American motorcycle company Zero has released its 2011 line of electric bikes: the S, DS, X, and MX. Every model in the line has received a host of technical upgrades and new styling. One of the highlights is the quick-charge system that allows to charge the batteries nearly half the time of the standard version. Other changes come in the form of things like upgraded brakes, suspension and refined charge status indicator. Read the full article »

Yamaha yesterday announced it will close its factory in Palau-Solita i Plegamans, Spain due to falling global demand for its vehicles. The move will affect nearly 420 workers. The company moves production to another Yamaha factory at Saint-Quentin in northern France. "All over the world, and Europe in particular, there has been a prolonged fall in sales figures which forces Yahama to take steps to restructure its industrial capacity," it said. Read the full article »

Japanese manufacturer Suzuki announced the sales and profit results for the first nine month of 2010. The company increased its sales by an encouraging 6.1% despite continued severe market condition. This means Suzuki sold 975,000 units globally in the nine month ended Dec. 31 2010. The manufacturer reported a total loss of $85.7 million on account of the continued sales slowdown of large-size motorcycles for Europe and US. Read the full article »

KTM, the market leader in sports-oriented motorcycles is going global, with the opening of flagship stores in Dubai and Brazil. The newly established Dubai arm of KTM is aimed at the fast-growing off-road market in the Middle Eastern country, while KTM Brazil is aimed at cracking South America’s low-capacity market. KTM sees a very promising future in Brazil as a natural market for its street bike and offroad range of sports-oriented motorcycles. Read the full article »

Old British wheel manufacturer Dymag bounces back. In January 2010, CSA International Ltd acquired the assets of Dymag Racing UK Limited from the liquidator, and with the help of Dymag engineers and experts is bringing the Dymag brand back to market, with an initial focus on motorcycle wheels. The first wheels are now back in production in a range of standard and custom sizes. Read the full article »

Spanish motorcycle magazine Solomoto was able to take a photo of BMW’s new-generation R1200 GS Adventure. The magazine claims that the new GS will feature a brand new, liquid-cooled boxer engine. Although the spy shots are poor quality, what matters is not the quality, but the news. The R1200 GS’s new engine externally looks the same, but the first thing you notice is that the final drive and shaft drive are located on the left hand side of the bike, totally backwards from the current R1200GS. Read the full article »

Heading into its fifth season, the Triumph Triple Challenge is determined to unearth and nurture young talented riders, who will be able to pick up the gauntlet and become the next wave of British Superbike Champions. Will full backing from Triumph and a deal in place with Motorsport Vision to support the prestigious British Superbike Championship, the Triumph Triple Challenge is going from strength to strength. Read the full article »

Dr. Venki Padmanabhan has been named Royal Enfield Motors new CEO. The new leader of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer wants to restore Royal Enfield to past glories. "Charged with the responsibility of restoring the company to its natural place among the leading luxury classic motorcycle marquees of the world. As customers' dreams are fulfilled with great rides behind them, a threefold increase in top line and bottom line is to be accomplished by 2015." – said Mr. Padmanabhan. Read the full article »

The North American division of Honda Motor Company announced today additions for the 2011 model year, four street bikes, namely the VT1300CR Stateline ($11,799 MSRP), VT 1300CS Sabre ($11,899 MSRP), VT750C Shadow Aero ($7,999 MSRP) and NT700V. These four returning motorcycles cap off a great lineup for the current year, which encompass a total of 43 machines. Read the full article »

The Agility Saietta, revealed at the MCN London Motorcycle Show, is a stylish zero-emission all-electric sports bike. The motorcycle’s name might sound Italian, but the Saietta was designed in the UK by a firm called Agility Global. The bike weighs 500lbs and features a 169hp electric motor. There will be a base version which weighs 400lbs and has a 135hp-motor. Both versions have an air-cooled DC Agni motor which participated in last year’s Isle of Man TT. Read the full article »