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The VFR line has carried Honda's flag since the early '80s, when Honda realized that the motor from the old Sabre could, with appropriate tweaks, power the Interceptor. By the time bikes like Suzuki's GSX-R750 and Honda's own Fireblade had come along, Honda's race-rep V-Fours – the RC30, then RC45 – seemed exotic but somewhat beside the point.
The Interceptor, though, held on to devotees; riders who demanded performance but were unwilling to give up comfort to get it. The Interceptor line, in the last 25 or so years, has been Honda's premiere showcase; sometimes for desirable technology like the single-sided Pro Arm swingarm, sometimes for less-than-desirable tricks like V-TEC variable valve timing.
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BMW's motorcycle division hasn't enjoyed the worldwide performance reputation of its automotive sector, but that all changes with the incredible S1000RR, introduced to journalists last week at the equally impressive Portimao race circuit.
BMW Motorrad hits the literbike market hard with its race replica, as the S1000 employs class-leading power, a stout chassis beyond reproach, and a techie electronics package second to none. This bike is the real deal.
We've been teased with details of the bike for well over a year. Our first glimpse came in April of 2008 when I wrote the S1000RR Preview, and then we brought new insight last December in our Closer Look article. Then we finally got to see the bike in the flesh at its U.S. introduction where Pete elaborated on the RR's features and specs.
After all of that, we were already quite up to speed on what the bike consists of. Now all we needed to know is how it performs.
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A motorcycle legend will return to his roots with Erik Buell exclusively riding back into the two-wheeled world of racing.
The news came from Harley-Davidson yesterday and follows the company's recent decision to discontinue the Buell motorcycle product line. Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Buell Motorcycle Company, will leave the company to establish Erik Buell Racing, an independent motorcycle race shop.
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