Motorcycles

May/Jun '04

BMW K1200GT & Kawasaki ZZR1200

> BMW and Kawasaki have been active in the sport-touring market for quite a while. The German brand started out with the K series in the mid-eighties, and looking to produce a successor to the powerful ZX-10, the Japanese came up with the ZZR theme in 1990. Here, we'

May/Jun '04

Honda Super Hawk

> Although the Super Hawk hasn't enjoyed a lot of sales success overseas, the bike has sold in big numbers in the United States  -  primarily because its performance characteristics are perfectly matched to US highways and canyon roads, and the needs of many American customers. Concept &

Mar/Apr '04

Honda ST1300 ABS

> In the ST1300, Honda has introduced a bike with more capacity, more power, a lighter frame, and more equipment features than its predecessor. If you need a comfortable bike for longer trips that is still sporty enough for twisty roads, here it is. Concept & Transformation I will never

Mar/Apr '04

Triumph Thunderbird Sport

> An old German adage seems fitting: Anyone declared dead who returns lives longer. Kicked out of the range in 1999, Triumph's classic standard, the Thunderbird Sport, returned from oblivion in 2003. This road-worthy revenant boasts some minor changes but the character of the bike is unaffected. Concept

Mar/Apr '04

Moto Guzzi V-11 Café Sport

> When charging through the spaghetti-strand switchbacks of the Georgia mountains, it's easy to succumb to the allure of Italian cooking  -  Guzzi style. For 2004, the Moto Guzzi kitchen has revamped the menu and added some steamy new items. They're rolling out a sporting standard

Jan/Feb '04

Ducati Multistrada 1000 DS & Ducati Monster S4R

The motorcycle manufacturers are always very imaginative when coming up with new names to create a new market. But though this name game usually succeeds in the marketing world, it's also a source of mystification for many motorcycle enthusiasts. Why am I talking about this? Because a couple

Jan/Feb '04

BMW K1200LT-E and Honda Gold Wing ABS

There are only a few bikes that can claim to belong in the category defining the best long-distance bikes in the world. We tested two of them, the Honda Gold Wing and the BMW K1200LT-E - both outstanding touring bikes but very different. Honda's introduction of the GL1000

Jan/Feb '04

Moto Guzzi Breva V750i.e.

> Fresh air has been blowing through the Moto Guzzi factory in Mandello del Lario ever since Aprilia took over, and owner Ivano Beggio has made sure the entry class wasn't left behind. The company's 750cc Breva is a lot of fun for beginners and old

Nov/Dec '03

Honda VTX1800C & Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 Classic

> Cruisers are getting bigger, longer, lower and heavier. A distinctly American style of riding, cruising is the manifestation of a major market both here and abroad. And two Japanese companies seem to have learned their lessons very well with the VTX1800 and Vulcan 1600 Classic proving they can convey

Nov/Dec '03

YAMAHA ROAD STAR

> Looking out of the window I can only see a grey curtain hanging over Morro Bay, CA. There is only one bright spot on the horizon today  -  the prospect of riding one of the 15 brand-new 2004 Yamaha Road Stars that Brad Banister's Yamaha Team presents

Nov/Dec '03

Honda VTX1800C and Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 Classic

> Cruisers are getting bigger, longer, lower and heavier. A distinctly American style of riding, cruising is the manifestation of a major market both here and abroad. And two Japanese companies seem to have learned their lessons very well with the VTX1800 and Vulcan 1600 Classic proving they can convey

Sep/Oct '03

Suzuki SV650S & SV1000S

> For 2003, Suzuki has sent some hot V2 irons into the fray for the sport crown. The S models of their SV line, available in 650 and 1000cc configurations, have the looks to win over a lot of happy customers. RR tried them out to see what more there

Sep/Oct '03

BMW R1150R Rockster

> BMW's boxer models are quite popular, and the GS, GS Adventure, RS, RT, and R of the 1150cc range are highly regarded as great touring and all-round bikes. Each of them typifies BMW comfort. This year another thrilling theme was added to the Bavarian brand's

Sep/Oct '03

Aprilia Tuono & Kawasaki Z1000

> For those who demand a comfortable riding position and still expect performance, Aprilia and Kawasaki offer two exciting sport bikes with high-mounted handlebars. We tested the new Tuono and the Z1000 on California back roads and freeways. Concept & Transformation Standards aren't simply standards any more. Using

Sep/Oct '03

Review: 2003 KTM 950 Adventure

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wolfgang Puck, Wiener Schnitzel, Apfelstrudel and Red Bull are probably the most recognized Austrian 'products' in the US. But there is another great Austrian creation  -  KTM  -  well known in the motocross world, but not as widely recognized for their street or dual sport bikes,

Jul/Aug '03

Ducati SS 620/800/1000

> The Supersport models are the most traditional motorcycles Ducati produces. Stepping back from machines primarily geared for serious racetrack use, Ducati turns out some handsome alternatives for completing sporty tasks on the public roads. For its 2003 presentations, Ducati focused on technical updates with three new engines: 620, 800,

Jul/Aug '03

Moto Guzzi

> Those comfortable cruisers represent the most popular motorcycle category in the U.S., and Moto Guzzi has composed several variations on this easy-riding theme, each an Italian orchestration built around the same California chassis and engine. Two of them carried the tune like impresarios in a recently conducted test.

Jul/Aug '03

Yamaha Speedstar Products Day

The Stage IV Speedstar-kitted Road Star Warrior is rumbling away beneath me, my eyes are locked on the timing lights and my clutch hand is just keeping the bike from rolling past the staging lights. The next few seconds seem to take an eternity as I feel my heart thumping

Mar/Apr '03

BMW R1150RT, DUCATI ST4s

> Motorcycle traveling has changed a lot in the last 20 years. Nowadays pure touring bikes compete with cruisers, standards, and sportbikes, which can be equipped with luggage racks and bags by the factory. In this comparison, the tourer BMW R1150RT met up with a sport-tourer, the Ducati ST4s. Concept

Mar/Apr '03

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R/RR

> Team Green wants to recapture the crown for the best 600 Supersport bike. In our opinion, the totally new ZX-6R and ZX-6RR bikes greatly enhance the likelihood of meeting that goal, once RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Cruising & Touring jumped at the chance to ride them at their introduction on the

Mar/Apr '03

Ducati 999

> It had to supercede the other bikes in design, technology, and in performance characteristics on the track and on the street. And now, coming on the heels of its famous 916/996/998-line, Ducati's new 999 is destined to become a great bike that's known

Winter '02

Moto Guzzi California Stone

> In model year 2002, Moto Guzzi debuted the California Stone to succeed the Jackal. Now with several improvements from Aprilia, the new owner, the bike is better  -  easier to ride and much more user-friendly. Concept & Tranformation It's a common marketing practice for European manufacturers to

Winter '02

Honda 919

> To compete with Yamaha's FZ1 and Kawasaki's ZRX1200R, Honda brought out the 919 this year. Big Red's nimble, naked bike comes with a fuel-injected engine and a design concept crammed with high-tech goodies. Concept & Tranformation After reaping a great deal of success

Winter '02

MZ Baghira Street Moto

Concept & Tranformation After the German Reunification in 1990, the nationalized companies in the eastern part of the country (formerly the German Democratic Republic) were no longer sheltered and suddenly acquired new perspectives of good and bad. 'Live or die' was the motto. MZ, the brand from Zschopau,

Fall '02

The Moto Morini Story

> After a long snowy winter and six busy months of restoration it's time to face the truth. Did I do a good job and will the Italian primadonna finally sing? Alfonso Morini, the owner of the little Italian manufacturer from Bologna, started out in the motorcycle business