Hi guys, Paul here again. For those of you who bought the Dark Knight Motorcycle Suit, you might be interested in also getting the Bat Pod Replica to live out your character fantasy.

It is equipped with working grappling hooks, turn signals inside machine gun flash suppressors, hidden instruments, and an automatic transmission. The folks over at Chopper City USA claim it works too, achieving impressive angles of lean on the nearly square tires.

Powering this contraption is the 76bhp, 54lb/ft liquid cooled v-twin from the Aprilia Mana 850. That engine is equipped with a ride-by-wire throttle and a switchable automatic transmission. Look closely and you can see they also carried over the Mana’s parking brake lever; don’t worry, your Bat Pod won’t roll away while you’re off fighting crime.

The Bat Pod was built by Dave Welch and Florida’s Chopper City USA. They’ll be auctioning it for charity soon, check out their website for details.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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What’s up people? Norton’s 961 Commando SE broke a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA, today by recording an average top speed of 129.191mph.

The bike, officially entered by Norton into the annual BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials was ridden by Alan Cathcart and claimed the record for the 1000cc Production Push-rod class. The previous record was set last year on a Buell reaching 126.398mph.

Cathcart said: “It’s nice to put Norton back in the record books for the first time in so many years. The fact we did it on a box stock bike exactly as delivered to any Norton customer makes it all the sweeter”.

The BUB Trials happen each year in the middle of the Utah Salt Flats. You can ‘Run whatcha brung’ and watch contenders attempt to break World Speed Records.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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Hi guys, for those of you following the races at Cadwell, you have probably noticed HM Plant Honda’s Josh Brookes jumping his motorcycle at the track.

“I do it because its the fastest way I know how to get over there,” Brookes explained simply. “I go as fast as I can and as a result I get air borne.”

Check out the video.

“As a bonus its fun and the crowd loves it,” Brookes continued. “I can see why people are scared to jump, it can go bad really easily. I know the years of motocross are an advantage. I know how to jump and not get to out of shape.

“I go through the turns before the jump just like any other. On the up ramp to the jump I use a lot of throttle but more importantly I keep a lot of lean angle even though its going to be leaving the ground. I stay sat down until the take off point where I stand up as the bike takes off.

Here’s one from his onboard camera.

How does he do it? “I get over the front a little because the acceleration makes the front comes up a bit. If the bike stays to level I may give it a rev in the air to get the front up. I like to land rear wheel first.”

Stay tuned for more updates.

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Hey guys, it’s Jon here again. Like most of you, it’s the end of summer and back to school for me this month. Anyways, on to today’s Essential Stuff item!

I found these while I was supposed to be buying my textbooks online. The folks over at Scott Sports are proud to release the long awaited Hustle Goggles featuring the patent pending SCOTT FIT SYSTEM. Check them out.

Not only do these goggles allow for adjustment to a rider’s individual cheek shape, but they also adjust the width of each individual’s nose bridge size. The customizations are screwdriver-adjusted and should only need to be set once. Well, unless you get fat or something.

The Hustle also claims improved peripheral vision thanks to a wider aperture and incorporates all the usual goggle features like anti-fog coating on the Lexan lenses and sweat-wicking foam.

We can’t wait to test them out in person. Send on over guys! I would totally switch to an open-faced helmet so i can rock a pair of these. Full faced helmets are just to restrictive for me while riding in the city.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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Hey, what’s going on everyone? Happy Friday to you all. Looking forward to a weekend of riding! Although I do have some bad news. Looks like another one bites the dust. Ducati has announced in a press release issued today that they will quit WSB at the end of the season.

The Italian company says it will focus its technical resources on product development and will therefore not compete in the 2011 WSB series with a factory team. They already have an established name. Time to churn out more superbikes!

Here is the press release:

Ducati, having participated with a factory team in every edition of the World Superbike Championship since it began in 1988, winning 16 Manufacturers’ world titles and 13 Riders’ world titles along the way, has decided to limit its participation to the supply of machines and support to private teams.

“This decision is part of a specific strategy made by Ducati, the aim being to further increase technological content in production models that will arrive on the market in the coming years.

“In order to achieve this objective, the company’s technical resources, until now engaged with the management of the factory Superbike team, will instead be dedicated to the development of the new generation of hypersport bikes, in both their homologated and Superbike race versions,” declared Gabriele Del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati.

“I would like to thank Nori and Michel, and all of the riders that have contributed to the great history of Ducati in Superbike, but above all the Ducati employees; it is their hard work and professionalism that has allowed us to achieve such important results.

“A big thank you also to all of the partners that have supported us, first and foremost Xerox of course.

“I would also like to acknowledge the Flammini brothers who have managed the championship for so long, and the FIM, the organization with which we have continuous, constructive relations.”

By making this important decision Ducati aims to increase the speed and efficiency with which it transfers advanced technological solutions, currently tested in the prototype championship, to the production series.

The task of testing innovative technical solutions in Superbike racing will therefore be entrusted to external teams in the coming years, teams that will have the chance to receive technical support from Ducati personnel.

This choice will allow the teams to benefit from even more competitive machines and parts.

Despite the decision to interrupt its official participation in the World Superbike Championship, Ducati will continue to work, in collaboration with the championship organizers, other manufacturers and the FIM, to define a technical regulation aimed at containing costs.

Strong in the sporting spirit that has always allowed this manufacturer to compete, line-up against its rivals, and win, it is fundamental for Ducati to identify, together with the other interested parties, solutions that can guarantee the future of the championship in the medium-long term.

Recently the Superbike World Championship, according to the current regulations, has been interpreted as moving more towards competition between prototypes rather than for bikes derived from production machines.

This has led to an increase in costs, both for the manufacturers and the teams participating in the championship. This picture does not correlate with the current worldwide economic situation, which has made the securing of sponsorship even more difficult.

Ducati trusts that the work carried out by all parties will lead to improvement also in this area.

Stay tuned for more updates and be sure to voice your opinions at Ducatist.

If you liked today’s post, please check out today’s sponsor, MTS Driving, for those of you interested in or are looking for truck driving jobs.

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