Leverage

I broke the end off my clutch lever by dropping the Tiger in my driveway, because I'm a klutz.



Aimee and I went to Engle Motors as part of our Fathers' Day date mostly so I could drool over the new Thruxton R. While we were there, I ordered some new adjustable levers.



They look a lot nicer than the stock levers and and have a lot more adjustability.





They were very easy to install. I only used a 10 mm socket and a screwdriver. I think I'd like some had guards. I don't plan to do any offroading with this bike, but they'd make cold weather riding a little more comfortable. I'll probably wait until the weather cools down.

Motorcycle USA Dynoes 2015 Indian Scout

I'm pretty excited about the 2015 Indian Scout.  The bike is strong evidence that Polaris has this latest incarnation of the Indian Motorcycle company dialed in, which is great considering Indian's prominence in American motorcycle history.

More importantly (to me), the Scout's engine appears to be a harbinger of even more exciting things to come.  I really think the Scout may usher in a new era of large-scale diversification in American-made bikes.  For years I've found it sad that Harley Davidson refuses to compete with the rest of the world in any segment outside cruisers.  And I was disappointed when Polaris decided to do the same thing with Victory.

Please understand, I love the fact that small manufacturers like Erik Buell Racing (EBR) and Motus are making the bikes Harley and Victory don't have the guts to make.  But small manufacturers lack the economies of scale that make great products affordable for us ordinary folk.  I just can't afford a Motus or an EBR for now.

Now that Polaris has Indian to take the traditional cruiser fight to Harley, however, Victory is free to branch out into non-cruiser bikes.  And the Scout's 1130 cc, narrow angle V-twin is the power plant that can finally make it happen.

Check out this dynamometer graph from Motorcycle USA.

Tue, 85 hp isn't all that impressive for an 1130 cc, dual overhead cam, four valve per cylinder V-twin.  Keep in mind that these numbers are taken at the wheel (after losses to friction through the drive train), and that the engine is in a relatively mild state of tune, as befitting a cruiser.

That torque curve, though, is beautiful.  From about 2,600 rpm to almost 8,000 rpm, torque remains fairly constant.  That is a very flexible engine.  There seems to be a lot of room for Polaris/Victory to adapt this engine to many different uses - from a cafe racer, to an adventure touring bike, to (dare I say it?) a 1200 cc, V-twin super bike.

Imagine a major American motorcycle manufacturer with an honest-to-goodness full line of street bikes that an ordinary Joe can afford.

Hey, I can dream, can't I?

Bacon Powered Motorcycle

I love motorcycles, and I love bacon.  How did I not think of this first?

Source: Auto Blog

The machine started life as an EVA Track T800CDI diesel-powered motorcycle, hailing from The Netherlands, and a bacon-grease conversion was performed by the crew from CSE Engineering, who are accompanying the procession as it crosses the western half of the United States as part of a 12-person team that is filming and documenting the adventure. 

 Here's a series of videos on the bike's and its rider's adventures across the US.


Motorcycles and bacon - what could be better?

Indian Scout Engine CAD Drawings

Motorcycle Daily has more CAD drawings of the Indian Scout's 1133 cc, 60-degree V-twin engine.

Source: Motorcycle Daily

Source: Motorcycle Daily

I don't know Polaris' plans for this engine, but I can think of several exciting possibilities.  For example, this engine is somewhat similar to the Rotax-designed 1125 cc V-twin the Buell Motorcycle Company used in the last sport bike they produced before Harley Davidson shut them down.  In a higher state of tune, the Scout's engine could easily crank out 125 hp.  Polaris could even bore and stroke it out to 1190 cc like Erik Buell Racing did with the old Rotax engine and bump it up to 150 hp or more (EBR's current engine is wholly designed and built by EBR in East Troy, Wisconsin).

Such an engine would be a lot of fun in a sporty standard, or a street tracker, or even an adventure bike.  Maybe the Indian name is too wrapped up in history to support such bikes (then again, maybe not), but Polaris could decide to let Indian carry the heritage flag and finally begin to diversify Victory beyond cruisers and onto something more exciting.

Indian Motorcycles Releases New Scout!

For the second year in a row, I forgot all about Sturgis until it was already going (not that I'd actually attend), and for the second year in a row, the resurrected (for the 5th time?) Indian Motorcycles - now part of Polaris Industries - released a new bike.  Last year, it was the Chief.  This year, it's the Scout.

Source: Auto Blog

Check out these videos from Indian Motorcycle's YouTube channel.






Pretty cool, right?  Here's my favorite look for the bike, so far.

Source: Cycle World

Cycle World, Motorcycle Daily and Motorcycle USA (among others, I presume) have all published first ride impressions online, and their reviews are mostly glowing, with only minor nits to pick.  The Cycle World review seems to verge on sycophancy, but maybe the bike really is that good.

Source: Motorcycle Daily

Just looking at it, you can tell that Indian decided to ride the fence between tradition and high technology.  The frame is mostly cast aluminum, as opposed to the traditional tubular steel cradle frames of traditional cruisers.  The typical cruiser engine is a narrow-angle V-twin with air cooling and two push-rod-actuated valves per cylinder.  The Scout's engine features a 60 degree V angle, liquid cooling, four valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams and a counter-balancer.  It doesn't even pretend to be air cooled, like the Harley-Davidson V-Rod with its fake cooling fins.  Actually, besides the fake cooling fins, the Scout's engine specs are pretty similar to that of the V-Rod.

Either way, an 1133 cc engine that generates 100 hp at the crank is very lightly stressed, which leaves lots of room for owners and tuners to squeeze a lot more out of it.

Source: Motorcycle Daily

In short, it's not as traditional as the Harley-Davidson Sportster (the quintessential American motorcycle), but it's nowhere near as radical as the Ducati Diavel.

The Sportster seems like the Scout's most natural competitor.  As far as specs go, the Scout beats the Sportster hands down.  It's lighter, more powerful (by 32 hp), generates similar torque and can lean further into a corner.

Source: Motorcycle Daily.  Click to enlarge.

You can read a more comprehensive list of specs for the Scout here, and for the Sportster here.  Unlike most motorcyclists, however, cruiser riders are notoriously impervious to spec sheets.  They choose bikes for far more subjective reasons.

The one disappointment about this bike is that - like the Sportster - it doesn't really live up to its own heritage.  But then, no bike could.  The Scout and the Sportster were the badass sport bikes of their day.  They competed in everything from road races, to flat tracks to off road scrambles.  And that's why it's impossible for any bike to live up to that heritage.  Bikes today are so specialized, that no bike could be converted into both a champion road racer and a champion enduro.

Still, it's a cool bike.  At first I thought I wasn't in its target demographic because I don't ride cruisers.  But, maybe I am, because this bike might just change my mind.  Maybe if they made a street tracker version...

Source: Roland Sands Design

... with this classic look.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The scabbard is key.

Red Bull Tribute to Fathers and Motorcycles

This is too cool.

EBR 1190RX - Erik Buell Racing | On Two Wheels - YouTube

EBR 1190RX - Erik Buell Racing | On Two Wheels - YouTube

Contrary to Zack Couts' narration, the real question is not whether EBR's new bike is any good.  The real question is whether EBR's new bike is good enough to compete with the best from Japan, Italy and Germany.



Wait... Americans contending with Japan, Italy and Germany?  Where have I heard that before?

Indian Motorcycle's Thunder Stroke V-Twin

Ever since the Indian motorcycle company expired in 1953, it's been like a movie franchise that keeps running long after it's gone stale, producing a worse sequel with each iteration.  Many have tried to resurrect Indian.  All have failed. 

In 2011, international motor sport giant, Polaris, acquired Indian.  At the time, I considered it a mistake.  Polaris already builds the Victory line of cruiser motorcycles, and adding Indian to the mix seemed to me like adding more of the same.  I thought (and still think) Polaris needed to diversify and venture into areas of the motorcycle market Victory does not cover.

Indian just released the first images of their new "Thunder Stroke" 111 cubic inch (1,819 cc) V-Twin engine.  Paul Crowe of "The Kneeslider" writes,

Although it's a brand new engine, they drew heavily from classic Indian engine designs. The 49 degree, 111 cubic inch V-Twin has 3 cams, parallel pushrods and down firing exhausts. The intake is on the left. It's unit construction providing direct drive between the crankshaft and clutch. The 6 speed overdrive transmission handles the 115+ foot pounds of torque.

My first impression is that this engine's internals may have been designed by an engineer, but externally it looks designed by an artist.  Engineers don't build things this pretty.  This looks like an Art Deco sculpture, or something out of a Steam Punk comic book.  It's beautiful.  I can't wait to see the rest of the bike.

I'm not a fan of cruisers, but the reality is that cruisers dominate the American motorcycle market.  Therefore, with few exceptions, manufacturers need strong cruiser lines to perform well in the US, and Polaris seems to be doing very good things with Indian, unlike previous owners. 

I'd love it if Polaris proves me wrong.  An increase in motorcycle manufacturing in the US is a good thing, no matter what style of motorcycles they manufacture.  Besides, if they're successful enough, they'll eventually have to venture out into motorcycle styles I prefer.

That's my hope, anyway.

UPDATE: Motorcycle USA has a lot more information, specifications and photos.  Here's my favorite.

But Indian Motorcycle wasn’t content to solely treat the crowd to the sight and sound of the new V-Twin. They also debuted a custom-built streamliner named the “Spirit of Munro” built to house the Thunder Stroke 111. Named in honor of Burt Munro’s, “Munro Special,” a 1920 Indian Scout that shattered the under-1000cc land-speed record in 1967, this is not a mere replica. Complete with a custom chassis, exhaust, and intake, it features a chain drive conversion for the tall gearing requisite of a streamliner.

If you haven't watched the movie, The World's Fastest Indian, which dramatizes Munro's Bonneville quest, you're missing out big time.

Radical Ducati RAD02 Imola Café Racer

From Asphalt and Rubber Magazine:

This is a beautiful bike.  Ducati builds some lookers, but these guys have taken an air cooled Ducati Desmodue engine and wrapped it in mechanical art.

I don't know how much it costs, but I'm sure I can't afford it.  Then again, the same is true of those polished rolling turds most people erroneously refer to as "choppers", and just looking at the running gear and chassis geometry, I'm confident this bike rides far better than any of those clunkers.  Heck, those turds don't even have rear suspension.

Check out the link for a bunch more pics and enjoy the video.



Making of Imola by Radical Ducati from Rocket68 on Vimeo.

Build Your Own Bat Pod

Apparently, this guy did.  I don't know that for sure - the website doesn't say - but how else would he obtain such a rolling tribute to geekdom?

KTM RC4

From Hell for Leather Magazine (no, it's not an S&M site): Calm down.  It's not a factory option.  It's a kit you can buy to turn a KTM 690 Duke into a sport bike.  It looks like loads of fun, but I'd rather keep the Duke as is.

To many of you, the bike you see here is something of a unicorn. A street-legal, single-cylinder sportsbike that weighs just 275lbs and makes 70bhp. That KTM LC4 motor is well-proven, has reasonable service intervals and won’t rattle your fillings out. Looks sexy in RC8-esque fairings too. The problem? KTM doesn’t actually make it, instead, the RC4 is only available in kit form from a German supplier.

Mid-capacity, single-cylinder sportsbikes hold so much promise because they’re: a) really light b) really torquey and c) incredibly simple. Those three attributes should equal accessible performance with the kind of handling typically reserved for GP bikes, all at reasonable cost.

Holy smokes, that looks like fun!  275lbs!  I can squat that!