Motorcycles with automatic transmissions have never caught on, but then again, they’ve not had a chance to. The last automatic bikes were the Honda CB400A that debuted in 1979 and Moto Guzzi’s V1000 Convert from 1975, which both offered worse fuel consumption and performance than their manual-gear counterparts at a price premium, so neither did well. Yamaha’s current FJR1300 comes with a semi-automatic option but for the extra £1,000 it costs you get lurchiness when pulling away and few benefits.

Realistically, if you want twist-and-go controls, you have no choice but a scooter. Until now. Aprilia has merged a scooter’s belt-drive transmission with its new middleweight V-twin motor, packaged in the conventional motorcycle manner. A V-belt runs between a pair of pulleys, each with conical faces, one of which slides axially. Control of the drive pulley is electronic instead of mechanical however, which opens up a whole range of possibilities. In automatic mode you can select between touring, sport and rain settings, the last of which also changes the engine management to soften the power delivery. Sport raises the rpm range that the transmission allows the engine to operate at, so power is increased, although top speed is the same.

There is a manual option where the rider changes between seven gears with his left hand, still with automatic clutch control. These are virtual gears, predetermined positions for the drive pulley that remain unchanged unless the rider pushes the up or down button. This allows the engine to go through its rev range like a conventional machine instead of the steady auto drone.

This time the extent of the motorcycle market’s latent desire for an auto is going to be tested effectively, because the Mana works very well as a motorcycle despite, regardless of and sometimes because of, its transmission.

The bike is designed as a middleweight all-rounder to compete in the do-everything sector populated by such machines as the Suzuki SV and Bandit 650s, Honda Hornet, Ducati Monster 695 etc - and the Mana is fresh and modern, so its looks won’t be clouding its sales statistics.

More important, there’s very little the rider has to do on a Mana which is any different or more demanding than on a conventional bike: Yamaha’s FJR, for example, asks that you concentrate on precise throttle control when pulling away, adding effort rather than reducing it.

My main concern before riding the Mana was that it would be similar, as this is an issue on quite a few scooters, too. Doing U-turns on some is far too difficult thanks to a delay in the transmission taking up drive after you’ve opened the throttle, and a sudden pick-up.

This aspect of the bike is perfect, however. Start the motor (front brake applied first) and it settles into a mellow V-twin beat. Twist the grip and the drive is taken up confidently, precisely and immediately, offering control accurate enough to cope with tight parking manoeuvres, U-turns and delicate traffic trickling. Acceleration from then on is strong, especially at lower revs. Fast getaways are easier - just open the throttle and you get maximum acceleration, no danger of clumsy clutch control causing inadvertent wheelies.

The only trait you must adapt to is the engine braking disappearing as you slow below about 12mph. It’s possible, however, to increase the engine braking as you slow by pressing the downchange button. Because of the manual option (there’s even a foot-change lever as an alternative to the left bar buttons), a rev counter would be useful. You do get a series of lights that switch on as you approach the rev limit but these aren’t obvious.

While the transmission inevitably dominates discussion of the Mana, the rest of the machine matters too if it’s to succeed. Mostly, it’s very good, with easy steering and secure handling. It tends to stand up sharply if you brake while leaned over though, and releasing the brake as you go into a turn has the bike dropping down further into the corner - you have to compensate with the bars, which makes smooth cornering difficult. This could be a function of the very soft front suspension.

The engine vibration at high revs is annoying, too. At times I switched from sport to touring mode solely to lower the revs and cut the vibes. The seat is not especially comfortable either. Against that, moving the fuel from its usual position has allowed Aprilia to include a large, lockable storage bin where the tank would be. The fuel capacity is 3.5 gallons and Aprilia says it’s good for 185 miles. If it’s so, that’s just about sufficient for touring, and there’s an optional screen and hard luggage to encourage this.

Importantly, the Mana is fun. I was expecting a mushy, dull machine but found a lively, sharp motorcycle. Many riders will be offended at the idea they need an auto, but you’ll discover a bike that offers a different riding experience which is no less valid than a conventional one, and with its own unique options. The basic motorcycle values are undiluted, at times it’s much easier than a normal bike and you don’t need to apologise for anything or make an effort to adapt. Job done.

Aprilia Mana [tech/spec]

Price/availability: £6,100 approx on the road. On sale December 2007.
Engine/transmission: 839cc, V-twin four-stroke with eight valves; 75bhp at 8,000rpm, 54lb ft of torque at 5,000rpm. Automatic pulley and belt, chain final drive.

Performance: top speed, 120mph est, average fuel consumption n/a

We like: Torque, style, transmission, versatility

We don’t like: High-rev vibes, brake effect on handling, seat

Alternatives: BMW F800S, £6,295. Ducati M695 Monster, £4,995. Honda CB600F Hornet, £5,795 Kawasaki ER-6n, £4,595. Suzuki SV650, £4,349. Suzuki GSR600, £5,199. Yamaha FZ6, £4,699.

This article was taken from: telegraph.co.uk

A British technology company and Suzuki Motor will today unveil the Crosscage - a hydrogen-powered motorcycle that its developers claim will bring closer the dream of totally green driving.

The motorbike, which runs in almost complete silence and emits pure water, is a joint venture between the Loughborough-based Intelligent Energy and Suzuki, the Japanese titan of motorcycles and scooters.

Although a variety of companies, including Intelligent Energy itself, have been pursuing the idea of a fuel cell-powered motorbike for several years, mass-production has eluded everyone’s grasp.

It is believed that the cheapest fuel cell car would sell for about $1 million (£500,000). Moreover, until now nobody has managed to build a commercially viable motorbike. The Crosscage, its designers argue, therefore represents a huge breakthrough.

By combining Suzuki’s capacity for mass-production and a lightweight, air-cooled fuel cell designed by Intelligent Energy, the Crosscage may offer a fuel cell vehicle that might be affordable to many people.

If Toyota succeeds in its recently stated goal of producing a fuel cell car costing $60,000, Phil Caldwell, director of Intelligent Energy, said that a fuel cell-powered bike might cost a fraction of that sum.

The Crosscage is expected to take centre stage at the Tokyo Motor Show, which opens today amid a rapidly spiralling green technology arms race between the world’s automotive giants.

In the race to build the world’s first commercially viable fuel cell car, Honda, Toyota and Japan’s other big carmakers are pouring a combined 2.3 trillion yen (£9.8 billion) into development next year alone.

The Tokyo Motor Show is tipped to have an unprecedented focus on greener driving: hybrid cars will abound and Honda will use the event to exhibit the Puyo, a concept fuel cell car that remains many years from the showroom. Honda expects to build 400,000 fuel cell cars a year by 2020. Another concept car, the FCX, is almost identical to the version that will go on sale in Japan and America next year. It can reach 62mph in less than ten seconds - on a par with a 2.4litre petrol saloon - and has a range of about 350 miles.

Much of the focus of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles has been on designing them into cars, but the relatively lower costs involved in building motorbikes could see them commercialised far sooner.

Bikes are an inherently simpler machine and are ideal for a fuel cell power system. They may ultimately be more affordable as the first hydrogen-fuelled vehicles that will appear on our roads, Mr Caldwell said.

Yet, as Intelligent Energy and other players in the fuel cell industry admit, lowering the cost of building the vehicle itself is only half the problem.

Between tomorrow’s event and roads filled with fuel cell motorbikes, analysts say, lies a chicken and egg problem to which nobody has a solution.

Mass-production, even of a bike like the Crosscage, will begin only when Suzuki and rivals such as Yamaha and Honda can be confident that they have a market that is ready to ride them.

That market is unlikely to exist until there is a decent, reliable infrastructure able to deliver hydrogen in the same way that petrol and diesel are sold to drivers with combustion engines.

The infrastructure, in turn, is unlikely to be built with any great enthusiasm until potential hydrogen suppliers can be sure that there will be enough fuel cell vehicles on the roads to make the investment worth it, and the cycle begins again.

Some believe that one answer may lie in the mass installation of reformers - machines that would attach to existing petrol pumps and extract the hydrogen from a small quantity of fuel for delivery to the fuel cell.

The power

— In 1839 Sir William Grove invented the gas voltaic battery

— Renamed the fuel cell 50 years later, the principle is the same - they convert hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing electricity at the same time

— Cost and size have been a barrier to mainstream production of fuel-cell vehicles

— Each cell produces less than one volt of electricity, so a large number are needed to provide enough power for a car

This article was taken from: Times Online

This is your chance to speak directly to a major motorcycle manufacturer, as Yamaha has asked for your opinions on the new 2008 Yamaha WR250R and Yamaha WR250X.

The new single-cylinder 250cc motorcycles are going to be sold on the continent, but Yamaha want MCN readers to tell them whether the new liquid-cooled enduro and supermoto motorcycles should also be brought into the UK.

The 2008 Yamaha WR250R features an all-new short stroke engine with a specially-designed four-valve cylinder head, giving strong performance to its maximum 10,000 rpm. It also has fuel-injection for the first time on a Yamaha off-road motorcycle with a downdraft-type straight intake system. The clutch has been developed to give a smooth and lightweight action, with six gears, and an electric start.

The Yamaha WR250R also features the first three-section semi-double cradle frame for a Yamaha off-road motorcycle, with an aluminium main frame and steel sub frame to mix strength and rigidity. It also features 46mm upside down forks, 300mm ground clearance, 250mm front wave-type disc, and a 230mm rear disc. The seat height is 930mm. It would be available in White and Blue, replicating the Yamaha YZ series.

The 2008 Yamaha WR250X, meanwhile, features the same technology, but in supermoto guise, with 17-inch wheels and radial tyres. It also has stiffer springs and different damping settings for Tarmac use.

To cope with the harder braking forces needed, the Yamaha WR250X has a 298mm front disc, with a two piston caliper. The seat height is lower, at 895mm, and it features supermoto-style bodywork. It’s available in Black and Blue.

This article was taken from: Motorcycle News

Considering the mix of comments that we received when we covered Honda’s new DN-01, we decided to show our readers that Honda is not the only manufacturer bringing the automatic transmission to the motorcycle. Aprilia debuted its 850 Mana last year, and the bike has since gone into production. Hopefully, the Mana will make it across the pond and into American dealers too, because there are a lot of reasons to like the new Aprilia.

The most obvious innovation is the automatic transmission, which uses a CVT design similar to what is available on Aprilia’s own line of scooters, and even a few cars. Continuously variable transmissions have pulleys inside that can change diameter and thereby change the ratio. All of this happens automatically, unless the rider uses the buttons on the handlebars or the foot operated gearchange lever in its normal location off the left footpeg. Although Aprilia is known for making sportbikes featuring V-Twin engines, the 90-degree twin inside the Mana’s steel trellis frame is the first streetbike engine designed in-house by Aprilia itself. Expect more bikes from Aprilia using variations of this engine. The fuel tank has also been moved under the seat, leaving a storage container where the tank would normally sit. That storage area is large enough for a helmet, making this an excellent commuter bike.

This article was taken from: Auto Blog

Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA will introduce its first motorcycles with satellite radio this fall through a partnership with XM, the nation’s leading satellite radio company.

Kawasaki will offer an all-new, state-of-the-art Premium Audio System on its Vulcanâ„¢ 1600 Nomad touring model. This new system will incorporate XM as an option.

Customers will be able to tune into more than 170 XM channels of music, sports, talk, news, and entertainment. Kawasaki motorcycles sold with XM radios installed will offer three-months of complimentary XM radio service.

“Kawasaki buyers will now be able to enjoy XM, the greatest variety of entertainment on the radio, on the road,” said Joe Verbrugge, XM senior vice president, automotive accounts and international operations. “Kawasaki customers can now hear commercial-free music, live sports, breaking news, or traffic and weather reports for major cities on XM, wherever they travel from coast to coast.”

Jim Williams, senior manager of accessories at Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA adds, “This Premium Audio System is a high-quality system built to Kawasaki’s specifications designed to greatly enhance our customers’ ownership experience. As the pioneer in satellite radio, XM represents a terrific value-added feature to the system.”

XM is available in 140 models of new cars, trucks, and motorcycles for 2007. XM has more than 8.2 million subscribers across the continental U.S.

About XM

XM is America’s number one satellite radio company with more than 8.2 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Toronto and Montreal, XM’s 2007 lineup includes more than 170 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: commercial-free music, premier sports, news, talk radio, comedy, children’s and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.

XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, and Ferrari, is available in 140 different vehicle models for 2007. XM’s industry-leading products are available at consumer electronics retailers nationwide.

This article was taken from: allamericanpatriots.com

Honda has announced that its new 2008 motorcycle range, one of the most exciting ever, will be unveiled for the first time in the UK at this year’s International Motorcycle and Scooter Show (23rd November to 2nd December) at the Birmingham NEC. Among the many new bikes sure to turn heads on the Honda stand, (1E20) are the long-awaited CBR 1000RR Fireblade, the XL650V Transalp and the CBF600. Honda is the latest big-name manufacturer to announce that its 2008 UK premieres will take place at the NEC. With seven weeks to go until the Show opens, consumers are already licking their lips in anticipation of the biggest collection of new bikes ever seen at the UK’s leading two-wheeled Show.

Honda’s impressive array of bikes will be fronted by the CBR-1000RR Fireblade which has seen a dramatic overhaul for 2008 as a result of feedback from James Toseland, whose Fireblade helped him win the World Superbike Championship for a second time. The all-new machine is now slimmer, smaller and lighter, with a revised engine and a radical hi-aerodynamic fairing. Honda’s perennial XL700V Transalp has also been on the receiving end of a significant re-design with a brand new 680 V-Twin engine and a more powerful fuel-injection system housed in slick new bodywork. While the new CBF600 becomes lighter, sleeker and more manoeuvrable, Honda will of course be bringing their usual impressive and hugely successful array of MotoGP, World Superbike and British Superbike machines to the NEC.

Today’s announcement adds Honda to a stella list of world-famous exhibitors, all showing off their glistening new bikes at the NEC Show. The ever-popular Ducati returns by popular demand to the Show for 2007, while fellow-Italian marquee Benelli also makes its UK debut at the NEC this year. They will be joined by a host of the biggest names in biking, including BMW, Buell, CCM, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Hyosung, Kawasaki, KTM, PGO Scooters, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory Motorcycles, Watsonian Squire, Wuyang and Yamaha.

Steve Martindale, General Manager, Honda (UK) Motorcycle Division commented; 2008 is going to be a really big year for Honda with some groundbreaking new bikes hitting the market and growth coming from both small and large bikes due to the new test regulations. The International Motorcycle and Scooter Show is going to be the first time the British public will be able to see them for real.

Finlay McAllan, Managing Director of MCI Exhibitions, commented on today’s announcements:

This year, more than ever before, we are providing visitors to the Show with the best and most exciting selection of bikes ever seen all together in the UK. This announcement from Honda takes us another step closer to the ultimate bike line-up and proves that the NEC Show really is the place where the biggest names in biking all want to be seen and show off the best the industry has to offer to the UK market for the first time.

Honda (1E 20) will be situated in hall 1.

This year’s Show take place on the new dates of 23rd November - 2nd December (Press Day - 22nd November), in new halls 1, 2, 3, 3a & 4. Ticket prices have been frozen for a third consecutive year making the Show even better value.
This article was taken from: Superbike News

KTM is looking for road rider’s thoughts on the new 690 Stunt prototype motorcycle to see if there’s enough demand for a production version.

The Stunt is based around the 2008 KTM Duke’s 653cc engine and chassis parts, with even more minimalist bodywork and stunt-ready features including a scraper rail on the tail, and crash bars around the engine.

The bodywork is stripped right down to allow the rider to move on the motorcycle - the under seat fuel tank isn’t even covered by panels like the rest of the 690 range, so crash pucks protect the outer extremities of the tank.

Lights and road parts don’t feature on the prototype, but the Duke base motorcycle supports the wiring for lights, so making the change to a road legal motorcycle.

The front end features a radial four-piston caliper biting on a huge disc to make stoppie and burnouts easy, and the handlebars are fitted with a thumb-operated rear brake to allow experienced stunt riders free-reign to try more radical tricks.

The single sided-swingarm is the first from KTM, and holds the rear lightweight wheel, matched at the front by another black-finished rim. An Akrapovic exhaust, Renthal handlebars (with a cross brace which acts as the fluid reservoirs for the clutch and brakes) and WP suspension complete the high-spec concept model.

The machine has been developed as a concept by Kiska Design, an outside company which has designed nearly every new KTM in the last 16 years. Gerard Kiska told MCN:

We looked at ideas from the urban stunt scene, and we just captured them and implemented them into the design. We based it on the new Duke, as it already has the right dimensions.

We have kept the bike close to normal riders - even in Austria when I go downtown I see riders doing wheelies and stoppies - it’s a new kind of fun. You can have a different adventure in every car parking space.

It has to be decided whether the bike will go in to production, we’ll have to look at public reaction.

The LC4 is a fantastic engine, and we will keep on surprising people with what we can do with it.

This article was taken from: Motorcycle News