Welcome to Urban Moto Mag.com, the online home of Urban Moto Magazine, America’s #1 guerrilla motorcycle magazine, printed monthly in the Bay Area, California, distributed FREE worldwide. We cover current news,
events, motorcycle clubs, moto celebs, moto shops, bikes, products and more. You’ll find every kind of motorcycle – sportbike, streetbike, ratbike, dirtbike, super-motard, racebike, touring bike, vintage bike -
and all kinds of bikers and moto-nuts, from street to track to dirt to stunts to sidecars, scooters or mopeds, we’ve got it all, anything on two or three wheels.
Our readers are very connected and involved with the motorcycling community, and many are daily riders. Active participants in everything involving motorcycles, it's a way of life, not just a hobby.
And we’re happy to include you. Come along for the ride.
Aprilla RSV4R Loose In San Francisco Bonus footage includes a water induced fishtail served up at 100 mph in a tunnel.
AMA SUPERCROSS AT&T PARK, SAN FRANCISCO!
Always a blast, even in the rain! This photo taken by Glen Coddington, AMA Supercross 2008. Stay tuned for Glen's coverage of AMA Supercross 2010 in our next issue.
The contents of the now closed Buell factory in East Troy, Wisconsin are being auctioned off following the firm’s closure by parent company Harley-Davidson at the end of last year. Everything from production machinery, fabulous tool chests, office and production line equipment and even the company signs and pictures from the wall are up for grabs.
So, if you fancy an ex-works Buell 4x4 pick-up, fully-loaded Buell toolchests, workbenchs, some factory and office fixtures and fittings or even the Buell signs and pictures that decorated Erik Buell’s own office, this is your last chance.
Jonah Street riding a KTM for San Francisco based team Rally Pan Am finished the race in 7th place overall and was the highest ranked American. Frenchman Cyril Depres claimed overall victory in the 2010 Dakar. He finished 1 hour 2 minutes 58 secs ahead of Norway's Pal Anders Ullevalseter. Francisco Lopez Contardo from Chile finished 3rd overall riding an Aprilia.
Swedish racer Annie Seel’s KTM crashed at the bottom of a 17ft-deep tomb, but Seel miraculously avoided the near-fatal accident. "I rode too slow to jump and too fast to stop. Put brakes on, slide bike to the left and abandon ship. I managed to jump to the left edge while bike tumbled down. I am lucky not to go down cause the walls were impossible to climb."
A helicopter hoisted the bike out of the hole. Remarkably the KTM was able to continue racing and Seel suffered only a swollen ankle. But the real capper is that Seel finished the Dakar, top female of the 6 female riders, 45th overall. Way to go Annie Seel.
We want to wish everyone a fun and safe holiday season. MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!! Urban Moto Staff
Here's a note about our latest cover and cover story from a loyal reader. He's pissed, but it's a good and well written response.
Dear UM, Been reading your gag-mag for several years now and have enjoyed the content. This month's cover, however, stepped way over the line of any kind of decency. Your portrayal of Christ with a sado-masochistic Ball-gag in his mouth, riding on the back of bike piloted by a gal was sickening even in a so-called biker mag.
In addition, Freelander's poor attempt at interpreting Christmas giving was another failure in my opinion. The BCE reference is clearly an anit-Christian acronym aimed at denying the deity of Christ himself, or his position as messiah. So nice try but your slip is showing, badly !
Christ is at the heart of Christmas and Christmas is the heart of the Holiday season. The spirit of giving is in the heart of everyone who celebrates it.
Wendell Jones, one of the original founders of San Francisco's Dirtbag Challenge sent in the following: "From the eastern front...Dirtbike Challenge 2010. Late Spring 2010 Take all winter to build something or just finish your long over due project, no pressure, no rules, no budget, no hidden fees, NO WAY! Free beer, tee shirts and music and as much fun as you can have with your clothes on! Bring your Harleys, Nortons, Suzukis, WHATEVER. There is no website, no blog BS, and there will be no calenders printed of anything, it's not about the money, Bro. Stay tuned for more info as it comes in. Build away, event date spring 2010. Stayed tuned" Continued in Motolife Community
Harley-Davidson is recalling almost 112,000 motorcycles across the world after tests showed the fuel tank could leak following a severe crash.
The recall involves 21 models from the 2009 and 2010 ranges in the touring, custom and trike ranges and came to light following Harley-Davidson’s own crash testing.
There are no reports of any injuries or deaths as a result of the defect.
The recall will involve fitting new, stronger braces to the fuel tank mount.
San Francisco's, Giuseppe Viola, is a former U.S. Marine and makes his living as a financial expert. Mr. Viola can now add exotic sports car manufacturer to his resume. He has created a new car and it is officially a critical hit. This is no "kit" car, a real deal sports car, and it has quality written all over it. Already a hit with the press, industry critics and press have only praise for the new car, but will this translate to sales, the jury is still out. The new 450hp 9 Competizione from new created SV Motor Company has a body constructed from sheet metal/carbon-fiber, which shares a striking resemblance to Alfa Romeo’s stunning 8C Competizione, SV has retained the basic C6 Corvette platform but has specifically tailored some of the specifications for use in its new car.
SF Broadway Tunnel Dangerous, Another Rider Killed
Monday, 11-23, an unidentified male riding a blue ZX6RR was unfortunately "spectacularly" killed at 8pm allegedly speeding west through the San Franciscos Broadway Tunnel. The tunnel was shut down for 6 hours and treated like a crime scene. The tunnel in San Francisco is a fun but deceptively dangerous place to rip on your motorcycle. Weve known riders to repeatedly run upwards of 130 mph through the short tunnel. We have written lengthy stories detailing the fun, and more importantly, the dangers. To name a few: 1) Oil on the road. The roadway is not washed well and traffic is known to sit still and get backed up in the tunnel. Sitting and idling vehicles deposit oil. 2) It is not a straightaway. The tunnel has slight bends. At 130 mph, those bends become sweeper-like turns that need to be negotiated accordingly and with skill! 3) IMPORTANT: the roadway has ruts and uneven surfaces. Such road bumps and irregularities can make your front end very light under heavy acceleration which could cause the dreaded tankslapper. A good steering damper is highly recommended under such circumstances. 4) The tunnel is deceptively short if you are flying through it. There are traffic lights almost immediately at the exit of the tunnel, in both directions. Riders have been known to panic at the first sight of cars backed up in the tunnel, grab too much brake, lock and tuck the front wheel and crash.
The story in the Chronicle: "A fatal motorcycle crash shut down San Franciscos Broadway Tunnel in both directions, police said. Authorities started receiving calls about the crash shortly before 8pm, Officer Boaz Mariles said. Witness reported a speeding motorcycle heading west in the tunnel before the crash, Mariles said. Police were not releasing any information about the rider, except that he was male. The tunnel was closed for about 6 hours in both directions as police treated the crash site as a crime scene."
We at Urban Moto can't wait to get our hands on one. Traction control, 400lbs, anti-lock brakes, 199 crank hp, 4 different hp settings on the motor, including a 149 hp setting to use in the wet. The S1000RR is a completely new motorcycle with a 999cc in-line 4-cylinder engine and is very compact and light. This is a radical departure for BMW and its their first World Superbike machine. The cost is about $16,000.
According to MCN chief road tester Trevor Franklin, "the handling will make other manufacturers wince with embarrassment." Check out the vid below.
2e Rep is breathing in Afghanistan.. "We are meant for fighting, too much chatting around here" Alex...November 11, 2009
Last Buell Rolls off Production Line
Sadly, the last Buell was rolled off the production line. Harley issued the following statement: “A Buell Lightning XB12Scg rolled off the company’s East Troy, Wis., assembly line, the last of the 136,923 motorcycles built in the company’s 26 years of operation. "Parent Harley-Davidson announced on Oct. 15 that the Buell lineup of motorcycles would be discontinued effective Dec. 18, 2009. Buell motorcycles will continue to be sold through existing dealers until inventory is depleted.”
Ducati is aiming the new Multistrada 1200 straight at the heart of the BMW R1200GS, but has given the motorcycle an ultra-modern twist and 150 bhp! There are two versions of the Multistrada 1200 – a standard version that can be specified with or without ABS and then a higher specification S.
The S can be ordered in either Sport Edition or Touring Edition. The Sport has carbon fibre parts like engine covers, front air intakes, rear mudguard and spoilers. The Touring has panniers, heated grips and a centre stand. The S also gets the Ohlins electronically adjustable suspension system.
Motorcyclists in NYC might be getting away with not getting tickets for parking their bikes on the sidewalk, but that is not going to keep them from getting sent to jail. Cops are cracking down on scooter and motorcycle owners who have taken to removing their license plates and vehicle-identification numbers from their rides in a bid to thwart traffic agents from slapping them with tickets for parking on the sidewalk.
1. UNDERSLUNG EXHAUSTS Erik Buell pondered why riders should put up with side-mounted exhausts that were non-aerodynamic, spoiled the line of the bike and made the rider hot. His answer: an exhaust mounted centrally under the bike.
2. FUEL IN FRAME Erik’s passion for racing made him question why a race bike had to handle like a pig when the fuel level dropped. Using a bike’s aluminium beam frame as the fuel tank means the weight of the fuel remains low, so the bike handles well no matter how much fuel is onboard...
BUELL OFFICIALS THANKED CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEES AND DEALERS FOR THE UNFORGETTABLE RIDE, following today’s announcement by Harley-Davidson, Inc. that it will discontinue the Buell® product line as part of Harley-Davidson’s go-forward business strategy. The new long-term strategy aims to drive Company growth through a focus of efforts and resources on the Harley-Davidson® brand.
For the last 30 years Edelweiss Bike Travel has operated exciting and creative motorcycle tours, first in the European Alps and then expanding to all five continents.
But now the Edelweiss team in Mieming, Austria has come up with an unbeatable "short ride" that will certainly be a dream for most bikers:
A motorcycle tour around our entire globe on a path that includes all five continents! For Edelweiss 30th anniversary, company founder Werner Wachter is putting a gigantic project on two wheels, something that has never been done before now.
Urban Moto 9-11 Ride and Party, 500 Bikes Attend Date: Sep.11.2009 450 to 500 motorcycles rode to Atmosphere night club in San Francisco tonight to memorialize those who perished on Flt.93 on Sept 11, 2001. The ride started in NJ with 7 riders comprised of family members of those who perished. It ended at Club Atmosphere after stopping at San Francisco International Airport, which was the destination of Flight 93 on that fateful day. The ride then continued for a stop at Dudley Perkins and finally to the club. Where 2 bands, the SF Fire Dept and 500 motorcyclists showed up to view the memorial the riders bought with them all the way from the crash site. The families were presented with a signed American Flag from all the clubs involved spearheaded and organized by Nick. The flag will then be taken back to the crash site on the east coast. It was an emotional night full of energy and the most bikes the Bay Area has seen in one location in years. Look for details and pics soon on this site and in the magazine.
Rebel in Ink: Spain Rodriguez 40-Year Retrospective of Underground Comix
SF Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission St, 9/17/09-2/7/10
Rebel in Ink looks back on Spain’s 40-plus years as a comic book artist. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Spain rode with the Road Vultures Motorcycle Club, an outlaw gang in NY in the late 60s. His experiences on the road with them pervaded much of his comic work, and Spain became a pioneer of the underground comix movement, working with such groundbreaking publications as The East Village Other, Zap Comix, and Zodiac Mindwarp. Spain has recently published a critically acclaimed graphic novel on the life and times of Che Guevara, "Che: A Graphic Biography."
Cafe Society Documentary featuring Ace Cafe London
“Cafe Society” is the first full-length documentary to chronicle the origins, legacy and rebirth of the Cafe Racer subculture. Two years in the making and shot in Europe (mainly England) and the US, this documentary provides an intimate view. The Cafe Racer Cult had been kept very much alive by events - Rocker Reunions held on London’s Chelsea Bridge, and goings-on at Ace Cafe in London. But very few know about the rich history of the Ton-Up culture and the stories of the men and women who created the first high-performance street bikes. To take you on the city streets wild ride, the film features great rockabilly music as stripped-down as a Bonneville Bobber. A Chet Burks Productions with Mike Seate reporting and interviews. Pre-order the DVD by at the Cafe Society Website.
The distant buzzing noise soon became a loud roar when 170 scooters and motorcycles turned the corner invading the Stockton Tunnel in San Francisco at exactly 3pm on some random day in May, like they do every year, unannounced and unrecognizable. If we were to name names or publicize the event, they'd kill us! The moto-hoodlums rode up and down both lanes numerous times, filling the tunnel with smoke and noise. Riders stopped traffic at both ends of the tunnel while the fuckers had their fun, then five minutes later, as sudenly as they appeared, they were gone.
