AM Racing: Yamaha MT-01 Turbo

The Sweden-based AM Racing have prepared this turbocharged Yamaha MT-01, which packs 160 horsepower (measured at the rear wheel) and 230Nm of torque. When you consider the fact that a stock MT-01 has only 86bhp and 156Nm of torque, the turbocharged bike’s numbers begin to look very impressive…AM Racing’s Stage 2 kit for the MT-01 includes a Mitsubishi turbocharger, piggy-back computer (which controls boost), oil system for turbo with external oil pump, water/air intercooler, an extra injector mounted on the intake pipe, fuel pressure regulator, aftermarket air-filter, steel-braided oil and water hoses and an upgraded clutch.On the MT-01 Turbo here, the stock exhaust system has been replaced with a non-silenced exhaust from the turbo, and according to AMR, the noise levels, though a bit high, suit the bike’s appearance.The Stage 2 turbo kit costs 56,000 SEK, which is about US$8,600. For more details, visit the AM Racing website here. In the meanwhile, we wonder what these guys would do with a V-Max. A 400bhp, twin-turbo V-Max, anyone...?

1992 Kawasaki ZX-7R special

Found this rather interesting Kawasaki ZX-7R on EMA, and though the bike seems to be unfinished, the spec blows us away. The starting point was a 1992 ZX-7R, but very little seems to have been kept from the original bike.To begin with, the engine is from a 1997 Kawasaki ZX-9R, with 41mm flat-slide carbs, Muzzy headers and custom-built stainless steel exhaust. Two nitrous canisters live below the bike’s tail unit, so power delivery should be all right.Then there’s a long list of bolt-ons: PVM forged aluminum wheels, Metmachex single-sided swingarm, fully adjustable Ohlins rear shock, GSX-R1000 forks, Brembo billet brake and clutch master cylinders, ZX-7R fuel tank made in aluminum, with endurance caps and lots of carbonfibre bits everywhere. The fairing is from an MV Agusta F4, while the tail unit comes from a Yamaha R1.We don’t know who’s built the bike and power/performance numbers are not available. But still, this is one of the most interesting Kawasaki ZX-7R based specials we’ve seen in a long time…

2009 Suzuki Gladius 650 unveiled

The Suzuki Relentless by TAS team were victorious in almost every solo category at this year's Isle of Man TT races, taking Superbike, Superstock and Supersport wins. To celebrate, Suzuki GB have launched the GSX-R600 Bruce Anstey (left) and GSX-R1000 (right) Cameron Donald limited edition replicas. More information available on the official Suzuki GB website here

Specs and first official pics: 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000

In the sportsbike world, the unveiling of a new Suzuki GSX-R1000, every year, is a fairly momentous occasion. Reduced weight, more power, more electronics (to safely harness all that power…), bigger/uglier exhausts and new colours (some of which can actually be quite bad). Those few things more or less sum up what we expect from new GSX-R1000s every year. And the 2009 model doesn’t disappoint.The 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000 gets a lighter, more compact 999cc inline-four, which delivers more power and torque and offers enhanced throttle response across the engine’s entire rpm range. The K9 GSX-R1000 engine is now more oversquare than before, and the compression ratio has also gone up from 12.5:1 to 12.8:1.For those who may be interested, here’s a ton of technical details: The new GSX-R1000 engine employs bigger titanium valves, forged pistons, shot-peened conrods, Iridium spark plugs (for a stronger spark, for better combustion) and Suzuki Composite Electrochemical Material (SCEM) plated cylinders integrated into the crankcase, reducing friction and improving heat transfer, durability and ring seal.New, 12-hole fuel-injectors produce a finer fuel mist for more complete combustion, reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. And as before, the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS) offers push-button selection of three performance settings to suit riding conditions and personal tastes. However, the switch has now been relocated on the left handlebar control module.The cable-operated back-torque-limiting clutch makes for efficient clutch operation with superb feel, claim Suzuki. And the new Suzuki Advanced Exhaust System (SAES) uses an under-engine chamber and low-slung, large-volume MotoGP-inspired titanium mufflers.

Face-off: Honda vs Zonda!

Two wheels and 178bhp inline-four vs four wheels and 678bhp V12? Bring it on!
Right, we admit part of the reason why we did this story was so we could use that headline. Some other shootouts may be more sensible, but for sheer fun, and for the heck of it, ‘Honda vs Zonda’ is hard to beat…Round 1: The StylingSo let’s start. And to begin with, we have Honda’s latest Fireblade. Launched last year, the new Fireblade’s rounded, bulbous lines were a radical break from the previous model’s sharper, more angular lines. We think the ’Blade looks a bit like its MotoGP cousin, the Honda RC212V, and how bad can that be? Still, most would agree that the current CBR1000RR can’t be compared to an MV Agusta F4 or Ducati 1098 in the looks department…Honda CBR1000RR FirebladeF&F Score: 6/10On to the Pagani then, and what we have here is the Zonda Cinque, a limited edition variant of what’s already one of the most exclusive supercars in the world! Indeed, the Cinque is the road-legal version of the racetrack-only Zonda R, and only five of these have been built. It isn’t beautiful to look at, ‘brutal’ is more like it. And we think those red leather seats are a bit excessive even in a car like this…

Both, the Honda and the Zonda, are performance fiends down to their last bhp...
Round 3: The PerformanceFully fueled and ready to go, the Fireblade weighs a claimed 199 kilos. With 178bhp (about 160bhp at the rear wheel) on tap, the bike accelerates from zero to 160km/h in 5.41 seconds and does the standing quarter-mile (400m) in 10.32 seconds. The Fireblade’s top speed is around 280km/h, which, from a standing start, it reaches in less than 20 seconds. Fast enough for you?Honda CBR1000RR FirebladeF&F Score: 8/10If the ’Blade is quick, the 1200-kilo Zonda Cinque doesn’t potter around either – it accelerates from zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and from zero to 200km/h in 9.8 seconds. Top speed, for Bonneville Salt Flats regulars, is around 350km/h. And with its four super-fat Pirelli P-Zero tyres and full complement of electronic safety features like anti-lock brakes and traction control, the car is probably safer the bike at those triple-digit speeds. In fact, from 200km/h, the Zonda can come to a complete halt in just 4.3 seconds – something the Honda can’t match, despite the fact that the 2009 model is equipped with C-ABS anti-lock brakes.Pagani Zonda CinqueF&F Score: 8/10 So, the Honda scores 22 points out of 30, while the Zonda stands at 21 points. And that’s when we haven’t taken the price into account – US$11,800 for the Honda, US$1.5 million for the Zonda. That’s settled then. Honda beats Zonda…!

Prometheus Solar LLC’s solar-powered electric motorcycle

Below all that plastic, it's a Kaw Ninja 250 with its engine replaced with batteries...Pics: AutoblogGreen
What would you do if your wife had a Kawasaki Ninja 250 which she didn’t use much? Jim Corning, the man who founded Prometheus Solar LLC, was faced with exactly such a situation, and decided to convert the bike into a solar-powered electric vehicle. We suppose some people just won’t be bothered with riding down to the nearest petrol filling station…Being exhibited at the ongoing AltCar Expo, Corning’s electric bike has been designed on the lines of Craig Vetter’s Streamliner from the 1980s. And yeah, it looks as terrible now as it did back then.Anyway, the bike is powered by lithium-ion phosphate batteries, which are connected to a 10HP electric motor. The batteries can be charged using solar panels (which, apparently, Mr Corning has installed in his house…), and are powerful enough to provide a range of about 80km and a top speed of around 110km/h. But don’t laugh. Twenty years down the line, we might all be riding around on contraptions like this…

Peugeot HYmotion3 Compressor concept unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show

The Peugeot HYmotion3 Compressor concept, the coolest trike we've seen in a long time...!
For those who miss the BMW C1, Peugeot have designed the all-new HYmotion3 Compressor concept, a two-seater trike that features Peugeot’s ‘HYmotion’ hybrid/petrol technology.With its glass roof and three wheels, the HYmotion3 Compressor is a car/scooter hybrid that’s fitted with 3kW electric motors in each of its two front wheels, and a supercharged, 20bhp, 125cc petrol engine that drives the single rear wheel. The HYmotion3 can be ridden in electric-only mode, petrol engine only mode, or hybrid three-wheel-drive mode. The HYmotion3 Compressor also gets stop-start, probably the first non-car application of this technology anywhere in the world.

Very sophisticated, very high-tech and proof that 'environment friendly' doesn't have to be boring
Two aluminium roll-over bars support the HYmotion3’s glass bubble roof, which provides a reasonable amount of weather protection to the trike’s occupants. There’s a rear-view camera in there, by-wire controls for everything, parallelogram type front suspension (which allows the front wheels to tilt) with a transversely mounted damper at its centre, tubular steel chassis, anti-lock brakes and a regenerative braking system that charges the batteries which power the dual electric motors.The HYmotion3 will accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 11.2 seconds, do the standing quarter-mile (400m) in 17.6 seconds and is capable of hitting a top speed of 110km/h. Sure, it’s no road-rocket, but the numbers indicate that this trike should have enough performance for the city and it should be way more fun (and easier to park) than most cars. For us, this smart little three-wheeler from Peugeot proves that ‘hybrid’ and ‘environment friendly’ doesn’t necessarily have to be boring…