For those of you anticipating the disclosure of a recipe for preparing the bird-feeder pilfering marsupial known as the opossum, I regret to inform you that this article contains none. You have been duped, as the title is simply a cheap trick designed to attract your attention to this page. I’m sorry to have resorted [...]

S&S Cycle Inc. has announced that it will honor engine warranties for owners of Big Dog Motorcycles who lost coverage when Big Dog went out of business. The S&S coverage is only for the original owner of the motorcycle, for as long as the original vehicle warranty would have been in effect. S&S will also [...]

CycleTrader.com has started a free ad service for private motorcycle sellers. Individuals can post a listing and four photos of their bike for two weeks at no charge. All postings will appear on CycleTrader’s mobile website and iPhone and iPad applications at no additional charge. CycleTrader.com receives more than 150,000 motorcycle postings a month.

New technology from BMW may result in fewer collisions between cars and motorcycles. According to BMW, its new experimental Left Turn Assistant (LTA) operates automatically as soon as the vehicle’s sensors detect that it is entering a left-turn lane. Recognition of the left-turn lane takes place on two levels: The vehicle’s navigation system allows its [...]

The results of J.D. Power and Associates’ annual consumer motorcycle helmet satisfaction survey were recently announced. Arai Helmets® came in first for the 13th year in a row. This year, however, it was tied with the lesser-known Icon® brand. These two were followed closely by Shoei. J.D. Power also reported that the percentage of motorcycle [...]

A project called SAFERIDER, financed by the European Commission and backed by the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations, is developing systems that warn motorcyclists of upcoming hazards. The new technology alerts riders to excessive speed, the risk level of curves, and when they need to change lanes to avoid a collision by giving information about [...]

Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd. has recalled nearly 2,000 Thunderbird motorcycles with and without ABS. Front fender mountings on the affected models were built with incompatible thread locker and fastener combinations that may loosen, and the bolt heads could cut the tire sidewall, causing deflation. No injuries or accidents were reported with the recall. Dealers will [...]

Polaris® Industries has announced that production of recently acquired Indian Motorcycles will be moved to Polaris’ plant in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Polaris will close the existing Indian manufacturing plant in Kings Mountain, N.C., and it’s not known when production will start in Iowa. The Spirit Lake plant, which now employs more than 535 people, will [...]

Geotagging is a method of adding geographical-metadata information to digital photos by using the GPS coordinates of where the picture was taken. Here are some useful tips on how and why to do this. The Touratech QV 5 (TTQV), Touratech’s navigation software, shows the trick: By using the date and time a picture was taken [...]

The third annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering went into the history books on Saturday, May 14. This year the Quail became a Concours d’Elegance, with seven categories, 10 judges, and several special awards, making it one of the most prestigious motorcycle shows in the U.S.  Entrants could display their machines in judged or unjudged classes. Although [...]

Several sources, including USA Today, report that Honda has filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to produce a hybrid motorcycle. The application, filed in September 2010, appears to be for a Gold Wing, and the design indicates that the motorcycle will use an internal-combustion engine and an electric motor. There [...]

For 2012, Honda has given its popular Gold Wing® GL1800 series a moderate makeover. Now in its 36th year, Honda reports that about 640,000 Gold Wings have been sold worldwide since the model’s introduction as a 1975 model, making it a top seller and perennial favorite among touring enthusiasts. Styling revisions for 2012 replace the [...]

Dainese celebrated the grand opening of its third U.S. D-Store on April 10. D-Stores are flagship stores where Dainese riding gear and AGV helmet collections are showcased. To celebrate the opening, D-Store Chicago welcomed MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden and 1993 World GP champion Kevin Schwantz. There are D-Stores in San Francisco and Costa Mesa, CA, [...]

Big Dog Motorcycles LLC of Wichita, KS, which made custom cruisers and had 100 U.S. dealers, has shut down after a bank foreclosed on it. At the peak of sales in 2005 Big Dog built more than 5,000 bikes, had more than 300 employees, and more than $120 million in revenue. Started in 1994, it [...]

The Smoky Mountain Motorcycle Museum opened April 2. Besides motorcycles, owners Derek and Amber Smith have on display vintage Americana including signs and gas pumps. The museum is at 205 W. Main St., Dandridge, TN 37725. For more information, call 865-940-1414 or visit www.smokymountainmotorcyclemuseum.com.