Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero

      Kawasaki considers the bagger and cruiser markets to be important niches, as the 2011 Vulcan Vaquero is carefully tailored. The goal is to offer the classic profile, long and low and curved. Okay, it’s the style that spells Motorcycle for at least two generations of Americans, and the Vaquero is a point-by-point match for Harley’s FLT. No offense intended, because if we didn’t get to copy what works, only Peugeot would have four-valves-per-cylinder heads, and only Cadillac would offer the electric self starter.

    
      The 1700 engine is a 52-degree V-Twin, slightly undersquare at 102mm bore, 104mm stroke. It is liquid-cooled, overhead-cam with four-valve heads, single-pin crankshaft (for the classic staggered potato-potato exhaust beat), and rated at 108 foot-pounds of torque, no power rating given. EFI and digital ignition, of course. There are six speeds in the gearbox, with the top two overdrive so the sprockets for the belt final drive can be the most efficient size.

There are some clever touches here:

• The dual throttle bodies are controlled by the ECU, ride-by-wire as we say, but the actual throttle grip pulls a cable, so the rider gets the feel normal to the now-banished carburetor; two, the radiator is integrated into the bodywork while the cylinders have fins, as seen in air-cooled days; and three, the rear suspension is dual shock absorbers, again like the old days. You can’t see them, but they are there and can be adjusted for preload with air, and offer four-position rebound-damping adjustment.

      Such features add up in other ways, too, and the straight-shooting factory reports a ready-to-ride weight of 835 pounds. Wheelbase is 65.6 inches, described by the factory as “relatively short,” which it is considering the cruiser-style long-and-low profile and the size of the drivetrain.

A rider who’s 5-foot-9 and weighs 150 pounds in his waterproof boots tips the Vaquero past a certain angle and the bars are on full lock, the Vaquero will keep on tripping and the rider—no points for guessing who—will not be able to hold it up.

      Even so, as the cliché goes, the faster you go, the lighter the Vaquero feels. The posture is classic classic, as the seat is shaped right and the wide bars are just high enough and close enough for style and control. The rocker shift falls readily to foot, the brakes do exactly what your pressure demands. There’s more than one metric cruiser that’s hampered function while achieving form, but not this one.

      Speaking of quirks, when they installed the cable to mitigate ride-by-wire, they went a tad too far, in that the cable has some lag, just like the analog kind. The temperature gauge is more precise than it needs to be, so that in traffic, the needle goes way close to the red zone but drops down when under way; there’s an electric fan, of course, and the temperature never got into the danger zone, but most such gauges just sit there, no worries.

      Finally, the best part. The under-square engine is a bit harsh below 2500 rpm, long stroke and low speed does that, and the big engine has a rev range matching the muscle-car dashboard redline.

 

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BMW F800GT

      This new middleweight pairing more sport performance with added comfort and convenience giving motorcyclists a superior Grand Touring experience within its class. The Motorrad department’s latest creation is a mix of old and new componentry. It continues to make use of BMW’s tried-and-true 798cc Parallel Twin engine that’s both water-cooled and fuel-injected. However, the fuel and ignition maps have been enhanced and it borrows exhaust plumbing from the more sport-oriented F800R. These changes equate to a claimed five horsepower boost to 90 hp at 8000 revs compared to the ST. On our in-house dyno though, the GT spun just over 80 ponies at 8300 revs. For those seeking even more performance, BMW offers a lighter and prettier accessory slip-on style muffler made by Akrapovic ($993). 

      It has stronger bottom-end power then we remember, allowing it to escape traffic lights with the greed of a sportbike. The dyno chart shows that the Beemer’s Twin churns upwards of 85% of its maximum torque (56.69 lb-ft at 6400 revs) from as low as 3600 rpm all the way up to 8700 rpm, 200 revs short of redline. That amounts to speedier overtaking maneuvers virtually anywhere in the powerband, but rev happy riders will notice that the motor runs out of steam as it nears redline. 

      The engine is smooth and balanced, but we did continue to feel some vibration when the tach needle points toward the upper end of its spectrum. More peculiar is the motor’s pseudo-knock condition experienced anytime it’s lugged between 2500 and 3000 rpm. Although it sounds similar to a mechanical firing knock, BMW said it might be a trait of the engine’s counter balancer.

      The rest of the drivetrain, including the six-speed transmission, cable-actuated clutch and belt final drive performed flawlessly, and we love the precise engagement and near perfectly weighted action of the clutch lever. This not only makes launches easy but fun, too. Another plus is the clean look and that it should require zero maintenance aside from its scheduled replacement at 34,000 miles. 

Instead of re-tooling its already versatile and well-performing engine package, German engineers focused on the motorcycle’s chassis, appearance and optional accessories to provide extra handling and touring capabilities. Although it appears unchanged, the single-sided swingarm has grown by two inches, extending the wheelbase to 59.6 inches versus the ST’s 57.7 inch measurement. This increases stability and rear wheel traction and allows the Beemer to leap off corners with the voracity of a more sport-oriented motorcycle. And for the inevitable occasion of being caught in rain or exceeding the high adhesion limits of the stock rear rubber, there’s the optional Automatic Stability Control ($400).

      The 10-spoke cast aluminum wheels have a new, more contemporary look. Plus they’re lighter too. The rims wear either Metzeler Roadtec Z8 or Continental Road Attack 2 tires in sizes 120/70-17 (front) and 180/55-17 (rear). Our Radiant Valencia Orange Metallic steed wore the latter brand and we had excellent results in terms of handling, grip and tire warm-up time. Furthermore the wheels offer a $250 optional Tire Pressure Monitor that is neatly integrated into the instrument display. A warning light also illuminates if the tire pressure falls below a predetermined threshold.

      
      Braking hardware consists of a pair of 320mm cross-drilled rotors up front actuated by four-piston fixed calipers sourced from Brembo. A 265mm disc and solo-piston caliper is fitted at the back with both brakes functioning independently through stainless-steel lines with anti-lock functionality. Stopping performance is yet another strong point of the GT with each brake lever offering loads of power and acute feel, which make for effective and fade-free stops.

      This electronic adjustment can be made on the fly, via a pushbutton switch on the left handlebar. It did make a noticeable difference in the speed at which the shock returned over big bumps and G-outs. We preferred the Sport setting as it offered more accurate road handling at a quicker pace on curvy roads. The rear section of the frame was also beefed up to accommodate the 24-pound increase in cargo-carrying payload (total payload capacity including rider, passenger and luggage is rated at 456 pounds).

      
      The way the rider fits inside the cockpit was also tweaked for greater comfort. The rider’s footrests were shifted forward and down by nearly half of an inch to mitigate knee fatigue from bending. The seat is also a wider surface area and is set at a lower height (31.5 in.) versus the ST (33.07 in.). Additionally BMW offers buyers the choice of a low seat option (30.1 in.) or a tall (32.3 in.) one that the dealer can fit at no charge. Lastly, the height of the handlebar was raised by almost an inch with an updated mounting apparatus to reduce vibration. Overall it’s a very comfortable steed delivering all-day comfort, though a bit of bad vibes still makes its way through the ‘bars, especially at higher rpm. And of course, since it’s a BMW, optional heated grips ($250) are offered making for a more comfortable ride in chilly weather.

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KTM 500 EXC's Accessories

These are some body parts and accesories that you can purchase in order to upgrade KTM bike.
The body parts are including racing gear and valve while the accesories are including jacket and gloves.
For futher information do visit http://meckwear.com/accessories/ wh

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About Standard Motor

           Standard motor was easily recognized by its upright riding position, partway between the reclining posture of the cruisers and the forward leaning sport bikes.

   Foot pegs are below the rider and handlebars are high enough to not force the rider to reach far forward, placing the shoulders above the hips in a natural position.Standards are often recommended for beginners as it has good flexibility, affordable and easy handle.

     Sometimes it also been called naked bike and muscle bike is quite similar to standard bike, but puts a disproportionately high priority on engine power.

 

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Introduction to Cruiser

Yamaha

Cruiser is the term for motorcycles that mimic the design style of American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, including those made byHarley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior and Henderson. Japanese companies began producing models evocative of the early cruisers in the mid-1980s, and by 1997 the market had grown to nearly 60 percent of the U.S. market, such that a number of motorcycle manufacturers including BMW, Honda, MotoGuzzi, Yamaha, Suzuki, Triumph and Victory have currently or have had important models evocative of the American cruiser.

The riding position on a cruiser usually, but not always, places the feet forward and the hands up, with the spine erect or leaning back slightly. Many "power cruisers" and Japanese cruisers of the 1980s have featured more neutral riding positions. Cruisers outfitted with luggage for touring are sometimes called baggers.

Honda

Many cruising motorcycles have limited performance and turning ability due to a low-slung design. Riders who enjoy cornering at higher speeds may need to customize to enhance lean angle, or start with a performance "power cruiser".

Cruisers are often custom motorcycle projects that result in a bike modified to suit the owner's ideals, and as such are a source of pride and accomplishment.

Harley Davidson

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2008 Kawasaki KLR650

We all are looking for the perfect motorcycle? , Comfortable, easy to ride, winding roads, fun and affordable to buy and maintain. For the past two years, savvy enthusiasts Kawasaki KLR650 dual-sport motorcycle, I have enjoyed the versatility and simplicity of grated cheese. Work for've never been to that place by a few miles or a few thousand miles on a bike are happy.

On the map it looks like one more intriguing twisty bit running through the Santa Lucia Range between California's arid midsection and the Pacific Ocean. The actual 16 miles of pavement you traverse to get from one to the other are a different story. For 99 percent of the motoring public, the 16-mile narrow-gauge confusion of potholes, kinks, coils and blind switchbacks is an exercise in abject terror. Gold Wing? Forget it. Ducati 1098? Notify your next of kin. But on Kawasaki's latest KLR650, it's paradise.

Sitting 35 inches above said surface behind dirtbike bars takes some getting used to. Acceleration is, shall we say, underwhelming. But somewhere between breakfast and lunch this big, gawky apparition doesn't feel big or gawky. Bumps, roots, holes, stray patches of dirt and Ducati bodywork are minor annoyances. And though the apoplectic unfortunate who tried this so-called road on a 1098 will never admit as much in public, the KLR is impossibly quick up here. "Mustabeen Mike Metzger...yeah, that's the ticket...on a...KLX450 supermoto weapon...or Scott Russell...or Bigfoot." Nothing like a little delusion to dull the pain. Perhaps a little crow for dessert?

The truth is either more painful or gratifying, depending on your point of view. Coined shortly after the discovery of internal combustion, the KLR650 earned legions of loyal followers over two decades of production. Like Coca-Cola, Vise-Grips and Peter O'Toole, the best-selling dual-sport in the business didn't change much because it didn't need to. At least not until Kawasaki market prophets saw sales jump 31 percent in '04 and 68 percent in '05. Add an escalating interest in travel and touring among free-spending baby-boom types and pretty soon there's a spike in e-mail traffic between product planning and engineering. Time to give the olde axe a bit of a grind, eh? 

Compression ratio: 9.8:1

Cooling: Liquid

Carburetion: Keihin CVK40

Ignition: Fully transistorized

Transmission: Five-speed

Final driv:e Chain

Frame: Semi-double cradle, high-tensile steel

Rake / trail: 28 degrees / 4.4 in.

Front suspension / wheel travel: 41mm telescopic fork / 7.9 in.

Rear suspension / wheel travel: UNI-TRAKr single-shock system with 5-way preload and stepless rebound damping / 7.3 in.

Front tire :90/90x21

Rear tire: 130/80x17

Front brake / rear brake: Single 280mm petal-type disc, two-piston caliper / single 240mm disc, single-piston caliper

Overall length: 90.3 in.

Overall width: 37.8 in.

Overall height: 53.1 in.

Ground clearance: 8.3 in.

Seat height: 35.0 in.

Dry weight: 386 lbs.

Fuel capacity: 6.1 gal.

Wheelbase: 58.3 in.

Color choices: Candy Lime Green, Sunbeam Red or Blue 21

MSRP: $5349 

Better At:

• Street riding
• Storage/Utility
• Visibility

Worse At:

• Hooliganism
• Weight
• Versatile suspension

Loose Change:

• Kickstand is terrible
• Oil sight window for quick inspection
• Engine guard

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2013 Moto Guzzi California 1400

Have you ever taken a sport bike up into the canyon to take photos, ride really fast and when you were done get handed the keys to a large cruiser and sent on your way? Me neither. Not until Ultimate Motor Cycling Editor Don Williams wrapped up our sport bike photo shoot last week and sent me home on a Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom. To say this was akin to culture shock is an understatement, especially with me in full leathers and road racing gear.

Naturally, the first thing my lizard-brain did was to ensure that I engaged the full-power Veloce fuel injection map, shunning the Tourismo (touring) and Pioggia (rain) settings. That was my first mistake because in Veloce mode this Guzzi can be a handful, if not a bit brutal in lower gears and close terrain. With 87 ft/lbs of torque, most of which is on tap from just off idle, and with 97 horsepower, this beast will stretch your arms and challenge your handling skills with its limited cornering clearances.

Working my way out of Stunt Road in the Santa Monica Mountains could not have been more different and challenging than on my way in. Trust me, this was not the friendliest introduction one might have with a new friend but things got better.

Somehow, in 40 plus years of riding, I have never ridden a single Moto Guzzi motorcycle. I have seen many and known a bit about them but they were never on the radar of this dyed-in-the-wool ’60s Triumph guy. I will leave all the historical and technical facts to Editor Williams in his June 2013 review of the 2013 Moto Guzzi 1400 California Touring, as well as other reviews of the bike on this website, and focus more on the impressions this large cruiser made on me.

It appears really big and attracts a lot of attention wherever it’s parked. Available in Mercury Gray, our test model was the glossy Basalt Black with trim in chrome and billet for a look that impresses everyone. The headlight surround and inlaid LED taillights are only two of the many parts that make this bike unique. Fit and finish are excellent and the element of art within engineering is highly evident. I’ve made more new acquaintances with this bike than any in recent memory.

I’ll admit that at first I didn’t appreciate so much power with little commensurate cornering ability. It was only after I put aside my preconceived notions and switched not only into Tourismo mode but cruiser-mentality, that I found the sweetness that this bike can dish out.

For example, the Custom likes to go straight and I mean that in the best ways. It just eats up the pavement with a firm neutrality, provided said pavement is smooth. Given the fairly stiff rear suspension settings (preload and rebound adjustable) necessary to harness this, claimed, 701 pound behemoth and allow it to hustle through turns results in a, sometimes, jarring ride over road blemishes. Find your kidney belt and wear it if you intend to ride fast, but I digress. If you ride the Custom as it is designed to be ridden, you will be rewarded with a steady, effortless pace that makes going straight fun. I’m not kidding, as it is that smooth.

When the road gets curvy a moderate pace is best and you will enjoy effortlessly perfect arcs through the apexes with nary a squiggle or wallow and a planted feeling. It holds its line, carves the turn and rarely is upset by bumps. You can even crank it out of the turns but mind the plastic undersides of the floorboards.

This Guzzi is a handful at parking lot pace, but once up to speed it steers more with his bottom than with the handlebars. Small shifts in weight set the bike on its path and inputs to the fairly wide bars are very light. The Custom handles as well as the geometry of the frame and steering might suggest, meaning that if the pace is right, this bike offers real, European-bred handling, even at this weight and 66.3-inch wheelbase.

Riding freeways on the Custom model without a windscreen has its limitations but the ride is tight and great fun. Twist the torque handle and we rocket up the on-ramp to 80 mph in seconds and just feast on the power and controlled smoothness. The Custom can go like this all day long especially owing to the comfortable bucket seat and amenities like cruise control, traction control, floorboards and rocker shift lever. The transmission shifts smoothly and the long lever more than offsets the slightly stiff action. The hydraulic clutch operation is fairly stiff and requires a strong hand.

In my 500-mile test I favored riding our back country roads. Even the twisties weren’t a problem when ridden at a respectful pace, but the best were those long, fruit grove dotted straights mixed with undulating curves that seem to go on forever. In 4th and 5th gears, between 45 and 65 mph, this Euro mega-cruiser is in its happy place and you will be too.

Wick it up a little more and the Custom will respond instantly. It is capable of a pretty spirited ride as long as the pilot accepts the limitations set forth. During the test I averaged 35 mpg and, with the 5.4-gallon fuel tank, the range is respectable.

I won’t describe all the functions of the trip computer as it is full-featured. Fueling is good at all speeds and the throttle-by-wire control allows three-level traction control as well as cruise control. One limit on the cruise is that there is no accelerate/resume/coast function and all you can do is engage it at whatever the speed you are traveling. If you want to slow down or speed up you must press the button to disengage then set it again when next you want it. Not optimal but better than nothing, I suppose.

2013 Moto Guzzi California 1400 - Specifications/Technical Details
MSRP Price: NA
ENGINE
Type 90° V-twin 4-stroke
Capacity 1400cc

TRANSMISSION
TBA

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION / BRAKES
TBA

DIMENSIONS

TBA

Goods: 

• Loads of Character
• Fantastic brakes
• Plentiful torque

Bads:

• Plastic fenders in a style that asks for steels
• Some mismatched cycling cues
• A real "bucker" in sport mode

For more information: http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2013-moto-guzzi-1400-california-custom-review/

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Ducati 1199 Panigale R

      Ducati pushed the envelope with its 1199 Panigale establishing a new standard of what we expect from a twin-cylinder sportbike. Although it impressed in some areas, the Ducati didn’t elicit the final result many had hoped. This year it gets a shot at redemption with this new R-spec Superbike ($29,995).

      The new Panigale R is based off the S model we rode during the 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale First Ride. It features a variety of hardware and software updates outlined in the 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R First Look. This narrative focuses on the riding impression from the freshly paved 20-turn Circuit of the America’s Formula One course in Austin, Texas.
      
      Hop into the seat and the 1199 R is Ducati’s most accommodating Superbike to date. Engineers continue to refine the way the rider interacts with the controls. After all, the more comfortable you are, the faster you can go. Although the seat height continues to measure 32.5 in., it feels closer to the ground than we remember.


      Thumb the starter button and it whirs to life firing the engine immediately without the occasional hesitation or hiccup we experienced on the 2012 machines. Drop the shift lever down into first gear, flip down your visor and its time to ride.

      Escaping the pits is a simpler exercise due to the lower final drive gearing. Engineers fitted a two-tooth larger rear sprocket (41) enhancing acceleration in each of the six gears. It also reduces the amount of clutch slip required during launches. The added velocity doesn’t come at the expense of top speed due to engine’s higher 12,000 rpm ceiling (more on that later). Initial feel and lever action from the wet-style (clutch plates lubricated in engine oil) is superior to the previous generation’s dry-clutch set-up, even if it doesn’t emit that nostalgic racy sounding clank-clank-clank rattle. We never had the opportunity to give it an aggressive, high-rpm racing-style launch so we’re curious if the 1199 R’s drivetrain has what it takes to break into the nine-second range through the quarter mile.


      The lap begins at the end of the fifth-gear front straightaway. Exiting pit lane you travel uphill preparing for Turn 1, a tight, off-camber left taken in second gear. Let the bike drift to the candy cane-painted curbing, put your head down and pin the throttle.

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