One of my favorite television shows as a child (and I realize this hints at my age) was The Beverly Hillbillies. The opening shot was of the Clampett clan driving down a palm-lined boulevard in Beverly Hills; an ancient flatbed truck piled high with possessions dangling from every spare inch of the vehicle. If this image […]

Among the most difficult hazards for motorcyclists to avoid are four-legged animals, which can appear suddenly, without warning and cause a rider to part company with his or her motorcycle. I learned this lesson the hard way early in my motorcycling career. Nowadays, I find myself continually scanning the road and terrain ahead, looking for […]

Riding in a group can be an exhilarating experience. It can also be about as fun as getting a root canal. It really just depends on the group you’re in as to which experience you’ll have. As they say, one bad apple can spoil the bunch. And you don’t want to be that apple, do […]

It’s probably not too big of a stretch to assume most of us have had a moment or two on the road where anger makes us want to go Redrum like Jack Nicholson’s character in Stephen King’s The Shining. Perhaps some of us have given into that anger on occasion. Not me, of course. I’m […]

Many of us were first introduced to motorcycling as a passenger. In the world of street riding, there is a broad range of skill levels and safe riding practices. Before putting your life in the hands of a motorcycle rider, it’s wise to first understand his or her competence. Here are 10 questions to ask […]

  No, I’m not encouraging inappropriate behavior that might get your license suspended. I want to talk to you about your motorcycle’s suspension. This is an area that OEMs often shortchange in order to keep the MSRP of their products in a lower price range. They know that a bike’s suspension performance is difficult to […]

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day and Harley-Davidson – to thank the millions of people who protect our country, our safety, and our freedom to ride and their spouses – is extending the offer of Harley-Davidson® Riding Academy New Rider Course to spouses of eligible current and former U.S. military personnel and first responders (law […]

A rider’s risk factors increase once the sun goes down. To avoid an accident, it’s important to see and be seen. Here are some tips for avoiding road hazards at night: Keep a Clear View: In low light conditions, wearing sunglasses or having a tinted shield on your helmet further diminishes your already restricted ability […]

With summer fast approaching, now is the time to make sure your mount is ready to hit the road. If you’re like many of us at RoadRUNNER, during the colder months you scope out touring destinations, research scenic routes, create packing lists, decide on touring dates, and have made at least some reservations. But all […]

Ask 10 people the definition of a touring motorcycle and you’re likely to get 10 different answers. Many would think they need a large motorcycle with a windscreen, fairing, hard luggage, big displacement motor, and various electronics and other features for safety and comfort. But not all touring riders subscribe to the theory that bigger […]

As fall turns to winter and temperatures spiral downward, seasonal motorcyclists all but disappear from the roadways. Except for possibly venturing out on the rare warm day, their backroad riding passion is put into cold storage along with their bike. This needn’t be the case, but gear and strategies must change with the seasons. Here […]

At RoadRUNNER, we’re already busy planning our 2017 tours. With so many places to visit around the country and abroad, picking a destination can be a fun but overwhelming decision. Assuming you don’t already know your desired destination(s) for the year, let’s talk about how to figure that out. Below are some thoughts on how to set […]

How to Stay Safe in Murky Weather— Riding in fog—especially when it’s combined with rain and darkness—heightens a number of risk factors that prudent motorcyclists usually seek to avoid: Rider visibility of potential hazards, both ahead and from behind (like being rear-ended by a faster moving vehicle) is severely restricted. Accumulation of moisture on face […]

The first visual clue that a motorcycle may be used for touring is the presence of a windscreen and/or other wind management devices. On the other hand, around town riders often eschew the look of a windscreen protruding above their handlebars. After a few months of riding my Suzuki cruiser back in the day I […]

Experienced motorcyclists already know that riding is much more fatiguing than driving. On top of that, sore muscles often occur during the first few days of a long trip, particularly when most of a motorcyclist’s previous riding has been on weekend day trips. In addition to sore muscles, there are the environmental factors, which can […]