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What We Are Reading – The Up in the Air Edition

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I feel like I always end up writing these posts while I'm stuck in an airport. Regardless, without further ado, here is your next installment of “What We’re Reading”.

Much has happened since our last post, so our reading list spans stories that go between the motorcycle industry and also non-endemic media outlets.

This edition focuses heavily on technology and the media, a topic that is of course near and dear to my heart...don't worry, there's still a bit of "it's loud and goes fast" articles in here too.

Part clearinghouse for stories that we will never get our full attention, and part book club for our loyal readers who are doing their best to survive the work day, say hello to the next installment of the “What We’re Reading” column series.

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A&R Pro

What We Are Reading – The Money Racing Edition

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It has been a busy month since our inaugural edition of “What We’re Reading” column, so there is plenty to catch-up on reading-wise. Again, our reading list spans stories that go between the motorcycle industry and also non-endemic media outlets.

This edition focuses heavily on the racing world, and in it we get a glimpse into the world of the MotoGP Championship, from the riders’ perspective. We also see what’s happening in the automotive industry, as well as the media landscape as a whole.

Many of our stories can be brought back to the motorcycle industry, as our industry faces analogous problems to other sectors. Of course, some of the pieces made our list simply because I thought they were interesting and thought-provoking.

Part clearinghouse for stories that we will never get our full attention, and part book club for our loyal readers who are doing their best to survive the work day, say hello to the next installment of the “What We’re Reading” column series.

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News

Your Next Ford Could Have a Built-in Motorcycle

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For quite some time now, manufacturers have been focusing on this concept called the “last mile” – the idea that the final mile of a daily commute will have to be undertaken with something other than an automobile.

Driving this concern is the vehicle crackdown in urban centers, with cities like London, Paris, and others already creating congestion zones for their city centers, which all but outlaw the ability for one to commute via car into a downtown area.

Mass transit is surely filling this void, as are taxis, but we have also seen a shift towards two-wheeled solutions. That is where today’s story kicks in, as Ford is looking at its own city center solution, patenting a car concept that has a built-in motorcycle.

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A&R Pro

What We’re Reading – The Electric Troll Art Edition

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Asphalt & Rubber typically posts between 20 and 30 stories a week. We are not prolific in the amount of content we produce each week, instead we are selective about what we cover, and always try to frame a single story into a much larger understanding of what is happening in a particular segment or in the industry as whole.

So, this means that not everything we want to cover gets covered. Some stories don't make the cut, some stories fall to the wayside because of time or resources, and some stories just simply get lost in the shuffle.

It is a shame, so I wanted to create a new segment where we touch back on some of those topics, and include a few others that are completely outside the scope of this motorcycle blog.

Part clearinghouse for stories that we will never get our full attention, and part book club for our loyal readers who are doing their best to survive the work day, say hello to the first installment of the "What We're Reading" column series.

To continue reading this story, you need to have an A&R Pro subscriber account. If you have an A&R Pro account, you can login here.

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Bikes

Check Out This Aprilia RSV4-Powered Race Car

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If you are in the market for a track-only race car, might we suggest the Griip G1. Though featuring double the wheels that we’re used to, this carbon fiber clad Formula 1000 cart is powered by a very familiar power plant: the Aprilia RSV4 superbike’s V4 engine.

The RSV4 engine on the Griip G1 remains fairly stock, though it uses a drive shaft, instead of a chain drive, as it would on a motorcycles. As such, it makes roughly 201hp in this form, though the real value of the Griip G1 is the weight of the vehicle, which tips the scales at 860 lbs wet and fully fueled.

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News

American Suzuki Files for Bankruptcy

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Certainly wanting to bury the news in the after-work hours, American Suzuki Motor Corporation has just announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 protections, as the American subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation heads into bankruptcy and business restructuring.

Pivoting its business to focus on marine and motorcycle/ATV sales, Suzuki will wind-down and ultimately stop selling cars in the US market. In its press release, Suzuki says will honor all current warranties, and parts and servicing will continue to be available to Suzuki automobile owners.

Today’s news should have little to no immediate affect for Suzuki motorcycle owners in the USA, as the Chapter 11 proceedings are focused more around Suzuki dumping its failed automotive business here in North America, than anything else.

While it remains to be seen how the Japanese company will restructure its American office, the move in fact could be a boon to motorcyclists, as it could mean some life could be pumped back into ASMC. The American Suzuki office has suffered recently from under-staffing and disorganization, and the company could benefit from a proper reorganization.

Time will tell how effective Suzuki’s restructuring will go, and we certainly haven’t heard the full extent of this news item yet. As the ball of yarn untangles, check out the full press release is after the jump. Suzuki’s letter to motorcycle owners is here, car owners here, and there is also an FAQ.

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Banter

Wherever You Want to Go, Part 3: Reinventing Mobility

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In this third video of four (see Part 1 & 2 here), BMW sat down some experts to talk about how mobility will change in the future. It’s funny to hear the issues the different sides propose and talk about in regards to automobiles, as they’re the very same sort of subjects we’ve talked about on Asphalt & Rubber in regards to motorcycles.

Some of the key debates explored in Part 3 of the Wherever You Want to Go series include vehicles as purely a form transportation, the “three internets”, the rise of electric vehicles, and of course whether the future of mobility will be fun. There are valid points all around the table in this video, and almost all of it applies to the future of motorcycles (except maybe the automated land train thing…we don’t see that working for two-wheeled machines). Check it out after the jump, and chew on it over the long weekend.

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News

MotoCzysz D1g1tal Dr1ve D1 – The Fully Integrated Electric Drive System with 737 lbs•ft of Torque

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The folks at MotoCzysz just got back from a trip to China (the EVS25 show in Shenzhen, China) where they debuted the MotoCzysz D1g1tal Dr1ve D1 — the world’s first fully integrated electric drive system. Complete with motor, inverter, oil pump, gear reduction, and differential housed in an aluminum chassis, MotoCzysz says the D1g1tal Dr1ve D1 is a complete plug-and-play system that can be used in the development of electric vehicles.

Based off the Portland company’s experience racing the MotoCzysz E1pc at the Isle of Man and FIM e-Power Championship, the MotoCzysz D1g1tal Dr1ve D1 uses Remy motors to produce 60kW (80hp) of continuous power, with a 75 kW (100hp) peak power delivery figure. The D1 comes with plenty of torque, 1000 Nm of torque to be precise (no, that’s not an extra zero, the motor makes 737 lbs•ft of torque). The feather-light D1g1tal Dr1ve D1 weighs under 150 lbs, making it ideal for a variety of applications. Available in May 2011, pricing will start under $8,999 as the MotoCzysz D1g1tal Dr1ve D1 will compete head-to-head with Mission Motors’ MissionEVT program.

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News

MotoCzysz D1g1tal Dr1ve to Power Cars

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MotoCzysz is partnering with Indiana-based Remy Electric Motors to bring the electric motorcycle power plant to the four-wheeled world. Remy, a former division of General Motors that specialized in electric and hybrid powertrains, developed the D1g1tal Dr1ve system used in the TT Zero and e-Power winning E1pc. According to Remy the D1-10 electric motor makes 135hp and 250 lbs•ft of torque, all while in a compact form-factor. With power outputs likely to improve, and the small footprint of the D1-10, the potential for the collaboration in four-wheeled vehicles is certainly beyond intriguing.

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