I haven’t really given it that much thought, but apparently there’s a gap between the moped and the small motorcycle, and it’s kind of hard to find a new moped anyway. Santa Cruz inventor Cam Woods felt that way, anyway, so in 2008 he designed his own moped kit, using sturdy downhill mountain bike components and a clean-running, reliable Honda XR50 motor. It’s pretty trick—it uses a lot of off-the-shelf bicycle parts, and can use any motor in the Z50 pantheon, which includes inexpensive Chinese-built knockoffs and trick 190cc racing mills and all kinds of stuff in between—a gearhead’s dream … More
Archive for the ‘Off-Road & Dirt Track’ Category
Matt Markstaller, Bob Carpenter, and Jason DiSalvo have pulled together a team of people to restore Triumph Motorcycles’ legacy in landspeed racing. Man’s passion has always launched innovation, and these three men have set out to design, build and ride the world’s most advanced streamliner, the Castrol Rocket.
Markstaller serves as aerodynamic engineer; Carpenter is the high-peformance engine builder; and Daytona 200 winner and Bonneville class record holder DiSalvo bravely pilots Triumph’s latest entry. This cross-country team converges on the Bonneville Salt Flats, a 40 square mile salt pan in northwestern Utah, with the goal of a 400 mph plus record-breaking run.
Triumph held the title of “World’s Fastest Motorcycle” from 1955 to 1970 with the exception of a brief 33-day period. The Triumph streamliners to carry world records were Devil’s Arrow, Texas Cee-gar and Gyronaut X1, the last being at 245.60 mph (395.28 km/h). Today’s bar now sits at 376.363 mph (605.697 km/h).
The 2013 edition Castrol Rocket features Carbon Kevlar monocoque construction with two turbocharged Triumph Rocket III engines producing a combined 1,000+ HP. It is 25.5′ long, 2′ wide and 3′ tall, a true rocket on two wheels powered by methanol fuel and filled with Castrol 4T 10W40 full synthetic oil.
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Best Motorcycles of 2013
The past 12 months have seen motorcycle winds blowing in two different directions. From one direction are technological advances made to premium-priced high-end machines, mostly from European manufacturers like BMW, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta and Triumph. From the other side are new motorcycles intended to tap into newer, less-experienced riders looking for affordable ways to join our moto world, headlined primarily by Japanese OEMs like Honda and, to a lesser extent, Kawasaki.
This bi-directional energy makes logical sense … Pictures and more
Bargain Bin: More Roost, Less Dough
Buying new is a lot of fun. You get a shiny bike that no one else has messed with, neglected, or crashed. At the same time, it’s a pain in the wallet and often not necessary. Need a way to get a great dirt bike for less cash? We’d suggest a secondhand two-stroke motocross bike.
Rationale: •Motocross bikes generally offer more advanced suspension technology compared to play bikes.
•Motocross bikes are popular models, and … More