Cruisers, Choppers, Baggers

News

Harley-Davidson Redefines the Sportster with 2022 Nightster

For 65 years, Harley-Davidson’s Sportster has been a tried-and-true cruising machine. But now, the Motor Company is breathing new air into the classic lineup with the 2022 Nightster. Although the new bike retains the instantly recognizable Sportster silhouette and styling cues, things have changed. The bike boasts an all-new

Motorcycle Review

​​Comparison: 2021 Indian Chieftain Elite vs. 2022 BMW R 18 B

Baggers are big business. New bikes are coming from some interesting quarters in the industry, including the typically cruiser-averse BMW with the new R 18 B. Indian, conversely, has been making touring motorcycles practically since the dawn of time—and certainly since they were restarted by Polaris back in 2011.

Jul/Aug '21

Review: 2022 Indian Chief

> Indian Motorcycles has reinvented the Chief, the bike that launched the company’s rebirth under Polaris in 2014. Gone are the flowing fenders and the aluminum frame seen since its debut in 2014. Instead, we’ve got a lean and stripped-down Chief for the 2022 model year. Three Chiefs, actually,

Nov/Dec '20

Review: 2020 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide FLTRXSE

Factory-Made & Modified > It is no secret that Harley-Davidson owners like customizing their bikes. The practice has spawned more than a few niche parts businesses and has added to the OEM’s bottom line through sales of its own popular Genuine Parts & Accessories catalog for decades. But some folks asked a

Sep/Oct '20

Review: 2020 Triumph Rocket 3 GT

A Peerless MOTORcycle Presence. It’s a nebulous term not easily or objectively defined, but the new Rocket 3 definitely has it. The motorcycle’s imposing size is only part of what gives it presence. Its rich finish detailing draws eyes closer and makes them linger. Mmmm, that machined rear

Mar/Apr '20

Review: 2020 Indian Challenger

Building a Better Bagger! > With its new Challenger models, Indian Motorcycle has definitely shown that it is a strong contender in the heavy cruiser-bagger category. The Challenger was designed to compete directly with Harley-Davidson’s Road Glide models, and this introduction can be considered a shot across H-D’s bow.

Jan/Feb '20

2020 Harley-Davidson CVO Lineup

Not Just Premium, “SuperPremium” > If you’re looking for the highest-end traditional American motorcycle, you’ll be shopping in Harley-Davidson’s Custom Vehicle Operations aisle. Since it was launched in 1999, the CVO lineup has offered features, finishes, and paintwork unavailable on “lesser” Harleys. For 2020, the CVO line consists

Nov/Dec '19

Review: 2019 Ducati Diavel 1260 S

Diavel at the Crossroads > When Ducati introduced the Diavel (the name translates to “Devil”) in 2010, the Italian manufacturer broke new ground, entering the somewhat unlikely realm of cruisers. The Diavel was an impressive audition in a world where one manufacturer has enjoyed a virtual stranglehold for some time. The

Jul/Aug '18

Review 2018 Triumph Speedmaster

A New Kind of Old School > The Speedmaster of old was originally launched in 2002 and powered by a 790cc air-cooled twin. This year, the newly redesigned bike has gotten a complete makeover, at the heart of which is a massive 1200cc liquid-cooled powerplant. At first sight, the bike appears

May/Jun '18

Review: 2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan

A Brand New, Old School Adventure Bike > Like many others, I’ve been drooling over photos of the Royal Enfield Himalayan since they first began circulating around the internet a couple of years ago. A retro-styled, middle-weight adventure bike off-the-shelf. Did they make this just for me? How did they

Jan/Feb '18

2018 Harley-Davidson Touring Lineup: The New Softails

> Earning a reputation for fulfilling open-road dreams of freedom since 1903, Harley-Davidson enjoys mythical status in motorcycling. The one criticism the Milwaukee brand has suffered over the years has been their dependence on aging design and technology, with changes to their original machine being few and far between. Ironically, it’

Nov/Dec '17

2018 BMW K 1600 B: A Fresh Perspective

> Since its earliest days, BMW motorcycles have fostered a reputation as touring mounts, the machines synonymous with world travel and adventure. There is really only one category in which the German marque hasn’t had a presence: the realm of heavy cruiser in the great American landscape. That’s about

Jul/Aug '17

Comparison: 2017 Honda CMX300 & CMX500H

> Back in the 1960s and ‘70s, Honda introduced America to the fun of smaller-displacement motorcycles. With its “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” advertising campaign—and a slew of low-cost and lightweight machines—the company put the Baby Boomer generation on two wheels and made lifetime enthusiasts out

May/Jun '17

Review: 2016 Suzuki Boulevard C90T

> Suzuki’s top-of-the-line touring V-twin hasn’t changed much in the past few years, but it’s a solid platform for effortless roaming of backroads, with plenty of opportunity for customization. This model has been tested over the past year, mainly in the Southeast, with plenty of curves in the

Jan/Feb '17

Review: 2017 Moto Guzzi MGX-21 Flying Fortress

> The name begs explanation, and the PR folks explained the rather unusual MGX-21 moniker as Moto Guzzi Experimental, with 21 referring to the front wheel diameter and the year the company was started (1921). The nickname Flying Fortress came from early viewers’ comments about the hulking appearance of the big

Sep/Oct '16

2017 Victory Octane: Modern Muscle

> While sharing the Indian Scout’s basic platform, the Octane has a considerable number of components specially made for it. To give it a unique look, the new model is styled with sharper lines and a more pronounced center spine, along with other touches that give it a leaner, meaner

Mar/Apr '16

Review: 2016 Indian Scout Sixty

> In a bid to widen its market and bring in new riders to the brand, Indian has introduced the Sixty—a slightly revamped Scout—and dropped the price by an impressive ,300 compared to the 1,133cc model. A Liter of Affordable Fun! So what’s different about it? The

Mar/Apr '16

2016 Yamaha and Star Anniversary Lineup

> In October of last year, Yamaha Motor Company unveiled more of its 2016 offerings at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin, CA. Having already released a few models months prior—60th anniversary edition dirt bikes, the YZ250F, and YZ450F—it was high time to get the news out about the

Jan/Feb '16

2016 Harley-Davidson Lineup: The S Series, New Sportsters, and the Road Glide Ultra is Back

> The S Series, New Sportsters, and The Road Glide Ultra is Back! Unlike most other OEMs, Harley-Davidson likes to unveil an entire model year’s worth of bikes all at once, instead of one at a time. For 2016 that means a dizzying array of mechanical upgrades, new engine options,

Jan/Feb '15

2015 Harley-Davidson Models: No Rider Left Behind

> Milwaukee’s Motor Company has rolled out its new 2015 touring and cruiser big-twin lineup in Sonoma, near the heart of California’s scenic wine country. Project RUSHMORE, which was introduced last year as a commitment from Harley-Davidson to listen to its customers, and construct machines based on their inputs,

Sep/Oct '14

Review: 2014 Indian Chieftain

When it comes to touring on the Chieftain, let’s get the worst out of the way immediately. It needs more range. Though my observed fuel economy was a respectable 39mpg, I found myself stopping for gas every 150 miles or so at best. I think this is primarily the

Sep/Oct '14

Review: 2014 Triumph Thunderbird LT

For a British bike, the Thunderbird LT looks awfully American. Not that that’s a bad thing; it’s beautiful with its two-tone paint, whitewall tires, and abundance of chrome. Unlike the Thunderbird Storm and Commander, the LT ditches the twin headlight setup that’s a dead giveaway for a

Sep/Oct '14

Review: 2014 Honda Gold Wing Valkyrie

> It’s been a long time coming, but Honda has brought back a large six-cylinder cruiser to its lineup—bigger and more powerful than ever. Big Red has a Power Cruiser Again! Honda’s original Valkyrie was man-ufactured from 1996 through 2003 and followed briefly by the Rune. The new

Jan/Feb '14

2014 Indian Motorcycles: American Muscle

> When Polaris announced the purchase of Indian Motorcycles in April 2011, anticipation went through the entire motorcycle community. America’s first production motorcycle has seen its share of ups and downs since 1901. With a new parent company, Indian dove headfirst into a sea of Harleys at Sturgis for their

Jan/Feb '14

2014 Harley-Davidson Lineup: Rushmore’s No Longer Just a Mountain!

> To kick off Harley-Davidson’s 2014 new-model press launch, the Motor Company’s President and Chief Operation Officer, Matt Levatich, and Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer, Mark-Hans Richer, first introduced Project Rushmore. Rushmore, which was spawned in 2009 during the dark days of the Great Recession, is a new