New blog, for what it's worth

Some time ago I had the half arsed idea to create motorcycling news type website. And in typical fashion, I've made a half arsed blog. Here it is. Perhaps some of the 200 or so people who visit this place everyday may find it entertaining. Not yet, obviously. I'm just getting started

https://moto-gazette.blogspot.com/

Honda's electric motorcycle, the WN7

Honda have announced the launch of their first full size electric motorcycle. Power of a sports 600, torque of a sports thou, range 130km, charge in 30 minutes at a public charge point, £12,999. Out early 2026...

here is what they say. Any thoughts?

Honda is pleased to announce details of its first full-sized electric motorcycle, the original incarnation of which was shown at EICMA in 2024 as the EV FUN Concept. The mass production model will be sold under the name Honda WN7 – the ‘W’ taking its inspiration from the development concept of ‘Be the Wind’, the ‘N’ standing for ‘Naked’ and the 7 being a reference to the power class. The Honda WN7 retains the slim, futuristic design of the EV FUN Concept and will offer more than 130km of range from its fixed lithium-ion battery and flexible options to take the stress out of charging. The Honda WN7 is compatible with automotive-grade CCS2 compatible rapid charging, meaning a 20-80% ‘top up’ charge is possible in just 30 minutes, with a 6kVA ‘wall box’ home charger completing a full 0-100% charge in under 3 hours*. The Honda WN7 is set to offer highly engaging performance, thanks to a svelte kerb weight of just 217kg and a powertrain - based around an 18kW water-cooled motor - that delivers an output level similar to that of a 600cc internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycle, but with 100Nm torque** - more comparable to a 1000cc ICE. Honda is also making available an 11kW A1 licence version, broadening access to battery-powered motorcycling. The Honda WN7 has been developed to offer the new sensations of quiet, smooth, vibration- and emission-free riding – giving riders an emotional experience very different to ICE motorcycles. At the same time, Honda’s 75-plus year history of motorcycle development, which saw it reach the milestone of 500 million units in May this year, means that unrivalled levels of experience and expertise have been poured into the Honda WN7 to ensure that the classic Honda qualities of balance, stability and sheer enjoyment are fully in evidence. Full technical and specification details of the Honda WN7 will be made available at EICMA 2025, but highlights include a five-inch TFT screen with RoadSync connectivity and exclusive EV menus, plus LED lighting front and rear. Customers interested in the Honda WN7 are cordially invited to visit the Honda website, via which they will be introduced to their local dealer to place a pre-order. The Honda WN7 on the road price is set at: £12,999 and all customers placing a pre-order, before November 4th, will receive a complimentary seat bag.

Shetland 2024 pt 2

And here are some more images of our trip to Shetland. Preparations are underway for a third trip in 2026

Shetland 2024

My stats show that lots of people have viewed my aborted posts about going to Shetland in 2018. Well, we went back there in 2024. And sadly the two wheeled part was cut short when i took a tumble from my bonneville in Montrose and frractured my shoulder in a torrential rainstorm. We did get there, but i had to be driven.
Anyway, here are some pictures...

"Get the bike!" My Triumph T140 Bonneville 750 is used in a shootout

In an episode of the legendary British cop show The Sweeney, indeed in "The Taste of Fear" one of the most legendary episodes, the bad geezers make their getaway on a bright vermillion Triumph Bonneville 750, taking potshots at Regan and Carter wiv' a shootah.
Back in 2018 I was lucky enough to purchase said Triumph Bonneville at auction, not knowing its history.
Ever since then we have become firm friends, though it is by now a rather drab shade of brown...

Here it is in action. The bike appears about halfway through, and you do have to endure some very curious background music in the lead-up.

I do think the director should have been encouraged to "leave it aht!"

MV Agusta 125, 1970

Another brief preview of things to come: A beautiful MV Agusta 125 enjoying itself in the midsummer sun...

Kawasaki Z750s = Ichiban* (一番) among equals

I've got my paws, temporarily, on a modernish Japanese motorcycle, and very nice it is, too.
The Kawasaki z750s is something of a last gasp for traditional Japanese motorcycling. It is devoid of rider aids, ABS, catalytic converters and all that modern nonsense. instead it is a very poky 750cc DOHC liquid cooled four, producing a ridiculous 104bhp, and is a bit of a civilised sociopath. It goes like stink, but at the same time looks perfectly respectable.
When it was new in 2005, to keep its price down, the Z750 had a steel frame, non-adjustable 41mm forks and simple preload and rebound adjustments for the Uni-Trak system's single shock. It had six-spoke wheels shod with radials, an anti-tamper immobiliser equipped ignition lock, decent but simple instrumentation, an LED taillight at the back and a fuel-injected inline-four in the middle. This was a 748cc, liquid-cooled, 16-valve engine, essentially a sleeved-down Z1000 motor, which was in turn a version of the much sportier ZX-9R. It was also cheaper than a Honda 600 Hornet. There is a nose fairing, the seat is low enough for the shorter rider – at 5ft 10 I can get my feet flat on the floor with my knees slightly bent. If you stick your bum in the back of the riders perch you put much of your upper body weight on your wrists, but if you slide forward you can seriously feel the bumps as you are sitting over the shock absorber.

My normal frame of reference for a 750 is either my T140 Bonneville or Guzzi V7, both pushrod twins, with the Guzzi the more powerful at 47bhp. The twin cam Z750s produces more than twice that. 104bhp (30bhp less than the Z1000), a ridiculous amount of power by comparison with the Guzzi, but the way the Zed's power comes in is fascinating, providing smooth power at low revs, and if you want more oomph, just roll back the throttle and there it is, absolutely buckets of it.
That's a 9/10 from me, and well worth a look...
More on the Z750s in the August 2025 edition of Classic Bike Guide magazine..
See you later, chums. I'm off for a ride in the sunshine.
Toodle pip!
*Ichiban: First or Number One