RoadRUNNER's Best Online Articles of 2024
Our journalists have been busy this year! With so many great stories that didn’t fit in our magazine, our website is a treasure trove of motorcycling information.
Below are some of our favorite online articles from 2024, including interviews, columns, tech articles, tips, and travel destination features. Enjoy these highlights!
-Florian Neuhauser, Editor-in-Chief
Kawasaki Demos Hydrogen Motorcycle Engine
Kawasaki has gone down in motorcycle history in a unique manner. The Japanese moto company recently held the world’s first public demonstration of a hydrogen-powered motorcycle engine.
Kawasaki’s push for eco-friendly motorcycling is not a new endeavor. Earlier this year, it launched the Ninja 7, the first hybrid production motorcycle in the world, and even the hydrogen engine was first revealed in late 2022.
Nicola Dutto Rides Again
Thirteen years and three seconds. That's how long it took motorcycle rally racer Nicola Dutto to realize his dream of competing in the 2023 Baja 1000, a point-to-point race from La Paz to Ensenada.
Those three seconds, however, were the longest of his life. On March 20, 2010, he crashed during a rally in his native Italy.
Get Help from Fellow Riders on the Road
What should you do when you’re traveling far from home and need a fellow biker’s helping hand? Fortunately, the internet makes it (relatively) easy to connect with fellow bikers. The greatest difficulty is choosing the right avenue to get the help you require quickly.
Here’s our breakdown of various motorcycling resources to connect with helpful riders. If you travel via motorcycle often, bookmark this page as it may be a helpful resource for you later on.
Should You Warm Up Your Bike Before Riding?
Many of us are in the habit of irritating our neighbors by warming up our engines before we leave for a ride. Much like an athlete warming up before competition, it only makes sense that our engines require the same treatment.
Allowing the engine components to heat up and oil to reach the ideal viscosity is good for our bikes, right?
In some cases, slightly warming the engine is required, but for the most part, it’s an antiquated practice. Let’s dive into the technical aspects of engine warming.
Everything Florian Packs for a 7-Day Motorcycle Trip
Packing a motorcycle for a week-long tour is just like any other art form in that it needs practice. Many motorcyclists, new riders in particular, tend to overpack, which makes effectively using your bike’s limited space all the more difficult.
You might be surprised by how little you actually need to bring with you. Here, we’ll explain what you should wear and pack in terms of riding gear, extra clothes, and tools, in addition to some useful tips and tricks for securing everything onto your bike.
El Camino del Diablo—A Baptism of Fire
El Camino del Diablo, or the Devil’s Highway, has earned its ominous name. This Native American and pioneer trail snakes through the formidable Sonoran and Yuma Deserts in Arizona, uniting Ajo to Yuma amidst the Tinajas Altas Mountains.
BMW ASA Transmission—A Smooth operator
BMW is gearing up to launch the Automated Shift Assistant (ASA) automatic transmission for the GS motorcycle family in the second half of 2024. In an ASA-equipped GS bike, the foot shift lever is still present, but the clutch lever is missing.
This technology has already been incorporated into the design of the completely new engine housing of the R 1300 GS. BMW has provided sufficient space to accommodate the additional components, and no changes are visible from the outside.
Balancing Off-Road Expertise: The Jimmy Lewis Approach
Beneath the vast sky of the American West, a diverging two-wheeled journey unfolds—a tale of lessons learned from the sturdy embrace of a BMW F650 GS to the agile prowess of a KTM 500 EXC-F. With five years stretching the horizon between these two rides, I have plateaued in optimizing my unpaved pursuits, grappling with uncertainty as I negotiate an enduro-style bike on trails.
BMW R 20 Concept Motorcycle at Villa d’Este
Every summer, the park of Villa d'Este hotel in Cernobbio, on Lake Como in northern Italy, transform into probably one of the most exclusive places in the world, alongside the Concours d'Elegance of Pebble Beach in California. Visitors get to admire some of the most fascinating cars in history and see them in action.
City Escape: Allentown, PA
Pennsylvania may not be the best-known riding destination in America, but it’s one of my favorites. Over the years, I’ve been to virtually every corner of the state. Pennsylvania just ticks most of my motorcycle touring boxes— curvy backroads, historical locations, off-the-beaten-path destinations, and interesting terrain in terms of elevation changes and breathtaking scenery, particularly in the fall.
This City Escape navigates urban, suburban, exurban, and rural landscapes, combining history, curves, and scenic splendor in a one-day package.
Motorcycle Drive Systems Explained
Motorcycles always need power. As such, they come with an electric or chemical power storage method, a means of converting the stored energy into mechanical energy, and a way to transfer mechanical energy into motion.
In this article, we’ll focus on the latter category—in other words, drive systems. I will provide a brief description of three common motorcycle drive systems, along with some pros and cons of each.
9 of the Straightest Roads in America
Riding a long, straight road can be a relaxing, laidback experience that allows you to focus more on admiring the surrounding environs. It can also give you a chance to test your bike’s acceleration—within speed limits, of course.
If you feel the call of the straight road, here are nine of the straightest you’ll find in the U.S. ranked from shortest to longest.