by Mona Wexler from https://www.monstersandcritics.com Sister Wives star Meri Brown surprised her fans with a tidbit of information about herself — she rides a motorcycle! Meri typically plays it safe when it comes to her lifestyle, so it surprised her fans to hear that she’s a biker. The 50-year-old TLC star took to her Instagram account on Tuesday, September 14 to touch base with her fans. Meri told her followers that she was using her day off to get some “random” things done and to “step away” from her plans. Along with a pic of herself posing with her daughter Mariah’s dog, Mosby, Meri included one of her signature motivational captions. It read, “Just another Tuesday morning where I get to step away from plans and do something random, like take my motorcycle in for repair…. 😁 (Don’t worry, Mosby and I drove the car for the pick up, I wouldn’t have put him on the bike, just in case you were worried lol!)” “Working for myself, being in business for myself, making my own business decisions, creating my environment, exploring the world, finding my peace, living with joy, these are all the things I’m grateful for.” “I’m dedicated to supporting and empowering my family, friends, team members, business partners, and anyone else who wants to own their own business and work toward their own dreams! Because dreaming is where it’s at!” Upon reading that Meri took her motorcycle to the shop for repair, her fans immediately took to the comments section to make sure they didn’t misread her post. “Motorcycle?! 👏” one of Meri’s followers commented. “Haha yep!” Meri replied. Another one of Meri’s followers asked her, “since when do you have a motorcycle?!” Meri revealed that she has been riding for at least 12 years when she answered, “@sophiabrionez_ since 2009 I think? Lol!” One fan commented that they weren’t aware that Meri had a motorcycle (as most of her followers probably felt the same) and asked her, “Wow didn’t know you have a motorcycle! Can we see it ? 😍❤️” “@robertsbev I should find an old photo!” Meri replied. Meri found a fellow biker in the comments when a follower wrote, “What kind of bike? Tennessee Harley rider here!! 👍” Although Meri doesn’t ride a Harley, she noted, “@mbenz1965 Welllll….. a Honda VTX. I’ve had Harley riders tell me, at least you’re trying…. 🤣🤣” Meri, who’s sporting a shorter new hairdo, recently returned from a vacation in Cancun, Mexico where she used the time to “let go.” Meri enjoyed time with her LuLaRoe colleagues and shared pics and video of sea turtles being released into the ocean, a highlight of her trip. Meri will join her estranged husband Kody Brown and her sister wives Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown for an all-new season of Sister Wives, returning in November. Sister Wives fans are curious to see what happens with building homes on the Brown family’s property at Coyote Pass and how they’ve managed to survive living as four separate families. Stay tuned! Sister Wives is an American reality television series broadcast on TLC that premiered on September 26, 2010. The show documents the life of a polygamist family, which includes father Kody Brown, his four wives (Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn) and their 18 children. Sister Wives returns to TLC and Discovery+ on Sunday, November 28 at 10/9c.

by Todd Halterman from https://www.autoevolution.com

Marcel Nistor and his cohort at Moto Nisto build something special out of bikes that are decidedly not special as they come off the showroom floor. He takes the base metal, often the Harley-Davidson Sportster, and then turns it into a showstopping custom machine.

Nistor does his work with style and pays a bit of homage to the early days of motorcycling when bikes looked tough, were stripped down to emphasize performance, and offered no-nonsense whatever in the way of plastic.

He and his team begin using modern powertrains, strip away what he calls “ugly factory body panels, useless gizmos and under-performing components,” and then sets to work adapting their own parts to create “machines envisioned by past racers.”

For Nistor, it’s all about melding the functionality and reliability found in the motorcycles of today with the class and style of past decades.

“We like to start off with a Harley-Davidson Sportster as a blank canvas and strip off everything it stands for. What do we like about it? Mostly the air-cooled, unit engine in a cradle frame,” Nistor says. “Time-proven, simple, reliable, honest performance, no-maintenance valvetrain, ground clearance, parts availability, inexpensive. What don’t we like about it? Everything else.”

It’s a take-no-prisoners approach to building custom motorcycles, and Michigan resident Nistor, it appears, is that kind of guy. He once received a Citizen Award from the Ferndale City Council for his help that led to the arrest of a home invasion suspect.

Ferndale Police Chief Tim Collins presented Nistor with the award, which was given for his “actions and quick response which led to the arrest of a very dangerous criminal” who later confessed to an October home invasion.

Nistor helped police locate the suspect who was wanted in for an attack on a homeowner’s property where the homeowner was forced to fire his handgun at the suspect. A couple of days later, Nistor was riding his motorcycle in Redford when he saw a Ford Ranger which matched the description from a news story he had seen. Nistor rode his bike toward the truck in question, confirmed the license plate and put in a call to 911. The suspect was arrested and later confessed to the home invasion and two other crimes. Collins said the man is suspected of many other crimes as well including home invasions and various larcenies.

But as for his customs, they tell a similar no-baloney tale. They’re identified simply with names such as Nr. 14, Nr. 13 and Revision B. Nr. 13 is 1997 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 which was completely reimagined in 2017, and needless to say, it is both simple and stylish.

For instance, his latest project, Nr. 15 is, was recently completed and what was once a straightforward 1996 Heritage Softail has become an all-purpose hooligan he says is “ready to do some exploring off the pavement.” The bike was built with the help of some invaluable parts from Michael Selman of Bella Corse.

The artists and beasts who make up Moto Nisto are Internet Virtuoso and critic Valerie Souto, Creator-Designer-Mechanic-Electrician-Fabricator-and Head of Housekeeping Marcel Nistor, Welder-Fabricator-Cocktail Mixer Len Puch (of Speedcult), Machinist Ry Seidler (of RAS Moto Detroit) and Painter Chuck Miller.

As for getting your hands on a Moto Nisto custom, you’ll have to contact the Majordomo about this one. His answers on the website are revealing indeed. So how much does one cost and does it come with a warranty?

“Hmm, good question,” he says. “It depends – if you’re paying us $100K to build you one, we’ll provide you with a lifetime warranty on anything that breaks. If we only charge you $10K to modify your own bike, we only guarantee our own parts or the pre-existing ones affected by the installation of ours, for 24 (metric or U.S.) months or 60K (U.S) miles, whichever occurs first.”

Moto Nisto Custom Motorcycles Website is at https://www.motonisto.com/

For the third time this year, the XDA brought the best show in motorcycle drag racing to Virginia Motorsports Park for the Inaugural Bike Brawl.

The weekend featured cooler temperatures, and racers were able to show off some serious performance gains as they fought for points as the 2021 championship chase is quickly coming to an end.

Orient Express Racing Pro Street
Winner – Rodney Williford / Runner-up – Darion Payne

Jordan Haase is back! After missing the August Bike Bash event, Haase came out of the gate hot, running a career-best 6.549 / 228.50 mph to put him in the number four qualifying spot of Orient Express Racing Pro Street.

Many racers improved on their personal best in the cool September air at VMP. Improvements made were; Curtis Brown officially in the sixes with a 6.973, Ryan Bonitatis 6.676, Ricky Wood 6.700 at 226.24 mph, Darion Payne 6.488, Greg Wallace 6.500, and Rodney Williford 6.438.

The Bike Bash Pro finals from August were also contested on Saturday during qualifying and delivered a first-time winner. Justin Shakir has been making ET and MPH performance gains all season and Saturday; his hard work paid off with his first Pro Street win, including stopping Rodney Williford’s 5-race winning streak. Shakir went dangerously close to red lighting in the final with a .002 light, giving him the starting line advantage over Williford’s .036 light. With these two titans side-by-side down the quarter-mile, Shakir would get to the finish line first with a 6.463 at 227.08 mph to Williford’s quick but losing 6.496 at 229.51 mph.

With Shakir qualifying number one and Williford number two, there was potential for a repeat final on Sunday from these two racers. However, Shakir would fall to Darion Payne in the semi-final when he couldn’t produce enough power to outrun Payne’s stellar 6.491 pass.

Darion Payne ran his career-best in round two against Jordan Haase with 6.488, then after taking out Shakir, he would meet the champion Rodney Williford in the final.

Williford took out racers Curtis Brown, Ricky Wood, and Greg Wallace on his way to his sixth straight final this season. In the semi-final, Williford ran his career-best 6.438 against Wallace.

Both Williford and Payne were on track for a showdown in the final. Williford got out of the gate first with a marginally better reaction time of .071 over Payne’s .078. Payne was right on Williford, but he was not as stable as they both blasted down the quarter-mile. Williford’s Turbo Hayabusa was firmly planted on the track and ran perfectly straight to another win with 6.462 over Payne’s 6.506.

DME Racing Real Street
Winner – David Stewart / Runner-up – Ralphie Navarro

Points leader Mark Hylton took the number one qualifying position in DME Racing Real Street with a 7.515.

After David Stewart was dethroned from the points lead by Hylton, he also suffered a blow of a first-round loss at the August Bike Bash. So coming into the Bike Brawl, Stewart was looking for redemption. After qualifying number three with a 7.595 he made his way through eliminations taking out Trevor Schnitz, Chad Sosnowski, and finally Mark Hylton on his way to another final round appearance. Notably, Stewart also broke the class MPH record of 196.13 with a 196.82 pass. Unfortunately, he was unable to back it up for an official recording.

On the other side of the ladder, in only his seventh DME Racing Real Street race, Ralphie Navarro, who qualified with a 7.581, made his first final round appearance in the class. Navarro took wins over Bud Harrod, and Brittany Bohne earning himself a bye to the final against Stewart.

In the final, Stewart took a starting line advantage with a .072 to Navarro’s .112, yet Navarro caught up quickly. However, his slower reaction cost him the race as he went through the beams .04 seconds later than Stewart, with both racers putting up identical 7.627 ET’s on the board.

The August Bike Bash final also ran during qualifying but was uneventful. Trevor Schnitz, who was making his first Pro Final appearance in his short racing career, would be a no show for the final due to breakage, giving Mark Hylton an easy win and more points to pad his points lead for the championship.

HTP Performance Super Stock
Winner – David Fondon / Runner-up – Blake Johnson

The Kawasaki ZX-14’s dominated HTP Performance Super Stock at the September Bike Brawl. David Fondon was the number one qualifier with an 8.753, followed by Mike Davis with an 8.819.

During qualifying, the final two rounds from the August Bike Bash were completed. Curtis McDougald had a bye in the semi-final while Mike Davis would face class champion David Fondon. Fondon took the starting line advantage on his 2020 Kawasaki ZX-14, leaving Davis on his 2013 ZX-14 in chase mode to the finish line. Fondon took another win running 8.787 to Davis’ 8.819. Fondon would get another starting line advantage in the final, leaving McDougald trailing behind when his win light came on, running an 8.755 to an 8.867. This win made five undefeated wins in a row for Fondon.

Back to the Bike Brawl event, on Sunday during eliminations, Fondon took out all the heavy-hitters on his way to the final, including Mark Blake, Darion Payne, and Curtis McDougald. On the other side of the ladder, Blake Johnson worked through Dell Jones, his father Brian Jones, and Jyrec Givens on his way to his first Pro final.

Johnson qualified number three with an 8.856 and was well fit to give Fondon a run for the money. Johnson got the starting line advantage with a .118 reaction time to Fondon’s slower .147. Johnson gave it his best effort running an 8.893 at 157.52, but Fondon’s ZX-14 outran him with an 8.854 at 160.29 mph.

MaxxECU Pro Xtreme
Winner – Chris Garner-Jones / Runner-up – Rob Garcia

Chris Garner-Jones took the number one qualifying position in MaxxECU Pro Xtreme with a 3.901 followed by Rob Garcia with a 3.987.

In round one of eliminations, John Collins took a win over a broken Chris Cutsinger, Rob Garcia won with a 4.039 to Bobby Lovingood’s 5.450, and Garner-Jones had an earned bye.

In round two of eliminations, Rob Garcia advanced with an earned bye running a 4.032. And Garner-Jones won with a 3.924 over John Collins’ 4.048. The final would be uneventful as Garner-Jones took the win, breaking the beams when Garcia could not make the call for the final.

MaxxECU Pro Xtreme is presented by Ace Mechanical, Billy Vose Racing, Dallas Flat Glass, Dunigan Racing, DME Racing, Grothus Dragbikes, Harley Haul, Rob Bush Motorsports, Robinson Industries, Schnitz Racing, Timblin Chassis, and Worldwide Bearings.

Vance & Hines 4.60
Winner – Troy Hausmann / Runner-up – Kenny Cornell

For the first time this season, Kevin White held the number one qualifying position in the Vance & Hines 4.60 index class with a perfect 4.600. In round two, his weekend would end after a dreaded red-light against Kenny Cornell. Cornell would go on to win two more rounds to make it to his second final this season.

On the other side of the ladder, Troy Hausmann ran deadly consistent with an average ET of 4.62. Hausmann got the starting line advantage with a .016 reaction time to Cornell’s .022. But Cornell didn’t have the performance needed in the final against Hausmann’s winning 4.642 as he crossed the eighth-mile finish line with a 4.874. This win will give Hausmann a points injection as we head into the season finale.

The Vance & Hines 4.60 August Bike Bash final ran during qualifying between Michael Ostrowski and Cameron Shelton. Ostrowski cut a perfect .000 light to Shelton’s .041 light. The eight-mile finish line came up quickly as Ostrowski won with a 4.619 run to Shelton’s 4.629.

APE Nitrous Bulls
Russell Dennison Jr was the only rider in the APE Nitrous Bulls class and landed a winner’s circle finish. Richard Gadson is the only rider that can stop him from winning the championship with one race left in the season.

3 Sixty 5 Monster Bulls
Winner – Mike Burkhart / Attila
Runner-up – Rendolf Torbed / Kastigala

Mike Burkhart on ‘Attila’ is on a winning streak in the Tommie’s Motorsports DMV Bulls. After Burkhart’s Bike Bash win, he made a few performance upgrades and was back eager to keeping knocking out his competitors. On Burkhart’s way to the final he sent the points leader, David Page, and Michael Thyen back to their trailers to pack up for the weekend. 2019 class champion Rendolf Torbed from Curacao, who was on hiatus in 2020 was back ready to play. Torbed on ‘Kastigala’ made easy work of Junior Johnson on ‘Reparation’ and Howard Gerken on ‘Son of Sam’ on his way to meet Burkhart in the final. Even though the champ was back, it wasn’t enough as Burkhart boomed down the track for his second straight victory.

Tommie’s Motorsports DMV Bulls
The action was heated Saturday night in Tommie’s Motorsports DMV Bulls. The points leader Geoff Godfrey came in hot up with fresh upgrades to ‘Minion’, taking out Edward Thomas on ‘Da Setup’ in round one. In round two Travis Kidd on ‘Rebirth’ sent Godfrey back to the drawing board and putting his point lead in jeopardy.

At this first XDA event, Deshon Jones made a statement taking ‘Mae Jean’ to a final round after knocking out Augustine Herrera on ‘Bankrupt’ and Travis Kidd. Duane Jackson on ‘Miss Behavin’ took out heavy-hitters Brian Childress on ‘Joey Wales,’ Cody Lowe on ‘Codeine’ and Desmond Spaulding on ‘Sho Nuff’ on his way to the final.

Curfew hit Saturday night before Jones and Jackson could square off, and the two split the pot.

1 Stop Speed 5.60
Winner – Michael Rankin / Runner-up – Rico Brown

The 1 Stop Speed 5.60 eighth-mile index received two first-timers in the final. Michael Rankin, a staple in the sportsman classes, made his first XDA 1 Stop Speed 5.60 final along with Rico Brown, who is in his second season of motorcycle drag racing. Brown had the advantage going into the final because he was running deadly consistent with 5.607 ET average from the previous rounds compared to Rankin’s 5.65 average.

Brown left the starting line first with a .060 reaction time to Rankin’s .067. Brown got to the finish line first but broke out with a 5.570 ET, with the win going to Rankin on his 5.590 break-out pass.

Hard Times Parts & Service Gambler’s Race
Winner – Pablo Gonzalez / Runner-up – Normal Teal

The Friday night Hard Times Parts & Service Gambler’s race was again dominated by Pablo Gonzalez as he took back-to-back wins. In the final, he dialed a 9.34 to run against Norma Teal’s 8.24 dial. Gonzalez took the tree with a .027 to Teal’s .033. Both racers fought to get to the finish line first; Teal got there first but should have lifted quicker as he broke out running an 8.228 giving the win to Gonzalez’s 9.364

VooDoo Components Bracket Bash
Winner – Derrick Milbourne / Runner-up – Derek Burkhead Jr

On Saturday, a whopping one hundred and forty racers entered the VooDoo Components Bracket Bash. After seven rounds of competition, Derrick Milbourne and Derek Burkhead Jr. would be the last men standing. Milbourne’s reaction time average from the previous seven rounds was .042, while Burkhead Jr. had an advantage with a .030 average. Burkhead Jr. would react too quick and turn on the red light to hand the win over to Derrick Milbourne with a $4,500 class payout.

Mickey Thompson Tires Top Sportsman
Winner – Pablo Gonzalez / Runner-up – Robin Procopio

Pablo Gonzalez, who won the Mickey Thompson Tires Top Sportsman event at August’s Bike Bash, would qualify number one for the third straight race with a 7.499. This would also be his third consecutive final and second-time meeting Robin Procopio in the other lane. Procopio and Gonzalez both have wins over each other, and this weekend would be a tie-breaker. Procopio ended her weekend cutting a -.003 red light to send Gonzalez to his second-winner circle appearance of the weekend.

MPS Racing Pro ET
Winner – Dustin Lee / Runner-up – Pablo Gonzalez

Over a hundred racers entered Sunday’s MPS Racing Pro ET class. It would take seven wins before Dustin Lee and Pablo Gonzalez would meet in the final. Yes, Gonzalez was now in his third final of the weekend!

While Gonzalez was looking for a win, Lee needed a win to gain points for a shot at the championship. Lee dialed a 7.85 and Gonzalez a 7.50. With both 2008 Hayabusa’s staged, Lee got the starting line advantage with a .050 light to Gonzalez’s .071. As both riders headed to the finish looking over their shoulders, keeping an eye on their competitors position, it was Lee that made the better decision. Gonzalez backed off the throttle too soon, running a 7.57 while Lee ran closer to his dial with a 7.895 for the win.

Brock’s Performance Street ET
Winner – Derrick Milbourne / Runner-up – Jermiah Manuel

On Sunday, Brock’s Performance Street ET was dominated by Derrick Milbourne as his winning streak continued. Jermiah Manuel from Delaware won six straight rounds to meet Milbourne in the final. But his success would be undone in the final by his own hands. Manuel dialed a 9.07 to Milbourne’s 8.89. As both racers crossed the finish line, neither was willing to let out, and they both broke out, Milbourne with an 8.89 and Manuel with an injurious 9.034. This win gave Milbourne his second winner circle appearance of the weekend.

Visit www.xdaracing.com for event information, class rules, schedule, and more.

The XDA 2021 motorcycle drag racing season concludes at Maryland International Raceway for the 29th annual DME Racing Fall Nationals on October 8-10, 2021. The Fall air is bound to bring out record performances, so mark your calendars now and be there to watch the Championship chases unfold.

About XDA Racing
The Xtreme Dragbike Association (XDA) is an east coast motorcycle drag racing series with 700+ motorcycle racers competing at each event. Every XDA event hosts professional classes, sportsman classes, grudge racing and a vendor midway. Lifestyle activities such as bike shows, bikini contests, DJ and live bands are also held at select events. For more information on the XDA, please visit www.xdaracing.com or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube @xdaracing

Established in 1940, Motor Maids was one of the first women’s motorcycle groups and has been called the oldest existing women’s club in the United States. The first president of Motor Maids was Dot Robinson, who held the position for 25 years.
Purpose: Women’s Motorcycle Club
Founded: 1940

Dot was born on April 22, 1912 in Australia, moving to America in 1918 when her father wanted to expand the Goulding Sidecar business. Dot and Earl Robinsons were married in 1931. Dot empowered women when efforts to prevent her from competing in endurance runs failed. She competed throughout the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s.

In founding the Motor Maids, Dot set out to unite women riders, to show that you could ride a motorcycle and still be a lady. There was never a time you saw Dot without makeup. Away from her motorcycle, she looked ready to step in or out of a fashion magazine.

With approximately 1,300 members across the United States and Canada, the Motor Maids are a diverse group of women motorcyclists united through a passion for riding while fostering a positive image and promoting safe riding skills.

The founding premise of the Motor Maids was to unite women motorcyclists in promoting motorcycle interest.

–from Sam Burns

from https://www.euronews.com

The inaugural Dubai Motorcycle Film Festival has taken place in the UAE. The three-day event featured bike builds, short character-driven films to full-length documentaries that reveal the spirit and soul of the motorcycling community.

It is the brainchild of Festival Director, Ian Carless, who told Euronews that it was a challenging process choosing the films, “There’s a lot of content out there, as you can imagine, particularly for motorcycles. So choosing the films… the hardest part of that was actually which ones to leave out.”

Over 30 films were screened including Song of Sosa from Director, Cam Elkins, who discussed the importance of these platforms.

“These kinds of festivals just really give filmmakers, particularly motorcycle filmmakers, the opportunity to tell a whole diverse range of stories from different cultures and backgrounds”, he said.

Getting the event off the ground was also a rewarding challenge. Rhett Maxwell the General Manager of Honda UAE said that he was thrilled to be part “of the beginnings” of what he expects to be a massive event in the future. “Stuff in Dubai starts small, but it never stays small”, he added.

Highlights of the film festival included screenings of ‘Fast Eddie’, the story of a World War II veteran who still rides every day, and ‘Rebel Riders’, a film showcasing extreme Vespa Scooter subculture in Indonesia.

Local filmmaker Michael Vosloo showcased ‘WhyWeRide’ – an uplifting short about women riders in the desert.

“I think for many people that haven’t ridden and mainly also for females, if they think that biking is not for them, this is the film to watch. It’s very short, quick to the point. It’s a lot of fun” he told Euronews.

The second edition of the festival hopes to build on this years’ success and has already been scheduled for February 2022.

by Benny Kirk from https://www.autoevolution.com

Engineers and designers from Ducati must be riding high lately as their Multistrada V4 S took an overall victory in its class at the Alpen Masters competition, winning over a slew of competition from different manufacturers.

For those unfamiliar with Alpen Masters, it is an annual competition sanctioned by Motorrad, a German motoring magazine. In this comparison motorbikes for a wide range of segments gather to be put through a rigorous and demanding series of tests to determine which bike is the best manufactured that year.

This year’s test came from the Grossglockner Pass, one of the most famous alpine passes in the world, especially for motorcycles. These tests range from the mundane, like basic acceleration, braking, and handling tests, but also a couple of challenges meant to see what the bikes tested can do under adverse conditions.

The Multistrada V4’s clever new 1,158 cc (1.1 liter) V4 engine performed admirably throughout the battery of tests presented. The engine was lauded for its smooth power delivery and efficient operation under adverse load conditions. As was the in-house developed six-speed quick shift gearbox.

The engine elasticity test, for example, monitors a bike’s acceleration from 25kph (15.5 miles per hour) to 75 kph (46 miles per hour) going up a steep incline with a passenger on board. Against strong competition from brands like BMW, Kawasaki, KTM, and even another bike from Ducati, the Monster.

The Multistrada V4 performed better than all other competitions and placing first overall. It marked the first time such a competition was won by a manufacturer based outside of Germany or Austria.

Ducati announced in May of this year that the Multistrada V4 family has already sold 5,000 units worldwide. If it continues to win high-profile comparisons like the Alpen Masters, that publicity is sure to skyrocket even more.

PRESS RELEASE:

Every year, the prestigious German magazine Motorrad organises the Alpen-Masters, an important comparative test in which motorbikes from various segments compete against each other on the backdrop of the Alpine mountains, undergoing various tests. These include classic challenges such as acceleration, but also the engine elasticity test, which measures how quickly a motorbike in second gear can go from 25 km/h to 75 km/h with a passenger on board while riding up a steep incline, as well as a series of other components such as comfort level, aerodynamic protection and technical equipment. Over the years, the Alpen-Masters has become one of the most prestigious comparative tests in the world, and in 2021 the Ducati Multistrada V4 S came out on top.

Since its presentation in the first episode of the Ducati World Première 2021, the Multistrada V4 family immediately aroused extraordinary interest, being the logical evolution of a successful bike such as the 1200/1260 series, but with new features that immediately made it one of the references in the sector of the so-called Big Duals, i.e. bikes with a strong touring character, but also capable of off-road riding.

The setting for this year’s Alpen-Masters was the GrossGlockner, one of the most famous Alpine passes, especially for motorcyclists. Much appreciated both for the variety of the route and the impeccable condition of the asphalt surface, it remains one of the best roads to test and evaluate the qualities of a motorbike. Here the Multistrada V4 S was found to be very ready and was judged the best bike of the lot with the following motivation: “Mission accomplished. Bologna will be happy, as they have worked so hard to achieve this result. The Multistrada V4 is an excellent touring-enduro. Equipped to the max, it is a tireless companion both for daily commuting and for fully loaded motorcycling holidays. And you can even imagine yourself with it doing a few rounds on the track without being out of place. It was a narrow but well-deserved victory”.

For the record, the new Ducati Monster was also present at the test, where it performed well, finishing in the Top 5. The Multistrada V4 S joins a long list of successes that in previous editions had gone to only German and Austrian bikes, and this recognition is even more important precisely because it was issued by a German-language magazine. This comparative test is also published by other European magazines, including the Italian In Moto.

The Alpen-Masters is just the latest of the awards obtained by the Multistrada V4, which has been able to impose itself in various comparative tests all over the world, confirming the absolute value of the product and proposing itself as a complete bike at 360°.

by Benny Kirk from https://www.autoevolution.com

If you thought the world of motorcycles would be exempt from the all-electric revolution, it seems that prediction is just plain false. Zero Motorcycles, makers of electric bikes for 15 years, is going to have a real challenge keeping up with demand it seems.

The Santa Cruz, California-based EV manufacturer announced it’s going to release several of its 2022 electric bike models ahead of schedule to satiate what they called “unprecedented demand”. Including the model year 2022 S street motorcycles, DS, and DSR dual-sport models.

Zero Motorcycles claims this dramatic uptick in demand for electric bikes is partially due to lockdown restrictions from the latest public health crisis finally being lifted, creating a surge of riders chomping at the bits to get back on the road again. This desire to get bikes on the road before the end of the 2021 riding season is the main impetus for this change of pace.

The company also claims that demand in the electric motorcycle category far outpaces the demand for traditional internal combustion-powered motorcycles. While this claim can not be verified, the industry-wide shift from petroleum to electric drive in cars over the last five years makes this a more agreeable claim.

Zero’s line of motorcycles coves a wide range of different motorcycle categories, including normal street bikes, street racing bikes, supermoto, and even motocross. The company touts performance specs like a top speed of 98 miles per hour (158 kilometers per hour) and a range of 82 miles on its 2022 Zero S street bikes. With stats like those, it’s no wonder demand is skyrocketing.

It would still no doubt be difficult to persuade most die-hard motorcycle fans on board with the idea of a street bike that makes zero noise whatsoever. But with governments worldwide getting ready to ban the sale of gasoline-powered engines, it looks like EV bikes like the ones made by Zero will be the new normal sometime sooner rather than later.

PRESS RELEASE:

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., (Sept. 14, 2021) – Zero Motorcycles, the worldwide leader in electric motorcycles and powertrains, today announced the early release of Model Year 2022 S street motorcycles and DS, and DSR dual sport models. The release of these new models is to support the consistently high demand for Zero Motorcycles and the continued growth of the company’s dealer network.

The brand that defined the category of electric motorcycles continues to see demand that far outpaces the market appetite for internal combustion engine motorcycles. Though the overall demand for all powersports, particularly dual-sport models, has increased since the onset of lockdown restrictions in early 2020, demand for electric motorcycles has continued to spike upward even well into the calendar year 2021 riding season.

This continued drive to own Zero models has triggered the company’s decision to launch several models early to support demand while riders still enjoy agreeable weather nationwide. The Zero Motorcycles dealer network is the largest electric motorcycle sales channel in the world, and these models will begin shipping now to continue putting more riders on electric motorcycles than any other manufacturer.

“Supporting our dealer network is a key priority for Zero and this early release of select 2022 models is a great way to do that in the face of an unyielding demand for Zero Motorcycles,” said Mike Cunningham, VP of Sales for the Americas for Zero Motorcycles.

Zero recognizes that a critical aspect of supporting the dealer network isn’t just bringing new inventory to market, but also making certain that inventory offers a distinct rider benefit. The 2022 Zero S, DS, and DSR are all powered with the company’s proprietary Cypher II Operating System that orchestrates all of the motorcycles’ subsystems into a transformational riding experience. That includes Bosch ABS which is standard on all three models, motor, battery, and Bluetooth connectivity module to pair the machine to the mobile app for rider customizations. In addition to the industry standard in OS for electric motorcycles, these models also received updated hardware in the form of a full-color, optically bonded, 5” TFT display that is as sharp as the performance of the underlying motorcycle.

The 2022 Zero S naked street motorcycle gets 89 miles of range through city streets, is capable of a top speed of 98 mph, comes in Twilight color and produces 78 foot pounds of torque and 46 horsepower from the Z-Force 75-5 passively air-cooled, high efficiency, radial flux, interior permanent magnet, brushless motor which is supplied energy from a Z-Force 7.2 kWh lithium-ion battery, and retails for $11,195. The trail-ready 2022 Zero DS comes in a Quicksand colorway and is also powered by the Z-Force 75-5 motor and can achieve 98 mph while getting 82 miles of off-road adventure, carries a Z-Force 7.2 kWh battery, and retails for $11,195. The 2022 Zero DSR comes in Black and is the R-type variant of the dual sport model DS and is powered by a Z-Force 75-7 passively air-cooled, high efficiency, radial flux, interior permanent magnet, brushless motor that is capable of 102 mph while producing 116 foot pounds of torque and 70 horsepower, is fueled by the Z-Force 14.4 kWh power pack, gets 163 miles of range on city streets or off road, and retails for $15,695.

All of these new models are available for order and will be shipping today to all Zero Motorcycles Dealers worldwide.

VR46 Riders Academy Chooses Pirelli  as Partner for their Motorcycle and E-MTB Fleet.

Thanks to this collaboration with the VR46 Riders Academy, one of the most renowned schools in the world for professional racers, will equip its training fleet with Pirelli tires, from road bikes to motocross and E-MTB machines.

Milan, Italy September 14, 2021 – Pirelli has been chosen by the VR46 Riders Academy as technical partner and tire supplier for several of the team’s training activities. Thanks to this collaboration, the riders of the academy will be equipped with tires of the Italian manufacturer during their trainings on road bikes, motocross and E-MTBs.

The VR46 Riders Academy was founded with the aim of helping young Italian motorcyclists on their journey towards a racing career in the two-wheeled world. The staff that follows the riders of the VR46 Riders Academy are the same who support Valentino Rossi in the races so every advice and every decision is the result of years of experience.

The partnership involves the use of Pirelli tires for the training activities of the VR46 Riders Academy riders: from circuit sessions with road bikes, to off-road exercises using motocross bikes and training on E-MTBs.

The YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 motorcycles are used for training on circuit, which thanks to this partnership will be equipped with Pirelli DIABLO Superbike tires in the different compounds present in the range and in the same sizes used in the FIM Superbike World Championship. DIABLO Superbike is the tire used by all riders in the world championship of production-derived motorcycles and over the years it has undergone a constant improvement in performance thanks to the intense research and development carried out by Pirelli engineers.

For off-road training, the VR46 Riders Academy will rely on the performance of the SCORPION MX tire family, which boasts 74 world titles in motocross among its many successes, and the SCORPION E-MTB product range dedicated to electric mountain bikes.

Claudio Zanardo, Senior Vice President Pirelli Moto & Cycling, commented on the agreement: “I am pleased to announce the collaboration between VR46 Riders Academy and Pirelli, which has always supported and invested in the growth of young riders. The confirmation of Pirelli as tire supplier for the motorcycles and E-MTBs used in the training sessions of the VR46 Riders Academy further strengthens Pirelli’s position both in the sporting and in the marketing fields. This partnership is a clear recognition of the consolidated reputation enjoyed by Pirelli motorcycle tires, developed thanks to decades of participation in top international competitions, with the addition of our latest tires specially developed by the Cycling division for performing E-MTBs. We are pleased that the VR46 Riders Academy has chosen to rely on the performance and safety offered by Pirelli tires for its training activities.”

In 1957, the USSR launched both the first intercontinental ballistic missile and the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1. These actions would ultimately lead to the Space Race, but meanwhile on Earth, that same year, America’s Harley-Davidson released its own history-making machine into the world. It was a new lightweight overhead valve (OHV) twin motorcycle that allowed the U.S. to compete with its British competition, and in doing so birthed one of the longest running models in motorcycle history: The XL Sportster.

The K Model was the birth of Harley-Davidson’s lightweight twins, and the KR (racing) model would dominate the AMA races from the mid 1950s through to the 1960s. But by the late 1950s Harley Davidson had spent four years trying to get more power out of the side-valve for the touring customer, and their last attempt was increasing the capacity in the KH model to 883 cc, but this strategy proved counter-productive due to the increase in weight. Instead, Harley-Davidson went on to develop an OHV version of the K Model engine, which became the XL commonly known as the Sportster.

Retaining the same bottom end as the K Model, the XL used the same four-cam configuration to drive the overhead valves—often considered the best valvetrain Harley has ever made. Harley had used aluminum in the heads of its Panhead engines, but customer experience indicated that these engines weren’t yet reliable enough, so Harley opted for cast iron heads on the XL, which weighed in at 495 pounds. The OHV did increase in power, to 40 horses, and in tandem with the four-speed transmission the XL proved itself a real contender within the American motorcycling community. It even built a reputation as an American “sports bike”; the combination of American-made V-twin power and lighter weight meant that the XL was ridable by all.

With global sales getting affected due to pandemic and closure of business operations in emerging markets such as India, the American manufacturer has not had a pleasant 2020. However, the brand has a very rich legacy over many years and it is confident about its resurgence in future. A couple of months ago the 338R from Harley was the talk of the town as several spied images and patent sketches had leaked on the internet giving us an idea of what the company’s future could look like. Termed as the ‘baby Harley’, this bike looked nothing like a typical Harley-Davidson.

Atypical because neither does the bike belong to a cruiser segment nor does it feature a big displacement powertrain. The motorcycle adopts a flat-track racer body style. Even though flat trackers aren’t quite the big thing these days, an Italian industrial design house has seen potential in this segment and therefore created its own concept prototype. Just like teased patent images of 338R, the XR338 too is based on Benelli 302S. Brief about Engines Engineering Founded by Alberto Strazzari in 1979, Engines Engineering (EE) specializes in motorcycle design and development and have worked previously with OEMs like Yamaha, Ducati, Honda, Benelli, Suzuki and many more.

It has also provided its services for designing purposes for local Italian manufacturers. However, this is the first time it has attempted something like this on an existing model and turned it into something completely different. Design of XR338 Dubbed as XR338, this naked street tracker is aimed primarily at the younger consumers of the US market. Design-wise, EE has admitted that the XR338 draws major inspirations from Harley-Davidson XR750. The iconic flat tracker is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. EE claims that the prototype is fully functional and 70 percent ready for production.

Although most of Benelli’s components are intact, it gets its own modified frame with the stock 302S trellis structure making way for a more flowing affair. EE has also added its own body, fuel system, LED lighting, instrumentation and a new pair of 18-inch custom wheels. Suspension has also been tweaked slightly in accordance with the new wheels and bike’s revised mass. It also receives a new exhaust muffler and ECU unit. EE has designed the XR338 keeping in mind the latest emission norms including Euro 5 standards, US DOT, and even CARB requirements thus removing most hurdles before production. EE claims to have built this prototype in 120 days and it would take another six months to complete the last 30 percent remaining for it to be production ready.

Powertrain Utilized Benelli 302S is powered by a 300 cc twin-cylinder which pushes out 37.5 bhp and 25.6 Nm of peak torque. Even though XR338 will share its underpinnings with Qianjiang QJ350 and Benelli 302S, it is said to carry its own American heart and soul. Speculations are rife that the 338R will be powered by a 338cc parallel-twin engine which will produce 43 bhp. It is expected to be paired with a 6-speed transmission unit. Whether the XR338 draws some inspiration for folks at Harley-Davidson is yet to be seen but its design is definitely a head-turner. Also, the future of 338R in India hangs in balance since Harley Davidson relinquishing its duties in the country and handing it over to Hero MotoCorp.

Article courtesy of Rush Lane:

https://www.rushlane.com/harley-davidson-xr338-street-tracker-12381726.html .

 

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