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BRIEFS
Zero Motorcycles ( Scotts Valley , California ) has completed a new funding round worth some $ 107m . The proceeds will " fund the scaling of its global operations and the introduction of new models ." Investors include Polaris , Exor , Hero MotoCorp , long-time backer Invus , and others . Since its launch in a Santa Cruz garage , Zero has sold over 20,000 vehicles that have accumulated over 165,000,000 miles of on-road and offroad experience . With this round of financing , Zero Motorcycles has raised in excess of $ 450m of capital and will bring the cumulative capital raised to above $ 500m , with an anticipated additional closing by year end .
What is described as the fastest bike in the world has broken into four second territory for the quarter mile at the Santa Pod raceway in England . French motorcycle drag racing legend Eric " Rocketman " Teboul wanted to retire from the sport in style , and he set a high bar to beat . He had announced that the 2022 FIA / FIM European Drag Racing Finals at Santa Pod Raceway would be the site of his official retirement from the sport . Teboul ' s rocket bike hit a 220 mile-per-hour speed while accomplishing a quarter mile run in just 5.64 seconds - also at Santa Pod - back in 2019 . This time he powered his hydrogen peroxide-powered rocket bike - for which he apparently mixes the fuel himself - to a quartermile time of 5.066 seconds , at 263.52 mph . The following day , Teboul managed to break that elusive four-second quarter-mile with a final run time of 4.976 seconds at a blisteringly ludicrous speed of 290.51 miles per hour .
Arch Motorcycles , the Hawthorne , California based joint venture between Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reeves , has released an S & S 45-degree fuelinjected 124 ci V-twin engined 1s muscle bike - essentially a performance cruiser . Sales are limited to the United States and pricing starts at around $ 128,000 - for which you get a claimed 115 lb-ft of torque , 17- inch carbon fiber front and rear BST wheels , a new billet aluminum singlesided swingarm , fully-adjustable Öhlins fork and shock , ISR six-piston monobloc radial mount calipers at the front ( with floating dampened discs ) and a six-piston monobloc radial mount caliper ( with semi-floating disc ) at the rear - and a fairly minimalist , stripped-down look . Undoubtedly sportier than the original KRGT-1 , with mid-mount controls , the engine comes with dry clutch , and what Arch calls a " proprietary six-speed drivetrain ."
Yoshimura Harley Exhausts Now Available Through HardDrive
Owned since the start of the year by Arrowhead Engineered Products ( AEP ), Boise , Idaho based Western Power Sports ( WPS ) has announced an exclusive agreement to become the sole distributor of Yoshimura products in the United States . WPS will take over distribution of the product made in California by Yoshimura R & D of America , Inc . from Tucker Powersports and the deal is thought to be a strategic alignment with Bihr distribution in Europe . Bihr is a big player for Yoshimura in Europe and , having themselves been acquired by WPS parent AEP in the summer , the
Yoshimura fender eliminator kit for the Pan America
premium aftermarket exhaust system manufacturer has made a huge commit to the two ' sister ' distributors . Steve Lester , President of WPS , said : " The agreement expands on a collaboration that began in 2017 and underscores the companies ' commitment to uncompromising
The idea that the Can-Am name could return to motorcycles has been circulating ever since the brand was revived for ATVs and three-wheelers in 2006 . The return has now been confirmed , but the production bikes won ' t be ready until 2024 , to coincide with the company ' s 50th anniversary . The Canadian brand first appeared as Bombardier ' s entry to the motorcycle scene in 1973 , hitting immediate success in motocross competition , but Bombardier lost interest . Canadian Cam-Am production ended in 1982 , with CCM in the UK keeping the brand alive from 1983 to 1987 , when the Can-Am name disappeared completely . The 2006 comeback saw the Spyder three-wheeler and a range of quad bikes , but the current interest in electric motorcycles means it ' s being used for BRP ' s entry into that market . The first new bikes are the ' Pulse ' roadster and ' Origin ' ADV , built around quality and service standards . WPS dealers in the United States will gain exclusive , first-to-market access to Yoshimura ' s exceptional line of highperformance mufflers and exhaust systems and accessories for street and off-road motorcycles , as well as select ATVs and UTVs ." Yoshimura ' s genuinely race-bred ' Signature Series ' exhaust systems cover the entire powersports spectrum , with additional ' Race Series ' systems designed for closed course competition . Noted for their top-end design , materials , engineering , craftsmanship and performance , Yoshimura also offers exhausts for select H-D applications that will now be available through HardDrive . The recently introduced Yoshimura titanium ' Street Series ' Pan America RS-12 ADV slip-on weighs in 6 lbs lighter than the stock muffler with hp up by + 1.4 % and maximum torque increased by + 2.5 %. Features include proprietary carbon fiber heat shields for the muffler and catalyst . Yoshimura R & D of America company president Yusaku Yoshimura said : " We are excited to announce that WPS is now the exclusive U . S . distributor for Yoshimura products . We trust in the WPS team ' s invaluable industry experience , extensive resources , and most importantly , their passion for powersports ."
a modular platform that ' s designed to be adaptable to suit all sorts of bikes , from off-roaders to custom cruisers . The central battery case doubles as the main frame structure , with swappable front and rear subframes to change the bike ' s character and geometry . Rotax , the Austrian manufacturer that made the original Can-Am engines , is developing the electric motors . In all the upcoming Can-Am models , the motor is mounted inside the front of the single-sided swingarm , where it drives through helical-cut reduction gears to a front sprocket , and then via
Yoshimura ' Street Series ' RS-12 ADV slip-on in titanium for the Harley Pan America weighs in 6 lbs lighter than the stock muffler with hp up by + 1.4 % and maximum torque increased by + 2.5 %.
Founded in 1960 as a Polaris snowmobile distributor , WPS claims to currently be the fastest growing nationwide delivery system of powersports industry products and delivers through its regional warehouse network with locations in Idaho , California , Georgia , Pennsylvania , Indiana and Texas .
Can-Am ' Pulse ' and ' Origin ' By Ben Purvis
a chain to the rear sprocket to provide another layer of gearing reduction . Unusually , the chain runs inside the swingarm rather than outside , sealing it from the elements and allowing it to run through an oil bath , with a builtin chain tensioner . That means chain adjustment and oiling should be unnecessary and the chain noise reduced . As with most electric bikes , there ' s just a single speed and no clutch , but Can-Am is sticking to the familiar foot-operated rear brake rather than moving to a scooter-style , bar-mounted version .
8 AFTERMARKET MOTO DESIGN - NOVEMBER 2022