Motorcycle Features: Bikes, Blokes, Culture and Beyond
In this section you’ll find motorcycle-related feature articles including biographies, technical endeavors, historical spotlights and other articles that focus on interesting aspects of motorcycling culture. If it’s not news or a road test, gear, rally, blog or tour article, you’ll find it here!
Motorcycle Safety and Skills: Handling low-speed maneuvers
Bill Stermer
August 12, 2010
[Motorcycle Safety and Skills: Handling low-speed maneuvers was originally published in the February 2008 issue of American Rider] Attend any bike week event or rally and you’ll see riders doing things that make you nervous: paddling their feet at stops, duck-walking their bikes across gravel drives... Read more »
Motorcycle Safety and Skills: Group Riding Tips for a Safe Experience
Bill Stermer
May 12, 2010
Motorcycle Safety and Skills: Group Riding Tips for a Safe Experience Summer is coming and with it, the rally and event season. Whether it’s Daytona, Laughlin, Myrtle Beach, Sturgis or a H.O.G. Chapter ride, if you attend these crowded events and go on these rides you’ll be doing some formation or... Read more »
How to Build a Proper Motorcycle Roadside Tool Kit
Rider Contributor
March 29, 2010
by Reg Kittrelle [This How to Build a Proper Motorcycle Roadside Tool Kit feature was originally published in the April 2010 issue of American Rider magazine] A CruzTOOL kit modified for Reg's Road Glide. Harley-Davidson motorcycles are more reliable now than at any other time in their 107-year history,... Read more »
Motorcycle Weaves and Wobbles: How to avoid them and deal with them
Rider Contributor
November 17, 2009
There are some aspects of motorcycles that motorcycle manufacturers are reluctant to talk about. Weave and wobble are two of them. Either can put you down and hurt you, so you need to know what these things are, and how to prevent their onset. We all know that motorcycles are not inherently stable. When... Read more »
1300 miles on a Harley-Davidson XR1200: PART ONE
Rider Contributor
July 21, 2009
By Reg Kittrelle [This 1300 miles on a Harley-Davidson XR1200 two-part road test was originally featured in American Rider magazine] Harley Davidson XR1200 accessorized and waiting for packing. Why? Denver, Colorado, is approximately 1,300 miles from my home in Santa Cruz, California. I need to be there... Read more »
Suspension and Understanding Motorcycle Rake and Trail
Rider Contributor
June 30, 2009
By Reg Kittrelle [Understanding Motorcycle Rake and Trail was originally published in American Rider magazine] When talking about motorcycle suspension most riders understand fork rake angle, or at least believe they do, but when the term “trail” is introduced, the body of knowledge seems to get... Read more »
1982 Harley-Davidson XR1000 Revisited
Jerry Smith
March 17, 2009
[1982 Harley-Davidson XR1000 Revisited was originally published in American Rider magazine] In 1982 Harley-Davidson found itself in one of those goods news/bad news situations. The good news was the company had bought its freedom from hidebound AMF the year before; the bad news was the buy-out left it... Read more »
15 Safety Tips for Motorcycle Riding in the Rain
Rider Contributor
February 12, 2009
By Reg Kittrelle [Safety Tips for Motorcycle Riding in the Rain was originally published in American Rider magazine] The best advice you’ll hear regarding riding in the rain is don’t do it. Bad weather and wet roads raise motorcycle riding to a whole nother level of complexity and—let’s not pussyfoot... Read more »
Improving Motorcycle Functionality: The Mitchell Pro-Bagger
Reg Kittrelle
June 23, 2008
by Reg Kittrelle [Improving Motorcycle Functionality: The Mitchell Pro-Bagger was originally published in American Rider magazine] There’s your Harley-Davidson motorcycle and there’s my Harley-Davidson motorcycle. That they are identical models, came off the same assembly line on the same day, and... Read more »
The History of Flathead American Motorcycles
Jerry Hatfield
April 28, 2008
By Jerry Hatfield [The History of Flathead American Motorcycles was originally published in American Rider magazine] Most lawnmower factories still build the lowest-cost engines they can. American car and motorcycle factories did likewise from the early teens into the 1950s. The little engine that putt-putts... Read more »
