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A collection of 136 posts

Sidetracked: Kickstands Up At Eight!

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Sidetracked: Kickstands Up At Eight!

It has been said that collecting a group of motorcycle riders to leave on time is like herding cats. Four motorcycles and a dozen ATVs are packed into the corral in Salinas de Garci Mendoza, Bolivia. The village is a half-day ride from the world’s largest salt plains known

Sidetracked: Fly and Ride | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine

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Sidetracked: Fly and Ride

The ad read, "2007 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, low miles, pristine mechanically and cosmetically." I can't resist the allure of an older bike in good condition. Many of these machines hit the sweet spot in technology and reliability and, armed with a little knowledge and

Head Cold | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine

Speed The Wheel

Speed the Wheel: Head Cold

My articles frequently have me meandering through some storied recollection from my past. This time, however, I want to borrow a story from older brother Barry’s treasure trove of two-wheeled memories. We recently reminisced about the good ole days of our carefree youths—which were monopolized by motorized obsessions.

Fouled Plugs: False Advertising

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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

Zero to Hero: (Re)Learning How to Ride Off-Road | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

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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

Sidetracked: Stealerships and the DIY Guy

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

Sidetracked: Pack Mentality—Group Riding

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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

Alternative Ways to Design Tracks for Motorcycle Routes | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

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

Transcending the Narrow Mind

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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

Interview with Head of BMW Motorrad, Dr. Markus Schramm

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

Rise of the Retros: What’s Old is New

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

Old-School and Fit to Ride

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

Do a Pop-a-Wheelie!

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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

Moto Mojo: Lithium Ion Batteries for Motorcycles

Moto Mojo: Lithium Ion Batteries for Motorcycles

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are used in all sorts of common portable devices, including cordless power tools, cell phones, laptops, and tablets. Lithium-ion cells have made nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries outmoded, and lithium-ion batteries are making inroads into the motorcycle market. The safest lithium-ion battery chemistry used for starting engines

Thirdendary Roads | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine

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Thirdendary Roads

"Daddy, where is that car going?" My son spoke those words to me three decades ago as he stood tiptoe, looking out the window of our home on the edge of town. The curiosity of a child has inspired many an adventure. They are an elusive lot, adventure

Returning to the Thrill: Re-embracing Two Wheels After Years in 4WD

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Returning to the Thrill: Re-embracing Two Wheels After Years in 4WD

By 2014, my partner in life and crime Jason and I had sold our 200-year-old cottage, pared down the belongings, and packed our new world on two dual sports bikes. We've embarked on a few adventures, but this one stood out—a transformative journey that lasted four and

Sidetracked: My Brother's Keeper, A "Lost" Art

Sidetracked: My Brother's Keeper, A "Lost" Art

Getting lost in the backcountry is no joke. Whose job is it to keep the group together when the ride leaves the pavement? What responsibility does the individual have? "Where's Rick?" asks Ken, our ride leader. Our group of 11 men is on the way to

Automatic Crash Detection | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine

The Motorcyclist's Guide to the Galaxy Premium Content

Automatic Crash Detection

Apple recently introduced an interesting crash detection feature to the latest iPhone 14 smartphones and the Apple Watch lineup. Crash detection automatically recognizes severe vehicular crashes, including front, side, and rear collisions, as well as rollovers. Upon detecting the crash, the Apple device sounds a loud alarm and displays an

Long Distance Riding 101

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Long Distance Riding 101

Did you do it? I did. Did you read the “Letter from the Editor” in RoadRUNNER’s Jun ‘23 issue, take the required picture of your odometer with said magazine cover, and go riding all summer? I can't think I've ever heard of another contest that

Sidetracked Premium Content

Why We Stand

Ouray, CO, “Little Switzerland.” Vehicles roll through town packed with overlanding gear, and dual-sport motorcycles parade the streets with their colorful jockeys aboard. Smack in the middle of this melee rides a group of Space Rangers on loaded, knobby-tired beasts, some with cylinders protruding from the sides like proud iron

What’s Yours is Mine

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What’s Yours is Mine

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service into existence. The bill mandated that the agency were "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as

Speed the Wheel: The Rites of Summer

Speed the Wheel: The Rites of Summer

Nothing excites the senses quite like the arrival of summer. Spring has thawed us and stripped us of our winter clothes and once again enticed our youthfulness with promises of long days and warm nights. I believe this is true for even the least romantic or sentimental people. During our

Motorcycle Lubricant: Oil. Motorcyclist Lubricant: Coffee.

Motorcycle Lubricant: Oil. Motorcyclist Lubricant: Coffee.

How to Caffeinate on the Road I can do without a lot of stuff. I lived in Japan for about 17 years, and while I did plenty of very memorable motorcycle trips throughout Asia, I can’t remember ever stopping for a slice of pizza. Not only that, I don’