March 29th, 2008
Although it was Jorge Lorenzo’s day, taking an ominous second consecutive MotoGP pole in Jerez, today will most likely be remembered for Colin Edwards’ amazing save after running into the Spanish track’s turn one too hot on a new rear tyre. I’ve heard riders say they saved a slide on their knee, but it’s not often you get to see one of the best in the business saving a front-end slide on his elbow… Amazing stuff.
March 19th, 2008
When we reviewed the Vextrix Electric Maxi-Scooter a few months back over at Gizmag, we loved the handling and sweet electric drive it offered… But we never for a second thought we’d ever see one getting up to these sorts of antics, soaring through the air and hoisting bulk wheelies down the road. Now, I can wheelie most bikes, but I’m happy to bow down to the bloke that can wheelie one of these!
Our mystery anonymous contact won’t confirm whether the machine is stock standard or somehow tweaked, but we got a huge buzz out of these photos so we thought we’d share them anyway. The rider is absolutely ecstatic with the Vectrix ownership experience, he takes the little machine everywhere and reckons its range and power are improving as the kilometres clock up.
He’s done around 7,500km on it, and estimates his power bill has increased by about $70 from normal. When you think about how far $70 would get you in a car, you get a glimpse of what these zero-emission electric vehicles are going to be able to do for us as they improve in range and power.
Our photos courtesy of Eye in the Sky.
March 18th, 2008
It might look something like a Beemer R1200GS Adventure - but it’s much nastier. Flying Dutchman Nico Bakker saw a gap in the market at the top end of the adventure tourer segment - BMW’s massive Adventure is absolutely decked-out for touring, but probably sees far more road use than off-road in the hands of most owners. So why limit that bike to 100 horsepower?
The Bakker Grizzly All-Round matches the BMW’s adventure credentials, with a comfy all-day riding position, sturdy braced frame, bash plates and massive armoured luggage - but it’s built around a GSX-R1000 engine that’s around 80 horsepower up on the Beemer’s. (more…)
March 3rd, 2008
Peter Jackson, the New Zealand-born director famous for his stunning Lord of the Rings trilogy, made his first movie on a shoestring budget. Starring his mates, and featuring a broad array of home-made special effects, props and pyrotechnics, Bad Taste still stands up as a testament to what an ingenious all-rounder can achieve through perseverance.
The same Kiwi can-do spirit underpins one of the great underdog stories in motorcycle racing history. John Britten’s dyslexia made school a struggle for him, but he emerged at the other end as an amazingly talented mechanical engineer. After building his own house (right down to casting his own taps and fittings), Britten embarked on the work that was to be his legacy: the Britten v1000 racebike. (more…)