From the monthly archives:

November 2005

Free Vespa scooters – sort of

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/27/2005

in Economics and Politics, Motorcycle Business

Free giveaways are always nice. Lately some of the car makers have started giving away free gas when you buy one of their cars. Nice idea, it might be enough to close the deal when you’re not quite sure. Well what if you’re selling big ticket items like houses and condos? A little free gas [...]

Old motorcycle auctions

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/26/2005

in Vintage Motorcycles

The picture in your mind has you noticing an old barn back off the road a ways. You strike up a conversation with the owner and he shows you around and there inside the barn is an old Brough Superior or Matchless, maybe an early Harley Davidson which he’s willing to part with for a [...]

{ 6 readers have commented so far, ... your thoughts? }

Ilmor Engineering to build MotoGP engine

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/25/2005

in Engines, Motorcycle Racing

Ilmor Engineering, famous for racing engines used in both CART and Formula 1 racing is developing an 800cc, 75 degree V4 engine with pneumatic valves and a rev limit in the 17-18k range for the 2007 MotoGP season when the new downsized engine rules take effect. Engines will be available for lease to various racing [...]

Harley Davidson recalls 13,400 Dyna series bikes

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/24/2005

in Motorcycle Business

Harley Davidson is recalling 13,400 Dyna series bikes for a false neutral condition.
Approximately 13,400 motorcycles are included in the recall. The transmissions in the affected motorcycles have a defect which under certain circumstances may allow them to go into a false neutral position even though the neutral indicator light is illuminated.
As part of [...]

Thanksgiving TV – for motorheads

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/24/2005

in Down Time

I’m not a big football fan, in fact, the only time I see it is when my wife turns it on. If you’re like me, avoid the sports channels and tune in to Speed TV. They have motorcycles most of the day followed by cars through the evening. Nice after dinner viewing.
For those of you [...]

One of our readers (Thanks, Aaron!) pointed us in the direction of this bike called Trouble, built by Goldammer Cycle Works. If you recall, last year, Goldammer won the 2004 AMD/Custom Chrome World Championship of custom bike building with an entry called the BTR3, a really nice looking bike built in the image of the [...]

{ 4 readers have commented so far, ... your thoughts? }

Motorcycle licensing

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 11/22/2005

in Motorcycle Safety

Do you have a motorcycle license? There seem to be a lot of riders who have never gone to the trouble of getting one. It’s not surprising in one sense, many will do whatever they can get away with and if they can buy a bike and ride without a license, that’s what they do. [...]

{ 4 readers have commented so far, ... your thoughts? }

The Italian finance police have seized 11 counterfeit mopeds at the Milan show after complaints from a Czech company (which I presume is Blata) over the fakes. Three Chinese citizens and one Italian were charged with patent violations. The motorcycles were perfect copies and even had the company trademark. The number of Chinese counterfeits is [...]