Ups & Down

Ups & Down

DOWN: To Yamaha, for holding out on us! Debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show this past spring were the WR250X supermoto streetbike with 17-inch wheels (pictured) and a dual-sport version of the same platform called the WR250R. Although WR in name, these bikes appear mechanically unrelated to the full-on enduros we get state-side. Engines are, however, dohc electric-start Singles with EFI and liquid-cooling. Yamaha USA said there were no plans to import either of the models.

UP: To Volvo, for not only developing its “Blind Spot Information System” (BLIS), which is optional on its new S80 luxury model, but for using a motorcycle rider in its television commercials and promotional materials to demonstrate the value of this potentially life-saving feature. BLIS uses cameras built into the rear-view mirrors that can detect vehicles on either side of the S80 as far behind as 30 feet. When a camera “sees” a vehicle in that area, even one as small as a motorcycle, it alerts the driver with a red warning light that flashes inside the car on the S80’s A-pillar, adjacent to the mirror on the affected side. The driver then knows that something substantial is beside the car, even if he or she cannot actually see it. BUS is a $595 option on the S80, but we hope that it soon is made available on all Volvo models and that other auto manufacturers develop similar technologies.

UP: To Harley-Davidson, for checking heads. The Motor Company made last April “Check Your Helmet Month” and linked from the www.harley-davidson.com homepage to the MotorClothes Helmet Guide to help riders find the right lid, as well as the procedure for getting a correct fit. The only amendment we’d make is that every month should be check-yourhelmet month.