All Entries Tagged With: "cool bikes"
Brammo Empulse, A 100-Mph Electric Bike
Want an electric motorcycle with the muscle to stand up to its powerful gas counterparts? Far from the cute and charming style long associated with battery-powered bikes, the Brammo Empulse is a beastly two-wheeler that’s as burly as they come, packing some serious power to boot.
Boasting “a more efficient battery, a more efficient controller [and] a more efficient motor,” the vehicle claims to reach speeds of up to 100 mph, easily besting the company’s previous consumer electric bike, the 60-mph Brammo Enertia. Not only is it fast, the top model averages a generous 100 miles of driving range on a single charge too, making it a functional everyday commuter apart from being a sporty street racer.
The Brammo Empulse is powered by a liquid-cooled AC Synchronous motor (a first for production electric bikes), putting out 55bhp and 59 lb/ft of torque. It weighs a light 390 lbs, giving it one of [...]
Bendy Bike Can Wrap Its Frame Around Poles
Bicycles are great. Folding bikes, even better. Now, a young designer is about to add a third type that just blows the mind: the Bendy Bike, a bicycle with a flexible frame that you can wrap around a pole.
Created by 21-year old Kevin Scott, the bike lets you do away with using a chain to secure it. It’s not as malleable as to be bound into a knot (which would have been glorious), the body does manage to flex enough for the front and rear wheels to almost meet in the same spot.
The Bendy Bike uses segmented sections in place of the top and down tubes, allowing it to curve for wrapping around lampposts and poles. Since commuting on a swaying bike would be impossible, a ratchet mechanism installed on the seat tube lets you crank the segments tight, creating a rigid frame for riding.
While it eliminates the use of [...]
Attention-Grabber: 2010 Puma Bikes
Like your bicycles with a little added flair? Try busting your crotch on the 2010 Puma Bikes, a stylish line of two-wheeled pedal-pushers for city travel.
While emblazoned by the sports company’s brand, the bikes are actually built by Danish makers Biomega, who are best known for engaging international designers outside of the industry to help fashion their rides. With a range spanning models that combine different aspects of BMXs, cruisers, folding bikes and fixies, it represents one of the most stylish-looking bicycle lines currently available.
Available in various colors and configurations, the 2010 Puma Bikes let you choose from around 120 different variations. They consist of five basic styles:
Disko. Intended to simplify the commuting process, it features a locking mechanism that’s integrated right into the frame and a semi-folding capability for easy entry into public transportation.
Funk. Designed for heavy city use, it combines the design of both a city bike and [...]
Superbike Envy: Ducati 1198 R Corse Special Edition
Want to own a bike that’s bound to be celebrated as a classic by future enthusiasts in the year 2039? Stamp you crotch on a Ducati 1198 R Corse Special Edition, the motorcycle manufacturer’s top of the line model for 2010.
Bound to catch your eye, steal your heart and own your soul, the red, white and black superbike is a special edition of the 1198, adding mostly cosmetic changes that make the sophisticated platform even more striking. Speed demons need not be sad – it does come with a race kit (strcitly for track use) that adds 102dB carbon fiber mufflers by Termignioni and a dedicated ECU, raising the power output from 170 to 186 bhp.
The 1198 R Corse superbike has a tubular steel Trellis frame with a wheelbase of 56.3 inches. Engine is a big bore Desmo 90° L-Twin with 1198.4 cc displacement and 97 [...]
Xylon Bikes Hand-Builds Frames From Timber
Steel is cool, but wood has a timeless quality that just takes your breath away. Even on a bike. Xylon Bikes makes a point of it with their gorgeous wooden frames, which combine a clean, modern design with funky geometric shapes.
Bicycle frames made from wood? Yes, indeed. Not that they will perform better than aluminum or steel, but the sheer uniqueness of one should be reason enough to attract attention unto themselves. They’re not just slabs of timber randomly cut either – the frames are designed to provide as much riding balance as they do a highly-original style.
Xylon Bikes currently have four models in their line – Cell, Oll, Klassic and Sinergia. Each frame is hand-built using aeronautical-grade plywood, seasoned hardwoods, art adhesives and metal fasteners (both aluminum and stainless steel). The designs each bring a different personality and function to the table. [...]
Magpul Ronin: The Buell 1125R Redesigned
What happens to a Buell 1125R when a company who makes firearm accessories decides to customize it? It turns into the Magpul Ronin, which looks like the kind of motorcycle your favorite costumed supervillain would ride while wreaking havoc throughout the city.
According to the Colorado-based company, they were thrilled when they first heard that Buell was working on a water-cooled superbike. Being big motorcycle fans, they looked forward to the 1125R’s release, but felt deeply disappointed with both the way it looked and the way it worked. Basically, they loved the technology, but felt that the design fell short. Knowing how much greater it could have been, the company decided to buy a bunch of the water-cooled bikes at wholesale after Buell shut it doors last year and went to realize their vision for the ride.
The Ronin sheds the original superbike’s bodywork and front-end, replacing it with [...]
Ultimate Road Rage Machine: Scooter With Flamethrower
On a hotness scale of 1 to 10, a 60mph scooter will seldom get past being rated a 6. Unless you equip it to fart deadly flames, that is, just like Lincolnshire resident Colin Fruze did.
A scooter is hardly a scary road rage machine. With this thing in tow, though, you can literally wreak some havoc on the road. Want to side-swipe me? Burn to a crisp, you big fat SUV. Oooh, your Harley is so badass. Boom! Now you’re Ghost Rider.
We’re not sure what kind of moped Colin converted, but it looks lame as all hell. Heck, I’d rate it a 3 on the hotness scale. But once he presses that button on the scooter’s handlebar to activate the rear-facing flamethrower, it immediately drives up to a 10. Blowing flames that can reach 15 feet long on a good day [...]
BMW M Bike: M Stands For…Manual Pedaling?
When luxury automobile manufacturers get into making mechanical rides, it’s hard not to take notice. That’s why the BMW M Bike, a limited-edition pedal-pusher from the German automaker, is getting plenty of attention.
It’s hard to gauge just how well this bike will ride, given that our experience of the company have been mostly relegated to cars and motorcycles. While I doubt this can stand up to your top-of-the-line road bikes, BMW should make up for it with its bevy of shiny parts – highest-quality leather for the seat with a striking red inlay, eye-popping rims and a generally elegant styling.
The 2.9kg BMW M Bike features a BMW-designed all-aluminum frame with a matte anthracite finish, a Manitou Match suspension fork with an 80mm deflection, Shimano SLX gear system boasting a high gear ratio transmission, a fi’zi:k leather saddle and disc brakes. There doesn’t appear to be any direct [...]
FX Mountain Moto Combines Power Of Dirt Racers With Agility Of Mountain Bikes
Bored with your extreme sports lifestyle? Try something new with the FX Mountain Moto, a hybrid dirt bike/mountain bike that professes a whole, new riding experience.
First unveiled to the world back in 2006, the crossover motorcycle creates an entirely new category of two-wheeled vehicles: the mountain motorcycle. Plagued by production delays and an economic recession, the novel ride appears ready for its first trial production run this year, duly tweaked to deliver even better performance.
At its current configuration, the New Zealand-designed FX Mountain Moto weighs a light 125lbs, qualifying it as “the world’s lightest adult-sized dirt bike.” It comes with a 125cc Honda-Jialing engine putting out 9 horses. Available in both auto and manual configurations, it reportedly achieves a gas mileage of 100mpg.
Being a hybrid of two popular categories of two-wheelers, it combines both motorcycle (Fox Racing Shox, Motocross brake set and Excel 19-inch rear rim) and mountain bike (Marzocchi [...]
T-Rex-14RR-Is-Part-Motorcycle, Part-Formula Racer And Completely Awesome
Bringing an unusual combo of frightening speed, future-worthy looks and three wheels, the 2010 Campagna T-Rex 14RR deserves to be on every thrillseeker’s wish list. We’re not exactly sure what it is – Campagna calls it a “pavement predator” while the Department of Transportation calls it a motorcycle. Official names don’t matter, though – you can tell it’s one blisteringly decadent ride.
Clad in a reverse trike-style frame, the T-Rex looks like the unholy union of a supercar and a sportsbike. And that’s exactly what it is. Production actually begins with a stock Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 that’s torn apart and used in various places throughout the Formula-inspired vehicle. The seating position, sport steering and pedal assembly, however, should make you feel like you’re driving an extremely low-profile sportscar.
The 2010 Campagna T-Rex 14RR comes with a 197hp Kawasaki 1400cc engine, mated to a six-speed sequential transmission. It weighs a light 1,040 lbs [...]
Honey, I Stretched The Vespa: The Stretch Scooter
Stretch automobiles usually point towards luxury as a primary benefit. Not this Vespa Stretch Scooter though, which looks to be more trouble than anything else. Think you can wade through traffic with that? Good luck.
Created by Vespa South Africa, the extra-long “family” version of the iconic vehicle looks like two scooters welded together, with the rear of one and the front of the other chopped off before being paired. The company says it can take up to four people. From the looks of it, the seating appears adequate, even comfortable. Heck, it looks twice as fun as a regular scooter. Driving it, however, could be another matter entirely.
Those sharp corner turns you so easily manage on your two-wheeled Italian scooter? Forget about it. Squeezing in between three cars? Oops…the rear passenger’s leg just hit that Dodge Ram’s bumper. Way cool.
Built as a one-off special for the company’s marketing campaigns (yep, [...]
Uno Goes From Unicycle To Bike As Soon As You Hit High Speeds
The Uno, a parallel-wheeled, self-balancing unicycle, was one of the hottest inventions of last year. It’s so good, in fact, that its inventor – MIT sophomore Ben Gulak – already managed to round up $1 million in investments.
Now continuing development under the banner of the newly-founded BPG Motors, the Uno is undergoing a major change. Apart from working as a two-wheeled unicycle, it can now automatically reorient itself as a bike with both front and rear wheels.
Why the sudden change? According to Gulak, the original design called for the rider to accelerate by leaning forward. While no untoward incidents were caused by this method, the potential for falling over (especially on busy, uneven roads) increased as the vehicle ran beyond 12mph. Since the unicycle was designed to go up to 40mph, they needed to find a way to make it safer.
Thus, the bold decision to completely overhaul the chassis. While [...]
Vintage BMW Bikes From Willy Neutkens’ Collection
Last weekend saw the world’s largest private BMW motorcycle collection go to bidding. Auction firm Bonhams presided over the sale which took Willy Neutkens’ ensemble of 94 of the most important BMW bikes in history to the arms of their new proud owners. Fittingly, the bikes took floor space at the BMW Museum in Munich.
Considered a legendary figure among BMW collectors, the recently-deceased Neutkens (1925 – 2008) is in the Guinness Book of Records for owning the most vehicles of a single make, having amassed an unprecedented roster in his name. After his death, the remaining Nutkens family decided to find new homes for the beloved rides.
Boasting a varied assembly of bikes made between the 20s and the 90s (beginning with the first BMW R32 from 1923 to a R1000R from 1996), it’s a downright impressive list that should leave vintage motoring fans drooling at the lot. According to Bonhams, [...]
CoBi-7 Conference Bike Lets You Hit The Road While Socializing
Apparently available since the mid-nineties, the Conference Bike (officially called the CoBi-7) is easily one of the oddest pedal-pushing contraptions I’ve seen. If you thought having two people share the load on a Tandem Bike was rad, then you’ll realize how crappy that is when this “group” bike rolls in front of you with over half a dozen bodies propelling it.
Fitted with seven seats and seven sets of pedals arranged in a circle, each person’s pedalling contributes to the bike’s overall push. Do note that only one of the seven (the guy in the furthermost seat) can drive and trigger the brakes, since letting everyone steer the thing is only likely to end in disaster.
Originally designed in the mid-nineties by American artist and inventor Eric Staller, the Conference Bike is actually a tricycle that runs on four wheels (I know, you’re confused too). It’s a trike that’s called a “bike” [...]
Zeth Stretched Cruiser Now Up For Sale To One Lucky Long-Limbed Cyclist
Long-limbed cyclists, rejoice! The Zeth Stretched Cruiser’s lanky, overstretched frame might just be what you need to comfortably pedal for once in your life. At least, that’s what I’m guessing.
Creator Vanguard Designs doesn’t exactly market it for the excessively-limbed, but it’s always what I imagined Yao Ming would hit Beijing’s streets with before he was killing it with eight figure paydays from the NBA. For the regularly-sized folks, however, I wouldn’t wish its ergonomics on my own worst enemy.
The Zeth Stretched Cruiser’s unusual, sweeping looks and matte black scheme make it hard for me to peel my eyes off. Staring at it reminds me of the first time I saw an ultra-long lorry in the middle of nowhere – I kept thinking, “There’s no way I can drive that thing, but I really want to.”
Hand-crafted by Vanguard’s team in San Diego, the pedal-pushing cruiser roamed Italian streets last year for [...]
Electric Tandem Bike Powered By Pedal-Pushing Robot
Want to ride a tandem bicycle but can’t find a partner? That wasn’t exactly the motivation behind Joules, but the pedal-pushing, tandem-biking robot should easily make the grade.
According to the creator, who goes by the totally non-anonymous name of Chris, the robotic cyclist was conceived after a challenge was issued by his son, a former bike pro. The idea was to build an electric tandem that is powered by actually pumping the pedals, pushing the ride both around city streets and up inclines all by itself. Of course, since it’s a tandem, you can add your own pedaling efforts, but why bother?
Joules, who sits on the stoker seat and is decked like a humanoid rider, is literally the electric bike’s drive system, working its human-proportional legs to get those wheels a-turnin’. The rear-riding robot was built using 0.25-inch thick 6061 aluminum for majority of its body parts, most of which [...]
