All things youth moto…

The cylinder is the heart of any two-stroke engine. Instead of poppet valves, the two stroke uses carefully crafted passageways to direct exhaust out of the engine and fresh intake mixture in. The shape and size of these passageways (or ports) is critical, and so for 2011, Cobra has decided to leave nothing to chance. Instead of relying on the relatively inaccurate process of casting to determine exhaust port timing, we are setting the timing using a very precise machine that we have developed in-house – no other company in the world has anything like it. The result is more power throughout the RPM range and more consistency from bike-to-bike.

In addition, the Cobra R&D crew also created a self-centering head insert that will ensure that the combustion chamber is always aligned with the piston crown. This not only makes assembly easier, it also allowed us to tighten up squish and increase compression ratio for improved bottom-end torque.

The Cobra R&D crew has been hard at work for 2011. Their attention to detail this model-year has been intense, and we’re going to use this spot to show it all off. Several times per week, we’ll be illustrating the adjustments, innovations, and tweaks that make our 2011 lineup better than ever before. Stay tuned!

European foothold for the American-made Cobra minicycles and ATVs is crucial, according to President Sean Hilbert

HILLSDALE, Mich., (Oct. 5 , 2010) – The world’s leading manufacturer of competition minicycles and ATVs, U.S.-based Cobra Motorcycles, will represent with its latest line of bikes at this week’s (Oct. 6-10) INTERMOT show in Cologne.

Housed in Hall 5.1 at Koelnmesse, Cobra will showcase its CX50 Jr. and Sr. – aka the legendary “King Cobra” – models and the new crate-to-podium CX65 – all of which have proven their mettle at the European MX Master Kids events.

“Europe’s the birthplace of motocross, so it’s important for Cobra to have a foothold there,” said Cobra President Sean Hilbert. “Cobra’s European racers have enjoyed great successes in numerous national caliber races across the region and we’ve worked to adapt the Cobra brand to their specific needs, including the Cobra King 50 Big Wheel package that originated in Europe.”

INTERMOT’s “Young Action” program will give young motocross enthusiast a firsthand look at the Cobra brand through special-built outdoor tracks to test the latest product. Best yet it’s all FREE to children under the age of 12 – which happens to be Cobra’s precise market in the youth motocross movement.

“Cobra’s international racing marketing efforts with the CX50 Junior and Senior lines, along with the CX65 and ATVs, are deeply rooted in the UK, France, Portugal, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Estonia,” explained Hilbert. “This will be Cobra’s first year displaying at INTERMOT as we continue to grow the American-made brand of competition mini cycles globally. We look forward to visiting with our existing customers and introducing legions of new motocross enthusiasts and their dads to the Cobra Generation.”

Dubbed the “Center of the international two-wheeler world,” one of Germany’s biggest motorcycle events of the year will feature more than a thousand suppliers spread out over miles of booth space. Along with Cobra mini cycles the five-day event will also showcase the latest in motorcycles, scooters, lightweight and small motorbikes, electric mobility, clothing and accessories. With both indoor and outdoor displays, INTERMOT provides both up-close viewing and hands-on experiences for the enthusiasts attending. For more information on INTERMOT link to: www.intermot-koeln.com