Having Honda’s 2012 CB 1000 R around the RoadRUNNER offices has been a hoot. Designed after the urban streetfighter machines, this factory-built bruiser has been a true joy to flog both around town and on backroads. In recent years, streetfighters have come into their own as home built, or more accurately, “recreated” machines that have [...]

Earlier this spring, Yates put the finishing touches on his Norton Commando. It runs like a top and looks beautiful, as a Norton Commando should. He’s been riding it to work on a regular basis. The poor guy has a 20-plus mile commute to work, most of which is down a windy country road that [...]

Weekend before last, Kathy and I had the unenviable task of taking RoadRUNNER’s latest test beast out for a little shakedown ride. Honda’s 2012 CB1000R was in the company garage and needed a little exercise. Christa and Florian’s touring schedules had them on the road just as my schedule curiously opened up. Imagine that? Seeing [...]

It doesn’t take much to draw me in to something a little crazy (or as Kathy would say, “a lot stupid) especially when it comes to bikes. For years, I’ve wanted to race motorcycles, but just never really had the chance. Money, time, school, and chasing other fantasies, like being a rock star, always seemed [...]

…just not enough to miss a race. That was the dilemma that Yates and I faced last weekend. Saturday, May 12th was the day of the Carolina Classic Motorcycle show sponsored by the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer. It is always a super cool event, especially considering that admission is free. And believe me, [...]

I’m really happy it’s spring. Granted, today isn’t the finest day we’ve had in the last couple of weeks. It’s a little chilly, a lot rainy, and generally not conducive to inspiring an after-work spin through the country. Still, that doesn’t mean all motorcycling activity must grind to a halt. Days like today are good [...]

No, I’m not talking about those interstate joints with the instantly recognizable logos and monikers of soothing, focus-group-driven words with the obligatory “Inn” tacked on. The motels I’m looking for are the old-school motor courts. They used to be everywhere, their colorful, flashing neon signs beckoning weary travelers with promises of “Color TV” and “Air-Conditioning.” [...]

Monday mornings always rank low on the spectrum of life. Unfortunately, this past workweek began with a heavy slap of tragedy. I found out that we lost a fellow motorcyclist. I didn’t know Danny; he was a friend of a friend. I’d seen him around and we often exchanged “How’s it goings”. I wasn’t even [...]

I think it’s safe to say that winter has officially thrown in the towel here in central North Carolina. The trees are green, flowers are blooming, and last year’s shredded Dunlops have officially been retired… get it, retired? All of the moving parts on the Bandit have been checked out, dialed in, oiled down, and [...]

I love gadgets and gizmos as much as the next guy. But I have forsaken one particular moto-accoutrement that so many riders seem to find absolutely indispensable. Yep, I never have warmed up to the GPS. When I’m touring for RoadRUNNER, I have to use one so our mapmakers can have an accurate log of [...]

We’ve all had the conversation “If you could have any bike, what would it be?” And, of course, there are laundry lists of dream machines that any and every good gear head would love to have gracing their garage, or in most cases, their living rooms. Who wouldn’t love to gaze upon a Vincent Black [...]

A day without Craigslist is like a day without sunshine. It’s a veritable treasure hunt every time you log on, no matter what city you’re in. Just today, I found a ’69 Triumph Trident with spare parts, and it’s less than 20 miles away. Unfortunately, our state’s draconian vehicle inspection laws dictate that replacing a [...]

With a handshake and a “Welcome to the club”, my old buddy John French officially ushered in another card-carrying member of the old British bike fraternity. The initiation to this oddball confederation of masochistic machine-heads has been an event I’ve coveted for a long time. Still, I had to question my sanity as the Bonneville [...]

I love spring and I hate spring. And this year some sort of illicit affair between Mother Nature and Father Global Warming has sprung things a little early. With the blooms a-popping, our winter activities are relegated to second-class status. The tinny twangs of the two-strokes, so prevalent on those colder weekends, are fated to [...]

My friend Yates told me, “We won’t know what to fix until we break it”, and the weekend before last we went ahead and found out. The 1976 Honda MR250 took a thrashing and, in turn, presented us with numerous hints and symptoms. Fluids that should be contained inside the machine’s various components suddenly began [...]