Shows & Events

1928 Windhoff up for auction at Bonhams

In the rarefied world of vintage motorcycle collectors, most vintage motorcycles worth more than $100,000 are pretty well known. Windhoff, however, is a notable exception. Nevertheless, Windhoff produced some of the most stunning machines of their time during the pre-war days. This particular 1928 Windhoff 746cc Four motorcycle is up for auction again on 29 Apr 2012 at Stafford Bonhams. The estimated price for the current sale is around the $160,000 to $210,000USD mark, but chances of finding another one like finding a needle in a hay sack.

Windhoff was a German company based in Berlin, founded in 1880 by the Windhoff brothers who initially were radiator manufacturers. Windhoff produced motorcycles that were not just an average design or engineering. These motorcycles were original, well balanced and mechanically as beautiful as some of the best motorcycles of their time. The Windhoff Four was loaded with innovation – it had no frame, the huge engine was the frame in which was attached the front-wheel fork. The rear wheel was also attached to four fully chromed shafts emanating from the engine, which ran horizontally to the drive shaft, giving the entire unit a great architectural balance.

The unit was renowned for it’s smoothness and flexibility, enabling the Windhoff to be ridden at the speeds as low as 10kmph without snatching. In 1928, a Windhoff machine set the world speed and endurance record on the Opel Race track during the annual Opel 24 hour race.

Cyclists pedaled 2300 km to spread the message of ‘Save the girl Child’ with the support of Firefox Bikes

After pedaling 2300 km International Cyclist Shri Datta Patil and Sudhir Patil from the International Cycle Academy who embarked on a cycle rally from Sangli to Panipat from 22nd April2012, reached New Delhi on their way campaigning against Female Foeticide.

As a part of this noble cause, 15 boys and 15 girls had pedaled a distance of 2500 km. covering a total of 18 cities. The aim of the rally was to spread the message against female foeticide. The children covered various cities like Pune, Gwalior and Agra before reaching the Capital city from there they started their culmination journey to Panipat as an endeavor to spread this strong message to the remotest of corner of India.

Touching Delhi these children were welcomed by Mr. Shiv Inder Singh, MD, Firefox Bikes Pvt. Ltd, stating that Firefox was honored to be associated with the noble cause. Firefox encouraged the children and cyclists by providing them with monetary support as well as technical support at all Firefox bike stations across the country.

Yamaha organizes Kids Safe Riding lessons

Yamaha Motors is back with its ‘First Kids Yamaha Safe Riding Science’ of the year. The initiative focuses on inculcating safe riding habits that would contribute to traffic safety awareness among local communities. This is not just for Yamaha customers. The program was attended by 100 students between the ages of eight to thirteen, for a day long program divided into 2 sessions – first a classroom or theoretical session and the 2nd a practical session where the kids were taught the basics of road safety, importance of riding gear and also how to ride a bike. Yamaha brings along their TTR 50 and PW 50 bikes which are specifically made for these safety programs. Yamaha launched the Yamaha Safe Riding Science (YSRS) initiative in India in 2008, and has successfully introduced it to the youth of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Nagpur, Dehradoon, Guwahati, Vizag, Jammu, Ahmedabad, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Udaipur, Varanasi and Goa. Hopefully with all this training at a young age, in  a few years we all will be able to ride on the road without fear of a rogue biker threatening not only his but others lives as well, all because no one taught him about safety and the consequences of riding rashly.

 

 

 

 

The only Ferrari motorcycle ever built goes under the hammer at Bonham’s on 29^th April.

Purely intended as a one-off motorcycle, this scarlet red masterpiece was hand-built by David Kay Engineering in Florida, USA, under the tutelage of Piero Ferrari, son of Enzo Ferrari. Acclaimed custom builder, Dave Kay, came up with the idea for this machine in 1990, as a tribute to Enzo who had passed away just two years earlier.

The Ferrari 900 is powered by a 900cc four-cylinder engine that is good enough for 107 PS and capable of hitting 100kmph in under three seconds. Top speed is a respectable 265 kmph. When it was finished in 1995, a British collector promptly scooped it up and then, predictably, elected to keep it in his living room as an objet d’art. Now, after 17 years, the 900 is going on auction courtesy the good guys at Bonhams. Somewhere in the world, eccentric billionaires must be busy calculating figures that rival the GDPs of some African and Asian countries.

Image Courtesy: Bonhams

TVS sets out to prove its bikes are tough and durable, much like the Indian Army

The Hosur-based company has partnered up with the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai to motivate the Indian youth to join the Indian Army. TVS had chosen their commuter bike, the Star City, for this motorcycle expedition. The route planned took the Indian army soldiers from Chennai to Pondycherry to Trichy to Rameshwaram to Trivandrum (via Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari) to Cochin to Ezhimala (Kannur) to Mysore to Bangalore and finally to Chennai.

Over all these years, the alumni of OTA, Chennai have been active in the battlefield and have bagged a number of Gallantry awards which include one Param Veer Chakra, 5 Ashok Chakra, nine Mahaveer Chakra, 51 Veer Chakra, 7 Kirti Chakra, 31 Shaurya Chakra and 241 Sena Medal. As part of their grand Golden Jubilee celebrations, OTA had planned a Motor Cycle Expedition from 19 Mar to 31 Mar 2012 through the Southern corridor of India covering states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka covering a distance of 2200 Km in 11 days. The riders comprised of two Officers, six Gentlemen and two Lady Cadets from the academy.

TVS had been chosen to be associated with Golden Jubilee Motorcycle Expedition as its brand reflects comparable attributes of endurance, reliability, toughness and ruggedness just like the soldiers who rode these motorcycles.