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Yamaha has unveiled the Crosser 150 in Brazil, an affordable adventure motorcycle suitable for the country’s congested urban street.

Apart from its capability to take on various road conditions, Yamaha has added another extra feature. The Crosser 150 can run on different types of fuel such as gasoline, ethanol or both.

The new feature will allow local riders to go the extra mile without worry.

Thanks to the lightweight 149cc air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes 13hp, the Crosser 150 has enough power to commute daily around the city as well as going on an off-road adventure.

Power is sent to the rear via a rudimentary 5-speed manual transmission.

The off-road capabilities are further enhanced with a long-travel suspension consisting of a telescopic unit up front and a preload-adjustable monoshock.

Other important features include:

  • one-piece saddle
  • high handlebars
  • front and rear disc brakes
  • single-channel ABS

Currently, the Crosser 150 is only available in Brazil and is priced at USD2,772 (RM11.5k).

Justin Bieber has just inked a deal with Vespa to put his own spin on the iconic scooter.

Still only 27 years old, Bieber has amassed millions of fans all over who called themselves ‘Beliebers’. On ‘Instagram’, the American singer has a total of 202 million followers.

Despite his past shenanigans, the man deserved a huge amount of respect for what he is today, an icon not just in the music industry but also brave enough to openly discuss his struggles with mental health and addiction which also prompt others who are struggling to come forth for help.

Nevertheless, his love for motorcycles including owning one of the limited edition Vespa X Sean Wotherspoon makes him an ideal candidate for the next collab with the Italian brand.

“My fans know how much I love the sport: skateboarding, hockey, basketball, BMX.

“I’ve always been attracted to that mix of style, grace and speed. I’m thrilled to give my touch to the iconic Vespa design,” said Bieber.

The Vespa X Justin Bieber special edition is set to debut in early 2022.

Ducati has already built and begun testing its 2023 MotoE race bike in Italy with Michele Pirro.

The test is crucial as Ducati will supply the entire MotoE World Cup grid beginning 2023 in a four-year deal.

Ducati will replace the outgoing Energica who previously supplied the entire grid since 2019 with a production-based Energica Ego Corse model.

However, Ducati takes over from 2023 will witness a brand-new, prototype-based sportbike that the Italian firm previewed in an artists’ rendering.

Despite there being talks the MotoE race bike will mark the Borgo Panigale first step into developing a production-based electric machine, Ducati has confirmed the MotoE model will stand alone as a race bike only.

Based on the rendered image, it is safe to assume the MotoE machine will share design similarities to the Ducati Panigale range.

*Michelle Pirro

“Right now, Michele Pirro is with MotoE in Misano, where our electric bike is going on the track for the first time,” said Ducati CEO, Claudio Domenicali.

While Ducati is all out excited with the new project, the announcement came as a surprise for everyone else especially since the Italian marquee has regularly dismissed the idea of moving forward with a high-performance electric motorcycle.

The 90s was a great year for motorcycles, with the likes of 900cc supersports were seen as a raw machine.

The non-existent of technological advancement like 6-axis IMU, ABS, Traction Control and Wheelie Control made the 90s supersports  a wild machine.

As such, those who were seen riding on bikes like the Kawasaki ZX-9R and the CBR900RR are either extremely skilled or borderline crazy.

Meanwhile, post 2010 supersports machine are manageable even by the likes of inexperienced riders thanks to technology and electronic aids.

However, if you are in the lookout of something raw and wanting to experience the 90s bikes, perhaps this pristine 1993 Honda CBR900RR Fireblade up for auction is for you.

Debuted in 1992, the CBR900RR Fireblade is  powered by a water-cooled 893cc DOHC inline-four engine capable of  churning out 111hp. Mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, the only electronic aid available is an electronic ignition.

The beautiful beast is currently listed on Bring A Trailer and bidding starts at a whopping USD50k (RM210k).

If your first reaction is to complaint about the price, then perhaps the bike is not for you but if you has a penchant for all things retro and appreciate a thing of beauty, then the CBR900RR Fireblade could be the right gem for your garage.

Looking immaculate, the CBR900RR has only 5,000miles and currently waiting for a new caretaker. According to the description, the bike currently sits in Florida.

Bodywork is finished in white, blue and red with matching graphics and features aluminium twin-spar rame with reinforced aluminium swingarm.

Other additional components includes a black solo seat with passenger pillion, windscreen, fairing-mounted mirrors, a side-stand and a 18L fuel tank.

Other exiciting features include:

  • 16″ front and 17″  rear wheel with Bridgestone Battlax BT65 tires
  • Nissin 4-pot brake callipers (front) and single piston callipers (rear)
  • Showa cartridge-type front fork
  • Pro-Link rear coilover (compression, rebound and spring adjustable)

Meanwhile, the dash features a 185mph (299km/h) speedometer, 11,000rpm redline tachometer and a temperature gauge.

BMW Motorrad and TVS Motors has officially extend their existing partnership to develop and manufacture new models including an EV.

This was confirmed by Dr Markus Schramm, head of BMW Motorrad.

“In light of our fruitful association with TVS Motor Company, we are delighted to extend and expand our cooperation agreement to include long-term partnership and joint development of new platforms and technologies, including electric vehicles.” he said.

 

The German and Indian firm penned a deal back in 2013 and the partnership proven fruitful thanks to the introduction of the entry-level G 310 series in 2018.

The G 310 series was instantly a hit alongside TVS’s own TVS Apache 310 RR, as more than 100,000 units were sold globally.

Meanwhile, the new agreement will not only expand the collaboration but BMW and TVS will showcase revamped technology within the next 24 months including a new range of electric-powered motorcycles.

“In the nine years of our long-term strategic partnership, we have always cherished the common core values we share with BMW Motorrad: focus on quality, engineering prowess, innovation and customer satisfaction.

“These factors and our commitment to deliver superior quality products with a strong value proposition has been key to the success of all three products launched from the platform.  The new world of future mobility encompasses a strong play through alternate solutions, including electric mobility.

“Expanding this successful partnership to EVs and other newer platforms will create opportunities to deliver advanced technology and aspirational products to global markets and bring valuable synergies to both companies,” said Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director TVS Motor Company.

TVS itself is expanding rapidly, a part from the success with BMW Motorrad, the Indian firm also became the new owner of Norton Motorcycles in February 2020.

Under the new guidance, Norton recently unveiled the V4 SCR prototype, which is set to enter production soon and marked a revival of the iconic British brand.

Legendary circuit, Laguna Seca (now officially known as the WeatherTech Raceway) was home to some of the most epic battles in racing history.

Most notably is the battle between Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi during the 2008 MotoGP season.

Despite the legendary status, time have not been too kind to the famed circuit especially since the track has not received a refresh since 2007.

However, Laguna Seca finally getting some good news it deserved as track management has secured an initial funding to revitalized the track and amenities.

Major repairs to include replacing the crumbling bridge at the start/finish line. The brige has fallen into despair, posing a potential hazard for spectators and racers alike.

Next is to resurface the California circuit which currently displays cracks, bumps and numerous imperfections that could have severe implications towards racers.

Nevertheless, the resurfacing itself won’t come cheap, as approximately a total of USD5 million is needed.

According to reports, the total cost of repair is said to be somewhere around USD60 million mark.

Looking at how things are moving, we certainly hope Laguna Seca will someday return to the GP race calendar so we can witness more iconic battles.

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