150bhp, supercharged Honda VFR800

A supercharged, 150bhp Honda VFR800? Sounds all right to us!

Found this supercharged VFR800 on this VFR discussion forum, and we think the bike really is quite amazing. The 1998-model fuel-injected VFR is fitted with a Rotrex supercharger and makes almost 150bhp at the rear wheel.

The owner says the supercharger is extremely quiet, emitting only a slight whistling noise while cruising around. ‘Cruising below 5000rpm, the bike feels just like stock, but keep it near that 4500rpm mark, and even in 3rd gear, you can tell the bike just wants to start pulling. The blower is very quiet, but you can hear it, especially on deceleration, and it sounds mighty fine. The exhaust is definitely a bit loud, but it sounds absolutely wicked (was that a MotoGP bike that just went by?), yet still streetable,’ says the man who owns this bike.

Until Honda reveal their V5-powered 2009 VFR1000 later this year, this supercharged VFR800 should do. Even if it's a decade old, 150 horses is hard to argue with...

‘The power delivery is electric smooth – think of a subway taking off - that's what it feels like. The sound is absolutely intoxicating; between the new exhaust, the gear-driven cams, and the incredible whirl of supercharger under boost, I don't think there's a better sounding bike on the planet,’ says the VFR owner.

‘No pinging, no blown engine, no blown head gasket – just the sweet, sweet sound of the Rotrex spinning at full tilt and the short 'psssst…!' of the blow-off valve in between shifts. The acceleration is remarkable. Breathtaking. Can you say 3rd gear power wheelies? On a VFR??,’ adds the obviously very happy owner of this supercharged VFR800. ‘I weigh 220lbs. A 150lb rider would not know what to do with themselves on this bike,’ he says. Heck, this supercharged VFR800 sounds pretty much like our kind of bike.

More details here

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MV Agusta F3 675: A middleweight supersport from MV?

This Photoshop-job shows how the MV Agusta F3 might look when it's launched later this year, at the EICMA show in Milan
Pic: Moto Revue

According to a report on Moto Revue, MV Agusta will unveil a brand-new supersports machine at the EICMA show in Milan, in November this year. This bike, the MV Agusta F3 will be powered by a new three-cylinder, 675cc engine.

Apart from rakish styling and 120bhp (?) inline-three, expect the usual high-spec bits – chrome-molybdenum trellis frame and swingarm, USD fork, front brake discs with radial-mount four-piston calipers, twin underseat exhausts and so on.

If MV do indeed build the F3, it should certainly be a step in the right direction as it’ll make the brand more accessible to people. And, of course, it’ll provide some competition for the Triumph Daytona 675 and the rumoured Benelli 600…!

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MV Agusta F4 1078RR 312 riding impression...
Big CC's Kawasaki ZZR1400 Turbo. POWER!
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Moto Morini Granpasso riding impression

The Moto Morini Granpasso. The adventure-tourer for those who want an Italian-built R1200GS?
Pics: Two Wheels Blog

With its new Granpasso, Moto Morini are taking on similar adventure-sport bikes from BMW, KTM, Ducati, Triumph and others. Solomoto recently had the opportunity to ride the Granpasso, and here are some excerpts from what they have to say about the machine:

The Granpasso looks distinctive, with its twin headlamps lending an aggressive touch to the design. The engine guard mounted below that v-twin adds the right off-road styling touch, as does the 19-inch front wheel.

Moto Morini have retuned their 1,187cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC v-twin for the Granpasso. The 118bhp engine has been fettled to produce more torque at lower revs. The fuel-injection system has been remapped, the exhaust system is all new, and according to Morini’s chief engineer, Franco Lambertini, engine internals have been reworked for more efficient combustion and better fuel economy.

The Granpasso is fast, stable and all-terrain-capable

The fuel tank takes 27 litres of petrol, which should be enough for a range of more than 300km. The bike is, generally, large, with wide handlebars and a spacious, upright seating position. Seat height, though, is all of 870mm – you need to be tall in order to be able to ride this bike properly!

At 210kg, the Granpasso isn’t very heavy and the smooth power delivery at low revs makes it easy to ride the bike in traffic. On winding, curvy roads, the Granpasso feels effortless and the adjustable screen offers adequate wind/rain protection. The bike’s overall performance and sheer versatility could make this the most successful bike in the Moto Morini lineup…

Full ride report on Solomoto here. Also see Motorcyclist mag's riding impression of this bike here

Pics of the 2009 Moto Morini Granpasso, now available with an optional lower seat

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For Moto Revue's riding impression of the Moto Morini 1200 Sport, see here

Kevin Schwantz replica: Lucky Strike Suzuki GSX-R750

Stamford Superbikes' Lucky Strike Suzuki GSX-R750. Sizzle...!
Pics: London Bikers

The UK-based Stamford Superbikes have commissioned a brand-new Schwantz-replica GSX-R750, which is painted in Lucky Strike colours and carries Kevin’s no.34 on its single-seat tail unit. Priced at £8,799 (about US$16,000), the K8 model Gixxer get a painted headlight cover and white painted wheels. A Yoshimura Tri-Oval exhaust is optional, costing an extra £595. More details on the Stamford website here

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2009 Yamaha V-Max first rides!

A fighter jet for the street? That'd be the new Yamaha V-Max!
Pics: Motorcycle USA

If there are three people in this world whom we envy right now, it’s Dirck Edge and Jeff Whitmer at Motorcycle Daily, and Adam Waheed at Motorcycle USA. And that’s because these three seem to be the first people who’ve ridden the 2009 Yamaha V-Max, a bike we're in love with... Here are some excerpts from what the three have to say about The Max:

Starting with MD’s Dirck Edge and Jeff Whitmer, ‘As you finish your first ride on the new V-Max, only one impression remains. Power. Massive Power. Power you never expected to experience on a street-legal motorcycle. We've ridden them all. The ZX-14. The Vulcan 2000 with its 2,053 cc v-twin. The Hayabusa. And the Honda Rune with its 1,832 cc flat-six fed by a half-dozen throttle bodies. Nothing leaves a stop light like the new V-Max.’

'The V-Max is laying down more than 100 pound-feet of torque at the rear tyre before inline-fours like the ZX-14 and Hayabusa have finished clearing their throats. Here is a tip from MD to all new V-Max riders. The first time you twist the throttle hard, make sure (a) the bike is fully upright and pointing straight ahead, (b) you have a warm rear tyre, and (c) there is plenty of room between you and the next vehicle. Oh, and one other thing . . . hold on tight!'

‘Assuming your rear tyre is ready to grip (rolling burnouts are easy to do, and no clutch is required), the V-Max will quickly warp your sense of time and distance. Fortunately, the brakes are superb. Few sport bikes deliver the power and feel offered by the brakes on the new V-Max. They are outstanding, and probably better than anything available outside the sportsbike category.’

For now, Max seems to be the baddest Yamaha around...

And then, here's what MCUSA’s Adam Waheed has to say about the bike. ‘It's like nothing you've ever experienced before. That is, unless you have a cool nickname emblazoned on your helmet and collect a paycheck flying for the US Air Force. That's right. The new V-Max ups the ante on everything short of a fighter jet. Even a million dollar-plus Bugatti Veyron supercar might fall short in a quarter-mile drag race, the V-Max is that fast!’

'Right off the bottom, the V-Max’s engine feels similar to that of a v-twin. So much torque is doled out down right off idle that almost no throttle needs to be given to launch from a stop. Similar to other big-bore cruisers, if you keep the revs below 4K, the engine is pretty mellow.'

'However, that v-twin association ends as soon as the tachometer needle flirts above that magic 4K-number. After that, the engine gains momentum with shocking voracity, akin to any modern litre-class bike! I'm not joking… there's so much power on tap that in the first and second gears, you can literally lay down fat rubber streaks from the 200-series Bridgestone tyre anywhere, anytime. If you don't think that's cool-then maybe you should pick up a different hobby.'

For their full ride reports on the 2009 Yamaha V-Max, visit Motorcycle Daily and Motorcycle USA now!

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MBK Stunt: Scooter gone wild…

Somebody actually dreamt up this MBK-Yamaha creation. Talent...

Pics: Motoblog / Bloguidon

A scooter on steroids? Coming right up is this MBK Stunt, which has had its stock 50cc engine ripped out and replaced with a single-cylinder 250cc engine. And it’s no ordinary 250 either – it’s one half of a Yamaha TMAX’s 500cc parallel twin! A full Akrapovic system has also been bolted on, to get even more juice from that engine. No word on what’s the exact power output, but it sure looks like one hell of a scooter. Sheer madness...

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MV Agusta F4 1078RR 312 riding impression

From left: The MV Agusta F4 CC and the F4 1078RR 312 - two of the greatest MV bikes ever!

Except for the even more expensive and exclusive F4 CC, the F4 1078RR 312 is pretty much the top-of-the-line MV Agusta superbike right now. Take a look at the specs sheet and you’ll be impressed – the 1078cc, DOHC, 16-valve inline-four makes a claimed 190 horsepower (at the crank) at 12,200rpm, and 124Nm of torque at 8,200rpm. And that’s enough to propel the 192-kilo (dry weight) bike to a top speed of 312km/h…

The F4 1078RR 312 also gets a Weber Marelli 5SM engine management system, six-speed cassette-type gearbox, chrome-molybdenum trellis frame, fully adjustable 50mm USD fork with carbon-nitride treatment, fully adjustable monoshock, and twin 320mm brake discs at front, with radial-mount four-piston calipers. The bike rides on 17-inch forged aluminium alloy wheels, shod with 120/70 (front) and 190/55 (rear) tyres.

Motociclismo recently had the opportunity to ride the bike, and here are some excerpts from what they have to say about the F4 1078RR 312:

The MV Agusta F4 is one of the best and most beautiful sportsbikes of all time. Born more than 10 years ago, the F4 is still as beautiful in 2008 as it was back then. Many improvements to the bike, over the last many years, have culminated in this, the F4 1078RR. It’s a motorcycle for experienced riders – those who know how to manage huge horsepower.

The 1078RR is powerful enough to worry even professional riders. It’s meant for the circuit, it’s all about finding the limits – yours, and the bike’s. Indeed, this F4 isn’t as suitable for street use as the Japanese litre-class machines. The 1078RR is only for those who will not compromise even one tiny little bit. It’s a racing bike that just happens to be street-legal, take it or leave it.

According to Motociclismo, the 1078RR is a racebike that happens to be street-legal

To ride, the 1078RR isn’t very comfortable. The footpegs are set high and too close to the seat, the tank is too long and you might struggle to adapt to the riding position which the bike forces you to assume. No getting away from this – you need to be physically fit to be able to ride this bike, and you’ll still end up with sore knees and wrists.

On the move, this F4 feels very stable – everything feels very unyielding, like it must on a racebike. The front end feels particularly solid and stays absolutely planted during very high speed cornering. The bike required a remarkable amount of sheer physical effort to steer, and for the inexperienced, the bike can be hard to control.

The 1078RR’s engine is impressive. With a dyno-tested 165bhp at the rear wheel, the bike’s performance starts getting serious at 4,500rpm and goes completely mad at 8,000rpm and above. With its instant, brutal response, the throttle demands that you treat it with a lot of respect. Get careless with it and the bike will dump you…

In the end, like we said earlier, this is a hard-core racebike that happens to be street-legal. It’s stiff, hard to ride, uncompromising, and uncomfortable. It also offers explosive engine performance and racer-spec handling and braking which are engineered for the track. Yes, for the committed, the F4 1078RR 312 is undoubtedly the best in MV history.

For the full test report, visit the Motociclismo website here

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...and here are some pics for fans of older MV Agusta bikes!

Vectrix: Simply electric!

If an F1 world champ like Damon Hill rides the Vectrix, the little electric scooter should be all right for the rest of us. Take a look at the new Vectrix video below...

The Vectrix electric scooter is powered by a motor that produces 21kW and 65Nm of torque. The nifty little ZEV (zero emissions vehicle) can accelerate from zero to 80km/h in 6.8 seconds and can travel 110km on one full charge. Top speed is 100km/h. The motor is fed by a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery that can be fully charged in five hours. Battery life is 80,000km, after which it needs to be replaced with a new unit.

The Vectrix costs US$11,000. More details on the official website here

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Big CC Racing: Kawasaki ZZR1400 Turbo

Big CC Racing understand that you may need up to 700bhp from your ZZR1400...

A stock ZZR1400 engine already makes close to 200bhp, which, of course, isn’t adequate for the street. At least not for some of us. Which is why Big CC Racing offer various turbocharger systems for the big Kawasaki.

Their Stage 1 modular turbo kit uses a GT3071R Garrett turbine and a 38mm Tial wastegate. At 6psi boost, it allows the ZZR1400 engine to make 260bhp. The Stage 2 kit uses a GT3071R Garrett turbine and a 38mm wastegate. Running at 30psi, it’ll give you 480 horsepower from your ZZR1400.

While the above two kits are primarily for street use, Big CC also offer turbo kits for racing. The Stage 1 race kit uses a GT3582R Garrett turbine and a 46mm Tial wastegate, which boost power output to 600bhp. And the Stage 2 kit, which uses a GT4088R or GT4094R Garrett turbine and twin 38mm Tial wastegates, will give you 700bhp or more.

For those who might be interested, Big CC Racing’s 700bhp ZZR1400 Turbo will do the standing quarter-mile (400m) in seven seconds, and hit a top speed of 400km/h. Perfect…

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Big CC Racing: Harley-Davidson V-Rod Turbo

Get that Big CC Racing turbo for your 'Rod, and you'll be playing with 170bhp...

Want a bit more power from your Harley V-Rod? Big CC Racing will be happy to bolt a turbocharger on to your ’Rod so you have close to 170bhp to play with. According to the Big CC website, the Harley-Davidson V-Rod turbo system – a full race roller bearing turbocharger – uses a remote wastegate rather than an internal one and is designed for maximizing power potential.’

The system sports a GT28/71 Race roller bearing turbocharger with a 4-inch shroud and 55mm inducer on the turbine inlet. A 38mm Tial wastegate is used, for precise boost control. Fast respooling and turbo stall avoidance is via the 50mm Tial Dump valve. And yes, Big CC Racing claim that their V-Rod Race Turbo system is hundred-percent road usable.

At low boost, on a standard Harley V-Rod engine, Big CC say their turbo system is capable of delivering around 170bhp, with a controlled, linear power delivery that’s relatively easy to get accustomed to. With the right internal engine modifications, the company says the V-Rod Turbo will make as much as 300 horsepower. ‘This kit is not a toy,’ say Big CC. We’re sure it isn’t…

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External links:
Harley-Davidson channel launched on YouTube...
New Yamaha V-Max riding impression...!
Stoner-replica Ducati Desmosedici RR...