100 Biker

We are delighted by the positive feedback to last month’s editorial about kindness. It’s humbling how many of you out there are quietly doing good things for other people. With that in mind, this month we are pleased to give this space over to just one of the folk who got in touch and we’ll let Martin Webster explain himself. “Once I got past the fantastic Thai custom in the latest issue I was very taken by your editorial about Rough Sleepers and the idea that a small gesture can make all the difference. In previous years I collected socks, hats and gloves as it got colder, but I was concerned that they might not be going to those who really needed them and also that I might be merely an…

At the time, we described the Hades as being rather like sitting aboard a giant shiny suppository because of its, well, striking battery pack which was housed in a rocket-shaped casing and cantilevered under the frame. Other people were actually even less kind and more mocking about the design than we were and it seemed that Curtiss may indeed have taken note of those comments. Some critics of a less childish mindset than us also questioned as to whether the frame was structurally capable of carrying the heavy battery pack. So Curtiss embarked on a redesign of the Hades, adding an additional mounting point at the end of the battery as well as some rather blingy jewellery detailing which was, quite frankly, a little odd although it may well have earned…

A limited number of 30 Edition versions of the ST, GT and LT Rewaco machines will be available, with a choice of Comfort, Classic, Dynamic and Exclusive gear packages. Equipment highlights that will be exclusive to the 30 Edition will be real leather seats in a special ‘30 Edition’ design; lacquered ‘Star’ alloy wheels in the colour of your choice from the Rewaco colour range; two tone lacquering in the Rewaco range colour of choice and, on Turbo models, the addition of Rewaco cruise control. Since they first appeared in 1990, Rewaco trikes have been popular with those looking for a safe, reliable and good-looking three-wheeler. Originally using a VW or RevTech engine, Rewaco trikes now come equipped with a Mitsubishi 1.5 litre 4-cylinder in-line motor which provides both impressive speed…

While information surrounding Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman’s latest adventures in South America has been rather scant—in fact, although it’s clear from the few photos available they were riding Harley Livewires, there’s been no official confirmation of that—two riders have been traversing another continent by electric motorcycle. In December, Thomas Jakel and Dulcie Mativo arrived in Johannesburg after a 9500-mile journey which had started in Morocco. It took the pair six months and riding through twenty countries to complete the trip which they undertook on a Zero DSR Black Forest. Thomas from Germany and Dulcie from Kenya wanted to inspire young people with their Africa-X project to make positive changes in their communities. They started out with a back up car which served as a transport vehicle for luggage, charging and…

Over the last few years, Chinese manufacturer Lenovo has established itself as a leading name in laptops and desktop computers, rivalling the likes of HP and Sony. Now it has produced a laptop which is aimed at motorcyclists and, in particular, for those with a specific love of the products built by a certain Bologna factory. For the last two years, Lenovo has been the main technology partner for the Ducati MotoGP team and to celebrate that collaboration it has launched the Lenovo Ducati 5, a limited edition laptop of which just 12,000 will be produced. Lenovo says that the design of the laptop has been inspired by the Ducati Panigale with the honeycomb ventilation mesh based on Ducati Monster exhausts. The standard start-up chime has been replaced by the sound…

Now Sasha has built the next two models in his custom range. The first is inspired by the Norton Manx, using a modern Triumph Thruxton R as a donor motorcycle. Now, this was a clever move on the back of Blacktrack Motors, the name under which Sasha operates, because the bike as standard has as much performance as you need and the handling to keep up with that performance. That left Blacktrack free to concentrate on the cosmetics; metal craftsman Ludo Gaag designed a tank that echoes the lines of the original but which has been resized to fit in with the scale of the Thruxton and then hand-shaped it in aluminium. A new exhaust system was designed, while custom side covers, yokes and clip-on handlebars and a new seat…