Fighting fourth place for Sam Lowes in Austria Sam Lowes continued his excellent run of results by scoring fourth place in a shortened race at the Red Bull Ring while Augusto Fernández fought hard to secure another strong finish in eighth. The 25-lap Moto2 race was red flagged on lap four after a terrifying incident which included Enea Bastianini, Hafizh Syahrin, Edgar Pons and Andi Farid Izdihar. It eventually started 40 minutes behind schedule in track temperatures of 44 degrees. In an action-packed ‘sprint race’, the Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Sam Lowes and Augusto Fernández scored important points by finishing in the top eight. After a lengthy delay to attend to the riders and clean up the track, the Moto2 grid was reformed based on the order at the end of lap three of the original race. The restart was held over a reduced distance of 13 laps. 8th, + 9.598 s. The three-time Moto2 race winner used the warm-up session to try a new chassis and rear suspension setting to improve the balance of the bike and immediately felt very comfortable. He set the seventh fastest time. After recovering two places in the first race, Augusto lined up in tenth on the grid for the restart. Having worked on a perfect set-up for the race all weekend, the rider from the Balearic Islands couldn’t run his normal pace as he fought for seventh place. In the end, Fernández couldn’t overtake Thomas Luthi on the final lap and finished eighth, 9.5 seconds behind the race winner. Overall, it has been another positive weekend for Augusto. The eight points gained see Fernández remain in 13th place in the World Championship with 25 points to his name. “We had good pace and could have had a really good race” “It was a crazy race! It was a short race and everyone was pushing like it was the last lap. I’m not happy. We had good pace all weekend and could have had a really good race. But in the end, it wasn’t about pace. It was about fighting every lap and my good pace was for nothing. I didn’t manage to fight in a good way. I didn’t manage to win the battle in my group but anyway we have another race here next weekend. We’ll keep working as we have been doing and hopefully it will be a longer race weekend in which we can take advantage of our pace.” 4th, +7.249 s. The Englishman began the restarted race from seventh on the grid. A difficult getaway and a fight with Aron Canet on lap two saw him lose time to the top three riders. While fighting for fourth, a spectacular moment on the exit of turn one caused Sam to lose two places. But the three-time Moto2 race winner fought until the end, overtaking Xavi Vierge for fourth place on the exit of the final corner. It represented an excellent result for the Englishman, whose previous best result at the Red Bull Ring was 20th. The 13 points scored today mean he stays in fourth place in the World Championship, 19 points behind first place. “I’m happy with the fourth place and 13 points” “It was OK. When it’s a short race everybody pushes hard. I didn’t make the best start and I was in the group. It was one of those races that was fun to be involved in but I knew I was losing a lot of time. After the bad start and with the race being held over 13 laps I’m happy with the fourth place and 13 points. It’s another strong weekend for me and we got some good points. I know I’m stronger than that so I can look forward to next weekend.” “We are very happy to have this fourth position with Sam and this eighth place with Augusto” “First of all, I want to say we are very lucky after the first race and the incident that happened. Going into the second race it was very difficult with less laps and at a track where it is very easy to overtake in these hard-braking points. Anyway, we are very happy to have this fourth position with Sam and this eighth place with Augusto. We were fighting in the group and recovered points for the championship as well. We are sure next week we can finish even higher!”

Garcia Dols battles in group for 16th in Austria

The Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider takes part in a tussle with a large front group. Yamanaka places 24th after an incident on the opening laps.

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Moto3 riders Sergio Garcia Dols and Ryusei Yamanaka contested the Austrian Grand Prix at the Spielberg circuit this Sunday.

Garcia Dols was in the points for much of the race, before crossing the finish line in 16th. Yamanaka finished 24th after trying to make his way back through the field. The win went to Spanish rider Albert Arenas.

Both the warmup and the race took place under clear skies and with a dry track. Temperatures at the start of the race were 24 ºC (ambient) and 38 ºC (track), with a light wind across the circuit.

The next round of the Moto3 World Championship sees the series remain in Austria, for the Styrian Grand Prix on August 21-23rd.

16th, +2.866

Garcia Dols’ time of 1:37.268 in the warm up had been his fastest of the weekend. At the start of the race, taking off from 20th on the grid, he quickly gained six positions and was up into the points from Lap 2, closing out the large group at the front.

Amidst a fast group full of overtaking moves, he lost positions past the halfway mark, before making up ground on the final laps to finish 16th. He occupies 16th in the World Championship standings with 13 points.

“I made a good start and was immediately up into the points”

“I was 20th on the grid, but I made a good start and was immediately up into the points. I was riding in the large group, but I noticed that I couldn’t carry on gaining positions. I was riding comfortably but I couldn’t climb further, and I finished the race riding at the best pace I could. The positive thing is that I rode with the big group and that in the final part of the race I kept that good pace up.”

24th, +23.563

Ryusei Yamanaka started Sunday’s warmup session with a time of 1:38.161, for 28th. At the start of the race, for which he was 21st on the grid, he dropped two positions, subsequently becoming involved in an incident that took him off the track and back into 30th place.

He would regain six positions on the following laps, but the large group at the front was out of reach. After finishing 24th, Yamanaka is 22nd in the World Championship with 7 points.

“If I passed someone, they would overtake me on the next corner”

“I am not satisfied with the result today. On the second lap I was hit by another rider, which caused me to go off the track, and when I rejoined the race I was practically last. From that moment on, I pushed hard and tried to regain contact with the group, but it was impossible. If I passed someone, they would overtake me again on the next corner. We have to improve from the first Free Practice sessions at the next race, because the further back we start on the grid, the more difficult the race becomes.”

from https://timesofmalta.com

Ducati has bolstered its range of mobility options with the release of three new folding e-bikes.

Following on from a series of electric scooters, the new bicycles – called Urban-E, SCR-E and SCR-E Sport – give assistance from an electric motor when pedalling.

The SCR-E has been designed as part of Ducati’s Scrambler range and features fat tyres which give it the ability to tackle rough or off-road surfaces. With a 374.4Wh battery integrated into the frame, the bike can travel up to 43 miles (69 kilometres) between charges. The aluminium has been designed to be carried easily, while the rear lights are integrated into the seat post to maintain the bike’s lines. An LCD display gives key information back to the rider and features a twilight sensor to automatically detect when the lights need to come on or off. It even displays the temperature, too.

The e-bike’s battery is integrated into the frame.

The SCR-E Sport, meanwhile, gets a front fork and rear spring shock integrated into the frame, while single wall alloy wheels and road tyres give the bike a sporty look. Thanks to a 468kW battery, it can travel up to 50 miles (80 kilometres) on a charge.

Finally, the Urban-E uses a special aluminium frame with an easy-folding locking system, created by Centro Stile Ducati along with designers from Italdesign’s design division. The handlebar incorporates a fully integrated LED display, which allows the rider to check charge levels and turn the LED lights on or off. It uses a 378kW battery that is integrated into the frame and has been designed to look like a motorcycle’s fuel tank.

by Silvian Secara from https://www.autoevolution.com

Seeing creatively customized motorcycles never gets old, so let’s have a look at another.

BAR!STA’s story began when a Harley Davidson XL1200C arrived on the doorstep of a workshop based in Frankfurt, Germany. That would be none other than Mainhattan Choppers, a firm with an extensive portfolio of custom two-wheelers. It was co-founded by Harald Geiger, along with Martin Lison and its talented crew is prepared to go above and beyond to satisfy customers’ expectations.

Now, as to Harley Davidson’s XL1200C, it is one mean, loud and truly ferocious animal. The thing is powered by a monstrous four-stroke V-twin with a displacement of 1201cc and a five-speed transmission, nested inside a mild steel tubular frame. This air-cooled engine is equipped with Evolution pushrods and hydraulic overhead valves, delivering up to 79 pound-feet (107 Nm) of torque output at 4,000 rpm.

As far as suspension goes, XL1200C featured 39 mm forks at the front, along with adjustable shocks, coilovers and an MIG welded swingarm at the rear. Back to the front, its five-spoke cast aluminum wheel wore a 292 mm (11.5 inches) disc and two-piston calipers, along with a 260 mm (10.2 inches) rear disc and single-piston caliper.

To give birth to their BAR!STA café racer using this Sportster as the starting point, the folks over at Mainhattan Choppers drew inspiration from the solid correlation that seems to exist between the passion for motorcycles and a sincere love for caffeine. In fact, this is exactly how the term ‘café racer’ came about in the first place.

For this project, the team decided to collaborate with Ian Alderton, a remarkable individual with an experience of over 19 years in Honda Europe’s R&D department, as well as several builds of his own, such as a Moto Guzzi Le Mans, Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica and a Rickman Bonneville. Briefly speaking, the BAR!STA was in safe hands.

That unique bodywork is unlike anything I’ve seen so far on a Sportster and has to be the most outstanding feature on this gorgeous thing. It brings a great deal of refinement to a very rugged machine, which is an interesting, even fascinating approach.

The unusual design consists of three wings extending out of the fuel tank and around the handlebars, to then surround the headlight. This truly authentic setup isn’t exactly something you’ll see on a daily basis and we certainly appreciate the sheer amount of creativity that’s gone into it!

While a rectangular, edgy design language is the weapon of choice for most café racers, Mainhattan Choppers took a radically different approach with BAR!STA. The curves on this baby are incredibly sexy in their simplicity and elegance.

Furthermore, XL1200C is now provided with a wider two-into-two custom exhaust that was fully assembled in-house by Mainhattan’s deeply passionate crew. It is intended to grab the attention of even the most pretentious petrolheads out there, and I’ll bet it succeeds.

However, the best part about this BAR!STA is that the German firm is now producing body kits that feature its memorable design, with a price tag starting at only €10,200 ($12,050 at current exchange rates) for the base model. They come in three variations and can be fitted on virtually any Sportster to make it look otherworldly.

What are your thoughts on this custom Harley Davidson XL1200C from Mainhattan Choppers?

by Cristian Curmei from https://www.autoevolution.com

You love motorcycles, and you love racing them. But life sometimes throws things at us that take away some of our most treasured abilities. This is the story of how a concept could bring a second chance to disabled amputees.

So you’re a Moto GP racer. Last season, while trying to overtake the soon to be second place racer, your rear tire was clipped from the outside and you were thrown over the bike. Not too big a deal, as you’ve been through it before. But this time you somehow end up underneath the bike and are dragged till you pass out.

You wake up in the hospital, with doctors telling you that the only other choice they had was to let you pass on. You try to move but you can seem to prop yourself on your left arm. Looking to your left, you see that there is no left arm to hold you up any longer. You break down in tears knowing you’ll never again experience the track or life as before.

That’s most likely the kind of story that gave way to this concept by Tom Hylton. This two-week project was designed to offer a second chance to amputee riders. It is a two-part unit, and since we’ve recently introduced the arm into the stories, it’s now time for the bike.

The entire design includes the modular Honda robotic arm, which is specifically tuned for motorcycle use, but also this wonderous beast upon which a rider is placed.

What we are looking at is a self-balancing design that can stay upright without any sort of assistance. Behind its self-balancing trick is similar technology to the BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100. But this isn’t about BMW. It’s about how Honda could meet a need for a very niche market.

The design behind it is quite simple. As it never made it past the conceptual stages, there really isn’t much to go on. We know that the design is made for the track, so features that offer aerodynamics, strength and speed are surely in the mix.

A large and low front end leads to a lifted rear and rider position much like on a GP bike. While a low and wide bottom offers a low center of gravity to help keep the bike stable during turns.

At the front of the bike you’ll see that it feels a bit off as one of the handlebars is missing. It’s all in the works. Remember that the arm and motorcycle are designed for one another, so the area that’s missing the handlebar is designated for the arm function. One of the cool ideas behind this setup is that once the rider connects to the bike through that arm port, the bike and arm open a communications channel where an exchange of information will also affect the rider.

Based on the needed speed or angle of the rider, the arm should position itself in such a way as to optimize riders body position.

As we look at the bike we also see a long ride outline. This outline highlights the riding position. It starts up on the seat and drops down along the body to where we find grooves cut into the frame so that your knees are protected, and the body streamlined. At the rear, the feet rest on part of the frame rather that pedals.

We’re also told that the bike is designed as an EV and the rear motor is powered by a large battery hidden within the frame.

Now the design shows us that it’s meant for much more than just the track. We are shown a future where she can be ridden through snow covered hills with ice spikes.

It’s hard to believe that our online summer fundraiser, “Drive For History” is almost over. Next week the event closes out with a focus on some of the most significant machines in the Wheels Through Time collection. We want to say thank you to everyone who has watched, commented, and contributed to make this event such a great success. As many of you know, Wheels Through Time is entirely funded through the generous contributions of our supporters; it’s incredible people like you that help fuel “The Museum That Runs.” PLAY YOUR PART Just because the Drive For History is over doesn’t mean that you still can’t play a part! Head over to DriveForHistory.com to catch up on all the amazing video content and to make a contribution to keep one of a kind content like this coming.

YOUR CHANCE AT HISTORY! One of the most important bikes in the museum collection by far is our annual raffle bike. On November 14th, someone’s life will change when we award this beautiful 1939 Harley Davidson Knucklehead to one lucky winner. There’s no better way to support the museum and no better time than now to get your tickets GET TICKETS

Damn those dagos know about design. These new MV’s are gorgeous
The New MV Agusta Brutale and Dragster Models Don’t Want You to Bother With the Clutch
The Italian bike builder’s Smart Clutch System is now offered on select versions of both roadsters.

–Geno

Official Investigative Correspondent

Bikernet.com

By Peter Jackson from the Robb Report

Famed Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta has been on a tear of late, producing ever-more outrageous motorcycles that are certainly pushing the boundaries of design and, let’s be honest, taste.

The recently released, limited-edition Rush 1000 is proof of the bike builder’s new direction. It’s a model that packs as much shock value as it does horsepower (all 212 hp, thank you very much), but there’s a whole range of MV’s below that flagship that deserves some attention, like the 2020 Brutale 800 RR SCS and Dragster 800 RR SCS.

Those last three letters in the name are the giveaway with these new machines, for these are the first naked bikes to come with the new Smart Clutch System (SCS) that almost does away with the need for a clutch lever at all.

If you’re not familiar with the SCS that debuted with the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce a couple of years ago, here’s the quick and dirty. The SCS automatically disengages the clutch when the motorcycle comes to a stop, just like you would if you pulled the clutch lever in yourself. You’re still responsible for up and down gear changes via the traditional six-speed, quick shifter–equipped gearbox, but you don’t have to use the clutch for anything if you don’t want to, and that includes selecting first gear before taking off.

In that way, the bike almost becomes a scooter (except for the need to change gears). MV Agusta is enormously proud of its system, which was developed in conjunction with Stateside-based Rekluse Clutches, an enterprise that has long been making similar bolt-on systems—out of its factory in Idaho—for off-road bikes.

MV Agusta is the only company to fit such a design as a factory part. And it’s significantly lighter (MV Agusta claims just a one-ounce weight increase over a standard manual clutch) than something like the Dual Clutch Transmission system offered by Honda for their CRF1000L Africa Twin and Gold Wing range.

Including the new SCS models, the Brutale range gets boosted to five variants in total, three of which are different versions of the line’s 800 cc three-cylinder machines, with the remaining two being the utterly gorgeous 1000 Serie Oro, which MV Agusta touts as being the most powerful naked bike on the planet, and the Brutale 1000 RR.

Of the three 800 models, the 800 RR SCS and 800 RR (with the traditional clutch) pack 140 hp from their 798 cc inline three-cylinder motors, while the Brutale Rosso is a reduced power unit with 110 hp on tap.

MV Agusta’s Dragster has always been an evolution of the Brutale 800 range and its lineup has been boosted to four bikes with the addition of the SCS model. Characterized by a larger rear wheel and stumpy, brash styling compared to the more traditional Brutale aesthetic, the Dragster 800 RR SCS and 800 RR will punch out 140 hp, while the Dragster 800 RC and 800 Rosso offer 150 hp and 110 hp, respectively.

More on the Robb Report

So Far, So Good and Rockin’

Hey,

What’s happening at the Rally? It’s amazing. New motorcycle markets everywhere and even two new magazines.

This rally has been amazing. I’m seeing more choppers, more performance alternatives, more baggers, more Indians, and more women riding.

From the bottom of my motorcycle heart I hope that all the rally goers ride home healthy and we show the world the benefits of freedom and motorcycles. Keep your fingers crossed and stay safe. Freedom always seems to work.

Ride Free Forever,

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

We’ve seen over the years custom motorcycle builds being compared to anything you could imagine, but rarely so with something like a spaceship. Yet this is exactly how German custom shop Thunderbike describes its latest Harley-Davidson FXDR project.

The Softail conversion, drawing a lot of inspiration from another build called Silverforce, is the latest product coming from one of the world’s most active Harley garages. It has been assembled in the shape displayed in the gallery above at the request of a customer, of course, and no corners were cut, neither visual nor performance-related.

As usual with any Thunderbike machine, this one too sports a host of changes compared to the stock incarnation. Thunderbike has a habit of detailing all the parts that go into their builds, and in this case the list is over 20-items long.

Changes include the addition of custom body parts – like fenders, seat shell, cover kits, footrest, grips and so on – but also mechanical alterations to make it meaner – lowered stance, fork conversion and above all, a Screamin ‘Eagle Stage II Torque Kit for the 144ci engine fitted on the two-wheeler.

All these custom parts and modifications were made to fit together just right, and sprayed over with shades of silver, white, black and red by the shop’s usual painting partner, Kruse Design. What resulted is a bike that “looks as if it has come straight from a rocket base,” if there are bikes on rocket bases, or one that has “an appearance like a spaceship- fast and clean, without frills and gimmicks.”

We are not being told how much the entire conversion cost to make, but a quick look at the parts listed as used on the bike puts the sum at over 5,000 euros ($6,000), not including of course the base motorcycle and the work of the tuners.

 

by Cristian Curmei from https://www.autoevolution.com

If you’ve ever had an accident that caused you to lose functions of a certain body part, you might be able to imagine what it may be like for an amputee. A new design is looking to change all that and offers a second chance to a once lost love.

Every once in a while, a human comes along and changes the rules of the game. Out of struggle and hardship amazing designs to meet unconventional needs are born. This time, the story is about how we can continue our favorite past-time of riding motorcycles even after accidents would leave us incapable of naturally doing so.

A designer by the name of Tom Hylton, an intern at Jaguar, has designed an innovative solution for amputees who would still like to take that Sunday ride. A bionic arm bearing the Honda sigil. More so, it’s even capable of being taken out to the racetrack, on paper anyway.

This design is still a concept so I’m not sure how soon we would be seeing it on actual riders, but that doesn’t mean that it deserves any less respect. Taking into consideration that it offers the ability to continue being a rider even after a limb-losing accident, this device is one of the more promising designs around.

As you can see, the design revolves around your basic human arm, but with a few less functions. For example, the arm includes only a bicep, triceps, elbow and forearm. No palm component, that we normally use for throttling or picking things up, exists. Instead, the arm has a pincer like end that should allow it to connect to any throttle stick. So, it’s specifically made for motorcycling and nothing else.

That being said, the arm does include a few components that allow is to add to riding value. One of the downsides of non-bionic riders, for lack of a better description, is that we have flesh. And if you’ve ever experienced road rash at 50 miles per hour, imagine what it’s like at 100 or even 150 mph speeds experienced by professional riders. This is why we use and see protective gear on motorcycle equipment, to help us from losing our own fleshy components.

Because the arm is robotic, it means that the materials used in its composition and build can be designed with specific purposes. And that’s what happens here as well. Due to the possible use of materials such as carbon fiber and even titanium, the forearm and elbow design was created in such a way as to act as a protective component. Meaning if you need to take a turn a bit sharper than usual, just lean into it and use the arm as a skid plate.

Another trick this robotic arm has up its inexistent sleeve is that it’s modular. The arm itself can be used separately. The first piece, the forearm, can be used as a standalone prosthetic for amputees that have had a trans-radial accident.

The second and third piece, the elbow and bicep prosthetic, is to be used by trans-humeral amputees. This modular ability allows for the prosthetic to be suitable for other forearms that may be needed to perform different functions other than riding a motorcycle. This further extends it’s applicability and suitability to meet market needs.

Let’s be real here, if Honda ever puts anything like this into production, it won’t just be given away for free. It is a product, and products need a market, or in this case, to meet a market need.