Saturday 28 July 2012

KTM 1190 RC8



From a manufacturer fabled for their adventure machines, comes a track tool designed to give the latest crop of liter class super bikes a run for their money. Following the super sharp design language the company's bikes are known for, it looks gorgeous.Take the tail section for instance- clean short and sharp.

And the over-square bore/stroke ratio-ed engine is a v-twin unit producing 152 hp of power and 120 nm of torque. Not much, you might say, especially compared to the near 200 bhp power outputs of the latest generation inline-four Japanese bikes and the stunning Ducati 1199. But as the most experienced of racers will tell you, its not how much power you have, its all about how much power is usable and completely under the control of your right wrist. That said, the KTM  delivers its power in very linear way. It v-twin helps it to pick up pace from a low rev speed. But its over-square design also helps it to deliver its goodies in plenty higher up the rev range. The Ducati 1199 Panigale also has a v-twin, but that is a completely different motor and loves a lot more revs on board then on the KTM. The Ducati engine even revs more like an inline-four then the v-twin that it is.



It engine, in a bored out form, has also been employed in KTM's 1290 Super Duke R concept





Design


KTM RC8 Prototype
The first concept of the bike appeared in 2005, powered by the Super Duke 999 cc (61.0 cu in) v-twin. The displacement was increased to 1,148 cc (70.1 cu in) for the production version. The bike features a steel trellis frame with a cast aluminium seat subframe. The suspension uses high-end inverted forks and an alloy, double-sided swingarm manufactured by WP, a KTM subsidiary. The bike comes in three colors, the traditional KTM orange and a white and black version.







RC8 R

The RC8 R was delivered to the United States in 2010 with more track-oriented features than the standard RC8. Engine displacement increased to 1,195 cc (72.9 cu in) with a higher compression ratio of 13.5:1. In addition, titanium intake valves and a low-friction DLC treatment on its camshafts’ finger followers help the engine produce 170hp at 10,250RPM and 90.7ft-lbs of torque at 8,000RPM. 



The RC8 R's WP suspension includes a 43mm inverted fork at the front end, with a titanium-aluminum-nitride coating on its sliders. A high-end shock supports the bike’s rear, and its piston rod is also finished with the titanium-aluminum-nitride low-stiction coating. The fork has three modes of adjustment (compression damping, rebound damping and spring preload), while the shock separates the compression damping into high and low speed circuits and has ride-height adjustability. An adjustable steering damper completes the suspension. The RC8 R offers many adjustments not found on other superbikes. In addition to the suspension, the rider can adjust many other parts on the bike including the front brake lever, the rear brake pedal, the clutch lever, the handlebars, the shifter, the footpegs, and the seat/subframe height. Essentially, the adjustable options allow the RC8 R to accommodate riders of various sizes.

Racing



At the launch of the RC8 superbike KTM announced it will race in the RC8 in the FIM Superstock championship in 2008. KTM's two year plan is to get the bike regularly on the podium in superstock before moving up to the Superbike World Championship. For 2009 the KTM RC8 Super Cup has been running as a one make support class at selected rounds of the British Superbike Championship, and in 2010 Redline KTM are competing in the newly formed BSB Evo class with rider James Edmeades. 

Thursday 26 July 2012

Yamaha R6



This is the bike that revolutionized the 600cc supersport bike segment. Twice. When it was launched in 1998, it was the first ever bike in its segment to have a power output higher than a 100 bhp. It sold like hotcakes and left the competition eat its dust. Yamaha had somehow brought back the feel of the screaming two-strokers of yore. It even had the characteristic thirst for fuel like a 2-stroke rocket.




Then, in 2006, when the original R6 had been left behind by the ever aggressive competition, Yamaha gave it a new lease of life. Overnight, the R6 transformed into a track demon, slashing lap times and winning the hearts of enthusiasts and journos alike. Like its bigger brother, the Yamaha R1, it has inline four cylinder engine, tuned for a massive thirst for revs and peaky power delivery.



It competes with other 600 cc super sport machines such as the Triumph Daytona 675, the Ducati 848, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Suzuki GSX-R600/750, and the Honda CBR600RR.




History

The Yamaha YZF-R6 was introduced in 1999 as the super sport version of Yamaha's Yamaha YZF-R1 super bike, and as a companion to the more street-oriented Yamaha YZF600R sport bike which continued to be sold alongside the R6. The motorcycle featured Yamaha's completely new engine design capable of producing over 108 hp (81 kW) while stationary. The R6 was the world's first 600cc production four-stroke motorcycle producing over 100 hp (75 kW) in stock form.



The YZF-R6 has been revised several times since its introduction. Starting with the 2003 model, the R6 became fuel-injected. The 2006 model year was a significant upgrade with a new engine management system featuring the YCC-T ride by wire throttle and a multi-plate slipper clutch. The 2008 model incorporated the YCC-I variable-length intake system to optimize power at high engine rpm and an improved Deltabox frame design.





Specifications

All specifications are manufacturer claimed.
2001/20022003/200420052006/20072008/20092010–2011
Engine
Type599.8 cc (36.6 cu in), DOHC, 16-Valve, Liquid-Cooled, In-Line Four-Cylinder599.8 cc (36.6 cu in), Liquid cooled, 4-stroke, forward inclined inline 4 cylinder, DOHC, 16 valves599.4 cc (36.6 cu in), liquid cooled, 4-stroke, forward inclined inline 4 cylinder, DOHC, 16-titanium valves
Bore x Stroke65.5 × 44.5 mm (2.58 × 1.75 in)65.5 × 44.5 mm (2.58 × 1.75 in)67.0 × 42.5 mm (2.64 × 1.67 in)
Compression Ratio12.4:112.8:113.1:1
Power (crank)88.2 kW (118.3 hp) @ 13,000 rpm With direct air induction 90.5 kW (121.4 hp) @ 13,000 rpm / Without direct air induction 86.0 kW (115.3 hp) @ 13,000 rpm 92.7 kW (124.3 hp) @ 13,000 rpm with direct air induction / 88.2 kW (118.3 hp) @ 13,000 rpm without direct air induction 97.8 kW (131.2 hp) @ 14,500 rpm with direct air induction / 93.4 kW (125.3 hp) @ 14,500 rpm without direct air induction 99.6 kW (133.6 hp) @ 14,500 rpm with direct air induction / 94.9 kW (127.3 hp) @ 14,500 rpm without direct air induction 91.0 kW (122.0 hp) @ 14,500 rpm 
Carburetion37 mm Keihin CV Downdraft w/Throttle Position SensorFuel injectionFuel injection w/ YCC-TFuel Injection w/ YCC-T and YCC-I
IgnitionDigital DC-CDITCI
Transmission6-speed w/multi-plate clutch6-speed w/multi-plate slipper clutch
Final Drive#530 O-ring chain#525 O-ring chain
Chassis
Suspension/FrontFully Adjustable 43 mm (1.7 in) Telescopic Fork, 5.3 in (135 mm) of Travel43 mm (1.7 in) telescopic fork w/adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping; 4.7 in (119 mm) travel41 mm (1.6 in) inverted telescopic fork w/adjustable preload, separate high & low-speed compression damping, rebound damping; 4.7 in (119 mm) travel
Tires/Front120/60-ZR17120/70-ZR17
Tires/Rear180/55-ZR17
Dimensions
Length81 in (2,057 mm)79.7 in (2,024 mm)80.3 in (2,040 mm)
Width27.6 in (701 mm)27.2 in (691 mm)27.6 in (701 mm)
Height44.2 in (1,123 mm)42.9 in (1,090 mm)43.1 in (1,090 mm), 2011: 43.3 in (1,100 mm)
Seat Height32.8 in (833 mm)32.3 in (820 mm)33.5 in (851 mm)
Wheelbase54.4 in (1,382 mm)54.3 in (1,379 mm)
Rake24 °
Trail3.4 in (86 mm)3.8 in (97 mm)
Fuel Capacity4.5 US gallons (17 l; 3.7 imp gal)4.6 US gallons (17 l; 3.8 imp gal)
Oil Capacity2.85 US quarts (2.70 l)3.59 US quarts (3.40 l)
Dry Weight399 lb (181 kg) ('01)388 lb (176 kg) ('03)
392 lb (178 kg) ('04)
397 lb (180 kg) ('05)
396 lb (180 kg) ('06)
354.9 lb (161.0 kg)366 lb (166 kg) 
Wet Weight426 lb (193 kg) ('01)415 lb (188 kg) ('03)
419 lb (190 kg) ('04)
424 lb (192 kg) ('05)
423 lb (192 kg) ('06)
417 lb (189 kg)417 lb (189 kg) 

Controversy


2006 R6
In 2006, Yamaha advertised that the R6 had a redline of 17,500 rpm. This is 2,000 rpm higher than the previous R6 model and was the highest tachometer redline of any 2006 production four-stroke motorcycle engine. It was widely reported that the 2006 YZF-R6's motor did not actually have this engine rpm redline level and was closer to around 16,200 rpm, but because of a deliberate tachometer error of about 8%, it read 17,500 rpm on the tachometer. In February 2006, Yamaha admitted the bike's true engine redline was more than 1,000 rpm lower than what was indicated on the tachometer and had been advertised, and offered to buy back any R6 if the customer was unhappy.



Monday 23 July 2012

Triumph Rocket III



If this is not the mother of all production bikes, i don't know what is. With a humongous 2,294 cc(140.0 cu in), this bike has presence like no other. 2.5m long, and with a wet weight of 351 kg, this behemoth from Blighty is a monster of the biking world. Intimidating, the specs may seem, but on the road, its a calm and cool ride. But remember, with 200 nm of torque (that's equal to the power the kwacker ZX-10R makes!) and 140 bhp of power, this beast demands respect. It's as loud and attention grabbing as a classic American Hot Rod. Only a custom limited production bike like a Boss Hoss can dwarf it. The twin headlamp design is also featured in Triumph's legendary Speed Triple and the Street Triple. Even its engine is almost 4 times larger than Triumph's own Daytona 675.



Though it failed at breaking successfully into the American chopper culture, it still has a cult status. Triumph's flagship product is now available in a muscle bike(read Yamaha VMAX) guise, a tourer avatar, and a classic cruiser one.



 At 2,294 cc (140.0 cu in) it had the largest displacement engine of any mass production motorcycle, as of September 2010.
The name "Rocket III'" is derived from a previous BSA motorcycle, the 1968 Rocket-3, which was a "badge-engineered" BSA version of the broadly similar Triumph Trident.


HISTORY
The Rocket III Project started in 1998 led by Triumph Product Range Manager Ross Clifford and started with a lot of research—especially in the USA where big cruisers were selling well. The main competitors were the Harley-Davidson Ultraglide and the Honda Goldwing so the initial idea was to develop a 1,600 cc performance cruiser.
The in-house designer was John Mockett, designer of the Hesketh V1000, the Tiger and the new 'nostalgia' Bonneville. He started work with David Stride, Gareth Davies and Rod Scivyer working around an in-line three cylinder engine. At the start of the project in-line four and a V6 engine configurations were looked at but the longitudinally mounted triple design led to the design concept code named C15XB Series S1.



Mockett experimented with 'futuristic' styling that included "raygun" mufflers and a large chrome rear mudguard, but consumer focus groups didn’t like it. The S2 model was a simplified version with a more traditional rear mudguard and several features that were to make it through to the final design. Once again, the feedback from market research was that it was still too radical so the lines were simplified and smoothed out to create the Series S3.
Part of the reason for the secrecy was competition from other manufacturers. Yamaha launched the 1,670 cubic centimetres (102 cu in), badged as a 1,670 cubic centimetres (102 cu in), engine in 2002, with the introduction of the Road Star Warrior and Honda launched the VTX1800, so a decision was made to go for a displacement of 2,294 cc.
The first engine was built in summer 2002 and tested in the autumn. Twin butterfly valves for each throttle body were used to increase control and allow the ECU to vary the mixture flow and ignition map according to the gear selected and speed. The torque curve is modified for each gear ratio, enabling over 90% of the engine’s torque output at 2,000 rpm, giving the high levels of flexibility that the designers needed. The 1,500 W starter motor on the Rocket III puts out as much power as the engine on the very first Triumph motorcycle, Siegfried Bettman's 1902 1.75 horsepower (1.30 kW) single.





The final design of the S3 prototype had a large tubular steel twin-spine frame, designed by James Colbrook.[5] Andy Earnshaw was responsible for designing the gearbox and shaft drive to a 240/50ZR16 bike specific rear tyre. High specification front brakes were twin four-piston callipers with 320 mm floating discs and the rear brake, developed specifically for the purpose, was a single twin piston calliper and 316 mm disc. Ride handling is controlled by purpose built rear shocks and 43 mm 'inverted' front forks.

2004 NEC Motorcycle show launch
Road tests proved that the weight distribution, low centre of gravity and geometry allowed acceleration up to 135 miles per hour (217 km/h). In 2004, the Rocket III set the world land speed record for a production motorcycle over 2000 cc reaching its electronically set limiter of 140.3 miles per hour (225.8 km/h).
In 2003, the prototype was renamed the 'Rocket', following market research, continuing the heritage of the BSA Rocket 3/Triumph Trident motorcycles. It was unveiled in the USA on 20 August 2003, in San Antonio, Texas. The Rocket's European launch was at the International Motorcycle Show in Milan, Italy on 16 September 2003. Sold in the UK from the spring of 2004, it was awarded 'Machine of the Year' by Motorcycle News at the 2004 NEC Motorcycle Show. The Australian launch was in Sydney in August 2004, with 230 deposits taken before any had been shipped into the country.

Reception

Despite extensive market research, the Rocket III has had difficulty finding its niche. Originally intended to break into the USA's lucrative cruiser market, the Triumph struggled to find acceptance among Harley-Davidson's ultra-traditional riders, who have barely come to terms with Harley-Davidson's own V-Rod. The 2009 Thunderbird competes more successfully with Harley-Davidson bikes. Triumph is spreading its focus: the Rocket III is now in the "musclebike" and "streetfighter" market, where the Yamaha V-Max has found success, while the Rocket III Touring is making inroads to the market for large touring machines.

Models

Rocket III

The original model was released in 2004 and has remained in production with only minor modifications other than a change of engine colour from silver to black in 2005. This model was awarded Motorcycle Cruiser magazine's 2004 Bike of the Year, Motorcyclist's 2004 Cruiser of the Year, and Cruising Rider magazine 2005 Bike of the Year. This model is the newest exhibit at the UK National Motorcycle Museum.

Rocket III Classic

Introduced in 2006, the Classic version has rider floorboards, different shaped silencers (mufflers) and 'pullback' handlebars. More colour choices were added and the pillion seat was modified to improve comfort.
In June 2007 Triumph used 'viral marketing' to promote the Rocket III Classic by posting a well-made spoof production video to YouTube and bike enthusiast websites, As of September 2010 the video had more than 930,000 views.

Rocket III Roadster

The 2010 Roadster is the most powerful bike in the Rocket III line-up, with a claimed 163 pound-feet (221 N·m) torque and 146 brake horsepower (109 kW). Triumph calls it "the ultimate muscle streetfighter".

Rocket III Tourer

The short-lived 2007 Tourer Limited Edition Model was just a Classic Model with the addition of a windscreen, panniers (saddlebags), backrest and luggage rack from the factory, and a choice of two-tone paint schemes

Rocket III Touring


Rocket III Touring (2008)
Triumph began developing the Rocket III Touring version in February 2004 following the launch of the original model, to target the large cruiser market which represents 50% of all US motorcycle sales. As well as a new design for the steel frame and swinging arm, the Touring model has more torque at lower revs – 209 newton metres (154 lbf·ft) @ 2,025 rpm, but less horsepower at the top end. New features include tank mounted instruments and a scrolling switch on the handlebar to set the clock and indicate fuel ranges. The five-spoke design used on the Rocket III was replaced with billet aluminium slotted wheels and narrower tyres were specified to improve steering with a 180/70 x 16 rear tyre to make it easier to fit detachable panniers that come as standard, together with a removable windscreen and Kayaba rear shock absorbers.

Saturday 14 July 2012

Yamaha VMAX



What better a representative of the power cruisers category of production bikes than this- the Yamaha VMAX. Built for the drag strip, it 1679 cc( 102 cu in) V4 engine. With its massive engine and brawny looks, it is the current benchmark of the category that its predecessor created, which in itself was a cult bike. With a power figure upwards of 200 ps and about 150 nm tarmac shredding of torque, it blows all competition off the drag strip. Even with all-powerful beasts like the cool Harley Davidson VSRC series and the XXL sized Triumph Rocket III vying at the top honors, it still hails as the current champion in this category.



In 2005, at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show, Yamaha displayed this all-new V-Max concept bike. It featured a new chassis, upgraded components all around, and state-of-the-art braking components.

Handling wise, this is now Yamaha R1 or BMW S1000RR, but it handles rather well around bends- with the help of greatly centralized mass. The long wheelbase might seem to be a bad thing around corners, but it isn't. Moreover, the long wheel base provides it with great stability in a straight line, something it was actually mend to devour(read: drag strips).


On 4 June 2008, Yamaha officially released a completely redesigned 2009 VMAX in North America and Europe. The features of the VMAX include an all aluminium frame with its 1,679 cc (102 cu in) liquid cooled V4 DOHC engine used as a stressed member of the chassis, an electroluminescent instrument readout, Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I), fully adjustable suspension, anti-lock brakes, slipper clutch, a fuel tank beneath the seat, and a distinctive key.



On 20 September 2009, VMAX was also launched in India.

YCC-I/YCC-T

Instead of the V-Boost on the original carburated V-Max, the fuel injected VMAX uses YCC-I and YCC-T. Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I) is a new addition to the VMAX. The airhorns inside the airbox are lifted by a servo activated at 6,650 rpm to open up the airway underneath. This shortens the length of the intake system from 150 mm to 52 mm. This system had its first appearance in the Yamaha stable with the 2006 YZF-R1. The MV Agusta F4 Tamburini was the first bike with such a system. Massimo Tamburini invented this idea. It is called Torque Shift System (TSS) on the Agustas.
Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T) is also a new addition. The throttle cables are connected to a throttle position sensor and a new computer called G.E.N.I.C.H. that operates the butterfly valves, the EXUP valve in the exhaust and the other components involved, such as the igniter unit, and the YCC-I lifter unit. The YCC-T computes all the input of the sensors and calculates the best throttle position, ignition advance, EXUP valve and injection time in milliseconds.
   
Yamaha VMAX Spec Sheet-
Yamaha 1700 VMax.jpg
ManufacturerYamaha Motor Company
Productionsince 2009
PredecessorYamaha V-Max
Classpower cruiser
Engine1,679 cc (102 cu in) liquid-cooled DOHC V-4
Bore / Stroke90 × 66 mm (3.5 × 2.6 in)
Power174.3 hp (130.0 kW) @ 9,000 rpm
Torque113 lbf·ft (153 N·m) @ 6,600 rpm
Transmission5-speed, slipper clutch
Frame typecast aluminum
Suspensionadjustable front and rear
BrakesFront: radial mount 6-piston calipers, dual wave-type 12.6 in (320 mm) discs, brembo master cylinder
Rear: single piston caliper, wave-type 11.7 in (298 mm) disc, Brembo master cylinder
Wheelbase66.9 in (1,699 mm)
DimensionsL 94.3 in (2,395 mm)
W 32.3 in (820 mm)
Seat height30.5 in (775 mm)
Weightn/a (dry)
694 lb (315 kg) (wet)
Fuel capacity4.0 US gallons (15 l; 3.3 imp gal)
Fuel consumption28.3 mpg-US (8.31 L/100 km; 34.0 mpg-imp
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