Motorcycles

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

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 down

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

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

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 commonplace

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,

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's

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

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.

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 & Transformation

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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, including the

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'

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.

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

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