Looking at helmets from 50 years ago, and the basic concept hasn’t changed all that much in the time since. A hard shell, some impact material, and a soft lining mated to a visor and chin-strap system, over the last half-century most of the improvements to the basic helmet design have been for added fit and comfort, or cheaper and lighter materials — even the more creative and innovative designs that are being hocked around the internet right now don’t stray far from the current concept. Think 50 years ahead though, and it is hard to imagine the same shapes and designs staying constant. In fact, it becomes even possible to imagine motorcyclists wearing not helmets at all.
An obvious translation from our two-wheeled sport, we see many motorcycle racers taking in their fitness training on bicycles. In addition to having the correct number of turning bits, cycling improves cardiovascular fitness, it is low-impact, and it can still be performed with many of the injuries associated with motorcycle racing. To that vein, motorcycle parts manufacturer Rizoma has released a swanky pushbike for the discerning motorcyclist. True to the brand’s chic, but understated, aesthetic, the Rizoma 77|011 Metropolitan Bike is a bicycle built to take on the city with some serious style. But with that serious style, comes a serious price tag: €3,700. Ouch.
When Dorna took over control of the World Superbike Championship, speculation began to fly what the changing of the guard would mean for motorcycling’s premier production-based racing series. Always seen as the annoying little sibling to the prestigious MotoGP World Championship, many have expected to see Dorna cut out a clearer distinction between the two series, with WSBK returning to machines that are closer to stock-spec, while MotoGP continued to play with its CRT formula. Now, reports out of Europe say Dorna is set to kill the 600cc and 1,000cc superstock classes in 2014, leaving only the superbike and supersport classes for 1,000cc and 600c based racing, respectively.
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