Peon Maface

The Kawasaki KLR has been kicking around since its first 600cc iteration in 1984. Despite being a strong seller for Team Green and developing a cult following over the decades, Kawasaki announced in 2018 that the old workhorse was being put out to pasture. Likely due to tightening emissions standards and other modern regulations, the KLR was put to rest briefly, only to be resurrected for the 2022 model year. With more than a handful of updates and welcome changes, the KLR 650 is back like it never left and will still occupy the simple, affordable adventure niche it had dug out for itself over the years. The big story with the new KLR 650 is fuel injection. The 100mm by 83mm bore and stroke as well as the low 9.8:1 compression ratio remain unchanged, but where there was once a Keihin carburetor, a Keihin throttle body now sits with a 10-hole injector linked up to an O2 sensor to keep the KLR running and starting smoothly regardless of elevation or temperature. 2022 Kawasaki KLR 650 Review – First Ride The 2022 model also receives a larger front rotor, longer swingarm, beefier axles, redesigned fuel tank (with the same 6.1-gallon capacity), increased carrying capacity from its one-piece frame, and a new LCD display that unfortunately offers less information than the last dash set up. Some transmission parts have been upgraded for durability, though the cam chain tensioner or Doohickey, as the KLR connoisseur calls it, remains unchanged from the previous model (meaning you may want a tighter spring in there). That all adds up to about 24 pounds more heft from the 2018 model as well. For those who wanted the KLR 650 to remain the same affordable, easy-to-ride adventure machine that it always has been, rest easy in knowing the 2022 model is largely the same machine with the base model starting at $6,699. Folks who had hoped the new KLR would be on par with the performance of a machine like the Yamaha Ténéré 700, we’re sorry. But, don’t write Kawi off just yet. Maybe we’ll see a Versys-X 700 come onto the scene to fight that battle. Whatever the future may hold, just know that the KLR 650 is back. And yes, better than ever, just not too much better. When asked what motojournos thought at the introduction, “It’s a KLR,” was muttered more than a few times. “Damning with faint praise” comes to mind, but I suspect there will be plenty of people who are happy with just that. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post 2022 Kawasaki KLR 650 Video Review – First Ride appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/uQj1HUM8EBsSource

Fast Facts This is an all-new Tracer from the ground up. Engine’s now 890cc instead of 847cc. 5-gallon fuel tank should yield roughly 240 miles. It’s comfortable and packs a punch at the same time. MSRP: $14,899 Six-axis IMU and R1-like rider aids. Remember sport-touring motorcycles? Maybe you don’t, thanks to the rise of adventure-touring bikes cross-pollinating the genre. Well, before the craze of wanting to explore both the paved and unpaved paths of the world, there was a subset of motorcyclists who felt the call for exploration without the need to play in the dirt. Asphalt touring was one ingredient necessary to satiate the exploration hunger, but being able to get from Point A to Point B via the longest, curviest path possible was the other. Having the ability to pack a co-pilot on the back and/or assorted gear in saddlebags was further accoutrement to make the dish even sweeter. This has always been the essence of sport-touring, and while adventure-touring bikes can get very close to the sensation, something about those big front wheels and long-travel suspension just isn’t the same. Enter The Tracer 9 GT 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GTEditor Score: 87.0%Engine 18.0/20Suspension/Handling 13.5/15 Transmission/Clutch 9.5/10Brakes 8.0/10 Instruments/Controls4.5/5 Ergonomics/Comfort 9.0/10 Appearance/Quality 8.0/10Desirability 8.5/10Value 8.0/10Overall Score87/100 Yamaha hasn’t forgotten about sport-touring, despite the fact its big and little Teneres occupy a piece of the ADV pie. What you have with the Tracer 9 GT is 100% a road-focused sport-touring bike with no pretenses of being able to hold its own off-road. Speaking of 100%, the Tracer 9 GT is also 100% all-new compared to the Tracer 900 it’s replacing. Ok, well, probably more like 90-something percent new, as Yamaha says there are only a handful of parts that have carried over. Despite appearances that are very similar to the Tracer 900, the GT has a new frame to house its new, bigger engine – and all the assorted electronics to go with it. New styling and bodywork also greet the Tracer 9, its mature styling an evolution of the previous Tracer 900 and even the FJ-09 before it. The basis of it all, of course, is Yamaha’s (also new) MT-09, a great little machine John Burns loved after his First Ride but is also one the rest of us also like a ton – so much so it came out on top of a six-way pileup of near-thousand-cc nakedbikes. The MT-09 forms the basis for the Tracer 9 GT, which means we’re almost predetermined to love it. Using the MT-09 as a starting point, Yamaha surveyed owners, and potential owners, to ask them what they were looking for in a middleweight sport-touring bike. Comfort, handling, and engine performance were the top three responses. With those guiding principles in mind, we can start to dive into the Tracer 9 GT. Comfort Normally we start reviews off by talking about the engine and work out from there. Make no mistake, the 890cc Triple in the Tracer 9 is nice, but as far as survey respondents go, their highest priority was comfort. So this is where we begin. When you’re talking about comfort, you have to start at the seat. And this one’s really good. It has plenty of padding and a classy suede-like cover. The passenger seat is also bigger than the previous version on the Tracer 900. Sport-touring involves being able to take a corner or two, sure, but the other side of that coin is being able to relax, if you want to, as you watch the miles go by. With the Tracer 9 GT, you can change the positions of the seat, handlebars, and footpegs all relatively easily. I found my 5-foot, 8-inch self instantly comfortable in the standard settings. The faux-suede seat exudes luxury, and it’s so well padded I rarely found myself feeling the need to adjust my butt on the seat, even through corners. At 31.9 inches from the ground, I could only get my toes on the ground, but taller riders (or really any rider who wants a more commanding view of the road) can lift the seat to a higher, 32.5-inch position, without tools. Like the MT-09, the Tracer also features two sets of threaded holes for the footpegs (low and high), with the low setting being the default. Opt for the higher setting and the pegs move 4mm rearward and 14mm higher. Not feeling the need for the extra knee bend, the standard setting staved off any protests from my knees all day. Adjustable footpeg positioning used to be an aftermarket thing for sportbike folks. Now we’re seeing different sets of threaded holes on sport-touring bikes. The bars, too, can be moved 9mm toward the front of the bike and 4mm higher by simply removing and rotating the handlebar mounts – a design inspired by Yamaha’s motocross bikes. From where I was sitting, the rider triangle was just about perfect. The adjustable windscreen can be moved up or down on the fly, all with just one hand needed for operation. In its lowest setting, I found the wind would hit me right above the eye-port of my helmet, and the edge of the screen didn’t block my line of sight. Taller riders found the low setting to aim the oncoming air right at their necks or chins, so moving the screen up was perfect for them. As always, your mileage will vary. As you’d expect, once underway the rider is sitting in a fairly comfortable pocket of air. The bolsters from the lower portions of the tank and fairing do a decent job of moving air around your lower body, though I did feel a little bit of heat hovering around my right toes. The jury is still out if this has something to do with exhaust routing or not. It wasn’t anything serious, but at times it was noticeable. If you flip the handlebar mounts, you can change the positioning of the bars, again for further comfort. Handling Striking the right balance on a sport-touring bike is key. You want the all-day comfort a soft suspension can provide, but when the roads get sinuous, the last thing you want is a Cadillac. Yamaha believes they’ve found that balance with the Tracer 9 GT. It all starts at the center of the bike with an all-new frame. Well, it’s all-new compared to the Tracer 900 before it but a shared piece with the new MT-09 (this will start to be a continuing theme if you haven’t already noticed). It’s a lighter piece compared to the old Tracer 900 frame, with a minimum wall thickness of just 1.7mm, but still offers 50% more lateral rigidity compared to the outgoing bike. There’s an all-new frame on the Tracer 9, with a revised swingarm mounting position for better rigidity. Note also the remote preload adjuster. To keep things more compact, the headstock is now 30mm lower than before, and the engine is mounted 5 degrees more vertical – all in an effort to scrunch everything up. Revised, solid engine mounts also help the Tracer 9 feel more planted for high-speed handling. While an engine mount might not sound like much, Yamaha reps revealed that it’s common during new product testing to have engineers take solid mounts, mark a certain shape on the mount, and cut out that shape. Afterward, test riders would report their findings, often feeling a noticeable difference. From where I was sitting, taking a spirited ride through the local Los Angeles mountains, the chassis certainly felt composed and sure-footed. Some of the credit goes to the frame, but some of the credit also goes to the new, lighter, aluminum swingarm, now mounted between the frame rails instead of outside them (as on the previous model) for added rigidity. Measuring 60mm longer than the MT-09 swingarm, this also adds a bit more stability. The Tracer 9 GT’s frame and swingarm didn’t raise any eyebrows, good or bad, which is to be expected, considering how dialed most motorcycle frames are these days. Of course, the other component affecting ride quality is the suspension, and when you get back to the balance of comfort versus sport, the fork and shock play a huge role. For the longest time, trying to find that balance has always been a compromise. You either tune your suspension for touring, or you firm it up for sport riding. Electronics have completely changed the game, and it does so again with the Tracer 9 GT. KYB has stepped in with what it calls its Actimatic Damping System (KADS), which the rest of the moto community know as semi-active suspension. Electronic suspension on a sport-touring bike just makes sense. Using data input from the six-axis IMU (more on that in a minute), the engine control unit, and the hydraulic control unit, the system will change the attitude of the ride in real-time by adjusting compression and rebound for the conditions (rebound only on the shock). The fork uses a stroke sensor to determine its position, while the shock uses an angular position sensor to detect its position. Like all semi-active suspension systems, it’s “semi” because spring preload is still adjusted manually. With the KADS system on the T9, it’s further adjustable to two different settings: A-1 and A-2. The former is intended for sport riding on smooth roads, as it ramps up the stiffness the more aggressively you ride. A-2 is the comfort setting with a much softer progression in its damping. Unlike other systems, however, a “manual” mode to mimic changing your own compression or rebound clickers doesn’t exist. In practice, who actually changes their manual clickers in the middle of a sport-touring ride anyway? The shock uses a stroke sensor to determine its position, helping the KADS system determine how much to adjust rebound settings. Out on the roads of LA, I started the ride off in A-2 mode, as it would take a little jaunt through the city to get to the fun roads. This seemed ideal for A-2, and it was. The ride through town, with a little hop on the freeway, was pleasant and well-damped. No odd bumps or jolts made their way to my hands, legs, or spine. Even when we arrived at the Angeles Crest Highway and carried along for quite some time, I forgot I was still in A-2 – the ride was still pleasantly comfortable while still being supportive enough for a canyon run. However, if A-1 was supposed to be tailor-made for canyon runs, then a simple (off-throttle) button tap to change settings was in order. Not surprising, the A-2 (comfort) setting for the suspension was really quite nice for normal riding. To KYB’s credit, the system works as advertised. As the pace picked up, so did the firmness of the suspension, both front and rear. This poses a problem, though, when the road surface is not billiard table smooth – as is the case on virtually any public road in the United States, and especially Southern California. The faster you go, the stiffer the ride and the more every single minor ripple in the road surface gets transmitted back to the bars. It never reached a point of being dangerous, but it gets jarring and unsettling quickly and instead of inspiring confidence, all it did was make me want to slow down and switch back to the softer A-2 mode. After trying both, it turns out the “comfort” setting was actually my preferred choice for both normal riding and spirited pavement blasting. Its damping progression is far less steep and much more predictable, only transmitting the bumps I need to be aware of and damping away little ripples. More surprising was how well the A-2 mode worked even when riding, um, “briskly” in the canyons. The A-1 mode, which is supposed to thrive in these conditions, became overly stiff and unpleasant. Engine Performance If you’re familiar with the latest version of the MT-09, then you’ll understand our admiration for Yamaha’s latest CP3 engine. However, if you’re coming off the previous Tracer 900 GT (or even the FJ-09 before it), boy is there a surprise for you. By outward appearances, this would seem like the same engine, but it’s all grown up now. Gone is the 847cc Triple, as it’s now beefed up to 890cc via a new crankshaft with 3mm longer stroke and 15% “increased inertia.” In other words, a heavier crankshaft. The new pistons are forged pieces, and the fracture-split connecting rods are 1.5mm shorter than before. Putting the power to the ground is a new transmission with 3% taller ratios in the first two gears, a redesigned shift fork, updated assist and slipper clutch, and new clutch plate material. An up/down quickshifter is not only a godsend but also part of the deal. Now sporting 890cc compared to the previous 847cc, the latest iteration of the CP3 three-cylinder engine from Yamaha is one of our favorites. Note the auto up/down quickshifter. As has become commonplace these days, different drive modes can be selected to alter the power delivery. In the Tracer 9’s case, four different modes are available. The first three all give full power, but each successive mode increasingly dampens the initial throttle input (Mode 1 being the most aggressive). In Mode 4, not only do you get the least aggressive power delivery but overall power is tapered as well. Out on the roads, the 890cc Triple is the perfect dance partner for the tango that is sport-touring. The power is exciting without being overwhelming, and the distinct three-cylinder exhaust wail is music to anyone’s ears. Being the Tuning Fork brand, after all, Yamaha engineers actually tuned the intake and exhaust sound for maximum exhilaration. Part of this was done through uneven lengths for the three intake ducts to give a specific resonance, and part of this was done via the exhaust shape, which is not only 3.1 lbs. lighter than the Tracer 900’s, but also sounds killer, too. Hearing that wonderful exhaust note is a stark reminder that Yamaha made (and still make) music long before they made motorcycles. The auditory delight continues whenever you change gears with the slick autoblipper, as the ignition cuts between each gear (in either direction) sound like you’re piloting a YZR-M1 MotoGP bike, not a sport-tourer. Once you get past the small delay in power delivery, the Tracer 9 GT will build speed fast if you ask it to. Of course, the CP3 engine isn’t perfect. At least not in Tracer 9 form. Coming off the MT-09, with its direct, snappy, and engaging throttle response, the Tracer showed a noticeable lag from on/off throttle even in Drive Mode 1, the most aggressive setting. No matter how slowly I opened the gas there was a slight delay before the power would kick in. It’s a feeling similar to turbo lag but on a much smaller scale. Once underway, the engine’s fueling reacted predictably to everything I was throwing at it. So much so I found myself switching back to Drive Mode 1 after quickly sampling the other three modes. Even during the quick rain blast we encountered on our ride, Mode 1 doesn’t throw up any surprises to warrant switching to a softer setting. Tech Yamaha really lit the fire in the electronics game when the 2015 R1 came out. Complete with a six-axis IMU to intelligently operate the traction control, slide control, lift control, and other functions, other manufacturers have had to really step up their game to keep pace (fun fact: Aprilia incorporated an IMU in the RSV4 years before Yamaha did it in the R1). Much of the Tracer’s tech is hidden beneath the bodywork, but the split-screen dash is your central command. The left screen shows the usual speed, tachometer, gear position, and rider aid settings. On the right are four boxes with specific values on display (which you can change). It’s a clever split-screen, but I found myself primarily looking to the left most of the time, especially if I wanted to change a rider aid setting. Six years on, and we see the trickle-down effect make its way to the Tracer 9 GT, which is now graced with a six-axis IMU that’s 50% smaller and lighter than the one in the R1. Its role in determining the motorcycle’s position hasn’t changed, and now, the Tracer 9 GT features traction control, slide control, lift control, and brake control (otherwise known as lean-sensitive ABS to the rest of us) – just like the R1. We won’t bore you with the details on how each rider aid works, as that information has been out there for years, but with the Tracer 9 GT you can choose between two TC presets that also pre-select slide and lift control settings. Or, you can pick the TC-M manual mode to choose the exact levels of the three settings you want. Except for ABS, the rest of the rider aids can be turned off if you prefer. Toggling through and changing presets is done through various button presses on the left switchgear, though the right side scroll wheel (not shown) allows you to dig deeper into various menus. Also, check out the cruise control button! I wish I could say I felt all of these rider aids kicking in at some point during the ride, but the road conditions were mostly perfect, which meant tires weren’t breaking loose, and slides certainly weren’t happening. Hell, I only experienced the ABS kick in when I deliberately smashed the rear brake lever to see what would happen. And despite the quick rain splash we experienced, instead of riding like a maniac to see if the electronic nannies would kick in, self-preservation instincts took over and I slowed down like any sane person would do. Other Odds and Ends As an overall package, the Tracer 9 GT hits the key points a sport-touring motorcycle needs to hit. It’s comfortable, at least for the 150-odd miles of our ride day, and even though it’s somewhat hampered by low ground clearance from the peg feelers and centerstand, you can still carry a very quick pace before ever worrying about them. And it’s all anchored by an engine that likes to have fun but is very capable of long-distance touring if that’s your thing. Kudos to Yamaha for integrating saddlebags into the Tracer’s design (and including them in the purchase price), but they may not be big enough to fit certain full-face helmets. Those are all attributes to admire, but this section is a shout-out (along with an occasional nitpick) to the Tracer 9 GT’s supporting cast, starting with the luggage. A sport-tourer isn’t very great without luggage and the pair of saddlebags you get with the Tracer are pretty slick – except for one thing. The bags were designed alongside the bike, so their fitment doesn’t look like an afterthought, and their full width is a hair less than 38 inches when on the bike. This allows the bike to keep a relatively slim profile. A clever trick Yamaha incorporates is a damper inside the lower mount of the bags to soak up the various bumps the bike’s chassis will experience on a ride, but also to absorb some of the mass transfer when flicking through a set of turns. To Yamaha’s credit, these bags stay in place with hardly an annoying budge or rattle. They stay perfectly solid. Bonus points for being able to use the same key for the ignition and bags. The Tracer 9 GT’s face. You can see clear R1 inspiration from the headlights, but the LED lights above them “bend” into corners. Now, those points get taken away because, despite the fact the bags will hold 30 liters, all the assembled test riders struggled to fit their helmets inside the case, with only one person able to shove their medium Shoei in a bag and shut it. I couldn’t get mine to fit, and the other folks (mostly wearing Arais) had no luck either. Without dwelling on the luggage too much, let’s appreciate the cruise control and five-gallon fuel tank, which Yamaha claims can get you 240 miles down the road before needing to fill up again – assuming you keep your throttle hand in check. These are basically must-have items for sport-touring, and the Tracer’s cruise control is active at a minimum of 31 mph in as low as fourth gear. The Tracer’s two color options: Liquid Metal and Redline. Stopping power from the twin 298mm discs up front and four-piston radial calipers were more than adequate, but won’t pop your eyes out of your head. A new radial Nissin master cylinder helps provide a nice amount of feel and power through the lever, but rubber brake lines dull some of that sensation. Nonetheless, they work well enough. Another interesting side note are the spin-forged wheels developed by Yamaha. First seen on the MT-09, spin-forging basically takes a cast wheel and places it on a jig that spins. A burner on one side introduces heat to the wheel while a roller on the other side shapes the wheel. The combination of simultaneous heat and pressure eventually turns out a wheel with minimal wall thickness while still being as strong as before. In the Tracer’s case, its wheels are 1.54 lbs lighter per set, with a minimum wall thickness of 2mm compared to 3.5mm previously. That may not sound like a lot to some, but traditionally true forged wheels were how you shaved weight…while adding cost. Sport + Touring? The 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT can do it. But so can a slew of others at similar prices and varying displacements. While a comparison test would expose the strengths and flaws of each, we’re confident you can’t go wrong with the Tracer. Speaking of cost, at $14,899 the Tracer 9 GT comes in reasonably priced for all the comfort and performance it offers. Although it’s worth pointing out the 2021 Aprilia Tuono V4 isn’t considerably more at $15,999. Whether or not the two are worth comparing is debatable, but nevertheless, what you get with the Tracer 9 GT is a sport-tourer with a firm grasp of each end of the S-T spectrum. With comfort, handling, and engine performance as its three main guiding principles, Yamaha has done a fine job hitting each target without getting too deep in one at the expense of another. 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT + Highs Wonderfully comfortable That engine packs a punch Cruise control, 5-gallon tank, and integrated saddlebags! – Sighs Slight delay picking up the throttle A-1 suspension mode is basically worthless on bumpy US roads There’s a decent chance the saddlebags won’t swallow your full-face helmet In Gear Helmet: Shoei RF1400 Suit: Aerostich Men’s R-3 One Piece Suit Airbag: Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 Gloves: Alpinestars SP-2 v2 Shoes: Alpinestars Faster 3 Rideknit 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT Specifications MSRP $14,899 Engine Type 890cc liquid-cooled inline-three cylinder, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore and Stroke 78.0mm x 62.1mm Compression Ratio 11.5:1 Horsepower 117.4 horsepower at 10,000 (Yamaha UK claimed, crankshaft) Torque 68.6 lb-ft at 7000 rpm (Yamaha UK claimed, crankshaft) Transmission 6-speed; slip-assist clutch; up/down quickshifter Final Drive Chain Front Suspension KYB 41mm inverted fork, electronically adjustable with preload adjustability; 5.1-in travel Rear Suspension KYB single shock, electronically adjustable (rebound only) with remote preload adjustability; 5.4-in travel Front Brake Two 298mm discs, radial-mount four-piston calipers, lean-sensitive ABS Rear Brake 245mm disc, lean-sensitive ABS Front Tire 120/70-R17 Rear Tire 180/55-R17 Rake/Trail 25 deg/4.3 in. Wheelbase 59.1 in. Seat Height 31.9 in or 32.5 in Curb Weight (Claimed) 485 lb* (*does not include side cases) Fuel Capacity 5.0 gal Colors Liquid Metal, Redline Warranty One year limited warranty 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 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT Review – First Ride appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/XZsln0nE37ISource

BMW debuted a new electric two-wheeler concept it hopes to be an urban commuter for today’s youth. Specifically, the BMW Motorrad Concept CE 02 is designed for people 16 and over who are more familiar with smart technology than motorcycles. Think more Instagram than fuel injection and more TikTok than torque curves.  Gen Z marketing aside, the Concept CE 02 looks more like a motorcycle than the CE 04 electric scooter, but BMW wants to make it clear it’s still not a “classic motorcycle”. “At first glance, there is little about the BMW Motorrad Concept CE 02 that is typically BMW Motorrad – it’s something completely new. We want to strive for something novel and be pioneers – which is what we’ve proven ourselves capable of with various projects in the past,” says Edgar Heinrich, BMW Motorrad’s head of design. “The Concept CE 02 features new proportions and modern forms of single-track mobility in an urban environment. In addition, we wanted to achieve a level of design innovation that we have not had before at this level. Straightforward use was important, but above all the emotional component was crucial, as well as riding fun.” The proportions immediately brings to mind the Grom, but look closer and you’ll see details that out-quirk Honda’s little minibike. For one, the CE 02 does not come with fixed footrests. With no gears, there’s no need for a shifter, and both front and rear brakes are controlled by hand levers. Instead, there is a metal bracket below the battery pack where you can mount pegs or, as BMW suggests on the concept photos, attach a skateboard to act as footrests. I can already feel our readers eyes roll as I typed that, but the idea does have a practical benefit. The design lets riders customize their own riding posture, whether it’s farther back on the long, flat seat with the feet forward like a cruiser, or leaning forward with the footrests in a sportier riding position. The Concept CE 02 is powered by an electric motor with a claimed output of 11 hp. According to BMW, the motor is enough to propel the CE 02’s claimed 264-pound weight up to a maximum speed of 56 mph. BMW didn’t provide details about the battery, except to claim the CE 02 has a range of 56 miles. The motor is mounted below the seat, with a belt drive spinning the rear wheel. The suspension system is comprised of a beefy-looking fork and a single rear shock mounted directly to a single-sided swingarm. A two-piston front caliper and single-piston rear caliper grip the rotors on the 15-inch disc wheels. The front of the seat rises up in a hump, creating a small storage area above the frame. Two elastic bands at the front of the seat can be used to hold other small items. Other features include a four-LED headlight, rear LED lighting integrated into the tail, a small color screen, and a low 28.7-inch seat height. Will the Concept CE 02 ever go into production? My initial thought would be “no”, but I thought the same when BMW first introduced the Concept CE 04, and the electric scooter is now scheduled to arrive in dealerships in early 2022. That said, it’s worth noting the Concept CE 02 is only being shown on BMW’s websites in select countries: 23 of 36 European nations BMW does business in, only Malaysia in Asia and Pacific regions, and for North and South America, only Canada. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post The BMW Motorrad Concept CE 02 is an Urban Electric Bike for Gen Z appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/5zQVFso7hO8Source

2022 BMW R18BEditor Score: 83.0%Engine 16.5/20Suspension/Handling 11.5/15 Transmission/Clutch 7.0/10Brakes 7.5/10 Instruments/Controls7.5/5 Ergonomics/Comfort 8.5/10 Appearance/Quality 9.5/10Desirability 8.0/10Value 7.0/10Overall Score83/100 As I pull the 2022 BMW R18B out of the underground parking of the hotel where BMW had hosted its new model introduction, I wonder if a 7:30 departure still qualifies as my crack-of-dawn goal. Within a couple of blocks, I’m fully embroiled in the peak Denver commuter bump-and-grind. Still, I settle into an easy rhythm of following the mechanical voice instructions paired with their informative visual counterparts on the massive TFT screen. The saddlebags are packed to the point of bulging, and the overflow gear is rolled up and strapped down on the back. Yes, I’d have more room with the BMW R18 Transcontinental, but I prefer baggers for their cleaner lines and lower weight. Eventually, I head up the entrance ramp that will guide me to I-70 W out of the city. When I roll the throttle open, accelerating up to cruising speed, the beefy Boxer shudders its approval. The mountains and the road west beckon. BMW Releases Details On “Big Boxer” R18 Engine 2021 BMW R18 Review – First Ride Fast Facts Drivetrain unchanged from original R18 Self-leveling rear ride height Adaptive cruise control Amazing TFT screen Phone-based navigation Tank holds 6.3 gallons for 304 mile calculated range MSRP: $22,590 (base) A Big Boxer Ignoring the ginormous cylinders jutting out of both sides of the “Big Boxer”engine is simply impossible. Nothing about the 1,802cc Big Twin is subtle. Take its 244-lb. weight, for example, which is about 13 lb. more than a Honda Grom. Or how about the 107 mm x 100 mm bore and stroke? Despite its historical origins, the air- and oil-cooled Big Boxer is a thoroughly modern, Euro 5-certified beast. The four valves per cylinder are operated by fork rocker arms (with traditional locking screw adjusters for easy home-garage adjustment), which in turn are manipulated by pushrods. The dual cams are positioned above the crankshaft to help minimize pushrod length and reciprocating mass and contribute to the overall tighter tolerances of a modern engine. If you liked the R18’s Big Boxer engine but wanted some cargo carrying capacity, you got your wish. Power is transferred from the engine to the exposed drive shaft via a constant mesh 6-speed transmission. Controlling the exchange of power is a single plate, self-reinforcing dry clutch, complete with a back-torque limiter to prevent rear wheel hop under hard deceleration or botched downshifts. Working my way through the morning traffic is an object lesson in how clutch effort need not be hard on a torquey, large-displacement engine. My hand can easily manage the repeated clutch releases in the shuffle from one stoplight to the next. One feature that is not as sunny as this Friday morning is the clutch’s friction zone and final engagement point, which seems to vary with the throttle position. So, if I try to get a quick launch by giving a little more throttle, the clutch ends up slipping more, making me sound like I don’t know what I’m doing. The workaround I settle on is getting the clutch fully engaged while almost lugging the engine and then rolling on the throttle, which works quite well in traffic. Still, I’d prefer a more consistent clutch engagement point. Since the R18B/Transcontinental have the exact same powertrain as the R18, the power output should be similar, if not the same, to the R18 we tested last year. Once I enter the mountains and leave the interstate behind, I can really focus on the engine’s power delivery. The Big Boxer has a sweet spot between 2,000 rpm and 3,500 rpm, and if you can ride the crest of the torque wave here the engine seems its happiest. Get up above 3,500 rpm, and vibration becomes pretty prominent. Above 4,000 rpm you become acutely aware of how huge those pistons are as they slam back-and-forth inches from your feet. There was some discussion about engine vibration among the journalists, with some of them finding objectionable vibrations occurring below 3,500 rpm. Personally, I find that if you can keep the rpm within that 1,500-rpm range, the vibration is really quite pleasant and part of the character of a Big Twin. Try to rev out the engine to redline, and unless you are accelerating very quickly, the vibration becomes oppressive, particularly above 4,000 rpm. The BMW R18B checks most of the boxes of what creates an American-style bagger, and then it turns it on its ear. Rolling through seemingly endless corners through the Rocky Mountains is a great way to test the EFI’s fuel metering. As I found with the R18 when I had one in my possession last year, the fueling is spot on. Nothing I could do would make the power delivery hiccup in any on/off or off/on throttle transitions. While I’m sure the flywheel effect helps to mask any small miscues, the overall impression is one of polished precision. The same can be said of the slick-shifting transmission. Once I had the heel and toe shifters height adjusted to my preference, running through the gears was simply a joy. What makes the shifter adjustment so critical is that there is precious little space for the rider’s toes to access the shifter, and having the front shifter only slightly too high or too low makes shifting quite difficult. Still, on my journey through the Rockies, I frequently wondered why BMW chose not to outfit the R18B with its typically flawless Shift Assist Pro system. Given that the engine’s happy place is only 1,500 rpm wide, the rider has to stir the gearbox a little more frequently than is typically required of a Big Twin. Updated Chassis BMW could have simply installed the fork-mounted fairing and saddlebags without making any changes to the chassis (we’ve seen it done before), but that would have compromised the chassis rigidity and stability of the R18B and the R18 Transcontinental even more so. Consequently, the BMW engineering team tackled the chassis from two directions. First, the headstock and backbone were strengthened to handle the additional loads of the fairing, saddlebags, passengers, and cargo. More interestingly, the rake was changed, and the fork tubes were moved behind the steering stem. These changes were made to give the bike a lighter steering feel at lower speeds and to lessen the tendency to fall into corners at higher speeds. The difference between the two chassis constructions is pretty obvious from the rendering – and from the saddle. BMW was successful in both goals. Once you get the R18B (and Transcontinental) moving, parking lot maneuvers are pretty sprightly for a machine claimed to weigh 877 lb. In my travels home from the Denver introduction, I bent the bagger into hundreds of corners and not once did I feel an inkling of falling in. Quite the opposite. The R18B wants to stand up slightly and understeer in corners, requiring a bit of pressure on the inside grip to hold a line. This is not to say that the rider has to fight the bike, and the tendency is not increased by rolling off the throttle or applying the brakes mid-corner. It’s just a characteristic that I noted and played around with throughout my ride, and it does not affect the ability to change lines mid-corner at all. As my ride takes me out of Colorado and into the remote southeastern corner of Utah, I encounter bumpy pavement that gives me the perfect environment to consider the suspension and chassis stiffness. Having been spoiled by semi-active suspension, I miss it a bit on the rough pavement. The taut fork and shock that stabilize the chassis in corners feel a little harsh in this environment. However, given the choice between a firm ride in the corners with a little more delivery of bumps to the rider and a pillowy ride that wallows in the corners, I’ll take the firmer suspension every time. Despite the firmness, I can clearly feel the additional suspension stroke allowed by the 4.7-in. travel BMW claims in the rear. Where the R18 felt harsh as the shock ended its stroke, the R18B (and Transcontinental) does a better job of handling big jolts. By putting the fork tubes behind the steering stem, BMW’s engineers achieved their goal of easy low-speed handling and ending the tendency to fall into corners (just like Harley-Davidson did 30 years ago). Encountering bumps while leaned over, particularly in high-speed sweepers, is a great way to test the stiffness of the chassis, and in all but the biggest of the rolling bumps encountered mid-corner, the chassis displays no flex. Those big hits, which are followed by G-outs, give a slight, momentary hinge-in-the-middle feeling but not the oscillation that can turn into a wobble. Not surprisingly, the limiting factor in cornering is the floorboards. While the shock is 1.2 in. longer, the ride-height only increased by 0.3 in. So, the R18B has marginally more cornering clearance and, like its older sibling, drags cleanly when the peg/floorboards do touch. Still, the cornering fun ends sooner than I like. However, by the time I arrive in Utah, I’ve had two days of riding to adjust my lean angle sensors and only drag the floorboard twice in the state while still having fun at a cruiser-touring pace and continuing to be the fastest bike of all those I encounter on the road. Capable Cruiser Brakes I come up with this description of the R18B’s binders, as I’m trail-braking into a long, downhill, slightly decreasing-radius corner along Utah’s scenic Highway 12. The phrasing is meant to imply that, while they are decent, the brakes are not up to sporty-touring standards – not that it’s really a problem since the R18B is a cruiser. So, what we have is a pair of axial-mounted four-piston calipers squeezing 300mm floating rotors up front with a single four-piston caliper and 300mm disc out back to handle your deceleration requirements. While the lever is mushier than I would like – and consequently, limits feel – the front braking system is plenty powerful and can haul the big bike down from speed with gusto if necessary. Notably, the brakes are linked, making the front brake also apply the rear brake to some degree. This is a good thing since the brake pedal position makes it difficult to cover or even apply the rear brake in a hurry. I can only guess that the position was an attempt to address the issue with the R18’s pedal. Unfortunately, the new location is a detriment to the rear brake’s use. Although the clearance is tight with the right cylinder, I think that having the brake pedal be a half inch wider would address the rear brake application problem. So, how does a performance-oriented rider navigate a turn on this touring cruiser? The long wheelbase means that the Big Boxer plays a big role on corner entry with an early throttle roll-off on approach and a possible downshift to begin the deceleration. When I choose to apply the brakes is a function of how I see the corner’s path. Typically, I lift to a neutral throttle position and trail the brakes into the corner using them to keep my lean angle within the ground clearance parameters. When the exit is in sight (or I’m certain my speed is correct for the rest of the corner), I release the brakes and begin the throttle roll-on. This technique is fun, challenging, and allows the R18B to make remarkably good time through a series of corners despite the ground clearance limitations. Rider Comfort The area of rider comfort is quite subjective. So, I believe I should start with some dimensions. I am 5 ft. 11 in. with a 32-in. inseam. At the R18B’s introduction, I encountered journalists – both taller and shorter than myself – that rated the riding position less than ideal. I’ll start with the legroom. I was riding 400-500 miles per day and never felt cramped by the floorboard position. However, I heard a rider who is a couple of inches taller than me say that the legroom was less than optimal for him. Similarly, he felt that the B’s windshield created excessive buffeting while I had no issues with it – even at triple-digit speeds. Although this windshield is the standard height for the R18B, the blacked out lower portion reveals it to be a BMW accessory version. (An aside about the taller Transcontinental windshield: I was able to just barely see over it, with the line crossing the lower third of my field of vision, but a shorter rider of around 5 ft. 8 in. said he could only look through it, which would be a consideration for riders in rainy or buggy environments. Since the Bagger and Transcontinental windshields are interchangeable, the lower option would fit on the Transcontinental. There is also a wind deflector option that is even lower, but I did not get a chance to see or sample it.) When traveling multiple hundreds of miles per day, any seat will get uncomfortable. That said, taking occasional breaks to stretch my legs and get fresh blood in my buttocks helped immensely. I’d rate the R18B’s seat at a solid 8 out of 10 for long-distance comfort. There is also plenty of room to move around on the seat to ease the bun burn during tank-draining stints. The R18B’s seat was as comfortable as any seat can be on a 500-mile day. Removing that annoying strap for the passenger would be the first change I’d make if I bought this bike. With regards to my upper body, the reach to the handlebar was just about perfect for me, and only during tight turns did I feel like it was a stretch for my outer arm to retain a comfortable grip on the throttle, brake, or clutch. Storage Capacity The fact that the B has less storage capacity than the Transcontinental is fairly obvious, and both bikes offer a fairly typical saddlebag capacity of 27 liters. However, it was a single miscalculation (the hard sides of my helmet case made it take up half of the saddlebag’s space) that forced me to strap my duffel bag to the back seat for my ride home. The electronically-locking saddlebags feature an interesting double locking system. You press the lid down until it clicks, and then you press down a lever to secure the latch. The electric lock is also keyed for non-powered use. If I were in the market for this bike, I’d go for a version without the saddlebag speakers since they eat into the storage space, and I never use a motorcycle’s speakers unless I’m testing the sound system for an article. If you’re one of the types that wants to be able to remove your bagger’s bags for around town lightness, look elsewhere. The wiring harness for the tail lights, the electronic locks, and the optional speakers all exit the rear fender near the bag mounts. Electronic Touring Amenities Here is an area where BMW typically excels, and for the most part, this is true with the R18B and R18 Transcontinental. Many of the options, when they work properly, are completely unobtrusive and go unnoticed. For example the automatic ride-height adjustment on the shock. How do I know it worked? The R18B felt completely balanced front and rear both with and without my belongings in the saddlebags. Then there are the de rigueur heated grips and seat (the grips I used when summiting Mt. Evans in 42° F weather and 30-mph winds). Here’s how the Automatic Load Leveling system works behind the scenes so that you don’t have to think about it. Riding after dark to my hotel gives me a chance to really test the LED headlight. With the Headlight Pro with Mechanical Cornering Lights, I expected to be able to see a difference as I turned in for corners. Well, I don’t notice the low beam pivoting, but I am impressed by how far through a corner I can see after dark. BMW claims the low beam pivots over a range of +/- 35°. This is particularly important since I am riding through dusk to full darkness in the mountains…in open range…where 1,700 lb. of beef in a black fur coat could be awaiting me just out of the light’s reach. The high beam is impressive, giving me a great view down the road, but I’m even more thrilled by the low beam’s light pattern that gives plenty of illumination without prompting a single oncoming car to flash lights at me. The LED headlight and its pivoting beam light up the road quite well at night. Perhaps the most impressive piece of electronics in the R18B’s arsenal is the Adaptive Cruise Control. Not only does it take into account the vehicles in front of you, but it also responds almost immediately to climbing or topping a hill, typically delivering just 1 mph of variation when encountering these challenges. The more I play with the cruise control the more impressed I am with it, which is why I have it set to allow for the closest following distance possible. The front radar has a remarkably narrow beam and only selects the cars in your lane, although sometimes, in a curve, the car icon on the TFT will flash for an instant before correcting itself as the car in the next lane crosses the radar’s field of view. However, with a field of view this precise, it is possible for it to miss the bike immediately in front of you when riding in a staggered formation. Riding a little more towards the center of the lane, rather than the right or left side, eliminates this issue, but you still need to pay a little more attention with bikes in front of you than with other vehicles. Soon Burns won’t be demanding just cruise control. He’ll want it to be adaptive cruise control. I predict that in 10 years, we’ll laugh at how big the radar unit (directly above the headlight) used to be when adaptive cruise control was released. Why did I wait so long to write about the 10.25-in. TFT display when I spent so much time looking at it during my ride? Perhaps, I was saving the best for last. The screen really is a sight to behold, and it offered all of the information I needed at any given time save for the fuel gauge and the tachometer, both of which were only glanced at periodically more out of curiosity than need. Once you’re indoctrinated, the BMW’s menu system is easily manipulated with the control wheel while under way. The TFT is easy to read in all lighting conditions – even with direct light shining on it. The dual trip displays allow me to track my trip both from beginning to end and through each tank of gas. That’s how I discovered that I averaged 59 mph over the entire 1,475 miles. (I’ll leave it to you to figure out how that happened with all the small towns I passed through with 30 mph speed limits.) I really can’t say enough about how nice the screen is, and how its width allows you to view multiple readouts simultaneously, particularly the navigation map alongside the turn-by-turn directions. Which brings us to… BMW has done such a great job of developing a beautiful screen and an extremely flexible menu navigation system via a control wheel (bottom left), it’s a shame that the navigation app is not ready for prime time. BMW’s Odd Choice of a Navigation System I’ll state my thesis right off the bat: A motorcycle company that can design such an intuitive menu system manipulated by a control wheel should be able to integrate that system with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Instead, the engineers give us the BMW Motorrad Connected app, which, in order to work, must always be in the foreground with your phone fully awake. Don’t get me wrong, there are some strokes of brilliance in BMW’s system, like the waterproof phone locker with the USB C port and a fan to keep your phone cool. (Although, one journalist was unable to get his iPhone Plus to fit in the locker with the charging cable attached.) Wireless charging was ruled out because of the heat it generates. How many touring bikes have I ridden over the years in which the storage for charging a phone appeared to be an afterthought? (I remember a pouch hanging inside of a fork-mounted fairing. What bike was that?) But back to the Connected app. My preparation for my ride back to Los Angeles began in its usual fashion for a touring bike. I massaged a route into shape for each day with Google Maps and then converted the URL for the route into a GPX file for transfer to a navigation system. A reasonably workable solution, and up to the point of getting the information into the Connected app the process is the same as with every bike-based GPS. However, utilizing the app and the navigation system proved to be an occasional challenge. Here’s the view I had on my screen for most of the ride, and when the app was connected, the system was a delight to use. For the basic operations, like Bluetooth pairing for phone calls and music, the R18B’s process is straightforward. The issue is the connected app. First, it takes a couple of minutes for the system and the phone to completely connect. So, my traveling routine is: start the Connect app, load the route I want to travel, plug the iPhone into the bike, turn on the ignition, wait for the connection process to complete, and finally start the engine. The process was only slightly shortened if the app was already running the route prior to stopping. Once it’s fully connected to the bike, the display on the TFT is a sight to behold. My preferred setup is to have the map on the left side of the screen and the directions on the right. That way I always know how far it is to the next turn and what the road’s name is. I used this screen setup for my entire ride. Unfortunately, while riding, periodically, for no apparent reason, the system either freezes or disconnects from the phone, leaving me with a flashing icon for the display. If the phone doesn’t reconnect in a minute or two, the only recourse is to pull over and try quitting and restarting the Connect app and possibly the bike, too. While this disconnection happened on every day of my ride, the first and last days were the worst. Although I can’t prove it, I suspect that heat was part of the issue. During the hours I spent in the desert with the temperature ranging from 104° – 109°F the disconnections were most frequent. But there’s more to the instability. This isn’t the only issue with the app. What the design team appears to have overlooked is that people like to run more than one app at a time on their smartphones. While I have access to my address book for phone calls and the music stored on my phone, I am out of luck if I want to stream music or listen to podcasts from my favorite app. So, I ended up unpairing my helmet from the entertainment system and pairing it back to my phone. This way I can run the other apps I want to use and the Connected app at the same time. Sort of. Hey, how about a nice shot of the optional reverse switch right next to the heel shifter? My final day of riding starts with the map refusing to display. Since the app is still announcing turns (and my trip is a straight shot down I-15 to Los Angeles), I decide to ride without the map. Once the podcast I’m listening to finishes, the map immediately pops up on the screen, and directions start to function normally. So, if heat isn’t responsible for the multiple disconnections with the Connected app, the attempt to run multiple apps simultaneously is. What BMW appears to have overlooked is that people don’t just use their phones for calls, music, and navigation. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, BMW should have spent its time getting their system to work with the CarPlay and Android Auto environments, which would allow people to use their phones as they would in their car. Then the Connected app would work in conjunction with the other apps instead of trying to completely take over the phone. If Honda can make the Gold Wing compatible with Car Play and Android Auto with a less intuitive control system, one would think that BMW is more than capable of doing the same thing. Or is this simply a case of the same “We know better” arrogance that for years forced BMW riders to use three buttons where one switch would work better for turn signals? The End of the Road Pulling into my driveway, I’m grateful for my time with the BMW R18B. I’ve gained a depth of understanding of the bike’s strengths and weaknesses that I didn’t have from the one day, 200 mile ride at the introduction. While I can learn a lot about how a bike rides during an intro, a touring bike, because of the complexity of its systems, really demands an extended test. I couldn’t have figured out the intricacies of the Connected app without the seat time, nor would I be able to say that the calculated range from my average of 48.2 mpg is 304 miles. In my short time on the BMW R18 Transcontinental, I found it to be a capable touring companion, but the 64 lb. of extra weight it carries was noticeable in every performance category, making me glad that I’d requested the R18B for my ride home. As I sit here looking back on the ride, I consider the 2022 BMW R18B to be an extremely capable touring companion with one glaring flaw for the market in the form of the BMW Motorrad App requirement for navigation. Although BMW’s representatives said (and it is fairly obvious) that the Harley-Davidson Street Glide was an inspiration behind the development of the R18B, I don’t think that the bike will steal many sales from the HD faithful. Rather, the R18B and the Transcontinental will attract the bagger-curious and other riders who are attracted to the relaxed cruising-tourer style of riding but were put off by the weight that the Harley name carries in some circles, or perhaps, they simply don’t like the traditional V-Twin configurations offered by Harley, Indian, and the Japanese marques in this riding segment. If you think you might be interested in either the R18B or the Transcontinental, they are currently arriving in showrooms. The base (and therefore impossible to find) model starts at $22,590. The price, as tested, for the R18B that I rode home is approximately $25,520. It includes the following packages: Premium Light Package ($2,300) and Select Package ($1,275). Then it also received a nice selection of BMW Accessory Roland Sands Designs parts, but no price is available for them: 2-Tone-Black brake fluid expansion tanks, 2-Tone-Black engine housing cover, 2-Tone-Black cylinder head decorative trim, and 2-Tone-Black handlebar end caps. Go take a look and a ride. Let me know what you think. 2022 BMW R18B + Highs Cruise-friendly torque curve Great touring range 10.25-in. TFT screen – Sighs Limited ground clearance Phone-based navigation system not ready for prime time Missing Shift-Assist Pro In Gear Helmet: Shoei Neotec 2 Jacket: Alpinestars Brera Airflow Jacket (Discontinued) Gloves: Castor Sport Leather Gloves Jeans: Alpinestars Riffs (Discontinued) Boots: TCX AirTech EVO Gore-Tex Boot 2022 BMW R18B (Transcontinental) MSRP $22,590 (Base) Engine Type 1,802cc Air/water-cooled 2-cylinder 4-stroke boxer, OHV, 4 valves per cylinder Bore and Stroke 107.1 mm x 100.0 mm Compression Ratio 9.6:1 Rear Wheel Horsepower (claimed) 91 hp @ 4,750 rpm Torque 116 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm Transmission Constant mesh 6-speed Final Drive Shaft Front Suspension Telescopic fork, 49 mm stanchion, 4.7 in. travel Rear Suspension Cantilever shock, 4.7 in. travel Front Brake Dual four-piston calipers with full-floating 300mm discs Rear Brake Four-piston caliper 300 mm disc Front Tire 120/70 R 19 Rear Tire 180/65 B 16 Rake/Trail 27.3 deg/7.2 in Wheelbase 66.7 in. Seat Height 28.3 in. Curb Weight (Claimed) 877 lbs. Fuel Capacity 6.3 gal. Colors Black Storm Metallic, Manhattan Metallic Matte (+$500), Option 719 Galaxy Dust/ Titan Silver Metallic (+$2,400) 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 BMW R18B (And R18 Transcontinental) Review – First Ride appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/9gTRs5fVcXUSource

Just more than a week after teasing us with a new Tiger Sport 660 prototype, Triumph sends us photos of another new model, this time a heavily updated Tiger 1200. Along with this showcase of Triumph’s camouflage wrapping, the British manufacturer sent us this brief description: NEW TIGER 1200 OFFICIAL PROTOTYPE TESTING Lighter and more powerful, the all-new Tiger 1200 transformation is on its way. The all-new Tiger 1200 has now reached its exciting final stages of testing. The word ‘transformation’ simply doesn’t do it justice. Designed to deliver the new ultimate large capacity adventure ride, the incredible Tiger 1200 will bring every advantage in one all-new motorcycle family. Now significantly lighter than its closest competition, with an astonishing transformation in weight, the new 1200 will combine the triple powered engine advantage with a new dimension in class-leading agility, control and handling. Those are some bold claims to make for one of the most competitive segments in the industry, adventure-touring. There’s a lot to unpack from this brief statement and the three supplied photos. First of all, that Triumph has been working on a new Tiger 1200 should be no surprise. The existing Tiger 1200s were last offered as a 2020 model, with their 1215cc three-cylinder engines only certified for Euro 4. As Triumph did with many of its models, the Tiger 1200 skipped 2021, opting for a Euro 5 update for the 2022 model year. While we know it is still a Triple, it’s clear from the casings that the Tiger has a new engine that looks a lot like the 1160cc engine on the new Speed Triple. The industry trend has been to increase displacement to make up for any loss of performance from meeting Euro 5, but Triumph may be bucking the trend with a smaller, but more powerful engine. That said, it’s entirely possible the engine may turn out to be a larger version of the Speed Triple’s powerplant. From the front, we can see the new Tiger has two smaller radiators instead of a single larger radiator like the previous models. Triumph’s boasts about “an astonishing transformation in weight” is likely due in large part to the new chassis. The frame uses straighter tubes, with fewer smaller support tubes than the previous chassis, and the subframe is now bolted to the frame instead of being welded together. The new Tiger 1200 also uses a double-sided swingarm, with the rear brake now on the right side of the rear wheel, opposite the redesigned drive shaft. The previous Tiger 1200s used WP Suspension components but the fork on the new model looks similar to the Showa fork currently equipped on the Tiger 900s. From the front, the new model still has a small beak and a new windscreen. The headlights are a slimmer design, but instead of the Tiger 900’s unibrow LED running light, the new unit has two small light strips below the main headlight lenses, like football players wearing eyeblack. The motorcycle in the photos is equipped with wire-spoke wheels, engine bars and auxiliary lighting, but if past Triumph models are an indication, we can expect the new Tiger 1200 to come in both more off-road capable and street-biased versions. We probably won’t see the previous Tiger’s XR and XC nomenclature, with Triumph likely to adopt the Rally and GT naming scheme of the 900 models. Triumph hasn’t provided any indication on when we might learn full specifications on the 2022 Tiger 1200 Rally and GT. In recent weeks, Triumph has offered hints at the Tiger 1200, Tiger Sport 660 and Speed Triple RR prototypes. The Nov. 23 EICMA show is still a long ways off, so we suspect Triumph will reveal more about all three bikes well ahead of the Milan show. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post All-New Triumph Tiger 1200 Confirmed for 2022 appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/7Pebme71IeYSource

As motorcyclists, we are well aware of how important tires are. Our ride – even our survival – depends on just a few square inches of rubber. So, why is it that rarely does a week go by in which we don’t see a motorcycle out on the road with visibly under-inflated tires? These are tires that are way past the point of affecting handling and into the zone of being dangerous. Perhaps it’s because tire technology has advanced so much in recent decades that we take them for granted. It used to be that one of the easiest upgrades you could make to your bike – particularly for sport-focused riders – was getting rid of the OEM tires and spooning on some aftermarket rubber. Now, street tires can offer grip that would surprise racers from a decade ago while still delivering reasonable mileage. Additionally, less performance-oriented tires are now capable of considerably more wet-weather grip and durability, a real boon to commuters and touring riders. You don’t have to ride like this to benefit from the advances in modern tire technology or the longevity afforded by proper care and maintenance. However, tires still depend on the end user to attain maximum performance and durability while they sacrifice themselves for our riding pleasure. So, I reached out to representatives from Avon, Dunlop, Metzeler/Pirelli, and Michelin to find out what we need to do (and why) to get the most out of our motorcycle’s rubber. The genesis of this article was a simple question from a forum that I frequent. Who knew that a single question could send me down a rabbit hole for months, but since the people that I was talking to were the technology-focused types behind the development of tires, I learned very quickly that the answer to my simple question leaned, in many ways, on an understanding of many interlinked factors. Naturally, the answers to a sport-focused question would have a sport-riding-centric answer, but there is still plenty to learn here for riders of other motorcycles. The question that started this 5,500 word opus? “When sport riding, should street riders run the manufacturer’s suggested tire pressure or something slightly lower for better grip?” Choose the right tire for the job Once upon a time, pretty much all motorcycle tires had similar construction. They were black and round and were filled with air. Then came the categories of tires. So, you had the off-road tires, the touring tires, the cruiser tires, the sport-touring tires, the sport tires, and the race tires. However, as technology marches forward, we now have categories within categories. The recent trend of track day tires is a great example. This all comes from the fine-tuning of the attributes that the individual tires feature from wheel fitment to carcass construction to tread compound to tread profile and adds up to a huge menu of tires to choose from. In a recent conversation with representatives from Avon Tyres, I was informed that the company lists over 200 different tire specifications spread out over 10 different categories. When you’re choosing a tire for your motorcycle, you don’t just want to throw any old tire on it, and for your own sake, don’t listen to the people who say it’s safe to mount an automobile tire to the rear of a motorcycle. These people are clearly deluded and should not be trusted about anything – except, perhaps, the ambulance ride times to the local hospital. As with each category of motorcycles, cruisers have their own special requirements for tires. All four tire manufacturers I consulted agreed that to get the most from the investment in rubber, riders need to buy the right model for their particular riding. Each had a list of questions for riders to consider, and when combined formed these common themes: What is the type of riding you do? In what kind of weather? What type of motorcycle do you ride? If you are a sportbike rider, are you looking for more grip or more mileage, and do you ever do track days? Next, they recommended that less experienced riders talk to their local tire vendor. More experienced motorcyclists most likely have a pretty good idea of what category they fit into, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t do their due diligence. Tire technology is changing incredibly quickly. So, you need to pay attention. What differentiates the categories of tires? At the most basic level, the differences start with two separate but somewhat interrelated features: construction and load carrying capability. Bias-ply tires, for example, are quite good at carrying heavier loads, which is why you commonly find them on heavyweight cruisers and baggers. Bias ply tires run their carcass layers of fabric cords from bead-to-bead in alternating layers at an angle (at a bias, which is how they get their name) to each other. This construction makes them stiff and strong – a plus for carrying heavy loads. Unfortunately, the additional thickness in the carcass presents a problem when it comes to shedding heat, which is less than optimal when it comes to sporting use. Radial tires have their carcass constructed with their cords running directly across the tire from bead-to-bead perpendicular to the tire’s rotation. This construction with fewer layers of body cord allows for a more supple sidewall, which helps make the contact patch larger when the tire is on the edge of its tread. Not surprisingly, performance-oriented motorcycles primarily utilize radial tires because of the higher grip and improved feedback the more supple sidewall allows. Another feature of radial tires is their ability to have short sidewalls with wide treads. Look at your typical sportbike rear tire’s dimensions. They simply wouldn’t be possible with bias ply tires. Sportbikes aren’t the only motorcycles that benefit from radial tires. Touring bikes and cruisers can also take advantage of them. However, that’s not to say only sportbikes use radials. The Honda Goldwing comes with radial tires, and it is certainly a bike that is capable of carrying two large-sized people and their cargo. So, the lesson is that you should know what kind of tires your bike was originally fit with and continue doing so. Next, riders should consider the rubber compound(s) that make up the tread of the tire itself. Those of us who live for the next apex and can be seen carving up mountain roads typically are willing to sacrifice longevity for cornering capability and often opt for the stickiest rubber available. However, you still need to be aware of the conditions the tire you’re mounting on your bike is designed to handle and what you’re actually doing with it. The long and short of it is that race compounds don’t belong on the street. Oscar Solis, Senior Roadrace Manager, North and South America Metzeler/Pirelli: “If you have a really sporty compound, if it’s an ultra-race compound like our Pirelli SC0, they’re not made to be at 120 degrees. They’re made to be at 200-plus degrees Fahrenheit. It’s very difficult to get that kind of heat in the tire on the street – with an SC0 or any kind of tire. So, your ultra-race compounds are actually going to be a harder compound at a lower temperature. Even if you had the skills to ride the bike to generate the heat on the track, you most likely won’t be able to get that much heat on the street. So that’s why you shouldn’t have race compounds as street tires.” This is not to say that performance riders don’t benefit from buying the stickiest street tires they can buy. All motorcycle tire manufacturers are making tremendous strides in delivering sticky sport tires that don’t wear out as quickly as those in the past. The Diablo Rosso IV is Pirelli’s most recent example. The stated areas of focus on the tire’s development were “benchmark performance in both dry and wet” and “tread design optimized for sporty riding and regular wear.” Oscar continues: “We’ll look at the Supercorsa SP. It’s a hyper sport tire, and it’s very aggressive. It’s a very sticky tire. Whenever I ask somebody what they’re going to do with this tire, they’ll say something like, ‘I’m going to go commuting. I’m going to go canyon carving. I’m going to the track once in a while.’ If you go to the track once in a while and you’re doing some canyon carving, the Supercorsa SP is great, and that extra amount of grip it offers can be forgiving because it may allow you to make some mistakes and have that safety net underneath you. If you have a tire that’s way more durable but less grip, that safety net might not be there when you’re asking for whatever degree of lean on the brakes and trying to miss a car because you were way too hot coming into a corner. The grip level could really save your butt. “Conversely, Supercorsas for a commuter bike, that’s a waste of money because all you’re going to do is wear out the center of the tire. You’re only going to go five degrees of lean angle because you just need to pull into the 7-Eleven for some stuff. You’d be much better off with a sport-touring tire, an Angel GT, a Rosso III. Something that has more durability.” Dominic Clifford, Global Avon Motorcycle Manager, concurs: “We have a road-legal track day tire called the Extreme. We see this all the time, a rider will come to us and say, ‘I want that tire. I don’t care that I will only get 1500 miles out of it. That’s the tire for me.’ What we find is that, in the road application, it is 100% the wrong tire for them. It’s not just the mileage. In road application, it is very difficult to keep the heat in that type of tire. It is designed for track use, not for stopping and starting at lights, junctions, etc.” A quick glance at the Avon Spirit STs above tell you that this sport-touring tire was designed with wet-weather grip in mind (in England, that’s of particular importance) along with dry-weather performance. The difference between hypersport street tires and sport-touring tires is about more than just the rubber compound. You also need to consider the difference in carcass stiffness and tread profile and how they affect handling. Ashley Vowles, Avon Motorcycle Tire Development Manager: “From a tire standpoint, they are designed very differently specifically to application. Hypersport track tires are designed to be very stable at high-speed. They’re designed to provide optimal grip at higher operating temperatures, and the profiles are designed a lot sharper to enable the bike to turn it in and fall right onto the edge of the tire when the rider is going around corners and hitting the apexes. “When looking at sport-touring tires, they are slightly similar to hypersport tires, but the construction is slightly different. The track tire/sport tire has quite a lot stiffer construction so that the rider gets optimal feedback from the tire. Whereas sport touring is slightly softer in construction to improve rider comfort. But also the profile is slightly flatter than a sports tire. Sport-touring tires offer a little more footprint because they’re upright a lot longer than on a sport tire. “Also, you generally get dual compounds on the rear of those tires. The sport-touring tire is designed for high mileage. Sport-touring tires people kind of refer to them as the all around, all season type tire. People are commuting on them. People are using them all year round. They’ve got good dry performance, good wet performance, good longevity, good handling and stability.” Sport-touring tires are probably the closest to a universal motorcycle tire. They offer a great balance of wet- and dry-weather grip along with good wear characteristics. Daily commuters would be throwing money away on the stickiest rubber in their workday bump-and-grind, when sport-touring tires offer almost the same grip on the street while delivering many more miles per set. Still, the decision doesn’t stop with just the compound. Tire choice also depends on where the rider lives. A tire with the bare minimum of sipes – as close to a slick as possible – will suit riders in the arid Southwest or riders who never ride in the rain, but enthusiasts from wetter climates appreciate the ability to channel water away from the contact patch in addition to dry grip. Since cruisers and tourers are less interested in outright lean angle than comfort and longevity (plus wet weather performance for the travelers among us), these tires emphasize durability and the ability to handle the forces that the public roads throw at them and the heavier loads they tend to carry. Finally, we can’t ignore the role that styling plays in tire choice. Tire Pressure is key Now, we arrive at the impetus for this article: How do riders get the most out of their tires? We’ve heard about special pressures for track days. Should rider’s vary their pressures for different street-riding jobs? Or should they set their tire pressures (which they are checking at least weekly, right?) to OEM specifications and not worry about it at all? If you take away nothing else from this article, understand that the secret to getting both the best performance and durability out of your motorcycle tires is to buy an accurate tire pressure gauge and to use it regularly. Among the tire companies I consulted, the unanimous statement was that you couldn’t go wrong with running the OEM-recommended pressures on the street. However, there were some caveats. Vowles @ Avon stated: “For 90% of our tires, we recommend the OE pressures for that motorcycle…There are a few sizes and few bikes where we do recommend a different pressure, on our custom stuff, especially, where we might have a slightly higher pressure.” Clifford @ Avon adds: “Tire pressures are very important. You should be increasing your pressures if you’re riding with luggage and pillion. The pressures we recommend are for cold tires in a road application. If you are going to ride with a pillion and or luggage, we’d always recommend increasing 1 or 2 PSI in that tire as well.” Shawn Bell from Sumitomo Rubber USA (Dunlop’s parent company) concurs: “The first thing I recommend is check with the motorcycle manufacturer. They have ideal air pressure settings when it comes to the capabilities of the motorcycle. We actually have a 1-800 number (800-845-8378) that we get a lot of customers calling in and asking questions like this, and we always recommend running OE placard pressure on the street.” Michelin responded in a written statement from its engineering department: “For street riding purposes, Michelin recommends the tire pressure quoted by the motorcycle manufacturer…Road pressures are defined by the motorcycle manufacturer to cover all possible uses of the motorcycle, ranging from slow speed commuting to work in an urban environment all the way to two-up on the highway (high speeds sustained in a straight line).” For a regularly-ridden motorcycle, weekly pressure checks are the minimum. Still, according to the tire reps, we should do it before every ride. Solis @ Metzeler/Pirelli, said: “It’s always going to be the bike manufacturer’s recommendation. They build the bike. When we build a tire, it’s not necessary we build the tire for every motorcycle. Instead, we build a tire that can go on a handful of motorcycles. It’s the bike manufacturer’s pressure recommendation because it is more of a singular application for the bike and rider than just the tire itself.” So, the common thread in all of this is that the OEMs know what the motorcycle is capable of and the kind of stresses that it will put on the tires in the range of operating conditions expected of it. The cynics among us will say that this is largely a CYA statement to avoid lawsuits, but the engineers and test riders responsible for developing street bikes really know what they’re doing. The most common mistake Let us pause for a moment of silence to consider the suffering inflicted on motorcycle tires by neglectful owners – and let their tales of woe be a warning. Bell @ Dunlop: “At rallies, we would set up a tire check, people would come through with their motorcycle, and we would check their weight and pressure. We’d have them roll up on the scale and sit on the bike with everything, their luggage, the wife on the back, and we would get the weights front and rear. Then we would check their pressure. And the number of under inflated tires was surprising. We even came across some riders with less than 10 psi in their tires. It was kind of scary and comical at the same time. We’re telling people, you don’t understand how important this is. “We found in our testing that you’re going to get the best mileage bang for your buck on the street if you maintain the placard pressure. As soon as you lower that pressure, you’re putting more heat cycles into the tire. You’re definitely generating more flex in the carcass, and that’s going to wear the tire out. I couldn’t tell you how much quicker. I know that it’s pretty obvious to me when I have seen a street motorcycle running too low air pressure, either it wears out too quickly or wear is uneven. You get cupping.” This basket case of a tire shows clear signs of being used while under-inflated. Note the cupping of the tread while the center still has rubber left. Solis @ Pirelli: “Check your pressure. Every time you go out on a ride. Nobody ever does it, but I’m still going to suggest that you do it. Check your pressure every time – especially when the weather changes. That’s what really changes the pressure in the tire. Heat is generated in a tire by deflection, by how much it squishes, basically. On the road, less pressure is going to create more heat. That’s why big truck drivers in semis get blowouts when the pressure is too low. It creates more heat. The heat’s not so much on the surface. It’s actually under the surface. That’s why you see the tread come off.” Clifford @ Avon: “The one stat that I always talk about is that you should look at tire wear as a bell curve. The optimum pressures in the middle. If you go ten percent either way on your pressures, then tire wear literally drops off the bell curve. “So, your optimum wear rate is at 42 PSI. If you go plus or minus on the 10% rule, and a lot of riders will for a 42 PSI recommendation. They will probably drop that down to 34 or 35, but even 10% so from 42, that’s about 38 PSI. Even if you’re 38, that will, in some cases, increase your wear rate by 50%. So, you will get half the mileage out of your tire by running it between 35 and 38 than you would do at 42 PSI.” Track pressures are for the track, and street pressures are for the street. There is actual science behind these settings. Vowles @ Avon addresses the desire for a bigger footprint provided by running slightly lower pressures when sport riding. Moderation is the key here: “Yes, you are going to potentially have a bigger footprint, but at the same time you’re also going to change the complete construction of that product because it’s going to be a lot softer in the sidewall. It’s going to wallow around; you’re going to wear the tire out. You’re going to have tires moving around, which can generate more heat as well. So, you can risk overheating the tires. Now, it may be that on some bikes an end user, instead of having 36/42, he’s gone 34/40, and he likes it like that. Okay, that’s okay.” To wrap up this section, it’s time to get really honest with yourself. When did you last check your bike’s tire pressures? If it was in the last week, you’re better than most. If you can’t remember, you could, at best, be throwing away money on rubber that you’re wasting and, at worst, endangering yourself (and others). Motorcycle tires are serious business. Track pressure is a special case The track environment is quite different from the street. The extreme loads are nearly constant, going from braking to full-throttle acceleration back to braking and leaning over in a corner. This generates heat quickly and can push tires not made for the environment well out of their temperature range and cause them to become greasy. Another component of the heat build up in tires on the track is how it affects pressure rise. Michelin puts things succinctly in its written statement: “Circuit pressures are traditionally defined by the tire manufacturer for track use only. It is not recommended to ride on the road with these pressures. “For track use, the front tire pressure is lowered so that when it is hot, the tire operating temperature is close to the cold road pressures. “The rear pressure is lowered significantly on track versus street because the pressure needed to support two-up is not required and thus a lower pressure achieves a more optimal operating temperature.” Track pressures serve multiple purposes. First, the lower pressure helps to manage the increase in tire pressure as the carcass temperature rises. Second, the size of the rear contact patch can be adjusted to give better drive out of the corners. Bell @ Dunlop reveals that the issue is about more than just tire temperature. For example, street settings have higher rear pressure than front, but at the track things are reversed: “[On the track] the lower pressure on the rear is because of the benefits of the increase in contact patch that you’ll get, specifically for the drive out of the corners. The air pressure on the rear, when it gets hot, increases more than the front. If you started off with 32 in the front and 30 in the rear, you’re gonna end up with 36/36 hot. Just because of the volume of air inside the tire, you’re seeing a bigger increase on the rear. “I always say that it’s important to check the hot pressure because, when you’re on the track, you’re not normally riding on cold tires. You’re on hot tires. If you want to hone in on air pressure, I recommend checking the hot pressure, but you have to start with something. You have to start with a cold pressure [which is information that a tire vendor will have].” Solis @ Metzeler/Pirelli emphasizes that novice track riders or riders that don’t have track experience with the tires they’re running should talk to a tire vendor: “ When you take tires to the track, talk to somebody. Talk to trackside vendors about pressures. Yes, you go lower to get a little more grip, but they’ll help you out with the specifics of those pressures and make sure that you’re not going to overheat your tires. With true track race tires, it’s very very hard to overheat them. Most of the time, it’s the track that actually loses a lot of grip when it gets too hot. You have to keep in mind that friction is from two parts, the tire and the track. Maybe the tires lose their grip and maybe it’s the track losing grip. A lot of the time, people don’t realize the track loses its grip, and you have to do something with the tires or suspension to kind of compensate for that.” The final word on track tire pressure is talk to the people who know the tires you’ve mounted and then, if you have the skill set, adjust from there to suit your preferences. If you’re new and don’t have the skill set, then we’ll reiterate the importance of contacting a reputable tire vendor ahead of time to seek proper tire pressures to start with. Odds are you’ll stick with these pressures for the whole day. Remember that not every tire brand will have a representative at your track day. So, again, get the information you need prior to arriving at the track. On running non-standard tire sizes This topic can get fairly far off into the weeds if you include custom cruiser show bikes that are all about the form with little – if any – thought about how the bike will handle. Still, a surprisingly large number of riders think that the hot set up is to put larger tires on their bikes. Here’s what the tire reps had to say about it. We’re going to keep our focus on motorcycles that are actually designed for riding. Again, Michelin wins points for brevity, getting to the crux of the matter: “For street riding, motorcycles should be equipped with the size of tire specified by the motorcycle manufacturer. Do not mount tires wider or narrower than the original-equipment tires, either of which could negatively affect the motorcycle’s handling. Exceptions to this guidance should only be considered with qualified tire support specialists; i.e. trackside tire support (190 rear width vs 180 rear width, etc.).” Solis @ Metzeler/Pirelli says you should check with the tire and bike manufacturers’ specifications: “When we create a tire and when we engineer a tire, we actually engineer for a certain size rim. As long as the tire manufacturer says the application is for this rim size, then it’s been tested that way. A 180 to 190, the profile doesn’t mean it’s the same right? The profiles are different. If you go with a different size with the same rim size, it’s going to pinch the profile. What happens is it kind of curves a little bit more. When it’s on the street, that means that it doesn’t quite go all the way to the side of the tire. It kind of stays up a little bit more on the tread. That could be bad because, when you go all the way to the side of the tire, you deflect the sidewall a little bit more and, actually, may have more of a contact patch. You are squeezing that side wall a little bit and getting a bigger contact patch. Not a lot of people understand that. They think it’s just wider, and it’s better: ‘Just pinch that puppy on there. You’re going to have more contact patch.’ But they might actually have less. “The other problem about it is that the selection of the tires might actually be less as well. The range of tires that you have a certain size may be different. If your bike manufacturer recommends it, fine, go with it. If it doesn’t then, you know, it’s going to change and you might have less availability for your bike.” Most riders don’t spend much time thinking about it, but a lot of testing goes into the development of tires and how they affect a motorcycle’s handling. Choose non-standard tire sizes, and you could screw things up. Bell @ Dunlop: “There are two schools of thought. I think if somebody is going to entertain the idea of trying a non-standard size, something that’s different than the motorcycle manufacturer recommends, they should do as much homework as they can. I wouldn’t recommend just going off of the blogs because somebody said that they did it, and it was awesome. They should try to really understand what they’re doing to the motorcycle because the geometry of the motorcycle is just like air pressure: the manufacturer set up the suspension and the geometry of the motorcycle for its ideal handling. As soon as you change that, you could potentially upset the handling of the motorcycle. “The information that’s gonna be important is the diameter, because you can change the ride height. Not only are you changing the width of the tire, but depending on the aspect ratio, you can also change the diameter. You’re essentially raising or lowering the center of gravity. That might be great for a track day because you want the quick steering, but I think they should try to understand what they’re doing. “Clearance with the swingarm is important. Tire size changes at speed. The dimensions we publish are static. That’s not dynamic. Luckily, sport tires are pretty stable. Bias ply tires grow quite a bit. As soon as you start throwing in a wider tire or a taller tire, then you run the risk of interference. My recommendation is that they just need to do their homework and make sure that they’re doing the right thing. “I know personally, spending as much time as I have at the track, a taller aspect ratio is better for the track. A taller profile gives a bigger footprint when leaned over. It gives quicker handling. Again, those are all things that you want at the track, but is that what you want on the street? That’s another question. It really comes down to where you’re gonna ride.” If you look closely at the leading edge of the front fender, you’ll see that my fitting a taller than stock tire caused it to rub against the fender as the carcass expanded at high speeds. Clifford and Vowles from Avon tag-teamed on this answer: Vowles: “So if you’ve got a five-and-a-half inch rim on the back of your sports bike that’s designed for a 180, and you want to put a 190/55 or 200/55 on, you are going to dramatically change the performance of a motorcycle. Tires on narrower rims will change the profile. If the tire is designed to be on a 6-in. rim, and you’re going to put it on a 5-in. rim, you’re going to sharpen the profile.” Clifford: “When you mix in a motorcycle designed for a certain fitment, somebody may put a different size rear tire on. What we find then, in certain situations, is that the front tire and the rear tire aren’t working in harmony. And then you end up with a shimmy, particularly on a sweeping bend because those profiles are not matched. So, they end up working against each other.” Vowles: “You’ve got one that wants to turn in and the other wants to stand up. It’s our worst case scenario in the tire industry. A motorcycle manufacturer or a tire manufacturer would steer away from that at all costs. We could not ever recommend anything we’ve not tested in application. Always, always stay with your recommended tire size.” Wrapping it up While reading this article, you probably noticed that the manufacturers agreed with each other on the broad strokes. These are demonstrable truths that their companies have learned through R&D. You should absolutely heed this advice. In the cases where there are slight differences in their approach to a topic, some wiggle room is implied, meaning that if you know what you’re doing or consult with someone who does, there is room for you to find what works best for you. Why would Dunlop haul all these used race tires away from the track? To study and learn from. Street riders will eventually benefit from the technology developed at the track. FAQ? Should motorcycle tires be inflated to max PSI? There is some confusion as to what the Max PSI listed on a tire is. This figure is generated for the motorcycle’s maximum rated load and the pressure required to support that load. As the tire pressure goes down, the maximum load the motorcycle can carry is reduced. Of course, motorcycles spend little of their time carrying that maximum load. So, for regular use, consult the motorcycle manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure to achieve optimal results. These will be the pressures that it was designed to operate with. What happens when a motorcycle tire pressure is low? First of all, your motorcycle’s handling will be affected because the tire’s carcass will not maintain its proper shape. Steering will feel heavy. As stated in the article above, low tire pressure puts more heat cycles into the tire because it’s generating more flex in the carcass. At its best, the tire is going to wear out sooner, wasting the money you invested in it. At its worst, low pressure could lead to catastrophic tire failure. How often should I check my motorcycle’s tire pressure? The best answer, the answer tire manufacturers always give, is to check tire pressure before every ride. The realistic answer is that for a regularly ridden motorcycle, a weekly check is sufficient. However, if your bike sits unridden for any length of time, definitely check the pressure before you ride it again. Additional Resources Best Motorcycle Tires Best Sportbike Tires Best Motorcycle Racing Tires You Can Also Use On The Street Sport Touring Tire Buyer’s Guide Adventure Tire Buyer’s Guide Best Motorcycle Touring Tires Best Motorcycle Cruiser Tires Best Dirtbike Tires How To Properly Check Your Motorcycle’s Tire Pressure 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. 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The longer you ride the more your seat matters – in both years ridden and distance traveled. Air bladders and rubber donuts and bead seats can take you so far; past there it might be time to bite the bullet and replace your factory seat with something upscale, something more befitting your two-wheeled station in life. Here’s a smattering of what are widely regarded as the best motorcycle seats on the market for a wide range of bikes, from Goldwing to sportbike, but be aware that people come in so many shapes and sizes, what’s right for one person may not be what’s best for you. Be sure to perform your due diligence as you figure out what the best motorcycle seat is for you, to keep you riding farther, longer, and happier. Table of Contents Mustang Super Solo Seat With Driver Backrest For Harley Touring Saddlemen Adventure Track Seat Airhawk Independent Suspension Technology Seat For BMW Sargent World Sport Performance Seat Corbin Fire & Ice Saddle for Goldwing Saddlemen Gel-Channel Tech Seat LePera Daytona Seat for Harley Russell Day-Long Comfort Seat Mustang Super Solo Seat With Driver Backrest For Harley Touring Mustang’s Super Solo sweetheart fits nearly all kinds of FL Harley-Davidsons dating back to 1997, and has all kinds of 5-star reviews. It sits the driver 1-1/4-inch further back than the stock seat and a bit lower, in what Mustang claims is luxurious comfort and unheard-of support. The backrest is fully adjustable and easily removable. Don’t worry if flying solo isn’t your style, or Harley-Davidson either; Mustang makes a plethora of seats for all kinds of metric cruisers, Triumphs, and other bikes too. Bottom Line/Widely available in wide also Shop Now Saddlemen Adventure Track Seat With fitments for all sorts of ADV bikes from BMW to DRZ to KTM, (Super Tenere pictured), this high-tech hybrid seat combines Saddlemens’ SaddleGel interior, progressive density foam, and a gel channel to provide unparalleled comfort and control. That channel in the base foam goes easy on the old perineal area and increases blood flow, keeping you in the saddle longer and happier. The vinyl and rugged micro-fiber suede cover is said to hold up to hard use while providing a superb blend of comfort and control. Some applications for mid-sized dualsports have a standard foam design (no GC) with a gripper and vinyl cover better suited to “rigorous riding.” Integrated cargo mounting points on the pillion portion of the Adventure-class seat sets make it easy to attach Saddlemen’s Adventure PACK luggage or other cargo, and most are also available in low-profile designs. Etc, etc… Bottom Line/No cheek left behind Shop Now Airhawk Independent Suspension Technology Seat For BMW Rummaging through the seat marketplace reveals that it’s Harley and BMW riders whose butts require the most coddling. Airhawk seats for BMW are born from a partnership between Danny Gray Custom Motorcycle Seats and Airhawk, and are available for most GS models and many others. Using patented Danny Gray IST (Independent Suspension Technology) construction and Airhawk’s ergonomic expertise, these seats isolate the rider from shocks using special inserts that target the lower portions of your pelvic area. Airhawk’s AirCell technology lines the top layer of “w/ Air” option seats to deliver further mechanical shock separation and pressure point reduction. This system is configurable to each rider thanks to an adjustable bladder system. Designed to deliver uniform weight distribution and easier leg passage, the sculpted front contours benefit riders short and tall when it comes to getting a foot down. Bottom Line/Air it out Shop Now Sargent World Sport Performance Seat Available for all kinds of sportbikes from Aprilia to Yamaha, these babies use “advanced digital modeling, computer design techniques, precise manufacturing processes and superior materials. Each signature vacuum-formed light-but-strong PVC acrylic alloy seat pan is precision-molded for superior fit and provides an exceptional high-performance seat foundation.” Super Cell Atomic Foam suspension is a unique and proprietary blend of resilience, firmness, and vibration-absorption qualities without the thermal retention and extra weight of gel. Most stock seats, Sargent says, suffer from a crowned shape that centralizes pressure and creates discomfort. The level, wider and slightly cupped foam shape of the Sargent World Sport Seat distributes pressure evenly and eliminates hot spots for long-distance comfort. Furthermore, these seats eliminate the forward slope of many stock seats, and provide a more neutral seating angle for the rider. Bottom Line/Super Cell Atomic Foam Shop Now Corbin Fire & Ice Saddle for Goldwing What the? So that’s where Indian got its new ClimaCool seat. Not only is this magnificent throne heated, it also uses the Peltier Effect to quickly cool the seat’s surface 10-15 degrees below ambient temperature. With just a couple of fans, says Corbin, that temperature drop is achieved without pumps, compressors or fluids. Elsewhere, there’s almost too much to describe. The seat pictured is also equipped with Ovalbac backrests, which brings your overall vertical support up to 16.5 inches and 20 inches for rider and passenger – and of course Corbin makes these for all kinds of Harleys and other touring bikes. “Naturally,” says Corbin, “we built up the saddle ergonomically to provide the best possible support and elimination of hot spots. This has been a staple of the Corbin design and is one of the most critical components of a true, touring class design.” Genuine leather seating panels breathe with your body. Coordinated vinyl side panels keep the foam shape tight and the saddle looking new longer. Shop Now Saddlemen Gel-Channel Tech Seat Saddlemen’s Gel Channel (GC) technology (patent pending) incorporates a split piece of SaddleGel and a channel in the base foam to relieve seating pressure on the perineum, increase blood flow, and keep the rider in the saddle longer. The “Tech” series incorporates a high-quality, flexible fabric top cover that breathes well and is textured to allow aggressive maneuvering. Just under the top cover is a layer of memory foam that contours to the shape of your body, with additional memory foam in areas strategically positioned for maximum comfort. These are available for many sportbikes, and a smooth black vinyl pillion seat cover is included. Bottom Line/Perineal favorite Shop Now LePera Daytona Seat for Harley This one has almost nothing but rave reviews, as it apparently soaks up lots of bumps your Harley’s rear suspension doesn’t. A molded one-piece foam foundation sits atop a 16-gauge powder-coated steel baseplate that’s carpeted on the bottom to protect your fender, and covered on top with premium-grade black vinyl. Made in the USA, there aren’t many Harleys the Daytona won’t fit – and there’s a Sport version too with a rear-sloping pillion for those who like to instill fear in their passengers. Bottom Line/Looks good too Shop Now Russell Day-Long Comfort Seat Jimmy Lewis might not approve of this seat for the Honda CRF250L, but it just goes to show you you can have the seat of your dreams on just about any motorcycle. Russell’s Day-Long Touring Saddle “is a saddle shaped seat specifically designed for driver and passenger comfort, incorporating our patented Support Suspension System. Each motorcycle seat is individually made to be the perfect seat between person and machine, according to your personal physical requirements.” You’re not going to just waltz into Revzilla or Amazon to get a Russell seat, though. You’re going to have to make an appointment to send in your seat, then wait two weeks or so to get it back. As of now, Russell’s backed up until November. Alternatively, you can book an appointment for one-day ride-in service – first openings in December – which is just the excuse you need to ride to Shasta Lake, California. Russell seats get great reviews, and if you’re not satisfied there’s a money-back guarantee. Bottom Line/A finely tailored suit for your rear end Shop Now FAQ What is the most comfortable touring motorcycle seat? For touring riders, that’s like asking what’s the best oil, but even more subjective. Since human bodies come in so many shapes and sizes, it totally depends. And just like with mattresses, some prefer soft while others like firm.The best way to narrow down the field is to become a forum member of your bike, then find the thread(s) that discuss seat choices. For Gold Wings and Harleys and BMWs, there are hundreds of them, and even more opinions. Be sure to mention your height and weight when you wade in to the discussion. Can I reupholster my own motorcycle seat? Totally. On nearly all of them, the vinyl cover is held in place by staples, inserted by the gun you probably already have. Upholstery stores are all over the place and online, with all kids of vinyl and different types of foam for your experimentation. The electric knife seems to be the most common tool for removing foam where you don’t want it, and slicing off chunks to add where you do with spray adhesive. If your bike isn’t brand-new, it’s not a bad idea to see if you can find a seat in a junkyard or on ebay – all you need is the seat base – just in case your little experiment goes horribly wrong. But really, how hard could it be? How can I clean and protect my motorcycle seat? Like every other thing in the world, vinyl and foam seem to be of much better quality and last longer than the stuff on our chariots of old. The number one thing you can do to protect your seat is to not leave it in the sun, as much as possible, which seems like common sense. Some people carry bike covers, some just seat covers, which is easier. The other common sense thing to do is to clean your seat when it’s dirty, and apply good vinyl/leather conditioner as needed. Additional Resources MO Tested: Indian ClimaCommand Classic Seat Review Recent Updates August, 2021: Mustang Super Touring Seat for Harley replaced by Mustang Super Solo Seat With Driver Backrest For Harley Russell Day-Long Comfort seat added FAQ and Additional Resources added —————————————————————————— 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 and other articles. 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 Bottom Line: Best Motorcycle Seats appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/c0R8KQxzTksSource

Right, the MO staff has spent the last nine months exhaustively testing every chain lube on the market in all possible climatic conditions, over thousands of miles, to bring you this, the most authoritative work on motorcycle chain lubes ever assembled. Just kidding. What kind of chain lube to use is right up there with what kind of oil. Earlier we learned that WD-40 is probably not the way to go, but you know we’ll get mail even about that. We also learned at the same time, that even though they’re sealed, O- and X-ring chains do still require lubrication to keep those seals pliable, so that they keep the internal lubrication inside and dirt and debris out. It’s all about the seals. Just make sure whatever you use says O-ring compatible. We can’t really tell you which lube is best, but we can tell you which lubricants lots of people swear by. In the end, it probably doesn’t matter which lube you use as long as you use lube. (PS: We’re talking modern sealed chains, not the non O-ring type that people used to put on TZ250s and maybe still do on Moto3 motorcycles to “free up” horsepower.) Table of Contents 1. ProHonda Chain Lube & Cleaner 2. Maxima Chain Wax 3. Bel-Ray Super Clean Chain Lube 4. Motorex Road Chain Lube 5. Motul C2 Chain Lube Road 6. DuPont Teflon Chain-Saver Dry Self-Cleaning Lubricant 7. PJ1 Blue Label Chain Lube 1. ProHonda Chain Lube & Cleaner Our pal Rick Mitchell doesn’t work at Honda anymore but he can’t keep himself from pimping this lube, and for good reason. Mike “Chico” Montes, spent months developing this product, says Rick, with the mandate of having the highest performing chain lube (at that time) on the market! The no-fling formula keeps it in place, and as for the rest of the claims, in Honda a lot of people trust. Also, it makes sense to clean whatever you’re about to lube with a product designed not to harm those seals. Bottom Line/Cleaned and lubed is how Soichiro would've wanted it Shop Now 2. Maxima Chain Wax This stuff is really popular too, among people who’re afraid that grit sticks to sticky chain lube. “Unlike lube,” says Maxima, “Maxima Chain Wax is designed to cling to the chain, providing all the lubrication and protection required, without the messy fling.” The chain lube makers, of course, say the same thing. Here, your Parafilm formula sprays on as a liquid, penetrates and becomes a soft waxy film lubricant that’s said to provide outstanding rust and corrosion protection. Bottom Line/Non-greasy formula Shop Now 3. Bel-Ray Super Clean Chain Lube Lots of good reviews for this stuff, too, which some users describe as kind of a cross between regular lube and wax. It’s said to use “emerging lubricant technology” for unsurpassed wear protection for long chain and sprocket life by forming an outer protective coating that will not attract dirt, sand, or grit and will not fling when used as directed. Bottom Line/Leaves a nice protective coating Shop Now 4. Motorex Road Chain Lube Nothing subpar comes from Switzerland, does it? Sprays on white so you can see it, and contains a special wear-reducing lubricant with excellent adhesion for all motorcycle chains especially X-ring and O-ring. Note that like lots of manufacturers, Motorex offers road and off-road formulas. Bottom Line/High-end and Swiss! Shop Now 5. Motul C2 Chain Lube Road Informal Facebook polling found much love for Motul, though its online reviewers are a bit less glowing, with some users contending its anti-fling properties are greatly exaggerated compared to some other lubes. But hey, Motul is a big MotoGP sponsor, so wth? Bottom Line/Support MotoGP and France Shop Now 6. DuPont Teflon Chain-Saver Dry Self-Cleaning Lubricant This stuff replaces Dupont’s original Teflon Multi-use Dry Wax Lubricant that was my go-to chain salve for years. And while I haven’t tried the new Chain-Saver WBCLFCDVWTF formula, all the five-star reviews make it sound like a real winner. She goes on wet to penetrate and coat surfaces with a dry Teflon fluoropolymer wax film, which is claimed to not absorb abrasive contaminants including dirt, grit, paper dust, mill powders, lint and grass. Best of all, the price is right. Bottom Line/with Teflon Shop Now 7. PJ1 Blue Label Chain Lube Last but possibly not least, who knows?, PJ1 Blue Label has its adherents too, most of who love it for its adherence and lack of color. PJ says it protects against rust and corrosion, displaces and repels water, extends O-ring life, protects sprocket surfaces, won’t fly off, and provides minimal rolling resistance. Bottom Line/A popular choice, great reviews Shop Now FAQ What types of motorcycle chain lubes are there? The two basic types are chain lube and chain wax. Both claim to penetrate and stick to your chain like glue for maximum protection, but the general trend seems to be that waxes offer the best protection while also producing less sticky residue to fling onto your wheels and chain guard than petroleum-based lubes. Fling, though, is a subject that’s prone to operator error; if you use too much of any lube, some of it’s going to fly off. Some think chain lube, properly and sparingly applied, lasts longer than wax. If you’re a meticulous chain maintainer, you might like wax. If you tend to forget your chain for a few thousand miles, you might be better off with traditional lube. Feel free to experiment. How do I choose a motorcycle chain lube? Read the reviews. Check into your motorcycle’s forum, and ask what the experienced members there like best. It’s kind of like oil; there may not be a “best,” but the idea that you’re aware it’s there and needs to be maintained occasionally is the important thing. In the old days, we asked the grizzled veteran behind the parts counter. That’s still a great option if you still have a parts counter with a GV. How often do I need to lube my chain? That’s another controversy. Some riders can’t sleep if they don’t lube their chain every few hundred miles. Others neglect their chains much longer. Modern O- and X-ring chains come with a lifetime supply of lubricant for their rollers stored behind those rubber rings, so any chain lube’s main chore is to keep those seals soft and pliable. A little external rust doesn’t affect the chain’s function at all, but some people are more willing to display that “patina” than others. Checking and lubing the chain at least every six months is a good idea, depending on your riding environment. Arid-climate street bikes can probably go farther, but lubing your chain is a good time to check other things while you’re at it, like chain tension, wheel bearings, brake pads… Additional Resources All About Chains: A Conversation with A Chain Legend How to Clean Your Chain: A Necessary Evil Ask MO Anything: How Often Do I Have To Lube My Chain? August, 2021 Recent Updates FAQ and Additional Resources added 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 and other articles. 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 Your Best Motorcycle Chain Lubes appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/Ljpg7-ZeQRYSource

We were hoping to learn more about Triumph‘s new Speed Triple 1200 RR after the British brand dropped a teaser for the faired roadster last week. Instead, we’ve received teaser images for a different new Triumph model we’ve been anticipating: the Triumph Tiger Sport 660. Triumph sent us photos of a prototype Tiger Sport 660, the second model to make use of the platform introduced with the Trident. The Tiger Sport 660 will step into what Triumph calls the “middleweight adventure sports category”, a class that includes the likes of the Kawasaki Versys 650, Suzuki V-Strom 650, or the not-available-in-America Yamaha Tracer 7. Like these competitors, the Tiger Sport 660 is what we’d traditionally call a sport-tourer, but with some ADV influences. The Trident won our recent middleweight nakeds shootout, which means the Tiger Sport 660 may present a big threat to its competition. Apart from the images and the model’s name, Triumph didn’t provide much information about the Tiger Sport 660, leaving us to closely examine the photographs for details. The engine is a 660cc liquid-cooled DOHC Inline-Triple, similar to the motor in the Trident, which traces its lineage back to the 675cc engine of the 2007 Street Triple. On the Trident, the engine claims 80 hp at 10,250 rpm and 47.0 lb-ft. at 6,250 rpm, with 90% of the torque available at 3,600 rpm (we had it measured at 72.3 hp and 42.8 lb-ft. on the MotoGPWerks dyno). We don’t expect the Tiger Sport to veer too far from the roadster on this front. The Trident’s switchable ride modes and traction control system will likely return, while John Burns is hoping the Tiger Sport 660 will add cruise control. With more of an adventure bent and a new tail with a raised pillion seat and passenger grab handles, we expected a different subframe on the Tiger Sport. On close inspection, however, it appears the frame and subframe may be the same as on the Trident, but with different side plates covering the lower portion. The swingarm, five-spoke cast wheels and Michelin 5 tires appear to be unchanged from the Trident. The fork appears to be the same 41mm inverted Showa unit from the Trident. We expect it will have longer travel than on the roadster, and judging from how high the outer fork tube sits relative to the tire, that seems to be the case. The rear suspension likewise looks similar to the preload-adjustable Showa monoshock of the Trident. The Nissin brakes also appear to be the same as on the Trident. The bodywork is new, with a front fairing, windscreen and twin headlights. The camouflage obscures some of the shapes, but you can see some similarities to Triumph’s old Tiger 1050 Sport. It’s difficult to make out the shape of the fuel tank with the additional bodywork, but we expect it will be larger than the Trident’s 3.7 gallon tank. Unlike the larger Tiger models in Triumph’s lineup, the radiator shrouds are separate from the rest of the bodywork, with a visible gap behind the LED turn signals. As a sport touring model, the Tiger Sport 660 should offer more relaxed ergonomics. The handlebar appears similar to the Trident’s, but it sits on a riser for a more upright riding position. The footpegs are also slightly ahead of where they are positioned on the Trident. One of the supplied photos shows the Tiger Sport equipped with panniers. They don’t match any luggage in Triumph’s existing catalog, and we’ll have to see if they’ll be sold as an optional accessory, or if Triumph will offer a GT version. Triumph says it has been testing the final prototype of the Tiger Sport 660, meaning we can expect the final production version to be revealed in the fall as a 2022 model. Those of you hoping for a more off-road capable model will have to be patient, as Triumph is expected to add a full-on adventure model later. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post 2022 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 Prototype Revealed appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/aCQK6mEIz1oSource

I know we’re supposed to remain neutral as motojournalists, but we’re people too, and when it comes to protective gear that could potentially save life or limb, when you find something you really like it’s hard to let it go. Such is my case with roadracing boots. I’ve tried a lot, and there are many good ones, but the boot I always come back to is the Supertech R from Alpinestars. When I’m wearing them it feels like I’m wearing my favorite pair of sneakers – that also happens to be able to protect my feet and ankles if I were to get separated from a motorcycle at ridiculous speeds. This was the point with the Supertech boots all along. In case you didn’t know, Alpinestars made its name in footwear. Sante Mazzarolo, the founder of Alpinestars, created the first dedicated motocross boot with the legendary Roger DeCoster as his main test rider and developer. On the roadracing side, the one and only Kenny Roberts helped develop boots for that task. Fast forward to the modern-day and we have the current Supertech R boot. Originally introduced in 2002 as just the Supertech (no R), 250cc Grand Prix World Champion Marco Melandri helped bring that boot to life. One of the goals all along was to have a highly protective boot that required zero break-in time. It needed to be comfortable immediately. We take it for granted now, but break-in periods for boots were, and still are, a real thing. Motocross riders can certainly relate. Over the years the Supertech story has been one of continual refinement. In fact, if you’re familiar with the Supertech R boot you may look at the boot in these photos and not completely understand what’s different other than the graphics. The truth is several little details have been tweaked, amounting to one big change. What’s New? Instead of simply writing about the differences, this story is best told via photos of old and new together. So, let’s begin: First off, a side-by-side shot of the old and new Supertech R together. Can you tell which is which? If you take a really close look, you’ll probably notice the one on the right is the old boot. The differences aren’t dramatic, but they’re no less important. A big difference between old and new can be found on the inner portion of the boot. The old Supertech used a suede-like material to help prevent any marring on the foot controls. It works just fine, but over time the material will start to roll, fold, and crease over. The new Supertech R uses a redesigned microfiber material in its place. It still provides the flexibility of the previous suede material and *should* wear better over time. You can see the built-in accordion paneling at the midsection – presumably to account for the rolling seen on the suede material. A closer view of the old (right) and new boots shows the creasing and rolling effect on the suede material. Time will tell as far as how the new microfiber material in the new Supertech R holds up. This one is a little harder to spot. See the webbing in the middle of the boot, approximately where the ankles and lower shin would be? With the new Supertech R (left), this flex panel is now slightly larger than before, extending slightly farther down towards the toes at the bottom, but also slightly higher and to the inside corner (towards the microfiber) at its tip. With today’s extreme riding styles, the extra flex panel gives everyone from MotoGP riders to us schmucks slightly more range of movement to twist and turn our legs and feet. This is another big improvement, at least for those with thick calves (read: not me). Many people have complained about the zipper being hard to pull up on the old Supertech, despite the fact the built-in accordion paneling running alongside the zipper is meant to stretch enough to allow just that. As it turns out, it doesn’t stretch enough. The new Supertech R (left) addresses this issue and expands the amount of accordion paneling used, which should make it easier for those with thick calves to close the zip. Move upstream from the accordion paneling and you’ll find subtle differences in the shin plate. Continuing the theme of extreme riding styles, MotoGP riders are also reaching more extreme lean angles, too. So extreme that some riders are scraping their shin sliders on the ground. With the updated Supertech R, the shin slider (the kidney bean-looking thing) is now bigger than before and is replaceable. A major contributing factor to the Supertech being instantly comfortable the moment you put it on is the inner boot system which houses the bracing to help prevent your foot and ankle from moving in directions it shouldn’t. The new Supertech R inner boot (left) is constructed from a finer mesh, with more rubberized protective material around the toe box and underneath the shifter pad. One of the more underappreciated changes to the new Supertech’s inner boot is the relocation of the loop to help pull your foot into the boot. The old boot’s strap would dangle and bunch up if you’re the type who puts your (Alpinestars) leathers over the inner boot (like me). Over time this creates an annoying pressure point in your lower calf. Moving the strap higher and giving it a little more rigidity not only makes the loop easier to locate with your finger as you shove your foot inside the boot but also does away with the pressure point. A minor detail, but considering how much it’s used it’s also worth mentioning. The new buckle to secure the inner boot laces (right) is now a little slimmer than before. You now pinch the side plates to release the tension on the laces and pull up, whereas before you depressed the slider in the middle. Again, a tiny detail, but it goes to show the level of attention Alpinestars gave the Supertech over the past four years of development. Riding In It Alpinestars invited select folks – Yours Truly included – to Sonoma Raceway to take part in the Yamaha-only R-World trackday, where I could put the boot to the test in its natural environment – the racetrack. As stated before, one of the main goals for the Supertech R boot was to be instantly comfortable so the rider could go burn up some hot laps right out of the gate. This is a good mission statement to be sure, but it also makes it a little difficult to “review” said boot. However, being that this is my job and all, I had to give it a try. Photo credit: Geoff McCarthy My solution would be to wear the new Supertech R on one foot and its predecessor on the other to see what, if any, difference I could feel. Donning the boot, it was surprising how much easier the boot was to put on. The relocation of the pull loop definitely helped, but it also felt as though the material of the inner boot itself was softer and thus allowed my foot to slide in easier. It certainly didn’t feel any different to my fingers, though. With the lower portion of my leathers zipped over the top of the inner boot, taking advantage of the larger accordion panel along the outer boot’s zip closure made the Supertech really easy to close. Then again, I never really had a problem closing the previous boot. Others I spoke to did say they noticed a difference in the ease of closure with the expanded accordion panel. So there’s that. When it comes to actually riding with the boot… well… I can’t say there’s a discernible difference between the two. Comfort remains at an all-time high, and I can feel the pegs and controls despite any different materials used in certain spots. In short, I felt instantly comfortable getting up to speed on the motorcycle as I would in my well-worn Supertech R boots from before. If push came to shove and I was forced to pick a nit, it appeared that maybe the toe box in my left boot was a little narrow. Then again, I wore the boot all day, on and off the bike, without much issue. Photo: Geoff McCarthy The best part? The new Supertech R has not increased in price compared to the old model. Not one dime. Its $499.95 price tag has remained the same as before. The new Supertech R has just strengthened its case as my go-to boot when it comes to racetrack shenanigans. It’s as comfortable as ever (maybe even more so) while still providing the safety the top riders in the world rely on. Is it a big enough jump to encourage owners of old Supertechs (or any other race boot) to ditch what they have and snatch these off the shelves? No. At least not if your current boots are in good condition. But if you’re in the market for race boots, the Supertech R deserves your consideration. Alpinestars Supertech R Boot Specifications Colors Black, Black/White, Black/White/Red Fluo, Black/Red Fluo/White/Gray Sizes 39-48 Euro, 6-12.5 US Weight (MS measured) 5 lbs. 10 oz. Safety Standards CE EN13634:2017 Alpinestars Supertech R Boot + Pros Instantly comfortable Great feel of the controls The exact same boot Marquez wears (minus colors) – Cons Kinda pricey for some Uh… No really, we can’t think of anything else Check pricing for the Alpinestars Supertech R boots here FAQ Where are the Alpinestars Supertech boots made? According to the tag inside the boot, the Supertech R boots are designed and developed in Italy, but actual manufacturing is done in Vietnam. If you’re a contracted Alpinestars MotoGP or World Superbike star, then yours might come straight from Asolo, Italy. How do you clean Alpinestars Supertech boots? There’s no magic when it comes to cleaning race boots. Get a rag, dip it in warm water, and give it some elbow grease. A mild detergent can come in handy for tough spots, but otherwise, you just need to put in the time. As obvious as it might sound, it’s best to avoid leather cleaner as, over time, it might cause discoloration of the synthetic leather. What should you look for when you buy racing boots? Like any other piece of protective gear, it has to be comfortable. When it comes to racing boots, be mindful of sizing. Protective racing gear is meant to fit tight (but not uncomfortably tight). If you tend to wear your sneakers a little loose, consider dropping down a size for race boots (we’ve seen people drop down two sizes from their sneakers!) Otherwise, try on the boot and see how stiff it is or how many plastic pieces of the exoskeleton (if you’re trying a race boot without an inner boot) rub each other and squeak. If you’re free to move your foot up and down but have limited movement from side to side, this is good. Other things to consider: how easy it is to don/doff the boot, the amount (and strength) of closure mechanisms, and whether you can still operate the controls with it on. Additional Resources Best Motorcycle Track 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. The post Getting A Taste Of The New Alpinestars Supertech R Boot appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/XxTbrGovQCwSource

2022 Triumph Speed TwinEditor Score: 89.0%Engine 18.5/20Suspension/Handling 13.0/15 Transmission/Clutch 9.0/10Brakes 9.0/10 Instruments/Controls3.5/5 Ergonomics/Comfort 9.5/10 Appearance/Quality 9.5/10Desirability 8.5/10Value 8.5/10Overall Score89/100 It was just about a year ago when we sampled Triumph’s reborn Speed Twin for the first time on home soil, in a two-bike standoff against a way-more-expensive optioned-out BMW R nineT. At the time, we were slightly underwhelmed and had to rate the new Speed Twin second, by a hair. It was mostly a suspension thing; the Triumph’s old-timey 41mm cartridge fork and twin rear shocks couldn’t compete with the R nineT’s plush, adjustable setup. We expected more from a bike Triumph attaches its most famous name to, maybe unjustifiably, since the original 1938 Speed Twin was itself more a parts-bin lashup designed to save the company from insolvency. It worked, in 1938. But Triumph is nowhere near insolvent now: As a package, the new 2020 ST was a swell motorcycle, but there just wasn’t much component-wise for us to get lathered up about. Then again, maybe Triumph surmised fork gaiters were more appropriate? 2020 BMW R NineT Vs Triumph Speed Twin Not to worry, we said: There’s bound to be a Speed Twin R or S or RS on the way! Wrong again! But that’s OK, because Triumph went ahead and addressed most of our concerns on the 2022 base model ST, and even lowered the price $499 in the process – now at $12,500. When does that happen? (Our “Red Hopper” paint adds $300, making this one only $199 less than our 2020 ST test unit.) For 2022, not only do we get a new 43mm inverted Marzocchi fork, those tubes are now brandishing radial-mounted Brembo M50 monobloc calipers squeezing bigger, 320mm discs. Suspension travel remains 4.7 inches at both ends, says Triumph, but the rear shocks are also of “higher-spec” now. New lightweight 12-spoke cast wheels now reside at both ends, wearing also higher-spec Metzeler RR Racetec rubber. More power… We didn’t really ask for it, but the changes to make the ST Euro 5-compliant brought us three more horsepower, says Triumph, along with 83 lb-ft of torque lower in the rev-range, at 4,250 rpm. (Our rear-wheel Dynojet 250 had it at 73.8 lb-ft at 4100 rpm for the 2020 model, and 86 horses at just 6600 rpm.) Well, yes and no: We do get 0.7 lb-ft more torque, but it’s 200 rpm higher than before. But we also get 6 more horsepower, and 500 more revs up top which you can actually feel. We’ll take it. With its higher compression ratio and lighter 270-degree crank, the new engine feels peppier all the time. A 17% reduction in inertia is the product of a new lightweight crankshaft and alternator, which help the engine spool up faster to a redline 500 rpm higher than before (Triumph heard our plea for a bit more top end). New high compression pistons (up to 12.1:1 from 11:1), revised ports and a new cam profile are also part of the performance boost. You don’t notice the more power much because the torque down low is as nice as it ever was – 74 lb-ft of torque is a lot – but should you take the Twin out on a winding backroad and air it out a bit, you’ll find it has a definite newfound sense of purpose: It exits corners as strongly as before, but now rushes up to the next one even more greedily. The new inverted fork does work better, and adds stability; it and the more powerful front brake encourage the kind of aggression you don’t expect from a bike that looks this way. Three ride modes – rain, road, and sport – have been “enhanced” for 2022, “adjusting both the throttle response and traction control settings to suit the rider’s preference.” You can’t be spat off if you wind the throttle all the way open on the edge of the tire, unless you turn the tc off. Probably. It might look retro, but the Speed Twin’s performance really isn’t. It feels like the only thing that would keep it from nipping at the heels of the 900 nakeds we just tested last week is its 480-lb or so weight, and even that’s only 14 pounds heavier than the Kawasaki Z900. In the original Speed Twin’s day, of course, they were all naked bikes – and this one has the same kind of sit-up straight ergonomics as the best of them. (We didn’t get to the scales, but this new ST should be very close to the 478-lb wet weight of our 2020 unit.) The old twin shocks don’t help much with the sport program either; even with dual-rate springs, they just don’t work quite as well through the bumps and weight transfers as well as a good rising-rate single-shock system, but that seems a small price to pay. Apart from those minor inconveniences, the rest of the Speed Twin is all in for a nice backroad romp – especially if the pavement is smooth. And what’s your big hurry anyway? Quotidian Also like the best of the nakeds, the Speed Twin’s great for just hopping on and going wherever you need to go – and bringing a friend is no problem on the long, flat, comfortable seat, which seems lower and easier to straddle than the 31.8 inches Triumph specs. If you don’t have a friend, a nice topbox, as they used to call them, would be just the thing for carrying your stuff, and at that point the ST is as round-town usable as a nice maxi-scooter. Also way more worthy of respect from the hoi polloi; the Twin’s admirers range from members of the GPTB to callow youths of most major sexual prefixes. The slip/assist clutch is easy to work with two fingers and both levers are adjustable; the 6-speed gearbox is low-effort and foolproof. The bar-end mirrors are great, with a wide view of what’s behind that’s worth the slight extra care needed not to whack other peoples’ mirrors when the going is tight. In general, having 74 lb-ft of torque to work with makes zipping through traffic and around town a breeze; with the slightest throttle opening, everything’s back there with your 270-degree High Power parallel twin dual-exhaust burble. This bike would be a breeze to learn to ride on for non-idiots; it’s a nicer, more powerful version of the Trident that won our other recent naked-bike shootout. The usual info is available in the LCD windows, much of it too small to read at speed, but none of it’s all that important anyway except the gas gauge. Triumph claims 46 mpg; we averaged 40, but our bike had 0 miles on it when we picked it up. At 80 mph on Ike’s infrastructure, we’re turning around 4300 rpm on the ol’ tachometer, which is right at the torque peak, with a trace of non-objectionable big-twin rumble sneaking through the aluminum fatbar. From that speed, the pair of 600 cc cylinders generates speed easily and serenely, up to and well beyond the ton – and feels more planted through rain grooves than the previous version, though again, the rear end can get pretty choppy over busted-up pavement. (Could be a great excuse to buy your SO some swell piggyback Öhlins as a gift at the next occasion, since they’re the one who rides back there!) That plantedness could be down to the new Metzeler Racetec tires, which are fine, but slightly weird that you’re left with inch-wide chicken strips on the front when you’ve used up nearly all the rear’s tread? Maybe it’s not supposed to be a travelling motorcycle, but the big Twin cruises nice enough I wouldn’t mind going places on it; for me, leaning into the handlebar and resting my feet on the passenger pegs results in smooth sailing. Which makes it doubly a shame there’s no cruise control and none available as an accessory, especially given that the Scrambler 1200 sister ships, XC and XE, both come with CC. In fact, we said last year we’d probably buy the XC over the Speed Twin for that reason alone. This year, it’s a closer contest… Easy on the Orbisons The 2020 Speed Twin was swell to look at, but the new one’s even prettier – not just because of the up-spec fork and front brakes, but also because Triumph’s given the new bike brushed aluminum front and rear fenders on new mounts, brushed aluminum side panel finishers and heel guards, anodized headlamp mounts, the brushed Monza fuel cap, clear anodized aluminum swingarm… The taillight/stoplight/turnsignals are bright LEDs behind clear lenses. Not only have we got more power and 500 more rpm to play with, that new Euro 5 engine emits less pollutants, and Triumph also touts: “As with all of the models in Triumph’s Modern Classic range, the cost of ownership is kept low thanks to the high first major service interval of 10,000 miles / 16,000 kilometres.” Compared to that first 2020 Speed Twin, this one’s definitely a step in the right direction for anybody who’s interested in going faster and stopping and handling better – not to mention looking at parked. (If you’re a fan of fork gaiters, it’s time to drive a hard bargain on the first-gen ST.) Austin Powers or James Bond? It’s a little of both: All that power and a dialled chassis mean this retro is eminently capable of playing the lead role of a really good performance bike. But the ’60s styling touches combined with the modern components, LED lighting, low maintenance requirements, etc., make it a retro-modern platform you can just roll around on, in your fake teeth and open-faced helmet, and laugh at the world. It’s groovy. 2022 Triumph Speed Twin + Highs More power, better handling Great on backroads and around town Sleeper performance – Sighs No cruise control is mean and stupid A bigger gas tank would be better Cruelty to current owners to reduce the price In Gear Helmet: Shoei Neotec 2 Splicer Helmet Jacket: Dainese Street Rider (discontinued) Gloves: Dainese 4 Stroke 2 Jeans: Trilobite Parado Boots: Sidi Arcadia Tex 2022 Triumph Speed Twin Specifications Type Liquid-cooled SOHC, 270°-crank parallel Twin; 4 valves/cylinder Displacement 1200 cc Bore x Stroke 97.6 mm x 80 mm Compression Ratio 12.1:1 Maximum Power 90.9 hp @ 7100 rpm (measured, rear-wheel, Dynojet 250) Maximum Torque 74.5 lb-ft @ 4300 rpm (measured, rear-wheel, Dynojet 250) Fuel System Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection Exhaust Brushed stainless steel 2 into 2 exhaust system with twin silencers Final Drive O-ring chain Clutch Wet, multi-plate torque assist clutch Gearbox 6-speed Frame Tubular steel, with steel cradles Swingarm Twin sided aluminum Front Wheel Cast aluminum alloy, 17” x 3.5” Rear Wheel Cast aluminum alloy, 17” x 5.0” Front Tire 120/70 ZR17 Rear Tire 160/60 ZR17 Front Suspension 43mm inverted Marzocchi fork, no adjustments, 4.7 in. (120mm) travel Rear Suspension Twin coil-over shocks, adjustable spring preload, 4.7 in. (120mm) rear-wheel travel Front Brakes Two 320mm discs, Brembo M50 4-piston radial monobloc calipers, ABS Rear Brakes 220mm disc, Nissin 2-piston floating caliper, ABS Instruments Twin dial analogue speedometer and tachometer with LCD multi-functional displays Length 82.6 in. (2099mm) Width (Handlebars) 30.6 in. (778mm) Height Without Mirrors 43.2 in. (1097mm) Seat Height 31.8 in. (809mm) Wheelbase 55.6 in. (1413mm) Rake 22.3° Trail 3.6 in. (91.5mm) Wet weight 476 lbs (claimed; the 2020 Speed Twin weighed 478 lbs on MO scales) Fuel Tank Capacity 3.8 gal (14.5 litres) Fuel Consumption 46 mpg (5.1 litres / 100 km), claimed; MO observed: 40 mpg 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. 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When Ashmore Ellis and Anya Violet realized they were some of the only women constantly running into each other at different motorcycle events, they decided it was time for a much-needed change. They wanted to make more connections with like-minded ladies in the two-wheel world who shared their love of riding, so with a flyer shared to their Instagram accounts, and a lot of unexpected reposts, they found themselves greeted at a Temecula gas station by 50 other excited women on street bikes (they expected 15) ready to ride…without any idea of where they were going. They ripped out to Borrego Springs that day, camped out on a dry lakebed, and the rest, as they say, was history. “Those 50 women were so enthusiastic about it and felt like it was something that was kind of missing,” recalls Violet. The immediate support led to the creation of Babes Ride Out and a few years later, Babes in the Dirt, women’s only motorcycle and dirt bike events that now attract hundreds of attendees of all skill levels. “When you’re riding dirt there’s a certain sense of freedom about it that you just can’t get riding street [bikes]. I think it’s really due to the space and being in nature,” says Ellis. “I got into dirt biking just watching other women do it. I’d been riding street for a few years, and it never really clicked with me until probably around year three of Babes in the Dirt, so it took me a while to really love it.” Anya, on the other hand, has been riding dirt bikes since she was six. “My mom rode dirt bikes and got us kids into it, and I was really the only one that really took to it,” she says. “I went from a 50cc motorcycle to a 125 and a 125 to a 250 and just kept upgrading and really fell in love with it.” Aside from getting exclusive access to destinations that you can only reach by off-road vehicles, both Babes founders love the camaraderie that comes with the particulars of the sport. “I just love the teamwork it takes to get through certain sections,” says Ellis. “Maybe in your mind you don’t think you can do it but there’s your friend over there cheering you on and clapping when you get to the top.” There’s a certain advantage to having a buddy with you when throwing a leg over a dual sport, as “you can get into some hairy terrain,” according to Violet. That’s why proper planning and safety is always part of the Babes founders’ riding regimens. Whether it’s having the right armor like knee braces, boots, elbow and shoulder pads to avoid serious injury, or something as easy as always checking the tire pressure or using a fuel additive like Techron Powersports & Small Engine to clean and protect the bike’s interior before ripping off into the distance. “Maintenance is super important,” says Violet. “You want to have your bike running optimally at all times.” “It only takes one time to forget something or just overlook a problem and not fix it right away,” Violet adds. “You don’t want to get stuck somewhere 100 miles out with no help and no one in sight. There’s no tow trucks that can get out here so you’re leaving the bike for dead.” That’s why “you’ve got to protect yourself and protect your bike,” says Ellis, a Techron Powersports aficionado (she uses it for her generator too) who saw benefits from the top fuel additive when she had to shelf her bike when she had her baby. “Without Techron Powersports to put in [the gas tank] to make sure everything was stabilized and running clean, it was just awesome to know that the bike would start when I was ready to ride again,” she recalls. And ride again she has. So if you’re ready to rip, on your own, in a group of friends, or perhaps with the Babes themselves at their upcoming October Babes in the Dirt 6 event (tickets on sale here for female riders of all experience levels) be sure to grab a bottle (multiple sizes available) of Techron Powersports to keep your dirt bike’s fuel system clean from carbon deposits, protected from corrosion, and stabilized during storage (it keeps fuel fresh for up to 24 months). Learn more about Techron Powersports here! The post How Babes Ride Out Founders Ready Themselves for Any Ride appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/XZzGTZWOrgQSource

Pity the poor fool who’s got nothing to do for a week or two but roll around on his motorcycle – no job, no cares, no particular place to be. And if you’re fortunate enough to have all those things working in your favor, chances are you’re carrying around quite a bit of loot in the saddlebags and trunk of your Goldwing, Ultra Glide or big BMW K-bike – possibly even an accomplice. What you want on all of those bikes are tires that stick to the pavement, wet or dry, upright or dragging peg, carry a heavy load safely, and preferably wear like iron. Is that too much to ask? Table of Contents 1. Avon Cobra Chrome 2. Bridgestone Exedra Max 3. Continental ContiTour 4. Dunlop Elite 4 5. Metzeler ME 888 Marathon Ultra 6. Michelin Commander III Touring 7. Pirelli Angel GT II 1. Avon Cobra Chrome The Cobra Chrome builds upon Avon’s previous Cobra tires, offering a new tread pattern with a 5% larger contact patch for better grip. Avon also claims the Cobra Chrome’s compound offers 10% longer tread life than the previous tires. Like its predecessor, the Cobra Chrome features a snakeskin pattern for a bespoke look. Avon offers a wide selection of tire sizes, with some available with white sidewalls. Shop Now 2. Bridgestone Exedra Max When I think touring, I think Goldwing, and when I think Goldwing, I think of the tires Honda has been shipping them with since 2012. The latest GL1800 handles like something an 800-pound motorcycle has no right to handle like, and even guys who use all that bike’s torque all the time report getting around 10,000 miles out of one of these rear Bridgestones, much more out of a front. Many GW riders like these so much they go right back to a fresh pair of Exedras time after time. Shop Now 3. Continental ContiTour Conti is another fine German brand, a company that builds everything from tires to electronic sensors, like the IMUs that now control high-end sportbikes. The Conti Tours, though, are all about slightly more sedate touring on big American-style cruisers, though they’re also available in fitments for Gold Wings and heavy BMW tourers. “Mileage Plus Technology” and that solid tread around the rear’s centerline are designed to significantly extend these tires’ lifespan. Shop Now 4. Dunlop Elite 4 Dunlop’s best touring tires would be its Elite 4, available in all kinds of sizes to fit hundreds of heavyweight bikes and cruisers including the aforementioned GoldWing. And its American Elite is optimized for big American V-Twins. Multi Tread tech in the rear, meaning a harder center and softer sides, are said to provide high mileage and great grip, and Dunlop’s proud of the fact that these tires wear evenly from new to almost used-up. That computer-designed tread pattern is also superb for channeling water away and maintaining traction in the wet. Shop Now 5. Metzeler ME 888 Marathon Ultra High-tech rubber from the Germans for all heavy touring rigs and big cruisers. Naturally, these are claimed to offer excellent water dispersal, with a deep tread pattern for excellent wet-weather handling along with an even-wearing lifespan. These are also engineered for a quiet, comfortable ride, and if you feel the need, they’re available in a wide whitewall. Shop Now 6. Michelin Commander III Touring The Commander II developed a reputation for longevity, with Michelin claiming up to 25,000 miles for rear tires. In 2020, Michelin introduced the Commander III, adopting a new architecture and a more rounded profile while still claiming class-leading mileage. Thew new profile should provide a smoother transition into a lean. The tread pattern offers slightly deeper grooves compared to the Commander IIs, helping channel water and improve traction through corners. While the IIs integrated silica into the compound, the Commander IIIs are now made of 100% silica reinforced rubber to improve performance in wet conditions. Shop Now 7. Pirelli Angel GT II All the sporty touring riders who loved the Angel GT should be even happier now that the new GT II has just arrived. Key features, says Pirelli, include high mileage, sporty handling and grip combined with fantastic wet behavior. “Innovative variable cord end count over tire section and high-silica compounds combined with a new tread pattern design – derived from World Superbike ‘intermediate’ race tires – set the benchmark for performance and optimize the effect of electronic rider aids.” Shop Now FAQs What is the best touring motorcycle tire? There are several factors to consider for determining the best touring tires for your motorcycle. You will need to consider how much you plan to ride, how frequently you expect to face wet conditions, and, of course, how much you want to spend. You’ll also need to make sure to find tires that are suitable for your motorcycle’s wheel sizes. Most major tire manufacturers offer a wide selection of tire sizes, so chances are they’ll have you covered. Still, it’s important to make sure to read your bike’s owner’s manual to check for the proper tire sizes. How long do touring motorcycle tires last? Generally speaking, touring tires are designed to last for thousands upon thousands of miles, but will vary depending on the tire, its rubber compound, and the manufacturer. How long they last will also depend on how much load you typically carry, as riding with full luggage and a passenger will put more wear on your rear tire. Check your tires frequently for signs of damage such as cracking sidewalls or uneven wear. It’s also important to check the tread depth. Federal and state regulations dictate 1/32″ to 2/32″ of tread depth. Recent Updates Aug. 6, 2021: Replaced Avon Cobra with Avon Cobra Chrome, and replaced Michelin Commander II with Michelin Commander III tires. Additional Resources Dunlop Introduces New Elite 4 Michelin Motorcycle Tires: Everything You Need to Know MO Tested: Pirelli Angel GT II Tire 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 Best Motorcycle Touring Tires appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/JZAr-W6AmbUSource

BMW added two new models to its “Big Boxer” heritage line with the 2022 R18 B bagger and R18 Transcontinental touring model. They join the R18 and R18 Classic in BMW’s lineup of models powered by the 1802cc Boxer engine. Pricing starts at $21,945 for the R18 B and $24,995 for the R18 Transcontinental The Transcontinental and B share much in common, including the large handlebar-mounted fairing, 10.25-inch TFT color display, color-matched side cases and a sound system from Marshall Amplification. The R18 B has a short windscreen, a slimmer seat and matt black metallic engine and trim. The Transcontinental comes with a top case/passenger backrest, heated seats, a tall windscreen, fairing lowers, additional lighting, engine guards, chrome trim and a Silver metallic engine. Like the 2020 R18 cruiser, both the R18 B and Transcontinental will be offered in an exclusive First Edition paint scheme in black with white striping inspired by the 1936 BMW R5. Since they are designed for long-distance travel, the R18 B and Transcontinental are equipped with 6.3 gallon fuel tanks, compared to the 4.2-gallon tank on the R18 cruiser. To accommodate the larger gas tank, BMW modified the double-loop tube frame for the touring models. The chassis geometry was adapted accordingly to support two people and a full load of luggage, with the rake angle decreased to 27.3° from 32.7° and the wheelbase shortened to 66.7 inches from 68.1 inches. The engine is the same 1802cc air/oil-cooled Boxer with four pushrod-actuated valves per cylinder. BMW claims a maximum output of 91 hp at 4750 rpm. Peak torque is a claimed 116 lb-ft. of torque at 3000 rpm, with BMW claiming 110.6 lb-ft. on tap from 2000 to 4000 rpm. The engine redlines at 5750 rpm and idles at just 950 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed constant mesh transmission and a single-plate anti-hopping dry clutch. BMW offers a reverse gear as an optional extra, which may be a good idea to help move the sheer mass of the two bikes (a claimed 877 pounds for the R 18 B and 941 pounds for the R18 Transcontinental). Like the R18 and R18 Classic, the touring and bagger models have an exposed drive shaft. Up front, the R18 Transcontinental and R18 B are equipped with sleeved 49mm telescopic forks. The rear suspension is a concealed central cantilever strut with travel-dependent damping and automatic load compensation. The rear suspension uses a servomotor-actuated hydraulic unit and data from a height sensor to automatically adjust spring preload. Both front and rear suspension offer 4.7 inches of travel. The 19-inch front wheel is equipped with dual 300mm discs and four-piston fixed calipers. The 16-inch rear wheel is matched with a single disc brake. BMW Motorrad Full Integral ABS comes standard, with either the hand and foot levers activating both brakes together, with the system automatically distributes the brake force between the front and rear. Both models come standard with BMW’s Dynamic Cruise Control which maintains the preset speed when moving downhill. An Active Cruise Control system is an available option, using radar sensors integrated in the fairing to adjust the speed to maintain a safe distance from traffic in front. Electronically-controlled engine drag torque (i.e. traction control) comes standard. Mid-mount footrests (a necessity, as the large cylinders prohibit forward controls), rear-angled handlebars and low seat height (28.3 inches for the R18 B and 29.1 inches for the Transcontinental) create a relaxed riding position for long distance touring. The Transcontinental comes standard with running boards, but they are available as an optional accessory for the R18 B. Hill Start Control is also available as an ex-works option. The aforementioned standard Marshall sound system includes two 25-watt speakers integrated in the front fairing. The audio system includes FM/AM radio, with SiriusXM Satellite radio available as an option. The system comes with five different equalizer profiles, four for the loudspeakers and a fifth for helmet-mounted audio. BMW also offers two upgraded audio systems. The Marshall Gold Series Stage 1 adds a 90-watt subwoofer to each side case plus a 180 watt amplifier. The R18 Transcontinental can be fitted with a Stage 2 system which adds another pair of 25-watt speakers to the top case. The side cases offer 7.1 gallons of storage (the optional speakers take up 0.1 gallons) while the Transcontinental’s topcase holds 12.7 gallons (or 12.4 gallons with the Marshall Gold Series Stage 2’s additional speakers). BMW offers a number of upgrades from its Option 719 customization program, including an AERO package with cylinder head covers, front cover and intake snorkel covers in sheet aluminum with a brushed clear anodized finish. There’s also an Option 719 Galaxy Dust metallic/Titanium Silver metallic paint option with an iridescent finish that shifts from violet to turquoise blue. Both the 2022 BMW R18 B and R18 Transcontinental will arrive in U.S. showrooms in August. Specifications BMW R 18 B R 18 Transcontinental Engine Type Air/oil-cooled 2-cylinder 4-stroke Boxer, OHV with four valves per cylinder Displacement 1802cc Bore x stroke 107.1mm x 100mm Output 91 hp at 4750 rpm (claimed) Torque 116 lb-ft. at 3000 rpm (claimed) Compression / fuel 9.6:1 / premium unleaded Engine control BMS-O Emission control Closed-loop 3-way catalytic converter, EU5 Alternator 660 W Battery 12V/26Ah maintenance-free Headlight LED low beam (with adaptive turning light with swivel module) Clutch Hydraulically activated single-plate dry clutch Gearbox Constant-mesh 6-speed gearbox Drive Universal shaft Frame Steel double-loop tube frame with backbone made of sheet metal formed parts Front Suspension Telescopic fork, stanchion Ø 49 mm, 4.7 inches of travel Rear Suspension Cantilever strut, 4.7 inches of travel Rake 27.3° Trail 7.2 inches Wheelbase 66.7 inches Front Brake Double disc brake Ø 300 mm Rear Brake Single-disc brake Ø 300 mm ABS BMW Motorrad Full Integral ABS Front Wheel 3.5 x 19″ light alloy cast wheel Rear Wheel 5.0 x 16″ light alloy cast wheel Front Tire 120/70 R 19 or B 19 Rear Tire 180/65 B 16 Tank Capacity 6.3 gallons Total Length 100.8 inches 103.9 inches Width 40.9 inches Height 55.1 inches 55.9 inches Seat Height 28.3 inches 29.1 inches Unladen Curb Weight 877 pounds (claimed) 941 pounds (claimed) Become a Motorcycle.com insider. 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BMW announced a new partnership with renowned audio company Marshall Amplification, and in doing so, teased the impending launch of two new R18 variants: the R18B bagger and R18 Transcontinental tourer. Marshall is best known for its guitar amplifiers, but in recent years, the company has ventured into producing headphones and home audio speakers. With the new partnership with BMW, it appears Marshall will be producing audio systems for motorcycles. BMW says: “the legendary Marshall spirit and the development power of BMW Motorrad will in future be reflected in new innovative products for motorcycles and music, especially in the BMW Motorrad Heritage segment.” That last sentence is the important clue. BMW’s Heritage segment consists of the R18 and the R NineT lines, which currently do not have a model that is set up for an audio system. We have known for a while, however, that the R18 lineup will eventually include bagger and touring variants. BMW originally filed designs for an R18 model with a large batwing fairing and hard panniers back in July 2019, well before the R18 cruiser was officially introduced. The press release included the image above which shows a Marshall amp superimposed on part of a motorcycle with a tank similar to the R18 models, a chrome fork tube. The fork tubes on the current R18 and R18 Classic are covered in black sheaths, but the designs for the bagger show the top of the fork tubes are exposed, matching the image. More recently, BMW received certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board for two R18 variants: the R18B and R18 Transcontinental. The R18B is obviously the bagger version shown in the designs, while the Transcontinental is expected to include a top case. The design filings included a view of the R18B from the rear, which provides a good look at the infotainment system. The 10.25-inch TFT display takes center stage, but to either side, partially obscured by the handlebars, are two panels which would be logical positions for speakers from Marshall. BMW’s press release, included below, says that the first products from its partnership with Marshall will be presented soon, with more information to come on July 29. We expect this will include details about both the R18B and R18 Transcontinental. Begin Press Release: BMW Motorrad and Marshall announce strategic partnership. Riding a motorcycle while listening to music – both fit well together, as they promise deep emotional experiences and intense pleasure on two wheels. It is not for nothing that generations of artists have dedicated their songs to the experience of motorcycling. “Born to be Wild” is a notable example. To ensure that beats and basses perfectly complement the ear while riding, BMW Motorrad has long been engaged in intensive development work on its sound systems. With its now agreed long-term partnership with world-renowned British company Marshall Amplification, the innovation and quality of BMW Motorrad sound systems are set to reach new heights. For 60 years, Marshall, originally from Hanwell, London, now based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (UK), have produced legendary guitar amplifiers used by the world’s best musicians. Since 2012 they have expanded their audio quality into award winning headphones and active speakers designed for music lovers. The legendary Marshall spirit and the development power of BMW Motorrad will in future be reflected in new innovative products for motorcycles and music, especially in the BMW Motorrad Heritage segment. BMW Motorrad will present the first new products resulting from this strategic partnership very soon. Stay tuned to find out more about this on 29 July 2021. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post BMW Teases R18 Bagger and Tourer In Announcing Partnership with Marshall appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/bt7NyuIBE-gSource

We’ve previously reviewed the Insta360 One X action camera. The One X was launched in October 2018 and is capable of shooting 5.7K 30fps 360 video, with features such as Flow-State Stabilization, slow motion at lower frame rates, Bullet-Time video, and more. The camera comes with an easy-to-use and elegantly-designed phone app and desktop app which gives the user absolute control of what portion of a 360 view around the camera they would like to highlight. MO Tested: Insta360 OneX Camera Review I came away impressed by the One X’s 360 capabilities to capture all the action around a motorcycle – action that would otherwise be missed by conventional action cameras – but found issues with instability of the .insv video files and found the LCD screen with two-button controls on the camera a bit hard to use in the real world. The 360 technology is a game-changer for what it allows the casual user to easily capture, but the camera design was a bit vulnerable for regular use mounted on motorcycles and corrupted files occurred a bit too often to be easily forgiven. More recently Insta360 sent us the remarkably tiny and aptly named Insta360 GO 2. Launched in March 2021, the GO 2 utilized Insta360’s Flow-State stabilization and gyroscopic data to give smooth video with a constantly level horizon (no matter how the camera is oriented). About the size and shape of one half a human thumb, the GO 2 was remarkable for all the technology it packed in a tiny, easy-to-use package. The video files proved to be very stable this time around and while the camera offered many positive and moto-friendly features like multiple frame rates and resolutions, effective stabilization, horizon self-leveling, durability, and easy mounting options, the one thing it did not offer was 360 video. MO Tested: Insta360 GO 2 Review Well, it turns out that Insta360 launched a camera in October 2020 that combines the best qualities of both the One X and the GO 2 in a rugged, modular design that lets the user switch between 4K and 5.3K conventional lenses and a 5.7K 360 lens. The rugged design housed in a protective plastic camera cage addresses the vulnerability of the One X packaging. The inclusion of the screw and tab mounting design on the base of the One R’s camera cage addressed the vulnerability of the One X’s quarter twenty screw thread mount system which required excessive torque to be used to withstand the rigors of wind and vibration from motorcycle mount applications. Say goodbye to stripped screw receptacles in the base of the camera or loosening mounts that were a problem on the One X. The One R incorporates the same easy-to-secure mount system made popular by the original GoPro. The One R keeps the One X’s ability to capture unique perspectives with Insta360’s video modes like Bullet-Time, Hyperlapse Time Shift, Deep Track automatic subject tracking, and the effective Flow-State Stabilization, and now adds the ability to easily switch between the 360 lens mod or a 4K or even 5.3K one-inch lens mod for those times when 360 capture isn’t called for. The one-inch lens mod also lets more light in than standard action camera sensors which is a boost in low light scenarios as well as a boost for image quality in regular lighting situations. Insta360 periodically adds functionality to their cameras through firmware updates and continually evolves the capabilities of the Insta360 phone app that offers in-phone editing, image manipulation, a music library, multiple platform sharing options, and more to make it easy to capture and share content on the fly or back in the editing room on the desktop computer. Some recently added features include Loop Recording, Car MultiView, in-camera 6x speed TimeShift record, Horizon Flip, Overtaker, sharpness adjust, 4k at 50fps, horizon leveling function for Pro videos, and updated Vivid color profile on the one-inch Mod. Could the Insta360 One R be the perfect action camera for the discerning moto-loving video maker? Watch the video and see what I thought of it in real-world, road, and track applications. Check pricing for the Insta360 One R here 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: Insta360 One R Action Camera Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/Q8jVDftP--cSource

2021 Benelli TRK 502 XEditor Score: 73.5%Engine 13.0/20Suspension/Handling 10.0/15 Transmission/Clutch 8.5/10Brakes 7.5/10 Instruments/Controls3.5/5 Ergonomics/Comfort 8.5/10 Appearance/Quality 8.5/10Desirability 6.0/10Value 8.0/10Overall Score73.5/100 “It’s actually not that bad,” is my most-repeated phrase as I flit from flower to flower on this new Benelli TRK 502 X. We try to give Chinese motorcycles equal opportunity on MO when we can, but it’s frankly not usually a pleasant experience for us or the Chinese motorcycle. The last Benelli we tested, for instance, was this TnT600 in our 2017 Middleweight Naked Shootout. Like I said then, “It has a firm-enough ride that’s always compliant, its cantilevered rebound-adjustable shock there on the right does nice work. The seat’s comfortable enough, the tapered aluminum handlebar puts the handles in the right spots, engine vibes are under control – and the overall fit and finish is so nice that, right until you ride away, you’d never think you weren’t about to be in for a treat on a perfectly nice exotic European motorcycle.” But then when you did ride away on the TnT600, well, Thai Long Ly has a way with words: “Beautiful bike. Love the MV-esque tank and the dated high pipes. Like a sexy Italian model, this bike looks great from every angle. Unfortunately, the engine has the pull of 7, perhaps 8 Alpine Marmots, offering all the excitement of jury duty. The bike sounds fast, with an intoxicating wail and whine worthy of a MotoAmerica paddock, but the absolutely anemic inline-Four packs the punch of an anorexic coke whore.” That sounds a little insensitive now, but Thai was right. The thing had a gaping hole where its poweband should’ve been. Benelli, in other words, always seems to find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. In addition to the absolute flaccid powerband, the TnT weighed fully 109 pounds more than the winning Yamaha FZ-07. Zounds. Then again, we’re big fans of the Benelli TnT135, which wants to horn in on the Grom market. Our EFI means we didn’t need to change jets at 7000 feet, which is nice. First impressions really are important. We wanted to ride this new TRK 502 X adventure bike, but we also didn’t want to inflame China/U.S. relations unnecessarily, given all the strife we’ve all been through these last few years. As it turns out, the TRK’s not bad. Not bad at all. It’s not that good, either, but it’s only $6,399 – and if you want the three-piece aluminum luggage, it’s only $999 more. Power-ish A 500cc liquid-cooled DOHC 8-valve parallel Twin provides a fair amount of propulsion that, unlike the TnT600 four-cylinder, is commendable for both its quality and quantity. The dyno has it at 38.5 rear-wheel horsepower, which isn’t a lot. You wouldn’t think it would be enough to zot the bike up to an indicated 104 mph on the LCD display, but that’s what the speedo says and that’s about how it feels give or take 5 mph. Benelli’s 502 motor is also Euro 5 compliant, and has a smoother, better powerband than any Benelli we can remember. Benelli tells us there’s a counterbalancer in there somewhere. Valve lash needs to be inspected every 16,000 miles; adjusters are shim-under-bucket. We averaged 50 mpg. Things are reasonably steamy down low and in the midrange. Past about 7000 rpm or so, the tach needle’s not exactly zinging, but it is moving. And what do you care; you’re an adventurer, not a racer. There’s no 270-degree crank here, so you get the classic sewing-machine exhaust note and feel of the previous-gen Japanese twin. I felt like I was riding a V Strom 1000 with a Kawasaki EX500 motor; Brasfield remembers the EX having way more top-end. He’s right. Suzuki GS500 motor, maybe. There’s not a lot of top-gear roll-on power, but enough to hold your own against most freeway traffic. You’re turning about 7000 rpm at an indicated 83 mph, with the redline drawn at 9000. There is a fair bit of engine vibration coming and going from our aluminum fatbar and footpegs at various rpm, but I wouldn’t say it ever rises to debilitating or even very annoying at typical cruising speeds. It might be annoying if the rest of the experience wasn’t so pleasant: The seat’s nice and thick, the ergonomic triangle is really agreeable, and the tallish windscreen is usually pretty quiet. And while there’s no quickshifter or slipper clutch, the clutch pull is light, and the gearbox shifts through its six gear pairs more snickily than about 70% of current motorcycles, which is to say really well. Suspension Also surprisingly not bad for an ADV bike with 5.5 inches front wheel travel and less than half that out back – like 2 inches according to the specs. Strange for a bike with such a tall seat. If 2 inches is correct (and our media contact confirms that’s what the manual says), it really doesn’t feel that way. It feels like there’s enough travel on pavement to absorb all sorts of nastiness painlessly, thanks in part to the thick seat and great ergonomics I suppose. And it’s not even bad on rocky dirt roads provided you remember you’re not on a KTM or Africa Twin, and avoid the big holes. The fork is an impressively beefy inverted unit with 50mm sliders. In the rear, a single slightly cantilevered shock gets the job done. Popping off a little plastic side cover reveals its piggyback reservoir complete with compression adjuster, and a rebound adjuster at the bottom too. It looks like the swingarm has plenty of room to do more swinging, but the stiff spring just won’t allow it. What it looks like is that somebody specced a shock and spring for a linkage-type rear end, then somebody else decided later we can’t afford linkage. Cute pink compression adjuster and preload collars behind it brighten up a rear shock that works without benefit of linkage to provide very little claimed wheel travel, which feels like more. Ours is the adventurish 502 X, with 19- and 17-inch Metzeler Tourance tires on (tube-type) wire-spoke wheels, and a pretty up-there 33-inch seat height. Benelli also makes a more street-oriented TRK 502, with 17-inch street tires on cast wheels and a seat 1.5 inches lower, for $400 less. Not only is the seat high, this Benelli, like all the others we’ve ridden, is pretty hefty: 546 pounds wet on the MO scales. That’s 2 lbs more than the new Suzuki V Strom 1050. I did come close to toppling over a couple times while turning around on narrow dirt roads, but luckily did not – probably because the bike comes with hefty steel crash bars that look like they’d protect it well. I really didn’t want to, but I was glad afterward that we did do a little fire-roading and learned how not-bad-at-all the TRK is at that also, at exploring speeds. Though the dyno says there’s nothing doing below 3000 rpm, the bike is perfectly happy pootling along in second gear and 20 or 30 mph, at what its tachometer reports is around 2500 rpm, and even lower. The heavyish flywheel that holds its high-rpm performance back a tad on the road is just the thing for adventuring slowly along rocky dirt roads. You can go faster, but then the rear end starts to bottom out over bigger bumps and harsh your buzz, and nobody wants to be changing an inner tube flattened by a sharp rock. Did you bring tire irons or skills? Me neither. If a flat did happen though, you’d be glad to have the standard centerstand. Weight is the biggest disadvantage of the Benelli compared to its competitors. Though it’s got a midsize powerplant, just barely, the bike itself is the size of a V-Strom 1050, as we mentioned earlier. That 546-lb wet weight does include 5.3-gallons of fuel, steel crash bars, the centerstand, and luggage mounts though not the luggage. Still, we’re looking at a motorcycle whose power-to-weight ratio is way off the pace of its competitors – but then so is its price tag. Then again, a V Strom 650 XT isn’t that much more money, at $9,439. Suzuki says that bike weighs 476 lbs, 70 less than the Benelli. Mixed messages include better bark busters than most expensive ADV bikes come with, premium Metzeler Tourance rubber, swell paint and graphics. It’s even got backlit switchgear, which is kind of a waste since there’s barely anything to switch except the hi-lo beam and blinkers. Basically, the Benelli is more an adventure-styled motorcycle than it is a real adventure bike. You can cruise around on dirt roads up to a certain pace, but you’re not going to be blasting up any steep hills. And you might want to find the fuse to disable the ABS before you head down any steep ones. If it’s true that this category is more like the four-wheeled SUV one – where most people never go off on real dirt adventures anyway – then maybe none of that matters? The twin 320mm discs and two-piston calipers up front aren’t bad and will stop the bike hard given a firm squeeze, but there’s not much in the way of feel. Even on dirt, the ABS isn’t too intrusive, but then we didn’t go down anything all that steep. Talks the talk It’s not a bad around-town bike either, especially if you’re tall. But the TRK just doesn’t offer either the engine performance nor the chassis sophistication of a real ADV bike. If you’re not all that power-hungry, and if you admit that you’re just as concerned with style as you are with performance, then the Benelli really is a big hit. Paint, graphics, fit and finish are all really good, and people who don’t know Benelli was bought by Qianjiang (Q.J.) corporation of Wenling, China (nearly everybody) 16 years ago, will think you’re only popping in for a quick latte on your way to meet Ewan and Charley on your expensive Italian motorcycle. The 502X has got the look, including the sheer intimidating size, down, and there’s no skimping on the Benelli logos. For looking rugged, you’re all set. The nice aluminum handlebar is almost what Harley would call a “mini-ape;” rotating it back a bit would be perfect for standing and riding if you’re 5’8. If you really did want to go adventure riding, though, including on possibly gnarlier terrain, what you probably would be better off doing in this price range is having a look-see at the KTM 390 Adventure we rode last year – a bike that lists for $200 more than the Benelli, makes a tad more power, and weighs, ahem, 160 pounds less. But hey, sometimes you just want to supersize it. And maybe there is a certain amount of robustness that comes with paying less attention to making everything as light as possible? Our Benellis seem to always have their peccadilloes, but we’ve never had any problems with them failing us. If you’re into the TRK 502 X’s looks and price tag, business is reportedly booming, and the distributor is up to around 300 US dealerships (there’s a dealer finder here). SSR Motorsports was started by a guy who left American Suzuki 15 years or so ago, and staffed by other more recent Suzuki refugees who know what they’re doing; the shelves at their big new warehouse in Santa Fe Springs, California, are bursting with parts, and the floor is stacked with crates full of motorcycles, minibikes, ATVs, etc. Doesn’t seem like the Chinese will be going away anytime soon. Maybe it’s time to think about cozying up? 2021 Benelli TRK 502 X + Highs A lot of motorcycle for the money Some would say too much Looks premium, has some premium components – Sighs Power-to-weight ratio is underwhelming An ADV bike with 2.5 inches rear-wheel travel? Someday Benelli’s going to pin the tail on this donkey… In Gear Helmet: Shoei Neotec Splicer 2 Jacket: Tourmaster Ridgecrest Gloves: Tourmaster Switchback Pants: Tourmaster Ridgecrest Boots: Sidi Adventure 2 Gore-Tex Mid 2021 Benelli TRK 502 X Specifications MSRP $6,399 Engine Type 500cc liquid-cooled parallel Twin, DOHC, four valves-per-cylinder Bore and Stroke 69 x 66.8 mm Compression Ratio 11.5:1 Rear Wheel Horsepower 38.5 hp @ 9000 rpm Torque 29.3 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm Transmission 6-speed; wet clutch Final Drive Chain Front Suspension 50mm inverted fork; 5.5 in travel Rear Suspension Single shock with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 2 in. wheel travel Front Brake 2 320mm discs, two-piston calipers, ABS Rear Brake 260mm disc; 1-piston caliper, ABS Front Tire 110/80-R19 Rear Tire 150/70-R17 Rake/Trail 26 degrees/ 4.7 in. Wheelbase 60.0 in. (1525mm) Seat Height 33.0 in. Curb Weight (Claimed) 546 lbs. Fuel Capacity 5.3 gal. Fuel mileage, observed 50 mpg Colors Gray, White Warranty 12 months, transferable, unlimited-mileage Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. 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. The post 2021 Benelli TRK 502 X Review – First Ride appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/jQLpZmkXWXkSource

I thought it best to make a trip back east for this story and the ones to follow. Putting down 3,000 quick and dirty miles on the way back to my roots sounded a lot more worthwhile than just flying in to ride for only a few days before flying back out. I wanted to ride thousands of miles traversing this country – one that contains so many different landscapes and cultures all bubbling over in a big ol’ melting pot of freedom. Also, I needed the forced introspection. Six years ago, I set out on a similar 5,800-mile journey. In many ways that trip was comparable, at the same time it was very different. Different situations and different times. I had just been let go from my job after confessing to my boss that I wasn’t happy in my current role and had hoped to move departments. I was a bit surprised when they cut me loose not long after, but hey, it gave me time for a nice long road trip and a chance to try to figure out what I was going to do with my life. During that trip I spent more than a few nights wondering what the hell I was doing riding across the country during such an uncertain time. I didn’t know how quickly I’d find a job, and I didn’t have a whole lot of money in my bank account. I felt selfish and thankful at the same time, totally conflicted about one of the most epic rides of my life. The other day I found my situation at the time described in John Burn’s latest book review when discussing solo adventurers, “… more common is the lone introvert struggling with internal demons.” Cold, happy, and unemployed. Flash forward six years, setting out on this trip, the country was in the process of waking up after an 18-month pandemic fever dream. Around the world, folks were going from being scared of the outside world to wanting nothing more than to be out in it. My situation’s different too these days. I’m a little more employed, and rather than just riding to work, riding is work, and I’m always looking to stay busy. The idea came into fruition during an email exchange with Aerostich founder, Andy Goldfine. We were discussing Aerostich products for review. Andy was going to set me up with the company’s staple product, the latest Roadcrafter R3. If I was going to have the chance to test a custom-fitted Aerostich R3, a suit that was made by hand in the good ol’ U.S. of A and dreamt up not too far from my home state, it felt a lot more sincere to spend the time traveling to the facility in Duluth, MN to be fully immersed in the company’s culture and atmosphere. And, of course, to meet the man who started it all, in person. I needed to lock down a bike. 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special Review – First Ride The Harley-Davidson Pan America press introduction hadn’t taken place too long prior, and the machine was fresh in my mind. It’s often unrealistic for us to put thousands of miles on press bikes during testing with the internet’s insatiable hunger for content. We simply don’t have the time or bandwidth. So, when an opportunity comes around to do just that, we’re all for it. Afterall, at the end of the day, we’re just lucky motorcycle enthusiasts over here. With the Brass’s approval, and Harley’s media folk confirming just days before the trip was set to kick off, all was a go. After wrapping three days of testing and shooting our Middleweight Naked Bike Shootout, I picked up a Pan America 1250 Special kitted out with aluminum panniers and a top case. Over the weekend I’d pack the bike, on Monday we would shoot the fourth and final day of our comparison, and I’d hit the road Tuesday morning before the sun came up. Having three days to cover 2200 miles meant blue highways were going to be hard to come by. Thousands of miles of droning freeway simply wouldn’t cut it though. I decided day one and three would be for covering ground while day two would be more of a mix including a couple of national parks and scenic byways. Loading the SW Motech-made H-D branded luggage, I had to pack strategically. Not because of the lack of space, but because I would be wearing an Aerostich R3 on my return trip and would need room to stow the REV’IT! Sand 4 jacket and pants that I’d be using on my way to Duluth. Given that I had 120 liters of storage between the top case and panniers, space was a non-issue. Even still, I packed only the essentials, leaving the camping kit at home after considering the idea of camping after riding 14 hours in what was likely to be sweltering heat during most of the trip. I packed a tool roll in the panniers, but was able to tuck the small Aerostich compressor that had saved my haunches so many times before under the passenger seat. As for the top case, I preferred to leave it empty so I’d be able to stow my helmet and gloves safely when spending time off of the bike. Again, thanks to the voluminous 38 liters of storage it provided, it swallowed my medium AGV Sportmodular voraciously. I used the Rokform universal mount and Rugged phone case during most of my ride so I had easy access to my phone. The Pan America includes a USB-C port to the right of the TFT display that I used to keep my phone charged throughout the day. Even during the moist parts of the journey, water never seemed to collect around the power inlet. Tuesday morning was here before I knew it – and nearly before I was ready for it. I set off early to limit my time squeezing the widened (luggaged) Pan America between groggy commuters. The miles and states ticked by over the hours. As you might imagine, a 700-mile day on the interstate isn’t terribly exciting. One of the most memorable parts of day one was sitting in stop-and-go traffic entering the Virgin River Gorge in Arizona. A stunning stretch of I-15, but, when it’s 112 degrees and your right boot is inches from the catalytic converter on a 1252cc V-Twin, it’s hard to focus on anything other than wondering if the rubber sole of your boot is actually melting or not. I swear it feels squishier than normal. Eventually, I made it out of the gorge and up to South Salt Lake. Situated on a nine-acre farm in a small community sprinkled between industrial complexes, I had booked a night’s stay in a 1947 John Deere sheep herder trailer tucked between a ranch house and horse stables. Chickens wandering aimlessly pecking at the ground while the goats chewed their cud in the corner. A couple of Great Pyrenese came to relax next to the trailer as I peeled my gear off in the golden late daylight. Home, sweet home. I got to chatting with a ranch hand who had originally come out to SLC for the lucrative tile work the temples provided but, thanks to COVID, he’d lost his job and found solitude (and pay) here on the ranch. We chatted about big-bore KTM dirt bikes, the 37-year old horse keeping me company in the stable, and dog diets. Man, I really missed talking to strangers. During the COVID-induced weirdness of the past year or so, I felt relatively unaffected. Work continued as usual, even ramping up as we felt it was MO’s obligation to keep home-bound enthusiasts entertained with our exploits. We were still shooting comparisons and reviews as it’s relatively easy to stay distanced while riding motorcycles. I had worked from home for four years, and it was a bonus to have my wife around more often as she transitioned to a work-from-home set up. My situation hadn’t changed much, but the bit that had was a net positive. Even though I hadn’t noticed much of a difference, I was beginning to realize I may have been missing more than I thought. Work doesn’t wait. Thankfully the house’s wifi extended to the chambers. I woke up to the sunlight peeking through the cloudy window of the old caravan. Packing quietly so as to not disturb the animals, I was quickly on my way north toward Beartooth Highway by way of Yellowstone. Brooks are gonna babble. In Idaho, I skirted alongside Tincup creek during a particularly pleasant stretch of highway. Just cutting through the southwest corner of the state made me want to come back as soon as possible. If it was this nice during the small stretch I had sampled, some proper exploring was necessary. Not long later, about the time I was sitting in traffic roasting in Jackson, WY, I realized I might have made a routing mistake. Would you believe it, I wasn’t the only person longing for adventure and a view of the Grand Tetons in June? Traffic began in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and didn’t let up until I was well east of Mammoth. For 165 miles, I passed countless RV trains and slow moving looky lou’s whenever I could only to slot in behind an infinite slow-moving stream of traffic. I would not recommend passing through Yellowstone during peak season immediately after a worldwide pandemic has begun to lift. From this angle, you can’t even see the dense traffic 100 feet in the other direction. During my last trip through this part of the country, it was late October and Beartooth Highway had just closed. Climbing to nearly 11,000 ft, Beartooth pass is the highest of highways in both Wyoming and Montana and requires substantial effort from the National Parks Service on the Yellowstone side and the Montana Department of Transportation on the northern side to keep it passable between Memorial day, (the weekend before I was traveling) and Mid-October. Thanks to some filming going on near the top of Beartooth Highway, I was able to stop in the middle of the road for a picture. So far, the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 treated me well. The intense heat from the catalytic converter on the Pan America – which I was reminded of every time traffic slowed (and it slowed a lot in Yellowstone) – was my only real complaint. The H-D’s seat (set in the high position) was comfortable enough to burn through a full tank of fuel (between 170-190 miles was usually when I would gas up) with little bend at the knee, but the ergonomic triangle wasn’t perfect. The reach to the handlebar had my upper body leaned forward just enough to be annoying. Using cruise control let me sit upright though, and much of my journey was spent using it. You hardly need hands on the bars anyway, despite the relatively steep 25-degree rake, the 4.3 inches of trail and 62.2-inch wheelbase of the PA kept the ship steering straight and true while I napped during the boring stretches. I attempted to roll the bars back a bit to help with the reach and position my shoulders were in. While it helped feel less fatiguing on my shoulders, it didn’t make much of a difference with the actual reach to the bars. Once I’d made it a few miles from Mammoth, and finally had some clear road in front of me, I was able to enjoy Highway 212’s voluptuous curves. The entire stretch of Beartooth Highway between US 89 and Red Lodge, MT is absolutely incredible and definitely a bucket list item (our own E. Brasfield, a man who’s been all over the world on motorcycles, admitted it was on his short list). The road zigs and zags high into the mountains with bottomless canyons all around and epic scenery that is ever-changing thanks to hundreds of thousands of years of glaciation. Not a bad view. When the going gets twisty, you can definitely feel the extra load out back. Braking early and generally slowing down is recommended, but the bike will still hustle through corners. On my way down the mountain toward Red Lodge, I took my time, enjoying the scenery, not pushing the pace as I was on point to roll into my night’s accommodations at a reasonable hour. Then all of a sudden I thought to myself, why does my jacket feel loose? I’d left my hydration pack complete with a Spot tracking device and a few odds and ends at the pull-out where the picture above was taken and, to add to the situation, I was running low enough on gas that turning around wasn’t an option before refueling. I pulled off my Kriega bag, set it next to the bike, and removed my jacket for this picture. Afterward, I donned the jacket and gloves and set off on my way down the mountain. I blasted into the outskirts of Red Lodge, filled the Pan America, watched a woman’s infant child who’d desperately requested I do so while she ran inside to buy ice, and shot back up the mountain. This time, I wasn’t taking in the sights, I wanted to get back to the gravel pull-out as soon as possible with the hope my bag would still be there. Once I crested the ridge I found a truck with a built-in bed camper parked in the spot where I had left my bag. Walking around the vehicle, there was my pack, fastened around one of the snow level markers so it wouldn’t blow off the ridge. My assumption was that the good samaritan was likely in the back of the truck, but I wasn’t going to bother him. I breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed my third run down the back side of the mountain, rolling into the Botts’ Family Motel a bit later than expected but still before dark since the sun didn’t set until after 9 pm. My stay in Joliet, MT wasn’t random. Actually, the motel – and Beartooth highway, of course – was the reason for routing north before cutting over to Duluth, MN. A high school friend of mine’s family had moved out to Montana and purchased the motel five or six years ago. That friend also moved there in the past few years. Since then they’ve tastefully renovated the property and dedicate their time to ensuring guests are comfortable and well-accommodated on this side of Beartooth Highway. After catching up with the Botts family and tucking into more than my fair share of pizza from Jane Dough’s, I turned in. The next day’s 920-plus miles wouldn’t suffer a late start. Turns out the mileage wouldn’t be the most taxing part of the day, though. Sure, it was a long day with the cruise control set at 85 mph for much of it, but the hours on end would have been more easily managed had there not been an intense side and/or headwind through the entire state of North Dakota. It was there that I returned the worst fuel economy of the trip: 30.9 mpg. I guess 85 mph into a headwind with a substantial amount of less-than-aerodynamic luggage was a bit taxing for the Revolution Max 1250 motor. In addition to the poor mileage (at best I saw 46.4 mpg, but averaged 40.8 over the course of the trip), I noticed the front cylinder had started to weep oil. Enough oil was seeping from the valve cover that it had actually spattered onto my boot and as far back as the subframe. I kept an eye on the oil level for the duration of my trip – something I had planned to do anyway, given that the bike had less than 800 miles when I picked it up. After 6,300 miles the Pan America had developed a bit of an oil leak from the front cylinder’s valve cover. The picture above was taken just before returning the machine. Despite beginning to seep oil around the 2,300-mile mark, the Harley-Davidson’s oil level had remained in the operating range for the duration of the trip. Passing through Fargo and onto US 10 east in Minnesota, traffic slowed, temperatures rose, and the humidity hit an all-time high for the trip. “Yep,” I thought, “I am back in the Midwest.” The rest of the ride through Minnesota was quite enjoyable. I was finally off of the interstate cruising down highways lined with lush vegetation, lakes, and marshland. My main concern was deer as the shadows grew long later in the day. I maintained a sense of hypervigilance and kept my fingers on the front brake the entire time. Then, while closing in on a white car in the middle of nowhere – not too closely or quickly I might add – the passenger swung his arm out of the right side window quickly and fired two shots from a handgun into the ditch. At what? I do not know. Confused, I passed the car as soon as I was able and put a considerable amount of distance between myself and the trigger-happy co-pilot. The weather was cool and overcast as I came down the hill into Duluth. The warm humidity I had experienced just miles earlier was now a cool dense mist blanketing the bay. For the next two nights, I was staying just a few miles south in Wisconsin at the Sleepy Hollow Motel near Amnicon Falls State Park. The small roadside motel was shrouded in dense fog when I arrived. With the sun well below the horizon, its neon sign was a beacon through the haze. I was digging the eerie vibe when the proprietors – a young couple, one from South Africa, the other a Superior native – popped out of the office to greet me. Both were pleasant and welcoming. If there was any way they could make my stay more comfortable, they assured me, they were eager to know. While I walked to my room with the bottles of water they’d given me, they spoke with another guest who’d just rolled up – an elderly couple two-up on a Gold Wing pulling a trailer – inquiring as to how their day in the area had been. Another reminder of something I didn’t realize I had been missing. The kindness of people you don’t know so far removed from your daily life is inspiring and infectious. The feeling was further drilled home the next day. Like many others around the world, I’ve been avoiding people for most of the past year. I still saw my friends here and there outside, but only chatted with family online (most of them were 2,000 or more miles away though). I took a stranger danger approach to everyone else as the news had made us all 100-percent certain that interaction with people you don’t know will kill you. In some cases, unfortunately, that was true. The wall of “totaled” suits in the Aerostich retail area, each with a description of the incident which caused the damage. I couldn’t wait for my second visit to the Aerostich facility. I’d been there before on the aforementioned trip and bought myself a nice black silk scarf that I still use. I showed up at 8:30 am and asked for “Mr. Goldfine, please,” only for the person running the retail area to reply in an apologetic tone, “Andy usually doesn’t come in this early. Do you have a number to reach him?” During the hustle and bustle – and lack of planning – I’d realized I didn’t ask Mr. Goldfine when he would like to meet and had just shown up on the day. Sheepishly, I thanked her and walked away pulling my phone out pretending to figure out what to do. At that moment, the phone lit up in my hand with a message from Andy asking when I’d like to meet. Not long after, I donned the custom-tailored R3 – which was surprisingly spot-on in terms of fit with the few measurements I had given – Mr. Goldfine arrived, and we left for brunch. We didn’t have to wait long for a table to open at the considerably busy Duluth Grill, but standing outside, the R3 was the perfect gear to be wearing to stave off the wind and fog from the typical overcast day in Duluth. We had coffee and were just about to dig into our order when Andy mentioned he hadn’t been to the establishment for some time – he’s a bit introverted. He explained that the last time he was there he was sitting in the same booth but in my seat. Across from him sat his future father-in-law. He was there to request permission for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage. Most everyone had gone home for the day by the time I was walking through the manufacturing area. Andy and I spent the entire day chatting not only about Aerostich, but also all manner of other subjects. I felt very fortunate and grateful to have been given so much of this man’s time and had the opportunity to walk around the 100-year old candy factory that has served as the company’s headquarters since its inception in 1983. Wrapping the day with a fairly standard interview, I watched Andy’s eyes well up with pride when he discussed the people he works with and how important each of them is to the company’s success. Equally important to him is fostering an environment in which his coworkers can also be proud to be a part. Our own John Burns wears his ‘Stich on most of our adventure shoots. I can see the appeal, but also, for me, the Gore-Tex of the R3 would be a bit too warm when the trail tightens. Photo by Evans Brassfield. That day – walking around the old building, meeting the employees, and learning about Andy Goldfine and the business – made the entire trip for me. It was the human interaction of getting to know someone at not just a professional level, but more importantly, at a personal level. Apparently, I hadn’t bothered Andy with my constant questions because he invited me to dinner with his lovely wife, Molly. Around seven, Andy and Molly picked me up in a 1973 Land Rover, one that had been purchased by Andy new in 1973. We enjoyed a casual dinner at a typical wood-clad northern bar. The establishment didn’t have too many patrons, but the ones it did were loud, nice, and slightly inebriated. More than a few people who came through the door asked about the Land Rover. Andy Goldfine and the ‘73 Land Rover he bought new (with his wife hiding in the back). After getting dropped off back at the Sleepy Hollow motel, I bid a fond farewell to my gracious hosts and settled into my gear-strewn room. I felt a level of content that I hadn’t experienced for some time. Thankful for the day and the trip I was on. Look for the full Aerostich story complete with Andy-isms and a full R3 review to come in the near future. Trying to maintain my road-hugging weight while visiting home. Over the weekend, I made my way to Chicago and then further south into Illinois, visiting friends and family – some of which I hadn’t seen in more than three years. It was nice to visit, albeit briefly, my hometown. The trip had already begun reminding me how much I do actually miss people. I don’t miss the bugs. The return trip to California was much the way it had started; two long days split by one fun day through the mountains, this time, in Colorado. The stretch from central Illinois to Colorado was a straight line on I-70 almost the entire way – and it was hot and windy. I’m pretty sure it was in triple-digits all the way through Kansas. I made a brief lunch stop in Olathe, KS to visit a friend and meet his new puppy but had to be back on the road to cover the 820-plus miles necessary to enjoy the following day. Photo by Evans Brassfield. I wasn’t having any trouble covering this kind of mileage. Between the cruise control, 5.6-gallon tank, and comfortable seat, I never dreaded the long days in the saddle. I used the heated grip here and there in Colorado, but most of my discomfort during the entire trip was centered around the ambient temp. The luggage I got to use was sturdy and well-built. H-D made a good call teaming up with SW Motech for the aluminum cases. Pulling the cases on/off the bike is super easy and they both lock closed and to the motorcycle. One thing that got tiring during the trip though was the fact that you have to use the key every time you open or close them. There is no leaving them unlocked for easy access when you’re on and off the bike all day. I began to dread fishing the key out every time I wanted to get in and out of the luggage, moreso because the Pan America uses a key fob so, if you could leave them unlocked, you wouldn’t need to pull the key out of your pocket during a day of riding. My route through Colorado skirted up and down through the Gunnison and San Juan National Forests. It seems like you’d be hard-pressed to choose a bad route through Colorado. Even the detour I took around some unexpected construction ended up being some of the best riding of the day. Chatting with the construction worker at the front of the line of cars about the reroute he assured me, “You’re going to have fun up this road on that thing.” He was right. It’s hard to decide when and how often to stop when you’re faced with views like this for hours on end. At one point, while waiting for more construction, a group of 15 or so motorcyclists pulled in behind me. We were heading up into the twistier sections of highway 50 out of a valley. I took off, set the cruise (because I have a habit of speeding) and two of the riders behind me eventually passed. Now I was a part of the group, I guessed. When the going got serpentine, the rest of the group fell back. There were guys on cruisers, adventure bikes, and sport-tourers. I ended up politely passing the two guys in front of me. The gentleman leading was keeping a decent pace but eventually, I stopped seeing him coming out of corners in my mirrors. In another valley 25 or so miles later, stopped for construction yet again, the group trickled in behind me. It was a group of friends on a tour of Colorado from Mexico. Nice fellas, all enjoying their time in the States. Photo by Evans Brassfield. I worked my way southwest to Cortez and got an AirBnb for the evening. While I was grabbing another night of dollar menu food, it began to rain, and I was in Levis and the REV’IT! Sand 4 jacket (without the waterproof liner). Turns out the channels that direct air around the Pan America’s engine also direct rain and spray from the front tire directly onto the rider’s knees. Something I hadn’t noticed in the Aerostich R3. The next morning, I departed early – I was waking up super early for weeks after this trip too – for the final day of the trip. I had 800 miles or so ahead of me to get home to my family. I’ve always loved passing through the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley. If you can pass through in the early morning light or near dusk, the majesty is taken to an entirely different level. Heading toward Flagstaff, it just kept getting warmer as the miles and hours flew by. Between Williams, AZ and Barstow, CA – nearly five hours of riding – the Pan America’s temperature gauge read between 115 and 119 degrees Fahrenheit. I had shut the vents on my helmet and kept the Gore-Tex R3 zipped to the top. Any exposure to the elements at the point was searing. I couldn’t believe the relief I felt when I saw 109 on the dash as I neared Cajon Pass. It’s all relative, I suppose. I rolled into my driveway, tired, sweaty, and content, but admittedly stressed about this monster of a story now looming over my head. I was so full of appreciation for the people I met and reconnected with during my journey that I was still able to bask in it for the remainder of the weekend before jumping right back into the grind Monday morning. It’s best to be conservative when exploring off-road on a fully loaded adventure bike. Not too far from civilization, and not too difficult terrain. When I weighed the bike later that day with a full tank of gas, loaded just as it had been on my trip home, the Pan America tipped the scales at a devilish 666 pounds. Each side case weighed exactly 33 pounds (and I hadn’t even tried that hard to keep the weight even) which is exactly eight pounds more than H-D lists as their weight limit. So, the bike with the luggage racks installed (and my Rokform mount) was right at 600 pounds. Not light, and I was reminded during the few off-road excursions that I took. The PA isn’t as confidence-inspiring off-road with a full load, but nothing is. Ha! Didn’t think you’d get a dyno pull out of this story didjya?! The adaptive ride height helped my 30-inch inseam feel comfortable on the bike throughout the trip. The heat from the catalytic converter and the seeping oil were the only major issues. I did try to use the app while in Chicago for routing, but it never loaded the map fast enough to be of actual use. Oh, let’s not forget the kickstand. H-D kickstands are always nerve-wracking. Of course, that’s by design, the way they lean a bit further once you put pressure on them which supposedly locks them into place. Well, the Pan America has the same style of kickstand which was stressful to use every single time. The taller seat height (than most H-Ds) makes this particularly challenging if the terrain is even slightly higher on your left side. We had made it, a road-grimed astronaut and his equally grimed spaceship. Kickstand whining aside, I was still a little emotional turning the bike back in. It had been a whirlwind of a trip. It felt long and rushed at the same time. The odometer read 6,296 when I dropped it off at Harley’s fleet center. I’d put 5,529 miles on it over the span of two-and-a-half weeks and basically had the same view of the bike as I had when I left. Sure, if I had bought the bike, I’d be looking for answers about the oil leak, and the heat isn’t something I’d be stoked to deal with around town in the summer, but neither one would be a deal-breaker depending on the situation. If you managed to make it this far, you’ve read almost as many words as miles I covered during this quest. So, the least I can do is offer to answer any questions down in the comments that I didn’t cover in the opus above. Questions about the Harley-Davidson Pan America, Aerostich (stay tuned for that story), or touring in general, let me know. Thanks for reading. 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 Spanning America on the Pan America appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/9L4Cj1fkEKUSource

Updated July 2021 Motorcyclists love to tell stories about things that happened while they were riding. Having video evidence to back it up makes the stories even more fun. Who would believe you if you said that, as you were hard on the brakes from 160+ mph into Turn 2 at Laguna Seca, a ground squirrel ran across the track in front of you and the $100,000 Ducati Superleggera you were piloting? Well, Troy was able to document Mister Squiggles’ near-fatal dash thanks to his helmet cam and put an end to our disbelief. (See the proof here.) Heroics aside, traveling by motorcycle is even more fun when you can capture the important moments of your trip while you’re actually riding. Group rides can be relived later. Track day lean angles can impress your buddies. You just need to choose the right action camera, and you’ve got a ton of options. There are helmet cams, 360 cams, and even permanently mounted dash cams for commuters to use in case of a mishap. No matter what you want to record, there is a camera to handle that task. So, we’ve chosen what we think are the best motorcycle cameras around. Let us know in the comments if you have a personal favorite that isn’t mentioned here. Table of Contents 1. Top of the Line: GoPro Hero9 Black 2. GoPro Hero8 Black 3. INNOVV K3 Dual Channel Motorcyle Motocam 4. insta360 ONE R Sports Video Adaptive Action Camera 5. Cambox V4 Pro 6. Insta360 GO 7. Sena 10C EVO 1. Top of the Line: GoPro Hero9 Black If it weren’t for GoPro, there wouldn’t be an action camera market, and the GoPro Hero9 Black represents the company’s state of the art. Content creators will love that the Hero9 because its ability to shoot in 5K resolution will allow them to crop in to cover important details. Then there’s the 20 megapixel photo capability with SuperPhoto processing. To frame the shot from where you mount the camera, you have a front LCD and a rear LCD touchscreen with touch zoom. The bumps of the road or the trail will be erased with HyperSmooth 3.0 image stabilization. You can also live stream in 1080p if that’s your thing. Finally, the Hero9 is waterproof down to 33 ft. You certainly won’t need to worry about having it mounted to your bike when you ride in the rain. Bottom Line/The best GoPro has to offer Shop Now 2. GoPro Hero8 Black What was once top of the line is now a level down. Never mind, you can save a little money and still get premium performance. Riders who are serious about their onboard video will opt for the GoPro Hero8 Black. Vibration and shaky videos are a thing of the past with the Hero8’s three levels of stabilization. According to GoPro, this allows you to “Get the widest views, or boost to the smoothest video ever offered in a HERO camera. Works with all resolutions and frame rates, and features in-app horizon leveling.” Expandable Mods allow vloggers and budding filmmakers to upgrade the Hero8’s capabilities with microphone or light mods. How about live streaming 1080p video on social media? TimeWarp 2.0 allows super-stabilized time-lapse videos while moving through an activity. Want to see your whole ride in a few minutes? Capture 4K UHD 2160p video for high-quality viewing. You can even capture 12mp photos and photo bursts. Bottom Line/Still a great action camera Shop Now 3. INNOVV K3 Dual Channel Motorcyle Motocam The Innovv K3 is prepared to handle any weather condition you ride in and is rated IP67 waterproof, meaning the K3 is completely dust proof and can be immersed in up to three feet of water for a period of 30 minutes. So, unless you’re planning on launching your bike into a lake, you’re sure to be covered. The remote control has been upgraded to a fully metal construction and gives the rider the system status at a glance while riding. The K3 has also received a microphone for recording engine sounds or rider narration. The cable is long enough to reach the rider from many remote mounting locations for the DVR unit. Dual HD cameras record front and rear views simultaneously in your choice of 1080P 30fps or 720P 60fps, and a WiFi connection allows for reviewing and sharing of videos directly on a smartphone. Parking mode can record any attempts to molest your motorcycle while you aren’t there. The built-in, user-adjustable G-sensor automatically protects the current recording from erasure if the unit detects an accident. Loop recording starts recording over the oldest files first when the microSD card fills up. Still, with a maximum card size of 256GB, you can record approximately 18 hours of video before the unit overwrites old files. MO Tested: Innovv K3 Review Bottom Line/Record front and back views simultaneously from stealthily-mounted cameras Shop Now 4. insta360 ONE R Sports Video Adaptive Action Camera The insta360 ONE R is the action camera for the rider who wants maximum versatility. The One R is built around a modular system that consists of a control unit with a built-in touchscreen, a lens module, and a battery pack that holds them together. The 360-degree camera records at 5.7K resolution, allowing the view direction to be selected in post-production. Plug in the 16.4mm equivalent focal length lens module, and you can record traditional action cam video in 4K at 60fps and 1080p at up to 200 fps. The wide-angle module was jointly developed with the Leica camera company, and it features a 1-inch sensor for recording 5.3K at 30fps and 4K at 60fps, 1080p, or 120fps. The camera’s construction allows for the touchscreen to face either forward or rearward for increased flexibility. The system is waterproof to 5m (16 feet), and a variety of mounts are available. Bottom Line/Perfect for the rider who wants both 360° and traditional wide angle action video Shop Now 5. Cambox V4 Pro Thanks to its unique mounting position, the Cambox V4 can mount in just about any helmet while not disrupting the airflow or adding any protruding objects in case of a crash. If you want a true rider POV, this is the camera. Its 150° wide angle lens records in 4K at up to 60 fps and keeps things smooth with 6-axis stabilization. Weighing in at just 70 grams and 19mm thick, the V4 Pro mounts via hook-and-loop fastener inside the top of a helmet’s eye port. Controls include: large power button, 3 LEDs to easily know the camera status, and a lockable cap to protect the micro SD card and charging port. Control the camera wirelessly via the iOS & Android Cambox App. MO Tested: Cambox MkV4 Pro Action Camera Bottom Line/Discretely mounts inside your helmet for a true rider's-eye-view Shop Now 6. Insta360 GO This tiny 27 gram marvel packs 6-axis stabilization just like your $40,000 Panigale R, remote start/stop/power up, 120 fps slow motion @ 1080p, Timelapse, Time Shift Hyperlapse, HDR video, and resolution up to 1440p at 30 or 50 fps through a 120 degree ultra wide lens with adjustable view modes. Unlike your smartphone, this camera is tiny, rugged, easy to mount just about anywhere, and best of all, utilizes auto horizon leveling technology combined with Flow-State Stabilization to automatically keep your shots level and free of jitters and bounce. It’s small enough to mount just about anywhere, and when you’re not using it, just pop it in your pocket. MO Tested: Insta360 GO 2 Review Bottom Line/Small and full-featured video recording fun Shop Now 7. Sena 10C EVO The Sena 10C EVO is the company’s sole camera entry in their line of Bluetooth and Mesh communicators. The 10C EVO combines Bluetooth communications with 4K video. The camera captures video at 4K 30fps. Other video features include Video tagging and Smart Audio Mix. When the 10C EVO is in standby mode, the Video Tagging feature records the minute before and after the rider presses the Video Tagging button. Smart Audio Mix allows for Bluetooth conversations to be recorded to the captured video. Then the Sena 10C EVO is also a Bluetooth communicator that allows the rider to be able to communicate with up to four others over a claimed one-mile range. Pairing to your smartphone allows for calls, music, or GPS directions to be broadcast to the rider. Additionally, the camera preview mode lets the rider verify that the camera is in the correct orientation for the bike they are riding. Additionally, videos can be downloaded to the phone for sharing. The Sena 10C EVO retails for $399. Bottom Line/Ideal for moto-vloggers Shop Now Motorcycle Camera FAQ What is the best motorcycle camera? As the action camera market has matured and diversified, that question can only be answered by asking more questions: What do I want to use the camera for? Do I want to mount it permanently on the bike or move it around? Do I want the camera with the highest resolution? All of these questions can be answered with one of the models above. Are motorcycle helmet camera’s legal? Good question. It depends on the state. For example, in California, objects that protrude more than 5mm from the helmet are illegal, but we’ve never seen it enforced. Where is the best place to mount a 360-degree camera on a motorcycle? We’d recommend mounting it on the tank or the handlebar. That way both the road and the rider can be seen in the video. Additional Resources MO Tested: Innovv K3 Review MO Tested: Cambox MkV4 Pro Action Camera MO Tested: Insta360 GO 2 Review MO Tested: Innovv C5 Motorcycle Camera System Review MO Tested: Innovv K1 Motorcycle Camera 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 and other articles. 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 The Best Motorcycle Cameras appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/LRlsc7Aec08Source

I heard about the Big Bear Run a few years ago. It was just before the 25th annual event and I was bummed to realize that my schedule wouldn’t allow me to attend. Maybe next year, I thought. Well, the 26th event came and went, and I found myself muttering those same three words. One thing was for sure though, the only way I was going to attend the event was to attempt the infamous “Hard Way.” For perspective, this year only 57% of riders who attempted the hard route actually finished, and those brave souls were awarded a finisher’s plaque for the feat afterward. Photo by Ben Liebenberg. When Kawasaki contacted me to gauge my interest in attending the event on the new KLX300, I thought to myself, “The bike might be a bit of a handicap – at least with me piloting it – but I’m up for the challenge,” fully assuming we would be tackling the hard route. Our crew would consist of just three riders: Nic de Sena from Ultimate Motorcycling, Brad Puetz, PR Supervisor at Kawasaki USA, and myself. Soon after committing to the event, I was told that we would be taking the “advanced easy” route. It turns out not everyone takes a sadistic approach to off-road riding. Rad Brad assured me it would be a fun low-key weekend, which was exactly what I needed after figuratively and literally being at WOT for weeks. I was in. Catching just the beginning of weekend traffic as it began to clog the southern California freeways, I made it up into the mountains in a reasonable amount of time. I had loaded up my truck with the necessary gear, and Kawasaki had my bike prepped and waiting for me when I arrived. Just about the time I get overwhelmed with this gig, I’m reminded of the perks. Yours truly managed to lock down the number one plate before the event even started, which prompted questions from curious cats all day long. Year-to-year, the Big Bear Run pulls in around 250 registrants. This number has ebbed and flowed over the years but shot up in 2021 to more than 330 registered riders. Looking around the crowd during the packed post-ride banquet dinner – where riders enjoyed a meal of rosemary chicken or steak while simultaneously having the chance to win one of numerous assorted prizes – demographics ranged widely. I saw guys on the trail whose age doubled my 31 trips around the sun, and plenty of younger folks, too. I chatted only briefly with the singular female I came across and she gave me line suggestions as I sized up a big climb – “It’s really loose on the right side,” she said. There were plenty of entire families present at the after party, lending a family-friendly atmosphere to the event. After linking up with good folks on the Kawasaki events and PR team, I was given a quick rundown of the bike prep, which included ultra-heavy tubes stuffed into Dunlop MX52 knobbies and a hardwired Trail Tech GPS unit, otherwise, we were running the machines bone stock. Proper dirt rubber is probably the best upgrade you can make to a dual-sport bike if you plan on staying off the tarmac. I wasn’t able to convince the folks at Kawasaki to let me have a rip on the new KLR. They were just there for show. While posted up at the Kawasaki booth Friday afternoon I overheard Big Bear Trail Riders President, Jim Nicholson mentioning that the club gives away scholarships every year to a Big Bear local for college. Following up with the club after the event, I learned the non-profit donates to various charities: Ride For Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, Kurt Caselli Foundation, Thundering Trails, The National MS Society, District 37 Dual Sport, and the Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern California. Riding dirtbikes and giving to those in need are both sure to make you feel good. The Big Bear Trail Riders have been exploring the area’s trails since the ‘80’s and are the organizers of the Big Bear Run which is also part of the Beta AMA National Dual Sport Series and the AMA National Adventure Riding Series. The Dual Sport series encompasses 16 events throughout the country for 2021 from California to New Jersey and nearly everywhere in between while the Adventure series comprises 14 events that are equally dispersed. An AMA membership is required to participate in the Big Bear Run, and a Big Bear Trail Riders membership is encouraged. Hard Way challengers were up bright and early to begin their assault on the mountain. Photo by Ben Liebenberg. Being the responsible adults that we are, we had dinner Friday evening and turned in early. The hard loop registrants would need to pick up their checkpoint tickets at 6:00 am, but since we were having a low key weekend on the advanced easy route, we weren’t getting up before the sun had warmed the mountain. In retrospect, our 8:30 am roll out may have been a touch too leisurely, but still left us with ample time to complete the ride. The advanced easy route consisted of four loops. Our trip odometers were reading around 140 miles at the end of the day. We were given GPS tracks that included four loops making up our day’s route. Turns along the tracks and gas stops were clearly marked making it easy to stay on track and fueled up – for both the bike and ourselves. The longest stretch we had between gas stops was around 55 miles which left us with plenty of fuel in reserve throughout the ride. Our day started off fairly tame, though we were quickly reminded of how rocky many of the trails around Big Bear are. It just so happened that I had ridden most of the trails on our day’s route during various rides and shoots for Motorcycle.com, having done the majority of at least two of the loops during our 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Vs. Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT comparison. The 2021 Kawasaki KLX300 turned out to be a pretty well-suited steed for our day’s ride. The dual-sport’s low seat height, plush suspension, and juuuust enough power (for our route) made it fairly easy to ride through all of the terrain we faced. Even the two difficult rocky boulder-strewn climbs that were included, which overlapped with the hard route, were handily conquered thanks to the low seat height and modest power, which meant I wasn’t at risk of nearly looping the bike like the Honda CRF450L rider ahead of me. Sure, the low-end torque of those larger more performance-oriented machines would have been welcomed, and I missed it when trying to drift through corners on the brakes and then the gas, but as it has been said dozens of times, it’s fun to ride a slow bike fast. The Kawasaki KLX300 was fun to ride at its limit and was never lacking in performance for the terrain we faced. It’s a bike well-suited to the advanced easy route – which may have its name updated to Intermediate or something like it in the coming years to more accurately describe the difficulty. Checkpoints were primarily for timed Hard Way challengers but also provided much-needed relief to all riders who passed through. The terrain we faced was never too difficult, but after 140 miles with many of them over fairly rocky terrain, it can certainly be tiring. I was happy with the route and felt content at the end of the day that we had been given a thorough sampling of what Big Bear has to offer (minus the fun of 38 Special, White Mountain, and other obstacles reserved for Hard Way patrons) without ever feeling worried or frustrated. We didn’t take too many breaks, just enough for a photo here and there, and a couple of fuel and snack stops. Despite our forward momentum through the day, we still managed to hit the last checkpoint late enough that the folks manning the pop-up asked if we were just out cruising – the checkpoints were primarily for Hard Way contenders to check in, but also offered water and sustenance to any wary rider along the way. Done and dusty. At 6:00 pm we rolled in done and dusted – emphasis on dusted. Riding the advanced easy route, we didn’t see too many riders through the day, not at all like the hard route where at times visibility is zero thanks to the dust being kicked up (so I’m told). It gave the atmosphere of a casual trail ride and made the day quite enjoyable. It felt like just another day riding dual-sport in the mountains rather than an annual event. If you search the YouTubes you can find plenty of videos of folks attempting (and completing) the Hard Way to get an idea of what you’re in for should you sign up. Despite my original stubborn sentiment of Hard Way or no way, I thoroughly enjoyed the low-key weekend up in the mountains. For 2021, the event was headquartered at the Big Bear Mountain Resort which was just far enough off the main drag to not have to battle with hordes of tourists for parking. It was great to see all of the camaraderie on the trail, in the pits, and at the vendor area. In my experience, riding off-road provides this in spades. There really isn’t any other discipline of motorcycling that is like it – again, in my experience. There were riders posted up in bottleneck sections of the trail just to provide assistance to those that needed it, checkpoints throughout the ride staffed by folks making sure riders were in good condition to tackle the challenges ahead, and an overall friendly vibe during the post-ride celebrations that made you feel that you were among friends or at the very least, the like-minded moto-masses. I was happy that I attended and it prompted me to start checking out local races and other dual-sport rides. Maybe I’ll see you out there? Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post 27th Annual Big Bear Run appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/AtAUcoIz2CESource

Reax is a relatively new name in motorcycle apparel, but most riders are probably familiar with the company behind it: retailer RevZilla and its parent company, COMOTO. Reax was only founded in 2018, but it’s been able to establish itself relatively quickly, thanks to RevZilla’s large online presence, along with its sister brands, J&P Cycles, and Cycle Gear. RevZilla’s experience as a retailer gave REAX a head start on knowing what consumers want in motorcycle gear. REAX gear tends to have a very understated style, with a clean look and minimal branding. REAX motorcycle gear tends to be functional, providing features and a level of protection riders want at a reasonable price point. MO Tested: Reax Gloves, Jacket, And Jeans As an in-house private label, REAX is only available through RevZilla and Cycle Gear, which does limit your ability to shop around for better deals. The plus side, though, is that there’s no middle-man, allowing REAX to keep the prices fairly reasonable. Table of Contents 1. REAX Alta Mesh Jacket (Men's) 2. REAX Alta Mesh Jacket (Women's) 3. REAX Apex Pro Mesh Jacket 4. REAX Kelly Leather Jacket 5. REAX Alta Mesh Pants 6. REAX 215 Jeans 7. REAX 267 Jeans 8. REAX 610 Jeans 9. REAX 112 Women's Jeans 10. REAX Superfly Mesh Gloves (Men's) 11. REAX Superfly Mesh Gloves (Women's) 12. REAX Hawk Mesh Gloves 13. REAX Tasker Leather Gloves 14. REAX Women's Tasker Air Gloves 15. REAX Castor Leather Gloves 16. REAX Ridge WP Gloves 17. REAX Fulton Air Riding Shoes 18. REAX Fulton WP Riding Shoes 19. REAX Tasker WP Boots 1. REAX Alta Mesh Jacket (Men's) The Alta was one of REAX’s initial launch products, and its first mesh jacket. The outer shell is a combination of a durable poly mesh with a 600D check pattern and 980D ballistic reinforcements for strong abrasion resistance while still providing cooling airflow. The jacket comes with a removable waterproof liner that can be worn either over or under the jacket. The Alta mesh jacket comes standard with SAS-TEC CE Level 2 protectors for the elbows and shoulders. The jacket can also be fitted with a back protector (sold separately). Other features include zippered cuffs, a waterproof interior device pocket, subtle reflective highlights, an adjustable waist, and an interior 8-inch zipper to connect to riding pants. Shop Now 2. REAX Alta Mesh Jacket (Women's) A relatively new addition to the REAX lineup is the women’s version of the Alta mesh jacket. It offers similar features, but with an outer shell made of durable 600D ripstop textile, 750D hard mesh and 300D stretch mesh inserts. Where the men’s version has four color options, the women’s jacket is only available in all-black or the silver/black contrasting colorway pictured above. Cons/Only two colorways Shop Now 3. REAX Apex Pro Mesh Jacket The Apex Pro mesh jacket offers a sportier profile than the Alta, drawing some design elements from REAX’s Jackson leather jacket. The outer shell is made of 600D poly mesh material for a balance of ventilation and abrasion resistance. Monaco leather panels offer additional protection in common impact areas. SAS-TEC CE Level 2 elbow and shoulder armor comes standard, with an optional back protector sold separately. The jacket comes with a removable waterproof liner which can be worn over or under the jacket, or stowed away in a rear storage pouch when not needed. Other features include zippered cuffs with neoprene stretch panels, an interior waterproof device pocket, and an 8-inch zipper jacket-to-pants connector. Pros/Sportier looks Shop Now 4. REAX Kelly Leather Jacket The Kelly replaces the Jackson as REAX’s flagship leather jacket. Available only in black, the Kelly jacket is made of 100% cowhide leather, with a thickness ranging from 0.8-1.0 mm in thickness. As with REAX’s other jackets, the Kelly comes standard with SAS-TEC CE Level 2 armor for the elbows and shoulders, with a pocket for an optional back protector (sold separately). The articulated sleeves and zippered hip gussets help ensure a comfortable fit while riding. Inside the jacket is a moisture-wicking stretch mesh lining, a waterproof pocket for electronic devices, additional cargo pockets and a belt loop. Pros/Classic looks Cons/Only available in black Shop Now 5. REAX Alta Mesh Pants The Alta mesh pants join the matching jacket as REAX’s gear for warmer weather. Like the jacket, the pants are made of a poly durable mesh, 600D check pattern mesh and 980D ballistic reinforcements in key areas. The pants come with CE Level 2 knee armor, and the pants can be supplemented with optional hip armor sold separately. The Alta pants has a moisture-wicking stretchy mesh liner, articulated legs, and an adjustable waist with a high back. Shop Now 6. REAX 215 Jeans The REAX 215 is a relaxed fit, straight-legged riding jean with a classic five-pocket look. The jeans are contrsucted of a 12oz cotton denim fabric with Aramid reinforcements in the seat, thigh and knees and triple-stitched seams in critical spots. The 215 jeans come with SAS-TEC CE Level 2 adjustable and vented knee armor that is fitted with a hook and loop fastener for height and side-to-side adjustments. The jeans can be fitted with hip armor (sold separately). REAX offers the 215 jeans in black or a faded blue denim. Shop Now 7. REAX 267 Jeans The 267 jeans offer an upgrade over the 215s, incorporating Dyneema and elastane into the 12oz denim for additional stretch and an “AA” slide rating. The 267s are tailored for a slim, straight fit, with reinforced belt loops and a leather belt guide. Like the 215 jeans, the 267s have triple-stitched seams in select spots and comes standard with SAS-TEC CE Level 2 adjustable and vented knee armor (additional hip armor is sold separately). Pros/AA slide rating Shop Now 8. REAX 610 Jeans The REAX 610 is a slim-cut riding jean made of a blend of 99% cotton and 1% elastane with ARamid reinforcements in the seat, thigh and knees. The black coated version is made of 12oz denim while the washed blue jeans are an 11.5oz. SAS-TEC CE Level 2 adjustable and vented knee armor is standard, with hip pockets ready to accept additional armor (sold separately). Shop Now 9. REAX 112 Women's Jeans A relatively new addition to REAX’s lineup is its first riding jeans for women. The 112 jeans are a single-layer full-rise, slim fit jean. Like the 267s, the 112 jeans are a blend of stretch denim with Dyneema and elastane, helping it achieve an “AA” slide rating. The jeans come with CE Level 2 knee armor and can be fitted with optional hip armor (sold separately). Shop Now 10. REAX Superfly Mesh Gloves (Men's) The Superfly is REAX’s basic short-cuffed riding glove. The Superfly gloves are made of 0.8-0.9mm perforated cowhide with a goat leather palm and a poly mesh backside. The gloves offer TPR protective finger inserts, a high-density flexible palm pad, and a leather-wrapped hard knuckle. The fingers are pre-curved and touchscreen capable. Other features include a moisture-wicking lining, adjustable hook-and-loop closure and subtle reflective highlights. Shop Now 11. REAX Superfly Mesh Gloves (Women's) The women’s version of the REAX Superfly gloves offer similar features to the men’s gloves, but with a 100% nylon lock mesh backhand. Shop Now 12. REAX Hawk Mesh Gloves The REAX Hawk Mesh Gloves are made of a full cowhide leather palm while the back offers sonic welded fully-vented 3D mesh TPR protection. The TPR goes from the back of the hand to the tips of the fingers which gives the entire back some added protection, but it does add a bit of bulkiness and stiffness compared to a regular leather back. Other features include mesh inserts, a TPR palm slide protector, touchscreen compatible fingers and an adjustable hook-and-loop wrist closure. Shop Now 13. REAX Tasker Leather Gloves The REAX Tasker is an all-leather glove made of a 100% 0.8-0.9mm cowhide backhand and a goat leather palm. The fingers are pre-curved and offer accordion-style stretch ribbing for added flexibility. TPR inserts protect the fingers but if you want a hard knuckle, you should consider other options such as the Castor gloves below. Other features include touchscreen capable index fingers and thumbs, a vibration-dampening palm pad insert, a moisture-wicking lining and an adjustable hook-and-loop closure. Shop Now 14. REAX Women's Tasker Air Gloves The women’s Tasker Air Gloves are similar to the men’s version, but with perforated leather for better air-flow. Shop Now 15. REAX Castor Leather Gloves The REAX Castor is a three-season leather glove with a sportier design. The Castor gloves are made of a 0.8-0.9mm cowhide backhand and a goat leather palm. The back is covered with a hard, leather-wrapped protector while the fingers are protected by TPR inserts. Other features include a moisture-wicking lining, reflective highlights, an adjustable hook-and-loop closure, and touchscreen capability. Shop Now 16. REAX Ridge WP Gloves The Ridge WP is REAX’s waterproof gauntlet-style glove, making it suitable for spring and fall seasons where you expect cooler temperatures and the occasional sprinkle. The gloves are made of a textile and leather material, with Superfabric reinforcements that hide the waterproof membrane. A leather-wrapped hard protector covers the knuckle while the palm is made of goat leather. Other highlights include touchscreen capability, reflective highlights, a moisture-wicking lining and dual adjustable hook-and-loop closures. Shop Now 17. REAX Fulton Air Riding Shoes The REAX Fulton Air is a casual-looking riding shoe offering basic foot protection. The shoes are made of perforated full-grain leather with triple stitching and a dual compound soul with EVA mid and a durable rubber outsole. The fully-padded top collar provides a high-top look and a flexible Achilles panel for improved comfort. The heel and toe box are reinforced while the ankles are covered by protective cups. The padded tongue is gusseted and webbed to help keep the flat laces secure. Other features include a replaceable insole, reflective material on the back of the heel and a moisture-wicking lining. Shop Now 18. REAX Fulton WP Riding Shoes The Fulton shoes are also available in a waterproof version with a breathable membrane beneath the full grain leather to keep your feet dry. The Fulton WP shoes are available in black with a brown sole or the black/red/white version pictured her with a red sole, which makes for a flashier look than REAX’s typically understated style. Shop Now 19. REAX Tasker WP Boots For a more rugged look, REAX offers the waterproof Tasker boot. Made from oiled full grain leather with textile inserts, the Tasker WP looks more like a work boot or hiking shoe than the high-top sneaker look of the Fultons. The Tasker boots offer a waterproof inner membrane, and a Goodyear welt stitched a high-traction lug sole. Protective features include internal medial and lateral ankle covers, a reinforced heel and a reinforced toe box. Other features include a removable anatomic shock absorbing insole, a padded and gusseted tongue, reflective patches at the heels, and a quilted Achilles panel. The left boot has a leather shift pad. Shop Now REAX Motorcycle Gear FAQ Is REAX gear any good? REAX doesn’t have the cachet of brands like Dainese or Alpinestars, but it offers practical, well-thought out riding gear with an emphasis of function over styling. Who makes REAX motorcycle gear? REAX is made by COMOTO, the parent company behind motorcycle retailers RevZilla, Cycle Gear and J&P Cycles. COMOTO is an American company based in Philadelphia, PA. Additional Resources MO Tested: Reax Gloves, Jacket, And Jeans MO Tested: Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide Best Waterproof Motorcycle Gloves 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. 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Shinko isn’t as well-recognized a motorcycle tire brand as the likes of Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli or Dunlop. Part of that is because the company is relatively new to the game. The Shinko Group was founded in Japan in 1946, producing bicycle tires and tubes as the country emerged from the Second World War. Shinko didn’t really get into motorcycles, however, until 1998, when it acquired the tire technology and molds from Yokohama. The company continues to build on the foundation of Yokohama’s technology, conducting R&D in Japan. Shinko tires are made in South Korea, with the company churning out about 200,000 tires each month. Though it is a bit of an underdog in the motorcycle tire market, Shinko has been able to establish a niche by offering affordable prices compared to the larger brands, while still offering solid performance. Table of Contents 1. Shinko 010 Apex Radial Tires 2. Shinko SR777 Reflector Tires 3. Shinko 705 Dual Sport Tires 4. Shinko 016 Verge 2X Dual Compound Tires 5. Shinko Classic 240 1. Shinko 010 Apex Radial Tires Shinko’s selection of sportbike tires isn’t very large. When it comes to high performance competition, Shinko actually specializes more in drag racing rubber than tires that need to handle corners. If you’re looking for a Shinko sportbike tire, you may want to consider the 010 Apex. The radials have an intermediate compound with a tread area designed for high-speed cornering. The front tires are Aramid belted while the rear tires feature Zero Degree Joint-Less Steel Belted (JLSB) technology for a stronger carcass and added stability. For track use, you may prefer the 003 Stealth radial which uses a softer compound, but for regular street use, the Apex tires will offer better durability. Shop Now 2. Shinko SR777 Reflector Tires The SR777 is probably Shinko’s most popular cruiser tire, and is offered in a number of sizes for both heavyweight and mid-sized models. The SR777s are Aramid belted for added stability and added load capacity, and Shinko offers a Heavy Duty version with a reinforced carcass for larger cruisers and baggers. The tread design includes siping and grooves for improving traction in both wet and dry conditions. In addition to the black wall version, Shinko also offers the SR777 with white walls for a more classic look. The SR777s are also available with a reflective wall version pictured above. In daylight, the Reflector appear black, but at night, the the sidewall reflects light for better visibility in the dark. Shop Now 3. Shinko 705 Dual Sport Tires The Shinko 705 is a 70% street, 20% off-road dual sport tire, with an all-around rubber compound to handle a wide range of terrain and weather conditions. The blocky, tear-resistant tread can handle light trail riding, while offering smooth running on paved roads. Most 705 tires are biased ply with the exception of the 150/70R18 rear tire size which uses a Zero Degree JLSB radial construction for added strength and stability. Shop Now 4. Shinko 016 Verge 2X Dual Compound Tires The 016 Verge 2X is a dual compound sport-touring tire (and the only dual compound tire street tire in the company’s lineup), offering a balance of good traction and long mileage. Like its single compound predecessor, the 011 Verge tire, the 016 is zero degree JLSB radial, promising added stability and strength. The 016 also offers additional tread siping compared to the 011s, promising better grip in wet conditions. According to Shinko, the tread profile is designed for quick transitions and extra lean angle. Shop Now 5. Shinko Classic 240 For riders looking for a more vintage look, Shinko offers the 240 Classic. With a 90% aspect ratio and classic profile and sawtooth tread pattern, the 240 Classics will help complete a old school custom or cafe racer look. Beneath the retro styling is modern tire technology, with a four-ply carcass construction and an Aramid belt for improved grip and durability. The Shinko 240 Classic is available in black wall, white wall or double stripe white wall versions. Shinko also offers a Super Classic 270 tire that offers a similar look, but it uses a nylon carcass and is rated at a lower speed than the 240. Shop Now Shinko Motorcycle Tire FAQ Are Shinko tires any good? Shinko tires may not have the latest in motorcycle tire technology compared to larger brands like Michelin or Dunlop, but they do offer pretty decent quality at much more affordable prices. If you want the best tires available, you’ll probably look elsewhere, but if you want good value, Shinko tires are a good option. Where are Shinko tires made? Shinko produces its tires in South Korea, with Korean production and quality control standards. The tires are designed in Japan, with the help of ongoing testing at warehouses across the world including in the U.S.A., where its American importer Western Power Sports has locations in Idaho, California, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Texas and Tennessee. How many miles can you get out of a Shinko motorcycle tire? The answer to that depends on the specific tire, your riding style, and how often you ride. Most Shinko tires use Aramid belts or a Zero degree joint-less steel belted construction for added durability. Additional Resources Sport Touring Tire Buyer’s Guide Best Dirtbike Tires Best Motorcycle Cruiser Tires 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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Sidi Mid Adventure 2 Gore-TexEditor Score: 89.5%Aesthetics 9.0/10Protection 8.0/10 Value 8.0/10Comfort/Fit 9.0/10 Quality/Design 9.5/10 Weight 9.5/10 Options/Selection 9.0/10Innovation 9.0/10Weather Suitability 9.5/10Desirable/Cool Factor 9.0/10Overall Score89.5/100 When the time was drawing near for our big middleweight adventure shootout in March, I had the feeling it would be a good time for me to up my foot protection. I didn’t wanna wear big clonky motocross boots because they’re big and clonky. But I was afraid the Sidi Canyons that have been my go-to Adventure boots for longer than I’d like to admit might not be up to modern adventuring. More accurately, maybe my ankles, which are three times older than the Canyons, might not be up to it. How about a little more protection eh? Just in case. I stumbled upon this sawed-off version of the Sidi Adventure 2 boot Ryan Adams reviewed a couple of years ago, and knew I must have them. The Mids obviously don’t protect as much of your tib/fibs as the higher version, but they do have a bit of padding in the uppers behind the protection the rubber/plastic buckles themselves provide. In exchange for the lack of a tall shin plate, you get easier in- and egress, greater flexibility and the ability to pull a regular pair of pants legs over the tops when formal occasions call for it.Like Ryan pointed out, the Adventure boot doesn’t have as much armor – or as much stiffness – as a true offroad boot, and neither do the Adventure Mids. Motonation (official US importer) has both boots listed in its “Touring/ADV” boot section. But as soon as I slipped them on, I immediately felt much more rigidity and more protection than my old Canyons. Toe and heelboxes are definitely thicker and more substantial. That rigid, shock-resistant anatomically shaped heel cup provides max protection, says Sidi. And the rest of the boot feels way more protective than my old Sidi Canyon adventure boots too. The two adjustable cam-lock buckles per boot lock your ankle firmly in place while almost completely doing away with my biggest complaint about my old Canyons: Instead of an acre of Velcro closing up the boot, now there’s only about a 2-square-inch triangle at the top of each flap. Once you’re in there, the ankle protection at both sides feels much more substantial, too. Buckles are replaceable, too, if you should somehow manage to damage one. Did you know that Gore-Tex contains over 9 billion pores per square inch that are 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, but 700 times larger than a water vapor molecule? I wonder who counted them? Gore-Tex and Sidi agree that water from the outside will never penetrate, but perspiration can escape easily. I haven’t gotten rained on in these, but I have been dumped on in my old Gore-Tex Canyons, and it seems the claims are all true. On warmish days out here in the arid west, my feet never overheat in the Adventure Mids. Also inside there, you’ve got a “Cambrelle anti-abrasion liner”, which makes these comfy and easier to slide on and off, and Teflon mesh prevents absorption of water and sweat. Those materials let the boot dry quickly, keeps them from getting stinky, and it works. There are removable arch support pads, and it seems like since these are a bit wider than most Italian boots, there’d be room in there for more substantial ones. Overall comfort, for my feet, is outstanding. Double microfiber layers inside the ankle feel substantial without being ungainly. Outside, Sidi uses its full grain microfiber material, which is synthetic leather that’s tougher and lighter than the real thing. That lightness is a big part of what makes these Adventures, and the Canyons, so comfortable for walking around. Microfiber seems like it might outlast the real thing too, and it shines right up like leather if you believe in shoe polish. $350 isn’t cheap, but if these last as long as my last Sidis (which are still going strong), it seems like a reasonable price to pay. Your non-slip big At the end of the day, Sidi claims these combine high-end offroad-level protection with a boot that’s comfortable on or off the bike, and that’s close to my personal impression. My feet feel more secure and safer in these, but it’s still easy to manipulate shifter and brake pedals. In fact I wear them on street rides all the time, too. They’re completely clonk and squeak-free, and walking around in them doesn’t feel materially different than a really solid pair of new basketball hightops. Then there’s the whole fashion aspect; the Italians do footwear right. These project a nice ruggedness without veering too far into Mad Max territory. The lug-type non-slip soles are bonded on, but we’re told they’re easily replaceable. In fact, Sidi sells soles for all its boots on Motonation, its US importer’s website, along with replacement buckles and other parts. Sidi Adventure 2 Mid GT Specifications Height: 11 inches, Weight: 2.3 lbs each, Retail Price: $350, Sizes: M 8.5 – 13 Sidi Adventure 2 Gore-Tex Mid + Pros One step forward in protection Lighter and more walkable than a tall boot Let it rain – Cons Uninexpensive Less tib/fib protection than a tall boot obviously Slightly clonky but never bulky Shop for the Sidi ADV2 Gore-Tex Mid here FAQ Is synthetic microfiber better than leather? Sidi claims it’s lighter, more flexible, stronger, longer lasting – and it requires no animal sacrifice to obtain. In our experience with other Sidi microfiber boots, all those claims seem to be legitimate. As far as looks, if you didn’t know it was synthetic leather, you wouldn’t know it was synthetic leather. How long will these boots last? That depends on how hard you ride and how often. For the average rider, probably many years with a little bit of care. The moisture-wicking interior will keep the internal funk to a minimum, and the microfiber, plastic and rubber exterior should last a long time too with very little maintenance beyond hosing them off now and then. Also, Sidi offers new soles, buckles, and other parts on its website. Related Reading MO Tested: Sidi Adventure 2 Boot Review MO Tested: Sidi Canyon Boot 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: Sidi Adventure 2 Gore-Tex Mid Boot Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/jrO2qhuIfykSource

Spy photographers have spotted what we assume to be the 2023 BMW R1300GS prototype undergoing testing at a facility that bears a striking resemblance to BMW’s Enduro Park Hechlingen where E-i-C Evans Brasfield attended a riding course, way back in 2013. Since this large training ground offers a wide variety of terrain to challenge a big bike, it would be an ideal facility to inconspicuously put a new adventure bike through its paces away from (most) prying eyes. The test bike appears to be an early prototype, lacking the level of finish one would expect from a motorcycle that’s closer to production. Much of the engine and areas around the subframe are covered up, but the bodywork, even in this early condition, shows a big departure from the current GS’ styling. What might be the most polarizing part of the new design is the GS’ face. It still has a beak, but the headlight is now integrated into the schnoz, smaller and farther down from the windscreen. Where you would expect to find a headlight, there’s just a flat, forward-facing piece of bodywork which looks like a good place to position a radar sensor for adaptive cruise control. The license plate holder likewise has a flat section that could accommodate a rear radar sensor for blind spot detection. The tank cover appears to be one single piece, integrated with the radiator shrouds. Speaking of the radiators, the units here are tilted back with the bottoms jutting out from the bodywork. The radiators are much larger than the current GS’ cooling system, leading to another potentially big change. When I first saw the spy photos, I noticed the cylinder heads were covered up and assumed BMW was trying to hide something. After a few minutes of trying to figure it out, it finally dawned on me. If the cylinders are covered in some kind of material, then they can’t get any air cooling. Together with the larger radiators, the logical conclusion is that the engine is completely liquid-cooled and not air-cooled with targeted water cooling on the cylinder heads as on the current GS engine. What parts of the engine we can see show other differences from the current R1250 boxer engine. The front engine cover, for example, has a new shape, and its mounting bolts are in a different arrangement. The current R1250 engine’s front cover has a bit of a pear shape to it whereas the cover on the prototype is more of an egg shape, somewhat reminiscent of the cover on the R18 engine. The exhaust system is new, with a much smaller silencer and the catalytic converter likely positioned below the bike. The silencer rises just behind the passenger pegs, not quite reaching the level of the top of the rear tire where the current exhaust comes up almost to the passenger grab handles. There’s also the matter of a trademark BMW filed in 2019 for an M1300GS. This tells us that the engine may see a displacement increase from its current 1254cc to closer to 1300cc, and that BMW is also working on a higher-spec M model. The larger radiators may have necessitated another big departure from tradition: the test bike is equipped with an updated fork instead of the GS’ usual telelever suspension, or perhaps the telelever has been redesigned. Regardless, the previous generation telelever’s lower arm would have taken up too much space that could be better served to improve the cooling system. The white tubing behind the engine appears to be a variation on the current GS’ frame, but on closer inspection, we believe they are actually fake and part of a cover that hides the actual chassis from prying eyes. In the photo below, you can see a bit of the true frame in black peeking out from the cover. The angles of the “subframe” do not look like it would have enough support to hold up the tail, let alone a rider and luggage. The pillion peg mounts are connected to something behind the fake frame, and the subframe’s bottom tube just ends without connecting to the tail at all. All together, what we see here is a radically different R1300GS, with a new liquid-cooled engine, new exhaust system, new styling, an inverted fork and likely an entirely new frame. Perhaps the only thing that hasn’t changed are the wheels and the single-sided swingarm with drive shaft. Judging from the state of the prototype, we don’t believe the new R1300GS will be ready for 2022. Indeed, BMW has already gotten certification with the California Air Resources Board for the 2022 R1250GS and R1250GS Adventure. The CARB data can be superseded if the R1300GS is ready, but we believe 2023 to be a more realistic target. Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here. The post Spy Shots: 2023 BMW R1300GS Spotted! appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/P_c2Ca8qkCUSource

Since its 2012 release, Honda has sold more than 35,000 of its quarter-liter CRF dual-sport variants. In addition to some other choice updates, the CRF250L and CRF250L Rally have been stroked out to 300s for 2021. The last time we dyno’d the CBR300R, it spat out 26.2 hp at 8500 rpm and 17.4 lb-ft of torque at 6800 rpm. That was an increase of four horses and two pound-feet from the previous 250cc mill. An updated transmission with tighter gear ratios and an updated slipper clutch also help the new CRF300s mesh on the trail or the street. 2021 Honda CRF300L & Rally Review – First Ride In an attempt to better differentiate the performance of the two models, the L and Rally now have a better distinction between long haul comfort on the Rally and classic dual-sport performance with the L. The Rally’s larger fuel tank has gained 0.7 gallons compared to previous year’s putting capacity at 3.4 gallons. Honda says this could yield up to 250 miles per tank. And, if you’re game, your backside might not mind the extra mileage either thanks to the Rally’s wider cushy seat. That new seat also sits on rubber dampers to help ease any harsh vibes attempting to make their way to your backside. The rider footpegs also receive the rubber treatment for the same purpose. Handlebar weights on either end continue the fight for a smooth ride. Honda claims 11 pounds lost from the previous model with the CRF300L with a nine-pound deficit on the Rally model. The chassis lost weight and gained rigidity in key areas for 2021 while also gaining a bit of ground clearance. Both models received a bump to 10.2 inches of travel from the Showa suspension components and share the same spring rates and damping although the Rally model uses slightly longer springs. The seat has also been narrowed near the front to provide easier standover height and the LCD display provides more information than before. That’s all great, but how does it translate to the riding experience? Give yourself a break from your busy day and check out our First Ride impressions after a day of testing the two new models back to back, now in video format.  The post 2021 Honda CRF300L & Rally Video Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/mw6tfx1dW90Source