VFR1200
Bike Safe Sheffield 2010
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » Bike News - Thursday, 3rd June 2010, 10:23 GMTIf you fancy a free motorcycle show, demo rides on the latest models, rider assessments and seeing some stunt action, then visit Bike Safe Sheffield on 12th-13th June 2010. Alastair Walker takes a look at the action; Bike Safe Show is a free motorcycle event, organised by the Metropolitan Police last year and 2010 sees it move north to Sheffield’s Arena, with both indoor and outdoor action. The show is part of the Get On motorcycle industry campaign, which is currently generating some 1500 enquiries per week from people looking to discover the world of two wheels. Many of the UK importers are at the event and insidebikes reckons some 80 models, from sportbikes to tourers, commuters to cruisers, will be available for demo rides, subject to licence restrictions, at the event. That’s cool for experienced bikers but novices can get a ride on basic 125cc class machines, with all safety gear provided. That’s in the Get On try-a-bike area, with instructors on hand to guide you. There are plenty of brand new 2010 motorcycles and scooters at the show, Honda are expected to bring their VFR1200, whilst Yamaha will have the new XTX1200 Super Tenere, one of the many rivals BMW has for its top-selling R1200GS machine. Yamaha also have the FZ8, plus the mighty V-MAX and the latest R1. Other manufacturers like BMW, Honda, Triumph, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki and Suzuki will all be there, with extensive demo fleets. The word on the grapevine is that Ducati will have their Multistrada and BMW will be relaunching their innovative C1 scooter at Bike Safe Sheffield, so if you’ve never seen a scooter with a roof and seat belts, now’s your chance. Stands in the trade area also include Carole Nash Insurance, motorcycle clubs, bike touring, clothing and accessory specialists plus a family fun fair zone. Other attractions include stunt displays from Dave Coates and Steve Colley, the Extreme Globe Riders and a supermoto demo area with KTM legend Ady Smith. Plus BSB stars Gary Mason, James Westmoreland and Jon Kirkham are also expected to be on hand during part of the weekend for autograph signings. One of the reasons Bike Safe exists is to promote safe motorcycling and a team of Police riders will be on hand to offer rider assessments, which are completely free. Many riders have already booked for a chance to have their skills appraised and there’s a wealth of info at the show from the BMF, ROSPA and IAM to help you have fun, and stay safe, on two wheels this summer. Finally, everyone who visits the show can enter a prize draw to win a free Honda CBF600 and top-to-toe motorcycle kit. More at; www.bikesafeshow.co.uk Read article
R&G hugger for VFR1200F
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » New Products - Wednesday, 19th May 2010, 8:33 GMTR&G Racing, the world’s number one manufacturer of motorcycle crash protection, is expanding its award-winning product range with rear mudguard huggers. Beginning with the Honda VFR1200, the R&G hugger represents a new direction of protection products from the British brand that will help guard bikes from road debris and rear tyre spray in a bid to reduce corrosion and rear shock damage. As well as putting a barrier between the rear tyre and suspension, the design of the hugger features an integral heel guard to stop boots rubbing away the swingarm’s finish. The Hampshire-based company has invested heavily in development, design and tooling for the new hugger. Made from ABS plastic – the same material used on R&G moulded tail tidies - the hugger is durable and simple to fit; including any bolts needed. In announcing the new product, R&G Racing’s Sales Director, Simon Hughes, said: “The R&G Racing hugger is a natural progression in our goal to offer riders complete protection for their bikes. We are regularly asked for huggers, so we thought ‘why not?’ ” Priced at £99.99 inc. VAT, the R&G hugger for the VFR1200 complements the aero crash protectors, fork protectors, bar end sliders, radiator guard and frame plugs also available for the touring machine. For more information on the R&G Racing range visit www.rg-racing.com Read article
Crash Protection Experts’ First Hugger is for Honda’s VFR1200
Source: The Latest Motorcycle News - Tuesday, 18th May 2010, 19:59 GMTR&G Racing, the world’s number one manufacturer of motorcycle crash protection, is expanding its award-winning product range with Huggers. Read article
Dual clutch VFR1200 arrives
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » Bike News - Monday, 17th May 2010, 10:34 GMTHonda has launched their new Dual Clutch Transmission, which offers both a ‘traditional’ manual gear change operation, but by hand rather than foot, plus a fully automatic gearbox with two different modes for riding preference, reports Alastair Walker. Ever since the demise of the British bike industry in the 1970s, the use of a left-foot operated manual-shift gear lever and left-hand clutch lever has been an integral part of the motorcycle experience. But over the last decade or so alternative gear-shift technologies have appeared on road-going cars and quick-shifter systems are in use on racing motorcycles. The use of such innovative technology has never really made it to the street although Aprilia had a stab at it with their Mana 850 recently. Honda has now introduced a Dual Clutch Transmission system on their VFR1200F. The system offers the rider the enjoyment of a six-speed manual gear-select option in Manual Transmission (MT) mode via electronic trigger-shift controls, whilst also offering the more relaxed capability of effortless and seamless gear changes in Automatic Transmission (AT) mode should they wish. Within AT mode, there are two options - D-mode for a relaxed ride and S-mode for a more sporty feel. All three modes are selectable from a switch on the right handlebar. In the past the small size of a motorcycle has made it awkward to fit switchable transmission, but Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission utilises two main shafts – one fitting inside the other – and two in-line independent hydraulic clutches which alternately engage the odd and even numbered gears respectively. The shift mechanism itself is based on that of a conventional motorcycle. The end result is a compact, light-weight system, which – via its various modes – can offer simple, refined and fuel-efficient gear-change systems. This means that a Dual Clutch Transmission-equipped machine can offer the best of both worlds to all types of motorcycles, although big V-twins and V4s probably offer the right `torquey’ feel to make the options work well in the real world. The VFR1200FD will make its debut in Honda Motorcycle dealerships in the UK on 14th June, and will be available in the same colours as the manual VFR - Seal Silver Metallic, Candy Prominence Red and Pearl Sunbeam White – and will be priced at £13,175 on the road, say Honda UK. Still unsure about all this hi-tech gadgetry? You can get a ride on the VFR1200FD by booking online at; www.honda.co.uk, or call 0845 200 8000. Read article
Honda VFR1200 to Jerez
Source: | Motorcycle Sport | MotoGP - Friday, 14th May 2010, 9:40 GMTGraham & Ann-Marie White from Tingley, West Yorkshire at Jerez MotoGP Read article
Honda VFR1200 to Jerez
Source: | Motorcycle Sport | MotoGP - Friday, 14th May 2010, 9:40 GMTGraham & Ann-Marie White from Tingley, West Yorkshire at Jerez MotoGP Read article
Bike sales drop 17.8% in April
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » Bike News - Thursday, 13th May 2010, 13:15 GMTThe latest new motorcycle and scooter registration figures for April 2010 have been released, Alastair Walker looks at which bikes and manufacturers are selling well this spring. April may have seen some sunshine, but motorcycle sales remain in recession across the UK, with a drop of 17.8% in new registrations for motorcycles and scooters above 50cc. The good news is that sub-50cc mopeds and scooters suffered a very slight drop of just 1.8% last month, suggesting that the deepening recession is finally pushing reluctant commuters to try two wheels rather than four, or put up with unreliable public transport. insidebikes spoke to Nick Brown at AJS Motorcycles down in Hampshire, who report that their 125cc machines are selling well this spring; “The DD125 remains our top selling model, and we’re into a Mk II version of the machine in 2010, we’re also finding that the revamped EOS and the Bobber 125, which are a little more expensive, are popular with first time bikers. We’re about to launch a custom scooter to run alongside the Exactly 50 and 125 models and we are seeing a definite upturn in demand for the lightweight commuter machines after a dismal 2009. All we are hoping now is that the government don’t bring in new rules and taxes which make motorcycling any more expensive, plus a good summer would be handy.” April was a patchy month sales-wise on bigger machines. Adventure Sport class bikes fell by 29% and Supersports dropped by 26%, continuing their long term decline as the typical bike buyer gets older every year. Just 1673 supersport bikes were registered in April, which considering the MCIA counts models like the CBR125F Honda as a sportbike, shows how genuinely sporty machines are becoming a relatively small percentage of the overall market. Some 8844 two-wheelers above 50cc were registered last month, so sportbikes now account for less than 20% of the entire new machine market above 50cc, a decade ago it was around a third. Dealers remain positive this spring however. Neil Morris at Lancaster Honda says that the dealership has sold twelve VFR1200s since the Feb launch, with 11 new Honda machines sold in April, with sales right across the range; “The demand for the CBR600 or 1000 sportbikes is still there, but models like the CBR125 and CBF1000 all-rounder remain popular.” commented Neil, adding, “We are also seeing much stronger interest in the smaller bikes this year as well, plus clothing and accessory sales are holding up.” The VFR1200 saw 138 new registrations in April, whilst the CBR1000RR notched up 149. Other strong sellers included the BMW R1200RT at 106, and 111 examples of the always popular R1200 GS adventure touring machine were sold. BMW edged ahead of Kawasaki in overall manufacturer sales last month, with 683 units, against 671 for Kawasaki. You wonder how BMW would stack up against Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha if the Japanese brands had their sub 400cc models discounted from the sales figures. One final note, Triumph were the third most popular manufacturer last month, with 954 registered machines. Who would have bet on that just four or five years ago? Read article
Venture Launch Mounting Kit for Honda’s VFR1200
Source: The Latest Motorcycle News - Tuesday, 27th April 2010, 8:09 GMTWith performance, handling and comfort, the new VFR1200 can eat up the miles quickly and easily. Combining the best features of soft and hard luggage, Ventura’s Bike Pack system is perfectly suited to the VFR; offering serious carrying capacity, in a stable and secure package, which won’t affect performance, handling or styling. Read article
March bike sales drop 11.8%
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » Bike News - Wednesday, 14th April 2010, 8:49 GMTThe latest new machine registration figures for March 2010 show the decline in new motorcycle, scooter and moped sales across the UK shows little sign of ending, reports Alastair Walker. Overall, two-wheeler registrations in March were down 11.8%, with mopeds down 11.3% and scooters dropping by some 8.3%. On the upside, the March falls were less than the rolling three month average decline of around 20%, so the better weather in March, plus the new registration letter, seem to have perked up the market slightly. BMW dealers have reason to celebrate this month with the new S1000RR posting 385 registrations, making the top bike in its class. The R1200RT also did well, with 212 units being taxed and made ready for the road in March. BMW were in 4th place in the manufacturer league table in March, just behind Suzuki and ahead of Triumph and Kawasaki. Honda were the most popular marque last month, with 2,354 units on the road, with Yamaha just behind them. Honda’s VFR1200 picked up another 190 registrations in March, following its successful launch in February and 458 CBF125 machines were logged with the DVLA, almost as many as the entire Piaggio range for the month ( 581 units ). The market is most definitely being dominated by older riders, as Custom, Touring and Sports-Touring class bikes remained static in terms of registrations, whilst Supersport, Adventure Sport and Trail machines fell sharply, in fact the Supersport class fell by a whopping 27% in March, although at 2900-odd units, it is still a large chunk of the UK motorcycle market. Small machines continue to struggle, despite the recession and rapidly rising fuel prices. 50cc mopeds and scooters were down 11.3% in March. In hard economic times you would expect car drivers to consider using a moped for commuting, but it doesn’t seem to be happening. On the upside, 50cc-125cc class machines posted a modest 3% rise in March, although they’ve dropped 16% on average in the opening quarter of 2010. Despite the UK industry association calling for a scrappage scheme aimed at encouragng sales of small, fuel-efficient bikes and scooters, there seems no chance of that happening, regardless of who wins the general election. A similar scheme in Italy boosted sub-125cc, Euro 3 compliant class machines in 2009. Is the MCIA’s Get On campaign enough, post your ideas on promoting the fun, fuel saving and freedom from traffic jams that biking offers here; Read article
52 years on the Dot
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » Bike News - Wednesday, 7th April 2010, 13:02 GMTOne of the great things about motorcycle shows is meeting some great characters, and few could be more memorable than Rodney Cottrell, who bought his Dot scrambler back in 1958 and has owned it ever since. insidebikes editor Alastair Walker caught up with Rodney at the Manchester Motorcycle Show, which took place over the weekend. “The Dot was an expensive bike back in the 50s. I saved up half the £170 cost myself and borrowed the rest from my Dad,” recalled Rodney, “then I had to win some scrambles ( what we call motocross these days ) to pay him back - it were a lot of money back then. I used to scramble, do trials, play rugby and practice judo back in the early 60s, then I got married in `64 and it all stopped. You get a lot of bills when you get hitched…” Rod hung onto his Dot however and decided to restore it a few years ago. He sourced quite a few spares from the Dot concern in Manchester and a specialist company in Brierley Hill, near Birmingham, who provided bits for the Villiers motor. “I cut down the front of the petrol tank myself, ” says Rodney, “as there was a bit of trim that made it hard to remove. The Dot took a couple of years to restore and it’s original except for the wheels. I don’t think I’ll ever sell it now; it’s the bike I raced, back when I was young, free and had a full head of hair!” Other attractions at the show included the Vertical Trix stunt team, Steve Colley on his trials machine, classic bikes, the new Honda VFR1200 and BMW S1000RR, plus customs, scooters and streetfighters. Read article
