Tons of fab work to the body, suspension upgrades, and a turbocharger make this factor one in every of a form.
Tag Archives: frame
Different Harley-Davidson Frame Types Explained
The Softail is maybe probably the most distinct body amongst Harley-Davidson’s cruiser lineup, and what makes it so distinctive is that initially look, it appears to be like extra like a hardtail. However, it contains a hid rear wheel suspension that is held in place by a swingarm. What this implies for you as a rider is that you just get to benefit from the retro aesthetic that Harley-Davidson bikes are well-known for, all whereas having fun with the snug journey high quality that rear-wheel suspension bikes are recognized for.
The body, which was designed by Bill Davis, was launched by Harley-Davidson for the mannequin yr 1984 because the FXST Softail. Since then, the Softail has advanced fairly considerably, with the corporate incorporating new applied sciences and options into the bike. For occasion, the primary few Softail fashions did not have rubber-mounted engines, and this meant extra vibration throughout rides. However, to boost rider consolation, Harley-Davidson ultimately launched a rubber-mounted Twin Cam engine for the Softail in later fashions.
That stated, regardless of all of the improvements and modifications, the Softail continues to take care of its iconic look with clear traces and a low seat top. Over the years, the Softail has maintained its recognition, and the body has been used for a lot of totally different Harley-Davidson fashions, together with the Breakout and Fat Boy. In truth, the body design has even been adopted and utilized by different major motorcycle brands, together with Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki.
The Most Affordable Dirt Bike For Hardcore Off-Roading
Summary
- Prices begin at simply $3,999.
- With a 25.8 HP engine, gentle aluminum body, stiff suspension setup for arduous landings, it’s perfect for newbies and intermediate riders.
- It surpasses Chinese bike high quality expectations, with a smooth design and first rate construct high quality.
There’s nothing like off-roading. Giving your bike the beans, letting the rear wheel slide round, and having fun with airtime over ruts and rocks — no different feeling comes shut! But not all bikes can deal with hardcore off-road trails. You want an adequately highly effective engine (no, not 200 horsepower) to take care of momentum, a long-travel suspension to absorb the bumps, and a lightweight body to show rapidly earlier than you hug a tree. Such hardcore dirt bikes are often super expensive, particularly if they arrive from KTM, Husqvarna, or Sherco.
Fortunately, hardcore off-roaders don’t have to spend a lot cash in the event that they wish to have enjoyable on a budget. That’s the place the SSR Motorsports SR250S comes into motion. It’s the most cost effective full-size grime bike that may deal with technical trails with ease. Are there cheaper grime bikes? Yes! We even discovered some that price as little as $1,500, however we’ve picked a full-size grime bike with 21/18-inch wheels, near a quarter-liter engine, and an honest suspension setup. The SR250S suits the invoice.
In order to provide the most recent and correct data doable, the info used to compile this text was sourced from SSR Motorsports, Yamaha, and Honda.
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Sufficiently Juicy Powerhouse
Power Output: 25.8 HP @ 9,000 RPM
At first look, the SSR Motorsports SR250S might appear like the Honda CRF250X. But there’s greater than meets the attention on this grime bike. The bike is powered by a quarter-liter, four-stroke, liquid-cooled engine, with sufficient punch to maintain you entertained on the paths. From what we discovered from the boards, the engine is perky with a clean energy band and brisk acceleration. It remains to be carburated, although, so be able to fiddle round with it (particularly within the chilly). As a garnish, you additionally get an electrical and a kickstarter!
And Underpinnings That Are Ready To Get Gnarly
When it involves off-roading, the engine is simply half the story; the opposite half is the body and suspension. That’s the place the SR250S will shock you. Unlike different bikes within the value vary, this enduro will get an aluminum alloy chassis with an aluminum swingarm. That makes the bike gentle at 260 kilos. The dealing with is secure, even when the entrance is a bit raked out.
The body is suspended on, as SSR Motorsports claims, high-performance suspension. The entrance forks are adjustable for rebound and compression, whereas the rear monoshock is adjustable for preload and rebound. Unlike different low cost grime bikes, the suspension on this one is stiff — excellent for arduous landings.
Finally, there’s the braking system. The SR250S comes with disc brakes on the entrance and rear. According to boards, the braking energy is greater than adequate to lock the wheels and drop the anchors. You additionally get rotor guards, which ought to shield the discs, or at the very least preserve them clear of muck. That’s a wonderful contact in our books.
Sure, evaluate this bike to full-fledged grime bikes, and it’ll actually fall brief. But for what it’s value, this is a superb proposition. The bike guarantees first rate efficiency and dealing with traits for hard-core off-roading. It’s a bike we’d happily recommend to newbies and intermediate riders, as there’s sufficient potential to study the ropes and get gnarly. For these with extra time in off-road trails, the bike might really feel a bit underwhelming. For good purpose, since it is a funds providing, in spite of everything.
Performance Specifications
|
Engine Type |
Single-cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled |
|
Displacement |
249.5cc |
|
Compression Ratio |
11.5:1 |
|
Fuel Supply |
34mm carb |
|
Transmission |
5-speed guide |
|
Front Suspension |
48mm inverted forks with rebound and compression adjustability, 12.4-inch journey |
|
Rear Suspension |
Single shock with rebound and preload adjustable, 10.62-inch journey |
|
Front Wheel |
80/100-21 |
|
Rear Wheel |
100/90-18 |
|
Ground Clearance |
12.2 in |
|
Weight |
260 lbs |
(Specs sourced from SSR Motorsports)
Sleek, Stylish, And A Better Build Quality Than You’d Expect
The SR250S grime bike seems to be the half. The design is smooth and trendy, and it’s actually shocking for the value level. It’s a head-turner, for positive, and after getting your customized livery on the bike, it ought to look even higher. We’re already occupied with what it will appear like with TopSpeed decals!
We know Chinese bikes have a repute for being low-quality, but this one just isn’t that. Of all of the Chinese manufacturers, SSR Motorsports is likely one of the higher ones (not as good as CFMoto, though). The bike is alleged to really feel well-finished, with nice construct high quality (as per homeowners). Even if it is simply common, what else would you count on from the most cost effective full-size grime bike available on the market? You win some, you lose some.
Design Highlights
- Gold anodized forks look nice
- Muffler has a carbon fiber finish cowl
- Subtle touches of purple add distinction to the design
- Skid plate, petal discs, and header cowl make it extra off-road-ready
Stacking Up Against The Rivals
How does the SR250S fare towards its rivals? It’s a combined bag right here. Its two largest rivals are the Yamaha TT-R230 and Honda CRF250F. The two Japanese grime bikes are the most cost effective full-size grime bikes from their stables, promising to supply hardcore off-road expertise to novice and intermediate riders. Both look nice, are top quality, and are available at a barely increased value level. Let’s see what they’ve to supply.
Yamaha TT-R230
Yamaha has been pumping out TT-R bikes for practically three many years, and the TT-R230 is one in all its finest examples. The bike makes use of a carbed, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine, which is mated to a six-speed transmission. Other {hardware} elements are fairly fundamental, too. For instance, the suspension is non-adjustable, the rear will get a drum brake, and the fairing is old-school.
Despite that, the Yamaha TT-R230 looks as if a greater guess. It weighs in at 251 kilos with a seat peak of 34.3 inches. Plus, it’s a long-running bike famend for its reliability and sturdiness — crucial should you’re going to abuse the bike on trails. It’s a flexible, easy bike that brings new riders into the fold whereas holding intermediate riders entertained. For $300 extra, you get a milder but more trustable bike than the SR250S.
Honda CRF250F
The subsequent largest rival to the SR250S is the CRF250F — not shocking because the former takes many design cues from this one. The bike is correctly fashionable in its present avatar and may even fulfill all your motocross ambitions. Seriously, it’s THAT good. It’s powered by a fuel-injected, air-cooled single with a five-speed transmission that pumps out round 20 horsepower. It’s ok, particularly when you think about Honda’s repute for reliability and reasonably priced spare components.
The bike makes use of a tubular-steel twin-spar body that’s gentle, and it’s suspended on Showa suspension at each ends. The bike additionally will get disc brakes on the entrance and rear, which is missing within the TT-R230. With a weight of 265 kilos, it’s barely heavier than the SR250S, although. The Honda grime bike prices $1,000 greater than the most cost effective full-size grime bike, and it is considerably value it, contemplating it’s a Honda. It is enjoyable, peppy, and dependable. Not to overlook, SSR Motorsports doesn’t have a large service community like Honda or Yamaha.
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SSR Motorsports SR250S Pricing
Starting MSRP: $3,999
For this story, we narrowed down our choices to the most cost effective full-size grime bikes we might discover. Fortunately, it turned out to be the SSR Motorsports SR250S and never some AliExpress-esque grime bike. At this value level, the SR250S is a good choice. However, solely take into account this bike should you’re over the psychological block of proudly owning Chinese bikes and have an SSR Motorsports dealership shut by.
For what it’s, the SR250S is a flexible and highly effective grime bike for freshmen. Easy sufficient to get your strategies proper, and if you’re prepared, begin bashing the paths. You gained’t be dissatisfied — it’s received the whole lot to make it a hardcore grime bike. If the identical bike, with the identical specs, had a KTM or GasGas tag on it, it will’ve price much more.
German Bike Brand Focus Goes Lightweight With New VAM2 SL E-MTB
What makes a superb mountain bike? Of course you want a sturdy body, good suspension, and succesful wheels and tires. When you slap on an electrical motor, issues get a bit extra difficult. Sure, you possibly can have tons of energy, however on a mountain bike, this simply blurs the traces between e-bike and e-motorcycle. It’s exactly for that reason that e-bike manufacturers are dialing down energy and weight within the hopes of retaining a pure pedal really feel and driving dynamics.
A very good instance of this involves us from German bicycle model Focus. The firm has lengthy been making non-electric bikes with a specific concentrate on efficiency, and so when it got here time to develop the VAM2 SL, it just about already had the recipe in its pocket – a light-weight body, premium suspension, and a compact, responsive, and succesful motor.
The top-range Focus VAM2 SL 9.0 will get fancy Fox suspension and a Sram X0 drivetrain.
Tipping the scales at 16 to 19 kilograms (35 to 41 kilos) it’s only some kilos heavier than a mid-tier non-electric full-suspension mountain bike, however due to the Fazua Ride 60 its powered by, signifies that riders can preserve their power to benefit from the downhills moderately than crank away when climbing. The VAM2 SL manages to maintain its weight this low due to a carbon body. It additionally will get a one-piece stem and handlebar setup that’s additionally product of carbon, and the truth that the cables and hoses are routed internally provides a contact of smooth magnificence into the equation, as nicely.
At the center of the Focus VAM2 SL is the Fazua Ride 60 motor. The Porsche-owned e-bike motor producer is thought for its compact motors with respectable energy outputs, and most of all, a natural-feeling pedal help. Here, the motor is rated for 60 Nm (about 44 pound-feet) of torque, and gives help as much as a prime pace of 25 kilometers per hour (15 miles per hour). As for the battery, a 430-watt-hour battery pack guarantees ample vary, which is made even higher due to the bike’s low weight. For riders seeking to eke out additional miles, a 210-watt-hour vary extender can be optioned in.
The Fazua Ride 60 motor within the VAM2 SL has a lift mode that gives a surge of energy when sprinting uphill.
Lightweight e-bikes just like the Focus VAM2 SL are all about conserving your power to benefit from the downhill sections of path.
For a extra fine-tuned expertise, the Focus VAM2 SL gives three help modes and a further “boost” characteristic for high-powered bursts when sprinting uphill. Furthermore, the Fazua app permits riders to customise extra settings reminiscent of most energy, pedal help ratio, and responsiveness and acceleration. Of course, the three modes all optimize these settings for both effectivity, easy efficiency, or outright energy.
In its highest trim degree, the Focus VAM2 SL 9.0 is kind of a formidable machine. It will get Fox suspension full with Kashima coating for easy suspension actuation. On prime of that, it’s rocking Sram’s top-tier X0 12-speed drivetrain. With that being stated, it instructions an astronomical price ticket of 10,999 euros, or about $11,875 USD. There are, nonetheless, extra “affordable” variations of the VAM2 SL, with gear provided from the likes of Shimano and SR Suntour. These fashions carry costs starting from 5,799 euros ($6,260 USD) to eight,699 euros ($9,391 USD).
The light-weight Fazua Ride 60 is on the coronary heart of the brand new Focus VAM2 SL.
Samsung’s Frame TV Got Even Better At CES 2024, But It’s No Longer The Weirdest Product
The slick Frame TV is a showcase of Samsung pushing the boundaries of minimalist way of life design into its shopper tech merchandise. It stands out as an oddity, aesthetically, that’s. But the corporate is now pushing the identical formulation into audio gear, and the result’s a brand new known as Music Frame. Technically, it is the Samsung HW-LS60D.
Imagine the Frame TV aesthetics however for a speaker. Samsung says it is “the world’s first customizable and personalised wi-fi speaker with a built-in IoT hub. It’s fairly versatile, too. On its personal, it is a wi-fi speaker that may be paired with a telephone or PC over Bluetooth. But there’s extra to it. It may even create a digital print of pictures on an acrylic plate with a matte end on prime.
It may also be related to a Samsung TV to boost the audio output. Depending on the present audio configuration, it may possibly double as a subwoofer and rear speaker, as properly. The firm has fitted a pair of tweeters, woofers, and mid-drivers. Samsung has additionally deployed its Samsung SpaceFit tech that may sense the atmosphere, which permits the Music Frame to mechanically modify audio output.
2024 KTM 500EXC: DUAL-SPORT VIDEO
The KTM 500EXC is new for 2024, but it surely stays the bike of selection for critical dual-sport riders within the U.S. The body is new and borrows a lot from the present 450SX-F motocross bike. The key distinction is the PDS rear suspension which does away with the linkage used on the motocross bike. That hasn’t modified, however the fork is new this yr. It is the spring model of the WP Xact, which is one thing that dual-sport followers have been wanting for years. Check out Mark Tilley as he will get to trip the bike for the primary time, inventory tires and all, on this episode of Dirt Bike Magazine’s dual-sport video assortment.
Samsung’s Early Black Friday 2023 Deals For Some Of Its Best (And Weirdest) TVs Are Live
Samsung’s popular “The Frame” QLED 4K TVs have a large following, and now you have the opportunity to get them at a discounted price. The 75-inch version of the TV is currently on sale for $400 off at $2,599.99. If you prefer a larger screen, the 85-inch variant is even more affordable with an $800 discount, priced at $3,499.99.
Another interesting product available during this early Black Friday sale is Samsung’s 2nd Generation Freestyle Projector with Gaming Hub. Although the product itself is not discounted (retail $799), purchasing it at the current price gives you the option to get a massive 50% discount on the Galaxy Buds 2 true wireless earbuds.
Samsung also offers a range of outdoor-optimized QLED TVs under its “The Terrace” lineup. These TVs are designed to provide excellent picture quality even in challenging outdoor lighting conditions. The 65-inch variant of the Full Sun TV is currently on sale for a significant discount, priced at $7,499.99 instead of $9,999.99. Additionally, free installation is included with your purchase.
The Scout: International Harvester’s Classic Adaptive 4×4
The Scout 80, although tough with its ladder-style frame, solid axles, and leaf springs, was not known for its speed. It had a 152 cubic inch four-cylinder engine, which was essentially half of International’s 304 cubic inch V8 engine. The engine, known as the “4-152 Commanche,” initially produced 93 horsepower, but that number increased to 111 horsepower with the addition of turbocharging.
In 1966, International introduced the Scout 800, a refreshed version of the SUV. This model offered a larger four-cylinder engine, followed by a six-cylinder option, and finally, a much-needed V8 engine as an optional choice. The Scout 800 marked a shift for the vehicle, transforming it into a more modern SUV with additional features like back seats, carpeting, and an improved heating and ventilation system.
The Scout became a fan favorite and exceeded International’s sales expectations. However, competition soon emerged, with Ford launching the Bronco and Chevy introducing the Blazer. Both vehicles bore a striking resemblance to International’s Scout, indicating the level of influence it had on the industry.
[Featured image by Jeremy from Sydney, Australia via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]
Two-Stroke Engine Conversion: 2023 Honda CR300 Powered by KTM
Ever dreamt of blending the engine of one bike with the frame of another to create a high-performance masterpiece? John Murray made it a reality by combining the 2023 Honda CRF450R chassis with the powerful 2023 KTM 300SX two-stroke fuel-injected engine.
John Murray, a dirt bike enthusiast who also owns a construction company, took matters into his own hands and designed the conversion. The result was an impressive DIY build that Dirt Bike Magazine couldn’t help but take notice of.
Utilizing available resources rather than working with high-end builders in a factory garage, Murray was able to prove that thinking outside the box could lead to an exceptional outcome. Check out the up-close look at this unique creation in the video below!