Cagiva Mito 2008 Updates
This spy picture has just emerged revealing the first significant updates to the Cagiva Mito 125 in 13 years.
The revamped motorcycle is due to be officially unveiled for the first time at the Milan motorcycle show in less than two weeks time, but this picture from an MV convention reveals the two-stroke learner motorcycle has been given a complete restyle.
The seat and fairing are shaped to mimic Cagiva’s C594 500GP machine from the 1990’s, replacing the Ducati 916-alike shape seen on every Mito since 1994.
Motorbike sales figures
The Motor Cycle Industry has recently released details of sales figures for new motorcycles. It seems that more and more people are purchasing new motorbikes with a 7.8% increase on last year. February alone saw an increase in sales of 12%. March’s sales figures are expected to be up by 15%.
However, the car industry is reporting sales down by 3.2% on this time last year. It seems that with global warming and congestion charging, that people are turning to motorbikes.
New 2007 Honda Varadero
The 2007 Varadero has just been released into shops at a cost of £3499. It was first launched in 2001 and is still a popular bike with learners.
The new model has some extra features including a more environmentally friendly fuel and emissions system, new headlights and a new dashboard including an electronic speedo. The whole bike is also slightly smaller in size than the previous version.
The optional extras for the bike include a centre stand, heated grips and a waterproof cover.
The new bike comes in 3 different colours, chevalier silver, pearl concours black and bloom red metallic.
Rossi decides to stay with Yamaha
Former MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has signed a deal to remain with Yamaha until the end of 2008.
The Italian has won 25 GPs and two world titles since joining Yamaha two years ago but lost his title to Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden last season. Hayden ended Rossi’s five-year reign as world champion.
“I’m very happy I renewed the contract with Yamaha until the end of 2008, so now I can just concentrate on racing this season,” said the 27-year-old.
Tips for motorbike cleaning
1. The first areas to clean are the greasy areas, for example the wheels and the engine. It is a good idea to use a brush for this to ensure that you are able to clean all the spokes.
2. Secondly, wash the motorbike all over with a cleaner. Do not use washing up liquid for this as it removes the wax from the motorbike. Another good idea is to have two separate sponges, one for washing dirty areas and one for areas that aren’t quite so dirty – this should prevent the paintwork from being scratched.
2006 Suzuki Superbike Test
The latest from the Suzuki Superbike squad, who are looking ahead to the AMA season for 2006;
Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin, Ben Spies and Aaron Yates have completed a productive and relatively successful two-day test of their 2006 GSX-Rs at California Speedway in Fontana, California.
“This test was really just final preparation for Daytona,” said Yoshimura Suzuki Team Manager Don Sakakura. “The biggest priority for us was for Ben to focus on developing the new GSX-R600 and he spent the whole day riding that bike.”
Long Way Round Award
The Long Way Round TV show has won a Broadcasting Award; here’s the word from BMW GB;
When Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman set off on their fascinating Long Way Round journey, they probably never imagined that it would achieve the success that it has. The television series that was aired on Sky has just won the Broadcaster Award for the Best Multichannel Programme.
For this award, judges were looking for the outstanding original production commissioned by a UK digital-only television channel, with its first transmission during 2005. Repeats and acquisitions were excluded. Judges searched for shows that were original, brought something new to the market and struck a chord with its audience.
