Friday 27 January 2017

Friday bike

As there's been talk in the media about Ducati launching a V4 sportsbike, let's remember their previous V4.

1963 Ducati Apollo 1256cc




Read all about it here.


Friday 20 January 2017

Friday 13 January 2017

Friday bike

Sometimes I feature a new brand or a brand I hadn't heard of before, but this week I'm sadly going to feature a brand that going to disappear. Polaris Industries have decided to cease production of their Victory range of bikes and concentrate on their Indian stablemates. It's always a bit sad when a brand is discontinued, so I'm going to feature the most outrageous Victory.
Statement from Polaris where they say they are going to maintain spares and service support for existing models for the next ten years.

Victory Cross Country Tour

Yes, it's completely over the top and it looks like something Dan Dare would ride, but I love it for being so over the top.



Just look at these specs!

General information
Model:Victory Cross Country Tour
Year:2017
Category:Touring
Rating:Do you know this bike?
Click here to rate it. We miss 2 votes to show the rating.
Price as new (MSRP):US$ 21999. Prices depend on country, taxes, accessories, etc.
Engine and transmission
Displacement:1737.14 ccm (106.00 cubic inches)
Engine type:V2, four-stroke
Engine details:Self-adjusting cam chains, hydraulic lifters
Compression:9.4:1
Bore x stroke:101.0 x 108.0 mm (4.0 x 4.3 inches)
Valves per cylinder:4
Fuel system:Injection. Electronic Fuel Injection with dual 45mm throttle body
Fuel control:Single Overhead Cams (SOHC)
Cooling system:Oil & air
Gearbox:6-speed
Transmission type,
final drive:
Belt
Clutch:Wet, multi-plate
Driveline:Carbon Fiber Reinforced Belt. Primary drive: Gear drive with torque compensator.
Exhaust system:Dual-Large Bore Slash-Cut with Common Volume
Chassis, suspension, brakes and wheels
Rake (fork angle):29.0°
Trail:142 mm (5.6 inches)
Front suspension:Inverted cartridge telescopic fork, 43 mm diameter, 5.1 in / 130 mm travel
Rear suspension:Single, mono-tube gas, cast aluminum with constant rate linkage, 4.7 in / 120 mm travel, air adjustable
Front tyre:130/70-R18
Rear tyre:180/60-R16
Front brakes:Double disc. Floating rotor with 4-piston calipers. ABS.
Front brakes diameter:300 mm (11.8 inches)
Rear brakes:Single disc. Floating rotor with 2-piston caliper. ABS.
Rear brakes diameter:300 mm (11.8 inches)
Wheels:Dunlop Elite 3 tires
Physical measures and capacities
Dry weight:383.0 kg (844.4 pounds)
Weight incl. oil, gas, etc:398.0 kg (877.4 pounds)
Seat height:667 mm (26.3 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.
Overall length:2,747 mm (108.1 inches)
Ground clearance:148 mm (5.8 inches)
Wheelbase:1,670 mm (65.7 inches)
Fuel capacity:21.95 litres (5.80 gallons)
Oil capacity:4.70 litres (0.31 quarts)
Other specifications
Color options:Gloss Black, Gloss Blue Fire, Two-tone Turbo Silver and Black
Starter:Electric
Electrical:12 volts / 18 amp hours battery.
Carrying capacity:Trunc and saddle bags space
Comments:



Windscreen, Heated Dual-zone Seat, Heated grips.







Friday 6 January 2017

Friday bike

Another one you've probably never heard of.

1970 Balkan MK50 2JU25


Found mention of this in an article and as I'd never heard of this bike before, decided to do some digging.


Balkan were a Bulgarian manufacturer who built a range of two stroke bikes from 50 to 250cc. Virtually unknown outside of Bulgaria, they ceased production in 1975. This particular model was labelled as 1970, and I found a photo of what looks like an earlier version.


Spec:


General moped information
Model:Balkan MK50 2JU25
Year:1970
Category:Touring
Rating:64.7 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes
Engine and transmission
Displacement:49.00 ccm (2.99 cubic inches)
Engine type:Single cylinder, two-stroke
Power:3.30 HP (2.4 kW)) @ 6500 RPM
Top speed:65.0 km/h (40.4 mph)
Compression:9.0:1
Bore x stroke:40.0 x 39.0 mm (1.6 x 1.5 inches)
Fuel system:Carburettor
Cooling system:Air
Gearbox:3-speed
Transmission type,
final drive:
Chain
Fuel consumption:2.20 litres/100 km (45.5 km/l or 106.92 mpg)
Greenhouse gases:51.0 CO2 g/km. (CO2 - Carbon dioxide emission)
Chassis, suspension, brakes and wheels
Front brakes:Expanding brake (drum brake)
Rear brakes:Expanding brake (drum brake)
Physical measures and capacities
Dry weight:61.0 kg (134.5 pounds)
Weight incl. oil, gas, etc:70.0 kg (154.3 pounds)
Power/weight ratio:0.0541 HP/kg
Overall height:1,015 mm (40.0 inches)
Overall length:1,860 mm (73.2 inches)
Overall width:
655 mm (25.8 inches)

I think 'touring' is a bit optimistic!