Yamaha Raptor 125

Okay, so not a lot of us get to see all terrain vehicles, or ATV’s, that often, as compared to motorbikes. But when you do get to see them on the streets, they are definitely going to be head turners. And this is more so the case if you get to watch them on the dirt track.

And some of the most striking ATV’s are perhaps those that come from the Yamaha Raptor line. These quad bikes have been around for quite some time now and are very popular for both off road and on road use. And with an all new line of vehicles for 2011, it seems that the company is bent on keeping its hold on the ATV market.

One of the new releases is the much awaited 2011 Yamaha Raptor 125. The Raptor 125 comes at the heels of the successful 2010 line, headlined by its bigger cousin, the Yamaha Raptor 700. And, while not as large as the 700, the 2011 Raptor does pack a good amount of features to satisfy your thirst for this kind of ride.

Hit the jump for a peek into what’s being offered for the four wheeler .

Philippaerts injured; Paulin selected for Motocross of Nations

David Philippaerts of Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team will be unable to race for the incoming 64th Motocross of Nations due to an injury he sustained while showing off raging speed during the 2nd Moto race. Apparently, Philippaerts twisted his right knee and was unable to complete the race securing a third position in the FIM MX1-GP World Championship on the factory YZ450FM. The rider immediately went back to his home in Milan for a medical check-up that revealed that, although it was not serious enough to need surgery, his knee would require adequate rest for a period of twenty days before the 2008 world champion could begin light cycling routines.

On the other hand, luck comes to Gautier Paulin as Team Yamaha chose him to represent France in the MX1 category with a YZ450FM. "While I am sorry for Christophe this is an exciting news for me and I am proud to represent France as part of a strong team. There is not much time to prepare but we are working hard now to get ready on the bike and be as fast as possible for Thunder Valley”, Paulin said.

Hit the jump for the rest of the story .

Eugene Laverty signs up with Yamaha WSS team

Team Yamaha Sterilgarda seems to be geared up and well-prepared for the upcoming 2011 World Sportbike with the finalization of their line of superb riders competing for the much-awaited match. Along with MotoGP rider Marco Melandri fighting for the title, Yamaha has also enlisted World Supersport rider, Eugene Laverty, to ride for the team. For the 2011 season, the 24-year-old Irish rider, who was last year’s WSS runner-up, will ride Yamaha Sterilgarda’s YZF-R1 Superbike.

In 2009, Eugene Laverty was racing for Parkalgar Honda when he trailed Yamaha Sterilgarda rider, Cal Crutchlow, to finish in second place. Currently, Laverty trails Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Kenan Sofuoglu by 12 points in the 2010 World Supersport Championship. He currently holds seven wins this year in 11 races.

This isn’t Eugene Laverty’s first ride with Yamaha. The young rider was famous for greatly showing off at the 250cc MotoGP Championship while enjoying two wild card World Supersport rides in 2008 due to an injury sustained by Fabien Foret. Laverty was noted to be very impressive during those times by finishing third in his second outing at Vallelunga.

Hit the jump for the full story .

BMW Motorcycle Magazine launches Beemer Trivia App

Prepare to skip meals and lose sleep because BMW Motorcycle Magazine, a new website and US-based publisher, has come out with a new and exciting way to spend your spare time. They’ve recently launched a free Beemer Trivia App available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Apparently, while preparing to expand its issues to four per year, BMW MM needed to find a way to create a little downtime.

This boredom killer application is a trivia game designed by and for the BMW Motorcycle fans. Test your BMW motorcycle knowledge and learn something new while playing this multiple-choice quiz game. According to Sandy Cohen, the editor of BMW Motorcycle Magazine, “BMW riders appreciate the latest in technology, and this new app is a fun way to learn about their favorite brand of motorcycle”.

The Beemer Trivia App is an exciting quiz where players can test their Beemer knowledge with the application’s extensive collection of trivia. Players will definitely learn sufficient details regarding BMW Motorcycles as they play this game, and they can even challenge their friends with its online leader board (optional). You can also submit your own Beemer Trivia through this application. Plus, to make it more exciting, a bonus feature was created: For a limited time, if a player reaches 2500 miles, he will be able to unlock a promo code allowing him to have a discounted BMW Motorcycle Magazine subscription.

This new Beemer Trivia app is definitely a great way to spice up your day. For game lovers and BMW die-hard fans, this app will enhance your BMW riding experience by learning more of the features and history behind your favorite motorcycle brand. Go ahead, show the world what you know. You know you want to.

Aprilia Shiver 750

As the world’s fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer, Aprilia has been noted for creating first-class bikes that captivate any rider’s heart. And every year they have added unique motorcycle models to their huge collection.

In 2007, the company launched the Aprilia Shiver 750. This model, unfortunately, didn’t get the market’s attention successfully due to the Shiver’s not-so-good exterior reported by its importers. However in 2010, the Aprilia Shiver 750 seems to be taking a corner with some major improvements to the bike’s exterior. Many didn’t expect this, but the Shiver 750 has made it’s appearance more head-turning, and its specs more interesting. Aprilia has made changes to the motorcycle’s lower seats, brakes, sitting positions, wheels, and abs in the hopes of selling more units this year. And even though the Shiver has been given a new face and some major revisions, this 2-wheeled vehicle is still easy to ride.

Hit the jump for the breakdown of the Shiver 750’s new features.

Ducati Heading Out Of The Superbike Championships

Fans will probably be missing one of the most popular teams in the World Superbike Championships for 2011. This came about as Ducati announced last August 27th that they would not be fielding a factory team for next season’s races.

According to the statement released by Ducati, the reason they are pulling out of the superbike championships is because they want to focus more on technology development for their products. They also added that, in order to further develop the latest iteration of Ducati’s bikes, they will have to pull out the resources used to manage the factory team and divert them to the company’s research and development department.

In the statement, Ducati President Gabriele Del Torchio also thanked riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio for their participation in the team. Both Haga and Fabrizio had been with the team for almost two years.

However, according to some Superbike observers, there are still several other reasons for the Italian motorcycle maker’s pullout from the competition.

Hit the jump for the full story .

Yamaha Unveils Its Lineup For 2011

When it comes to motorbikes, one of the most popular names to come up in everyone’s minds would probably be Yamaha. Indeed, the Japanese brand has, to a large extent, been closely associated with motorcycles (though, they are also known for their musical instruments). And it seems that Yamaha is bent on cementing on that one.

We say that because Yamaha has finally unveiled its lineup of bikes for next year. And looking at the list, it seems that this one is indeed a fierce roster. Here’s a quick peek at the new set of wheels that the company is offering for the new year. Go see for yourself which one’s going to be on your wish list.

Hit the jump to see some information on a couple of your future toys.