Kamis, 02 April 2009

History Off the Honda CB series




In 1969 Honda launched the first Honda CB model the CB750, acknowledged as a landmark motorcycle which combined, for the first time, outstanding performance, reliability and engineering sophistication.

The CB750 was the first inline four cylinder motorcycle and the first with disc brakes. The CB750 was in production for nine years during which more than 400,000 machines were sold.

In 1979 the redesigned CB750 sported a 749cc four cylinder, twin cam engine with double overhead camshafts with the rocker arms replaced by bucket and shim adjusters. The performance was significantly boosted with these modifications most significantly for the CB750F Super Sport model which was outstanding for its class.

By 1981 the CB900F was introduced with a shorter wheelbase with 20% increase in displacement for only 22.5 pounds increase in weight. The 902cc 16 valve engine had larger valves and carburetors the bike frame was stiffer with larger diameter tubing, a weightier fork and adjustable damping shocks.

By 1983 the CB1100F was introduced with all the best parts of the CB900F plus a 1062cc engine, larger engine bores, adjustable handles and a new swing arm box section. The next model, the CBR1000 - the Hurricane, was introduced in 1987 With a liquid cooled four valve inline engine it was quieter, had more consistent power output, a longer engine life and reduced emissions. With great handling and brakes the Hurricane was good for long distance riding and was lighter then its predecessor.


The next model, the CB750 Nighthawk, with an air cooled 750 four cylinder in line engine echoes the design of the original CB750. Engine displacement was 747cc with four valves per cylinder and double overhead cam shafts With solid state ignition and hot road styling the Nighthawk was a popular model.


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Rabu, 01 April 2009

Ariel Square Four

Ariel Square Four

The Square Four had a lifespan of over 25 years, and several incarnations of all sizes from 500cc to 1000cc. If you thought that all old British bikes were 650 twins then read on...



Ariel's Square Four started life in 1931, designed by a young Edward Turner who drew his original idea for the Square Four on the back of a fag packet, and then took it to several manufacturers. BSA weren't interested but Ariel were willing to try it out. Turner was hoping to 'provide a four-cylinder engine small enough for use in a solo motorcycle, yet producing ample power for really high performance without undue compression, racing cams or a big-choke carburettor. I was aiming at the ultimate reliability with the minimum of attention'


When introduced, the Square was as 500, with its remarkably compact powerplant slotted into a twin front downtube chassis similar to that used by Ariel's 500 singles, using girder forks and a rigid back end. The original OHC engine can be viewed as being similar to two parallel twins which shared a common crankcase with the two crankshafts geared together at the middle pinions, and a common cylinder block and head. The overhead camgear was chain driven. Early bikes used a hand-change, four-speed Burman gearbox.

The Square grew to 600cc in 1932 to give it a little more power, and was intended to be used mainly as a sidecar tug. It was very smooth but somewhat sedate, and the engine was not easy to tune for peppier performance.

By the late 1930s the 997cc Square was introduced with an OHV pushrod, all-iron engine, alongside a similarly-engineered 600cc version. The front end still used girder forks but the rear utilised Frank Anstey's sprung rear suspension system.




Postwar, the Square adopted an alloy engine, saving some 30lb in weight. The 1949 machine weighed around 435lb dry, produced 35bhp at 5500rpm and matched oil-damped tele forks to the Anstey link rear end.

In 1953 the most famous four-piper Mk2, still with Anstey link rear suspension, was introduced. Although Ariel built prototypes of a Mk3 with Earles forks in 1954, the model wasn't put into production, so the Mk2 ended the line when it was discontinued in 1959. The final factory incarnation of the Square cost £336.16.6 new in 1958. A non-running 1955 Mk2 4-piper was offered for private sale at the end of 2005 for £4000.

Ariel Info


THE ARIEL OWNERS' MCC welcome all Ariel enthusiasts, be they owners or simply admirers. See www.arielownersmcc.co.uk for details about the club's excellent monthly magazine, spare part scheme, badges, transfers and regalia, technical information, machine dating service, annual rally and concours competition and numerous other rallies and scenic runs. For membership info send an SAE to Andy Hemingway at 80 Pasture Lane, Clayton, Bradford BD14 6LN


DRAGANFLY MOTORCYCLES manufacture and stock a vast array of spare parts for Ariels made between 1926 and 1965. Roger and Graham have been specialising in the marque for over 20 years and offer a 130-page catalogue for 4-stroke models (available on cd or as a booklet, both for a fiver). See www.draganfly.co.uk or call 01986 894798


TO READ UP ON THE BREED we recommend Brooklands Books' Ariel Square Four Limited Edition Extra (ISBN 1 855 20623 4), and Mick Walker's Ariel The Complete Story (published by Crowood, ISBN 1 86126 645 6). There are some great older publications, too, but these are very much sought after and hardly ever cheap! See www.realclassic.co.uk/books to search Amazon's stocklist


JOHN BUDGEN'S STOCK OF ARIEL SPARES frequently turns up that magical NOS part which you thought you had no hope of finding, ever. John also has new items, like Ariel petrol tanks and Lycett-style saddles, made. See www.johnbudgenmotorcycles.co.uk or call 01242 621495




1958 Ariel Square Spec

Engine: Air cooled 4-stroke ohv square four
Displacement: 997cc
Bore x stroke: 65 x 75mm
Compression ratio: 7.2:1
Carburation: single SU carburettor
Claimed power: 42hp @ 5800rpm
Transmission: 4-speed
Electrics: 6V 20A/h battery, coil ignition
Frame: Steel diamond
Front suspension: Telescopic forks
Rear suspension: Twin link-and-plunger units
Front brake: 8-in (203mm) sls drum
Rear brake: 8-in (203mm) sls drum
Front tyre: 3.25 x 19in (Avon SM)
Rear tyre: 4.00 x 18in (Avon SM)
Wheelbase: 56 inches / 1422mm
Seat height: 30 inches / 787mm
Fuel capacity: 5 gallons / 23 litres
Weight: 425lb / 197kg dry




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Ariel VB600

Ariel VB600: Slogger!

The Ariel VB is a plodding old sidevalve single, with plenty of torque but with no power and no brakes. Right? 'Borrow mine…' suggested Tony Page. Frank Westworth took up his offer...



Everyone knows all about bikes. This is a Great Truth. Somehow and mysteriously, we all know everything there is to know about bikes, even bikes we've never owned, and in many cases have never ridden. But we know that we know, because we read about it once in an old bike magazine, or we spoke with a bloke who once had a mate who rode one once or who thought about buying one once but bought something sensible and reliable instead.



I'm the same, in fact. For years I read about and believed in The Classic Myth, which assures us all that sidevalve singles are suitable only for be-whiskered, rollie-puffing long gabardine mac-wearers who need to haul either their squalling families or their window-cleaning ladders about with them. And they need a gargantuan sidecar for that, and the sidevalve single gets the unique joy of hauling that sidecar.

That's fine. I knew it to be true. As a consequence, I've never owned a running sidevalve, and although I've ridden several over the years, the only one which felt in any way handy was Steve Wilson's BSA M21. And I think that I only rated that because it had hauled Steve across continents, and therefore was a distinguished personality all of its own!

But a couple of years ago, I was accosted at the same old bike show by three separate, but somehow similar, riders. These guys were all mid-late 30s, were all wearing proper high quality riding kit, and all rode trick modern tackle. One rode a Triumph Daytona triple, one a Ducati 996, and … I've forgotten the other. They all wanted to know which was the better bike, an Ariel VB or a BSA M21. That was a tough one! On a desirability scale of 0 - 10, I would have rated both around the 2 to 3 level. Because I knew all about them. Well…

I was talking about this strange occurrence with Tony Page, rider of more miles than anyone else in the known universe (400,000 miles on a Norton Interpol 2!) and fast lad indeed. Tony also owns far more bikes than I do, and his bikes all appear to work. Where's the challenge in that? Etcetera. Anyway, talking with TP, and he says; 'I've got a VB. Why don't I lend it to you for three months?'

Speechless…

So, a couple of wet weekends later, there is this strange steam engine sort of noise in the lane and Mr Page appears through the healthy rain aboard this elderly (50s, but only just) Ariel. It looks like a 'just found it in a barn, ideal for restoration' sort of bike, but sounds like a sidevalve single built by BMW: very quiet mechanically, inexorably confident and constant.



I talk with Tony, put his Ariel into the old Big Shed, and leave it there for however long it takes for the rain to cease. Then, it's pull it out and see whether I can start it. I have a poor knee and it is no great fan of big singles. Flood. Retard, Kick.

Ignition.

Tickover.

Leave engine ticking over, and go haul on riding kit. Climb aboard relentless Ariel and head off up the lane and out into the drying, steaming countryside. Return one entire lifetime later, scales dropped from eyes, preconceptions cast asunder, mind full of humble recognition that I have talked (and indeed written) nonsense about sidevalve singles for years.

Happily, the only thing on Tony's VB which is conspicuously non-functional is the odometer, so he has to this day no knowledge of how far we travelled. Well…

I can't offer you chapter and technical verse about this splendid machine, because all my reference books are buried somewhere between three houses at the moment, so this is riding impressions. Hope that's OK?

First impressions: not a lot of compression. You get the impression that there is about a hundredweight of flywheel inside those handsomely cast crankcases (and there probably is), but that once your right leg has overcome the inertia, got them spinning with the valve lifter working, that dropping the lifter will always start the engine. This is in fact true. Forget all you know about ohv big singles; this is very different. Once the VB is running, it's running, and you can advance the ignition again. In fact you don't really need to use the ignition control any more than you need to use the valve lifter, but it soon becomes part of the ritual and part of the confidence that were you stuck up an Alp, mid-winter, and all other vehicles had failed, the VB would just boff into life and sit there ticking over while icicles melt (slowly) from the cylinder's cast-iron fins.




As soon as you sit on the Ariel you understand that it is physically small, but in the way of rigid old iron the riding position is bafflingly roomy. You sit in total comfort, astounded that the controls do in fact fall readily to hand, that both your feet are flat on the floor, that the footrests are where your feet somehow expect them to be, and that the clutch is dead light, first gear engages with a healthy smack and that you can - bizarre but true - pull away on a whiff of throttle. If you don't know what a whiff of throttle is, take a ride on a bike like this!

Ariel were unusual in the post-war years in that they carried on using a dry clutch. Most manufacturers got rid of dry clutches as soon as they developed relatively leak-proof primary chaincases. In the case of all Nortons prior to the Commando (and excluding the light twins and 750 hybrids) they managed wet clutches and dry primary chaincases, but we will not carp on. Ariel, slightly famously, developed a very handsome primary chaincase (handsome and similar to the pre-unit Triumph equivalent, which is hardly surprising, as the same bloke probably designed both - and no, I doubt it was Edward Turner), and that chaincase is commendably leakproof. Ariels are not famous for destroying their primary chains. The clutch runs in a compartment of its own, outside of the case, with a chromed steel cover to protect it from the elements. And to protect the rider's foot from whirling gubbins, too.

Like a lot of dry clutches (very common on pre-war motorcycles) this one frees off easily, not least because there is no oil between the plates to gum them up, and engages in a neat linear way, no doubt for the same reason. Combine this with the solidity and hefty construction of the Burman gearbox, and all is well in the transmission department. Not that you need to use the transmission much once you're under way.

This is because the engine is remarkably flexible. Digging into my well-thumbed copy of Ace Road Test Clichés For Old Bike Roadtesters, I discover that sidevalve singles are supposed to deliver all their power low down the rev band and that torque and power peaks are much closer together than with a similar ohv design. And this is true.

What it means in practice is that once you're in top gear of the four available ratios, well, you tend to stay there until you want to stop. Things would be different were you pulling a sidecar, or possibly a caravan, but when you ride a pre-war design like this you really do get an opportunity to understand how things were different then.

Into top, then, at say 30mph, ride the throttle up to 50mph or so, and then stay there. You steer and adjust your speed with throttle and brake. There is little point in changing down to overtake, for example, because there is no more power available at 40 in third than there is in top. And if you want to slog up a long hill and feel lazy, just ease back on the ignition advance; the exhaust note flattens, deepens, the engine vibrates a little more, and you tug yourself up that hill in top. You could change down if you wanted, but hey, you know, life's too short for rushing!

If you do choose to ride like this, then you will notice that the engine gets hot. Sidevalve engines get hot when they work hard, and sometimes they can get so hot that they can seize their exhaust valves. This is because the sidevalve design (so-called because the valves live in a case at the side of the cylinder, next to the piston, rather than above it in the cylinder head ) offers little opportunity for effective cooling fins. Hmm… Maybe so, but things were never less than swimming with Tony's VB.

Steering is a treat on smooth roads. On smooth roads, the comfort of your posterior is taken care of by a capacious sprung saddle, which has you bouncing amusingly and gently up and down as you progress about the place, and the rigid rear frame and softly-sprung, lightly damped front fork provide a high degree of precision when bendswingin' is called for. The narrowness of the motorcycle, the excellent steering lock and the impeccable balance also combine to make the Ariel a very smart-steering machine, too. Loved it. Does it show?

Just at the point when you start wondering what all the fuss about sprung rear suspension was all about, I'd suggest that you attempt a few fast corners on lousy frost-cracked and broken road surfaces. Everything is fine up to a point. The saddle will take a fair bit of bouncy stress before it can take no more, and the rear tyre grips as well as it should, given the decent rubber now available for old bikes! However, you will reach the point at which the back wheel hops, the tyre leaves the ground (or the pressure upon it from bicycle and rider departs vertically, letting it slide, which is the same thing), and life becomes much more exciting!



Once you know this is going to happen, it becomes nothing to worry about, because the Ariel is entirely predictable. But the first time you experience this, the bike pulses sideways, your bottie leaves the saddle's plushly-sprung pad, and when grip is restored, coccyx hits the unyielding steel of the saddle's frame, and you swear a lot. And you're more careful in future, tipping your hat towards the McCandless brothers.

Likewise, there is a tendency to become blasé about the brakes. Used in conjunction with the engine, they regulate the Ariel's progress pretty well. And so they should; after all, these brakes were expected to haul up the Square Four, which is both faster and heavier. Once again, there is a limit, and for riders used to the performance of more modern stoppers that limit can come as a surprise. The front brake in particular can just fade away to nearly nothing, which is un-nerving! The back stopper is a lot better, though, and once you've understood the limits of the machine you're riding, you will have few worries.

But let me tell you this. I like big noisy twins. I've not been a particular fan of singles since my distant school days, and have always somehow associated them with plodding, pedestrian machines; none of the rasp and rort of my favourite 650 and 750 twins. But I was utterly seduced by this Ariel. I begged Tony to sell it to me. I even offered him money! He refused. So would I in his position. This completely unrestored survivor, with its peeling chrome, wearing paint, and big silly silencer, is completely excellent. I want one. No, I mean that; I really want one. This is a motorcycle to transport you without fuss over as many miles as you have the time to ride. It is utterly unpretentious, utterly without frill and bauble.

In fact, the only bike I'd prefer to find, as I sit here typing this, would be a Matchless Model X, because that is not one but a pair of sidevalve singles on a common crankcase. Twice the delight? I wonder…




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Kamis, 05 Maret 2009

Motorcycles help keep you young: software expert

TOKYO (AFP) - - Riding motorcycles helps keep drivers young by invigorating their brains, the scientist behind popular "Brain Training" computer software said Wednesday, citing a new scientific study.

"The driver's brain gets activated by riding motorbikes" in part because it requires heightened alertness, Ryuta Kawashima said after his research team and Yamaha Motor conducted a string of experiments involving middle-aged men.


"In a convenient and easy environment, the human mind and body get used to setting the hurdle low," he warned. "Our final conclusion is that riding motorcycles can lead to smart ageing."

Kawashima is the designer of "Brain Training" software, which incorporates quizzes and other games and is available on the Nintendo DS game console under the name "Brain Age" in North America.

A self-professed motorcycle fan, 49-year-old Kawashima cited a new study conducted jointly by Yamaha and Tohoku University, for which he works.

One experiment involved 22 men, all in their 40s and 50s, who held motorcycle licences but had not taken a ride for at least a decade.

They were randomly split into two groups -- one asked to resume riding motorcycles in everyday life for two months, and another that kept using bicycles or cars.

"The group that rode motorbikes posted higher marks in cognitive function tests," Kawashima said.

In one test, which required the men to remember a set of numbers in reverse order, the riders' scores jumped by more than 50 percent in two months, while the non-riders' marks deteriorated slightly, he said.

The riders also said they made fewer mistakes at work and felt happier.

"Mental care is a very big issue in modern society," said Kawashima. "I think we made an interesting stir here as data showed you can improve your mental condition simply by using motorbikes to commute."


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Selasa, 03 Maret 2009

Invitation From MACI Jakarta




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Kamis, 26 Februari 2009

DKW - A Brief History

The origins of DKW go back to the early 1900s. Jorge Skafte Rasmussen, a Dane went to Saxony to study engineering at Chemnitz. With his friend Ernst he set up, in 1904, ‘Rasmussen & Ernst GmbH’ a company trading in exhaust steam oil traps and pipe fittings.
During the 1914-18 War Rasmussen experimented with a steam powered car: Dampf-Kraft-Wagen.
This project was abandoned at the end of the War for cost reasons.



Rasmussen’s next venture involved the production and successful marketing of a small (40cc) two stroke engine, originally intended as a power unit for toys, and given the name Des Knaben Wunch (every boy’s dream). The initials DKW being retained as the company name.
The engine was developed as a stationary power unit and soon found its way into vehicles made by other manufacturers. DKW also produced light weight motorcycles and bicycles powered by an auxiliary motor. The good performance given them by the DKW engines soon earned the nickname Das Kliene Wunder (the little wonder). Rasmussen’s company flourished, it was soon exporting motorcycles and engines all over the world, producing over one million machines by 1938 to become the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer at that time.
Many companies were acquired by DKW, the most memorable was Audi-Werke AG, giving DKW increased manufacturing capacity and an established car manufacturing base. In 1928 DKW’s first production car appeared, a two seat roadster with conventional rear wheel drive, and a two stroke engine. The first production DKW with front wheel drive appeared at the 1931 Berlin Automobile Exhibition.

This DKW front, or F1 was to prove the forerunner of an automobile engineering concept which has retained its significant advantages over the years. Front wheel drive, independent suspension, a unit engine and gearbox and a light overall weight, giving reliability, economy, safety and performance.

In 1932, Horch and Wanderer were brought into the Rasmussen empire to form Auto-Union GmbH With its emblem of four intertwined rings representing DKW, Audi, Horch and Wanderer. The only cars to bear the name Auto Union in the 30’s were the amazing V16 and V12 rear engined racers designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and Eberan Eberhart, which with Mercedes gave the Third Reich complete domination in Grand Prix racing from 1934 to 1939.
The various small DKW cars, from F1 to F8 were to become the most popular of their type in Northern Europe, as well as being exported all over the world. Several Danish and Swedish companies had plans to make their own post-war adaptations of them. Saab, was the only one to be developed for modern times.

All but the Berlin factories of Auto-Union came within the Russian zone, (East Germany) when the war ended. Pre-war type 2 cylinder DKW’s being produced at Zwickau from 1948 to 1956 as IFA F8s, along with the pre-war 3 cylinder design as the IFA F9. Trabants and Wartburgs being a development of these. A new West German Auto-Union company was formed, retaining the DKW marque for its 1950 Meisterklasse (2 cylinder F89) and 1953 Sonderklasse (3 cylinder F91) produced in Dusseldorf and Ingolstadt, along with a range of motorcycles and light commercial vehicles. In 1958 a one litre version of the 3 cylinder DKW was introduced, named the Auto Union 1000, remaining in production until 1962. The 3 cylinder two stroke was a fine performer, and several formula junior racing cars used this unit.

DKWs were well known for rallying, winning the 1956 East African Safari Rally and the Finnish Thousand Lakes. The Auto Union 1000 had outright victory in the 1958 Safari and 1959 Acropolis Rallies.

By the late 50s Mercedes Benz had acquired 88% of Auto-Union shares. In 1958 the Junior model was produced. This and its successors went through to 1966, along with the F102 a more modern 1175cc two stroke machine, and the Munga, a 4 wheel drive ‘Jeep’ like vehicle.
In the mid 60s Volkswagen took control of Auto Union GmbH from Mercedes Benz, and the days of two stroke DKW and Auto Union cars were over. The F102 being adapted to take a four stroke engine to become the first post war Audi.



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Selasa, 24 Februari 2009

NSU History

It all actually didn´t begin in Neckarsulm but in Riedlingen an der Donau. In 1873 two young mechanics by the names Heinrich Stoll and Christian Schmidt started a "Mechanical shop for manufacturing knitting machines". Rather soon they found more suitable facilities in Neckarsulm and they took the name NSU from the first letters in the names of the rivers surrounding the plant: Neckar and SUlm.
The knitting machines sold pretty good ,but in the surrounding world the bicycle became the latest "craze" and the young entrepreneurs were not late in adopting that and they became "Neckarsulmer Fahrradwerke". The NSU bicycles immediately became popular and the development from high wheeler to more modern, ballbearing equipped, bicycles went fast.

From the bicycle the step was not far to the motor- cycle and already in 1901 the very first NSU motorcycle was ready. It had a 1,5 hp motor, imported from Zedel of Switzerland.


In 1903 NSU started their own production of motors and already in 1904 there were six different model to choose from. NSU was early aware of the importance of racing their products and that doing so had a positive effect both for developement, and sales. And many were the records and victories.
Did anyone believe that the V- twin was a new invention? Nope, in 1905 NSU had a very popular 3 hp version and in 1909 a nearly 1000cc large V-twin was introduced


Along side the successful motorcycle production the manufacturing of automobiles slowly began. In 1905 the first car was presented and only a couple of years later several motor alternatives rangeing from 1300cc to almost 4 litres were available. Soon also taxicabs and small lorries (trucks) were put in production. WW 1 slowed the speed of development down as NSU contributed with both cars and motorcycles to the "Wehrmacht".
During the years 1923-27 the NSU car racing era was at its peak, and several Grand Prix victories were a fact. One of the race cars, a 1926 6/26, can bee seen on a picure here. Maybe You also believed that Audi A8 was the the first car with a body made intirely from aluminium? No way, already in 1923 NSU built an aluminium bodied car, the 8/24

After having had economical difficulties the car division was sold to Fiat in 1928. This was shortly after the "running band" was introduced at the production plant. FIAT comitted to build NSU cars until 1932.

1933 NSU again built a car - "the beetle"! For Ferdinand Porsche NSU built three prototypes "Typ32", one of them is in the VW museum.

1931 NSU again motorized the bicycle with the Motosulm. 1936 is another honorary year for NSU. Then the bicycle production of Adam Opel was taken over and the two major sales successes Quick and Pony were introduced.
Then came WW II and yet again NSU was ordered to produce for the military: the 250ZDB motorcycle and the Kettenkrad, a half track vehicle equipped with an Opel Olympia motor were the two main items.

The factory at Neckarsulm was partly destroyed in a bomb raid only a couple of weeks before the end of the war. The plant was used as a "repair- shop" for the allied forces right after the war, but from the wreckage 98 Quick were built in 1945 as a perfect restart of NSU.


In 1948 NSU celebrated it´s 75year anniversary and the Fox was presented , 4 stroke and 100cc. It was marketed with the slogan: Fixe Fahrer Fahren Fox (smart riders rides the Fox), in a huge, seldomly seen, advertising campaign.
Development and the raise from the ruins went rapidly, and in the early 50´s NSU began manufacturing the Italian Lambretta scooter by license

Quick continued beeing popular and Konsul I and II , 350 and 500cc, basically pre- war contructions, were put to life again in an effort to compete with BMW and Zündapp. The "oldtimers" disappeared in 1953 when the Max, 4- stroke, 250cc, was introduced. The Max rapidly got a reputation of beeing an extremely well built and driveable motorcycle. Later that year the Moped (50cc), Quickly was set on wheels. It does probably not need a closer presentaion, close to one million were made!

In the 50´s NSU had great success on the race tracks all over the world with their motorcycles. Many records were broken, and, as a matter of fact, NSU still holds a couple of records today.
The license to build Lambretta scooters expired in 1955 and the NSU constructors created their own version, 147cc large Prima D, which hit the market in 1956. The scooters developed fast and soon the 150cc Prima III and the 175cc Prima V (Fünfstern) were put on the market.

NSU even had a 4- stroke, Max motor- based scooter, the Maxima, almost ready for production in the early 60´s, but as the scooter sales dropped the project was scrapped

During the 50´s the thoughts of yet again making cars were realized. The first draft was the three- wheeled entity called the Max kabine. At the start of the car production in 1957 it fortunately had four wheels and was named Prinz I & II. The power source of the minicar was a "double" Max motor at 598cc and 20 hp. The cooperation with Dr Felix Wankel was already in progress and the experiments with the Wankel motor were a fact.

In 1959 the smartly looking Bertone designed Sport Prinz was introduced. The first 2.400 cars were actually assembled in Torino in Italy. The Prinz motor was stressed to 30 hp and this engine was also placed in Prinz III which basically was a refreshed Prinz II. Not to forget: the bicycle production was still in full operation parallell to all the above!.

NSU built the first Wankel motor that was ready to be tested in a car in 1960, and in september of 1963 the Wankel Spider was presented at the Frankfurt fair. It looked good, like a small, open, Sport Prinz if You like. Some 2.400 cars were built until the production seized in 1967. The Spider was a source of many problems, the one rotor engine was simply not a completely finished, and enough tested, product. And, besides, the owners were pretty hard on the throttle, against the written instructions in the manual. The engine was simply soo rev- happy!
The same year, 1963, the "mini- Corvair" Prinz4 was introduced. It shared motorization with the small Prinzes, ca 600cc/30 hp. The P4 was in production all until the bitter end of NSU car production, 1973. It was the most produced cars of all the NSU:s, and at some point it was the most sold import car in Italy!

Prinz1000 came in 1964. As the model designation suggests it was equipped with a 1 litre (996cc), fan cooled, straight 4 cyl. OHC, 45 hp motor. With it´s merely 700 kgs and truly good roadholding, it was a fast car that became popular for racing. Some ,even sportier, versions were the TT, which came in 1965, with 1085cc/65 hp (which later developed into 1200TT with 1177cc) and the TTS which was only produced in ca 2.400 units and most of them were sold as racing cars. It was 997cc large and with two Solex 40:s it delivered 70 hp.

The very last scooters left the band in 1964 and the motorcycle era was terminated in 1965 with Quick50. Not even the bicyles were genuinely NSU anymore as they were license made by Heinemann.

The long nosed Typ110 (1085cc) saw the streets in 1966. It was the limousine of the NSU- family. Shortly after came 110SC which was the first car to have the 1200 engine (1177cc) and 60hp. In 1967 the follower logically was designated 1200, also 1177cc, but reduced to 55hp. NSU 1200 was together with Prinz4 and 1000 continued until 1973.

NSU Ro80 was uncovered in Frankfurt autumn of 1967. It was a revoulutionary car in a quite new size bracket for NSU. The two- rotor Wankel motor, with a displacement of nearly one litre, gave 115 hp. It was a modern, streamlined, car carrying a design that almost stands up still today. Unfortunately the engines also here suffered from many childrens diseases and that cost both effort and money for the NSU company.

In the mean time NSU also worked on the model K70, yet another modern family car, size wise just below Ro80 and with an NSU- first: a watercooled engine. The engine looks a little like the 1000- 1200 motors at first glance, but covers 1600 cc. Only 23 prototypes were made under the name NSU. Already at the Frankfurt fair in 1969 the emblems were changed to VW. It was made as VW K70 until 1975.

Under preassure from one of the main stock holders, a large German bank, NSU was sold to VW/Audi in 1969. The Wankel cars had, simply put, cost NSU too much.

Much of the R&D work on the Wankel motor was done at NSU in Neckarsulm. Ro80 was produced as long as until 1977, in a total of about 33.000, unfortunaley without implementing any of the things they discovered during the developement process. One can put it this way VW/Audi choosed to kill the Wankel- project!
The fine technicians and constructors, the key to NSU:s succesful years, who VW previously had a total lack of, spread in the VW/Aud sphere. Some of them continued working on the new generation of cars: Golf (in the US: Rabbit), Passat and many more. The first to hit the streets was Audi 50, that more or less took over from the small NSU:s in 1973. One can clearly see it´s heritage, as with the Passat, that claims to have been on the NSU- drawing tables already in 1969! The 100 year- anniversary in 1973 wasn´t a happy one at NSU!

By 1984 the name NSU was discontinued within the VW/Audi concern.

But still today, Audi- Werke in Neckarsulm, were Audi A2, A6 och A8, are produced, has the address: NSU- Strasse! In 1998 Audi held the 125- year anniversary as a tribute to NSU. And as You probably know there is car that bears the name TT currently in production . Audi has now realized the value of knowing, and recognizing, one´s history and they have founded NSU- GmbH, a department serving under Audi Traditions GmbH.

Sadly though, the old NSU show room at the entrance of the plant in Neckarsulm in the corner of NSU- Strasse and Felix Wankel Strasse was torn down autumn of 2001.



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Sabtu, 21 Februari 2009

AJ Stevens & Co. AJS Motorcycle History

The A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd. was founded in 1909 by four brothers - George, Harry, Jack (John) and Joe Stevens, of Wolverhampton, England. The 'AJS' name stood for the initials of Jack Stevens' full name 'Albert John Stevens.'


The Stevens brothers began by working at the Stevens Screw Company, started by their father Joseph Stevens in the late 1800s. Joe senior built small 125cc 'Wearwell-Stevens' motorcycle engines through around 1905, when his sons began building their own motorcycles using J.A. Prestwich (JAP) engines.

AJS built its first production motorcycle, the 'Model A,' in 1911, using their own proprietary single-cylinder 292cc side-valve motor which produced 2.75 hp. By 1912, AJS introduced its first V-Twin powered 698cc three-speed 'Model D,' which produced 6 hp.
After several victories at the Junior TT, AJS was receiving more orders than it could fill, so the company built a new factory (the Graiseley Hill Works) at Graiseley Hill and Penn Road in Wolverhampton.

Throughout the 1920s, AJS produced several successful models, from the 349cc single-cylinder 'Big Port' launched in 1923, to the 349cc model 'K7' in the late 1920s. The K7 was a racing version with a chain-driven OHC engine. These were followed by the 498cc OHC model 'K10,' and 'M10.'



Matchless Purchases AJS
In the early 1920s, AJS decided to dabbled in automobile, and bus manufacturing, but sales never reached expectations, and the company's fortunes declined. In 1931, AJS introduced its last motorcycle under the A. J. Stevens & Company banner, which was a shaft-driven 496cc V-Twin called the 'S3.'

These ventures were ultimately unsuccessful, and in 1931 AJS ceased operations, declaring bankruptcy. The 'AJS' name and motorcycle assets were purchased by Collier & Sons, owners of the 'Matchless' motorcycle company, and the AJS car division was sold to Crossley Motors in Manchester.

The AJS name was worth continuing, due to their many accumulated world records, but the AJS 'Graiseley Hill Works' was sold to the Star Aluminium Company Ltd. and the Wolverhampton Die Castings Company shortly after AJS' sale to Matchless.



AJS V4 500 'Vee 4'
In an effort to create something unique, that would properly utilize the AJS name, Collier & Sons launched the 'Vee 4' touring bike in 1935. Designed by Bert Collier, the Vee 4 had a unique, and technologically advanced 500cc 50º chain-driven SOHC engine, with exposed 'hairpin' valve springs. The AJS Vee 4 was an offshoot of another v-four Collier engine design - the 1931 593cc Matchless 'Silver Hawk.'
By 1936, AJS introduced a racing version of the Vee 4, using a supercharger designed by Swiss engineer Arnold Zoller. The supercharged V4 produced 55hp, and had a top speed of 135mph, and was designed to compete against BMW's supercharged racers.

Between 1936 and 1939, the AJS Vee 4 set several records, breaking the 100 mph lap speed record at the Ulster Grand Prix. During the last model year for the Vee 4 in 1939, a liquid-cooled cast alloy engine was produced, using enclosed valve springs.

The followup to the V4 was the AJS 'Porcupine,' which was a supercharged 500cc parallel-twin, but when the International Motorcycling Federation's (FIM) new racing regulations banned the use of 'forced induction' engine modifications in 1946, the supercharged Porcupine was discontinued.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, AJS built several notable racers, from the 7R to the 1951 7R3, using three valves per cylinder. AJS went on to build several road bikes, such as the 750cc AJS 'Model 33,' and 2-stroke off-road dirt bikes such as the 250 and 410 'Stormer,' and 'MX' motocross bike.



The End for AJS
Charlie and Harry Collier formed 'Associated Motor Cycles' (AMC) in 1938, and Matchless (AMC) continued to build motorcycles under the AJS name through the 1960s. In 1966, AMC was sold to Norton-Villiers parent company, Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC of Coventry, England.

By 1974, Norton-Villers also reached the end of its financial rope, and a bailout from the British government formed NVT (Norton-Villiers-Triumph) from the failed companies. NVT was also short-lived, going into receivership in late 1974.

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Lambretta history

Ferdinando Innocenti


Ferdinando Innocenti was an industrialist who’s background was steel production. Specialising in the manufacture of steel tubing. During the second world war – his factories produced among other things bomb casings, bullet shells, aircraft and tank parts, gun barrels. Both factories were destroyed by allied bombing towards the end of the war.



After the war Ferdinando separated his businesses into 3 sections. Metal production, Heavy machinery production and Vehicle production.

He had a very similar vision to Piaggio with his scooter idea.

To produce a cheap, economical, reliable, simple form of transport for the Italian population.

Production started in 1947 with the model A lambretta.



The scooters developed with the help of a strong racing and land speed record division- and by the 1950s had the reputation of the more sporting scooter.



Many say that Innocenti was intent on bettering Piaggio with their vespa models which took the biggest share of the market. To be the Best lambretta engines got bigger,the scooters more complex, the bodywork more streamlined- the performance greater.



Lambrettas became synonymous with the MOD revolution of the early 1960s. After Ferdinandos death in 1966. Lambretta started its quick demise. Innocenti as a company were investing heavily in car production and the building of production lines for various companies.



Other areas of the Innocenti group were expanding rapidly and it appears the Lambretta got more or less forgotten about. Within a few years all tooling was sold to an Indian company ScooterIndia who continued to produce scooters for many years.

To the true enthusiast though the Italian built scooters are the only ones to have- the history and romance of the vision, the time, the carefree generation of the early 60s are allencapsulated by Lambretta. A true classic and a useable piece of history!




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Jumat, 20 Februari 2009

History of Piaggio

History of Piaggio


The Beginning
In 1884 Rinaldo Piaggio established Piaggio Company in Genoa, Italy. Rinaldo's business started with luxury ship fitting when he was 20 years old. Rail carriages, luxury coaches, truck bodies, trains, and engines were manufactured by Piaggio by the end of the century.
With the beginning of World War I, the company increased its production presenting airplanes and seaplanes. Piaggio purchased a new plant in Pisa in 1917 and small plant in Pontedera, Tuscany region of Italy in 1921. The plant in Pontedera became the new center for aeronautical manufacturing: propellers, engines and complete aircraft.
Pontedera plant produced the state-of-the-art P 108 four-engine aircraft, in both passenger and bomber versions during World War II. Due to its military importance Pontedera plant was completely destroyed by Allied forces.



Rebirth
Rinaldo's son Enrico Piaggio became the head of the company and faced company's hard times with completely ruined Pontedera plant. Taking into account the disastrous state of the Italian roads and economy, Enrico turned his attention to personal mobility needs of the Italian citizens.
The first modern helicopter was designed, built and flew by Piaggio's ingenious aeronautical engineer Corradino D'Ascanio.


Elaboration of a simple, sturdy, and economical vehicle that was also elegant and comfortable was set out by D'Ascanio. He was crazy about motorcycles and dreamed up a revolutionary new vehicle. Using the latest aeronautical technology, D'Ascanio imagined a vehicle constructed on a "monocoque" (French for "single shell") or unibody steel chassis and the front fork for easy wheel changing, like a plane's landing gear. Unique and advanced design aircraft-inspired was presented as the result.
Enrico Piaggio said: "It looks like a wasp!" ("Sembra una Vespa!"), when he saw a real two-wheeled utility vehicle. The steel frame's shape protected the rider from road dirt and debris. It was comfortable and quite motorcycle that emanated class and elegance at first sight.
35,000 motorcycles had been manufactured by 1949. Italy was riding around on Vespas and overcoming war wounds. In 10 years, one million were manufactured. Vespa was being manufactured in Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium, and Spain by 1950's.
Since its elaboration Vespa subtly modified its image. The first Vespas offered mobility to everyone, and then it symbolized the post war economic boom. Revolutionary ideas of the time were presented in this motorcycle during 1960's and 70's. "He Who Vespas, eats the apple" is one of advertising campaigns and films such as Quadrophenia introduced eras in our history.
New generation of Vespa models are presented in the vintage-lovers' PX with manual gear shift, in the Granturismo that is the largest and most powerful Vespa and in the new LX, the latest restyling of the classic Vespa design. Vespa is the great symbols of Italian style and elegance. It is well known throughout the world with 16 million units manufactured. Vespa's timeless design comes from timeless Piaggio Company that has been for nearly 120 years a distinguished innovator in the area of transportation. Vespa gave means of personal transport and fascinated millions of people with this irreplaceable icon of Italian style and freedom.



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Honda Motorcycle History

Honda Motorcycle History,
Knowing your ride has never been so easy.


What can you say about the biggest manufacturer of motorcycle world wide. Probably not much that hasn’t been said before. Honda remains a great producer of very reliable motorcycles. Having a full range of models Honda has the experience and know-how to match it with quality in every specialized field of motorcycles. Like the success of the CB’s, Africa Twins, CBR’s and VFR’s. and many more I have now forgotten.



Started in 1946 by Soichiro Honda who wanted to produce cheap transportation for the people after the second world war. Today Honda has become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.

Honda started by using old army engines but later developed their own 50cc engine. The first real Honda bike was produced in 1949 called the Model D (Dream) which was followed due to the success of the ‘D’ by model J Benly.

Honda started to make an international name for itself with the introduction of the CB models. Started by a CB72 (250cc) and the CB77 (305cc). However the first series used the old press steel frames and the better road handling came with the introduction of the steel tubular frames in the CB92. The CB77 (super hawk) was excellent reliable motorcycle which out preformed many similar English models.

Honda introduced in 1958 the C100 Super Club motorcycle as a sports, leisure, easy going, convenient and reliable bike with a great marketing campaign (you meet nice people on a Honda) that blasted the C100 to a best selling bike of all times. And it was only a humble scooter styled motorcycle.

Honda started building bigger engine bikes with the first model CB450 in 1965. The black bomber / black hawk was an attack to the dominating English bikes in this area. Although the CB450 didn’t match the British motorcycles (yet) the competition had begun.

One step up from the 450 was the introduction of the CB750 in 1969. Which was beyond it’s class at the time. A smooth operating mass produced 4 cylinder bike with excellent handling. It dominated the market at the time and sold very well world wide. Honda didn’t upgrade the CB750 over the years so despite is success it started to loose popularity towards the end 70’s.

Honda did change the model line of the CB750 to include smaller models like the CB500 (1971) and the CB400 (1975). Both bikes were very successful mainly due to the fact of weight reduction of the big brother CB750 which gave them huge maneuverability advantage.

As the modern day cruiser the Honda Gold Wing (Interstate – usa, de luxe – Europe) was introduced in 1980 and has stayed in production ever since. You actually like or hate the Wing but fact of the matter is that world wide no other model has such a high fan base. The full fairing Gold Wing was developed on the GL1000 Gold Wing of 1975.

Two years later in 1982 the new model Gold Wing was released called the Aspencade. Also a big hit with improved luxury features including backrest, music system, adjustment computer and much more). In 1988 the GL1500 Gold Wing was launched and was the biggest most complex bike of its time. Only to be surpassed by the GL1800 Gold Wing.

Honda developed a really cool looking street bike called the CBX1000 in 1978. It was a pure big bike with a streetlook and chrome pipes. The looks, power and even effortless drive didn’t make this model to be a success. Honda adjusted it to a modest sports tour bike called the CBX-B.

Honda produced a series of specialized bikes for racing and engineering goals. A few examples being the CB1100R making a most powerful four cylinder unit yet. And the turbo charged CX500 – CX650 turbo. Or the NR500 a super expensive, beautiful designed superbike.

Started in the 1980’s Honda developed a series of V-four engines which setup the model line of Honda VF’s ranging between 400cc and 1000cc. But due to mechanical problems the VF line never really got going.

Much to the contrary of the following VFR line, VFR 750R (RC30) in 1988 which was an enormous hit right from the start. A sporty tour motorcycle, well balanced, reliable and well powered. The design of the VFR change in 1990 with the VFR750L and again with the introduction of the VFR800FI. In 2002 the super popular VFR underwent a new radical design change making it even sporty but still keeping it’s tour character.

Launched in 1987 the middle ranged CBR600F is a long established success story in the middle range motorcycle sports class. The handling of the 600cc engine power and regular updates have been an ongoing success for Honda. The CBR600RR 2003 model has had a redesign which puts it closer to the racetrack roots than ever before.

The Fireblade (also a CBR model) was a new chapter for Honda and motorcycle fans worldwide. The introduction of the CBR900RR (893cc) in 1992 was a huge improvement with what was then out on the market. This came largely because of the engine capacity in a smaller light frame. The bike was redesign a few times but only regained it’s original success with the 2000 model fireblade CBR929RR (929cc). Two years later the power was increased once again to 954cc.

Not built for super handling but a more as a straight lined rocket the CBR1100XX Super Blackbird (1137cc) which became the fastest production bike in 1996. The Blackbird was only popular as a long range high speed tour.



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Ducati Motorcycle History

Ducati Motorcycle History
Known at first for its sporty line of lightweight single-cylinder bikes, Ducati hit its stride in the early 1970s with its V-Twin sportbikes that were the pinnacle in their era. Ducati currently produces several desirable racing-inspired motorcycles. It also has a rich racing history with particular dominance in World Superbike competitions. Ducati offers sophisticated bikes in various distinct market segments: Superbike, Supersport, Monster, Multistrada, SportClassic and Hypermotard. 1926 Societa Radio Brevetti Ducati is established, though not as a motorcycle manufacturer. The company makes radio equipment.




1944 The Ducati factory was destroyed in the war. After the bombing, Ducati looks to build other products, and with the encouragement of the Italian government, the company focuses on a motorized bicycle.
1946 The 50cc Cucciolo (“pup”) motor is introduced. The motor is not a Ducati design; it was created by Aldo Farinelli. The purchaser has to attach it to his own bicycle. Over the next few years, Ducati will improve the Cucciolo, which will grow to 60, 65, 98, and finally 125cc.
1950 The 65cc sport edition is released. It’s a proper little motorcycle, with swingarm and telescopic fork.
1952 The 175cc Cruiser was introduced, featuring an automatic transmission and electric starter. Also released that year was the Ducati 98 as a bare-bones performance model.
1953 The very economical Spartan 98cc bike was introduced.
1954 Fabio Taglioni, an engineer, is hired to design a much higher-performance line of bikes. He gets to work on 100 and 125cc four-strokes.
1955 The popular Ducati Gran Sport is released.
1956 Taglioni designs a desmodromic 125cc Grand Prix racer. He didn’t invent the “desmo” valve operating system, which uses a second cam – not springs – to close the valves. The system was patented by Daimler-Benz years earlier. But the relatively primitive metallurgy of the time meant that valve springs were a “weak link” in racing motors.
The desmo Ducati is reliable up to a then-shocking 15,000 rpm. Gianni Degli Antoni laps the field at the Swedish GP but is killed before the next race. His death is a setback to the Ducati racing effort.


1957 Ducati debuts the Tourist 274, a four-stroke motorcycle.
1958 Ducatis finish second and third in the 125cc World Championship; only an injury to Bruno Spaggiari allowed Carlo Ubbiali to win again on the MV Agusta. The Elite 200 is released.
1960 The popular twin-cylinder 250cc is released and is basically a fusion of two 125 “Grand Prix” motors – this is the “Grand Prix” model production bike, with spring valves we’re talking about here, not the works racer.
1961 The Scrambler is released. It’s largely intended for the American market and was produced at the insistence of the Berliner brothers, the U.S. importers.
1963 Again at the insistence of the Americans, Taglioni designs the “Harley beater” Apollo. It features a huge 1,257cc V-Four engine, but no tires can handle the power and torque. The Apollo is never launched.
1965 The classic Mark 1 250 is released. It features a rare five-speed gearbox and plenty of sporty features.
1968 The Mark 3 series was unleashed in 250cc, 350cc and 450cc variations. Also that year, the 250cc and 350cc versions of the Scrambler appear with their wide-casing engines.
1969 The 450 Single appears, and production models are available with Desmo valve actuation.
1970 Taglioni grafts two 250cc top ends together to create a 90-degree V-Twin 500cc Grand Prix racer.
1971 The Ducati 750 GT (Gran Turismo) makes its debut in June. The bike featured a twin-cylinder engine with a 90-degree configuration known as an ‘L-Twin’. A sixth speed was added to the gearbox to help optimize the engine, but the gearbox and electrical equipment were troublesome.
1972 Paul Smart wins the Imola 200-mile race on a Desmo version of the 750.
1974 The 750 SS is released; a road-going version of Smart’s racer.
1978 The 900 SS (Supersport) is released. Mike Hailwood comes out of retirement and rides it to victory in the TT F1 class at the Isle of Man.
1979 The 900 MHR is released; a replica of Hailwood’s 900 SS. Ducati builds it for hardcore riders and the bike is not even fitted with an electric starter.
1980 Ducati releases the Pantah 500 at the start of the new decade and it proves to be one of the most successful bikes in Ducati production history. This marks the beginning of belt-driven (as opposed to bevel-driven) camshafts – a major simplification.
1984 Ducati releases the minimalist 750 F1, which proves to be a highly sought-after model.
1985 The Cagiva Group buys Ducati.
1986 Two years after the release of the 750 F1, three ‘special’ versions of the bike are released: 750 F1 Montjuich, 750 F1 Laguna Seca and 750 F1 Santamonica.
Also in 1986, the 750 Paso hits the market. It’s named after Renzo Pasolini, a rider killed at Monza. The bike is designed by Massimo Tamburini.


1987 The liquid-cooled, four-valve 851 hits the market, just in time for the rise of World Superbike competition. The new motor is designed by Massimo Bordi. His choice of four valves and a much tighter included valve angle reinvigorates the now-traditional Ducati Desmo design. This will establish a pattern for Ducati Superbikes that will hold for almost 20 years.
1989 Taglioni steps down as technical director.
1990 Raymond Roche wins the World Superbike Championship.
1991 The 888 is released. Doug Polen uses it to win the World Superbike Championship.
1992 SBK: Polen, again.
At the Cologne Motor Show in the fall, a Monster is born. Ducati displayed its Monster 900 for the first time. The bike includes the trellis frame from the 851/888 series and the 904cc air/oil cooled engine from the Supersport range.


1993 The 4-stroke Single Supermono was released. It featured liquid cooling, electronic injection and twin con-rods.
1994 Carl Fogarty wins the World Superbike Championship on the then-severely-limited-production Massimo Tamburini-designed 916.
1995 The public gets to buy the 916 in reasonable quantities, and Tamburini’s design is already seen as a classic. Fogarty repeats.
1996 The Texas-Pacific Group buys 49% of the company, providing a much needed injection of cash.
SBK: Troy Corser wins another title for Ducati.


1998 TPG buys most of the remaining shares.
SBK: Fogarty, on the now venerable 916, proves he can still set things on fire just by looking at them.


1999 TPG takes the company public, selling 65% of the shares in the IPO. The company is renamed Ducati Motor Holding SpA.
SBK: Fogarty, 996.

The 996 SBK replaced the 916 SBK. Like the 916, the 999 featured a desmodromic double camshaft, L-Twin cylinder engine and a trellis frame. New on the bike were lighter three-spoke wheels and an improved Brembo braking system.


2000 The MH900e, a retro-classic tribute to Mike Hailwood, becomes the first motorcycle to be sold exclusively on the Internet. It is the first of what becomes known as the SportClassic line.
2001 SBK: Another Troy from Australia. This time, it’s Bayliss.
Taglioni dies.


2002 Ducati unveils its much talked about 999 to rave reviews. They’re raving about it, alright. But in largely negative terms. The truth is, chief designer Pierre Terblanche had an impossible assignment when he was faced with redesigning the iconic 916/996/998. Nothing could possibly have satisfied the Ducatisti.
2003 The question on everyone’s mind last year was, “Could Ducati develop the Desmosedici MotoGP V-Four and still keep momentum up in the World Superbike Championship?” The answer comes a resounding “yes,” with Hodgson winning the SBK title and Loris Capirossi immediately competitive in MotoGP.
The ugly-duckling Multistrada is launched. (Luckily for Ducati, it’s only ugly until it’s been ridden.)


2004 SBK: James Toseland.
2005 TPG sells its remaining stake in the company to Investindustrial Holdings, an Italian investment company.
2006 SBK: Troy Bayliss wins on the 999, but the bike’s a lame duck. Ducati is committed to a larger-than-1000cc displacement for their flagship. The company lobbies the championship’s organizers to increase the displacement for Twins to 1200cc.
2007 The 1098 supercedes the unloved 999 as the flagship superbike. It evokes the Tamburini 916 again; all is right in the world of the Ducatisti… and to prove it, Casey Stoner dominates in the MotoGP World Championship. Ducati wins its first-ever title in the premier class.
The Multistrada begets the Hypermotard.

MotoGP: Casey Stoner wins the World Championship! It all comes together for Ducati in the first year of the new 800cc formula. The Desmosedici gets great fuel mileage, allowing it to make more power when it’s needed. Stoner is the rider who adapts best to the Magneti Marelli traction-control system. It’s decisive.


2008 The 1098 gets a baby brother, the 848.

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Victory Motorcycle History

Victory Motorcycle History,
Knowing your ride has never been so easy!


Victory has come out with models like the V92C and the Vegas. Struggling as a sub division from the polaris mother company to come up with the right design. With the help of custom designer Arlan Ness the Vegas was built. As a young company Victory is fighting hard to get it’s share of dedicated riders.



In 1995 Victory was setup by the American All Terrain Vehicle giant and snow mobile expert Polaris. So in essence Victory isn’t a motorcycle brand by heart but more a sub division of Polaris specialized in motorcycles

The first model was a v-twin cruiser with about 1500cc of power. It launched in 1998 and was called the V92C. It wasn’t a success and to say it lightly a specialist was need to boost things up a little.

Legendary Harley designer Arlen Ness was brought in to help design the new model called the Vegas. Which indeed has a typical Arlan Ness touch. The launch in 2003 was a success due to the much improved styling compared to the V92C Victory model. Also the V-twin engine had been refined which made the Vegas more pleasant to ride.






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Harley Davidson Motorcycle History

Harley Davidson Motorcycle History

Harley Davidson Motorcycle History,
Knowing your ride has never been so easy!


What else to add to the rolling icon since 1902 : established, traditional and immense popular. Still having its roots in Milwaukee the company has developed many classic models which have been successful over many years. Harley has recently also shook it’s foundation by launching a modern styled V Rod. Who knows what more will come from this icon.



While working at a Milwaukee engineering firm William S Harley and Arthur Davidson built their first model engine a 400cc (25ci) in 1902. In 1903 Walter Harley and William A Harley also joined the team together they fitted the engine into a bicycle frame and the first Harley Davidson had been born.

Believing in their product Harley Davidson improved their first model through out the coming years and by 1907 the product was up to 150 per year. By this time the home factory was too small and Harley Davidson move to there new factory location in Milwaukee, Juneau Avenue. By this time Harley Davidson had become a cooperation with 17 employees.

In 1909 Harley introduced the famous v twin engine in the model 5D. However the first V twin engine had faults and it was only until 1911 that a reintroduction of the engine was more of a success. The V-twin became one of the typical trademarks of the Harley Davidson company.

Harley Davidson was never too eager to get into racing but in 1914 started racing with - what was called the wrecking team on the factory floor. It was competitive times and the biggest rivals were Indian, Merkel and Excelsior. And not to forget the Model T ford. The car introducing was bad news to motorcycle manufacturers and it also put Harley Davidson under serious financial stress.

In 1928 Harley Davidson was working with a smaller engine size (45ci) and integrated it into the W series in 1937. The W was produced during the depression and all the way to the Second World War – with 80.000 being shipped over for action.

With so many W models around and being converted after the war for daily use Harley Davidson became a well known brand on the street. The factory started producing different W series bikes. The most recognizable aspect of the W was the foot clutch and hand gear lever.

Harley Davidson did have the engineering advantage and too a big risk introducing a modern, stylish, well designed 61E model right in the middle of the depression. However the Knucklehead (as it was also known) was such an interesting bike that it still became a huge success. The Knucklehead is the big grand-daddy of modern day Harley’s.

The Sportster was introduced in 1957, being the ultimate American sports bikes on the road in the early 1960’s. The sportster XLCH was fast and a direct competitor to the English sports bikes at the time. Today the sportster is the smallest of cruiser models and doesn’t reflect it’s sporting background and isn’t hardly a match for the modern day super sport bikes. Over the years Harley upgrade the engine to a 1000cc and later a 1200cc and added a 883cc lighter model to the line in 1986.

Harley tried to produce a café racer to match the other popular bike models and developed the XLCR café racer in 1977. It had a Sportster engine and technology from the XR750 race bike. But the XLCR never managed to convince as a street racer or a road bike. It turned out to be a production mistake.

Harley Davidson had been under control of the AMF parent company in the 1970’s which had not been for the best. The sales were slowing down and the quality was under pressure. So the management at the time went out and raised money to buy out Harley and continue back on its own power. A lot of models got a huge quality boost after this buy-out.

Over the years the Hydra Glide (1949) had been developed followed by the Duo Glide (1958) leading to the Electra Glide in 1965. The Electra Glide was a heavy bike at 350kg. And brakes, suspension and engine vibration didn’t make the bike any easier to ride. Despite all this the Electra Glide became one of the most popular Harley models. It was a strong symbol of an all American bike. After the management buy-out the Electra glide was one of the models to benefit most from the quality improvements.

In 1984 Harley Davidson introduced the softtail and was the foundation for many bikes for the coming years. It’s classic look and new evolution engine with back suspension made it a smooth ride while still keeping all the old characteristics.

Harley Davidson was known too keep it’s design classic and with a strong customizable feel. However the 2001 introduced VRSCA V-rod was a shock to many Harley Davidson lovers. The V-rod with a new revolution engine, designed together with Porsche, was a modern cruiser with an old fashion street racer style. Brought out in silver with closed wheels, long frame and steel tubes.



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Indian Motorcycle History

Indian Motorcycle History


Indian Motorcycle History,
Knowing your ride has never been so easy!



An icon on the road and for a few years the leading manufacturer of motorcycles world wide. However the strong racing wins and famous loved road style could not save Indian from doom and life just ran out of the brand. A few enthusiasts are trying to revitalize the Indian that once was.



Started in 1901 by two bicycle racers George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom who produced a small bicycle / motorcycle with a top speed of 50 km/h (30 mph). The first bike was a huge success and pickup up very well and by 1913 - 32000 motorcycles were being produced annually. Indian brought out their bikes in a deep red color which later became one of their trademarks.



In 1907 Indian built a v-twin engine which later made way for the Powerplus in 1916. This model had a more quite engine and remained a success and only had minor changes done to it until 1924.


Indian had both engineering success and racing success which saw the company grow in a tremendous rate during the early 1900’s . And by 1920 Indian could say it was the largest motorcycle manufacturer.

The most popular models of the Indian company still had to be introduced and by 1922 the most famous Chief model was introduced. Together with the Scout these models became the icons of the Indian brand.

The Chief’s design was based on the powerplus from the years before but quite a few improvements were made to the chief original 1922 model. In 1927 the Scout was also introduced.

By this time Indian was a well known brand (the factory was known as the wigwam). All models got the classic large skirted fenders, the cool Indian head logo on the tank and together with the dark red color an absolute icon on the road.

Indian was producing beautiful bikes in the 1940’s and offered a more comfortable ride than big rival Harley Davidson due to the sprung frames of the Indian bike.

Indian bought the Ace firm in 1927 and produced a series of Indian four models. The model was very famous and recognizable but no real success to the company. Problems with the ‘four’ seemed to put extra pressure on the Indian firm who was already having a hard time toward the end of 1950’s.

Indian tried to survive by selling other bikes with an Indian logo on it (matchless & Enfields) but by 1970’s Indian had died away. There are still attempts to restart the brand but so far only a few ‘new’ Chief have been developed

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Kamis, 19 Februari 2009

Royal Enfield Motorcycle History

Royal Enfield Motorcycle History At least Know Your Bike Brand !
Royal Enfield History The Quick Version
Royal Enfield Motorcycle History,Knowing your ride has never been so easy!
A classic bike which remains a popular ride with no extra’s to mention. You either like it or you don’t. With a history of production in both England and India the bikes are still made today without hardly any differences in style & look.
Started with the first production in 1901 of English motorcycles. With 30 years Royal Enfield had developed a range of models called the bullet 250, 350 and 500. However Royal Enfield never matched the popularity of companies like Norton, Triumph or BSA.

Sticking to the name Bullet - Royal Enfield redesign the model a little after the Second World War (it still was a (roadster style bike). But because labor was cheaper in India the motorcycles were being produced there.

Around this time all motorcycle companies were starting to build parallel twin engines and Royal Enfield also started designing such engines. This led to the 500cc roadster which later became the Meteor 692cc.

In 1958 the Meteor became the Constellation model. As the models kept upgrading so did the Constellation which led the way to the bigger and more powerful 736cc Interceptor from 1962. However due to financial problems with Royal Enfield the production stopped in 1968.

The Royal Enfield brand continued under the Name Enfield and the old Royal Enfield factory in Madras was used to restart the brand. The Bullet model was the survivor and continued with a 350cc model which sold well in Indian.

The Bullet layout remained hardly untouched and however it was upgrade with a 500cc engine a few years later. Due to export demands the model was also upgrade with better brakes. The irony is that Enfield was also being exported back to England after to shutdown in 1968.

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Norton Motorcycle History

Norton Motorcycle History At least Know Your Bike Brand !
Norton History - The Quick Version
Norton Motorcycle History,Knowing your ride has never been so easy!
A classic English based brand which in recent years has moved to USA (Portland). Norton always had a huge racing history with models like the B4, Manx, Atlas & Commander. However Norton has always battle against liquidity and on occasions even been through the whole process, only to later start up again by strong believers in the brand. Norton keeps on rolling today.
Quick Guide to Norton Motorcycle History
A brand which dates back to 1902 and was started by James Lansdowne Norton. They were always known for making fast street racers and had a long series of wins to prove it (like the first Isle of man TT).
In 1913 Norton went into bankruptcy because James Norton could probably build better bikes than run the business. However only a short while after James Norton gave it a new try with Bob Shelley – the new name was Norton Motors Ltd.
Dan O’Donovan (who was the brother-in-law of Shelley) developed the BS 490 cc bike which became the first production race bike.
In 1925 James Norton died however the design and production kept going. In 1927 Norton produced the CS1 which was very successful during the following years, it was then also released as a super sports roadster.
Norton had great success in the 1930 and had a huge sporting / racing name. Team manager Joe Craig was mostly responsible for this success and it helped that he had been a former rider himself. Great models during these years where the International and of course the Manx. The Mans was in the beginning only produced to each order separately.
The Featherbed (which the new design Manx was also known by) got a new racing frame in 1950 designed by Rex & McCandless, it became a true race horse winning the world title in 1951. Great competitors during these days were the MV Agusta motorcycles and Gilera motorcycles.
Shortly after 1955 Norton stopped factory racing and went into a more market orientated period of existence. In 1949 the 500cc model 7 dominator was introduced which later was combined (1952) with the strong popular frame from the Manx into the model known as the Dominator 88.
Norton became known for fine handling machines. And another great classic rolled off the line in 1962 – Dominator 650SS (still mounted in the featherbed frame mentioned earlier). The 650SS was fast, stable and sexy (in the traditional silver color of Norton).
The Norton 650SS was followed by the Norton Atlas 750cc however this production bike didn’t sell so well because of the high prices. Norton wasn’t producing enough of them to get the selling price and margins under control. Norton once again started to struggle with financial problems.
Norton changed the Norton Atlas motorcycle into the Norton Commando 750cc – Once again Norton had heads spinning with this new design and power machine. Norton upheld it’s name of developing good controlling bikes (create frame work) and even with the heavier engine Commando 850 cc the vibration wasn’t too bad (frame + rubber mounting system).
Norton had been consumed into the Norton Villiers Triumph group but the whole thing went into liquidation and by 1978 the last commandos were built. Norton didn’t loose it’s name and developed (on a super small budget) a few bikes for the police forces and a civilian bike called the 588 cc Classic and a touring Commander.
In 1989 some staff built a Norton racer which one the national British championship. This win was mostly responsible for a renewed interest in Norton. So a year later a F1 model was built by Norton (replica of the previous years race winner).
And once again Norton couldn’t cash in on the renewed interest and together with financial miss-management of the company in 1990’s the company lost huge money invested though stockholders.
Briefly a plan was launched to produce a 1500cc Norton called the Nemesis but this was quickly dropped. In 2003 Kenny Dreer bought Norton. New goals have been set by this Norton highly established specialist.

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Triumph Motorcycle History

Triumph Motorcycle History,Knowing your ride has never been so easy!


Saved by the clever owner of Triumph – John Bloor – who designed the triumphs new models in secret (for 8 years) before launching them to the public. Now the Triumph brand lives on with a history of more than 100 years and know as an all English motorcycle brand, however it was founded by Germans ;o)


Quick Guide to Triumph Motorcycle History
Triumph motorcycles was founded by (believe it or not) two Germans named Siegfried Bettman & Muaritz Shulte. Siegfried changed his old company name to triumph, and the company was born in 1902. The first thing they did was take a small Minerva engine to a bike and their was thier first motorcycle. Later they designed their own engine.

Around the First World War Triumph developed the H model, later followed by the Model R and the popular 1920’s model P with 500cc’s. Despite the high production of motorcycles during these times, Triumph hit financial problems in 1936 and was sold to Jack Sangster.
Jack Sangster appointed Edward Turner as manager which was an excellent move. Edward managed to turn Triumph around and by upgrading the old designs and renaming them Tiger 70, Tiger 80 and Tiger 90 increased the sales tremendously.

In 1937 Edward launched the Speed Twin 500cc model which started the competition with the then traditional single engines. A smart trick was that the Engine of the Speed Twin fitted nicely into the Tiger 90 frame. The overall pricing at the time wasn’t much more that the single models. The Speed Twin became a huge success.

Triumph upgrade the Tiger 90 to (yes, you guessed right) the Tiger 100 model and together with the Speed Twin dominated the market for a while. The Tiger 100 was said to be able to reach the 100 mph mark – a highlight at the time.

Once again the older models were updated and for the overseas market (usa) the Thunderbird model was introduced in 1950 with a 650cc engine (t-bird was it’s nickname). Nine years later the famous Bonneville was launched from the development of the tiger 110. Bonneville nickname came from the Bonneville salt flats where the modified model was timed at an amazing 214 mph (345 kph) in 1956 – however it was never recognized.

The Bonneville model was updated many times over the next years but it kept most of it’s original design. By 1972 over 250.000 models had been sold. In 1969 the three cylinder T150 Trident was launched. A powerful (740cc’s) retro model. The frame which was used was that of a Speed Twin, adjusted for it’s time. The ride was said to be good but not everybody like the style in those days.

The triple cylinder engine used in the Trident was also used to Triumph X-75 Hurricane. A custom style bike which lead the Japanese factories to their versions of custom bikes later on.
But between 1973 and 1983 the company had hard times keeping it’s head above the water. Even a redesign of the Trident to a modern T160 Trident which had a remarkable good reputation on the market, could not help the financial struggle of Triumph. Triumph was fighting against the high tech designs that companies like Honda were making. Triumph went into liquidation in 1983 after which it was bought by John Bloor.

John Bloor decided to develop a new range of Triumph Motorcycles in secret before launching them. It took 8 years to develop a range of 6 roadsters which could use many of the same components and had same styling features. All major cost savers.

The base model to all roadster was the trident model with a three cylinder 750cc or 885cc engine. The bikes used a strong frame with Japanese brakes and suspensions. The Trophy 1200 and Daytona 1000 were launched and a great success.

In 1664 the street look bike was launched called the Speed Triple also the 885 cc engine. Carefully timed Triumph launched a new Thunderbird model with a stylish retro look at was also based on the 885cc triple engine. The old stylish look was a great success worldwide.

Have monitored the Japanese market closely for the past years Triumph adjusted it’s modular building of motorcycles and developed the first purpose built model – the Daytona TT600. Triumph proved it could compete against the design of Japanese bikes with this successful range of models. The launch of the new 2003 model was even more stylish. Also sports touring models were developed like the Sprint ST & RS.

John Bloor pulled a great introduction of the super famous Bonneville. With a very similar look Bloor introduced the Bonneville model again to a new market which now once again trusted the triumph brand again. The same stunt was done with the speed twins.

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BSA Motorcycle History

BSA Motorcycle History At least Know Your Bike Brand



BSA Motorcycle History,Knowing your ride has never been so easy!



Despite being bombed heavily during WOII the BSA company became the biggest manufacturer of motorcycles world wide during those days. BSA also was a strong influence on the classic look of old café racers with models like the Gold Star, Super Flash and Road Rocket.



Quick Guide to BSA Motorcycle History


The Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) company produced a lot more than just motorcycles. Planes, taxi’s, guns and much more. Of course motorcycles was a huge part of the companies activities and by 1950’s they were producing more than 75.000 bikes.

BSA started all the way back in 1863 and the bikes division started in 1880. The engine powered bicycle was launched in 1905 with a small Minerva engine attached to it.
BSA had a good reputation for reliable bikes and the success grew with the introduction of the S27 (also known as the sloper model). It was produced for 10 years and was available in a 350cc, 500cc and later a 595cc engine. Through out its production little was change to it’s original popular design.

During the second world war BSA was hit badly by German forces and bomb attacks made production difficult however BSA kept producing huge amounts of bikes and guns. After the Second World War BSA was the largest manufacturer of motorcycles world wide.
In 1937 Walter Handley raced a BSA empire star over 100mph (160 k/h) around a curved race track. This achievement earned him a gold star which was later adapted by BSA and the next model was name gold star. The Gold Star became a very popular roadster and racing bike. It remained in production up until 1963.

The end of the 1950’s saw the introduction of the A7 (500cc) and later the A10 (650cc). Many different types of A models were produced with great names like Super Flash or Road Rocket. The A models were very simple in look and nothing very extravagant but their reliability, oil tightness and price was a major reason for them staying popular. The A models became a trademark design of BSA. In 1962 they were replaced by the A50 (500cc) and the A65 (650cc).
BSA produced a 750cc Rocket Three Triple which was developed and produced during difficult financial times. Due to great losses in the company BSA was bought by the Norton Villiers Triumph company. The last bikes left the factory in 1973.

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