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Indian Motorcycle is launching a new model in its Chief range later this year called the Indian Sport Chief. 

  • Indian Motorcycle to expand its Indian Chief range with the new Indian Sport Chief. 
  • The Indian Sport Chief offers a wide range of accessories and will be available in three exciting colours. 

It is designed to be sportier and comes with premium suspension from KYB, inverted forks at the front, and Fox for the rear shocks that extend wheel travel by 100mm over standard. 

The Brembo braking system features radially-mounted, four-piston, semi-floating calipers on dual front brake discs, providing confidence and capability for a more aggressive riding experience. 

Other new additions include a quarter fairing, moto-style handlebars, machined triple clamps, 152mm risers, and Night Dragon tires from Pirelli. 

The bike comes with a 15.1-litre fuel tank, LED lighting, keyless start, and three selectable riding modes: Sport, Standard, and Tour. It is powered by the twin-cylinder Thunderstroke 116 motor, providing 162Nm of torque, and features a steel tubular frame. 

The Indian Sport Chief also has a range of accessories available to customize your ride to your liking, including fully-adjustable Fox rear shocks, windscreen options, luggage bags, and a variety of seat options. 

The Indian Sport Chief is available in three colors: Black Smoke, Ruby Smoke, and Stealth Grey.

KTM is reportedly developing a semi-automatic gearbox for its next generation of 1290-powered bikes, according to recent patents.

  • KTM’s upcoming semi-automatic gearbox to benefit the 1290 range. 
  • The semi-automatic gearbox is not similar to Honda’s DCT. 

Unlike Honda’s DCT system, KTM’s approach will use rocker arms, a centrifugal clutch, and a separate gear control unit to shift gears fully autonomously or with rider input. The semi-auto system will also feature a unique parking brake, which could serve as an additional anti-theft measure. 

The patent suggests that the system could be featured in KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure S, Super Adventure R, 1290 Super Duke R, and 1290 Super Duke GT models. 

However, it’s unclear how riders will manually shift gears with the new system. 

The KTM system’s L-shaped lever physically locks driven gears in place and can’t be deactivated unless the bike is switched on, adding an additional layer of protection against motorcycle theft.

(source: Cycle World)

Motorcyclists traveling from Malaysia to Singapore for work or other purposes are required to comply with the latest emission standards, which will be enforced starting from April 6th.

  • Malaysian motorcyclist must meet the latest emission standard in Singapore.
  • The new emission standard is set to take place from April 6th. 

This recent development is important to note, especially for those who frequently travel to Singapore. According to a report by Paultan.org, every motorcycle in Singapore (including those from Malaysia) must adhere to the latest carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emission limits.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has set the latest CO limit at 4.5 percent, while the HC limit is set at 7,800ppm for 2-stroke motorcycles and 2,000ppm for 4-stroke motorcycles.

To ensure smooth enforcement, NEA will conduct emission inspections at the Singapore border checkpoints. Motorcycles found to be non-compliant with the emission regulations will be immediately issued a fine of the same amount as those for Singaporean motorcycles.

(source: Paultan.org)

The iconic Junkers Ju 52, also known as “Aunt Ju,” was a popular three-engine commercial and transport plane in the 1930s. The D-AQUI aircraft, painted in Lufthansa’s grey-black colour scheme in 1936, gained worldwide recognition.

  • The R 18 ‘Iron Annie’ is inspired by the popular D-AQUI aircraft. 
  • The project was initiated by Switzerland-based VTR Motorrad AG & VTR Customs. 

During its time in the United States from 1970 to 1984, the aircraft was renamed “IRON ANNIE” by its owner, Martin Caidin, under the American registration N52JU.

A BMW R 18 customization project was initiated by a client of VTR Motorrad AG & VTR Customs, a BMW partner based in Schmerikon, Switzerland, who was inspired by the “IRON ANNIE” aircraft. The project aimed to incorporate aviation-style elements from aircraft construction into the design. The project started with a BMW R 18 First Edition, with the engine removed and painted black. All chrome parts were painted black, while the fork stanchions received a Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating.

The tank’s speedometer dial was integrated into the design to resemble old cockpit instruments, while access panels with quick-release fasteners were added, as seen on aircraft. The bike’s unique look was completed by borrowing the corrugated aluminium planking from the Ju 52, a riding saddle-style seat, and grey-black paintwork, all reminiscent of the “IRON ANNIE” aircraft.

To create a streamlined appearance, the cockpit trim was pulled back as narrow and flat as possible, and the bike’s stance was lowered with a shorter fork and a height-adjustable Wilbers shock absorber. Large 18 and 21-inch wheels made by Kineo were added to make the bike appear smaller and more delicate between the wheels. Magura’s racing-style HC3 pumps replaced the standard R 18 brake and clutch fittings, providing further technical enhancements. The speedometer’s dial was customized with a handcrafted piece by watchmaker Zeitzone Zurich.

Creating replica cooling fins in the area of the rear silencers proved to be a significant challenge, as shaping these parts into parallel and aesthetically pleasing radii while harmoniously attaching them took several attempts.

Countless hours of work went into the aluminium sheet metal work, which involved hand-forming the fuel tank, tail with a suggested tail fin of an aeroplane, side panels, and cockpit. The numerous lens-head rivets provide reminiscences of traditional metal aircraft construction.

The team was pleased with the outcome, despite feeling slightly regretful about painting the handmade, bright aluminium sheets. The R 18 IRON ANNIE will receive road approval and undoubtedly attract attention in its new home on Lake Geneva. It will remain a one-of-a-kind model, as promised to the client.

If you look at modern BMW cars, you might notice their kidney-shaped grille, which may seem like a blocked-off fake air intake rather than a functional one. 

  • BMW Motorrad developing ‘adaptive cooling’ for motorcycles.
  • The technology is similar to the one found in BMW cars. 

This is because BMW uses shutters that close off the grille to enhance aerodynamics when maximum cooling is not needed. Now, BMW is applying the same idea to motorcycles.

A recent BMW patent application describes a “tilting vehicle” that has a movable air-guiding device in its cooling system as reported by Cycle World.

The patent application includes illustrations that clearly show a shutter-style system located in front of the radiator of a liquid-cooled boxer twin motorcycle. 

Similar to cars that use a similar system, the purpose is to provide enough cooling to support high-performance engines that are working at their maximum level, but also to improve aerodynamics when the engine is not stressed and producing less heat.

The patent identifies the issue with motorcycle radiators being mounted where they’re exposed to the most airflow possible, which creates a significant aerodynamic obstacle. 

This issue is compounded by the fact that the cooling system has to be designed to handle extreme weather or performance conditions, unlike the conditions that will be encountered on a daily basis. 

According to BMW’s patent application, “the cooling arrangement is typically designed based on the highest power requirement that can be expected, which can occur during extreme operating conditions. In everyday situations where the cooling system has lower performance requirements, it is consequently ‘oversized'”.

Most motorcycles use a radiator to cool the engine, but this can create air resistance and inefficiency. BMW has come up with a solution called “active shutters.” It’s like a venetian blind that can open or close in front of the radiator to let in more or less air, depending on how much cooling is needed. 

By redirecting air around the radiator instead of through it, active shutters can reduce drag and make the motorcycle more efficient. 

BMW has illustrated this idea on an adventure bike and it could be used on their new R 1300 GS boxer engine model. BMW already uses a similar system in their cars, so it should be easy to adapt it for motorcycles if it works as well as they hope.

(source: Cycle World)

Jedi Motors, a new motorcycle manufacturer from China, had expressed interest in entering the global market. Now, it seems that this plan is becoming a reality as the company has announced its latest sportbike, the Vision K750. 

  • Jedi Motors is another Chinese motorcycle company aims to make it big in the global market. 
  • The Vision K750 is Jedi’s first attempt to penetrate the two-wheel segment. 

Set to debut in 2023, the Vision K750 started as a futuristic concept before gradually evolved into a production-ready model in late 2022, with significant changes to its styling. 

While the concept looked like it belonged in the Star Wars universe, the production model’s aesthetics now resemble the MV Agusta F3, with diamond-shaped headlights and aggressive lines on the bodywork. 

The sportbike appears to feature premium technology, including radially mounted Brembo calipers, inverted forks, a rear monoshock, and a single-sided swingarm on the rear end.

Mechanically, the Vision K750 is expected to feature a 730cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin engine, with an output of around 70 horsepower. 

It is uncertain whether it will have an uneven firing order or a 180-degree crank, but it will likely be comparable in power to the Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Yamaha YZF-R7.

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