Fouled Plugs Premium Content

False Advertising

Vehicle manufacturers of all kinds have been letting their marketing departments bestow their creations with overzealous names for years. I’m referring to the practice of manufacturers mouth's writing checks their machines can’t cash. Think Suzuki Swift (it wasn’t). Or, as a newer example, the now-discontinued

News

Texas Formally Outlaws Lane Splitting

Some states in the U.S. are taking steps to allow motorcyclists to lane split and filter, while others are working to put a stop to the practice. Texas has now positioned itself in the latter camp. On September 1, lane splitting officially became illegal in the state of Texas.

Columns Premium Content

Zero to Hero: (Re)Learning How to Ride Off-Road

It all started at the point of impact. Wind escaped my lungs with a force I’d never felt before. The crash happened fast. I barely had time to react before the damage to my diaphragm (as I’d later realize) had been done. In a split second, a preventable

News

Blue Rim Tours Ceases Operation—Long Time Guide to Continue Tours Through New Company

Uwe Krauss, a long-term RoadRUNNER contributor, is opening a new chapter and launching his own guided motorcycle tour company. He has plenty of tour guiding experience from working with RoadRUNNER’s offshoot Blue Rim Tours (BRT), and he’s more or less inheriting the operation as BRT is no longer

Columns

Sidetracked: Stealerships and the DIY Guy

Fourteen-year-olds are sensitive creatures. Merle laughs when I ask how to adjust the clutch on my 1969 Yamaha AT1. Instead of offering technical advice he mocks me, saying, "You want to race and you can't even work on your own bike." His words cut me to

Tips

Getting Your Bike Ready to Tour

With summer fast approaching, now is the time to make sure your mount is ready to hit the road. If you’re like many of us at RoadRUNNER, during the colder months you scope out touring destinations, research scenic routes, create packing lists, decide on touring dates, and have made

Tips

Close Encounters of the Four-Legged Kind

Among the most difficult hazards for motorcyclists to avoid are four-legged animals, which can appear suddenly, without warning and cause a rider to part company with his or her motorcycle. I learned this lesson the hard way early in my motorcycling career. Nowadays, I find myself continually scanning the road

Accommodations

5 Unique Wisconsin Hotels for Motorcyclists

As the home of American stalwart Harley-Davidson, Wisconsin has been associated with motorcycles since 1903. The state offers a variety of roads and a host of attractions, from historical landmarks to winding roads, quaint townships to sprawling farmland. A big part of the two-wheel touring experience is finding lodging that

Columns Premium Content

Sidetracked: Pack Mentality—Group Riding

Pack mentality (n.) The tendency for a group of individuals to act together without planned direction. Humans, like many of our four-legged fellow inhabitants of planet Earth, are social animals. We tend to mimic the behavior of those around us. Alone, your pet malamute may be mild-mannered and cuddly. But

News

How to Find the Aliens Among Us on Two Wheels

Sometimes you want a grander objective for a motorcycle tour than simply enjoying the open road and curves. If you’re after a truly otherworldly experience, why not hit the asphalt to look for proof of alien life? After all, the Congress recently got the most compelling testimony to date

News

2023 Honda SCL500

American Honda has a long history of producing fun, well-performing scramblers. All the way back in the 1960s, the Japanese manufacturer brought us the stripped-down (in a good way) CL72 and CL77. Now, Honda has taken a look back in time and introduced a machine that brings the old and

News

Burt Munro Inducted into Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame

New Zealand’s motorcycling legend Burt Munro doesn’t exactly lack accolades, but the late rider has just received fresh recognition for his unparalleled need for speed. On August 9, Munro was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame. The induction recognizes Munro’s speedway racing career and

The Motorcyclist's Guide to the Galaxy

Alternative Ways to Design Tracks for Motorcycle Routes

Over the last few years, we touring riders have become accustomed to using satellite navigation tracks (for brevity, the term “tracks” will be used to include “routes”). RoadRUNNER, for example, provides these useful digital assets for all travel and tour articles. Garmin has cemented the GPS Exchange Format, better known

Fouled Plugs Premium Content

Transcending the Narrow Mind

Mark Twain is credited with saying: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness … Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” He was correct then and he’s correct today—only, today

Accommodations

Review: Abigail’s Bed & Breakfast Inn—Ashland, OR

My long day on the BMW R 18 began near Seattle and culminated in Ashland, OR. In this small town, renowned for hosting the annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival, I arrived at Abigail’s Bed & Breakfast Inn. Against the blushing evening sky, the sight of the charming Victorian-styled Abigail’s

News

2023 Harley Davidson Breakout

The Harley-Davidson Breakout is back! The muscular modern chopper returns to North America after a two-year hiatus and it has more grunt than ever. This year marks the 10th production anniversary of the iconic motorcycle. The new Breakout has received a major power upgrade and is packed full of hold-on-to-your-seat

Accommodations

Review: Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn—Big Sur, CA

Truly unique by any standard, Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn provides a visceral look into the history of California. The establishment dates back to a tent beside Castro Canyon Creek in the 1930s. At that time, Helmuth and Helen Haight Deetjen were living there while constructing a barn with reclaimed

Travel Guide

Visit Billings: Where All Roads Lead to Pure Montana Experiences

The mountain passes and wide-open highways of eastern Montana offer some of the purest, most breathtaking views you can find on two wheels. The only sounds you’ll hear for miles are the rumbling of motorcycles echoing from within the deep canyons, the calls of migratory birds, and the shutter

News

Can-Am Kicks

What on earth could Can-Am and the high-end sneaker manufacturer The Shoe Surgeon have in common for them to organize a collaboration event at SRGN Studios in Los Angeles? As it turns out, The Shoe Surgeon, aka Dominic Ciambrone, is the custom designer of athletic footwear for the rich and

Tips

A Motorcyclists Life Riding with Young Passengers

A lot of motorcyclists like to share the thrill of riding with family members and friends. Some even enjoy introducing their kids to riding at a very young age. However, when it comes to young passengers and motorcycles, a lot of riders don’t know if there are age restrictions

Columns

The Future of Motorcycling: Interview with Head of BMW Motorrad, Dr. Markus Schramm

RoadRUNNER recently had a rare opportunity to sit down for a chat with Dr. Markus Schramm, the head of BMW Motorrad. During the interview, he shared his views on the current motorcycle market and what the future might hold, both for BMW and motorcycling in general. Grab a nice cup

Columns

Rise of the Retros: What’s Old is New

It’s no secret that the influx of vintage-styled motorcycles making their way to U.S. shores has increased over the past few years. Undoubtedly, Triumph paved the way for this invasion back in 2001, when the manufacturer re-introduced the legendary Bonneville. Interestingly, Kawasaki brought the W650 to North America

Columns

Old-School and Fit to Ride

There are many organizations out there dedicated to tracking motorcycle accident data. However, when we dig into many of the report details, we find a big black hole on some key information. In general, when we try to pull up data on motorcycle crashes, we slam into a kind of

Accommodations

5 Small Florida Hotels Ideal for Your Beach Moto Getaway

There’s something about checking into a hotel that defies description. Clean sheets tucked neatly. A comfortable bed. Fresh towels. Perhaps a pool or a hot tub. It’s your private temporary haven where you can lock out the world, unwind, and relax. If you’re Florida-bound on your motorcycle

Fouled Plugs Premium Content

Do a Pop-a-Wheelie!

We are able to instantly reach more people than at any other time in history. I think it’s a miracle of the modern age. However, it often leads to the spread of misinformation and bad ideas. While this spread of toxic content isn’t usually intentional or malicious, it