Hugh Janus

Phone calls, emails, and text messages came flooding in when I posted a teaser photo after my first day on the 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special. Well? How is it? Is it a competitor? And the most important question: Did they pull it off? Yes. Yes, they did. The 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special is finally here and it is darn good. (Kevin Wing/)Harley-Davidson has built a legitimate adventure-touring motorcycle. I’m going to get hate mail from both H-D loyalists and adventure fiends, but I’ll say it: The 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special is the best motorcycle The Motor Company has ever produced. There. I said it. I stand by it. Come at me. Harley has succeeded, much to the dismay of the social media naysayers. The 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special has an MSRP of $19,999 and is expected in dealers May 2021. (Kevin Wing/)Powering the Pan America 1250 is H-D’s new Revolution Max 1250, a liquid-cooled 60-degree 1,252cc V-twin. It’s a completely new engine designed from the ground up as the centerpiece, and structural chassis member, of the Pan America. Dual overhead cams are independently variable via cam phasers, operated by hydraulic pressure controlled by a solenoid plunger. Cam timing can be adjusted through 40 degrees of rotation, and because every cam has a phaser, front and rear cylinder valve timing are independent as well. Harley-Davidson pointed out that the drive-side cam journal is part of the drive sprocket, making it possible to remove the camshafts without disassembling the camshaft drive, simplifying service or upgrades. Roller-finger valve actuation is maintenance-free thanks to hydraulic valve lash adjustment. Crankshaft connecting-rod journals are offset 30 degrees, making for a 90-degree firing order, which Harley claims produces more on-power traction in the dirt. Forged aluminum pistons stroke through 72.1mm in a 104.9mm bore and feature a low-friction coating on the skirts, low-tension piston rings (again, to reduce friction), an anodized top ring land for durability, and underside oil jets for heat dissipation. The large bore requires the use of a dual spark plug design for complete and rapid intake-charge combustion. The compression ratio is 13.0:1, meaning the Revolution Max requires 91-octane fuel for best performance; knock sensors will trigger less aggressive ignition timing and fueling ratios. This will reduce the power, and although H-D reps declined to give a minimum octane number, they claim the engine can be run safely in regions with “low quality” gasoline. The all-new Revolution Max 1250 engine powers the Pan America. (Kevin Wing/)Wow. That’s the short of it when describing the Revolution Max, and the first word my furry mug blurted out as I grabbed my first handful of throttle in Sport mode. Power comes on strong at around 2,200 rpm and continues to build with more and more velocity as you cross the 8,500-rpm mark. After that it begins to taper off in aggression until you reach the rev limiter at 9,500 rpm. That’s 9,500 rpm from a Harley. And while the low-end and top-end performance are impressive, it’s the middle of the digital tach that is the sweetest. Third gear is a set-and-forget mark for winding backroads, as the Max pulls with simple tenacity at the 5K mark to spring you out of the corners. The lean-sensitive traction control, C-TCS in Harley-speak, is the least restrictive in this mode and will let the standard, specially developed Michelin Scorcher Adventure tires do much of the work. The future of this engine is very bright indeed. A claimed 150 hp and 94 pound-feet for torque from the Revolution Max 1250 make the Pan America a lively ride. Variable valve timing helps make it tractable. (Kevin Wing/)While Sport mode is the most aggressive and impressive of your choices, H-D has equipped the Pan America with Road, Rain, Off-Road, and Off-Road Plus modes. These modes are not only tied to engine performance but to suspension settings, engine-braking, and ABS settings. Road mode reduces that midrange stonk, but there’s still plenty of power on tap for any road work that doesn’t demand making the time between the corners short as possible. Rain mode reduces power significantly, but as there wasn’t even a chance of precipitation during our two-day test, only a quick confirmation of reduced power and maximum C-TCS was performed. Off-Road and Off-Road Plus provide a power level suited for dirt duty with a tractable character and reduced top-end power. There are also three user-customizable modes: Custom A, Custom B, and Custom Off-Road Plus. These allow the rider to set power level, throttle response, engine-braking, and C-TCS settings, along with the Showa electronically adjustable semi-active suspension fitted to the Pan America 1250 Special; the standard model comes with manually adjustable Showa suspension. A button on the right side of the bars allows the C-TCS to shut off completely with a long push while stopped. I played with the custom modes for the street, but Sport mode was where I lived for most of my time on asphalt. The Revolution Max is a unitized powertrain, meaning the transmission is integrated in the same case as the engine, unlike H-D traditional Big Twins. It’s a six-speed unit with roller bearings on the shift drum and Teflon-coated shift-shaft bushings. The cable-actuated clutch is a slipper/assist unit. And here we discover the first of a few misses on the Pan America: There’s no quickshifter. Clutchless upshifting and downshifting has become a common feature in big-bore adventure motorcycles and Harley’s omission is a big oversight, especially because the Revolution Max 1250 is so rev-happy. Clicking through the gears is solid, with quick and effortless engagement, and the clutch pull is light thanks to the assist design. But I still want the snappiness and convenience of a quickshifter. On or off the road, we wish the Pan America came equipped with a bidirectional quickshifter. (Kevin Wing/)The Pan America’s engine is impressive; the chassis is noteworthy. The Revolution Max engine is the main chassis structural component, with three frame assemblies attached. The package is light and rigid: A front frame for the steering head, a mid-frame that attaches the rear suspension, and a steel subframe for rider, passenger, and luggage. Attached to the front and mid-frame is the 1250 Special-specific semi-active electronic suspension. Other Pan America 1250 Special bits include tire pressure monitoring, a centerstand, brush guards, an aluminum skid plate, hand guards, heated grips, an Öhlins steering damper, a multiposition brake pedal, and a Daymaker Signature adaptive headlight for illuminating corners. RELATED: 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 First Look The Special test units we rode also included two factory-installed options: $500 tubeless cross-spoke wheels and $1,000 Adaptive Ride Height (ARH). The former is good to have, and the latter is an adventure-touring game changer. The electronically controlled suspension’s preload is automatically set at an optimal 30-percent preload sag no matter rider weight, passenger weight, or luggage load. But that’s not the important bit. Our test Pan America 1250 Special was fitted with tubeless cross-spoke wheels to handle the rigors of off-roading. (Kevin Wing/)That would be how Adaptive Ride Height lowers the suspension when coming to a stop, effectively dropping seat height 1 to 2 inches depending on rear weight load. This makes the reach to the ground much easier for all riders, not just those with shorter inseams. Standard seat height on the non-ARH bike is 31.1 inches in low position and 32.1 in high. With ARH, the seat drops to just above 30 inches when stopped. Combined with the accessory low seat in its lowest of two positions, the seat can be as low as 28.1 inches, depending on your weight. How’s that for approachable? The best part is you don’t even feel it working on the automatic setting. You just arrive at a stop and you can touch the ground much easier than expected. In fact, for the first half hour I didn’t even think about it as I was paying attention to engine feel and chassis stability. Then I noticed how easy it was to maneuver on the gravelly turnouts for photo passes. The system begins to lower when the bike’s speed reduces to 15.5 mph and will vary lowering speed depending on braking rate, lever force, and chassis attitude. For those worried about losing ground clearance while off-road at slower speeds, there are options for a short (0.5 second) and long (2 seconds) delay in deployment of ARH after stopping, or the system can be locked out completely. Harley-Davidson has found a solution, so simple now that you see it, to make big-bore adventure-touring more accessible for those not comfortable with either standard ADV ride heights or the compromises that come with lowered suspension systems from other manufacturers. Harley-Davidson has a full line of accessories available for the Pan America, including a Screamin’ Eagle exhaust that cuts 7 pounds and a skid plate that better protects the voltage regulator/rectifier that is perched right behind the front wheel. (Kevin Wing/)The semi-active suspension is well damped in each of its five suspension settings. Sport is just firm enough to be well composed under hard braking and acceleration, with just enough squat and dive to efficiently transfer weight for excellent traction feel at both ends. Balance, used in Road mode, mellows out the ride with softer compression damping to smooth out imperfections in the road surface. Comfort, to be honest, felt similar to Road for the limited time I spent with it, though it did feel a little softer in all directions of suspension movement. Sport suspension mode turns the Pan America 1250 Special into a capable canyon carver. (Kevin Wing/)Off-Road Soft is ideal for washboard roads and rocky or bumpy terrain at slower speeds. Once you get the considerable weight of a fully fueled Pan America 1250 Special moving at rally speeds—or what feels like rally speeds—the Off-Road Soft bangs and bottoms out quickly. Off-Road Firm, then, is the only way to fly when off-road, so you don’t have to constantly make changes to match your speed and terrain. It’s stiff enough to stand up to bigger square-edged bumps and moderately sized obstacles. Even when it does bottom out, dragging bits of the centerstand and the right side of the skid plate, the path is predictable and stable. It’s perfectly capable of tackling the same terrain as other big bores at the same pace. A couple instances of headshake under neutral throttle over a rocky section made me wonder if the Öhlins steering damper really did anything. This is Off-Road Firm territory on the optional semi-active Showa suspension ride modes. (Kevin Wing/)Slowing the Pan America are radial-mount four-piston Monoblock Brembo calipers matched to 320mm rotors in the front and a floating single-piston Brembo caliper with a 280mm disc in the rear. The front and rear are linked in all modes except for Off-Road Plus, with the linking function proportional to your braking force input at the lever or pedal. More force links the brakes more strongly; light braking barely triggers the linked function. The Cornering Enhanced Electronic Linked Braking system works well, and ABS is not intrusive in any mode. Off-Road Plus braking mode disables rear-brake ABS and linking to allow for slides in the dirt; this is not an option in the street custom modes. Brembo braking components and lean-sensitive ABS slow the Pan America without drama. (Kevin Wing/)Some fiddling with the Custom Off-Road Plus mode allowed me to find the perfect setup for my aggressive off-road riding style. Adjusting power, engine-braking, ABS, and suspension setting is easy and quick once you learn your way around the full-color TFT screen, menu system, and buttons, or just forgo the buttons and use the touchscreen function, which works great with gloves. My personal Pan America 1250 Special recipe for dirt blasting: Power in Sport, for the hardest hit and a lively and light feel; Throttle Response at +1 for quick responses to throttle inputs in the dirt; Engine Braking at max, which keeps rear tire traction more consistent on deceleration; Suspension in Off-Road Firm to hold up to higher-speed impacts and jumps; ABS in Off-Road to allow rear wheel lockup to tighten up sharp turns; Traction Control set to off, to allow for steering with the rear at speed, though at slow speeds you have to be more precise with your throttle inputs. And make sure you’ve got the accessory Michelin Anakee Wild tires equipped. Ready to rip! Customizing the Pan America’s ride modes is easy via the full-color TFT touchscreen. (Kevin Wing/)Ergonomics are, for the most part, wonderful. The reach to the bars is an easy one for my 5-foot-10-inch frame, but I opted for the 2-inch-taller risers for a better position while standing. This made the bars a bit tall for seated riding; a 1-inch rise would be darn near perfect, so hopefully H-D offers more options in the future. The seat is soft and cushy, to a fault; after 45 minutes, my rear end began to become sore, as the seat lacks support for long stints in the saddle. The adjustable windshield provides excellent air management without buffeting in any of its four positions, which by the way span 1.8 inches. The Pan America ‘s seat is plush—too plush. Firmer foam and a more supportive shape are needed for long stints if your backside is sensitive to fatigue. (Kevin Wing/)After two full days on the Pan America 1250 Special, not all was rosy. During the second day, I encountered a check-engine light and a warning light regarding modes while hard on the gas in the dirt. A key-on-and-off cycle fixed the issue; Harley techs say the units we were riding are preproduction, and that some parameters are still being finalized before units are expected to arrive in dealerships in May. My windshield adjustment lever became nonfunctional after a full day of dirt duty and wouldn’t move from the low position; this system should be more robust for the rigors of off-roading. As the temperature rose in the Mojave Desert so did the heat radiated to my right boot from the Pan America’s catalytic converter. When the ambient temp gauge reached 94 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat became nearly unbearable at speeds below 45 mph. The well-shaped windscreen provides a turbulence-free rider air pocket, but the adjustment mechanism on our test unit stopped functioning after a hard day of off-roading. (Kevin Wing/)My two days ripping around in the desert on roads and trails yielded significantly higher fuel consumption than Harley’s EPA estimated 46 mpg. The first day I hit zero miles remaining (just two dashes showing on the gauges rather than a number) at 155 miles. Day 2 saw slightly better range; the bike hit the double dashes at 176 miles. One rider in our group ran dry at 181 miles; calculating for 5.6 gallons gives us 32.3 mpg. Granted, photography and testing at a launch require an unusually heavy right hand, and we look forward to testing the Pan America in a wider variety of conditions. Throwing the Pan America around on the street and dirt gives no clue to its overall weight. The $17,319 standard unit has a claimed wet weight of 539 pounds; the Special is a claimed 559 pounds in standard trim ($19,999), but the optional spoked wheels will add 14 pounds. Harley claimed the units we rode were at 574 pounds with a full tank of gas, spoked wheels, and ARH. Despite that impressively large final number, the bike feels light and flickable thanks to a slim seat and tank area and a lack of weight high up. “Flickable” might be my buzz word for the Pan America 1250 Special. (Kevin Wing/)Harley-Davidson has entered the adventure-touring market with a real competitor for the icons of the segment. It’s powerful, it’s capable, and it’s innovative, all without losing Harley-Davidson identity. As much as the internet wanted a train wreck, H-D has delivered a locomotive. The Pan America will change the face of Harley in the eyes of many motorcyclists. For now, I’m setting my auto replies to “Yes, Harley-Davidson has built an adventure bike. And yes, it’s good.” 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special Specifications MSRP: $19,999 Engine: DOHC, liquid-cooled, 60-degree V-twin; 4 valves/cyl. Displacement: 1,252cc Bore x Stroke: 104.9 x 72.1mm Compression Ratio: 13.0:1 Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/chain Claimed Horsepower: 150 hp @ 9,000 rpm Claimed Torque: 94 lb.-ft. @ 6,750 rpm Fuel System: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) Clutch: Wet, multiplate slipper/assist; cable actuation Frame: Stressed-member alloy steel trellis; forged aluminum mid-structure Front Suspension: 47mm inverted fork, electronically adjustable semi-active damping, optional Adjustable Ride Height; 7.5 in. travel Rear Suspension: Piggyback monoshock; electronically adjustable semi-active compression and rebound damping, automatic electronic preload, optional Adjustable Ride Height; 7.5 in. travel Front Brake: 4-piston Brembo monoblock calipers, 320mm disc w/ ABS Rear Brake: 1-piston Brembo caliper, 280mm disc w/ ABS Wheels, Front/Rear: Cast aluminum, optional anodized aluminum laced tubeless; 19 x 3 in. / 17 x 4.5 in. Tires, Front/Rear: Michelin Scorcher Adventure Radial; 120/70R-19 / 170/60R-17 Rake/Trail: 25.0°/6.2 in. Wheelbase: 62.2 in. Ground Clearance: 8.3 in. Seat Height: 31.1 in./32.1 im. Fuel Capacity: 5.6 gal. Claimed /Wet Weight: 559 lb. Availability: May 2021 Contact: harley-davidson Source

CFMoto has taken the covers off its new 800MT this week at the Auto Shanghai show. (CFMoto/)The ties between KTM and China’s CFMoto are getting ever closer—with CFMoto recently starting to manufacture entire 790 Adventure and Duke models for sale in the Chinese market—and now the new 800MT has been officially launched as the first dedicated product to emerge from the joint venture. CFMoto already manufactures many of KTM’s engines, including the 799cc LC8c parallel twin, for sale worldwide, and complete KTM bikes for Asian markets, but for several years the companies have been working toward the creation of CFMoto-branded products with KTM power. The first clue came with the CFMoto V.02 NK concept bike, shown in 2017 and built around a version of KTM’s V-twin engine. CFMoto has since developed the 1250TR-G, a high-spec tourer with a 140 hp, 1,279cc engine evolved from the same KTM twin, but we’re still waiting for that model to reach production, and in the meantime CFMoto has fast-tracked the 800MT adventure bike as the first genuine production machine to come from its KTM partnership. (Note: The bike has been called “MT800” in previous posts, but new logos on this production version show 800MT.) The final 94 hp production version shows a good bit more refinement than past images, as well as a decent spec sheet that features cornering ABS and traction control. (CFMoto/)Based around the smaller 799cc LC8c engine rather than the 889cc version seen in the latest 890 Duke and 890 Adventure models from KTM, the 800MT achieves a peak power of 94 hp, allied to 57 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers alone instantly make it among the highest-performance motorcycles ever to emerge from a Chinese manufacturer. However, it’s the bike’s technology rather than its performance that makes it a real landmark for Chinese bikes, since the 800MT adopts Bosch’s cornering ABS and traction control along with a suite of electronics including a 7-inch IPS display, keyless start, heated grips and heated seat, built-in navigation, and even an automatic headlight dipping system. An earlier photo of the preproduction MT800 fitted with side cases and top box (since refined for the production version), giving it a weight of 547 pounds. (CFMoto/)Given CFMoto’s close relationship with KTM, it’s perhaps surprising the 800MT’s suspension isn’t from WP. Instead the bike uses KYB parts, while the brakes are from J.Juan. Both choices hint that the pricing for the 800MT will be significantly lower than an equivalent KTM model; unconfirmed Chinese reports suggest the bike will be sold there for between 50,000 and 70,000 yuan, which equates to around $8,000–$11,000. The 800MT’s steel tube frame is very similar to the KTM design, but gets its own aluminum swingarm and steers clear of the unusual low-slung fuel tank design of the KTM 790/890 Adventure models. The bike weighs in at 509 pounds without luggage or 547 pounds with the aluminum side cases and top box fitted. According to KTM’s latest investor relations documents, the 800MT is due to start production in Q2 of 2021, which fits with the bike’s official unveiling at Auto Shanghai this week and the fact it has recently been type-approved for sale in China. Export sales aren’t expected to start until significantly later, but CFMoto’s position as a global brand means the 800MT is likely to be offered in the West eventually. Source

“All that the light touches…” My Harley-Davidson Nightster 883 surveying the Moroccan desert. (Morgan Gales/)“I shouldn’t be here,” said one of the riders, speaking not just of the lone tree to whose shade we had fled after our bikes sputtered out of gas, but of the desert as a whole. “None of us should be here. Look at this place, man! I have kids!” We had spent the night before listening to a man with a broken leg cry in agony while the truck meant to take him to medical aid spun its tires in the distance, unable to break free from the distant dunes. Around midnight, a man on a camel delivered morphine. The cries subsided. In the morning, I would take the tires from his bike and put them on mine, hoping to fare better than he did on the way back to Marrakech. Two months earlier, I had been introduced to Fuel Motorcycles, a classic-style motorcycle gear company from Barcelona that puts on a couple of wild adventures every year. The guys at Fuel invited me out to the Scram Africa, a seven-day loop around Morocco on stylish though admittedly underqualified motorcycles. The idea was to challenge yourself and do it “the old way,” to cross the desert with some style and panache. I did too little research and quickly agreed, not knowing it would be one of the greatest adventures of my life. Fast Eddie on his Triumph, followed by a vintage Ténéré, a custom XR650, and an SR500. (Fuel Motorcycles/)The Scram changes slightly year to year but is always led by Karles Vives, the founder and creative director of Fuel Motorcycles. For 2021, your 3,000 euro sign-up fee covers a ferry to and from Barcelona, food and lodging, chase trucks, GPS, and miscellaneous little things. You’re responsible for getting to the ferry, bringing your bike or organizing a rental, and your fuel costs. Half the nights are spent in nice hotels, the other half in large canvas tents in the middle of the desert. The tents come complete with firm mattresses, a hot dinner, and coffee with breakfast in the mornings. Outside of the Hotel Kenzi Menara Palace, riders fill water packs, attach GPS units, and suit up with armor before the ride. (Morgan Gales/)I was an amateur off-road rider at best, though I wouldn’t have admitted that just yet. As we prepared for the trip, I was told my vehicle options included a Honda CRF250L and a Harley-Davidson Sportster 883. Possessed by the spirit of the trip and blind naivete, I opted for the 883. RELATED: Scram Africa Is Fueled By Love For Scramblers And Moroccan Adventure Our group met at the lavish Hotel Kenzi Menara Palace in Marrakesh, where the first wave had already finished their trip and gone, leaving only our rental bikes behind. This is where we first met, my 883 and I, the sand-spitting dune-dumping heavy Harley-Davidson that would carry me across the Sahara desert and through the next seven days. Joel pilots his Auto Fabrica-built SR500 through stage one of the Scram Africa. (Fuel Motorcycles/)The bike was a Nightster 883 equipped with mid-controls, patina paint, some larger H-D shocks, 2-into-1 exhaust, and a set of Bates Baja tires that had been run near bald by someone on the first wave. I would see the white cording of the tire by the end of the second day. By the fourth I would have completely sheared off the mounting bolt on one of those “upgraded” shocks. But she would prove a faithful beast, and kept powering along despite abuse. The last quarter-mile of stage one provided a glimpse of what was coming in the next few days. (Fuel Motorcycles/)In the morning we left the hotel and were quickly out of the city. It seemed as if we were somehow in the heart of the desert after only a single turn of the road, the city miles behind us. The first half of the day was spent crossing fields of rock ranging from golf balls to watermelons in size, no more sparse on our path than anywhere else. As we got farther from the city, the sand got deeper, the trail less defined. I was finding my footing, following the riders in front of me, not completely out of my depth just yet. Me on the left, David in the middle on his Royal Enfield Himalayan, and Liam on the Mutt on the right. (Morgan Gales/)The final stretch to our campsite gave me a glimpse of what was to come. We diverted from the trail as our bar-mounted GPS instructed and quickly found ourselves in deep, soft sand. A Sportster is made for American highways, not the Moroccan desert. Words from my colleague Justin Dawes rang in my ears: “Just let the clutch out and let the wheel spin until the bike starts to move. Don’t milk the clutch. You’ll burn it out.” This soon became my anthem. The wheel spun while I crabwalked, pushing on the handlebars, and the bike eventually started to move again. I was quickly exhausted and pulled into the campsite, a mere 100 yards away, ready for some water and our nightly one-to-two beer allowance. We started each day by dialing in our GPS units, filling our water packs, and grabbing extra water and a sack lunch. Then we’d gather for a quick morning briefing and head out on the trail. (Fuel Motorcycles/)The group sat outside on brightly colored pillows, drinking mint tea and talking about prior expectations versus our current reality. I laughed, nervous but not yet aware that the first day would be the easiest. Day two was almost entirely off-road, but ran mostly through wide-open expanses of desert, much faster than the first. Rain had come and gone, leaving the sand hard-packed. If you could find an untrodden path and were carrying enough speed, it was possible to maintain a steady course, even on a 550-pound machine like mine. We passed camels and large birds of prey, but no water. I only puked twice from exhaustion. My tire at the end of day two, and the “new” tire installed the morning of the third day. (Morgan Gales/)As happens with any larger ride, we fragmented into smaller groups determined by relative skill level and language spoken. We would merge and splinter from other groups, but I quickly latched on to the only person I knew before the trip, my buddy David Chang from @CafeRacersofInstagram, and my new Canadian pal Liam Cormier, proprietor of Treadwell Clothing and the lead singer of a band called Cancer Bats. David was riding a Royal Enfield Himalayan; Liam, his purpose-built Mutt, a CB200 replica that had been customized for just this trip. The Himalayan rode a little sideways after David sent ‘er 10 feet into the air, nose-first into the side of a dune. The Mutt chugged along like a champ the entire way with little issue and better fuel economy than any other bike on the trip. We called ourselves the Dune Goonz and laughed more than we crashed, which was a lot. The right-side shock on my Sportster after shearing its mounting bolt clear off. (Morgan Gales/)I don’t know where it happened, but somewhere in the course of the second day one of the other Sportster riders crashed hard. We had already arrived at our campsite outside of Tafraoute and didn’t notice his arrival until he had been loaded into a tent and laid out to await medical transport. He was from Chicago, and like me, had expected this ride to be much easier. He waited out the night, much quieter after receiving some pain meds, and was transported to the nearest city in the morning, where he was bandaged up and sent home. He said he’d try the Scram again next year. I had been told the worst terrain of the trip would come on the third and fourth days, and I was already in over my head. At stops, I would stand behind my bike, staring at the bald rear tire while I bit my nails anxiously. It looked like a dirt bike tire that had been used for a month of drag racing. It was completely squared off and showing white cloth underneath the rubber. In the morning, I recruited one of the mechanics and we switched the tire from the Chicago rider’s Sportster over to my bike before continuing on to the third stage. Experiencing the first of the “fesh-fesh” river silt. Notice the angle of my front tire—I can’t imagine this ended well. (Fuel Motorcycles/)Stage three started off easily enough, a fast ride through the M’harech Straight that turned onto a small segment of asphalt, where two Bedouin merchants were selling polished gems and silver. I bartered for a couple of souvenirs and headed on to Gara Medouar, a large horseshoe-shaped geological formation that looks like a massive crater in the middle of the desert. We rode to the top to drink some water and enjoy the view. Passing through large water wells that look like oversized anthills, we started onto a lone several-mile section of wind-chopped sand; essentially whoops. I stood on the pegs, leaned back, and stayed on the gas, bottoming out my suspension but not bounding around. I was maintaining a steady speed when I noticed my shocks get much softer. David pulled up next to me, pointing down. I had sheared off the top mounting bolt on my right shock. There was no shade while we waited for the chase truck. Enjoying a quick lunch in Ramlia before our longest river crossings. (Fuel Motorcycles/)When the mechanics caught up with us one of them hopped out of the truck, assessed the situation, and dove back into the bed to grab a flathead screwdriver and a hammer. Using the screwdriver as a chisel, he hammered a notch into the broken bolt shaft stuck in my bike’s fender strut. When the notch was deep enough, he angled the screwdriver and used the hammer to continue hitting the bolt, now slowly turning it counterclockwise. Ten minutes after they showed up, the bolt was out. Five of us loaded my bike into the back of the truck without the help of a ramp and I hopped in. Thirty minutes later we were in Erfoud, where we found a small mechanics shop with a replacement bolt for $0.55. We refueled and were quickly back in the sand heading toward the Erg Chebbi dunes. My experience in riding sand was really limited to the first two days of this trip, so I was figuring it out as I went, aside from Dawes’ helpful words. The sand here was not only deeper and finer than any I had ever ridden, but it seemed to go on forever. If you have spent time riding a motorcycle through deep sand, you know that speed is usually your friend. This is terrifying at first, as the bike is unstable until you are going fast enough to keep the front tire above the sand. Once you’re moving just fast enough for a crash to really suck, the bike starts to smooth out. Unless you’re on a 550-pound Sportster, in which case stability is the stuff of legends, a myth that riders repeat around the campfire, not something you’re ever likely to experience. We were crossing several rivers, so it was easy enough to get up some speed while dropping down the riverbanks. Riders lined up across the bank, watching as we crossed and then cheering on the others from the far side. The taller, lighter bikes crossed first with ease. Then came David, then Liam, and finally myself, wide open in second or third gear, sand spitting out in a tall arch behind me, praying I could keep that front tire above the sand. I made it through the first river, falling over only after climbing up the bank on the far side. We made it through two more river crossings, crashing a couple of times. I emptied my three-liter hydration pack while I sweated and cursed in my helmet. I knew the next day would be worse, but I also knew that the destination after the dunes was a hotel with a pool. I played in the dunes for a bit, but was jealous of the riders on lighter bikes that could make it look effortless. I was beat up and the idea of a beer next to a pool sounded like pure bliss. Relaxing after a nice “desert massage.” (Morgan Gales/)I soon confirmed that it was. We each drank a couple of beers and I even sprung for a gin and tonic with dinner. Good whiskey seemed to be hard to find in this area of the world, but I was still equally affected by adrenaline from the day’s ride and anxiety about the next, and a drink seemed as good a cure as any. Before we enjoyed our large buffet-style meal and then retired to air-conditioned rooms with showers and clean sheets, I nervously asked our leader, Karles, about stage four. “Tomorrow’s hard sections are just like today’s,” Karles said, “only longer.” He smiled the way every veteran smiles at a rookie who’s about to get his ass kicked. The next morning I woke up well before my alarm and was soon down by the bikes with my water pack filled, geared up and ready to go. A nice German couple had overcome the first several sets of obstacles for their vintage BMW and sidecar, but when the engine blew, they decided to just enjoy the ride stop to stop in the chase vehicles. They gave me some of their electrolyte packets. I probably looked scared. I was. The back tire spitting out clouds of red sand, keeping the front tire barely above it. Pinned in third gear, I make it through the fesh-fesh. (Fuel Motorcycles/)The first half of the day was great. We moved steadily through some small towns. Kids would come out and run along the street next to the bikes. Some waved, some held onto make-believe handlebars and made revving motions, others flipped us off, always smiling for some reason. Once again, we turned off into the desert and headed toward my assured destruction. We stopped for lunch in Ramlia, which really consists of one long building, likely built before the adjacent river dried up. What’s left is a wide wash full of the finest sand you’ve ever seen. Silt. They call it “fesh-fesh” in Morocco. I imagine it might not be quite as bad on a 300-pound bike, but on a Sportster, it’s quicksand. Now out of the desert and into the mountain crossings, I am relieved beyond belief and take a moment to soak in the scenery. (Morgan Gales/)Trying to remember what other riders had said at dinner, I attempted to stand on the pegs and squeeze the tank with my knees. But that’s just not how a Harley-Davidson is laid out. I crashed, picked up the bike, and spun the tire in first gear while trying to crabwalk the bike out of the sandy hole I had just created. Eventually, I would gain enough speed to put my feet back on the pegs. Then I would crash again. We took to calling it the ol’ desert massage. Luckily, fine river sand is a bit softer and crashing doesn’t really hurt, at least not the first 15 times. I would sit, pause, regroup, and then pick the bike up and do it all over again. I learned that if I sat far forward on the bike, and could get it up to the top of second or middle of third gear, I could get about 300 feet before crashing again, sometimes farther. I got a little bruised in the ribs from one handlebar, my pants tore from another, my boots melted from being pinned under an exhaust pipe. By the time we made it to the campsite, my body felt like a bag of hamburger meat. Karles came over and gave me a hearty pat on the back, throwing his arm around me with a huge smile. I couldn’t help noticing his face wasn’t covered in sand like mine was. “Well, we’re almost out of the hard stuff!” he said. “You did it!” I almost cried with relief. “But see that?” he said, pointing. “A sandstorm that will be here in two minutes.” We started tying up the tent flaps. I looked over to David. He knew what had to be done if morale was to be preserved. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he played Darude’s “Sandstorm.” We danced. We drank another single beer and more mint tea. We climbed to the top of a dune and watched the sunset. Stage five gradually took us out of the desert through some wide, open tracks and into some stony, broken, and more technical paths. We crossed the Saghro mountains, pausing for a moment at the peak to look back on everything we had just conquered. Then we left the desert behind us and descended into the Valley of Dadès. We arrived at our hotel in the town of Xaluca, where we came across the first tourists we’d seen yet. Some guy wearing a Philadelphia hot-rod shop’s T-shirt looked at the Sportster and smiled at me. I smiled back with a mouth still reddish-brown from eating dust all day. Philly dude and I were having very different Morocco experiences. The roads in this part of Morocco are an off-road playground. Here we are descending the mountain passes into Tabant. (Fuel Motorcycles/)The sixth day would be our prettiest yet, and having overcome the desert, I had found a new peace. We left Xaluca and followed a path along the Dadès River, where we saw more vegetation than we had the rest of the trip. We were covering roughly the same distance as the other days, but over much less challenging terrain, so we could stop more often to enjoy the scenery or cool off in the river. We climbed gravel roads to a peak of about 10,000 feet, actually experiencing cold for the first time on the trip before hitting the switchbacks down to the town of Tabant and the Valley of Happy People. This turns out to be more than just a pleasant name. More kids came out and ran along with us as we rode through. People heard the bikes and came outside to wave or just stare, but they were all smiles. Something tells me they don’t see Harley-Davidsons out here often. After Tabant, we said farewell to off-road riding; we would be on asphalt for the rest of the trip. The Sporty seemed to breathe a big, smoky sigh of relief. The asphalt was well groomed, so Liam, David, and I picked up speed to the night’s hotel. It felt great to be in a situation where the Sportster was now suddenly one of the more qualified bikes. The landscape was lush and green, the weather sunny but mild; it was perfect. You’d never know we were just a couple hundred miles from a bitterly inhospitable desert. We dropped down into the small town of Bin el Ouidane, perched on the lake of the same name; a little Middle Eastern paradise. Dominik on the left on his Triumph Scrambler, me in the middle, and David on the right as we pass through Dadès Gorges. (Fuel Motorcycles/)We all laughed and drank, finally able to have more than a beer or two, knowing that the next day would just be a pavement ride back to Marrakech. Karles conducted a bit of a ceremony after dinner, awarding each rider a medal for completing the eighth annual Scram. My medal hangs on the wall next to me like a trophy as I write this from my home office in Los Angeles. Audaces Fortuna Iuvat, it says; fortune favors the bold. I may have started naive, but by the end, I was bold. I may not have known what I was getting myself into, but I looked at that unknown and jumped in. Foolish, undoubtedly. But knowing what I know now, I would do it again in an instant. That last night we stayed up later than we had any night previously, laughing with the other riders about the level of absurd s—t we’d just made it through. Paul had somehow managed to bend both shocks on his W800, replaced them with some from a four-wheeler; they were locked stiff. Clean Jersey James was at the front of the pack the whole time, never giving anyone’s tire spittings the chance to sully his tidy shirt. Maris still had the Virgin Mary statue he’d been carrying the whole time. Joel had managed to pilot his much-too-expensive Auto Fabrica custom through each stage without any major damage. And we three, the Dune Goonz, were still laughing despite all of the desert massages we’d received. The daily briefing and pack-up were a bit quieter the next morning. This rowdy band of strangers from across the globe had grown pretty close over our seven days together, and now we were heading back to civilization and our lives. At least it was nice to ride without my chest and elbow armor for a day. Heading back to the city, I noticed black smoke coming from my Harley when accelerating or hard on the throttle. Some of that fine river silt had evidently made it through my air cleaner. Good thing we got insurance on the bike. The team sits on a dune to appreciate the sunset after one of our toughest days. Nothing brings people together like a challenge, and this ride was one hell of a challenge. (Morgan Gales/)We returned the bikes to, I must say, a very angry shop owner, and headed back to the hotel for our final night. Everyone cleaned up and arrived at the pool looking like new people, ready for some relaxation in their clean shorts and sandals before heading back to our homes in the morning. We taxied into the town medina to enjoy some mundane tourism and have dinner together. We are all motorcycle people, all adventurers, but overcoming everything we’d been through turned us into good friends. “Everyone says they would do it again, but on a more qualified motorcycle,” Karles said. “Then they try it, and they don’t have nearly as much fun. The fun is in the challenge.” Indeed. So. Who’s joining me for the Scram 2021? No need to pack light. We’re renting Gold Wings. Source

Royal Enfield takes its twin to dirt track (Brandon lajoie/)After 56 years off, Royal Enfield is going racing again—dirt-track racing. This is a company that built its first motorcycle in England in 1901, and thanks to globalization is now owned by Eicher Motors, an Indian com­pany. The bikes are manufactured in India, but designed by an R&D center near Leicester, England. Royal Enfield’s recently introduced 650 parallel twin model has sold strongly, and its compact engine, revealed in 2018, nicely fits the dirt track mold. The shocker is that its US development rider, Johnny Lewis, was able to put the RE prototype on the top box at an American Flat Track (AFT) Production Twins event in October of 2020. Royal Enfield’s traditionally styled air/oil-cooled twin has sold well worldwide; the attractive and reliable general-purpose middleweight goes for the knockout price of around $6,000. The RE product line, including the Himalayan and Bullet models, outsold Harley-Davidson globally in 2015. Royal Enfield wowed the crowd at the 2019 European EICMA show with a dirt-track-styled custom built around the 650 engine. It was so enthusiastically reviewed that the company decided to give racing a whirl. A powered-up 750 version of its twin was put into a dirt-track frame built by England’s Harris Performance Products (another Eicher-owned company, which has built MotoGP chassis for the Kenny Roberts team). In the hands of American dirt-track racer and trainer Johnny Lewis the bike evolved rapidly enough to achieve a win. The latest dirt-track chassis in the versatile build jig. (Brandon lajoie/)Adrian Sellers, RE’s tech center industrial design boss, arranged two Google Meets between myself and the chassis and engine people behind this project to discuss how the project came into being and to help me understand its unusually rapid evolution. Sellers told me they chose dirt track because, while roadracing’s popularity has declined, dirt track is accessible and attracts many intrigued new fans. Dirt track has become cool. “We did a bit of drag racing in Europe, and ran a bike at Bonneville—that got (management) comfortable with racing,” Sellers said. “The good news is, they have money to spend!” I had seen photos of the bike and was struck by its very short wheelbase. That’s what you see in the classic Harley XR; its wheels are about as close to its engine, front and rear, as they can possibly be. That makes the steering quicker and also maximizes weight transfer to the rear wheel during acceleration. Room for everything—the no-linkage single shock nestles between the pipes. (Brandon lajoie/)“We had no previous dirt-track experience, but we moved quicker with Johnny Lewis,” Sellers said. “It was a case of where do we start? Initially it was a stab in the dark. We thought, We’ll build a lot of adjustment into it and then look for the best settings.” Steering-head angle can be varied over a range of plus/minus 2 degrees, and steering yokes can change offset (and therefore trail) by plus/minus 4mm. The swingarm pivot height—crucial because it gives control over machine squat/anti-squat during acceleration—can move up or down by 5mm. “The biggest change was adding flex. Johnny wanted more flex as soon as he rode it,” said Sellers. “We have three chassis now. We started with a cradle frame, but now there’s no structure under the engine.” The chassis is low-temperature-brazed commer­cially available 1-1/4-inch 16-gage seamless steel tubing. Brazing, widely used in English tube chassis since its intro­duction by Rex McCandless on the 1950 factory Nortons, results in reliable joints because it forms smooth, stress-reducing fillets. Suspension, for the moment, is Showa up front and a single TTX 36 Öhlins unit at the rear. “Normally, single-shock rear suspension can provide a different feel by changing the link,” Sellers said. “But at Johnny’s request, now it has a direct (linkless) shock.” Wheels are spidery 16-spoke units from Roland Sands Design, machined by Performance Machine from forged billets, accepting the dirt-track standard “Barnes style” quick-change sprocket and brake disc carriers. This bike is short! Swingarm pivot height can be varied to control squat/anti-squat via alternative inserts. (Brandon lajoie/)Digital communication, the ability of the principals to talk face-to-face and exchange data at any time, has made a big difference to this extremely international program. Although the (originally) 78.0mm bore by 67.8mm stroke parallel-twin engine evokes the visual flavor of Royal Enfield’s British twin past, it is in fact a modern design in international style. The forged steel crank has three main bearings, whereas traditional British twins had only two, and the crankpins are set at 270 degrees rather than 360. Not only does this give the exhaust note the attractive syncopation of a V-twin, it also reduces the large, twice-per-revolution inertia torques of tradi­tional British twins, whose pistons start and stop together and cause a cyclic variation in crank speed. (Each time the pistons are accelerated from rest, the energy must come out of the crank, slowing it. When they decelerate again to a stop at TDC or BDC they accel­erate the crank.) A gear-driven balance shaft ahead of the crank reduces primary shaking forces. Boring the cylinders out to 83.5mm takes the engine to 750cc. In the head, a single cam operates four forked roller rocker arms to control eight valves whose stems are set at a 38-degree included angle. Stock pistons are almost completely flat. Stock power of the engine is 47 hp at 7,250 rpm. Now the question becomes one of doubling that power to make the engine competitive in AFT. Can it be done? Can it be done reliably? Rider Johnny Lewis with the very compact, mass-centralized RE. Note below his left hand one of two high-mounted oil coolers. (Brandon lajoie/)The second video meeting addressed these questions. “The problem is getting the revs up where the competitors’ engines are,” said Steven James of RE’s engine team. That means, in round figures, 10,000 rpm. “And not letting the head get too hot,” components and bottom end specialist Haydn Robinson added. A look at the stock bike reveals a large oil cooler; the dirt-tracker has two of them to remove heat from those parts of the engine not reachable by cooling air. Therefore cylinder-head cooling is shared between air and oil. This engine’s 67.8mm stroke is longish, but as Kawa­saki has shown with five consecutive World Superbike titles from its rather long-stroked ZX-10RR base engine, a longish stroke is not a disadvantage unless it leads to unreliability. In general it’s easier to achieve fast, efficient combustion in smaller-bore, longer-stroke cylinders than by going in the F1 direction of a huge bore and tiny stroke. To cope with traction on the dirt, a flat torque curve with no surprises is what past winners, such as Harley’s XR, Honda’s RS750, and Indian’s FTR750, have delivered. The Number 10 RE racing sideways in close company. (Brandon lajoie/)“The production engine has to last hundreds of hours,” James said. “The torque curve was quite flat before we began. We do quite a lot of numerical simulation, (so) getting more airflow is quite straightforward.” The old path to power was unending testing; build as many as 100 single-cylinder test engines to a variety of specs, dyno them, and develop the winner. Much of that pay-as-you-go cut-and-try can now be eliminated (and the schedule shortened) by intelligent simulation. Engine team leader Mike Coombs said, “We’ve got access to a good engineering team (in India) and quite sophisticated engine simulation techniques. We use that a lot. The first time on the dyno, we were pretty much where we expected to be. “The engine—stock—is pretty strong, considering. It’s a relatively recent development, a ‘world’ product.” OK, let’s speculate. If we push the revs to 9,500 and pick 90 percent of a fully developed engine’s stroke-averaged net combustion pressure, we get a ballpark peak of 97 hp. How hard is 9,500 going to be on pistons? On con-rods? A crude picture can be formed by arithmetic in the form of peak piston acceleration. For this engine, at 9,500 and with a normal rod ratio, we get 4,300 G, which is less than half the highest such accelerations reached in Formula 1′s V-10 era. Seems to me that RE can achieve both the necessary power and reliability. In dirt-track racing the traction changes as heats and semis roll by, so the bike’s settings have to change with it. (Brandon lajoie/)The Production Twins class in which this bike has run, the class with the greatest variety of machines and riders, is the apparent future of AFT. The Super Twins class that Indian has dominated since 2017 is for purpose-built race engines, so it has become mostly an Indian spec class with maybe a private Harley or Yamaha thrown in. The reason James spoke of keeping the head from getting too hot is that anything that heats the fresh charge before or during combustion makes detonation more likely. Detonation, an abnormal and destructive form of combustion occurring <i>after</i> the spark has ignited the fuel-air charge, sets the upper limit on engine compression ratio. We want high compression because it raises torque, but the higher we go and the hotter the piston and head operate, the more likely detonation becomes. The team, ready for action. As Rob Muzzy once said, “Don’t leave anything behind that you might need—the truck can carry it all.” (Brandon lajoie/)“Detonation is not a binary thing, like it’s knocking or it’s not knocking. To get maximum performance, you have to accept some light detonation,” Coombs said. I remembered Mick Doohan’s crew chief Jerry Burgess talking about the detonation counter—you tuned toward the limit until you had a certain number of counts per lap. Go too far and knock softens the piston and forges it down, trapping the top piston ring. But going for zero counts sacrifices some torque and power. Consensus is that if you can bring wide, flat torque and close to 100 hp to the series, you’re in with a chance. Making your bike handle? Making it reliable? Making it work on mile, half-mile, and TT? Those are other questions, but they’ll be easier answered with a cooperative major manufacturer smoothing the way. This shot shows the latest more-flexible chassis—structure under the engine. Also the floating link rear brake caliper that doesn’t hop or chatter the tire when you brake over bumps. (Brandon lajoie/)“We have access to simulations for the durability of parts. What’s the fatigue life of the crank? We have good confidence in components,” Coombs said. The good result at Daytona last October suggests that at least some handling issues are under control, as observers didn’t think that win came from horsepower. We want to see starting fields in AFT become deeper and competitive equipment more accessible, so we welcome Royal Enfield to flat track racing. Romantics want flat track bikes to be developed in private backyards and basements, but realists admit that engine development is a stretch for most Americans. Therefore the shortest path to deeper fields and closer racing is competitive bikes you can afford to buy. That’s exactly what the classic Harley XR was when it first became available in 1972. Source

International Female Ride Day’s 2021 logo. (Motoress/)Ever so slowly, it feels like things are getting back to the way they were in the before times, which increasingly includes motorcycle events like rallies, rides and shows. Case in point is the latest announcement from International Female Ride Day, which tells us it’s on for 2021, and is back to its usually scheduled slot in the first week of May. The worldwide event has been unfolding for 14 years now as a way to celebrate women motorcycle riders around the world; as founder Vicki Gray (also known as Motoress) tells it, “it is a globally synchronized “JUST RIDE!” day” created for all women…[and] to promote and highlight women riders while making a positive difference for women in motorcycling and powersports.” IFRD claims to be the world’s largest women rider and powersports event synchronized across all borders and all cultures. Last year’s edition got bumped from its normal May timing, and was moved to August. But we’re happy to report that the 2021 edition, which is also celebrating the 15th anniversary of IFRD, is May 1. Indian/Polaris are returning for 2021 as sponsors of IFRD. (Indian Motorcycles/)This year’s IFRD is already deep into the planning stage, with solo rides, socially distanced gatherings and women’s “Just Ride!” meetups all on the menu for the 15th global edition. Then, on Saturday May 1st, women riders around the world will hop on their motorcycles, scooters, and powersports rigs in a synchronized global ride day unfolding in over 120 countries and six continents. According to IFRD’s press release, “the movement places a spotlight on the diverse participation of women already engaging in motorcycling and powersports while inspiring other women to learn to ride and obtain their license.” It goes on to state that, even though female ridership has doubled over the last decade, women still represent just around 20 percent of all motorcycle owners, and the momentum needs to continue to advance the future of motorcycling for women, and arguably, the sport as a whole. RELATED: International Female Ride Day Is August 22 To that end, this year’s 15th edition is using the theme (and tag) of #FocusFemaleForward to put more emphasis on the IFRD’s goals, which, in a nutshell, is to encourage new women to ride while aiming to move women forward in all aspects. And although things are looking somewhat sunnier as far as health restrictions go this year, IFRD 2021 is still being planned with a careful eye toward navigating the coronavirus pandemic. Riders taking part are being reminded to enjoy the day within pandemic protocols and to follow guidelines for social distancing to protect against the spread of COVID-19. As in 2020, all participants have access to the complete Coronavirus guidelines and ride planning tools on the IFRD website, where you can also dig up ways to take part, and check out helpful tips to get your ride ready. Indian Motorcycle (and parent company Polaris) as well as Triumph Motorcycles are returning as IFRD’s partners again this year, while IFRD supporters include Can-Am (BRP) Yamaha and Harley-Davidson Footwear. But it’s key to remember that all are welcome to support the cause, participate and ride - no matter what they ride. Source

BMW rolls the R 18 cruiser onto American highways. We grab a Harley-Davidson Softail Slim to compare technology, tradition, and culture in two modern heavyweight twins. (Jeff Allen/)Two of the oldest, most famous motorcycle manufacturers in the world are using all the resources at their disposal to create motorcycles that inspire you, motorcycles that people write songs about and take pictures of everywhere they go. These two machines, the 2021 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim and BMW R 18 First Edition, are, first and foremost, emotionally evocative. In the time of the Harley-Davidson Knucklehead and BMW R 5, there were no micro-specifications or subcategories. Eighty years ago, motorcycles were just motorcycles, products of topography. A 1936 R 5 might look like a sportbike next to a Harley EL of the same year, as the BMW was developed for riding through European mountains and villages, not, say, crossing Kansas. Ever since, H-D has manufactured what is essentially the same silhouette, gradually updating technology as time passed. New H-Ds have new 45-degree V-twin engines, but squint hard at the 2021 Softail Slim and you can see the ghost of an EL. BMW, on the other hand, now has a different motorcycle at the top of every class of bike except cruiser. For BMW, a company known for technical expertise and engineering, this level of focus on visceral emotional response is new. BMW’s engineers had several clear goals for the R 18. The new bike had to fit the aesthetic parameters of an American cruiser, including the large engine as the centerpiece. The rider had to feel the bike come alive beneath them as it started up and see moving pieces like the exposed driveshaft. It had to maintain the flat-twin engine, evoke the R 5, and represent BMW’s technical prowess while simultaneously being a true spiritual evolution of the BMW lineage. That’s a lot to accomplish. Same notes, different songs, these two Big Twin cruisers are at their best on meandering backroads. (Jeff Allen/)Harley-Davidson, on the other hand, has developed the Softail models from a line of cruiser motorcycles stretching back almost a century. The defining aspects of the cruiser genre exist naturally within Harley-Davidson models because modern cruisers essentially all evolved from Harley-Davidson models. But as the originators of this genre, the company is held to a meticulously high standard. Change cannot come too abruptly or without serious consideration. As Cycle World Technical Editor Kevin Cameron said, “If you get the heritage part right, get the proportions, the colors, the unspoken but clear message right, you may earn the right to move ahead with change.” Ergonomic packages are similar on each bike, though aftermarket options are much greater on the Softail platform. (Jeff Allen/)So Harley-Davidson’s flagship line has progressed from what were once very loud, massive, shaky machines into relatively refined vehicles which still preach the silent message of the great American freedom machine. This refinement has come with decades of work, exhaustive study of customer desires, and extensive real-world testing. Three new laboratories have been built over the past two decades specifically for tuning sound and vibration. The Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight 107 sits in the 2021 Softail Slim. (Jeff Allen/)The Softail’s Milwaukee-Eight engine is solid-mounted to the frame and 100-percent counterbalanced. The transmission of secondary vibration to the rider is controlled through touch points that vary model to model. For example, on the Slim, rubber-mounted handlebar risers and floorboard panels on bushings relay a steady combustion-pulse feeling, only really shaking hard for a moment with initial throttle application. That shake makes every crack of the throttle a joy. You have likely seen and heard the effects of this as Harley riders rev their bikes at stoplights. The engine sings beneath you under acceleration, and a rider can feel the hum of combustion in the best possible way. To achieve the desired cruiser feel, BMW’s R 18 engine was given its distinct pulse by omitting the balance shaft used on the company’s smaller-displacement flat-twins. Bearing in mind that peak torque was measured at 2,880 rpm, this omission was intended to provide enough vibration to tell the rider the engine is alive, but not so much that it would become irritating, especially as the redline was set at a low 5,500 rpm. The Rock ride mode applies a programmed-in shake and asynchronous rhythm to the idle, and is paired with the most aggressive of three throttle/fueling maps. The big boxer punches to life with a pull to the right, thanks to the longitudinal crankshaft and considerable flywheel effect. Any increase in throttle input torques the bike to some degree. Rain mode has an obvious application, but Roll was only used enough to determine that Rock is where we want to be, and that vibration at speed is the same in all modes. The R 18’s engine is the physical and visual center of the bike with its large, demanding presence. (Jeff Allen/)As revs climb past 3,000 toward peak horsepower at 4,800 rpm, that charming pulse feeling morphs into a droning and tiring vibration. My old 1974 BMW R90/6 had a similar endearing pulse at idle, but it smoothed out as the engine revved toward peak power output, which encouraged the rider to take advantage of the whole rpm range. But that old engine is half the size of this one, so even with the inherent flat-twin buzz, it was much less pronounced. In the R 18, that feeling moves from communicative and friendly in the low revs to an incessant buzz, compelling me to shift earlier than I might naturally and discouraging exploration of the upper horsepower range. A firm seat, solid-mounted handlebar risers, and footpegs bolted straight to the frame do little to damp this vibration. Therefore the charming idle so revered and expected among cruisers was achieved, but the bike must be ridden within certain parameters to avoid adverse effects. As Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer said, “The R 18 is very focused on the mellow experience, and if you ride specifically within that performance box, it feels great.” Floorboards on the Softail Slim allow for a range of motion while riding. (Jeff Allen/)Of course, the 244-pound engine and its two 900cc slugs affect the ride through more than just their moving parts. To fit a human to the R 18, it’s necessary to stretch the wheelbase to 68.1 inches. Even then, mid-mounted foot controls are tucked tightly beneath the massive cylinders, where both our large-footed testers still touched toes to cooling fins. The placement of the cylinders also eliminates any hope of forward foot controls or floorboards, staples of any cruiser acces­sory catalog. Early scrape points limit the R 18’s cornering ability at speed. Best to slow down and enjoy the ride. (Jeff Allen/)When it comes to appearance, BMW has done an incredible job. At the R 18 launch, BMW Director of Design Edgar Heinrich said, “In every detail, there must be love.” This shows in the motorcycle’s high level of finish, crisp lines, and lack of clutter. Wires, clamps, and bolts are all tucked neatly away. The R 18 draws from the company’s own classic style, but stretches and molds its lines to fit the American cruiser ethos. It’s hard to find any aesthetic fault in the R 18. The Softail Slim is also a beautifully styled bike, and it’s hard to beat a V-twin when it comes to the cruiser design. Still, when parked next to the R 18, little pieces that wouldn’t normally attract much attention, exhaust clamps and the like, suddenly jumped out. Harley-Davidson has always been known for its fit and finish and previously set the standard in this cate­gory, but the R 18 raises that bar higher. And perhaps it should, since our First Edition also costs $4,721 more than the Slim. Brake testing was the one performance category where the R 18 surpassed the Softail Slim. (Jeff Allen/)Riding the bikes back to back, we found the Harley-Davidson felt like a Ducati Monster compared to the BMW. The Slim was relatively light and agile, tipping into and pulling out of turns more easily and with more grace. Limited cornering clearance on the R 18 reminds you of what you already know: If you’re excited, you probably need to slow down. There is pleasure to be found in the R 18′s ride, but through scenery, not speed. Find a favorite road and take the time to enjoy it. You can get a swift flow going, but rushing is never rewarded on the R18. Exposed risers help to stir the aftermarket imagination. (Jeff Allen/)Limited suspension travel and low ride height, mainstays of the cruiser riding experience, are found on both models. Solo seats come standard on each, though the R 18′s is stiffer and less forgiving. Rear suspension travel is within a tenth of an inch, but you wouldn’t know it by riding the bikes. Spending a full Softail tank of gas on the highway may have you tired from fighting the wind, but the same distance on the R 18 exhausts riders through being on constant alert for bumps and shifting their weight to the footpegs to avoid compacting their tailbones. The BMW just rides harder out back. This comparison proved to be one of cultural significance, style, and emotional response more than engine performance, as the Slim outperformed the R 18 in nearly every test category. While the BMW produced more horsepower and torque on the Cycle World dyno, much of the disparity in our performance testing numbers can be attributed to the bikes’ 124-pound weight difference. The Slim was 0.69 second faster in the quarter-mile, 0.54 second faster to 30 mph, and 1.77 seconds faster to 100 mph. Only in brake testing did the R 18 surpass the Softail, stopping 2.89 feet shorter than the Slim from 60 mph. Classic-looking chrome bezels on round headlights belie modern technology inside. (Jeff Allen/)Much in the way that a recent religious convert might feel the need to extol the fundamentals of their newfound belief more than someone born into the faith, BMW has leaned into everything that makes a cruiser a cruiser. The R 18 is longer, heavier, and vibrates more than the competition. But it is also still remarkably BMW, with considerations like a reverse drive, adaptive headlight, heated grips, and the cutesy Rock and Roll ride modes. Herr Miritsch said, “It should be emotional, but without disturbing or even distracting the rider at any time.” And while the bike does succeed in delivering an emotional ride, there are undoubtedly disturbances and distractions if you get it even slightly outside of its designated comfort zone. The end result is something of an uneasy compromise, checking the cruiser boxes while hitting some BMW key points. It feels like Michael Jordan playing baseball. As a brand that has no real custom or cruiser heritage, BMW has managed to use its own history to create an endearing narrative around this new motorcycle. (Jeff Allen/)As a brand that has no real custom or cruiser heritage, BMW has managed to use its own history to create an endearing narrative around this new motorcycle. By adding a thicker seat and vibration-mitigating components at the footpegs, seat, and risers, the pleasure of use on the R 18 could be greatly expanded, its potential more thoroughly realized. The Softail Slim echoes the glory of Harley-Davidson’s century-plus of cruiser motorcycle manufacturing, and other specified Harley-Davidson models are available with the same engine and chassis, tuned to deliver a different experience with each model. BMW brings a solid contender to the fight, but for now, it’s all Harley-Davidsons on the Route 66 postcards. 2021 BMW R 18 First Edition 2021 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim ENGINE Type Air-/oil-cooled, horizontally opposed twin 45-degree Milwaukee-Eight 107 V-twin Displacement 1,802cc 1,745cc Bore X Stroke 107.1 x 100.0mm 100.0 x 111.1mm Compression Ratio 9.6:1 10.0:1 Valve Train OHV, 4 valves/cylinder OHV, 4 valves/cylinder Induction (2) 48mm throttle bodies (1) 55mm throttle body Trans. / Final Drive 6-speed/shaft drive 6-speed/belt CHASSIS Front Suspension 49mm telescopic fork, nonadjustable; 4.7 in. travel 49mm telescopic fork, nonadjustable; 5.1 in. travel Rear Suspension Steel swingarm w/ central shock strut, spring preload adjustable; 3.5 in. travel Coilover monoshock, spring preload adjustable; 3.4 in. travel Front Tire Bridgestone Battlecruise H50 120/70R-19 Dunlop D401 130/90B-16 Rear Tire Bridgestone Battlecruise H50 180/65B-16 Dunlop D401 150/80B-16 Rake / Trail 32.7°/5.9 in. 30.0°/5.8 in. Wheelbase 68.1 in. 64.2 in. Seat Height 27.2 in. 26.4 in. Fuel Capacity 4.2 gal. 5.0 gal. Dry Weight 764 lb. 642 lb. CW MEASURED PERFORMANCE Horsepower 81.3 hp @ 4,800 rpm 73.7 hp @ 4,900 rpm Torque 103.1 lb.-ft. @ 2,900 rpm 98.4 lb.-ft. @ 2,800 rpm Fuel Consumption 35.9 mpg 36.7 mpg Quarter-mile 13.82 sec. @ 100.82 mph 13.13 sec. @ 104.13 mph 0-30 2.37 sec. 1.83 sec. 0-60 4.96 sec. 4.39 sec. 0-100 13.50 sec. 11.73 sec. Top-gear Roll-on 40-60 4.44 sec. 3.93 sec Top-gear Roll-on 60-80 4.99 sec. 4.23 sec. Braking 30-0 34.0 ft. 35.8 ft. Braking 60-0 135.5 ft. 138.4 ft. Price $22,265 $15,999 ($17,544 as tested) Source

A successful retro standard motorcycle balances nostalgia and performance, style and rideability. Now, 54 years after the first V7 and 13 years after the first modern recreation, Moto Guzzi has released the fourth generation of that modern iteration of the V7 with an all-new engine and chassis. With iconic styling and all of the quirks and character that Guzzi is known for, the nostalgia is there. But has the classic-styled bike’s performance been updated enough to stay competitive with this quickly growing genre of motorcycles? The 2021 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone has a starting MSRP of $8,999. (Moto Guzzi/)The biggest update in this model is the new engine, designed to meet Euro 5 emissions standards and drawing on elements of Guzzi’s previous V9 and V85TT but unique to this model. Overall design of the engine is not radically different from previous versions of the bike, maintaining the two-valve-per-cylinder pushrod configuration. Thanks to the new larger displacement, we see a 25 percent increase in power over previous models, a claimed 65 hp at 6,800 rpm and 53.8 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. The crank has been re-balanced, and friction has been reduced to limit the torsional rotating effect so present when revving previous V7 models. That pull-to-the-right while revving is still there, for the nostalgic; it’s just reduced to a minor sway rather than a tug to one side. Our first ride test took place in the California desert outside of Palm Springs—a great destination for both wide open and twisty roads. (Moto Guzzi/)Power output of previous V7 models was notably underwhelming, so the increase in engine performance is something that we welcome eagerly, as it makes the new bike a much more capable machine. Most of that power comes on after the 3,000 rpm mark, but the engine produces tiring vibration through the handlebars at the same point; this does not smooth out until it reaches peak torque at 5,000 rpm. The cable-driven throttle provides a direct, connected feel, but fueling is abrupt with the initial twist; it takes slow, precise throttle application to achieve smoothness. The clutch lever is springy and the feel is very vague, making it hard to detect the engagement point based on your hand alone. The combination of abrupt fueling and lack of clutch feel can lead to a bit of lurching, especially if you have the traction control switched off. The 2021 V7 Stone with the Centenario version behind it. (Moto Guzzi/)At one point in our test ride, I was carving through some mountain roads while staying in the higher revs above 6,000 rpm, near peak horsepower. I closed and reopened the throttle quickly and was greeted with a pulsing effect from the fuel injector that upsets the chassis. Thinking it may have been a fluke, I tried this on three different motorcycles and found that it was consistent and repeatable. An all-new digital gauge on the V7 Stone, matching the shape of the new headlight. (Moto Guzzi/)Guzzi has developed a new chassis to house the new powerplant, though it’s a similar tubular steel layout with similar weight distribution to previous models. The rear shocks are larger with longer travel, and the swingarm is now larger and reinforced, with a new bevel gear on the shaft drive to better handle the higher torque output. Handling on the V7 is neutral and easy, but push it too hard and the soft suspension will remind you how this bike likes to be ridden. (Moto Guzzi /)The V7 easily drops into turns and now has the power to effortlessly pull out of them. Low-speed handling is neutral and easy. Going straight down the highway, the ride is smooth and stable. Only when pushing the bike, heavily leaning through turns at speed, did I find the shortcomings of the suspension. Both the fork and the shocks are a bit soft in both spring rate and damping, resulting in bouncing through bumpy turns and forcing me to slow down. Rebound is adjustable on the rear, which did help to slow the bobbing; the front is nonadjustable. Subtle Moto Guzzi branding hides throughout the bike, like the eagle silhouette that serves as a daytime running light. (Moto Guzzi/)A four-piston Brembo caliper grips a 320mm disc to stop the 18-inch front wheel, and while it takes a fair squeeze of the lever, there’s good feel for precise application. The rear two-piston caliper and 260mm disc are more than adequate as well; present, but not too grabby, with decent feel at the foot lever. The new bike comes in three models. As in previous years, the V7 Stone wears matte black paint with aluminum six-spoke mag wheels, a digital gauge cluster, and LED lighting, available for $8,999. For 2021 only, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Moto Guzzi, a Centenario version of the V7 Stone is available for $9,190, sharing all the same functional components as the V7 Stone but with a two-tone livery and a brown seat. Lastly there is the V7 Special, with glossy paint, dual analog gauges, and spoked wheels, as well as machined cylinder cooling fins and a brown swingarm for $9,490. Each 2021 model has the special 100th anniversary logo on the front of the fender. Brembo four-piston calipers provide excellent stopping power up front. (Moto Guzzi/)While the V7′s styling is very similar to what we’ve seen on model after model here, that is a good thing. It’s still undeniably attractive. The line from tank to seat, the knee indents, and subtle Moto Guzzi branding details throughout make it simply a great-looking standard. As each bike shares the same engine, tires, and chassis, there is room for up-spec’d models to be released later on. In true “Stone,” fashion, the base model V7 Stone comes only in matte black. (Moto Guzzi/)The gearbox on the new V7 is essentially a five-speed with an overdrive. Gears one through five feel great and are truly all you need for practical use, with fifth gear pulling 80 mph at 5,100 rpm. Sixth gear seems like a bit of a mileage play, as 4,000 rpm will only have you going 70 mph and vibrates too much for smooth highway cruising. Each V7 produced for 2021 will come with the special 100th anniversary logo on the front fender. (Moto Guzzi/)The retro standard category is growing quickly, with offerings from OEMs all over the world. From Triumph’s updated Bonneville line to Royal Enfield’s wildly successful $6,000 twins, there is something to fit every level of performance and most budgets. The Guzzi V7′s strengths are in its classic Guzzi character and styling, but when you view performance and pricing next to others in the class, it becomes hard to justify the purchase based on those factors alone. Moto Guzzis have always been funky motorcycles, bikes out on the fringe. They’re a choice for the rider who doesn’t want a Harley or a Triumph, but something more unique, Italian, and not seen quite as often. Thanks largely to the engine configuration, they’re quickly recognized by those in the know, and their classic styling is universally appreciated. It’s a friendly bike that isn’t too loud, too big, or unwieldy. It’s not trying to be a racebike. it’s just a simple, good-looking machine. Ride it within its capabilities and it will be good to you for many years to come. At 6-foot-4, editor Morgan Gales was surprised to find the V7 is a comfortable fit with his knees below his hips and body upright. (Moto Guzzi/)Gear Box Helmet: Hedon x Bike Shed Heroine Jacket: Alpinestars Brera Air Pants: Tobacco Selvedge Riding Jeans Gloves: Lee Parks Design Boots: Bates Fast Lane 2021 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone MSRP: $8,999 Engine: Air-cooled, transverse V-twin, pushrod; 2 valves/cyl. Displacement: 853cc Bore x Stroke: 84.0 x 77.0mm Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/shaft Claimed Horsepower: 65 hp @ 6,800 rpm Claimed Measured Torque: 53.8 lb.-ft. @ 5,000 rpm Fuel System: EFI w/ 38mm mechanical throttle body Clutch: Dry clutch Frame: Double cradle tubular steel frame Front Suspension: 40mm fork; 5.1 in. travel Rear Suspension: Dual Kayaba shocks, preload adjustable; 3.9 in. travel Front Brake: Brembo 4-piston caliper, 320mm disc Rear Brake: Brembo 2-piston floating caliper, 260mm disc Wheels, Front/Rear: Cast aluminum mags; 18-in. / 17-in. Tires, Front/Rear: 100/90-18 / 150/70-17 Rake/Trail: 26.4°/4.2 in. Wheelbase: 57.1 in. Ground Clearance: 6.1 in. Seat Height: 30.7 in. Fuel Capacity: 5.5 gal. Claimed Wet Weight: 481 lb. Availability: Spring 2021 Contact: motoguzzi.com/us_EN/ Source

For 10 years, the DGR has been encouraging you to dress funny and ride classic bikes in the name of men’s health awareness. (Shane Benson/Triumph Motorcycles/)That dapperest of all moto events, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, is back at it again for 2021, and this time there’s even more reason to celebrate, beyond the fact that it likely won’t be a completely solo ride event as it was last year. Or at least, we hope not. As it has been for the last eight years, the ride is supported by Triumph Motorcycles which will help the DGR bring together classic and vintage-style motorcyclists on May 23, 2021. Also a big deal is the fact that this year’s event marks the 10th anniversary of the tweed-heavy hoedown, which has raised $27.45 million for men’s health causes since its first edition. Anyway, if buttoning up a waistcoat and waxing your mustache for a short spin on your bike sounds appealing, you’ll want to read on for the details. Tweed jackets and handlebar mustaches: ATGATT for hipsters? (Shane Benson/Triumph Motorcycles/)First a quick sidebar. Apparently, somebody on the inside didn’t do the math last year; weirdly enough, the DGR had also claimed the 2020 ride represented the 10-year mark. But as the inaugural event was in 2012, clearly this year is the true 10th anniversary. Maybe they didn’t count last year’s ride because of the COVID-caused restrictions—as you may recall, 2020′s DGR was literally a singular one, with riders going at it solo instead of clustered in a massive pack of cycles, so it’ll likely be a bit of relief for some participants to be riding among a throng of classic rigs once again. Visually anyway, it’ll just look cooler. RELATED: Triumph Partners With Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride As a refresher, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride was created to bring together classic motorcycle enthusiasts to help raise funds and awareness of prostate cancer and men’s mental health. This year, the fundraising event is aiming for the milestone of raising more than $30 million on its 10th year anniversary, to continue funding research and programs with Movember, such as the Social Connections Challenge and the Veterans and First Responders Challenge. The 2021 ride is once again being supported by Triumph Motorcycles. (Triumph Motorcycles/)To emphasize the DGR’s 10th running, this time around a one-off custom Triumph Thruxton RS will be built and revealed before the event, and it’ll go to the Gentlefolk Competition Winner for 2021. To get details on eligibility, register at gentlemansride.com and check out more event info there. As extra motivation, Triumph is donating four new motorcycles from its Modern Classic range to the three highest fundraisers worldwide. As for this year’s ride structure, due to the ever-changing COVID landscape and restriction levels in various countries, the format of The 2021 Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride will vary depending on the location. For now, organizers say it will be a mix of COVID-safe, Route Only, or Ride Solo events. Check gentlemansride.com frequently to see how rides near you will be shaping up. All participants are encouraged to operate within COVID-safe best practices, and maintain appropriate social distancing measures. Follow the hashtags #DGR2021 and #ForTheRide to interact and engage with participants worldwide, which we’re guessing will also include the usual bike-riding celebrities seen in past events. If you’re looking for an excuse to break out the monocle or granddad’s vintage pocket watch on a ride, this might be your best bet. One of the prizes you can win at this year’s event will be a one-off custom based on Triumph’s Thruxton RS model (stock model shown). (Triumph Motorcycles/)To learn more visit gentlemansride.com. Source

Kawasaki has two choices for street-legal small-bore fun based on the KLX300R: the supermoto-syled KLX300SM shown here and the KLX300 dual sport. (Kevin Wing/)A year ago Kawasaki introduced its KLX300R, an affordable user-friendly off-road enduro model appealing to dirt riders of all ability levels. At the time it was only natural to ponder the possibility of a road-legal dual sport version to follow. We didn’t have to wait long. Kawasaki has introduced a pair of road-legal KLX300 models for 2021. Offered alongside the on-and-off-road-capable KLX300 dual sport is the KLX300SM, a supermoto version for pavement-pounders seeking an affordable and ultra-agile urban scraper with roomy ergonomics and thrilling backroad potential. There’s a chance you may have already seen or sat astride the KLX300, as both versions have been available in dealerships for some time now. With COVID restrictions beginning to lift, Kawasaki recently invited members of the motorcycle press to Folsom, California, for two days of play aboard its fun-evoking KLX300 duo. As to be expected, the event was conducted in adherence to social-distancing protocol; to this end, the technical brief was held via a Zoom conference call a few days before the ride, and once on-site in Folsom, a face mask was to be worn when not wearing a helmet. Seems helmets can reduce the spread of the virus somewhat; who knew? Anyway, despite there being no group meals or broin’ at the hotel bar, it was great to get out and bump elbows with fellow enthusiasts. The dual sport KLX300 is fit with a 21-inch front tire and 18-inch rear. (Kevin Wing/)Our first day began with us riding a varied route incorporating freeway, winding pavement, and dirt backroads threading through the Sierra Nevada foothills aboard the dual sport KLX300. We spent the later part of the day trail riding at Prairie City SVRA off-road park. The next day found us tracing a similar route, sans dirt roads and trails, aboard the KLX300SM, once again arriving later at Prairie City for an afternoon hot-lapping the facility’s paved kart track. Supermoto-sized 17-inch wheels, shorter suspension, and a larger front brake differentiate the KLX300SM from its dual sport sibling. (Kevin Wing/)Engine-wise, the KLX300 retains the 61.2mm stroke of its 249cc predecessor, but uses a 6mm-larger bore. Its four-valve head shares the same cam profiles as the KLX300R. The fuel-injected liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke 292cc single-cylinder engine churns out ultra-linear delivery from bottom revs to its 10,500 rpm limit. Power is accented with a whisper of top-end surge that comes in around 8,000 rpm and can be felt in the bottom gears of the six-speed gearbox. The chassis is a direct carryover from the KLX250 and features a lightweight perimeter steel frame and aluminum D-section swingarm. A 43mm inverted cartridge-style fork offers 16-way-adjustable compression damping and 10 inches of travel. Supporting the rear is a gas-charged piggyback reservoir shock offering preload adjustability and 30-way rebound damping adjustments to its 9.1 inches of rear wheel travel. Wheel size is a standard off-road combo of 21-inch front and 18-inch rear fitted with Dunlop D605 dual sport rubber. A 292cc four-stroke single powers both street-legal KLX300 models. (Kevin Wing/)I stand 5-foot-10 with a 32-inch inseam, and I found the KLX’s 35.2-inch unladen seat height does require a bit of a leg hike to mount. With the suspension compressed a few inches under my 185 pounds, my boot heels still hovered an inch off the ground with both feet down. Even so, I had little difficulty backing the light KLX out of a parking stall. Beyond that I rarely put both feet down, making traffic signals and trailside stops stable one-footed affairs. Equipped with EFI and convenient electric start, the KLX proved hassle-free to cold start, a momentary bump of the thumb button effortlessly prodding the motor into a smooth idle. The bike’s compact battery doesn’t offer much surplus capacity, as discovered by a few riders in the group who repeatedly left the ignition key on during our frequent engine-off photo stops, but the KLX bump-started with ease. The initial leg of our ride, along US Route 50, provided a positive impression of the bike’s freeway manners. The engine features a gear-driven counterbalancer that does an excellent job smoothing vibes, with only a light buzz detected in the bars and footrest, mildly gaining intensity when engine revs climb beyond 6,000 rpm. At an indicated 70 mph in top gear, the LCD bar-type tachometer registers 7,500 rpm. The KLX hums along contentedly at that pace and will pull upwards of 8,500 rpm on a level stretch; however, the assistance of a downhill grade or tailwind is needed to tap the remaining 2,000 revs in sixth. The KLX300′s cockpit is spacious and comfortable, and engine vibrations are well controlled via a gear-driven counterbalancer. (Kevin Wing/)The KLX’s upright riding position provides generous legroom, a relaxed feel, and a deeply padded urethane seat, a combination that suggests decent comfort range, though that couldn’t be confirmed on our fairly short 70-mile ride loop. I can say with certainty, however, that the airflow at head and shoulders level was without buffet, a credit to the stubby cowl above the headlight. Venturing onto a narrow winding backroad, the nimble KLX tipped into corners with just a hint of steering input. I initially felt the bike was too willing to fall in when entering slow to medium speed bends, a sensation I became accustomed to after a few miles of curves. Its plush suspension soaks up road bumps and ripples with ease, yet offers good damping control, delivering a comforting sense of overall stability and composure. Its light-effort clutch and slick shift action made selecting the proper gear easy work, and there’s enough low-end torque available to pull cleanly out of corners when you choose to play it mellow. When we left the pavement for a groomed gravel road, the chassis continued to track straight and true at speed whether seated or standing. Perching on the pegs felt natural, as the KLX300′s ergos are more akin to a full-size dual sport than small-displacement playbike. The road became more entertaining as rain-filled potholes of varying size provided a 50 mph slalom. The bike threaded through the larger water holes with ease and control; a total blast. At a casual pace the KLX300 has great trail manners. (Kevin Wing/)Prairie City offered a variety of slower technical terrain, including rutted single-track climbs, rocky creek beds, loamy sand, berms, and whoops. Being a casual trail rider at best, I appreciated the mild-mannered KLX300 when shaking off years of off-road riding rust. Intuitive throttle response and predictable power delivery help maintain rear grip. The engine chugs smoothly at its 1,800 rpm idle speed in low gear, with no hesitation as the throttle is cracked open, making it all the better when picking a line through the cannonball-sized river rocks littering several of the trails. The suspension had no issue dealing with anything I was inclined to tackle, such as hopping a log, rolling the whoops, or catching a pitifully modest amount of air. Your dual sport aspirations may well be more demanding. The KLX300′s suspension handled small hops and jumps with ease; fast, aggressive riders will most likely find the limits quickly. (Kevin Wing/)Being primarily a road rider, I immediately felt at home astride the KLX300SM for our supermoto play day. Its lowered suspension and 17-inch wheels amount to a 1.3-inch reduction in saddle height and allowed me a solid flat-foot stance. Cruising the freeway stretch at 70 mph registered a more relaxed 7,000 rpm on the tachometer due to a rear sprocket three teeth smaller than the KLX300′s. The SM also has rubber-topped footrests that effectively isolate what little vibration is felt through the dual sport’s dirt-style footrests. I also detected a slight reduction of vibes in the hand grips at any given rpm, something I assume can be attributed to a change of harmonic pitch with the SM’s inch narrower bar width. Or perhaps it’s the street-style mirrors? I digress. On the road the KLX300SM’s firmer springs and 17-inch wheels give more road feel and less weight transfer during acceleration and braking. (Kevin Wing/)Traveling a few of the same backroads as the previous day offered an interesting contrast in chassis feel. Compared with its dual sport sibling, the suspension spring rate of the SM is 39 percent firmer up front and 23 percent firmer at the rear. The result is dramatically greater tactile feel for the road surface, as in “dang, this road is kinda rough,” along with reduced fore-aft chassis motion when accelerating, and particularly so when applying a handful of front brake. The SM’s steering is very neutral and light in effort without the tippy feel I experienced the previous day. Despite the reduction in rake and trail, the sense of straight-line stability at speed hasn’t been compromised. A highlight of the event was leathering up and lapping the kart track. A mix of foot-out moto-style in the circuit’s tightest hairpins and knee-dragging in the faster bends proved a fun and effective way to rip it up. I came away impressed with the level of grip offered by the IRC Road Winner tires, which allowed peg-scratching cornering lean without a slip or slide. The SM’s larger-diameter (and 1mm thicker) floating front brake also impressed, offering fade-free stopping performance and a consistent firm lever feel. While many KLX300SM owners may not have access to a kart circuit, it doesn’t hurt to know the bike does have the potential. The KLX300SM was a blast on the karting track with fade-free braking and impressive grip from the IRC Road Winner tires. (Kevin Wing/)Which KLX300 model is the best choice for you will come down to riding priority. If off-road capability is in the cards, the choice is obvious; the dual sport provides that while still being an equally excellent economical commuter. But if dirt is an annoyance that you wipe off your shoes on the doormat before entry, the KLX300SM is a surefooted bet. 2021 Kawasaki KLX300 Specifications MSRP: $5,599 Engine: 292cc DOHC liquid-cooled single Bore x Stroke: 78.0 x 61.2mm Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/chain Fuel System: DFI w/ 34mm Keihin throttle body Clutch: Wet, multiplate Engine Management/Ignition: CDI Frame: High-tensile steel, box-section perimeter Front Suspension: 43mm USD fork; compression adjustable; 10 in. travel Rear Suspension: Uni-Trak piggyback shock; preload and rebound adjustable; 9.1 in. travel Front Brake: 2-piston caliper,250mm petal disc Rear Brake: 1-piston caliper, 240mm petal disc Wheels, Front/Rear: Spoked; 21/17 in. Tires, Front/Rear: Dunlop D605; 21 x 3.0 in. / 18 x 4.6 in. Rake/Trail: 26.7°/4.2 in. Wheelbase: 56.7 in. Ground Clearance: 10.8 in. Seat Height: 35.2 in. Fuel Capacity: 2.0 gal. Claimed Wet Weight: 302 lb. Availability: Now Contact: kawasaki 2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM Specifications MSRP: $5,999 Engine: 292cc DOHC liquid-cooled single Bore x Stroke: 78.0 x 61.2mm Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/chain Fuel System: DFI w/ 34mm Keihin throttle body Clutch: Wet, multiplate Engine Management/Ignition: CDI Frame: High-tensile steel, box-section perimeter Front Suspension: 43mm USD fork; compression adjustable; 9.1 in. travel Rear Suspension: Uni-Trak piggyback shock; preload and rebound adjustable; 8.1 in. travel Front Brake: 2-piston caliper, 300mm petal disc Rear Brake: 1-piston caliper, 240mm petal disc Wheels, Front/Rear: Spoked; 17/17 in. Tires, Front/Rear: IRC Road Winner; 110/70-17 / 130/70-17 Rake/Trail: 25.0°/2.8 in. Wheelbase: 56.5 in. Ground Clearance: 9.3 in. Seat Height: 33.9 in. Fuel Capacity: 2.0 gal. Claimed Wet Weight: 304 lb. Availability: Now Contact: kawasaki Source

Riding the 2021 Yamaha WR250F at Cahuilla Creek MX in Anza, California. (Mason Owens/)Every year a heavy focus is placed on motorcycle manufacturers’ newest motocross bikes as well as their cross-country racers and dual sports. However, sometimes it’s easy to overlook models that fall in between an off-road racebike, like the Yamaha YZ250FX, and a street-legal dirt bike such as the KTM 350 EXC-F. Although the Yamaha WR250F is not California green-sticker-eligible like some other manufacturers’ enduro models, it does qualify for a California red sticker like its YZ250FX counterpart. Last year, Yamaha’s 250 four-stroke enduro model was granted many of the same updates the YZ250F received in 2019. The WR250F is unchanged mechanically for 2021. (Mason Owens/)Designed for trail riders and enduro racers alike, the WR250F received several updates last year, many of which were also given to the YZ250F in 2019. We did not get an opportunity to test the WR250F last year due to the pandemic, so we were extra excited to get our hands on the 2021 model, which is mechanically the same as last year’s bike. After weighing, measuring, and dynoing it, we took the WR250F to some of our favorite trails in SoCal’s high desert and ended our rides with an ear-to-ear grin. Being that it’s an enduro bike, we would like to see the WR250F come with hand guards in stock trim. (Mason Owens/)2021 Yamaha WR250F Engine While the WR250F has different ECU tuning than the YZ250FX and a Forestry Service-compliant spark arrestor-type muffler, the engine itself is the same as the YZ250FX. What’s different is the WR250F’s enduro-specific engine tuning, which naturally means the ignition and fuel-injection maps are designed for enduro riding and racing. Aside from the ECU tuning and Forestry Service-compliant spark arrestor-type muffler, the WR250F’s engine package is the same as the YZ250FX’s. Our only gripe about the powerplant is that it’s a little hard to start when in gear. (Mason Owens/)What should be understood here is that because Yamaha designed the WR250F for enduro racing, the Tuning Fork guys made no attempt to make it a hybrid dual sport or, if you live in California, green-sticker-compliant. There is no carbon canister nor emission controls, which means you have a better-running enduro bike straight off the showroom floor. While the WR250F runs very well, its Forestry Service-compliant spark arrestor-type muffler causes its power output to be less than the YZ250FX and YZ250F, specifically 1.7 hp and 2.9 hp less at peak, respectively, than those two models. The six-speed transmission is shared with the YZ250FX and offers optimized gear selection for technical terrain as well as wide-open fire roads. The first and second gears are particularly useful. In second gear, I was able to still get down to a very low speed without losing throttle response; yet I was able to carry that same gear much further than expected. Because of the surprisingly long second gear, the amount of shifting on tighter trails is noticeably reduced, as is the gap between second and third. As expected, fourth, fifth, and sixth gears have a little more of a noticeable gap on this wide-ratio gearbox. A couple of the WR250F’s enduro-specific features include a multifunction enduro meter and a radiator cooling fan. (Mason Owens/)The 2021 WR250F engine has received a clutch basket update for durability, and the overall performance remains very good. Even though the engine is slightly restricted, clutch fade is almost nonexistent due to good gear ratios and sufficient roll-on power to make abuse of the clutch unnecessary. 2021 Yamaha WR250F Suspension The WR250F comes equipped with the same KYB Speed Sensitive System (SSS) coil-spring-type fork and KYB shock as the YZ250F, but with different valving and spring rates for enduro competition. Fork and shock travel are 12.2 inches and 12.5 inches, respectively. The fork is adjustable for compression and rebound damping, while the shock features spring preload, high-/low-speed compression, and rebound damping adjustability. The WR250F is an incredibly comfortable ride. The suspension settings are noticeably softer in comparison to the motocross version, but still offer plenty of resistance to bottoming. The fork offers enough holdup under braking that you still have confidence to drive harder into corners in comparison to other models. While they are still plush enough in the initial part of the stroke, you can ride through rocky sections with comfort. The shock is well balanced in relation to the fork. Although the WR250F’s engine is not quite the equal of the YZ250FX’s, it still makes plenty of usable power. (Mason Owens/)2021 Yamaha WR250F Chassis/Handling Keeping in mind that last year’s WR250F was completely updated to the 2019–2020 YZ250F chassis design, no changes were made to the 2021 model. The WR250F shares the same frame, subframe, swingarm, and suspension as the highly rated YZ250F. The KYB SSS fork and KYB shock are some of the most highly praised stock suspension components available. Some of the features differentiating the WR250F from its motocross-focused YZ250F counterpart include a larger 2.2-gallon fuel tank, which fits directly in place of the smaller motocross version without any unusual displacement of the bodywork; a radiator cooling fan, to assist in keeping the engine cool while negotiating tighter enduro-type trails; a full-coverage composite skid plate; an off-road-sized 18-inch rear wheel; Dunlop Geomax MX3S tires; a kickstand; a steel rear sprocket; and a sealed O-ring chain. The KYB suspension settings are noticeably softer in comparison to the YZ250F but still offer plenty of resistance to bottoming. (Mason Owens/)Additionally, the WR has several enduro-specific features including fuel level and engine warning lights, a stylish front headlight, and a compact taillight. There is also a multifunction enduro meter that incorporates two tripmeters, a clock function, and a race mode featuring an average speed display and a timer. How Does the 2021 Yamaha WR250F Ride? This bike is about as close as you can get to the full-race motocross version while still checking almost all the enduro requirement boxes. There are zero changes to ergonomics, even with the larger fuel tank. It may be bigger, but it’s no wider, as the Yamaha designers found a way to extend the tank lower in the chassis. The headlight and taillight are both well thought out and stylish in design. The taillight also seems to be extremely durable in comparison to some models using a more street-legal assembly. Considering the restrictive spark arrestor-equipped muffler, the engine produces an impressive 36.1 hp on the dyno. The WR250F’s engine power is certainly not equal to the YZ250FX or YZ250F, but it still makes plenty of usable power. The combination of gear ratios, engine settings, and rear sprocket size are well matched. First-gear crawling is very low, perhaps not two-stroke first-gear crawling low, but still impressive. Second gear is also usable down to almost the lowest possible speeds; the surprising part was how long it seemed to pull. I was able to make good use of second gear in single-track and did not have to shift nearly as often as expected, impressive for an enduro-tuned 250F powerband. Clicking up to third on flowing trails was also very good; keeping the revs up helped with recovery in some of the G-out sections where the rear suspension was a little softer. In fourth and higher, the bike ran clean with plenty of power for the two-track and fire-road sections. The WR250F’s chassis offers amazing comfort while not giving up too much performance. (Mason Owens/)The WR250F has the same sitting-in-the-bike feel as the motocross version. It also feels very planted, and because of the softer suspension, corners well without losing any of the Yamaha trademark stability. For me, a slightly taller seat would be nice; luckily, several aftermarket options are available. Also, if you are 6 feet tall or more, consider moving the handlebar mounts into the forward holes with the mounts facing rearward, which might help open up the cockpit. I rode this bike on two separate days at different locations and made zero adjustments. Straight off the showroom floor, I was able to ride the WR250F to 90 percent of my comfort zone and enjoy every minute of it. The most impressive thing was how well the whole package performed. We already know the YZ250F is at the top of its class; Yamaha has injected that DNA into its WR250F enduro racer. If you want more performance from the WR250F, Yamaha offers a line of Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing (GYTR) performance products featuring more than 50 items including a fully loaded GYTR performance cylinder head assembly, high-compression piston, and performance exhaust system. If you plan on racing the WR250F, you will most likely want to purchase an aftermarket muffler; if you do so, keep in mind that GYTR offers a performance ECU, programmable via the Yamaha Power Tuner app, which requires the GYTR Communication Control Unit (CCU) to connect to your phone. We already know the YZ250F is at the top of its class, and Yamaha has injected that DNA into its WR250F enduro racer. (Mason Owens/)Gearbox Helmet: Shoei VFX-EVO Goggle: Scott Prospect Jacket: Alpinestars Session Race Jersey: Alpinestars Techstar Venom Gloves: Alpinestars Techstar Pant: Alpinestars Techstar Venom Boots: Alpinestars Tech 7 2021 Yamaha WR250F Tech Spec PRICE $8,599 ENGINE 250cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder four-stroke TRANSMISSION/FINAL DRIVE 6-speed/chain MEASURED HORSEPOWER 36.1 hp @ 12,000 rpm MEASURED TORQUE 17.9 lb.-ft. @ 8,100 rpm FRAME Aluminum bilateral beam FRONT SUSPENSION KYB Speed-Sensitive System (SSS) coil-spring fork, compression and rebound damping adjustable; 12.2 in. travel REAR SUSPENSION KYB shock, spring preload, high-/low-speed compression and rebound damping adjustable; 12.5 in. travel FRONT BRAKE Nissin 2-piston caliper, 270mm disc REAR BRAKE Nissin 1-piston caliper, 245mm disc WHEELBASE 58.3 in. MEASURED SEAT HEIGHT 37.6 in. FUEL CAPACITY 2.2 gal. MEASURED WEIGHT 254 lb. wet AVAILABLE Now CONTACT yamahamotorsports.com Source

Triumph introduced the 2021 Tiger 850 Sport as a replacement for the base-model 900, distinguishing itself from the rest of the lineup as a more affordable and approachable middleweight adventure machine. The 850 Sport received slight revisions, as well as a price reduction to $11,995. Good stuff. Triumph 2021 Tiger 850 dyno (Robert Martin/)The Tiger 850 Sport uses an identical 888cc, T-plane crankshaft, DOHC inline-triple engine as the 900 family, but with dedicated ECU settings. According to Triumph officials, the ECU tune is said to deliver usable torque lower at lower rpm while providing a friendlier, linear power delivery. Ahead of an upcoming test, we strapped the Tiger 850 Sport to our in-house Dynojet 250i dyno, recording horsepower and torque measurements. The Tiger recorded a peak 76.93 hp at 8,030 rpm and 54.99 pound-feet at 6,930 rpm. Analyzing the curves, we see roughly 90 percent of usable torque is available from 3,500 rpm to 8,000 rpm, which makes for a seriously flexible a powerplant. Likewise, the power curve is incredibly smooth and linear. Source

Suzuki knows the Hayabusa will see modified engines and induction systems, so has made changes to the GSX1300R’s engine to increase durability. (Suzuki/)The Suzuki Hayabusa is unusual in that so many of its users modify the engine, sometimes subjecting it to loads four or more times greater than it was designed for. Suzuki engineers are well aware of this, and furthermore, management knows it’s essential to maintain this engine’s reputation for durability. It is only when no avenues of possible improvement remain that an engine is regarded as obsolete. In stock form, Hayabusa makes its power more through its 1,340cc displacement rather than revs. When turbocharged, it makes truly impressive power through much higher combustion gas pressures acting on its piston crowns. Fallible beings that we are, we seek ever more power, and the stress created by making that power requires periodic technical changes to handle that stress. Improved Crankshaft Oiling Engine survival depends on the oiling system. Even a momentary oil delivery shortfall or hiccup can result in a spun rod bearing, a situation in which under-lubricated bearing shells seize to the crank journal and spin in the rod or case. In the Hayabusa’s previous design, oil from the main gallery below the crank was supplied to the five main bearings; from four of those grooved and cross-drilled main bearings, oil entered drillings in the crank that conducted oil to the four adjacent crankpins. The upper main bearing shells, being less loaded, have a central groove. That, along with the cross-drilling of the main crank journals, assures there is always an open flow path from the oil pump, then into that groove, into the main journal, and ultimately by interior drillings to each crankpin and con-rod big-end bearing. The 2022 Hayabusa features new oil passages for better oil supply and durability. (Suzuki/)In the new design, a pair of diagonal internal drillings join the numbers 1-and-2 and 3-and-4 crankpins, passing through the main journal between them, where they pick up oil. From the graphics supplied by Suzuki, it appears that all crankpins are now also cross-drilled. Suzuki tells us that these changes have increased crank-bearing oil flow by more than 50 percent—without any change to the oil pump. The Oil Pump’s Job Is to Replace Oil Lost From Bearings Loads on crank bearings are not supported by pressure from the oil pump—it just pushes oil into the unloaded side of each bearing, while the very high pressure that supports the loads is generated by the viscosity of the oil, being swept constantly into the loaded zone by crank rotation. Loaded-zone pressure in supercharged engines can exceed 10,000 psi—more than 150 times stock pump pressure. The aim of cross-drilling is to ensure that the low-pressure side of every bearing is constantly able to receive “refill oil” from the pump. Bearing loads squeeze oil out the sides of the bearing, and the pump’s job is to continuously replace it. These changes have made that job easier. Reducing Crankcase Distortion During Assembly In an engine as heavily stressed as those in many modified Hayabusas, it is essential that the tightening of the bolts holding the cases together be uniform so distortion doesn’t occur. Crankcase distortion can result in unequal or edge loading of bearings. To achieve uniformity of bolt tension, Suzuki has switched from torque-based bolt tightening to angle-based. Torque-based tightening can work well if friction is identical from one bolt to the next, but angle-based tightening eliminates friction as a possible source of variation in bolt tension. The bolts are run in until they make solid contact, then are tightened by rotating each one through a specified angle. It’s spooky but reassuring to watch this on an automated production line. Roll-formed Internal Threads in the Crankcase Another durability improvement is a switch from internal case threads, which are cut with a tap, to cold-forging them by internal thread rolling. The advantages of roll-formed threads are that the material is work-hardened by cold-forming and the thread surface material is placed in compression by the high-pressure rolls. Cracking under stress requires tension, so putting residual compression into the threads means that applied load must first overcome that compression to even begin to create tension. The result is threads with a greater margin against failure. In one study I found, switching from cut to rolled threads increased strength 23 percent. Improved Pistons and Con-rods Today’s short “ashtray” pistons have a very short heat path from the hot piston crown to the wrist pin bosses. Raising boss temperature, plus very heavy loading, can lead to lube failure and scoring or the pickup of aluminum piston material on the wrist pin. This would be especially likely under the much higher pressures of turbocharged combustion. In fact, this happened when Ducati’s 916 went racing, and also in some modified BMW S 1000 RR applications. Part of the solution is the piston-cooling oil jets found in modern engines, but there is also another way. That is to maximize the area of wrist pin support in the rod and piston to more easily carry combustion loads, while sacrificing some bearing area in the opposite direction. A cross section on the 2022 Hayabusa’s piston. (Suzuki/)Tapering the sides of the small-end bearing in the rod (narrower at the top) places maximum width at the bottom to bear combustion loads, and tapering to a narrower width at the top where the only stress is that required to pull the piston downward on its intake strokes. The inner faces of the piston’s wrist pin bosses are similarly angled to maximize boss width at the top, where the piston bears hard against the top of the wrist pin. Such tapered-top rod small ends have been used in many designs to gain bearing area to reliably carry high combustion pressures. Supercharged aircraft piston engines were a prime example. Incidental reductions in piston and con-rod weight were also achieved—26 grams per piston and 3 grams per con-rod. The wrist pin has also been made shorter. Gearbox and Shifting Changes Gearbox shafts are typically supported at one end by a ball bearing, which positively locates the shaft endwise. The other end is then supported by a needle roller, which is able to accommodate the difference in thermal expansion between the steel shafts and aluminum case. The length of those rollers has now been increased by 18 percent. Suzuki tells us that in adopting a quickshifter, some detailed gearbox changes were required; these longer needle rollers plus changes to the gear selection mechanism. A new gearbox needle roller bearing featuring new longer rollers. (Suzuki/)There is also an improved slipper-assist clutch, and updates have been made to shifting to work with a bidirectional quickshifter. Plate-to-plate pressure and clutch slip torque are through ramps increased by engine torque, making some reduction in clutch lever pull force possible (no more “Oh my aching wrist tendons!”), and when the torque goes the other way (rear wheel driving the engine on closed throttle) back-torque acting through those ramps reduces plate-to-plate friction, allowing slippage during braking to prevent the upset of dragging or hopping of the rear wheel. Related Content: 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa Tech Explained Stiffer Valve Springs and Wider Cam Lobes As part of reducing emissions, valve overlap and duration (the number of crank degrees during which the valve is off its seat) have been slightly reduced. By requiring the same valve motions to be performed in slightly less time, this increases the accelerations required from both cam and spring to make the valve and tappet follow the cam contour. To prevent possible valve float, a phenomenon in which the valve train fails to follow the cam contour and instead rises or “floats” off of it, stiffer valve springs have been provided. To enable the oil film between cam lobes and their tappets to carry these increased acceleration and spring loads, the lobes have been made a bit wider; the heavier the surfer, the bigger the board. Stiffer valve springs combat valve float as valve opening duration decreases in the 2022 Hayabusa. (Suzuki/)Because the Hayabusa engine is an older design and is not under pressure to run at ever-higher revs, as sportbike powerplants did in their day, it continues to use the classic inverted-bucket valve tappets rather than the lighter finger followers found in the most recent engines. Indeed, the Hayabusa is remarkable for its low peak-power rpm of 9,700. That rpm, with the 65mm stroke, gives a moderate peak piston acceleration of 4,300g. Compare this with 600 Supersport numbers as high as 7,000g, and the 10,000g of the 20,000-rpm era in F1. Improved Cooling Just as it’s possible to space an air-cooled engine’s cooling fins so close together that cooling becomes worse rather than better, so it is with radiators. Suzuki has increased the throughput of cooling air past Hayabusa’s radiator by about 8 percent. The cam-chain tensioner has been redesigned to minimize chain runout and is slipperier. (Suzuki/)Improved Cam Drive Engineers are delighted when cam drives function reliably, because they know that all kinds of unwanted oscillations and parts damage can result when things are a little off. Why? Because the crankshaft doesn’t rotate smoothly, but rather in a series of speed variations as each cylinder fires. And because the cams’ resistance to rotation takes the form of sudden resistance, as valves are accelerated up off their seats, and sudden speed-up as fast-closing valves decelerate to seat at a survivably low speed (valves do not snap shut—that would quickly break them). Connecting two such “lumpy” processes together with a chain requires creative cut-and-try. In this case, Suzuki has redesigned the cam-chain tensioner “to minimize chain runout” and have added a slippery “Teflon veneer on the slipper surface” to reduce friction. Keeping up, not with the Joneses, but with the stress produced by hard-riding owners. Reading about all this improvement, I’d like to have my own design updated. Source

The 2021 BMW R 1250 RT gets a ton of tech in a comfortable and capable chassis. (Simon Palfrader/)When it appeared in 1976, the BMW R100RT model was the relaxed sister of the elegant and much sleeker R100RS. The R100RT was a fully dressed touring bike and featured a protective fairing derived from that of the R100RS, built fatter and fitted with a large straight-up windshield. The R100RS faded away by 1984, but the R100RT held on, as it was highly functional and fulfilled the needs of a good percentage of motorcyclists. When the new 1996 R1100 boxer twin replaced the last of the classics, the /7, the R1100RT was the flagship of the R1100 models range. It offered the same comfort and weather protection that made the original R100RT a success, but with a much more aerodynamic shape that bridged the designs of the previous RT and the R100RS. The RT model evolved steadily from there until the latest GS models took over the role of company flagship, but its unmatched efficiency and wonderful road manners meant it never faded into the background. For 2021 BMW upgraded the electronics on the BMW R 1250 RT adding lean-sensitive ABS and traction control. (Simon Palfrader/)The 2018 adoption of the 136 hp, 1,250cc, DOHC, four-valve boxer gave new credibility to the RT’s performance potential. Now BMW Motorrad has further enhanced the model’s appeal, offering an attractive 2021 edition with state-of-the-art technological advances. The new R 1250 RT is an absolute technological wonder, perhaps the most advanced motorcycle in the touring domain, and most importantly, it’s extremely easy to use. The R 1250 RT is equipped with two electronics suites, one to manage the bike’s dynamic functions and one managing the sophisticated engine. The two are fully interconnected, but I still rate them as two separate units given the multitude of functions they perform, both independently and cooperatively. The dynamic function suite is based on the latest Bosch six-axis inertial platform, the most advanced unit available, dedicated to ensuring safety and comfort levels never before offered. More advanced electronics just adds to the rider’s confidence in the R 1250 RT’s abilities. (Simon Palfrader/)The evolution of the antilock brakes provides a good example. With the new Full Integral ABS Pro system, the rider can activate the entire braking system with either the right-hand lever or the pedal. Both dual 320mm front rotors and their Hayes four-piston calipers and the rear 276mm rotor and two-piston floating caliper apply braking force from rider input, but also take into account the lean angle of the bike (cornering ABS) to automatically calibrate the amount of decelerative force applied to each wheel, calculating weight transfer in consequence of the braking force applied. This global ability to modulate the brakes frees the rider from the additional stress of worrying about lock-up or running wide. The renewed Dynamic Traction Control is further improved to ensure maximum control under all riding conditions. Dynamic Traction Control includes hill start control and can be integrated with the addition of the optional Riding Modes Pro, which offers four riding modes including Dynamic mode for a more spirited riding style and engine drag torque control under deceleration. There is also Eco mode, conceived to optimize fuel consumption when riding on open roads or highways. A front-facing radar allows for active cruise control, which keeps a set distance from the vehicle in front. (Simon Palfrader/)The new Dynamic Cruise Control is standard equipment and acts not only on the throttle but also on the braking system in order to ensure that a selected speed will not be exceeded going downhill. Active Cruise Control, available as an option, offers the ability to modulate the R 1250 RT’s speed in relation to that of the preceding vehicle to maintain a constant following distance as selected by the rider. This is achieved by a forward-looking radar that talks to the engine ECU. A set of dedicated cruise-control switches is located on the left grip, and an icon indicating the precise following distance appears on the bike’s 10.25-inch TFT display. This screen also gives access to the connectivity apps, the navigation system, various assistance and safety apps, and bike management electronics. The new TFT display ensures perfect readability in all lighting conditions and integrates navigation as well as smartphone connectivity, allowing the phone to be stored in a separate compartment where its battery can be recharged by an inductive system or by a USB connection. The massive electronics suite includes an optional audio system and adaptive LED headlights. The R 1250 RT’s 10.25-inch TFT display is bright and easy to read. (Simon Palfrader/)The latest edition of BMW’s boxer twin has achieved Euro 5 homologation thanks to a highly advanced ECU allowing the motor to maintain the previous model’s 136 hp at 7,750 rpm and 105 pound-feet of peak torque at 6,250 rpm while still reducing emissions. That torque number is impressive, approaching the 100 pound-feet per liter mark, and the torque curve as a whole is generous from 2,000 rpm on, with 88.5 pound-feet available at just 3,500 rpm. This motor retains the same bore and stroke measurements of its forbear, 102.5mm and 76mm respectively, and runs at a 12.5:1 compression ratio. The combustion chamber features an extremely compact profile with valves set at 18-degree included angle, 8 degrees for the intake valves, and 10 degrees for the exhaust. Valve diameters are 40mm for the intake and 34mm for the exhaust. Each cylinder breathes through 52mm throttle bodies equipped with twin injectors. The BMW technical team continues to evolve their legendary boxer twin to meet modern levels of sophistication. A variable timing and lift valve train modulates these two fundamental factors to adjust the engine response in relation to the demand of power and torque. Meanwhile, combustion is rigorously optimized to control emissions under all riding conditions. This highly complex process features the mechanical ability to shift from moderate to high-lift cam lobes and to reconfigure the camshafts in order to vary cam overlap. The valve train operates via finger-type cam followers. In addition, the inlet valves follow asynchronous opening timings in order to induce a high swirl turbulence and induce optimal combustion of the intake charge. A flat torque curve lets the R 1250 RT come out of corners with ease. (Simon Palfrader/)The combination of clean emissions and abundant power characteristics starts with the valve train, but an advanced sequential injection system and a large-capacity catalytic converter finish the job. The fundamental digital management functions are performed by a BMS-O ECU. The final touch of efficiency comes via the air/liquid-cooling system, which concentrates cooling fluid in the cylinder heads and the upper sections of the cylinders, where it brings the most benefits. The chassis structure centers on the massive engine block, which is employed as a stressed member with bolted frame elements front and rear. The fully adjustable ESA suspension units use a front Telelever and rear paralever unit, with fully electronically managed Dynamic ESA “Next Generation” available as option. The chassis spans a relatively short 58.5-inch wheelbase. Steering geometry is set at 25.9 degrees of rake (though with the Telelever suspension that varies with the wheel travel) and 4.6 inches of trail. The R 1250 RT rolls on 120/70-17 front and 180/55-17 rear radials, and the standard seat is set at 32.5 inches above the ground, though its position can be lowered to 31.7 inches. BMW claims a curb weight of 615 pounds, but weight distribution front to rear has not been disclosed. The profile of the new R 1250 RT is elegant, almost sleek, particularly in the brilliant metallic blue Sport version, but the front view shows a massive frontal area. This is fairly logical, given the bike’s mission of delivering maximum high-speed comfort in any weather. Wind tunnel research was used to develop airflow that diverts turbulence away from the rider, and the windshield is adjustable to prevent buffeting on the rider’s shoulders and helmet. On the highway section of our test, the R 1250 RT delivered incredible and almost total aerodynamic comfort at 100 mph on the Italian autobahn. In case of riding in low temperatures, heated grips and seats can be employed. In the raised position, the BMW R 1250 RT’s windshield cleanly diverts wind over the rider’s head and shoulders. (Simon Palfrader/)The engine is simply superb, with instant meaty throttle response at any speed, with supreme engine torque delivery assisting magnificently in both city and backroad duty. A balance shaft kills all vibrations coming from the boxer twin’s offset cylinders. Speaking of throttle response, I started the ride in Road mode which makes the throttle less direct and not as impressive. But switch to Dynamic mode and the engine’s response is connected and direct—as if the engine is connected to your wrist. Spot-on. Period. On smooth and flowing roads, the 2021 BMW R 1250 RT is a dream. (Simon Palfrader/)The steering is firm, precise, and stable even past the 120 mph mark on smoother and flowing roads. Off the highway, the R 1250 RT remained smooth and agile in medium to fast sweepers, with a front wheel that feels light but solidly in contact with the ground, allowing easy and instinctive control. On narrow and twisting Apennines mountain roads, badly deformed by roots growing underneath the surface of the road, the R 1250 RT was not as impressive, feeling top-heavy and less composed, with a bit of unpredictability. The optional adaptive LED headlights work terrifically on dark twisting roads. (Simon Palfrader/)The R 1250 RT offers extra security at night with a powerful LED headlight system, even in standard, nonadaptive trim. But upgrade to the adaptive headlight system and it’s simply terrific with the ability to project a powerful volume of light on the inside of a curve without disturbing the drivers of oncoming vehicles. The 2021 BMW R 1250 RT has been painstakingly conceived, designed, and honed to offer a satisfying ride on almost any road. Its engine is a superb piece of engineering that connects a pleasing traditional design with contemporary technology. And does it all with supreme class and composure. A proper continuation of the RT’s touring excellence. 2021 BMW R 1250 RT Specifications MSRP: $20,190 Engine: 1,254cc, DOHC, air/liquid-cooled flat twin w/ BMW ShiftCam Bore x Stroke: 102.5 x 76.0mm Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/shaft Claimed Horsepower: 136 hp @ 7,750 rpm Claimed Torque: 105 lb.-ft. @ 6,250 rpm Fuel System: EFI w/ ride-by-wire Clutch: Wet, multiplate; hydraulic actuation Frame: Two-section w/ load-bearing engine Front Suspension: 37mm BMW Telelever, central spring strut; 4.7 in. travel Rear Suspension: BMW paralever, WAD strut, spring preload, rebound damping adjustable; 5.4 in. travel Front Brakes: 4-piston fixed calipers, 320mm floating discs w/ BMW Motorrad Integral ABS Rear Brake: 2-piston floating caliper, 276mm disc w/ BMW Motorrad Integral ABS Wheels, Front/Rear: Cast aluminum; 17 x 3.50 in. / 17 x 5.50 in. Tires, Front/Rear: 120/70ZR-17 / 180/55ZR-17 Rake/Trail: 25.9°/4.6 in. Wheelbase: 58.5 in. Seat Height: 31.7/32.5 in. Fuel Capacity: 6.6 gal. Claimed Curb Weight: 615 lb. Contact: bmwmotorcycles.com Source

Benelli is giving its TNT 600 a restyle and upgrading performance as well. (Benelli/)When the Benelli brand was revived by Andrea Merloni back in the late ’90s, it hoped to become a genuine rival to the likes of Ducati and Aprilia as an Italian superbike maker. That didn’t come to pass, but after years of stagnation following its sale to Chinese brand Qianjiang in 2005, Benelli is having something of a resurgence with an increasingly convincing model range and fast-growing sales in its Italian home market. Now one of the company’s key models, the TNT 600, is getting ready for a revamp that should bring it back onto the European market years after it was forced off sale by emissions limits, as well as adding a useful performance and handling boost. The cancellation of last year’s EICMA show in Milan meant the usual platform for Benelli’s new releases was eliminated, and as a result we’ve yet to see any significant updates to the company’s range for 2021, but this revamped TNT 600 has emerged via Chinese type approval documents. In addition to a handful of technical details, the documents helpfully include a photo that gives a glimpse of the bike’s updated styling. Compare it to the current US-version of the TNT 600. (Benelli USA/)Visually, the updates are more extensive than they first appear. The headlight unit is the same one that was introduced with a minor revamp shown in 2019, packing LED bulbs instead of halogen ones and topped with a TFT color dashboard. However, the side panels are redesigned, with a slimmer look than the old ones and a pointier front edge on either side of the fork. Above them, the tank is the same as before, but the seat unit is completely new, with scooped-out moldings on each side that appear to funnel air to the underseat exhaust. That exhaust also appears to be updated with a more oval shape to the twin mufflers under the pillion pad. RELATED: Benelli 600RR Leaked Mechanically, the most obvious update is a new swingarm. It’s actually the same part that’s used on the new, Chinese-market QJMotor SRK 600—the first model to come from a new brand created by Benelli’s parent company, Qianjiang. It’s a shame that the rest of the SRK’s styling hasn’t been carried over as well, since the QJMotor is a sleeker-looking bike, but the updated Benelli also gets the same higher-spec fork used on the SRK 600, along with the genuine Brembo calipers and Bosch ABS. Performance-wise, the bike is understood to use the same 80 hp engine as the SRK 600, which is a substantial hike compared to the 67.1 hp claimed for the current US-market version of the TNT 600. While we still don’t know when the updated TNT 600 will be revealed, its appearance in type approval documents suggests it can’t be far from production now. Source

Benelli looks to be coming back to the sportbike arena soon with a restyle of its entry-level 302R. (Benelli/)We’ve yet to see any significant launches from Benelli for 2021, but the company has been busy developing new models that are sure to be officially revealed soon. One of them will no doubt be this new 302R baby sportbike based on the engine from the naked 302S. RELATED: 2015 Benelli BN 302 FIRST RIDE Motorcycle Review- Photos- Specifications While Benelli has made a 302R before (the number reflects its 300cc, two-cylinder configuration), and the old version remains on sale in some markets, it’s a dated-looking bike these days. The new version, seen here thanks to published type approval documents despite the fact it’s yet to be officially unveiled, solves that problem with entirely new bodywork, though the chassis and engine beneath are largely unaltered. Beneath the refreshed bodywork, mechanics should be similar to this current 302S naked model, with ABS included. (Benelli/)The styling starts with a vertically stacked pair of headlights, perhaps a nod to the design of the Tornado Tre that marketed the rebirth of the Benelli brand at the turn of the millennium. The light unit is set into a nose that manages to look slimmer than before by featuring separate side sections to reduce its visual mass and create mock air intakes with LED light strips inside. Further down, the side panels are actually much the same as the previous version, though new graphics and the addition of black paint to the lower section help make them look less bulky than before. It’s a similar story with the fuel tank, which retains the same uncomfortable combination of creases and bumps as the old 302R. Behind it, the seat unit is completely new, with some hints of KTM in both its orange paintwork and the use of flat surfaces and sharp creases. RELATED: Benelli Motorcycles FIRST LOOK Motorcycle Review, Photos Mechanically, the bike appears to be largely unchanged. It’s got the same steel tube frame as the old 302R, and the engine is still a 300cc parallel twin. Power is actually down a fraction, from 38 hp to 35 hp, probably due to emissions-related internal changes, but fortunately the new bodywork is also lighter than before—giving a fully fueled curb weight of 182 kilograms (401 pounds) compared to the old version’s 190 kilograms (419 pounds). The 1,410mm (55.5 inches) wheelbase is unchanged and the suspension looks to be the same as before, but Bosch 9.1 ABS has been added to the braking system to bring the bike into line with European regulations that make antilock brakes mandatory on new bikes over 125cc. As with the rest of Benelli’s new models for 2021 and 2022, we’re still waiting on official information and details about which bikes will be sold in the USA, but the new type approval means there’s no doubt that this machine is heading for production soon. Source

Honda’s looking to develop its own in-house radar system for motorcycles, with the setup likely to appear in the Africa Twin first. (Honda/)While radar-assisted cruise control has been available in cars for years, it’s taken a long time to make its way onto two wheels. Now it’s here though, and manufacturers that don’t have the technology are scrambling to catch up—with Honda working particularly hard on getting its own radar-assisted models into the range. For 2021, three manufacturers have managed to get radar-assisted bikes into production. Ducati offers a front and rear radar setup on the Multistrada V4 S, albeit as an option rather than standard kit. It’s an option on BMW’s R 1250 RT in 2021 too, though BMW will only sell you a front-facing radar so far. KTM, meanwhile, has introduced a front radar on the new-for-2021 1290 Super Adventure S, becoming the only company to offer the system as standard equipment so far. Patents show a radar layout using three separate sensors, one in front and two in the back. (Honda/)All those existing models use the same basic components, developed by Bosch. The radar sensors themselves are basically the same as those used in cars, but it’s taken years of work to create the computer systems that interpret their signals and react correctly on bikes. Motorcycles bring the added complication of leaning in corners and the fact that you can’t safely introduce automatic emergency braking systems to them, since unexpected braking is likely to cause more accidents than it prevents. As with their four-wheeled equivalents, the bike radars allow a motorcycle’s cruise control system to maintain a constant distance from vehicles ahead even as speeds change, while the rear-facing radar on Ducati’s Multistrada provides a blind spot warning system. Kawasaki is also signed up to adopt the Bosch radar system, and was recently seen testing just that on an updated version of the Ninja H2 SX SE+. The Africa Twin already has the perfect spot for tucking in a sensor unobtrusively, just under the headlights. (Honda/)Honda’s development work on radar so far suggests the firm is keen on creating its own systems rather than simply buying the existing Bosch setup, and a brace of new patents show how the company is looking to implement them on the Africa Twin. Instead of using just one front radar, or even a front and a rear unit, the firm’s designs show a bike with three separate radar sensors—one at the front and two at the back. The front radar looks much like the systems already used by BMW, Ducati, and KTM, and in fact the radar sensor’s positioning, just below and between the Africa Twin’s headlights, brings new sense to some of Honda’s styling decisions on the current version of the bike. There’s already a separate front body panel area with a prominent blank, flat section set into it that’s just about the perfect size to hide a radar. With the latest patent documents showing that the radar system was under development before the Africa Twin’s 2020 redesign, it’s virtually certain that the styling has been created with the introduction of radar in mind. Out back, there are two separate radar units on either side of the license plate, each angled slightly sideways. (Honda/)At the back is where Honda’s setup, as seen in the latest patents, departs from the norm. Instead of a single radar sensor facing directly rearward, as on Ducati’s Multistrada V4 S, there are two separate radar units mounted inside the license plate hanger, just where the license plate lamp is mounted. Instead of facing back, these sensors are angled to point largely sideways, with a slight rearward slant. Since each radar creates a wide detection cone, the result is a radar-swept area that covers not only the area behind the bike but each side as well, thus providing information to a blind spot warning system that can tell if a vehicle is alongside as well as if there’s one behind. Honda also suggests the system could be used as part of a lane-assist setup. The positioning allows the radar to cover both the rear as well as part of the sides of the bike. (Honda/)Another element of Honda’s radar patents we haven’t seen elsewhere is the use of transponders to broadcast information from the sensors to other vehicles or to roadside receivers. Honda, along with many of the world’s bike firms, has long been working on creating a standardized vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) system, allowing safety systems like radars or cameras on one car or bike to pass on the information they gather to other nearby vehicles. The idea is to create a daisy-chain of knowledge about each vehicle’s speed, acceleration, direction of travel, and its surroundings, which gets passed to other vehicles in the vicinity to allow them to build a picture of what’s going on, even if it’s out of the direct line of sight, so they can respond to potential dangers or warn their riders much earlier than is possible with today’s systems. Source

Honda officially confirmed the redesigned Grom will be in the US as a 2022 model. It’ll be available in May with ABS as an option (shown). (American Honda Motor Co./)Late last year Honda gave us word that a new, redesigned Grom would be hitting other parts of the world as a 2021 model, but besides a mention that it would also be eventually available in the US, no other details of the North America-bound mini moto were given. Changes revealed on the global model gave us some hints though, like the addition of a fifth gear, a new headlight, Euro 5 certification for the engine, and a full styling revamp, but we Yanks were left to ponder what the price tag or availability would be. Now that’s been settled, as last week American Honda officially announced that a new version of the Grom, one of its current best sellers worldwide, would be coming to our shores in May as a 2022 model. As noted in last year’s Euro release, the US-bound Grom will also have new bodywork and a Euro 5-spec engine with a five-speed gearbox. Here’s the base trim in Queen Bee Yellow. (American Honda Motor Co./)As we’d hoped, the made-over Grom for the US market will get those major revisions, including a reworked 125cc engine and a five-speed transmission. The two-valve single-cylinder mill has a higher compression ratio (now 10.0:1) and meets Euro 5 emissions standards, and the addition of the fifth gear gave Honda the opportunity to add a larger 38-tooth final-drive sprocket for a bit more snap. The 125cc two-valve engine has a narrower bore and longer stroke than its predecessor (50mm x 63.1mm compared to 52.4mm x 57.9mm) as well as a higher compression ratio of 10.0:1 (9.3:1 previously). (American Honda Motor Co./)Another big part of the makeover for the 2022 model year is the new bodywork with pared-down styling. Because the Grom has always been about easy customization, owners can get at the four main body panels via six big fasteners, allowing them to pop the panels off the steel backbone frame and mix and match colors for a simple way to swap looks. Also on the styling front is a new look for the engine, exhaust, wheels, and swingarm, which all get blacked out for a more up-to-date vibe; the wheels keep their signature 12-inch size, but feature a new design with a five-spoke pattern. The main body panels are easily removable via those quick-access recessed fasteners; shown is the SP graphic. (American Honda Motor Co./)You might notice a subtle change with the seat too; it’s flat rather than stepped and gets thicker padding. With that comes a new subframe, though the frame and suspension remain unchanged, and Honda is quick to point out that the saddle is still an easily cleared 30 inches off the tarmac. You’ll also see a more robust LCD display with provisions for a gear change indicator added to the speedo, tach, fuel gauge, clock, and twin tripmeters. Dig even deeper and you’ll find out that the mini moto’s 2022 iteration (the Grom’s third) now has a replaceable oil filter, ditching the previous oil spinner and screen for easier maintenance. There’s a redesigned exhaust pipe and muffler now designed as two separate parts, which should give customizers way fewer fits. Upgraded LCD dash now includes a gear position indicator to go along with the tach and speedo. (American Honda Motor Co./)For 2022, the Grom boosts fuel capacity a smidge to 1.6 gallons, and the upgraded LCD digital dash now has a gear-position indicator taking its place alongside the speedometer, tachometer, twin tripmeters, fuel gauge, and clock. 2022 sees a new two-part design for the muffler and exhaust, with wheels getting a new five-spoke pattern. (American Honda Motor Co./) New seat is flatter and plusher, and the fuel tank offers increased capacity for 2022. (American Honda Motor Co./) As a bonus—or at least, instead of an unwelcome surprise—Honda is keeping the price tag in line with last year’s model, at a suggested $3,399 for the base trim. But there are tastier options too, like the new special SP version which sports a gold finish on the fork, wheels, and brake calipers, and tucks in a yellow shock spring out back for an extra pop; that one’ll run you $3,499. Then there’s the higher-spec Grom ABS, which will run $3,599. The SP option serves up stylish graphics and gold finishes on key components. (American Honda Motor Co./) The base model in Matte Black Metallic. (American Honda Motor Co./) The Grom ABS now uses an IMU (inertial measurement unit) for better front-to-rear distribution of braking power. (American Honda Motor Co./)To sum up, the 2022 Grom can be had in Queen Bee Yellow or Matte Black Metallic for the base trim; the Grom SP with its stylish graphics and gold finishes for $100 more; or the Grom ABS, available only in Candy Blue, for $100 on top of that. The bikes will be available in the US sometime in May of 2021. Source

The 2022 Indian FTR 1200 transforms into a sport standard with several key revisions. (Jordan Pay/)Cycle World’s appreciation for the Indian FTR 1200′s rough-’n’-tumble feel is strong and deeply rooted. In fact, in a soul-searching five-bike comparison, we praised the American street tracker as possessing “the strongest spirit and personality of any bike in this comparison.” CW Editorial Director Mark Hoyer said it best: “The FTR’s strength is its successful evocation of Indian’s dominant, scratch-built FTR 750 flat-track racebike, and how well the company translated that into a ripping liter-plus street tracker. Its very limitations from a pure technical perspective and truth-to-trackerness are what make it so great.” Yeah, exactly. The R Carbon model is the halo of the FTR 1200 lineup, retailing for $16,999. In the sunlight, droolworthy carbon fiber paneling and Öhlins suspension catch the eye. (Jordan Pay/)But in an effort to civilize this street tracker and make it more approachable, Indian has traded in some of the FTR’s personality. After a day sampling the 2022 Indian FTR 1200 on the old-Western mountain roads around Phoenix, I can report that the FTR has been reined in for a more comfortable and practical ride, but it’s hard not to miss the looseness of its racing heritage. Previously the entire FTR lineup, except for the scrambler-styled Rally model, rolled on 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels with chunky dirt-track-inspired Dunlop DT3-R rubber. Indian has swapped the large hoops for traditional 17-inch cast-aluminum wheels and Metzeler Sportec street tires, a change that adds flexibility in aftermarket tire choices. Indian emphasized practicality with the new FTR, notably revising throttle response and incorporating heat-reducing cylinder deactivation and air channeling. (Jordan Pay/)Sharper and sportier chassis geometry also adds to the FTR’s new all-asphalt prowess. The bike loses a full degree of rake, which now sits at 25.3 degrees. Trail has also been reduced to 3.9 inches from 5.1 inches. Suspension travel of the fully adjustable Sachs components, or the Öhlins units fitted to our up-spec FTR R Carbon test unit, has been reduced to 4.7 inches; also lowering the claimed seat height to 32.2 inches. For reference, that’s 1.3 inches lower than the CW measured 33.5-inch seat height of the outgoing FTR. The design is meaner and more precise. A highlight of the FTR S and R Carbon? It’s hard to deny the appeal of the Akrapovič exhaust. (Jordan Pay/)The feeling is similar on tarmac. This Indian benefits from quicker handling and lighter turn-in effort than its predecessor while also providing a more sure-footed feel at maximum lean. Its long 60-inch wheelbase adds confidence-building stability on high-speed sections of road. The ProTaper handlebar has been reduced in width by 1.5 inches, balancing the already neutral rider triangle, and is more comfortable for this 5-foot-7-inch tester. Brembo Monoblock calipers carry over from the previous model and provide quick stopping ability and good feel. However, ABS is now non-switchable—a death sentence to the hacked-out corner-entry slides we loved so much on the tracker. Indian recalibrated the FTR’s 1,203cc 60-degree V-twin for smoother and more predictable throttle response without being as lurchy at initial touch. This makes for a smoother ride, especially in stoplight-to-stoplight and traffic-dense scenarios. Still, I chose the middle ground of the FTR’s three selectable ride modes, Rain, Street, and Sport, for the best balance of user-friendliness and immediate power delivery. Sport mode remains too abrupt for the tight confines of city riding, but is still preferred in the twisties. The FTR 1200’s rowdy personality has changed, but hasn’t been entirely eliminated. Wheelies galore! (Jordan Pay/)A cylinder deactivation system has also been incorporated, along with revised heat channeling to mitigate heat buildup. The system is activated above 176-degree Fahrenheit running temperature with the throttle shut and engine speed below 2,200 rpm, a nice touch for hot, summer days. The sporty Metzeler rubber does an excellent job of handling the FTR’s power delivery. Gone is the squirmy rear-end acceleration action of the chunky Dunlop dirt track tires, replaced with gobs of solid traction. It’s a conflicting feeling, really: On one hand, the quick acceleration of the new FTR being ushered away from the corner by the sticky tires is addictive and will get you from point A to B in less time and with more confidence; on the other, the rowdy slips and slides of the outgoing model made you feel like the next American Flat Track champion. That will be sorely missed. Revised geometry and sticky Metzeler tires make the FTR a menace at full lean. (Jordan Pay/)Still, opening the throttle on the FTR’s V-twin powerplant is always a hoot. The immediacy of the torque and a relatively quick-revving engine makes for a cruiser-meets-sportbike feel. This bike is originally based on the Indian Scout, after all. For reference, the last time we tested the FTR 1200 S on our in-house Dynojet 250i dyno, the Tracker produced 111.8 hp at 8,200 rpm and 80.5 pound-feet of torque at 5,800 rpm. The 2022 Indian FTR 1200 will be available in three variants. The base FTR model gets fully adjustable Sachs suspension components, an analog dashboard, and a price of $12,999. Upgrading to the S model will get you an Akrapovič exhaust, a 4.3-inch TFT dashboard with Bluetooth functionality, selectable ride modes, lean-angle-sensitive traction control, stability control, and wheelie control for $14,999. The $16,999 FTR R Carbon variant gets the same features as the S models, but is decked out with carbon fiber fenders, covers, and accessories, as well as top-shelf Öhlins suspension bits. The Indian FTR R Carbon leads the S and base models. Each guarantees a seriously good time on two wheels. (Jordan Pay/)The FTR 1200 isn’t just an upgraded version of the original model. It is a real step toward Indian holding a significant slice of the sport standard segment. The FTR, updated and revised for more pinpoint road performance, remains a genuinely fun motorcycle that promises a good time, just with a somewhat different personality. 2022 Indian FTR 1200 Specs MSRP: $12,999 (base model)/$14,999 (S model)/$16,999 (R Carbon) Engine: 1,203cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled, 60-degree V-twin Bore x Stroke: 102.0 x 73.6mm Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/chain Claimed Horsepower: 120.0 hp @ 7,750 rpm Claimed Measured Torque: 87.0 lb.-ft. @ 6,000 rpm Fuel System: Closed-loop fuel injection w/ 60mm Mikuni throttle bodies Clutch: Wet, multiplate, assist and slip Front Suspension: 43mm telescopic Sachs fork, fully adjustable; 4.7 in. travel/ 43mm telescopic Öhlinsfork, fully adjustable; 4.7 in. travel (R Carbon) Rear Suspension: Sachs monoshock, fully adjustable; 4.7 in. travel/Öhlins monoshock, fully adjustable; 4.7 in. travel (R Carbon) Front Brake: Brembo 4-piston Monoblock calipers, 320mm discs w/ ABS Rear Brake: Brembo 2-piston caliper, 260mm disc w/ ABS Wheels, Front/Rear: 17.5 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 5.5 in. Tires, Front/Rear: Metzeler Sportec M9 RR; 120/70-17, 180/55-17 Rake/Trail: 25.3°/3.9 in. Wheelbase: 60.0 in. Ground Clearance: 6.5 in. Seat Height: 32.2 in. Fuel Capacity: 3.4 gal. Claimed Dry Weight: 482 lb./479 lb. (R Carbon) Availability: Now Contact: indianmotorcycle.com Source

2021 Honda ADV150 (Honda/)Ups Impressive, but modest off-road capabilitiesCommuter-friendly with automatic V-matic transmissionAgile for maneuvering through city trafficSmooth power deliveryCenter-/sidestand open up parking optionsDowns Low 6.5-inch ground clearance limits off-road abilitiesSomewhat tight trunk space, at least for full-size helmetBusy LCD dashVerdict The Honda ADV150 brings more adventure to the average scooter commuter with its impressive, yet modest off-road capability, general ease of use, and standard city-riding amenities. 2021 Honda ADV150 (Honda/)Overview The Honda ADV150 is the fourth and most recent addition to Big Red’s scooter lineup. It is based heavily on the PCX150 in both double-cradle frame and 149cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine, but differs in exhaust and intake tract. What further differentiates it from its stablemate is its off-road capability with Showa suspension and block pattern tires. There’s more ground to cover with this gravel-road-capable commuter. Updates for 2021 The ADV150 scooter is a new model in Honda’s 2021 lineup. Pricing and Variants Considering its versatility, this scoot is priced at a reasonable $4,299, only $600 more than the 2020 PCX150. 2021 Honda ADV150 (Honda/)Powertrain: Engine, Transmission, and Performance The ADV150 is powered by the 149cc, liquid-cooled, SOHC, single-cylinder engine. In our first ride review, our test rider appreciated its smooth pull from the line. Its low-to-midrange torque makes it a purposeful package for navigating the urban sprawl. Power, however, noticeably tapers after 50 mph, but the ADV150 is meant for city commuting and it does that admirably. One of the primary attractions of using a scooter for commuting is its automatic transmission. This scooter brings that twist-and-go ease of use with Honda’s automatic V-matic transmission. 2021 Honda ADV150 (Honda/)Handling The ADV150 carries its claimed 294-pound weight well on gravel roads and paved roads. The nonadjustable 31mm telescopic fork and twin Showa shocks keep the ADV on course and provide good front end feel and overall traction on the dirt. On paved roads, the ADV is nimble. It can make midcorner adjustments and bob and weave in and out of congested traffic as a city commuter should. When pushing the scooter to its cornering limits on the twisties, centerstand scrape was noted despite the 6.5-inch ground clearance. Brakes As noted in our review, “The braking department consists of a single 240mm disc (with ABS) at the front and mechanical 130mm drum at the rear. The front setup, though on the soft side, is noticeably more responsive than the spongy rear drum.” Fuel Economy and Real-world MPG After the 60-mile city/gravel ride of our first ride review, the LCD gauge indicated an average fuel consumption of 70.8 mpg (with a total of 200 logged miles on the test unit’s odometer). That means the 2.1-gallon fuel tank has potential for taking the rider about 140 miles between gas station stops. Ergonomics: Comfort and Utility A roomy floorboard-to-seat configuration allows for ample legroom, however, the handlebar is close, making the upper portion of the rider triangle a tad cramped for our 6-foot-tall rider. Overall, the riding position is comfortable and upright for the city commute, and standing up on the floorboards for rougher terrain is doable. Its utilitarian features include its center-/sidestand, toolless two-position adjustable windscreen, underseat and side compartment storage. The underseat compartment has a 27-liter capacity and a 2-liter side compartment with a 12-volt adapter inside. 2021 Honda ADV150 (Honda/)Electronics ABS is featured on the front end and a 12-volt accessory adapter allows for cellphone charging on the go. The scooter also forgoes an old-school and conventional key and utilizes a smart key. A full-LED lighting package is also equipped. Warranty and Maintenance Coverage Honda includes a one-year, unlimited mileage warranty. Quality Scooters present an around-town ease of use, but the ADV150 extends that friendliness to the dirt. Equipped with stable suspension, decent braking system, smart key, and LED lighting, this scooter offers versatility with modern amenities. 2021 Honda ADV150 (Honda/)2021 Honda ADV150 Claimed Specifications MSRP: $4,299 Engine: 149cc, SOHC, liquid-cooled 80º single-cylinder four-stroke Bore x Stroke: 57.3 x 57.9mm Transmission/Final Drive: Automatic V-Matic/belt Fuel Delivery: PGM fuel injection w/ 26mm throttle body Clutch: Automatic centrifugal dry type Engine Management/Ignition: Full transistorized Frame: Double cradle Front Suspension: 31mm Showa telescopic fork; 5.1 in. travel Rear Suspension: Twin Showa shocks; 4.7 in. travel Front Brake: 240mm disc w/ ABS Rear Brake: Mechanical 130mm drum Wheels, Front/Rear: N/A Tires, Front/Rear: 110/80-14 / 130/70-13 Rake/Trail: 26.5º/3.4 in. Wheelbase: 52.1 in. Ground Clearance: 6.5 in. Seat Height: 31.3 in. Fuel Capacity: 2.1 gal. Wet Weight: 294 lb. Contact: powersports.honda.com Source

2021 Honda CRF450R (Honda/)Ups Comfortable dirt-bike-like ergonomics and slimnessReceives an ECU reflash that improves the engine performanceExceptional nimblenessNoise reduction efforts are well thought out and well appliedLong 12-inch suspension travelGreat versatility in tire fitmentDowns Engine vibration felt from every touch point, especially at 90 mph speedsShort maintenance intervalsVerdict Shoppers looking for a versatile dual sport will find the CRF450RL to represent Honda’s dual sport class well with its durability, versatility, nimble, comfortable ride quality, and thoughtful detail. 2021 Honda CRF450RL (Honda /)Overview The Honda CRF450RL is a road-legal dirt bike with performance and durability for meeting off-road and street riding needs. The addition of the “R” to the name (previously known as the CRF450L) supports its roots of being heavily based on the competition-spec CRF450R platform. Updates for 2021 The main updates that Honda highlights is the name change to the CRF450RL, from the outgoing CRF450L of 2020. Additionally, the ECU is remapped, there are restyled graphics, hand guards now come standard, and the MSRP decreases by $400. Pricing and Variants The price drops to $9,999 ($400 dip from last year’s CRF450L). Powertrain: Engine, Transmission, and Performance The new CRF450RL is powered by Honda’s legendary 449cc Unicam single-cylinder engine. In Motorcyclist’s Adam Waheed’s MC Commute, he relayed that it produces around 38 hp, which is significantly less than the R model (around 55 hp), but it is detuned for reliability and durability. With its six-speed transmission and communicative cable-actuated clutch, it works really well. He also said that because of its 450R roots the engine is a little cold-blooded, but thanks to the reflashed ECU the engine runs cleanly and provides a smoother bottom-end performance. Engine vibration, however, is felt from every control point, especially at 90 mph speeds. 2021 Honda CRF450RL (Honda /)Handling This bike is extremely nimble with its claimed 291 pounds, though it is 47 pounds heavier than the motocross version. This weight difference is because Honda had to revise components to meet street-legal requirements and incorporated thoughtful noise reductions on the engine, swingarm, and drive sprocket. Suspension travel is 12 inches (front)/11.8 inches (rear) and provides, what Waheed stated, as a “very pleasing ride quality over the bumps.” The 21-/18-inch IRC tires provide good grip on both street and dirt, but if the rider prefers one application over the other, more street- or dirt-biased tires are easily available. Although our test rider did not get a chance to ride it in the traditional dual sport sense of going from street to dirt road, he did ride it on a G-rated arenacross track where the CRF450RL proved to be very capable and it will bring that capability to the dirt roads/trails with minor tweaks to tires and suspension. 2021 Honda CRF450RL (Honda /)Brakes The braking package includes a single 260mm disc/two-piston caliper (front) and 240mm disc/single-piston caliper (rear) configuration. The front and rear brake’s responsiveness is well liked by test rider Waheed, and braking performance for the street is just fine. Fuel Economy and Real-world MPG During Waheed’s commute, he reported that he averaged around 30 mpg if riding near its 90 mph top speed, but the average would be higher if ridden at city speeds. Ergonomics: Comfort and Utility The ergonomics are like, you guessed it, a dirt bike. The seat is at a tall 37.2 inches and is skinny between the legs. Waheed pointed out that the shrouds are nicely wide for gripping with the rider’s knees in both seated and standing riding positions. The position-adjustable Renthal handlebar has an upright bend keeping the rider sitting tall and comfortable. Its decently sized serrated footpegs are also appreciated by Waheed as it provides good boot-to-peg grip. Electronics The instrumentation is a simple, yet effective LCD display with dual tripmeters, gas mileage, clock, speedometer, and odometer. The LED headlight supplies a nice spread of light for night riding; the taillight and turn signals are also LED. 2021 Honda CRF450RL (Honda /)Warranty and Maintenance Coverage From a street rider’s point of view the maintenance intervals for this machine are very short—oil will have to be changed every 600 miles (or 30 hours of use). Warranty is a one-year unlimited mileage warranty with the option to extend with the HondaCare Protection Plan. Quality With Honda’s legendary craftsmanship and attention to ride quality, this slightly revised dual sport makes for an enjoyable ride for both on and off-road applications. A $400 price decrease is always welcome as well. 2021 Honda CRF450RL (Honda /)2021 Honda CRF450RL Claimed Specifications MSRP: $9,999 Engine: 449cc, OHC, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder four-stroke; 4-valve Bore x Stroke: 96.0 x 62.1mm Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/chain Fuel Delivery: Programmed fuel injection w/ 46mm downdraft throttle body Clutch: Wet, multiplate; cable actuated Engine Management/Ignition: DC-CDI Frame: Twin-spar aluminum Front Suspension: 49mm inverted telescopic Showa fork, compression and rebound damping adjustable; 12.0 in. travel Rear Suspension: Showa single shock, fully adjustable; 11.8-in. travel Front Brake: 2-piston caliper, 260mm disc Rear Brake: 1-piston caliper, 240mm disc Wheels, Front/Rear: D.I.D DirtStar; 21.0 in. / 18.0 in. Tires, Front/Rear: IRC GP; 80/100-21 / 120/80-18 Rake/Trail: 28.5°/4.8 in. Wheelbase: 58.9 in. Ground Clearance: 12.6 in. Seat Height: 37.2 in. Fuel Capacity: 2.0 gal. Wet Weight: 291 lb. Contact: powersports.honda.com Source

2021 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled (Ducati /)Ups Wide, well-positioned handlebars offer good leverage for turns and off-road riding<br/> Easy-to-ride bike for many skill levels with its light clutch and easygoing engine<br/> Low-speed handling, decent suspension, 19-/17-inch spoked wheels, and its slide- and skid-ability make it a blast on the dirt<br/> Rad new paint schemeDowns Slippery pegs despite removing the rubber<br/> Could benefit from the larger 1100 engineVerdict The Desert Sled is Ducati’s more off-road-capable scrambler that is easy to ride and fun to slide. The paint may have changed, but the fun factor did not. 2021 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled (Ducati /)Overview The 2021 Ducati Desert Sled is reminiscent of scramblers that laid claim to the rugged Southern California and Baja terrain in the ’60s and ’70s. It offers throwback styling, modern tech, and even genuine off-road capability. It features a high fender, 19-/17-inch rims, and adjustable suspension, paired with handling that makes it an easy-to-ride and fun-loving standard. Updates for 2021 About that nod to yesteryear, the new livery pays homage to enduro bikes from the ’80s. The seat is also new with an anti-slip lining that helps keep the rider in place when the roads get rough. 2021 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled (Ducati /)Pricing and Variants The Desert Sled retails at $11,995, which is the highest price among its fellow 803cc Ducati Scrambler street-oriented siblings such as the new Nightshift ($10,995) and Icon ($9,695). Powertrain: Engine, Transmission, and Performance Propelling the Sled is the 803cc air-cooled L-twin. This engine produces a claimed 73 hp at 8,250 rpm and 48.9 pound-feet at 5,750 rpm. It is described by test rider Chris Northover as being an engine that “has enough power to be entertaining without being overwhelming for newer riders or too aggressive in nasty off-road situations.” Clutch pull is light so the rider can click through the six-speed gearbox easily. 2021 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled (Ducati /)Handling In his test ride, Northover said the bike is “great fun in a relaxed kind of way.” Supporting comments refer to the bike’s chassis and how it doesn’t necessarily dart into the corners, but it doesn’t take a whole lot of persuasion to make a turn either. The chassis “follows obediently without shaking its head or resisting.” The fully adjustable fork and preload/rebound-adjustable shock provide 7.9 inches of travel. Brakes A large 330mm front disc and four-piston caliper is effective in bringing the bike to a stop. Pushing the bike supermoto-style, however, may require a little more power. The rear unit is situated with a 245mm disc and single-piston floating caliper. Stopping in midcorner turns is mitigated by cornering ABS and comes standard at both ends. Fuel Economy and Real-world MPG A reasonable 3.6 gallons of fuel can be loaded up in the tank. Fuel economy and real-world mpg is currently unrecorded. 2021 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled (Ducati /)Ergonomics: Comfort and Utility The wide and tall handlebars offer leverage for tossing the bike from turn to turn. The seat is at a tallish 33.9 inches, but those who require something shorter, there is the 33-inch option. The seat’s flat base and anti-slip cover limit the rider from sliding around. Let’s leave the sliding to the gravel roads to the Off-Road ride mode, 19- and 17-inch wheels, and Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires. Electronics The Scrambler Desert Sled has modern electronics including cornering ABS, Journey and Off-Road riding modes, LED lighting, and is compatible with the Ducati Multimedia System (i.e., smartphone connectivity). Warranty and Maintenance Coverage A two-year unlimited mileage warranty is included. 2021 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled (Ducati /)Quality Minor changes with the striking new paint scheme and new seat may not seem like a lot, but this bike provides a good deal of fun both on and off-road with tidy top-shelf quality that Ducati is known for. 2021 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled Claimed Specifications MSRP: $11,995 Engine: 803cc air-cooled L-twin; 2 valves/cyl. Bore x Stroke: 88.0 x 66.0mm Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/chain Fuel Delivery: Electronic fuel injection w/ 50mm throttle body Clutch: Slipper and self-servo wet multiplate; hydraulically actuated Engine Management/Ignition: N/A Frame: Tubular steel trellis frame Front Suspension: 46mm USD fork, fully adjustable; 7.9 in. travel Rear Suspension: KYB shock, preload and rebound adjustable; 7.9 in. travel Front Brake: Radial 4-piston caliper, 330mm disc w/ Bosch Cornering ABS Rear Brake: 1-piston floating caliper, 245mm disc w/ Bosch Cornering ABS Wheels, Front/Rear: Spoked aluminum; 19 x 3.0 in. / 17 x 4.5 in. Tires, Front/Rear: Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR; 120/70R-19 / 170/60R-17 Rake/Trail: 24.0°/4.4 in. Wheelbase: 59.3 in. Ground Clearance: N/A Seat Height: 33.9 in. Fuel Capacity: 3.6 gal. Wet Weight: 461 lb. Contact: scramblerducati.com Source

Brough’s latest bike is this sleek, titanium-framed, 102 hp ode to T.E. Lawrence. (Brough Superior/)For those wondering what on earth happened to the buzzy revival of quintessential Brit brand Brough Superior, we’ve dug up a couple of answers. The first is, the pandemic knocked it a bit off track; the second is, the company has since regrouped and is back with a brand-new bike. The now French-based marque has just released its latest model, the Lawrence, a hand-built two-seater fittingly named after one of the brand’s most famous and ardent fanboys, Thomas Edward Lawrence, who owned seven Brough Superior motorcycles in his time. The new 2021 Lawrence is a premium model, essentially hand-built with high-end materials like titanium, carbon fiber, and aluminum. (Brough Superior/)Brough announced the reveal of this titanium-framed stunner a couple of days ago with little fanfare, having had its thunder stolen by the unfortunate cancellation of the 2020 EICMA event, where the Lawrence was set to have its worldwide coming-out party. But Brough still expects the new bike, the fifth in its current range, to make waves; it’s a departure from the brand’s SS100, Anniversary, and Pendine models, classically styled bikes that more closely echoed the original company’s low-slung designs (Brough’s AMB 001 collaboration with Aston Martin however is on a whole other planet). The new Lawrence is more trim, refined, and modern in tone, with curvier new carbon fiber bodywork (not that there’s all that much of it) and a new fuel tank with raised “brows” to set it distinctly apart from its stablemates. A Brough spokesman says the tank’s lines are designed after “the curved daggers Bedouins wore on their belts and pictured on Lawrence of Arabia” (or T.E. Lawrence to you and me). Daggers or not, neo-retro feels like the right description of this bike’s style. The Lawrence is powered by Brough’s in-house water-cooled, 997cc, eight-valve V-twin, claimed to output 102 hp. (Brough Superior/)Which is not to say the newest member of the Brough range is ditching the old reputation for innovation, performance, and lofty price tags; the Lawrence brings some unique engineering, exotic materials, and high-zoot components to the table. For instance, there’s that titanium frame, which is further bolstered by a titanium subframe; a Fior-type fork CNC-machined from aluminum with titanium links connecting to a centrally mounted monoshock (which offers preload and rebound adjustability); a cast aluminum swingarm that pivots in the engine crankcases, also joined to an adjustable monoshock; and machined aluminum wheels with a dual-disc Beringer brake setup upfront. All that aluminum helps keep claimed weight down to a featherweight 440 pounds (but it’s not clear if that’s wet or dry weight). It’s an interesting arrangement upfront, with a Fior-type aluminum fork and articulated titanium links attaching to a preload- and rebound-adjustable monoshock. (Brough Superior/)But Brough Superior being a small-volume maker of boutique bikes, there are certain components that necessarily get shared across the line. One is that 997cc, water-cooled, eight-valve, DOHC motor, a version of which Brough uses in its other bikes, originally built for Brough by Boxer Design (Boxer Design principal Thierry Henriette is the man building the new Broughs, by the way). The V-twin unit is set at 88 degrees and produces 102 hp at 9,600 rpm and 64 pound-feet of peak torque in this application, and is homologated for Euro 4. Even the high-mount pipes on either side sport meticulous detailing. (Brough Superior/)Despite the high-mounted chrome cannons sticking out on either side of the bike, Brough Superior calls the Lawrence a “cruising rider’s ideal” in its marketing copy, and the wider handlebar, deeply scooped saddle, and 200-section, 17-inch rear tire may have something to do with that. This also happens to be the company’s first two-seater, but these photos don’t make a very convincing argument that the skimpy pillion will be all that tolerable for your passenger. That said, the styling, ergonomics, and shape of the Lawrence mark a departure from Brough’s initial classic designs, and with Henriette at the helm, there’s a good chance we’ll see yet more wild designs to come from the brand—ones that are hopefully more affordable to regular Joes (and Janes). Aluminum components and details bring weight down to a superlight 440 pounds. The look is definitely futuristic from this angle. (Brough Superior/)This is probably a great place to mention that hand-built bikes made of top-shelf materials don’t come cheap, and this one will set you back a wallet-gouging 66,000 euros—or approximately 79,083 of today’s US dollars. And that’s provided you can get your mitts on one; Brough is minting just 188 examples of this model, as a tribute to T.E. Lawrence’s birth year of 1888. If he were alive today, Lawrence of Arabia would definitely have dug that, even if he couldn’t afford one. The rider - who some say looks like a French version of Ted Cruz - attempts to convince his unsuspecting lady friend that the brief pillion might actually be comfortable. (Brough Superior/) Success. And off we go to Cancun, on a French-built motorcycle inspired by a famous British bike brand. (Brough Superior/) Although it still maintains a long and low stance, the Lawrence model marks a departure from the rest of the modern Brough brand’s range. (Brough Superior/)Source

The 2021 Softail Slim is a classic-styled American cruiser that’s built upon—I’m sure you guessed it—Harley-Davidson’s Softail platform. Powering the Softail Slim is Harley-Davidson’s eight-valve Milwaukee-Eight Big Twin 107ci (1,745cc) engine, which is also seen in the current Softail Standard and Sport Glide as well as some Touring models. But what sets it apart? Stripped-down styling with cut-back fenders, floorboards, and relaxed ergonomics. The 2021 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim produced a peak 73.66 horsepower at 4.860 rpm and 98.39 pound-feet of torque at 2,790 rpm. (Robert Martin/)We strapped the Softail Slim to our in-house Dynojet 250i dyno, recording horsepower and torque measurements ahead of an upcoming comparison test. The Harley-Davidson produced 73.66 peak horsepower at 4,860 rpm and has a very linear, rider-friendly delivery on the way there. Note the torque curve’s usability as it shoots up from 1,300 rpm and steadily climbs to its 98.39 pound-feet peak output at 2,790 before beginning to taper off at 3,000 rpm. Source

Indian’s Chieftain Elite bagger rolls into 2021 with the same, air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 engine and more subdued bodywork. (Indian Motorcycle/)Within the driblet of options available for fans of production ultra-premium V-twin baggers, your choice really comes down to just two brands—Harley-Davidson and Indian. At least if you’re concerned with things like robust electronic suites, full-blown touring amenities, factory support, and a classic lineage, Milwaukee and Minneapolis are the top contenders on a very short list. And with H-D already having dropped its 2021 bagger lineup, now it’s Indian’s turn in the spotlight; enter the 2021 Chieftain Elite, an ultra-premium, limited-edition bike that serves as the high point of the brand’s bagger portfolio. New look brings a more custom vibe, but the two-tone paint still requires 24 hours to apply by hand. (Indian Motorcycle/)Related Content: 2018 Indian Chieftain Elite With its new, redesigned Chief debuting last month as a 2022 model, it doesn’t look like Indian will be giving any of the new-year Chieftain baggers that same level of updates; by way of example, the Chieftain Elite wears a 2021 model year designation and looks to be relatively unchanged from last year, which also means bikes will be available in dealerships right away. But that doesn’t mean Indian’s premium bagger is exactly the same; styling is more understated and “custom-inspired” for one thing, and for another, the 2021 Chieftain Elite is getting a limited run of just 120 units worldwide, making it Indian Motorcycle’s most exclusive Elite model yet. New Slate Smoke finishes on the Thunderstroke 116 air-cooled V-twin, and low-key badging throughout. (Indian Motorcycle/)The most apparent reshuffle on the new Elite is the change in attitude. Indian has dialed back the bling this year, giving the 2021 model a more subdued vibe than its lavishly accented predecessor, though you’re still getting a very luxe two-tone paint job; that’s a big part of Indian’s premium formula. The new Thunder Black Vivid Crystal over Carbon Crystal tones give the bike some gravity and seem to suggest that, hey, gallons of candy paint and gobs of chrome was so pre-pandemic; why don’t we take it down a notch or two. But we’ll still keep the war bonnet on the front fender. The adjustable tinted shield and streamlined fairing also return unchanged for 2021. (Indian Motorcycle/)That doesn’t mean the current Chieftain Elite’s paint process is any less meticulous; Indian claims it’ll require more than 24 hours to carefully lay down those colors by hand, and the gunmetal flake layered within the paint gives things a bit more punch and depth. This time around the engine finishes are done in a dusky Slate Smoke, giving the whole bike a more street vibe. The shapes and silhouettes keep their familiar lines, but that new color scheme tricks the eye a bit, with the streamlined fairing and slammed saddlebags taking on a harder edge. The custom vibe is further amped by the lowered suspension and more exposed 19-inch front wheel rolling under an open fender, though that in itself isn’t anything new. Same goes for the two-up Rogue seat and color-matched badging you’ll spy around the exterior (though these too seem less gaudy than in years past). Lockable and weatherproof saddlebags give you 18 gallons of capacity. (Indian Motorcycle/)Last year’s Chieftain saw the new Thunderstroke 116, and Indian’s most powerful air-cooled engine returns again this year complete with its (claimed) 126 pound-feet of torque and rear cylinder deactivation to help manage heat at lower speeds. And you still get three selectable ride modes—Tour, Standard and Sport—allowing you to dial in the throttle response to your preference. Given that it’s Indian’s flagship bagger model, some measure of high-end factory gear is to be expected on the Chieftain Elite, so you’ll find amenities like full Pathfinder LED lighting, a tinted flare windshield with push-button power, large floorboards, and an integrated 400-watt audio system with a big punch and superior sound quality, all standard. Also taking center stage is the handy 7-inch Ride Command infotainment system with available weather and traffic overlays and Apple CarPlay integration; other standard bits include ABS, keyless ignition, tire pressure monitoring, and weatherproof and remote-locking saddlebags offering more than 18 gallons of cargo capacity. The 10-spoke machined contrast-cut design is said to make the wheel look even bigger under that open fender. (Indian Motorcycle/)Accessories? Funny you should ask. Indian isn’t holding back in that regard, offering a full complement of add-ons for touring and comfort (handlebars and seats, a color-matched, remote-locking trunk and color-matched hard lower fairings with adjustable air vents, and more) as well as for pumping up the performance (Thunderstroke 116 Stage 1 and Stage 2 kits, the Stage 1 Slip-on Exhaust Kit, and Stage 1 Oval Slip-on Muffler Kit, and much more). Large floorboards accommodate easy movement on the bike. (Indian Motorcycle/)Even better news is the fact that Indian hasn’t hiked the price for the new model; you’ll pay (a still lofty) $34,999 for the Chieftain Elite. But that’s before you even start going down the rabbit hole of adding accessories, which will jack things up in a hurry. But even without any real updates or changes to speak of, the new Chieftain Elite is a handsome, well-appointed machine, and if you’ve got the cash—or just the curiosity—it’s in dealers now. Standard 400-watt audio system includes integrated speakers in fairing and saddlebags. (Indian Motorcycle/) The 2021 Chieftain Elite as seen from the back. (Indian Motorcycle/)Source

The 2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R comes Stateside in fall 2021, and features a new three-part fuel tank, a lower seat height, and chassis tweaks for better performance. (KTM/)These are heady days for adventure motorcyclists, with offerings to fit just about any size and budget. At the larger end of both of those spectrums lies the beastly KTM 1290 Super Adventure R, the more off-road-oriented sibling of the 1290 Super Adventure S, and KTM has just announced a slew of changes for 2021 that include a new three-part fuel tank à la the 790/890 Adventure, a new two-piece radiator, a lighter engine, and other tweaks said to result in a more agile ride. But wait, the title says 2022, not 2021? Well, that’s because while the rest of the world gets the new 1290 Super Adventure R in March as a 2021 model; we won’t see it here in North America until later this fall as a 2022 model. Maybe it has to quarantine? In reality, we have seen KTM implement this strategy with its street models for the last few years, usually in response to homologation and supply hurdles. The Super Adventure R’s stubby windscreen isn’t touring-friendly (look to the Super Adventure S if that’s your preference), but both R and S models get the three-part fuel tank design first seen on the 790 Adventure. On the R it’s wrapped in steel crashbars for the inevitable dirt nap. (KTM/)At any rate, the wait will be worth it, as the list of improvements is substantial, starting with the new 6-gallon fuel tank. The unique horseshoe-shaped, three-part tank carries the fuel much lower, for a lower center of gravity and therefore better handling, especially off-road. KTM also redesigned the stepped one-piece seat, bringing it about half an inch closer to the ground at 34.6 inches. The 1290 Super Adventure R also gets the same chassis adjustments as its S counterpart, with the steering head moved back 0.6 inch, the 1,301cc LC8 V-twin rotated slightly forward, and the new die-cast swingarm lengthened slightly, all of which is said to improve agility. Also in the improved handling checklist is the reworked 8.7-inch travel, fully adjustable WP suspension, which KTM says was perfected via testing in the California desert as well as varied landscapes across Europe. A big new 7-inch TFT display sits front and center over the adjustable handlebar. Windscreen, levers, and footpegs are all also adjustable. (KTM/)Keeping everything in line is a new six-axis Bosch IMU that controls the 1290 Super Adventure R’s plethora of electronic rider aids: Motorcycle Traction Control, Motor Slip Regulation, Motorcycle Stability Control, and the Offroad ABS system. There are four standard ride modes, Rain, Sport, Street, and Offroad, with the optional Rally mode unlocking the most aggressive throttle control and the ability to select from nine levels of rear wheelspin. Bear in mind that the aggressive throttle will be tethered to 1,301cc of LC8 engine that’s now 3.5 pounds lighter, with new pistons and redesigned exhaust headers, and which KTM says is good for 160 hp and 102 pound-feet of torque while still being Euro 5 compliant. Actually, I take back my previous question. Alpina wheels have sealed spoke nipples, so they can be run with tube-type or tubeless tires. (KTM/)Rounding out the updates for 2022 is a new two-piece radiator, replacing the previous single unit and promising better heat dissipation that won’t toast the rider’s legs. The airbox is now much easier to access, requiring the removal of just four screws, and it’s been redesigned to direct dirt and sand toward the bottom. I’m guessing these were lessons learned in the California desert. Overall, KTM appears to be continuing to maintain its position on the hard, sharp tip of the ADV touring spear, and the 2022 1290 Super Adventure R looks you in the eye and asks if you’re man (or woman) enough to flog it properly. Only one way to find out… Source