Motorcycles

May/Jun '07

BMW R1200R

> An elegant new member of the naked community, the BMW R1200R is a very worthy successor to the extremely popular R1150R. Rolling out under a gray sky, with the clouds so low and swollen they looked as if they might burst at any moment, I kept a close eye

May/Jun '07

Ducati Multistrada 1000DS

> If you want to stand out in a crowd, Ducati certainly has the answer. That's my first thought as I ride into a parking lot full of big, bad chromo-cruisers on a bright red Ducati Multistrada. The Duc's avant-garde bodywork and trellis frame give it

May/Jun '07

Kawasaki Vulcan® 900 Custom

> Just mention Austin, Texas, and I'm ready to head that way. A vibrant, college-town atmosphere, great food, innumerable live music venues, and some great riding make the Lone Star State's capital one of the coolest towns around. So when I recently received an invite to

May/Jun '07

Harley-Davidson FXDCI Dyna Super Glide® Custom

> There's no telling what tomorrow's assignments will bring. We might be exploring a great new road up in the mountains, riding off to a rally or charity event, or leaving at sunrise on another tour that's likely to eat up a thousand miles

May/Jun '07

Super-sized Scooter

> In the burgeoning maxi-scooter market, Piaggio's BV500 is more classically styled than the company's X9 or other more sportbike-inspired competitors. The front exhibits classic scooter design cues, but the rear has been transmogrified into a touring motorcycle. Is this the ingenious creation of an enlightened

Mar/Apr '07

Yamaha FZ1

> A "Jack of All Trades" with handlebars, the Yamaha FZ1 has been handling daily commutes, touring away vacation time, and tearing up track days since 2001. And although it's been called the poster child for limited garage space, this ride is usually much too busy

Mar/Apr '07

Review: 2006 KTM 950 Adventure

> Ohio, the Spring of 2006. It was standing there, all dressed-up in day-glow orange, seeming to stare, as though daring me, through its double headlights. I thought, this is definitely not the bike you would buy for a Sunday outing to the next café, although it would certainly draw

Mar/Apr '07

2007 Honda CBR600RR

> For 2007, the 20th anniversary of the Honda Hurricane, Honda is dropping the venerable, street-focused CBR600F4i and returning to their "one 600cc sportbike for all occasions" formula. The 2007 CBR600RR has been thoroughly redesigned to appeal to track addicts and roadrunners alike, and when Honda invited us

Mar/Apr '07

Bumble Beemer

I once asked a BMW car marketing guy what differentiated his company's image from rival Mercedes. "Simple," he said. "We build motorcycles; they build trucks." And considering its traditional image as a maker of staid and stolid motorcycles, BMW has an impressive record of

Mar/Apr '07

Harley-Davidson's Custom Vehicle Operations

> Tucked away at Harley-Davidson facilities is a small team of engineers and stylists that works as a separate unit under the acronym, CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations). Responsible for producing limited numbers of highly customized motorcycles since 1999, the group has four individual models to choose from in the lineup

Jan/Feb '07

2006 Triumph Scrambler

> When you get away from all the facts, figures, and statistics, you have to admit that one of the most compelling reasons for riding a motorcycle is that it is just plain cool. Catering to this rationale, the new 2006 Triumph Scrambler is not going to win any performance

Jan/Feb '07

Suzuki's Six-and-a-half

> In the 1960s, when I first got interested in motorcycles, 650 was a number heavy with significance. It had special connotations of power and speed. Royal Enfield's oddball 692cc Constellation notwithstanding, a 650cc was the biggest, most powerful bike you could buy in England. Vincent had gone

Jan/Feb '07

2006 Aprilia Tuono 1000R

In recent years, the Aprilia product line has been stacked end-to-end with truly inspired bikes such as the Tuono, the Mille, and the no longer domestically available Futura, that dominated the top slots of many an enthusiast's "if money were no object" list. This was no

Jan/Feb '07

Conveniently Cool

> There's something fascinating about the lore and lure of San Francisco. Think Steve McQueen catching air in his '68 Mustang and Dirty Harry demanding to know if luck is in the offing...Well, is it? And let's not forget about Alcatraz, Lombard Street, Chinatown,

Jan/Feb '07

Breaking the Mold

> The view from the top of the "steepest road in Texas" is, well, OK. San Antonio lies out there somewhere in the hazy distance, as an early October sun pegs the thermostat at 90+ degrees. Riders from similarly "mountainous" states  -  like Kansas and Delaware

Nov/Dec '06

Yamaha FJR1300A/AE

> That is the question facing potential buyers interested in the 2006 edition of Yamaha's exceedingly popular FJR1300. Laurel-resting certainly wasn't on the year's agenda over at Big Blue. And topping the list of cool refinements on the sport-touring world's top dog

Nov/Dec '06

Honda 599 - Long-term Evaluation

> When you're caught up in this whole motorcycle touring business, it's really easy to get spoiled. After all, only a fortunate few are given the first crack at riding the latest models of such fine purpose-built mounts as the Gold Wing, Ultra Classic, Concourse, and

Nov/Dec '06

BMW K1200GT and BMW R1200GS

> As I sweep through the delicious medley of flowing curves that climb to Fairfield Ski Resort just outside Flagstaff, Arizona, I run through my mental checklist. Power delivery: smooth; brakes: smooth with a nice bite; gearshift: crisp, yet smooth; clutch: light and smooth…damn it  -  my critique of

Nov/Dec '06

Special Victims Unit

> I can still remember opening my copy of Motor Cycle News and seeing BSA's announcement of their motorcycle range for 1966. I was fifteen, motorcycle crazy and a big fan of motocross, which was then called 'scrambles.' Jeff Smith had just won his second successive

Sep/Oct '06

Kawasaki Ninja 650R

> Poised to inject serious fun into the bargain-blaster segment of the market, the new Kawasaki Ninja 650R is a street hip, super sharp, smooth operator that flashes the boulevard with a most affordable price tag. Designed with the rider in mind, the bike's comfortable ergonomics, useful wind

Sep/Oct '06

Suzuki M109R

> Shaping up for a "Battle of the Titans" in the heavyweight cruiser class, Suzuki entered the arena this year with their new M109R Boulevard. Going toe to toe with Kawasaki's Vulcan 2000 and Yamaha's 1854cc Roadliner, the pre-fight buzz has Suzuki claiming the

Sep/Oct '06

2006 BMW R1200ST

As I conducted my initial walk-around of the BMW R1200ST at the Palm Springs press intro, my first impression was that the bike offered three good sides and one that only a Bavarian mother could love. Appointed in the most appealing of its available color combinations (red with black trim)

Sep/Oct '06

Kymco People 250

> Let's see, my driveway is right at ten miles from the parking lot here at the palatial RoadRUNNER towers. Simple math indicates that I'll ride Kymco's People 250 right at 100 miles every week just to get to my keyboard. Throw in a

Jul/Aug '06

Yamaha Stratoliner XV1900

> Recently released to the American motorcycle marketplace, the all new Roadliner embraces an era of significant change for the tuning fork company. Yamaha has placed their whole cruiser range of motorcycles under the new Star banner, and the top dog in this exciting lineup for 2006 is the Stratoliner.

Jul/Aug '06

Buell Ulysses XB12X Adventure Sportbike

> Buell promotes the XB12X as an "adventure sportbike," and that's a pretty fair description. The big twin offers speed and handling approaching that of a sport bike, and it doesn't sniff at getting its paws dirty either. The Ulysses also approximates the comfort