For those Ducati owners who have been pining to visit the world famous Ducati museum in Bologna, but cannot cover the cost or justify the trip, you are in luck. The doors at Via Antonio Cavalieri Ducati have opened to Google Maps to allow you to take the tour without getting up from your computer.
The 9,150 sq ft museum in Borgo Panigale already hosts 40,000 visitors a year and with the virtual tour, Ducati hopes to attract hundreds of thousands more.
Yamaha chose this year’s MCN London Motorcycle Show to announce the release of an updated version of the Yamaha YZF-R125 sports bike, which is scheduled to hit dealers in the Europe this April.
For 2014 the performance numbers remain largely unchanged from the 2013 model, still claiming 14.75 hp at 9,000 rpm, and just over 9 lbs•ft of torque at 8,000 rpm.
As a small displacement sports bike targeted for young riders and learners, Yamaha decided to upgrade stability and stopping power by coupling an upside-down front fork, a new radial front brake caliper design that clamps down on a 292 mm floating disc, along with a redesigned rear suspension linkage.
According to Visordown, Honda has been forced to push back the release date of its new CBR300R small-displacement sport bike, which was scheduled to roll out next month. The replacement for the Honda CBR250R, the CBR300R will not be rolling into UK showrooms until late 2014, nine months behind schedule.
Proud of the opportunity to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia showed its accomplishments to the world during the opening ceremony on Friday by showing off its culture, traditions, and highlights of its post-World War II industrial economy.
As part of those highlights, a procession of twenty bright red Ural sidecars rolled across the ice at Fisht Olympic Stadium, as three billion people looked on via television.
After an announcement in late 2013 that Michael Dunlop would be forced to sit out the 2014 road racing season, rumors are flying that he has pitched a tent in the BMW paddock.
Although no official statement has been made yet, MCN and Bennetts are both reporting the seven-time TT winner will be signing a deal to ride an BMW S1000RR for BMW Motorrad in the Superbike TT classes, along with a BMW HP4 that he will be riding for his own team, Michael Dunlop Racing, in Superstock TT race.
After sustaining injuries in the FIM World Endurance round at Le Mans last year, Simon Andrews is returning to racing for the 2014 Isle of Man TT in Rico Penzkofer’s paddock. The 29-year-old will be riding a BMW HP4 prepared by the Penz13.com BMW racing team, not only in the TT, but also the Macau Grand Prix and the North West 200.
During his TT debut in 2011, Andrews made it clear he was a serious competitor taking 11th in the Superstock and Senior races while setting a lap record of 125.134 mph, making him the third fastest newcomer of all time.
Add to that a fastest lap time of 126.001 around the TT Mountain Course, and you can start to see why his TT career includes four Top 15 finishes, along with a podium finish in the 2012 Macau Grand Prix where he took third.
Erik Buell Racing has announced that over 60 dealerships will be carrying the 2014 Erik Buell Racing 1190RX, the new sport bike from EBR that is slated to be released in March of this year.
After unveiling the new bike last October at the American International Motorcycle Expo in Orlando, EBR began to scout dealerships in major metropolitan areas that were prime motorcycle markets.
With electric motorcycles seemingly popping up everywhere, it comes as a surprise to no one that the Italians would eventually want a piece of this pie.
Originally the Energica Ego was scheduled to be released in 2014 but, as we have seen with many electric motorcycle companies that decide to venture into uncharted territory, innovation comes at a cost.
According to the Energica, the Ego produces nearly 135 hp and 143 lb-ft of torque with a top speed of 149 mph. Range is said to be 93 miles on a single-charge, and the starting price will be $25,000. This puts the Energica Ego out ahead of the competition but, numbers on paper are just that, numbers on paper.
Oregon based electric motorcycle company Brammo has announced the release of updated Empulse and Empulse R models for 2014.
The changes to the 2014 Brammo Empulse electric motorcycles are minimal at best, and primarily coming in the form of an updated and waterproof LCD dash, Continental Sport Attack 2 tires, and tapered aluminum handle bars for better riding stance.
Significant figures have also been updated, with Brammo Claiming a top speed of 110 mph for the Empulse, while the weight has been dropped by 10 lbs to 460 lbs at the curb. Both the Empulse and Empulse R both produce 54 hp, but the R produces 66 lb-ft of torque compared with 46.5 for the base model.
As part of the triumphant return of Keith Amor to road racing, the Scotsman has announced that he will be competing in both of the Monster Energy Supersport races in the 2014 Isle of Man TT.
Amor has already announced that he will be returning as a member of Ryan Farquhar’s KMR Kawasaki team for the Lightweight TT, but he will also be riding the Site Sealants B&W Racing Honda CBR600RR.
A fan favorite, Amor has carved out a name for himself by racking up several impressive victories and setting lap records along the way.
Celebrating its ten year anniversary, American Motorcycle Dealer organizers were invited to host the 2014 World Championship of Custom Bike Building at this year’s world renowned INTERMOT expo.
As part of a multiyear, alternating agreement, the world championship will be held at INTERMOT in Cologne, Germany this year, followed by the Big Bike Europe show in Essen, Germany the following year.
Part of the motivation for the agreement is to expose larger crowds to the world championship because, despite last year’s success in terms of design and organization, the turnout left much to be desired.
As one the largest international motorcycle trade shows in the world, INTERMOT attracts nearly a quarter of a million people each year, which AMD hopes to take advantage of in this new agreement.