What’s going on guys? After we got the Triumph Gel Seat, the next step was to bring the Speedy out of hibernation. I decided to finally fully test the Marzocchi front forks, and went out with Goody for a ride. Take a look at what happened.

What you didn’t see in the video is that when we were riding, the left front brake caliper bolts shot out of their sockets and hit me in the helmet. The second one bounced off the pavement and hit GooDy in the chest behind me. Needless to say, that was the end of our test today.

We are both okay but we couldn’t find the bolts in the busy street. We will try to get some spacers and bolts from Marzocchi, but with Johner no longer working there, we don’t know how long the new guy is going to take. So, stay tuned!

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to our full feed RSS or receive new posts by Email.

Hey guys! Don’t forget to watch the opening round of the 2009 World Superbike Championship this coming Sunday. Please check your local listings for times. Races are also on demand on the WSBK website.

Tuned in to watch AMA champion Ben Spies as he threatens to do some damage in his first race on the all new Yamaha R1. He has already been posting the fastest times during practice. Noriyuki Haga on his Xerox Ducati 1098R is right behind him. Aprilia is back in the series for the first time in years and the Germans at BMW have decided to give the championship a shot as well.

Wow, should prove to be an intense race! So don’t forget guys. Race 1 at Philip Island this Sunday, March 1, 2009.

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to our full feed RSS or receive new posts by Email.

What’s up guys? Sorry to be the bearer of more bad news, but Yamaha Motor, one of the world’s largest motorcycle makers, will cut production in Japan by up to 24% this year amid falling global demand.

Production may fall to slightly more than 260,000 units in Japan, a spokeswoman said. Analysts said this would represent a 40-year low. Yamaha Motor may also reduce output by 30% in the US and 20% in Europe, the spokeswoman said.

Export-oriented Japanese firms have been hit hard by the downturn. Official figures showed on Wednesday that Japan’s exports plunged 45.7% in January compared with a year ago to hit the lowest figure in 10 years.

The Japanese economy contracted at an annualized rate of 12.7% in the last quarter of 2008, recording its worst performance in almost 35 years, officials said last week.

Yamaha Motor had already planned to close some of its plants for 10 days in February and March to reduce output by 13,000 motorcycles. It also plans to discuss further plant stoppages in the April-to-June period with trade unions.

The company has predicted that 2009 will see its first net loss for 26 years. The loss of 42 billion yen ($430m, £303m) would come after a net income of 1.85 billion yen last year. Sales are expected to decline by 22% to 1.25 trillion yen.

However, I always like to look at the brighter side of things. This means that the used bike market will increase significantly. So be prepared to see more project bikes in the works here at IPM. Stay tuned!

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to our full feed RSS or receive new posts by Email.

Hey, what’s going on guys? So, we finally did another modification to the Street Triple. Check out the video installation for the Watson Design turn signals. They look mighty sleek, no? Oh, and yes, that is GooDy doing the installation. Hey, foreign labor is just that much less expensive! LOL!

The stock turn signals just stuck out way too much. This bike is supposed to share the same frame and engine with the Daytina 675, so why shouldn’t it but just as streamlined? Well, that’s it for this time folks. Till next time, ride safely!

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to our full feed RSS or receive new posts by Email.

Hi everyone.  Today, I’m reviewing the RPM glove sponsored to us by the good folks at Shift Racing. These are short cuff-style gloves made from both leather and textile.

What I like about the RPM glove is that it is specifically fit for women – no more baggy fingers, no more unfilled fingertips, and no more loosey goosey fitted gloves.  How is this accomplished?  Well, the gloves are cut for more slender hands and the sidewalls of the fingers are pre-curved and made of Lycra (a stretchy fabric in case you don’t know) that accommodates every nook and cranny.  This all translates to well-fitted gloves.

Additionally, these gloves are pretty darn comfortable because they’re well padded in areas most needed such as the bottom of your palm.  They’re made of lightweight material with vents so you won’t be stuck with sweaty hands.  The top of the hand features a nifty accordion stretch panel to allow for flexibility so that your hands don’t feel constrained to a certain position.  These gloves also offer knuckle protection and additional padding for fingertip protection.

All in all, these are a great pair of gloves to have at a reasonable price.  They’d be great for warmer days but you might want to consider a different pair for colder days.

All righty…until next time, ride safely.

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to our full feed RSS or receive new posts by Email.