Global News Archives

Mechanic Creates World’s Fastest Wheelbarrow

“World’s fastest motorcycle,” “world’s fastest car,” world’s fastest truck,” but what about… er… world’s fastest “something else”? Say no more because a mechanic in the UK created the world’s fastest wheelbarrow.

38-year-old Dylan Phillips built the wheelbarrow in his shed in Crymych, Pembrokeshire, before unleashing it at the Straightliners Speed Week 2024 at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, where it hit 84km/h. It beat his own record 74km/h.

Dylan completed the mandated two runs through a speed trap on the 100m course in the machine that’s part wheelbarrow, part scrap scooter.

He said: “It’s uncomfortable and it’s terrifying. Slowing down is the issue – it’s only got brakes at the front.”

Like all crazy ideas, Phillips admitted that he thought about it in a pub. Talk about giving the expression “hold my beer” it literal meaning, eh.

“At the moment I’m just happy with it as it is but that’s the thing with being an engineer – you start to dream bigger,” he said.

“I’d be over the moon to be honest, because it just encourages innovation and it would probably motivate me to go and try again and go faster.”

Phillip’s efforts earned him a place in the Guiness World Record book, but you can be sure he will beat the record again.

Honda to Produce Only Electric Motorcycles and Cars from 2040

Honda is set to produce only electric motorcycles and cars from 2040. In other words, no more new gasoline powered internal combustion engine (ICE) from the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.

This decision was highlighted in the manufacturer’s Summary of 2024 Honda Business Briefing on Direction of Electrification Initiatives and Investment Strategy.

According to the brief, “Honda has not changed its belief that EVs are the most effective solution in the area of small mobility products such as motorcycles and automobiles, and Honda’s electrification target to make EVs and FCEVs represent 100% of its global vehicle sales by 2040 remains unchanged. Honda must look ahead to the period of EV popularization and build a strong EV brand and a strong EV business foundation from a medium- to long-term perspective.”

Honda has a solution to address the issue of range, which is mentioned further into the document. These electric motorcycles will use the upcoming Honda Mobile Power Pack e: (MPP) which “Honda will introduce a micro-mobility product which will be equipped with 4 MPPs in Japan before the end of FY2026.” The company is also planning to launch two new electric motorcycles powered by 2 MPPs later this year.

As for the e-Fuels, Honda did say that they find it intriguing but that technology is not mature yet for the company to plan their future products on.

Yamaha Japan Admits to Falsifying Testing Data

Yamaha Japan has admitted to falsifying testing data in that country. The company’s executives have acknowledged and apologised for having done so.

Yamaha was among three other automotive manufacturers being investigated for falsifying test data. However, in Yamaha’s case, the company falsified noise level tests data for at least three models namely the YZF-R1, YZF-R3, and TMAX. Yamaha Japan maintained that they did not falsify safety data.

The Iwata-based manufacturer has since halted the production of all three models. The Japan News reported that the company had produced some 7,500 units of all three models combined.

They were the second Japanese vehicle manufacturer subjected to on-site inspection by the country’s Land, Infrastucture, Transport, and Tourism Ministry on 5 June 2024 after the scandal regarding falsified data blew open with Toyota.

Investigations began at Toyota HQ on 4 June 2024, after Toyota-owned Daihatsu was mired in a safety testing scandal in 2023. That prompted a stricter review of data filed by Japanese automotive and motorcycle manufacturers.

Further investigations will also take place at Mazda, Honda, and Suzuki headquarters in the coming weeks.

So far, the Transport Ministry has ordered Toyota, Mazda, and Yamaha to halt shipments of their vehicles. The Ministry will also begin conducting independent tests of their own on all affected vehicles, to ensure that they comply with both existing safety and environmental standards. The results will be made public.

We have contacted Hong Leong Yamaha Motor for clarification if local units are involved and are awaiting their answer. In the mean time, this may not be the end of this saga, so stay tuned.

Confirmed: Jorge Martin goes to Aprilia in 2025

So, it is now official after weeks and weeks of speculation that has driven MotoGP fans into a frenzy and some even to exasperation: Jorge Martin goes to Aprilia in 2025.

The saga became all too intriguing since 7-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez’s move to Gresini Ducati for the 2024 season, and has since been tipped to join the factory Ducati team, replacing Enea Bastianini as the teammate to two-time and defending champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia.

It of course drew much back talk from Martin, who had challenged Pecco for the championship throughout 2023, and is currently leading this year’s championship. Martin rightly feels that he deserves that spot on account of that performance.

Ducati now had a problem: They have three other great riders who were vying for the coveted factory seat, probably giving their bosses sleepless nights. As such, the manufacturer seemed to have stalled making a decision. It was not silly season yet, anyway.

The saga heated up further when Martin publicly stated (read: threatened) that either he gets the factory seat or he leaves Ducati altogether. There were reports that he had spoken to KTM, Aprilia, and even Yamaha since.

Ducati was now forced into a corner. And they have to settle this issue quickly to rid themselves of this kind of distraction so early in the season.

A few hours before Martin’s official announcement, Autosport had published news that, although unconfirmed at the time, that Marquez has been picked as Bagania’s teammate, therefore leaving Martin to dry in the wind. La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Ducati management, Marquez, and Martin had a closed-door meeting on Thursday, in which Marquez was asked to move up to the Pramac team. However, Marquez told them “Pramac is not an option for me,” with “an extremely serious face.”

Again, that news was unconfirmed, then this bombshell that Jorge Martin will be in Aprilia next year.

There is no official news from Ducati regarding Marquez’s fate yet. Bastianini, on the other hand, was also reported to have spoken to KTM, Aprilia, and Yamaha (no one wants to go to Honda, eh).

Martin many not be a great choice as Bagnaia’s teammate, nor a good fit in the Italian team given his propensity in making bombastic statements. MotoGP is not like the days of Wayne Rainey and John Kocinski who berated Yamaha openly. Everyone has to toe the politically-correct company line these days.

As for Marquez, he had shown his immense talent by fighting at the front end of the field, despite riding the Desmosedici GP23 which is some 1.5 seconds slower than the GP24. He is also extremely marketable and has companies dying to sponsor him. As such, it will be foolhardy for Ducati to lose him to another manufacturer.

Brembo GP4-MotoGP Caliper Wins Red Dot Award

The new Brembo GP4-MotoGP caliper has won the Red Dot Award for Design.

This new front brake caliper had just been launched in November 2023. Closely resembling the actual caliper used in MotoGP and WSBK, it is actually meant for sporting use and road riders who want the ultimate in braking performance.

So, what is different about this caliper, you ask?

Let us start with the oblique pad abutments that adds stiffness to the caliper, which is already machined from a solid piece of aluminium alloy (hence, monobloc). Doing so also adds to stopping power since the body of the caliper does not flex. Furthermore, it gives the rider much better feel at the lever, especially great when you are trail-braking into a corner.

Brembo also plated the four pistons with nickel to allow for better action. These pistons are designed to pull the brake pads off the disc’s face to reduce friction when there is no braking pressure. As such, the pads last longer and there is less parasitic power loss.

The fins you see at the front of the caliper, facing the inside, are as what they appear to be: cooling fins, just like on your air-cooled motorcycle engine. This is the distinguishing feature of the “civilian version” of the Brembo GP4-MotoGP compared to the its MotoGP and WSBK counterpart, as the racing version has fins at the back of the caliper, too.

Do we really need these for the road or odd trackday? Who cares! We WANT them!

Kazakhstan Replaces Indian MotoGP 2024

The previously postponed Kazakhstan MotoGP round will replace the Indian MotoGP, from 20 – 22 September 2024.

The rights holder of MotoGP, Dorna Sport and FIM decided to postpone the Kazakhstan round at the Sokol International Circuit due to massive flooding in the country. On the other hand, the Indian round will take place in March next year. This in turn pushes Qatar Grand Prix as the season opener to a later date.

This is another twist for the Indian MotoGP, after the CEO of Fairstreet Sports, Pushkar Nath Srivastava, “confirmed” the event was still going ahead. Speaking on 15 May to The Times of India he said “The race is very much on […] These are just rumours floating around. All of the contractual obligations will be met in June.”

However, it was also known that Dorna had given the promoter up until 20 May to settle the matter.

Now, Srivastava told the Indian news agency, PTI “It was mutually decided to shift the race to March next year. We are looking at the first or second week of March … All the stakeholders including Dorna agreed that the September weather is not conducive for the race and it is tough on the riders and marshals as experienced last year.”

Zontes 703RR Sportbike Going into Production

The Zontes 703RR sportbike is going into production. Finally.

It has been five years since we visited the Zontes factory in Guangzhou, China, where we spotted their engineers designing a three-cylinder engine. But the boss told us to keep it a secret so we did not publish about it until it became official a year afterwards.

There was plenty of news about the engine since then, but nothing tangible came out until EICMA 2023, when the Zontes 703RR and Zontes 703F concepts were unveiled.

Why did it take so long? Well, it is because the philosophy held by Zontes’ President to build almost everything in-house rather than outsource components elsewhere. Building in-house means they can control the quality of their components and finished products, as well as cutting the red tape to get problems solved.

Back to the Zontes 703RR, the bike’s type approval document have been sighted along with its performance figures.

Its three-cylinder engine is homologated to 101 hp. The bore and stroke dimensions are 70mm x 60.6mm, giving it a 699cc displacement (“70” means 700cc, “3” mean three cylinders). The crankshaft is space at 120-degree intervals, like all other three-cylinder engines, except the T-Plane crank in the Triumph Tiger 900.

A top speed of 230 km/h was cited in the said documents, putting the bike in the same region of the Honda CBR650R, Aprilia RS 660, Triumph Daytona 660, while beating the Yamaha YZF-R7. However, the CFMoto 675SR may be higher.

It is a great move for Zontes when the 703RR is launched because it has allowed them to break out of their single-cylinder rut. Still, they had better launch this quickly as many more manufacturers, including Chinese rivals that have or will launch their own sportbikes.

CFMoto 500SR 500cc Four-Cylinder Engine Revealed

The CFMoto 500SR’s 500cc four-cylinder engine has been revealed.

Hot on their surprise unveiling of two SR sportbikes last September – a 675cc and a 500cc – CFMoto has filed the patent for the latter’s engine. The 675cc sportbike, on the other hand, uses a three-cylinder engine.

The patent’s drawings show several elements of the powerplant, including the cooling system which is designed to get the engine up to working temperature quickly to lower emissions. It is because the catalytic converter is only truly functions when its elements reach 400-deg Celsius.

The drawings also shows an engine that is fully CFMoto’s own design, and now “inspired” by other 500cc engines. There is no 500cc inline-four in the market these days, anyway.

As such, the company does it the conventional way, such as chain-driven DOHC, with the cam chain located at one end of the crank. The cam lobs act directly on buckets, rather than the current trend of finger followers. Also, there are four individual ignition coils for each spark plug.

The crankshaft follows the 180-degree convention, hence not a “crossplane” or “Big Bang” arrangement.

The gearbox is a conventional six speed item, but the drawings did not show a quickshifter. The engine’s oil sump is offset for exhaust down-pipe routing.

This new CFMoto 500cc four-cylinder engine is expected to produce somewhere in the regions of 80 hp, hence placing in between CFMoto’s 100hp 675SR and 50hp 450SR. It will also rival the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR and Kove 450RR.

The 500cc bike, which should be named the CFMoto 500SR, looks to have the ergonomics of a street-biased sportbike like the Ninja ZX-4RR, such as higher placed handlebars compared to track-going sportbikes. The prototype showed some aerodynamic elements such as the covers underneath the front brake calipers to channel airflow around the bottom fairing.

The CFMoto 500SR is expected to be launched later this year.

Ducati CR241 and Ducati RR241 Concepts Shown Off

The Ducati CR241 and Ducati RR241 concepts were shown off at the Bike Moto Show Shed, in London.

Both concepts are based on the Ducati Scrambler (or Scrambler Ducati), certainly to showcase Centro Stile Ducati’s capabilities. Thus both utilise the Scrambler’s 803cc air-cooled 90-degree V-Twin.

Ducati CR241 concept

The Ducati CR241 presents an evolved version of the cafe racer, despite maintaining the design cues of 1960s racers such the fairing which mounts to the fuel tank like the Pantah and 750SS. It is then given a modern twist like the colour scheme, flow of the lines. Ducati says it is meant “to stir the emotions of the most nostalgic and passionate fans of ‘60s British rockers iconography.”

Other key key elements include the 17-inch front rim with road tires and clip-on handlebars with bar-end mirrors. The saddle can be converted into a single-seat unit, thus recalling the classic “panettone” saddles of 1970s sportbikes.

Ducati RR241 concept

Over to the Ducati RR241 model, meanwhile, gets a post-apocalyptic treatment with its minimalist aesthetics: two wheels, a tank, an engine, and handlebars.

All the aluminum parts are left exposed, while the tank is stripped of its covers and replaced by a frame to which riders can attach a tank bag for the essentials. The pillion part of the saddle is also removable to create a luggage rack, and a high-mounted Termignoni exhaust completes the look.

The knobby Pirelli Scorpion Rally tires on 18- and 17-inch rims and a high front fender says it is ready for the apocalypse. All it needs now is gun holder and instructions on how to refine petroleum into gasoline.

Are they going into production?

Both concepts were displayed at the London Bike Shed Moto Show, from 24 to 26 May. Unfortunately, Ducati did not say if they are doing into production. We will have to wait until Intermot or Ducati Days at year end when they traditionally launch new models.

New 2024 Benelli TRK552 Unveiled

The new 2024 Benelli TRK552 adventure bike has been unveiled.

The TRK552 is the successor to the rather popular Benelli TRK502 which made its debut in 2017. The model had gone through several updates, although nothing substantial. However, the 400cc to 500cc adventure class has hotted up since, with several new players entering the arena including the KTM 390 Adventure, CFMoto 450 MT-X/Ibex, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Fantic Caballero 500, et al. So, it is high time that Benelli kick the middleweight TRK up a notch.

Highlights:

The old TRK502’s engine was pretty anaemic amongst its competition. So, the new 549cc parallel-twin engine bumps it up to 61 hp at 8,500 RPM and 54 Nm at 6,000 RPM.
Even better, the new engine uses a 270-degree crank to mimic the firing order of a 90-degree V-twin, ditching the old 360-degree crank which had both pistons rising and falling together.

The old bike was also very heavy for its category, so Benelli has brought the TRK552’s wet weight down to 226 kg (5 kg less). Dry weight should be around 215 kg.
LED lighting all around, replacing the archaic halogen and incandescent bulbs.

Adjustable Marzocchi suspension, front and rear, and a new aluminium swingarm.
J. Juan brakes with dual-channel ABS. J. Juan is now owned by Brembo.

New TFT screen with smartphone pairing (dumping the old poorly lit LCD).
There are no rides modes, however.

The 2024 Benelli TRK552 is currently on sale in China, so you can bet that the local distributor, MForce Holdings will bring it here soon. Watch this space.

BMW R20 Concept with 2000cc Boxer Breaks Cover

Remember we posted about a possibly more powerful BMW R18 in the works? The news was true, but it turned out to be something bigger, in the form of the BMW R20 Concept.

“The BMW R20 concept is a mechanical masterpiece,” says Markus Flasch, Head of BMW Motorrad, who was peering under the cover in that previous post. He also went on to say, “The Big Boxer is its centre.”

Yes, it is 2000cc Boxer engine and it is air-oil cooled. BMW engineers designed new cylinder head covers, belt cover, and oil cooler to accommodate the news 2-into-2 exhaust arrangement.

The double-loop chrome-molybdenum steel frame is new, too, obviously. Mounted onto it is the new double-sided Paralever swingarm which was shown in the previous post. It is much shorter than the R nineT’s with a correspondingly shorter driveshaft. BMW says doing so balances the engine’s drive torque (a longer shaft will result in higher torque being applied to both ends, like a see-saw).

The R20 Concept further displays some nice details such as Ohlins suspension, slotted disc rear wheel, 6-piston front brake caliper, and 4-piston rear brake caliper.

The R20 Concept made its debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. That is significant because BMW concepts that debut at the show will lead to production.

It has to be said that the twin-cylinder Boxer is BMW’s signature engine. There are two variants, one air-oil cooled used in the R18 lineup, while another is the high-powered and liquid-cooled version utilised by the R 1250/1300 lineup.

Ducati Diavel V4 Wins “Best of the Best” Red Dot Award 2024

The Ducati Diavel V4 wins the “Best of the Best” Red Dot Award 2024.

We know what you are thinking: There were other motorcycle manufacturers who won the award, too, so does it not seemed watered down? Well, the particular recognition obtained by the Ducati Diavel V4 sets it apart from the others because the formal title is “Red Dot Award 2024: Best of the Best.”

This award represents the latest in a string of such award for Ducati, beginning with the 1199 Panigale in 2013, by the XDiavel in 2016, and by the Diavel 1260 in 2019.

The Diavel V4 is the essence of a power cruiser (although Ducati does not call it that), highlighting a muscular and aggressive presence including the massive 240mm rear tyre mounted on five-spoke machined alloy rear wheel. Then there are the four exhaust tips arranged like the barrels of a rotary cannon. But typical of an Italian motorcycle, it is not all brawn, but beauty in its elegant lines, too.

And let us not forget the eye-socket flattening grunt from the Granturismo V4 engine. Yet the bike handles superbly even on twisty roads that will punish sloppily ridden sportbikes.

The Red Dot Award 2024 is only one of such awards for the Ducati V4. It has also received other recognitions such as the Good Design Award, which the oldest global recognition in the design sector, besides the Special Mention at the German Design Award 2024 which was assigned by the German Design Council.

Founded in 1955, the Red Dot Award celebrates the most original and deserving proposals for style and innovation. The award is given by a jury of experts in product design, communication design and design concepts, who this year gave the Diavel V4 the important title of “Red Dot Award 2024: Best of the Best”, the highest recognition of the competition, reserved exclusively for creations capable of setting a new standard in the benchmark sector.

The 2024 Red Dot Award ceremony will be held on June 24th in Germany, at the Aalto Theatre in Essen. The award winners will be exhibited in the Red Dot museum in Zollverein, also located in Essen and now part of the UNESCO world heritage.

You may visit the Ducati.com website page dedicated to the design principles of the Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer.

The Diavel V4 (link to the dedicated page here) is available in dealerships in the Ducati network in the classic Ducati Red or in the glossy Thrilling Black version.

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Global News

Mechanic Creates World’s Fastest Wheelbarrow

Honda to Produce Only Electric Motorcycles and Cars from 2040

Yamaha Japan Admits to Falsifying Testing Data

Confirmed: Jorge Martin goes to Aprilia in 2025

Brembo GP4-MotoGP Caliper Wins Red Dot Award

Kazakhstan Replaces Indian MotoGP 2024

Zontes 703RR Sportbike Going into Production

CFMoto 500SR 500cc Four-Cylinder Engine Revealed

Ducati CR241 and Ducati RR241 Concepts Shown Off

Ducati CR241 concept

Ducati RR241 concept

Are they going into production?

New 2024 Benelli TRK552 Unveiled

Highlights:

BMW R20 Concept with 2000cc Boxer Breaks Cover

Ducati Diavel V4 Wins “Best of the Best” Red Dot Award 2024

KTM Parent Company Pierer Mobility will Axe 200 more Jobs

Thai Motorcycle Market Shrinks in 1st Half of 2024

Somkiat Chantra to MotoGP in 2025

New CFMoto 675 NK Prototype Spotted

Can-Am Origin and Can-Am Pulse Revealed

Latest KTM 990 RC R Spyshots Reveal Almost Ready Bike

Not Possible for Four Wheel Guys to Race on Two Wheels – Mark Webber

Oxford Products Celebrates Best Start Ever in 2024

New Ducati V2 Superbike on the Way

BMW Buys Suzuki’s MotoGP Data

Moto2, Moto3 2024 Times Tumble with Pirelli Tyres

Tesla Sued by Family of Biker Killed by Autopilot

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