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Motorcycle Road Tests

American-made and all-brand motorcycle road tests and comparisons from the editors of Rider and American Rider magazines. This section includes everything about motorcycles including retro and vintage motorcycles as well as full road tests complete with dyno runs, motorcycle gas mileage and hands-on field-testing.

Cruiser + Touring Motorcycle Reviews

These four boys of the boulevard have the sound, look and feel of larger cruisers, but smaller engines and lower prices.

2013 Middleweight Metric Cruiser Comparo

My favorite comfort foods, heart-warming and artery-clogging classics like mac-and-cheese, buttermilk biscuits and pulled-pork barbecue, are straightforward and uncomplicated,... read story

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2013 Honda Shadow Aero

2013 Honda Shadow Aero Review

Like Kawasaki’s Vulcan line, Honda has had Shadow cruisers in its lineup since the early 1980s. Over the past three decades,... Read more »

2013 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic

2013 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic Review

In Roman times, Vulcan was the god of fire. In the 1960s, Vulcan came to be known as the home planet of Spock on Star Trek.... Read more »

2013 Star V Star 950

2013 Star V Star 950 Review

Of the four motorcycles in this comparison, the Star V Star 950 has the most distinctive look. Ever since Yamaha created... Read more »

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Sport + Sport Touring Motorcycle Reviews

Yamaha-FZ-09-featured

2014 Yamaha FZ-09 – First Look

Last fall, at the Intermot show in Cologne, Germany, Yamaha unveiled the Crossplane Concept in-line triple, promising that, “with its clean torque output, this advanced... read story

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Ducati-Hyperstrada-featured

2013 Ducati Hyperstrada – First Ride

Three new-for-2013 Ducatis have strada, the Italian word for “road,” in their model names, each offering a different... Read more »

BMW’S new version of its sport-touring parallel twin is seen here with optional touring side cases and centerstand. The F 800 GT is much improved over its F 800 ST predecessor.

2013 BMW F 800 GT Road Test

Earlier this century, when BMW Motorrad decided to shed its gray-haired, pipe-and-slippers image for good, rather than abandon... Read more »

Even in the dark cold of winter, it’s well worth it to get up early for sunrise over California’s majestic Sierra Nevada range.

Five Fast Fellows: 2013 Sport-Touring Shootout

Sport touring, a hybrid category that blends the performance of sportbikes with the comfort of touring bikes, takes many... Read more »

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Sport Standard + Standard Motorcycle Reviews

These four motorcycles are quick, lean and low.

Quick, Lean & Low: A Fast Foursome of Easily Straddled Middleweights

Whether you’re a novice rider who’s a bit unsteady at stops, or just a little vertically challenged, when you’re holding up a motorcycle at a standstill there’s nothing... read story

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The Triumph Bonneville has the lowest standard seat height here, at 29.1 inches, but it comes at the expense of comfort. And yes, it comes in colors other than purple.

2013 Triumph Bonneville: Ridden & Rated

When our Imperial Purple/Fusion White Triumph Bonneville was delivered, I was sure it was a mistake, certain that the bike... Read more »

Like an Italian greyhound, the Ducati Monster 696 is slender, fast and low to the ground, with a standard seat height of 30.3 inches. The factory accessory low seat drops it to 29.5 inches.

2013 Ducati Monster 696 ABS: Ridden & Rated

All of these bikes have at least some claim to icon status, in terms of both styling and longevity. The first Triumph Bonneville... Read more »

The Stone carries on the V7 tradition in fine, simple style, with upright seating, monotone paint and cast wheels.

2013 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone: Ridden & Rated

The trio of V7s in Moto Guzzi’s 2013 lineup starts with the low-priced Stone, a gutsy name choice meant to convey the bike’s... Read more »

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Dual-Sport + Adventure Motorcycle Reviews

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BMW F 800 GS Adventure – First Look

Adventure touring’s rapidly expanding universe can be traced back to a Big Bang moment: BMW’s introduction of the R80G/S in 1980. Gelände/Strasse—Off-road/Road in German,... read story

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The C 650 GT is a sport tourer in scooter clothing; the NC700X is nimble, adequately quick and easy to ride.

Comparison Test: 2013 BMW C 650 GT vs. 2013 Honda NC700X

We aren’t normally a shiftless bunch except for an hour or two after lunch, but we recently spent the last two weeks swapping... Read more »

A smaller 19-inch front wheel and wider, lower-profile tires contribute to the Adventure’s nimble, confident handling.

2014 KTM 1190 Adventure–First Ride

Roaring out of the fourth tight, uphill corner, one of hundreds in our aggressive ascent from sea level to the lava fields... Read more »

Light, nimble and economical to operate, our 250 dual-sports all have plenty of fun on tap, whether your destination is work, school or the wide open spaces.

Rider Comparo: 2013 Honda CRF250L vs. 2013 Kawasaki KLX250S vs. 2013 Yamaha WR250R

The last time Rider corralled a herd of 250 dual-sports (April 2008), we chose the thriftiest models available in the face... Read more »

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Retro + Vintage Motorcycle Reviews

1970 Harley-Davidson Sportster H with boat-tail option.

Retrospective: Harley-Davidson Sportster with Boat-Tail Option: 1970-1971

In the rarified world of new motorcycle models, at least back in 1969, there were two aspects to be considered. One dealt with performance, the other with styling. And in... read story

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Larry Feece’s 1954 Vincent Black Knight.

Del Mar Concours 2012

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club track in San Diego, California, has serious history with the motorcycle community. It was long... Read more »

1977 Ducati Sport Desmo 500.

Retrospective: Ducati Sport Desmo 500: 1977-1982

The moral of this story is simple: Do not let non-motorcycling bureaucrats run a motorcycle company. Ducati had a pretty... Read more »

This model was the last of the Vincent line, a fully faired '55 Series D Black Prince.

26th Annual All-British Motorcycle Weekend, San Jose, California

You have to give those Brit-bike lovers a big hand; they are an incredibly enthusiastic bunch of enthusiasts, putting up... Read more »

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Sidecar + Scooter + Trike Motorcycle Reviews

Kymco-MyRoad700-action-featured

2014 Kymco MyRoad 700i – First Ride

The Kwang Yang Motor Company, better known as Kymco, is a Taiwan-based manufacturer of small-displacement engines, scooters, motorcycles and ATVs. Now it its 50th year, such... read story

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The C 650 GT is a sport tourer in scooter clothing; the NC700X is nimble, adequately quick and easy to ride.

Comparison Test: 2013 BMW C 650 GT vs. 2013 Honda NC700X

We aren’t normally a shiftless bunch except for an hour or two after lunch, but we recently spent the last two weeks swapping... Read more »

2012 Ural Yamal Limited Edition

The 2012 Ural Limited Edition: The Ural Yamal

IMZ-Ural, the Siberian manufacturer of motorcycles with sidecars, has introduced the 2012 limited edition Ural Yamal—the... Read more »

Motor Trike’s Vortex trike conversion has fenders and rear bodywork that closely match the lines of the Cross Country Tour. Lake George is in the background.

Ridden & Rated: 2012 Motor Trike Victory Vortex

Heavyweight touring bikes such as the Victory Cross Country and Cross Roads easily lend themselves to the additional stability,... Read more »

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