The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Does Your Motorcycle Brand Make Any Promises?

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Head out to your garage, be very quiet and listen carefully. Is your motorcycle making any promises? If you bought a Honda or a Harley, or any other brand, I bet you had some expectation of what you were getting based on the name, or if you didn't this time, perhaps there was a time in the past when you did. The company name, the brand, told a story about what the company was … [Read more...]

2010 Honda VFR Spied in the Alps

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One of the readers over at Motoblog.it spotted an interesting bike tooling through the Alps, the new Honda VFR, in what appears to be production form, so he snapped a few photos. Honda technicians were huddled nearby along with another small group, probably a few invited media folks getting a sneak peak before the official unveiling. The Honda is all set up in sport touring … [Read more...]

Mission Motors Sets Bonneville Electric Speed Record at 150.059 mph with Production Prototype

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Mission Motors went to the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at Bonneville with their Mission One production prototype, not a specially prepared salt flats racer, and set a speed record with an average speed of 150.059 mph. They also had a number of individual passes at 161 mph. That's a street legal electric motorcycle. Not bad. I was reading through the press release below and … [Read more...]

Honda V4 Engine with Unequal Cylinder Spacing and Cylinder Deactivation

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If Honda's dual clutch, which will debut on the new VFR, got your attention, how about a V4 with unequal front and rear cylinder spacing plus cylinder deactivation? These Honda patent drawings show the layout of their new engine with the front cylinders widely spaced and the rear closer together. The connecting rods are mounted to the crankshaft with the rear cylinders both … [Read more...]

2010 Yamaha YZ450F Turns Cylinder Around – Air Travels Straight Through

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A common question is why motorcycle engines aren't arranged with the air intakes in the front and the exhaust in the back. Reasons given for the usual arrangement are many but Yamaha evidently thought the straight thru approach might make sense so their new YZF450F makes this "revolutionary advancement" by turning the cylinder around, slanting it to the rear and just like that, … [Read more...]