Peon Maface

Honda’s first CL72 250 Scrambler was lashed to the bumper of many a Conestoga wagon as it made its way westward, and I’m pretty sure it was a Kawasaki KLX300 that I wheelied over backwards, circa 1997, that really dampened my enthusiasm for stunting. At least Honda’s had the decency to change its nomenclature over the years to give the impression of evolution. Kawasaki is standing pat with the 292 cc Single that’s powered its KLX since 1996, along with its KLX nomenclature. 2021 Honda CRF300L & Rally Review – First Ride 2021 Kawasaki KLX300 Review – First Ride Sort of. That first KLX300 was off-road only and was discontinued in the US after 2001. KLX250 then appeared circa 2006 as a dual-sport, went in and out of production, re-emerged updated and fuel-injected in 2018 – which set the stage for the boring-out and re-introduction of a new KLX300 for 2021. It uses the same 78 x 61.2mm bore and stroke as the original ‘97 thumper and looks just like it too, from the outside at least. What’s old is new again.  The Honda actually has evolved a bit. CRF-wise, the first L may have been the 230 of 2008 (Honda’s first dual-sport in 17 years according to our test) followed by the CRF250L in 2013, which got upgraded to 300 status just last year via an 8mm-longer stroke taking the Honda single to 286 cc. Is there anything wrong with sticking with what works? I guess not. In fact there’s a lot right with it, I thought to myself as Ryan Adams and I pounded along through yet another rocky section of fire road on the way to Santiago Peak. Honda CRF300L vs Kawasaki KLX300 This pair of OG adventure bikes are all about short-range reconnaissance. Cheap to buy, maintain, and run, they’re built for exploring the world outside your back door. Honda CRF300L + Highs Smooth and torquey little motor Surprisingly sofa-like 60 mpg – Sighs Some would say too sofa-like Brakes a bit weak on pavement Somewhat low-T Kawasaki KLX300 + Highs Competent suspension and brakes Begs for abuse and cracked plastic Crude yet effective off-road musket – Sighs Engine feels a smidge coarse compared to CRF Gets slightly cross-rutted over freeway rain grooves at top speed Only 56 mpg They’ve had plenty of time to work out all the bugs, of which there seem to be very few on either bike. Evolution has seen to it that these two value-packed dual-sport bikes have almost converged into one, just with different coloration, as they’ve both adapted to the same harsh conditions over the years. So much so that neither one of us can even be bothered to carry a flat kit. Riding these things, it feels like nothing could go wrong to spoil your fun; just try to avoid the sharpest rocks. How did I loop out a 22-hp bike 25-some years ago anyway? You’re not going to confuse either of these bikes with something like a KTM 350 EXC, but for less than half the price of a bike like that, the little Honda and Kawi both buffer your behind with serious suspension travel – 10.2 inches at either end of the Honda, and 10.0 and 9.1 inches f/r on the Kawasaki. At the same time, seat heights that look high on the spec sheet aren’t so high in person. That’s because the springing is light enough that sitting on these uses up at least a third of that travel – especially the Honda – and that makes them great round-town runabouts as well as reasonably competent offroad bikes. On the pavement We made a half-hearted effort, which failed, to move the Honda’s rear spring preload from full soft, but the two locking rings were too tightly wedged up against the top of the threads. As she sits, full soft, the Honda rides a bit lower in the stern, using up probably half its 10.2-inch travel just cruising down the road. That gives it a smidge more trail, and gives the rider confidence the CRF is going to run straight and true at top whack – right around 90 mph indicated; 80 to 85 is more its happy place on the freeway. Once you get used to the busyness of the little single (not to be confused with buzziness, of which there’s surprisingly little), there’s nothing wrong with using the CRF for short freeway hops or even longer ones, depending on whether you were hugged as a child or not: More stoic and frugal individuals will like the CRF the more they ride it. The seat’s not wide but it is reasonably cushy, helped along, again, by ten inches of suspension travel at both ends. Ryan Adams agrees: The CRF300L floats around like an old Cadillac. On pavement and off-road the Honda’s 10 inches of suspension travel soaks up bumps before they ever make it to your backside. For casual riders, this makes the 300L an excellent choice for subdued cruising over whatever you point it at. Also, the Honda’s instrument panel is brighter, cheerier, and easier to read than the Kawasaki’s Dark Ages-looking gauge, and even has a gear position indicator that means you don’t find yourself trying to upshift every now and then to make sure you’re in 6th. Also a fuel gauge; the Kawasaki only has a light. On bikes with no frills, little things make a difference. The Honda’s interface (top) is nicer to look at and with more info. Meanwhile on the Kawasaki, you’ve got the power to go as fast as the Honda, but upwards of 80 mph, especially over rain grooves, you don’t get quite the planted, stable feel of the Honda. Maybe it’s down to different tires – Dunlops for the Kawi, IRC for the Honda – but maybe also because the Kawasaki’s firmer rear spring has the stern riding higher and reducing trail just a smidge; the specs say rake, trail, and wheelbase between the two bikes are all nearly identical, but the Kawi is quicker on its feet changing directions. The tape measure says both handlebars are just about 23 inches thumb to thumb, but you’re sitting taller on the Kawi; footpeg-to-seat on it’s about 22 inches, to the Honda’s 21, so you take a smidge more windblast, too. That also feeds the Kawasaki’s more flighty feel. And the whole time, the KLX motor just feels a bit more coarse than the less oversquare Honda single. Fixing that might be as simple as swapping on the tapered aluminum handlebar from the KLX accessories page. RA: After riding both bikes on the freeway, it was surprising how different they felt at speed. The CRF300L cruises at 75 mph pretty happily at just under 8,000 rpm. The KLX300 will do it, and even make it all the way to 85, but it feels cruel to force it to do so. I saw a top speed of 90 mph on the Honda, but again, it’s pretty happy at 75 or anything below – and surprisingly smooth. The KLX felt best at about 55 or 60 mph. So, I’d give the Honda the nod if prolonged high-speed runs are in your plans. All that just backs up what’s pretty obvious. Neither of these is an adventure bike meant for long highway miles. These are for day or half-day adventures that start at your back door while other people are golfing, and mostly encompass backroads and dirt ones. Having said that, I rode the KLX from Burbank to Orange County 60 miles through rush-hour LA traffic after I caught the Pacific Surfliner to Brasfield’s digs to pick the bike up, and it’s not a bad I-5 lane-splitter at all for the urban cheapskate. With a nice topbox or milk crate on the back seat or some soft saddlebags, these bikes are right behind a midsize scooter in terms of practicality. In fact, they deal with rough pavement way better than any scooter, and there’s way more rough on this LA course than groomed. Speaking of scooters, both these bikes have nice easy-to-reach helmet locks. Brakes-it Should some motorist cut you off or open a door in front of you while you’re slaloming through traffic, however, you’ll discover the weak point of both bikes: their brakes aren’t great. Tiny front discs and two-piston slide-type front calipers designed for dirt don’t pack much power or feel on pavement. Honda will sell you an ABS version of the CRF for $300 more, but you have to squeeze the front lever so hard to lock the front tire you almost don’t need it unless you ride in the damp a lot. Personally, I’d have the ABS option anyway. Don’t even think about touching this when you’re riding downhill on ice you fool. The Kawi front disc is 250mm to the Honda’s 256, both squozen by old-timey two-piston calipers. The Kawasaki’s front brake is a bit more powerful and feely, but the components are almost identical, so it might just be a brake pad thing. If Kawasaki offered an ABS version, I would’ve liked to have sampled it riding through an icy downhill section of our test mountain, but they don’t, and so I crashed. Two times, just to be sure, in two icy sections; yes, there is no ABS. Let that be a lesson: Better to use the nice rear disc both bikes have in low-traction situations. The foot controls on both bikes are steel; it was easy to bend the Kawi’s lever back into almost-shape later with a big screwdriver. Also, the underbelly of the Kawi’s engine is protected by a small aluminum skidplate between the frame tubes. Not the Honda’s. We also both liked the Honda’s front pre-notched brake lever better when I accidentally made it into a “shortie.” RA: Combined with the super cush fork on the CRF300L, the front brake is, at times, downright scary. Off-road, the lack of bite (and power in general) is manageable, but on road at speed, it made lane splitting all the more nerve-racking. The Kawasaki’s front brake offered pretty great feel on-road and off for a sub $6,000 motorcycle. Compared to the Honda, it is miles ahead in terms of power, too. Most of the time, though, the brakes are gonna be perfectly adequate. In the dirt (or ice) you don’t want too strong a bite – and neither bike is much heavier than 300 pounds, so there’s not that much to decel. Little bikes like these, ridden in traffic, seem to sharpen your clairvoyant powers. Offroad When we first hit the bumpy, rocky stuff, I felt like both bikes had cheap, creaky suspension that was bouncing me around a lot. Soon enough, I learned it was the cartilage and soft tissue in my old joints, and as soon as that stuff came up to temperature, everything felt smoother and began to come together. The KLX rear shock is a higher quality unit with a piggyback reservoir and rebound-damping adjustment; its performance compared to the CRF shock means the whole motorcycle handles more accurately and securely when you start upping the pace through the bumps: If you’re an aspiring offroad racer, your choice is already made. Then again, swapping a better shock under the Honda would likely have it running right with the Kawi if you could find something that fits. Or making a greater effort to twist its preload adjuster; there’s about an inch of virgin threads down there waiting for you to raise the rear end, and both suspensions are linkage types. How much difference does swingarm pivot height make when dealing with 22 horsepower? I couldn’t tell you. Ryan A: Overall the Kawasaki KLX300 feels like the better choice for those focused primarily on riding off-road. Its suspension feels better damped with much better bottoming resistance at both ends. RA getting some sick air on the CRF. The Kawasaki lands better, with its compression- adjustable fork and rebound-adjustable piggyback-reservoir rear shock. If you’re not an aspiring offroad racer but more an offroad explorer/adventurer, there’s not a lot in it between the two. The Honda’s lack of chops through the rough stuff really doesn’t bother me that much, because rather than bombing through, I slow down when I see the rough stuff coming. The CRF gives me the excuse I need. You can blast through on the CRF, but if you do it’s prone to bottoming out quicker, especially in the rear, than the KLX. But why not have a seat and pick smoother lines at a more sedate pace. Ahhhh… then again I’m like 180 lbs, lately, before I even gear up. Ergo… Beyond the KLX riding a bit higher in the rear, with an inch more seat-to-peg distance, and therefore being a bit harder to climb onto, both bikes feel pretty interchangeable to me, including their seats. But Ryan, who’s 5’8 like me, but with a fresher ganglion network, says: the Honda’s ergos feel spot on, whereas on the Kawasaki, I would want to play with some different risers and bars to find my happy place. I also felt the Honda would probably work better for larger riders as the entire cockpit feels more open. Massive Horsepower Ahhhhhh, no. The Honda does have a slight bump in the midrange that Chris the dyno operator said he could feel, but I sure couldn’t in actual use – a whole 1.1-lb-ft more torque at just 6300 rpm. It’s weird that the Kawasaki couldn’t use its 0.9-hp advantage to register a higher top speed or at least keep up? In any case, 22ish horses and 15 lb-ft is more than enough to completely entertain yourself and climb reasonable hills, if not mountains. When it comes to quality of power rather than quantity, though, the Honda’s more modern liquid-cooled double-overhead cam Single just feels a bit more, ahh, modern. It runs smoother in general, and feels like it’s just not working as hard as the Kawasaki’s older, more oversquare design most of the time. Again, the CRF gearbox shuffles its six gear pairs a tad more smoothly, and its clutch lever is a smidge lighter. For being only 286 (Honda) and 292 cc, both little engines are surprisingly torquey and require less gear shifting than you might think to maintain forward progress: 2nd, 3rd, and 4th got us up Saddleback Mountain lickety-split without a lot of drama, and once you’re in top gear on the road, there’s not a lot of downshifting required to mesh smoothly with traffic. Ryan A says: Off-road both bikes had enough grunt to stay out of first gear for the most part, though the Honda blows through first quickly, while the Kawi’s gears feel more evenly placed. That’s all down to wet weights of just 306 for the Honda and 301 pounds for the Kawasaki. Both are positively waif-like between your thighs, and that frees your mind to attempt feats on these you wouldn’t on even a small adventure bike. Okay, I wouldn’t. KTM says its 390 Adventure weighs 348 lbs dry, so it’s probably more like 25% heavier than these dual-sports gassed up. The CRF and KLX confidently go and bounce off places on their 21-/18-inch knobbies that even the baby KTM, on its 19-/17-in. wheels, wouldn’t dare. A’course, if you’ve got $12k to spend, KTM’s 350 EXC-F dual-sport claims a dry weight around 230 lbs. Wait for it… For most of us with bills to pay, though, you really can’t go wrong with either of these highly evolved Japanese dual-sports. It’s another one of those where the best horse depends on the course. Make mine red! because I like the Honda’s overall luxurious (for a dirtbike) ride, its smooth-running little motor, and its better highway performance. Ryan Adams had to go the other way of course: After riding the Big Bear Dual-Sport Run on the KLX300, I can attest to the amount of abuse the Kawi is more than capable of taking while dishing out loads of fun along the way. The low seat height, solid 292cc Single, and fully adequate suspension made for a great day of riding with friends in the mountains. Between these two, since my focus would be on off-road riding, it’s gonna be the KLX300 for me, dawg. Both of these have been around as long as the crocodile for very good reasons. They’re cheap to acquire, easy to maintain, possibly impossible to kill, and a great way to bust out for some nature time without having to burn up your vacation days. Why not get both? They’re small. In Gear JB Helmet: Arai XD4 Communicator Cardo Packtalk Bold Jacket: Tourmaster Ridgecrest Gloves: Aerostich Comp. Elkskin Ropers Pants: Tourmaster Ridgecrest Boots: Sidi Adventure 2 Gore Tex Mid In Gear Ryan A. Helmet: Fly Racing Dirt Formula CC Communicator: Cardo Packtalk Bold Jersey: Fly Racing Dirt Lite Pants: Fly Racing Dirt Lite Gloves: Fly Racing Dirt Lite Hydration pack: USWE-Raw-8-Backpack Boots: Sidi Atojo SRS Scorecard 2021 Honda CRF300L 2021 Kawasaki KLX300 Price 100% 93.8% Weight 98.4% 100% lb/hp 94.9% 100% lb/lb-ft 100% 95.0% Total Objective Scores 98.6% 97.1% Engine 87.5% 85.0% Transmission/Clutch 87.5% 80.0% Handling 72.5% 80.0% Brakes 65.0% 80.0% Suspension 70.0% 80.0% Technologies 71.3% 70.0% Instruments 77.5% 65.0% Ergonomics/Comfort 80.0% 67.5% Quality, Fit & Finish 80.0% 77.5% Cool Factor 82.5% 81.3% Grin Factor 80.0% 82.5% John’s Subjective Scores 80.4% 77.7% Ryan’s Subjective Scores 76.5% 77.9% Overall Score 82.5% 81.7% Specifications 2021 Honda CRF300L 2021 Kawasaki KLX300 MSRP $5,249 $5,599 – 5,799 (Camo) Engine Type Liquid-cooled single cylinder DOHC, 4 valves Liquid-cooled single cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves Displacement 286 cc 292 cc Bore x Stroke 76.0mm x 63.0mm 78mm x 61.2mm Compression Ratio 10.7:1 11.1:1 Max Power (dyno) 22.1 hp @ 8,400 rpm 23.0 hp @ 8,100 rpm Max Torque (dyno) 16.3 lb-ft @ 6,300 rpm 15.2 lb-ft @ 7,900 rpm Starter Electric starter Electric starter Oil Capacity 0.5 gallons 0.35 gallons Fuel System PGM-FI electronic fuel injection DFI with 34mm Keihin throttle body Fuel Capacity 2.1 gallons 2.0 gallons Tested Fuel Economy 60 mpg 56 mpg Battery Capacity 12V-7AH 12V-6AH Clutch Type Wet multiplate, assist/slipper clutch Return shift with wet multi-disc manual clutch Transmission Type 6-speed 6-speed Final Drive Chain Chain Frame Steel semi-double cradle Steel semi-double cradle Front Suspension 43mm telescopic inverted fork. 10.2 inches of travel 43mm inverted cartridge fork with adjustable compression damping. 10.0 inches of travel Rear Suspension Pro-Link single shock. 10.2 inches of travel Uni-Trak gas-charged shock with piggyback reservoir with adjustable rebound damping and spring preload. 9.1 inches of travel Front Brake 256mm x 3.5mm disc with two piston caliper 250mm petal disc with a dual-piston caliper Rear Brake 220mm x 4.5mm disc with single piston caliper 240mm petal disc with single-piston caliper ABS Available, but not on as-tested model N/A Front Wheel Aluminum spoke 3.0″ x 21″ wire spoke Rear Wheel Aluminum spoke 4.6″ x 18″ wire spoke Front Tire IRC GP-21F 80/100-21M/C 51P Dunlop D605 3.00-21 51P Rear Tire IRC GP-22R 120/80-18M/C 62P Dunlop D605 4.60-18 63P Instruments LCD LCD Length 87.8 inches 86.4 inches Width 32.3 inches 32.3 inches Height 47.2 inches 47.1 inches Wheelbase 57.3 inches 56.7 inches Rake x Trail 27.5°/4.3 inches 26.7°/4.2 inches Seat Height 34.6 inches 35.2 inches Ground Clearance 11.2 inches 10.8 inches Curb Weight 306 pounds (measured) 301 pounds (measured) Service Intervals 16,000 miles 12,000 miles Colors Red Lime Green, Fragment Camo Gray We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post Showdown: 2021 Honda CRF300L vs 2021 Kawasaki KLX300 appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

Harley-Davidson has the fortunate position to stand atop the perch that is its popularity and loyal following to see where its customers take their motorcycles. Yes, the folks at Harley hear all the time about the different places their motorcycles have taken them. But Harley designers and engineers also have the advantage of reading the pulse of their customer base by seeing what these people decide to do to customize and modify their bikes. Need I remind anyone of the unfortunate custom chopper craze of not too long ago…? 2022 Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST Harley has updated the Road and Street Glides to follow the trend towards performance baggers. Its own championship-winning King of the Baggers racer has also had an influence. Editor Score: 82% Engine 18.5/20 Suspension 12/15 Transmission 7/10 Brakes 7.5/10 Instruments 4/5 Ergonomics 8.5/10 Appearance 9.5/10 Desirability 9/10 Value 6/10 + Highs Understated good looks That 117ci engine is a torque monster More suspension travel is a good thing – Sighs Traction control is too intrusive Rear springs are too stiff for my scrawny butt Not making the preload adjuster knob easier to reach seems like an oversight Brad Richards, Harley’s VP of Design, certainly doesn’t need any reminding. The way he sees it, Harley-Davidson creates the motorcycle and the customer base will customize it to their aesthetic. If that aesthetic catches on, like the custom chopper scene did, the folks at Harley will inevitably take note and might even incorporate it into the next design loop. It happens every generation. “It’s a conversation,” says Richards, “and the language is the motorcycle.” Thank goodness the chopper craze has faded away and baggers have veered towards something a little more functional. This latest generation is the product of the chopper craze, and as each generation tends to do, they scoff at their predecessors and move in a different direction. The trend nowadays is the shift away from raked-out forks, giant wheels, glitter paint, and an all-around terrible riding experience, to a move towards functional, performance-oriented cruisers and baggers. When enough of these performance baggers warranted a need to race them – and MotoAmerica obliged with the King of the Baggers series – Harley-Davidson took notice. The 2022 Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST are the result of this performance trend that started at the customer level. Harley-Davidson even went so far as to build its own King of the Baggers racer based on the 2021 Road Glide, which Kyle Wyman won the championship with (and I got to ride! Stay tuned for my review on that in a future story). That bike had an influence on the 2022 ST line, including the Road Glide and Street Glide. The ultimate expression of a performance bagger – Kyle Wyman’s 2021 Championship-winning Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide. Defining A Performance Bagger The term “Performance Bagger” is an oxymoron to many, but Richards and his design team took it as inspiration for the aesthetic of the new Glides – and if there’s one thing Harley-Davidson does better than the rest, it’s nailing an aesthetic. As you look at the Road and Street Glides, their signature fairings (whether fork- or frame-mounted) and overall shape look familiar. But the flashy chrome and pearl paint are gone. In their place are the only two color options available: Vivid Black and Gunship Gray. As the names imply, there’s nothing fancy about these colors. No pearl undertones. No two-tone colorways. None of that. These colors are all business. But in typical Harley style, both colors land a striking appearance under the sun. Harley does know a thing or two about paint, after all. The visual appearance is accented by most of the ancillary components being blacked out. The only bits of chrome you’ll see are the pushrod tubes, tappet covers, and machined cylinder fins. Instead of the chrome we’re used to seeing in the past, the new accent color for 2022 is bronze. The cool multi-spoke wheels, lower rocker box, timing cover medallion, and the classic Harley-Davidson script across the gas tank are all in bronze. To my eyes, the bronze accents really bring home the Glide’s overall aesthetic – especially the wheels which look like they have a Cerakote finish applied to them. Very cool. Photos don’t do this finish justice, but it’s pretty close. Meanwhile, the Brembo brakes actually bring the bike to a stop nicely. For a cruiser anyway. It helps to have massive engine braking at your disposal, too. But there’s more to the new Glide ST’s appearance than just paint and bronze. According to Richards, his team focused on making the bikes look “visually lighter.” Doing so meant trimming the fat off both of these big bikes. Visually, anyway. They say wearing black makes you look slimmer, and the same applies here. Blacking out most of the Glide’s components and focusing the attention on anything with paint or bronze does visually slim down the bike, but beyond redirecting the viewer’s attention, the Glides also sport a shortened front fender that wraps around the tire closely, standard-length saddlebags in place of the extended bags on Special models, a low-profile engine guard, and a solo seat (and the accompanying removal of passenger pegs) all serve to tighten up the two Glides. The standard saddlebags also allow a little more lean angle before hard parts touch down, and give room for more exhaust options, too. Harley is stepping into the way-back machine when it comes to the font for the fuel tank lettering. The Mechanical Goods All this and we haven’t even begun talking about the heart of the beast – the Milwaukee-Eight 117 air/oil-cooled V-Twin. For the first time, Harley is offering its biggest production engine in a non-CVO model (the 131ci crate engine not included) to show it’s serious about the performance bend these bikes are meant to have. To be clear, this is for the ST versions of the Road Glide, Street Glide, Low Rider S and ST. The engines in the standard versions are unchanged. Behold the Milwaukee Eight 117ci V-Twin, complete with the “Heavy Breather” intake that comes stock on the two STs. There’s no shortage of torque from the V-Twin, but for all its performance inspiration, it’s important to remember this is still a Harley V-Twin. Shift throws are long and gear ratios for the six gears are widely spaced apart. Beyond the bigger engine, the ST Glides come with a few more goodies: a higher-performance camshaft, the “Heavy Breather” forward-facing intake, and a high-performance, 50-state legal exhaust. Harley says the sum total comes out to 117 cubic inches (or 1,923 cubic centimeters for our metric friends) and a 10.2:1 compression ratio, making 106 horsepower and a meaty 127 lb-ft of torque – that’s nearly 7% more torque than the 114ci in the previous Street Glide Special. Lending to the ST’s more sporty vibe, the rear suspension not only includes a remote preload adjuster, but there’s now – get this – three whole inches of suspension travel! It may not seem like much, but for the longest time we’ve complained about past Harleys having such ridiculously little rear suspension travel, all in the name of low seat heights. With these new shocks, it’s still really easy for the average adult to throw a leg over, but now, they have the benefit of a better ride. At least that’s the theory (more on that later). Three inches of suspension travel? Praise be! Except the ride is still harsh and you have to remove a saddlebag to get to the preload adjustment knob. Brembo provides the stopping power for the STs with its linked braking system. ABS is standard and operates independently on either wheel. For a little extra piece of mind, Harley offers the optional Cornering Rider Safety Enhancements package. Borrowing from the sportbike world, this package features a six-axis IMU to read the bike’s position. The actual safety features include: Cornering ABS Cornering linked brakes Cornering traction control (with modes) Drag torque slip control Vehicle hold control Tire pressure monitoring The Road Glide’s frame-mounted fairing places the infotainment screen up high and the gauges down low. See the Street Glide picture below for comparison. Rounding out the Road Glide and Street Glide STs is Harley’s Boom! Box GTS Infotainment system, which is an evolution of the past systems. A big color touchscreen display greets you no matter if you choose the Street Glide or Road Glide, and it’s compatible with both Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Two fairing-mounted speakers blast the tunes to your face (and adjust their intensity depending on road speed), as a hidden antenna keeps the look of the bike clean while getting a radio signal for you to blast your awful music to the world. The Street Glide’s fork-mounted fairing is basically a reversal of the Road Glide’s, with the gauges above the touchscreen-enabled infotainment display (which works even with a glove on). It’s easier to see the gauges on the Street Glide, while the mirrors on the Road Glide are more functional. Fortunately, both bikes have cruise control. If these two new ST models are catching your attention, but you’re yearning for even more performance, that’s when the Screamin’ Eagle catalog becomes your best friend. Here you’ll find even more go-fast (or look cool) goodies, topped by the 131ci Milwaukee Eight crate engine with ported cylinder heads, 1mm larger valves, a high-lift camshaft, high-compression forged pistons, different cam bearings, a larger throttle body, and higher-flow injectors to pump out 131 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheel. Then there’s the Screamin’ Eagle exhaust to free up a little more power, too. Here’s an example of what you can get if you want to go full-hog with your Road Glide (pun intended). This one’s decked out with items from the Screamin’ Eagle parts and accessories catalog, including the 131ci crate engine, air intake, Öhlins shocks, and different trim for the grips, and floorboards. And to show just how much influence racing baggers has had on Harley, the Screamin’ Eagle catalog also includes Öhlins FGR 250 superbike forks and remote reservoir shocks. Both were built specifically for Harley-Davidson, with lengths, spring rates, valving, etc. designed for this application. These are not just repurposed pieces from other bikes with different internals. How’s that for a performance bagger? Riding Impressions Readers who know me probably find it strange to see my byline on a Harley review. Being the sportbike guy and all, you might think baggers would bore me. Maybe that’s what makes me the perfect candidate on the MO staff to give the new Street Glide and Road Glide STs a try. That and I occasionally do like to ride cruisers, don’tchaknow. But with my background, I’m bound to be a little more critical of a performance-oriented bagger. Right off the bat, however, I have to admit that I really like the dark-and-bronze colorway of both bikes – the Road Glide especially. The frame-mounted fairing is more my style, and seeing one in your rearview mirror is about the closest you can get on two wheels to being followed by a Peterbilt. I think that (and the marginally better wind protection) is pretty cool in my book. Cruisers, of course, are all about the freedom of the open road. Riding both the Street and Road Glide STs along the open expanses in and around Wilcox, Arizona, the message was driven home loud and clear. Call it drinking the Kool-Aid if you want, but there’s something relaxing about sitting on either Glide and watching the miles go by. Despite the bikes’ heft, I didn’t have to strain to reach the bars, nor were my feet stretched too far forward to reach the controls. Everything fell into place. Being the performance-oriented guy that I’ve typecast myself as, getting my jollies off was pretty easy with all that torque underneath me. Whenever I’d command it, that big 117ci M8 engine was happy to let loose and shove me back in my seat – when I had traction control turned off. Herein lies my first qualm. The TC is overly sensitive. Despite being on dry pavement without any lean angle, aggressive acceleration is enough to trigger the electronic nannies. Following a hard launch and a clutchless upshift, opening the throttle again is met with a huge delay and the TC light on the dash flashing in your face. After a half-second or so, the power you originally requested starts to come on line. This happens in the first three gears. Fortunately you can hold down the TC button for a second or two and deactivate the system. With TC turned off, the hooligan fun can begin. Yes, this means you can get your rocks off doing rolling burnouts, but you can also accelerate with gusto in the first three gears and have the power delivery to the ground match the amount you’re twisting with your wrist. That black line on the ground was most definitely made with traction control turned off. And by a different rider. Cruising along the highways in Arizona, both bikes predictably provide a very similar riding experience – not surprising considering the main difference is where the fairings are mounted. But not only do I find the looks of the Road Glide more appealing, I also gravitated to its wind protection. Both fairings block plenty of wind from hitting my chest, but for my 5-foot, 8-inch frame, the Road Glide’s frame-mounted fairing moved more wind over my head whereas the Street Glide’s fork-mounted fairing seemed to direct more air towards it. In the Street’s defense, the position of the infotainment screen and gauges on the fork-mounted fairing were more within my line of sight. You need to cock your head down a smidge on the Road Glide to look at that stuff. Now, Wilcox, Arizona isn’t known for its twists and turns, but when Harley says this is a performance bagger with better ground clearance and more rear suspension travel, you can’t help but look for anything resembling a corner to find out if those claims are true. We already know the two Glides will scoot you (quickly) down the open road in relative comfort, but how do they handle? I know this isn’t saying much, but as you can see in some of the pictures here, I’m not dragging the floorboards. Sure I could have, but for the given speed to make the corner it really wasn’t necessary. To me, that in itself is a step in the right direction. Here’s where we get to my second and third qualms with the Glide STs, though. Adding more suspension travel to the rear is a great thing, no doubt. However, the benefit of added travel is to use up that stroke to absorb bumps in the road and give the rider a plusher ride. That’s not happening in this case. Maybe it’s just my 150 pounds not exerting enough static weight on the springs, but the spring rate feels a little too stiff for my tastes, as I could feel every little bump or jolt in the road through my feet, legs, and butt. Do Harley riders like this kind of thing? Does it get them as close to a hardtail without the full commitment? I don’t know. Could I have adjusted the preload to help? Sure, but the remote adjuster knob requires you pull off the left saddlebag to access it. Granted, Harley makes it fairly easy to pull the bag off, but simply making the remote adjuster a little longer and easier to get to could have also solved that problem. Still As American As Apple Pie Maybe I’m being too critical, but when a model is billed as having a performance slant to it, the doors have opened to a little more criticism. Nonetheless, don’t let that take away from the experience of the whole thing – that is cruising in relative comfort with a little muscle to back it up. Throw some clothes and a sandwich in the bags and you can get away for a nice weekend escape, too. Should the road present you with a few twists and turns, the two Glide STs are now better equipped to get you through them. Hell, if you’re heavier than I am then my perceived complaints may not be a problem at all for you. Harley-Davidson has caught flack in recent years for pandering to an aging customer base instead of attracting new blood. With bikes like the Pan America and Sportster S (and more yet to come), Harley is showing us it knows how to pivot and build motorcycles many of us, myself included, never expected it would. With the Street Glide and Road Glide STs, Harley is reminding us that it’s not done refining and perfecting its bread and butter. In Gear Helmet: Scorpion EXO-R1 Air Carbon Jacket: Alpinestars Oscar Bomber Airbag: Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 Gloves: Alpinestars Equinox OutDry Boots: Alpinestars Oscar Rayburn Specifications 2022 Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST 2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST MSRP Starts at $29,999 Starts at $29,999 Engine Milwaukee-Eight 117 Valves Pushrod-operated, overhead valves with hydraulic, self-adjusting lifters; four valves per cylinder Bore 4.075 in. (103.5 mm) Stroke 4.5 in. (114.3 mm) Displacement 117 cu in (1,923 cc) Compression Ratio 10.2:1 Horsepower 106 hp at 4750 rpm (claimed) Torque 127 lb-ft. at 3750 rpm (claimed) Fuel System Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) Air Cleaner Paper, washable Exhaust Dual, with crossover Lubrication System Pressurized, dry-sump with oil cooler Primary Drive Chain, 34/46 ratio Final Drive Belt, 32/68 ratio Clutch Pressurized, dry-sump with oil cooler Transmission 6-Speed Cruise Drive Frame Mild steel; tubular frame; two-piece stamped and welded backbone; cast and forged junctions; twin downtubes; bolt-on rear frame with forged fender supports; MIG welded. Swingarm Mild steel; two-piece drawn and welded section; forged junctions; MIG welded. Front Fork 49mm Dual Bending Valve. 4.6 inches of travel. Rear Shocks Premium standard height hand-adjustable rear suspension. 3.0 inches of travel. Front Wheel Bronze Prodigy Rear Wheel Bronze Prodigy Front Tire Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series, bias blackwall, 130/60B19 61H Rear Tire Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series, bias blackwall, BW 180/55B18 80H Front Brake 4-piston fixed front; dual 300 mm discs Rear Brake 4-piston fixed; 300 mm disc ABS Standard Lean Angle 32° left and 31°right Fuel Economy 41 mpg (5.7 l/100 km) (claimed) Lights (as per country regulation), Headlamp LED 40-watt, 1,060 lumen low beam, 60-watt, 1560 lumen high beam. Lights (as per country regulation), Tail/Stop 8W/28W Lights (as per country regulation), Front Signal Lights 8W/28W Lights, Rear Turn Signals 8W/28W Gauges Gauges styled to complement each vehicle. Display features odometer, trip A, trip B, range to empty and gear indicator; and larger tell-tale indicators. Electric Power Outlet Electric power accessory port in fairing GPS Boom! Box GTS audio system with GPS and touchscreen Length 94.7 in. (2,405 mm) 94.5 in. (2,400 mm) Overall Width 37.6 in. (955 mm) 37.8 in. (960 mm) Overall Height 52.2 in. (1,325 mm) 53.1 in. (1,350 mm) Seat Height 28.1 in. (715 mm) 28.0 in. (710 mm) Ground Clearance 5.5 in. (140 mm) 5.3 in. (135 mm) Fork Angle 29.25° Rake 26° Trail 6.7 in. (170 mm) Wheelbase 64 in. (1,625 mm) Fuel Capacity 6 gal. (22.7 l), 1 gallon reserve Oil Capacity (w/filter) 5.2 qt. (4.9 l) Curb Weight 842 lb. (382 kg), claimed 814 lb. (369 kg), claimed Warranty 24 months (unlimited mileage) Service Interval First 1,000 miles (1,600 km), every 5,000 miles (8,000 km) thereafter We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post 2022 Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST – First Ride appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

One thoughtful stop if you were traveling back in time 25 years, would be Rimini, Italy. You could pop into the Bimota workshop and tell Signores Bianchi, Morri, and Tamburini, NO, for the love of God, DON’T DO IT! IT’S NOT GONNA WORK!! You would’ve saved them and the whole motorcycling world a lot of grief. When the V Due finally arrived not long after this April, 1997 article, it was clearly not ready for prime time. The production version of the revolutionary two-stroke V-twin would barely run. After years in development and millions of lire spent, the entire run of motorcycles was recalled. While it was working through that fiasco, sponsor money Bimota had been counting on for its 2000 World Superbike effort failed to appear. Not long after that, bankruptcy beckoned. Doubly a shame, really, since Australian wild child Anthony Gobert won a Phillip Island WSBK race on the Bimota SB8. Bimota has, of course, bounced back, most recently with a little help from Kawasaki. Let’s hope the Kawasaki H2-powered Tesi works out better than the V Due. Bimota’s Ground Breaking, Two-Stroke Rocket By Colin MacKellar, Dutch Desk Apr. 24, 1997 This bike will have sport riders’ pulse rates racing into overload — before they even get into the saddle.Early next year a milestone will be written into the history books when series production starts on the first two-stroke motorcycle in more than 10 years to meet the EPA requirements of all 50 states in the USA, and anywhere else in the world for that matter. And what a motorcycle it will be. Bimota, the constructors of the most exclusive sport bikes in the world, will unleash their 500cc two-stroke V-twin, dressed to kill in full race-tech livery. This bike will have sport riders’ pulse rates racing into overload — before they even get into the saddle. The Due will obviously be competing for the title of Ultimate Sports Machine. Bimota has spent over six years developing this wonderful piece of machinery, not surprising since the R&D department has never had more than single figure staffing levels. Traditionally Bimota has borrowed powerplants from their Far Eastern industrial colleagues and wrapped them in exquisitely crafted frames and bodywork. Recent Bimota models have seen increasing applications of fuel injection to the engines, and this has served as the proving ground for the development of the Direct Injected two-stroke engine. With their roots in racing, Bimota initially hoped to develop the engine for use in GPs, encouraged by the debate within the sport early in the decade about banning 4-cylinder configurations. Fortunately for all of us, the level of investment to develop a complete new bike for GP racing forced a change of direction that resulted in the imminent arrival of the street machine. The Due will obviously be competing for the title of Ultimate Sports Machine. Interest in two-stroke power plants has been widespread within the motorcycle and auto industry for the last 10 years, sparked by the development of a new breed of fuel injectors by the Australian company Orbital. The new system provided a granularity of fuel atomization that made their application in a two-stroke engine a practicality. Two-strokes are of interest to the automotive industry due to their simplicity and high power-to-weight ratio – if only they weren’t so dirty and fuel inefficient. Both these phenomena are caused by the two-stroke principle of using fresh, fuel-rich intake air to clean or scavenge the cylinder of exhaust gases. The tuned exhaust systems try and prevent much of this charge from escaping out of the cylinder with the exhaust gases, but a lot still does. With direct injected fuel, this is no longer a problem as air can be used to expel the exhaust gas, and the injectors only fire at the moment the exhaust ports have closed. Result is nice clean exhausts, free of unburned hydrocarbons, and un-polluted clean fresh charge waiting for the big bang of the next ignition pulse. Two-stroke heaven.Bimota has a simple slogan they claim is at the heart of all their R&D work — Tecnologia dell’Emozione.Too good to be true, right? Well, just a little. Honda tried some fuel injection on their NSR500 GP machine during 1993, but it was dropped after that season. Surprisingly they chose to inject into the crankcase in a straight emulation of the operation of a carburetor, and as a result found similar performance to a carburetor. This could have been forced on them by the very short time that is available for fuel atomization in an engine turning at 13,000 rpm. Uneven or incomplete atomization would result in uneven or incomplete ignition and lower top power output. The Bimota Due has quoted maximum power develop at 9000 rpm and the difference in engine speed may be just enough to eliminate this problem. Interestingly, the new Honda NSR500 V-twin racer delivers its maximum power of 135 bhp at 10,250 rpm, pumping AVgas through conventional carburetors. Talking to the Bimota staff at the recent IFMA show in Cologne, they made it clear they wanted to start production as soon as possible, and were hoping for an initial production run of 500 units. The exact configuration of the fuel injection system is not yet known for the Bimota, but it seems that they have chosen to scavenge the exhaust gases by pumping fresh air through the crankcase and the conventional two-stroke transfer ports. Reed valves are still used to regulate the flow of air into the cylinder, each cylinder being supplied through a separate reed block. There are six transfer ports and three exhaust ports, a common configuration for contemporary two-strokes. The fuel injection system will be linked into an engine management system that checks many of the factors that influence the amount of fuel to be injected, including air temperature, water temperature, exhaust gas temperature and airbox pressure.Another major contribution to the clean exhaust of the Due is the use of the gearbox oil to lubricate the main bearings, rather than relying on the fuel/oil mist of regular two-strokes. Cylinder and crankshaft lubrication is still performed by two-stroke oil, flowing down small galleries into the guts of the engine. There is a two liter oil tank partition to the fuel tank that will need very infrequent topping up. The racing heritage of the machine is obvious, with a hydraulically-actuated dry clutch and 6-speed side-loading cassette gearbox that will come in handy if you want change your gearing for your favorite set of curves. The frame follows Bimota’s recent preference for oval profile alloy pipes, with an Ohlins rear shock and 46mm Paioli fully adjustable front forks. Carbon cans keep the exhaust note muted and carbon fiber is also used for the seat. Brembo discs, Antera alloy wheels and Michelin Hi-Sport radial tires complete the list of top range equipment. Talking to the Bimota staff at the recent IFMA show in Cologne, they made it clear they wanted to start production as soon as possible, and were hoping for an initial production run of 500 units. This may not seem like a lot, but when you consider that last year Bimota produced less than 1500 bikes, it represents a massive part of their operation. Further questioning revealed that the bike was quite literally not ready for the show until the last minute, and some inconsistencies between spec sheets suggest that it may not yet be ready for full production. On the other hand, now that the project has got as far as it has, Bimota will want to start production as soon as possible to start recouping the enormous investment they have made in the new engine technology.Bimota has a simple slogan they claim is at the heart of all their R&D work — Tecnologia dell’Emozione. In the 20 years since their first Kawasaki powered KB1 production bike, Bimota’s motorcycles have played havoc with the emotions of the world’s sport bike community. The 500cc Due proudly carries this tradition through to the closing years of the decade. Specifications: Engine Manufacturer: Bimota Model: 500 V due - 2 tempi Iniezone Elettronica Engine: Liquid-cooled, Two-stroke V-twin Bore x stroke: 72 x 61.25 mm Displacement: 499 cc Compression Ratio: 12:1 Carburation: Twin injectors Max power: 110 HP @ 9,000 rpm Max torque: 9 Kgm @ 8,000 rpm Chassis Frame: Aluminum alloy pipes with oval cross-section Wheelbase: 1340 mm Rake: 23° Trail: 89 mm Front Brake: Brembo double discs Rear Brake: single disc Wheels: 3.50x17 front - 5.50x17 rear Dimensions Max Length: 1940 mm Seat Height: 790 mm Fuel Capacity: 20 L Claimed dry Weight: <150 Kg The post Church of MO: 1997 Bimota 500 V Due appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

KTM is teasing a collaboration with German tuning house Brabus, with a new naked bike based on the 1290 Super Duke EVO. According to the teasers, 2022 Brabus 1300 R is due to be announced on Feb. 11, but the bike briefly popped up on KTM’s official website. Those pages were quickly taken down, but not before we were able to get our paws on the official details and images. Brabus, for those who are unfamiliar, is a high-performance automotive tuner, probably best known for its work on Mercedes-Benz cars. With the 1300 R, Brabus moves into the motorcycle space, with its take on the Super Duke EVO. Brabus gave the 1300 R a number of handcrafted components, plus nine-spoke forged wheels. New carbon fiber air intakes and a circular headlight give the Super Duke a new look, though the 1300 R’s front does give us a bit of a Ducati Diavel vibe. In addition to the intakes, Brabus equipped the 1300 R with a headlight shroud and tail all made from carbon fiber. The fuel tank also gets carbon fiber trim, though it offers the same 4.2-gallon capacity as the Super Duke EVO. The engine appears to be unchanged, with the 1301cc V-Twin claiming the same 180 hp and 103 lb-ft. as the Super Duke EVO, even with the two carbon intake snorkels replacing the Super Duke’s single ram air intake positioned in the headlight. The PASC slipper clutch and PANKL transmission from the Super Duke EVO also remain on the 1300 R. Brabus also equipped the bike with matt black ceramic-coated twin silencers designed to optimize back pressure. The trellis frame remains unchanged from the Super Duke, though the Brabus trades the KTM orange for black. The lightweight composite subframe is also similar, but the Brabus gets a thicker custom heated seat. The thicker seat helps contribute to the taller saddle height, measuring 33.2 inches compared to the Super Duke EVO’s 32.9 inches. The 1300 R shares a similar adjustable handlebar with the Super Duke EVO, but it receives new CNC-milled fully adjustable hand levers. The switchgear is unchanged, including the controls for navigating settings on the five-inch TFT display. The electronics package is similar to what is offered on the EVO. The Brabus 1300 R offers five ride modes, Rain, Street, Sport, Track, and Performance, each offering different levels of throttle control, traction control, stability control, motor slip regulation, and anti-wheelie function. A quickshifter and cruise control come standard, as does ABS including a Supermoto ABS mode. The Brabus 1300 R is equipped with a WP APEX 48 fork with electronically-controlled damping. The triple tree was specifically designed for the 1300 R, with KTM claiming precise handling and feel under hard braking. The WP APEX rear shock is also electronically-adjusted. Brembo provides the Stylema four-piston monoblock calipers. The front brakes also receive a carbon fiber cooling duct similar to the one used on the Super Duke RR. The Brabus 1300 R is equipped with adjustable CNC-milled aluminum footpegs. with The 2022 Brabus 1300R will be offered in Magma Red or Signature Black. Only 77 units of each color will be produced, a nod to Brabus being formed in 1977. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post KTM Super Duke EVO-Based 2022 Brabus 1300 R Leaks Ahead of Official Reveal appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

C’mon, you knew it was going to happen. How could we not put the newcomer to the ADV scene head-to-head with the long standing heavyweight from the Fatherland? Our comparison of the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special and BMW R 1250 GS kicks off a series of monthly two-bike tests for 2022. Look out for a new scorchin’ comparison from MO every month. Spanning the smorgasbord of genres, your favorite kooky MO characters will ride, review, and bicker about some of the spiciest meatballs on the market today. To kick things off though, America versus Germany! With COVID still rearing its ugly peplomers, travel to far-off lands remains on hold for most of us. But that doesn’t mean your raging wanderlust must be shamefully tucked into your proverbial waistband. No. Let your passion loose! There are, no doubt, exciting opportunities to be had locally, too! BMW R 1250 GS vs Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special This comparison ended up closer than we thought with each machine’s attributes shining through the dust. The BMW R 1250 GS excelled with a level of fit, finish, and refinement that can only come from decades of experience while the Pan America came out punching from Harley-Davidson showing that you can’t write the Motor Co. off, even when delivering something entirely out of their wheelhouse. BMW R 1250 GS + Highs An unmatched level of refinement Quick confident handling on-road Stonkin’ mid-range power – Sighs Vague front end feel at the handlebar Not as much electronic adjustment as the H-D Suspension can feel unbalanced off-road as speeds increase Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special + Highs Rowdy new engine Confidence inspiring off-road Touring comfort on par with the class – Sighs The handlebar position is somewhat off Slow steering First year bobbles do exist During the planning stage for our test, a quick search of options for adventure riding Stateside in January confirmed our heading. Toward the shadows of the Valley of Death we would go. Death Valley is a spectacular place to explore in the winter as it’s one of the few times of year the mercury isn’t bubbling up near 120º F. It also helps that your MO crew of miscreants happen to be about four hours from said valley. With 3,000 square-miles of terra stretching from nearly 300-feet below sea-level to more than 11,000-feet skyward, we were sure to find terrain to test the limits of our machine’s capabilities, if not, our own. Pitting the Pan America and R 1250 GS head-to-head made the most sense to us. Using the longest running, most established modern adventure touring motorcycle as the standard, we wanted to see how the new Harley-Davidson truly stacked up. There’s no doubt in our mind that H-D delivered a home run straight out of the gate with the Pan America, but measuring it side-by-side and back-to-back with the BMW would truly show whether or not the $20,000 American-made ADV has truly earned its stripes. 2019 BMW R1250 GS/ R1250 GS Adventure First Ride Review 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special Review – First Ride Spanning America On The Pan America  Our test began as many trips do, getting up early and getting the hell outta Dodge. Once we had about 200 miles of slab done and dusted, our time on the interstate was behind us, and the immediate need for spit-roasted lamb meat breakfast burritos was imminent. Greek breakfast burritos for my men, 91 for our horses. At this point, had either machine returned an unfavorable review from a few hours of freeway cruising, we might as well have stopped the test right there. It is, arguably, the most essential aspect these bikes should excel at. As expected, neither machine disappointed. On the BMW, switching the ride mode to Road offers a more cush experience as the suspension settings are preset to the GS’s ride modes. Having the ability to alter the bike’s character between sport, off-road, and touring on both bikes broadens their usefulness in a variety of ways – another reason adventure motorcycles can be considered the Swiss army knife of two wheels. As tested, our BMW was equipped with seven ride modes. The first four: Dynamic, Dynamic Pro, Enduro, and Enduro Pro are optional, while Road, Rain, and Eco come standard. Ride modes ending in “Pro” allow additional adjustment of throttle response, traction control, and ABS. The Pan America Special also comes equipped with seven ride modes. From H-D we have Rain, Road, Sport, Off-road/Plus, and Custom A for base models with Custom Off-road/Plus and Custom B reserved for Special models. Harley’s customizable modes let the rider alter engine map, engine braking, throttle response, traction control, ABS, suspension damping, and adaptive ride height settings, giving it a fair amount more customization than the BMW in this regard. If you’ve been around for a while, you might remember our guest tester John Nave. John first joined our merry band of misfits in 2018 for our Big-Bore Adventure Touring Shootout. The day that test published, we received a picture from John confirming that his mind had been made up during our test and that he’d gone home and purchased a 2018 BMW R 1200 GSA. A few years down the road, John is still rippin’ on that Beemer, which made him an excellent resource to invite back for this comparison. John’s perspective would provide unique insight between the two machines. Since Mr. Nave has spent plenty of time on the GS platform, I thought he’d appreciate getting to start this test with a little taste of Freedom. While my first road impressions were lauding the GS on its comfort, John couldn’t help but be enamored with the MoCo’s new mill: “With my initial seat time being 150 miles of highway on the Pan America, it was a great first opportunity to get a read on the new Revolution Max 1250 motor. It is a great engine – plenty of power down low with 70ish lb-ft of torque available at 3,000 rpm, with a real rush around 5,000. From there on, it is grin time.” Funny, I had the same smile splattered across my face after I first twisted the tail of the Pan America, too. “After nearly four years on my ’18 GSA, I’ve got a good handle on all of the available information within BMW’s great TFT dash – the landing site for almost as much selectivity as the Pan America,” mentioned John, “The new generation BMW menu allows for ideal toggling between screens and ride modes. Dynamic Pro and Enduro Pro modes were almost exclusively used for this ride.” After describing the Rev Max engine as sporty – particularly so compared to the BMW 1250 Shiftcam mill – I made some folks question their moto sensibilities. Those perplexed souls of course expected the HD mill to deliver the same low- to mid-range power that has come to be the norm from of big American V-Twins. The fact is, the Revolution Max spins up quicker and further than the BMW’s engine and makes 16 more hp at its peak, which is 8,800 rpm – that’s more than 1,000 rpm after the GS has already signed off. Of course, that’s not the whole story. Harley-Davidson’s new Revolution Max engine is a thoroughly modern mill with variable valve timing, hydraulic valve lash adjusters, DOHC valve train design, lightweight magnesium covers, and more which all culminate in giving the Pan America the performance needed to duke it out with the rest of the open-class ADV world. The BMW not only bests the Harley with 10 more lb-ft of peak torque, it also carries that lead from just under 4,000 rpm to 7,500. After the GS has kicked sand in the HD’s mid-range, it goes one further by stealing its girl, carrying approximately 10 more horsepower through the same rpm span. Oof. BMW’s Shiftcam engine uses a single intake camshaft with two cams per valve with an actuator sliding the camshaft laterally to select which set of cams is in use. The smaller cam provides improved fuel consumption and refinement at low revs while the other larger cam delivers maximum valve lift for optimal performance at higher engine speeds. The Pan America’s dyno chart isn’t unimpressive, except for the midday lull in torque. On the HD you’ve nearly reached peak pushing power already at 4,000 rpm and the horses continue a nice trajectory skyward, too. With the BMW, its mid-range is just stonkin’, and the thrust at which the Shiftcam motor accelerates the 572-pound Bavarian is a hoot while planted in its saddle. The BMW’s mid-range puts gobs of power right where it’s most useful. Interestingly, the two peaks seen here in the 1250’s mid-range is likely showing the two different cams being used in BMW’s Shiftcam engine. Even the BMW owner was impressed by this latest GS mill: “I have 25k miles on a 1200 GSA. To me, the 1250 has more oomph everywhere. This bike’s motor is strong. The telling tale was the several roll-on ‘drag races’ we had in fourth and sixth gear where the BMW beat the Pan. It wasn’t until more of a real drag race (still rolling) in 1st gear from 10 mph that the Pan Am won handily, which may have been due to operator input. “The new Shift-Cam motor is a definite improvement over the recent-gen liquid-cooled 1200 motor in my bike. With the bottom end power of the new motor, it feels like the bike can carry a higher gear through really tight stuff on the road or dirt. It’s smoother to lug the motor. Mid- and top-end power is also really satisfying. During one good rip it surprised me when I looked down to see 130 mph.” Properly fueled up, we set off down the smaller, lesser traveled strips of tarmac reaching deep into the heart of the Valley. Over our Cardos, John and I discussed how pleasant touring on each machine was. We are basically the same size, so our thoughts on the ergonomics of each bike were pretty consistent. We both heavily praised the BMW for its near perfectly neutral rider triangle. It managed to be great on road and, somehow, nearly perfect while standing off-road. It’s almost as if they’ve been working at it for 40 or so years. Having many miles on his own GS, John already had an idea of changes he would make: “Maybe it’s my dimensions, but the GSs have always fit me well, whether with the factory low option from BMW or this standard bike with the seat set in the lower position. The handlebar provides excellent comfort for hours on road while being close to ideal for off-road use, too. Being able to quickly adjust the bars slightly higher for off-road riding with something like Wunderlich’s Handlebar Quick-Adjust would be an ideal setup for me (and will likely be my next upgrade).” The Harley comes close in the ergonomic round of this fight, but falls short to the Beemer by unanimous decision. Really, it’s the handlebar that becomes the chink in the H-D’s armor, and it only becomes more apparent when jumping between the two bikes throughout the day. For 5’8” John and I, the Pan Am’s handlebar is just a hair too far forward. It puts riders our size in a slightly canted forward position, after hours of riding, that can get old. Or if you’re like us and do a bazillion u-turns per day, the fact that your outside arm is so outstretched you can barely reach the grip at full lock, well, that can get old too. Larger riders may find the Pan Am’s cockpit more accommodating. Conversely, the Pan America’s rider triangle while standing is almost spot-on. John expressed some concern over the angle and asked if I had tried rotating the bars back, which I did as much as possible during my trip across the country, but it still didn’t alleviate the issues entirely. If I owned the bike, I would be looking at some combination of aftermarket risers and handlebars to get it right for me. Thankfully, with cruise control, you’re able to move around and stretch out a bit during long days in the saddle. “The fact that there are 26 different buttons on the PA’s handlebar points to a selection cafeteria, but at the same time, it feels daunting to the less tech inclined like me. And why aren’t they backlighting handlebar controls? Neither bike offers it.” Good question, Mr. Nave. Peeling off the dark desert highway, we stayed in a small oasis town. In the morning, we were greeted to a cool breeze in our hair and temps that had plummeted overnight. Thankfully for us, the Crowbar saloon was serving up hot coffee and breakfast just across the street. Pretty soon, the warm smell of cotija was rising up through the air. Next up was a bit more highway, a visit to a long forgotten ghost town, and then, finally, a chance to put our knobs to good use. Both the HD and BMW came with Michelin Anakee Wilds mounted to their 19/17-inch tubeless wheels as factory options. I’m a big fan of these tires for their traction both on road and off. After 900 miles or so on these big bikes, they still looked pretty good, but I have yet to run a set all the way out to be able to speak to their longevity. Harley-Davidson opted to use a chain final drive system opposed to the BMW’s shaft drive. “I’ve run TKC80s in the past and I was pleased with how great of a 50/50 tire the Michelin Anakee Wilds were,” proclaimed John N. “What a great tire for this test. Good on-road manners and handling with low noise. Off-road, they offered great traction on hard-pack as well as sand and gravel.” And it’s a good thing because that was exactly the terrain that lay ahead. Titus Canyon isn’t a particularly challenging route – we were reminded of that by the minivans, campers, and other vehicles encountered along the way – but it does offer some spectacular scenery and is flanked by two stretches of highway. So, while you are kind of out in the middle of nowhere, chances are you won’t end up totally stranded. Not that you shouldn’t be well prepared anyway! Blazing down hardpack and gravel roads, both bikes again, handled the situation competently. Similar to our pavement pounding, this is another area even a large adventure bike should be able to handle, and they did. Even pushing the pace, both bikes remained composed, though the BMW’s suspension wasn’t quite keeping up with the Joneses as speeds increased. The 1250 GS’s suspension is unique in the world of motorcycling, mainly its telelever front end. BMW says it uses this system to separate the two functions of the front wheel’s alignment and damping/suspension action. It does this by using a smaller diameter fork with a shock absorber like the one found out back attached to the frame via a telelever arm. This results in a firm, planted feel with very little dive under hard braking. Our GS is also equipped with BMW’s semi-active Dynamic ESA, which uses electronic actuators to adjust damping. Most of the suspension settings are tied to the ride modes. Between the two bikes, the BMW’s headlamp shone brighter during our night ride. Both feature adaptive headlamps that light up corners as you bend the motorcycle into turns. Despite having the BMW set to Enduro Pro mode nearly all my time off-road, it seemed to have a hard time keeping up. Or rather, I felt that I was being abusive when I pulled its tail. The telelever front end that I’d been quite happy with on the road, whether on long straight sections or twistier bits of tarmac, felt incredibly vague off-road. The rear shock seemed to pogo when speeds ramped up, as well. Those two issues combined made the bike feel like it was having an identity crisis. The GS just didn’t feel confidence-inspiring when riding off-road quickly. John echoed my sentiment about front end feel but admitted that he was fine with the BMW’s default suspension settings. The BMW handles lower speeds off-road just fine, and maybe that’s by design. If you’re going to rely on your bike getting you through Mongolia, you’re probably not going to be drifting through every corner and pinning it toward the next one. The BMW R 1250 GS’s low speed manners continually impressed. In some tighter, lower speed riding, the immense flywheel weight, excellent throttle response, and superb overall balance made technical maneuvers off-road on the BMW impossibly easy. Astonishing, really. Those same situations on the HD would require a lot more clutch use and/or momentum to navigate. Both engine configurations do an excellent job of putting power to the ground though, making it easy to modulate wheel spin with traction control completely off. As far as suspension goes, John and I both agreed the Harley-Davidson’s electronic Showa components seemed to offer better control in most situations, but particularly off-road. “When the dirt transitioned from easy to challenging, the custom engine and suspension settings Ryan chose (we both actively ride off-road on our own time) worked quite well,” admitted John. “At times the PA felt a little more ponderous than the GS, but maybe that’s a consequence of my seat time on the GSA.” Both bikes can feel ponderous in the deep stuff thanks to the 19-inch front wheel, but I always had a better idea of what it was doing on the Pan America – likely due to the traditional fork. To John’s point about settings, the Pan America offers considerably more adjustment throughout, as mentioned earlier, giving it more options to adapt to changing terrain. At one point during our night ride through the Panamints, John mentioned that he didn’t feel beat up and tired like he might after a dirtbike ride. Another plus for adventure bikes, if you’re thoughtful off-road, the softer suspension settings soak up most of the jarring bumps before they ever find their way to the rider, making a trip down a long rocky road less fatiguing than it might be on smaller bikes with stiffer suspenders. Finding the balance of performance and comfort are what these bikes are designed to do. Being used to BMW’s telelever front suspension, it shocked John just how much the Pan America’s fork would dive under braking, “Riding the Pan America in the dark, I was stunned with how dramatically one loses headlight range when braking due to fork dive. Under hard braking the headlight would only reach 30 or 40 feet past the front tire.” He did go on to mention that the adaptive cornering light on the Harley was really nice during our nighttime sprint. In addition to having loads of adjustment to the ride characteristics, the Harley-Davidson Pan America has a few more tricks up its fork legs. The PA’s Adaptive Ride Height feature, which lowers the bike one to two inches as it comes to a stop, is a game changer for riders who aren’t comfortable on a 580-pound motorcycle with a sky-high seat height. That’s why it earned MO’s Best Technology award for 2021. Really though, the Pan Am’s seat is actually already quite low for the category at 31.1 inches in the lower position, making it one of the most accessible ADV bikes in that regard. “The Harley’s broad range of engine tuning settings and Showa’s semi-active suspension settings are very good. It must be said though, I’m grateful for the Adaptive Ride Height feature. Like Ryan, I’m 5’8” and technology like Harley’s ARH in the dirt is a game changer. At red lights, it’s just nice to have.” The fact that ARH can be disabled is also helpful if you find yourself in terrain where you need all the ground clearance you can get. We never found the need to disable it during our trip, but most of our off-roading was relatively tame. The other standout feature for the HD is its hydraulic valve-lash adjusters which, in theory, mean expensive valve jobs are a thing of the past. John also made a note of it, “Not needing to adjust valves is a big plus and with BMW service costs, perhaps there’s potential for lower cost of ownership with the HD.” Excellent observation, my man! The GS’s Brembo brakes were preferred between the two, delivering excellent stopping power on-road without much fork dive thanks to the telelever front suspension. Continuing with the tech trend, both bikes use linked braking systems that incorporate IMU-based ABS for their on-road ride modes. In off-road modes, both machines keep the front wheel ABS on, but with lower intervention. Rear ABS is backed off in certain modes, and both bikes allow for rear ABS to be completely disabled if desired. For me, on these two bikes, I preferred to keep ABS and TC off during our time in the dirt – especially in the deeper sand and gravel just before Titus Canyon spits you out into the valley below. All of this cutting-edge tech, performance, and touring comfort comes at a price – $23k to $24k to be exact. Actually, if you were to forgo the Option 719 bling equipped to our 1250 GS, our two machines would be within $300 of each other. It’s pretty clear that we weren’t the only ones to use the BMW R 1250 GS as the standard. Done and dusty This was an extremely close comparison for me – as is evident in the scorecard. Both machines excel at their intended purpose, while still going about them in their own way. The BMW’s level of fit and finish is unparalleled. The Harley-Davidson’s myriad of adjustments allow it to perform adeptly in a variety of situations. Both machines are comfortable steeds to pound out miles. The sum of the GS’s parts and, in particular, its heavy flywheel, make slow-speed maneuvering on such a heavy bike incredibly easy. In more open environments off-road, the Pan America is an absolute blast to rip on, delivering confidence-inspiring stability even as the speeds reach triple digits. At the end of this test, it was apparent that each of these bikes could appeal to two different riders. BMW’s thoughtful, composed, and well-engineered GS is excellent for more mature riders looking to explore at a thoughtful pace. H-D’s Pan America is in its element blasting down gravel roads or with its throttle twisted to the max through a set of curves as its Revolution Max engine roars toward its redline. Very German and American machines, indeed. It can’t be overlooked that the R 1250 GS carries with it a level of refinement that the Pan America simply does not have. The Bavarians have had more time to get things figured out, of course. The Pan America does seem to have some teething issues, from chintzy hardware in some cases, to hard starting issues, and oil leaks all of which we’ve experienced first hand and can be found being discussed in Pan America forums across the interwebs. Not to downplay those issues, but for a first generation motorcycle so far removed from the Motor Co’s core competencies, it really is to be expected. We’ll hope to see these issues addressed on later models. When it came down to the scorecard for John and I, the BMW came out on top. Even as we sat on granite boulders in Alabama Hills with the sun slipping away behind Mt. Whitney in the background, I couldn’t decide on a winner. It wasn’t quite as close for John, he had made his decision to stick with the R 1250 GS as the winner. After we had been home with more time to ruminate on our experiences, the BMW eked out a score just 2.5% higher than the Harley for John’s subjective scores, and only 0.83% ahead on my own. This produced grand totals of 92.27% for the R 1250 GS and 91.14% for the Pan America. Whew! I’m going to need a cigarette after that one. It just goes to show that the sum of the BMW’s parts ever so slightly still put the big Bavarian on top stop, though it might be time for BMW to start thinking about how it can stretch that gap. In Gear Helmet: Shoei Hornet X2 Communicator Cardo Packtalk Bold Jacket: REV’IT! Sand 4 Gloves: REV’IT! Sand 4 Pants: REV’IT! Sand 4 Luggage: Harley-Davidson Adventure Duffel Bag Boots: Sidi Atojo In Gear Helmet: Shoei Hornet X2 Communicator Cardo Packtalk Bold Suit: Aerostich R-3 Gloves: Alpinestars Celer Luggage: Kriega US-30 Drypack Boots: Alpinestars Corozal Scorecard BMW R 1250 GS Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special Price 94.7% 100% Weight 100% 98.6% lb/hp 88.7% 100% lb/lb-ft 100% 86.8% Total Objective Scores 96.3% 97.4% Engine 92.5% 91.5% Transmission/Clutch 91.3% 83.8% Handling 88.8% 88.8% Brakes 91.3% 85.0% Suspension 87.5% 92.5% Technologies 93.8% 92.5% Instruments 91.3% 87.5% Ergonomics/Comfort 95.0% 90.0% Quality, Fit & Finish 95.0% 87.5% Cool Factor 87.5% 91.3% Grin Factor 88.8% 93.8% John’s Subjective Scores 92.5% 90.0% Ryan’s Subjective Scores 90.0% 89.2% Overall Score 92.3% 91.1% Specifications BMW R 1250 GS Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special Price, As Tested $23,890 $22,613 Engine Air/liquid-cooled four stroke flat twin engine, double overhead camshaft, one balance shaft and variable engine timing system BMW ShiftCam. Revolution Max 1250; Chain-driven, DOHC, hydraulic self-adjusting lifters, intake & exhaust VVT; four valves per cylinder. Horsepower (measured) 108.4 hp @ 7,700 rpm 124.6 hp @ 8,800 rpm Torque (measured) 86.6 lb-ft @ 6,400 rpm 76.8 lb-ft @ 6,700 rpm Bore x Stroke 102.5 mm x 76 mm 105 mm x 72 mm Displacement 1,254 cc 76.3 cu in (1,252 cc) Compression Ratio 12.5 : 1 13.0:1 Fuel System Electronic intake manifold injection Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) Lubrication System Pressurized Wet Sump Horsepower 136 hp at 7750 rpm (claimed) 150 hp at 9000 rpm (claimed) Torque 105 lb-ft. at 6250 rpm (claimed) 94 lb-ft. at 6750 rpm (claimed) Final Drive Shaft drive Chain, 19/48 ratio Clutch Wet clutch with an anti-hopping function, hydraulic activation Mechanical, 8 plate wet, assist & slip, 1090N Transmission Constant mesh 6-speed gearbox with helical gear teeth 6-Speed Frame Two-section frame, front- and bolted on rear frame, load-bearing engine Stressed-member, high strength low alloy steel trellis frame; stamped, cast, and forged junctions; MIG welded; aluminum forged mid-structure Swingarm Cast aluminium single-sided swing arm One-piece cast aluminum Front Suspension BMW Motorrad Telelever; stanchion diameter 1.5″ (37 mm), central spring strut, Dynamic ESA, 7.5 inches of travel 47mm inverted fork with electronically adjustable semi-active damping control and Adjustable Right Height (ARH). Aluminum fork triple clamps. Rear Shocks BMW Motorrad Paralever, WAD spring strut, spring preload adjustable infinitely variable hydraulically by handwheel, rebound-stage damping adjustable, Dynamic ESA, 7.9 inches of travel Linkage-mounted monoshock with automatic electronic preload control and semi-active compression & rebound damping and Adjustable Ride Height (ARH) Front Brake Dual disc brake, floating brake discs, diameter 12.0″ (305 mm), 4-piston radial calipers Radially mounted, monoblock, 4-piston caliper, 320mm rotor Rear Brake Single disc brake, diameter 10.9″ (276 mm), double-piston floating caliper Floating, single piston caliper, 280mm rotor Front Wheel 19-inch spoked wheel (accessory) 19-inch spoked wheel (accessory) Rear Wheel 17-inch spoked wheel (accessory) 17-inch spoked wheel (accessory) ABS BMW Motorrad Integral ABS Pro (part-integral, slant-layer-optimized, link) Linked ABS (mode dependent) Tires Michelin Anakee Wilds Michelin Anakee Wilds Front Tire Size 120/70 R 19 120/70R19 60V Rear Tire Size 170/60 R 17 170/60R17 72V Rake / Trail 25.7° / 4.0 inches 25° / 4.3 inches Wheelbase 59.6 inches 62.2 inches Lights Full-LED headlight Daymaker Adaptive LED Headlamp with 6-segment LED banking lamp, LED tail lamp, LED bullet turn signals Fuel Capacity 5.2 gallons 5.6 gallons (1 gallon reserve) Instrumentation 6.5-inch TFT color display with connectivity 6.8 TFT display Length 86.9 inches 89.2 inches Overall Width 37.5 inches 38 inches Overall Height 56.3-58.7 inches 59.4 inches Seat Height, Unladen 33.5-34.3 inches 33.4 in. (850 mm), 32.7 in. (830 mm) with optional suspension Ground Clearance 8.3 in. (210 mm) Weight, As Tested 572 pounds 580 pounds MPG (measured) 40.7 mpg (average) 39.9 mpg (average) Warranty Up to 3 years/36,000 mile 24 months (unlimited mileage) We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post Showdown: BMW R 1250 GS vs Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

I rode in the desert for the first time in the spring of 1969. I was fourteen, and I owned a 100cc Bridgestone. Although I had spent some time on a friend’s Hodaka and had done some trail riding on a 50cc Suzuki, I wasn’t prepared for the experience. On the wrong bike, with the wrong tires, wearing the wrong gear, I fell and then fell some more, and hurt myself in places where I didn’t even know I had places. The guys leading the ride helped me pick up my bike and straighten out the things I’d bent. They gave me pointers, and said things I mostly didn’t understand, like, “Don’t get cross-rutted,” “You gotta steer with your feet,” and “When in doubt, throttle it out.” I felt clumsy and scared, humiliated by my lack of skills, and ashamed to be the guy at the back of the pack who was making a fool of himself and slowing everyone down. But I couldn’t wait to go back. Photo by Jim Cunningham. By summer, I was racing that Bridgestone. A year later, overcompensating, I bought a friend’s Maico 360cc. For the next couple of years I rode that beast in the desert and raced it at Baymare and Indian Dunes before switching to a more manageable CZ 250. I gradually added skills and upgraded my gear. Viking boots. Webco leathers. Bell helmet. Jofa mouthguard. Torsten Hallman gloves. When I fell down, it didn’t hurt as much. And I didn’t fall down as much. Within a year or so, I was a good rider. I wasn’t at the back of the pack. I was in the middle, or at the front. Friends and I spent long spring and fall days, and sometimes entire winter weekends, riding the Antelope Valley area that was known as Bean Canyon. We raced at Mammoth, and Pozo. We rode Cal City and Kennedy Meadows and all over Baja California. Gradually I became the guy who was watching out for the new guy. My little brother had taken up dirt bikes. I introduced a college roommate to riding. Then came the interregnum of career, marriage, parenthood, and building a home. My garage gradually emptied out, until there were no motorcycles at all. When I returned to the desert in my 40s, after more than 15 years away from the dirt, I often found myself riding with men who had not ridden since their teenage years, or who had never ridden off-road at all. I was the guy in front, helping the guy in back – picking up the bike, bandaging up the skinned elbow, advising on better protective gear, and saying stuff that probably didn’t make any sense. In my 50s, when I started riding adventure motorcycles, and taking them off-road, this continued. I met all kinds of riders who had KTM Adventure bikes or BMW R1200GSs, and they all said the same things: “I want to ride off-road but I don’t know where to go,” “I want to ride off-road, but I don’t have anyone to ride with,” or, “I want to ride off-road, but I don’t want to get killed doing it.” So again, I became the guy who was leading the newbies, showing them where to go, how to equip their bikes and how to ride them safely. But time marches on, and it marched all over me. I had hip replacements on both sides in the late 1990s. Then I had a series of spinal surgeries in the mid-2000s. Then, in quick succession, I separated my right shoulder in a fall, broke my left collarbone in a fall, had a third hip replacement (refurbishing the original one), and two violent hip dislocations. And two skin cancer surgeries. And two hand surgeries. And two eye surgeries. And a hernia surgery. Each one of these medical interventions kept me off the bike a while – and off the bicycle, the tennis court, and the snowboard – and required a period of rehab. Each time, I fought back and came back. But each time I came back a little weaker, a little warier, and a little more conscious of my own fragility. So now, I’m not the fastest guy anymore, or the strongest, or the youngest. I’m in the middle of the pack some of the time, or at the back of the pack. I’m not scared, and I’m not so clumsy, but I’ve slowed down. And I’m not enjoying the riding any less. One of my younger brothers (who rides) recently told one of my other brothers (who doesn’t) that for years he was scared that he was going to kill himself trying to keep up with me. Now, he said, he’s scared that I’m going to kill myself trying to keep up with everyone else. I’m lucky enough to be riding motorcycles on the road and in the desert in what is now my 53rd year on two wheels. This past year I did a six-day off-road tour of Iceland and a 3,000-mile solo ride from Anchorage to Portland, Oregon. This weekend I’ll be in the desert, riding trails I first rode in 1969. It’s surprising to me, still, that I find it exciting every single time. So I’ve come full circle, from the back of the pack to the front and back again. And this is just as it should be, the proper trajectory of a life of riding. I’m happy to ride sweep until the end of the trail. Photo by Chris Day. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post The Aging Rider appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

For the track portion of our 2021 Heavyweight Naked Bike Shootout, we tried a little experiment. As if there wasn’t enough going on during our track test with simply riding the bikes (and also trying on a bunch of different helmets), we also fitted a few AiM Solo2 lap timers/data loggers onto the bikes and let the boys rip. The Solo2 is a cool device because, beyond just recording lap times, the internal gyroscopes, accelerometers, and GPS can record speed, acceleration, deceleration, lean angles, and so much more. The goal here was to have a little fun and try our hands at collecting data. By no means am I an expert at reading the data (far from it), but I had assistance from a few friends to help make sense of it all. This handy device, the AiM Solo 2, is entirely self-contained, mounts easily to most motorcycles, and logs all kinds of information from your track session. It comes pre-programmed with hundreds of tracks from around the world – including Thunderhill – and if your track isn’t in its memory, it will learn it quickly thanks to its internal GPS. It’s all just a bunch of squiggly lines, but I’ll try to make sense of it. And in case your eyes hurt just looking at this, this is just a plot of the GPS speed trace. Note: Ken Hill, on the MV Agusta, is represented by the green line, Mark Miller’s BMW lap is represented by the orange line, and my lap aboard the Aprilia is shown in blue. Note also, the lines at the bottom of the graph are a comparison of all three laps. Since Ken went the quickest, his green line is used as the reference lap and remains straight. Mark’s lap (orange) and my lap (blue) are shown in comparison, dipping below the green line if we’re faster at that point in the lap, or above the green line if we’re slower at that point in the lap. I really wasn’t sure what to look for, honestly. Initially, the idea was to see if the data could back up our tester’s seat-of-the-pants feelings – or completely make liars out of us. What ended up happening was a little different. As it turned out, three testers – Mark Miller, Ken Hill, and Yours Truly – all recorded a 2:01.xx lap time, the fastest recorded lap times of the test (though not necessarily the fastest any of the seven bikes were capable of), all three separated by 0.5s. All three were on different bikes, too. Ken was the quickest on the MV Agusta (surprisingly), I was next on the Aprilia, 0.4s behind, and Mark did his time on the BMW, just 0.1s behind me! To help follow along at home, a track map of Thunderhill Raceway will be very useful. I recommend opening it in a separate window (or even a separate monitor, if possible) to make it easier to follow along. Image: Wiki Commons *An important note* With seven bikes to ride at a public trackday, we weren’t able to get clean, uninterrupted laps on all seven bikes. Hence why we couldn’t use lap times to rank the bikes in our finishing order. Nonetheless, we can still examine how these three riders, on three different bikes, got to the same place in three different ways. There are a dizzying amount of channels we can look at, but to keep things relatively simple, we’re primarily going to look at the recorded speed traces for each bike and rider through the 15 turns of Thunderhill’s East track and try to make sense of them. An interactive, 360º Google Street View image is included for each turn so you can follow along (ignore the cars). Click the image to move forward or backward, and click the compass icon to the right of the image to rotate the point of view a full 360 degrees. Turn 1  As mentioned above, the Google Street View images used throughout this story allow you to move forward or backward and rotate the view a full 360 degrees, so you can follow along through every inch of the corner. The approach for Turn 1 comes at the end of a long start/finish straight, where speeds can reach in excess of 150-plus mph. At the apex of Turn 1, Ken and Mark have similar slow points (as in the slowest point of the corner for the respective rider). Ken is at 76.4 mph, Mark is at 75.2 mph, and I’m at 78.5 mph. This sounds great for me initially, but I stay at 78 mph longer without getting any faster. Meanwhile, Ken and Mark are at their slow points for a moment before accelerating, quickly going faster than me by corner exit. Follow along from left to right, as this is an exploded view of the overall graph shown at the top of this article. The slowest point in the corner is the lowest point in the curve – in this case, where the three down arrows are pointed. These arrows also indicate the exact point each rider reached their slowest point. My arrow is in the middle, but you’ll see my blue line plateaus. Mark and Ken reach their slow points and then accelerate much sooner than I do (as indicated by the upward direction of the lines). To the right you’ll see up arrows. As you can guess, those are the fastest points for each rider in this particular sector. In the distance between T1 and T2, Mark, on the BMW, goes fastest. At his fastest point, he’s reached 113.1 mph, Ken’s at 111.1 mph, and I’m doing 105.7 mph but still accelerating. By the time Mark and Ken have already started their deceleration for T2, I’m still accelerating slightly. I reach my highest speed of 107.1 mph a tick later before starting my braking. Turn 2 Turn 2 is a long, nearly 180-degree left. Mark slows early and considerably for T2 (orange line just after left arrow), Ken slows next (green line), while he and I have nearly identical deceleration rates while carrying more speed. It’s possible Mark may have encountered traffic, or his lack of track knowledge (this was his first time at the track, though this was not his first lap obviously) may have led to his rapid deceleration. At the slowest point, all three are virtually identical at 64-66 mph (middle arrow). The data shows that by this point in the lap Ken is already 0.126s ahead of Mark and 0.077s in front of me. Mark accelerates sooner on the exit of T2 but doesn’t hold consistent throttle, based on the rise and fall of his speed trace. Ken and I accelerate later, but consistently. Nonetheless, Mark still finds a way to reach a higher peak speed before slowing for Turn 3 (right arrow), and he gets there before the rest of us. Mark’s sharp acceleration traces would indicate he’s not shy with his throttle hand. Turn 3 You may not be able to tell in the Street View image above, but the entry to Turn 3 is tricky, as it’s an off-camber right turn. You need to trail the brakes into it, but the off-camber nature of the pavement tests the limits of the front tire – and your bravery. As we saw from the T2 speed trace, Mark reaches his fastest point soonest, reaching 97.8 mph. But he more clearly goes from acceleration to decel, as shown by the sharp V shape as the speed trace goes up then down – indicating he’s more comfortable applying more brake pressure. Mark is trailbraking more rapidly than I am. I reach my fastest point approximately the same spot, 91.4 mph, but have a more gradual decline in speed, shown by my speed trace looking more like a U – meaning I’m tip-toeing, afraid to tuck the front on the brakes. Ken stays on the gas a few feet longer, but his max speed is 95.2 mph. Mark then finds his slowest part of T3 much sooner than myself or Ken (left arrow). Mark’s slow point is 58.1 mph, whereas at the same point I’m at 67.8 mph and Ken is doing 64.9 mph. A few feet later, Ken and I reach our slowest speeds (aka apexes), but Ken gets there faster than I do. By now, Mark has already started accelerating, reaching 60 mph while Ken is going 54.6 mph and I’m 57.4 mph. Turn 4 Turn 4 is a quick left kink before driving up a steep incline. All three of us are similar at the fastest point – 71-73 mph. But Mark brakes significantly more than me and Ken (left arrow below), reaching his slow point of 53.5 mph while I’m doing 63.4 mph and Ken is at 59.3 mph. At this point, I’m 0.059s faster than Ken, Mark is 0.271s slower. Crucially, Mark and Ken reach their slow point at roughly the same time while I’m still decelerating. By the time I reach my slowest point a few feet later we’re all about 62 mph and driving up the hill to the Cyclone, also known as Turn 5. I’m still 0.078s faster, Mark 0.327s slower. Mark’s speed trace continually shows a sharp rise in acceleration after his slowest points, which tells us he’s not shy about twisting the throttle. But it also shows us he’s become comfortable with traction control having his back, even if he doesn’t realize it. This sharp V from deceleration to acceleration shows up again as Mark gets an incredible drive up the hill on the BMW (orange line), reaching 84.3 mph at his fastest point. Ken’s drive on the MV Agusta is nearly as sharp, reaching 80.1 mph before they both have a more clearly defined moment of decel (right arrow). My acceleration on the Aprilia is noticeably weaker and shorter up the hill, though I stay on the gas just a tiny bit longer. But my 75 mph is nothing compared to those two. Maybe I was a gear high? Nonetheless, all three of us very clearly start slowing for the top of the Cyclone at about the same point. Turn 5 Much like Laguna Seca has the famous Corkscrew, Thunderhill has the (much less) famous Cyclone – a sharp left you enter blindly after climbing a steep incline, before dropping down a story or two through a slightly open radius right. Sound familiar? (Be sure to click the arrows to move the map forward and follow the cars up and over the Cyclone). Immediately coming down the hill (after middle arrow), Ken drives early before letting off (green line). Mark (orange line) is not far behind. I’m slowest accelerating down the hill (blue line), but I’m gradual and consistent. Mark gets on the gas hard, but we all eventually meet up at a slower part of the right turn (middle point between middle and right arrows). Turn 6 One of Thunderhill’s fastest sections is a series of open left turns. Turn 6 is the first of them, and though its entry coming from 5 is on the slower side (you need to brake slightly to get the bike pointed in the right direction), you want to get on the throttle as quickly as possible for the Turn 7 kink and the slight blip through Turn 8. This series of left turns will make or break a lap. Ken reaches his peak first before trailing off for the first left. At this point, Ken and Mark are similar at 88 mph and I’m at 82.3 mph. While Ken has started his deceleration, Mark keeps accelerating a little longer before sharply decelerating at 90.1 mph (Ken’s already slowing at 86.7 mph and I’m still accelerating a little bit to 86.2 mph). Overall at this point, I’m now 0.264s slower on the lap and Mark is 0.056 slower. Ken reaches his slowest point first, followed by Mark, then me (left arrow below). This marks our respective apexes for T6 (roughly where the white curbing starts in the Street View image above). By now another interesting trend starts to emerge: Ken is generally starting his deceleration before Mark and myself, applying the brakes lighter but for a longer period of time. The reason is because the MV Agusta he’s piloting has the most aggressive ABS intervention of the bikes in our test, and braking at a more natural point would cause nearly immediate triggering. On previous laps, I saw Ken run wide at a few points because he couldn’t get the bike slowed in time, ABS intervention being the annoying culprit. I later experienced it myself when I rode the bike. So, the solution was to brake earlier and lighter, avoid ABS cutoff, and let the MV’s chassis carry roll speed through the corner. Exiting Turn 6, where it’s critical to accelerate as soon as possible, once again Mark is able to exploit the power earlier and harder as we head towards the fastest section of the track. You’re carrying some lean angle here, too, so considering how sharp Mark’s acceleration curve looks, which indicates Mark is on the throttle hard and early, we have to assume traction control is stepping in to keep Mark from going into orbit. Ken is giving chase, only a couple mph off, and I’m starting to trail behind. Turn 7 You’re into or approaching the triple digits as you approach Turn 7, an open and fast left kink, shown above. At the fastest point before tipping in, I top out at 97.8 mph, but Mark reaches 103.8 mpg. Ken’s at 101.4 mph at this point but still accelerating. Ken rolls off a few feet later, at 105.7 mph, and brakes slightly. Mark is a rockstar through T7, carrying massive roll speed (104.1 mph). Both Ken (97.7 mph) and I (89.7 mph) are actively slowing, before Mark briefly taps the brakes, presumably to get the bike pointed where he wants. At the slowest point of T7 I’m far behind – 0.462s down on the lap and putting along at a comparatively slow 85 mph. Mark is actually faster than Ken by 0.262 at this point in the lap, carrying a massive 102.6 mph. Ken’s at 96.5 mph. At my slowest point in the corner, I’m 11 mph slower than Ken and 18 mph slower compared to Mark. There’s a bit of an anomaly here, as I’m not sure why I scrubbed off so much speed (blue line and the right arrow in the T6 graph). I don’t seem to be doing it on other laps, so my best guess is traffic or a botched shift. Turn 8 The approach to the slight left of Turn 8 is tricky because the entry to it is fast, and just when you think you can blast through there without much effort, you realize the turn actually tightens just a little. You need to tap the brakes a smidge to point the bike in the right direction before blasting up the incline towards Turn 9. Once again Mark has the most entry speed into the corner, reaching 115.4 mph, and is 0.330s faster than Ken at this point in the lap. Ken reaches his fastest point at nearly the exact same spot doing 113.4 mph, and I’m in the back at 106.8 mph but still accelerating (highlighted in the circle below). I’m 0.623s slower on the lap so far. I begin my braking a fraction later than they do, reaching a terminal speed of 110.1 mph. But at this point, all three of us have similar deceleration rates. Just as he’s quick on the throttle, Miller also reaches his slowest point of the corner sooner than anyone else. By the apex, Mark’s at 87.7 mph. A few feet later Ken slows to 88.0 mph, and a few feet later still I finally reach my slow point of 88.6 mph. But while I’m slowing down, Mark and Ken are already speeding up, driving out of the corner and up the hill with similar acceleration curves. I’m playing catch-up, trailing behind them by just a few miles per hour until we slow for Turn 9 (we all choose very similar braking marks, as shown in the peak of the curve in the right side of the circle), Ken reaches 121.8 mph, Mark 120.5 mph, and I reach 118.3 mph. Turn 9 You’re climbing an incline exiting Turn 8, turning left into 9 with the apex of the turn still slightly uphill. The summit of Turn 9 takes a slight veer to the left and is followed by a sharp drop. This means you’re approaching the summit without a view of what’s to come – all while managing a wheelie and trying not to run off the road to the right as the pavement shifts to the left. Once again, Mark’s braking from T8 to T9 is very clearly defined, as his acceleration line turns into a decel line very sharply. He also decelerates more than Ken and myself, reaching his slowest point/apex at 56.1 mph (low point of the orange line in the circle below). Ken’s doing 61.7 mph and has basically reached his slowest point, too. Meanwhile, I’m 63.6 mph and don’t reach my slowest speed of 61.1 mph until a few feet later – while Mark and Ken are well into their acceleration zones. Overall, Mark is still 0.086s faster on the lap and I’m 0.777s slower. Miller once again accelerates like a banshee coming up and over the hill and back down. My moment of glory comes at the end of the chute between T9 and T10, as I reach the fastest speed before the three of us start braking (blue line in the second peak in the circle above). I hit 128.4 mph, Ken hits 125.6 mph, and Mark reaches 124.1 mph before we brake. Ken yet again slowed early to avoid triggering the MV’s ABS. Turn 10 A slow left turn approached at a high rate of speed, Turn 10 is a little bigger than 90 degrees and tests a rider’s trail braking confidence. As we look inside the circle in the graph below, Mark again brakes the soonest, scrubs the most speed, and reaches his slowest point first, reaching 57.7 mph. Ken’s at 62.1 mph at this point and still slowing, reaching his slowest point (58.6 mph) a few feet later. Strangely, this is one of the few times Ken doesn’t brake early to avoid ABS kicking in. And yet again, I’m still slowing down, ultimately reaching my slow point of 61.0 mph a few feet later than Ken. However, by this point Miller is well into his acceleration phase and is at 62.7 mph at roughly the same point in the corner. This is the point in the overall lap time where Mark gives up the lead to Ken and never gets it back. The early braking and lowest apex speed combined with Ken braking later and reaching a faster apex speed was all it took for Ken to take the overall advantage. As noted above, Mark’s early brake point does have an advantage, as he’s able to accelerate sooner than the rest of us, though this time it doesn’t appear as Miller was as aggressive on the throttle as in previous corners. Still, at the fastest point in the short chute between T10 and T11, Mark’s reached an impressive 82.5 mph, as indicated by the orange peak in the circle above. Ken and I accelerate more sharply and brake slightly later, but can only muster 75 mph. Mark is again impressive with how defined and deliberate his braking is. It’s a trend he repeats on all the bikes, not just the BMW. Turn 11/12/13 Turn 11 is essentially a 90-degree left that leads to a quick right/left kink that are Turns 12 and 13. The Street View image above starts at approximately the apex of T11, looking down towards the right at T12 (where the cars are) and the left of T13 following it. The left for T11 doesn’t sound like much, especially since it’s one of the slowest corners on the track, but it’s very important to get it right as the trajectory you take leads to the long and fast back straight. All three of us reach our slowest point for T11 at roughly the same spot (lowest point within the circle below), doing around 40 mph. Exiting Turn 11 is tricky, as the shallow curbing directs you to keep turning left before flicking right for T12, but the curbing is so shallow – and there’s enough pavement (albeit rough pavement) beyond the curbing – that many people straight-line T12, and flick the bike left for T13 instead. Imagine the red car above pointed about 20º to the right instead of following the two cars in front. Ken and Mark get great drives exiting T11. We presume that because the MV lacks low-end torque, Ken is forced to open the throttle quickly and as far as he can to tap into the top-end horsepower. From there, Hill’s speed trace stays fairly linear through T12 and T13 (green line in the graph below). To be fair, Mark’s drive (orange line) out of T11 is a very close match to Ken, but his speed lifts very slightly through T12 and T13. My speed exiting T11 and bee-lining past T12 is about five miles per hour behind Mark and Ken, but I chalk it up to a mental block I have, not wanting to be full-stick while leaning the bike left for T13. Despite traction control having my back, I fear flicking the bike quickly on its side to the left while full throttle will bring up the revs quickly and cause the rear tire to spin – I’ve seen it happen before. The result wasn’t pretty. After T13, my acceleration curve picks up sharply. I’m clearly at full throttle. But it’s too little, too late, as Ken is already rocketing down the back straight, reaching a max speed of 137.2 mph before the bridge preceding Turn 14. Interestingly, Mark’s initial acceleration curve exiting T13 is fairly close to Ken’s, but as the two make a run down the back straight, Ken is simply out-pacing him. This could be a testament to the MV’s top-end power compared to the BMW which seemed to run out of steam at high rpm. In fact, my pace on the Tuono was nearly identical to Miller’s on the S1000R, but was also no match for Ken and the MV. Once again, Mark starts his deceleration earlier than Ken or myself, as denoted by the first of the orange triangles to the right of the graph. Ken follows shortly after, at a point I thought was a little early, but this was also the spot on a previous lap I saw Ken get entangled with the ABS and run wide. I brake the latest, reaching 135 mph before getting on the brakes. Turn 14 Turn 14 seems like an innocent right bend, but its apex is actually much later than it looks. Get there too early and you’ll be scrambling to adjust your line before Turn 15, killing your drive onto the start/finish straight. In fact, you’re well into T14 where the Street View image above is taken. The apex is roughly where the red car is (also note the ideal line for a car can be very different than a motorcycle). At the tight apex of T14 we’re braking from 137 mph down to 41.5 mph in Ken’s case. You can see the long deceleration zone in the left half of the graph below. Both Mark and I hit our slowest points a few feet later than Ken (shown by the orange triangles), but Mark slows to 43.4 mph while I’m about 4 mph faster at the same spot. The difference is that both Ken and Mark reach their slow points and stay there for a relatively short time before accelerating. While my slowest point is at a higher speed than theirs, I’m staying there longer before accelerating, by which point Mark and Ken are well into their acceleration phase and have surpassed me. Turn 15 Turn 15 is an open radius right turn leading onto the front straight. So, it’s important to get a good drive out of it. While all protagonists are accelerating out of T14 towards T15, using all of the pavement and the curbing, Mark checks up early, in what looks like a split second of coasting or neutral throttle, I assume to setup for T15. Both Ken and I keep accelerating, then let off the throttle for a second – approximately where the Street View image begins – to get direction and drive onto the front straight. This is shown in the circle in the T14 graph and the left circle in the graph below. Start/Finish Ultimately, I make my time back on Mark about 1/4 down the straight, before reaching my highest speed of 150.8 mph by approximately start/finish (right circle below). Ken hits 145.3 mph and Mark does 145.7 mph. Be sure to rotate the Street View image above to get a better idea just how long the front straight is. And there it is. A similar lap of Thunderhill Raceway’s East Track by three different riders on three different bikes: Ken on the MV Agusta, Mark on the BMW, and me on the Aprilia. What did we learn? Well, Mark seemed to have tremendous confidence opening the BMW’s throttle and using its brake lever. Ken used his extensive track knowledge, and confidence in the MV chassis, to keep it steady and cool en route to the quickest time, while I relied on the Aprilia’s punch and tried to brake later than the others to make a lap time. Ultimately, our styles all brought us to the same place. Could another bike have gone faster that day? Sure. But again, under these conditions, none of them did. The point here wasn’t so much to speculate how fast a bike could go, but to dissect how these three bikes and riders achieved the time they did. The post Data Mining: Three Riders, Similar Lap Times, Different Approaches appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

This V4 Pikes Peak version is the sporting Multistrada, says Ducati, getting back to the pavement performance of the original Pikes Peak via a beautiful set of 17-inch forged Marchesini wheels – the rear one spinning on a one-sided swingarm. The Marchesinis, Ducati says, remove fully 8.8 pounds of spinning, unsprung mass compared to the other Multis’ 19-/17-in. wheelsets. Apart from that and a few other electronic and ergonomic differences, the PP is pretty much the same Multistrada V4 as the base and S models. That’s in no way a bad thing, since the Multi V4 S was just named our Best Sport-Touring Motorcycle of 2021. 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Review – First Ride Compared to the Streetfighter V4 S that won the street part of our Heavyweight Nakeds comparison the other day, the Multistrada is almost soothing to ride. It’s about 60 pounds heavier than the Streetfighter, and its 1158 cc Granturismo V4 isn’t trying to send you into 14,000-rpm low orbit all the time. In fact, the big round digital tachometer says it’s game over at 10,500 rpm, right where Ducati says our max 170 horsepower resides (same as the base Multistrada and the S). You’re definitely riding a powerful motorcycle, but not a ridiculous one: The 1158 is torquey and tractable, in addition to revvable and lovable, and the PP gets a sweet Akrapovič muffler for just the right level of gruffness. Why not let’s ride out into an atmospheric river atop a 5800-foot mountain to get an idea how it all works? More details on the pixellated page from a few weeks ago, to be found here.  Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Video appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

The message came in from my favorite group of moto friends; there was a space in the upcoming three-day adventure to Death Valley and back. It would be all on dirt bikes, sort of: my KTM, one CRF250L and a pair of Africa Twins. Staging from Tehachapi, over the Sierra to Bishop, then up the White Mountains to Death Valley. This presented the perfect opportunity to test my new gear from the English company Adventure Spec. I first learned about Adventure Spec on my social media feed and had long admired the style and real-world testing of the little English manufacturer. When I was approached by the company to create technical Illustrations for an upcoming product line, I decided why not put the touch, er, get some firsthand experience with their gear? Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket & Mongolia Pants Cranking out nice gear and hard parts for smaller bikes in England since 2007, Adventure Spec’s motto is “Light is Right”. Aesthetics 9.75/10 Protection 9/10 Comfort 9.5/10 Value 9/10 Weight 9.5/10 Innovation 9.5/10 Quality 9.5/10 Options 9/10 Weather 9/10 Desirability 9/10 Editor Score: 92.75% + Highs Good looking, no? Great fit, lots of sizes Stretch fabric for flexibility – Sighs Euro zipper is on the wrong side Hope it sprinkles, doesn’t rain No pants-to-jacket attachment I secured a pair of Mongolia Trail Pants and a Linesman Jacket just in time. Both come with a full spread of Forcefield armor inserts. I left some in, took some out to my liking. The company’s slogan is “light is right.” All of Adventure Spec’s clothing is designed for lightweight adventure riding and built on the principle of layering: Only wear what you need when you need it. I prepped my trusty KTM 500 EXC with the Tusk Excursion Rackless Luggage system replete with duffel and gas bottle holders. This truly transformed what is essentially a dirt bike into an adventure machine. With tools, clothes, snacks and spares packed she was heavy but ready. Piute Mountain We headed out from Tehachapi following the famous railroad loop before heading into the forest, blasting up recent burn areas of the Piute Mountains toward Chimney Peak and the gateway to the Sierra. This was a beautiful ascent from desert to thick pines chasing the faster members of the group. We came upon a few poor souls in the forest on brand new Harley Pan Americas. Was that ice? No Bruce, just normal dirt: As we flew by them the rest of the grazing herd came into view waiting in the thicket. Must have been 35 of them. Who were they and what were they doing? Maybe three of them waved as we dirt-snorkeled past. Good luck and Godspeed! A few hours in the saddle with the Adventure Spec gear, and I could start to assess what’s going on here. Not only is this gear good looking, but it is also extremely rugged and comfortable. The morning started out super cold and was warming up, the jacket adapted with the change and kept me warm and cool at the same time if that makes any sense. Adventure Spec’s Linesman jacket is a windproof, breathable Kevlar reinforced soft-shell outer layer designed for trail and dual sport riding in mostly dry climates. Large rear vents, chest pockets with vented lining, rear zippered pockets and removable sleeves provide plenty of storage and cooling as needed. Forcefield Isolator Level 2 back, shoulder and elbow armor is included, and is easily removable; we’re certified CE EN17092 for motorcycle use. Light, comfortable, and refined, AS says the Linesman weighs just 914 grams, or 2 pounds. $389 Some places in Nevada allow you to open `er up (sorry for the rocks, Mark). The superstretch construction doesn’t bind my Sasquatchian upper torso area like many jackets I own. I wound up leaving the Linesman on the entire day, which was a first for me. I just adjusted vents to control my temperature, especially on the single-track cottonmouth, baby-head rock sections. Ditto the Mongolia Trail pants, which have super long leg vents that are easy to unzip when things heat up. We popped out onto Sherman Pass and 9 Canyon Road, dropping into the proper desert hitting the 395. We would gas up and take sections of the California Backcountry Discovery Route (CABDR), alternating east and west of the highway headed toward the night’s stop in Bishop. Through Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills, we found some nice technical bits skirting the base of the snow-capped Sierra, in view of the almighty Mount Whitney. With zero daylight or will to live left for some of us, thanks to the babyheads, we rolled into Bishop and our first room. No camping here folks, it’s showers and Bacon Burgers for all four of us. Day 1 was 274 miles, and so far so good – human, machine, and gear holding the line. No chafing or complaints of any kind. Day 2 was an insane pre-sunrise affair starting with a round of giant baby-diaper burritos at the not-to-be-missed Mahogany Meats. We headed from town immediately, snaking up the Silver Canyon trail and topping out at 10,400 feet, with great views of the valley and town of Bishop. Is that Alaska down there? On top, we went through a section of the ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, always a treat to see the oldest living things on earth. Rolling down the backside the route follows Silver Creek, with sections actually in the creek and maybe a dozen deep crossings. The gear did well and kept me super dry, though Adventure Spec says this stuff is more “splashproof” than waterproof. Certain sections were freezing cold and had me sweating at the same time – tricky conditions for any jacket, but I was loving the Linesman. Somewhere on the CADBR… Leaving the pine forests and abandoned mining camps of the White Mountains, we flowed through some single track in the Joshua Trees and slot canyons of the high desert before spilling into ever more flat, expansive sand vistas exiting California into Nevada. Next stop was the strange yet wonderful little ghost town of Gold Point. We were welcomed by the proprietor and had a nice rest in the eccentric old tavern while being entertained by the intrepid caretaker with stories of Jim Morrison in 1960s Venice Beach. Also a shout out to my excellent MotoZ tires. The Tractionator Enduro S/T has become my front tire of choice and a permanent fixture. I tried the new Tractionator RallZ in the rear. Big chunky knobs held up well in the mix of dirt and pavement. Leaving Gold Point, we descended into Death Valley, riding ever-increasing sandblasted whoops into the endless horizon. A few of them snuck up on me, launching my best-laid plans into the air Flying W style. Creeping in from behind, I have never been so happy to see the ghost town of Rhyolite, which meant we were getting close to our second night in Beatty, Nevada. Day 2 was only 150 miles but felt like three times that – a full day of intense, tiring riding. The Mongolia Trail pant is an over-the-boots deal designed for adventure, trail and dual-sport riding, made of tough 1000D ballistic nylon in the abrasion zones. Big, zippered thigh vents flow a lot of cooling air. Washable, heat-resistant knee fabric is claimed to outlast and outperform leather, and designed to fit over knee braces – or you can insert armor into the internal knee pocket. A ‘fit once’ ankle buckle ensures the lower legs stay closed. Weight – 1510 grams, says Adventure Spec, equals 52.4 ounces equals 3.3 pounds. Not bad. $385 The Adventure Spec gear felt like an old pair of slippers at this point, super comfortable. The pants go over the boot and have a set-it and forget-it buckle system: at first, I was unsure I needed that, but after taking a beating all day the pants hadn’t moved and felt great tucked over my new Alpinestars Tech 7s. An early night to bed was interrupted by my roommate Mark jumping up alarmed: “Jackasses are messing with our bikes!” Hmmm, so they were indeed. Real jackasses, the donkeys that roam free in the area, not the local ruffians. Day 3 would be the old favorites of Death Valley; a loop of Titus Canyon, The Volcanic Crater and a run out to Teakettle Junction and over Hunter Mountain. We were just ahead of bad weather the entire time and a big storm was about to hit. We knew we needed to get off this mountain or it would be ugly tonight in the coming snowstorm. Not sure if we were the last crew over Hunter but maybe close. We made it and headed back towards home. I experienced no issues with either machine or gear, while being super comfortable the entire time. I’ve been riding a long time, and the Mongolia Trail pants may be the best-made garment I have ever owned. You can feel they are substantial yet super roomy in fit. When I first got the Linesman jacket it almost looked too pretty to issue a beating upon. I did wear it for a few street bike rides and loved it. After our big three-day it still looked great and washed up perfectly. Removing the Forcefield armor is super easy. It’s so nice you could even wear it to dinner. How dressed up does a dirt bike rider really get? We come in peace for all mankind. Temps ranged from the low 30s to the 70s F, and the Adventure Spec gear dealt with all of it, keeping me mostly cool and relatively collected the entire time. There are no layers to deal with, but the design and fit of the jacket and pants means there’s room to layer up under or on top of as needed; Adventure Spec offers various options. I wear an Icon Field Armor Compression Shirt that fits perfectly under, as well as knee pads down below. I’m about 6’2″ and went with an XL jacket and 38 Long pants; those sizes are accurate and what I’m used to wearing. It’s too soon to say how the Linesman and Mongolia will hold up over the long run, but so far, I love this gear. A big thanks to Adventure Spec and the crew, Mark, Terry and Josh. I am currently prepping for the next trip and hope to report back in, may even get JB on one of these to see what he is made of. No doubt I need a proper Adventure bike for the long miles, but I’m not sure what I want just yet. Say, does anyone have a Tenere 700, KTM 890 Adventure, or Husqvarna Norden that needs testing? Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket Specifications Colors Gray/black Sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XXL, 3XL Weight (XL measured) 2 lbs (914 grams) Safety Standards CE EN17092 certified A Adventure Spec Mongolia Pants Specifications Colors Gray/black Sizes 28 – 42 in 2-inch increments; regular, short, tall Weight (XL measured) 3.3 lbs (1510 g) Safety Standards CE EN17092 certified AA Shop for the Linesman jacket here Shop for the Mongolia pants here FAQ Who makes Adventure Spec gear? Chris Colling and Dave Lomax, two Englishmen who had a chance meeting on a trail in Yorkshire, UK. They’ve been at it in since 2007. Is this gear waterproof? More like splashproof. Adventure Spec says its clothing takes its roots from the world of alpine mountaineering, where layering is used to adapt to conditions and reducing weight is key. Therefore, inner and outer layers are available, extra charge, to complement these outer shells. How durable is Adventure Spec gear? The jury is out, since Jim’s is the first we’ve seen of it, but it seems to be pretty tough so far. AS says its goal is to keep it light while retaining strength and durability, and that all its gear is designed to be easily repaired in the field for increased product life and reduced waste. Additional Resources MO Tested: Motoz Xtreme Hybrid / Xtreme Hybrid Gummy BFM Tires Review Whatever: Asses Over Teakettle Jim Hatch is a long-time MO contributor, who finally hit the big time on the cover of the current Road & Track with a new Ferrari SF90 hybrid. Remember, that’s Hatchillustrations for all your illustrious needs. We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post Jimmy Tested: Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket and Mongolia Pants appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

As I observed to my Ducati host just before we started up the mountain toward Idyllwild (elevation 5,800 feet) from Palm Desert, California (220 ft) – this is either going to be one of the greatest rides ever or one of the worst. Pity the poor new model launch planner: If it rains hard more than a few days a year around Palm Springs I’d be surprised. But logistics have to be laid out weeks ahead of time, and as the day for our ride drew nearer, the weather forecast for last Tuesday had evolved from 20% to 40% to 100% rain, to “atmospheric river.” 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Road rubber, 17-inch forged Marchesini wheels, radar jamming devices, and top-shelf everything make this Adventure bike a very serious sport-tourer. Editor Score: 93.25% Engine 19/20 Suspension 14.5/15 Transmission 9.25/10 Brakes 9.75/10 Instruments 4.75/5 Ergonomics 9/10 Appearance 9.5/10 Desirability 9.5/10 Value 8/10 + Highs Comfy and great weather protection Adaptive cruise control Great excuse to stay on the pavement – Sighs $30k, and seat and grip heat are optional? No espresso maker You should probably stay on the pavement I don’t think the heavy stuff is gonna come down for quite a while, Your Excellency. Sometimes riding in adverse conditions can be a hoot, sometimes it’s not. I guess it’s not my Aerostich Classic suit’s fault; I think you’re supposed to re-waterproof them now and then, but I never do. And I have a drawer-full of Pinlock visor inserts I didn’t bother to insert either. I did pack my Alpinestars Drystar waterproof boots and gloves! Oh, did you want to hear about the motorcycle? 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak First Look 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 Review First Ride This one’s the sporting Multistrada V4, says Ducati, getting back to the pavement performance of the original Pikes Peak via a beautiful set of 17-inch forged Marchesini wheels, the rear one spinning on a one-sided swingarm. The Marchesinis, Ducati says, remove fully 8.8 pounds of spinning, unsprung mass compared to the other Multis’ 19-/17-in. wheelsets. The Pikes Peak is pretty much the same Multistrada V4 as the other base and S models, but with those wheels and a few other important differences, including MotoGP-inspired graphics. That’s in no way a bad thing, since the Multi V4 S was just named our Best Sport-Touring Motorcycle of 2021. Once more into the breach In the morning, we dodged the liquid bullet on the lee side of the San Jacinto Mountains and got to ride the bike on some twisting mountain pavement. But even then, the sky was spitting a little precip, and it was tough to really trust the chilly pavement. Still, you could definitely feel the new PP’s sporting nature coming through. More committed ergos take the form of footpegs 10mm higher and rearward compared to the other Multis, with an 18mm narrower handlebar set lower and more forward. Even so, the riding position still felt pretty neutral to me, just about right in fact for my 5’8” bod. It was easy enough for me to touch the ball of one foot on the ground with the stock seat, but when our Ducati guy asked if I’d like to try the optional 20mm lower seat, why not? With it, I felt like I was sat down even more inside the bike – not a bad place to be given the threatening atmospheric conditions. The low and high seat options, I think we determined, are Ducati Performance pieces, and as such are pre-wired for heat. Oh! Can we plug it in and have some then? No, the dealer has to do that with his computer. Ditto for the grip heaters: There’s a button on the right switchgear for them, but no heat is forthcoming at this time. If the Duc had had a place for me to swipe my VISA card, I would’ve happily done so. (It does have a little cubby for your phone, with USB port, conveniently located right on top of the gas tank.) Feels smaller It’s not a tiny motorcycle at 527 pounds wet, but the light wheels and the backward-spinning crank make the Pikes Peak feel pretty quick in transitions. At the same time, we’ve increased trail from 4.0 to 4.7 inches compared to the other Multi V4s, and that single-sided swingarm is longer, bringing wheelbase from 61.7 to 62.8 inches. She’s nice and stable. Jake making hay while the sun shone. Even though it looks a little top-heavy, I have to agree with our ride leader Jake Zemke that it doesn’t feel that way; the PP is actually a few pounds lighter than the Kawasaki Z H2 I loved in our naked bike comparison. Compared to the Streetfighter V4 S that won the street part of that same Heavyweight Nakeds comparison the other day, the Multistrada is almost soothing to ride. It’s about 60 pounds heavier than the Streetfighter, and its 1158 cc Granturismo V4 isn’t trying to send you into 14,000-rpm low orbit all the time. In fact, the big round digital tachometer says it’s game over at 10,500 rpm, right where Ducati says our max 170 horsepower resides (same as the base Multistrada and the S). You’re definitely riding a powerful motorcycle, but not a ridiculous one: The 1158 is torquey and tractable, in addition to revvable and lovable, and the PP gets a sweet Akrapovič muffler for just the right level of gruffness. We’ve got plenty of brakes: 330mm discs and Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers are from the Multistrada V4 S, but with the more aggressive pads from the Panigale V4. Dialing up ABS level 1 deactivates rear ABS, pleasing Troy S. by “allowing the rear to drift under braking in sportier driving.” The only thing I can criticize is that the Multi PP’s improved quickshifter doesn’t shift quite as smoothly, up or down, as the one on the Streetfighter V4. Racey Race mode should be good in the event you need to take your PP on track: “Undoubtedly the sportiest ever adopted by a Multistrada… the system exploits an even more direct throttle response in High Power Mode. Ducati Traction Control and Ducati Wheelie Control operations are reduced to a minimum and the ABS is set to level 2, also allowing controlled lifting of the rear wheel and therefore getting the most out of the braking phase, even on the racetrack. The Race Riding Mode is undoubtedly the ideal choice for experienced riders who wish to exploit all the exclusive performance the Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak can offer.” For the Pikes Peak Multi, Race mode replaces Enduro. Race and Sport modes are definitely more frenetic than Touring, which I settled on when the rain started to become Deluginal, but which also felt steamy enough when it was mostly dry. Other press materials say Touring gives us the full 170-hp, but with smoother, less sharp throttle response. Öhlins Smart 2.0 The Pikes Peak departs from normal Multi V4 convention in its use of Öhlins latest Smart 2.0 suspension, which is what they refer to as an “event-based” system. It’s the same stuff used in the Panigale V4 S and Streetfighter V4 S. The other Multis’ Skyhook dampers are constantly measuring suspension stroke and speed, but the Smart 2.0 fork and shock also rely more on the bike’s IMU to know when you’re accelerating hard or braking hard or whatever, to also inform the damping. Ducati says it “automatically adjusts the setting according to the user’s riding style… the more the rider pushes to the limit the suspensions get stiffer.” The Smart system provides 6.7 inches wheel travel, front and rear; the Skyhook on the other Multis gives 6.7/7.1 in. Naturally, you can delve deeper with the buttons/joystick on the left switchgear to fine-tune damping to your liking, along with a lot of other parameters. If some of Ducati’s early efforts were difficult to decipher for those of us who fear the computer, the latest version couldn’t make it much easier to swap modes and things, and the big 6.5-inch TFT is like grandma’s big-dial telephone. Your highly readable 6.5” TFT dashboard can be set to six different languages and different angles via a knob. The Ducati Connect system allows the phone’s “mirroring” function to quickly check the phone book, answer incoming calls and listen to music. The Sygic GPS navigation app is supposed to project your map onto the screen, along with all the information to help you through your chosen route… Rain mode: Activate How ironic there is no Rain mode on this one. Urban’s the same thing I guess. I felt secure enough in Touring mode when the rain began to fall in earnest on our way up the mountain, watching the temperature indicator lose degrees by the mile. Down into the 40s, I was feeling surprisingly toasty inside my nice warm gear as my IMU processed its large Italian lunch. With Jake Zemke leading the pack and myself 5 or 6 bikes back, all I had to do was follow the taillights as the rain grew heavier. Say, maybe this vintage Ducati rain jacket I pulled from the closet is more of a windbreaker? Either way, it seemed to be channeling water into my crotch, as my undercarriage began feeling a bit soggy. Also, my fingers were starting to feel damp inside my Alpinestars Drystar gloves. Not cold yet, thanks to the bike’s handguards, but definitely damp. About that time, I don’t think I was breathing any harder, but my face shield was starting to fog a bit. Brake lights were still easy to see, but later a couple of guys told me they’d switched on their adaptive cruise control to maintain their distance to the bike ahead without having to use the throttle or brakes. Apparently it works in curves, too, if you’re close enough. Why not? Surely Jake Zemke knows the correct speed… I really didn’t want to open my Shoei’s face shield, as it was raining pretty damn hard and the temp gauge was reading 35 F, but I finally had to when I lost the pack and couldn’t see which way the curves were going anymore. Ahhh, much better. I still had my glasses to keep stinging raindrops out of my orbs, and the Multi’s nice adjustable windshield was doing a commendable job throwing most of the atmospheric river over my helmet even at 30 or 40 mph. I caught back up to Zemke and the lads, and right after that we got to Idyllwild and stopped in the rain. I think we’d decided to go up the mountain, and by we I don’t include me, because the weather report said the rain wasn’t going to turn to snow until 4 pm. Since it was already 2, and since stopping for coffee or a hot yoga session would’ve made it psychologically impossible to climb back onto the bikes afterward, we all laughed in the face of danger, hopped back on our watercraft, and set off over Highway 243 to get back down off the mountain ASAP. We still had to go up quite a bit before going down, because the temp gauge was soon reading 32 and it stayed there for probably half an hour before it read 33, for which I was elated since at least it was going in the right direction. Then it went back to 32 for a while. For a long time there, the wake of the back tire ahead of me looked like it was on the verge of transitioning from liquid to solid, like the tread pattern off the rear Pirelli was staying distinct longer than it should’ve. This pic was shot the day before our ride, when it was a balmy 39 in Idyllwild. I don’t know if I blame the Drystar boots or the Aerostich suit’s leg zippers, but at some point I was operating the foot controls through a layer of liquid, and by then my gloves were also soaked completely through. Strangely enough, I really didn’t feel as cold as I felt like I should’ve given the wetness, the low 30s temps, and the fact I was riding a motorcycle. Even wet, the insulation in those gloves and boots keeps your body heat in, I suppose, and the Patagonia capilene long johns I bought circa 1996 are what saved me, under several other layers of cotton and fleece. I also can’t discount the Multi’s large frontal area and great windshield. (Two other riders were wearing newer Aerostich R3s, and they both stayed dry, Andy.) Alas, getting over the top of the mountain exposed us even more to the brunt of the storm’s assault on the north side descent, and even as the air began creeping back up toward 40 degrees, some sudden wicked winds coming around passes literally nearly blew us off the road more than a couple of times – and keep your eyes peeled for all the rocks and dried vegetation chunks littering the road and blowing across it. No one has probably been happier to see Beaumont, California, appear through the clouds as we descended, than our little group. All in all, about as adventurous a ride as I’ve had without venturing off the pavement. From Beaumont, it’s a quick blast west on I-10 back to Palm Springs, where it’s time to play with the adaptive cruise control again. It works great, just as advertised, even partially submerged in 18-wheeler wake, and I can totally see how it could become one of those things you didn’t know you needed but now can’t do without. There’s even an Overtake Assist function, which gives a little bit of acceleration when you activate the turn signal to pull out and pass the vehicle ahead of you. The blind spot detectors are another thing you might as well have on a $29,000 motorcycle – little lights inset into the top of each mirror that light up when something’s coming up behind you. The temp was 50 in Palm Springs when we got back, and only lightly raining; it was nice to be warm again. It’s all relative. Pretty Dang Comfortable The optional low seat treated me well throughout the day, but I think I like the ergos and thickness of the standard one a bit better. It’d be swell if this Ducati had the Pan America’s seat lowering feature at stops. If you wanted to, you could easily swap the higher handlebar off of the other Multi, I’m told, but for me the Pikes Peak’s lower, narrower one was fine. The windscreen goes up and down a couple inches easily with one hand, and like I said, was for me eerily quiet in either position. On the naked Streetfighter V4, I don’t think I would’ve made it back down off the mountain. The day after my ride was beautiful in Palm Springs. Bastard. In Touring mode, the ride was still firm but never harsh – and with a few button taps you can soften it even more if you want. Given all that, and the big instrument panel you can hook your phone up to for navigation, I can’t think of any reason why this sportiest of Multi V4s couldn’t also be a great sport-tourer, especially given that the Multi V4S already is our best sport-tourer of 2021 in spite of the fact that it’s more an ADV bike. For $28,995, why shouldn’t the Pikes Peak be excellent? That’s a bit on the pricey side, but then CEO Jason Chinnock tells us the average Ducati buy-in is in the $17-18k range, so the premium PP isn’t far out of line – and the no-valve-adjustments til 36,000 miles means the bike almost pays for itself. Don’t bother to be bent out of shape, because it sounds like they’re already sold out anyway. Ducati and Pikes Peak had a sad ending with the death of Carlin Dunne two years ago and the decision to not race motorcycles up the mountain anymore, but Ducati decided to carry on with the premium Multi Pikes Peak anyway. Fitting, then, that we too all got a glance at the face of God on the new bike’s intro. We’ll be talking about this ride for a while: If it’s a sport-tourer for adverse conditions you’re after, this bike more than proved its worth. And we learned some stuff. Guess who won the first PP Hillclimb in 1913? Floyd Clymer, illustrious publisher of Cycle magazine in the 1950s and ’60s. He never met a motorcycle he didn’t like. In Gear Helmet: Shoei Neotec2 Splicer Jacket: vintage Ducati Suit: Aerostich Classic Roadcrafter Gloves: Alpinestars Belize Drystar Boots: Alpinestars Campeche Drystar 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Specifications Engine Type V4 Granturismo, V4 – 90°, 4 valves per cylinder, counter-rotating crankshaft, Twin Pulse firing order, liquid cooled Displacement 1,158 cc (71 cu in) Bore x Stroke 83 mm x 53.5 mm Compression Ratio 14.0:1 Power 170 hp (125 kW) @ 10,500 rpm (claimed) Torque 12.7 kgm (125 Nm, 92 lb ft) @ 8,750 rpm (claimed) Fuel Injection Electronic fuel injection system, Øeq 46 mm elliptical throttle bodies with Ride-by-Wire system Exhaust Stainless steel muffler, double catalytic converter and 4 lambda probes Gearbox 6 speed Primary drive Straight cut gears, ratio 1.8:1 Ratio 1=40/13, 2=36/16, 3=34/19, 4=31/21, 5=29/23, 6=27/25 Final drive Chain, front sprocket z16, rear sprocket z42 Clutch Multiplate wet clutch with hydraulic control, self-servo action on drive, slipper action on over-run Frame Aluminum monocoque frame Front suspension Öhlins Ø 48 mm fully adjustable usd fork with TiN treatment, electronic compression and rebound damping adjustment with Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based mode Front Wheel Marchesini light alloy forged, 3.5″ x 17″ Front Tire Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV 120/70 ZR17 Rear suspension Öhlins TTX36 fully adjustable monoshock, electronic compression and rebound damping adjustment with Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based mode, electronic preload adjustment, aluminium single-sided swingarm Rear Wheel Marchesini light alloy forged, 6″ x 17″ Rear Tire Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV 190/55 ZR17 Wheel Travel (Front/Rear) 170 mm / 170 mm (6.7 in / 6.7 in) Front Brake 2 x Ø 330 mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo Stylema monobloc 4-piston 2-pad calipers, radial master cylinder, Cornering ABS Rear Brake Ø 265 mm disc, Brembo 2-piston floating caliper, Cornering ABS Instrumentation 6.5″ TFT colour display with Ducati Connect and full-map navigation system Dry Weight 214 kg (472 lb) (claimed) Kerb Weight 239 kg (527 lb) (claimed) Seat Height Adjustable, 840 mm – 860 mm (33.1 in – 33.9 in) Wheelbase 1,595 mm (62.8 in) Rake 25,75° Trail 120 mm (4.7 in) Fuel Tank Capacity 22 l (5.8 US gal) Number of Seats 2 Safety Equipment Riding Modes, Power Modes, ABS Cornering, Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Wheelie Control, Daytime Running Light, Ducati Cornering Light, Ducati Brake Light, Vehicle Hold Control, Blind Spot Detection Standard Equipment Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 electronic suspension, Ducati Quick Shift, Adaptive Cruise Control, Hands-free, Backlit handlebar switches, 6.5″ TFT colour display with Ducati Connect and full-map navigation system, Full LED headlight, Carbon fiber front mudguard and beak, Type-approved Akrapovic muffler, Two-tone seat Warranty 24 months, unlimited mileage. Valve Clearance Check 15,000 km (9,000 miles) / 24 months Valve Clearance Check (Desmoservice) 60,000 km (36,000 miles) Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Review – First Ride appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

We got this comment/question at the end of an article about Harley-Davidson’s new Revolution Max engine from Steve Sweetz, and it’s an excellent one: Here’s my question in this vein – why aren’t hydraulic valve lifters more common in bikes? Why did it take Harley-Davidson, of all companies, to put Japanese and European manufacturers to shame in this respect? I understand they don’t work well at super high revs but motorcycle engine designs are increasingly trending to bigger bore, less cylinders, lower revs in the name of fuel efficiency and reliability, anyway. It seems increasingly difficult to find a mechanic that can replace a tire without screwing something up (seriously, the last time I got a tire replaced, the bike was handed over to me with a brake caliper not bolted on). I sure as hell no longer trust any of them to do a valve clearance check correctly in modern tightly packed bikes that are very difficult to work on in general – and unfortunately, I don’t trust myself to be able to do it either. The era of motorcycle valve clearance checks needs to end! Hydraulic lifters have been standard on cars since the freaking 1980s. Steve Sweetz Dear Steve, You said it, and we couldn’t agree more except to add they’ve been standard on cars since way before the ’80s. The only reason we don’t complain more about valve adjustments is that we always give our borrowed motorcycles back to their manufacturer before it comes to that. And in that respect, some motorcycle manufacturers are better than others. My 2000 Yamaha R1 still hasn’t gotten to 26,600 miles for its first valve inspection, but then I never ride it. We know of at least a couple of Ducati fans who buy a new bike every couple of years, selling the old one just before its expensive desmo valve service is due. Caveat emptor indeed. Maybe a little explanation is due first for our readers who grew up in the non-mechanical era. There needs to be a bit of free play between the things that move the intake and exhaust valves open – the lifter, or tappet – and the valve stem itself, to account for heat expansion and wear. That clearance shrinks over time, as the valves very gradually wear away their seats, and needs to be re-established. Simpler engines use screw-and-locknut adjusters. Most modern engines use shims. Generally a thinner shim is required to regain the factory clearance. Valve clearance inspections are required at anywhere from 6,000 to 26,600 miles (for lots of Yamahas). On bikes that require valve inspections, somebody’s going to have to go in there with their feeler gauges to check and reset that clearance from valve to lifter to factory specs. It’s a tedious task that takes a while, some bikes more than others, and even requires mathematics if shims are involved. Shims are little round spacers that come in different thicknesses. A shim kit, courtesy Wiseco. We’re talking tiny clearances varying by 0.05mm. I think that’s 1/20 mm. It’s an exacting task. Hydraulic valve lifters And in this corner, hydraulic valve lifters. These have been around for many years in automobiles, in Harleys beginning with the 1948 Panhead, and also in the Indian ThunderStroke engine which serves as our lead image. What goes on, basically, is that pressurized oil is squirted into each valve lifter, and sealed off in there as the lifter moves in its bore, thereby keeping valve lash, or gap, constantly at zero as the engine wears. The conventional wisdom is that hydraulic lifters can’t move quite as fast as mechanical, or solid, lifters, but plenty of people have been willing to make that small sacrifice for the greatly reduced maintenance requirements. For engines turning less than around 5000 rpm, like most big car engines, hydraulic lifters were perfectly adequate. In olden times, HOT ROD magazine and others were packed with ads for solid-lifter camshafts, to open and close valves faster and higher for increased horsepower. Solid lifters meant you had to perform valve adjustments now and then to maintain the right clearances, but it was kind of fun when all you had to do was remove your V-8’s massive valve covers, lean on the fenders, and yank the pull tabs off canned beverages as you twisted the big nuts atop the rocker arms in your old pushrod engine. Thinking the job would be just as easy on my new 1986 Honda VF500F Interceptor was a valuable learning experience. Solid lifters are better Like so many things, it all depends who you ask. We asked Honda and got this from our media rep Colin Miller: We have not had HVA (Hydraulic Valve Adjusters) in our units since the VT1100. That was the last one that I can remember. Some thoughts from my time on the service side and from others I talked to: HVA are a good idea for some applications, but they do have drawbacks. They require the system to be significantly more complex due to the need to add actuators in the valvetrain system as well as a more complex oil supply system. At higher engine speeds, HVA systems tend to pump up and can cause valve float. This can be a huge limitation for motorcycles since they often have higher engine speeds when compared to autos. HVA systems require the oil supply to be kept very clean to prevent build-up or debris from causing problems with actuators. Bucket-and-shim or screw-type adjusters take up less room, weigh less, and are cheaper from a design and manufacturing standpoint. As for automotive, many Honda cars also don’t have HVAs. Even my 2004 Toyota Tacoma has shims that need to be checked. Hmmm, we also remember the long-running Nighthawk 750 having hydraulic valves. The coolest were the early ones, the Nighthawk 700S produced from 1984 to ’86. It had hydraulic lifters along with a 10,500-rpm redline – shaft drive too. Honda kept on cranking them out through the 2003 model year. Hydraulic is the way to go Here’s the official word from Harley-Davidson on the topic, whose new Revolution Max engine it rates at 150 horsepower at 9000 rpm. Harley-Davidson has used hydraulic lifters since the introduction of the 1948 Panhead, so we clearly have a lot of experience with this technology. For OHV (overhead valve) engines, like the Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin, and other OHVs, it is very common to use hydraulic lifters for the obvious benefits. Where it gets more difficult is with OHC (overhead cam) engines. Here again, Harley’s deep knowledge in this space helped tackle the engineering challenge. The Rev Max gets a computer-controlled variable-valve timing system in addition to hydraulic lifters. For the development of the all-new Revolution Max powertrain, Harley-Davidson engineers chose to incorporate hydraulic lash adjusters (HLAs) on each cam in order to eliminate maintenance, reduce noise, and accommodate more aggressive cam profiles with reduced ramp lengths. Harley-Davidson used advanced valvetrain simulation techniques during cam design and gave careful consideration to peak loads and valve lift to ensure the HLAs work with the cam. The cam profiles were also designed with consideration for the use of an HLA at high speed. Oil aeration, which is an enemy of HLAs, was minimized throughout the powertrain. The result is a high-performance OHC engine with the benefit of hydraulic lifters. The only big V-Twin in in our recent Heavyweight Nakeds shootout, the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, peaked at 9700 rpm with 159 rear-wheel horses. Its eight valves will need checking every 18,600 miles. Meanwhile, the Harley Pan America’s new Revolution Max V-twin put out 134.5 hp @ 9200 rpm at the rear wheel on Mickey Cohen’s dyno, but its hydraulic valves should never need adjusting. In fairness, lots of late-model bikes without hydraulics seem to hold their valve clearances very well: A quick look at a couple of forums reveals most KTM 1290 valves being in spec at check-up time, and that also looks to be true of the BMW K1600 24-valve inline six-cylinder at both its 18,000- and 36,000-mile checkups. Still, just checking those clearances can require lots of disassembly and therefore expense, even if none need adjusting. In the end, it’s in the hands of the buyer: What’s more important, ultimate performance, or great performance with reduced maintenance? On a personal note, I wet myself a little the other day when somebody online wrote that my new-to-me 20-year old Jaguar’s 32-valve V-8 would be needing a valve adjustment at its 100,000-mile birthday. Taking some deep breaths and checking the factory maintenance schedule revealed no such requirement. That’s because, according to another online expert who actually is one, “these engines are designed so that the valve-seat wear is roughly equal to the tappet wear, so that the clearances stay in status quo. If the car has delayed oil changes or other problems, this equilibrium can be upset and require repair, but it would be unusual. This is an area where Jag design has always been good.” How smart is that? Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post Ask MO Anything: Why Don’t More Motorcycles Use Hydraulic Valve Lifters? appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

With all due respect to its Multistrada models, Ducati‘s current adventure bike offerings are better suited for paved streets with the occasional sojourn on fire roads. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. After all, we did just pick the Multistrada V4 S as our MOBO winner for the best sport-tourig motorcycle of 2021. If you were looking for a more off-road performance from Ducati, you now have a better option in the new 2022 Ducati DesertX. With long-travel suspension, a 21-inch front wheel and a large fuel tank (plus an optional second tank), the 2022 DesertX is Ducati’s new entry to the highly competitive middleweight adventure bike segment. Fast Facts 21” front wheel and 18” rear 937cc Testastretta 11° Desmodromic engine 5.5 gal. fuel tank (7.7 gal. with optional rear tank) MSRP: $16,795 Ducati originally presented the DesertX as a concept model at EICMA in 2019, with the air-cooled Scrambler providing the platform. The production model keeps the concept’s rally-inspired styling, but with Ducati’s liquid-cooled 937cc Testastretta 11° Desmodromic engine as its powerplant. Visually, the DesertX is styled after enduro motorcycles from the ’80s. The Cagiva Elefant is an obvious inspiration with the white color scheme, dark lower section to the windscreen and twin circular LED lights, but Ducati doesn’t mention the bike by name, perhaps because of a similarly-inspired upcoming new model from another Italian manufacturer with stronger claims to the Cagiva brand. The DesertX is equipped with a 5.54 gallon fuel tank, but for additional range, Ducati offers an accessory 2.1-gallon rear tank. The second tank is mounted to the tail, with fuel transfer switching over when the main tank drops below a certain level, with a dedicated switch on the dashboard. With the accessory tank, that’s a combined 7.64 gallons of fuel capacity, though Ducati hasn’t disclosed how much the accessory tank will add to the DesertX’s $16,795 price or claimed 492-pound wet weight. The engine is similar to the ones powering the Monster and the Multistrada V2, but is down slightly on both horsepower and torque, with the DesertX claiming 110 hp at 9,250 rpm and 68 lb-ft. at 6,500 rpm. The engine is matched with an eight-disc slipper clutch and its own dedicated gearbox. Compared to the Multi V2, the DesertX’s transmission offers shorter ratios for first and second gear for better low-speed off-road use, plus a long sixth gear for improved fuel economy and comfort at highway speeds. An up-and-down quick shifter comes standard. Ducati advises maintenance every 9,000 miles or 24 months, plus valve clearance checks every 18,000 miles. The DesertX comes with six ride modes: the typical Sport, Touring, Urban, and Wet modes, plus the new Enduro and Rally modes. Enduro mode is designed for novice off-road riders, with reduced power (75 hp), quick throttle response and the option of disabling ABS. Rally mode is for more experienced riders, with full power, low traction control, ABS set to level 1 or off, and wheelie control disabled. The chassis consists of a new steel trellis frame with a cast aluminum swingarm. Kayaba supplies the 46mm fork which offers adjustable compression, rebound and preload plus 9.06 inches of travel. The Kayaba rear shock is also adjustable for compression, rebound and preload, with 8.66 inches of travel. Ground clearance is a generous 9.84 inches. Brembo supplies brakes, with dual M50 monoblock radial-mount four-piston front brake calipers and a twin-piston floating rear caliper. Cornering ABS comes standard. The wire-spoke wheels are tubeless, with a large 21-inch wheel up front and an 18-inch wheel at the rear. The wheels come wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires, but the DesertX is also homologated to fit more road-oriented or dirt-focused tires. The bodywork is designed to channel heat from the openings behind the radiator. The windscreen is non-adjustable; Ducati says an accessory windscreen will provide added aerodynamic protection, but it is not yet included on the list of accessories. Speaking of accessories, the secondary fuel tank does not seem to be compatible with the mounts for the aluminum panniers or topcase Ducati offers. Customers who want the added range and luggage capacity will have to settle for the smaller passenger seat-mounted soft bag from the accessory catalog. It’ll be interesting to see how the DesertX fares in the middleweight adventure bike segment. The Ducati has a larger engine and higher horsepower claims than any of the bikes from our recent shootout, but its weight and price point might set it back behind a bike like the KTM 890 Adventure R. 2022 Ducati DesertX Specifications Engine Type Ducati Testastretta 11°, L-Twin cylinders, Desmodromic valvetrain, 4 valves per cylinder, liquid cooled Displacement 937 cc Bore x Stroke 94 x 67.5 mm Compression Ratio 13.3:1 Power 110 hp at 9,250 rpm (claimed) Torque 68 lb-ft. at 6,500 rpm (claimed) Fuel Injection Bosch electronic fuel injection system, Ø53 mm throttle bodies with ride-by-wire system Exhaust Stainless steel single muffler, catalytic converter and 2 lambda probes Gearbox 6 speeds Primary Drive Straight cut gears, ratio 1.85 : 1 Ratio 1=38/14, 2=31/17, 3=28/20, 4=26/22, 5=24/23, 6=23/25 Final Drive Chain, front sprocket Z15, rear sprocket Z49 Clutch Slipper and self-servo wet multiplate clutch with hydraulic control Frame Tubular steel trellis frame Front Suspension KYB Ø 46 mm upside-down fork, fully adjustable; 9.06 inches of travel Rear Suspension KYB monoshock, fully adjustable, remote preload adjustment, aluminum double-sided swingarm; 8.66 inches of travel Front Wheel Cross-spoked, tubeless, 2.15”x21” Front Tire Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 90/90 – 21 M/C 54V M+S TL (A) Rear Wheel Cross-spoked, tubeless, 4.5”x18” Rear Tire Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 150/70 R18 M/C 70V M+S TL Front Brake 2 x Ø 320 mm aluminum flange semi-floating discs, Radial mount Brembo monobloc 4-pistons calipers, Bosch Cornering ABS Rear Brake Ø 265 mm disc, Brembo floating 2 pistons caliper, Bosch Cornering ABS Instrumentation 5” TFT colour display Dry Weight 445 lb (claimed) Curb Weight 492 lb (claimed) Seat Height 34.4 inches Wheelbase 63.3 inches Rake 27.6° Trail 4.8 inches Fuel Tank Capacity 5.54 gallons (7.66 gallons with optional accessory rear tank) Number Of Seats 2 Safety Equipment Ducati Safety Pack (Cornering ABS, Ducati Traction Control) Standard Equipment Riding Modes, Power Modes, Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC), Engine Brake Control (EBC), Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS), Cruise control, full LED lighting system, DRL, Ducati brake light (DBL), USB power socket, 12V socket, self canceling turn indicators, Steering damper Ready For Ducati Multimedia System (DMS), Antitheft system, Turn by turn navigation via app, fog lights, heated grips, auxiliary fuel tank Warranty 24 months, unlimited mileage Maintenance Service Intervals 9,000 miles (15,000 km) / 24 months Valve Clearance Check 18,000 miles (30,000 km) Become a Motorcycle.com insider. 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Best Adventure Motorcycle of 2021: Harley-Davidson Pan America This one may or may not come as much of a surprise to those paying attention. If Harley-Davidson entering the adventure bike segment made waves, then doing so with such a solid offering from the get go was a tsunami that stirred up emotions all across the interwebs. Promising a machine that would compete with motorcycles the likes of BMW’s well-established and venerable GS line while having never operated in the segment previously was bold. The Pan America had detractors from the moment the plan was sussed out by our own Dennis Chung in 2017, where he surmised the moniker’s eventual product category: “… Even wilder, how about a full-fledged American-made ADV?” Wild, indeed. Mr. Chung. 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special Review – First Ride From the first few minutes of straddling H-D’s ADV, it was clear that the Pan America was headed in the right direction, “I knew from the moment I twisted my right wrist on the frontage road just outside the Rawhyde Zakar complex that I was in for a good time. ‘Damn,’ I thought to myself as a big ol’ smile stretched across my face, ‘this is going to be fun.’” Spanning America On The Pan America And fun it was, both over the introductory ride’s two days in the California desert and the subsequent 5,500 miles that I put on one during a trip around the country. No need to take my word for it, plenty of positive reviews came from other editors, as well as influencers, YouTubers, brand ambassadors, etc. Heck, the other day, I heard that they were still running folks through Rawhyde’s facility out in the desert to experience the machine. It makes sense, of course, the Pan America and the R&D that went into it deserves a hefty investment from all stakeholders. But back to the bike itself. The Pan America’s Revolution Max motor delivers performance unlike any other in Harley’s past. We saw 134.5 hp at 9,200 rpm and 83 lb-ft of torque at 6,700 rpm cranked out on the dyno at Mickey Cohen Motorsports. That mill combined with a solid chassis equipped with adjustable suspension (that also adapts ride height when equipped) and a low center of gravity made the Harley-Davidson adventure bike easy to ride from the start. On the pavement, it’s just as easy to set the cruise and crush a thousand-mile day as it is hustling through a set of curves – and the torquey V-Twin is game for either. Off-road, the motorcycle holds its own and continues to be a willing partner thanks to the low CoG. Coming to market with all of the latest tech in terms of switchable ride modes, varying levels of TC and ABS, and the ability to tailor all of them together was necessary, and thankfully, well executed. What really sets the Pan America apart in the ADVerse is the optional adaptive ride height and hydraulic valve lash adjusters, enough so that the former has already been seen in our MOBOs this year for best technology. Is the Harley-Davidson Pan America the best adventure machine on the market? It depends on what your idea of adventure is, but what is undeniable is the Motor Co.’s achievement in bringing a stellar product to market on its first try. Through innovation, R&D, and a lot of hard work, we’re happy to award the Pan America our Motorcycle.com Best Adventure Motorcycle of 2021. Best Adventure Motorcycle of 2021 Runner-Up: KTM 890 Adventure R And another appearance that may or may not be surprising: the KTM 890 Adventure R takes the runner-up award for 2021. After the 790 won the category in 2019 and finished second in 2020, the KTM ADV R is back as runner-up for 2021 with 90 more CCs, a girthier crank, updates to its transmission, a lighter subframe, and less ride modes as standard. 2021 KTM 890 Adventure R Review – First Ride 2021 Middleweight Adventure Motorcycle Shootout The 890 Adventure R showcases just how capable a machine in the Adventure category can be. You can get cruise control to pound out the miles between trails while simultaneously being able to venture into some serious off-road riding if you’re game. The punchy 889cc Twin is adept at both. During a previous shootout, our former MOron, Tom Roderick called it, “one of the best parallel-twin engines I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding.” With that playful motor, strong chassis, and tunable electronics, the summation of KTM’s formula results in an incredibly versatile motorcycle and an excellent showcase of what makes adventure motorcycles so appealing. Motorcycle.com Best of 2021 Categories Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post Best Adventure Motorcycle of 2021 appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

Fans of Moto Guzzi V85 TT who want to ride something special should take a look at the Moto Guzzi V85 TT Guardia d’Onore. Produced to honor the 75 year collaboration between Moto Guzzi and the Cuirassiers’ Regiment, the special Carabinieri unit responsible for the honor guard and security of the President of the Italian Republic, have worked together, the limited and numbered edition will be produced in a limited number of only 1,946 units. Although the modifications of this limited edition are small in number, they are distinctive. The black paint receives a decorative white stripe running from the front fender and across the tank to the side panel. The oversized touring windscreen also receives this striping – and an Italian flag displayed front and center. Other niceties include a center stand, engine guards, and auxiliary LED lights. Matching saddlebags are also available. Read on for the story behind the motorcycle.  Begin Press Release: MOTO GUZZI V85 TT GUARDIA D’ONORE A LIMITED AND NUMBERED EDITION CELEBRATES A GREAT ITALIAN HERITAGE, THE 75 YEARS OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MANDELLO-BASED MANUFACTURER AND THE CUIRASSIERS’ REGIMENT THE SPECIAL “CUIRASSIERS REPLICA” LIVERY, THE DEDICATED EQUIPMENT PACKAGE, AND A QUALITY COLLECTOR’S CASE CHARACTERISE A TRULY EXCLUSIVE MOTORCYCLE It was the post WW2 era when the Cuirassiers’ Regiment, the special Carabinieri unit responsible for the honour guard and security of the President of the Italian Republic, chose Moto Guzzi as its first motorcycles. From that moment on, the guards of the Head of State have always ridden bikes made in Mandello del Lario, creating a historic combination of style, loyalty, and prestige which has become one of the best known and most beloved symbols of “Italianism” in the world. The Eagle brand manufacturer celebrates this important collaboration, which has lasted uninterrupted for 75 years, presenting the Moto Guzzi V85 TT Guardia d’Onore at EICMA 2021. This is a special, numbered limited edition of its highly popular classic travel enduro which, precisely in Moto Guzzi’s centennial year, joined the Cuirassiers’ Regiment’s motorcycle fleet. In fact, with a presentation ceremony to President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella on 20 May 2021, two Guzzi V85 TT units joined the California 1400 Touring bikes already used by the Cuirassiers. From Moto Guzzi’s booth at EICMA 2021. Just like the V85 TT bikes delivered to the Head of State at the Quirinal Palace, the V85 TT Guardia d’Onore features the typical black livery with white graphics that characterise the Cuirassiers’ Moto Guzzi machines. The white decorations run along the front mudguard, continuing onto the fuel tank and the side panels and they are also picked up on the oversized Touring windscreen. The latter is part of the standard equipment package, along with the centre stand, the engine guard bars and the supplementary LED lights. The pair of side panniers dedicated to this model are available on request. The Moto Guzzi V85 TT Guardia d’Onore will be produced in a limited edition of 1946 units, a number reminiscent of the first 75 years of partnership between the Mandello Eagle and the Cuirassiers’ Regiment, as well as a tribute to the year the Italian Republic was established. To further highlight the exclusive nature of this particular version, the progressive number of the unit is engraved on the handlebar riser, from 1 to 1946. Everyone who purchases this special version of the V85 TT will also receive a valuable celebratory case which includes a brochure with the history of Moto Guzzi bikes used by the Cuirassiers and the stamp collector’s folder containing the postmarked stamp issued on the occasion of the Moto Guzzi Centennial. The Cuirassiers and Moto Guzzi: 75 years of history The long history that binds the Cuirassiers’ Regiment to the Eagle from Mandello has its roots in the second post-war period when modern cars began to be favoured over the outdated royal carriages for institutional travel involving the President of the Italian Republic. Consequently, the escort unit made up of select – and extremely tall – elite Carabinieri needed a means of transportation more suitable than horses to follow the motorised vehicles. Confirming years of collaboration with the Italian armed forces, the choice fell almost naturally to Moto Guzzi, a true source of national pride, partly because of their countless victories achieved in motorcycle racing since the ’20s. The need to quickly motorise a unit that had been strictly equestrian until then led the Cuirassiers to adopt 4 different Moto Guzzi models in just over 5 years. And so, the Alce, military bike par excellence, the Superalce, the Astore and its direct evolution, the Falcone Sport joined the regiment’s fleet. However, it was only from the Astore that the bikes were specially outfitted to adapt to the needs of the Cuirassiers, including those connected to their specific height (in fact, the minimum height requirement to join the regiment was 190 cm). As the nineteen-sixties approached, it was still the Falcone Sport (with electric starter from 1959) that escorted the President of the Republic and the various foreign Heads of State visiting Italy. In line with the technological evolution in the motorcycle field, the first true change in the Cuirassiers’ motorcycle fleet came in 1968. With the V7 Special units, the single-cylinder was definitively surpassed to embrace the new Moto Guzzi era and the revolutionary transversal V-twin, destined to become the manufacturer’s calling card. In 1975, one of the most innovative Moto Guzzi models arrived on the market – the V1000 I- Convert. With its increased engine capacity that reached 1000 cc and its unprecedented integrated braking system, the I-Convert went to work straight away escorting the President of the Republic, paving the way for the next 40 years of maxicruisers from Mandello destined for this role. The mid ’80s marked the start of the long relationship between the Cuirassiers and the various Moto Guzzi California models, increasingly more muscular and with increasing engine capacity. Displacement went from the 948 cc of the California II used in 1985 all the way to the 1380 cc of the segment monarch, the California 1400 Touring, which cut a fine figure in the Cuirassiers’ parades and in presidential transfers from 2007. In May of this important year, which marks Moto Guzzi’s one-hundredth birthday, the Eagle brand presented the current President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, with V85 TT units which joined his personal escort fleet. The brand new bikes feature a livery created specifically for the occasion, chromatically reminiscent of the California 1400 units already used. The post Moto Guzzi V85 TT Guardia d’Onore First Look appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

Fans of Royal Enfield’s Continental GT and Interceptor 650 owe it to themselves to take a long look at the SG650 Concept. This neoretro interpretation of the platform sure turned our heads. [UPDATE: Eicher Motors, which owns RE, had previously filed trademark applications in multiple markets for the name “Royal Enfield Shotgun”. We can surmise that may end up being the production name for the SG650 concept.] For starters, the frame gets slammed with a bobbed rear fender with a solo seat cantilevered covering over it. The subframe rails look quite different from the one used on the Continental GT and Interceptor. The side panels covering the airbox are much more bulbous, too. The low-slung look is highlighted by beefy tires, front and rear, mounted to disc wheels that feature dual cutouts. To further accentuate the austere styling, the brake discs have color-matched carriers and a hole-free swept area. Every curve, from the tank to the headlight nacelle that appears to be integrated into the triple clamps, has been sculpted to give the impression of speed. The top of the nacelle organically incorporates a LED tachometer/speedometer assembly on the left and the new Tripper navigation system (recently introduced on the 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan) on the right. A monochromatic paint scheme which fades from silver at the front to a black rear fender only utilizes occasional teal highlights. Though we can’t comment on any performance modifications, the engine itself is part of the design with a blacked out cylinders above the cases which sport the same silver/black digital fade as the tank and front fender. The black dual peashooter exhausts continue the light and dark theme by utilizing bare aluminum muffler mounts. The inverted fork appears to be totally modern while the dual shocks harken to Royal Enfield’s history. A similar approach comes from the lighting which looks to have a halogen headlight, while the rest of the illumination is LED. From the Royal Enfield booth at EICMA 2021. Whatever else that can be gleaned from these photos is up to the reader, but consider the MO staffers sufficiently curious to hope that this styling exercise makes it to production with its character intact. We’ll leave you with a short video.  Begin Press Release: ROYAL ENFIELD WRITES A NEW CHAPTER TO THEIR 120 YEAR HISTORY WITH THE UNVEILING OF THE SG650 CONCEPT MOTORCYCLE AT EICMA 2021 23rd November, EICMA – Milan, Italy – Royal Enfield, the global leader in the middleweight motorcycle segment (250cc – 750cc), opened its showcase offering at EICMA 2021 today with the unveil of the #royalenfield SG650 Concept motorcycle – marking another chapter in the brand’s 120 year old journey of creative expression and conceptual development. The SG650 Concept is the result of a challenge set to Royal Enfield’s Industrial Design Team by Mark Wells, Chief of Design. At its core, the message underpinning the concept build was about celebrating ‘transition’. The aim, through this challenge, was for the #royalenfield team to embark on a new creative journey with the SG650 Concept; starting from within Royal Enfield’s classic design sensibilities and then pushing into a whole new era of what the Royal Enfield’s of the future could look like. Says Mark Wells, “we are a company in transition – so long a representation of the analog age and now developing new products that keep that same pure soul yet are fully integrated into the digital present. To celebrate this, we wanted to develop a project that really gave our design team an opportunity to stretch themselves creatively. The goal : to build a unique concept motorcycle that pays homage to Royal Enfield’s rich history of custom motorcycles, but one that wasn’t encumbered by the past. A neo-retro interpretation that pushes the boundaries of what a #royalenfield motorcycle could look like, but at its core still celebrating that iconic #royalenfield DNA. The advances of today are often inspired by the imaginations of the past – the mobile phone, the smart watch or even space travel. That desire to look forward with optimism and imagine the possibilities is fundamental to the progression of our culture. And so we started this concept with a context rather than a question – imagining a world in the not so distant future and our brand’s place in it. A cyber, neon saturated, urban jungle took shape – where old meets new in a tangle of concrete, metal, bright lights and shadowy streets, where the analog and the digital intertwine and blend – setting that felt both familiar and alien to us, and in doing so foster an environment that would force us to think differently about how we approached the aesthetics of a #royalenfield motorcycle. We believe that the resultant concept motorcycle, unveiled for the first time at EICMA 2021, inhabits this world fantastically well and offers up something very new, very original and entirely unique to fans of the brand and motorcycle enthusiasts more widely. The design team have done an amazing job in retaining the analog soul – those classic #royalenfield lines and design nuances – subtle nods to the past – while creatively pushing the boundary of what the Royal Enfield’s of tomorrow could conceptually represent in form and function.” Says Adrian Sellers, Group Manager, Industrial Design and lead for the SG650 Concept project, “We’re really excited to unveil this concept and write another chapter in the rapidly evolving story of #royalenfield design. It is always exciting to design for a “What if…” scenario, and the brief to create a motorcycle that would both be recognizably #royalenfield but at the same time push what a #royalenfield could be was a real challenge. This was a wonderfully collaborative and rewarding project to develop, as it required the creative input of many different aspects of the design team – from Industrial Design to Color Trim and Graphics and CGI – each contributed a piece of the puzzle to bring this other world to life. The key concept of transition is conveyed throughout the motorcycle; from the choice of aesthetic finishes, to the materials that we used. From the heritage-inspired polished aluminium front end, flowing into the futuristic, digital graphic on the tank – this was about bringing the old and the new together and resulting in something timeless. There are some really special elements to this motorcycle that are a first for a #royalenfield concept – many of the component parts have been individually, one-off fabricated or designed exclusively for this motorcycle. The tank has been CNC billet machined from a solid block of aluminium, as have the wheel rims with integrated ABS, bespoke designed brake calipers, and dual front brake disks. The upside down forks, integrated aluminium top yoke / nacelle unit and low rise extra-wider bars with all aluminium switch cubes all add elements of originality and design progression to the concept – while the twin rear shocks, mounted to the classic chassis loop, hand stitched black leather floating solo seat are a clear nod to our past. Graphically, the black out 650 Twin engine and exhaust system compliment our imagined near future, while the polished aluminum forms transitioning with a “digital transformation” graphic across the motorcycle speak to the progression of the brand. We’re delighted with the end result and truly believe this brings something completely new, in our 120th anniversary year, to the ever developing story of #royalenfield.” Become a Motorcycle.com insider. 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Well the seat was a little high, at 34.6 inches, but that didn’t stop the Yamaha Ténéré 700 from doing very well in last summer’s blockbuster middleweight ADV comparison. Keeping it simple and keeping the weight down was a great recipe for success, and now Yamaha is fixin’ to take it to the next level with a Ténéré 700 Raid, for which this machine it showed at EICMA serves as prototype. Photo by Ryan Adams from Yamaha’s booth at EICMA. Enlisting the aid of its top riders for advice, and borrowing freely from the GYT-R performance parts catalog results in a bike that looks like it’s ready for whatever you can muster; a Starbucks run should be no problem. We have a few snaps from Yamaha’s booth at EICMA below. Yamaha Press Release: Racing for the Next Horizon Since its introduction the Ténéré 700 has become a hugely successful model for Yamaha, with massive demand throughout Europe for this versatile and agile adventure bike. With its legendary high-torque CP2 engine, compact chassis and long-travel suspension, the Ténéré has proved to be the bike that many riders have been waiting for; a worthy successor to the original machine that kick-started the Adventure category in the 1980s and made world exploration a reality for thousands of owners. The Ténéré 700’s serious off-road abilities have enabled many thousands of riders to satisfy their spirit of adventure by getting involved in long distance road trips, as well as rallies and extreme adventure rides. Many owners have invested efforts in personalising their Ténéré 700, and their shared stories have inspired a new generation of explorers to push their limits and discover what is beyond the next horizon. This growing movement has motivated Yamaha to study how to take the Ténéré 700 to the next level, and to re-visit the legendary African desert scapes where the original Ténéré was born over 40 years ago. Today Yamaha is proud to start writing a new chapter in the Ténéré story with the unveiling of the Ténéré 700 Raid Prototype, which has been built with extensive usage of GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) performance parts. This high-specification Raid bike has been developed in Europe by Yamaha leveraging the experience of off-road riders Alessandro Botturi and Pol Tarrés, with the aim of exploiting the full Raid potential of the Ténéré 700, extensively validated by the two Yamaha ambassadors in the Moroccan desert. This is just the beginning. The Ténéré 700 Raid Prototype will soon be racing for the next horizon, and write a new story that is sure to reinforce the Ténéré legend in the eyes of a new generation of Adventure riders. Ténéré 700 Raid Prototype Technical Highlights Engine Full titanium Akrapovič race exhaust GYTR ECU High performance airbox and filter 48 teeth final drive sprocket Oversize radiator Dual cooling fans New water pump cover New oil cooler Rekluse heavy duty clutch Two-piece clutch cover New clutch lever Suspension 48 mm long travel front forks – 270 mm CNC triple clamps New long travel rear shock – 260 mm New rear suspension linkage Brakes High specification single front disc – 300 mm Racing brake pads Upgraded front brake master cylinder New front brake lever Oversize 267 mm diameter rear disc New caliper mounting bracket Steel braided front and rear brake hoses Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post Yamaha Ténéré 700 Raid Prototype First Look appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

We saw a bunch of Honda X-ADV scooters on our pass through Rome a few weeks ago, and felt jealousy. When American Honda invited us to ride a new minimoto last week, we hoped against hope… alas, it was the Navi. For the new year, we can be even more covetous, as Honda Europe now has an ADV350 that’s bigger, badder, and cooler. Ignoring Ryan Adams (Ryan Adams photo) The new ADV350 mixes the rugged style of its X-ADV sibling with a chassis that includes a tubular steel frame, a 37mm inverted fork and remote reservoir rear shocks. Its 330cc engine produces a menacing 21.5kW (28.8 horsepower) and 31.5Nm (23.2 lb-ft) of torque, with rear wheel grip managed by HSTC. The screen is height adjustable, there’s room for two full-face helmets under the seat, and a USB Type-C socket in the glovebox. An LCD dash integrates the Honda Smartphone Voice Control system, Smart Key operation adds day-to-day riding convenience. And it looks the business: We’re an adventurous scooter rider. Ryan Adams photo Alas, the new ADV350 is asking 10,949 British pounds, which is $14,635.64 US today. So maybe don’t hold your breath for it to come to America anytime soon. You know you’d find something to complain about anyway. Where’s the cruise control? Anyway, that just makes the ADV150, which American Honda does import, feel like an even bigger bargain at $4,299.  Honda Press Release: 22YM HONDA ADV350 In 2016, when Honda unveiled the X-ADV – part big-bore scooter, part adventure motorcycle and clothed in all-new SUV-style bodywork – a rich vein of desire was opened with a bike that Europe didn’t know it needed. As an example of genuine innovation it has few equals in the past decade. Its success has more than justified Honda’s decision to break that new ground – through September 2021, the X-ADV is second in the sales list in the hotly-contested ‘on-off’ category. And now it’s time for some of that forward thinking to filter down to the mid-capacity scooter market. Designed around the concept of ‘New Urban Adventure’ the new 22YM ADV350 mixes the sophistication and practicality of a polished scooter with rugged SUV style, drawing inspiration from the X-ADV. It’s a fresh model that will appeal to a broad demographic (especially younger riders) and destined for a popular European segment. The ADV350 is born ready to explore the city, and beyond. Model Overview With its tough stance the ADV350 already stands out from the homogenous crowd, and rugged angles and block colours promote the off-road look. The X-ADV is an obvious style benchmark, but so too is the CRF series of off-road performance machines. Practicality has not been forgotten: there’s room for two full-face helmets under the seat, USB charger in the glovebox and convenience of Smart Key operation. The screen is height-adjustable and the LCD dash also integrates the Honda Smartphone Voice Control system. The adventurous styling shows off the ADV350’s front end; the riding position offers natural control and the chassis – which includes 37mm USD forks, tubular steel frame and remote reservoir rear shocks – tuned to deliver agile steering, feedback and feel. Lightweight 15-inch front/14-inch rear wheels wear 120/70-15 front and 140/70-14 rear block-pattern tubeless tyres, allowing the ADV350 ample grip across all conditions. A 256mm single disc is matched to a 240mm rear. There’s plenty of acceleration on tap, for urban and highway use. A 330cc, enhanced Smart Power+ (eSP+) SOHC four-valve engine delivers peak power of 21.6kW and 31.9Nm torque. Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) and Emergency Stop Signals are standard. The 22YM ADV350 will be available in the following colour options: Spangle Silver Metallic Mat Carbonium Gray Metallic Mat Carnelian Red Metallic Key Features 3.1 Styling & Equipment Dual LED headlights lead the adventure style, set high above the front wheel Two-stage height-adjustable screen LCD instruments and Honda Smartphone Voice Control system Two full-face helmets can be stored under the seat; USB Type-C socket in the glovebox and Smart Key operation The ADV350’s styling gives more than a slight taste of adventure. Dual LED headlights (all lighting is LED) are set high above the front wheel, with the fairing sides cut out to show off the USD forks. Further accentuating the off-road feel, the painted panels are set high on blacked-out lower and rear seat cowl, giving an impression of the higher centre of gravity of machines like the X-ADV and competition-specification CRF450R. A host of detail features are found around the ADV350 to add genuine versatility. The screen adjusts easily with a slide-lock mechanism through 2 stages and 133mm travel. In the high position airflow is controlled to wrap around the shoulders to reduce fatigue during longer, higher speed journeys. For city environments – where some cooling air is often appreciated, as is open visibility – the low position is perfect. There’s plenty of room under the seat – 48L in total – which means two full-face helmets can tuck neatly away. The compartment can be divided using a separator plate, to suit the owner’s preference. A USB Type-C socket is also found in the lockable front left glove box, for smartphone charging. Seat height is an easy-to-manage 795mm. Keeping its rider fully connected, the ADV350’s LCD dash integrates the Honda Smartphone Voice Control system, which links the rider to their smartphone while on the move and allows voice management of phone calls and music. A helmet-mounted headset and Honda’s RoadSync app are all that is needed to activate the system, and the smartphone connects via Bluetooth; management of Honda Smartphone Voice Control System is from the left switchgear. Another convenient feature is the Smart Key, which controls the main ignition switch knob and seat locking from the rider’s pocket, and automatically locks the ADV350 when the rider walks away. It also manages the optional 50L Smart top box; with the Smart Key present the box is unlocked. An answer back switch also flashes the indicators for easy location. 3.2 Chassis Lightweight tubular steel frame, 37mm USD forks and remote reservoir rear shocks deliver agile handling and natural control. Six-spoke cast aluminium wheels run block-pattern tubeless tyres Disc brakes front and rear plus Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) technology As a scooter designed to handle the rough-road rigours of the city – and even light off-road conditions – the ADV350’s chassis is built to be confidence-inspiring. A lightweight tubular steel frame provides core strength; wheelbase is set at 1520mm, with rake of 26.5° and 89mm trail. Wet weight is 186kg. Motorcycle-style 37mm USD forks (with 125mm stroke) are clamped by motorcycle-style top and bottom yokes, increasing rigidity for the entire front end. Twin remote reservoir shock absorbers use progressive, dual rate springs and offer excellent suspension reaction on a variety of road surfaces, and when two-up. With 130mm travel, they work a one-piece aluminium swingarm. The wheel design is a new one for any Honda scooter. Cast aluminium and finished in black, the lightweight 15-inch front/14-inch rear use an X-shaped 6-spoke criss-cross pattern. The design elevates road feel and all-round agility; 120/70-15 front and 140/70-14 rear block-pattern tubeless tyres offer a supple ride thanks to wide tread width and ample air volume. A 256mm single disc performs stopping duties up front, mated to a 240mm rear, with the benefit of 2-channel ABS for braking control. The Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) system also operates (and self-cancels) the rear indicators during a hard-stop situation, alerting road users behind. 3.3 Engine 330cc, enhanced Smart Power+ (eSP+) SOHC four-valve engine Peak power of 21.5kW (28.8 horsepower) @ 7,500rpm, 31.5Nm (23.2 lb-ft) torque @ 5,250rpm Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) 5L fuel tank and 30km/l economy (WMTC mode) gives a potential 340km+ range The ADV350’s 330cc, enhanced Smart Power+ (eSP+) SOHC four-valve engine achieves both high environmental performance and strong output characteristic – for use in and out of the city – through comprehensive adoption of low-friction technology. Peak power of 21.5kW @ 7,500rpm is matched to 31.5Nm torque @ 5,250rpm. Bore and stroke are set at 77mm x 70.7mm, with compression ratio of 10.5:1. A roller-type rocker arm, plain journal crank bearings and sealed crankcases deliver long-term reliability together with strong performance. To enhance piston cooling, an oil jet, as used on the CRF450R, sprays oil right to the back of the piston, advancing ignition timing and improving combustion performance. Oil capacity is 1.8 litres. Air is supplied via a 5.5 litre airbox and a 36mm throttle body feeds fuel/air mixture to 28mm inlet valves. The intake port draws air in efficiently, using a ‘tumble’ flow within the cylinder for consistent fuel combustion. Exhaust gases are expelled via a straight exhaust port. To reduce exhaust gas resistance the muffler uses dual chambers. Internal friction is reduced through a 5mm offset cylinder, hydraulic cam chain adjuster and the use of a scavenger pump. Used on high performance machines, the pump lowers the internal pressure within the engine, reduces oil agitation and decreases pumping losses and internal rotational friction. A balancer shaft further reduces vibration and contributes to a smooth, enjoyable ride. An automatic centrifugal clutch works V-Matic transmission (with ratios set for fast low speed reaction and smart acceleration) and belt final drive. The ADV350’s engine is also equipped with two level Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC). The system detects any difference between the front and rear wheel speeds, calculates the slip ratio and then controls engine torque via the fuel injection to regain rear wheel traction. HSTC can be switched ON-OFF via a switch on the left handlebar. A ‘T’ indicator in the display flickers when the system is working to manage grip. The engine is homologated for EURO5, which from January 1st 2020, introduced significantly stricter engine emissions standards compared to EURO4. These requirements include substantial reductions in permitted carbon monoxide emissions, an over 40% decrease in total hydrocarbon emissions, tougher misfire detection and the introduction of a particulate matter limit. Fuel economy is a frugal 30km/l, or 71 mpg (WMTC mode); the 11.5L (3.0 gallons) tank capacity gives a potential 340km+ (211+ miles) range. Accessories A range of Genuine Honda Accessories are available for the ADV350. They include: 50-litre Smart top box Rear carrier rack (direct fitment) Inner bags Heated grips U Lock Outdoor cover ENGINE Type Liquid-cooled 4-stroke, 4 valve SOHC single; Euro 5 compliant Displacement 330cc Bore & Stroke 77mm x 70.8mm Compression Ratio 10.5:1 Max. Power Output 21.5 kW (28.8 horsepower) @ 7,500 rpm Max. Torque 31.5 Nm (23.2 lb-ft) @ 5,250 rpm Noise Level (dB) Lurban 76.9db / Lwot 81.9db Oil Capacity 1.8 L FUEL SYSTEM Carburation PGM-FI electronic fuel injection Fuel Tank Capacity 11.7L CO2 Emissions WMTC 79g/km Fuel Consumption 29.4km/L (70 mpg) ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Starter Electric Battery Capacity 12V-8.6 AH DRIVETRAIN Clutch Type Automatic centrifugal clutch; dry type Transmission Type CVT Final Drive V-Belt FRAME Type Steel underbone CHASSIS Dimensions (L x W x H) 2200mm x 895mm x 1430mm Wheelbase 1,520mm Caster Angle / Fork Angle 26.5° Trail 89mm Seat Height 795mm Ground Clearance 145mm Kerb Weight 186kg (410 lbs) SUSPENSION Type Front 37mm Upside down forks – 125mm stroke Type Rear Twin Shock – 130mm travel WHEELS Type Front 15 inch six spoke cast aluminium Type Rear 14 inch six spoke cast aluminium Rim Size Front 3.5in Rim Size Rear 4.0in Tyres Front 120/70-15MC 56P Tyres Rear 140/70-14MC 62P BRAKES ABS System Type 2-channel ABS Type Front Single, 2 piston Nissin caliper. Single 256mm disc Type Rear Single 1 piston Nissin caliper. Single 240mm disc INSTRUMENTS & ELECTRICS Instruments Full LCD, clock, two trip meters, fuel consumption gauge, Honda SMART Key indicator. Security System Immobiliser Headlight LED Taillight LED Connectivity Yes USB Yes Cruise Control No Additional Features HSTC (Honda Selectable Torque Control) and ESS (Emergency Stop Signals) bar The post 2022 Honda ADV350 First Look (from Afar) appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Source

We were kicking candidates back and forth for this year’s MOTY awards, when somebody threw out as a possible Best Standard the Honda NC750X. Hey wait a minute, I’m the only guy around here who ever liked the NC! Maybe my stately mature influence is rubbing off on the kids at last? For me, it was love at first ride of the original NC700X, way back in 2012. By then, I guess I’d been subjected to enough compromising positions on exotic high-maintenance motorcycles to appreciate the NC’s practical advantages and comfort – and I wasn’t even doing any of the maintaining. 2021 Honda NC750X Honda says its ultimate tool for tackling urban environments in style has also evolved to a new level of comfort. It’s hard to disagree. It’s faster and smoother too. We ride, you decide. Editor Score: 90.5% Engine 18.5/20 Suspension 13.5/15 Transmission 9.75/10 Brakes 8/10 Instruments 4/5 Ergonomics 8.5/10 Appearance 9/10 Desirability 9.5/10 Value 9.75/10 + Highs 23-liter trunk Shiftless 60+ mpg – Sighs CC is MIA Occasionally blustery windscreen You can’t HANDLE the truth I also wasn’t paying for the gas, but I could still appreciate 60+ mpg. The NC’s ingenious storage compartment and automatic transmission were the ultimate in convenience, even if both were lifted directly from the Aprilia Mana. But when it was mentioned as a candidate in the 2021 MOTY fray, we realized we hadn’t ridden an NC since the big update to NC750X in 2018. How could that have happened? 2012 Honda NC700X Review – Video Who will volunteer to test one? Ohhh! Pick me! Frankly, I think the NC is the only thing in Honda’s lineup I’d swap for the PCX I had in my garage, and so I once again made the majestic pilgrimage to Door #8 at Honda’s Torrance HQ. What’s New? What was new in 2018 was a 75cc displacement increase (4mm bigger bores) that bumped the 270-cranked parallel Twin to 745cc, and a full 1000-rpm bump in redline to 7500. Four drive modes now allow full exploitation of the automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), two-level Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), and engine braking too. American Honda doesn’t do horsepower, but Honda UK does: They have it at 43.1 kW at 6750 rpm, or 57.8 horsepower. And 69 nM at 4750 rpm equals 50.9 pound-feet of torque. The original NC was a bit bland looking in some eyes; the new one sports “Bold, adventurous design identity based on the ‘Sensual Performance’ concept, with an LED headlight, taillight, and running lights.” In addition to the boring-out of the engine, they added another hot rod touch by lowering the bike: The original seat height was 32.7 inches; our 2021 claims 31.6 inches, which makes the NC even easier to roll around on in the maze. Despite that, Honda sticks it in the Adventure category, and it looks the part. It’s definitely more dashing than the PCX I traded in. Better Suspension too Early MO tests poo-pooed the bike’s cheap suspension while admitting it worked pretty alright. In 2018, the 750X got a new Showa Dual Bending Valve fork with 41mm tubes to go with its single-shock Pro-Link rear end. You don’t need any adjustments except rear preload, so pipe down and be happy with the 4.7 inches of wheel travel at both ends. (That’s actually 1.3 and 1.2 inches less travel than the 700X had, but I for one will take it in exchange for the lower seat.) Shall we ride? Surprise! The new suspenders are nicer and in their reduced travel are also a bit firmer and more controlling… Together with that extra power, we’re suddenly riding a much sportier NC-X than before. The Dual Clutch Transmission has reached a high state of refinement: Push D with your right thumb after the engine’s running to move ahead, and if you do nothing else you’ll motor off in Standard Automatic mode and let DCT do all the work. Or, hit the M button with the same right thumb for Manual, and perform instant up- and downshifts with your left forefinger and thumb; it becomes almost instantly instinctive. All you need is your right thumb, but there’re also paddle shifters for your left thumb and forefinger for maximum progress. You’ve also got Sport, Rain, and User modes. Be sure to thumb it into Sport every time with your left thumb to get full power; Sport also puts the gearbox in its Sport mode. Standard and Rain modes both dial back the power and up the traction control, fine for doddling round the corner for a gallon of Metamucil and a can of cat food. It’s kind of hard to see why Honda bothers with M at first, because even in Automatic the shift toggles respond instantly to your left digits. The biggest reason is that in Manual, the newly fortified Twin will keep revving all the way to its new 7500-rpm limiter – 1000 rpm more than before – and it doesn’t shift until you give the command. Otherwise, DCT shifts at the 6700 power peak. There’s not a lot more power to be had beyond there, but maybe you want to hold a gear between corners when you’re getting all Marquezy in the curves? It’s also fun to watch the LCD tachometer bar go past the red zone when you blip a couple of quick downshifts into a corner. In Standard, you can see your Power, Engine Braking and Traction controls are all set to medium. Sport mode gives you all the beans, and there are Rain and User modes too. Gas mileage goes up considerably when you’re not blasting past a camera 36 times in the mountains. Speaking of Marquezy, you’ll be hearing Ducatis all around you, because that’s what the parallel Twin’s engine sounds like with that 270-degree crankshaft. Much of the time you can barely hear the engine at all, but when you open the throttle and get the revs up the NC comes alive. The laydown cylinder bank and underseat gas tank keep the weight low, which makes the bike feel light. The 745 cc Twin is happy with 86 octane and not much of it. Once you’re in Sport, you might be surprised how much fun this “boring” Honda can be. Is it because I just traded up from a PCX scooter that 58 horses and 51 lb-ft of torque feel like more? It’s not so much a straight-line hot rod (though it does get to 60 really quickly and 100 mph not that much later), but using the DCT paddles for seamless shifts as you bend the NC in and out of serial corners, and even in the middle of them is fine too, makes you feel like a hero. Sport mode also cranks up engine braking to max. And traction control, on minimum in Sport, lets you feel good about dialing up the Ducati noises early and often at every corner exit. The new fork is firmer and better damped than before, and makes you want to upgrade the shock – which is adequate. The wide-ish near ADV-style handlebar gives more than enough leverage to stick the NC’s snout into corners. For 2021, the NC is ride-by-wire, with imperceptible lag and zero lurch between throttle opening and acceleration. All of it conspires to have you going down your favorite road surprisingly quickly. Since it’s geared tall, the soothing Twin noises lull you into a false sense of not rolling all that fast. Surprise! Even on the Dunlop Trailmaxes, you find yourself dragging the occasional footpeg feeler, and the 17-inch wheels mean sportier rubber will spoon right on. The single front disc has good feel and feedback, but I needed three fingers firmly squeezing to get the front ABS to kick in; a bit more braking power to go with the other upgrades wouldn’t be a bad thing. At a claimed 493 pounds (non-DCT 472), she’s not exactly light and with a 60-inch wheelbase not exactly quick-steering, but she is stable, predictable, and fun for all ages. And if you wanted to tangent down a dirt road, she’s up for that too. For 5’8” me, the handlebar is just about right for standing up on the footpegs. Utility player There’s no finer machine for making it through the Del Taco drive-thru. You don’t even have to dismount to open the big 23-liter trunk right in front of you where the gas tank should be, and secure all sorts of things out of sight in the lockable bin including most full-face helmets and burritos mas grande. Honda says the PCX scooter’s underseat bin holds 30 L, so you’re actually not far off that when it comes to cargo capacity. I’m typing on my 12-inch Macbook in there right now. Let me know if there are any other motorcycles under 500 lbs that offer any storage. For tootling around the surface streets, the DCT, upright ergos and really good suspension make it ideal, though maybe slightly less so than the PCX only because the NCs’ greater power makes it harder to go slower, for safety! And its wider handlebar requires a wider berth between the cars. Past those minor considerations, just thumb it into Standard and roll serenely wherever. It’s nice to be shiftless, especially when you know you can deploy the paddleshifters instantly. On the freeway, the NC pulls way ahead of any scooter or other motorcycle of its displacement, cruising effortlessly at 80 and 90 mph with supertanker stability. (I rode a KTM 1290 Super Duke R to the dyno in the midst of the NC test; it and the NC both turn about 4500 rpm at 85 mph.) Dual counterbalancers in the parallel Twin render it 98% vibrationless, and if there was one more button to control the electronic cruise control which it doesn’t have, the NC would be fighting it out with the new Yamaha Tracer 9 GT for lightweight touring bike honors. Okay, maybe not, but close, and for ⅔ the money. Can we justify this? Without DCT, the NC750X is still a pretty cool motorcycle. With it, it’s kind of a transformatory one: So effortless and fun to ride, so convenient and practical. Originally, DCT added $2,000 to the base bike. Now it’s only an additional $800. That sounds pretty swell until you factor in that the 2012 NC700X base model was only $7k, and the new base price has climbed to $8,499. Spun in a positive way, though, the 2021 NC750X DCT has only crept $300 above the 2012 DCT bike, from $8,999 to $9,299. Soichiro really wants you to have the DCT. Trust him. Most helmets will fit in the locking bin where the gas usually goes, and there’s also a helmet lock loop included for ones that don’t. I think I’ve said before that if they pulled the MO rug out from under me tomorrow, the motorcycle I’d be Most Likely to Embezzle would be the NC, and now that I’ve ridden the new and improved 750X, only one thing has changed: Since then, I’ve also vowed I would never buy a new bike without electronic cruise control. If only Honda had found a way to squeeze in one more button, life could be a dream. They thought of everything else. The optional USB charger is only $34.95, heated grips are $315.95, the centerstand is $125.95. Why no CC, why, Honda? Aside from that, if you like practical motorcycles that can carry things, that are also a hoot to flog in the curvy stuff, squeeze nearly 60 miles from a gallon of gas, cost less than $10k, and leave your left hand free for waving at your adoring fans, the NC is the only game in town, a genius practical fun transportation device. Will all that be enough nine years after the original? In Gear Helmet: Shoei Neotec 2 Splicer Communicator: Cardo Pack Talk Bold Suit: Aerostich Roadcrafter Gloves: Dainese 4 Stroke 2 Boots: Sidi Adventure 2 Mid 2021 Honda NC750X Specifications MSRP $9,299 Engine Type 7445 cc liquid-cooled parallel Twin, SOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore and Stroke 77mm x 80mm Compression Ratio 10.7:1 Horsepower (claimed) 57.8 hp @ 6700 rpm Torque (claimed) 50.9 lb-ft @ 4750 rpm Transmission 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission Final Drive Chain Front Suspension 41mm Dual Bending Valve fork, 4.7 inches wheel travel Rear Suspension Pro-Link single shock, adjustable for spring preload, 4.7 in. travel Front Brake 320mm disc, 2-piston caliper, 2-channel ABS Rear Brake 240mm disc, 2-channel ABS Front Tire 120/70ZR-17 Rear Tire 160/60ZR-17 Rake/Trail 27 deg/4.3 in Wheelbase 60.1 in. Seat Height 31.6 in. Curb Weight (Claimed) 492 lbs. Fuel Capacity 3.8 gal. MO Observed Fuel Economy 52 mpg Colors Red Warranty One year, transferable, unlimited-mileage limited warranty; extended coverage available with a Honda Protection Plan. We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post 2021 Honda NC750X Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/_Jz8HcuXxmASource

Maybe it’s the millennial in me, but I’ve always appreciated Arai helmets for the privately owned company’s history and the fact that the lids are handcrafted in Japan. Use the word “heritage” and/or “handmade” and you’ve got the attention of my generation. The thing is though, with Arai, they don’t need to rely on hip marketing to entice interested parties. The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and Arai has been serving it up thick since the 1950s. Arai lids can be found on the heads of the world’s most elite racers from MotoGP to Dakar and even in the less interesting four-wheeled sports like F1 (I kid, I kid). Arai XD4 Even with its last “major” update happening nine years ago, the Arai XD4 continues to be a top choice for adventurers around the globe. Aesthetics 9/10 Protection 9/10 Comfort 9/10 Value 8.25/10 Weight 7.5/10 Innovation 8/10 Quality 9.25/10 Options 9/10 Weather 9/10 Desirability 9/10 Editor Score: 87% + Highs Arai quality Good ventilation Versatile – Sighs Wish it came with a Pinlock-ready shield (and a Pinlock insert Not the lightest helmet in the genre The XD4 is getting a little long in the tooth What’s New? The Arai XD4 replaced its predecessor (the XD3) back in 2012 and has gone largely unchanged since. When the XD4 hit the market, Arai claimed a better ventilation system including slight changes to diffusers throughout the helmet and a new shield with brow vents for better ram air cooling effect. The XD4’s internal padding allows for additional adjustment, giving users the ability to decrease the foam thickness by 5mm on the cheek pads and sides of the crown. Emergency quick removal tabs are also included for cheek pad extraction in the instance of the unfortunate. In addition to all of that, the helmet’s shell shape has also been slightly changed and is now offered in five shell sizes (XS, SM, MD-LG (same shell), XL, and XXL) to ensure the smallest, lightest helmet possible. In 2018, we’re told the peak received slight aerodynamic changes, the internal fabric was upgraded to match that of the Corsair, and anti-fog coated shields with a few tint options were made available. First look At a glance, the first thing you’ll notice is the quality of the finishes and/or graphics. The Vision graphic of my helmet has a matte finish with a hint of metal fleck throughout. The graphics are tastefully layered, and while I would use the word perfection considering the other two Arai helmets that I own, a direct look at the front of my XD4 shows asymmetrical graphics (something I hadn’t noticed until the helmet was sitting on my desk as I typed up this review). Grabbing the XD4 off the shelf – depending whether or not you’ve checked out other helmets on the market – you might notice the XD4’s weight next. In terms of heft, the Arai slots itself right in the middle between the three adventure helmets I’ve been using as of late, weighing in at 3 lbs 9.9 oz (1641 g). The other helmets, a Klim Krios and Shoei Hornet X2 tip the scales at 2 lbs 15.7 oz (1352 g) and 3 lbs 15 oz (1786 g), respectively. Considering the entire crop of helmets including on-road, off-road, and in-between, the XD4 is not the lightest helmet by far, but also not nearly the heaviest. Arai uses it’s R75 shell shape for its glancing properties, along with a varying density EPS liner within to properly absorb impacts. Even the comfort liner itself uses multiple densities of foam to ensure the safest and most comfortable fit. Arai helmets sold in North America meet both DOT and Snell M2020 tests. Achieving the Snell certification requires a penetration test that – in every instance I’m aware of – adds weight (and often rigidity) to the helmet. The XD4 shell is made from hand laid carbon and fiberglass layers with Arai’s proprietary resin blends, but the helmets sold Stateside will be heavier than those found in other markets. The orange emergency quick-release tabs can be pulled to easily remove the cheek pads after an unfortunate incident. The small chin curtain can also be pulled down to limit airflow from underneath the helmet. Slipping the helmet on, you’re reminded of why everyone talks about the comfort of Arai helmets. They tend to have pillowy, cushy liners that adapt well to slight variances in head shape, making them comfortable to a wide swath of melons, though the XD4 is considered to fit an intermediate oval head shape. As with other modern Arai helmets, the XD4 features cheek and crown pads that can have a 5mm layer of foam removed for custom tailoring the fit. Installing the Cardo Packtalk Bold bluetooth communicator didn’t alter the fit at all. Cut-outs in the cheek pads allow for easy installation and comfortable fit of comm units. The XD4 truly is an all-day comfortable helmet that is easy to don and doff. Another feature you’ll notice about the Arai XD4, which is true of most ADV helmets, is the massive eye port. This is one reason, I believe, that adventure helmets have become so popular for everyday use. The peripheral vision from adventure helmets is hard to match. This, of course, also allows the user to wear goggles with the XD4 off-road – most comfortably when the visor is removed. Urban fighter pilot mode: engaged. Considering the Arai XD4 as a do-it-all helmet, it has three configurations that help it excel at the intended use. First, you can wear it as is, peak attached and visor on, leaving you just as ready to tackle the commute to Starbucks as you will be conquering Tierra del Fuego. Second, you can remove the visor, reattach the peak (the same plastic screws that attach the peak attach the visor), and use goggles for riding off-road, à la MX. Third, you can remove the peak and reattach the visor to gain a more aerodynamic setup for street riding that also gives excellent peripheral vision. While this might be a strange or uncommon configuration, I’ve come to notice many urban riders using it. It makes sense and makes Arai’s ADV lid all the more useful which is great for a $740 helmet (Vision graphic). On the street or down the trail The recent crop of adventure helmets do a surprisingly good job of being aerodynamic enough to not turn your head into a sail at speed. Do you notice the peak while riding? Yes. Is the XD4 the most aerodynamic adventure helmet I’ve used? No. That said, on everything from naked bikes to adventure touring machines, it hasn’t been such a problem that I regretted using the helmet. Finishing plates on each side provide a polished look whether the peak is installed or not. The XD4’s peak does catch some wind, and depending on which motorcycle I’m riding I can find myself teetering between the point of wind catching under it and pulling up or over it and pushing down. On adventure bikes, it’s almost never an issue that bothers me much. The Arai XD4’s rear diffuser vents can be easily replaced by pressing the red tab on the vent closing mechanism to the right. This allows the diffuser to pop free of the vent, then, once the new piece is lined back up, pulling the red tab back into place locks it back in securely. When the road runs out and terrain turns technical, I’ve found the substantial venting system of the XD4 to work quite well. The three large chinbar vents can all be opened and closed, the center of which has adjustability on both the inside and outside of the helmet for fine tuning. Vents on the visor at the brow can be opened to channel air directly to the forehead and the top vents are easily opened and closed with switch-type toggles on the top of the inlets. I did notice that the top forward facing vents worked best when the peak was pushed to its highest position as it seems to almost entirely block them when it’s lower. Two large exhaust vents at the upper back portion of the helmet can be opened and closed in the same fashion. Two lower exhaust vents are found near the bottom of the helmet and a channel to direct airflow out of the helmet is located at the bottom of the neck roll. Note the fog building at the bottom of the visor. The visor itself may be one of my biggest nitpicks on any Arai helmet, really. They all feel flimsy by comparison, and the locking mechanisms on helmets, like the Corsair X, don’t always seem to offer consistent ease of use. That said, I’ve only actually had one issue with Arai shields which was during my time with the Ram-X when the shield fell off in my hand as I attempted to adjust it while riding. Despite the visor not feeling as stout as the other adventure helmets in my stable, it works well and is easy to see through, but (and it’s kind of a big one) both the clear visor and the tinted one I’ve used fog something awful. Arai now offers accessory visors with anti-fog treatments and a Pinlock-ready version (only in clear and the Pinlock insert is sold separately), but with a starting price of $610, I’d like to see the Pinlock ready visor and insert included in the package. Adventure is booming In 2012, when the XD4 came to the market, there weren’t as many competitors. The adventure scene was just starting to hot up. Now, in 2021, adventure motorcycling is hotter than ever, and the competition looking to outfit those adventurous domes is nearly as heated. There are more than 15 helmet manufacturers selling ADV or “dual-sport” lids in the U.S. Despite the XD line’s last “major” update happening in 2012, Arai’s XD4 continues to be a top contender for those in the market – that’s also despite it being one of the most expensive. While there are two ways of looking at it, arguments can be made for the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” camp or for those hoping for some innovation. Personally, I’d like to see a lighter XD5 complete with a Pinlock ready shield with the insert in the box. Another look at the aerodynamic properties of the peak could be in order, too. Competition has never forced Arai to take drastic measure,s and the evolution of the XD line is an example of the Japanese company sticking to its approach to what it considers the best way of doing things. For now, I’ll keep wearing my XD4, but I’ll remain hopeful that the next evolution from Arai is just over the horizon of the rising sun. Arai XD4 Specifications Colors 18 various solids and graphics Sizes XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL Weight (Medium measured) 3 lbs 9.9 oz (1641 g) Safety Standards DOT, Snell M2020 Check pricing for the Arai XD4 here FAQ What goggles fit with the Arai XD4? Any of them! At least any of the brands I have sitting around which include the 100% Racecraft +, the Klim Viper Pro, and the Fly Zone Pro. Goggles fit best with the visor completely removed, though they can be worn without removing the visor, just keep in mind the seal around the rider’s face will not be great for keeping out dust. What bluetooth communicator fits in the Arai XD4? Any of them, again! Any modern communicator like the Cardo Packtalk Bold or Sena units should fit nicely within the Arai XD4. The medium helmet I have fits me spot on, and I couldn’t tell a difference in fit or comfort after installing the Packtalk Bold. What is an adventure motorcycle helmet? An adventure helmet melds the worlds of street and off-road functionality. An ADV helmet like the Arai XD4 is designed to be tightly sealed for weatherproofing when touring, while offering the ability to be opened up for ventilation like an off-road lid for tackling more treacherous terrain. Like adventure bikes, adventure helmets aim for ultimate versatility. Additional Resources Arai: The Philosophy Behind The Helmets Best Adventure Motorcycle Helmets For The Unknown MO Tested: Arai Corsair-X Review MO Tested: Arai Regent-X Review MO Tested: Arai Ram-X Review We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post MO Tested: Arai XD4 Helmet Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/xc7yfFTePCgSource

Honda Europe revealed the new 2022 NT1100, a street-focused tourer based on the CRF1100L adventure bike. As of this writing, the NT1100 has only been announced for Europe, but we hope to see it come to North America eventually. Fast Facts Choice of manual transmission or DCT Sharper steering geometry than the Africa Twin 5.4 gallon fuel tank Integrated panniers, heated grips, cruise control and an adjustable windscreen come standard Visually, the NT1100’s design resembles the NT700V (a.k.a. the Deauville), which was last offered in the U.S. in 2013. The fairing is designed for touring comfort, and stands in contrast to the recent industry trend of sport-tourers with adventure-inspired styling. The windscreen is five-way adjustable for height and angle, and it’s supplemented with wind deflectors on either side. Cruise control and heated grips come standard, as are the integrated detachable panniers. The cases are designed to be slim, with a maximum width of 35.4 inches at their widest point. The left case holds 8.7 gallons while the right is slightly smaller at 8.4 gallons, to create more clearance from the exhaust. Honda claims the NT1100 will get 47 mpg which, combined with the 5.4-gallon fuel tank, would mean a range of about 253 miles. The 2022 Honda NT1100 is powered by a liquid-cooled 1084cc Parallel-Twin similar to the one used on the Africa Twin. The engine has the same 10.1:1 compression ratio and 270° phased crankshaft, but the air intake duct length and exhaust are tuned to make a low-rpm “throb”, with Honda claiming smooth, powerful acceleration and relaxed highway cruising performance. Honda claims the NT1100’s engine produces 101 hp at 7,500 rpm and 76.7 lb.ft at 6,250 rpm. That’s the same power output claimed by the 2022 Africa Twin, but a slight dip in peak torque. Like its ADV sibling, the NT1100 is available with a dual clutch transmission (DCT). The manual model has a claimed curb weight of 524.7 pounds, while Honda claims the DCT model comes in at 546.7 pounds. The chassis consists of the same steel semi-double cradle frame as the Africa Twin, with a bolt-on aluminum subframe. The NT1100’s 60.4-inch wheelbase is 1.6 inches shorter than the Africa Twin, while the 26.5° rake and 4.3-inch trail should make for sharper steering than the CRF1100L’s 27.5° and 4.4 inches offer. Showa supplies the preload-adjustable 43mm inverted fork and rear shock with remote spring preload adjustability. Both offer 5.9 inches of travel. The wheels are made of die-cast aluminum, with a sand core allowing for a hollow hub center for the front wheel. The intersecting spokes attach to the rim diagonally, with Honda claiming high rigidity for cornering and smoother road vibrations when traveling in a straight line. The front wheel sports a 120/70-17 tire while a 180/55-17 tire is fitted at the rear. The braking system consists of dual four-piston radial-mount calipers with 310mm discs up front and a single-piston caliper with a 256mm disc at the rear. We’re a little surprised the NT1100 comes standard with a 2-channel ABS instead of the IMU-based cornering ABS offered on the Africa Twin. The NT1100 does offer three selectable ride modes plus two customizable modes, a three-level traction control system and a three-level wheelie control system. The NT1100 is equipped with a similar stacked instrument cluster as the Africa Twin, with a 6.5-inch TFT above a smaller LCD screen. The full-color TFT offers customizable displays plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. At 32.3 inches, the seat height is more manageable than the AT which stands at 32.4 inches with the lowest seat option. The saddle is designed for comfort for both rider and passenger, with grab handles integrated into the rear rack. Other standard features include a USB socket, accessory power socket, center stand, and, where markets allow, full LEDs with daytime running lights, self-canceling turn indicators and emergency stop signals. Honda also offers three optional packages. The Urban pack adds a 13.2-gallon top case/pillion back rest and a 1.2-gallon tank bag. The Touring pack includes more comfortable seats and pillion footpegs plus fog lights. The Urban and Touring packs can be combined to form the Voyage pack. Each of these accessories can also be purchased separately. For 2022, the Honda NT1100 will be available in three color options: Matte Iridium Gray Metallic, Pearl Glare White, and Graphite Black. In the U.K., it is priced at £11,999, which puts it slightly less expensive than the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT‘s £12,202 MSRP. At the moment, there is no indication the NT1100 will be offered in the U.S., though we will keep an eye on any updates from American Honda. 2022 Honda NT1100 Specifications Engine Type Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 8-valve Parallel-Twin with 270° crank and uni-cam Displacement 1084cc Bore x Stroke 92mm x 81.5mm Compression Ratio 10.1:1 Horsepower 101 hp at 7,500rpm (claimed) Torque 76.7 lb-ft. at 6,250rpm (claimed) Oil Capacity 4.8 – MT 5.2 – DCT Carburation PGM-FI electronic fuel injection Fuel Tank Capacity 5.4 gallons Fuel Consumption 47 mpg (claimed) Battery Capacity 12V/11.2AH Clutch Type Wet, multiplate clutch Transmission Type MT: 6-speed Manual Transmission DCT: 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission Final Drive Chain Frame Steel semi-double cradle frame with bolt-on aluminum subframe. Length 88.2 inches Width 34.1 inches (35.4 inches with the panniers) Height 53.5 inches (low screen position) Wheelbase 60.4 inches Rake/Trail 26.5°/4.3 inches Seat Height 32.3 inches Ground Clearance 6.9 inches Curb Weight 524.7 pounds – Manual (claimed) 546.7 pounds – DCT (claimed) Front Suspension Showa 43mm SFF-BP type inverted telescopic fork with dial-style preload adjuster, 5.9 inches stroke. Rear Suspension Monoblock aluminum swing arm with Pro-Link with Showa gas-charged damper, hydraulic dial-style preload adjuster, 5.9 inches of axle travel. Front Wheel Multi-spoke cast aluminum Rear Wheel Multi-spoke cast aluminum Front Tire 120/70R17 M/C Rear Tire 180/55R17 M/C ABS System Type 2-channel ABS Front Brake Radial mounted four-piston brake caliper, 310mm floating double disc Rear Brake Single piston caliper, 256mm single disc Instruments 6.5-inch TFT Touch Panel Multi information display & secondary LCD meter Security System HISS Headlight LED with DRL Taillight LED Connectivity Apple CarPlay & Android Auto USB USB 12V Socket Yes Auto Winker cancel Yes Quickshifter Accessory Cruise Control Yes Additional Features 5 Riding Modes Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post 2022 Honda NT1100 Announced for Europe appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/cFkGaYDtsB0Source

After giving us a glimpse of a pre-production prototype in August, Triumph officially revealed its new Tiger Sport 660. Sharing the same platform as the Trident 660 roadster, the 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 is a middleweight “adventure sports” model, claiming class-leading power and low cost of ownership. By “adventure sports”, of course, we’re talking about sport-touring models that are styled after true ADVs rather than sportbikes. Like the Trident does for its roadster line, Triumph also sees the Tiger Sport 660 as an entry point for the larger and more adventure-ready Tiger models in its lineup. Triumph is thus positioning the Tiger Sport 660 against the likes of the Kawasaki Versys 650 and, in Europe, the Yamaha Tracer 7. Cross shoppers might also be considering the Suzuki V-Strom 650, which may be a bit more capable off-road, but the Tiger probably won’t compete as well in the dirt against the Yamaha Ténéré 700 or theupcoming Aprilia Tuareg 660. The Tiger Sport 660 is powered by the same liquid-cooled DOHC Inline-Triple as the Trident, with the same claimed performance numbers of 80 hp at 10,250 rpm and 47 lb-ft. at 6,250 rpm and with Triumph claiming 90% of its peak torque available from 3,600 rpm to 9,750 rpm. The Tiger Sport 660 also shares the same underslung silencer as the Trident, as well as a slip-and-assist clutch. An up-and-down quickshifter is available as an accessory.  The engine is packaged in a tubular steel perimeter frame similar to the Trident’s, but the Tiger Sport has a longer subframe to support luggage and a higher two-level seat (the 32.8 inch seat height is 1.1 inches taller than the Trident, but the pillion seat is significantly higher than on the roadster). Luggage is sold separately, but the Tiger Sport 660 is set up with integrated pannier mounts that fit neatly with the shape of the tail. The suspension is also similar to the Trident, with a 41mm separate function fork and rear shock with remote hydraulic preload adjustment, although with a longer 5.9-inches of wheel travel for both wheels. The Tiger Sport also has a rake of 23.1°and 3.8 inches of trail compared to the Trident’s 24.6° and 4.2 inches. Nissin provides the dual two-piston front brake calipers and single-piston rear caliper. ABS is standard, as is a switchable traction control system. The electronics package also includes two selectable ride modes with a small color TFT screen integrated in a white-on-black LCD display which is also designed to work with the My Triumph accessory to provide turn-by-turn navigation, phone connectivity and GoPro control. The Tiger Sport 660 offers a relaxed, upright riding position with a tall height-adjustable windscreen. The controls are positioned for comfort for both urban and highway riding. The brake lever is span-adjustable for rider comfort while passengers will benefit from the ergonomically-shaped grab handles. The blue model in the photographs is outfitted with a number of accessories including 57l panniers with color-matched lids and a 47l top case (an aluminum luggage rack is sold separately). Standard features include a 4.5-gallon fuel tank, Michelin Road 5 tires, and twin LED headlights. In markets where they are allowed, the LED turn signals are self-cancelling, and they can be upgraded to scrolling LED indicators. The 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 arrives in U.S. dealerships in February 2022 with an MSRP of $9,295 for the Sapphire Black color, with an additional $125 for the Korosi Red and Luceren Blue colors. At that price, it’s more expensive than some of its competitors like the $8,399 Versys 650, but Triumph says the Tiger Sport 660 makes up for it with a category-leading low cost of ownership. Service intervals are every 10,000 miles or 12 months. Triumph also claims the service time over the first three years of ownership add up to 8.3 hours of labor compared to a range of 11 to 15.9 hours for its competitors. Triumph asserts this results in a 17% lower maintenance costs over that time span. 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 Specifications Type Liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC, inline 3-cylinder, 240° firing order Displacement 660 cc Bore x Stroke 74.04 mm x 51.1 mm Compression 11.95:1 Horsepower 80 hp at 10,250 rpm (claimed) Torque 47 lb-ft. at 6,250 rpm (claimed) Fuel System Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection with electronic throttle control Exhaust Stainless steel 3 into 1 header system with low single sided stainless steel silencer Final Drive X-ring chain Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slip & assist Gearbox 6 speed Frame Tubular steel perimeter frame Swingarm Twin-sided, fabricated steel Front Wheel Cast aluminum, 17 x 3.5 in Rear Wheel Cast aluminum, 17 x 5.5 in Front Tire 120/70 ZR 17 (58W) Rear Tire 180/55 ZR 17 (73W) Front Suspension Showa 41mm upside down separate function cartridge forks, 5.9 inches of wheel travel Rear Suspension Showa monoshock RSU, with remote hydraulic preload adjustment, 5.9 inches of wheel travel Front Brakes Nissin two-piston sliding calipers, twin 310mm discs, ABS Rear Brakes Nissin single-piston sliding caliper, single 255mm disc, ABS Instruments Multi-function instruments with color TFT screen Length 81.5 inches Width (Handlebars) 32.8 inches Height 55 inches / 51.7 inches (high / low screen position), without mirrors Seat Height 32.8 inches Wheelbase 55.8 inches Rake / Trail 23.1° / 3.8 inches Wet weight 454 pounds (claimed) Fuel Tank Capacity 4.5 gallons Service interval 10,000 miles / 12 months Become a Motorcycle.com insider. 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Dainese Torque 3 Out AirEditor Score: 91.5%Aesthetics 9.0/10Protection 9.0/10 Value 9.0/10Comfort/Fit 9.5/10 Quality/Design 9.5/10 Weight 8.5/10 Options/Selection 8.5/10Innovation 9.5/10Weather Suitability 10.0/10Desirable/Cool Factor 9.0/10Overall Score91.5/100 In motorcycles, we frequently see tremendous loyalty in consumables like brake pads and tires. Because of their long life cycle, riding gear isn’t usually thought of as a consumable (except, perhaps, from crash damage), but if you use something long enough, it will eventually wear out. Boots and gloves suffer the stresses of everyday use more than other riding gear and, consequently, fall into this category. Dainese Torque RS Out Air – Review My five-year-old Dainese Torque RS Out Air boots were ready for retirement. The soles were worn bald, and the outer TPU was ground away in a couple of places from MO’s two forays into endurance mini racing. They’d been my everyday boot for hot SoCal weather seemingly forever, suffering through 100-plus degree track days, sport rides, commuting, and hiking through the underbrush during photo shoots. While the comfort and protection were still top notch, they were beginning to look pretty haggard, and the soles were offering less grip. So, as I frequently do when I’m thinking about a product, I found myself online late at night researching vented boots, only to discover that I simply wanted to replace my workhorse boots with the updated version, the Dainese Torque 3 Out Air (available for just $10 more than my original pair). Well-earned battle scars: The Dainese Torque RS Out Air boots served me well for five years. What makes the Dainese Torque 3 Out Air so special is really a combination of several features. Working from the inside out, the interior offers a unique fit-adjusting system. Because of my many years of running, I have Morton’s neuroma in my left foot, which requires that I wear a boot/shoe slightly larger than my foot to give my toes a place to splay out when I walk or place my weight on the pegs. The Torque 3s have an internal speed-lacing system that, with the pull of a locking drawstring, cinches the boot’s upper down across the top of my foot near the ankle joint, giving me a snug, movement-free fit in my ankle and heel along with the room I need around the front of the foot. This custom fit goes a long way towards making the Torque 3s comfortable during a day’s use on and off the bike. The next layers out are the microfiber and D-Stone fabric that forms the upper along with the TPU exterior armor. The perforated upper flows massive amounts of air, and at speed, you can actually feel the moisture (and heat) being wicked away. The air channeling works so well that I can even feel it flowing up behind the solid sections of the armor. One of the improvements to the Torque 3s is the larger air intake just below the accordion panel. The perforations in the upper also flow tremendous amounts of air. And then there is the armor. The toe box has an internal nylon reinforcement. Moving back from the toes are shifter pads on both boots for added stiffness and protection from stones. The heel cup is constructed of TPU with a protective internal nylon case and features an integrated magnesium slider to aid in, well, sliding and dissipate impacts. Ankle joints present a challenge for boot manufacturers because they must be protected yet remain flexible. Dainese has resolved this issue with its D-Axial system, which is a big TPU hinge mimicking the movement of the rider’s ankle. (A key ingredient in the Torque 3’s all-day comfort.) This solid structure minimizes the twisting of the ankle in a tumble. The exoskeleton’s flexible ankle hinge combines with the accordion panel to make the boots easy to walk in and manipulate the motorcycle’s controls. The Dainese Torque 3 Out Air boots also have several other convenience features. The rear zippered entry makes them easy to don and doff, the rear tongue acting as a shoehorn into these snug-fitting boots. Then there is the rear zipper itself making closing the boot simple. The dual rear hook-and-loop flaps allow for easily fine-tuning the boot opening for a comfortably snug fit whether you’re wearing them over your leathers (the Out in the boot name) or inside of your riding jeans. Finally the magnesium toe sliders wear extremely well and are easily replaced with an Allen key. Lots of features in one photo: The drawstring for the speed lace insures a snug fit, the plate covering the Achilles tendon acts as a shoehorn, and the boot opening is adjustable thanks to the two panels on either side of the rear zipper. If you frequently ride in a hot, dry environment, I highly recommend the Dainese Torque 3 Out Air. For $400, you get a comfortable, protective, and cool boot for almost any type of street riding. The black color is non-descript enough to be worn in the everyday world, and the protection is solid enough for track use. The Dainese Torque 3 Out Air are available in Euro sizes 39-47 in either Black/Anthracite or Black/White/Lava-Red, and are also available in the same colors and price in women’s Euro sizes 36-42. The sole is grippy on the pegs, but it does wear faster than the rest of the boot. Check prices for the Men’s Dainese Torque 3 Out Air here Check prices for the Women’s Dainese Torque 3 Out Air here Dainese Torque 3 Out Air Colors Black/Anthracite and Black/White/Lava-Red Sizes Euro 39-47 (men’s), Euro 36-42 (women’s) Safety Standards ECE Dainese Torque 3 Out Air FAQ Is Dainese Italian? Yes, Dainese was founded in the Italian town of Molvena and is today headquartered in Colceresa, Italy. Where is Dainese gear made? While all Dainese gear is designed in Italy, its products are made in many different countries. For example, the Torque 3 Out Air boots are manufactured in Romania. What does the Dainese logo mean? The red devil logo traces its roots to the earliest days of Dainese, where “The first logo featured a speed demon as a symbol of dynamism and rebellion.” Additional Resources Best Motorcycle Track Boots Best Waterproof Motorcycle Boots MO Tested: Alpinestars Supertech R Boots Review We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. 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You know what they say: It’s more fun to ride a slow motorcycle fast than a fast motorcycle slow. Yet another example of conventional wisdom baloney. It’s actually more fun to ride a fast bike fast, or even a medium-fast one. I’m pretty sure that’s why they keep building faster motorcycles all the time. Heck, you could argue faster bikes are also safer, because power can get you out of trouble just as easily as it can get you into it (once you’ve learned to ride, that is). And power can launch you out of corners, instead of incentivizing you to cling to every mph when you’re diving into them the way slow bikes do when ridden in packs of MOrons. Have you seen a Moto3 race? They’re faster mid-corner than the Moto2 or MotoGP bikes. Then again, you can probably trust that front tire since all these bikes weigh well under 400 pounds. And you’re definitely not braking into those corners from triple-digit speeds, so how bad could it be? Well. It takes a certain lack of imagination, like the famous race car driver said, to ride these quickly on the street. But these aren’t just motorcycles for sport riding. Little bikes are a blast in urban areas where space is at a premium, and with what you save in gas and tires, they probably pencil out not bad against public transportation.  It turns out only having $6k to spend on a new motorcycle doesn’t have to be a bad thing, especially when you’ve got us to help separate the wheat from the chaff. No, no need to thank us: Just hit the Like button on the video. Ride to eat. Eat to ride. And even if you do have a bigger budget, we learn once again via the scientific process that all inexpensive little motorcycles are not created equal, and you can definitely have big fun on a small one while sinking the rest in Bitcoin or GameStop. Once again, the crack Motorcycle.com staff swings into action (complete with part-time MOrons Tom Roderick and Thai Long Ly), riding the top five tiny tadgers repeatedly round our SoCal test circuit, bombing them up and down the LA freeway system, and all parts in between to get to the bottom of it all. It beats working. 5th place: BMW G310 R Thai Long Ly is 5’5″ tall. It’s all relative, and when we reviewed BMW’s new mini roadster three years ago, we had mostly nice things to say about it – though we did mention the KTM 390 Duke makes about 8 hp more than the BM’s 31, a figure that’s way more insignificant on paper than it is on the road. That hasn’t changed. It pretty much appears that BMW was attempting to replicate the Duke in building its 310: Both pack counterbalanced Singles in steel trellis frames very close in specification, both with simple, non-linkage suspension out back. The BMW even out-tricks the KTM, with its rear-canted cylinder and rear-firing exhaust port designed for better mass centralization. Our scales have them within a pound of each other in the 362 vicinity. 2017 BMW G310R Review In most of the subjective categories on the Official MO Scorecard, the BMW is right there in the fray. Sadly, the category it got left behind in was Engine, with a last-place 67.5% rating. When you’re talking motorcycles in the 30 to 40 horsepower range, every horse matters, and though the BMW’s 313 cc Single is perfectly adequate ridden in isolation, it’s a 750 among 1000s when ridden in a hurry. “Stretching the throttle cable” is the old adage that comes to mind as you strain to keep up with the pack, though the Euro 5 BMW probably doesn’t have one. Running along a straight on a backroad WFO in 5th gear, the Svartpilen and then the MT-03 just motored past me on the BMW. Which is a shame, because the rest of the bike’s not so bad at all. Then again, slow bikes seem to always feel more secure than fast ones. Road Test Editor Troy Siahaan says: “You expect bikes in this class to have no power, but other than the BMW, the group surprises with how much get-up they have. Not the BMW. There’s not enough power to get out of its own way or take evasive maneuvers in traffic. According to the dyno, it makes peak power 500 rpm before redline… and it’s still the least amount of power here.” Troy’s exaggerating a little: I saw 96 mph indicated on here on level ground, but it took a run to get there. At 85 mph, the BMW’s LCD bar tach says it’s thumping 9000 rpm, reasonably smoothly. Tom Roderick has learned diplomacy since he left the motojourno business: “Unintimidating by way of its low seat height, smooth power delivery, and comfy egros, the BMW is the novice’s best friend among this group of two-wheelers. The 310R is attractive with nicely styled wheels that color match the equally attractive red-painted trellis frame.” T. Roderick is 5’11” tall. At least it’s not uncool; the 310 scored ahead of the Z400 in Cool Factor! But the little BMW scored one of the worst Grin Factor ratings in memory: 32%. It lacks excitement. Excitement and power. They’re not quite the same thing but they’re very close. Thai Long Ly can’t hold back, thank God: “I had so much hope for this bike as it looks good parked, with price-appropriate fit and finish and an attractive color scheme. With a low seat height and puny engine, this bike couldn’t frighten a skittish stray cat no matter how many vacuum cleaners you bolted to it. The biking equivalent of a mouthful of Xanax with all the excitement of a flavored toothpick, the bike does promise excellence upon first twisting the grip, with a nice smooth pull all the way up to about 28 mph. I know it’s the weakest of all the motors in the test, but I’m quite certain my cat’s water fountain has more power and is verifiably smoother. Basically, the engine [censored]. As for the actual ride, it’s quite comfortable on the motorways and has great ergonomics and a comfortable seat. However, front end feedback at speed is like [CENSORED!]… you can’t feel a thing. Good luck finding neutral at a stoplight. Although it sounds like I didn’t like the BMW, you’d be right. At least Ryan Adams feels bad: I feel bad for the BMW coming in last. It was quickly apparent that it would be at the bottom of the pack, though. Despite it’s open cockpit and comfy ergos, its adequate suspension and decent brakes, not even its solid shifts and quality fit and finish could keep its motor performance – or lack thereof – from grenading the entire experience. It delivers a healthy cuppa torque just off idle, but then begins to skyrocket into the rpm range with little forward momentum gained along the way.” Ouch. 2021 BMW G 310 R + Highs Looks legit and says BMW right on it Not too uncomfortable and 60+ mpg A crashed Duke motor might bolt right in? – Sighs She’s down on power, captain She’s got the least torque too Grin Factor 32 4th Place: Yamaha MT-03 Surprise. The bike with the next-smallest engine – 321 cc – finishes next to last, pretty much for the same reason as the BMW. The Yamaha Twin gets to within 7 hp of the most powerful Kawasaki Z400’s 43, if you don’t mind winding it up to nearly 11,000 rpm. But this Master of Torque has none, making barely more lb-ft than the BMW – 20.1 – and not until 9100 rpm. We admit it: Part of the problem is tester bias. We always wind up chasing each other through Sand Canyon, and the MT impressed me off the bat as more the sport-tourer of the group, with slightly softer suspension, and I wanted to write “some of the best ergonomics here” but I see the poor MT finished next-to-last in that category also (though Thai and I gave it high marks). You’re sat pretty upright on most of these bikes, but the Yamaha provides a broad, comfy seat for the rider, and a passenger pad not designed to promote acrimony. 2020 Yamaha MT-03 Review – First Ride “Slow but refined,” is how Troy sums up the MT-03. “Well, as refined as a cheap 321cc bike can be. Wet noodle frame and the suspension gets stressed when pushing on choppy roads. The shock feels like it’s bottoming when going fast and you hit a decent bump. You sit in the bike, not on top. Low seat height is kinda cramped and narrow bars. The Transformer headlight thing can take some getting used to, but I dig it, and maybe younger, newer riders will too.” Tom says: “As much of a fan as I am of the MT-09 and MT-07, the MT-03 just doesn’t swing my excitement meter. Landing somewhere between the BMW and the Kawasaki on the scorecard the Yamaha didn’t excel at anything but didn’t disappoint in a remarkable way either.” Thai Long Ly: “The Yamaha is a nice little ride. You sit ‘in’ the bike with a comfortable reach to the narrow bars, with a friendly low seat height for us donkey-legged humans. With only 36 hp, this bike packs all the thrills of ornithology with the rush of backgammon in the park. But what a difference a couple ponies can make, as the MT feels far more enticing than the tragically anemic BMW. Though the MT moniker here is less ‘Master of Torque’ and more ‘Miniature Thighs,’ I like the way the motor smoothly revs up to the limiter, which is where you’ll spend most of your tachometer time if you’re in any sort of rush. The brakes are grippy and the bike handles the canyon roads well enough for government work, though the suspension is far from supple. Choose only freshly paved roads to travel, and you’ll be fine: Wear a mouthguard to prevent concussions everywhere else. If you take one home, you’ll be rewarded with a drama-free ownership experience. Which will last exactly three months before you realize you should’ve purchased one of the next three bikes instead.” Ryan A is 5’8” tall. Ryan thinks: “The Yamaha feels the most like a beginner bike out of this group to me. Maybe it’s the lowest seat and the compact seating position which places you firmly within the motorcycle, or, despite its duo of cylinders, the fact they combine to make the second-lowest displacement here. The motor is fairly smooth and revs out high into the rpm range where it makes most of its power, but unlike the BMW, you don’t feel like you’re being unkind to the machine while you’re there. The brakes work, though the front one could be used as the definition of wooden. The larger -07 and -09 are befitting of the title Master of Torque, the -03, not so much.” Sadly there is still no replacement for displacement, short of a supercharger, and the MT-03 no gots. What it does have is the lowest price tag – $4,599. 2021 Yamaha MT-03 + Highs Comfortable on smooth pavement $4,599 Won’t wake the neighbors or the dead – Sighs Master of Almost No Torque How much more for an MT-07 for the love of God? Remember the RZ350? No? You’re better off 3rd Place: Kawasaki Z400 The jump from #4 to the Kawasaki is 78 small steps in cubic centimeters – but a giant leap in terms of performance. Stepping up from the MT’s 321 cc parallel Twin to the Z’s 399 cc unit gets us the most power of the five bikes here – 43 hp. And 24.5 lb-ft of torque is but one short of the torquiest engine here. Give it a big handful of gas, and while the Z might not feel quite as fast off the line as the Austrian Singles, it’s very close. And top-speed testing in the carpool lane on the way home has the Z’s digital speedo claiming 112 mph. (The Austrian sisters are both tapped out at 100; it’s hard to tell if there’s a governor or the jig is just up?) If it’s time for the dyno chart, we must be in the Kawasaki department. The KTM and Husqvarna engines feel way more linear in their delivery than their traces suggest. The KTM single usually feels faster than the Z twin, but it’s not clear if that’s the case… Eighty-five mph and 8000 rpm is more like it on the Z, where it runs with not too much vibration, and if you’re after a lightweight commuter, the Kawasaki and Yamaha tie for biggest gas tanks – 3.7 gallons. 2019 Kawasaki Z400 Review – First Ride! Surprisingly nice suspenders, just like the Z900, are on the firm but not-too side, and do a nice job keeping the tail up when you begin coming over all aggro on the backroads. Bump absorption/damping are really good most of the time except for big hits, but then, all these little bikes deal best with big bumps by avoiding them. In our Handling category, the Z tied for second place with the Vitpilen. Z ergonomics lean a smidge more sporty than the other bikes’ upright seating. Taller riders seem to feel a little cramped on the Z as the rear of the seat slopes forward, and in fact that’s 5’11” Tom Roderick’s main complaint re: the Z: “The right aftermarket butt pillow that doesn’t ski-slope your gonads into the fuel tank would go a long way into changing my opinion about the Z400. Otherwise, the little Kawi is a handsome, good-handling entry-level two-wheeler. “Next to the KTM’s (and Husquvarna’s) single-cylinder, the Kawi’s parallel-Twin is the smoothest running engine of the group. Power builds slowly over its rev range, so it doesn’t have the punchiness of the KTM. Lacking almost all feel at the clutch lever, this is not the bike for a new rider to learn the nuances of engaging/disengaging the clutch (a la friction zone).” As for the seat, it does slope tall guys into the tank, but that’s an easy thing to fix, probably as simple as tacking on Kawi’s factory accessory Extended Reach seat, which raises the seat one inch, for $199. At the other end of the chart is 5’5” Thai: “For whatever reason, I’ve always vibed with Kawasaki motorcycles. Maybe it’s an Asian thing. Maybe it’s Maybelline. Whatever it is, I get their engines and truly enjoy the way they make their smooth yet clinical power. I have a supernatural ability to adjust quickly to the high-pegged ergos and once my hip flexors go numb from the cramped angles, I settle nicely in for the ride. Then again, I’m only 5’ 5.” I didn’t care for the way my right foot kept hitting the exhaust shield, but that’s a small thing. As for handling, once at speed, everything comes together like an 18th-hole birdie after a day of bogeys. Kawasaki makes excellent race bikes, and this baby fruit hasn’t wandered far from the tree. I know this is a beginner bike and all, but it feels like a legitimate supersport in the way it handles tight twisty canyon roads while commanding confidence when ridden hard. It’s a rare bike that a true novice can grow with and a seasoned veteran can enjoy whipping around on. Because it makes all that smooth Kawasaki power up top, it won’t penalize a rookie mistake while it urges the rest of us to keep riding faster. And when you do, you’re rewarded with tons of on edge grip and tons of big bike feel. If you favor reliability and efficiency in a capable lightweight bike, this is clearly the one to buy.” Ryan Adams, whose hobbies include bagging on Kawasakis, approves of the smallest Z: “The Z400 might be the best well-rounded bike here for the largest swath of riders. At $4,999, it’s the second cheapest and puts out the most power. The neat part is just how smooth and approachable the motor is. For new riders who aren’t likely to rev the engine into the meat of its power, it’s a very approachable machine. For more experienced riders, that healthy mid- to top-range is a fun place to be. This makes the Z400 a great motorcycle for new riders to grow with and a fun lightweight steed for grizzled old veterans to exploit. It’s also nearly the lightest bike here at 360 lbs and offers pretty great range with its 3.7-gallon tank and 53.5 mpg (averaged from our heavy-handed riding). The riding position suffers the same high-kneed somewhat cramped triangle that the Z650 and Z900 did, along with a forward cant that beckons your bits toward the tank. Perhaps the extended reach seat would alleviate our woes, I know not. Even with all of those boxes checked though, the Kawi doesn’t offer as thrilling of a riding experience as our top two Austrians (in different clothes).” Just a man in search of some soul… Troy’s Euroweenie slip is showing again as he mercilessly abuses the innocent little Z: “Kawasaki has the most power, and it’s apparent, but it has no soul. It sounds like a sewing machine. I’m not usually one to suggest an exhaust as the first upgrade you make, but it might be with this bike. Anything to make it sound cooler. “Seating position is cramped, even for me. Tall folks need not apply. It handles well enough, as you’d expect from its Ninja 400 roots, and the price is right. If you’re scared off by reliability concerns over KTM engines, the Kawasaki is a fine alternative… just not nearly as exciting.” The Kawasaki won exactly none of our Subjective scoring categories, but purely rational types will note it won the Objective portion of the card, thanks to its light weight, most power, and sub-$5k price tag. Nice. 2021 Kawasaki Z400 + Highs Finally we’ve got a little oomph Sporty handling, good suspension Decent range with 3.7-gallon tank – Sighs Forward-sloping seat induces non-stop whining Criticizing its styling invites cultural stereotyping, which we would never do She’s a little buzzy at speeds none of the others can achieve 2nd Place: Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Interest in the tiny tiddler test turned totally positive when we learned at the last minute that the Svartpilen would be participating: All that remained to be seen was would it be good enough to beat the bike it’s based upon? No. I loved the 701 Svartpilen when I got to ride it a couple of years ago, but it’s been a few years since we rode the 401s, both Svart and Vitpilen. Just like the 701, the 401 is such a visually interesting thing everybody has to sit up and take notice. Speaking of sitting up, everybody immediately likes the ergonomics. The front wheel is right under you, and you can reach down and grip the fuel tank rack like the saddle horn on a mechanical bull. Sadly, that tank only holds 2.5 gallons. I wanted to write “you’ll probably get better mileage than we did when you’re not riding maniacally,” but kind of the point of the 401 is that you’re always riding maniacally. Just as the Svart 701 shared an engine with the KTM Duke 690, the 401 is powered by the same 373 cc Single as the 390 Duke. In contrast to the bigger Svart, though, the Svartpilen 401 actually retails for $400 less than the KTM, which is even more mysterious as it comes standard with niceties including an up/down quickshifter, adjustable suspension, and wire-spoke wheels that, unfortunately, require tubes. On those wheels you’ll find adventurous Pirelli tires that go with the Svartpilen’s rugged barista look. On the freeway, they send up more vibes to the rider than the Duke’s street rubber, and in the curves, they don’t have quite the traction or feel – but it barely matters most of the time – and the Svart is the preferred mount if dirt roads are on the menu. But keeping it real around town seems to be the Svartpilen’s mission, given the tiny gas tank. And you’ll be glad to not be in the boonies when you have a flat tire, too. Still, those nice adjustable WP suspenders led the Svart to a first place in the Suspension category, and a tie for second with the Z400 in Handling. What does Dirty Ryan Adams think? “This neo-retro futuristic scrambler thing is cool. I dig it. It’s not too surprising that the 390 Duke in Swedish garb would come in just behind its sibling given the shared platform, but the Svartpilen does manage to offer a fairly different riding experience. The wide, old school moto-style handlebar (complete with a cheesy cross brace bolted to welded tabs on the bars) and flat narrow seat puts you over the front tire in supermoto fashion, offering ample space for larger riders to be comfortable. “Stock Pirelli Rally STRs encourage you to take the Svart onto the unknown, and while I would like to comment on its performance off-road, I got yelled at for taking it in the dirt during our testing [Correction: for getting it dirty on our photography day – Ed.]. It’s basically like any other street scrambler with knobbies, it will be fine as long as your speed goes down as the bumps ramp up. It does have a cute little skid plate protecting the exhaust’s expansion chamber, though. The 2.5-gallon tank isn’t a big deal for ‘round townin,’ and the seat isn’t exactly the most comfortable place to spend a lot of time, as the sides of the plastic under it push your legs out, but it’s not terrible either. The brakes are a bit grabby initially but provide good stopping power. Kind of a bummer ‘supermoto’ mode didn’t make it to the 401 since it has knobbly tires. Oh well, at least there’s no TC. I’d be pretty happy with this or the KTM in my garage.” Troy approves: “The Husqy is pretty badass. Sitting tall like a dirt bike, it feels totally natural to stick a foot out in turns. Changes direction nicely. Strong brakes… It’s biggest downfall is its TINY gas tank. The fuel light came on by lunch – about 80-90 miles. You’re not going to want to – or be able to – tour on the 401, and the small fuel tank will make sure you don’t. Get off, stretch your legs, and refuel. Adjustable suspension is a nice touch! And so is having a quickshifter in BOTH directions! “The Svartpilen 401 stands out from this crowd. Its look is unlike anything else. It looks cool, aggressive, and with lots of attitude.” T. Roderick is on board: “Call me prejudiced. I entered this test wanting the Svartpilen to win, mostly because of styling that separates it from the rest of the bikes in this test and most motorcycles on showroom floors. But its measly 2.5-gallon fuel tank, stylish but crowded multifunction instrumentation, and plankish seat just wouldn’t allow it. The only motorcycle here with adjustable suspension and a quick-shifter, for $400 less than the KTM Duke. Tell me again how this bike lost? It was close, though, with only 15.13 points separating them when the scores were tallied.” Thai Long Ly probably has an opinion? “Straight up, this bike is badass. The svelte and stylish tank and distinct lines lend an air of seriousness to its purpose. The KTM-derived motor is a thing of raw raucous beauty, with a punchy playful nature that tastes like happiness. The throttle response is quick and light as the transmission engages with a solid fluidity. The pegs are low, the seat long, and the narrow bars are within easy reach for any size pilot… all enticing you to ride as hard and long as you can. Which is only about 30 minutes due to the laughable lack of fuel capacity. The money you save over the KTM 390 should be earmarked for a top-tier AAA membership. I had a blast on this bike in the canyons, despite the blocky 50/50 tires which while adequate on loose dirt, don’t help the bike’s freeway chops in any way. On the highway I was bounced about as the bike tramlined and weaved around the lane, seemingly with a mind of it’s own, and the clocks on this bike are completely invisible in direct sunlight. Honestly though, it doesn’t matter. I don’t need the dash to tell me I’m having fun. If I had to pick between this and the KTM for garage space, I’d go with the Dark Arrow, despite what the scorecard says. This really isn’t a beginner’s bike. It’s more of a precision lightweight bike for enthusiasts.” 2021 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 + Highs Arresting hook looks 390 Duke underpinnings Best suspension and quickshifter – Sighs 2.5-gallon tank can leave you hanging Tubes in your tires can kill your drive Quit being so practical, gramps Winner and Still the Champeen: KTM Duke 390 Surprised? You shouldn’t be. This thing’s covered in welts from all the awards and praise we’ve been throwing at it since the first one arrived in the US in 2015. The Duke swept our Engine and Handling categories by large margins, then went on to trounce the others in Braking and Instruments (it’s the only one with a big, bright TFT screen), and would’ve won Suspension if not for the Svartpilen’s adjustable WP components (not that we adjusted anything). In the all-important Ergonomics/Comfort category, el Duko beat the 2nd-place Svartpilen 87 to 80% – while the Z400 finished with a dismal last-place 71% (it’s not that bad!). 2017 KTM Duke 390 Review Not only is the Duke 390 the most fun to ride, in contrast to the Duke 890 which reminded some of us of a Black & Decker gardening tool last month thanks to its pedestrian design, the 390’s shiny new-toy looks completely belie its $5,700 price tag. And so it made off with the win in Quality, Fit, and Finish too. Cool Factor it lost to the Svartpilen, 90 to 87%. Grin Factor: another KTM win at 82% – 50 full points atop the last-place BMW. (This sums up the difference between Austria and Germany as well as anything.) May we have the accolades, please? T. Siahaan: “Even though it has more power than the Husky, it doesn’t feel as lively as (not a huge difference, but noticeable for more experienced riders). There’s a comfy riding position for a variety of body types, but it still puts you in attack mode if you want it. It attacks corners better than all but maybe the Husky, but can still get its suspension overwhelmed if you push too hard. Brakes are good among this crowd, with steel lines and adjustable levers, unlike the Japanese bikes. TFT display is tops in this class, by far. “Special bonus points for having Supermoto mode! “The 373cc engine used to be known for blowing head gaskets, but the latest generation uses different materials and is more reliable. As an overall package among this group, the KTM is my pick. If only it had the Svartpilen’s autoblipper…” Troy is also 5’8″ tall and enjoys walks on the beach. Ryan Adams: “The 390 Duke was one of the first motorcycles that made me start choosing my terminology more carefully regarding sub-400cc motorcycles. Entry-level, Beginner bikes, etc. have been used when describing these machines, but Lightweight seems like the better descriptor. Sure, the KTM could be those things, but it isn’t just that. The 373 cc Single delivers a healthy wallop of low to mid-range power and is a blast around town or in the canyons because of it. The rider triangle is one of the most open and accommodating out of this group, and the TFT screen used to access fun things like supermoto mode is miles ahead of many larger more expensive bikes. I’d be remiss not to mention the fact that we can no longer turn ABS all the way off for ultimate hoonery like we could back in 2018, thanks Euro 5. Instrumentation worthy of the YouTube generation. “The non-adjustable suspension is decidedly sporty feeling and the brakes provide plenty of power and feel for the 363 lbs it needs to slow. Styling is subjective, but for me, the two Austrians in this test have more interesting and mature styling than the others and look like much more expensive machines than their prices would suggest.” Tommy “Guns” Roderick: “Fast, fun, comfy, good-looking… The littlest Duke does it all while punching well above its weight class. About the only fault I can find with the 390 is that its less-expensive cousin, the Svartpilen, is equipped with adjustable suspension and a quick-shifter. Even that, though, wouldn’t persuade me to purchase the Husky over the Duke.” Thai Long Ly: “With excellent ergos, a thoroughly enjoyable motor, a flickable chassis, and respectable fuel economy, this bike can satisfy anyone no matter how long they’ve been riding. It’s quick on its feet due to the lightweight design, with excellent handling and high speed composure. While the motor begs to be revved hard, slamming the limiter is an abrupt affair and is the only time you’re reminded it’s a 390 cc thumper with a low rev ceiling [is 10,000 rpm low now?]. Highway riding was a less jittery affair than its Scandinavian sibling due to the extra weight and actual street tires, though I can’t see doing any serious hard miles unless being chased by a pack of bears or wolverines. If you live near a canyon and want an endlessly entertaining way through it, this is your bike. As a city commuter, this would be far more fun than a scooter and equally as nimble. “Btw, I put my girlfriend on the back for a quick midnight blast, and we were both shocked at how much pull and punch this bike exhibited. Her only exposure to riding pillion with me has been aboard a much larger sport tourer from the last decade, and we were certain this would result in a flaccid affair. I couldn’t have been more wrong, as we laughed incredulously over the intercoms while I recalculated my views on lightweight bike ownership. In fact, when I got back on my daily driver, the Grey Whale, immediately following the test, I couldn’t help but notice how much of a pig it truly is and how shockingly heavy it handles by comparison. Now I’m looking at used 1290GTs…” 2021 KTM Duke 390 + Highs A machine more than the sum of its parts All its parts are really good Voted Most Ergonomically Correct – Sighs It’d be nice if somebody stepped up with a worthy competitor, BMW This 800-pound gorilla only weighs 363 lbs She’s all done at the Ton By Unanimous Decision There it is. Flogging the KTM along is more fun than riding a slow bike fast, mostly because it’s not a slow bike, even if it is a small one. Burn down, wait, ride it down your favorite curvy road. Throw it into Supermoto and terrorize your local kart track. If all you want is a utilitarian thing to get around upon economically, possibly with a companion, the Duke can easily play that role, too. The only thing that keeps it from being as useful an urban tool as a good scooter is its lack of storage (but KTM does sell a cute tailpack). Sister Svartpilen is the same motorcycle in dyed hair and Doc Martens, if that’s what you like. If neither of those work for you, the poor over-maligned Kawasaki is better than the scores suggest, possibly just a re-stuffed seat away from true happiness, and will probably outlive you even if it’s your first motorcycle. There’s a lot to be said for keeping it light and simple. Guilty as charged, we are spoiled by the latest and greatest motorcycles, but riding these little naked bikes around wound up being way more fun than we thought it was going to be. In Gear – Thai Helmet: Arai Corsair X Gloves: Held Air Stream II Jacket: A* GP Pro V2 Tech Air compatible Airbag: Tech Air 5 Jeans: Bolidster Ride’ster Shoes: Dainese York Air In Gear – Tom Helmet: Arai Signet IoM TT Jacket: Dainese SP-R Jeans: ICON 1000 Shoes: Alpinestars SMX1R Gloves: Dainese In Gear – John Helmet: Shoei Neotec 2 Splicer Communicator: Cardo PackTalk Bold Jacket: Dainese Racing 3 Gloves:Dainese 4-Stroke 2 Jeans: Trilobite Parado Boots: Sidi Tex Arcadia In Gear – Ryan Helmet: Arai Corsair X Pedrosa Samurai 2 Jacket: Alpinestars Atem V4 Gloves: Alpinestars Chrome Jeans: Alpinestars Copper V2 Shoes: Alpinestars Faster 3 Rideknit In Gear – Troy Helmet: Shoei RF-1400 Scanner Communicator: Sena Spider ST1 Bluetooth Headset Jacket: Alpinestars T SP-5 Rideknit Airbag: Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 Gloves: Alpinestars SP-2 v2 Pants: Alpinestars Diesel Shiro Riding Jeans Boots: Alpinestars Faster 3 Rideknit 2021 Lightweight Naked Bike Shootout Smackdown Scorecard Scorecard BMW G310R Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Kawasaki Z400 KTM 390 Duke Yamaha MT-09 MSRP 91.2% 86.8% 92.0% 80.7% 100% Weight 99.2% 100% 99.7% 98.9% 96.8% Pounds/HP 73.2% 88.6% 100% 91.3% 81.8% Pounds/Torque 76.5% 86.8% 95.7% 100% 76.2% Total Objective Scores 88.4% 91.5% 96.5% 91.8% 91.9% Engine 67.5% 86.5% 83.5% 87.0% 74.5% Transmission 73.0% 85.0% 80.0% 81.0% 80.0% Handling 79.0% 81.5% 81.5% 90.0% 77.0% Brakes 77.5% 85.5% 75.0% 86.0% 72.0% Suspension 77.5% 86.0% 76.5% 82.5% 74.0% Technologies 67.0% 75.0% 67.5% 72.5% 66.5% Instruments/Controls 73.0% 69.5% 73.0% 89.0% 72.0% Ergonomics 79.0% 80.0% 71.0% 87.0% 78.5% Quality 80.0% 78.5% 78.0% 81.5% 79.5% Cool Factor 75.0% 90.0% 72.0% 87.0% 71.5% Grin Factor 32.0% 79.0% 70.0% 82.0% 53.5% Overall Score 74.2% 83.8% 80.1% 85.9% 76.6% Specifications BMW G310R Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Kawasaki Z400 KTM 390 Duke Yamaha MT-03 MSRP $5045 (base) $5299 $4999 $5699 $4599 Engine Type Liquid-cooled DOHC single; 4- valves Liquid-cooled DOHC single; 4 valves Liquid-cooled DOHC inline two-cylinder; 4 valves/cylinder Liquid-cooled DOHC single; 4 valves Liquid-cooled DOHC inline two-cylinder; 4 valves/cylinder Displacement 313cc 373cc 399cc 373cc 321cc Bore and Stroke 76.2 mm x 60.96 mm 89.0 mm x 60.0 mm 70.0 mm x 51.8 mm 89.0 mm x 60.0 mm 68.0 mm x 44.1 mm Compression Ratio 10.9:1 12.6:1 11.5:1 12.6:1 11.2:1 Horsepower (measured) 31.8 hp at 9500 rpm 37.9 hp at 9200 rpm 43.2 hp at 10,200 rpm 39.8 hp at 8800 rpm 36.4 hp at 10,800 rpm Torque (measured) 19.7 lb-ft. at 7500 rpm 22.1 lb-ft. at 7000 rpm 24.5 lb-ft. at 8200 rpm 25.8 lb-ft. at 7000 rpm 20.1 lb-ft. at 9100 rpm Fueling Electronic fuel injection Electronic fuel injection system, 46 mm throttle bodies with Ride-by-Wire system DFI with 32mm throttle bodies Electronic fuel injection system, 46 mm throttle bodies with Ride-by-Wire system Fuel injection Transmission 6-speed 6-speed w/autoblipper 6-speed 6-speed 6-speed Clutch Multi-disc oil bath (anti-hopping) with self-reinforcement multi-disc slipper clutch, mechanically operated multi-plate wet clutch multi-disc slipper clutch, mechanically operated Constant mesh; wet multiplate clutch Final Drive Chain Chain Chain Chain X-ring chain Frame Tubular steel frame in grid structure with bolt-on rear frame Steel trellis frame, powder coated Trellis, high tensile steel Steel trellis frame, powder coated Tubular steel Front Suspension 41mm inverted fork, non-adjustable; 5.5 in. travel WP Apex 43 mm inverted fork, compression, rebound adjustable, 5.6 inches of travel Telescopic fork, 4.7 in travel 43mm WP inverted fork, non-adjustable; 5.6 inches travel 37mm KYB inverted fork; 5.1-in travel Rear Suspension Single shock, preload-adjustable; 5.2 in travel WP Apex shock, preload and rebound damping adjustable, 5.6 inches travel Single shock withUni-Trak swingarm, preload adjustable, 5.1 in travel WP shock absorber, preload adjustable, 5.9 inches travel Single shock, 7-step preload adjustable, 4.9-in travel Front Brake Single 300mm disc, 4-piston caliper, radially bolted, ABS Single 320mm disc, ByBre 4-piston caliper, radially mounted, ABS Single 310mm disc, 2-piston caliper, ABS Single 320mm disc, radial-mount 4-piston caliper, ABS w/Supermoto mode Single 298mm disc, 2-piston caliper, ABS Rear Brake Single 241mm disc, single-piston floating caliper, ABS Single 230mm disc, ByBre single-piston, floating caliper, ABS Single 220mm disc, single-piston caliper, ABS Single 230mm disc, single- piston floating caliper, ABS w/Supermoto mode Single 220mm disc, ABS Front Tire 110/70 R 17 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 110/70 R 17 110/70 R 17 110/70 x 17 110/70 R17 Rear Tire 150/60 R 17 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 150/60 R 17 150/60 R 17 150/60 x 17 140/70 R17 Rake 25.1° 25.0° 24.5° 25.0° 25.0° Trail 4.5 inches 3.7 inches 3.6 inches 3.7 inches 3.7 inches Wheelbase 54.3 inches 53.4 ± 0.6 inches 53.9 inches 53.4 ± 0.6 inches 54.3 inches Seat Height 30.9 inches (Standard Seat), 30.3 inches (low), 31.5 (high) 32.9 inches 30.9 inches 32.7 inches 30.7 inches Curb Weight (measured on MO scales) 363 pounds 359 pounds 360 pounds 363 pounds 371 pounds Fuel Capacity 2.9 gallons (Approx. 0.25 gal reserve) 2.5 gallons 3.7 gallons 3.5 gallons 3.5 gallons Fuel Economy 61 mpg (measured) 49 mpg (measured) 54 mpg (measured) 51 mpg (measured) 56 mpg (measured) Valve-adjustment Intervals 12,000 miles 9,300 miles 15,200 miles 9,300 miles 26,600 miles We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. 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After a lengthy pandemic-caused delay, the 25th James Bond film, “No Time to Die” is finally going to premiere in a matter of weeks (Oct. 8 in the U.S.). Triumph was a partner for the film, supplying a Scrambler 1200 and a Tiger 900 for key action sequences in the movie. Last year, despite the film getting delayed, Triumph announced a limited edition Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition which quickly sold out. Big budget productions, especially high-profile ones like a new Bond film, typically have a lot of moving parts, with various marketing and commercial tie-in deals each moving on their own pace. With the bikes already in production and, at the time, no clear timeline for the film’s premiere, Triumph made the decision to release the Bond Edition Scrambler last May. The decision seemed justified as all 30 units allotted to the U.S. were quickly claimed. For anyone who was interested but missed out, you’ll get another chance, as Triumph announced another Bond Edition model, this time centered around the Tiger 900 Rally Pro. The Tiger 900 Bond Edition will be limited to 250 units, worldwide, with each bike carrying a unique number on its billet machined handlebar clamp and an accompanying signed certificate of authenticity. The Bond Edition models come in a Matt Sapphire Black paint with 007 graphics. The frame, headlight finishers, side panels, sump guard, pillion peg hangers, auxiliary lighting shrouds and engine bars were all given a premium, black finish. Other features include heated rider and pillion seats with Bond Edition branding, a brushed stainless steel Arrow silencer with a carbon end cap and strap, plus off-road capable Michelin Anakee Wild tires (the Tiger Rally Pro’s factory fitted more street-oriented Bridgestone Battlax tires will also be included). Like the Scrambler 1200 before it, the Bond Edition Tiger 900s will feature a 007-themed start-up screen animation on their TFT displays. The Triumph Tiger 900 Bond Edition will arrive in US dealerships around May or June 2022 with a $20,100 price tag (a $3,000 premium over the regular Tiger 900 Rally Pro.) Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post Limited Edition Triumph Tiger 900 Bond Edition First Look appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/FvCIUul7VUsSource

The definition of a sport-touring motorcycle has gotten a bit blurred lately with adventure-touring bikes encroaching on the space. A good bike in either genre agrees that you need to be able to pound out miles and do it in relative comfort. The difference comes when one decides to pursue sport over adventure.  This is where the 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT separates itself from the A-T pack. Designed exclusively with pavement riding in mind, Yamaha has no intentions for the Tracer 9 GT to travel down a dirt road (at least not intentionally). The most obvious difference comes from the 17-inch front wheel. Adventure bikes wear big front wheel/tire combos to help navigate dirt, rocks, and other obstacles you simply don’t find on the street. The tradeoff, however, is slightly less capable canyon carving abilities, and comparatively speaking this is where the Tracer 9 GT shines. Clearly, there’s more to the Yamaha’s capabilities on pavement than just a wheel choice. In fact, the entire bike is new from the ground up, with the biggest difference compared to its Tracer 900 predecessor being a bigger, 890cc Triple, compared to the old bike’s 847cc. It’s housed in an all-new frame with the new swingarm mounted inside the frame spars compared to outside them on the Tracer 900. This may not sound like much, but the bigger, more powerful engine, combined with the extra rigidity provided by the new frame/swingarm combo, gives a well-balanced and capable handler of a motorcycle in Tracer 9 GT form. 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT Review – First Ride Of course, I go into more details about the changes and how they work in my written First Ride Review, but you didn’t click this story to read a bunch of words. Instead, feast your eyes on the cinematography of the talented Ray Gouger and the editing work of our own Sean Matic. Then brace your ears for the voice of Yours Truly. I apologize in advance. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT First Ride – Video appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/foNyzjIiC2kSource