Motorcycles

Mar/Apr '05

The Return of the UJM

> I knew if I bugged Bill long enough he'd sell me his bike. He hardly ever rode it. I was in a very unusual "bikeless" stage of my life while living in Asheville, NC, which is as close to moto-Utopia as you can get. I

Mar/Apr '05

MZ 1000S

> Sometimes you get one of those offers you just can't refuse. Here at RoadRUNNER, that happens rather frequently. But this one is different. Fabled German marque MZ has been teasing the public for several years now with the 1000S concept bike first seen at the 2000 Intermot.

Mar/Apr '05

Review: KTM 990 Super Duke

> Austrian motorbike manufacturer KTM has declared road bikes their next target. And, with the launch of the 990 Super Duke, there's a good chance that many proud owners of traditional naked bikes might be seen bawling soon. KTM, finally presenting the 990 Super Duke after years of

Jan/Feb '05

Piaggio X9 Evolution 500

> What a way to start a trip. My first flight delayed, I have to change airlines, go through the 'special interest' security screening, endure a two-hour layover in Dallas, and when I land in Los Angeles, I have to ride a scooter. How bad can it be?

Jan/Feb '05

What's in a Name?

> Aprilia's 500cc model, the Atlantic, is impressive. Its modern looks and great performance convinced me I could easily go on tour with a scooter. I like the old-fashioned look of scooters and so I was really excited about getting to test Aprilia's latest retro- styled

Jan/Feb '05

Aprilia SL 1000 Falco

> It's a moment that all of us here at RoadRUNNER hope never happens. Any day now, our friends at Aprilia USA will be ringing us up, making the dreaded call to let us know they want their Falco back. It will be tough to part with it,

Jan/Feb '05

Suzuki's Boulevard Showdown

> The Suzuki Marauder and Volusia are both 800cc cruisers. The similarity pretty much stops there. They share the same V-twin heart, yet these brothers in wheels have chosen to travel down different lanes of the cruiser boulevard. A quick glance at the spec sheet might lead one to believe

Nov/Dec '04

Kawasaki ZRX1200R

> Naked bikes continue to grow in popularity as manufacturers from Asia and Europe jump on the bandwagon. Kawasaki was a pioneer in developing the modern standard and they have stuck to their guns by offering the ZRX1200R for another production year. As one of my daddy's favorite

Nov/Dec '04

Six-Gun Shootout

> RoadRUNNER takes to the open road in sleek super-sporting style aboard the latest 600cc class motorcycles. The 600cc sportbike class has long been known as one of the most competitive and arguably the most popular segment of the motorcycle industry. Since its inclusion in the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)

Nov/Dec '04

"Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"

> "Wow, this bike is big." That's my first thought on seeing the 2005 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe, and I felt a bit intimidated by the sheer bulk of the machine I'd be cruising around the back roads of Charlottesville, Virginia, the next

Sep/Oct '04

Aprilia Atlantic 500

> It took some doing to find out where Salina is. Now I know. It's in the middle of Kansas, and after a 14-hour drive, we finally arrived at Salina Powersport. Robert Bohm, the owner, welcomed us heartily and set about explaining the operation of two Italian scooters,

Sep/Oct '04

BMW R1200GS

> Airborne at 50mph isn't the time to tell myself I should have slowed down. I have to keep the throttle open and brace. Landing cleanly and gracefully, I'm surprised to find I'm still in business, so I twist the throttle. The rear end

Sep/Oct '04

Victory Vegas / Triumph Speedmaster Comparison

> Parallel twin versus V-twin in a no-holds-barred contest of cruisers. We grabbed two contemporary powerhouses in the muscle bike market to see which one holds the edge: Is it the parallel Brit style or American know-how in the tangent? When the powers that be at RoadRUNNER suggested the assignment

Sep/Oct '04

The Vespa 200 GT

> Few other popular creations  -  maybe a piping hot Neapolitan pizza  -  convey the life-loving verve of the Italian people than a Vespa. As our city planners and legislators grapple more with the effects of traffic congestion and dwindling resources, it wouldn't surprise me some 20 years

Sep/Oct '04

Yamaha R1

> No doubt about it, Michelangelo was one of the greatest artists ever and a free spirit the like of few others before or since. Trendsetters in architecture, music, fashion, cars, and bikes, Italians seem born with an eye for design. And when I first saw the original YZF-R1 in

Jul/Aug '04

1978 Triumph Bonneville T140V

> For years I've known I would someday get around to buying a classic bike. My heart told me it would be a British bike. And since finding one is no longer a problem  -  what with so many auctions going on and sites like cycletrader.com now

Jul/Aug '04

Kawasaki Vulcan 2000

> In the country that invented "super-sized" servings, the Kawasaki Vulcan is King and boldly going where no Kawasaki has gone before  -  over 2,000cc. Computer controlled and fuel-injected, this mega-cruiser puts out 116 horses and a mind-blowing 141 ft/lbs of torque. Simply stated, this is

Jul/Aug '04

V-Strom 650

> That simple sentence once summed up the philosophy of the English economist, Sir Carl Popper. Today, it's an ethos that certainly appeals to the motorcycle makers at Suzuki. And even in the US  -  a country where it often seems everything has to be big  -  it&

Jul/Aug '04

2004 Yamaha Royal Star Midnight Venture

> It's big. It's black. It gleams with lacquered paint and brilliant chrome. The Midnight Venture muscles its way past the large displacement metric cruisers to sit atop the heap as the undisputed champion in the tourer class. Continuing with a model run available since 1999,

May/Jun '04

Yamaha FJR 1300

> Voted by many magazines last year as the sport-tourer of the year, Yamaha's potent, high-speed touring missile is back for 2004 and, with a host of improvements, looks set to keep its hard-earned crown. Concept & Transformation Hard to believe it has been 20 years since Yamaha

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