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Mugen’s E.Rex Electric Dirt Bike Is Pretty Similar to Honda’s CR Electric

Similar But Not the Same

Mugen revealed an updated version of its E.Rex electric dirtbike at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show. We reported on the electric superbike Mugen showed off there. We thought it’d be best to highlight the E.Rex, too. The E.Rex appears to share much of its powertrain with the Honda CR Electric that debuted at the same show. Seeing as how Mugen and Honda are closely tied together this isn’t very shocking.

The Mugen bike may have similar bones to the Honda, but the styling and aerodynamic elements are different than Big Red’s bike. As MoreBikes points out, the Mugen E.Rex takes cues from the Shinden Hachi electric superbike whereas Honda turns to its CRF line.

Mugen E.Rex

Unfortunately, Mugen didn’t release technical specs for the bike, so all I have to go off of are the images floating around the web. The bike gets some knobby Dunlop tires, Showa front suspension, and the same style twin-spar aluminum frame as Honda’s machine.

Mugen is known for its Shinden superbike, among other things, so it will be interesting to see if the E.Rex ends up racing. I wouldn’t put it past the team to enter it into some hardcore off-road races down the line to show just how impressive this machine is.

I’ll keep an eye out for technical specifications in the future. I’d be interested to know the power figures for the E.Rex’s powertrain. It looks different than the previous prototype, and that could mean Mugen has made some leaps forward with the technology.

 

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Aprilia Aprilia RSV4 Aprilia RSV4 X Gear Reviews Motorcycle News Other Motorcycle Blogs Web Bike World

The Limited-Edition Aprilia RSV4 X Takes Things Up a Notch

More Extreme, More Awesome

I kind of can’t believe it’s been 10 years since Aprilia introduced the RSV4. To commemorate the superbike, the company has decided to put out a limited-edition version of the motorcycle that is a truly dominant force. It takes what the RSV4 is and ups the ante.

During the 2019 Aprilia All Stars event at Mugello, Aprilia took the wraps off its new bike. Max Biaggi, the former WSBK and 250cc world champion, hustled the motorcycle around the track. The motorcycle is a true track monster. Thanks to numerous updates.

Aprilia started with the bike’s weight. It was able to reduce weight considerably by adding in more carbon fiber and aluminum. The fairing, fuel tank, brake and clutch levers, brake and engine pump guards, foot pegs, and more have all been lightened to make the bike faster. The Marchesini forged magnesium wheels also have an impact on weight. According to MoreBikes, Aprilia was able to trim it down to about 364 pounds. 

Aprilia RSV4 X

As far as the engine goes, the Aprilia RSV4 X gets a 1,100cc V4 that’s been more than breathed on by Aprilia Racing. The team hand assembled the engine and fine-tuned it so it puts out 225 hp. The engine gets an Akrapovic exhaust system, MotoGP-spec air filter, and an ECU map specifically crafted for racing.

The gearbox is an Aprilia No Neutral one, meaning neutral is all the way at the bottom so that the shifts are quicker and smoother. The bike also gets some Brembo GP4-MS calipers and steel rotors with T-Drive technology.

Aprilia will make only 10 of the bikes to commemorate the RSV4 superbike. The new RSV4 X will cost 39,900 Euros, which is a little over $45,100. You can try to reserve the bike during the second half of April at Aprilia’s website.

 

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arlen ness Custom Motorcycles Gear Reviews Motorcycle News Other Motorcycle Blogs Web Bike World

The Motorcycling World Loses an Icon, Arlen Ness Dies at 79

The Custom Motorcycle Scene Will Never be the Same

If there’s one man who has defined the custom motorcycle scene for decades, it was Arlen Ness. Ness passed away on March 22nd. He was 79 years old. He leaves behind a rich legacy and some seriously awesome custom motorcycles. Ness was often called The King of Custom Motorcycles. While his style of custom bike might not be your favorite, there’s no denying these bikes stand out and his influence was felt by everyone in the industry. 

Ness had a shop in Dublin, California, where he turned out some of the coolest bikes ever seen. He also had a relationship with Victory Motorcycles. He built special editions of the models that helped boost the brand to the status it enjoyed at its peak.

In 2016, Ness earned the Sturgis Lifetime Achievement Award. He was known and adored by thousands of riders across the country and around the world. Ness is survived by his wife Beverly and his kids and grandkids. Two of his sons are also well-known motorcycle builders, so while Ness has gone to that great highway in the sky, he’ll live on through them and the thousands of people his work touched throughout his lifetime.

 

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electric motorcycles Gear Reviews Motorcycle News Mugen Mugen Shinden Hachi Other Motorcycle Blogs Web Bike World

The Mugen Shinden Hachi Is Ready for Isle of Man TT

An Electric Speed Demon Debuts In Japan

At the Toko Motorcycle Show, Mugen debuted the latest iteration of its Shinden electric superbike. The company named the bike, now in its eighth version, Mugen Shinden Hachi. The previous version raced at the Isle of Man TT, and this bike will do the same.

Mugen hasn’t made major changes to the powertrain of the motorcycle. However, the superbike’s aerodynamics received some serious enhancements.

According to Asphalt and Rubber, the biggest changes appear at the front air intake and the tail section of the motorcycle. Both feature a new design that should let air slip around them more quickly and effortlessly.

The electric motor putting out the power will remain the same. With that said, Asphalt and Rubber suggests the bike will benefit from improved battery technology. That paired with the improved aerodynamics should help the bike be the leader in the TT Zero segment of the race.

Piloting the Mugen superbike in the race will be a team headlined by John McGuinness and Michael Rutter. The two men and the rest of the team know the Mugen Shinden well, and should be able to lead the bike to success at the Isle of Man.

 

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Gear Reviews Honda Honda CR electric prototype Motorcycle News Other Motorcycle Blogs Web Bike World

Honda Reveals Electric Dirt Bike Prototype

Could This Change Everything?

Honda is a dominant force in the motorcycle world. It’s changed the course of the industry in the past, and now I wonder if they’re about to do it again. Meet the Honda CR Electric prototype. The publication Moto-Station recently shared some images of the bike at a Honda presentation at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show.

While there aren’t many details to speak of at all at this point in the game, Honda stated it’s a 250cc equivalent. The bike looks a lot like its gas-powered counterparts. It utilizes an aluminum twin-spar frame design. To that, Honda added Showa suspension and some Dunlop tires that are properly knobby for a dirtbike.

In addition to the images included above and below. There’s also this short video. Unfortunately, most of it is of the sheet that’s covering the bike, but it does give you an additional view of the motorcycle.

As Asphalt and Rubber notes, the company has more or less built its reputation on the back of the four-stroke engine, so for it to make the electric transition, even in a prototype like this, is a big move. The bike might not be designed for the masses, but you can bet Honda has its sights set high. 

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the equivalent of the Honda Super Cub but for electric motorcycles come from Honda at some point down the road. At this point, the company appears to be experimenting with off-road bikes, and that’s smart. The instant torque and twist-to-go simplicity of an electric motorcycle could serve riders well.

Honda CR electric prototype

 

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2020 Suzuki Katana Gear Reviews Motorcycle News Other Motorcycle Blogs Suzuki Web Bike World

What the First Reviews Say About the 2020 Suzuki Katana

The Consensus Is Pretty Positive

Suzuki has revived the Katana name and added it to a new bike that pays homage to the old one in the styling department. It’s a unique blend of modern styling and design with somewhat retro aesthetics. Honda is doing the same thing with its Neo Cafe Racer line, and now Suzuki is tapping into its heritage. Smart move Suzuki.

The bike gets a 999cc 2005-2008-generation GSX-R1000 engine. That engine makes 150 hp and nearly 80 lb-ft of torque. Is that the most out there? No, but it’s better than many of the other neo-retro bikes and should make it a true contender in the performance department.

2020 Suzuki Katana

Recently, Suzuki had a bunch of moto-journalists out to review the bike in Japan. We thought it’d be smart to showcase some of those opinions together so you can see what some of the top publications are saying. Without further ado, here’s a quick look:

Motorcyclist

“The 2020 Katana is a testament to tradition and Suzuki’s never-ending goal of assembling the perfectly balanced streetbike. Despite its lacking some of the more modern and high-end componentry of its rivals, there’s no denying the polished overall riding experience and careful attention to detail.” – Adam Waheed 

Motorcycle.com

“At the end of the day, the new Katana is largely about style, and if it knocks your socks off, you won’t mind its abrupt throttle or a little bit of vibration. You might grow to think of its blemishes as endearing. Art is supposed to hurt a little.” – John Burns

MC News (Australia)

“To be honest the bike doesn’t really need more grunt, but I really wish that Suzuki had made this bike just that little more special by stretching it towards that 1074cc of the original GSX1100SZ.” – Trevor Hedge

Ultimate Motorcycling

“Suzuki nailed it; the Katana unites an already respected performance-breed engine with ergonomics that are tame enough for everyday commuting, yet ready for serious sport riding or sport touring.” – Ron Lieback

It would seem that pretty much everyone had the same idea. Suzuki managed to blend the ethos of the old bike into a new model with good but not amazing performance. It’s a sporty but not too hardcore of a bike, and it sounds like Suzuki could have a winner on its hands if the price isn’t too high.

 

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Dues Ex Machina’s New Film Trailer Is Exactly What We Expected

Custom Bikes, Surf Boards, and Bros

Dues Ex Machina is a postmodernist, hipster’s wet dream. It’s an awesome custom bike shop, a surf shop, a cafe, a gear and apparel seller, and now it’s put out a film. Based in Los Angles, California, the company made a movie that’s perfectly “on brand,” so to speak. It’s full of surfer bros, killer bikes, and cool old vehicles all on a road trip.

The film is called Death Rides a Horse, which is a tribute of sorts (blatant ripoff of the name) of a late ’60s Western movie starring Lee Van Cleef, John Philip Law, and Mario Brega. The point of Dues’ film is as ambiguous as the company itself pretends to be. I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s clear that it’ll be a weird and likely wild romp through California and down to Baja to ride around.

As much as I want to hate on it, the film looks genuinely cool. It’s like everything else the company does. It’s well designed. It fakes like it’s not meant to sell you something, but in reality, it’s just one of the best ways for Dues Ex Machina to continue marketing overpriced clothes, gear, and everything else.

Will I watch the full film? Probably. The company filled it with eye candy. It will likely inspire me and several others to go riding a little more, go exploring a little more often, and bring your friends into the loop. For that, I thank Dues Ex Machina, even if a part of me wants to pretend it doesn’t exist.

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Gear Reviews Motorcycle News Other Motorcycle Blogs Triumph Triumph Trident Web Bike World

Could Triumph Be Working On an Electric Trident?

The Resurgence of an Icon as an Electric

The Triumph Trident was a high-performance model that helped define the company during the late ’60s and early ’70s. The bike is well-loved by those that remember it. Now it seems there could be a new Trident on its way. According to MoreBikes, there’s a rumor going around of Triumph working on a new Trident, and it’s powered by electricity. This could be awesome.

Granted, the rumor from MoreBikes is that there’s a patent for the design floating around out there. The publication stated it has yet to hunt down the patent. I also failed to locate this patent, so there’s the possibility that this is all bunk. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if it were true. More major names will get into making electric bikes in the future, and it would be smart to bring back familiar names with the modern tech. It would give people some familiarity with an otherwise alien concept.

High-Performance Electric Bikes?

If the rumors prove true, the Trident would likely be a high-performance variant to connect with the old bike. One that Triumph would likely sell for a high price. That’s unfortunate, but the good news is that it would likely be one of the fastest motorcycles around, which would be awesome.

MoreBikes actually suggests that the Trident name would be an electric spin-off brand rather than a specific model. That’s honestly not a bad idea. It would allow Triumph to make several different electric bikes under the Trident name. It could be smart to segment like that.

However, I wonder how that would shake out long term. It brings up a lot of questions. Would Triumph have any electric bikes or would they all fall under the Trident name? How many bikes will fit in there? Will Trident be a sub-brand of Triumph or stand alone?

As I said, it could be total crap, but it’s interesting to think about. There’s room for Triumph to have electric bikes in its lineup. If the company wants to call all its electric bikes Tridents that’s fine, but it could complicate things down the line. I’m interested to see how this develops.

 

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adventure bike Gear Reviews Motorcycle News Other Motorcycle Blogs Royal Enfield Royal Enfield Himalayan Web Bike World

Royal Enfield Himalayan Gets North American Updates

ABS and a New Color Are Coming Stateside

The Royal Enfield Himalayan is the well-received little adventure bike that I’m super thrilled to see sold in North America. The company decided to make some updates to the North American version of the bike recently. The Himalayan now comes with standard ABS. It also gains a new color.

Royal Enfield rolled these updates out on the bike in India last year according to ADV Pulse. The updates must have proved to make sense if the company decided to bring them to the U.S. As of yet, no other updates will come to the bike.

The standard ABS is the most notable update. It’s a dual-channel-ABS system, which means there are two different sensors—one for each wheel. It is always on. Snow and Granite have been the color options for the bike, but now there’s a third called Sleet. It blends shades of white and gray together into a blocky camouflage-like graphic on various parts of the motorcycle. Snow and Granite will still be offered, too.

The heart of the Himalayan will not change. The bike retains the same 411cc SOHC fuel-injected engine that it has always had. It puts out a respectable but not amazing 25 hp and 26 lb-ft of torque. There were some rumors floating around that Royal Enfield would go bigger with the engine, but that hasn’t happened yet. The little billy-goat of a bike should be mostly unchanged with only these two small updates coming.

I see that as a good thing. Royal Enfield has a unique bike in the Himalayan. While the company needs to continue building on it, there’s still a lot of work that can be done getting the current bike out into the market. At this point, I see no serious need to start changing it.

 

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Gear Reviews Lazareth Lazareth La Moto Volante Motorcycle News Other Motorcycle Blogs Web Bike World

Lazareth LMV 496 La Moto Volante Rides and Flies

By Road or Air La Moto Volante Will Get You There

Have you ever been riding along and got stuck behind a lot of traffic? That’s where a flying motorcycle would come in handy. Well, now there’s the Lazareth LMV 496 La Moto Volante, which is “the flying motorcycle” in French. It’s a bike that can transform from a motorcycle into a flying vehicle. 

Unlike Jetpack Aviation’s Speeder we recently reported on La Moto Volante uses 96,000-rpm JetCat jet turbine in each wheel hub. This allows the wheels to act as the mechanism that propels the vehicle into the sky. The wheels have to move from their upright orientation to a horizontal one in a slow-mo Transformer-ish way. Watch the video below to get an idea of what I mean.

The jets need about 60 seconds to heat up before launch. At the moment the bike only gets a few feet off the ground. The company doesn’t have a completely functioning machine as of yet. They just recently did a test run that allowed the bike to hover at one meter (3.3 feet) above a platform. Lazareth tethered down the machine for safety.

With that said, it definitely works. Now, all Lazareth has to do is fine tune the machine to make it into the vehicle that people have been seeking for decades. According to New Atlas, the company plans to start accepting pre-orders after a showcase of the product in October of this year. Pre-orders won’t go cheap. The company plans to ask for about $560,000. Only the super rich will be able to afford La Moto Volante.

However, this could be the start of a very cool movement in the motorcycle industry. This is the second flying motorcycle concept we’ve seen recently with the Jetpack Aviations Speeder being the first. Both seem to show the technology is finally here. Now it’s just a matter of making it actually usable, affordable, and legal.

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