A collection of toy motorcycles has sold for $15,000 in the latest auction of Sotheby’s. The cast iron and iron motorcycle toys were part of a collection belonging to Malcolm Forbes, the publisher of Forbes magazine. The toy collection includes a Harley Davidson hill climber, a 4-inch speed racer, a light blue Harley with later driver, Indian Motorcycle with side car with silver passenger and no driver, Champion cycles include three 7 inch and two 4 ½ inch. The group also includes a welded sculpture. Read the full article »

The Italian company launched a special contest this year, which has come to an end. According to Ducati, over 900 designs have been uploaded onto the www.shicon.com website for design competitions, through which Ducati launched the Ducati Greetings Contest. Aside from this, Ducati launched a special video which shows the empty company and the 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden. On the video, you can see Hayden taking a stroll through the Ducati factory and museum. Read the full article »

The 2011 Dakar Rally kicks off in Argentina on 1st January, and KTM’s newest machine, the 450 Rally will be competitive, that’s for sure. The following riders will be competing on the KTM: Cyril Despres, Marc Coma, Juan Pedero and Rubin Faria. The machine features chromium-molybdenum trellis frame, a 449cc single-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed gearbox. The 450 Rally has a dry weight of 150kg (330lbs) and features a 35-liter (9.2 gallons) fuel tank that saddles the frame. The 450 Rally carries a price tag of €29,300 ($41,200). Read the full article »

In an effort to gain future success, the Bavarian manufacturer announced some changes at the superbike team. Rainer Baumel (44) is appointed Head of Race Operations, while Stephan Fischer (43) is now the new Head of Development for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Josef Hoffmann (54) takes up the post of Managing Director with immediate effect. All three report directly to Bernhard Gobmeier, who was appointed BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director back in October. Read the full article »

Paris Hilton already got the attention of the international media after she bought her own MotoGP team. The american billionaire will be present at Hotel ME in Madrid tomorrow, but they already revealed the livery of her SuperMartxé VIP team. This is what Sergio Gadea and Maverick Vinales will be riding next season and I’m pretty sure the two riders aren’t happy in this moment. It is also being reported that Paris Hilton will attend at least 5 MotoGP races over the course of the year. Read the full article »

American company Mission Motors unveiled the R, an all-electric factory race bike at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show today. The manufacturer says the R „is the most advanced electric racing motorcycle in the world. With components and software from MissionEVT, a revolutionary chassis design by James Parker, and cutting edge industrial design by Tim Prentice of Motonium Design, the Mission R is powerful, intelligent and downright fierce. MotoGP-spec components from Öhlins, Brembo, and Marchesini round out this built-for-racing package.” Read the full article »

The International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) announced new regulations for the 2012 MotoGP earlier this year, and it seems Aprilia doesn’t like these new engine rules. In 2012, the bikes will be powered by 1000cc engines, and it was believed manufacturers that compete in the WSBK would shift to MotoGP. But appearently, Aprilia won’t do that. The technical director of the company, Luigi dall’Igna said in a recent interview with Italian magazine Autosprint: “You need to consider that Aprilia is a manufacturer that has reaped a lot of success in the series it has participated in," Read the full article »

BMW introduced the new K 1600 GT at this year’s Intermot, and now, a few month later the manufacturer released a video of the bike. With the new K 1600 GT, BMW motorcycles are now available for the first time with a 6-cylinder in-line power unit developed in-house. The 1649cc six-cylinder engine delivers 160hp and 175 Nm of torque, and now we can understand why BMW didn’t put music in the video, the sound of the engine is quite impressive. Read the full article »

Honda Motor Co. announced that it will start lease sales of the EV-neo electric scooter on Friday, December 24, 2010. The EV-neo is an electric scooter developed for businesses such as transport of heavy goods or delivery services and which delivers a clean and quiet ride without compromising powerfulness. The vehicle qualifies as a first-class motor-driven cycle in Japan, for engine displacements of 50cc or less. Read the full article »

The Cagiva Raptor 125 is one of those 125cc street legal sportsbikes which are so popular among European young riders. The new 125 Raptor owes its name to the introduction of design concepts derived from its bigger sisters, like the front headlamp, the new redesigned passenger seat, and the V-Raptor's handlebars. New is also the front fender characterized by a smoother profile and the license plate holder derived from the X-Raptor. Read the full article »