1981 Kawasaki SR500

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Featured here is Dave Thorpe's 1981 Kawasaki SR500. Dave Thorpe raced this bike during the European GP season and was Kawasaki's only works GP rider. Considering he was still recovering from a badly broken leg during the 1980 season, Dave's results were very encouraging.
This bike was featured in VMX magazine issue number 26.vVia : www.vintageworksbikes.com

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Windshield Flyers For 2011 International Female Ride Day

JUST RIDE! Women all over the world will unite by simply getting on their motorcycles for a ride on Friday, May 6th.

In 2011 women riders throughout Canada, United States, Australia, England, The Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Poland, Israel, Hungary, Slovakia, India, Russia, Germany and more will participate in the 5th Annual International Female Ride Day. 

To download one of three windshield flyers visit: Motoress.com "connecting women with motorcycling." 

Two Russian Women Rider's Groups Join the 2011 International Female Ride - "Moto Lady" of Biker News in Russia, along with the National Russian Motorcycle Federation will be part of the 5th Annual International Ride Day on Friday, May 6th 2011.

FIM - Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (The International Motorcycling Federation) supports International Female Ride Day - along with brands: BMW, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Kymco and MV Agusta.

The ride is on a weekday to emphasize that women are not "hobby" riders. They ride to work and motorcycling is part of their lifestyle. Read more.

Kawasaki G4TR

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99cc. The G4TR was the evolution of the first rotary valve single cylinder Kawasaki's,starting with the little J1 85cc street bike in the early 1960's imported into the USA.It's roots are more akin to the GA and G3 series that came a bit later although.

 This was the first of the small singles (to the best of my knowledge) to use the aluminum cylinder with cast iron liner for superior cooling like it's bigger counterparts,the F3 "Bushwacker",F7 175,F8 250 "Bison", F5 350 "Bighorn" and it's racing brother the mighty-mite G31M (chrome bore).

 1970 was the first model year for the "Trail Boss" 100cc, 10 speed.The high/low ranges of the main 5 speed gearbox are selected by a lever on the left hand engine cover,eliminating the task of switching rear sprockets as was more common on earlier street-trail and enduro machines.

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1969 Kawasaki F21M.

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1969 Kawasaki F21M. Owned and restored with original or NOS parts by Tom Wheeler.

The Kawasaki F21M "Green Streak" is a 238cc, 2-stroke off-road motorcycle which was manufactured by Kawasaki from 1968 to 1970.

The F21M was Kawasaki's first lime green bike. It started the lime green tradition at Kawasaki that continues with Team Green. The F21M was advertised as the "Greenstreak 238" Scrambler. It was marketed mainly as a Tourist Trophy (TT), Scrambles and Flat Track motorcycle. Almost all the 238's sold by us were used as trail or hare & hound bikes.

Specifications: 238cc, 2-stroke 1-cylinder, Rotary Disc Valve, Claimed Output: 30hp, weighs a very light 215 lbs.

"We were green when green wasn't cool!"

Jim Lewis's G31m with down pipe. The best set-up we found. No other 100cc could match the bike or Jim. Tom won 1 race at Abbott when Jim was out of town, barely holding off Glen Hurt and Larry White on Hodakas Super Rat.

Jim Lewis again on our much modified F-7 125cc - you can just make out the black cast iron cylinder. There was much talk this bike was not 125cc, but it was.

Wagon Hill Scramble Track 1969 or 1970.

Jim Lewis in action on the 1971 Kawasaki G-31m Centurion - 100 Green Streak

... Read more

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EICMA Milan Motorcycle Show To Feature Custom City

The 68th (EICMA) Milan Motorcycle Show, Nov. 2 to 7 will feature the unveiling of the new Ducati 1200 super street model, “Diavel” and eight new models by Honda. It will also feature a new Custom City,  dedicated entirely to custom bikes.

Hosted in the trade fair district of Fiera Milano Rhò in Milan, Italy, the EICMA draws 400,000 to 500,000 visitors. It is the largest bike show in the world.

More than 2,300 journalists from 31 countries attended the 2009 EICMA.

CUSTOM CITY is being introduced at the 2010 Milan Motorcycle Show as a “show within the show”, in the same way that “Green Planet” was introduced last year for hybrid and electric vehicles.

The idea matured thanks to the insistence of motorbike companies, manufacturers and enthusiasts, but finds its rational justification in numbers: against current downhill market trends, the share of vehicles dedicated to custom and touring bikes has slowly grown to represent 17.5% of the sales market.

CUSTOM CITY will be set up in Hall 2 of Fiera Milano, in collaboration with Terre di Moto srl, which will notably be putting on a show, and is fully sponsored by Biker's Life Motorcycle Magazine.

Biker's Life also supports the Italian Padova Bike Expo, and flies the top three winners and their bikes to compete each year at the Rat's Hole Custom Bike Show during Daytona Bikeweek. Bike builders from all over eastern and western Europe compete in the Padova Show in January for a large purse and prizes that include flights to compete in March during the Daytona Bikeweek rally that draws half a million bike enthusiasts worldwide.

So it will be interesting to see what may develop from this sponsorship.

The opening trade-show days (for press and industry) are Nov. 2 & 3, 2010.

EICMA will be open to the public Nov. 4 to 7 with opening hours from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., every day except Friday, when the show stays open until 10.00 p.m.  Ticket and tavel info:  eicma.it/moto

In recent years, MotoLive has been introduced and has become a "must see" event at the massive expo. In the brand new American Pavilion, seven new electric models by Brammo will be presented. The Scootergirls from Los Angeles made their fashion debut last year in the city known for fashion and they will be back to preview a colletion for men. The company speciaizes in protetive motorcycle garments with high fashion appeal. 



UPDATE: Here's footage of the 2011 Ducati Diavel super street bike unveiled at the EICMA Show. In some ways, the stripped-down machine recalls the original Ducati Monster 900, a lightweight bike, elegant in its simplicity, that essentially saved the company nearly two decades ago.

The Diavel features a superbike-derived Testastretta 11° engine and 456lb of authentic Ducati performance, including ABS, Ducati Traction Control and Ducati Riding Modes.

The new motorcycle is sure to excite longtime Ducati fans, especially those who long for the form-follows-function approach the company took to bike design in the 1970s and 1980s. Unlike many bikes nowadays, the Diavel looks more like a horse and less like a two-wheeled car, but it is also loaded with modern performance and safety features.

Its name comes from the “Devil” in Bolognese dialect, and is pronounced dee-AH-vel. The company says when an early prototype was assembled and shown to group of Ducati engineers and technicians, one person said: “Ignurànt comm’ al diavel!” that’s Bolognese for, “Evil, like the devil!”

While it has some of the dirt-tracker looks of a Harley-Davidson XR1200, it also resembles the recent wave of high-tech musclebikes from the Yamaha V-Rod and the BMW K 1200 R. The new Ducati, which is scheduled to go on sale in late winter or early spring of 2011, uses the same Testastretta engine used in the company’s top-of-the-line superbikes. The Diavel will also offer anti-lock brakes, traction control, and electronically adjustable riding modes aimed at increasing safety and comfort.

Harley Davidson will present the new SuperLow, together with four new CVO models.

Yamaha will present an electric scooter, a city mobility prototype.
 
Italian visitors will also have the opportunity to view the new ZX-10R, the Z750R by Kawasaki due to be launched on the market at the same time. KTM will present the Duke 125 in its naked version. Aprilia presents two 4-cylinder models: Tuono 1000 and RSV4 with traction and wheelie control, as well as the Dorsoduro 1200. And BMW presents two Touring motorcycles: a 6-cylinder K 1600 GT and K 1600 GLT.

At Triumph all eyes will be on the official presentation of the new Tiger 800 enduro with 3-cylinder engine. Piaggio presents a comeback of the Vespa Classica (the PX 125 with handlebar gear lever) and the Piaggio Typhoon.

The novelty at Moto Guzzi will be the V7 Racer. And the helmet manufacturer, Kali, will be presenting its ROAD Line series for the first time ever.

Le Mans 24 Hours for Motorcycles

BikeTourGermany took a crew of riders to camp out at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Moto (24 Heures Moto,) April 17 & 18, 2010.

In keeping with tradition, the 33rd Le Mans 24 Hours for Motorcycles is the first round of the FIM Endurance World Championship consisting of five races in 2010.

The race has been held annually since 1978 on the Bugatti Circuit Le Mans, Sarthe, France.

The weather was warm when the riders rolled in. "Le Mans is a famous race and a famous track and it’s always exciting to be here," said tour guide-owner, Joerg Wenzel. "We are 30 meters from the track. That is how we enjoy 24 hr motorcycle races!"

TJ and the gang in France ( Le Mans. )

"The evening is getting cold here at the race track, a fire and enough alcohol will bring us through the night. Race ends in 18 hours ( tomorrow at 15:00 ). Will be a long night."

TJ and the gang in France ( Le Mans. )


HELDEN Fruehstueck :-)

Breakfast for HEROES :-)

Slept at 2 am, got up at 7 am and breakfast at 9, what else can you ask for ( and yes we are kinda sober, laugh ) 4 hours to go until the winner will run his last lap.

The winners: #11 Kawasaki, (GSR) #1 Yamaha  and #41 Suzuki

1/ GSR - KAWASAKI / DA COSTA J - FOUR O - LEBLANC G / KAWASAKI / 24:00:47.253 / 828

2 / YAMAHA AUSTRIA R.T. / JERMAN I - MARTIN ST - GIABBANI G / YAMAHA / 24:02:22.100 / 817 / 11 T

3 / RAC41 - CITY BIKE / JUNOD G - BLACK G - DEPOORTER O / SUZUKI / 24:00:52.743 / 813 / 15 T

Honda France, which made its return to endurance last year, was out to take its revenge on Yamaha that was again counting on 2009 World Championship racer Gwen Giabbani. Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers - Suzuki was runner-up in 2009 - finishing less than 20 seconds ahead of Suzuki RAC41. - But this year, top honors went to Kawasaki. 

The 24 hr European Moto Tour, planned by BikeTourGermany - April 15 to 19.

Joerge loaded up his GSX 140 Suzuki on April 9, 2010 and first headed to Cologne for 3 days of "Motorcycle Safety Instructor" training. Then it was on to France for the most exciting motorcycle race of the year. "If you ever wonder where our Tour Guides get some of their training, check out the video from "Enduro Park" in Hechlingen (Germany).

"If YOU want to go there for one or two days of training with a rented motorcycle, let us know. We can make it happen - BikeTourGermany.com"