motorcycle Archives - Foreign policy

AMB 001 by Aston Martin and Brough Superior

Published on November 14, 2019November 13, 2019

Cars

Most of the people know about the Aston Martin as a brand that is producing luxury sportscars, but they are also designing the motorcycles. In collaboration with the Brough Superior company for engineering, they made a unique type of motorcycle with the name AMB 001.

The first live presentation of this vehicle in public was in Milan in November 2019, at the EICMA motorcycle show. The public was excited to see this interesting collaboration and bike with the Aston Martin logo.

The AMB 001 is supposed to be only for collectors since there will be only 100 of these bikes. This bike will also have some of the technical solutions that Aston Martin is using for their vehicles. The bike is modern, lightweight, and has a very powerful engine. Which is made with the help pf the Brough Superior.

The Brough Superior is a company from the United Kingdom that is producing luxury motorcycles. Most of the models that come from this company are limited versions of expensive bikes with amazing performances.

Design and Performances

The design represents a futuristic body with a lot of details made from carbon fiber. There are a lot of similarities with the Aston Martin cars, especially the construction of the bike. Also, this bike is a combination of some modern technical solutions, and old techniques which makes it very comfortable to drive.

At first look, we can say that the best feature of this bike is its design, but it also has a lot of power. The turbocharged engine is capable of providing 180 horsepower and a wide range for rpm. This model is completely handmade and there will be only 100 models for sale.

All of the parts in this bike are made from carbon fiber. Also, you can customize the bike with some original parts in order to reduce the weight of the motorcycle and gain better performances. The seat is made from leather and there is also a well-known wing that represents the logo of Aston Martin.

Technical Specification

The size of the engine is 997cc which has the water and oil cooling and a semi-dry lubrication system. The gearbox has six degrees if transmission with the APTC Clutch, and one with chain. The cover of the engine is made from the materials that are being used in aeronautics.

One of the exclusive features that 001 has is the Turbo supercharging which provides this bike with more rpm. When it comes to the chassis, the AMB is using a CNC technology for a backbone on the engine which is lightweight.

Some of the best engineers in the world of racing cars were working on this model, they also developed a brake system which is a system that is using the radial master cylinder piston, which provides the driver with easier brakes.

Many parts of this bike are made with a CNC machine which makes it construction more solid because there are a lot of whole parts. The 001 has great aerodynamics and agility. Also, one of the important features is that it is very hard to dive in while braking because of the electronic braking assistance.

What tools you need when working on your bike

Published on November 12, 2019November 14, 2019

Tips

Owning a motorcycle is one of the best things in life until the time for repairs comes. When it comes to maintaining this wonderful invention, things can get a bit complicated. This article is entirely dedicated to making this “problem” a lot more simple, so if you are interested in learning more about how to maintain your motorcycle and what are some of the mandatory tools you need, feel free to read until the end. Let’s take a look.

Why is maintaining important?

Before learning how to do it, we need to address why it is important to regularly maintain your motorcycle. First of all, we’ll start with the safety factor, since obviously that’s the most important thing for anyone who’s on the road. If you are not constantly making sure that your motorcycle is performing the way it should in the most important areas, such as the breaks and all of that, you are risking an injury or even worse.

Next, if you are able to detect a problem while it’s still not as significant, you are basically saving yourself a lot of money. If a problem starts to complicate and you do further damage to your motorcycle, you will need to pay a professional service in order to replace certain parts and fix the damages.

A proper motorcycle Lift

You can’t really work on your motorcycle without a proper lift, so that’s the first and most important thing that you need if you want to take things into your own hands. If you are interested in purchasing a high-quality lift, feel free to check out this article on bikersrights.com

If you don’t get your motorcycle off the ground with a proper lift system, you won’t be able to reach those tricky areas that are right below the sitting area.

A torque wrench

A motorcycle is a very complicated assembly that includes hundreds of bolts and nuts. You can’t really manipulate these unless you have a proper wrench. It’s the key component of every garage anyway, so make sure that you have at least a few of them available before attempting to fix your bike.

A pressure Gauge

Your bike has tons of important parts, but the tires are obviously the most important. Being able to maintain tire conditions is very useful, so before each trip, you should make sure that the pressure in your tires is just like it should be. Having deflated tires is just as dangerous as having overly-pumped ones, so you should learn more about proper pressure in your tires.

A set of screwdrivers

Anyone that knows even the slightest bit about mechanics knows that screwdrivers are absolutely mandatory when you attempt to do something such as fixing your motorbike. Make sure to pick the ones with a rubber handle because they provide you with a much better grip which you’ll need when trying to reach those tricky areas. If your hand gets dirty with oil, you will have trouble controlling the screwdriver if it doesn’t have a rubber handle.

Oil

If you need to change the oil on your motorcycle, you shouldn’t pay hundreds of dollars in order to do it at a professional bike shop. You can change it on your own, but you’ll need all of the tools that we mentioned earlier, plus oil, obviously. Make sure to always have a can of this lying around somewhere in your garage.

The Impressive Harley Davidson Bagger Bike

Published on April 12, 2019

Lux Life

Harley Davidson has left its mark in the history of motorcycles, becoming almost synonymous with it. Their bikes are presents on the streets and roads around the world and now their 2012 Road King has received an upgrade by the talented team of mechanics from Taiwan, Rough Crafts.

The back end of the bike is made out of light composite materials, together with incline saddle bags and numerous details all painted in matte black. The front end received Arlen Ness mudguard, together with custom built gas tank, giving the Road King a sleek silhouette. Knee guards are placed on the sides, while black leather seat finishes the look.

The bike features Arlen Ness progressive forks and Pirelli Night Dragon 23-inch tire, mounted on Arlen Ness rims. It also has the Legend Air Ride system, giving it the ability to adjust the height of the ride. It is powered by a twin-cam engine and Performance Machine hydraulic clutch.

What Is Glove Fitment

Published on March 13, 2019

Lux Life/Style

The heat invites on many occasions to leave the gloves parked. We tend to give little importance, but gloves are essential protection for riding a motorcycle or moped. Many times, especially in summer, we ignore this garment both in town and on the road, putting our hands in danger in the event of an accident. When it comes to purchasing new motorcycle gloves, the importance of a good fit can’t be overly emphasized.

You spend a lot of time making sure motorcycle jackets fit perfectly, and you should spend just as much time choosing the right glove fitment. Here are a few tips for choosing a pair of gloves that fit comfortably and snuggly.

Use the Motorcycle Grip Test

A pair of gloves might feel great when your fingers are straight, but the real test of a good fit is the motorcycle grip test. While wearing the gloves, pretend you’re grabbing onto your motorcycle grips. If the gloves are snug without feeling uncomfortably tight, you’re in business. You should also be able to easily operate your turn signals and other controls without feeling like your circulation is being cut off.

Select a Glove Type

Different types of gloves fit differently based on their intended usage. For example, touring gloves are primarily designed for comfort during long-distance riding. They should give you plenty of dexterity with adequate protection. Racing gloves, on the other hand, should fit more snugly and should be built with pre-curved fingers. All weather riding gloves are intentionally bulkier because they come with added insulation. If we have a fall, however simple, hands are usually the first parapet for the driver, because during the accident tends to put your hands to avoid the blow, so they are the most damaged part of the body.

An example of this imagines the repercussion of an accident on the road, where people drive at 90 kilometers per hour, or in the city, where the speed is usually 50 kilometers per hour. In these cases, the gloves would protect the hands from cuts and wounds. In summer, the finest and unfilled have ventilation, which promotes perspiration and results in a greater grip when driving the motorcycle. On the other hand, in winter they protect from the cold and prevent the appearance of chilblains and redness due to the low temperatures.

Select the Right Material

Keep in mind that leather is slightly stretchy, while textile gloves maintain their original size over time. So, if you’re going for a new pair of leather gloves, choose a pair that’s slightly tighter than you’d normally wear. They’ll stretch a bit with consistent wear and will end up forming to your hands. Once broken in, you can’t beat the comfort of a great pair of leather gloves.

If you opt for textile gloves, you don’t want to make the mistake of going too small, since they won’t stretch out. If you’re right between sizes, it’s better to go up a size than down. You want to be able to move those fingers freely, without feeling too much tightness in the knuckles.

Now that you know what factors influence glove fitment, it’s time to go out and find the perfect gloves for your rides.

Prodigy star and Bike Lover Keith Flint Dies at 49

Published on March 4, 2019

Entertainment

Rarely does an event shocks both music and motorcycle world at the same time, like the death of Keith Flint. A founding member and the frontman of Prodigy, Flint has been at the forefront of the 1990s dance music revolution. Prodigy was called “the Godfathers of Rave”, due to the profound influence they had on the underground music scene. He was also known for his passion for motorcycles and racing. Flint raced himself and even managed a professional racing team. Here is one of the interviews he gave in 2014 about his career in motor sport.

How did you get into bikes?

“I have two older brothers, one of whom was a Z9 custom biker and the other who was a bit more into his sportsbikes, Powervalves and then progressing to GSX-Rs. I used to pay them a couple of quid to take me out for a spin on the back, and we’d ride to all the bike meets. There was never any doubt in my mind as a teenager looking for some freedom that I was going to jump onto a moped as soon as I could and pass my test. Bikes mean the same thing to me now. When you’re scratching, it’s that buzz of doing something you love, that freedom. In your mind, you know when you’re on it and you’re just flowing.”

What was your first bike?

“The first bike I ever had was a derestricted R-reg Fizzie (Yamaha FS1-E). That got traded in for an RD80LC, and then an RD400. I had two or three RD400s. I’d do them up and get the tanks and frames sprayed up and fit Allspeed exhausts to make them look special. I bought the first one when I was 15, and rented a garage off an old girl on the estate to keep it in. I used to take my 50 round there, then ride the RD400 on a Sunday down to Southend and places like that. There was an RD50 in there somewhere, too.”

What was the best bike you ever had?

“One bike I really regret getting rid of was a really mint GSX1100 EFE. Absolutely f**king mint and I decided to pump it up with an 1190 big bore kit, loads more bits and pieces and on it, and I f**ked the living daylights out of it. I turned it from something really unexpectedly exciting, that was really great fun to ride over to all the French endurance races on, and I screwed it up by thinking that me and my Demon Tweaks catalog was better than some Japanese designer. When I joined the band and started to earn a bit of dollar, I got the 1992 Fireblade when it first came out. Then I got it Repsol’d because I became a massive Mick Doohan fan. Nick Morgan (Managing Director of MSS Performance) tuned it for me. He was just down the road from me in Chelmsford. He’s a wicked guy. I sold that to buy another Blade, which TTS tuned and track prepared for me. I used it as a track day bike.”

What bikes have you got at the minute?

“Right now, I’ve got a KTM 350EXC for some greenlaning, and some little TTR150 bikes that I hoon around the little flat track we have in the back garden.

“I’ve got a hack for going to the studio too, but I’m in the process of buying some sort of a sunny day rat of a machine for going to the pub on.”

How did you get into racing?

“Back in 1998 I had a go on Sean Emmett’s Reve Red Bull Ducati, and Roger Marshall trained me up to have a bit of a go racing in New Era. I did a few rounds there and had a big crash. It was right in the middle of Firestarter, and we had so much work on that it made sense that I stop; I was trying to embark on a novice racing career while having a huge commitment to the band.”

“Then, about four years ago, I decided to get into endurance racing with Hottrax. I’ve always been a fan anyway, and you get a good time on the bike, but I love the team aspect of it and all the strategy of it too. We were fourth in our first year, won it in the second year, and moved up to National and won it the year after.”

How did that lead to BSS?

“Once we’d won Hottrax and completed our goals there, it seemed natural to move up into another paddock, and we ended up in British Supersport, which is the pinnacle of domestic racing at the minute. I bumped into James Rispoli at the Le Mans 24hr, invited him over to go around on our stock 1000 bike, and we became friends, so we signed him for a full season! Then it all became so very serious so very quickly, and here we are today!”

Prince’s Purple Motorcycle

Published on February 6, 2019

Celebs/Movie

Prince has always triggered a lot of attention during his lifetime, as he continues to do even now after he died. There have been a lot of articles about his life and style, and music. However, one thing remains interesting even after his death, in 2016, and that is the purple motorcycle he used even in a film.

Biker or Not?

It is hard to say whether Prince was a real biker or not. It is actually very hard to determine what defines a true biker. However, we can surely say that he rode the bike in a film and that he enjoyed it. If he did not, he would not use a purple one in a film and thus make it iconic. It needs to be said that he did not ride any bike after 201 and there is a data that his license was expired in 1984.

Purple Rain

The first appearance of Prince on a purple bike happened in the drama, a rock one, called Purple Rain which was broadcast in 1984. Furthermore, the appearance of Prince and the same purple bike happened in Graffiti Bridge, which was the sequel to the first one.

The Bike

The purple bike that Prince used was a Honda one and more known as CM400A Hondamatic. It was a custom made bike which had an engine with parallel twin cylinders and 356cc. The engine also had air-cooling. One of the interesting things is that the engine had just two gears (Honda bikes usually have six). The length of the bike is 29.9 inches and its height is 5’2’’. When we look at it like this, we can conclude that it was a pretty small bike constructed and designed just for Prince’s appearance. The seat of the bike had hot pink velour inserts, the manufacturer has also included a Vetter Windjammer fairing. The handlebars were also made to be just right for Prince, with his symbol engraved on several places.

Conclusion

No matter if he was a real biker or not, Prince’s appearance on a purple bike in a film was one of the most iconic in the industry and it certainly made an unusual purple bike world known and famous. The film cashed 80 USD, so, both Prince and the purple bike were a hit.

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