A Year In Review: Most Interesting Columns of 2023
If you're reading this email, then you understand that motorcycling can change the way you see and interact with the world. It can also change the way you think about things in general.
The following stories, in no particular order, are some of our favorites published in 2023. Prepare to think about things in a new way.
Motorcycle Lubricant: Oil. Motorcyclist Lubricant: Coffee.
I can do without a lot of stuff. I lived in Japan for about 17 years, and while I did plenty of very memorable motorcycle trips throughout Asia, I can’t remember ever stopping for a slice of pizza.
Not only that, I don’t remember ever having even one bagel for 17 years. I had rice balls galore, but not even one plain bagel during all that time. I survived. There is, however, one thing. If I don’t get it, the veterans’ hospital just might get a call about a man in a motorcycle jacket standing by a window on a ledge.
Coffee. It is my one indulgence. If you empty out my motorcycle tool kit, there is not only a ratchet set and a small pocket blowtorch, but also a small portable coffee maker.
Fouled Plugs: Do a Pop-a-Wheelie!
We are able to instantly reach more people than at any other time in history. I think it’s a miracle of the modern age.
However, it often leads to the spread of misinformation and bad ideas. While this spread of toxic content isn’t usually intentional or malicious, it can significantly damage our community—and in some cases even affect our rights as motorcyclists.
Returning to the Thrill: Re-embracing Two Wheels After Years in 4WD
By 2014, my partner in life and crime Jason and I had sold our 200-year-old cottage, pared down the belongings, and packed our new world on two dual sports bikes. We've embarked on a few adventures, but this one stood out—a transformative journey that lasted four and a half years.
KTM SM-T: A New Generation of Touring Travel
So, will I miss the KTM that brought us the outrageous road-going race bike, the RC-8? Will I miss the KTM that brought us the bonkers V-twin dirtbike, the Super Enduro? The company brave enough to adapt a Dakar Rally bike for the road and sell it to people?
I sure will. Not to worry, though—that KTM is still alive and well. Like the influence our ancestors still have on us, the influence of those previous generations can still be felt.
Speed the Wheel: The Rites of Summer
Nothing excites the senses quite like the arrival of summer. Spring has thawed us and stripped us of our winter clothes and once again enticed our youthfulness with promises of long days and warm nights. I believe this is true for even the least romantic or sentimental people. During our times of rigid school bell-structured regimes, we learned to anticipate the arrival of summer, which signaled an escape from the confines of the classroom and delivered us to the joys of the outdoors, where we were seemingly in perpetual, urgent movement. This time of year—with those jubilant associations to the kinetic energy of our youth—tends to foster memories of freedom. As a result, it’s hard for motorcyclists not to fall prey to the season with the pursuit of motion.
Zero to Hero: (Re)Learning How to Ride Off-Road
It all started at the point of impact. Wind escaped my lungs with a force I’d never felt before. The crash happened fast. I barely had time to react before the damage to my diaphragm (as I’d later realize) had been done. In a split second, a preventable off-bike incident changed my trajectory—literally and figuratively—from a perpetual novice to a determined student.
So Much To Be Thankful For
Without sounding like a broken record, this year has really flown by. Motorcycles have come and gone, several sets of tires have been gloriously burned, and I added a Ténéré 700 to the garage again.
I let go of my first one too soon, and then all my friends went out and got one while I had none. That’s a worst-case scenario in my eyes.
Aprilia’s History of Racing
Off-road racing was Aprilia's debut in competition. That’s nothing strange for a brand that revealed its off-road soul with its very first models in the ‘70s, such as the Scarabeo.
In 1974, Aprilia’s first race bike was a 125cc motocross machine. As early as 1977 came the first Italian titles in the 125 and 250 classes and, in 1978, the first podiums in the World Championship.
A Rider’s Survival Guide to Coffee
Who doesn’t like a good cup of coffee? Many riders do, but being on the road or trail can make getting a decent brew difficult. Sure, you could stop at a gas station or Starbucks, but calling their swill “coffee” often feels like stretching the word’s definition too far. Not to mention the fact that most coffee shop drinks cost more than a gallon of gas.