Wednesday, May 16, 2012


Brammo Empulse First Look

By Frankie Garcia
Wednesday, May 09, 2012


The Brammo Empulse R (top) and base model Empulse (bottom) were intoduced to the media last night in Hollywood, California.
Brammo, an innovative electric motorcycle manufacturer, revealed not one, but two new electric powered production motorcycles at the media launch in Hollywood, California. Brammo introduced its new Empulse and Empulse R, which showcase a host of new technology from the Ashland, Oregon-based firm. The two models retail for $16,995 and $18,995 respectively.

The 440-pound bikes are virtually identical, with the R model spruced up with sleek carbon fiber body components to compliment it’s already innovative technology. The two machines feature the styling aspects of a modern day sport bike…minus the exhaust. The bikes also feature all-new Integrated Electric Transmission (IET). The IET is a mechatronic propulsion unit that was specifically designed to work with the Empulse’s electric motor, clutch, and gear shift…yes, a six-speed gear shift transmission. Brammo’s reasoning for the gear shifting was to bring the electric-powered bike closer to the feeling of a traditional internal combustion engine. Brammo claims it even has the characteristics of engine braking when down-shifting.

Pumping out a whopping 54 ponies the Empulse is the first production electric motorcycle to receive a water cooling system. The power is provided by Brammo’s own Brammo Power Lithium-Ion Battery with a life of 1500 cycles to 80% capacity and two different levels of charging. Level 1 fully recharges the battery at a maximum of eight hours while Level 2 maximum charging time is less than half that at 3.5 hours. Every ten minutes of charge adds up to five miles of riding range.


Brammo race pilot Steve Atlas was on hand after a terrible crash this weekend to answer questions about the new bikes.
When fully charged the performance levels offer enough to get the new bike over 100 mph. Claimed ranges include 121 miles through the city, 56 miles on the highway, and 77 miles combined. Two operating modes are provided through a switch on the handlebar. Normal mode limits power by reducing max current delivered to the motor. Sport mode provides maximum performance to both acceleration and top speed. Under deceleration, energy is returned to the battery to extend the riding range.

The suspension components are a fully-adjustable 43mm Marzocchi fork and Sachs Shock. Braking on the Empulse consists of dual 310mm Brembo discs with matching four-piston radial-mount hydraulic calipers. The rear brake is a Brembo single disc with a dual-piston Brembo Brake Caliper. All of this sits on 17-inch Marchesini wheels mounted up with Avon rubber.

This futuristic technology does not come at a small price. As mentioned, the base Empulse model has a price tag of $16,995 with the R model tagged at $18,995. Brammo offers a two-year limited factory warranty, one-year fender-to-fender limited warranty, and a two-year limited powertrain warranty (batteries and motor). Color options include True Blood Red, Eclipsed Black, and White Noise. Unfortunately the base model will not be available until 2013 but the Empulse R will be ready for purchase in June of this year.

2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two First Ride

Bryan Harley
Bryan Harley
Cruiser Editor |Articles|Articles RSS|Blog|Blog Posts|Blog RSSOur resident road warrior has earned his stripes covering the rally circuit, from riding the Black Hills of Sturgis to cruising Main Street in Daytona Beach. Whether it’s chopped, bobbed, or bored, metric to ‘Merican, he rides ‘em all.
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
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2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two First Ride Video
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Harley's latest Sportster, the 2012 Seventy-Two, sports a vintage vibe thanks to the return of the peanut tank, Candy Red metal flake, whitewall tires and mini-apes. Check it out in our 2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two First Ride Video as we cruise around Daytona Beach during Bike Week.
The tribute band stood onstage at the Broken Spoke tightening strings, tapping drums and testing mics with the standard “Check, check check.” And though the musicians tried to concentrate on their sound check, they each took turns snatching peeks at the Candy Red motorcycle parked in front of the stage that was stealing the show. With cameras flashing and video rolling, the 2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two was the star this day, Harley’s latest bar hopping Sportster with the time-honored styling cues blending right in at the Spoke like Norm at Cheers. With a thumb of the electric start, sound check stopped as the burble of the Seventy-Two’s pipes took center stage. And though we thought about bidding the Spoke adieu with a nasty smoky burnout on the weathered plywood in front of the stage, we had agitated the band long enough and caused enough disruption with our impromptu photo shoot at the Spoke so we exited the establishment peacefully.

The 2012 Harley Seventy-Two harks back to the hey-day of the chopper. Resurrected is the famous Harley peanut tank which The Motor Company originally debuted in 1948 before ditching it a few years back. Its metal flake Candy Red
Forward mounted controls and mini-apes allow riders to stretch out comfortably on the Harley-Davidson 72.
Forward mounted controls and mini-apes allow riders to stretch out comfortably on the Harley-Davidson '72.
paint screams late ‘60s, early ‘70s, and they started bobbing fenders as soon as the boys got back from WW II. Lean and clean, the Harley Seventy-Two rolls on spoked down whitewalls, 21-inches on the back and a svelte 150mm wide on the rear. Ten-inch tall mini-apes on two-inch risers thumb their nose the best they can at conformity considering it’s a factory chopper as the styling elements of the ’72 combine to inject a vintage feel to the vibey V-Twin.

At the core of the Seventy-Two is a revvy 1200cc Evolution engine. It too, is a bit of a throwback as the original Evolution engine, the spawn of Harley’s Shovelhead and Ironhead engines, made its debut back in 1984. The latest iteration of course enjoys the benefits of Harley’s Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection that consistently meters out the right amount of fuel and air to keep the cable-actuated clutch dialed in to the input of a rider’s right wrist. A chromed out, round 8-inch air cleaner works hard to feed a healthy flow to the Harley mill. The Evolution mill is rubber mounted, so even though there are plenty of vibes at idle in the bars and foot pegs, the situation remedies itself once you’re rolling and thankfully you aren’t checking all of the bike’s bolts after every other ride like Harleys of yesteryear.

The Seventy-Two’s 1200cc mill has enough torque down low to pop the front wheel with a drop of the clutch and a heavy roll on the accelerator. There’s good mid, too, because if Harley’s claims ring true, peak torque of 73 lb-ft comes on @ 3500 rpm. The Seventy-Two is geared short enough to maximize the spread of thrust that favors the bottom end of the powerband more so than the top. We affectionately call the Harley transmission “Old Reliable” because you always know what you're going to get, a solid clunk and reliable engagement. Staggered chrome exhaust with slash-cut mufflers completes the drivetrain and drums the Harley cadence proudly without bringing about the call to arms by neighbors because the exhaust note is tamed down by the small diameter of the mufflers.

Though it tips the scales at a claimed dry weight of 545 pounds, the engine output makes it feel lighter, especially when you factor in the narrowness of the bike and the nimble feel of the front end. Harley trimmed the fat on the mill by using aluminum heads and cylinders. The engine is a combination of black powerdcoated cylinders and a flat gray finish topped off with a touch of the shiny stuff in the form of chrome rocker covers, its tones played down to place the focus back on the lustrous metal flake paint of the tank and fenders.

With its throwback styling cues and eye-catching paint  the Harley 72 fits right in at Willies Tropical Tattoo.The Harley-Davidson 72 will take all the lean you can throw at it until the peg feelers begin to scrape signalling the end of your lean angle.Ten-inch mini-apes and the return of the peanut tank add up to one sporty lookin Sportster.
(L) With its slick metal flake paint, peanut tank and cool whitewalls, the Harley '72 fits right in at Willie's Tropical Tattoo. (M) The Seventy-Two will take all the lean you can throw at it until the peg feelers begin to scrape signaling the end of your lean angle. (R) Ten-inch mini-apes and the classic peanut tank add up to one sporty lookin' Sportster.
Thanks to its narrow frame and skinny wheels, the Harley ‘72 feels light, tight and easy to toss around. There’s not much unsprung weight and even though its got a chopper stance, the rake angle is modest at 30.1 degrees and steering effort is light. The Seventy-Two can cut a smooth line in turns steers considering the bar placement, which actually helps in leveraging the bike into corners. There is a healthy amount of travel on the front end, 5.7 inches in fact, and the spindly 39mm fork will dive with a good stab of the brakes, though. The 21-inch front Dunlop has a fairly slim profile so imperfections in road surfaces are transferred to the rider through the bars, too.

Forward controls and mini-apes allow riders to stretch out comfortably. At six foot tall, the 10-inch mini-apes position my arms just below shoulder level and it’s a good reach to the foot pegs. Combined with a 28-inch seat height, the rider’s triangle is spacious. It could be a stretch for riders of smaller stature, though. Ride quality overall is decent, but with a
the Seventy-Two fit right in at Bike Week whether we were at Willies Tropical Tattoo for the old school chopper show or riding into the Broken Spoke Saloon.
Slim, light, and easy to toss around, the '72 is a fun little bar hopper.
Scootin through the swamps of Florida on the Harley-Davidson 72.
225-lb rider on board, the motorcycle blew through the 2.1 inches of travel on the twin rear shocks with regularity on big bumps. In the bike’s defense, the units are adjustable and we could have stiffened up the ride a bit because the stock settings were a bit soft for a big rider, but our time was limited so we just rode it as is.

When it came time to scrub off speed, the rear brake is bitey and strong, but the rather small single front disc fades a bit after initial engagement. At 11.5 inches, the front rotor is fairly small and the dual-piston calipers have a decent initial bite but don’t sustain the same amount of pressure for long. The rear instills more confidence with better feel at the pedal and a stronger pinch by the single-piston caliper as it bites into the 10.2 inch rear rotor.

Compliments to Harley on the Candy Red metal flake paint. It grabs every little bit of sunshine and fits the vibe of this bar-hopper to a tee. And it is a bar-hopper because the peanut tank only holds 2.1 gallons and the green low fuel light seems like it’s always on. We started at 1034 miles on the odometer and by 1090 miles the low fuel light was on already. We always stretched it out, but there’s that feeling of uncertainty when that light’s on and you’re not exactly sure how much leeway you have. The first time we filled the tank, it took 1.62 gallons and 1.5 the second , so at least you can get away with running around town with only a few bucks in your pocket.

Other observations worth mentioning during our time in the saddle of the Seventy-Two center primarily on form and function. Gauges are minimal, with only a small round speedo mounted high between the bars so it’s easy enough to peek at without taking your attention off the road. The analog speedo contains the requisite indicator lights, high beam, neutral, oil pressure, low fuel, low battery and engine diagnostics. Sitting upright on a fairly tall seat for a Sportster makes riders susceptible to a fair amount of wind blast, too, once speeds creep over 70 mph. Switching our attention to the back end, we dig how the side-mounted license plate keeps the look of the rear tidy. This allowed Harley to chop the rear fender short and mount the chrome bullet taillights on the fender stays. Great for aesthetics because the small signals look cool but considering they function as stop, turn, and running lights, they sacrifice safety a bit to get the desired look because they are difficult to see in full sunlight.

But we have a confession. Riding the ’72 was one of the funnest times we’ve had recently because it’s so easy to ride and looks retro cool with its mini-apes and whitewalls. We can appreciate how it’s been pared down to primarily the essentials. And that paint. The six layer process and big metal flakes really pop, so if we were going to buy the bike, we’d definitely drop the extra $700 for the Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint. With a base MSRP of $10,499, the Seventy-Two is going to cost you a few grand more than the standard Sporty. But it’s super slim, light, easy to toss around with decent power and fit right in at Bike Week whether we were hangin' out at Willie’s Tropical Tattoo for the old school chopper show or riding out to the Broken Spoke Saloon.

Grid Girls Of The Week 4

Live From Portugal...

This week's grid girls come from the Portuguese MotoGP...
Grid Girls Portugal 2012
Grid Girls Portugal 2012
Grid Girls Portugal 2012
Grid Girls Portugal 2012
Grid Girls Portugal 2012
Grid Girls Portugal 2012
For our complete coverage of the Portuguese MotoGP, click on nthe following link:

Rumors Prove True: James Stewart Switches to Suzuki


It is hard to describe this as anything other than a PR disaster for Yamaha. For some time, speculation on the Internet and in the pits has run rampant that James Stewart was unhappy with his JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha race bike, and Pirelli tires, and wanted to switch to a Suzuki. In the video below, you can see a disgusted JGRMX team manager Jeremy Albrecht discussing the situation several weeks ago, when a rival team had the audacity to display a Suzuki with the number 7 on its plates (Stewart’s long-time number).  The story goes that Stewart tested a Suzuki before signing with JGRMX, and liked the bike better than the Yamaha, but signed with JGRMX because he got a better deal than Suzuki was willing to offer. After his disastrous, crash-filled Supercross series (during which he reportedly ran Dunlop tires at one round despite the Pirelli sponsorship of his team), Stewart has now officially been signed by Yoshimura Suzuki to a multi-year deal that will begin immediately with the opening round of the outdoor series at Hangtown on May 19.
Here’s a press release from Yoshimura, and some photos of Stewart getting ready for Hangtown on his new machine, which will feature Dunlop tires (look closely at the sponsor stickers on his new bike pictured below).

Yoshimura Suzuki Racing has signed Supercross and Motocross Champion James Stewart to a multi-year contract effective immediately.
Stewart will compete in both AMA Pro Motocross and Supercross aboard the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 beginning with the first round of the 2012 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Sacramento, California on May 19th.
Stewart, often called the “fastest man on the planet,” comes to Yoshimura Suzuki with a long list of accomplishments: The 26-year-old native Floridian has amassed six AMA Championships including two AMA Supercross titles and a perfect-season AMA Pro Motocross Championship. He also has an FIM World Supercross Championship as well as two Motocross of Nations titles to his credit.
Said Stewart: “I’m really looking forward to joining the team. It’s been a pleasure to get to test with these guys and meet the team. I’m very excited, I love the bike and ever since I rode it from day one I knew it was a great opportunity for me to come out and showcase my talent. With Mike Webb as the Team Manager and Don Sakakura the President of Yoshimura Racing, it’s been great what they’ve been doing. The whole team is phenomenal. We’re all excited to get the ball rolling and see what we can do over the next few years. I just want to thank everyone at Yoshimura and American Suzuki for giving me this opportunity.”
“James is a great addition to our team,” said President of Yoshimura Racing, Don Sakakura. “He is an amazing rider and gifted athlete and we feel very fortunate to have him join Yoshimura Suzuki. We will do everything possible to help ensure his and the team’s success. Our company has been built on racing and winning Championships and we intend to keep that tradition alive with James and his incredible skill on a motorcycle.”
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Team Manager, Mike Webb, as well as long-time Team Suzuki mechanic, Lee McCollum and the rest of the Yoshimura Suzuki squad, will support Stewart in his run for the 2012 AMA Motocross Championship and beyond.
Said Webb: “We’re extremely pleased with the announcement of James joining the Yoshimura Suzuki team. We all look forward to working with James and a rider of his calibre. We feel very confident we can provide him with the equipment that he needs to ride to his capability. We’re working hard right now – though we don’t have a lot of time – but we’re very focused on getting ready for Hangtown and we’re definitely looking forward to the opener.”
Stewart will join Yoshimura Suzuki Racing team mate Brett Metcalfe at the first round of the 2102 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Hangtown in Sacramento, California on Saturday May 19th.

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