They did it. Again.  The University of Michigan Solar Car Team won the American Solar Challenge for the third consecutive time, finishing the 1,100-mile race more than two hours ahead of the second-place finishers.  Sixteen teams set out from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma on June 20. Only 13 made it to the end, led by Infinium, which crossed the line in Naperville, Illinois at about 2 p.m. Saturday with a winning time of 28 hours, 14 minutes and 55 seconds. “It’s an unbelievable feeling,” engineering student Steve Durbin, the team’s race manager, said. “This race means a lot to us because we’re defending our home territory. It’s great to see that all of our hard work paid off.”  This was University of Michigan’s sixth North American title, having won the first race in 1990 in Sunrunner. This year’s entry proved to be spot-on reliable. Rain shorted out one component, which was easily fixed at the side of the road, and a black widow that took up residence in a spare battery pack was easily removed with pliers.  “Everything went pretty smoothly,” Durbin said.  You may scoff at the idea of racing electric cars powered by the sun, but these things are pretty quick. Infinium hit 100 mph in testing and had no trouble maintaining the speed limit — which all teams must adhere to — during the race. It averaged 40 mph over the course of the race. The same car took third in the 2009 Global Green Challenge, the race formerly known as the World Solar Challenge, in Australia.

The University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project team placed second with an elapsed time of 30 hours, 26 minutes and 53 seconds in Centaurus. The team also won the sportsmanship award and electrical excellence award for the design of its electrical system.  “We are very proud of our car’s custom electronics and our spirit of helping other teams throughout the race,” said Alan Jacobs, a senior materials science and physics double major. “It’s amazing to us that we had such a great race since this is the first time we’ve raced this car.” Third place went to Germany’s Bochum University of Applied Sciences, which may have the most graceful solar race car ever. SolarWorld No. 1 finished the race in 30 hours, 34 minutes and 50 seconds.

iPhone 4 Leads the Pack With Stunning Design, Interface Apple’s fourth-generation iPhone makes its predecessors look like toys. Heck, even the iPad looks sissy now. It’s an impressive upgrade. The iPhone 4 ditches the curvy plastic case of the older models in favor of a thinner, squared-off glass body laced with a stainless-steel band. It has a higher-resolution display, a brand-new front-facing camera, an improved back camera with flash, double the RAM of the iPhone 3GS, and the same A4 processor that powers the iPad.  Grip it in your hand, and the iPhone 4 feels like the phone of the future.  The defining feature of the iPhone 4 is its 960-by-640-pixel display, which has a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, far higher than any other consumer display. Apps, websites, photos and videos look stellar. Text is crisper, images look rich and detailed, and colors are stunning. It’s been hard to put down this phone: Staring at that screen is addictive.

The second most compelling addition is the front-facing camera, which works with a built-in video-chatting client called FaceTime. Remember when George Jetson’s boss chewed him out on a video phone in The Jetsons? It looks a lot like that. Choose a contact, then tap FaceTime, and within a few seconds you’ll see your buddy’s mug.  Video chatting is nothing new: Plenty do it with webcams on their computers already. But video conferencing on a phone makes a dramatic difference, as you have the liberty to take the camera with you wherever you go. Give a virtual tour of your new apartment to friends across the country. Hold a FaceTime chat with a retired co-worker, and pass the phone around the office for everyone to say hello. This new method of communication — digital coexistence — is fresh and exciting, even to journalists who live and breathe gadgets every day.  There are some big limitations. Currently, FaceTime is only available for iPhone 4 users, so the number of people you can video chat with is limited. However, Apple published FaceTime as an open protocol: Any software developer can integrate the service into their third-party software on Macs, Windows machines or even competing smartphones, such as the HTC Evo 4G. It’s a mystery why Apple hasn’t already provided integration with its own desktop chat client, iChat, which would greatly expand the number of people you could video chat with.  Second, FaceTime only works over Wi-Fi, until the carriers’ networks get better, says Steve Jobs. Provided you have a strong Wi-Fi connection, FaceTime works well, and it’s a blast. With a weak or overloaded Wi-Fi connection, it’s an exercise in frustration. And without Wi-Fi, you can’t use it at all. That’s stifling, but for now, most of us will probably be video chatting in more private settings, where we presumably have decent Wi-Fi anyway, so we’ll let you off the hook for this one, AT&T.  However, AT&T’s overloaded 3G network remains a major concern for old-school telephoning. Call quality sounds clearer with a noise-canceling microphone on top of the handset, but reception problems persist. Network coverage varies from city to city, and your mileage may vary. But we can’t file this away as a non-issue until either AT&T expands its network to accommodate data-guzzling iPhones everywhere or Apple shares the iPhone with multiple carriers to mitigate overcrowding on AT&T’s network. Adding to our cellular woes, many customers have reported a strange antenna problem, where squeezing the steel band on the bottom-left corner of the iPhone 4 results in dropped signal strength. That just happens to be the way many left-handers are naturally holding the iPhone. We were able to replicate this behavior, but only by squeezing the iPhone very hard. Jobs’ e-mail response to a concerned customer was to “just avoid holding it that way” — which doesn’t seem fair — and Apple’s recommended solution is to buy a $30 protective “bumper.” Whatever the remedy, when a number of people are complaining about the same issue and the proposed solution is a band-aid, this appears to be a design flaw.  Whether it’s AT&T’s network or Apple’s design, the iPhone 4′s semi-frequent dropped calls create the same old headaches. This is still an unreliable phone, period.  That’s a shame, because the iPhone 4 is solid with just about everything else it does. The new 5-megapixel camera (up from 3 megapixels in the iPhone 3GS) takes photos that look better than a lot of dedicated point-and-shoots we’ve used. However, white balance seems slightly off, often appearing too yellow, so you’d benefit from touching up photos with an image-editing app. Also, photos shot with the iPhone 4′s new LED flash look eerie — as you’d expect with an LED flash.  Did we mention the iPhone 4′s snazzy back camera also shoots high-definition, 720p video? It looks great, too, with smooth motion and crisp clarity, although the yellows again appear heavy.  Finally, the iPhone 4 subtly improves on speed compared to the iPhone 3GS. It’s not tremendously faster, but you’ll notice that complex tasks finish up more quickly. In the photo-editing app CameraBag, for example, photo processing took about a second per photo, whereas on an iPhone 3GS it took about three seconds.  The iPhone 4′s main competitors are the crop of high-end Android phones currently on the market. The Nexus One, Motorola Droid X and HTC Evo 4G all have impressive hardware and match the iPhone 4 nearly feature for feature — in some cases, exceeding the iPhone 4′s specs, as with the Droid X’s 8-megapixel camera.  Any day now, a manufacturer will likely deliver a better piece of hardware than the iPhone 4. However, Apple is still far ahead of the curve with its new iOS 4 software and ever-growing App Store. The entire experience of iOS is far more elegant and intuitive than Android, and for many people, that ease of use will outweigh iOS 4′s relative lack of flexibility and its subpar telephone capabilities.  Interestingly, the iPhone 4 has more RAM than Apple’s other hot product, the iPad, with 512 MB in the iPhone 4 compared to 256 MB in the iPad. It also has two cameras, a newer OS and a higher-resolution display than the iPad, which might inspire some buyers’ remorse among early iPad adopters.  With the iPhone 4, Apple has blown Android rivals, previous iPhones and even the iPad out of the water. It’s that big of an upgrade. And for now, it’s the uncontested leader in the smartphone market.

• Style: Smartphone, Touchscreen
• Service Provider: AT&T
• Camera Resolution: 5.1 to 7 megapixels
• Operating System: iOS
• Manufacturer: Apple
• Price: $200 (16-GB) or $300 (32-GB) with 2-year contract

Japanese artists are renowned for their Zen-like patience, but spending 7,500 hours hand-crafting a motorcycle would seem to push that to absurd lengths – until you see the motorcycle. Then you wonder how Chicara Nagata managed to build something so stunning in so little time.

Nagata’s award-winning motorcycles are breathtaking works of art, so it is fitting that three of them are featured in an exhibit at New York’s Ippodo Gallery and the Contemporary Asian Art Fair. The bikes are as meticulously crafted as they are stunningly detailed, blending vintage parts with modern design to create motorcycles that are simultaneously retro and futuristic.

Nagata’s art pays tribute to the very machines that almost killed him, and to the people who saved him. “There are many ways a man can express himself, but there are not many things I can do,” he writes in the notes accompanying his exhibit. “I have found something on which I will pour my life.”

Nagata, 46, was 16 when a motorcycle accident nearly killed him. He endured eight months of intensive therapy and several blood transfusions during his recovery, all the while wondering why he should survive so horrible an accident when so many others haven’t. Nagata, whose name means “power,” decided to honor those who had died, and those who saved him, by creating art. He became a graphic designer in 1982 and launched his own studio a decade later.

His love affair with motorcycles was rekindled in 1993 when he started building his first custom. It took him seven years. Whereas most motorcycle “builders” do little more than open the Fat Book parts catalog and start ordering parts they simply bolt together in a week or two, Nagata hand-crafts everything but the drivetrains. The frames, the suspension components, even the throttle assemblies and hand controls are designed and made by Nagata.

He’s built 13 bikes so far. Nagata won the grand prize in the 2006 AMD World C

hampionship of Custom Bike Building for Chicara Art I, a sleek retro-ride powered by a 1939 Harley-Davidson U motor. He took second place last year with Chicara Art II, which features a 1942 Harley WLA motor.

The three bikes featured at Ippodo can be had for $1 million apiece which, given the level of workmanship, strikes us as a bargain.

Photos courtesy Ippodo Gallery. Be sure to check out Nagata’s work on his Web site.

Photo at top: The Chicara Art IV finished earlier this year is without question the world’s coolest moped. That’s right, moped. Power comes from a 1966 Honda moped engine. It produced 1.5 horsepower but looks oh so much faster.

Photo Above: Chicara Art I. Finished 2006. It’s powered by a 1939 Harley Davidson flathead “U” motor displacing 1,200cc.

Photo below: Engine detail shot of Chicara III showing the 1950 Meguro racing motor and 1950 Triumph transmission. As with all of Nagata’s bikes, all parts — hand controls, foot controls, throttle and clutch linkages, everything — but the engine and drivetrain are hand-crafted. The bike was completed this year.

We don’t think Azhar Hussain ever sleeps. In addition to pretty much starting the whole electric motorcycle racing scene, organizing races in five countries and staring down the FIM, the guy has signed a deal with ESPN to air races in the U.K.

ESPN joins networks in the United States, Italy and Canada in airing the TTXGP championship series. The one-hour shows, which begin next month only in the UK, will include behind-the-scenes looks at the technology, interviews with riders and, of course, the races. It’s essentially the same deal TTXGP has with Speed2 here in the United States. The programming starts with a feature on the 2009 TTXGP on the Isle of Man.

“ESPN is one of the world’s leading sports distribution platforms,” Rupal Patel, head of new biz development for the TTXGP, said. “The inclusion of the TTXGP into the top tier of world sports distribution confirms TTXGP as the first and leading platform for zero carbon motorsports.”

We were front and center for the first race of the North American season at Infineon Raceway and can say the race was far more exciting than you might think. The level of technology and the quality of the bikes is impressive, and the racing was closer than we expected.

TTXGP promises more info on the ESPN coverage soon.

Photo: Photo: Mike Doran / D & W Images for Infineon Raceway

With no proper licensing and unavailability of apt bicycle parking slots, bike thefts have become a common snag nowadays. However, designer Grant Howarth has popped up with an innovative design called ‘Bicycle Security’ that not just provides a proper parking place for your bikes but keeps them safe from burglars and other roadside damages as well. A recent entry at the RSA Design Directions Competition, the modular bike security system, by the Scottish designer protects all quick release components, including the seat and wheels. Enveloping the bike steadily in the curved surface, the security system prevents the bike from rolling back by putting the rear wheel into a tight groove. The bike security can be located in dense spaces that ideally suit urban environments. Moreover, the security unit is capable of compensating its production cost within 3 years, as it can be used as a billboard for displaying commercial advertisements.

The green brigade don’t exactly get along with ATVs tearing through the countryside. But, they might be a little more than impressed with designer Tristan Hipps’ KTM RC4 ATV. Why? Because, his concept uses battery power for propulsion. This sharp looking, minimalist concept takes us back to the days when mobility meant four wheels, an engine with a seat on top. Unlike conventional ATVs, you can even go corner caring with this one. We can’t wait to see this one on the streets.

was a niiice warm day in the sun good turn out
everyone rode hard and nobody got hurt

Krazy Kyle in siiikest trick comp
1 handed flying
keep your eyes out for more pics to come

Motorcycle and scooter riders’ 19th annual commuting day is this coming Monday, June 21st. Participation in the yearly demonstration is estimated to triple the number of riders on the road. Motorcycle and scooter groups and organizations actively encourage riders to commute by cycle on this day. On Ride to Work Day, motorcycle and scooter commuters seek improved employer recognition and support for this form of transportation and increased public and government awareness of the positive value of riding.

Adding more commuting motorcycles and scooters makes urban parking easier and traffic flow better, according to Ride to Work, a non-profit advocacy organization. Studies have also shown that across the same distances, riders reach their destinations faster than those using automobiles. Most motorcycles and scooters also consume less resources per mile than automobiles. “Riding to work on this day is fun and highlights the positive value of motorcycling. For many people, riding is a socially responsible form of mobility that saves energy, helps the environment and provides a broad range of other public benefits,” stated Andy Goldfine, this year’s event organizer.

BMW’s stock S1000RR is engineered to stop, go, and turn like hell… but Brock’s Performance adds numerous tweaks including 9 extra inches of swingarm, which eliminates one of those three performance parameters and boosts the other two. This freakish Germanic creation joins AMA Dragbike Supersport competition with 4-time AMA Dragbike Champ Keith Dennis at the helm, competing against the likes of Suzuki Hayabusas and Kawasaki ZX-14s.

Net mph gain with for this drag racing superbike? 203 rear wheel horsepower, which propels the bike through the quarter mile trap in a mere 8.49 seconds, at 158.46 mph– a time achieved, incidentally, while bouncing off the rev limiter in sixth gear.

As silly season continues, rumors continue to persist that Casey Stoner has signed a deal with HRC. It was first reported by Italian news station Sport media set, and given it’s appropriate grain of salt, but now the German-language publication Speedweek is announcing the deal as well, and even claiming a contract price of $5 million to see the former World Champion ride a Honda in 2011.

This news from Speedweek adds some validity to the rumor, which seems to be catching momentum in the paddock. Not too long ago we even heard musings in the Ducati camp that Stoner had already checked-out mentally on riding with the Italian team.

While an announcement at Silverstone this weekend would likely be too early in the season, Honda is expected to make the first move in making bids on the top four riders in the paddock: Rossi, Lorenzo, Stoner, and Pedrosa, so anything could happen.

No news has developed on who Stoner would replace in the Repsol Honda garage, but the “dream team” combo of Pedrosa and Stoner is not out of the realm of possibilities.

Stoner’s impetus for leaving Ducati is presumably centered around the way he was treated during his mysterious illness last season, which has allegedly put a strain on his relation with the team and its sponsors. More as we get it race fans.

Wednesday Bike Night Cantina Lounge Fullerton, Ca. Starts at 8pm.

A test ride can convey valuable information about a used motorcycle, but before you go for a spin here are ways to find potential problem spots.  If you’re shopping for a used motorcycle, the most important thing to look out for is the condition of the frame. The smallest crack or hairline fracture on a frame can not only qualify the bike for a salvage title, it can pose a potential safety hazard.  Don’t even consider a bike with any sort of frame damage, including dents, weld tears, kinks or fractures. Remove the seat and/or any easily removed body parts that can obscure parts of the frame, and if necessary use a flashlight to illuminate any portions of the frame that might be too dark to see.

From toddlers pedaling tricycles to burly motorcyclists buzzing down the street, safety officials urge bikers of all ages and ability levels to stay safe as we head into summer. Bike riders and motorists in cars and trucks must respect each other. May is a critical time for both motorcycle and bicycle riding safety observances. It’s a time to follow the rules of the road, when riders are being reacquainted to the surroundings around them for the next several months. Some bicyclists may choose to avoid the motor traffic altogether, using trails and some road shoulder extensions to help riders avoid drivers. Bicycles and motorcycles are allowed roadway use with the cars and trucks they hear buzzing past them. There’s more protection around a steering wheel than handlebars riders should be wary of their surroundings while keeping a considerable distance from the motorists. You need more of a space cushion around you so you can react. Motorcyclists often maneuver with greater ease than truck drivers. Vehicles need to be aware of riders, especially in blind spots. Bikers sometimes don’t appear in rear view mirrors when they’re actually riding near the side of a motor vehicle. Experienced drivers learn to use caution around roadway curves. He also suggested motorcyclists and their passengers cover their heads, hands, feet and body with riding gear, which he described as attire made of durable material. Many denim-and-leather-equipped riders wear dark hued clothing, which she said can be made safer with some brighter colors included. Motorcyclists may be particularly interested in a new website, www.livefreeridealive.com.