2010 Husaberg FE390 Enduro

The fully adjustable 48 mm fork from WP Suspension
has been further optimised to ensure even more responsive handling and provide high damping reserves. Combined with the increased 22 mm offset (previously 19 mm) of the CNC-machined triple clamps, this guarantees more reliable front wheel control.

Airbox

Positioned directly behind the fuel cap, it is covered by the front section of the seat. The airbox’s elevated position guarantees the intake of cool, clean air and maximum wading depth. The intake duct is in the direct downdraft from the filter to the cylinder.

Tank

The slim, 8.5 litre tank runs far below the seat to provide an optimal centre of gravity and is equipped with both a compact fuel pump and new reserve sensor. The transparent polyethylene also enables the fill level to be determined at a glance.

Exhaust System

The integration of the stainless steel exhaust manifold offers optimum protection from rock damage and keeps the rider from coming into direct contact with it.

Brakes

The latest Brembo front brake with optimised front brake pads for maximum braking performance at minimal effort. Effective single-piston brake caliper in the rear. Ultra-light wave discs for the ultimate braking performance and better self-cleaning of the brakes.

PDS Shock

Fully adjustable WP PDS shock with optimised setting for even more traction. Adjustable rebound damping and variable high and low speed compression damping guarantee the perfect configuration for all conditions.

Frame

Light double-cradle perimeter frame made of chrome-molybdenum. Guarantees the greatest torsional rigidity and secure tracking stability. Extremely slender lower tube loops. Minimal overall width. Unbeatable ground clearance.

Silencer

Especially light and made of high quality aluminium, the silencer assures compliance with all official noise limits.

Subframe

Cross-linked polyethylene (PE) ensures that the plastic construction has the highest stability values and a reduced weight at the same time. Many electric components have been perfectly imbedded in the rear fender.

2010 Buell 1125R

Designed for the rider, the Buell® 1125R® breaks the convention of the liter-class super bikes category, delivering a unique combination of engine performance, precise-and-agile handling, raw sound and performance in an innovative package.
Buell® sport bikes strike a unique balance of real-world and race track performance. Their unique styling, aggressive ergonomics and premium components combine to deliver the ultimate, intuitive sport riding experience.
Each Buell model is designed utilizing the Buell Trilogy of Technology™ - chassis rigidity, centralized mass, and low unsprung weight - to produce a motorcycle which responds instantly to rider input.

2010 Aprilia RSV4 Factory

A revolutionary project and a unique history of victories on the racetrack have come together to create the RSV4. A super sport with absolutely exclusive racing technology, developed around the 4 narrow V cylinder engine developed from the technical know-how that has led Aprilia to victory on racetracks all over the world.

33 championships, 254 Moto GP World Championship wins and 8 Super bike victories : over the last two decades Aprilia has become a modern motorcycling legend. The bikes from Noale have dominated tracks the world over thanks to the genial design, courage and extraordinary abilities of the technicians who pursued innovative solutions by experimenting, innovating and sometimes revolutionizing technical schemes that seemed to be unchangeable. Aprilia RSV4 FACTORY, the bike that brings Aprilia back into the 2009 Super bike World Championship, is the product of this immense technical know-how. It is a highly technologically advanced motorcycle, conceived for racing and for this purpose designed and developed by Aprilia together with the marque's Race Division, the largest and most advanced of its kind in Europe and one of the most important in the world.

Aprilia RSV4 FACTORY is a racing machine that, in line with the Aprilia tradition, follows a completely innovative approach in its design and construction. Its narrow V engine, the use of state-of-the-art electronics, plus its lightness and extreme compactness are only a few of the features that make it unique in the world. Aprilia RSV4 FACTORY is designed and built with the same philosophy adopted by the Aprilia race division. This is why RSV4 FACTORY is the most "complete" Super bike racing replica, ready for those who want to venture onto the track with a class leading motorcycle.

The engine of the RSV4 FACTORY is the most innovative and powerful Aprilia has ever built. It is a super compact 999.6 cc 65° V-four cylinder engine designed for maximum power (180 CV), where power plant engineering comes together with the finest materials and the most advanced electronic control solutions. Aprilia's engine, in fact, uses a Ride by Wire multimap technology, a solution that opens up new frontiers for engine management, with practically infinite possibilities for further development.
Besides the triple map Ride by Wire system, a sophisticated electronic injection system with two injectors and adjustable height ducts are fitted.

Aprilia RSV4 FACTORY is an absolute super sport motorcycle, the most complete bike available on the market for bike fans, and its chassis confirms this: designed for the racetrack, it has adjustment features that are typical of racing motorcycles. The adjustable geometry chassis allows parameters such as the position and inclination of the headstock, the height of the swingarm pin and even that of the engine to be changed. The construction technology is also motorsports-derived: the RSV4 FACTORY chassis and swingarm are made of aluminium with variable section castings and pressings.
The components are the state-of-the-art in motorcycling technology: Öhlins Racing fork, rear monoshock and steering damper, Brembo monobloc callipers, forged aluminium rims.


A revolutionary project and a unique history of victories on the racetrack have come together to create the RSV4. A super sport with absolutely exclusive racing technology, developed around the 4 narrow V cylinder engine developed from the technical know-how that has led Aprilia to victory on racetracks all over the world.

33 championships, 254 Moto GP World Championship wins and 8 Super bike victories : over the last two decades Aprilia has become a modern motorcycling legend. The bikes from Noale have dominated tracks the world over thanks to the genial design, courage and extraordinary abilities of the technicians who pursued innovative solutions by experimenting, innovating and sometimes revolutionizing technical schemes that seemed to be unchangeable. Aprilia RSV4 FACTORY, the bike that brings Aprilia back into the 2009 Super bike World Championship, is the product of this immense technical know-how. It is a highly technologically advanced motorcycle, conceived for racing and for this purpose designed and developed by Aprilia together with the marque's Race Division, the largest and most advanced of its kind in Europe and one of the most important in the world.

Honda VT1300 (2010)

The engine is the same fuel-injected, 1312cc, SOHC, 52-degree V-twin with two spark plugs and three valves per cylinder: two in take, one exhaust. Liquid-cooled, it hides its radiator between the aforementioned down tubes, the upper coolant hose concealed beneath the forward valve cover. Spent gases exit via a double-barrel shotgun exhaust, while motive power makes its way to the rear tire via a five-speed gearbox and shaft drive.

The differences are in the details. The Sabre is essentially a Fury with a drag bar and a 170mm-wide rear tire instead of a 200. The Stateline substitutes a 17-inch front wheel for the Fury's 21-inch pizza-cutter. And the Interstate adds a windshield, saddlebags and floorboards. Honda's Combined Braking System with ABS is a $1000 option on the first two but strangely not on the third; apparently the marketing department was adamant about keeping the price below $13,000.

The U.S. press was invited to sample the VT1300 line in Temecula Valley Wine Country northeast of San Diego, just as the wildflowers were blooming in April. Because the Interstate is the most significantly different model, I'll focus on it here.

 

 

 

 

Husqvarna TE630 (2010)

Following BMW's purchase of Husqvarna in 2007, the brand has been trying to attract road riders as well as the hard-core off-road contingent. One of the first fruits of the takeover is the TE630-a street-legal dual-sport single based on Husky's old 610.

The TE gets a new DOHC 600cc engine in place of the 576cc SOHC lump, complete with an upgraded cooling system, hydraulic clutch and a third crankshaft main bearing for increased durability. A new high-level, twin-silencer exhaust system helps deliver an alleged 57 bhp at 7800 rpm-20 percent up from its predecessor.

The rest of the package aims to be more rider-friendly. The seat is better padded and an inch lower thanks to revised suspension. The steel-tube frame gets an extra degree of rake to improve stability at speed. Styling is fresh, the headlight brighter and detailing neater thanks to molded/painted graphics. There are even passenger grab handles.

Even so, the TE630 still feels lean and racy sitting more than 3 feet high-tall enough to put most riders on tiptoes at a standstill. The big single fires eagerly, sounding like an irate cement mixer. Despite its height, the TE is manageable at slow speed, mainly because of its sub-350 pound heft. That's light for a 600cc single, if not for a Husky.

Performance is predictably lively. The engine pulls cleanly through the midrange, though low-rev throttle response is a bit snatch. Typical single-cylinder vibration comes juddering through the seat at higher revs and above 70 mph

All that was forgiven when our off-road route turned steep and bumpy. Despite a reduction in suspension travel, the TE floats over rocks and drainage ditches that would make less dirt-worthy bikes very unhappy. Metzeler's Karoo tires did a good job of coping with everything from dry tarmac to wet leaves, though they feel predictably vague on-road and can't match real knobbiest on dirt.

Back on the asphalt for one last blast to the lunch stop, the more rider-friendly TE is a compromised, uncomfortable roadster. The big single's vibration quickly becomes annoying, and despite the softer seat this Husky still bites your bum after a few hours. The 3-gallon tank should be good for more than 100 miles, but its rider would be looking for an excuse to stand up on the pegs long before then.

So? The TE isn't the most road-ready dual-purpose mount, but it is one of the most capable when the going gets really rough. Fans of the legendary Husqvarna marque needn't worry. Whether its ownership is Swedish, Italian or German, the brand stands for off-road excellence. The TE630 has gained some civilizing touches but it's still lean, focused and every bit a Husky.

Harley Davidson Sports Forty Eight Right Side

It's that tiny teardrop tank that gives the Forty-Eight its name. The "peanut" was originally introduced on Harley-Davidson's 1948 125 S-better known as the Hummer-and became an icon on the XLCH Sports, the hot-rod roadster that ruled the '50s and '60s.

It's surprising that history-conscious Harley waited until now to create a modern replica. Perhaps that's because fitting the peanut tank meant cutting capacity from the standard Sports less-than-generous 3.3 gallons to just 2.1, which many riders would find totally in-adequate. Whatever. This bike isn't supposed to appeal to Joe Sensible. It's a stylish, serious throwback to a bygone time, but with a modern flair.

The Forty-Eight's other features are more practical. Most obvious is that fat-tired, 16-inch wire-spoke front wheel that replaces the typical narrow 19-incher to change the look without significantly altering steering geometry. Above it sits a cut-down fender, plus a fork brace with alleged weight-saving holes to match those in the fuel tank's mounting bracket.

Shorter shocks lower the rear end and exaggerate the Sports look, reducing the solo saddle's height to a knuckle-dragging 26.8 inches. Foot controls are forward-set, as on the Sports Custom. The speed is also set lower than on previous models. The slightly raised black bars are from the Nights.

The Forty-Eight feels very skinny as I throw a leg over its ultra-low saddle. At a claimed 567 pounds full of gas, it's hardly light, but all that weight rides so low and the bike is so slim that it's very manageable.

The bike doesn't roar like an old XR1000, but those shotgun pipes are rowdy enough to let the big twin's exhalations be heard down the block. The air-cooled V-twin kicks out maximum torque at just 4000 rpm, and pulls away from the line smartly. Fuel injection provides crisp response, and the five-speed gearbox is easy to navigate.

As a city bike the Forty-Eight is great. It's fine for a short burst on the highway as well, where rumbling up to an indicated 90 mph happens quickly enough. Its rubber-mounted engine is smooth enough to make 70-mph cruising fairly painless. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the mirrors, mounted below the bars, stayed clear and useful at that speed.

The Forty-Eight steers with a pleasantly neutral feel. It's easy enough to flick around with a tweak on its bars, but those forward-set pegs scrape early-long before the fat, Harley-branded Dunlops run out of grip. Braking is reasonably strong, with the single front disc and twin-piston caliper backed up by a similar-sized rotor and single-pot caliper at the rear.

I love the Forty-Eight more for its looks than for its functional capabilities. For those who can accept its concessions to style, few production bikes hit the spot like this one.

 

Highland Viking (2011)

Mats Malmberg, who founded Highland Motorcycles in Sweden 15 years ago, wasn't necessarily looking to re-enter the bike-building business. Discouraged by seemingly endless frustrations producing the original Highland 950 Outback a decade ago, he back-burnered his bike-building dreams and transformed his company into a successful engineering firm that developed technology for Husqvarna and others. And he certainly wasn't looking to relocate to Oklahoma-a state most Swedes aren't even aware exists-until Tulsa-based entrepreneur Chase Bales made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

The two met when Bales was negotiating a deal for Highland to supply engines to American dirtbike manufacturer ATK. That venture didn't pan out, but Bales-who actually owned an original Highland Outback-had another idea. He made Malmberg an outrageous offer to re-launch Highland as a full-line manufacturer of high-end, American-made road and off-road motorcycles.

Before you could say smorgasbord, Bales bought 25 percent of Highland and Malmberg became the newest resident of The Sooner State. "To develop technologies for others is satisfying," Malmberg admits, "but it's much more fun to do it for yourself, under your own brand, and sell bikes under your own name." That was 2008. Today, barely 16 months later, a heavy-hitting board of directors-led by Bengt Andersson, former chairman of Husqvarna-is in place, a brand-new manufacturing facility has been built on the outskirts of Tulsa, more than 30 employees have been hired, and U.S. Highland is set to deliver its first production motorcycles to customers by the end of the year.

Motorcyclist dropped in on the new firm the same week it was moving into its new factory, which was alive with activity as employees set up CNC mills and other tooling. Scattered around the shop floor were R&D projects ranging from outboard marine motors to side-by-side ATVs, along with every possible variation of motorcycle: dirt-spattered motocross, super motor, street-trackers, even a single-cylinder road racer. Modular construction using two basic engine layouts (single or V-twin, in displacements ranging from 450cc to 1050cc) and a few basic frame designs will allow the firm to offer a dizzying array of products, easily customizable to each individual buyer's specification. The company plans to offer 15 models ranging from race-ready motocross and enduro machines to street-legal street fighters, and will add more according to customer demand.

Highland follows a decidedly top-down design strategy. "We're going to build what we love to ride, and hope we find a market for it," Bales explains. Judging from the two street-legal prototypes we sampled-the Viking street fighter and Desert X enduro-what Highland honchos love to ride is high-powered, hard-edged motorcycles that are barely a half-step removed from hardcore race machines.

Both bikes are powered by the same extremely compact, 60-degree V-twin, which has its roots in the Folan engine Malmberg purchased outright 12 years ago. That engine has been completely redesigned over the intervening decade to the point where it is now 60 pounds lighter and nearly 50 percent more powerful. "Everything has changed," Malmberg says. "There are hundreds of changes to the castings, the crank, the clutch, the pistons; everything is different inside. There is no Folan left in it. It's all Highland now."

The Highland V-twin is almost unbelievably small-it looks more like Aprilia's 450 than anything else in the liter class. Malmberg says the motor weighs a remarkable 96.8 lbs. complete, including the starter, intakes and throttle body. "There are no exotic materials," he says. "It was designed to be a racing engine first, so we worked carefully to save material everywhere we could."

 

2012 Yamaha YZ125 - Review and Specs

 The Yamaha YZ125  is only heavy compared to a vintage bike. And it makes so much more power that it's power-to-weight ratio is off the chart. Unless you outweigh the bike, the suspension is amazing, letting you jump as far as your pinned throttle hand will let you with nary a care about landing.

Of course, all this pinning and shifting requires a lot of energy, thus you might think 125s are better left to the younger generation. Ignore the snickers as you line up at the gate, make peace with the fact that you'll never get the hole shot, and revel in being the underdog as you flow past one lumbering "diesel" after another. If it doesn't happen in the first few laps, relax; it will happen later. Let the 450s dig trenches down on the bottom and run 'er in there high, wide and handsome.