Moto Guzzi rolls out V7 Racer, its tribute to café racers

“In honor of its 90th anniversary, Moto Guzzi has released a limited-edition machine inspired by café racers of the 50s and 60s — the V7 Racer.

Specs include (from a news release):

• Red frame inspired by the earliest V7 Sport models

• Matching red hubs and swingarm

• Black fuel tank matches front and rear fenders, seat cover, and wheels

• Fuel tank is finished with leather strap

• Aluminum side covers, throttle body covers, and muffler bracket

• Silver wire spoke wheels and black rims on red wheel hubs

• Suede solo saddle • Custom billet aluminum adjustable rearsets

• Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi front fork with rubber bellows

• Fully-adjustable, twin Bitubo remote reservoir rear shocks

• Braking system: 320mm floating front disc with fixed four-piston Brembo caliper and a 260mm rear disc

• Pirelli Demon Sport tires

• Powered by the same fuel-injected 744cc 90-degree V-Twin engine as the V7 Classic • MSRP: $9,790″

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Source: http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/LATEST+NEWS/Moto-Guzzi-rolls-out-V7-Racer-its-tribute-to-cafea/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/732990?contextCategoryId=48447&ref=25

BMW Motorrad Dynamic Damping Control – DDC

“Making motorcycles better, safer, and more fun to ride with innovative developments has been one of the BMW Motorrad core competences for decades. As the leader in this technology, BMW Motorrad presents new solutions in quick succession that usually soon become indispensable in series motorcycles. Now a new step in development is in the offing: the semiactive suspension control system Dynamic Damping Control, in short DDC.

BMW Motorrad – competence in suspension innovations and control systems. As early as 1986, BMW Motorrad achieved a milestone in suspension technology by launching the Paralever swingarm, an innovation that considerably improved rear suspension and the transfer of forces. In 1993, the freshly launched opposed twin “boxer” engine series was the first to be fitted as standard with a front suspension system that operated independently of the rear known as Telelever. Yet another revolutionary step in suspension technology was taken in 2005, when the Duolever offering extreme torsional rigidity for the front wheel was launched.

Bikers were also able to benefit early from pioneering innovations in drive control. In 1988, with the launch of ABS in the BMW K1, BMW Motorrad presented the first antilock brake system to be fitted as standard on motorcycles. Since 2007, the automatic stability control system ASC has been preventing the rear wheel from spinning out of control. In 2009 there followed Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) which also analyses the vehicle’s inclination, a first on a series production motorcycle.

And BMW Motorrad has always been that one step ahead in suspension control systems as well. 2004 saw the advent of ESA, the electronic suspension adjustment system, which allowed the rider to adjust suspension elements at the push of a button – also a first on series production motorcycles. In 2009, the successor system ESA II went a step further and was the first to provide spring rate variation.

Click to View Gallery The next logical step – semiactive suspension control. The next logical step in the development of suspension and control systems is taking concrete shape. The next stage of evolution in this field is the automatic adjustment of suspension elements to diverse operating conditions like varying road surfaces or certain manoeuvres. BMW Motorrad achieves this through Dynamic Damping Control DDC. “

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Source: http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_1107_bmw_motorrad_dynamic_damping_control_ddc/index.html

A Message about Lane Sharing from RideToWork.org

“Motorcycle and Scooter lane sharing and traffic filtering is widely practiced (and formally permitted or tacitly tolerated) in most of the world because it is a natural way to increase road-space utilization and personal mobility efficiency. Linked here is an important new five page paper by San Francisco-based transportation safety specialist (and rider) Steve Guderian. It succinctly grounds the assertion that lane sharing and filtering lowers accident rates which cause rider deaths and injuries.

The significant safety benefits of lane sharing and filtering have long been intuitively known by experienced riders. But getting non-riding political leaders — and the American public — to accept this has been impossible (except in California).

Shifting economic, social and cultural factors are providing new opportunities for riders to advocate change. For example, to reduce urban congestion, save energy and lower accident rates any municipal government could legalize lane sharing and filtering on all of the local roads and streets within it’s boundaries. Wouldn’t that be nice in your city?

We hope you’ll download and read this helpful new paper on lane sharing and filtering. Additional resources for advocates are available at www.RideToWork.org, including an Oregon State study of Lane Sharing.””

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Source: http://www.roadbikemag.com/home/new-paper-about-lane-sharing/

21 Ways To Improve Motorcycle Safety Training

“Last February, 15 international motorcycle safety experts were asked to answer a simple question; “If you wanted to improve regular rider training and reduce crashes, how would you do it?” The experts have discussed the options, and have now released a new report titled “The State and Future of U.S. Rider Training,” which gives 21 ways to improve motorcycle safety training.

The experts, who consisted of racers, authors, scientists, trainers, and insurance experts, met for two days at the Rider School at Howard Community College to discuss how to improve motorcycle safety.

Here are some basic themes from the meeting:

There needs to be more training options for riders at every level. Motorcycle training shouldn’t be restricted to street bikes. States should have dirt programs as well. Training programs should get students out of the parking lot, or at least set up real life situations in the lot. The report talks about how today’s training falls short, and how training programs can be improved in the future. (You can read the full report here.)

“We’ve set out to imagine what might need to be added, subtracted and enriched in our current training system in order to have a substantial impact on crashes, to create the ideal rider training,” the report reads.

The panel of experts will present their study at the annual 2011 State Motorcycle Safety Administrators Conference in Des Moines, Iowa.”

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Source: http://www.allaboutbikes.com/motorcyle-news/safety/5480-21-ways-to-improve-motorcycle-safety-training?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+allaboutbikes%2FaIXA+%28AllAboutBikes%29&utm_content=Google+Reader