Motorcycles

Derbi has a sweet little bike in the works. The DH 2.0 could be described as a motorized mountain bike. Its name Derbi means DERived from BIcycles, and the DH suggests the design is derived from Down Hill bike racing. The frame is completely minimalistic which keeps the weight down to only 88lbs! The DH 2.0 is powered by a 100cc air cooled 4 stroke engine. It features; underseat exhaust, inverted fork, and an air monoshock rear suspension. There is no word on pricing or availabiltiy yet. You can go to Derbi and take a survey about this bike. See full specs and more photos.

Ever since I saw the Icon A5 I have been advocating the need for a flying motorcycle. Apparently Samson Motorworks has something like that in the works. Their SkyBike is a three-wheel enclosed vehicle. Samson claims “you can drive in air conditioned comfort to a local airport where the wings are extended, fly to another airport to land, retract the wings and then continue to drive wherever you want to go.” The use of a motorcycle engine enables the plane to use regular gas. They expect the SkyBike to; get 55mpg economy on land, 25mpg in the air, have a 95mph maximum road velocity / 140mph+ while flying, do 0-60mph in six seconds and it should only need a 500′ runway to take off. Right not it is only a concept but Samson Motorworks says they are close to production. See more pictures.

The Norton M28 uses its 499cc single-cylinder engine as a stress point for its carbon fiber chassis. The designer, Aaron Rogers aimed at taking a minimalistic approach to performance. Much of the engine is used as the body. The M28 engine uses a desmodromic valve drive — a technology originally patented by Norton in 1924. When all is said and done this bike should pump out about 70 bhp. Another photo from the back.

One of Suzuki’s latest concepts is beginning to materialize. The Suzuki Crosscage Hydrogen Fuel Cell Motorcycle has no gears, no noise, no clutch, and no emissions. It is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell / electric hybrid engine. There is no information on weather Suzuki will continue on with production of this skinny motorcycle. See more pictures.

The XBi with Bluetooth from Chatterbox ($179) is an excellent motorcycle communication system. It features stereo sound from up to 2 devices at the same time (ex. iPod, Mp3, satellite radio, GPS, cell phone, radar detector). SMART technology in the headset automatically prioritizes the transmissions of paired devices. The XBi can even stream music from one module to the other. Chatterbox XBi also includes: a Li-Pol battery rechargeable battery with 6-8 TRUE hours of power, 1 hour express charge, noise suppression, Hi-Fi headset, and a compact aerodynamic module design.

d3o is the latest in action sports protective body armor. Their unique material is specially engineered with intelligent molecules. They flow with you as you move but on shock they lock together to absorb impact energy. The material is used by several different companies in tons of different products. I am keeping an eye out for Gore-Tex Pro Shell Leather (the first leather moto jacket using d3o). Another brand using d3o for motorcyclists is Racer gloves. Most products with d3o are for sports (soccer, ski, etc) but more and more motorcycle companies are adopting the material. See more pictures and videos.

Josh Hadar makes these crazy bicycles by hand. The bikes can be powered by traditional pedaling, or by a gasoline engine. The fuel is stored in a hand-blown glass tank protected by a type of rib cage. They bikes cost  anywhere from $12,000 and $35,000  and only take 3 months to build. See more pictures.

Ogio has built the perfect backpack for anyone going fast. The low profile No Drag Backpack features; multiple interior pockets, a drop-in back panel laptop sleeve, organizer panel, drop-in audio pocket, and is hydration ready. They are available now for $150. See another picture.

The Chatterbox GMRS X1 Bluetooth Communicator Kit ($340) is the bikers best communication tool. It has Bluetooth wireless so you can connect to Phone, Auido, or GPS in Stereo-Sound. The unit features: A Hi-Fi Noise-Reducing Headset, Large illuminated LCD Display, Voice Activation and Push-To-Talk, Full Duplex Intercom, and High Capacity Rechargeable Ni-MH Battery. The unit is available for Full and Open Face Helmets, and supports up to 5 miles of coverage, 22 Channels / 38 Talk Groups. The whole kit includes: Chatterbox GMRS X1 Bluetooth stereo unit with volume adjustment, voice sensitivity control, two channel plus intercom switch, auxiliary input, high quality foam covered microphone and speaker system, as well as all the necessary mounting brackets and hardware.

The new 2008 Ducati 1098 R is the long awaited successor to the old Ducati 999. The new Ducati features a bigger bore, bigger stroke, bigger valves, and bigger throttle bodies all hidden behind new carbon fiber bodywork. Also included is a traction control system, track-only ECU timing and the Ducati Data Analyzer (DDA) which enables the owner to review and analyze the performance of the bike via a PC and USB cable. All that means that the new 1098 R will put out an impressive 180hp and 99.1 ft/lb of torque. Get this bad boy for $39,995.

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Introduced during the Tokyo Auto Show last October this tribute to the classic CB400F of 1975-197 the Honda Cb110F has finally received production approval and should be hitting dealership floors in early 2009. Unfortunately not too much is known about exact specifications but it seems like it will feature a air cooled 1,100cc powerplant, 4-in-1 exhaust, twin shocks, and a tube frame. Pricing is currently unknown.

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The brand new KTM RC8 Suberbike is a monster sporting a new 75 degree V-Twin engine displacing 1148cc’s, making 155 horsepower. The bike weighs in at 414lbs and features an innovative under-floor exhaust system for optimum power output and ideal center of gravity. Also included is an Electronic keihin injection system with automatic cold start, idle-speed regulator, lambda control and altitude compensation. All this adds up to 200km/s in less than 10 seconds and 100km/h in just 3 seconds. The KTM 1190 RCB Superbike will be available in orange/black or white/black and will hit showrooms March 2008, unfortunately price is currently unknown.

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