The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Steve McQueen Métisse Desert Racer Replica

By

Steve McQueen was well known as a motorcyclist and, as anyone who has seen him in the film ‘On Any Sunday’ will know, a capable dirt bike racer too. What is perhaps less well known was that he had a great deal of personal input into the bikes he rode and raced. One such bike, and allegedly his favorite was a Métisse Mark III Desert Racer imported from the UK in kit … [Read more...]

Wooden Vespa Scooter

By

Maybe you're not a metal bender and your welding skills are not the best, don't despair, there's always wood. Portuguese carpenter Carlos Alberto remade a Vespa with an absolutely beautiful laminated wooden body. Not much to say other than, Wow! Very nice. Link: Carpinteria Carlos Alberto via Jalopnik More photos below: … [Read more...]

400 MPH Motorcycle Tire in Development

By

In the current motorcycle land speed record wars, the contestants have accomplished some amazing things, now running over 360 mph on the salt. However, going faster isn't simply a matter of more horsepower, you have to make sure every part of your machine is up to the task and at current speeds, the streamliners have outrun the design specs of the tires they're using. Think of … [Read more...]

Chinese Motorcycle Design Curiosities

By

Some examples of Chinese motorcycle design are inspiring. Take this example for instance, maybe it's just me but this HBMoto "250 Sport Cruiser" looks like it was "inspired" by the Storz XR1200. Just a coincidence I suppose. Of course, no one is going to mistake this 250 for a 1200 but c'mon. Tom wrote in to point this out and said: HiBird is one of China's second tier … [Read more...]

New Motorcycle Design Studio for Xenophya Design

By

Major motorcycle manufacturers have their own in house design studios but smaller builders often hire out much, if not all, of their design work to specialized firms. Even the large companies occasionally go outside for a portion of their work and, whether for large firms or small, that's where studios like Xenophya Design come in, they are one of a very few consultancies … [Read more...]