Open up your mind and say, ahh...

By Sean Smith, Hell for Leather

The Vespa Quarantasei (46 in Italian) is a concept inspired by the 1945 MP6 prototype. Times have changed, though, and engine technology has made significant advances in the last 65 years. Although the Quarantasei is a styling concept, its engine is the real deal.

The new hyphen-filled motor is an air-cooled, fuel-injected three-valve four-stroke. It’ll be available in two displacements: A 125 cc putting down 11.6 horsepower and 7.6 pound-feet of torque or a 150 cc good for 13 ponies and 9.3 pound-feet.

So why’s it air-cooled?

Water pumps and radiators are expensive and scooters are supposed to be cheap. The modern fuel injection system works with a three-way catalytic converter to cut pollution. Vespa says it will meet current Euro3 standards and future emissions regulations as well.

Looking at the shapes and textures of the concept, it’s easy to be reminded of your girlfriend’s Venus razor. That said, the Quarantasei is a beautiful example of minimalist design.

The bars are swept clean of anything unnecessary and end in wing-shaped LED turn signals. Ergonomic grips feature hand-stitched leather and brake levers have no visible pivots, cables or hydraulic lines. The hanging seat is similar to last year’s Moto Guzzi concept bikes and looks great hovering over a wasp-like engine cover. Right where you would expect to find a small, traditional headlight is a huge projector. A nearly horizontal LED taillight on the engine cover surrounds what appears to be the gas cap and there’s no license plate mount in sight.

Many features (such as the bars and taillight) are obviously concept stuff that won’t make it to production, but we’re excited to see how the rest of the design translates into a production model powered by the new motor.

Photos: Vespa

By Wes Siler, Hell for Leather

The E-go concept is Husqvarna’s idea of the ideal urban supermoto. It’s got an electric drivetrain, a single-sided front end, the daintiest wheels ever fitted to something purporting to be a motorcycle and styling clearly influenced both by Husqvarna dirt bikes and the Intelligent Energy ENV e-moto.

The motorcycle, unveiled this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show, sure is neat, which is why it’s a shame it’s so far from being production-ready.

As far as technical details go, BMW (which owns Husqvarna), will only say the machine weighs 80 kilograms (176 pounds) all-up. That’s extraordinarily light — 4 kilos lighter than the 3/4 size Zero X electric dirt bike. The Zero achieves its trim weight using a 2 kilowatt-hour battery and components that have more in common with mountain bikes than motorcycles. The Husqvarna can’t hope to carry much more in the way of battery capacity (enough for an EPA-certified 22 miles on the Zero), given that it’s equipped with heavier running gear in the form of that two-tube, single-sided front and remote-reservoir Sachs rear shock.

That single-sided front is a neat piece of concept bike showmanship. Two 35mm tubes, as opposed to one larger tube like that of the Gilera CX125, create lateral and torsional stiffness, but at the expense of added weight and complexity. Two sliders, two stanchions, two springs, two sets of valves, two sets of adjusters and two tubes full of oil: Such a setup will admirably resist flex and is very strong, but it is a lot of unsprung weight. On the plus side, wheel changes should be easy.

Despite the clear ENV influence (envy?), the styling is enormously successful at translating Husqvarna hallmarks into something bold and futuristic. Remember the Husqvarna SMQ concept? This new bike adapts its chunky white frame tubes and angular body into something much more attractive. Also noteworthy is the wing-like front mudguard borrowed from the Husqvarna Nuda 900; will this be a new family identifier? The fictional battery pack and (reportedly functional) electric motor also are neatly integrated in a way not typically seen on production electric motorcycles.

At the risk of committing e-heresy, this thing sure would be sweet with Husky’s two-stroke 250 engine in it.

Photos: Husqvarna

As the final act in what’s sure to go down as one of the most significant careers in electric motorcycling, Chip Yates wants to set a land speed record.

In less than a year, the defense contractor and former racer has achieved performance parity with conventional motorcycles in WERA racing, outpaced liter bikes at the Mojave Mile and competed at Pikes Peak. Setting a Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme electric motorcycle land speed record would be a fitting conclusion for the fastest electric motorcycle ever.

“What a whirlwind year we’ve had,” Chip Yates told us. “With my first electric race in January, 2011, and my last race in September, 2011, it’s been a short run for sure, but seriously punctuated with near-death experiences and record-breaking left and right that sometimes felt like we were achieving the impossible.”

“I always pushed the limits of technology, budget, and my own riding for every event – willing to risk my own safety in the name of progress. Hopefully people could see that and maybe history will reflect kindly on our efforts one day. In any event, I’m very proud and I feel like we did a lot with very little: Three part-time volunteers, some kind sponsors, a wonderful electric motor and no outside money. I’ve been very moved by the public interest and media coverage we have been blessed with – at the summit of Pikes Peak I broke down and had a couple tears inside my helmet brought on by some mixed emotions: Suffering, sacrifice, risk, achievements, even a little glory, but also the knowledge that the end of this incredible run was in sight.”

Yates always planned to make the bike a one-time deal, and his efforts are especially impressive because he and his all-volunteer team are an independent garage effort with very little resources. He’s succeeded where relatively well-funded efforts have faltered. Yates only began racing motorcycles in 2007.

The official land speed record for electric motorcycles stands at 173 mph, a speed that Yates already has exceeded when he hit 190.6 mph during the Mojave Mile. With refined aerodynamics and more power, he expects to go even faster at the BUB Speed Trials that kick off August 27 at Bonneville Speedway.

So what’s next? Yates isn’t saying, but although he’s retiring his electric superbike, he’s by no means retiring himself.

“One can never be sure where I may end up,” he joked. “With my dashing good looks, affable nature and rapist’s wit, the sky’s the limit.”

That’s a movie reference, folks.

Photo: Grant Ray/Hell For Leather

Yeah, we know. The Motus MST looks like just another sport-touring bike. It’s not. It’s an American sport-touring bike, built by an Alabama startup and powered by what is, essentially, half a Corvette engine.

The MST and its upscale brother, the MST-R, make their public debut at Daytona Bike Week today. They feature a sweet 1,654cc direct-injection V4 that is by far the coolest thing about the bike. It’s the first direct-injected gasoline-burning V4, and it was designed by the same outfit that builds Corvette racing engines like the Le-Mans winning LS7.R.

It literally is half of an LS7.R, just downsized.

The engine, dubbed the KMV4, is built on the same assembly line as the Vette race motor. Just like the 7.0-liter V8 that powered the Corvette GT1 to victory at Le Mans, the KMV4 has a 90-degree V. The aluminum block uses nickel-silicon-carbide-coated linerless bores. There are two pushrod valves per-cylinder, a chain-driven single cam mounted in the valley between cylinders and hydraulic valve lifters.

The KMV4 — for Katech Motus V4 — makes 160 horsepower at 7,800 RPM and 122 pound-feet at 4,500 RPM.

Motus hails the MST-01 as being all-day comfortable for real humans without sacrificing performance. The engine architecture is a big part of that, providing a huge spread of usable torque to counter the typically sky-high revs experienced on most performance motorcycles.

“We’ve focused on the actual street riding experience and specifically fun, usable power for sport touring,” company co-founder Brian Case told Hell for Leather. “That means high torque over a wide rev range, a sporty wheelbase and suspension, appropriate weather protection for comfort and low fatigue over long distances, all in a 500-pound package.”

Of course, other LS-motor benefits apply too. There’s no need for valve adjustments and the motor remains incredibly simple and easy to work on. Weight — 130 pounds — is on par with much smaller engines, despite nearly doubling the typical motorcycle capacity.

“The engine we’ve designed should spice up the relatively mundane sport-touring market with the torquey characteristics of a big V-twin combined with the smoothness of an inline-four and an engineered sound unlike anything on the market,” Case said.

Race Engine Technology magazine has been highly impressed with the engine, speculating that such architecture could be the ideal basis of a Formula One engine when F1 switches from 2.4-liter V8s to turbo- or supercharged four-bangers. Give the KMV4 forced induction and it could be the perfect 300 horsepower engine for the next-gen Delta Wing Racer Indy Car.

The engine rides in a chassis designed and built by Pratt & Miller Engineering. Pratt & Miller also built the transmission and bodywork. The transverse-mounted engine provides a unique look with the heads and exhausts poking out. Adding to the awesome factor are four 40mm throttle bodies fed by vertical intake trumpets. It also is shorter and more rigid than a comparable inline-four, allowing Motus to spec a relatively short wheelbase and make the engine a stressed-member of the chassis. Despite being mounted sideways, the 1,645cc V4 is narrower — by four inches — than the 1,649cc inline-six in the new BMW K1600GT. It measures just 18 inches wide.

And at 130 pounds, it would be the perfect swap for, say, a Mazda Miata.

This post was written by Wes Siler of Hell for Leather; a portion of it also appeared on Jalopnik.

Photos: Motus

While we were impressed with the LunaTik iPod nano watch kit in our recent hands-on, it hasn’t stopped us from wondering what other case options are out there for owners of Apple’s newest iPod nano.

Apple has played around with the form factor of the nano perhaps more than any of its other products, so there aren’t as many cases available for the 6th generation nano as there are for other Apple devices.

We set ourselves the challenge of finding some cool cases for the new nano — wrist-based and otherwise — to give you a great selection of coverings to choose from if you’re looking to protect your iPod.

Have a look below for our favorite options and let us know in the comments which ones you like. And be sure to share any others you’ve spotted that look good.

1. Scosche tightGRIP

Scosche keeps it simple with these silicone skins available in packs of three. They come in red, black and blue (pictured); or pink, purple and white.

Cost: $19.99

2. Rainydaye Knitted Cozies

If you prefer things hand-made rather than made en masse, then these colorful, knitted cozies from Etsy might be perfect for your nano.

Cost: $9.00

3. Belkin FastFit Armband

Created for sporty types, your nano just clips onto Belkin’s armband. It offers a convenient way to keep your music player at hand, but out of harm’s way, during exercise.

Cost: $29.99

4. Griffin Slap

Available in a rainbow of colors, the Slap takes the nano watch case idea back to the Eighties with a flexible, silicone-wrapped spring-steel band that can adjust to fit any size wrist.

Cost: $24.99

5. Navitech Hard Cover Case

If you need some serious protection for your little ‘pod then Navitech’s hard cover case will make sure your nano — and its screen — stay safe from harm.

Cost: $3.99

6. iWatchz Q Series

With its simple attachment — just press, slide and click — the iWatchz will turn your nano into a bright timepiece with incredible ease.

Cost: $24.95

7. Griffin Wristlet

Described as a “fresh, fun, stretchy protection” for your nano, the Wristlet encases your iPod in tough, stretchy silicone while the wrist strap offers an alternative to attaching the device from a clip.

Cost: $19.99

8. The Leather Wrist Cuff

This Etsy seller has taken the watch concept and created a very cool leather wrist cuff that your nano can clip to as a watch.

Cost: $34

9. Socks

The classic iSock has been shrunk down for the newest nano. They’re sold as a six pack, meaning you can change the cover to suit your mood, or share the love with five friends.

Cost: £3.85 (approx $5.50)

BONUS: Gelaskins

The new nano may be mini, but it’s not too small to get the Gelaskin treatment. There are a ton of great vinyl designs available to perfectly fit all sides of the little MP3 player. Even if it isn’t technically a “case,” these skins are a cool way to cover your device.

Cost: $14.95