Sport touring

Sport touring bikes are designed for riding longer distances, and are typically more comfortable than the average sport bike. Sport touring bikes are typically heavier, less powerful, and less performance-oriented than super sport bikes, but have more storage space, more comfortable rider ergonomics, and better practicality. Depending on the emphasis on these touring capabilities, sport touring bikes can range from super sport bikes with more comfortable rider ergonomics to full-featured touring motorcycles with sport bike-like capabilities and features.
Examples include the BMW R1200RT, Honda VFR800, and Yamaha FJR1300

Hyper sport

Hyper sport bikes, also known as hyperbikes, are very large-displacement sport bikes with a strong emphasis on top speed and acceleration. They are typically powered by motors displacing 1,100 cc (67.1 cu in) to 1,400 cc (85.4 cu in). Hyper sport bikes are bigger and heavier than super bikes, with wet weights generally of around 500 lb (227 kg). The increased weight compromises racetrack capabilities in favor of stability at speeds that can exceed 180 mph (290 km/h). This compromise also allows manufacturers to design much more comfortable rider ergonomics.
Examples include the Honda CBR1100XX, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14, and Suzuki Hayabusa.

Ultimate Buck Bike

the news big time, not just lately but for the past couple thousand years. People there came up with everything from gunpowder to the compass to paper and ink. They needed lots of paper and ink since the Chinese language consists of 80,000 different symbols. And about that gunpowder. It was discovered by accident while an emperor was looking for the secret to the elixir of life. But it’s no accident that Southern California veteran custom bike builder, Johnny Pag has now brought home from China a new motorcycle, the Spyder 250, that just might take the Ultimate Most Bang for the Buck Award. While the bike is assembled in China, specifically at a 650,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant near the city of Wenzhou, its design is definitely Made in America, all components drafted up by Johnny to his exacting specifications, and not by e-mail or telephone. Johnny’s a hands-on kind of guy and spent six months out of the year working on location in China on the project. His son, JR, joined him on the long distance work commute and in fact began taking Chinese language lessons.Johnny wanted to design a bike to American standards but have it manufactured and assembled overseas to bring the price down to the bone and make it accessible to anybody. Says Johnny, “We were looking to offer a bike that first time riders can enjoy, for people on a budget, for ladies who want to get off the passenger seat and onto their own wheels, for people who like to sit on a bike with their feet flat on the ground, and for people looking for a full custom bike without the big price tag.”Not to shorten the suspense, but the bike seen here has an MSRP of $3295. We’ll say it again…$3295.One reason for Johnny’s success, where others have merely dreamed of such an endeavor, is the rapport Johnny established with his partners, the Chinese manufacturers. As a result of the mutual trust and respect built on several years of working friendship, the 250 Spyder was born. And the miles of red tape, bureaucracy, government regs and EPA/DOT compliance taken care of as well. It was no small effort at perseverance on Johnny’s part. The actual “birthday” took place this June when the first shipment of full production bikes arrived at the Johnny Pag Motorcycles warehouse in Riverside, CA.This rider/writer was invited over to take the first official bike mag test ride.I was already familiar with the bike’s specs having followed its progress over the previous couple months after learning of its existence when it was awarded Most Unique New Motorcycle at the Indy Expo, and that was with a “rough” prototype. Dealers had caught the scent and were buzzing around the Spyder throughout the event. Moreover they were signing on the dotted line. Something verging on historic was in the air. It had to do with the bike’s design, components and very, very significantly, the price tag. Let’s just say it generated a lot of heat even before the flame paint jobs went on.So like any good bike magazine writer/ predator, I wanted in on the action. So I got my first taste test ride.First impressions. While some of the preliminary photos were good, seeing the bike in person was, well, impressive. You get an immediate sense of a full-sized, full- framed bike (360 lb., 73-inch wheelbase, 1000 lb. rated load) with quality finish and no scrimping.

History

Whether you’re riding your motorcycle to work, blasting through the canyons or piling on odometer numbers during your weekend getaway, your tires have got to do it all. Not only that, they’ve got to provide thousands of worry-free miles regardless of 40-degree temperature, rain or pavement-melting 120-degrees. Sounds like the type of conditions best suited for the new Metzeler Roadtec Z6 Interact sport-touring tire.
Metzeler's new Roadtec Z6 Interact tires could take us much lean as we could serve up aboard our 2009 Moto Guzzi Griso.In the never ending quest for increased performance, the folks at Metzeler have released the successor to its versatile Roadtec Z6 tire. We were fortunate enough to have an early go on it during last year’s Metzeler Expert on the Road tour through some of the famed regions of the Alps. And for 2009, the tires have finally made their way stateside for all sport-touring riders to benefit. Visually it can be difficult to differentiate the new tire as it uses the same tread pattern and profile as before. Beneath, however, both the tire’s carcass construction as well as rubber compound are new. Where other tire manufacturers (Dunlop) employ multiple compounds to provide an optimum blend of traction, stability and wear, Metzeler goes a different route by incorporating a unique flex-tuned carcass construction with a uniform compound to react to tire flex. Its zero-degree steel belt technology returns (in which steel belts are laid flat and in the same direction as the rotation of the tire) with a new spin. On the Interact each individual steel carcass string has been engineered at a specific tension, much like a musician’s guitar string. Higher string tension at the tire’s center ensures stability when the tire is loaded during high-speed maneuvers or under braking. String elasticity decreases in a linear method towards the shoulder of the tire, which generates more tire flex, in-turn creating more heat and boosting outright cornering grip. An updated blend of compound ingredients work in unison with the flex-tuned carcass offering reduced tire warm-up times, as well as increasing grip and stability without affecting mileage according to Metzeler. Another benefit is added wet-weather performance and greater consistency of performance as the tire reaches its service limit due to the more efficient mixing method and higher Silica content.

The Metzeler Roadtec Z6 Interact's use a uniform compound thoughout the tire. For our test, we mounted a set of Z6 Interacts in the original sizes (120/70-17 front and 180/55-17 rear) on our 2009 Moto Guzzi Griso. Tire pressure was set at 32 psi front and rear per Metzeler’s recommendations. The Z6 Interacts replaced the more sport-oriented and OE-fitted Metzeler M3 Sportec tire, thus giving us a unique comparison opportunity. Warm and sunny weather greeted us as we departed from the oasis-like surroundings of Palm Springs, California. We headed east through the neighboring cities of Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert, veering north onto Highway 74. Once on the 74 we climbed from the desert’s sea-level elevation and into the surrounding mountains of the San Bernardino National Forest. For the first few miles the road is perfectly straight but a few miles after you leave the perfectly manicured lawn of the city the road starts to zigzag. Fast corners immediately greet as you start up the mountain. And with the throttle wrapped-out in fourth gear it became immediately apparent of the high amount of outright grip from the tires. Just 15 miles before the tires were brand-new and within that short amount of mileage they were fully up to operating temperature and ready for as much lean angle as I could serve up. Contrary to my assumptions, based on the tires tech specs, at speed, with the motorcycle cranked over on the edge of the tire, the Interact’s feels firm without a hint of tire flex. Yet there is a suprising amount of road feel delivered especially at the front tire during trail braking. So much in fact that it makes you wonder if these tires are more aligned with the sport segment rather than touring. As we moved closer to the top of the mountain, the long sweeping, 100-mph turns began to transition into tighter second and third gear corners which required us to repeatedly maneuver the bike from side-to-side. Here the Interacts complemented the Griso’s nimble handling attributes and continued to impress by not requiring any additional effort than the tires it replaced.

The service life of the tires is still up in the air, but Metzeler claims it remains the same as before with the Roadtec Z6 tire.Shortly after we had reached the Santa Rosa Summit (approximate elevation 5000 feet), we headed west on Highway 371 through Anza, California. Here we piled on the miles on mostly smooth, straight road. Every so often a patch of rough pavement would surprise us due to the area’s extreme temperature variation between 100-degree summers and, at times, below freezing winters. Based on the tires firm feel in the corner I had presumed that it would be equally as firm when rolling over rough stuff. Not so. The Interacts absorb pavement imperfections agreeably, delivering a smooth ride while assisting the bikes suspension in keeping the tire in contact with the road. One particular straightaway allowed for a top-speed run and even with 130-mph registering on the 500-plus-lb Griso’s dash the bike was solid. In fact, with the previously fitted tire we noticed a hint of twitchiness when going over 100 mph, but with the Z6 Interacts that peculiar trait vanished. Although we didn’t encounter any wet weather along our route, we did run into some during last year’s Expert on the Road adventure. One particular moment hard-wired in my brain is that of myself and two other riders leaving the rest of the group as we sped up a tight, winding, first or second gear rain-soaked road as we closed in on Switzerland’s Sustenpass. The motorcycle I was riding, a Honda VFR800 Interceptor shod with the Z6 Interact. The three of us ran up the road at a ridiculous pace considering the sketchiness of the road, yet none of us had even a slip. When it comes time to plop down the cash for new tires, next to sheer performance the biggest consideration in the tire you choose is its mileage. Unfortunately we’ve only been able to log around 500 miles on the tires, so its mileage endurance is still a question. Nevertheless, Metzeler claims mileage remains the exactly the same as the previous generation Roadtec Z6 tire.Arguably, sport-touring tires are the most difficult tires to develop. Yet once again Metzeler steps up with a tire that absolutely hauls out on the road. So are these tires for you? Can you toss them on your Suzuki GSX-R1000 street bike? If you’re looking for a tire that will last longer than the stockers that came on your bike yet still give you the performance you need on the streets, regardless if it’s wet or dry, hot or cold than the Metzeler Roadtec Z6 Interacts are for you.

Stong History

With a strong history of innovation in almost half a century of motorcycle production, it would have seemed that the lead motorcycle for Yamaha's 2009 model year would have reflected the reality of the times. Perhaps a three wheeled dynamic-attitude scooter that seats four and runs on biodiesel, or a hybrid touring model, or a hydrogen fuel cell commuter, or even a fully electric plug in city bike. Those models would have not only made sense in the current market but would have been warmly welcomed by a growing portion of the motoring public who has grown weary of pumping $200 at a time into the gaping maw of their SUV's fuel tanks.
Yamaha, however, did nothing of the sort. Demonstrating once and for all that the company is run by a bunch of rabid motorheads with no perspective on reality, the star of the Yamaha 2009 lineup is none other than a 1.7 litre version of the most excessive motorcycle of a very excessive bygone era: the V-Max.
When the V-Max first premiered in the long gone days of 1985, it turned stomachs around the world thanks to its bulbous styling and glued on faux scoopery. The handling on the early models was litreally white knuckle as the bike only ever wanted to go in a straight line... that was when the front wheel was actually touching the road and not pawing at the air. The only thing that could not be argued was that the V-Max had more thrust than a Saturn V rocket. If you wanted your motorcycle to be the unquestioned drive in burger stand burnout champion, the V-Max was your ride.
The 2008 model was virtually indistinguishable from the 1985 original as Yamaha just kept stamping out V-Maxes catering to a tiny but insanely loyal clientele who like their bikes ugly and their tires smoking.
When Yamaha finally put this Jurassic bike into the extinction column, they replaced it with a motorcycle that takes the V-Max formula much further out into lunacy than the original ever could dream of. The 2009 V-Max VMX17 is a new 65-degree, four-valves-per-cylinder, 1679cc V4 behemoth, almost a half litre bigger than its already impossibly-overpowered ancestor. Yamaha claims an absolutely deranged 197 horsepower and 123 foot pounds of torque. To put that into perspective that is much more horsepower than a 2008 Chrysler Town & Country minivan, and that vehicle is designed to propel seven people around! With a wet weight of 683 lbs, each horse has to push around less than 3.5 pounds so the acceleration and top speed ratings are completely astronomical.
The 2009 V-Max seems to have done the impossible. Not only does it make the original model look good as it's all whoops and scoops and oversized cages, metal drilled lace, ducktails, and tin cans... but it has made the antediluvian hyperhormoned 1,198 cc version seem absolutely tame and responsible by comparison. Yamaha should be profoundly ashamed of itself and show a sincere commitment to developing motorcycle models that are appropriate to the times, not hulking murdercycles designed only to shred asphalt on public roadways while returning the fuel mileage of a Dodge Ram with a Hemi stuffed under the hood. It's not 1985 any more!

Honda CR250

This Honda CR250 was a little beat up but I was able to buy it for a song. When I bought the bike it had low compression, the plastics were faded and a couple bits were worn, but all in all it was a fairly solid old ride.
The 1986 Honda CR250R was the last year of the rear drum brake. It boggles my mind why Honda was still running a drum brake in the rear when the other manufacturers had updated to discs. I don’t know for sure, but I would be willing to be that the factory Honda racers in 1986 had disc brakes on their race bikes. (Anyone know a little history about this? I’d love to hear it.). However, Honda did jump right to a dual piston front disk brake, which sort of compensates for the weak rear.
Despite the low compression I was able to get this bike running real well. It needed a new piston and rings for sure, but that didn’t stop me from putting a little saddle time on it. It amazes me how little the performance of off road bikes has changed over a 20 year period. Sure new bikes have better suspension, the motors run a little crisper, and they’ve shaved off 15 pounds, but to an amateur rider all of those factors amount to very little. Most off-road riders and racers run new bikes simply because of the hype and marketing. The fact of the matter is that any good rider on a bike from the 80’s will still whoop the pants off an amateur on the latest model 250. Once liquid cooled motors and mono shock bikes became common place, the rider was the only thing that made a real significant different on lap times.
This 1986 ran very strong. I don’t recall what carb it had, I know my 1986 KX250 had an enormous Kehein that was the size of a bible. The Honda is certainly a little better carbureted and pulled harder up top, but this could be purely a factor of superior jetting rather than components. The CR250 suspension was also a bit more progressive than the KX250 with an inverted front fork, the KX250 had a bit of a spongy quality to it which made whoop sections tricky.
By all accounts the 1986 CR250 was the superior bike to the KX250, save the rear brake. Dirt, mud, water, and fast motors simply do not mix with drum brakes.

Honda 450

This is my 1982 Honda Nighthawk 450. What a fun little bike these are. This is about as close as you can get to a perfect city commuter bike. I am of course partial to a CB350 or kin, but this Nighthawk 450 sure fits the bill pretty well too.
In the late 70’s and early 80’s bikes motorcycles were going through a lot of changes. Many were dropping their mechanical ignitions in favor of electronic systems. Consoles and gauges which were once steel were fast become plastic. Larger amounts of body work were becoming common place, and some funky wheel combinations were hitting the market.
These nighthawk 450’s are great little bikes for what they are. They are great for zipping around town or quick jaunts down the interstate. The motors are smooth, make good power, and are relatively low maintenance. This was definitely a transition motorcycle for Honda. They were beginning to make motorcycles that were styled a bit more sporty and aggressive. The same features you see on this bike can also be seen on the CB750F, CB900F, and CB1100F models of the same time period. They were using well formed fuel tanks and plastic body work that was designed more for aesthetics than it was for function.
Honda did not jump to plastic headlight buckets and gauge clusters on this model like they were about to do on the Honda Magna’s and Sabre’s. They did however switch to a real dorky style of wheel. It is styled like a Comstar Wheel, but it can be disassembled. The radial supports unbolt from the rim and hub so the wheel can be taken apart. I would bet that the singular glaring reason Honda started using these wheels was the cut costs. It is easier and faster to cast several small pieces than one large one. Personally I have always preferred a spoked wheel in every case.
These Nighthawk 450 motors were essentially the same beast as the CM400 and CMX450 motors. They really do run smooth and reliably. This is an excellent first bike for someone just getting into riding, or is even perfect for someone like myself who prefers to ride a small and simple machine rather than the big hogs and performance driven bikes that most are drawn to. In almost every case a bike like this is all you need to have a great time on two wheels. The small stature, light weight, and peppy motor make it a blast to zip around on. It is very maneuverable, and the seat is soft and wide. The Honda Nighthawk 450 is indeed a great all-around bike.