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Popularity of SoCalBikeNite.com has exploded, hitting an all-time high. While our visitor numbers are still growing strong, daily visits are now coming to us from over 30 different countries and several continents. Known countries including; Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England (the UK) Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. And locally, lets not forget the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Riverside Police Department—yes, they have informed us they too are regular visitors on SoCalBikeNite. Many motorcycle websites from outside the United States have added links to SoCalBikeNite.com sending daily traffic from various countries to view our site here in Southern California. From within the United States and outside of our regular demographics, SoCalBikeNite receives hundreds of daily site visitors from coast-to-coast. What does this mean? And why are they coming here? Sorry, we only have the information on their visits, not the reasons. So, lets all smile and be happy... your photos and website are being viewed from around the world. Be sure and tell your friends—and thanks to all of you for helping make SoCalBikeNite.com the best on the Internet.

Japanese motorcycle makers to make cuts

October 18, 2008

Japanese motorcycle makers are cutting production as demand in the United States and Europe shrinks due to the global economic crisis, a report says. Top motorcycle maker Honda Motor Co plans to slash production by 10 per cent for the year to March 2009 from 12 months earlier to 400,000 bikes, the Nikkei business daily said. Second-ranked Yamaha Motor Co has lowered its production forecasts by 20 per cent for 250cc or larger bikes at its main factory in Iwata in central Japan to 350,000 to 360,000 units. Yamaha also plans to trim production in Italy by the end of the year because of sharply falling sales in Europe, the newspaper said. Suzuki Motor Corp will reduce domestic output of motorcycles and buggy carts for the year to March 2009 by seven per cent from a year earlier to 509,000 units, the daily reported. Suzuki has forecast its motorcycle sales in the United States will decline some 19 per cent to 100,000 units for the current fiscal year, it said.

Japan's motorcycle shipments overseas are projected to decline to below 600,000 units this year, down some 20 per cent from last year or less than one-fifth of its output during a peak in the 1980s. Facing the prospect of a prolonged sales slump in Japan, the United States and Europe, Japanese makers are stepping up efforts to bolster their operations in emerging economies in Asia and South America, Nikkei added.

The World's Most Expensive Motorcycle?

The Ecosse Titanium Series boasts a 200-horsepower, 2150cc polished billet aluminum V-twin engine and a $275,000 price tag. See photo above

If you're the kinda person that drives a Reventon, won't tap on a laptop unless it's a Luvaglio, and only sails Mangusta, then boy have we got the motorcycle for you! It's called the Ecosse Titanium Series—so called because it sports the world's first all-titanium frame. And from the 200-horsepower, 2150cc polished billet aluminum v-twin engine, to the MotoGP-spec Ohlins suspension, to the radially-mounted 6-piston billet ISR front brake calipers—with an individual brake pad for each of the 12 pistons—every detail screams "you can't afford me!" At USD$275,000 it's not cheap—but it does come with a free watch. While the eye-watering power and lush handling of the Ecosse Titanium Series will stir the soul, the multi-adjustable riding position and gel seat ensure it's still an absolute luxury experience for the extremities. The brainchild of Colorado native Donald Atchison, this bike has been sculpted from billet, titanium and carbon fiber to be simply the most lavish experience on two wheels, with everything in excess and no compromises to be seen. While the overall picture of this muscular American roadster might be a little crowded for some, the individual details are just mouth-watering.

Diesel-Sipping Motorcycle for the U.S. Marines—it gets 96 Mpg!

The United States Marine Corps, legendary for doing more with less, has used dual-purpose motorcycles for scouting, messenger service, convoy control and military police work. But the motorcycles sold today for use on-road and off have a big drawback for military service: they use the wrong fuel. Other American and NATO military machines, from diesel generators to stealth bombers, run on JP-8 to simplify fuel supply logistics. While JP-8, a formulation of jet fuel similar to kerosene and diesel fuel, works fine in those engines, commercially available motorcycles require gasoline. That situation presented an opportunity for Fred Hayes, chief executive of Hayes Diversified Technologies, a military contractor in Hesperia, Calif., that has built specially adapted motorcycles for the Marines and the Army Special Forces for more than two decades. The bikes are modified to run in the harshest environments on earth with special lighting and more rugged suspensions and tires.

When the Marines requested a motorcycle that would run on JP-8, other military contractors proposed outlandish turbine-powered machines. But the Marines wanted a bike that would actually work, and soon, at a reasonable cost. Hayes won the contract. The resulting HDT M103M1 uses the chassis, a few engine components and all the internal transmission parts of the Kawasaki KLR650, a workhorse capable of anything from daily commuting to Sahara exploring. But the Marine machine’s major engine components are all new, built for diesel service.

In place of the gasoline-powered KLR’s anxious idle, the Marine machine came to life with the low clatter of a London taxi. In contrast to a gasoline engine, which responds instantly to the throttle, a blip of the twist grip resulted in—well, not much. It took a good three seconds for anything significant to happen. On a half-hour test ride, the M103M1, though sluggish at first, gathered speed with dogged insistence. The footpegs and handlebars buzz as the engine revs—the counter balancer that controls vibration in the stock KLR has been omitted to save weight and reduce complexity. Shifting through the five-speed gearbox gets the M103M1 past 90 miles an hour, a speed it will hold, apparently, until the end of time. One of the great advantages of the M103M1’s diesel engine is its efficiency. At a steady 55 m.p.h. it gets 96 miles a gallon, according to Hayes, about twice the mileage of the gasoline engine. This high-mileage machine is also coveted by civilians who crave the fuel economy of the world’s only production diesel motorcycle. But being a small, family-run company, Hayes is already working overtime to satisfy the Marines’ need for the M103M1. So if you want to pilot this diesel machine anytime soon, your local Marine recruiter is the only person who can help you.

Honda Developing Hybrid Motorcycle

Jamie Lendino - PC Magazine October 2, 2008

Honda Motor Co., the popular automaker and world's leading motorcycle manufacturer, is developing a gas-electric motorcycle that would use a hybrid drivetrain similar to the one in the forthcoming Honda Insight and could be available within two years, Autopia reports. Honda said that it has figured out how to shoehorn an entire hybrid drivetrain within the small confines of a motorcycle frame, and that it's far enough along that the company could sell production versions as early as 2010 (for the 2011 model year). The report said that Honda will offer the hybrid motorcycles in displacements from 50 cc to 1,000 cc—which is a huge range—and that the gas-electric drivetrain will improve mileage by a stunning 50 percent. Meanwhile, the company plans to share components with Honda's hybrid cars in order to reduce production costs. Honda had already said it was building an all-electric motorcycle (along with competitor Yamaha). Honda claimed that the all-electric version would have a range of about 60 miles; obviously a hybrid would go much further, since it would run on gasoline.

Huntington Beach Bike Nite, eight years and still going strong

SoCalBikeNite.com / by Rick Cline

Huntington Beach, October 2008—Founded by veteran sportbike rider Mike Boelhouwer, the first bike nite at Bravo Burger in Huntington Beach (CA.) kicked off on a lonely Wednesday night in the year 2000. And it could be said, "the rest is history..." But not so—since then, countless other bike nites have come and gone, some were big, some were great, but none had the staying power of Bravo Burger. Enduring time—some eight long years to date, the Huntington Beach Bike Nite stands proud as the longest running event in Orange County history. Weathering at least two changes in restaurant management / ownership, and one major name change, the former "Bravo Burger" is now titled "Beach Burger." Located at 19102 Beach Blvd, in Huntington Beach, this weekly event takes place rain or shin. A no frills bike nite, you'll not see an Anniversary Bike Nite, or any other special events. The restaurant owners are not bike riders and therefore make no effort to make this more than it has always been. Void of venders, this is a true yet hardcore sportbike nite. Stunting is a big "no-no" as the Huntington Beach Police Department have a zero tolerance for any such behavior. It's a simple affair where riders roll up to Beach Burger enjoy the good food and chatting with friends and other sportbike riders—then go home. The bike nite gets underway around 7 PM each and every Wednesday night, and concludes around 9:30. If you've never gone, its a nice place to visit, and you just might find new friends there too. As one might expect, the colder the temperatures, the fewer attendance.

28th Annual International Motorcycle Show set for December 2008

By SoCalBikeNite.com

The 2008 International Motorcycle Show will kick-off Friday, December 5 and run thru Sunday the 7th. The annual motorcycle extravaganza will again be larger than life with manufactures and exhibitors from around the world, showing their latest in equipment and models. The nationwide show allows motorcycle fans from Southern California to get an up-close look at more than 600 new model motorcycles including, street bikes, dirt bikes, fuel efficient bikes, cruisers, scooters, ATVs and even watercraft. Over 19 major manufactures! Check out the latest gear and aftermarket accessories. Enjoy a demo ride and much more. The event will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center at 300 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA. Adult tickets are $13 each, children 6 to 11 cost $6, children under 5 years of age are free. Discount tickets are also available from selected motorcycle dealers, so please call your local dealer. Parking for event motorcycle riders is free, so ride your bike and save some money. For more information you can phone the motorcycle show office at (562) 628-8200.