The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Kawasaki W800 – Updating the Retro Standard

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Kawasaki has updated the W650 retro standard with more displacement and a refined style but it's only available in Japan, so far, and based on the W650's poor sales when it was available in the US in 1999 and 2000, the new version may not make it here at all. This is one of those bikes that lots of riders will say, bring it here and I'll buy one, but if it ever did get … [Read more...]

Norton NSU Special – A Sleeker Mini Mammut

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Many of you remember the Munch Mammut, we've written about them several times on The Kneeslider, they were a fascinating motorcycle from the 1960s powered by an NSU auto engine. Very impressive engineering at the time but they looked a little ponderous, after all, that 4 cylinder engine wasn't designed to fit into a motorcycle, what would you expect? A few days ago, Mick … [Read more...]

Osorb the Oil Absorber

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One of the constants when dealing with motor vehicles of any kind is oil and all sorts of other chemicals that can get into our water. I came across this demonstration of Osorb, a silicon and benzene polymer that sucks it all up and I was absolutely amazed. This isn't some clay like substance you throw down on your garage floor or any of those absorber mats we might use, in … [Read more...]

FGR 2500 V6 Naked Bike from the Czech Republic

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What we have here is the FGR 2500, a 2500cc V6 powered motorcycle, built in the Czech Republic. Weighing in at 595 pounds and sporting 240 horsepower, the bike is an impressive muscle machine. The FGR is the culmination of a 6 year project with participation of 44 companies from the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy. Engine development began in 2005 and was completed in … [Read more...]

US Highland Closes Plant While Looking for Financing

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After the founding partners of brand new motorcycle maker US Highland were killed in a plane crash, the company struggled to get back on its feet with an interim COO but things haven't gone so well. The plant was recently idled and Southbridge Advisory Group is looking for financing to continue operations. Not good but not unexpected. Negotiations are in final stages for the … [Read more...]

Ariane2 053 Project – Multi Engine Moto2 Design from Arianetech

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Here's another example of innovation in the motorcycle design world, a single Moto2 racer design ready for today but with the capability of using multiple engines. Three engineers with considerable motorcycle design experience, Juan Manuel Navarro and José Ángel Sánchez, formerly of Yamaha Spain, along with Josep Losantos, formed a company in 2004 called Arianetech, where … [Read more...]