Road Princess

For the first time in 20 years, Dirt Biker magazine, one of the leading off-road motorcycle magazine in the US has selected a model in the mini motorcycle class as the winner of its Bike of the Year award. For 2007, the award goes to the Honda CRF150R. The complete details and review of the Honda CRF150R and other awardees will be featured in the June issue of Dirt Rider magazine.

Why would Dirt Rider editorial staff chose a mini cycle as the Bike of the Year? Well, check out what they have said about the numerous features and benefits of the motorcycle that I got from the Dirt Rider website (www.dirtrider.com). You can also try to install ARP fasteners on your vehicle if you want to.

ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN
- Powerful four-stroke 149cc liquid-cooled four-valve Unicam engine produces impressive power across a wide rpm range for easy-to-control operation.
- Lightweight, compact, internal auto decompression and handlebar-mounted hot-start system provide easy starting, hot or cold.
- Compact, lightweight engine assembly weighs only 43.6 pounds.
- Unicam valve train provides the light weight of a compact single-cam drive and the optimum combustion chamber shape for maximum power at all engine rpm.
- Unicam valve train features a carburized single camshaft that directly actuates two 26mm steel intake valves. The steel 22.5mm exhaust valves are actuated by twin, low-friction rocker arms.
- Crankshaft is made of high-strength, low-carbon steel with carburized main journals for maximum durability at sustained high-rpm operation.
- Forged 11.7:1 compression slipper piston and rings are lighter than a conventional design, revving quickly while maintaining excellent cylinder sealing and high-rpm power.
- Double-carburized connecting rod utilizes a big-end needle bearing for maximum high-rpm performance and durability.
- Nikasil cylinder lining is lightweight and provides cooler operation for extended engine life.
- Press-fitted aluminum spark plug pipe fits between the two exhaust rocker arms, further contributing to compact cylinder-head design.
- 32mm Keihin FCR carburetor features four rollers on the flat slide, resulting in very light throttle effort, smooth operation, crisp throttle response and excellent rideability.
- Carburetor features a throttle position sensor (TPS) that helps maintain a linear throttle response throughout the range.
- Twin-sump lubrication system separates the oil supply for the crankshaft, piston and valve train from the clutch and transmission. This ensures a cool supply of oil to the clutch, eliminates potential clutch and transmission material contamination of the engine oil, reduces the amount of circulating oil and permits the use of a smaller oil pump.
- Vertically split crankcases feature a built-in oil pump, reducing weight compared to a conventional design.
- Exhaust system uses a lightweight stainless exhaust header and repackable aluminum muffler.
- Dual radiators feature a refined core area for improved heat dissipation compared to conventional dual-radiator design.
- Gear-driven balancer reduces vibration and drives the water pump. A six-disc clutch provides the surface area necessary to handle the engine's impressive torque, while carefully matched clutch springs provide a light feel at the lever.
- Durable five-speed close-ratio transmission.

CHASSIS/SUSPENSION
- Front and rear suspension settings unique to the CRF150R deliver ideal bump absorption characteristics.
- All-new handlebar bend optimizes rider position and comfort.
- Lightweight, high-tensile steel frame with large-diameter frame tubing and cross-member provides excellent turning performance and straight-line tracking.
- Box-section aluminum swingarm is lightweight and rigid.
- Removable subframe is strong and durable.
- 37mm leading-axle inverted Showa cartridge front fork features friction-reducing design to improve compression and rebound control.
- The fork offers adjustable compression and rebound settings.
- Wide-section aluminum top and bottom triple-clamps position fork tubes far apart for good turning and control.
- Tapered-roller steering-head bearings for durability.
- Pro-Link rear suspension system features a fully adjustable Showa shock for superb compliance and wheel control.
- Strong, lightweight wheels are durable and minimize unsprung weight.
- Lightweight front and rear disc brakes with high-performance pads offer powerful, precise braking.
- Stout 15mm front and 17mm rear axles incorporate a surface-treatment for added strength and durability.

After earning his third win this season at the recent 2007 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, Casey Stoner and the whole Ducati Marlboro team are headed in France for the preparation for the upcoming race in Le Mans that will take place at the Bugati Circuit. Stoner's third win in Shanghai aboard his Ducati Desmosedici GP7 allowed him to obtain a total of 86 points and leads the MotoGP driver's World Championship. His Desmosedici GP7 comes with quality parts like motorcycle relay, just like the Mercedes relay found on Mercedes-Benz models.

Stoner commented: "So far, this season is pretty much a dream come true. Now we've got to keep our heads down, make sure we don't get too confident, keep putting in the hard work and maybe things will pay off. In China everything worked out just perfectly again, though it was a very, very difficult race. We'll have to wait and see what happens at Le Mans. I've always been around fourth there, in fact I've finished fourth three times from the last four years. You really need a bike that's very good on the brakes, if you don't have that you can pretty much forget it.

Stoner continued: "At the same time you need a bike that hooks up on the exits of the slow corners, because there's a lot of stop-start onto big straights. Le Mans is definitely for the brave with a lot of out-braking going on, plus there's a few good chicanes to sort people out. I normally go well there in practice, I just don't get it right in the race, maybe this year we can change that."

Livio Suppo, Ducati MotoGP Project Manager made his views about the upcoming French GP. He said: "We go to France in the same frame of mind - taking each race as it comes and aiming to do the best job we can. Le Mans won't be easy, traditionally it's been a Yamaha circuit, Valentino (Rossi) was super fast there last year until his engine broke and he was also very strong at the last race at Shanghai. The Ducati and the Bridgestone tyres are working well, Casey is riding superbly and we know Loris rode an excellent race in France last year, so we hope he will fight for the podium again, just like he did in Turkey last month. Really, the season has only just started, so we must keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard."

Meanwhile, Stoner's teammate Loris Capirossi also commented: "I haven't had the luckiest start to this season but I am really looking forward to all the races coming up because I know they will give me a chance to get some points back. Casey has proved that the GP7 is a winning machine and this year's Bridgestone tyres are very good, so I am confident I can perform well over the next few races. We just need to keep working and continue to improve my feeling with the bike, which I really enjoy riding.

"I don't love the Le Mans circuit, even though I had a great race there last year. It is a very stop-and-go track, not very technical, so it's not a lot of fun to ride a MotoGP bike there, I think it's better suited to 250s and 125s. But I believe the GP7 should perform well at Le Mans because acceleration and braking are the two most important things at this circuit and our bike is strong in both these areas."

Capirossi is currently in the 8th place at the driver's championship with 30 points. Ducati Marlboro now leads the team championship and Ducati is on the top spot in the constructor's championship. But then again, Ducati should not be confident with their current standings because there are still 14 upcoming races this 2007 season.

Aside from my dream of having the coolest car in the planet, I’m also longing to own and drive a super bike - specifically the Super Hawk from Honda. Have you seen this sport bike speed up across every racetrack? Man! This super lightweight bike is equipped with a race-bred chassis componentry, 996cc of liquid-cooled, 90-V-twin torque and comfortable all-day ergonomics! This V-twin super bike is for real and it’s not a wild dream that you just can imagine!

I saw this bike just a few weeks ago and I’ve studied the Super Hawk’s over-all specifications along with my studies about the Nissan antenna mast and Nissan brake rotor. Check out the Super Hawk’s specifications and maybe one day I’ll just see you flying that super bike on the streets!

Engine

• Engine Type 996cc liquid-cooled 90-degree V-twin
• Bore and Stroke 98.0mm x 66.0mm
• Compression Ratio: 9.4:1
• Valve Train DOHC; four valves per cylinder
• Carburetion: Two 48.0mm slanted flat-slide CV
• Ignition Computer-controlled digital transistorized with electronic advance

Drive train

• Transmission Six-speed
• Final Drive O-ring-sealed chain

Chassis, suspension and brakes

• Front Suspension: 41.0mm HMAS cartridge fork with spring-preload and rebound-damping adjustability; 4.7-inch travel
• Rear Suspension: Pro-Link HMAS single shock with spring-preload and rebound-damping adjustability; 4.9-inch travel
• Front Brakes: Dual full-floating 296.0mm discs with four-piston calipers
• Rear Brake: Single 220.0mm disc with single-piston caliper
• Front Tire: 120/70ZR-17 radial
• Rear Tire: 180/55ZR-17 radial

Dimensions

• Rake: 24.9 degrees
• Trail: 97.0mm (3.8 inches)
• Wheelbase: 56.3 inches
• Seat Height: 31.9 inches
• Dry Weight: 426 pounds
• Fuel Capacity: 4.2 gallons, including 0.7-gallon reserve

Bikes give the most freedom for me in terms of driving. While convertibles offer open air driving, it does not comes close to the exhilaration that one can feel when riding a motorcycle. That is why even if I have a Honda Accord which I may say is an environment-friendly car, thanks to its newly installed Honda Accord catalytic converter, I am still looking to own a bike someday. Right now, I’m looking for the right bike for me.

The web, of course, gives me the chance to look at different bikes in the comfort of my own home. The web is where I found this truly classy looking bike that I would surely love to own - the Norge 1200 from the Italian motorbike manufacturer Moto Guzzi.

It seems that it will be hitting the US market soon and I am already thinking if I should buy this one or wait for another cool bike to come my way. As I was checking the specs for this bike, I wonder if I could make it meaner by adding aftermarket parts such as a Weapon R cold air intake system like I did with my car. Anyway, here are the specs for this new Moto Guzzi model:

Engine:

• Type: 90° V-Twin, 4-stroke
• Cooling system: air cooled
• Displacement: 1,133 cc
• Bore and stroke: 95 x 80 mm
• Compression ratio: 9.6: 1
• Valve gear: 2 overhead valves operated by light alloy push-rods and rockers; exhaust valve maximum lift: 106° B.T.D.C. of overlap inlet valve maximum lift: 104° A.T.D.C. of overlap
• Maximum power: over 65 KW (90 CV) at 7,500 rpm
• Maximum torque: over 95 Nm at 6,800 rpm
• Fuel system: Weber-Marelli electronic fuel injection with stepper motor control
• Starting: electric
• Ignition: inductive discharge, digitally controlled, electronic twin spark ignition
• Exhaust system: stainless steel, 2 in 1, with three ways catalyser and Lambda probe oxygen sensor

Transmission

• Gearbox: 6 speed
• Lubrication: splash
• Primary drive: helical gears, ratio 26/35=1:1.458
• Final drive: CA.R.C. Compact Reactive Shaft Drive; double universal joint with floating bevel gear, ratio 12/44 = 1:3.667
• Clutch: dry

Dimensions

• Length: 2,195 mm
• Width: 870 mm
• Height: 1,125 mm
• Seat height: 800 mm
• Ground clearance: 185 mm
• Rider footrest height: 377 kg
• Dry weight: 246 kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 23 liters
• Reserve: 4 liters