World Top Bikes: March 2011

Thursday, 31 March 2011

Triumph Tiger Motorcycle Review

The Tiger has come a long way over the last 14 years. Tracing its heritage back to 1993 when Triumph was still using modular frames and carbureted engines, it became fuel injected in 1999 and hasn't looked back.

Styled to look like the Paris/Dakar off-road racing bikes of the '80s, with the large gas tank and aggressive twin-headlight front fairing, it was a very enjoyable and well-rounded machine. I was lucky enough to make a 3,600-mile tour out west in 2000 on this second version and was taken by the silky-smooth power delivery, light steering, and simple, robust nature of the bike.

By 2002 the engine had been enlarged to 955cc, which gave the bike an additional 20 horsepower over the claimed 86 produced by the 885cc model. Photographing and documenting the Triumph Across America ride, I was continually stopping to take pictures of the riders before manically attempting to catch back up to the group. It seemed the bike spent most of the 3,200 miles on or near redline, and I have never thrashed a bike so hard for so long. On one of the days along Highway 60, the loneliest road in the world, I covered 104 miles in 63 minutes blasting along the deserted two-lane playing catch up. This involved many climbs, descents and corners, and temperatures in the 100s. Thankfully, the Tiger never missed a beat and became a well-trusted friend during the journey.

Then in mid-2004, Triumph brought me a long-term test unit to try. No documentaries or transcontinental trips to crow about during that test, but the '05 and I covered more than 2,500 very happy miles together: A 1,000-mile trip to Virginia, some evenings out around town, and plenty of short, fun rides with my son around the Smoky Mountains gave me ample opportunity to put it through its paces.

The Tiger received a new twin-spar aluminum frame for 2007.
Cast-aluminum wheels are new for 2007, now in 17-inch diameters that fit common sportbike rubber.
With a conflicting travel schedule excluding me from the World press launch in Spain for the newest Tiger, I lucked out when Triumph brought me a squeaky clean new one a few weeks back. I am at this point a little sad to say the North Carolina winter weather has not been too cooperative with my schedule for any marathon journeys. But, from the short-hop journeys around the city, mad blasts into the local countryside, and two-up trips to the coffee shop I have performed, the '07 Tiger is a quantum leap forward in the development and progress of the beast. Sure it has lost some of its off-road styling, but get it out on a twisty back road, let the 1050cc Triple catch its breath, and there are few more fun ways to spend a day in the saddle of a motorcycle.

Visually, the new Tiger is sharper, more street-focused and fits right in with the rest of the Triumph range with its distinctive angular look. Long-term Triumph buffs will be able to trace the frame back to the original T595 Daytona that was introduced in 1997, and while there are number of shared parts with the new Speed Triple and Sprint ST, the bodywork is all-new. Quoting 5.2 gallons as the fuel capacity, I could only get 4.2 gallons in the tank both times I ran the bike at least 15 miles with the reserve light on. This means either the factory literature or the fuel light are telling porky pies (lies in English), and if the brochure is to be believed then the bike can cover around 50 miles or more after the fuel light comes on. I averaged somewhere around 40 mpg. A full tank should give at least 160 miles while touring.

While I didn't get to do any real long distance rides, I did put a few Interstate hours in to get a feel for the Tiger's abilities in this department and returned from my rides a tad conflicted. The seat is great; the ergonomics perfect, if you like the standard sit up straight riding position, but the windshield was either too low or too high for me. I have a 30-inch inseam, and am about six-foot tall. This put my head fully in the breeze and made it subject to a fair amount of buffeting. If I sat up as tall as I could, my helmet entered a much calmer air flow, but for me, this became tiring as I slouched down a little and into the rougher air flow. It does do a good job of keeping your upper body out of the breeze, and on one sub 40-degree ride I was very happy for the coverage it gave me. Personally, I could do with the shield being either taller or shorter.

While on these Interstate missions, the Tiger tended to be running between 4,000-5,000 rpm, which is the motor's sweet spot. Translating to speeds of 65-80 mph, there is no need to go cog swapping if you want to overtake. Between these two rpm points, the engine is willing and able to accelerate strongly with a light tug on the throttle cables. Running the Tiger up hard through the gears doesn't produce a noticeable spike in power anywhere, with more of a steady building process as it approaches redline.

2007 Triumph Tiger
Bayly said the seat and ergonimics of the Tiger are great for a standard sit-up-straight riding position but wished the windshield was either taller or shorter.
As the same basic unit found in the Speed Triple and the Sprint ST, in Tiger guise the inline 1050cc Triple produces a claimed 114 horsepower at 9,400 rpm, and 74 lb-ft of torque at 6,250 rpm. This is down some 17 horsepower from the very lively Speed Triple, but the nearly identical torque figures happen lower down the tachometer on the Tiger. (This should translate into rear-wheel hp numbers in the mid 90s. -Ed) In real-world terms, the Tiger is still a very fast bike, able to get off the line on a whiff of throttle ahead of our four-wheel friends, and it will crack the 100-mph mark without breaking a sweat.

From the rider's seat, you hear a lot more engine noise coming up through the fairing openings than on the naked Speed Triple and barely any sound from the large high exit muffler. I have already seen aftermarket pipes for the Tiger, and it would be nice to let the beast roar a little, as it sounds like it is trying to shout with a sore throat as standard. Checking out the inside of the cockpit area and gauges from the hot seat reveals a very clean, minimalist layout. The instrument cluster is similar to Speed Triple without the shift lights on the side of the tachometer, and this is still an analog unit, with a small central digital speedometer. All the in-flight readings are on the digital display board to the left of this, and there are buttons below to set one of two trip counters.

There are no heated handlebar grips, GPS systems or radios on board the fairly minimalist Tiger, and the switchgear is still late '90s vintage. The brake lever is multi-adjustable, although the clutch is not, and the turn signals are not self-canceling. Mirrors are okay, and while they are not too blurry at speed, they show too much elbow for my liking. Not uncommon, and as far as motorcycle development has come, no one has been able to remove the arms from the rear-view picture.

2007 Triumph Tiger
The DOHC three-cylinder engine in the Tiger is slightly detuned from the same basic unit that's found in the Speed Triple streetfighter, which works really well in this application.
With the Tiger moving toward the sport end of the motorcycle spectrum this year, it was no surprise to find it rolls on a 180/55-17 tire out back, and a 120/70-17 in the front, typical contemporary sporting fare. Wrapping around an attractive pair of cast-aluminum spoked wheels, they are ready to rock when the road gets twisty. They are well complemented by the suspension, and up front there is a set of 43mm inverted units, with a traditional single shock in the rear. Both units are fully adjustable, and as delivered my only adjustment was some more compression in the front to eliminate some of the dive under hard braking. Around town, and for the majority of the time, this wasn't necessary, as the package is comfortable and compliant, without getting bent out of shape if you hit any major road imperfections. I actually made a point of noting how quickly the rear recovers from big bumps, without the ripple effect that sometimes happens with stock suspension units.

Getting the bike back to legal speeds after experimenting with the gear ratios, a set of radial-mount brakes enjoy a long-term relationship with a pair of 320mm floating rotors. Each containing four pistons, they are plenty strong enough to lift the rear wheel when you are trying to impress the sportbike boys. In their hurry to get me the bike, I think some of the delivery grease made its way onto the rotors, as I needed a strong hand to get the best from the set up. Having ridden the ST and the Speed III on essentially the same set up, this was a pad issue not a brake system complaint.

Up front the Tiger has twin Nissin 320mm floating discs with four-piston radial calipers that Bayly claims is plenty strong enough to lilft the rear wheel when showboating for the sportbike boys.
The Tiger's front end consists of an inverted 43mm fork with adjustable preload, rebound and compression damping. Dual 4-piston calipers are radially mounted and bite on 320mm floating rotors.
Under the right foot, there was a fair amount of travel before any action started from the two brake pistons in the back, and this ensured no unwanted-lock ups from an overenthusiastic push. If I were keeping the bike, I would be bleeding the system and raising the lever a bit. Again, these are minor complaints that will be addressed before new owners take delivery of their machines.

For zipping around town, even though the Tiger still sits plenty tall, the new machine is a hoot. The steering lock is more forgiving for tight, low-speed turns than a naked standard, and the upright riding position gives great visibility in traffic. Curbs and parking lot markers are just an excuse to try out the bike's ground clearance, and the new aggressive look and explosive paint color inspired some great conversations at my local coffee shop.

But the most fun to be had on the Tiger is heading out into the country with a full tank of gas and no particular destination in mind. Able to handle just about any type of road you can find on the map, the new Triumph Tiger 1050 can easily deal with living in captivity. It is just happier when it is out prowling around in the wildest countryside you can find

Triumph Tiger wallpaper

Triumph Tiger Image

Triumph Tiger Racing

Triumph Tiger Running

Triumph Tiger Motorcycle

Triumph Tiger MotorcycleVIDEO

Harley Davidson Super Bikes

Harley Davidson Chopper

A chopper is a type of motorcycle that was either modified from an original motorcycle design ("chopped") or built from scratch to have an authentic appearance. The main features of a chopper that make it stand out are its longer frame design accompanied by a stretch front end (or rake). To achieve a longer front end, while the frame is being designed, the fabricator will tilt the neck of the frame at less of an incline and install a longer fork. Another unique aspect of a chopper design is that there is usually no rear suspension meaning the frame of the motorcycle will extend from the neck (or front of the frame) all the way to the rear wheel. This can make handling the motorcycle more challenging and the ride a bit more "bumpy". These attributes may seem radical to some but is necessary for the look that is desired. One look that is becoming more popular with chopper designs is a low frame to ground clearance or a low-rider look. Well known examples of chopper designs are the customized Harley-Davidsons seen in the 1969 film Easy Rider.

Harley Davidson Chopper

Before there were choppers, there was the bobber, meaning a motorcycle that had been "bobbed," or relieved of excess weight by removing parts, particularly the fenders, with the intent of making it lighter and thus faster, or at least making it look better in the eyes of a rider seeking a more minimalist ride. early example of a bobber is the 1940 Indian Sport Scout "Bob-Job" which toured in the 1998 The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition. Indian Scouts and Chiefs of the time came with extravagantly large, heavily valenced fenders, nearly reaching the center of the wheel on the luxurious 1941 Indian Series 441while racing bikes had tiny fenders or none at all. The large and well-appointed bikes exemplified the "dresser" aesthetic and providing a counterpoint to the minimalist bobber, and cafe racers. Choppers would grow into and explore the dimensions of the space between the stripped-down bobbers and weighed-down dressers.

In the post-World War II United States, servicemen returning home from the war started removing all parts deemed too big, heavy, ugly or not absolutely essential to the basic function of the motorcycle, such as fenders, turn indicators, and even front brakes. The large, spring-suspended saddles were also removed in order to sit as low as possible on the motorcycle's frame. These machines were lightened to improve performance for dirt-track racing and mud racing.

Forward-mounted foot pegs replaced the standard large 'floorboard' foot rests. Also, the standard larger front tire, headlight and fuel tank were replaced with much smaller ones. Many choppers were painted preferably all in either flat black or in shiny metallic “metal flake” colors. Also common were many chromed parts (either one-off fabricated replacements or manually chromed stock parts). According to the taste and purse of the owner, “chop shops” would build high handle bars, or later “Big Daddy” Roth Wild Child’s designed stretched, narrowed, and raked front forks. Shops also custom built exhaust pipes and many of the “after market kits“ followed in the late 1960s into the 1970s. Laws required (and in many locales still do) a retention fixture for the passenger, so vertical backrests called sissy bars were a popular installation, often sticking up higher than the rider's head.

While the decreased weight and lower seat position improved handling and performance, the main reason to build such a chopper was to show off and provoke others by riding a machine that was stripped and almost nude compared to the softer-styled stock Harley-Davidsons, let alone the oversized automobiles of that time.
[edit] Traditional choppers

In the United States servicemen returning from World War II were looking for a thrill. Many veterans had been trained to work on automobiles and motorcycles and were looking to add a little excitement to their post-war lives with their newly acquired mechanical skills. Motorcycles and Hot Rods were the perfect hobby for them. Motorcyclists bought up surplus military bikes and removed all the unnecessary parts such as windshields and saddlebags to minimise weight. Rear fenders were "bobbed" or shortened just enough to handle a passenger and keep the rain and mud coming off the rear, and sometimes removed the mirrors, or replaced them with tiny ones, such as the type used by dentists in their work.

This type of home customization led to the rise of the "bobber". Then in the 60s, motorcyclists found that a longer front end allowed the bike to run smoother at faster speeds. The degree of neck rake and length of front end was modified on these bikes with this in mind. The Girder and Springer front ends were the most popular forks for extending in this fashion, although this does make the bike harder to handle at slower speeds. Nevertheless, some choppers have extremely long forks; as one biker said, "You couldn't turn very good but you sure looked good doing it." [

To build or chop a traditional chopper an unmodified factory bike is used (usually a rigid Harley Davidson) and everything unnecessary to either move or stop is stripped or chopped off. Then the engine and transmission are removed and the frame is cut up and welded back together to make it lower and lighter. Performance parts are added or modified to increase speed.
[edit] Today's chopper era
Orange County Choppers Firebike.
Jesse G. James riding a West Coast Choppers, chopper.
Santee "Hardcore II" Custom rigid chopper

Choppers have enjoyed a large following. Companies like Jesse G. James' West Coast Choppers have been successful in producing expensive traditional chopper-style bikes and a wide range of chopper-themed brands of merchandise such as clothing, automobile accessories and stickers.

A distinction should be noted between true chopper (or chopper-style) motorcycles, and custom motorcycles, or 'custom cruisers'. Despite the name, a large percentage of the motorcycles produced by popular companies such as Orange County Choppers, Indian Larry, Falcon Motorcycles, and Von Dutch Kustom Cycles are better described as 'custom' bikes rather than choppers.

A distinction should also be made between choppers and bobbers. While both tried to improve performance by removing any part that did not make the motorcycle perform better, they differed in an important way: bobbers kept the original factory frame, while choppers have a modified form of the factory frame.

When individuals were stripping their stock motorcycles and bobbing their fenders, the term "bobber" was born. When individuals started cutting (or chopping) and welding their frames thereby repositioning/restyling them, the term "chopper" was born. Chopping was the next phase in the evolution that followed dirt track bobbing.

While people assume that the chopper style motorcycles were built purely for aesthetics, there is a real performance advantage to the raked front end on these choppers. These motorcycles have a much more stable feel at high speeds and in a straight line than motorcycles with original factory front suspensions. However, like any other modification, there is a downside: the raked front end feels heavier and less responsive at slow speeds or in curves and turns. This is due to the longer trail measurement associated with increased rake.

Changing the rake and trail of a motorcycle design requires modification of the design itself. This is a job that requires in-depth input from a motorcycle designer who is experienced with such design changes. A triple tree can be raked, or designed so the lower tree sticks out further than the upper tree, thus increasing the rake of the forks in relation to the steering head rake. What this does, is position the axle closer to the frame rake measurement line, or shortening the trail. Thus, when adding raked trees to a raked frame (which sports a longer trail), the trail is shortened to a more manageable level. Adding raked trees to a frame with short rake and trail can be hazardous, as shortening an already short trail measurement can lead to an unstable situation as speed increases.

Despite the personalized nature of choppers, and the wide availability of alternative designs, chopper builders have overwhelmingly chosen fat rear tires, a rigid-looking frame (even for a softail), and an original or replica air-cooled, pushrod v-twin engine. In the UK, due to the cost and lack of availability of the v-twin engine, many chose to use British engines from bikes such as Triumph or BSA; lately as availability has increased, Japanese engines have seen more use. Some people feel that the variety of engines and other components used more recently (especially on bikes built outside of the US) is diluting the signature appearance of the chopper style. Modern bobber builders tend to distinguish themselves from chopper builders with bikes styled before the chopper era. Modern bobber builder Jan Bachleda in Colorado builds custom choppers and bobbers using Triumph engines and frames from the 1970s and earlier. The look, though chopped, is distinctly modern and low. Today's custom choppers are usually seen as center pieces at bike night events around the United States.

The United States of America, where most custom choppers reside, is one of the few countries in the world that allow custom-built choppers to be licensed for highway use. Many of these types of choppers are regarded as dangerous to operate and don't follow basic design geometry and lack many safety features in their construction

Monday, 28 March 2011

Yamaha SZ Like a diamond

Ducati Desmosedici RR Bikes

Ducati Desmosedici RR Wallpaper

Ducati Desmosedici RR Front

Ducati Desmosedici RR Picture

Ducati Desmosedici RR Bikes

SUSPENSION
Atlas: Ducati doesn’t skimp when it comes to suspension and this is where things start to merge a bit more between the street and race bikes. The suspension on the GP8 is only a couple generations in front of that on the D16RR. In other words, a few years back the GP boys were riding on the exact same gas-charged Ohlins fork and Ohlins TXX rear shock the D16RR hits showroom floors with. Where the real difference comes from is in the setup and tire grip. Stoner’s ride felt compliant and amazingly balanced no matter what I threw at it, though slightly loose on corner exit. This comes from loads of testing data at the Valencia track where I rode it and a seasoned team, one which just won a world championship.

On the other hand, the stock Desmo’s settings were so incredibly far off it was almost scary to ride at first. The whole thing was stiff as a board and the bike would instantly stand up when any amount of brakes were applied at lean. It took the better part of a day for us to get it properly set up, as the gas-charged Ohlins are tricky. Some extreme preload reduction and pulling the compression back several clicks on both ends resulted in a much more complaint machine, one which would actually allow trail-braking.

The bike’s limitation then became the tires. Due to an odd-sized 16-inch rear wheel, the only tires currently available for the D16 are the stock Bridgestones, which have to be ordered from a Ducati dealership at a fairly steep price. I guess anything associated with this bike fits the, “If you’ve got to ask, you can’t afford it,” adage. They are a mix of street and track, and are quite competent on the road but leave something to be desired on the track. When wailing away at 150mph through Turn 8 at Willow on an $85,000 motorcycle, the last thing you want to worry about is tire grip. Not to mention the rear wears extremely fast when pushed hard, a result of the massive power being pumped through the back rubber. This added a fairly nerve-racking element to the two days of track testing.
Ducati Desmosedici D16RR
"If God were to ever ask me what my perfect motorcycle would be, Ducati’s Desmosedici D16RR would be it." - Waheed.

Waheed: It’s impossible not to notice those long, gold gas-charged canisters behind each fork leg. Although they’re standard issue in professional Superbike and MotoGP circles, I was really skeptical of how they would perform on the Desmo. Are they even real? After two stints at Willow International Raceway the answer is: Yes!

Even for my 180-pounds, the bike was really stiff with the front end never really compressing even under hard braking. Thus, getting the bike to change direction took plenty of muscle. When you did finally get the bike to turn, once you’d reach a certain threshold the bike would fall into the corner, which was unpredictable and not very confidence inspiring to say the least.

Fortunately, the Ohlins FG353 pressurized fork has a versatile window of adjustment. We backed out the preload and low-speed compression on both the fork and Ohlin’s TTX rear shock which drastically changed the Desmo’s handling characteristics. While it still required a bit of input to change direction, once turned it would fall into the corner predictably.

On the street, there’s simply no way to dial down the suspension to a comfortable level. Out on the highway, road bumps that you would typically glide over on a normal street bike are big enough to get the rear wheel to momentarily lose contact with the pavement. And, unless you’re coming into a cloverleaf hot, triple-digit speed-style, you never really notice the benefits of the fork. But they sure look the part.

Atlas putting the Desmo to the test.
With 180 horses to chew up circuits, the Desmosedici is a bike built from the start with the track in mind.
CHASSIS
Atlas: Another area where the two feel nearly identical is the chassis, probably even more so than suspension. They kept every last ounce of the GP8’s rigidity on the street machine, making probably the stiffest street-legal bike currently (or maybe ever) produced. While this makes for a harsh ride when going to the coffee shop, on the track it translates every last bump and imperfection right to the rider. Coming from mostly soft street bikes recently, this took a few sessions to get used to, but I became quite fond of it, bringing me back to relive my 15 minutes of GP fame.

Waheed: From the moment you lift the kickstand and slip out onto the road, there is no way to mask how rigid the Desmo’s chassis is. Even softening the suspension has little change on how unyielding it feels as a whole. On the flip side, when you’re lapping around Willow’s 2.5-mile road course, the Desmo feels more solid than a high-end European sports car. The tiniest body movement or control input yields an equally exact response from the machine. All the while an almost overwhelming level of road and machine feel is delivered through the control surfaces on a level higher than most full-on production-based road racers! Perhaps what’s even more amazing is just how much feedback is delivered considering the less than optimum racetrack performance delivered from Bridgestone’s D16RR-spec BT-002 tires. I could only imagine how incredible it would feel with some of Bridgestone’s racing slicks.

If you're looking for the cup holder, you need not apply.
ERGONOMICS
Atlas: Like the chassis, the ergonomics remain unchanged from the GP rocket to the street rocket. Ducati was smart – when they said they were going to build a direct replica they did exactly that. No disappointment here. Again this instantly brought me back to my GP ride, right down to the material the seat is made from. It’s quite aggressive for the street, but who cares? This is about having a radical race-replica machine and the Italians know exactly how to do that. Give the consumer the real thing.

Waheed: A self-confessed, Ducati-phile, it appears that the Ducati Corsa engineers designed the Desmo specifically for me. Although the seat height will be tall for many, it’s spot-on for my six-foot frame; so is the extended reach to the low-slung handlebars. The bike is much narrower between your legs than any new 1000cc Inline-Four, yet is still slightly wider than Ducati’s own super-slim 1098/1198. With feet propped on both pegs there was just enough room for my lower body, which made it just plausible enough for some sport-touring. When the road starts zigzagging, however, the ergonomics are not only perfect but it’s literally impossible to drag any hard parts … unless you’re moments away from crashing.

FUN QUOTIENT
Atlas: For those who ride at the racetrack on a regular basis and TIVO every motorcycle race they can get their hands on, plus have a good paying job, the Desmo may just be the perfect motorcycle. Who cares if it’s uncomfortable on the street and costs a truckload of money; those thoughts will quickly be erased the second your right wrist is pinned to the stop. The power is smooth and relatively easy to control, but the monstrous torque slams you back in the seat with vigor.

Functional art, the Desmosedici is as photogenic as it is thrilling to ride.
The real GP steed, on the other hand, is almost too much. The sheer speed and effort it takes to comprehend the velocity it produces is extremely taxing. That said, the exhilaration is unrivaled, with one’s adrenal glands pumping gallons of the good stuff straight into your blood the entire ride. It’s for this reason that I’ve been in withdrawal ever since. At least until we got our hands on the D16RR.

Waheed: If God were to ever ask me what my perfect motorcycle would be, Ducati’s Desmosedici D16RR would be it. It’s perfect when you’re wheelieing down the freeway, spinning laps on the racetrack or scaring soccer moms as you zip through rush-hour traffic. It embodies everything awesome about sportbikes and does so at the rawest, most pure level. It’s sensitive, loud, flashy, fast, expensive and completely impractical – except for those 1500 or so lucky people who realize how much of a bargain an $85,000 MotoGP bike is.

BELIEVE THE HYPE?
We all want to be Valentino Rossi or Casey Stoner. It’s why we follow the sport religiously, it’s why we put stickers on our sportbikes, and sometimes it even dictates which brand motorcycle we buy. Ducati has given us as close an option as there has ever been, and maybe ever will be, to experiencing a true GP machine. The cost is extremely steep, but so is the performance. If I could honestly come anywhere close to 85K, I would flat out have to have it. In fact, I even considered getting a loan – and I have access to just about any new sportbike at any given time, for free. But there is only one Ducati D16RR. I yearn to have it back, I want that rush! What can I say, I’m an addict