GAMBAR MODIFIKASI YAMAHA RX KING

This Yamaha RX King could be rather old, but we can't see it's old any more after some modification and airbrushing on it. The body itself is still origin, the owner of the motorcycle, M Yunus - Bekasi, only give it full body airbrush so that it became center of people attention.Engine matches circadian by Alm. TACHI, Abounding Chrome by Mahameru, spiral L Abounding Arena Posh, Master & Nissin

Yamaha : Star V-Max Launch In june 2009

Yamaha launched the cult-classic V-Max in Las Vegas 24 years ago. It was the perfect place – the capital city of wretched excess – to launch a bike that quickly earned a reputation for big torque and bad attitude.


The original V-Max opened up the whole power-cruiser category. In the early 1980s, Yamaha wanted to produce a “hotrod” for American consumers. Akira Araki became the project leader, and he came to the U.S. to research the market. According to V-Max legend, he achieved a kind of satori while watching midnight drag races on a bridge across the Mississippi. Araki realized that straight-line performance was all that mattered to a lot of riders over here. He set out to create the motorcycle equivalent of a V-8 muscle car. His goal was to create nothing less than the quickest and fastest production motorcycle ever over a quarter-mile.

Araki installed himself in the offices of GDKI design in Santa Monica – Yamaha’s American design “think tank.” Ed Burke, a product planner with Yamaha’s U.S. office, served as an advisor and sounding board. John Reed, an English freelancer, also provided styling input (and is credited with designing the V-Max in some internet histories of the bike.) That said, Atsushi Ichijo was the Yamaha employee credited with penning the original.

The V-4 engine in the sedate Venture touring bike was the closest thing Yamaha had to a good old American V-8. That presented a real challenge to Kaoru Ashihara, the engineer charged with creating the motor. The Venture motor only produced about 90 horsepower, and they figured they’d need 145 to achieve their goals. They considered supercharging it, but they couldn’t figure out a way to integrate a blower into the overall design.

The solution was “V-boost.” Each cylinder was fed by a single, 35mm downdraft carb, but there were two ports, between the inlet tracts for cylinders #1 & #3, and #2 & #4. At about 6,000 rpm, a butterfly valve in those ports started to open, and it was fully open by the time revs hit 8,000. Effectively, each cylinder was fed by two carbs at high rpm.

The original V-Max made considerably less than 145 hp at the rear wheel (it was more like 120, with just under 80 pound-feet of torque), but, regardless of how the bike performed on paper, riding it was a visceral experience.

V-boost wasn’t just marketing hype. Magazines tested the original model on the ’strip (the drag strip, not the Vegas Strip) and got ETs in the mid-10s with terminal speeds in the high 120-mph range. If it wasn’t the quickest and fastest proddie bike of its time, it was damn close.

The V-Max looked the part, too. It was launched in the midst of the “Mad Max” movie sequels, and shared some of their over-the-top, apocalyptic style. Some of the design choices were goofy; the two huge scoops on either side of the dummy gas tank concealed only the horns, they weren’t ram-air ducts. But customers – at least, a certain kind of customer – loved it.

The V-Max became one of the ultimate cult bikes. It stayed in the Yamaha catalog almost continuously for over 20 years. I doubt if any model of any bike has lasted longer with fewer changes. (It got stronger forks and better brakes, which improved handling and safety, but certainly didn’t transform the bike into a good handler. Part of the impression of power and speed that the bike created may well have been attributed to the rider’s subconscious knowledge that if he had to turn or stop it, he could be in big trouble.

Over the years, there have been numerous rumors that a V-Max replacement was in the works. In 1999, Yamaha showed the MT-01 concept bike, which was received with enthusiasm. The “Bulldog” definitely picked up some of the Max’s styling cues. It may have been a trial balloon to see if the V-Max could be replaced by a Twin. The MT-01 was produced for the European market, but it never piqued the interest of the hardcore V-Max cultists. When sales were underwhelming and it failed to develop much of a mystique, Yamaha claimed that the Twin had never been thought of as a replacement for the V-Max, anyway. The company didn’t do much but design 20th anniversary badges for the old one.

In 2005, a stylish concept update of the Max was also unveiled in Tokyo. But when Suzuki released its brawny B-King, Yamaha got a loud, clear message from dealers and customers: “Whatever you do, the new V-Max has to make over 200 horsepower.”

The old model was kept on the shelves until 2007, long after its “best-before” date, but even so, when Yamaha seemed to quietly discontinue it, there was plenty of dismay in various chat groups frequented by V-Max cultists. (Note that until recently the ’07 Max was still listed as a Star model on the Yamaha website, presumably because there’s a few of the old ones in dealer inventory.)

That brings me to yesterday, and the deck of the USS Midway in San Diego harbor, where journalists were treated to the unveiling of an all-new V-Max, now sold (as a flagship, of sorts) under Yamaha’s “Star” brand.

So, what’s it like? Well, I can only tell you what it looks like, since none of us were allowed to ride it, even though the 1,000 foot-long deck of the Midway would have given us some clue as to whether it’s inherited its predecessor’s affinity for straight-line acceleration.

Of course, the old bike really was a straight-line only proposition; that combination of a grunty motor and hefty GVW completely overpowered the steel frame. The new frame is a swoopy cast-aluminum piece, and the visually massive new motor is a stressed element.

The engine is 1679cc, liquid cooled, 65-degree V-4. The 4 valves/cylinder, DOHC motor is fuel-injected and has Yamaha’s YCC-T (meaning that it’s partial fly-by-wire) and YCC-I (meaning it has variable-length intake trumpets. The 5-speed transmission is aided by a slipper clutch.

The engine is 1679cc, liquid cooled, 65-degree V-4. The 4 valves/cylinder, DOHC motor is fuel-injected and has Yamaha’s YCC-T (meaning that it’s partial fly-by-wire) and YCC-I (meaning it has variable-length intake trumpets. The 5-speed transmission is aided by a slipper clutch.

This time around, it’s been equipped with 52mm fork legs. The front fork is adjustable for preload, compression and rebound. Like me, after 24 years on the market, the rear shock is single. It’s fully adjustable, with remote adjustment.

The front brakes are dual 320mm wavy discs, grabbed by six-pot calipers. The master cylinder is a Brembo radial job. They would hardly be out of place on a superbike. It is badged a Star and might be ridden by a cruiser type, so it has a huge rear brake, too: a 298mm disc with a single-piston caliper.

We weren’t provided with weight, wheelbase, or rake/trail figures, but the overall impression (abetted by the sporty-looking BT028 Battlax ’Stones) is of a bike that should stop and turn a hell of a lot better than the original.

Yeah. So what, eh? It’s a #ü¢&ing V-Max. What about the motor?

Climbing up the Midway’s gangway, the only question I really had was, had Yamaha created a modern equivalent of the original V-Boost? Well, no. It’s been replaced by displacement.

The new mill is a 1697cc, 65-degree V-4 with a 90mm bore and 60mm stroke. You could probably drop one of the original 35mm carbs down the current 48mm throttle bodies. The old butterfly valve that siamesed the inlet tracts was a stroke of genius a quarter-century ago, but that stuff has no place in a modern, emissions-controlled world. The new bike has computer-controlled variable-length velocity stacks. Incidentally, those curved brushed aluminum dummy inlets on the original V-Max are functional on the new version.

There’s a single injector below the butterfly in each of those throttles. We weren’t told the valve diameters. The intake cams are chain driven, and the exhaust cams are geared from those. The compression ratio is 11.3 to 1.

All in all, it’s a pretty big air pump, squeezing the charge pretty hard. Yamaha hasn’t published horsepower or torque figures. (I’m reminded of Rolls Royce. Back in the day, they never published power figures for their cars. When asked, a spokesman once described it as “ample”.) Yamaha’s Bob Star went one better, though, telling the assembled journalists that the new V-Max produces 200.1 metric PS – about 197 American horses – with 120-plus ft-lbs of torque. That should be ample.

Exhaust gases are fed through a complicated 4-1-2-4 system of headers and collectors, into two massive titanium mufflers. They look as if they’ve been tucked away reasonably well.

That power is fed through a slipper clutch to a five-speed transmission. As with the original, the final drive is by shaft. Sure, it saps some power, but they know their market.

They should know it. As journalists milled around the bike on the Midway’s flight deck, I chatted with Mr. Ichijo and Mr. Umemoto (designer of the new version), as well as Norm Kerachuk who works at GDKI here in California. They told me that Yamaha had been noodling on a new V-Max since 1997, when they’d started the project in hopes of having it ready for the company’s 50th anniversary.

One thing that made the redesign a challenge was that every time they assembled a focus group of current V-Max owner/cult members, they were told not to change a thing. You can judge their success yourself from the photos here, but I will say that the bike looks better in the metal than in pixels, IMHO.

In terms of rider amenities, the bike presents little in the way of wind protection, but the neutral riding position should provide reasonable slow-speed comfort while giving owners the option of being an active participant on winding roads. The analog tach features a prominent shift light – the better to win the impromptu drag races that inspired the original creation. There’s also a cool, multi-function digital display with everything from a clock to a throttle butterfly-angle display. You might not want to look at that too closely while actually riding.

We’ll definitely ride this beast as soon as we can so we can tell you how much of what we loved about the original V-Max has been retained and how much of what scared us has been improved. But, frankly, if you think you want one, you probably can’t wait for even a “first ride” impression from us.

This year, Yamaha U.S. will be getting a limited allotment of 2,500 V-Maxes. They will be sold on a build-to-order basis, with a $1,000 deposit being the equivalent of slipping the doorman a twenty. Dealers will start taking orders today (June 4, as I write this). I strongly suspect that even by the time we’ve been given a chance to ride this bike, the first year’s edition will be sold out. Delivery is scheduled to begin in November. The MSRP is $17,990.

Source : http://www.motorcycle.com

2009 Daytona SportBike Comparison

Never in its history has so much controversy surrounded AMA Pro Road Racing. Under the broken wing of DMG (Daytona Motorsports Group), a company rooted in NASCAR, massive changes have turned American road racing into what some are calling a traveling circus.
Much to the dismay of riders and fans alike, a black cloud has been cast over our already struggling sport. Is the end near? Not according to DMG, they claim this is the future. But in the process of shaping the “future” they have seriously ruffled some feathers, to say the least…

One of the most significant and the hottest topics of discussion is the allowance of Aprilia’s RSV1000R and Buell’s 1125R in the new Daytona SportBike class, racing against the likes of supersport-spec 600s. A couple hundred extra cc for a V-Twin over an Inline-Four is one thing, but is it really fair to let them have almost double the displacement? And why is Buell allowed 1125cc and Aprilia only 1000cc? Both have Rotax-built liquid-cooled engines and must adhere to the same minimum weights, thus right there the rules seem a tad flawed. That is, unless you look at it in terms of dollars and cents. Then one would want to give the American-owned Buell whatever it took to win, as nothing would be better for an American Series than an American bike winning...
Eslick powered the Buell 1125R to the front and never looked back - Daytona SportBike Race 1 Fontana
Danny Eslick (9) spearheads Buell's effort this year and has been winning races right from the start. Begs the question: Is it the rider or the bike?

According to AMA Pro Racing President Roger Edmondson, “AMA Pro Racing (DMG) is dedicated to ensuring that we deliver to our fans great competition on the track between a variety of brands. This was an important step in getting the formula where it needs to be to make good on that commitment." Interesting wording, don’t you think?

In their defense, they have gotten far more manufacturers up front, with as many as six different marques in the top-10 on several occasions this year. But it's the tactics in which they have done this that are questionable.

With the AMA paddock in an uproar over the speed of the Buell and their come-from-no-where race wins, those crazy wheels in our head once again began spinning (not to mention those voices I keep hearing, but that’s just because I skipped my meds for a couple days): Why not take the Buell 1125R, Aprilia RSV1000R and Kawasaki ZX-6R (our 2009 Supersport Shootout winner) and see how they match up in stock trim at the racetrack? We all know the Daytona SportBike-spec machines hit the track in what is pretty far from street trim, but they had to start somewhere.

The tough part in this equation is defining what modifications are legal in this DMG circus. DMG does like to make rule changes on the fly, but a quick click over to www.amaproracing.com reveals a basic rulebook, though it seems to focus more on number sizes and bodywork legalities than the differences allowed between bikes. It very cleverly skates around the issues fram what we can tell. We also made several attempts to gain said complete rulebook, none of which were originally responded to or even acknowledged.

They also list a host of “Competition Bulletins” that are essentially changes to the rulebook. In these it is states minimum weight for the Inline-Fours is 360-pounds while the larger-displacement twins is 380-pounds. Though, talking to those in the pits, the Buells are well above that weight, as they roll off the track somewhere around 390 pounds anyway, thus this new rule will have no effect and serves as nothing more than a media hush - more than likely, DMG knows this full well. This may also be aimed at keeping the Buell from focusing on future weight reduction development, though. AMA also lists a Competition Bulletin with all the special allowances for each motorcycle, which is worth and read and very interesting to see.

Obviously this is a sensitive subject for the boys at AMA Pro Racing (DMG), as they put out a press release following Fontana and Barber AMA Nationals to defend their rules. When was the last time you heard of a sanctioning body issuing a press release defending their own rules?

A quick look at our spec-charts reveal a power-to-weight ratio of 3.54 lbs./hp for the stock Buell, 3.90 lbs./hp for the stock Kawasaki and 3.96 lbs./hp for the Aprilia. The Kawasaki and Aprilia are the closest, while the major disadvantage for the Aprilia lies with its rather hefty wet weight of 476 pounds. And talking to the KWS Aprilia team, shedding this weight in attempt to get even close to the minimum is impossible without the addition of very expensive (and not-allowed in some cases) parts, thus holding them back. Buell, on the other hand, gets another 125cc over the Aprilia and can get much closer to the minimum weight, it seems. Right there the rules start to look fishy.

Headlining the controversy is Buell’s Richie Morris Racing and their lead rider Danny Eslick. The young gun was drafted at the eleventh hour to ride for the RMR/Geico team on the Buell 1125R. The decision has paid off greatly for Buell as the young Oklahoman has already scored three wins in the first five races. These results have caused many-an-eyebrow to rise. There’s no doubt DMG is pushing to have more manufacturers in the series, especially an American one, but at what cost?

Taking nothing away from Eslick, though, as he is riding the wheels off the RMR 1125. It’s not like the rest of the Buells in the field are dominating with him (privateer Taylor Knapp did hop on one at Road Atlanta and battle for a
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R
2009 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
podium position his first race out). But it’s Eslick that is winning and the guy is talented, no question. But on equal machines the past several seasons Eslick has never been a race-winning threat – top-five or occasional podium at best. So, has he improved that much over the offseason, or does the bike give him some advantage?

To keep things in line with DMG, our buddy Jim Allen and the boys at Dunlop generously supplied us ample sticky rubber, the exact same stuff the big boys are racing on week-in and week-out in Daytona SportBike. Scoring was once again based on our modified Formula-1 system, with the test conducted at Streets of Willow. As for riding duties, yours truly spearheaded an effort which consisted of Road Test Editor Adam Waheed and fast photog/club racer JC Dhien, giving us a variety of skill-level riders, though all able to push the machines to the proper pace for a track-based racing evaluation. Lap times were documented and recorded throughout the entire test as this is, after all, a racing evaluation.

So… is DMG on the right track, or totally off its tracks? Time to take a look at how they perform off the showroom floor and see how equal this matchup really is!

Triumph Thunderbird Set for 2010

At the INTERMOT Cologne show, Triumph unveiled its new Thunderbird cruiser to take on the Big Twins in America. Powered by a 1599 DOHC Parallel Twin, the Thunderbird bridges the gap between Triumph's smaller displacement cruisers and the mammoth Rocket III.

The new Twin gets its displacement via a big 103.8 x 94.3mm bore and stroke. Power claims on the new Thunderbird's spec sheet claims "in excess of" 80 hp and 100 lb-ft of torque. Driving that power to the rear wheel is a belt drive and six-speed transmission. The all-new powerplant is liquid-cooled with fuel injection.

The chassis includes cast aluminum five-spoke wheels mated to a tubular steel frame and swingarm. Showa suspension components are sourced, 47mm fork up front and chromed spring shocks out back (shocks are five-position preload adjustable.)

Dual 310mm front rotors are pinched by 4-piston Nissin calipers, with rear braking a single 310mm rotor teamed with a 2-piston Brembo caliper. ABS will be available as an option for potential customers.

A 5.5-gallon fuel tank also houses the instrument cluster, with speedo, tach and LCD display. The Thunderbird will also utilize self-cancelling turn signals.

Built to compete directly with the Twin Cam Harley-Davidson, the new Triumph Thunderbird will be an important piece of the American Triumph strategy.

"It's been obvious for many years to people that from the American Speedmaster, there's a big gap between those bikes and the Rocket III," said Simon Warburton, Triumph Head Product Manager. "We see the future of the Thunderbird being a big part of our range."
2010 Triumph Thunderbird
The American cruiser market will have a new option in the 1599cc Triumph Thunderbird.

The base model will feature numerous accessories for customization, including touring and two-up extras, as well as cosmetic upgrades. American Trumpet fans will have to wait, however, as the new Thunderbird is not slated for US shores until September of 2009, making it a 2010 model. Pricing for the US market is yet to be determined.

2010 Triumph Thunderbird Specs:
Engine: 1599cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, Parallel Twin, 270 degree firing interval
Bore/Stroke: 103.8 x 94.3mm
Maximum Power In excess of 80 bhp
Maximum Torque In excess of 100 lb-ft
Fuel System: Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection with SAI , progressive linkage on throttle
Final Drive: Toothed belt
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Gearbox: 6-speed constant mesh, helical type
Frame: Tubular steel, twin spine
Swingarm: Twin sided, steel
Front Wheel: Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 19 x 3.5 inch
Rear Wheel: Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 17 x 6 inch
Front Tire: 120/70 R19
Rear Tire: 200/50 R17
Front Suspension: Showa 47mm forks
Rear Suspension: Showa chromed spring twin shocks with 5-position-adjustable preload
Front Brakes: Twin 310mm fixed discs. Nissin 4-piston fixed calipers
Rear Brakes: Single 310mm fixed disc. Brembo 2-piston floating caliper
Instrument display/functions: Tank mounted instrumentation with large speedo, integrated tacho and LCD display with odometer, twin trip counters, range-to-empty and clock. Auto-cancelling indicators
Length: 2350mm (92.5 in)
Width: (Handlebars) 947mm (37.2 in) (TBC)
Height: 1216mm (47.9 in) (TBC)
Seat Height: 702mm (27.6 in) (TBC)
Wheelbase: 1641mm (64.6in)
Rake/Trail: 32°/151.3mm
Dry Weight TBC
Fuel Tank Capacity: 21 litres (5.5 gal US)

Aprilia RSV4 Factory

Bella Italian superbike first look

Perhaps only Ducati’s street-legal MotoGP carbon-copy Desmosedici has received as much anticipation as Aprilia’s all-new RSV4 Factory. A four cylinder Vee from Aprilia is significant largely because the Italian bike maker has dealt almost exclusively with V-Twins. The big deal here is that Aprilia was able to squish two more cylinders into roughly the same space normally occupied by a narrow V-Twin, thereby keeping the bike slim and light.

Like the first incarnation of Honda’s V4 Interceptor, the Aprilia RSV4 Factory is born to win on the track, and then in the hearts riders everywhere.

Aprilia’s new V4 engine nitty gritty:

• Engine: 999.6cc (78 x 52.3mm) 65-degree V4, four valves-per-cylinder
• Power: claimed 180 HP at 12,500 rpm; 84.8 ft-lbs at 10,000 rpm
• Fuel system: 48mm Magneti Marelli T-bodies with 2 injectors per cylinder; integrated independent Ride by Wire system for each bank (read: throttle by wire likely similar to systems already in place on Aprilia’s Shiver and Mana). Three mappings selectable from handlebar (also similar principle to the Shiver and Mana). Electronically controlled variable length intake ducts (Think of Yamaha’s YCC-I as found on the R6 and R1)
• Maximum rpm: 14,100 rpm
• Compression ratio: 13:1
• Transmission: 6-speed direct-control cassette gearbox
• Clutch: multiplate wet clutch with mechanical slipper system
• Exhaust system: 4 into 2 into 1

The frame is similar to that on the RSV1000, but Aprilia claims it now weighs a skosh over 22 lbs (10.1 kg). And, like everyone else these days, Aprilia jumped on board with mass centralization in such ways as positioning the fuel tank so most of the fuel is under the saddle, theoretically eliminating any riding differences between a full and empty tank. Aprilia claims the RSV4 Factory to have a front/rear weight distribution percentage of 52/48.

Most notable about the new frame is that engine, swingarm pivot point and headstock (and thusly rake) positions can be altered. This technology is derived from MotoGP efforts, and according to Aprilia the “RSV4 Factory is the most highly adjustable production motorcycle in the world, just like a real race bike.”

Slowing the new V4 superbike is the job of the ever-capable Brembo mono-block radial brake calipers squeezing a pair of 320mm rotors attached to lightweight forged aluminium wheels. Equally lust-worthy is an Ohlins 43mm USD fork, Ohlins shock and adjustable Ohlins steering damper.

Indeed, the new Aprilia RSV4 Factory is the stuff motorcycle dreams are made of, but soon dreams will become reality, as we’ll have a full ride report from the world press launch on tap next week. Stick around Motorcycle.com so you don’t miss it!