A sexy cartoon if ever there was one. I also love the shovel head. This should be Catwoman's new look.

Something new for the New Year.

1912 Indian
1000cc's and 7 horsepower. Modern technology will give you 7hp from 100cc's. not much more than a bicycle with an engine and leaf spring front suspension, this motorcycle was instrumental in creating Indian's reputation for reliability and ruggedness. It was meant as a long distance hauler, but I can't imagine riding for more than 40 minutes without losing my fillings and pissing blood. I wonder how many kidney stones were battered into submission on these early motorcycles. Still though, I love the Art Deco architecture of those engines. Much of the artistry in engineering is lost on today's modern motorcycles. It has become much easier to cover things up with plastic than to engineer it to function and be aesthetically pleasing. It will be interesting to see what Polaris does when they reinvent this iconic brand.

This is the MD250H by Moriwaki Engineering currently being used by Schwantz School.This pre- Moto3 racer was developed by Moriwaki for aspiring young racers to develop racing skills and probably was also to test the waters knowing the eventual phasing out of the then current 125cc 2-strokes.It sports a 48.4 inch wheelbase which is roughly 8 inches shorter than any current 600 supersport.At 194 lbs. it is also at least150 lbs. less than any current supersport motorcycle.With a CRF250X 5 speed engine churning out 32.6 bhp @ 11,000rpm, the little MD outguns a CBR250R by about 8 horsepower. Moriwaki frame and Honda RS125 suspension and bodywork complete the package to create a GP replica that looks very similar to the Honda Moto3 racer currently being flogged all over Europe.Although at $12,699 I might be inclined to buy the $4000 CBR  and spend the extra money tuning it up and on riding schools. Or one could go the the Gavin Trippe route and buy the CRF250X and convert it to roadracing and still save a lot of coin.

Besides the swingarm the NSF is eerily similar to the MD250H

This is GP Tech's answer to Moriwaki. I think a comparo is in order.

ROSSI AND MOTO GP SILLY SEASON

Yesterday Jorge Lorenzo signed a two year deal with Yamaha that puts an end to much conjecture about a deal with HRC and the uncertain future of many top level riders. The early retirement of Casey Stoner has thrown the MOTO GP world into a frenzy as to who will sign where and the eventual question of where will Valentino Rossi end up once the music stops. The addition of Marc Marquez adds further complication to an already huge mess. It has been no secret that Repsol has been grooming Marquez for a ride on the factory team which could happen in 2013 or 2014 depending on negotiations with Dorna.The rookie rule was introduced in order to help satellite teams gain some exposure by showcasing new and up and coming talent which also boosts thie sponsorship.

A newly proposed rule that would allow only four motorcycles per factory compounded with the already in place rookie rule would leave Rossi's only avenue into a factory Honda to be through Dani Pedrosa as Rossi would want more than a one year contract and Repsol will want Marquez in a top spot. HRC is still not happy with Rossi's departure to Yamaha in 2004 and would probably not allow him on the factory team anyway. This now swings his fortunes towards the satellite teams , which will only allow a rider and not his entire crew to enter their garages, as they have slowly built their relationships with crew and sponsors over many years and do not have the budgets to make huge changes for only a season or two.

The proposed new rule would also not allow a newly formed team to exist with any satellite bikes unless Rossi can convince Ezpeleta to pospone this rule ( which I'm sure Repsol will also support in order to circumvent the rookie rule for Marquez's sake) until Dorna can come to an agreement with the factories. This leaves a factory Ducati ride or a CRT ride as his only clear options and I'm sure we all know which he would choose were that the case. Ducati on the other hand is the smallest of the factories in MOTO GP and cannot afford to pay Rossi his huge salary and develop their GP bike at the same pace as Honda or Yamaha. Either way, if I were Dani Pedrosa right now, I'd be sweating.

Dirtbag Challenge

San Francisco is one of the most bike friendly big cities in America and I think this video made it seem even cooler. I first read about this event in Cafe Racer magazine and was not aware of a documentary until browsing around on the interweb. Check out their Facebook page for more info.

Deus Ex Machina

I'm sure you've already heard of these guys, but I just wanted to show my dream job. If I won a million dollars tomorrow, this is what I would do with it. I would create a place like this. They build awesome bikes, have great bike shows, surf, and have beautiful girls always hanging around their shop. I couldn't be more jealous.