Stop whatever you're doing and view this epic clip of Robbie Maddison surfing on his KTM in Tahiti

Robert William Maddison is a 34-year-old Australian who earns his bread and butter by performing stunts on his motorcycle. Like most of his ilk, 'Robbie' has done his fair share of terrifying, stroke-inducing stunts - he's jumped onto and off the Arc de Triomphe, in France, backflipped across the Tower Bridge, in London, and claimed the record for the world's longest motorcycle jump - 106.98m (or 350.91 ft) - in Australia. You may not know this, but Robbie was also the 'James Bond' you saw riding on the rooftops in Istanbul in the chase sequence in Skyfall.

For his latest video project, Robbie decided to set another record, this time, in the more exotic surroundings of Tahiti.

Robbie has fulfilled a "pipe dream" by going surfing on his KTM. Yes, you read that right. He has actually ridden waves on his motorcycle. All he needed for this stunt were two small skis and a chunkier back wheel for his bike. It worked. Jet-skiing is passé - moto-skiing is in.

That said, even though Robbie makes it look ridiculously easy in this four-minute video (we do wish it was longer), he's admitted that he could only muster the courage to do something as balls-out as this because he's been surfing all his life.

And, it nearly killed him. Speaking to Surfer magazine, Robbie said, "I don’t think the photos or video show how physical it was. You can’t see that when the wave broke right behind me, I honestly thought that might be the end of my life. I’ve never felt like I was in the wrong place at the wrong time more than I did right there. It was a near-death experience. At the end of the day, the images and footage say something pretty awesome, but the ferocity and how gnarly that thing was can’t really be put into words." So kids, don't try this at home, school, or your local beach.

Courtesy : Top Gear

New feature-rich base model of the Tiger adventure motorcycle rolls out

In terms of features alone, the previous base Tiger XC was a far cry from the model that was a step above it in Triumph India’s Tiger hierarchy – the XRx. Now, the company has attempted to fill up that void by giving its most affordable Tiger a moderate dose of equipment.

While the old XC’s 94bhp producing 800cc in-line, three-cylinder motor and Showa suspension setups remain unaltered, the new base Tiger gets some hand-me-down tech from the more feature-rich, and more road-focused, XRx (compared to the XCx), which are the traction control and switchable ABS units along with the seat whose height can be adjusted by 20mm, as standard equipment.

Priced at Rs 10.5 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi, the Tiger 800 XR comes across as a better value-for-money proposition than the earlier XC. So, as of today, Triumph has three 800cc models of the Tiger – the new base XR, the XRx, XCx and the 1200cc Tiger Explorer – motorcycle in India.

Courtesy : Top Gear.

Revealed: Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin

In 2014, the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin prototype caused quite a stir at EICMA, in Milan. It was Japan’s answer to the BMW R1200GS – a motorcycle that has pretty much dominated the adventure-tourer segment across the globe. Why did this come as big news to enthusiasts, you may ask. Well, that’s because the production of Honda’s last twin-cylinder adventure bike, the XRV750 (or the old Africa Twin), was halted well over a decade ago. But, since displaying the concept, it appears the lads back in Japan have been at it night and day to see this 1,000cc, parallel-twin beaut through to production. And boy, hasn't this gone well.

Honda has revealed that there will be multiple versions of the CRF1000L on offer, differentiated by the number of features. Nestled in the new steel semi-double cradle frame is a compact 998cc, parallel-twin motor that pumps out 74bhp and 98Nm of torque. Another talking point with this motorcycle is the choice of gearboxes: you can have a six-speed manual transmission, or a six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) with on- and off-road riding modes. The Africa Twin's wet weight is rated at 228kg, 232kg for the ABS model, and 242kg with the DCT. While the base model comes with minimal electronic aids, the top-end versions will come strapped with tech like the three-level Honda Selectable Torque Control System (HSTC), an ABS system that allows the rider to switch off ABS for the rear wheel. Also, the DCT boasts of incline detection technology, where the gear shift pattern adapts to the degree of an incline to provide optimum control.

Just like the old Africa Twin, the new CRF1000L is designed to balance high-speed stability with genuine off-road tractability. Inspired by the likes of the Honda CRF450R Rally bike, the Africa Twin uses 21/18-inch front and rear wire-spoke wheels, wearing 90/90-21 and 150/70-18 rubber. Dual headlights maintain the original’s signature presence and the seat can be raised or dropped by 20mm to 870mm or 850mm. A large 18.8-litre fuel tank – coupled with the fuel efficient engine – provides the 1000L with a range of up to 400km.

The Africa Twin will be available in four colour options: CRF Rally, Tricolour, silver and black, but the best part about this bike is that its asking price of €12,100 (around Rs 9.24 lakh) is significantly lesser than its main rival (abroad) from the Bavarian stable, the BMW R1200GS.

Courtesy : BBC Top Gear

Hero MotoCorp has announced that it will acquire the assets of its bankrupt US -based technical partner, Erik Buell Racing. As part of a settlement agreement with court-appointed receiver, Hero MotoCorp subsidiaries HMCL NA Inc and HMCL Americas Inc will take over certain tangible and intangible of EBR free and clear of all encumbrances, for a consideration of $ 2.8 million.

HMCL entities and the receiver have also agreed to resolve all disputes and fully give mutual release in terms of settlement agreement for all subject matters which is in any way related to EBR entities. The agreement is contingent upon the approval by the Circuit Court and the approval of the board of directors of Hero MotoCorp authorising its joinder as a direct party to the settlement agreement on or before August 10, 2015.

EBR was founded in 2009. In 2013, Hero MotoCorp acquired a 49.2% stake in the company for a sum of $ 25 million. In 2012, the Indian company had entered into an agreement with EBR to source technology for high-end bikes.

Courtesy : Team BHP

Features of the Michelin X Multi range:

• Tread rubber compound that slows the tread rubber wear rate
• Hexagonal tread design
• Tread and casing design that allows for maximum contact with the road surface
• Elastic rubber compound for the new crown design, which reduces tyre damage
• Reinforced bead design with more metallic wires
• Double sector mold technology, for even wear and tear on the tyre and for better handling during high speed driving
• Compliance with the environmental standards to control fuel consumption and reduce noise
• Usability on all roads and in all weather conditions

Courtesy : Team BHP.