News

Royal Enfield Launches Rentals and Tours Operation

Royal Enfield is looking to offer riders an easier and more convenient way to get on tours—naturally on Royal Enfield motorcycles. To this end, the company has launched Royal Enfield Rental and Tours, an international program providing motorcycles and travel options in various locations. At launch, the Rentals and

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Interview: Markus Flasch, Head of BMW Motorrad

Markus Flasch, born in 1981, took over as the head of BMW Motorrad on November 1, 2023. He succeeded Markus Schramm, who had been in charge of the company since 2018. After studying automotive engineering, this Austrian manager’s career got off to a flying start at engineering service provider

News

Mosko Moto's Bates Mototel Opens for the Season with BDR Parking

The prime summer riding season is here, which means the Bates Mototel is now open to motorcyclists. If you’re heading out to Washington state this summer, this campground makes for a great home base for exploring the northwest. The Bates Mototel, operated by motorcycle luggage manufacturer Mosko Moto, is

Navigation

Navigating Off-Road with Digital Topo Maps

Barry is an expert yacht builder and adventure motorcyclist from Maine. Although we share many similarities and a passion for riding, in many ways he is my alter ego. I’m always trying to be on the cutting edge of digital technology, surrounded by e-stuff as I design and

Shop Talk

Riding Gear Care

So many of us spend time and money cleaning and maintaining our motorcycles. But what about the protective armor that keeps you safe while astride your steel steed? Your riding gear is something you hope you never need. It’s easy to ignore gear maintenance, especially if you’ve never

News

Vanson Leathers Celebrates 50 Years of Jackets

The year 1974 was a good one for American motorcyclists. That year, Vanson Leathers opened its doors. Since then, Vanson’s name has become synonymous with high-quality leather motorcycle jackets, not to mention its racing suits and other apparel. This year marks the company’s 50th birthday, and Vanson

Columns

The Meaning Of It All

The following is a transcription of a handwritten letter that arrived at the RoadRUNNER office in early March. The letter caught us off-guard with its directness and honesty, and while our original plan was to only respond to the writer, we thought you might also want to hear his

Letter from the Editor

Community—A Letter from Florian

Riding a motorcycle represents the ultimate freedom, yet most of us crave human interaction. The lone wolf heading into the sunset far from civilization doesn’t tell an accurate story. Sure, many of us prefer to ride alone, but as soon as the lone wolf stops, the human connections are

Tips

Two-Up Touring

Part of the enjoyment of motorcycle travel is sharing the experience with others, particularly doing so with non-riding passengers  who are experiencing the exhilaration of motorcycling for the first time. Whether it’s a trip around the block or a journey cross-country, it’s important for a rider

Columns

Fantastic Plastic

Acerbis, a motorcycle components manufacturer and pioneer in plastic fuel tanks, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with an entry in the Guinness World Records. The company’s founder Franco Acerbis took me on a journey through time during this interview. Ever heard of a motorcycle with a 28-gallon fuel

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Motorcycles and 3D Printing: What to 3D Print For Your Bike

Modern 3D printing technology is opening new doors not just for motorcycle manufacturers, but also for riders. As I detailed in the Dec ‘22 issue, these once-futuristic machines have become so accessible and affordable that practically anybody can buy one. A 3D printer can turn your garage into a

Accommodations

4 Unique Places to Stay Near Durango, CO

Durango, CO, is a first-class motorcycling destination. With majestic mountains all around, this town is a gateway to a motorcycle wonderland. First and foremost, the Million Dollar Highway begins roughly 50 miles north of Durango, offering excellent mountain curves. Of course, there are also SR 145 and 62 that

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BMW ASA Transmission—A Smooth operator

BMW is gearing up to launch  the Automated Shift Assistant (ASA) automatic transmission for the GS motorcycle family in the second half of 2024. In an ASA-equipped GS bike, the foot shift lever is still present, but the clutch lever is missing. This technology has already been incorporated into

News

Industry Spotlight: Taco Moto

Taco Moto is a well-known motorcycle parts and accessories vendor, located in North Las Vegas, NV. On a quest for the ultimate adventure ride, my partner Jason and I turned to them for the bike setup, entrusting our 500 EXC-Fs to their expertise. Beyond modifying these torquey machines

Events

COG Celebrates Its 35th Anniversary with 2024 National Rally

If you’re a fan of the Kawasaki Concours/GTR motorcycles, you’re surely aware of the Concours Owners Group (COG). This volunteer organization has been serving the interests of Concours fans worldwide for quite a while—three and a half decades, in fact. This year marks COG’s 35th

Shop Talk

New vs. Used Motorcycles

There are a ton of things to consider when buying a motorcycle. The list is long and you have to ask yourself all kinds of questions. What sort of riding do you want to do?  What size engine do you need? What seat height is too tall? What’s your

Columns

I Remember My First Road Trip

I've been riding motorcycles since I was a young child. That said, it wasn't until college that I started traveling on one. In the first few months of being out on my own, I made several weekend moto camping trips with friends, but nothing too far

News

REV’IT! Opens First Physical Store in Denver, CO

REV’IT! is a popular motorcycle gear store, but so American motorcyclists have only been able to buy its products online. Now things have changed and riders can shop at REV’IT! physically at the company’s first U.S. store. The first REV’IT! retail location opened its doors

Columns

Moto Morini: Up from the Ashes

The year was 1914. Italian teenager Alfonso Morini had just opened his motorcycle repair shop when World War I broke out and the youth was whisked off to serve in Italy’s 8th Motorcycles unit in Padua. After the war, Morini got back to his passion job and, in 1925,

Speed The Wheel

Motorcycle Smells

Of the five primary senses, smell enjoys a privileged connection with the brain, capable of drawing up memories with unnerving clarity. Marcel Proust, the esteemed French stream-of-consciousness writer, once commented that it was “by taste and smell alone” that the memories of his childhood came rushing back. His

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How Much CAN Can a CAN Bus CAN?

It seems everything has become increasingly computerized in the past decade or so. We have everything from network-connected refrigerators to pet feeders you can monitor from across the globe and cars that drive themselves (until they don’t). Naturally, our motorcycles have followed suit. Gone are the days of

Tips

How to Create and Edit GPX Files with GPX.Studio

These days, most motorcycle touring riders use GPS routes and tracks to navigate on motorcycle tours. Whether you use your phone or a dedicated navigator, the routes typically come as GPX files. Finding pre-made GPX tracks can be easy. RoadRUNNER, for example, offers print subscribers GPS files back to

Letter from the Editor

Technology Ebbs and Flows—A Letter From Florian

Not that many years ago, every time I ventured out on a motorcycle tour for the magazine, I brought along a dizzying array of tech. Most importantly (at the time), my Garmin had the planned route, and if something came up along the way, it didn’t take me long

News

KTM Offers Warranty Extensions to All Street Bike Models

KTM is contacting you about your motorcycle’s extended warranty. More precisely, your 2024 street bike’s warranty period can almost double if you get it serviced. The Austrian moto manufacturer has announced that it’s extending the warranty periods of certain 2024 KTM street motorcycles equipped with the LC8

News

2024 Harley-Davidson Lineup: Glides and CVOs

Harley-Davidson has produced enough classic motorcycles that it could probably never again introduce anything new and still be perfectly fine. Yet, the Motor Company isn’t resting on its laurels and has announced some significant updates. The 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide and Road Glide models have received a