Monthly Archives: October 2009

Master of backflips Travis Pastrana together with Ken Block and the guys at DC shoes have come up with a unique customization idea for the FMX Suzuki bike ridden by Travis. They thought at getting rid of the tires (they were too comfortable anyway) and slip the bike into something more stylish, like these pares of shoes. Said and done! The bike is featured in a DC ad and on an episode of MTV’s Nitro Circus, where you can see Travis doing a backflip and finally tearing the rear wheel apart in one of the sickest burnouts we’ve seen in a long time. See it all for yourself in the video attached after the jump.

Travis Pastrana does backflip with the SHOE BIKE! originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 28 October 2009 16:06 EST.

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The ’V12 Andreas’ isn’t just one of those concept motorcycles that won’t ever turn into reality, but a running café racer that originally started life as a Honda CBX, which was a six-cylinder UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle). Although what Andreas came up with is anything but universal, his custom Honda CBX V12 Café Racer is actually powered by two such engines, which have been joined together, resulting the impressive V12 mill.

These are simple words to describe the amazing amount of work behind this project as Andreas spent a year working on the chains, tensioners and guides, just so that you get a clue of the dedication needed to achieve such a piece of mechanical jewel, but it takes a look at the old-timer’s face to see it was all worth it.

But the engine isn’t the only feature making sure this thing turns heads. This café racer’s entirely polished bodywork looks very cool, especially if you consider the fact that it was hand built. What a bike! Follow the jump for more pictures and no less than four videos of the V12-powered Honda CBX.

V12-powered Honda CBX café racer [w/video] originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 28 October 2009 14:38 EST.

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Small, light and versatile dirt bikes are big part of Yamaha’s history, but we also can’t complain about their evolution on the streets either and the 2010 WR250X model is a pure demonstration of power in this concern. Nowadays, the engine’s size isn’t as important as the overall package’s weight, handling and build quality and this versatile Yamaha motorcycle does more than meeting these last demands, it actually makes us wonder which category is the most appropriate for it.

Yamaha WR250X originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 28 October 2009 12:16 EST.

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'Passion for acting drives me' Deccan Herald I own a super bike – a Yamaha R 1 but now I don't really find time to ride it much. I also have to be careful as taking foolish risks is off the cards for …

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Now that the racing year is over with Valentino Rossi and Ben Spies as winners of the World MotoGP Championship, respectively the World Superbike Championship we can concentrate on the other very attractive side of the motorcycle racing championships dominated by Yamaha – Miss Yamaha Racing 2009. And what better way to do that than putting together a nice picture gallery and let you decide on which Miss Yamaha Racing from all the rounds you like the most.

Miss Yamaha Racing 2009 picture gallery originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 27 October 2009 18:00 EST.

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Last Saturday, Brad Pitt, who was riding one of his custom motorcycles on the streets of Beverly Hills, was implicated in a minor crash with a car. The Hollywood star got through it with only a few scratches and although the bike was towed from the scene, it looked like it could have been ridden to the shop without problems.

Of course, paparazzi were on duty and there have even been speculations about a paparazzo hitting Pitt from behind and causing him to crash, but the most plausible scenario is that Brad was riding between a parked car and a car stopped at a red light when he clipped the parked car with the handlebar and crashed at slow speed.

After the crash, the caring biker inspected his motorcycle and talked to the other party involved. When the tow truck arrived, he walked away. See it all in the videos attached after the break.

We can’t help but wonder what Angelina Jolie has to say about this.

Brad Pitt crashes his custom motorcycle on the streets of Beverly Hills [w/video] originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 27 October 2009 14:42 EST.

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It might seem that the 2010 Honda VFR1200F has come to reinvent the supersport touring segment, but manufacturers such as Yamaha have their own classic approach towards offering a motorcycle that is fast, comfortable and built to last, the 2010 FJR1300A. Those of you who are familiar with the name will say that the FJR1300AE is an even better choice thanks to Yamaha’s electric-shift five-speed transmission, which eliminates the clutch and offer riders effortless electric shifting, but Yamaha has discontinued this model for 2010 and leaves FJR riders completely in charge over the bike’s functions.

Yamaha FJR1300A originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 27 October 2009 13:11 EST.

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The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show saw Yamaha unveiling no less than five world premieres among which the HV-X Hybrid motorcycle has drawn the most attention for being the modern interpretation of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM). This means it offers an upright riding position and relies on a versatile character in order to turn out being everything from a commuter to a canyon carver.

Disposing of a hybrid powerplant working closely together with a scooter-like automatic transmission, the Yamaha HV-X knows a thing or two about fuel efficiency, eco and user-friendliness, while the TMax 500 chassis is the best thing in between a motorcycle and a scooter that Yamaha could pull off. The thing is built like a veritable all-rounder and can work in full-electric and combined gas/electric modes, as shown by the video attached after the jump.

If Yamaha gets positive feedback regarding this model, they might just have it mass produced. So, what do you think about the new Yamaha HV-X Hybrid?

Tokyo 2009: Yamaha HV-X Hybrid [w/video] originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 26 October 2009 17:06 EST.

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The Honda CB450 looks pretty cool in stock condition, but riders who won’t satisfy with that can always choose the rather facile transformation into a café racer. This particular example was spotted in South Africa as it attracted quite a crowd with its 1970s rebel bike appearance.

Like most café racers, this Honda CB450 stands out thanks to a unique tank and seat unit, while the frame, swingarm don’t look like having suffered any modification and the wheels are the original ones.

The overall sporty look is completed by the bikini fairing and vented mudguard, but if we take a better look at the back, the underseat exhaust tends to turn it into a veritable racing motorcycle, which is what café racers were originally supposed to be. Also, the red/white color scheme was the adequate choice in our opinion.

Honda CB450 café racer shows how you can make a bike yours originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 26 October 2009 14:52 EST.

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