World’s Most Expensive Motorcycles
By admin, August 9th, 2011,in Lifestyle » | 35 Comments »
Motorcycles have had mass appeal to the general public for roughly a century and a half. An American named Sylvester Howard Roper designed one of the first motorcycles in the 1860s. The motorcycle was displayed at fairs and circuses around the eastern U.S.. Europeans also had their hand in popularizing motorcycles and, during the World Wars, motorcycles functioned as a quick means of transportation.
As the motorcycle progressed, the engines and frames became bigger, sleeker, faster and more powerful, resulting in the high-tech and expensive motorcycles of today. If you can afford one, a custom motorcycle built to your exact specifications is within reach.
MV-Augusta F4CC – $120,000
This expensive motorcycle was created by Claudio Castiglioni, MV’s director. He wanted to create a spectacular motorcycle that met strategic marketing needs while also being something truly special and unique. The expensive motorcycle bearing his very own initials “CC” has a top speed of 315 kph (195 mph), 1078 cc’s and a 198 hp engine. Each bike boasts a platinum plate located near the top of the steering column showing the model number from 1 to 100, making this motorcycle all the more special to its owners.
MTT Turbine SuperBike – $150,000
Not only is this motorcycle expensive, it’s also extremely fast. This bike, also known as the Y2K Turbine Superbike, is the Guinness World Record holder for the “Most Powerful Motorcycle Ever to Enter Series Production”. The turbine engine in this one is made by Rolls Royce and is capable of over 300hp. The motorcycle also boasts carbon fiber fairings, a rear mounted camera with LCD color display, forward-and rear-looking radar detector with laser scrambler, one touch “Smart Start” ignition, and many other cool gadgets. This bike seams to be pretty popular in Hollywood. It starred in the movie “Torque” and even Jay Leno owns one!
Icon Sheene – $160,000
This bike was created by Andrew Morris in honor of legendary British Grand Prix motorcycle champion Barry Sheene, who died in 2003 at the age of 52. As such, only 52 of these 250 hp, turbocharged 1400cc motorcycles will be created, each emblazoned with a playing card hand-painted by the same artist who painted Sheene’s helmets, Mike Fairholme. Each of these bikes will be bespoke, tailored to fit the purchaser’s unique requirements.
Macchia Nera concept bike – $201,000
Built around a Ducati 998RS engine, this motorcycle’s Italian designers and engineers set out to create an extremely high tech and expensive motorcycle that would be thought of as “the ultimate track bike” that is “simply beautiful and beautifully simple”. The Testastretta engine is fitted with lightweight metals and alloys, like titanium and aluminum, making it very lightweight. The view from the side of the Macchia Nera shows exposed belts and engine components, giving its design a minimalist feel while still being aesthetically pleasing. We should add that this bike is a one of a kind and not in produced for retail at this point, but if you have an extra 150,000 Euros (US $201,000) laying around for an expensive toy, your dream might come true.
Ecosse Titanium Series RR Limited Edition – $275,000
This luxury motorbike features a titanium chassis with clear coated carbon fiber bodywork and wheels. It features a fuel injected, intercooled, supercharged 2,150cc billet motor and is capable of over 200 hp. Its saddle is ergonomic and adjustable. The bike also comes with a timepiece, designed by French watchmakers BRM, which is made to match the bike and is engraved with the same serial number as the handlebar clamp and VIN plate. This bike is limited to only 10 units.
Dodge Tomahawk V10 Superbike – $555,000
This reproduction of Dodge’s concept bike is considered an “automotive sculpture,” as it is not street legal in the US. Ten of these bikes were offered by Neiman Marcus in their 2003 Christmas Book. The Dodge Tomahawk V10 superbike boasts an 8.3 liter engine (505 cubic inch), and the 10 cylinders can bring the bike to a maximum speed of almost 400 mph. The 1500lb bike has an independent 4-wheel suspension and can reach 60 mph in around 2.5 seconds.
Most Expensive Laptop
By admin, August 9th, 2011,in Lifestyle » | 40 Comments »
If you thought your 17” Apple MacBook or Alienware Aurora mALX qualified as an expensive laptop, think again.
In 1982 GriD Systems released the Compass 1100 laptop costing about $10,000 (inflation adjusted $20,200). Even this cost pales in comparison to the reports of a costly laptop that luxury manufacturer Luvaglio London is set to release in the near future by special order the most expensive laptop ever sold, with a price tag of a million dollars.
As of now all of the details are very sparse and the technical specifications have not been made fully available. We aren’t even sure what this laptop is made with to give it a cost of $1,000,000, but the exterior looks impressive. You can bet with a price this excessive, the expensive laptop will be a spectacle of precious metals and materials and include more than a couple gemstones.
In late 2005 the Dutch company Ego Lifestyle B.V. released the Tulip E-Go Diamond laptop, which was previously the world’s most expensive laptop and this mobile computer had over 80 total carats of diamonds and a retail price of €283,000.
Strategies For Running Your Business While Pursuing Your Passions
By admin, August 9th, 2011,in Lifestyle » | 44 Comments »
The result gives you seven different targeting strategies:
Strategy 1: Target high passion/high skills/strategic activities
This is the sweet spot of your business. “Target” these areas and put most of your energies here. If this is your core business, then you have chosen wisely.
Want to read more from Stephen Shapiro? Check these out:
Strategy 2: Outsource low passion/low skills activities
If you neither like nor do an activity well, then outsource it to someone who enjoys it and has the skills to execute it at a higher level. This can be done through bartering, hiring employees, using contractors, summoning friends and family, revenue sharing or other creative collaborative strategies. Employ this strategy regardless of the value dimension.
Strategy 3: Minimize low passion/high skills/strategic activities
If you don’t want your job to become work, you probably want to outsource these capabilities as well. If you are starting out and finances are an issue, you may want to continue doing these activities for now then outsource at a more appropriate time. Given that they are strategic in nature, someone has to do them as they are critical to your businesses success.
Strategy 4: Learn high passion/low skills/strategic activities
If you love doing these activities, then you may wish to acquire the necessary skills. This can be done through a variety of means including training, mentoring or researching. If you anticipate a steep learning curve, consider finding a partner during the learning process who possesses these talents. This will help you move forward while gaining the necessary skills.
Strategy 5: Extend high passion/high skills/tactical activities
If you are passionate and skilled in a particular area and it is not currently strategic (i.e., tactical), consider how you might “extend” that capability. How can you make this a strategic part of your business? How can you create extraordinary value for customers by leveraging this expertise? Perhaps one way is to offer this service to others who are in a similar business. For example, professional speaking is my core business. However, something that I am both skilled at and passionate about is securing business with large corporations. I could offer this as a service to other speakers as a source of additional revenue.
Strategy 6: Rethink low passion/low skills/strategic activities
If you find that the majority of your strategic activities involve work that is not of interest to you, you may want to “rethink” the business you are in—especially if you lack the necessary skills. Although it is difficult to be successful in a business where you are neither skilled nor passionate, this does not mean you are fated for failure. Maybe you hate sales, yet the sales function is critical to the success of your business. In this case you may wish to “partner” with someone who enjoys this work and excels in this area. In this sense, you are moving beyond the traditional outsourcing model where activities are typically tactical in nature (e.g., building your website, doing your taxes or creating marketing materials) to strategic partnerships where they have a vested interest in the success of your business.
Strategy 7: Take up a hobby for high passion/low skills/tactical activities
Finally, there are some things that interest you and are areas where you want to develop your skills, but they are not important to the business. In this case, you are best off taking these activities up as a hobby. Avoid trying to make them part of your business as it will only serve as a distraction.
Don’t fall prey to thinking you have to do it on your own. Instead, be strategic about what you outsource and you will become more effective, productive and successful—and you will be doing work you love so it will never seem like work.