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2010 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 |
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Written by Buks Saayman
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Friday, 26 February 2010 23:09 |
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 After much anticipation from a global adventure biking audience, Yamaha lifted the covers off its all new 1200cc Super Tenere at the Turkish Motoplus Motorcycle Show in Istanbul on the 25th February 2010.
Yamaha began with a clean sheet and a clear vision to design the Super Ténéré - the intelligent adventure travel bike. They started with a big, powerful engine – using an inline 2-cylinder layout to keep the bike compac t and narrow – and a 270-degree crank for superb feel at the throttle. They kept the mass low and central for light, agile handling from walking pace on a rocky trail to attack velocity in the twisties. They built it tough, with spoked rims and inbuilt engine protection for off road adventures. They made it comfortable and practical for long-haul touring. And they loaded it with the latest in rider assist technology for exceptional safety and confidence.
Features include: - an adjustable seat height for optimum rider comfort,
- Yamaha Chip Control-Technology (YCC-T) with three stage traction control that can be turned off when a little rear wheel steering is required,
- fully adjustable front and rear suspension,
- ABS that predicts when wheels are about to lose traction and controls it perfectly, whist the intelligent unified brake system allows the rider to chose whether he wishes to activate both front and rear brakes by pulling the front brake lever first, or in the event of required individual braking, by applying the rear brake before the front brake the unified brake system is disabled,
- Tough, spokes tubeless rims,
- Shaft driven, two cylinder inline engine with a 270° crank,
- Mass kept low and central for optimal handling both on and off road.
Look out for the Yamaha Super Tenere on our shores soon. | Engine type: | liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, Forward-inclined parallel 2-cylinder, 4-valve, fuel injected, twin spark engine | | Displacement: | 1199 cc | | Bore x stroke: | 98 x 79.5 mm | | Compression ratio: | 11.0 : 1 | | Maximum power: | 80.9kW (110PS) @7,250rpm | | Maximum torque: | 114.1 Nm(11.6kgf+m) @6,000 rpm | | Lubrication system: | Dry sump, oil tank in crankcase | | Carburettor: | Fuel injection | | Clutch type: | Wet, multiple-disc coil spring | | Ignition system: | Twin spark | | Starter system: | Electric | | Transmission system: | Constant mesh, 6-speed | | Final transmission: | Shaft | | Fuel tank capacity: | 23 L | | Oil tank capacity: | 4.2 L | | Chassis: | Steel tube backbone | | Front suspension system: | Telescopic forks | | Front travel: | 190 mm | | Rear suspension system: | Monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound damping | | Rear travel: | 190 mm | | Caster angle | 28° | | Trail | 125mm | | Front brake: | Hydraulic Twin Ø 310 mm wave discs | | Rear brake: | Hydraulic Single Ø 282 mm wave disc | | Front tyre: | 110/80?19M/C?59V | | Rear tyre: | 150/70?17M/C?69V | | Length (mm): | 2,250 mm | | Width (mm): | 980 mm | | Height (mm): | Min?1,410 mm / Max?1,440 mm | | Seat height (mm): | Adjustable 845-870 mm | | Wheel base (mm): | 1,540 mm | | Minimum ground clearance (mm): | 205 mm | | Service weight (kg) | 261 kg | |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 27 February 2010 06:47 |
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2009 Honda CBX250 Twister |
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Written by Christoff Bester
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Monday, 08 February 2010 18:32 |
Honda's CBX-range has been around for quite some time now and you can definitely spot some similarities between the latest CBX250 Twister and the earlier models manufactured since the 70's. There are however, a few things that make this bike look and feel way more modern than its predecessors. The bike's design is much more streamlined with some plastic bits here and there to shed some weight without making it look cheap in any way. Once you're on the bike the modern styling becomes more striking when looking down towards the instrument panel. Speedometer on the left, rev-counter on the right and a LCD screen smack in the middle of the two displaying all the necessary information like the odometer, trip meter and digital clock. Turn the key and the impressive start-up sequence makes you feel like you are sitting on a modern sports bike. 
The 249cc air-cooled, dual overhead cam, single cylinder motor provides more than enough grunt (17.5 kw @ 8000rpm and 24Nm @ 6000rpm) to travel in sixth gear all day long. Climbing a steady hill at a 100km/h, in sixth, with the engine running at 7000rpm, there are even some more spare horses ready to be unleashed. There is no doubt in my mind that this little 250 is capable of travelling comfortably at the national speed limit, which is 120km/h. Overall performance is good, acceleration is smooth through all the gears and the motor never seems unwilling. The well set-up suspension in combination with the standard 17 inch aluminium wheels wrapped in 100/80-R17 front- and 130/70-R17 rear tyres makes for excellent handling through the bends, never making you feel as if you're pushing it too hard. Braking power is also more than adequate thanks to the disc brakes all-round. 
Weighing in at only 135kg's dry, the Twister is perfect for manoeuvring through traffic and parking it in those spots that the other road users can't. With its 16.5 litre fuel tank and excellent fuel consumption this bike should be a great everyday commuter.
Whether you're a new rider, or even an old hand, and you need something for daily commuting or for doing some trouble-free, effortless Sunday cruises with, the CBX250 Twister will meet your every need. And the best thing of all - you know the bike will just keep on going for ever.
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Last Updated on Monday, 08 February 2010 18:39 |
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2010 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle |
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Written by Buks Saayman
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Sunday, 22 November 2009 08:18 |
 After about three weeks worth of horrible weather, I finally had a perfect day to drive down to the local Harley-Davidson shop and get my hands on the new 2010 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle. I absolutely love the styling, HD opted to integrate the front indicators into the mirrors, at the rear your tail light is integrated into the fender, this creates an uncluttered look from the front and rear of the bike. HD’s website describes the exhausts as “Satin chrome, dual side exhaust system with turnouts”, to me they just look plain awesome. Instrumentation consists of a fuel gauge, speedo with an odo and a rev-counter. The top digits are a bit difficult to read in direct sunlight otherwise I cannot fault this interstellar cruiser’s cockpit. I really love the keyless ignition, you have a disc that you just keep in your pocket and when you’re on the bike simply fire it up. Walk more than 10 feet away from it, and the security system engages. If anyone tries to tamper with it, the alarm will sound.  Seat height is around 650mm and the first thing you notice after mounting the beast, is how much you have to lean forward to reach the handlebars. I always thought that I have long arms, but today I had to ride with my arms fully extended just to keep a firm grip. Obviously you can shift your bum a bit to the front, but with the raw accelerating power of the V-Rod Muscle you soon find yourself pinned to the back of the seat with only the small backrest keeping you in place. This is thanks to a 122bhp, liquid-cooled, Revolution, 60° V-Twin engine with a 1250cc displacement. The V-Rod is aptly named ‘Muscle’. The motor just keeps on going. Redline is at 9000rpm, but I doubt if anyone will have the guts or the need to exploit that. Two-up, uphill, in top gear, 120km/h, she ticks just shy of 4500rpm with loads more power instantly available. One would expect a bike of this size to handle clumsily. The Muscle weighs in at 303kg and total length is 2397mm. At the first bend I was a bit apprehensive and took it easy, ground clearance is 127mm and more  than enough to ensure a decent lean-angle. Even with my arms fully extended to reach the grips, the bike handled superbly. There is no need to throw it into a turn, no need to manhandle the bike. She effortlessly glides wherever you point the front wheel. The breaks are decent and so is the suspension, eating up any imperfection in the road with relative ease. The exhaust note is quite muted, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There is almost zero vibration through the entire bike, which makes not only makes your mirrors more stable, but reduces fatigue on long distances. The 2010 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle is my new favourite hooligan bike. The exclusivity of owning a piece of HD engineering, combined with the awesome power of the engine, and the extreme, almost futuristic looks, make for a total package that is hard to beat. This bike would appeal to pretty much anyone. I’m so confident you’ll like it, that if you take it for a test-ride and afterwards you’re not ready to sign the cheque, I’ll eat my socks.
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Last Updated on Saturday, 28 November 2009 05:37 |
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