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Royal Enfield’s Project Origin

The company we know today as Royal Enfield began as Enfield Bicycle Company in the U.K. in the 1890s. As the 20th century dawned, Enfield engineers fitted a combustion engine to a bicycle-type frame and sent power to the rear wheel via belts and pulleys. In an unusual move,

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How Salvo Pennisi Shaped Pirelli’s World Class Tire Testing Practices

His business card reads: "Pirelli Head of Outdoor Testing and Technical Relations, Motorcycle and Bicycle." However, it’s impossible to explain Salvo Pennisi's job in one sentence—let alone who he is as a person. Perhaps a little anecdote, told during a dinner by the sea

News

Around the World on Two Wheels Exhibit at Petersen Automotive Museum

You should hop into the saddle and motor on over to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA, before March 2. That’s the last day you can see the Around the World on Two Wheels exhibit, organized in collaboration with the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. George Barber is

Travel Guide

12 Cities to Visit for Amazing Mural Art

Not all fine art is confined to museums and galleries. Many American cities are chock-full murals and other works of street art that rival whatever you may find in the local art museums. Your motorcycle is an excellent vehicle for ferrying you from one mural to the next. With so

Accommodations

5 New York State Hotels for a Romantic Moto Weekend

Motorcycling through the fantastic environs of New York is a great way to connect with another person. Whether you’re both on your own bikes or one is hugging the other from behind on the pillion seat, a shared riding experience is always something special. But once the night falls,

Tips

Helping a Stranded Rider

In the earlier days of motorcycling, when bikes were less reliable, riders frequently became stranded by a mechanical malfunction. Back then, motorcyclists were often as handy with a wrench as they were with the throttle. If they couldn’t fix their own bike, other riders invariably stopped to help out.

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If It Ain't Broke...Give It Time

Murphy is alive and well, and he is nobody’s fool. Patient, cunning, and devious, he will get you when you least expect it … unless you’re prepared. We’ve been out here almost two weeks on the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route. The sun is about to set and we

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Speed Limits in the US: Pin it on the Beaver!

Have you ever been frustrated by flashing lights in your rear-view mirrors? Did you feel as if you were singled out because you were on two wheels rather than four? Speed limits—whoever thought of such a thing? It is all just surreal. There are at least 10 production motorcycles

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7 Romantic Ideas for a Motorcycle Valentine’s Date

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so it’s time to start thinking of ways to spoil your special someone. For us riders, it’s tempting to combine our motorcycle obsession with a romantic date. But how do you do that? The good thing about motorcycles is their versatility, so

News

That’s Odd—Unique Things Seen at EICMA 2023

The EICMA 2023 motorcycle exhibition in Milan, Italy, displayed some of the latest and greatest developments in the motorcycling industry. And then there were the other things. Not that I’m knocking the more unique creations showcased in Milan. They may very well be the future of the scene—they’

Racing

American Ricky Brabec Wins Dakar Rally for Second Time

It’s easy enough to be the best at something once—the hard part is doing it again. American motorcycle racer Ricky Brabec just proved he can do it twice by snatching his second Dakar Rally victory. On January 19, Brabec won the motorcycle class of the 2024 Dakar Rally,

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The Story of Elvis and Memphis Mafia’s Triumphs Confirmed

In 1965, Elvis Presley took his friend’s brand-new Triumph T120 650 Bonneville out for a test ride. He was so impressed with the bike that he immediately bought nine similar motorcycles for his entire friend group, known as the Memphis Mafia. That’s how the story goes, at least,

Tips

How Many Miles Per Day?

Too Long, Too Short...Where is Just Right? When on tour I often get this question from my pillion partner at the beginning of each day’s ride: How many miles are we riding today? Sometimes, if we’re just letting the road be our guide, I don’t really

News

Trends from EICMA 2023

The 2023 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan displayed the hottest new bikes, but it wasn’t all just about the latest machines. From the various bikes, we could also glean some information on the future direction of the entire motorcycling scene. Adventure bikes seem set to continue their triumph, but

Tips

Touring Tips: Riding in the Rain

Many, if not most, of us consider riding in the rain a necessary inconvenience when we’re caught out in it while going from point A to point B. The experience is frequently made more burdensome because of: inadequate riding gear, reduced vision of scenery and road hazards, loss of

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E-Fuels: The (Potential) Fuel of The Future

We live in the e-age. We have email, e-books, e-commerce, and even e-bikes from the likes of Zero, LiveWire, and Energica. Soon enough, we can add e-fuels to this list. I can hear the confused whispering in the audience. How could liquid fuels be electric or electronic? Although the “E”

Destinations

Woolarock Museum & Wildlife Preserve

This former ranch, set in northeastern Oklahoma’s rolling Osage Hills, was built in 1925 by Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum, as his weekend and holiday sanctuary. The rustic grounds have an assortment of fauna, including buffalo, elk, zebra, water buffalo, deer, elk, Longhorn cattle, and more. Just so

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Being a Part of the Show

I recently recounted my beginnings in motocross, which I shared with my best friend and next-door neighbor, Scott Johnson. We rode, learned, and raced together. Although I couldn’t afford to commit to racing, Scott stayed with it, moving from a beginner to a novice, intermediate, and then pro. In

News

Happening Now: Riding Past Current SoCal Road Closures

The classic California combination of an earthquake, a brush fire, and a landslide often imperils the best riding roads in the state. That has never been more true than at the present. Wet weather, following wildfires, took some of the most popular routes out of commission for most of 2023—

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The Thunderstorm: Aprilia Tuono and I

I was struck by the world of racing at the age of 12 when the local motorcycle club organized the European enduro championship race in my hometown. All of a sudden, life came into the secluded world of the German state of Hesse on the edge of the Iron Curtain.

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A Motorcycle Reunion: Reviving a '75 Honda CB750F

When I was in college, say around 2006, my brother called me up and asked, “Do you want to buy a running motorcycle for $400?” Though I never had the chance to ride dirt bikes growing up, and I’d never ridden a motorcycle before, there was no hesitation as

Events

18th Annual Barber Vintage Festival

The Barber Vintage Festival is for sure the festival of motorcycling love in America. It’s one of the best, most joyous, and most inspiring motorcycle event at a U.S. racetrack. George Barber, the founder of Barber Motorsports Park and Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, AL, is a

Accommodations

8 Quirky Places to Stay on a Missouri Moto Tour

Missouri has gorgeous landscapes laced with history linked to our country’s early days. As a riding destination, it is ripe with farmland, country backroads, small family farms, and plenty of small lakes, rivers and forests. If your two wheels take you to Missouri, here are eight suggestions to help

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Honey, We Need to Talk!

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" my wife asked as she led me down the aisle of a ma and pa grocery store in Northern California. We were exploring the epicenter of the 1849 Gold Rush with a group of brisk riding friends. The morning had

Tips

How to Become a Better Rider Off the Saddle

Riding motorcycles is a physical and mental activity. Like any sport, it requires a certain amount of ability, physical attributes, and mental conditioning. The better shape you’re in, the more enjoyable and safer your riding experience will be. To attain an improved, even optimum riding shape isn’t just