Motorcycles

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May/Jun '18

Comparison: 2017 Honda Africa Twin CRF1000L & 2017 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT

Jim’s Riding Impressions 2017 Honda Africa Twin CRF1000L This Africa Twin had the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), which allows either completely automatic gear shifting or pushbutton sequential shifting. The combination of a torquey two-cylinder, liter-sized engine and the DCT’s propensity for upshifting at relatively low RPMs, when in

May/Jun '18

Review: 2018 Yamaha Star Eluder

Eluding Convention > Elude: to evade or escape from, as by daring, cleverness, or skill. The allure of escape has always been synonymous with motorcycles. The appointed destination of any trip often holds less importance than the act of traveling the roads between points A and B. A motorcycle will

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

Mar/Apr '18

2018 Kawasaki H2SX/SE and Z900RS

> You’ve gotta hand it to Kawasaki. In the midst of a lot of industry handwringing over declining sales and questions about how to draw new riders to the fold, Kawasaki used the IMS show in NYC to double down on their bread and butter: fast bikes. They had

Mar/Apr '18

Review: 2018 Ducati Multistrada 1260S

Gentleman’s Agreement > Fans of Ducati’s Multistrada will be pleased with the refinements the Italian manufacturer incorporated on the 2018 incarnation, specifically the 1260S, which combines a satisfying mix of rider aids and creature comforts with the soul of a superbike. Beneath the reshaped, wedged bodywork resting in

Mar/Apr '18

Review: 2018 KYMCO Xciting 400i ABS

Suburban Mobility > Small displacement two-wheelers are the preferred method of transportation in most cities around the globe, except here. Wide lanes and no particular shortage of space, along with certain perceptions about scooters have kept them off our roads to a large extent. Bigger is not always better, however,

Mar/Apr '18

Review: 2018 Honda Gold Wing

Accomplice to Wanderlust > In motorcycling, there are a number of inexplicable cliques specific to brands and models that have spawned subcultures unto themselves. Harley-Davidson enjoys a stranglehold on cool; Moto Guzzi riders exude obsessive emotions; and BMW’s illustrious GS attracts global legions of adventure-seeking cohorts. But perhaps the

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,

Jan/Feb '18

Review: 2018 Aprilia Shiver 900 and Dorsoduro 900

> You (or your grandad) may have had a UJM—Universal Japanese Motorcycle—in the ’70s or ’80s. It could do it all, and there are plenty of good standard models out there today, but what if you want something with a dollop of Italian panache? Aprilia has offered a

Nov/Dec '17

Review: 2017 Suzuki V-Strom 650 & 2018 Suzuki V-Strom 1000

> It’s not every day that a motorcycle manufacturer holds a press launch for two motorcycles of different model years. Yet, that’s exactly what Suzuki did recently, high up in California’s lovely San Bernardino Mountains. Both 650 V-Stroms—the standard and XT versions—are listed as 2017