Vermtematis 250 to Debut in Milan

The off-road motorcycles of the brand Vertematis, founded by the brothers of the same name have not known extraordinary commercial success, but merit an alternative consideration to the big brands and have now for 10 years. But after a long silence, it's good to know that a bit of a surprise from the brothers awaits us at the EICMA show in Milan next week. Their newest model will be propelled by a water cooled, single-cylindre 250 4-stroke and makes use of double overhead cams, 4 valves and electronic injection. The transmission and motor oil are separated, as on the Honda CRF. The biggest innovation is situated at the cylinder head, which is angled 180° in comparison with those found in "classic" configurations, inclined between 25 and 30° as on the new one 450 YZF. This very compact motor allows for a better centralization of the masses and a lower of the center of gravity in order to optimize nimbleness. The weight of the bike should not surpass 100 kg.

If the motor is inspired by the best technology coming out of Japan, the chassis can be compared what is being found on KTMs current crop of bikes. The frame consists of chromoly double beam and the rear suspension is similar to the PDS used by KTM. Rear suspension is directly connected between frame and swingarm without links. A couple of unique details include a shock absorber much longer than the norm and a kickstarter placed on the left side and more forward. Lastly, styling is by Fabrizio Ricupito of Ricupito Design.

Read more »

Bande Dessinée

The French and the Belgians have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French. La bande dessinée is derived from the original description of the artform as "drawn strips". It is not insignificant that the French term contains no indication of subject matter, unlike the American terms "comics" and "funnies", which imply an art form not to be taken seriously. Indeed, the distinction of comics as the "ninth art" is prevalent in Francophone scholarship on the form (le neuvième art), as is the concept of comics criticism and scholarship itself.

The "ninth art" designation stems from Claude Baylie's extension of Ricciotto Canudo's seven arts manifesto (television was viewed as the eighth art) from 1964. Relative to the respective size of their countries, the innumerable authors in the region publish huge numbers of comic books. In North America, the more serious Franco-Belgian comics are often seen as equivalent to graphic novels. But whether they are long or short, bound or in magazine format, in Francophone Europe there is no need for a more sophisticated term, as the art's name does not itself imply something frivolous.

While this all might seem so serious, BD's are actually a lot of fun. And if you'd like to get a sample of this art, while staying true to your motorcycle passion, check out the Librarie Moto du Motard at Accessoires Moto Online. They have a huge selection of BD's, plus traditional books, techinical manuals, dvd's and video games. French reading skills are required of course, to fully appreciate the story lines.

Source: Wikipedia

Worlds 1st Production Electric Superbike

The SEMA Show 2009 has witnessed the launch of the world’s first production electric superbike, which is touted to be a laptop on wheels. Developed by British company Mavizen, the TTX02 superbike, based on the Isle of Man TTXGP winning chassis, will be available as a limited edition beginning in April 2010.

Apart from being the world’s first zero-emissions superbike, the machine is also the world’s first motorcycle that sports integrated IP connectivity. It is also equipped with a USB-based system bus that allows a number of peripherals to be connected to extend the capabilities of this mean machine.

The stylish chassis, based on a KTM RC8 street bike, is kitted out with a lithium-ion battery and two electric motors, each delivering 22.5 kilowatts of continuous power (about 30 horsepower) and 36 kilowatts peak (48.2 horsepower) as standard. Mavizen is also offering two other swapable power configurations depending on the intended usage. The motorcycle was designed primarily for racing and is FIM homologated but it also comes stamped with a VIN for registration in your local jurisdiction. Just 50 bikes will be built by the company and you can expect a price tag of around $40,000 with a typical circuit configuration.

Mavizen is also evaluating a possible motocross electric motorcycle currently labeled the TTX03.

New City: Consumer Exhibition of Urban Mobility

Mark your calendars now for the 8 & 9 of May 2010 when the Stade de France will host the first consumer exhibition of urban mobility, rumored to offer heavy motorbike representation. In fact, scooters and small displacements motorcycles, in addition to city cars and new modes of low impact transportation, make up the majority of vehicle sales in France. Baptized ‘New City’, this event should allow many industry players (manufacturers, distributors, insurers, etc..) of this booming sector to come together to present to the public the full range of urban vehicles, as well as allowing visitors to test and purchase at the event. In short, an all-in-one expo, dedicated to multiple ways of getting around town, especially on two-wheeler.

Source: Moto-station.com

Italian Cafe Racer parts

The new hot trend these days, no matter where you are located, seems to be transforming vintage British and Japanese iron into modern day emulations of the cafe racers that ruled the byways of London in the 1960's. A great source for some unique and beautiful parts to transform your own machine is Motocicli Veloci out of Milan, Italy. They have just about everything you might need to make your ride look the part. Originally established as the firm Tronconi & Novelli in 1935, Motocicli Veloci has a historical tradition in the Milanese motorcycling sector.

Initially they were one of the major official Moto Guzzi dealers, especially for trikes. These days they distribute high quality parts and accessories for the best teams and riders of classic racing bikes. Each part is produced according to the original pattern with the aid of the most modern technologies. Great consideration is given to selection of materials, dimensions and functional details. Moreover the firm's great flexibility in production allows them to satify any customers request, ranging from a single piece to a entire series.

Dakar 2010

In 2010, for the second consecutive year, the Dakar, formerly known as the Paris-Dakar, will take place in South America amid the equally sumptuous and sometimes hostile nature offered by both Argentina and Chile. The course will consist of a 9000 kilometer (5593 mile) loop through the two countries and will include a long stay in the Atacama Desert. Incidentally, Argentina and Chile will jointly celebrate the bicentenary of their independence this coming year. The race will ultimately culminate in a podium finish the 17^th of January in Buenos Aires.

After the popular success experienced last year with the local public, the number of "national" motorcycle and 4 wheel vehicles applicants have tripled. Of course the influx of competitors from every other part of the globe will not be underrepresented in this adventure either. The race against time has begun, particularly for European fans who must prepare their vehicles for boarding between the 25 and 26 November at Le Havre, France. Nearly 200 bikers are expected to start the rally in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the 1st of January. The twice winning rider in the bike category, Cyril Desprès, has confirmed his participation, hitherto uncertain. He will be at the handlebars of a semi-official factory KTM 690, detuned as required by new regulations.

To see the course of the 32nd running of the Dakar, click here:

Read more »

2010 Honda CB1100...Don't Hold Your Breath!

The Honda CB1100 was presented in "grand style" at the Tokyo Motor Show 2009 a few weeks ago in person by Honda President Takanobu Ito. You’ve probably all seen this retro bike that exhibits a truly basic vision in comparison to more recent offerings by the marque. The CB 1100 was envisioned to surf the vintage wave passed on from the auto world to the motorcycle community, from Tokyo to NYC...but not to us. Along with the CB 750 KO, issues with homologation will be restricting these two bikes from importation.

Apparently, the air-cooled, four-cylinder 1100 cm3 will not easily meet Euro 3 emission standards and since manufacturers are already looking on to Euro 4 standards, it makes the effort to meet these standards that much less interesting. In addition, the high level of finish will make the price unattractive. Big disappointment then after all the pomp that the CB 1100 will not be available here. Unless of course, a huge number of requests begin streaming into the various subsidiaries (Italy, Germany, France ...). Too bad, as this retro ride with its narrow tires and delicious engine offer everything to please...and had already conquered the hearts of many. It seems then that the future of beautiful air-cooled motors is becoming more and more dim.

Source: Moto-Station.com

To Late for Scorpa

If you've read my previous post, you now know there is a little know French motorcycle industry that actually still manufactures motorcycles. If you step back far enough through the decades, you'll find there was a pretty significant number of company's here doing just that. Now barely a handful of small producers exist including Voxan, Wakan, GIMA, Sherco and Side-Bike. Up until last week there was also Scorpa.

Founded in 1995, the corporation based in Alès garnered a strong reputation within the dirt bike world and certain models, such as the T-RIDE 250F (single cylinder), were extremely capable machines. Looking towards the future, Scorpa had even delved into the two-wheeled electric market establishing Scorpa Electric Vehicles (S.E.V.) in 2008. The E-Tricks was a combination mountain bicycle and off-road motorcycle. At feather weight 88 lbs. and offering 30+ miles of autonomy, it had received a fair amount of interest.

Read more »

Help the French Motorcycle Industry: Moto Gima

Yesterday was all about an unique design from the past. Today it's about a bike that resembles many of the French motorcycles produced from the 1920-60's, but its design is actually a direct descendant from a manufacturer little known outside the Hexagon. GIMA (Groupement Industriel Métallurgique Automobile) is an acronym that signifies nothing for the majority of bikers; only a few old timers and collectors will remember this marque. But once upon a time, in 1949 to be exact, GIMA was the talk of the town having just won the championship in the celebrated Bol d'Or motorcycle race in the 125 category.

Today GIMA is under threat. This superb project reviving the quality, craftsmanship and legend of a classic marque is threatened by the economic crisis on one hand, but more so by administration on the other. A project has been launched by the Voxan Club of France to defend this personal and industrial venture. The principle: to protect jobs and allow the company to pursue a long-term project. If you care about not losing another motorcycle company to history, sign the online petition which will be sent to the Tribunal of Commerce of Clermont-Ferrand, the Ministry of Industry and René Ricol, the mediator appointed by President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Read more »

Vintage French Trikes

There's been a resurgent interest in 3 wheelers the last few years, much of it possibly building off the commercial success of products such as the Piaggio MP3 and a number of alternative design eco-friendly commuter vehicle projects.

Looking through the local for sale ads the other day, I happened upon an interesting range of vehicles from the past that I'd never heard of before. In 1925, a company called Poirier specializing in the distribution of medical equipment, began producing trikes in 47 and 125cc variants utilizing Saxonette and Ydral engines. The hand operated three wheelers were primarily developed for persons with easily fatigued, paralyzed or amputated legs. It seems they continued production of these vehicles until the late 1950s. Based out of Fondettes in the department of Indre & Loire (37), the company is still in existence today but is now known as Invacare Poirier and focuses on a wide-range of equipment for handicapped individuals including a huge selection of wheelchairs.

Read more »