Motorcycles

Jan/Feb '20

Can-Am Refreshes Spyder RT for 2020

Can-Am has introduced an updated version of its Spyder RT, what it describes as the ultimate luxury-touring road-trip vehicle, which now offers enhanced comfort and additional convenience items. In addition to its new contemporary appearance with LED headlights for enhanced visibility, the Spyder RT features a redesigned cockpit with a

Jan/Feb '20

2020 Indian Motorcycle Upgrades

With the arrival of the Milwaukee-Eight motor from Harley-Davidson two years ago, boasting 107 and 114 cubic inches of displacement, Indian’s Thunder Stroke 111 suddenly wasn’t the baddest cruiser engine on the market. The balance of power shifts back to Indian with the arrival of the Thunder Stroke

Jan/Feb '20

Review: 2019 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

Hipsters Rejoice! > Motorcycles have improved by leaps and bounds in the last 50-plus years, with electronic fuel injection, anti-lock braking systems, adjustable suspension, disk brakes, and more. Technology doesn’t come cheap, however. Fast-forward to the present and every coffee-sniffing, pant-rolling, pipe-smoking hipster is scouring Craigslist for a used

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

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2020 Indian FTR 1200 S

An Exciting American Flat Tracker Built for the Street I remember thinking a few years back when riding the Indian Scout for the first time that the V-twin platform had potential, but I longed for a sportier chassis with better brakes and suspension. Fast-forward to the present and Indian has

Nov/Dec '19

Review: 2020 Zero SR/F

This is the Noise That Speed Makes Now > Riders who have not experienced an electric motorcycle might think the power output will be quaint, like that of a supercharged electric toothbrush or perhaps one of those ubiquitous city scooters. Despite warnings to the contrary, these same riders have a

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.

Sep/Oct '19

Review: 2019 Ducati Multistrada 950 S

Ducati’s aptly named Multistrada (“many roads”) has significantly upped the definition of the word sport in sport touring. Imbued with the leading-edge performance and sensual styling that has always been the vanguard of the Italian manufacturer, the new 950 S is a highly consummate and sophisticated motorcycle married to

Sep/Oct '19

Review: 2019 Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE LT+

Since Kawasaki first brought the Versys 1000 to market in 2012, the bike has seen a few changes. With the 2019 SE LT+ model, the Japanese manufacturer is upping the ante across the board, offering improved performance, new suspension, more aggressive styling, and loads of high-tech wizardry. What’s New

Sep/Oct '19

Review: 2020 Moto Guzzi V85 TT

Guzzista Magnet > For almost 100 years Moto Guzzi has enjoyed a loyalty among its fans (known as Guzzistas) born out of an uncanny sense of exclusivity. The company’s bikes exude a “golden age of motorcycling” aura. Since 1921 every machine they’ve built has rolled out of the

Sep/Oct '19

Review: 2019 BMW R 1250 GS / GSA

One of the Best Gets Even Better > The versatile R-series boxer GS models are important to BMW, as the bikes are the top-selling models, with sales of both the GS and GSA (GS Adventure) comprising 27% of all BMW motorcycles sold in the U.S. In this competitive adventure-touring

Jul/Aug '19

Review: 2019 Yamaha Niken GT

Two Swords > Few motorcycles elicit such strong emotional responses from riders and nonriders alike. Whether it’s interest, confusion, anger, or excitement, I was on the receiving end of the whole range while testing the Yamaha Niken GT over a two-day period on the wet roads of California’s

Jul/Aug '19

Review: 2019 KTM 790 Adventure/790 Adventure R

> We’ve heard about KTM’s plans for a midsize Adventure model from as early as 2013. In the meantime, we have seen the 1190, 1290, and 1090 introduced, and during this time the Austrian manufacturer has worked feverishly on the 790. Project managers and engineers attended KTM’s

May/Jun '19

Review: 2019 Ducati Scrambler

Uncomplicated > No other motorcycle manufacturer has invested itself in the retro market quite like Ducati. When the Italian company reintroduced its iconic Scrambler in 2015, it crafted an effective campaign selling the lifestyle as much as the machine. The campaign blossomed by capturing the sentimentality of older riders, while

May/Jun '19

Review: 2019 Beta 500 RR-S

From The Land of Da Vinci, A Motorized Work of Art > It’s been said that the “best bike” is one that makes you want to turn the key each day. The Beta 500 RR-S definitely fits that category. A just-right exhaust note roars to life from a package

Mar/Apr '19

Review: 2019 ZERO Motorcycles

First Impressions of the Latest in Electric Motorcycles It’s possible to sum up this bike review in three words: I want one. As someone who regularly shoots cameras that don’t use batteries, riding a motorcycle that runs exclusively on one is an interesting exercise. The Zero DSR is

Mar/Apr '19

Review: 2019 BMW F 750 GS & F 850 GS

On- or Off-Road, Adventure is the Word! BMW’s approach to updating its middle-class machine is an interesting one—they’ve introduced two models very close in displacement, yet quite different in terms of temperament. The all-new F 750 GS and F 850 GS bikes possess the essential rugged good

Jan/Feb '19

Review: 2019 Can-Am Ryker

All-new Chassis, Engines, Entry Level Pricing > Can-Am has taken aim at a previously untapped market with the introduction of its all-new 2019 Ryker. Designed as a lower-priced model for local and day-trip use, it is intended to attract new and more youthful buyers to the brand, which until now

Jan/Feb '19

Review: 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GT

Triple-Powered Sport-Tourer > Ahead of me, a runaway train of 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GTs barrels up the winding road. I’m wringing out second gear in between connecting corners to keep up, the screech of the bike’s inline triple reaching its highest register. Wind River Road is ideal

Nov/Dec '18

Review: 2018 Yamaha Star Venture vs. 2018 Honda Gold Wing

> Transcontinental touring has become a significant category in motorcycling, so named to describe the many two-wheeled wanderers out there who lean toward long-haul, high-mileage outings. To accommodate this free-spirited mindset, Honda and Yamaha have steadily refined the machines in their respective luxury stables, producing two motorcycles which, though designed

Sep/Oct '18

Comparison: 2018 KTM 1090 Adventure R / 1290 Super Adventure S

> Both of these adventurers suffer from an enviable identity crisis. Either one can roam into the other’s terrain and feel quite at home. The crossover gap between the two machines widens in direct proportion to the difficulty of the terrain. The KTM 1090 Adventure R Wants to be

Sep/Oct '18

Review: 2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE

> In 1972, Kawasaki set the pace for performance when it introduced the H2, a 750cc, 60-hp, two-stroke bullet that notoriously earned its “Widow Maker” nickname. The age of the Hyperbike is still upon us, and Kawasaki’s new H2 touring motorcycle, based on that simple ’70s two-stroke, hits the

Jul/Aug '18

Review: 2018 Star Venture

Tradition Meets the Future > 2018 will be remembered as the year Yamaha unveiled a new range of luxury touring in the form of the Star Venture. The bike is a deliberate cross between tradition and modernity with an alluring mix of big bore V-twin character augmented with the latest

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

Jul/Aug '18

2019 Honda CB300R

Is it retro modern or streamlined steam-punk? No matter. Whatever the inspirations for its design, the naked 2019 CB300R is a pretty machine. And beginners, short-hop commuters, and many others with an abiding appreciation of small-displacement, user-friendly models will be visiting their local Honda showroom to check it out in