| 30 January, 2009 - Top Internet Stories - 30-January-2009 | Here's what I found in the internet this week with regards to motorcycle related stories. Not much... must be the economic downturn....
- To Dismantle an Engine or Not…
- 10 safety tips for motorcycle riders
- Aligning Motorcycle Wheels
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| 30 January, 2009 - KTM Motorcycles To Shed 300 Employees | KTM announced that they have to fire 300 employees, and possibly start part-time work.
They will further reduce production by 25%. 'tis not good!
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| 30 January, 2009 - UK: Despite Crisis, Royal Enfield Outsells | Royal Enfield, a former British motorcycle manufacturer, but now an Indian, has had a record sales year.
In a moment of gloom, with companies closing down, it's really nice to hear one company selling 30% (yes THIRTY) more motorcycles last year!
And that for a motorcycle that has not changed its design since 50 years.
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| 29 January, 2009 - Renting A Motorcycle In France | When you go on holidays, you're probably like me. If you didn't get there on a motorcycle, you'll want to rent one.
Here's a list of all the motorcycle rentals I could find in France, with rates, motorcycle brands, location and more.
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| 29 January, 2009 - Video: Hero Honda CD Deluxe | Again, ads from India are usually better than the European or US based TV ads.
Here's one from Hero Honda motorcycles. Nice...
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| 28 January, 2009 - Motorcycle For The Crisis | For the next fuel crisis (shortly now), is this the motorcycle we will all be riding?
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| 27 January, 2009 - Review: Nolan N103 Motorcycle Helmet With N-COM | A very detailed product review of the Nolan 103 motorcycle helmet with N-COM Bluetooth.
A very good, if not excellent, helmet, with a very good wireless communication module (which can be purchased as wired or Bluetooth).
The review is very long, so if you decide to have a look, let it load.
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| 27 January, 2009 - Ho Chi Minh Is My Copilot | Who needs to see where he is going? Not when Ho Chi Mink is the copilot of this motorcycle...
Only in Asia...
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| 27 January, 2009 - Video: Hit-Air Airbag Motorcycle Jacket Ad | A badly made, almost amateur production, ad for the Hit-Air airbag motorcycle jacket. Apart from the production quality, the information that comes across is pretty good.
Who knows, maybe these motorcycle jackets will become more popular?
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| 26 January, 2009 - Ducati Motorcycle Manuals On-line | Ducati are now offering their owner manuals on-line, and downloadable for all their motorcycle models since the year 2000.
The service is free, and available in many different languages.
Bravo!
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| 26 January, 2009 - France: 36% Of Motorcycle Police Force Slashed | The French government has announced that since the introduction of digital radars has been so successful, there is less need for motorcycle cops.
So they are laying off 36% of all "Police National" motorcycle cops.
Too bad, since most of them are really cool cops, and served a good purpose!
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| 26 January, 2009 - Bermuda To Start Very Graphic Safety Campaign | On the tropical islands of the Bermudas, the authorities are starting a very graphical safety campaign in order to reduce the number of car & motorcycle road deaths .
They are using photos of what happened to people after an accident. With the use of blood and gore, they plan to shock the population, hoping that fewer people will drink & drive.
The shocking photos will be placed in public rest-rooms, bars and restaurants.
WARNING: IF YOU ARE EVEN A BIT SQUEAMISH ABOUT BLOOD, DO NOT READ OR CLICK ON THE LINK.
I am showing one of the photos so that maybe a few people who don't live on the island will think before they drink & drive.
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| 23 January, 2009 - Top Internet Stories - 23-January-2009 | Here are the motorcycle related stories seen on the web during last week:
- Legendary Motorcycles Book Review
- Photographer, Author, Artist, Garage Girl - An Interview with Sara Liberte
- How Many Headchecks?
- MotoGP's Biggest Fan Base - Not Where You Think It Is
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| 23 January, 2009 - Harley-Davidson Hit By Slump - Cutting Jobs | Harley-Davidson sold far less motorcycle during the last quarter of 2008, and is suffering.
They have announced the closure of a motorcycle plant, shedding 1,100 jobs in the process.
Bad news...
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| 22 January, 2009 - Harley-Davidson Original Publicity Stunt | Harley-Davidson Switzerland had an original idea to introduce their latest motorcycles to the country of cheese and banks.
They placed motorcycle grips on the tram's handlebars. Not bad idea!
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| 22 January, 2009 - Hero Honda Motorcycle Print Ads | Hero Honda is another one of those motorcycle manufacturers you find only in India. But they are no small fry: some 20 million Hero Honda motorcycles are still in circulation today.
Here are three interesting print ads from the Indian manufacturer.
I love the first one...
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| 22 January, 2009 - Video: Bajaj DTSi - No Fuel Please | Bajaj motorcycle have got the best ads on average. They are fun to watch, well done and pass along a good commercial message. Other manufacturers should pay attention.
Here's a TV ad that would have been great last year during the fuel crisis, but it was made before it.
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| 21 January, 2009 - Holiday Tip: Motorcycling In Former East Block | Here's a holiday tip for you. Rent a motorcycle in the Czech Republic and tour all those great motorcycling countries, Poland, Austria, Slovakia and Germany.
Or go with the organizers to visit the infamous Erzberg Rodeo, or go for a three week off-road trip to Russia. All you pay are the reasonable rental fees and your own accommodation (tents).
Motorbike Ventures will do it all for you...
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| 21 January, 2009 - Ducati Motorcycles Goes Tata | Ducati sign a big deal with Indian conglomerate, Tata, for improving Ducat Supply Chain Management and motorcycle dealer logistics.
At the same time, Ducati also announce the first Ducati showrooms in India.
And to top things off, Ducati announce that they have asked the MotoGP to come to India.
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| 20 January, 2009 - Surfing With Your Motorcycle - Terraplaning | Here's a sport that should be included in the 2012 Olympics: Terraplaning !
Stand on a surfboard, attached to a motorcycle, and off you go. Fun! Fun! Fun!
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| 20 January, 2009 - DVD Review: Hard Miles | Iron Butt motorcycle rally needs no introduction. Even a newbie knows what it is.
Here's a DVD documentary of the 2007 edition of this motorcycle extreme endurance rally, 11 days, 11,000 miles. Called "Hard Miles", the DVD documents the process and the efforts of riding a motorcycle in this rally.
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| 20 January, 2009 - MotoGP To Save Money By Doubling Up | To save money for the cash-strapped teams, MotoGP are now allowing two riders per motorcycle.
This move will save 50% of the team's running cost.
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| 19 January, 2009 - Celebs And Motorcycle Racing Teams | With the financial crisis, many motorcycle racing teams are facing difficulties. One of the ways to save the teams, is when a celeb takes an interest.
Several celebs have done exactly that, and now Antonio Banderas is interested in creating a 125 and 250 cc racing team.
Looking good!
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| 19 January, 2009 - Bullet Proof Boss Hoss Motorcycle | Ever feel out-gunned and with not enough protection to face the road traffic?
Here's a Boss Hoss motorcycle that will change that feeling. Called "Secret Weapon", I think its name should be "Equalizer".
THE motorcycle to ride in busy traffic.
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| 19 January, 2009 - Dakar 2009: Final Post and Round-Up | A final look at the Dakar race, the special motorcycle riders, the statistics and where is the 2010 edition going to be held?
What a race...!
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| 16 January, 2009 - Top Internet Stories - 16 January 2009 | Didn't have that much time to check the "normal" web, thanks to the Dakar race, but here are 2 motorcycle stories I found:
- Posture Perfect: The Best Riding Position For You
- How Much Does it Cost to Race in MotoGP?
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| 16 January, 2009 - Ideal Motorcycle For The Dakar Dunes | Now, is this not the ideal way of getting through the top of those enormous sand dunes on the Dakar with your motorcycle?
How to get to the top with this wheel, is an entirely different matter...
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| 16 January, 2009 - France: 2008 Good Year For Road Mortality Rate | The statistics are in regarding the number of people who have died on the French roads last year.
At least this is one figure that makes people happy when it goes down, and it did. Again, for the 7th year.
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| 15 January, 2009 - Respect: Isidre Esteve Pujol | Anyone racing in the Dakar merits respect. But some merit more than others.
Esteve Pulol, a Spanish KTM motorcycle rider, was one of world's top racers, when a crash in 2007 resulted in him losing the use of his legs.
But that has not stopped him from racing in the Dakar, but now he's using 4 wheels instead of 2. Respect!
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| 15 January, 2009 - Official Honda Fury Motorcycle Photo Leaked! | Our friends at Hell For Leather Magazine have managed to "find" an official photo of the new Honda Fury Chopper motorcycle, which is due to be launched on Friday.
Since we web sites don't receive the info officially (with an embargo date), we don't feel we need to adhere to these dates, so they get published. So here's the official photo of the Fury.
Thanks Hell For Leather Magazine!
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| 14 January, 2009 - Video: Ducati 1098 Motorcycle (.?.) | A TV ad for the Ducati 1098 motorcycle.
The ad is marked to have been found in an Apple Computer Store...??? Bit hard to believe.
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| 14 January, 2009 - Icon Warthog Motorcycle | Icon launched a special helmet some time ago called the Warthog. Named after the successful air-to-ground combat airplane from the 70s, Icon made a matching motorcycle.
The ZX-10 is very cool. Gatling guns, rearview TV, 800 watt sound system, all the nifty things you need to wrestle through enemy territory (traffic).
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| 14 January, 2009 - DIY Motorcycle Sidecar | Need a motorcycle sidecar, but can't afford one.
Here's one way of getting one on the cheap...
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| 13 January, 2009 - Steel Denim: Motorcycle Jeans | Many people don't like putting on their Power Ranger suites for small rides. Too much hassle. But if you go off wearing jeans, you can get nasty road rash.
Protective jeans are not new to the motorcycle world. There are more and more players in the market. Here's one of them: Steel Denim.
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| 13 January, 2009 - Arm Baggage For Motorcycles | Are we seeing a new term being coined? Arm Baggage?
French Bagster is launching a luggage item that is strapped to your arm or thighs.
Interesting concept...
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| 12 January, 2009 - Video: Honda Unicorn Motorcycle | Very tame (lame) TV ad for Honda India Unicorn motorcycle (Indian market special).
They are no Bajaj when it comes to TV advertisements.
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| 12 January, 2009 - Music ON You Motorcycle Helmet - Not IN! | Until now, if you wanted to listen to music or sound on your motorcycle, you needed to place loudspeakers inside your helmet. Either loudspeaker, or earphones.
With the new TuneBug you will not need to do this anymore. Just place the device against your helmet, and you will be listening to music without the wires.
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| 10 January, 2009 - Dakar 2009: 2 More Dead! Tragic! | Tragedy struck again on the Dakar race trail. On Friday, a support truck carrying tires for the 9th stage crashed into a private car, killing the two occupants.
The truck driver is currently in prison pending investigation.
Tragic! |
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| 9 January, 2009 - Top Internet Stories - 09 January 2009 | Back again. Here are the motorcycle articles doing the rounds of the internet you may have missed during the week.
- Drive-By Review: Bags Connection Engage Bag Installation
- To Vegas, Baby: Windhoff Engine
- Rally Days Are Painful Taxpayer Nights
- EPA Asked To Do More Ethanol Tests
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| 9 January, 2009 - Official: Honda To Manufacture Electric Motorcycles by 2010 | Honda have finally released an official statement that they are going to produce an electric motorcycle by next year (2010).
How would you like an electric CBR1000... or Electric Goldwing...?? Or is it going to be an electric Rebel?
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| 9 January, 2009 - Critics And The Dakar Race | Despite being a very popular race for motorcycles and cars, almost in any country of the world, there are always groups of people who want the race stopped.
In most cases, these people are ill-informed about the race and its economical and ecological impact in the region.
Time to take stock!
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| 8 January, 2009 - Dakar 2009: Cause Of Death Of Rider Known | The official cause of death of the Dakar motorcycle rider, Pascal Terry, have been published.
His life could have been saved if the organizers had attempted to rescue him when things started going south, but due to communication errors, it took several days.
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| 8 January, 2009 - Reserving A Motorcycle Parking Spot In Paris | Parking a motorcycle in Paris used to be easy; any sidewalk or dead space was fair game. But no longer! It's raining parking fines...
Now there's a service that allows you, for a reasonable price, to reserve a parking spot for your motorcycle in Paris. On an ad-hoc or annual basis.
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| 7 January, 2009 - Nigerian Motorcycle Riders Using Pumpkin Helmets | In Nigeria motorcycle taxis are resorting to wearing pumpkin shells to escape the new helmet law.
Helmets are either stolen, or evil spells cast on them by their passengers.
Only in Nigeria....
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| 7 January, 2009 - Dakar 2009: First Motorcycle Death | The 2009 Dakar is in mourning again. 49 year old Frenchman, Terry Pascal, died on his Yamaha motorcycle on the night of Sunday.
He did not die of a crash, since he was sitting in the shade, with his helmet off, and food and water.
The local Police is investigating.
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| 7 January, 2009 - Dakar 2009: Slight Change In Reporting Format | | After a comment and several emails regarding the Dakar reporting on this site, we've decided to slightly change the format.
We need to do this because of the people who follow this site using a RSS Reader and live in a country where the Dakar TV reporting is usually the following day.
We'll no longer put spoiler information in the headline, nor in the RSS summary. That way the RSS readers will be able to continue scanning the motorcycle news, but not know what went on. |
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| 6 January, 2009 - Dakar 2009: Day 4-Marc Coma Nice And Easy... | Marc Coma seems unstoppable. The KTM Motorcycle rider hasn't had any problems, while everyone behind him has.
Here's what the 4 KTM factory riders have to say.
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| 6 January, 2009 - Safely Taking Children On Your Motorcycle | Taking a kid with you on a motorcycle can be daunting. Children have a different notion of safety, and they can not hold on to your motorcycle the way an adult pillion would.
Here's one product that will prevent your kids from falling off your bike, the BackRider.
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| 5 January, 2009 - Sliding Angels: Female Supermoto team | More and more women are joining not only the ranks of motorcycle riders, but also motorcycle sports.
Here's an all female Supermoto team, consisting of four lovely girls racing the local Italian Supermoto Championships.
Good on'em!
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| 4 January, 2009 - Dakar 2009: Day 1-Commanding Lead For Coma On 1st Stage Of Dakar | First in a series of press releases from KTM during the Dakar 2009 motorcycle race.
High quality photos and results. Day 1 did not go the way the KTM factory riders wanted it to go, apart from Marc Coma, who now has a big lead after the 1st day.
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| 2 January, 2009 - France: Ultimate Motorcycle Rally | A new motorcycle race is going to start next year here in France. Called the Ultimate Rally, it is styled on the old fashion Monte Carlo race from many years ago.
Contestants leave at the same time from the four corners of France, all arriving at a city in the middle of France. Then they continue with different races for 2 days.
The race is open to all sorts of riders, beginners and professionals. Motorcycles, scooters and sidecars are welcome.
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| 2 January, 2009 - French Gendarme Now Allowed To Dress Up When Motorcycling | The short sleeved French motorcycle Gendarme is a thing of the past! No longer do they need to ride their motorcycle clothed the way they ride their horses.
Now, they getting real motorcycle jackets with an incorporated airbag! Good on them!
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| 2 January, 2009 - Dakar 2009: Day -2 | If you want to see photos of the preparations of the Dakar races, cars, motorcycles and trucks, here's a website that is showing it all "live" from Buenos Aires.
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