It’s the craze that’s sweeping the nation! Here’s a selfie of me with friends! Here’s a selfie of me in the bathroom! Here’s a selfie of me in front of a thing that I saw! Here’s a selfie of me with a bacon cheeseburger! Selfie. SELFIE. SELFIE! Love them or hate them, a lot of […]

It was a warm spring day when Mr. Roland Howard Goff, of southern Georgia, started up his Honda VTX 1300. He couldn’t have imagined the chain of events that would result in him spending the next eight days lying trapped in a ditch under the heavy bike, fighting for his life with one leg crushed, […]

From Track to Trail: Motorcycle Tires for Every Rider Founded in 1863, the German motorcycle tire company Metzeler has more than 150 years of experience under its belt. The company started in Munich as a producer of rubber and plastic products (including toys and surgical gear), expanding to aviation in 1890 and motorcycle, bicycle, and […]

You know you’ve met a fellow rider when they take out their phone to show you a picture of their ride. Most have a snapshot after a wash or while on a trip. But if you want to be the person with the awesome photo of your bike that makes other riders go “wow!” then […]

Often when meeting with other riders, I get asked, “What is your bike’s GPS setup?” I reply with the same answers and direct them to my RoadRUNNER articles on the subject—but those discuss general principles and concepts. Instead, this article will present a real-life GPS setup as a case study, which could benefit riders who […]

“Of all the fire mountains which, like beacons, once blazed along the Pacific Coast, Mount Rainier is the noblest …” —John Muir Mount Rainier is the fifth highest peak in the contiguous United States, and America’s fifth oldest national park. But for my family, we simply called this park home. When my tour ended with […]

As a parent, I want the best for my child. I want to offer her the opportunity to explore all that life has to offer. So when she first showed an interest in riding motorcycles, I began scouring the internet for options and opinions on what might be the best “first” bike. With a short […]

Having photographed and written about my motorcycle travels over the better part of two decades, I often enjoy taking a trip down memory lane. I’m always grateful later for having taken the time to capture people, places, and experiences. Working for RoadRUNNER, we photojournalists must follow a certain amount of discipline in capturing our tours […]

More and more electrical accessories are becoming available for motorcycles, putting an ever-growing demand on charging systems and batteries. Before you begin cutting and splicing wires, take a few minutes to consider the best way to approach such a project, as doing the wrong thing could result in a dead battery, fried electrical system, or […]

Travel with friends is sometimes tough. Sooner or later, patience wears thin and things are said that we often regret. When it happens, it’s next to impossible to look in the mirror. I pulled the nozzle from my new 1972 Honda XL250 and handed it to Norm. He held it vertically so as not to […]

Rain slants down outside my garage as utility trucks scurry about, fixing downed power lines. A fire truck screams past, heading up the canyon to deal with the latest meetup of a car and tree. Meanwhile, a dull glow emanates from my garage shop, like an ember—I’m in there working. This is a day for […]

In previous articles, I covered the past and present state of global navigation satellite systems, or GNSS. Now may be a good time to look at the future of GNSS, particularly at GPS. On July 17, 1995, the United States’ GPS satellite constellation reached full operational capability, evolving from a 1960s design for pure military […]

As touring motorcyclists who are constantly exposed to the elements, weather is a major consideration for our safety and comfort. The term “weather” is actually an abstraction for many atmospheric conditions, and riders have different personal thresholds. For some, air quality might be the most important factor (e.g., people suffering from asthma). However, by and […]

Wheel bearings are among those vital motorcycle components that are out of sight and out of mind … until something goes wrong. Wheel bearing failures can do expensive damage to your bike and can result in a dangerous loss of control and a crash as well. So let’s give them some love! Check your motorcycle […]

I recently dropped by The Hopkins Collection BMW Motorcycle Museum to check out a recent addition to Jim Hopkins’ rapidly expanding assemblage of vintage BMW motorcycles and rare marque artifacts. The new centerpiece of the post-World War II collection is, to date, the world’s fastest BMW motorcycle. How this 2010 S 1000 RR evolved into […]