motorcycle

Cycles, cars, tech come together at Mazda Raceway

SALINAS, Calif.--Though the Red Bull Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is considered a pilgrimage destination for motorcycle and racing fans, anyone with an interest in technology and engineering will find a wonderland of expensive toys here.

The Red Bull Grand Prix packs several days of test runs, time trials, and elite motorcycle racing into the big weekend. Thousands of bike and racing enthusiasts flock to the Mazda Raceway, as they do to Daytona Beach for Bike Week or the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota. In between races, fans can see the superbikes up close, explore the latest motorcycle and car models, and shop the latest developments in gear and helmets. … Read more

Orphiro: The Tesla Roadster of electric motorcycles

Electric motorcycles have been around for a while, but most of them look like glorified dirt bikes where styling takes a backseat to function.

The upcoming Orphiro electric motorcycle is pretty, oh so pretty. Rounded lines, spoke wheels, sliver paint, and bronze accents harken back to the days when motorcycles were gorgeous creatures, long before the Honda Gold Wing came around.

What's missing is the big chrome gas engine. The Dutch-designed, fully electric Orphiro has a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 75 miles per hour. This is definitely meant for laid-back cruising on scenic roads (near an electrical outlet).

Related links • CES: Electric Uno scooter doubles as a unicycle • Jackie Chan pens deal with electric motorcycle maker

The bike is expected to launch this fall, but the official price tag hasn't been announced. Don't expect to find one at your local Harley dealer. Production will be very limited.

Just as the Tesla Roadster brought glamor to electric cars, the Orphiro is bringing class and slick styling to electric motorcycles. That makes this creation a shoe-in for celebrity buyers from Hollywood. You get both a rebel image and an environmentally conscious glow at the same time.… Read more

Harley-Davidson Museum opens its bizarre archives

MILWAUKEE--Even Harley-Davidson has its secrets. Inside the recesses of the company's archives and housed near the Harley-Davidson Museum complex here, a sort of motorcycle "X-Files" hides away. The collection includes a varied array of strange and iconic items connected to both the company and overall biker culture.

Some of those odd items have been assembled into Collection X, an exhibit on display through August 22. During a recent trip to both the Powertrain Operations factory and the Harley-Davidson Museum, CNET got to spy on Collection X, which offers insights into extreme machines that scored incredible achievements and bizarre creations forged out of a love for motorcycles.

Displays include the 1985 FXRP "Transamazon" motorcycle that Charles Peet raced 9,000 miles in 26 days across the width of South America, and the 1970 Land Speed Streamliner that Cal Rayborn piloted to the then land-speed record of more than 265 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. … Read more

Getting a peek at Harley-Davidson's engine factory

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wisc.--To Harley-Davidson riders, the Powertrain Operations facility here just north of Milwaukee is hallowed ground. It's where the hearts of their favorite bikes start beating.

Engines for most of the Harley-Davidson line come alive here before they head to bike assembly plants in Pennsylvania and Missouri. To help promote Harley-Davidson's emerging Dark Custom line, CNET was invited to stroll through the plant as part of its Steel Toe Tour this past weekend to see how the company's V-Twin engines come together.

Harley-Davidson began offering the Powertrain Operations tour in 2010, escorting a small number of motorcycle lovers through the factory floor to see the various stages of V-Twin engine construction. The tour builds chronologically from the construction, refinement, and inspection of engine components, including cam heads and pistons, to the fly wheel assemblies and overall engine build. About 100 employees work in two shifts at Powertrain Operations alongside Swedish-made industrial robots that perform assembly and inspection. … Read more

Harley-Davidson Museum rolls into the future

MILWAUKEE--There's no better time to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum here than the July 4th weekend. The often brutal Great Lakes weather smiles on you with blue skies reflecting on the nearby riverfront. The huge Summerfest music festival roars not too far away. And the rebellious, proud image of America's oldest active motorcycle manufacturer fits the patriotic mood.

But museums generally look back at history, the minds behind Harley-Davidson looked to use the 3-year-old attraction to promote the company's push to modernize its image.

Built on waterfront property that was once a Morton Salt factory, the $70 million-plus complex documents the engineering history of Harley-Davidson and the development of the uniquely American motorcycle culture that developed throughout the 20th century. Founded in 1903, Harley-Davidson was the only surviving American motorcycle company until a British firm begin making a small number of Indian motorcycles in the U.S. around 2006. … Read more

Will flying motorcycle soon be a reality?

Riding a motorcycle can be a pretty dangerous mode of transport, but obviously, not everyone agrees or the Hoverbike wouldn't have been built.

Designed by Australian engineer Chris Malloy, this hybrid vehicle combines a dual-propeller helicopter and a racing motorcycle and looks incredibly cool. It's retro-styled and has some fancy propellers made of Tasmanian Oak. It also has a 1,170cc 4-stroke engine and a carbon-fiber driveshaft, the latter being a lighter alternative to steel or aluminum. To lift off, the driver increases the thrust with the right hand via a throttle grip that's exactly the same as the throttle on a motorbike and can reach an airspeed of 150 knots (173 mph), according to Malloy.

While the idea of a flying motorcycle may pique the interest of daredevils, there aren't any videos (or pictures) of the Hoverbike in flight yet save for a few images of the contraption hovering while tethered to the ground. Also, its flight specifications--which are untested so far--do cause concern. For example, the "bike" is designed to reach a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet, which is incredibly high for such a small aircraft. Malloy calls the Hoverbike "very safe," and fortunately, it comes with two explosive parachutes that deploy in case of an emergency. … Read more

Brammo revs up with six-speed EV motorcycles

Brammo will offer its electric motorcycles with a six-speed transmission beginning in 2012, the company announced today.

The bikes will be unveiled this Friday in Las Vegas shortly before competing in the MiniMotoSX race.

Motorcycle manufacturer Brammo could make a big impact on the motorcycle world with this change.

While electric motorcycles have been around for some time, and even had their own race on the Isle of Man in June 2009, up until now they've mainly been seen as bikes for early adopters interested in green tech, or those who might otherwise consider a moped.

Electric motorcycles are relatively quiet, have a limited range, and arguably offer limited speed and performance when compared to comparable racing bikes with internal combustion engines. They're also fighting an image problem in a market famous for exuding a longstanding sexy, powerful, and adventurous appeal.

"Electric motorcycle design has always been a bit of a balancing act in direct drive systems where great acceleration performance comes at the expense of low top-end speed," Brian Wismann, director of product development at Brammo, said in a statement.… Read more

Bling bike: Harley gets 10,000 Swarovski crystals

"The Wild One" would have been a very different movie if Marlon Brando had ridden into town on Jodi Johnson's customized 2004 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. It's hard to fear a biker sporting a ride with pink flames and 10,000 Swarovski crystals. It's just as hard to be brooding and moody when you're looking at one.

Johnson is the cover rider for the April issue of the Thunder Roads Michigan motorcycle magazine. "Every girl needs a little sparkle in her life," Johnson writes in the magazine. I can attest to the truth in that. Most gals don't take it as literally as hand-applying thousands of crystals to a machine that's more closely associated with leather and bar brawls than Beyonce's Swarovski-encrusted microphone.

Johnson describes her style as "J-Bling." She started with motorcycle helmets, but every hobbyist yearns for bigger and better things. She celebrated the recent achievement of earning her motorcycle license by going all Liberace on her ride.

As we know, it's hard to stop the spread of Swarovski crystals once it has started. Everything from the front windscreen down along the tail pipes to the license plate holder has been emblazoned with little gems of happiness. I can hear Jon Bon Jovi singing in my head, "I'm a cowboy. On a steel unicorn I ride. And I'm wanted... dead or alive."

Unlike actual unicorns, you can see Johnson's sparkly creation in person at the Giant Motorcycle Swap Meet in Michigan on April 17. In summary: wheels, a pink paint job, and crystals. I would do this to my Prius in a heartbeat, if I didn't think it would negatively affect my gas mileage.

(Via Luxury Launches) … Read more

Splitting lanes on your iPhone

Lane Splitter is a fun distance game that challenges you to weave through traffic at high speed on a motorcycle. The graphics are crystal-clear on the iPhone 4, with well-detailed cars and interesting scenery as you blow by on your motorcycle. The idea is that you're late to your wedding, and you must speed through traffic wearing your tux in order to make it on time. The game uses the iPhone accelerometer for steering and touching the screen gives you a burst of speed that results in a wheelie and less control--perfect for getting out of the way when … Read more