The American arm of BMW announced a 4% sales growth for 2010. The Bavarian manufacturer sold 98 000 bikes globally in 2010 compared to the 87 000 units it sold in 2009, that’s a 12% increase. The best selling bike of the marque was the R1200 GS (18 700 units), and was followed by the R1200 GS Adventure ( 11 600 units), the R1200 RT (11 100 units), and the S1000 RR supersport machine (10 200 units). More interestingly, the S1000 RR outsold the R1200 GS in the US. Read the full article »

Bonham’s is getting ready for their first European auction of 2011, which will take place at the Grand Palais, Paris on February 5, 2011. One of the items is a very rear motorcycle. The Megola is powered by a 640cc five-cylinder engine built into the front wheel. As you can see on the picture, the motor rotates along with the wheel. There was no clutch or gearbox, though the torquey engine easily made light of its lack of a variable transmission and was capable of propelling the machine to a top speed of around 70mph. Read the full article »

Husqvarna unveiled the Mille 3 Concept at the 2010 EICMA show, which, according to Visordown, was the first sign that the Swedish company is planning road bikes. The British magazine reports that the manufacturer will launch the first of a whole range of road bikes in late 2011 as part of a new strategic plan. The first road machine of Husqvarna will use a 900cc parallel twin engine based on the BMW F800 models. Husqvarna could use the experience and resources of their parent company, BMW. Read the full article »

British brand Triumph could release a range of small capacity bikes. Visordown says a 125cc prototype was spotted on test with the company’s future big capacity models. The British firm announced last year that it will expand its model ranges from three (Urban Sports, Modern Classics, Cruisers) to seven (Roadsters, Supersports, Adventure, Touring, Classics and Cruisers). Unfortunately, the new prototype hasn’t yet been photographed. With sales of small capacity bikes booming in Asia, a move into the 125cc market could be the best move from Triumph in the last 20 years. Read the full article »

Kawasaki Australia announced the release of the new W800 retro bike to its lineup. The new W800 is available now throughout the Australia wide Kawasaki dealer network at the RRP of $11,999 + ORC. The new 2011 Kawasaki W800 is a true modern classic, featuring the perfect blend of classic appeal, historic roots and vintage ride feel. Visual impact from the striking Vertical Twin engine, classic proportions from a compact frame with large-diameter wheels and meticulous attention to detail give the W800 [...] Read the full article »

Those already planning racing schedules and track-day activities can now place orders for YEC’s 2011 Racing Parts to assist the augmentation of their YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 and hone their equipment for competitive use. The deadline for the second of three European ordering rounds for the exceptional kits - produced with care and diligence by Yamaha Motor Engineering - is January 14th to ensure delivery for late April 2011 and the start of many series and events across Europe. Read the full article »

The Japanese manufacturer plans to triple its sales in India in five years, the Nikkei business daily reported on Tuesday. Honda currently produces 1.55 million motorcycle a year, but the target is 5 million. The company’s second factory in Rajasthan opens in the second half of 2011, which will lift Honda’s capacity to 2.2 million units by around 2012. Honda's overall investment to increase production in India is estimated at 10 billion rupees, or roughly 18 billion yen, the newspaper said. Read the full article »

On behalf of everyone here at Mbike, I’d like to wish everyone a happy New Year, good success in life and good health. If you have the privilege of riding this weekend, ride safe, no matter which motorcycle you ride. We hope to see you next year. Read the full article »

Piaggio USA announced the pricing of its three-wheeler lineup for 2011. The only MP3 listed in the brand’s US lineup is the MP3 300 Hybrid, a 278cc three-wheeler which is able tor un in a fully electric mode. The powertrain of the bike offers performance in terms of acceleration and pickup comparable to a conventional petrol-engined 400cc scooter, making it the ideal solution for medium to long range journeys. The bike features a 278cc 4-stroke engine which delivers 25 hp at 7,500 rpm and 27.5 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm. Read the full article »

Kawasaki put the new Ninja ZX-10R on technical hold back in mid-December. After much speculation, the manufacturer revealed the problem. The Japanese engineers says that there was a possible surging of the intake valve spring when the bike operated under unique riding operations. According to the manufacturer, this surge could cause the intake valve to seat improperly, resulting in poor engine performance. Read the full article »