Motorcycle Review

A collection of 79 posts

Motorcycle Review

2024 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S: Tarmac to Trails

Every flat tire has a silver lining. Actually, not all of them, but it does sometimes apply. Case in point—I was geared up, packed up, and ready to roll out for a combination project involving a couple bikes, a tour feature, and a dedicated review. Yet, the moment one

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 BMW F 900 GS Adventure

The adventure motorcycle space has seen significant change in product diversity in recent years. While displacement one-upmanship continues at the far end of the displacement spectrum, roughly 16 years ago, a “middleweight” twin-cylinder category began gaining traction among adventure traveling enthusiasts.  In the early 2000s, most big adventure bikes had

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2025 Yamaha YZF-R9

Putting the Fun Back Into Supersport The press briefing for the 2025 Yamaha YZF-R9 included constant reminders from the company brass that the newest R-model motorcycle is as much, if not more so, a high-performance street bike as it is a thoroughbred racer. It’s a conflicting sentiment, considering our

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2025 Aprilia Tuono 457

Based on the technical platform of the RS 457, the new Aprilia Tuono 457 is a true naked bike dedicated to everyday riding with a touch of sportiness. The Italian twin carries an important name: the first Tuono 1000 was presented in 2002, paving the way for powerful naked bikes

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2025 Triumph Tiger Sport 800

There are few motorcycle marques that have the kind of revered cache in their badge like that of Triumph. The legendary British brand began producing motorcycles and delivering two-wheel dreams in 1902.  Like so many other manufacturers, Triumph was hit by the tsunami of Japanese product and went into receivership

Motorcycle Review

2025 Indian PowerPlus 112 Lineup: Performance Baggers for Everyday Champions

Indian Motorcycle is taking what it has developed for the track and bringing it to the street with the new PowerPlus 112 lineup. This is the platform that powered the 2024 King of the Baggers champion, and delivers not only high horsepower and torque, but an all around performance-oriented bagger

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2025 Husqvarna Vitpilen 801

A Duke of a Different Color Blame my Midwest upbringing, but whenever I hear of Husqvarna, I first think of chainsaws, then dirt bikes, and finally street bikes. While tinkering around on the Husqvarna website, I was surprised that the company produced its first street motorcycle 56 years before its

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2025 Benelli TRK 502 —A Budget-Friendly Adventure Tourer

The 2025 Benelli TRK 502 continues to prove that you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy the adventure touring lifestyle. With its adventure styled design, approachable performance, and solid list of features, this mid-weight adventure bike appeals to riders who want long-haul capability without the intimidating size

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide

A New Motorcycle on an Old Road I don’t often fall in love with a motorcycle right when I swing my leg over it—especially, to be frank, if that motorcycle is a Harley-Davidson. Yet, the 2024 Road Glide and I clicked right away. It was like when you

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2025 Kawasaki Versys 1100 SE LT

The Kawasaki Versys has been one of the most underrated motorcycles since its inception. I remember swinging a leg over the Versys 650 back in the day, not thinking much of the little bike that didn’t seem to fit in any particular category at the time. Kawasaki called it

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2025 Moto Morini Calibro 700 Bagger

Are you familiar with the phrase: “Any color the customer wants, as long as it’s black?” It’s a quote attributed to Henry Ford regarding the Model T, purportedly from 1909. Despite its 116-year age, Moto Morini saw fit to apply Ford’s paint job advice to its new-for-2025

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure

The Independent Adventurer Big, wide, and fat—the 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure shows its extreme robustness and versatility straight away. The bike’s design reflects its sheer indestructibility, turning it almost into additional armor for the rider. When the GSA first appeared in 1999, it already made a

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

Royal Enfield motorcycles are a peculiar lot. After folding in the U.K. in the 1970s and transferring tooling, IP, and so forth to its partner factory in India, the company operated for decades in static seclusion within India’s massive domestic motorcycle market. Annual sales volumes ran to hundreds

Motorcycle Review

Comparison: BMW K 1600 GT vs. K 1600 B

Six-cylinder engines are as much a part of BMW as veal sausage is of a Bavarian Sunday breakfast or the Oktoberfest is of Munich. The in-line engine became an icon in 1973 at the latest, when it appeared on racetracks in the BMW 3.0 CSL Coupé, also known as

Motorcycle Review

2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP: The True Master of Torque

It has been 10 years since Yamaha introduced the MT model line, and I first tested one in 2016 before the U.S. designation changed from FZ to the current one. I took the new 2024 MT-09 SP to the same roads on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, and it provided

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801

Only a few motorcycles do a good job with balancing a classic style with a modern look. The new Svartpilen 801 is one of them. Walking up to the parked motorcycle, the classic lines immediately made it feel familiar, even though it’s clearly an ultra-modern design. From afar, I

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Comparison: BMW R 1250 GS vs. R 1300 GS

Having ridden BMW GS models for more than 20 years, it’s difficult to overstate the massive number of changes in the 2024 R 1300 GS. More than redesigned, the legendary GS platform has been reimagined in the 1300. Rather than an attempt to improve on the engineering of previous

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 BMW F 900 GS

I’ve been riding the BMW F 800's since they were introduced in 2008. In addition, I owned the F 650 GS Dakar for several years, and have put many miles not only on the early F 800s, but every iteration of these models since then. Although I

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Kawasaki Z500

Our first date was at the Julian Pie Company in California. We had our “meet cute” in the heart of San Diego only a few days before. I was in town to become more acquainted with Kawasaki’s latest offering. She was there as a model. The connection was immediate,

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Triumph Tiger 1200

Asking for directions in Scotland can be challenging. “Jist follaw thes road ‘til ye see a lairge sign fur th’ change-hoose ‘n’ caw left,” is the closest approximation I can give of the advice I received. Fortunately, a driver provided me with transportation from the airport to the hotel, and

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Suzuki GSX-8R

Introducing the V-Strom 800DE in early 2023 was a giant step in the right direction for Suzuki. Most notably, it was the model chosen to unveil the company’s new 776cc parallel-twin DOHC engine with a 270-degree crankshaft configuration and Suzuki’s Cross Balancer technology. The follow-up, GSX-8S, increased the

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce

Every conversation about MV Agusta, the famed motorcycle company from Varese, Italy, sooner or later arrives at a “yes, but…” It might refer to spare parts’ availability, customer service, quality, or over-bred machines that have become increasingly extreme to fill high-priced premium niches. In addition, the firm has had a

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Moto Morini X-Cape

The motorcycle was red, with a low handlebar and a chrome front fender. From a distance, it resembled a Yamaha RD400. As I got closer, I noticed its V-twin engine, then the Moto Morini nameplate on the fuel tank, and finally, the single digit “3” followed by the ½ fraction on

Motorcycle Review

2024 KTM Duke Lineup

KTM is very good at staying on-brand. From the motorcycles coming out of the company’s factories to the lively events focused on the pure joy of riding, and even the culture oozing from every person donning that sweet racing jacket full of sponsor logos, there’s something electric in

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST

Harley-Davidson’s “Dawn of a New Era” press invite for the new 2024 models included an unusual schedule entry. The second of two riding days was slated for Nevada’s otherworldly Valley of Fire, a fitting locale to enjoy the roundly updated 2024 Road Glide and Street Glide bagger touring