MV Agusta F3 Serie Oro

MV Agusta has revealed that its new 675 cc, three-cylinder F3 will cost €11,990 in Italy. That’s around £10,500 or US$17,000 at current exchange rates.



Sales are due to begin before the end of 2012 but, in keeping with a now established MV Agusta custom, production of the standard spec bike is going to be preceded by a Serie Oro (Gold Series) version.



Just 200 examples of the Serie Oro will be built and, although a price has yet to be revealed, rumours suggest it could be double that of the stock F3.

As would be expected, the Serie Oro model has plenty of unique features that go some way to justifying the extra outlay.



Technical improvements include a Brembo brake system with radial-mounted Monobloc calipers and racing discs. The suspension is upgraded to fully adjustable Öhlins upside-down forks and a TTX shock, plus a steering damper is fitted. To help those new components perform to their full potential, the frame is TIG welded for increased stiffness.

However, the Serie Oro treatment also focuses on enhancing the bike’s visual appeal. It comes in MV Agusta’s signature red and silver paintjob, which contrasts nicely with the gold-coloured frame, swing arm, wheels and frame plates.



There’s also lots of carbon fibre, with the mud guards, fairing lowers and exhaust outlets among the components that have been made out of the stuff. The effect is completed by the leather and alcantara seat, and a gold plaque that records the build number.



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BMW E-Scooter concept

Following its Concept C maxi scooter that was unveiled at last year’s Milan bike show, BMW has now revealed the E-Scooter concept. And, as the ‘E’ in the title suggests, it’s electrically-powered.

With any electric vehicle, a critical question is going to be how far it can travel between recharges. For the E-Scooter, BMW is aiming for a range of at least 60 miles (100 km) thanks to a high capacity battery. Recharge time from a fully discharged state will be about three hours.



By comparison, existing electric scooters such as the Econogo Yogo can travel a maximum of 44 miles (70 km), although bikes with larger battery packs will manage more. The Brammo Enertia Plus motorcycle, for example, has a range of 80 miles (128 km).



Given the urban environments in which the E-Scooter will predominantly be used, performance has also been an important design factor. Consequently, BMW’s target has been to match the acceleration of a 600 cc petrol-engined maxi scooter.



An unconventional aspect of the E-Scooter is its construction. While scooters usually have a central frame to which everything is attached, the BMW does without one. Instead, the aluminium battery casing assumes that role, supporting the rear sub-frame, swing arm and front forks.



Drive from the electric motor to the rear wheel is via a belt system. An added benefit is that under deceleration or braking, this set-up acts as an energy regenerator, extending the scooter’s range by between ten and twenty percent.



As it’s just a concept for now, there’s no word on whether the BMW E-Scooter might make it into production. Undoubtedly one of the important issues would be cost, which is something that that high capacity battery unit might be having a significant impact on.



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Honda Vision 110 scooter

Honda has announced that its new Vision 110 scooter, which replaces the Lead 110, will arrive in UK dealers this August.



Priced at £1,800 on the road, it comes with a four-stroke fuel injected engine that manages to achieve a very impressive 140 mpg (2.0 l/100km).

Being a twist-and-go scooter the Vision 110 should be easy to ride, even for novices. For enhanced manoeuvrability it only weighs 102 kg (224 lbs), while the seat height is a confidence-inspiring 760 mm (29.9 inches).



Standard features include underseat storage, compartments in the leg shields and Honda’s linked Combined Braking System. An alarm, top box and high windscreen are all on the options list.

Vision 110 buyers will be able to choose from Pearl Procyon Black, Candy Aluja Blue, Boss Grey Metallic, Candy Lucid Red or Pearl White paint finishes.

Dainese D-air Racing suit

The Dainese D-air Racing motorcycle suit, which features an airbag system, has gone on sale in the UK.

Designed to give extra protection to the shoulders, neck and upper chest, it has an internal sensor that detects when a slide or fall is happening. A signal is then sent to the airbag, which inflates within 30 milliseconds.



A unique aspect of the D-air is that, unlike the Spidi DPS system for example, everything is wireless and so there’s no physical connection to the motorcycle.



Alpinestars is known to be working on something similar, but for now it’s still in a development phase and not available commercially.



With track days in mind, the Dainese suit also includes software that records telemetry data. Back in the pits, this can be downloaded to a laptop for analysis of the rider’s performance. Compatibility with Google Earth even means that racing lines can be displayed over a map of the circuit.



As might be expected, such technology does not come cheap. UK prices start at £2,409 for the basic suit, rising to £3,240 for customised versions.

New Husqvarna Nuda 900R

Husqvarna has released the first images of its new naked street bike, which has been named the Nuda 900R.



And it’s not a bad looking thing, with its angular quasi-supermoto styling and minimal bodywork. That seat looks very tall though, and not particularly comfortable.

Husqvarna Nuda 900R. Scroll down for more images.

Only a few technical specs have been revealed, but Husqvarna is saying that the 900’s engine - which is derived from the 798 cc parallel twin-cylinder unit used by parent company BMW in its F 800 range of bikes - will develop over 100 horsepower (around 74 kW) and more than 100 Nm (73 lb/ft) of torque.



By comparison, the BMW F 800 models have outputs of 85 bhp (64 kW / 87 PS) and 86 Nm (63 lb/ft), so the increases seen in the Nuda 900R are in line with its extra capacity.



With a dry weight of less than 175 kg (385 lbs) being promised the Husqvarna will also be slightly lighter, whereas the similarly naked BMW F 800 R tips the scales at 177 kg (390 lbs).



The 900R’s suspension will feature an Öhlins fully adjustable shock at the rear, while up front there’s a 48 mm Sachs fork that’ll be adjustable for spring pre-load and compression / rebound damping. Front wheel braking is to be taken care of by a Brembo radially-mounted caliper with four pistons.



Pricing and launch dates for the Husqvarna Nuda 900R have yet to be confirmed.

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Brammo builds in Europe

Electric motorcycle manufacturer Brammo has commenced production in Hungary.



The facility, located in Sàrvàr, is operated by Flextronics, a Singapore-based electronics manufacturing services company. Production capacity is 660 bikes per month, and will focus on the Enertia and Enertia Plus models for distribution in European, Asian and North American markets.

Brian Wismann, Director of Product Development at Brammo, said: “This partnership [with Flextronics] gives Brammo the ability to scale production and access global markets and the benefit of strengthening its reputation as the builder of the world’s finest electric motorcycles.”



With currently only a handful of dealers in the United States, the next big objective for the company will have to be the establishment of networks in other territories to sell its motorcycles. Otherwise it could be sitting on a lot of unsold stock after the Hungarian factory starts running at full volume...



The Brammo Enertia has a range of just 42 miles (67 kilometres), although the more practical Enertia Plus will manage double that. Both are powered by a 17 bhp (13 kW / 17 PS) electric motor that produces 40 Nm (29 lb/ft) of torque and should be good for a top speed of around 60 mph (96 km/h).



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2012 Husqvarna Enduro

BMW subsidiary Husqvarna has revealed its 2012 range of enduro bikes. All get black frames, silver Excel wheel rims and updated, more durable ‘in-mould’ graphics. Beyond that, the extent of any technical changes varies by model.



The revised bikes will be available from this July, although prices have yet to be confirmed.





WR125



Although the WR125 was comprehensively revamped for 2011, the 2012 version has received a few extra tweaks. These include a stronger, more rigid steering head and protection for the single-cylinder engine’s filter box.

WR250



Apart from the cosmetic changes common across the range, Husqvarna hasn’t done anything else to the WR250 for 2012.

WR300



It’s a similar story with the WR300, which still shares its chassis and suspension with the WR250. The carburettor-fed 293.1 cc engine - the largest capacity two-stroke in the Husqvarna line-up - also continues unchanged.

TE250



The four-stroke TE250 gets heavily revised suspension, including a Kayaba rear damper in place of the previous Sachs item. It features adjustment for low / high speed compression and rebound, while up front the 48 mm forks have been recalibrated and had new springs fitted to complement the rear set-up.



The frame has been reinforced at the steering head, and the handlebar is secured with new clamps. Although the engine is unchanged, the exhaust has been altered to help liberate more performance.

TE310



All of the TE250’s 2012 updates have also been applied to the larger capacity TE310.

TE449



Modifications to the TE449 include a new frame, which has additional strengthening around the engine mounts, seat rail and steering head. There’s also a single piece rear mudguard, which is claimed to be stronger than the old one.



Suspension revisions comprise a shorter Kayaba rear damper, which is fully adjustable and now better protected from dirt and debris. The 48 mm diameter front forks have also been improved with more progressive damping. Finally, the Keihin fuel injection has been remapped to fine tune power delivery from the 449 cc single-cylinder engine, and the radiator is upgraded.

TE511



The TE511 receives the same improvements as the TE449, with the aim of improving rideability, especially in terms of handling and throttle response.

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Aprilia SR Max scooters

Aprilia has launched a pair of new SR Max scooters, which it says have styling inspired by its RSV4 superbike.



The SR Max 125 comes with a fuel-injected, four-stroke 124 cc engine that produces 14 bhp (11 kW / 15 PS) and 12 Nm (8 lb/ft) of torque.



For those wanting slightly more performance, there’s the SR Max 300. It’s powered by a 278 cc single-cylinder engine with outputs of 21 bhp (16 kW / 22 PS) and 23 Nm (16 lb/ft).

Both have large diameter wheels - 15” at the front, 14” at the rear - and 35 mm hydraulic front forks. Braking is taken care of by a 260 mm disc brake with two-piston caliper up front, while at the back there’s a 240 mm disc brake.



Other features include a large under-seat storage compartment, and heater vents that direct air from the radiator onto the rider’s legs. Seat height is 815 mm.



Available in Nero Aprilia (which is actually a black and red colour scheme) or Bianco Glam, UK on the road prices have been set at £3,599 for the SR Max 125 and £3,899 for the SR Max 300.

2012 V-Strom 650 leaked

Images of the 2012 Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS have ‘accidentally’ been leaked ahead of its official unveiling. Or perhaps it was done deliberately, as part of Suzuki’s prolonged teaser campaign for its new bike?

Visually, the changes compared to the current model aren’t startling, although the fairing has been restyled and now gets prominent side grilles.



The engine is still a 645 cc v-twin unit, albeit with a slightly reduced compression ratio of 11.2:1, but no power or torque figures have been released. Drive is via a six-speed transmission.

Interestingly, fuel tank capacity is down from 22 litres (4.8 UK gallons / 5.8 US gallons) to 20 litres (4.4 UK gallons / 5.2 US gallons), which would suggest better economy if range is not to suffer.



Bad news for shorter riders is that the seat height has risen from 820 mm (32.3 inches) to 835 mm (32.9 inches). The V-Strom appears to have been on a diet though, as its kerb weight has been trimmed from 220 kg (485 lbs) to 214 kg (472 lbs).

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Drivers urged to see bikers

The UK Department for Transport has launched a new Think! campaign in a bid to cut the number of motorcyclist deaths and serious injuries.



But rather than just being aimed at bikers themselves, the main target audience is actually other drivers.



That’s because 78% of riders that are killed or seriously injured are in collision with another vehicle, with 67% of those crashes occurring at junctions. Those government statistics, which are from 2009, clearly dispel the notion that most motorcycle fatalities are primarily speed-related with nobody else involved.



Therefore, the focus of the campaign is to encourage drivers to look out for bikers, especially at junctions. Costing £1.2 million for 2011/12, it will include national radio advertising, sponsorship of drive-time radio shows and filling station forecourt adverts.



Mike Penning MP, Road Safety Minister, commented:



"Britain has some of the safest roads in the world but around nine motorcyclists were still killed on the roads each week in 2009.



"As a biker I know how much fun motorcycling can be and what a practical way it is to get around, but it is unacceptable that so many motorcyclists are dying on our roads and I want to tackle this.



"While many drivers may take extra care at junctions, they often don't see bikers and this is a major factor in motorcycle casualties. That is why our Think! campaign aims to remind drivers to think about the biker, not just the bike, so that we see fewer of these needless accidents."



Given the generally poor standard of driving exhibited by many road users - especially a lack of observational skills - the campaign could face an uphill struggle. But hopefully it’ll mean the ‘sorry mate I didn’t see you’ excuse gets used less often.

Benelli TNT Century Racer

To celebrate its 100th anniversary this year, Benelli has unveiled two TNT Century Racer special editions.



The TNT899 Century Racer has an 898 cc three-cylinder engine that produces 118 bhp (88 kW / 120 PS) and 88 Nm (64 lb/ft) of peak torque. Upgrades from the standard bike include 50 mm diameter Marzocchi upside-down front forks and wavy brake discs with Brembo radial calipers.

For those wanting more power there’s the TNT1130 Century Racer, which will be built on request. Its larger capacity engine still has three cylinders, but outputs are up to 127 bhp (95 kW / 129 PS) and 110 Nm (81 lb/ft). While also enjoying the chassis improvements of its smaller brother, it takes them one step further by having fully adjustable front and rear suspension.

Distinguishing both versions of the Century Racer are an Alcantara seat cover, redesigned rear bodywork, dark green paint and a contrasting yellow finish for the cylinder head valve cover and rear spring.