Hey buddy! Watch out for that car! “Bang, Crash……wipe out!” Oops, guess this motor cycle wheelie was too busy basking in his own glory to notice the car he was about to crash into. Although it was a fairly graceful plunge, we hope he’s ok. Yikes! -Click “Read More…” below to see the video
I didn’t know some men’s understanding of romantic gestures was this bad, but if you’re planning on buying your girlfriend or future fiancée a ring from Tirering and you value your life, please think again. The description on these “tire” rings, which feature different tire designs from motorcycles, mountain bikes and cars, describe these accessories as reminders that you have a passion. It’s a fun idea for the car enthusiast, but we’re sure some nut job will use it to propose to his girl. For the sake of humanity, please refrain from doing so. -Continued after the jump Posted by Dani
Link: Tirerings
From time to time we like crossing over to the wonderful world of two-wheels. Sometimes we’re lucky enough to stumble upon really weird creations like the 3wheeler Mercedes SLK or the Alfa bike you’re seeing here that attempt to mix characteristics from both worlds -cars and motorcycles. Not always with the same success apparently. While there’s no info on the heavily modified bike, it seems to be wearing a 4cylinder Alfa Romeo boxer motor combined with some parts that look to have come from a BMW motorcycle boxer engine. -More pictures after the jumpVia: Autoblog.it
Via: Autoblog.it
Technorati: VW+Golf, Suzuki+Hayabusa, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007
Technorati: Motorcycle, Youtube, Video, Accident, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007
If this video's authentic, I’d definitely have to say that the guy driving this motorcycle has more balls (and less brains..) than a bunch of Corinthian grapes!
Technorati: Motorcycle, videos, youtube, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007
This year’s Geneva Show is hosting several unconventional propositions that combine elements from the world of cars and motorcycles. And we’re not talking about prototypes here but actual production versions. First it was the Dutch-made, tilting three-wheeler Carver One. Now it’s the 2wheeler Swiss Peraves Monotracer. Well not actually a 2wheeler as the Monotracer has two extra retractable “baby-wheels” on its side that allow it to lean with ease to about 52 degrees. According to Peraves, out of every 100 superbike owners in the GSX-R, Fireblade, Ninja, K1200S, R1 and 999R league maybe 20 have ever leaned their machines beyond 40 degrees.The Monotracer is powered by a 1.2-liter 4cylinder BMW-K-engine with an output of 130Hp. Weighing in at about 485Kg (1.070 pounds) the Monotracer sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 5,7 sec and features a top speed of 250 km/h (155mph). Not bad at all for a motorcycle that not only protects you from the forces of nature but also allows you to carry on a few back packs in its trunk –yes it has a 200-liter trunk in the rear. What’s bad is its (basic) price as Peraves is asking a hefty 52.500 EUR (about 70.000 USD) for it and that doesn’t include tax… -Continued: Click “Read More…” bellow for high-res pics & the official press-release
PRESS RELEASE: MONOTRACER WORLD PREMIERE
The last car on earth
Ferry Porsche once remarked that the last car to be built on earth would surely be a sports car. By that he meant that products of limited usefulness will still be bought even when things are getting tight and that there’s no substitute for real fun – unless it’s more of the same. Driving the MonoTracer is like flying two feet off the ground. And fast, very fast indeed, if need be. But even more important for today’s drivers, “MonoTracing” within legal speed limits also has its pleasures. The world simply looks friendlier from the cockpit.
Small-series shortcomings?
We quote Porsche and talk about the 911 because we are all fans of this iconic sports car. So too are many of our clients. How many prototypes of the 911 were ever built by Porsche? Frankly, we don’t know. What we do know, however, is that we’ve built 90 MonoTracer prototypes called ECOMOBILE. They have notched up more than 12 million kilometers over the last 20 years. With 10 such vehicles we criss-crossed the USA in 1996 from Atlanta to Montana and back, 11,000 kms in 3 weeks, from the burning heat of the Arizona desert to the icy heights of the Rocky Mountains, and all without a single technical problem.
Bugs in the teeth and the Porsche 911 syndrome
We’re well aware that words alone are unlikely to convince a true biker of the advantages of cabin motorcycles; nor will they convert a dyed-in-the-wool 911 driver. Sports cars and motorcycles both have their fans, and rightly so. The only way to win them over is to belt them into the back seat of our machine and take them for a spin, taunting the cars and superbikes at every bend in the road. They will soon see the MonoTracer for what it is – the perfect combination of a sporty touring motorcycle and a real “lean machine” sports car. In short, it’s the ideal vehicle for year-round fun.
The Angle of Dangle
The best motorcycle tires for highway use on the market today allow a lean angle of about 55 degrees. Out of every 100 superbike owners in the GSX-R, Fireblade, Ninja, K1200S, R1 and 999R league maybe 20 have ever leaned their machines beyond 40 degrees. A maximum of 5 will regularly tip more than 45 degrees. And most of those sporty riders will limit their angle of lean by excessive “hanging off”, thus also limiting their speed in the curve. The MonoTracer with its “knee” (the retracted stabilizer tire) skimming the road, can lean to about 52 degrees and it has a turning circle and corner speed otherwise only achievable on a top-of-the-range sports bike. Of course, dry and clean roads are an essential requirement for such antics. If the surface is right there is no danger. And the drive is spectacular.
Expanding the concept of driving – for whom?
The MonoTracer is aimed at an international clientele and customers will obviously have to be fairly well-heeled. For their 52,500 Euros (basic price without VAT) they could also buy a Cayman, SLK or Z4, but those machines all lack the exclusivity guaranteed by an annual production of only 100 vehicles. And with the MonoTracer you also get the performance of a 911 combined with the unrivalled exhilaration of a superbike’s angles of lean thrown in for free! Many of our clients have an academic education, 911-experience, a pilot’s license and have driven or ridden the original 21 kilometre Nurburgring race track for real, not just on the Playstation. All of them are past or current motorcycle enthusiasts. Many are over 40, the age when rheumatism can start to set in. Most have to be at work on Monday, without suffering from the aches and pains of a weekend’s racing. With the MonoTracer they use the same vehicle for commuting to the office as they do for getting their kicks at the weekend.
Nowhere will you find more radar speed traps than in the MonoTracer’s home country, here in
Design & More
For decades the first rule for excellent design has been “form follows function“. The cabin motorcycle was born with this maxim as part of its genetic make-up. For the MonoTracer rather more emphasis was placed on things like surface finish, detail workmanship, selection of materials, joint tolerances etc. so that it can bear comparison with the best models from major manufacturers of both two and four wheeled vehicles. To achieve that goal the MonoTracer has been developed with the help of suppliers to the very biggest players in the vehicle market.
VEHICLE & BODY STRUCTURE
Self-supporting composite-monocoque made from glass-, kevlar- and carbon tissues bonded by epoxy-resin reinforced with crash and roll bars. Engine frame, steering head and stabilizer axles made from aircraft grade alloy steel. Front suspension Marzocchi 50mm USD-fork, rear Monolever shaft swingarm. Gull-wing-door with integrated sunroof, opening to the left. Glazing made from tinted PMMA in aviation quality. Baggage compartment of 200 Litres in the rear.
MECHANICS
4 cylinder-in-line-BMW-K-engine 1171 ccm, 16 valves, liquid cooling. Dry reinforced monodisc clutch. Sequential PG-gearbox with 4 forward speeds and electrically unlockable reverse, shifted by push-button-selector on left handlebar. Automatic clutch optional. Reinforced BMW-shaft drive. 3 brake discs 320 mm Ø with 4-piston-hydraulic callipers, fully integrated electronic ABS. Ceramic brake discs and brake pads, ASP anti spin control optional. Electrical stabilizer servo system, computer-supervised with cycle-time.
EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES
RECARO-contour-seats with 3-point-automatic-safety belts. Interior covers in high-tech-tissues and sound proofing padding. Airconditioned + heated ventilation system of ample flow with intake air filter. GPS-RDS-4LSP-audio-system. Tempomat cruise control, frontal airbag, Bi-Xenon-lights, CD-players optional.
OPERATION
Motorcycle-type handlebars with extended functions. Clutch pedal left, gear- and stabilizer-ops-switches left, integrated brake ops by pedal, aux-brake-lever and twist-throttle right.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Empty weight: 460-485 kgs. depending on options
Max. weight: 685 kgs.
Tank capacity: 50 ltrs. / 14 USG
Dimensions: L = 3,65 m B = 1,25 m
(Stabilizers up) 1,40 m (down) H = 1,52 m
Service: 25.000 km / 15‘000 miles or annually – whichever is first
Engine: 96 kW / 130 HP at 8750/min, max. torque 117 Nm at 6750/min
Motronic-controlled injection
3-way-catalytic converter.
Acceleration: 0-100 kph = 5,7 sec.
Top speed: > 250 kph.
Brake distance: 100-0 = 43 m
Turning circle between walls: 8.5 m
Consumption(ISO 7118): 4,15 l/100km at constant 90 kph
5,05 l/100km at constant 120 kph
Basic price ex factory € 52.500.- (+ local VAT) 2 years warranty / 25 years use guaranteed for composite + metal structures
Technorati: Peraves+Monotracer, gadgets, motorcycle, Geneva+Motor+Show, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, autos, Carscoop, blogs, images, pictures, 2007
"Hide & Seek" is over for the KTM X-BOW as the Austrian bike manufacture released the full press pack of its street-homologated sports car. The X-BOW is KTM’s first attempt of this sort so it was only logical that it would seek the help of “specialists” like Dallara who not only designed the carbon fibre monocoque but it will also produce the sports car at its factory in The car shown at the Geneva Show will base a pilot series of 100 units, which will be produced in Dallara’s factory at the end of 2007. If all goes well in
PRESS RELEASE: KTM X-BOW
Premiere at the
An aggressive design and sporty potential: the X-Bow is not merely a milestone in the KTM brand’s more than 50-year history, its also a new citation in the small, but elite segment of radical, lightweight sports cars. This exceptional position is the result of the concept: for their first car, KTM employs the finest materials, high-tech and the know-how of respected development partners such as Audi and Dallara. The result is a street-homologated sports car with racing technology, like an avantgarde, carbon fibre monocoque. Thanks to the basic version’s light weight and the 162 kW (220 hp) Audi TFSI engine, the performance values of the KTM X-Bow outstrip those of super-sport cars with more than twice the power: with a deadweight of approx. 700 kilos, the KTM X-Bow accelerates to 100 km/h in just 3.9 sec.
But the X-Bow isn’t just a racing machine, even if it is going to accomplish spectacular performance feats on racing circuits. With its modern technologies and exceptional solutions, it’s much more oriented towards sporty drivers who seek a purist’s driving experience. By foregoing electronic assistants and today’s standard comfort features, the X-Bow offers an unfiltered adventure – aided by its standalone wheels in the style of monoposto racing cars, transparent technology and the car’s reduced concept, i.e. no roof, doors or windscreen. The sports car has only a 70-millimeter, transparent wind deflector. With all these unique features, driving the KTM X-Bow becomes an experience with an immediacy that otherwise can only be felt when riding a motorcycle.
The Next Step into the Future
For the Upper Austrian motorcycle manufacturer –
Carbon Fibre Monocoque: Racing Know-How from Dallara
Carbon fibre monocoques have been the Formula 1’s safety net for years. On the road, this technology was formerly reserved for the elitist, supersports cars in the highest price classes. KTM would now like to be the first to offer this solution in a much more affordable environment.
KTM has thereby been able to call upon the expertise of its development partner, Dallara. These specialists from Varano (near Parma) in Northern Italy have long been acclaimed as carbon technology experts, from the conception to the production of components made of this light, yet rigid material. The monocoque developed for the KTM X-Bow is not only extremely robust it is also safe, thanks to an integrated crashbox. And yet it weighs only about 70 kilos and is therefore a crucial factor in the vehicle’s spectacular performance.
The Engine: TFSI Technology from Audi
KTM was able to gain Audi AG as its partner in developing the drive unit. The four-cylinder TFSI engine represents the X-Bow’s construction principles in an ingenious way: by featuring lightweight, high-performance and intelligent technologies.
The engine’s outstanding attribute is its gasoline direct injection technology, FSI. In this case, it’s combined with an exhaust turbocharger plus an intercooler. Thanks to FSI, the engine can utilize fuel better than one with ordinary intake manifold injection and it even gets by on less fuel in the frequently used partial load range.
The injection takes place at a pressure level between 30 and 110 bar, valves in the intake system direct the inflowing air into a cylindrical movement. A continuously variable intake camshaft ensures optimal cylinder charging at any speed. Two balancer shafts compensate the second order inertia forces and so guarantee superior, low-vibration operation.
The KTM X-Bow’s long-stroking, four-valve engine delivers a powerful performance: 300 newton-metres of torque peaks at a level between 2200 and 4000 rpm. The peak performance of 162 kW (220 hp) is achieved at 5900 rpm. Even more powerful engine variations in the 300-horsepower range are planned at a later date.
The drive unit package is complemented by a manual 6-gear transmission, which is also made by VW and can be equipped with a limited-slip differential if so desired. An optional DSG transmission will also be offered. The drive comes from the rear wheels.
The Chassis: Direct and Competent
The X-Bow’s driving dynamics profit not only from the car’s low centre of gravity but also from its superior chassis, which also draws on racing technology for its basic principles. Suspended on double triangular wishbone axles, the wheels feature suspension and damping elements by WP Suspension, with a pushrod arrangement up front.
The Italian brake manufacturer Brembo can also be proud of its reputation for excellence. KTM is also expanding this partnership (which began in the motorcycle sector) into the automobile realm. The X-Bow’s powerful braking system consists of 305 mm discs at the front and 262 mm discs at the rear. The interaction of the vehicle’s light weight, ideal balance, low centre of gravity and a 17-/18-inch tyre mix results in spectacular braking performance: when the brakes are warm, the KTM X-Bow needs only 33.1 metres to decelerate from 100 kph to a standstill.
The Aerodynamics: Exceptional Contact Pressure
The primary development goal for the KTM X-Bow was not attaining extreme final velocities, but in optimising the driving dynamics. The sports car is thereby aided by an ingenious aerodynamics arrangement, the result of many hours in Dallara’s wind tunnel. The most vital element in this area is the underbody, which is equipped with a prominent diffusor at the rear. To make this diffusor work even more effectively, the linking points for the rear suspension were set as high as possible. This enables the KTM X-Bow to achieve a phenomenal downforce of about 200 kilograms at a speed of 200 km/h – about three times more than most other supersport cars.
In combination with the high-performance chassis, this fantastic downforce makes extreme curve speeds possible. The transversal acceleration of 1.23 g that can thus be attained noticeably surpasses the usual values achieved by street homologated sports cars.
The aerodynamic concept was a great challenge for the designer as well. It meant that sufficient air had to be channelled into the inlets located in the sides, behind the passengers. The radiator is also located at the rear of the vehicle, to avoid having to install longer, heavier cooling hoses. This mission was accomplished by using special air baffles, which are installed horizontally on the sides of the car so the passengers can also use them as boarding aids.
Safety: Racing Technology
The crucial component protecting the driver and the passenger is the solid, carbon fibre monocoque – safety technology straight from Formula 1. This structure is supplemented by a crashbox in the nose of the vehicle. The silencer, which is built into the rear of the car, was also designed to act as a crashbox; it absorbs the force of an impact to the rear of the vehicle.
The driver and passenger are also protected by four-point safety belts, which were inspired by the racing world. If so desired, this unit can be equipped with a fifth securing point. The two roll bars are clearly visible. They not only appear to be solid, they are skilfully integrated into the monocoque’s structure.
Design: Floating Elements
Gerald Kiska’s design studio can take credit for the shape of the vehicle. Coming from Salzburg, he has worked closely with KTM for the past 15 years and is entrusted not only with the design of the motorcycles, but also with the appearance of the company itself.
For the concept of the KTM brand’s first automobile, Kiska incorporated many characteristics that are more closely associated with motorcycles than cars. Every part fulfils a function, the technology remains transparent, the form is noticeably simple. The few, orange-coloured body panels are “floating elements”, like those of motorcycles, and suggest lightness and simplicity.
The deliberate reduction in all things even includes the lights: simple headlamps, embedded indicators flush with the car’s contours and round lights at the rear forego superficial, showy effects. Instead, the carbon structure also takes on design duties, meaning that components which are frequently hidden in cars, such as the silencer, suddenly serve an aesthetic purpose in addition to their usual functions.
The Equipment: Puristic and Functional
As a result of its clear concept, the KTM X-Bow can do without a lot of elements that ordinarily add complexity and extra weight. So the narrow wind deflector makes an elaborate heating system and windscreen wipers unnecessary; doors are also not included in the design, due to the vehicle’s low profile and the extra-low side profile.
You’ll also look for a standard instrument panel in vain. The driver can find all the information needed for driving on the hub of the steering wheel.
The seats are further examples of the X-Bow’s intelligent and simple construction: the shells for the driver’s and passenger’s seats are already integrated into the carbon fibre construction of the monocoque. An overlay provides solid comfort. In order to provide the best ergonomics for drivers of various heights, the X-Bow has manually adjustable pedals.
The KTM X-Bow doesn’t have a luggage compartment. But it does feature an innovative, mobile storage box for the car documents. The equipment required by law, such as the warning triangle, first aid kit and a tyre-fit system, are kept in storage compartments beside the passenger’s foot well. A cover is stowed in this same location; it protects the interior of the car when it’s parked. Two helmets can be fixed in the passenger’s legroom.
Extras: for the Automobile and the Driver
Supplementary equipment – like kits to increase the engine’s performance or an aerodynamics package – give the sporty potential of the KTM X-Bow an even greater boost.
Another segment of the accessories programme aims in the opposite direction: together with Dainese, the renowned Italian specialist for motorcycle apparel, a new line of clothing and helmets is being developed especially for the KTM X-Bow. These intelligent components are designed to assume functions that are normally performed by the car: weather protection, climate control and – thanks to integrated technology – even infotainment functions such as sound and mobile telephony.
The Next Steps: Premiere in Geneva, Building a Pilot Series of 100 Units
A prototype of the KTM X-Bow will make its first public appearance at the Geneva Motor Show. This prototype is also the basis for a pilot series of 100 units, which will be produced in Dallara’s factory beginning at the end of 2007. The limited series is a result of the Italian company’s manufacturing capacity: four to five vehicles can be built per week, with a large share of the work being done by hand.
Due to the special status of this pilot series, KTM has decided to equip all the vehicles of this initial production with a number of first-rate accoutrements, which will later be offered as extras. Included in the standard equipment for the first series are the limited-slip differential, lightweight metal rims with a central nut mounting, and a Formula One racing steering wheel that can be removed via a quick-release mechanism to simplify getting in and out of the car. The four body panels – lacquered orange on the prototypes – are made of carbon fibre in the pilot series (later they’ll be made of synthetic material), and the chassis’s damping elements are adjustable. And of course other individual equipment requests can also be fulfilled.
Because of the greater extent of the equipment range, the projected basic price of 40,000 Euros (incl. VAT) is naturally higher for an exemplar of this pilot series. A definitive price will be announced after the Geneva Motor Show. After the publication of the first drawings, the interest in the pilot series prototypes was overwhelming. Every spot on the list of prospective buyers was already filled in January, while the waiting list has got considerably longer.
The KTM X-Bow will be street homologated in accordance with European small series homologation regulations. But since the respective guidelines are defined differently throughout the EU, KTM currently anticipates standardising the X-Bow in the following countries: Germany, Finland, Greece, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Switzerland.
The Vision: Producing a Small Series Beginning in 2008
Depending upon the reactions to the vehicle presentation in Geneva, KTM is considering extending the pilot series of the X-Bow into small-series production. This small-series production would take place in Austria beginning in 2008 and entail an annual production of between 500 and 1000 vehicles. Parallel to this small-series production, an efficient distribution structure would also be established. The plan includes a network of around 15 to 20 partners throughout Europe, who not only have experience in motorsports, but also a connection to the Volkswagen enterprise.
A decision will be made concerning the small-series production of the KTM X-Bow by the end of April 2007.
