Alfonse Palaima

Jul/Aug '19 Premium Content

Wellsboro, Pennsylvania Shamrock Tour®: Among Penn’s Woods

Pass through any restaurant or transportation center in or near the state of Pennsylvania and you’ll find brochures for every type of tourist attraction imaginable: adventure parks, amusement parks, historical landmarks, wacky and wonderful private collections of stuff, and more. One brochure in particular is unique; instead of promoting

Jul/Aug '18

Review: 2018 Star Venture

Tradition Meets the Future > 2018 will be remembered as the year Yamaha unveiled a new range of luxury touring in the form of the Star Venture. The bike is a deliberate cross between tradition and modernity with an alluring mix of big bore V-twin character augmented with the latest

May/Jun '18 Premium Content

Expedition Idaho: Where Memory Lane Isn’t Paved

Going the distance can mean so many different things. For wanderers, it typically refers to making a trip longer than expected, by choice, or sometimes, by forces beyond our control. For others, it just means that you’ve gone, or are going, as far as you can. Last year I

Mar/Apr '16

2016 Yamaha and Star Anniversary Lineup

> In October of last year, Yamaha Motor Company unveiled more of its 2016 offerings at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin, CA. Having already released a few models months prior—60th anniversary edition dirt bikes, the YZ250F, and YZ450F—it was high time to get the news out about

Jul/Aug '15

Review: 2015 Ducati Multistrada 1200 DVT/DVT S

> Attempting to recreate the success of the 2010 model year Multistrada, Ducati once again chose to reveal its latest and greatest on the Spanish Canary Island of Lanzarote. One of seven island retreats off the coast of the African continent and often the escape for Europeans on holiday, Lanzarote

May/Jun '15

2015 Yamaha FJ-09: When Less Is More

> Last year, Yamaha introduced the FZ-09 (known as the MT-09 in Europe) which, despite its initial flaws, has grown to be the maker’s number one seller for 2014—an MVP right out of the gate. Building upon the FZ’s price and performance success, Yamaha unveils the touring-minded

Mar/Apr '15 Premium Content

Wyoming and South Dakota: Where Indians Roam Again

Given only rough guidelines and a new touring motorcycle, I set off to explore Wyoming on two wheels following the Sturgis Rally in August. My goal: bring home a “living with proof” report on what Indian Motorcycle calls the best of their best, the Roadmaster. Impeccably suited to fit on

Jan/Feb '15

Review: 2015 Indian Roadmaster

> In the February ‘14 issue of RoadRUNNER, we learned about Indian Motorcycle’s Chieftain when Florian laid out the form and function of the maker’s key touring model for 2014. Chock full of good intentions, massive investments in both capital and engineering, and American 
bravado—Indian came to

Nov/Dec '14

Comparison: 2014 BMW C 650 GT vs. 2014 KYMCO MYROAD 700i vs. 2013 Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

> With their short-stroke suspension, 3/4 scale wheels, and middleweight engines, has the scooter market caught up with the motorcycle market? Or has the right machine for the job finally become the right size for the task at hand? Let’s find out. They’re inexpensive compared to most

Sep/Oct '14

City Escape: Los Angeles, California Northbound

> A great northern escape from Los Angeles is through Ojai and the Los Padres National Forest, which is commonly considered the “better way” of getting to the Pacific Coast Highway from LA (between Cambria and Carmel). Best rides are in the fall when central valley temps drop below 100

Sep/Oct '14

Comparison: 2014 BMW F 800 GS vs. 2014 Triumph Tiger 800 XC: Variations on a Theme

> The spicy flavor of this British-born, massaged sportbike machine delivers tons of passion from each twist of the wrist, but the BMW’s practical and concise demeanor also delivers in predictable and repeatable ways. Many ask the same question, “Which one?” But only your own taste buds know what

Jul/Aug '14

Comparison: BMW R 1200 GS vs Triumph 1200 Explorer XC vs Yamaha Ténéré

> Just as the number of sport touring riders in the last decade or so has risen, a similar growth spurt is currently happening in the dual-sport market. Gone are the days of overnighting a CB400 to the local woodlands or piling the camping kit on your dirt bike. Currently

May/Jun '14

City Escape: Orlando, Florida

> Seeking to escape the wonderful world of Disney? Take this clockwise loop around Central Florida’s third largest lake (Apopka) and Lake Dora to the city of Tavares, which is known as America’s Seaplane City. This lakeside community of luncheon and landing spots melds perfectly with pilots of

May/Jun '14

Review: 2014 Can-Am Spyder RT Limited

> Thanks to the Spyder’s inherent stability, high-tech ingenuity, and Canadian bravado, Can-Am has made the “backwards trike” a household name in only seven years. For model year 2014, they continue their success by dropping the V-twin engine and replacing it with an all-new inline triple, adding a sixth

Jan/Feb '14

2014 Honda CTX700 and CTX700N: One to Grow On

> Amid the rush of rider-friendly and affordable motorcycles flooding our shores 
from Honda’s overseas plants, there is a single model targeted to more than just 
one type of rider. They call it an “anti-niche” bike and promote it in two different areas of their website—surprisingly, the Touring

Sep/Oct '13

2013 BMW F 800 GT: The Right Piece of the Puzzle

> BMW thins the herd and replaces a first-model sport tourer with a longer and leaner next-generation machine. Gone are the F 800 S and ST; welcome to the higher horsepower F 800 GT, an everyday bike with touring capabilities. Like picking through a puzzle box, so many of the

Sep/Oct '13

2013 Honda CBR500R and CB500F: Budget Bikes with Gusto

> Honda’s new entry-level 500s, the CBR500R and the CB500F, are budget bikes with gusto. With fuel-injected parallel twins that are as smooth as four cylinder bikes, the newest micro racer and sport standard are impressive world-market machines. Since February of this year, Honda has introduced six new models

Mar/Apr '13 Premium Content

California: Hot Springs the Hard Way

Seeking a hot spring while the temperature in Los Angeles boils over 100 degrees might seem like a rather strange journey, but my loaner BMW F 800 GS and I are off to do just that in the Eastern Sierra. Let’s go! Slipping out of town at noon in

Nov/Dec '12 Premium Content

Northern California: Grapes to Gold and Back Again, Part II

In Part I, I crawled out of the lap of luxury atop a frozen wave of lava rock to find the State of Jefferson, a little bit of lumber, history, and plenty of snow. Part II swings me west toward the California coastline and then back south into wine country.

Sep/Oct '12 Premium Content

Northern California: Grapes to Gold and Back Again, Part I

Independence in America means freedom. Freedom to do whatever we want to do, whenever, and wherever, right? Well . . .within reason, of course. Once a year, freedom rings louder than normal and people are free to blow stuff up, party all night, and praise Old Glory with all their might—often

May/Jun '12 Premium Content

California: Digging Up History in San Diego County

Eighty years ago, travelers to the gold rush town of Julian in remote eastern San Diego County had a different tale to tell about getting off the beaten path. Today, paved roads and the civilized world occupy nearly every mile of the backcountry. Escape isn’t so remote anymore, but

Jan/Feb '12 Premium Content

California Coastline

Imagine the Pacific Ocean crashing against the rocky coast of California’s northern half, a ribbon of asphalt longer than a day’s ride drawing the line between the land and the sea, and you’re on your way there right now. Your flight is booked, your motorcycle rental is

Sep/Oct '11

2012 Harley-Davidson® CVO™

> Each year Harley-Davidson®, the iconic American motorcycle-maker, shows off its best and brightest parts, accessories and paint by creating a collection of motorcycles branded with the CVO™ (Custom Vehicle Operations) moniker. This run of limited-production bikes is packed with more than hand-painted bodywork, hoards of chrome, and exclusive new

May/Jun '11

2011 Yamaha FZ8

> As the market changes and so-called "middleweight" sportbikes creep toward quadruple-digit CCs, Yamaha's latest addition joins the party already in progress. Having been released to the Euro market last year to great success, can it attract American riders? Snagging much of the technology developed for