The Road Runner was designed by Suhann, a student at Shih Chien University of Industrial Design, in an attempt to combine the streamlined-aerodynamics of WWII aircrafts with a cafe-racer.

For this project, Suhann actually started with Honda Super Cub 90 and then proceeded to throw just about everything away. In order to give the bike a visually “light” appearance a custom frame was constructed to create a lot of negative space.

The upper volume is a tip-to-tail aluminum shell that houses the seat, electronic controls, and a small carrying compartment. The middle volume is the fuel tank, reminiscent of the bombs carried by old WWII planes. And the lower volume features a large aerodynamic duct to cool the horizontally mounted cylinder of the Super Cub.

A monoshock suspension was incorporated to clean up the overall look. Custom high-rise rear-set pegs were fitted to complete the low slung racing position of the bike.

To find out more visit it here: ReturnoftheCafeRacer.com

[via Moto Mucci]

Ever since Audi bought Ducati a year ago (Actually Lamborghni, which is owned by Audi, which is owned by VW, bought Ducati, but whatever…) there has been speculation about how the high-end German car company would work with the high-end Italian motorcycle company.

Now, just for fun, a bunch of French designers, Thibault and Marc Devauze and Clement Couvreur, have come up with a concept model of an Audi roadster. Their sleek design is based on a Ducati 848 engine with elements of Ducati’s Hypermotard and Monster.

With Ducati’s expertise with carbon fiber and Audi’s Direct Shift Gearbox, the prospect of a cross-breed motorcycle like this 848 Motorrad Roadster is not all that far fetched. As some will remember, Audi-owned DKW was once the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world.  

Only time will tell if Audi actually intends to start work on an Motorrad division, or, if the $980 million purchase of Ducati was just deft move by VW to mitigate EU regulations that have been penalizing Lamborghni for excessive carbon emissions.

[ via Gizmag]

Beijing-based motorcycle garage Bandit9 is back at it again, this time with The Hephaestus, a custom designed Honda Bros 400. Named after the greek god of blacksmiths, sculptors and artisans, Hephaestus was forged entirely out of stainless steel. No plastic fairings, no paint, just beautiful raw materials.  Unlike their previous bike, a black-out Chang Jiang 750, Hephaestus represents a step into a lighter color paletee. Would be fantastic to see these two bike sitting in the garage side by side.

To find out more about Hephaestus or Bandit9 visit their website: BanditNine.com

“The Edge… there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.” – Hunter. S. Thompson

Joe Hoegh is one of those people. He recently piloted a customized Hellcat X132 Combat by Confederate Motorcycle down the salt flats of Bonneville at 172 mph. His run has set a new speed record for a naked street bike and makes the Hellcat Combat the world’s fastest big block American V-twin.

The prototype X132 Hellcat Combat uses a 132-cubic-inch S&S XWedge engine that pumps out 160 lb-ft of torque and 160 horsepower. It’s the same engine used by Confederate for their production model Hellcat, but with a variety of performance optimizing adjustments that push the bike to its limit.

Confederate plans to make 32 of these custom, handcrafted Hellcat X132 Combats and will offer them next year for $72,000. A steep price, but for the chance to own this record breaking 2-wheeled rocket, it’ll certainly be worth it to the right person.

[ via Not Cot, Via Confederate Motorcycle ]

These images are from the Red Bull Lingotto Special, which took place last year onto the rooftop track of an old Fiat factory in the Torino, Italy, and was held to celebrate 150 years of Italian unification. The event popped back onto our radar again when one of our favorite motor blogs, Silodrome, recently did a post on a it.

The “race” consisted of multiple stages, and points were awarded for a variety of non-race related criteria like best outfit. There was a tire change stage, in which the rear tire needed to be taken off and put back on again under a certain time limit, otherwise points were deducted. Participants then needed to ride up spiraling ramps to the roof in precisely 90 seconds, no more, no less.  Once at the top, two lapse were to be done around the track and the individual with the two closest times to each other won. The judges could also award or detract points for variety of reasons that could be made up on the spot and which only they needed to understand.

As you might suspect, the whole thing was a complete farce, but for a Vespa race (celebrating the lock-step unification of Italy no less) nothing could have been more fitting than a chaotic rabble of well-dressed Italians zipping around on scooters, smiling, laughing, and making the best of it.

[via Silodrome]

Ever since the original Stars Wars first implanted the idea in our heads, the desperate desire for a personal hovercraft has weighed heavy on the minds of many. There have been many close attempts to replicate the thrill of a landspeeder, but none have succeed until now.

Recently Manhattan Beach aerospace engineering firm Aeroflex released a video of their first prototype’s test flight.  Similar to other hovercrafts, this model uses large powerful fans to generate the necessary amount of lift. However, what sets the Aeroflex single-seater apart from any previous attempts is the intricate stabilization controls, which makes the bike so intuitive to drive that anybody can do it.

The bike, which was demonstrated in the Mojave Desert, can now get up to 30mph and hover as high as 15 feet. As the below video demonstrates the basic control of the bike is performed by the rider’s natural body movement. Much like banking a motorcycle through a corner, the hover bike response to the same type of  human body English for navigating through turns.

However, like most amazing feats of engineering this piece of technology is slated to be snapped up by the military. Aerofex founder Mark De Roche thinks it could be used for reconnaissance through rocky canyons, heavily wooded areas, and swamplands. The hover bike offers the unique ability to travel over terrain that would otherwise be impossible to traverse using wheels or caterpillar tracks.

The current model looks a little bulky and cumbersome, but future models will no doubt be lighter weight and more streamlined. So it might not be right around the corner, but the prospect of driving a hover bike to work is now looking more feasible than ever.

Recently Beijing motorcycle shop Bandit Nine got their hands on a Chang Jiang 750 and gave it the full monochromatic treatment. In addition to the stealth bomber matte job, they completely rebuilt the flat-twin engine and installed brand new disc brakes. They left the front wheel with the traditional spokes but used a modern alloy for the rear.

The Chang Jiang 750 was originally based off the Russian IMZ M-72 which itself was almost an exact copy of the 1938 BMW R71. The first production of the CJ750 began in 1958 and used nearly identical parts as the M-72. Over the years slight improvements were made, but the overall design has remained distinctly German feeling.

[ via Uncrate via Bandit Nine]