A 32-year-old Spanish automotive designer and a partner plan to relaunch the historic Bultaco motorcycle brand with the release of a modern 450cc motocross bike with retro-modern styling taken from the beautiful 1970′s-era Pursangs. Jim Palau-Ribes and partner Roger Gubert have been working on the project for seven years and hope to build a prototype [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Industry'
Thinking differently: The future is coming
December 10th, 2008 · No Comments · Industry, Politics of Riding, Technology
This is only tangentially about motorcycles, and only in the sense that it points to how the world of the future will work. But it’s an important insight into our future. This NYTimes editorial by Thomas Friedman (author of “The World is Flat” and “The Lexus and the Olive Tree”) is about a new kind [...]
Tags: community·future·RenewableEnergy
New patent filed by KTM
December 4th, 2008 · No Comments · Industry, Technology
Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM has filed patents for a new, 2-wheel-drive, hybrid motorcycle. Following KTM’s announcement of their all-electric zero-emissions bike, which is planned for production by 2010, this hybrid features an internal combustion engine driving the rear wheel with an electric motor driving the front wheel. I don’t know exactly how it works, but [...]
Tags: electricbikes·future·KTM·patents
2008 AMA Congress remains ineffectual
November 24th, 2008 · No Comments · Industry, Politics of Riding
There is a very disturbing letter in the upcoming (November 26, 2008, Issue #47) edition of Cycle News from AMA member Jerry Fouts. Jerry is the ATV Congressman for District 36 and attended the 2008 Congress. I have long wondered just how effective the AMA Congress really is at effecting change in the organization. Here’s [...]
Tags: AMA
Dualsport M/C sales up 30 percent over 2007
November 21st, 2008 · No Comments · Industry
This L.A. Times story, “Women drive increase in sales of motorcycles, survey shows” out yesterday quotes the new Motorcycle Industry Council 2008 owner survey with some interesting statistics: Sales of cruisers, sport bikes, tourers and off-highway or dirt models are all down in 2008 compared with last year, but scooters and dual sports (bikes that [...]
Tags: dualsport·motorcyclesales
What permanent indoor facilities mean for MX
November 2nd, 2008 · No Comments · Industry, Racing
The Boston Globe Online today is reporting that a new, indoor MX facility has been approved in Bellingham, southwest of Boston. R. J. Cobb Land Clearing Inc. of Bellingham has received approval to construct a 68,400 sq. ft. enclosed facility near I-495. To date, Supercross has remained the domain of professional racers because there are [...]
MediaZone closes Moto channel
October 29th, 2008 · No Comments · Events, Industry, Racing
Last week I got email notification that MediaZone is closing their Moto Channel. This is a big disappointment to me, as I just signed up for a 1-year subscription when I watched the MXdN on live video. MediaZone will refund my subscription fee on a pro-rated basis, but the money isn’t really the problem. I’m [...]
Monster Mountain MX Park for sale
October 8th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Industry, Racing
The following was posted on RacerX today: Monster Mountain MX Park, one of the premier facilities in the Southeast, is for sale. Built into the beautiful rolling hills of Central Alabama by MX legend Mark Barnett and Glen Bates, the facility offers MX, Lighted SX, GP, Pit Bike, and seven miles of trails spread over [...]
The right broadcast model for motocross
October 5th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Industry, Racing
Last weekend I got up early (too early, it turns out) to watch the MXdN live video feed via MediaZone. I really enjoyed it — well worth the $24.99 I paid for a year’s subscription that also buys me full coverage of the 2009 GP season and access to the archives for 2005–2008. If you [...]
LIveNation sells Supercross with Motor Sports division
September 10th, 2008 · No Comments · Industry, Racing
No surprise here as Live Nation has sold off its entire motorsports division to Feld Entertainment in a deal valued at $205 million. The sale is the latest step in Live Nation’s current corporate gin rummy hand — the predictable, cyclical business of first acquiring unrelated businesses to “leverage synergy for increased profits and growth” [...]
Tags: Feld·LiveNation·SX
