Battle Field 3 Dirt Bike

Have you ever wondered what is would be like to ride a motorcycle in war time?  Sure.  How about placing explosives to your bike and using it as a motorized bomb?  Uh? I guess.  How about launching man and machine thousands of feet into the air and using your body to Kamikaze a helicopter?  Wait. What?
It was recently brought to my attention (thanks for the tip Luke) that dirt bikes were in the latest expansion pack for the popular video first person shooter, Battlefield 3.  Battlefield 3 was released on October 25, 2011 and includes both a campaign mode and well as a popular multiplayer mode where you can play the aforementioned dirt bike.  That is as long as you have the "End Game" expansion.  So if you answered yes to any of the questions above then Battlefield 3 is what you have been look for.  Enjoy.

Indian Motorcycle Reveal

Sturgis is quickly approaching and with that the much anticipated and most recent revival of the storied Indian motorcycle brand.  In the future, I plan on writing a series focusing on the history of several different motorcycle manufacturers, Indian included.  Check back later for a more detailed look of the long troubled brand.  For now here is a quick recap of their history and a taste of what the future holds.

I will keep this short and sweet.  Indian was founded in 1901 but after a series of unfortunate events, was forced to close shop for the first time in 1953.  I say the first time because it will most certainly not be the last time.  Most recently, Polaris Industries acquired the rights to the historic brand in 2011.  Since their purchase of Indian, Polaris as been feverishly working on engineering, designing, and crafting a totally new and unique motorcycle.  All of this is building to the unveiling of the entire machine at the Sturgis motorcycle rally in 2013.  To build anticipation, Polaris has been very deliberately leaking information about various parts and designs of the motorcycle.  Indians first proprietary engine was unveiled this year at Daytona Bike Week.  More recently, Polaris released shaded photos and what I believe to be vital to any long term success, a competitive price point of $18999.  With a price comparable to who I assume will be their main competition, Harley Davidson, and the multimedia released so far I think Indian may finally be here to stay.  Let me know what you think.   

The Wheel Reinvented?

My first real post and I am blogging about a bicycle wheel?  Yes I am.

Sam Pearce from Loopwheels has just reinvented the wheel.  He has created a spokeless suspension wheel.  Strangely enough, he got the idea after watching mothers push children in strollers.  After several hours of observing children being jolted each time the front tire struck a bump he decided to make a better wheel.

His design works like this.  The wheel has 3 carbon loops in place of spokes that are found on normal bicycle tires.  The carbon loops act as a type of suspension by flexing when under stress.  For example, if one hits a curb the outer rim would act like any normal rim would.  The carbon loop nearest to the impact would compress, bring the hub closer to the wheel, and result in less force to the rider.  Brilliant.

Aside from being just plain interesting.  Do your see any applications in the motorized world?  Will we be seeing a resurgence in custom hardtail choppers with Loopwheels?  Or ultra cushy Ultra Classics?    I would like to know your thoughts.  Please leave them below.

You can find out more about Loopwheels and help fund Sam's project here.

Motorcycles, motorcycles, motorcycles, and occasionally other interesting stuff

Hi everyone,

'Motorcycles, motorcycles, motorcycles, and occasionally other interesting stuff.'  That pretty sums up what is in my head any given moment.  So, I figured I would create a place for "like minded" individuals to get their daily fix of motorcycle mayhem.  Thank for reading and I hope you enjoy!