Motorcycle Reviews

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

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

In January 2023, I journeyed to rural India for the domestic launch of Royal Enfield’s new Super Meteor 650 cruiser. Riding in India for two days was a truly unique experience and the Super Meteor 650 proved to be capable, comfortable, and tough enough to take on the country’

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 BMW R 1300 GS

In 2004, the Yamaha FJR still had that new car smell, the Honda VFR was still a contender, and the Ducati Multistrada 1000S DS had bodywork from the future. Then, like a meteor, Ewan-Wan Kenobi and his pal Charley took the long way around on a pair of BMW R

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+

The sport-touring category is alive and well—but motorcycles don’t look like your dad’s Honda ST1300 anymore. The bikes in this segment have evolved, with more focus on sportiness and technology alongside a healthy dose of aggressive styling. If you’re a street rider who goes on trips,

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro & Rally Pro

In 2020, Triumph’s Tiger 800 underwent a significant transformation to become the Tiger 900. For 2024, the bike ostensibly remains identical in mechanical appearance, although the manufacturer’s claim of the new model being a “significant update” is well-founded. Triumph’s use of a triple-cylinder powerplant is the most

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide/CVO Road Glide

The year 1903 was an auspicious one for mechanical invention. The Wright Brothers achieved motorized flight at Kitty Hawk, NC, while Harley-Davidson was founded in Milwaukee, WI. These two endeavors shared several traits. Each involved unique machines using the relatively recently invented internal combustion engine, and each began humbly in

Motorcycle Review

BMW R Nine T 100 Years: An Inspiring Take on a Modern Classic

I only ride motorcycles. Some people don’t believe me when I tell them that I don’t know how to drive a car. “Isn’t that the first step to becoming familiar with the road?” they wonder. “Well, not for me!” I proudly respond. Motorcycles have always been my

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Zero DSR/X

My initial reaction was to scoff at the Zero DSR/X. An electric ADV bike… Seriously? How adventurous could the DSR/X be when half its battery capacity will be discharged during an 80-mph freeway ride across Southern California to get somewhere vaguely resembling adventure? Then I flew to rural

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Review: 2023 Honda Gold Wing

The Gold Wing. A machine that Honda has been meticulously refining since 1974. Over those 49 years, it has matured into something very different from the original, but from the beginning, it quickly became the gold standard for touring motorcycles. From drum brakes to supercomputers, the Gold Wing has stood

Motorcycle Review

Comparison: Suzuki 800 DE and 1050 DE

For many in the motorcycling community there tends to be an arbitrary leaning toward more when given a choice of displacement. That would pertain to me before I rode Suzuki’s new V-Strom 800 DE. So impressed with the performance of the parallel twin, I was curious as how its

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Yamaha XSR700

Curiosity, and maybe the feeling of perceived threat, compelled me to open the ChatGPT website. In the prompt field, I typed, “Write a 1,300-word first-person review of the 2023 Yamaha XSR700.” Within seconds, the artificial intelligence created a wordy compliment befitting the North Korean state news agency’s description

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Review: 2024 Honda Transalp XL750R

What magic did the 1980s possess that causes nostalgia for the age to be so prevalent? Notables, such as Harrison Ford and Jeff Bridges, have revived ‘80s characters, shows such as Stranger Things adopt the decade, and the list goes on. In 1986, Honda unveiled the first Transalp—the XL600V.

Motorcycle Review

A Year In Review: Our Favorite Motorcycles of 2023

With each new generation, motorcycles become quicker, more powerful, and more technologically savvy. But, we aren't on the hunt for what bikes look great on paper. We look for character, usability, accessibility, and which motorcycles are just plain fun to ride. It's not just about the

Nov/Dec '23

Review: 2023 Honda SCL500

The motorcycling world is experiencing a kind of scrambler mania right now. A number of manufacturers are returning to basic, stripped-down simplicity in a nostalgic borrowing from yesteryear. Having taken the scrambler concept to its zenith back in the ‘60s with its wildly popular CL72, Honda is perhaps the most

Nov/Dec '23

Review: 2023 BMW R 18 Roctane

The BMW R 18 was quite an audacious move from the Munich-based company, bringing it to a new market segment. BMW has explored the cruiser category before, but without substantial success—although the R 1200 C from 1997 has a large fan base today and the prices for used machines

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Review: 2022 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

The first impression is always the most important, whether you’re visiting your potential mother-in-law for the first time, going to a job interview, or seeing a brand-new bike at a motorcycle show. The Harley-Davidson Pan America sure made an impression when it stood undisguised and naked in a glass