This blog started when I owned and MZ Skorpion Traveller and a bike magazine dismissed it with the phrase 'you can't tour on a single'. The Skorpion's gone and I now have a Triumph Bonneville, but I can't be bothered changing the title of the blog!
Here's something we didn't think we'd see again - a road going 2 stroke sports bike!
The Vans Duecinquanta is, as far as I know, still at the prototype stage, so may never see the light of day. It's got a wide angle 250cc V-twin two stroke engine,
housed in a carbon fibre monocoque frame with a BMW like front end and a horizontally mounted rear shock.
Only information I could find is on their website, which is in Italian (which I cannot understand.)
If this ever see the light of day, it's bound to be expensive (one website put the price as around £35,000 = 39,000 Euros = US$47,000), and therefore very rare. Also how a 2 stroke would get round current emissions regulations is anyone's guess.
Return of the Friday bike, and this time there are two variants of the one design. Royal Enfield have launched their much anticipated 650cc twin in two guises.
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
Royal Enfield Continental GT 650
Interesting bikes and similar in concept to the Triumph Bonneville and Thruxton models. Both are powered by the same 650cc 4 valve, DOHC engine that is fitted with a 270 degree crankshaft. This arrangement was previously used on the Yamaha TRX850, and gives the engine the same firing intervals and 'feel' of a V twin. This could be a hint towards which bike Royal Enfield seeing their bikes being in competition to - the Indian built Harley Davidson Street 750. (What, you thought Harleys were only built in the US? Better not mention the HD factory in Thailand then!)
Talking of the US, the Interceptor will be marketed there and Canada as the INT 650, I think Honda hold the rights to Interceptor in those countries.
As for the important questions - how good will it be? How much will it cost? When will I be able to buy one? - we'll have to wait and see. I know of someone who ordered a Royal Enfield Himalayan, but after months of waiting and numerous promises of delivery dates, it never arrived so he ended up cancelling and buying something else. If Royal Enfield want to be taken as a serious company, they have to address concerns like that.
Royal Enfield twins website, and here's a promotional video. Note that the bikes appear to have been developed at RE's R&D department in the UK.
Following on from the success of the North Coast 500, another tourist route in Scotland has been launched, the North East 250. As the name suggests, this is a loop round the North East and has a good mixture of coastal roads and routes through the Grampian mountains.
I've probably ridden the majority of the route and one time or another, and it's definitely worth thinking about if you're planning a trip to Scotland. As for us who live in the Central Belt, this could easily be done in a long weekend.
Yamaha have shown a number of concept trikes recently including the 'off road scooter' styled 03GEN-X.
Certainly different! However, I think it's an interesting concept - an 'adventure scooter' for riders with a disability. Having a 3 wheels layout with 2 wheels at the front will give it stability, it has a luggage rail behind the saddle to carry a folding wheelchair, and large footplates to support the riders feet (I assume these could be fitted with straps for riders with poor foot control).
Really cool styling, although I'm not sure about the woodgrain rear mudguard panel!
Will it ever reach the shops? Who knows, but it's good to see a major manufacturer thinking about riders with mobility problems - lot cooler than one of those electric mobility scooters!
