Ridley Motorcycles: Custom bikes, automatic transmissions
All right, the weather is starting to get nicer, finally. Today where I live in Ohio we hit 75 degrees and the sun was out. I opened up the garage to get my motorcycle out for the first time in 2007. Riding my motorcycle is one of the few things that I can truly enjoy, and know that the gasoline consumption and emissions of my fuel injected bike are less than those of my regular transportation. I know of others who would like to ride for the same reasons, but are intimidated by all the controls of a motorcycle, especially the left hand clutch and left foot shifting. For the dedicated Harley riders out there, I shared this story with our readership last week. And, for the rest of us, how about giving Ridley Motorcycles a look, like Women Riders Now did?
As I mentioned in the previous article, Ridley's use a custom designed CVT, or continuously variable transmission. This type of transmission can help save gas, as it optimizes the ratio at all times, and at all speeds. This allows Ridley to use a smaller motor, roughly half the size of a standard Harley motor, at 750cc's, and still have respectable performance.
Ridley offers a few models, including a blacked out standard, raked out cruiser and old-school style springer custom. I'm sure if you check them out, you'll find something you like.
Related:
[Source: Women Riders Now and Ridley Motorcycles]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
FRE 1:41PM (5/15/2008)
I have not been able to find anything about the performance of Ridley motorcycles. I cannot find how long it takes to go 1/4 mile from a standing start or how fast it is going at the end of the 1/4 mile. I cannot find how long it takes to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. I cannot find what the fuel mileage is. I cannot find out what its top speed is. I cannot find any reports on how well it handles at speed on twisty roads.
It seems to me that all the above information should be readily available, as it is for other motorcycles, but it isn't available for the Ridley. Why?
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david-richard-merry 3:26PM (8/17/2009)
Can someone out there please tell me if there is a "Ridley" motorcycle dealership in the UK (London) ..... Cos id really like to test drive an Auto-Glide-Standard ... or ... Limitied Edition model ..........david-richard-merry@hotmail.com
Thanks Guys
David
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MikeB 11:59AM (3/14/2007)
Since you are mentioning motorbikes with a CVT, you might also want to mention the current crop of maxi-scooters. Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki all have nice bikes with engines in the 400-650cc range. These scooters are easy to ride in all conditions, typically have much better weather protection than most motorcycles, not to mention lockable storage that can hold a laptop bag for commuting.
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George Krpan 10:24PM (3/14/2007)
There are many more maxi-scooters than those offered by Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha.
Aprilia, Kymco, Piaggio, and Vespa have them too.
Here's a link to a maxi-scooter site.
http://www.scootertrap.com/
My Aprilia Scarabeo 500 has fuel injection, a catalytic converter, gets 60+ mpg, and goes nearly 100mph.
Motorcycles do well to get 45mpg and many get no better mileage than a small car.
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