Yamaha VMax Burner King

The test of the Yamaha Vmax  Burner King

Ignorant, arrogant but also terribly charming, Yamaha Vmax is a really special bike. This is the verdict of our unique test. It has been a few years from market launch (it was 2008), but his lines and especially its V4 are far from being considered outdated.

Carved into the metal, this Yamaha is an orgy of details and precision engineering components manufactured with painstaking care. Like it or not, his lines do not pass completely unnoticed, and where the eye does not come, we think the sound of his terrible V4 to attract attention.

That figures!

1,679 cc, 200 hp at 9,000 rpm with a torque of 17 kgm, many that we could tow a boat (not so small), numbers that impress on a superbike, but who terrorize on a motorcycle cruiser 310 kg Kerb . The transmission of power through a 5-speed gearbox and shaft drive primarily to a very fine-looking.

The V4 65 degree set in a diamond frame made of aluminum, has no filter, 0 traction control, power is kept at bay only by the pilot through the YCC-T Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle, the electronic management of 'accelerator.

The YCC-I (Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake), however, changes the length of the inlet, a long intake passage is more effective at low and medium engine speeds, while a shorter intake passage increases to high performance.

A trio of enormous daisy disc slows down the mass of the Vmax, torque from 320 mm on the front wheel (with six-piston radial calipers) and single well of 298 mm for the rear (opposed piston caliper). To oversee the whole, an ABS system, that protects from bad surprises.

Considering the mass involved, are of particular importance to the suspension. Less than 52 mm fork with oxidized titanium coated stems and compression and rebound adjustments. Monocross rear suspension, hydraulics also adjustable for preload and also (with a handy remote control), may rely on a progressive motion. The wheels are both 18-inch tires and 120/70 and 200/55 respectively fit.

The test drive

With just three seconds, the time to climb the Vmax, to understand that the "game is fun" but the commitment is not required by all. The weight is there and you can hear everything, especially from standstill. The only act to straighten the bike and remove the side stand, requires an effort far above average. Maneuvering the wide handlebar is equally challenging, and until you put in motion and continued efforts are repeated!

A turn of the key (if you can talk key given the unusual cylindrical shape of the same) and the dash remote (as placed on the fake tank) welcomes you, analog instrumentation while the handlebar starts to fuss.

The sound emitted from discharges is thrilling, and a couple of handfuls to allow gases to sense the character of quadricilindrico Yamaha. The driving position is comfortable and welcomes the seat back of the driver in a princely manner, while any passenger is better that he stay home.

I leave the writing and as soon as I get on the road ... and scoured sleeping gas!

Well there is dirt on the ground, I say, the cold rubber ... the astral conjunctions and so on. None of this, with the Vmax if you do not want to lose grip at the rear, we must focus on gas and act as if you were wielding a fresh egg of hen. The departures from the first traffic lights are all of them characterized by conspicuous black stripes left by the 200 back, which not so hot because of the asphalt hard to ground the power. The main problem in these cases is "not to take too much taste," and it's really hard I assure you.

2011 New Aprilia RS4 Test Drive

This is new Aprilia 18 years ,after leaving the 2 stroke engine and mounts on his tiny sports a modern 4-stroke 4-valve twin camshaft, electronic ignition. We tried it on track, here's how it goes.

The test in April RS4 125 4 stroke

After a while the heroic age of the 125 2T, those smoky and smelly, but with a horse worthy of a current 250 (and more ...), cycling scream, with purchase prices and maintenance costs also scream, it's time to lower the pitch, or rather, has long been that the pitch has been lowered. More or less trying to revive the feats of the "golden age of the eighth of a liter" but without exaggeration, especially at competitive prices.

He tried Yamaha YZF R125 with, lately arrived also the KTM Duke 125 and the Honda CBR125R.

Now we check out the Aprilia, which in this sector has been and still is a teacher, with his first four-stroke sports 125.

After selling more than 100,000 RS 2T, since 1993 in thirty different countries, the Noale relaunched a product line to those who are the current market needs. An eye on the wallet, without the look suffers, equipment less rich, but essentially to € 4,390 fc

The design, just to be safe, that reproduces in full the RSV4 SBK, and just to make the idea fairing and tail have the same shape and the same volumes, but as a logical view of the category, different materials.

Great aesthetic, then, and finish the task. In some detail in unpainted plastic (like the tip and the black plastic) that betray attention to costs. Your wallet is possible to fit the small of Aprilia's dedicated accessories. In addition to raised fairing, there are the tail car (which you can see in the photos taken during the dynamic presentation) Alloy screws and adjustable holder.

"The aesthetic refinement is also a special care in terms of motoring"

Instrumentation analocico / digital, which incorporates at least one of the aesthetically RSV4, fairly rich, beautiful sights and excellent readability.

Special regard for the convenience of use, thanks to a tail section where you can safely store a couple of rain and a disc lock or a chain lock, and a perfect living space for the pilots the highest.

The 4-valve direct injection engine with dual mast head

The refined aesthetics is also a special care in terms of racing. The little 125 4 stroke, comes from those mounted on Derbi cousins, but after the changes made by Aprilia, we can consider a new engine in all respects.

Leaving the carburetor, the eighth of a liter received electronic fuel injection, while the distribution of 4-valve is entrusted to a dual overhead cam head. The cooling liquid, and the transmission may rely on a six-speed gearbox. Optional very unusual for Quick Shift, the electronic exchange that allows steps running (uphill not to scale) without the need to turn off the gas and use the clutch. The power of course is that code, 11 kW, from here you can not escape, while consumption and operating costs, we are told, are very low and competitive.

The finest in cycling!

So as not to betray the good name that leads to the tank, the chassis 125 of the RS4, it's really not bad. The chassis is cast aluminum, while the asymmetrical swingarm is more beautiful than those mounted on some six hundred today. The suspensions are not a miracle, but as you will read below, do their duty. Upside-down fork with 41 mm, with no rules, and also non-adjustable rear mono (an effort to equip it with the spring preload adjustment I would have appreciated.) Well-dimensioned brakes, front 300 mm disc with 4-piston radial calipers, 220 mm rear disc with single piston caliper.

Our test

Start the adventure with a RS4 Racing White (other colors available are Black and Racing Replica SBK), with Quick Shift transmission mounted.

Power standard, pistaiola tires, Pirelli Supercorsa SC1, with the rear 130/70 temporarily left for a series of 150, while the front is confirmed 100/80, make it clear to the aspirations of eighth-liter Aprilia. The driving position is particularly racing, with the trunk forward to load the wrists. The platforms are quite high, but not particularly uncomfortable.

Get used to the type of supply, electricity and without any feeling of entry in pairs, small Noale behaves like a great between the curbs of Vairano. The structure, though not adjustable, it fits in perfectly to my driving style, which at my weight (nearly 80 kg). An exchange of impressions with the lightest tester, confirms the good qualities of versatility buoyancy standard.

MV Agusta F3 The sound and First Image Preview

MV Agusta F3 The sound and First Image Preview,  The F3 debut in society

At Cascina Costa, MV Agusta is celebrating its annual International Meeting. The year 2011 will be remembered by fans of the brand Varese for a welcome and unexpected surprise: the lighting, with its official presentation of F3 on the road, the new three-cylinder 675 cc, which will come on the market in autumn.

Present for the occasion Giovanni Castiglioni (MV Agusta Group CEO) and Giacomo Agostini, 15 times World Champion, and MV icon.

The F3 this was clearly still a prototype version (missing the LED front position and integrated turn signals in the mirrors seen in Milan, also the tail lights were not really working - one led sopratarga it took the place - and some plastic and metal surfaces were not yet final), but nevertheless already emotional.

Emotional, because the bike is very compact (as it was already able to see EICMA 2010), for its technological (traction control, ride by wire, and 4 shaft counter-mappings, one of which is customizable by the pilot as he explained by the Italian test driver), for its unique design and finishes of the various components.

Above all, this bike is emotional because the roar of its three-cylinder, which is really creepy.

The road test

One of the testers and Giacomo Agostini have managed to do some laps on a stretch closed to traffic with the tricilindrico Schiranna. The F3 seems to be extremely agile (the test has performed in several one-wheel and showed that the F3 seems to be at home between the curves).

So, in MV have done to contribute to the expectation that on paper should be a bike capable of throwing new rules in the middle segment of the sport. Also present was the new F4 RR CorsaCorta, the sports world's most powerful (201 hp).

The F3 can run up to 15,000 rpm with an output of 140 hp unofficial.

The gathering MV Agusta

At Cascina Costa passion and history are one. Here indeed lies the historic site, where the brand was founded in 1945 by the will of Count Giovanni Agusta remains in family ownership until 1977.

In little more than three decades of history, the head of the MV Agusta wrote some of the finest pages of the book of motorcycle racing, in which samples as Surtees, Hailwood, Agostini Ubbiali and consecrated in the name of the myth Verghera Mechanics (MV).

Just the last two names were just mentioned here Sunday, during the eighteenth edition of the International Gathering MV Agusta, which took place in the square in an establishment that now is the Agusta Westland Group, operating in the helicopter sector. In fact, since 1992, MV Agusta is based in Schiranna (VA), where the will was revived by the Castiglioni family.