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2012 Yamaha Super Tenere Coming to U.S.!

2012 Yamaha Super Tenere

See photos and specs of the bike that Yamaha will be available stateside starting May, 2011.

The Best New Bikes for Newbies:

Motorcycles Spotlight10

Basem's Motorcycles Blog

Keira Knightley Rides Motorcycle Bandwagon for Chanel Ad

Sunday September 5, 2010
Keira Knightley on a Motorcycle
Another celebrity is playing sexy aboard a bike, and this time it's Keira Knightley, star of box office juggernauts like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.

Seen here in a sleek bodysuit straddling an equally dashing vintage Ducati, Knightley was spotted in Paris shooting a Chanel perfume ad.

The only turn-off? Unlike American beauty Marisa Miller, Knightley's photo shoot involved a tow vehicle and training wheels for the bike.

Source: Bikes in the Fast Lane

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Photo © ANG/Fame Pictures; click to enlarge

19 Year-Old Moto2 Rider Shoya Tomizawa Dies at San Marino Grand Prix Crash

Sunday September 5, 2010
Shoya Tomizawa Dies at Misano MotoGP Race
Despite breakneck speeds and frequent tumbles, it's easy to assume that MotoGP racing is relatively safe-- especially since the top tier of motorcycle racing has suffered only two fatalities in the last two decades, thanks mostly to the presence of state-of-the-art safety gear. But a fatal accident at this weekend's Moto2 race at the San Marino Grand Prix offered a strong reminder of the dangers of the sport.

Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa lost control of his bike and was struck by two riders on the 12th lap of today's Moto2 race, which preceded the MotoGP competition. Tomizawa was treated trackside, at the circuit's medical center, and then at a nearby hospital, but eventually succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 2:20 pm. The death took place just one week after the unfortunate demise of 13 year-old Peter Lenz at a USGPRU event held at the Indianapolis MotoGP.

Honda Racing Corporation described nineteen year-old Tomizawa in a press release as "a very popular rider in the MotoGP paddock, known for his sunny smile and determination on the racetrack."

Our condolences go out to the young racer's family.

Related:

Photo © Getty Images Sport; click to enlarge

2011 Yamaha FZ8 Photo Gallery: An All-New Middleweight Priced Under $8,500

Friday September 3, 2010
2011 Yamaha FZ8
If the 600cc FZ6 is too small and the 998cc FZ1's too big, Yamaha's got an all-new offering for the U.S. market: the 2011 FZ8.

Powered by a 779cc inline-4 housed in an aluminum frame, this naked bike fills an all-too absent middleweight niche.

See photos and key specs of the $8,490 bike in this 2011 Yamaha FZ8 Photo Gallery, which joins the Super Tenere and Stryker chopper as three new Yamahas announced this week; stay tuned for a 2011 Yamaha Buyer's Guide to see the rest of their lineup.

Related:

Photo © Star Motorcycles; click for 2011 Star Stryker

2011 Yamaha Star Stryker Photo Gallery: And You Laughed When Honda Unveiled a Chopper...

Friday September 3, 2010
2011 Yamaha Star Stryker
Nearly two years after the furor over the raked-out Honda Fury simmered down, Star Motorcycles has released their own factory custom chopper: the 2011 Stryker.

Veering more towards the power cruiser side of the visual equation (a la the Star Raider), the Stryker out-rakes the Fury with a 40 degree fork, and wears a 210mm rear tire, which is 10mm thicker than the Fury's. Stryker is powered by a liquid-cooled 1,304cc v-twin, and its $10,999 starting price undercuts the Fury by a full two grand.

Honda's Fury is an unqualified sales success and became the best-selling metric factory custom, spinning off the Interstate, Sabre, and Stateline cruisers... so it's looking like the Stryker could steal more than a few buyers from Honda.

Think it will succeed? See pictures of Yamaha/Star's factory custom chopper in this 2011 Stryker Photo Gallery, and comment below!

Related:

Photo © Star Motorcycles; click for 2011 Star Stryker

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