcycle industry is hugely popular across the globe with both men and women alike slipping into their leathers and riding off into the sunset – and those with a need for a speed are always looking for new and exciting models to take for a spin.

   The good news is, the world of motorcycles is ever evolving with vehicle manufacturers constantly looking to develop new and exciting products. As the world becomes more environmentally aware, they’re not only trying to clean up their act by introducing energy-efficient alternatives they’re also trying to attract biking fanatics with exquisite designs and detailing.

   Electric bikes, for instance, have been in the pipeline for numerous years with designers attempting to come up with two-wheel sensations that are powerful fun and thrilling to ride while not emitting a range of harsh or non-sustainable chemicals into the atmosphere. And they’ve really made headway. There are already a wide range of ready-to-ride electric motorcycles out there including the LS-218 which is the fastest production motorcycle in the world - gas or electric.

   That said, many top models from well-known brands are not yet out on the roads, but are instead being tweaked to perfection meaning that when they are up for sale in their masses they won’t disappoint. Take Harley-Davidson’s Project LiveWire, for instance. It looks great and is virtually silent to ride but if President and COO Matt Levatich’s comments at the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council's 2014 confab are anything to go by it seems the bike will not be ready for the roads until next-generation battery technologies are ready.

   According to reports, the bike currently would only travel half the distance buyers want and cost $50,000, about 50 per cent more than customers would want to pay. This, of course, makes the bike less attractive to motorcycle fanatics which is why Harley-Davidson are prepared to wait for new technology and produce something that’s nothing but spectacular.

   As the electric motorbike trend grows, other well-known companies such as Bultaco are rebranding themselves as electric motorbike manufacturers to ensure they have a more modern and up-to-date appeal. It’s been almost 13 years since a bike came out with the famous Bultaco logo on it, but that’s all about to change as two prototypes have already been revealed which point the way forward for the Spanish company – the Rapitan and Rapitan Sport. Both feature 53 horsepower, 92 lb.ft electric motors, Hossack-style front end suspension and enough battery storage to get over 200 km (125 miles) in town.

   So, as you can see electric motorbikes are already on the roads. They’re making their mark within the motorcycle industry but with some manufacturers prepared to hold out for bigger and better things it looks like this is just the beginning of this exciting new craze.