Funny Front: Tier Motorsports’ Yamaha R1 concept

Fork off: Tier Motorsports' Yamaha R1 concept, with a single-sided front swingarm
Pics: The Biker Gene

Over the last few decades, some manufacturers and independent specialists have tried to break away from the ubiquitous telescopic front fork, and tried various kinds of alternative front suspension on motorcycles. However, BMW seem to be the only bike manufacturers who’ve ever had any significant commercial success with bikes that had alternative front ends, while the Britten V1000 is probably the only successful racebike that did not use the conventional fork.

In theory, some alternative front ends – the front swingarm for example – can separately deal with the forces generated by braking, steering and cornering a motorcycle, and thus offer significantly better handling. In practice, however, very few of these systems seem to have worked.

In any case, there is no dearth of people who keep trying to find a suspension solution that’s better than the good old telescopic fork, and that’s where Tier Motorsports come in. This company has designed a concept motorcycle, based on the Yamaha R1, that’s fitted with a single-side swingarm and a monoshock in place of the regular USD fork.

Among a dozen other things, the Tier Motorsports’ front end uses a completely vertical steering axis, instead of the tilted steering axis that telescopic forks have to use because of their rake. Claimed advantages are adjustable dive under braking, more consistent steering, increased high speed stability, better ride comfort, full-range adjustability and an increase in braking performance.

The claimed advantages all sound good, but we wonder if this single-sided front swingarm will ever make to production reality. Given how good USD forks on modern sportsbikes have become, the possibility for alternative front suspension being accepted on mainstream bikes looks bleak. That is, unless this kind of suspension is backed up by some other pathbreaking technology, like two-wheel-drive perhaps. A 2WD Yamaha R1 with single-sided front and rear swingarms? Hmmm… now that would be interesting!

Yamaha YZF-R1 - Project R1 Part 2: Engine and Fueling

This month we get the engine dialed in, but not before a single silly spacer slows our project build to a grinding halt. Literally.

Photography by John Zamora

With the rolling chassis mods sorted, we moved on to the motor, but talk about jumping the gun....

Something wasn't quite right with the rear end. All of the parts bolted on and it seemed in order, but after a couple laps around the parking lot we found the rear rotor was dragging inside the caliper bracket. D'oh.

The solution was obvious enough-find a spacer to fit between the wheel spacer and the caliper bracket. As luck would have it, there was just the right piece in the loose bolts bin and it only took about an hour buzzing it with a Dremel to get it fitting properly. Are we upset that the wheel didn't fit properly? Of course. Is it the end of the world? No, and it proves a valid point when embarking on a custom build. Sometimes parts don't fit exactly as they should. Your options are to either send it back and find something that does fit (recommended when time permits) or take matters into your own hands and find a way to make it work. We opted for the latter and got lucky ... this time.

About a half of a millimeter is all it took to stop the entire project. It was nothing a makeshift spacer couldn't sort through.

Now that the rear wheel was spinning properly it was time to get the crunchy old pipe off and love up the engine a bit. Leo Vince's exquisite exhaust bolted on perfectly and looks amazing. With the removable baffle lying on the floor, the thing sounds utterly amazing and we can't wait to hear this baby at full tilt.

WHEEL SPACER
Leo Vince says that its exhausts don't require a fuel management system for better results over stock, but we went ahead and hooked up a Power Commander anyways because with a little tuning time on the dyno we're sure to squeak out some extra power. Additionally, we wanted to install a Dynojet quickshifter and it requires a Power Commander to function.

While we were hooking up the quickshifter, it seemed silly to bolt it into the worn-out old stock gear linkage, so we looked to Sato Racing for a pair of its beautiful rearsets. They come pre-assembled and bolted on in a jiffy, but we utilized their full adjustability and tucked the pegs one notch higher just for better ground clearance.

2009 Yamaha RD500R - Back to the Future

If Yamaha still made the RD500R, it might just look like this...

In 1984, two-strokes ruled, rather than damaged, the planet. Yamaha RD350LCs and Suzuki Gammas ran rings around bikes twice their size, providing laughs for hooligan pilots everywhere. While Yamaha made lumbering FJ1100s for men to go touring, they also built RD500s on the back of GP success for boys who could afford the finance. In truth, the RD was a complex, cobbled-together rush job and Suzuki's later square four RG500 was faster and angrier. But it didn't matter. The clock was ticking on the two-stroke sensation and draconian emissions legislation meant the end of the road for high-performance strokers. Until the day global warming theories are debunked, we can but dream that Yamaha will resurrect its biggest LC. And what a dream it would be.

Engine
An evolution of the original RD500LC V4, but instead of making 80 horsepower, we're looking at a true rear-wheel, fuel-injected, ram-air, 130 horsepower of joy and a healthy 65 lb.-ft. of torque. As before, the rear cylinder exhaust pipes cross over to ensure they're the required length before exiting under the tail unit. Can you imagine the cackle from those four stingers? That's the sound of the best power-to-weight ratio on any modern production bike.

The original 1984 RD500.

Chassis
A fusion of YZR500 and R1 engineering results in a frame that can take the stresses a peaky, high-performance stroker will deliver. Unlike the European 1984 RD, the chassis is lightweight alloy instead of steel. Suspension comes from the 2008 R6 and is adjustable for high- and low-speed compression damping. The rear shock is situated in the traditional location behind the engine, as opposed to under it as on the original. There's no comedy anti-dive valving in the forks or fashionable-at-the-time sixteen-inch front wheel either.

Body Work
Heat could be an issue with a compact V4 layout, so the RD's bodywork is designed to keep things cool by channeling air where it's needed. Cool air is forced in; warm air is expelled. The fuel tank is from the R1 parts bin, while the top cowl once lived on a scooter. The tail unit houses the exhausts from the rear cylinders and the seat pad opens to reveal a small storage compartment for a spare bottle of fully synthetic two-stroke oil.

Ramaha Réplica 2011

If you Next one on the list of digital piano reviews is the Roland HP137. 2. The only downside of the Yamaha P120 is that there are too few whistles and bells.

The P120 also offers you the harpsichord and the organ setting, and these are also very realistic. The Yamaha is certainly an art piece; in addition, the two grand piano settings offer impressive and realistic sounds that cannot be ignored. They can be set to hard, medium or soft and it weighs around 40 pounds. An added advantage of this device is that you have the option of setting the keys. Another great thing about P120 is the fact that the weight of the keys sound surprisingly close to the grand piano.

This is a great replica when looking and listening to a grand piano. Let's take a look at the Yamaha P120. 1. To help narrow down your search, we've picked and reviewed four digital pianos that are best suited for amateurs and beginners like you.

Compared to previous models of digital pianos, the digital pianos of today are more portable, although they have to be tuned like traditional pianos. If there is one thing you need to know about digital pianos, it is that a lot of the digital pianos being sold today have a weighted-key action. The sizes of digital pianos vary, as well as their weight and quality. Keep in mind that digital pianos are not all alike.

Are you a novice or beginning piano player and you're looking to buy a digital piano?

Yamaha DT 50 LC 2011

Motorcycle companies like the Yamaha, Honda, and Kawasaki, The industry, which had seen a smooth ride before, faced fierce foreign competition. The two-wheeler market was opened to foreign manufacturers in the mid 80's. Until the mid 80's, there were only three major motorcycle manufacturers in India namely Rajdoot, Escorts, and Enfield.

The condition of motorcycle manufacturers was no different. This deal expired in 1971. However, Bajaj signed a technical collaboration in 1960 with Piaggio of Italy to produce Bajaj Scooters. Until 1958, API and Enfield were the only producers of two wheelers in India. Meanwhile Automobile Products of India (API) commenced production of scooters in the country in the early 50's.

Bajaj auto began trading in imported Vespa Scooters in 1948. Additionally, two-wheelers offer a great deal of convenience and mobility for the Indian family. One of the chief factors is poor public transport in many parts of India. The trend of owning two wheelers is due to a variety of facts peculiar to India.

In the year 2005-2006, the annual production of two-wheelers in India stood at around 7600801 units. It stands next only to China and Japan in terms of the number of two-wheelers produced and the sales of two wheelers respectively. Currently, India is the second largest producer of two wheelers in the world. Previously, there were only a handful of two-wheeler models available in the country.

Manmohan Singh, now Prime Minister of India.  The two wheeler industry in India has grown rapidly in the country since the announcement of the process of liberalization in 1991 by the then finance minister Dr.

Cheap Garmin Zumo 660 GPS For Motorcycles 2011

Features The motorcycle and vehicle mounts are included in the product's packaging. The mini-USB connector and the microSD card slot are located at the back of the device. The on off button is located at the top and the audio frequency is on the left.

The Garmin Zum 660 GPS for motorcycles is beautifully designed and professional, just as you would expect from Garmin. The color display is very beautiful and clear, readable in direct sunlight, and the visuals are crisp with vivid colors. The unit is waterproof (IPX7 standard), having in mind that it can withstand submergence in water up to 1 meter. Design Although the unit looks somewhat delicate with the full screen, appearances can be deceiving.

The GPS receiving system chipset is not divulged by the producer. The electric battery is adequate up to 5 hours, and the motorcycle and car power adapters are included in the box. The touchscreen color TFT is 4.3" in size and supports a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels. Specifications The Garmin Zumo 660 measures 13.5 x 8.4 x 2.3 cm (W x H x D) and weighs 270 grams.

It only implies that some enhancements of the product, causing it to be easier to input information when wearing gloves, and allowing for bikers to use it more effectively. Particularly, just because it's specially designed for bikers, that does not mean that you can not use the device in your automobile.  Garmin's Zumo series are particularly configured for bikers, and the Zumo 660 sticks out as the crown of that series.

Yamaha XT 125 X

By 1960 the company's output had increased by a massive 600%, but a period of recession forced Japanese companies to look further afield A kit was available which allowed the owner to adapt the bike for racing, both on and off road. However, the company flourished during the following years, and in 1959 Yamaha were the first Japanese company to offer a sports model, the twin cylinder YDS1, complete with five speed gearbox. A win a Mount Asama boosted sales, but at less than 16,000 models a year output was still way behind Honda and Suzuki.

The twin cylinder YD, the first machine designed by Yamaha, was introduced in 1957. This machine, fondly known as the Red Dragonfly, laid the foundation of Yamaha's reputation for reliability, and success on the race track contributed to the bike's popularity. The Japanese have often been accused of copying European models, but let's not forget that BSA also used this very same design to produce their Bantam. Their first offering was the YA1, a 125cc, single cylinder two-stroke, was a copy of a German motorbike. It has grown to be the second largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, which is no mean feat for what was a fledgling company that arrived late in the motorcycle market.

The Yamaha Motor Corporation sprang into life on July 1st 1955, and remains part of the Yamaha Group.  Although the first Yamaha motorcycle didn't appear until the mid fifties, the company's history dates back to 1887, when the father of the company, Torakusa Yamaha began producing reed organs.

Yamaha XJ 6 Blue And Blak 2011

Having gone through some lanes and over a couple of fields I found it was great fun, had First impression was that it felt very soft and moved around on the front end a fair bit, but this could be rectified for sure, and for only a few pounds. I donned my helmet and gloves and off I went, rolling tamely down the road to get a feel of the response, handling and general road holding of the bike.

The Yamaha XJ 6 I tried had done about miles and sounded like someone had thrown small stones into the exhaust system whilst it sat on tick over. Yamaha had only recently swapped the old Yamaha XJ6 2011 none fuel injection for the Yamaha XJ6 2011 fuel injected single overhead cam - and boy how different they would be when tested side by side. Once I had got all the basics of which ones to look at, off I went with my legal credentials so that I could test drive a couple of bikes to see what they were like. Firstly when trying to decide which one I wanted to try I went and talked to a few of the people who have experienced Quad Bikes for many years. With no time wasted I set out to try some of the higher end Quad bike and see how they fared both On Road and Off road.

I had decided it was time to experience something that little bit special.

A High Performance Car With Impeccable Style - The 2011 Jaguar XJ

There is no doubt about it; the interior looks and feels as The interior was designed just as impeccably as the exterior with leather crafted seats and leather upholstered door panels. Cargo space is generous and roomy at 15.2 cubic feet. The lithe XJ weighs in at a mere 4,045 pounds. Being constructed out of aluminum keeps this car much lighter than other vehicles in its class.

The top of the line XJ Supersport has a V8 that pumps out 510 hp and can zoom from zero to sixty in just 4.7 seconds. The XJ model comes with a 5.0 Liter eight cylinder for 470 horsepower. The XJ model is equipped with an eight cylinder engine with a total output of 385 horsepower and 380 lb feet of torque. There are three trim levels for both; XJ, XJ Supercharged and XK Supersport.

Automotive shoppers have the option of selecting from two different body styles; wheel base and regular. The XJ is a luxury sedan and goes head to head with the best of the best including the Mercedes S-Class, the Mercedes CLS class, the 7- series from BMW and the LS460 from Lexus. The new headlights and swooping lines give the car and elegant and almost cat-like look. This updated version is sleek and modern looking.

Previous models were a bit stuffy, old fashioned and not really that exciting, but the 2011 model is a whole different story.  The XJ from Jaguar has had a reputation throughout the years as a prim and proper luxury vehicle with Old World styling.

Yamaha Aerox 50 Hurry And White

Most were either the old-school Vespa PX models for retro purists, or 50cc 'twist-'n'-go' models bound for the Traditionally, mere handfuls of scooters had trickled onto our roads each year. From 2002 to 2006, scooters recorded the sort of market growth more usually associated with killer bees. My return coincided with a profound change in Australia's automotive landscape.

I'd suggest that Australian drivers aren't so much annoyed by scooters, as frustrated with themselves. With under-seat storage, a 95km/h top speed and my imported, obnoxious Parisian scooter etiquette, I wouldn't be without it. I became so addicted to its convenience, economy and lane-carving quickness that I shipped it home with me in 2004. Even when I had a rental or press car soaking up Euros in the parking station, most of my trips around Paris still made more sense on the scooter.

For more than four years it was the only daily-use motor vehicle in our inner-urban household. In 2000, not long after arriving in the French capital, I was seduced by the squinty eyes and bright red bodywork of a year-old Yamaha Aerox 100 two-stroke. I know because I cut my scootering teeth while living in Paris.  In July 2007, an insurance company's controversial 'study' found that 33 percent of Australian drivers were "annoyed by the increased presence of scooters." While the motorcycle industry was quick to criticise the 'study' for its misleading questionnaire and media-generating motives, the story did highlight one thing: the self-righteous superiority of many Aussie car drivers when they're faced with a cheaper, more efficient alternative.

Yamaha Aerox 50 2011

Yamaha They have a Consider these things have 2 gallon tanks and that is a lot of mileage on $6. Vespa Vespa features the LX50 that gets about 100mpg and the S50 that get 90mpg. The Metro is more of a standard looking scooter while the Ruckus is more bare-bones and stripped down and features thicker than normal wheels.

Well, is still going strong with two options in this class: the Metropolitan and the Ruckus. Here is a look at some of the more popular models in the 49cc and 50cc class: Honda Remember the Spree or if you are a little older, the Honda Cub. Doesn't sound like much, but remember these little scooters only weigh a couple hundred pounds, so it does not take much to get them going. So that means something hat is 50cc is a little over 5hp. A simple conversion is this: 15 to 17cc equals about 1 horsepower.

Like horsepower, the bigger the number, the more power there is. This refers to how much engine capacity there is. Well, CC simply stands for cubic centimeters. What is the deal with CC and horsepower? Horsepower Let's get to the heart of this to start off with.

CC vs. Small, quick, cute, whatever you think of them, two things are certain: they are inexpensive and great on gas mileage. These little scooters are kind of like the stereotype for what people think of when they think of a scooter.  They are considered the same and are the basic, least expensive scooters you can usually purchase.