Autoblog

When BMW introduced its Lo Rider motorcycle concept on the unsuspecting public at the EICMA Show, officials for the German cycle manufacturer said that it designed the bike to be owner-customizable. Guess what? They weren't joking, and to prove it, the manufacturer has let loose more than a dozen renderings of possible custom Lo Riders. Much like what Harley-Davidson has done, BMW has created a single platform that offers customization through various saddles, handlebars, headlights and exhaust systems. By varying things like the seat height and footpeg location, the Lo Rider could offer either a very sporty ride or a machine for laid back cruising.

This theme is something new to BMW Motorrad, which has traditionally been much more at home designing long-distance touring mounts and standard bikes. More recently, the cycle maker has branched out into all-road style machinery under its GS label and super sporty bikes under its K-Series nameplate. In the late '90s BMW introduced the R1200C to combat the growing number of HDs and Japanese cruisers, and it is this custom crowd that the Lo Rider is aimed at. We hope to see more bikes from BMW that follow this pattern.


[Source: Motorcycle News]

Before Karl Abarth was putting his sporting touches on Fiats for competition, he was a successful motorcycle racer, winning five European Championships. When Fiat realized how successful Abarth was with its cars, the Italian automaker purchased the tuning division and made it an integral part of its operations. The relationship has continued to this day and the tuning company is now an official division. The motorcycling connection finally comes full circle, as Fiat is the main sponsor for Yamaha's MotoGP race team and star rider (not to mention current MotoGP champion) Valentino Rossi. To celebrate Abarth's centenary, Fiat and Yamaha have teamed up on a tuned version of the 150 horsepower FZ1, a naked version of the previous-gen R1 literbike. The FZ1 Abarth Assetto Corse gets extra-special goodies like a complete Öhlins suspension, Marchesini wheels, Brembo monobloc front brake calipers, and an Akrapovic exhaust system. We're smitten with the red and white paint job, which looks resplendent against its attendant Abarth scorpion logos.


[Source: Italiaspeed]

Formula One champ Michael Schumacher has been enjoying his new gigs working with Ferrari's development team and hooning Honda Fireblades in various Superbike racing events, and he's proven to beabout as adept racing around on two wheels as he is on four. The seven-time F1 champion from Germany has been extended an open invitation by Honda racing officials to pilot one of its factory-prepped literbikes on the world stage. For his part, Schumacher has stated that he has no intentions to make a second career out of racing motorcycles, but his actions often seem to indicate otherwise, and he's apparently scheduled to take part in the German championship for 2009. We can only hope that our "retirement" is half as much fun as Michael Schumacher's. Thanks for the tip, Chris!

[Source: Autosport]

When artificial intelligence finally figures out that its creators are inconvenient pests in the way of its quest to control the entire world, some of the first machines created by the supercomputers will be motorcycles. Come on, it makes sense, doesn't it? Single-track vehicles can go places that their four-wheeled brethren can't fit, and are quicker in getting there to boot. Of course, it's a bit harder to fit a butt-load of weapons on a two-wheeler, but AI is smart enough to have that problem fixed with gyroscopic turrets on each side, particularly when there's no carbon-based rider.

Looking at the early preproduction pictures of the concept Moto-Terminator makes us pretty excited to see what else is in store for the fourth Terminator installment. We're pretty geeked by the way the bike's backbone is made up of a mechanized humanoid, complete with the requisite red eyes up front instead of headlights. In a word, awesome.


[Source: Next Autos]

California-based Piloti Inc. has earned a solid reputation among enthusiasts for their driving shoes, combining a comfortable fit with fashionable styling, everyday wearablity and optimal heel-and-toe shifting. Now the company is ambitiously expanding into the motorcycle market with its new Moto 800 boot.

The latest addition to the Piloti range promises to offer the same comfort as their driving shoes in a package designed to meet the needs of the two-wheel riders. The Piloti Moto 800 will sell for $150 a pair when it goes on sale in January, but it's already won the Editors' Choice Award from Popular Mechanics. Not a bad start to a new venture.

[Source: Piloti and Popular Mechanics]

Click above for high-res gallery of the motorcycles of SEMA

While most of our focus at SEMA was on the cars and products, we don't want yo to think that bikers are left out of the party. There were dozens of great bikes all over the convention halls. Some were custom designs, others modified street bikes and still others were concepts showcasing new technology. This year we saw everything from an electric and a hybrid, to a lift-off body bike and a Craftsman-themed cycle. Check out the gallery.


Photos copyright ©2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

Cars powered by motorcycle engines and motorcycles powered by car engines... dogs and cats, living together – mass hysteria! Perhaps a more suitable compromise between four- and two-wheeled machines is in order, maybe splitting the difference and going with three wheels instead. From VW-powered trikes to ZX14-engined specials, the three-wheeled platform has seen its fair share of development over the years. One such machine, called the Sportcycle, offers a new twist on the three-wheel platform. It's powered by a Kawasaki ZRX, as in a whole Kawasaki ZRX motorcycle and not just its engine. The entire Kawasaki motorcycle on which the Sportcycle is based has been left completely intact, minus the front wheel and fork. Those have been replaced by the driver's seat and a full front axle sporting two wheels. It's absolutely brilliant in a crazy, maniacal kinda way. One benefit to this peculiar platform is that a second passenger could still ride on the bike's stock seat if you removed that absurd rear wing. The Sportcycle is currently on eBay Motors with a Buy-It-Now price of a little under $15,000, which is about what you'd pay for similar trikes like the the Tri-Magnum and XR3 from Riley Enterprises and the Can Am Spyder, which can also be had brand-new for about 15 grand. Thanks for the tip, Johannas!


[Source: eBay Motors via The Kneeslider]

KTM is set to go racing next year with its RC8 R superbike, which is hot off the presses from the EICMA show in Milan. Featuring a V-Twin engine that displaces 1195cc's (that's almost the maximum size allowed for racing against liter-class fours), the liquid cooled engine pumps out 165 horsepower or 180 with the optional race exhaust. We'd expect a significant chunk of torque from the 75-degree twin cylinder as well, which the machine will rely on as it goes up against the stratospheric revvers from Japan.

Styling-wise, we're totally smitten with its angular bodywork and flat black paint colors. Combined with the orange frame and matte white highlights, the Austrian firm offers a distinctive look compared to the sensual Ducatis and Aprilias, swoopy bikes from the Big Four Japanese manufacturers and the purposeful BMW. We're not sure what KaTooM will charge for the priviledge of owning an R-model, but those unwilling to pony up the extra dough can still opt for the standard 1148cc RC8.

Also new from KTM is a touring version of its 990cc V-Twin powered Supermoto, which gets a small fairing, more comfortable ergos and some luggage. There's also an R model of the Supermoto for those who wish to drag a foot instead of a knee as on the RC8. The Supermoto R goes the exactly opposite direction from the T by losing weight and upping the suspension and braking bits. Lastly, there's a new 990 Adventure R model that loses the ABS, adds 9 horses and gets better suspension and brakes. All the bikes get cool new looks, so be sure to click past the break for the rest of the galleries.


[Source: KTM]

UPDATE: New gallery of high-res images added

BMW has been out of the cruiser market since it stopped building its R 1200 C models a few years back. The market shift towards ever-larger engines was what prompted the German marque's withdraw, as the firm's latest Boxer engines just can't be bored or stroked nearly enough to compete with some of the V-Twin behemoths that currently fill the market. Lately, though, there has been a new segment emerging, and it could be described as custom standards. Sure, placing a torque-rich motor into a standard-style frame isn't anything new, but bikes like the Moto Guzzi Griso, Suzuki B-King and the latest Yamaha VMax prove that there is a revival in that particular niche. BMW could definitely fit into that category with its latest concept bike.

Introduced at the EICMA Show in Milan, the BMW LO Rider concept uses a variation of the standard Boxer theme, stripped down to its bare essentials. Up front, the traditional Bavarian Telelever fork has been replaced with a beefy USD telescopic fork holding twin wavy disc brakes. Two projector-style headlamps add some urban flair to the front of the bike while a single saddle seat marks the bike's minimalist design. Twin high-mount tailpipes, which do an excellent job of exposing the single-sided swingarm, complete the look. Rumors indicate that BMW is seriously testing public reaction to the new concept and could put the bike into production in very short order if demand is there. We say go for it.


[Source: Bikes in the Fast Lane]

Ducati is about to release a new naked performance bike, but it's not a Monster. The Italian motorcycle manufacturer has decided that all Monsters should be air-cooled, and so its liquid-cooled naked bikes will carry a new name. The 1099cc V-Twin engine comes from the firm's superbike range and pumps out 155 horsepower and 87.5 lb-ft of torque. That's plenty of arm-stretching power for a naked bike, and we're sure the Streetfighter will be quite the hooligan machine. This new platform has much more angular and menacing looks than its little Monster brother and carries the stacked exhaust cans from high-spec versions of the previous-gen Monster.

The S model gets the expected Öhlins suspension upgrades along with Marchesini forged aluminum wheels; bronze-painted frame, wheels and swingarm; carbon fiber bits plus electronic goodies like standard traction control and data acquisition. Ducati's got a short teaser on its home page and reveals that all the goods will be available shortly. Expect the price to fall in the mid-teens and the waiting list to start at your local Ducati dealership.


[Source: Hell For Leather, Motorcycle News]