Retrospective: Ducati Sport Desmo 500: 1977-1982
Clement Salvadori
May 2, 2013
The moral of this story is simple: Do not let non-motorcycling bureaucrats run a motorcycle company. Ducati had a pretty successful run from its inception in 1946, especially after it introduced the Diana 250 single to the American market in 1961. However, financial problems cropped up in the early... Read more »
BMW F 800 GS Adventure – First Look
Greg Drevenstedt
May 2, 2013
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, or GS for short—has become much more than just a model designation. Among the BMW faithful, it has become an expansive identity,... Read more »
Ridden & Rated: 2013 Harley-Davidson Breakout
Paul Garson
April 29, 2013
Once upon a time, wide 240-series rear tires were only found on $50,000 custom motorcycles, or bikes heading for the drag strip that needed a big footprint to maximize traction. Today, they’re pretty common on cruisers, many of which handle poorly because of them. Not so for the new Harley-Davidson... Read more »
Ridden & Rated: 2014 Star Bolt
Bill Stermer
April 29, 2013
It’s a smart company that studies the market, conducts research and builds its products based upon what the data indicate will be successful. In the case of Yamaha, its Star Motorcycles division (which builds its cruisers) is a very smart company indeed. While noting that cruisers compose about 49... Read more »
26th Annual All-British Motorcycle Weekend, San Jose, California
Clement Salvadori
April 15, 2013
You have to give those Brit-bike lovers a big hand; they are an incredibly enthusiastic bunch of enthusiasts, putting up with aged machines that were none too reliable when new…by current standards. I rode British motorcycles all through the Sixties, when they were the hot item—and regular... Read more »
Retrospective: Indian / Royal Enfield Chief 700cc: 1959-1961
Clement Salvadori
April 4, 2013
The history of the Indian motorcycle name gets a bit convoluted after the demise of the old company in 1953. Its last genuine model was the 80-inch (1,300cc) Chief. An English outfit called Brockhouse Engineering bought the name, and proceeded to sell English motorcycles through the Indian dealership... Read more »
Comparison Test: 2013 BMW C 650 GT vs. 2013 Honda NC700X
Mark Tuttle
April 3, 2013
We aren’t normally a shiftless bunch except for an hour or two after lunch, but we recently spent the last two weeks swapping between two new “automatics”—BMW’s C 650 GT maxi-scooter, and Honda’s NC700X with dual-clutch transmission—in an effort to see which type of shiftless two-wheeler... Read more »
2012 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager ABS Road Test
Greg Drevenstedt
April 2, 2013
My fiancée loves spontaneous adventure, but she’s had it with me proposing last-minute weekend getaways and showing up on a test bike she’s never ridden on before. I figured the 2012 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager ABS, with its ample wind protection, cushy seating and generous luggage capacity, would... Read more »
2013 Honda CBR600RR—First Ride
Greg Drevenstedt
March 29, 2013
Ten years. More than 100,000 units sold. Multiple AMA Supersport and Formula Xtreme championships. Seven FIM World Supersport titles. Genesis for the official spec engine in Moto2 racing. New MotoGP-inspired bodywork has 6.5% less aerodynamic drag. Those are serious bona fides for a serious sportbike.... Read more »
Indian Motorcycle Unveils the Thunder Stroke 111 Engine
Greg Drevenstedt
March 11, 2013
The reborn-yet-again Indian Motorcycle, this time under the auspices of Polaris Industries, which acquired the legendary company in 2011, reached a significant milestone over the weekend. At Daytona Beach Bike Week, where Indian was a powerhouse in motorcycle racing in the first half of the 20th century,... Read more »
