Highlighting 100 years of BMW motorcycles this year is an R 18 boxer customised by former European motocross champion Dirk Oehlerking’s company Kingston Custom. It’s been designed as a unique take on streamliner bikes of the 1930s. Oehlerking and BMW call the bike The Crown. Aside from the overall shape, the most striking feature of The Crown is the front … [Read more...] about One-off tribute to 100 years of BMW bikes
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Electricity from thin air? They’re working on it
An electric car battery pack based on silicon that that can deliver 160km of range after a five-minute rapid charge? A sodium-sulphur battery that has four times the capacity of lithium? Electricity generated from humidity captured in the air? Nope, there’s nothing fanciful about each of them. The silicon battery is here and now. Same with the sodium-sulphur … [Read more...] about Electricity from thin air? They’re working on it
Utes still bee’s knees, despite tailpipe penalties
Registrations of new one-tonne utes in New Zealand last month might have been down almost 900 vehicles on March numbers, but they were still up around 1600 on April 2022, according to Motor Industry Association (MIA) records. A year ago April ute numbers stood at 509 registrations, the worst month since the 300 or so light commercials recorded in April 2020, when Covid bit … [Read more...] about Utes still bee’s knees, despite tailpipe penalties
Atto 3: Confucius and the Tinder trap
We bumped into each other at a BP station, both befuddled in front of two electric car chargers. He wanted to charge a top-up to an app on his smartphone. “Been trying for a while,” he said. “Keeps telling me there’s a problem with charging as a guest.” He said he was in Auckland for the day on business from Tauranga. The stitching on his shirt pocket had … [Read more...] about Atto 3: Confucius and the Tinder trap
Husqvarna’s new Norden 901 Expedition
The Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition is an upgraded version of the base model 901 touring bike, unveiled at the Milan show in 2019 before going into production in 2020. In a bid to bolster the 901’s go-anywhere, long-range capabilities, the Swedish company (owned by Austria’s KTM) came up with changes, including fitting the trellis frame with WP XPLOR suspension that boosts … [Read more...] about Husqvarna’s new Norden 901 Expedition