Consumer Reports conducted a new study about motorcycle riders safety habits, and the result is pretty shocking. The organisation polled 1383 of its bike-riding subscribers, but no particular make or model bike is represented, just general riders. 7 in 10 respondents consider themselves to be experienced riders and have held their motorcycle license for at least five years. But 10 percent said they had been in an accident in the last five years and 1 in 4 said they don't always wear a helmet when they ride. Read the full article »

A rare 1952 Vincent Rapide has been discovered in California. The bike has only 8500 miles in his clock, so it's practically new. The classic british machine, painted in Chinese Red, has been untouched for nearly half a century. The motorcycle was found in Fresno, California, where it had been sold new by the local Indian motorcycle dealer, it has California black license plate. The Rapide is go under the hammer on Thursday January 6th, 2011 at Bonhams Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction, USA. Read the full article »

Piaggio has decided to launch Vespa scooters in India from 2012, starting with the LX125. India is the world's second largest motorcycle market with 8.4 million units having been sold in 2009. The sale of scooters accounted for about 1.3 million units. The enormous market is currently dominated by Honda, but Suzuki and Mahindra has a significant market share, too. Read the full article »

German Triumph dealer Motorcorner has built a special Street Triple called the Street Tracker. The builders transformed the R version of the Street Triple, and they did a great job, the bike looks just beautiful, although changes were minimal. The engine and the chassis remain unchanged, but the exhaust is an aftermarket piece for a racy sound. The standout specification change is the 17” spoked wheels, which have a unique fastening system. The R-based Street Tracker is on sale for $17 400. Read the full article »

The italian factory still waits to be divested from Harley-Davidson, so this news will likely come as little surprise. Larry Ferracci, Director of Operations, MV Agusta USA confirmed that "A smaller displacement bike is definitely in the plans for MV Agusta in the near-term future." To those, who pay attention to the italian brand, that's no surprise, because a three-cylinder prototype called the "F3" has been spotted both on the road and on the track several times in F4 fairings. Read the full article »

The italians presented their amazing history in a stunning movie on DVD. The movie will be premiered at the 2010 World Ducati Week at Misano 10-13 June, but it's already available at the Misano World Circuit, the Ducati Museum bookshop and Factory Store. People in the US don't have to wait, too, because the movie can also be ordered online in Ducati Stores soon. In the meantime, here's the trailer of the DVD. Read the full article »

There are custom bikes and then there are amazing custom bikes. The Hexagon Harley fits in the second category from obvious reasons. The bike was built by Horst Dzhangmen during three long years. Everything but the engine and the frame has been cut and built into perfectly shaped hexagons and this exceptional work took its creator three years of hard work to achieve this perfection. Read the full article »

The Duka concept combines traditional looks with advanced electric components, which allows the driver to personalize the bike easily. Designed by Miyhael Logue, the Duka lets you enjoy high speed biking and yet remain manageable around the city. The motorcycle features an aluminium frame structure, this should be a safe and durable cruiser with a low center of gravity and comfortable riding position. The Duka is powered by two compact, yet efficient electric motors, but performance is unknown. Read the full article »

Honda was the very first motorcycle factory which offered dual clutch transmission. The fast transmission, which adds nearly 10% to the price of the standard $16 000 dollar bike, was introduced in the VFR1200 F. But designing a revolutionary new transmission isn't cheap, so Honda wants to spread the system across its range. To do that, they need to revise it so it can fit is smaller models, like the Fireblade. Another key element is the simplifying the electronics and sensors, reaching the same effect as the VFR's, but with reduced costs. Honda Japan has filed patents that shows this simplified system. The new design eliminates one expensive potentiometer used on the VFR. If they succeed, the dual-clutch Fireblade could appear in two years. Read the full article »

The Nevada 750 is one of the most succesful models of Moto Guzzi's lineup, a bike that year after year has established itself as alternative to custom overseas thanks to a simple style, strong technique and reassuring personality driving behavior. The italians introduced the model in 1990, and now the factory celebrates this succesful 20 years with the "Anniversario" edition. Read the full article »