Hugh Janus

New vehicle purchase? Some dealers will deliver it right to your house. (Andrey Kekyalyaynen / 123rf.com/)The last few months have been brutal for vehicle sales of any kind, but it’s especially sobering when you look at the motorcycle market during this pandemic. Early on, factories and suppliers in Asia experienced disruptions and makers across Europe were forced to close facilities. Supply chain hiccups will likely mean a shortage of some motorcycle models sold in America this year, but less supply will probably be offset by reduced demand. As the coronavirus continues to spread though, many of us have experienced stay-at-home orders and business closures in its wake, making it harder to shop for and buy a new bike. A good chunk of US motorcycle dealerships have had to shutter showrooms (restrictions vary from state to state), so it’s no wonder manufacturers are rethinking the new-bike purchasing process. The good news for consumers is that motorcycle makers are pulling out all the stops, offering shop-at-home programs, deals, and discounts online, as well as payment assistance and flexible loan terms. (According to Bankrate, the average new vehicle loan as of April 1 was under 5 percent for a 60-month term.) Manufacturers’ websites and local dealers’ social media accounts are great places to start your searches. A few brands are exploring “contactless” buying programs similar to what some carmakers have rolled out, allowing buyers to scan inventories, arrange test rides, manage paperwork, and schedule vehicle pickup, all without entering a showroom. The bottom line is we’re at the traditional start of the riding season, and pandemic or not, dealers have to move inventory. They’re highly motivated to make deals, and it might even get away with naming your own price. In other words, if you’re in good health, are solidly and stably employed, and feel reasonably confident in your online negotiating skills, now might be a great opportunity to buy a new motorcycle. The Italian market has been especially hard-hit, but Piaggio says most of its current model year fleet will be relatively unaffected. Aprilia’s Noale facility is scheduled to reopen in May. (Piaggio/)Aprilia/Moto Guzzi The Piaggio Group, which owns Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, and Vespa, closed its factories in mid-March for a “deep clean,” and production at Aprilia’s Noale facility will resume in early May, with the same timeline for Moto Guzzi’s Mandello del Lario plant. Some US dealers can offer bike pickups for servicing and new-bike delivery in some cases, but it’s on a case by case basis. Piaggio’s US promotions include incentives for military and first responder customers who purchase any 2020/prior model year Aprilia, Vespa, Guzzi, and Piaggio vehicles. They’re eligible to receive an incentive up to $750, applied to the purchase price of the vehicle. Candidates include United States Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserves in addition to firemen, police, or EMT; as well as medical workers like doctors, nurses, and EMS. The promotion is valid until June, but buyers must provide military ID or fire, police, EMS ID. See more at: <a href="https://www.aprilia.com/us_EN/special-offers/2020/April-May/">aprilia.com/us_EN/special-offers/2020/April-May/</a><a href="https://www.motoguzzi.com/us_EN/special-offers/April-May-2020/">motoguzzi.com/us_EN/special-offers/April-May-2020/</a><a href="https://www.motoguzzi.com/us_EN/special-offers/Military---First-Responders/">motoguzzi.com/us_EN/special-offers/Military---First-Responders/</a> BMW is ramping up to restart its Berlin-Spandau motorcycle plant beginning early in May. There are deals to be had. (BMW Motorrad/)BMW Motorrad BMW had originally planned to restart production at its main Berlin-Spandau motorcycle facility earlier this month, but was forced to push the reopening to sometime in May. It too is offering exclusive promotions on most of its new US models but only ’til the end of April. We’ve also seen some pretty attractive deals on the brand’s Instagram page recently, like $1,500 back on a 2019 R nineT, but these things come and go so check the main brand page as well as local dealer pages often. bmwmotorcycles.com/en/offers/limited-time-offers/q2-retail-offer.html Ducati has announced the resumption of production at its Borgo Panigale factory this week and says new bikes will be in dealers soon. (Ducati Motor Holding/)Ducati Ducati, in addition to just restarting production in Italy, is also trying the “contactless” model and is pushing several incentives as well, including 0-percent financing on older models and 1.99-percent financing for current model year units. Certain Ducati dealers are fulfilling new motorcycle orders via an entirely contactless purchase and delivery service. Ducati’s official statement reads: “They can support you through all stages of the purchase process from learning about the motorcycle, to financing options via Ducati Financial Services, and to final delivery to your home or place of work.” Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. Despite the reopening of production lines, Ducati says visits to the museum, factory, and Fisica in Moto are still suspended until further notice. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali had this to say: “It will be an extremely difficult year but starting up again is still a beginning; we have a lot of orders for the Streetfighter V4, for the Multistrada GT, and for the Panigale V2. The motorbike is a perfect vehicle for ‘phase two’: no parking problems and distancing guaranteed; safety and fun at the same time.” Harley says it’s “restarting some manufacturing,” and that home delivery of its bikes is available in some markets. (Harley-Davidson /)Harley-Davidson From its recent Q1 2020 earnings results announcement, we learned that The Motor Company is reshuffling the timing of some of its upcoming new bike launches like the Bronx and the Pan America, and it’s also restarting “some manufacturing,” though specifics on that point weren’t made available. But Harley did say there are no foreseeable supply disruptions for its new 2020 models, so already released bikes should be in stock. The Motor Company is also dangling a flurry of incentives including the Electric Vehicle Incentive of up to $2,500 for the LiveWire, and it’s also offering H-D home delivery in some areas (subject to availability and location). There are discounts and reduced rates for active military personnel as well as Rider Training graduates, and $0 down terms for some of its models, both new and used. The official wording on its website reads: “Dealership operations are at the discretion of each dealership. We encourage you to use our dealer locator and call or check dealership websites for the most up-to-date information. Home delivery is available for a limited time through participating dealers. Availability is subject to applicable laws, regulations, and government orders.” You can also find more info here: <a href="https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/tools/find-a-dealer.html">harley-davidson.com/us/en/tools/find-a-dealer.html</a><a href="https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/owners/financing-and-insurance/finance-your-ride.html">harley-davidson.com/us/en/owners/financing-and-insurance/finance-your-ride.html</a> Honda has a few financing promotions going now but nothing in the way of a contactless purchasing plan just yet. (American Honda Motor Company/)Honda Honda hasn’t (as yet) embraced home delivery as a purchase option, but it is easing requirements for purchasing a new or used motorcycle, giving buyers 90 days to make their first payment on new vehicles financed by Honda Financial Services. Check the website for eligibility and restrictions: powersports.honda.com. Indian goes for a carmaker-type promo with its Click.Deliver.Ride program. (Indian Motorcycle /)Indian Motorcycle Indian Motorcycle’s dealer network is also subject to reduced hours or closures, so it recommends you check with the individual dealership to confirm its status. But the company is also offering home delivery with its Click.Deliver.Ride program which gives prospective buyers the option of purchasing a motorcycle online and having it delivered to their home. Indian has offered online search and customizing options prior to this, but now it’s extended to the sale too. Contact your local dealer, either online or on the phone, make the buy, and arrange to have your new bike trucked right to your garage door. There are also discounts and incentives for military, police, fire, and some medical services personnel. Customers can also check out Indian Motorcycle Self-Help or Customer Support at (877) 204-3697 or via email. Along with home delivery and other incentives, Kawasaki is also offering a free custom graphics kit with the purchase of a new Z125 Pro model. (Kawasaki/)Kawasaki With stay-at-home orders and social distancing recommendations due to COVID-19, Kawasaki is now allowing participating dealers to deliver products like vehicles and parts right to buyers’ homes or businesses. The company says it’s “committed to providing a first-rate experience [and] vehicle inspections will be performed at the dealership prior to delivery, and all required delivery checklists will be completed in your presence.” The motorcycle you buy will be delivered by trained dealership personnel (not third-party operators) who will also give you a thorough briefing on that vehicle’s operation, maintenance, and safety info. There are some restrictions though; the release states that “delivery for parts and accessories ends May 31, 2020. Due to variations in state and local stay-at-home orders, home delivery of vehicles may be unavailable in some areas.” Kawasaki is also offering a Military Customer Promotion valid through June 30, 2020, to all active, reserve, and retired United States military personnel, for most models. In either case, as always, make sure you contact your local dealer for up-to-date info. kawasaki.com No word yet on KTM’s Austria factory reopening, but you can get some great financing on several US models. (Shedl R./KTM Sportmotorcycle /)KTM/Husqvarna Although it was originally due to reopen several weeks ago, we haven't been able to confirm resumption of motorcycle production at KTM’s Mattighofen HQ. In America though things look fairly normal on the surface, with the KTM US website offering attractive 0-percent and 1.99-percent financing on some 2020 as well 2019 models (which ends soon), and no payments or interest on select other bikes through July. KTM has also said there should be no disruption in current model year deliveries. See more info on promotions here: ktm.com/us/powerdeals/. Triumph’s main production facilities in Thailand are still going strong, so there should be little disruption in the current year’s bike fleet. (Triumph Motorcycles/)Triumph Motorcycles We haven’t heard anything regarding home delivery from Triumph, but its production facilities in Thailand—where more than 80 percent of the bikes are made—are still operational. Plus there are a host of dealer incentives for US customers, though most of them all go away come May. They include up to $1,200 in Triumph Cash available on select models or special financing as low as 1.99-percent APR. Other options include low monthly payments with Triumph Triple Financing, or no money down, no interest, no payments for 90 days. Check out triumphmotorcycles.com/find-your-ride for more details. Yamaha’s another major manufacturer offering delivery of new bikes directly to the buyer’s home. (Yamaha Motor Corp./)Yamaha Everybody’s scrambling to facilitate bike sales during the COVID-19 clampdown, and Yamaha’s no different. The company’s US division just announced an all-new Deliver Your Ride program supporting Yamaha dealers that are able to complete motorcycle purchases remotely and then deliver the product directly to customers. The new program is available nationwide wherever dealers can legally and safely participate. Yamaha says that, for now, the new Deliver Your Ride initiative is a temporary (and voluntary) program and that it’ll work with dealers to roll it out. Interested customers can contact their local Yamaha dealer or visit yamahamotorsports.com to see if it’s available in their neighborhood, or if local regulations allow it. The Tuning Fork guys are also doubling down with other incentives, like $0 down, 0 payments for 90 days, and 0-percent APR for some models. For details, visit yamahamotorsports.com, and check out the video here. Most manufacturers are currently giving discounts to military personnel, as well as first responders and medical services workers. (Piaggio/)The latest is that BMW will be restarting its Spandau motorcycle plant in Berlin beginning May 4, and the word from Ducati is that its factory in Borgo Panigale, Italy, resumed production on April 27, with enhanced safety measures in place. Aprilia’s and Moto Guzzi’s Italian facilities will reopen May 4. Yamaha, however, has extended plant closures for many of its Asia-based motorcycle facilities (including Japan) for several weeks throughout May. Source

2020 Yamaha WR250R (Yamaha /)Yamaha has three dual sport bikes in its model lineup, the most capable of which is the WR250R. It features fully adjustable suspension in the front and rear, and full-size 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels. According to Yamaha, the WR250R’s 250cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC engine makes its peak power at 10,000 rpm and gets an estimated 71 mpg. Everything needed for your next dual sport outing. 2020 Yamaha WR250R (Yamaha /)2020 Yamaha WR250R Reviews, Comparisons, And Competition Our dirt-only sister publication Dirt Rider reviewed the Yamaha WR250R in 2013, and that test is still relevant today as the WR250R hasn’t changed mechanically since then. It also provides a great canvas for a project bike, as Cycle World’s Editor-In-Chief Mark Hoyer proved with his WR250R adventure bike. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. Two competitors of the WR250R would include the 2020 Honda CRF250L and the 2020 Honda CRF250L Rally. With its suggested retail price of $6,699, the WR250R is $1,500 more than the CRF250L and $750 pricier than the CRF250L Rally. 2020 Yamaha WR250R (Yamaha /)Yamaha WR250R Updates For 2020 The Yamaha WR250R has seen few changes over the course of its existence, and the same rings true for the new decade. The 2020 model is identical to the 2019. 2020 Yamaha WR250R Claimed Specifications Price: $6,699 Engine: Liquid-cooled DOHC single-cylinder Displacement: 250cc Bore x Stroke: 77.0 x 53.6mm Horsepower: N/A Torque: N/A Transmission: 6-speed Final Drive: Chain Seat Height: 36.6 in. Rake: 26.7° Trail: 4.4 in. Front Suspension: 46mm inverted fork, fully adjustable; 10.6-in. travel Rear Suspension: Fully adjustable; 10.6-in. travel Front Tire: 80/100-21 Rear Tire: 120/80-18 Wheelbase: 55.9 in. Fuel Capacity: 2.0 gal., 1.9 gal. (CA model) Claimed Wet Weight: 295 lb. Source

Factory Harley-Davidson touted some of the most legendary riders aboard its XR750. (Mitch Friedman/)The reality of racing is that you can’t win by sitting in place. For the legendary Harley-Davidson XR750 that was every bit as true inside the race shops as it was out on the racetracks. The basic platform has remained recognizable as the genuine article throughout its existence—the XR750 name is not merely a common designation shared by an endless string of complete technical overhauls, reinventions, and new platforms as one might find in MotoGP. That said, winning an average of 10-plus races per season over the span of a half century did require nonstop evolutionary innovations in order to extract every last molecule of performance from that basic platform. Constant evolution of the Harley-Davidson XR750 kept it competitive for 50 years. (Harley-Davidson /)Nine-time Grand National Champion Scott Parker said, “Think about it: The thing was designed 50 years ago and was competitive up until… I think people are still riding them from time to time today. They could still win races, that's the cool thing about it. Here you've got a motorcycle that is 50 years old and even through all the stages that it’s gone through to get here, there are some parts that have been there the whole 50 years, which is amazing. “They kept trying to improve it and improve it and improve it, but it still had the same basic design. They just kept innovating, getting a tad bit better constantly, and here it is, still competitive all these years later.” Ironically, the most successful racebike of all time is one Harley-Davidson likely would have preferred not to have to build, only designing it when its hand was forced. After all, H-D already had its generational flat track machine in the flathead KR750—at least up until it didn’t. Introduced a year before the Grand National Championship was first organized as a series in 1954, the KR750 immediately proved the GNC’s dominant mount and didn’t relinquish the throne for years. The KR stormed to 13 of 16 Grand National Championship titles from ’54–’69 while racking up a mammoth tally of race wins along the way, including every single one in 1956. But the rulebook was updated in 1969, eliminating the 250cc displacement advantage for side-valve machines that the KR750 had previously enjoyed. As a result, the gates were kicked down by Harley-Davidson’s more modern overhead valve-armed British rivals and the writing was on the wall. The KR750 with it’s side-valve head was allowed a 250cc displacement advantage that led to 13 GNC titles from 1954 to 1969. (Harley-Davidson /)Gene Romero won the GNC on a Triumph in 1970 followed by Dick Mann aboard a BSA in 1971. Under factory race manager Dick O’Brien’s watch, Harley-Davidson moved quickly to adapt to the new regulations, Frankensteining the original “Iron XR750” from parts taken from the 883cc Sportster XLR outlaw racebike. In order to meet the 750cc displacement limit, the stroke was decreased while its bore was increased, but the pushrod V-twin retained the XLR’s cast-iron head and cylinders. A 1970 XR750 known as the “Iron XR750” due to the cast-iron heads. (Harley-Davidson /)Thirteen-time Grand National Championship-winning tuner Bill Werner was already employed in Harley-Davidson’s race shop at the time, kickstarting his long association with the XR750 from its nascent beginnings. “I don't think there's anyone who's been around an XR750 more than Bill,” Parker said. “He was there from the very beginning and ate, slept, and drank that bike. He loved them.” Bill Werner was there from the beginning during the transition from the flathead KR750 to the iron-head XR750s to the aluminum-head XR750s. (Harley-Davidson /)“Yeah, I was privileged to be there at its inception and through all its development to its peak era,” Werner stated. “I was there right for the transition from the flatheads to the XRs, from the cast-iron XRs through the aluminum XR—engine development, frame development, and all that sort of stuff. Not only was it a thrill, but it's something you can look back at and say it's part of your legacy.” Reflecting on the initial task of bringing the original iron XR to life for the 1970 season, Werner admitted it was a huge process. “We had failures converting an 883 Sportster into a 750. We had to destroke it and we had flywheel issues. And then after we got those solved, we had to deal with the things overheating because they made good horsepower but they'd get too hot. We had all kinds of challenges to cooling them off. “I had the sole task of converting them to dual carburetor kits. I welded up all the heads on the factory conversions, taking a front head and making two front heads and a dual-carb conversion out of it. I had to plug an exhaust port and move it from one side to the other to make the rear head. “And I spent the better part of a year,” Werner continued, “welding up all the heads, brazing them all up, and sticking them in 55-gallon drums of powdered asbestos to cool for two days because they'd crack through the valve guides if you didn’t do that.” Harley-Davidson fielded the Iron XR750s for just two seasons while an alloy-based rethink was being readied. While not remembered nearly as fondly as the more refined XR750 to come due to performance and reliability issues, history has given the iron head something of a bum rap. Mert Lawwill debuted the Iron XR in winning fashion in a non-sanctioned outlaw race at Ascot, and then scored its first official GNC race victory weeks later, still early in the ’70 season, at the Cumberland Half-Mile. It went on to rack up a combined 10 victories during the 1970–1971 Grand National Championship seasons, providing clear evidence that Harley’s KR successor was destined to become a force in its own right from the start. Mert Lawwill on the 1970 iron-head XR750 at Cumberland—the first GNC win for the new model. (Harley-Davidson /)Werner said, “The cast-iron XR actually won races in its first year. We had failures and it didn’t win the championship, but it won races. We ultimately knew it was a stop-gap effort, and we were going to transition to the aluminum XR. I got in on the ground floor of that too and was part of the dyno testing.” The transition was more than just a simple elemental matter as the nickname change suggests. Harley-Davidson’s race department took full advantage of its second chance to introduce a new-generation racebike and leaned heavily on the lessons learned by the iron machine. Lessons from the ’70 and ’71 XR750 were put to use with extensive changes to the first aluminum-head racebikes. (Harley-Davidson /)“Some of the things we learned in the flywheel area we incorporated into the ’72 aluminum XR, even though it had a different bore and stroke and all that,” Werner explained. “We changed the lubrication system from a timed breather system to a mini-sump system. We changed the camshaft diameters because the ball bearings closest to the crankcase would fail; we converted them and put in needle bearings on the crankshaft side. “Cam development was huge too because the engines were capable of more rpm; they had a bigger bore and shorter stroke than the cast-iron XR. The first heads had ports about the size of your finger, and we had to do all the cylinder flow work. You're better off casting them with too much material because you can’t put it in and you can always take it out.” With a bigger bore and shorter stroke the alloy-head XRs could turn a higher rpm. (Harley-Davidson /)The intensive and radical development paid immediate benefits. With Mark Brelsford at the controls, the aluminum XR finished runner-up in its national debut at the Colorado Springs Mile, won in its second race at the Louisville Half-Mile, and earned the Grand National Championship in its very first attempt. The rest was record-book-obliterating history, as the aluminum XR750 would go on to win 492 of the XR’s ridiculous 502 premier-class race wins, along with its monumental tally of 37 GNCs. Of course, in order to achieve those results, continual development was required the entire way. When asked, Werner rattled off various updates, in a stream-of-consciousness, “The ports evolved from round to oval over time. The rocker shafts got changed from a clamp-type arrangement that held the adjustment to a nut-type arrangement that tightened it up. The shaft diameters changed. The rpm went up. The spring rates went up. We changed from steel valves to titanium valves. “The engines used to start at maybe 7,800 to 8,000 rpm max, and by the end of its transition we were turning at 9,500 rpm. We went from quarter-speed oil pumps to half-speed oil pumps to circulate more oil over the engine to cool it better. We went from aluminum cylinders with cast-iron liners to all-aluminum cylinders to nickel-plated aluminum cylinders that were lighter and cooled better.” Over the years, all of those small improvements added up (and up—and up). “The first XR I got on had like 70-odd horsepower. By the time I was done, it was somewhere around 105. Over just the time that I rode one, that's the difference we’re talking about,” Parker said, Scott Parker celebrates a hard-earned championship. (Mitch Friedman/)But not all of the development work was dedicated to a never-ending quest for more power, nor were they all so small and incremental. A full decade before Honda turned the Grand Prix world on its head with the introduction of the “big-bang” firing order for the NSR500 in 1992, H-D experimented with the same concept and for the same reason: Seeking both maximum traction and a more rider-friendly mount. “One of the things we did on the XR was what they called ‘twingling,’” Werner said. The standard XR fires a 157.5–202.5 degrees… It's a 45-degree V-twin—one cylinder fires when the other one is on the exhaust stroke. It's not symmetrical—it can't be because it's a 45, single crank. “I thought, what if I fired them 45 degrees apart, just 45? All you have to do is turn two camshafts 180 degrees, turn one of the ignition shafts 180 degrees, and it will fire 45 degrees apart. “It sounded like a big single. Some guys loved it, and some guys couldn't tell much difference. It depended on the type of rider you were. If you were a real brave, aggressive guy—not that big of a deal. Bill Werner in consult with his rider Parker at the 1999 Du Quoin Mile. (Dave Hoenig/)“While we were first testing them,” Werner continued, “I was with (three-time Grand National Champion) Jay Springsteen at a dragstrip in California. I ran the Twingle down the racetrack, and he asked how it felt. I told him it felt butt-slow. He said, 'Well, let's compare it to the other bike.' So we drag-raced them side by side and they were dead equal. We switched bikes and they were still dead equal. “When you got on the Twingle, the sensation of speed was lessened. You didn’t hear that rush of high rpm. It's like the difference between riding a single and a twin. So timid riders loved the Twingles because they could go faster than their normal intestinal fortitude would have let them.” Parker exhibiting the XR750's unbeatable speed. (Dave Hoenig/)Whether it was actually down to rider temperament or something more tangibly mechanical, the Twingles proved to be serious weapons on more slippery surfaces and remained a popular choice of top riders until they were ultimately prohibited from competition in 2006. Next time: The XR750 meets its match. Source

Delivering the goods: Iron Fist Florence president Pietro Bernardi embarks on his daily mission of mercy. (Iron Fist MC/)It’s 10 a.m. and four loud Harley-Davidson Road Glides start their shift on the deserted avenues of a sleepy Florence under lockdown. Road captain Gitano, also known as “the Gipsy,” leads the group on its way to a family needing support in this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ritual has been repeated every day since the city, like all of Italy, was put under lockdown more than 40 days ago. In this time of need, the Iron Fist Motorcycle Club of Florence has embraced the idea of supporting the city’s elderly and poor citizens who cannot leave their homes by bringing them food donated by club members, private citizens, and volunteer associations. The club’s usual motorcycle trips on white Tuscan roads have been replaced by tours of the city’s urban center. The saddlebags, usually stocked with gear, now hold cans of peeled tomatoes, pasta, milk, biscuits, and bread. Iron Fist club members ride around the city in shifts, delivering food and supplies to the needy. (Iron Fist MC/)“We decided to deliver our contributions with our Harley-Davidsons,” says Pietro Bernardi, the founder and president of the Florence chapter of the Iron Fist Motorcycle Club, which numbers 40 members. Their presence around the neighborhood doesn’t go unnoticed; a compulsory sanitary mask covers their face, with patches on the backs of their jackets identifying the club name atop a huge logo showing two fists, just to let everyone know these are Harley guys—not Honda or BMW riders. “The first difficulty we encountered when starting our volunteer service was the distrust of the people and suspicion from the police. At the beginning we were stopped many times by the police because we were circulating in a time when it was forbidden to circulate, and we were gathering at the Gattabuia Restaurant on the Lungarno to collect food to distribute to the homeless, as well as to old people who cannot leave their homes.” The situation seemed to be a complete paradox since Bernardi himself is in law enforcement, and during the pandemic he has often had to ensure that Florentines respect the rules of nonessential travel and social distancing. The chapter president, Bernardi says the club has had to overcome the bad-boy stereotype of Harley riders while doing their volunteer rides. (Iron Fist MC/)Bernardi, whose nickname as president of the Iron Fist chapter is “The Boss,” goes on to say, “The second issue was the stereotype of the Harley-Davidson rider, often associated with the idea of the bad boy.” That’s also understandable; when some people see a Harley rider, a distinct image pops into their head. They may think of an overweight middle-aged male with a long beard, leather jeans, and a sleeveless shirt showing tattoos, wearing a leather jacket with patches, and sporting a bandana. You might recognize him from a distance because of the unique Harley-Davidson rumble, especially if the mufflers have been removed. When the Florentines saw this group of loud Harleys rolling through the city’s deserted avenues, they may have thought they were in a scene from Sons of Anarchy. “In our volunteer work we collaborate with the Italian Red Cross, and when we get to an old lady’s house and ring the bell, she doesn’t expect to see a man wearing a leather jacket with pins and patches, leather boots, and tattoos. Sometimes we have had to convince some of the older women to open the doors, but now everyone knows us and it’s great to see how perceptions of the Harley-Davidson rider has changed,” Bernardi confesses. “On Easter we were especially moved after riding to the home of a 55-year-old man. He cried when he received the food because he was starving—he had lost his job due to the coronavirus spread.” The club collaborates with the Italian Red Cross to help distribute goods around Florence. (Iron Fist MC/)Every day the Iron Fist riders put in three shifts lasting two hours each to reach the indigent people, who, by word of mouth, contact the club in order to receive the support service. “Usually we meet old people who live alone. Some are disabled, others are scared to go out. There are also men in their mid-50s who have lost their jobs. Along with food we also distribute sanitary masks, donated by a club member,” the Boss says. “We have had to take special measures in order to respect all safety precautions. We do shifts with four bikes at a time, and we wear gloves and masks, and the food we deliver is sanitized twice: once when it arrives at the Gattabuia Restaurant, and again when it’s packed to be distributed. We carry the food on our Harleys. The Electra Glide’s hard bags are particularly capacious, but otherwise we’ll fill the other leather saddlebags and also carry one big shoulder bag. We usually reach three to four families per shift, and around 12 total per day.” Bernardi rides a black Sportster Forty-Eight, but he has three other Harleys in his garage. They’re here to help: Red Cross and Iron Fist members gather at a local restaurant to pick up the daily food allotment. (Iron Fist MC/)“A Harley is not just a machine; it’s a status and an expression of oneself,” Bernardi says. “The bike has a soul, and its rumble is the beating heart of this jewel made of iron. The social aspect is also very important because when you buy a Harley, you become part of a family, of a group who shares the same values. This volunteer experience has strengthened the brotherhood among the club members. The local authorities as well as many citizens now know us, and we are treated with respect. “We belong to this city. In our normal lives we hold all kinds of work: Paolo, known as ‘The Red,’ for example, is a baker, Andrej ‘The Piston’ is a car mechanic, Gitano ‘Gipsy’ is our road captain, and he is a transporter in daily life. Our motorcycle club is very well structured, and it’s been great to adapt our internal organization to this special social service. We are proud of our contributions, and to have changed the image of the Harley-Davidson riders. We’ve gone from frightening the locals to having them call us modern knights.” Source

2020 Indian FTR 1200 Rally has an MSRP of $13,499. (Jeff Allen /)When Indian first debuted the FTR 1200, we knew it was only the beginning for that platform. Four accessory collections first appeared in 2018 to hint at what the company might be working on for production, and now, after teasing us with a Europe-only release, the FTR 1200 Rally has arrived Stateside. The Rally model converts the flat-track-inspired base model to a factory scrambler, largely in appearance, but with some nice functional benefits as well. It’s the first step toward expanding the platform and a good step in the right direction. Ample cornering clearance makes the FTR 1200 Rally a blast to send through some canyons. (Jeff Allen /)As we have come to expect from scrambler models, the Rally comes equipped with wire-spoke wheels, chunky tires, and, of course, a brown seat. The bike is only available in one color scheme called Titanium Smoke: a matte metallic silver with red accents on the gas tank and around the rims of the wheels. The paint looks great and feels high quality. There’s something about the matte finish that says it won’t damage easily; like I can go hit some dirt without worrying about a little nick here and there. Similar to the base model, the engine and surrounding components are blacked out. The unique Titanium Smoke paint on the FTR 1200 Rally’s gas tank. (Jeff Allen /) If you like wheelies, the FTR is the bike for you—easily picking up the front end with an aggressive twist of the throttle. (Jeff Allen /)While the Dunlop tires used on the base model were intended primarily for street use, Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires with their larger tread blocks actually gripped better on the tarmac and the short section of hard-packed dirt we hit than the DT3-R shoes on the base model. Primarily, the wandering tracking issue that was caused by the flat-track-inspired tread pattern and striations on the highway has been eliminated with the new tires. With the Rally sharing the same engine and mapping as the FTR 1200 S (tested at 111.2 hp and 79.8 pound-feet of torque on the CW dyno) and not equipped with any traction control, it’s still easy to break these tires loose and remind yourself of its tire-sliding roots. Unfortunately for those who do intend to scramble on this scrambler, the equipped ABS is not switchable and is tuned for street use. Dual 320mm front disc brakes come standard with Brembo calipers. (Jeff Allen/) I would be hesitant to ride more technical off-road sections, but hard-packed dirt was fine. (Jeff Allen /)Built on the base FTR 1200, the Rally misses out on benefits included on the S model like fully adjustable suspension, LCD touchscreen, ride modes, and traction control. The screen and three ride modes go a long way toward making the bike feel modern and premium, so analog gauges and fixed suspension are a harsh contrast. The Rally doesn’t feel cheap—just a little dated. Indian has set up a strange buying structure for its three FTR 1200 models: The Rally and base model sharing the MSRP of $13,499, but 2019 models have a $2,000 rebate offer, which doesn’t include the Rally. So while pricing is technically the same, the Rally will cost you an extra $2,000 for now. Analog gauges seem dated on a $13,499 bike in 2020, but it’s okay, there’s a USB charger too. (Jeff Allen /) The low wind deflector helps reduce wind buffeting to the chest. (Jeff Allen/)While out testing, the FTR 1200 Rally amplified a Mad Max feel of the current pandemic and quarantine with its scrambler style and deep exhaust note. Open roads and the lack of police traffic enforcement encourage the natural hooligan spirit of this motorcycle, begging to be backed into a corner and wheelied out. At low rpm, steady throttle application results in irregular pulsing in the engine, but under increasing throttle, the bike is crisp and quick to react. It doesn’t like to be ridden slow. It likes to eat gas. Rolling on the gas in sixth gear on the highway, the bike pulls hard all the way to triple digits—though the vibrations at that point may rattle your fillings out. The deep, rumbling exhaust note of the FTR is satisfying each time you crack the throttle. (Jeff Allen /)The FTR 1200 Rally costs more than the base model only because of timing and promotional offers. It hits scrambler style on the head, but the street-tuned ABS adds a challenge to any real scrambling. Is it cooler than the base FTR 1200? Yes, absolutely. But is it $2,000 cooler for what is essentially just a stylish accessory package? You be the judge. 2020 Indian FTR Rally Specifications MSRP: $13,499 Engine: 1,203cc, 60-degree, liquid-cooled V-twin Bore x Stroke: 102.0 x 73.6mm Compression Ratio: 12.5:1 Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/chain Fuel Delivery: Electronic fuel injection, 60mm throttle body Claimed Horsepower: 123 hp @ 8,250 rpm Claimed Torque: 87 lb.-ft. @ 5,900 rpm Frame: Tubular steel trellis Front Suspension: 43mm inverted cartridge fork; 5.9-in. travel Rear Suspension: Monoshock, adjustable for preload and rebound; 5.9-in. travel Front Brake: Brembo Monoblock 4-piston calipers, dual 320mm discs w/ ABS Rear Brake: Brembo 2-piston caliper, 260mm disc w/ ABS Tires, Front/Rear: 120/70-19 / 150/70-18 Rake/Trail: 26.3°/5.1 in. Wheelbase: 60.0 in. Ground Clearance: 7.2 in. Seat height: 33.1 in. Fuel Capacity: 3.4 gal. Claimed Wet Weight: 527 lb. Availability Now Contact: indianmotorcycle.com Gearbox The FTR 1200 Rally is available in dealerships now. (Jeff Allen /)Helmet: Shoei Hornet X2 Jacket: Alpinestars Oscar Enduro Pant: Tobacco Black Selvedge Riding Jeans Gloves: Alpinestars Oscar Rayburn Leather Boots: Sidi Scramble Rain Source

Editor’s Note: Quarantine and the lack of track time is weighing heavy on our man Nick. Maybe he’s cracking? Maybe he’s always been cracked. Either way, he’s stepped away from his in-depth tutelage this week for some lighthearted trivia. Sometimes you have to mix it up. So here’s Nick throwing a curveball at you. I know I chuckled at more than a few of these. This week, I’ve searched back through my faded memory to create a trivia test with some brain teasers thrown in. Answers—at least my version of the answers—are listed below the questions. And remember: Words are important, read questions carefully. <b>1: When John visits Ted he must park his bike in the driveway to open the gate, then again to close the gate. When John rides his Buell 1125CR he taps the sidestand with his foot a few times before putting it up. When he rides his BMW R1150RT he doesn’t bother tapping the sidestand. Why?</b> (Nick Ienatsch /)Because Ted’s driveway is gravel and the sidestand foot grabs the rocks and flings them up as John kicks the stand up. On the Buell, those rocks land directly on the drive belt… No problem on the BMW shaftie. 2: How many times did AMA National Champion Miguel Duhamel “do the double”: win both Saturday’s and Sunday’s AMA Superbike races? Never, there were only Sunday finals in MD’s day. <b>3: When John Kocinski won the 1990 AMA 250 national championship on the Honda RS250, who was the only rider to beat him?</b> (Courtesy of Öhlins/)John won the ’87, ’88, and ’89 AMA 250GP national championships, and he was on the Yamaha TZ250. 4: Is it possible to win the AMA Superbike national championship without winning a race? If so, who has done it? Yes, Ben Bostrom. 5: At what dirt track did Freddie Spencer famously win on the Yamaha TZ750? <em>Never happened, that was King Kenny Roberts at the Indy Mile.</em> (Motorcyclist /)6: When Suzuki changed to CV carburetors on its GS line for the ’79 model year, what ignition components were changed? That’s a year too early… Suzuki’s GS line got CV carbs in 1980, along with electronic ignition. <b>7: Why does Paul love giving his 15-year-old son rides on his 1995 Honda CBR1000F but refuses to give him rides on his 2009 BMW HP2 Sport?</b> (Nick Ienatsch /)HP2 has a solo seat. 8: Harley-Davidson’s new swingarm has a piece that unbolts. How much time does this save during drive-chain swaps? Yes, H-D’s latest swingarms unbolt to ease this swap—but it’s a drive belt, not a chain. 9: The Zero FXS electric-bike’s torque was breaking transmissions during Supermoto competition so the company enlarged the gear cogs and reduced the transmission from six gears to how many gears? Zero FXS has no transmission. <b>10: When <em>Cycle</em> magazine reported a top speed of 148 mph in sixth gear for the all-new 1979 GS1000S Wes Cooley replica, claiming great aerodynamic improvements from the handlebar-mounted bikini fairing, why were the readers skeptical?</b> (Nick Ienatsch /)Those GSs had five speeds. 11: Kevin Cameron bought a British-built Barton two-stroke roadracer and substantially revised it, including building his own frame, for AMA F1 competition. What year did he race it? <em>Wrong genius—Eric Buell raced his RW750 in AMA F1 competition.</em> (Cycle World Archives/) <b>When Micheal Czysz cut a Kawasaki ZX-10R engine in half for his C1 project, what was the angle of the new V-4 he created?</b> (Cycle World Archives/)Czysz created a 15-degree V-4, but it was with a Suzuki GSX-R engine. 13: Rich Oliver had a perfect 1996 season in AMA 250 Grand Prix. His ’97 season began with four straight wins until I beat him at what track? Where did Rich finish that race? <em>Yeah, um, I never beat Rich Oliver. He went undefeated in 1996, 1997, and 2003 on his Yamaha TZ250. Not seen in this picture: the entire national field behind Rich.</em> (Mystery School Collection/)14: When Kenny Roberts Jr. won the 2001 MotoGP world championship, how many Americans had won that championship before him? Who? First, KRJR won the world championship in 2000, and it wasn’t MotoGP yet, so no other American had won it. <b>15: Peter Egan, of <em>Cycle World</em> fame, wrote eloquently about being stranded at the side of the road when a rock punctured the radiator of his Moto Guzzi El Dorado. What did Egan use to plug the coolant leak?</b> (Amazon /)Guzzis are air-/oil-cooled. <b>16: Kevin Cameron put Rich Schlachter on the AMA F1 podium with an all-night valve-and-cam swap that made Schlachter’s 750 almost unbeatable. What track and what year?</b> (Cycle World /)Cameron and Schlachter raced TZs together—no valves or cams to swap in two-stroke engines. 17: What does Eddie Lawson say every time he drives past the shopping mall in Ontario, California? “I hold the track record there.” When Ontario Motor Speedway closed and the mall was built, Fast Eddie’s track record was cemented. 18: Scott Russell, one of many motorcycle racers to win at a national level in cars, stood on top of the box with his Acura NSX. What year and what series? It was a Corvette in the Rolex Sports Car series of 2010. 19: Suzuki’s RG500 inline four-cylinder two-stroke production bike is now legal to bring into America because? </em>The RG500 was a square-four design, but because it is now 25 years old, we can own them here legally. Speedwerkes RG500 seen here.</em> (Nick Ienatsch /) <b>20: What were the main advantages of Yamaha’s first V-twin TZ250 produced for the 1989 model year?</b> (Nick Ienatsch /)The ’89 TZs were reverse-cylinder tandem twins… The V debuted in 1991. Darrell Meyer’s V-twin seen here. 21: Bob and Tom were on a ride when the oil drain plug came loose on Bob’s Honda Shadow. Bob couldn’t tighten the hot plug by hand tightly enough to stop the oil, and he didn’t have a tool kit with a 14mm wrench. He started to call his wife to bring the truck when Tom said he had his Harley-Davidson tool kit. Bob laughed and said his bike was metric and Tom’s was American. How can Tom fix the Shadow? His H-D kit holds a 9/16th wrench…14mm. <b>22: What does the X surrounded by the arrow on Marc Márquez’s helmet signify?</b> (MotoGP/)That’s Jorge Lorenzo’s helmet, and it means “Around the outside”—a common passing move by a young Lorenzo. 23: Why did Wayne Gardner debut the first thumb brake? He didn’t—that was Mick Doohan after a severe injury to his right leg. 24: Don Sakakura was the Yoshimura team manager when Wes Cooley won the AMA Superbike championship in 1980. Who was Sakakura’s replacement in the Tony Elias years? Nobody, it was still Sakakura running the show. 25: When Suzuki introduced the GSX-R750 in 1985 (’86 in America), the engineers saved weight by removing what from the instrument cluster? <em>The first 2,900 rpm indications… It was a joke at the time.</em> (Nick Ienatsch /)26: Cal Crutchlow is the only current MotoGP rider to have raced 500GP and MotoGP. What 500 GP bike did he last race? <em>Wrong rider—it’s Valentino Rossi.</em> (Yamaha /) <b>27: Bob bought a new 1975 Suzuki GT750 and bragged to his friends that it was so reliable that “all I ever do is fill the fuel tank and ride!” After the ninth tank of fuel the GT blew up, why?</b> (badbuffalogarage/)The GT750 is a two-stroke and Bob never filled the oil-injection tank! And “blew up” is such a four-stroke term. Two-strokes squeak, seize, tighten up, stick. Sean Eviston’s Bad Buffalo seen here. <b>27: This Honda XR100 shifter is correctly positioned for its task. Why so high? And what other clue is in this picture?</b> (Nick Ienatsch /)It’s high so the rider can get their boot and steel shoe under it. The other clue? Many riders mount a street tire to the back of their dirt track playbikes. More next Tuesday! Source

2020 Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 (Harley-Davidson /)Harley-Davidson’s Iron 883 gets a simple name because that’s just what it is: a basic, elemental canvas upon which to hang your custom desires. The sole 883cc model in H-D’s line consists of nothing but stripped-down and blacked-out metal, rolling with low bars, a low seat height, and—be warned—slammed suspension. Looking for chrome? Forget it—the Iron’s black powdercoated 883cc engine doubles down on the dark with black rocker covers, and black on the throwback round air cleaner cover. Harley also delves into the bobber playbook with a solo seat and chopped fenders allowing the Iron 883 to flash a little rubber, while a black fork with gaiters adds a splash of nostalgia. 2020 Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 (Harley-Davidson /)The price starts at $8,999, so it’s easy to understand why the accessible Iron 883 is often viewed as a “starter Harley,” though it will appeal to smaller experienced riders as well because of its more compact ergonomics. But the Iron can still be a highly entertaining ride around town as well as in the twisties, provided you are up for a few jarring moments. Customizers will be instantly drawn to the Iron’s potential as a project bike too. 2020 Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 Reviews, Comparisons, And Competition The Iron 883 regularly makes “best cruisers under $10,000” lists because of its style and accessibility, though there are some competitors, like the Yamaha Bolt and Triumph’s Street Twin and Bobber models, that also offer a stripped-down urban vibe or blacked-out custom sensibility. 2020 Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 (Harley-Davidson /)Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 Updates For 2020 The Iron 883 hasn’t had many radical updates since its launch in 2010, so changes to the 2020 model are limited to just new color options. 2020 Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 Claimed Specifications Price $8,999–$9,899 Engine Air-cooled Evolution V-twin; 2 valves/cyl. Displacement 883cc Bore x Stroke 76.2 x 96.8mm Horsepower N/A Torque 53.8 lb.-ft. @ 3,750 rpm Transmission 5-speed Final Drive Belt Seat Height 27.5 in. Rake 30.0° Trail 4.6 in. Front Suspension 39mm fork; 3.6-in. travel Rear Suspension Preload adjustable shocks; 1.6-in. travel Front Tire 100/90-19 Rear Tire 150/80-16 Wheelbase 59.6 in. Fuel Capacity 3.3 gal. Claimed Wet Weight 564 lb. Source

2020 Harley-Davidson Street Glide (Harley-Davidson /)Harley-Davidson calls it the “original stripped-down hot-rod bagger,” but however you spin it, that fork-mounted Batwing fairing is iconic. It’s been trolling the highways and byways as one of Harley’s most popular touring machines for almost 15 years, and for 2020, it leaves well enough alone, with a Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine as the sole powerplant option, though it adds ABS as a standard feature. Fairing and locking hard bags aside, you’ll also find some other ride-enhancing elements here too, like a Boom! Box 4.3 infotainment system, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, and a Showa Dual Bending Valve fork up front to absorb bigger hits while keeping the tire firmly planted. Touring riders and urban profilers alike have traditionally gravitated to the Street Glide, which offers plenty of room for a passenger out back, as well as a good starting point for many a customizing project. 2020 Harley-Davidson Street Glide (Harley-Davidson /)2020 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Reviews, Comparisons, And Competition When he rode the up-spec Street Glide Special version a couple of months back, Motorcyclist Editor Adam Waheed noted: “The crisp exhaust note and clocklike precision of the six-speed gearbox give this big twin a level of refinement that needs to be experienced to be believed. Love ’em or hate ’em, there are few engines on Earth that deliver the prodigious levels of character, refinement, and power.” Other fork-mounted-fairing touring bikes in the segment include the 2020 Indian Chieftain, which also rolls with a big-inch V-twin, as well as Yamaha’s Star Eluder. 2020 Harley-Davidson Street Glide (Harley-Davidson /)Harley-Davidson Street Glide Updates For 2020 For 2020, the FXLH gets a few new color choices and now has ABS as standard. The Reflex Defensive Rider Systems (RDRS) is a $995 option. Upgraded trim packages can be had with the Street Glide Special and CVO Street Glide, both of which bring different paint options, more powerful 114ci and 117ci engines, and other premium amenities. 2020 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Claimed Specifications Price $21,999–$23,199 Engine Milwaukee-Eight 107 V-twin; 4 valves/cyl. Displacement 1,746cc Bore x Stroke 100.0 x 111.0mm Horsepower N/A Torque 111 lb.-ft. @ 3,250 rpm Transmission 6-speed Final Drive Belt Seat Height 27.4 in. Rake 26.0° Trail 6.7 in. Front Suspension 49mm Showa Dual Bending Valve fork; 4.6-in. travel Rear Suspension Spring preload adjustable; 2.1-in. travel Front Tire 130/60B-19 Rear Tire 180/55B-18 Wheelbase 64.0 in. Fuel Capacity 6.0 gal. Claimed Wet Weight 829 lb. Source

The secret compact roadracer Harley-Davidson built to conquer Daytona that was lost to history. (The Don Emde Archive/)For decades, Jerry Branch was known for his remarkable race-winning tuning related to cylinder heads, airflow, and engine building. Branch’s work was instrumental in steering Harley-Davidson to many racing victories starting in the 1960s, and his expertise and career extended into the burgeoning superbike era with work on Ducatis, Hondas, and more. He was an energetic and focused Tennessee native and World War II veteran whose legacy will live far beyond his death at the age of 94 in 2018. His company, Branch Flowmetrics, lives on as Branch & O’Keefe. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. Of all Branch’s remarkable stories told to me over our years of friendship, it was one he first relayed during a visit to his Southern California home in 2009 that was intriguingly different from the rest. It centered on a motorcycle that became known as the “Midget,” a complete roadracing prototype built for Harley-Davidson intended to conquer the Daytona 200. LEFT: Harley-Davidson race chief Dick O’Brien (middle) at Willow Springs with two of his riders, Cal Rayborn on his immediate right and Fred Nix in the leathers to his left. Not long after this test, Rayborn would win the 1968 Daytona 200 on the new “slippery” No. 25 KRTT. The Midget is seen with fairing off, revealing the pannier-style, four-quart oil tank that Jerry Branch fabricated to make room for a lower seat location. (The Don Emde Archive/)In the 1960s, the two biggest prizes to win in ­American motorcycle racing were the Daytona 200 and the AMA No. 1 plate, awarded to the previous year’s top scorer in the season-long Grand National Championship series, which combined roadracing and dirt-track races in those days. In the 1967 season opener on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway, Harley-Davidson was beaten handily by Triumph. After 200 miles, not only did Harley lose the race, just four of its riders finished in the top 10, while the other six were on Triumphs. For a time, Triumph riders were running 1-2-3 until one of them crashed, moving Harley’s George Roeder up to third. Even so, Roeder finished a full lap behind the ­factory-built Triumphs of Oklahoma-born Gary Nixon, and runner-up Buddy Elmore. This was new territory for Dick O’Brien, Harley-­Davidson’s head of racing, who was accustomed to having competitive machines on the track, especially in a race as important as the Daytona 200. He quickly got busy talking to trusted associates in the Harley racing community about how to increase the speed of his KRTT roadracers. One of O’Brien’s first calls was to Branch, who had established himself as a successful tuner in the Southern California racing scene starting in the 1950s. They both agreed things could be done to increase the horsepower of the bike’s 750cc flathead V-twin, but Branch, ever the innovator looking for an advantage, also suggested a bigger potential might exist with ­improved streamlining. The hunkered-down Midget is remarkably more compact than the standard KRTT. (The Don Emde Archive/)Fairings had been legal in AMA racing for only three years, and little was known about streamlining. Branch told O’Brien that his friend Dean Wixom had built a business making fairings for BMWs, and understood as much as anyone about how fairings and windscreens worked. Even better, Wixom was keen to get involved in a project to help Harleys go faster on the racetrack. RELATED: Motorcycle Airflow Specialist Jerry Branch Was Driven By Curiosity O’Brien understood that this fix would take time, so while his team raced on in 1967, he began a full makeover of his factory racing machines for 1968. He took his case to Harley-Davidson’s board of directors for additional budget to embark on an expensive research and test program in the wind tunnel at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, better known as Caltech. Harley-Davidson racing director Dick O’Brien and Jerry Branch. (The Don Emde Archive/)According to Branch, the new project set in motion some new thinking and improved the understanding of airflow characteristics needed for the KRs. “When O’Brien and I were in the wind tunnel, the engineers kept telling us that frontal area was everything,” Branch said. “Harley asked me to buy a bunch of fairings that the Europeans were using and see what it would take to fit them onto a Harley. I purchased them in my name rather than Harley so that no one knew what we were interested in.” Detailed design analysis and consultation by Wixom and Caltech engineers resulted in bodywork changes reportedly worth 6 mph at top speed when they returned to Daytona. O’Brien authorized the expenditure for final molds to build the new fiberglass bodywork for the 1968 roadrace bikes. Further, Branch helped find a few more horsepower with new engine modifications that included reshaped ports with domed pistons and combustion chambers. Rayborn in 1968, en route to his first of two career Daytona 200 victories. Added horsepower from Jerry Branch and new Caltech-developed aerodynamics helped him win by a full lap. (The Don Emde Archive/)But while O’Brien and Branch were inspired by what they had learned, they couldn’t let go of the statement made by the Caltech engineers about improvements from reducing frontal area. O’Brien asked Branch to keep working. And the bike that would be known as the Midget began to take shape. Step one was to lower the motorcycle using smaller wheels. This would require smaller tires. Discussions with Goodyear about 16-inch rubber revealed that the tire manufacturer was willing to build them if the Motor Company would cover the $60,000 price (­nearly $400,000 today) for the molds. O’Brien was soon back in the boardroom in Milwaukee asking for more ­money—and he got it. As Harley invested in its future success, the 1967 GNC series raged on. Triumph-mounted Gary Nixon waged a season-long battle with George Roeder that went down to the last race of the season. A second-place finish to Roeder’s fourth earned Nixon his first AMA No. 1 plate. This was a bitter pill for O’Brien and Harley-Davidson’s management to swallow, having won either Daytona or the Grand National Championship every year since 1952. Dual Tillotson carburetors nestle in Branch’s custom oil tank on the Harley-Davidson 750cc flathead. (The Don Emde Archive/)Ivan Wagar, then editor of Cycle World, wrote in 1970 for the foreword of Joe Scalzo’s book, Racer: The Story of Gary Nixon: “The greatest tribute ever paid to Gary Nixon came from Dick O’Brien, who disgustingly told me, ‘We have the best machines, spend the most money, try to get the very best riders, and that little redhead comes out and blows off all of us—with 15 less horsepower.’” Shortly before the 1968 season opener at Daytona, Branch completed the assembly of the prototype motorcycle he built in his shop near Long Beach, California, now rolling on expensive 16-inch Goodyear tires and using all the tricks they had learned about aerodynamics. A five-day track test at Willow Springs Raceway north of Los Angeles was scheduled to determine how Branch’s one-off creation compared with the full-size model. On hand were Harley’s new roadracing star, Cal ­Rayborn, plus Mert Lawwill, Roger Reiman, and Fred Nix, to try the new compact bike and also shake down one of the versions with the new “slippery” bodywork on a conventional frame and in soon-to-be-iconic ­orange, white, and black livery. The crew at Willow Springs test the standard bike and Midget. Helping keep the latter small were 16-inch wheels with custom tires by Goodyear. The molds for the special rubber cost $60,000 in 1967, or nearly $400,000 today. (The Don Emde Archive/)The seat on the small bike was about 12 inches lower, and at first sight, all agreed a fitting name for it was the Midget. Rayborn eventually lapped faster on the Midget than on the new conventional bike with full-size frame. However, when it came time to tell O’Brien which ­machine he wanted to ride at the upcoming Daytona 200, Rayborn chose the full-size model. Not surprising, since Rayborn, a close friend of mine until his ­untimely death in New Zealand in 1973, was 5-foot-10 and would have been too cramped to ride the Midget for 200 miles at ­Daytona, or even 100 miles at the other races. As it turned out, Branch’s motor upgrade and what was learned in the Caltech wind tunnel about improved aerodynamics added 10 mph top speed to the conventional bike, and Rayborn lapped the field to win the 1968 Daytona 200. He ended up winning three of the four roadrace nationals that year, and came back and won Daytona again in 1969. RELATED: How Dick Mann And BSA Won Daytona Harley-Davidson’s race program was back on track, ending the need for the Midget to ever be put into competition. “The Midget was slightly ahead of its time, and that was its downfall,” reflected Branch in 2009. Even though Rayborn chose not to race it, Branch still felt satisfied by the fact that much was learned in the project that contributed to Harley’s success that year, and that Rayborn actually did go faster on it in the test than the machine he won races with. Branch kept the bike at his shop for about a year following the test, then Harley-­Davidson called it home, and it wasn’t seen again. Don Emde won the Daytona 200 in 1972. Since retiring from racing, he has been involved in publishing motorcycle-­related magazines and history books, as well as serving as president of the Trailblazers organization for many years. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. Source

The icon of American Flat Track and GNC, the Harley-Davidson XR750, has been putting its tractable power to the ground for 50 years. (Harley-Davidson /)If forced to condense the long, illustrious history of the Grand National Championship into a single mental image, what would jump into your head? Would you drift back to the mid-’70s and envision an epic showdown featuring legendary champions Jay Springsteen, Kenny Roberts, and Gary Scott? Or maybe the mid-’80s, when superstars Ricky Graham and Bubba Shobert went to war with double champ Randy Goss and an up-and-coming Scott Parker? For many—perhaps even most—it would have to be the mid-’90s, after Parker had long since established himself as the most successful rider in series history, but then found himself pushed to the very brink by fellow G.O.A.T. candidate Chris Carr. Chris Carr riding the Harley-Davidson XR750 on his final appearance at the Lima Half-Mile in 2011. (Dave Hoenig/)The mid-2000s looms large in the formative memories of today’s dirt track heroes—an era dominated by Carr, who had taken the torch from Parker and was doing all he could to not relinquish it to the likes of Joe Kopp, Jake Johnson, Kenny Coolbeth Jr., and Jared Mees. The mid-’10s wouldn’t be a terrible selection either—a time in which future hall-of-famers Mees, Bryan Smith, and Brad Baker helped set the table for the new golden age currently being enjoyed by the revitalized American Flat Track series. Whatever era you chose, it’s almost unavoidable that mental image would prominently feature Harley-Davidson’s iconic XR750. The overwhelming mindshare the XR750 has acquired in dirt track circles is backed in full by the numbers, which are staggering—numbers that should not be possible in a technologically driven endeavor such as motorsport. We’re talking incomprehensible, ridiculous numbers… Thirty-seven Grand National Championships and 502 premier-class main event victories for starters. But for all the sensational statistics, one number stands out at this moment: 50. Thirty-seven Grand National Championships and 502 premier-class wins in 50 years, this is the legacy of the XR750—so far. (Harley-Davidson /)The XR750 was introduced into Grand National Championship competition in 1970, a full half century ago. And as the XR did its very best to practice social distancing from the competition over the decades, this seems like the ideal time to celebrate an industry-defining machine in a multipart feature. “It is an absolutely remarkable achievement for how long the XR750 dominated the AMA field…earning the description of being the ‘most successful racebike of all time’ in the process,” said Jon Bekefy, Harley-Davidson’s GM of Global Brand Marketing. “That dynasty is crazy for any motorsports machine, two wheels or four.” How is it even possible that a racebike could not only remain competitive but dominant for such a vast stretch of time? It’s as if the stars aligned—and then stayed aligned for nearly five decades. The XR750’s irreplicable record is the result of an astutely engineered platform, continually developed in both radical and subtle ways, applied to a sport where traction is imperfect by definition, and mastered by multiple generations of the most accomplished racers and tuners two-wheeled sport has ever known. The list of all-time greats already inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame whose legends were built in concert with the XR750’s runs into the double digits: names like O’Brien, Werner, Springsteen, Parker, Carr, Brelsford, Scott, Eklund, and Goss. And the future hall-of-fame candidates who earned Grand National Championships on the machine are destined to further expand that list: names like Kopp, Coolbeth, Johnson, Mees, and Baker. Chief among those masters is the aforementioned Scott Parker, who is arguably more closely associated with the XR750 than any other rider. During his time, Parker earned a jaw-dropping nine Grand National Championships and 94 main event wins (nearly all of them on the XR750). Scott Parker at the 1988 Springfield Mile where he finished ahead of the Honda-mounted Dan Ingram, Bubba Shobert, and Alex Jorgensen. (Dave Hoenig/)To add some perspective to the longevity of the XR750, consider that following the conclusion of his 20-year GNC career, Parker came out of retirement 20 years ago to win the 2000 Springfield Mile one last time on an XR750. Also consider that by the time Parker turned pro in 1979, it was already considered a legendary machine with five national titles stacked in its corner. Even as the decades have ticked along, Parker still has vivid memories of his first time on the XR. “The first time I got to ride one is one of my greatest memories,” he told us. “My buddy flew down and picked one up on an airplane and brought it back. I just couldn't wait to ride it. It had so much more horsepower than anything I had ever ridden. To get on that thing—and just the way it delivered the horsepower. Wow! “I was more of a cushion rider, and you just get it in a corner and you could just give it the gas. It would turn the rear wheel and start putting traction down to the ground and down the straightaway you’d go. The first time I got on it, I remember going, ‘Oh my gosh, this thing is badass.’ ” Although his lead held firm in this lap at the Lima Half-Mile, Parker finished third to Steve Morehead and Carr in 1988. (Dave Hoenig/)The AFT paddock is lined with riders with similar tales of their anticipation of riding an XR750 for the first time and then having it meet, if not exceed, all the hype. 2000 Grand National Champion Joe Kopp, who happens to be the same age as the XR750, said, “I remember, gosh, it was probably ’90 or ’91. I was new to a twin—I had ridden a Triumph a little bit but definitely never an XR750. “That was the one everyone wanted to be on. It was just kinda the bike you dreamed of. And when I finally got to ride one—holy smoke! I just couldn't believe I was on one, and how it put the power to the ground compared to all the bikes I had ridden before that. “I was working with Vance & Hines and Harley a couple years ago (developing the XG750R), and with Indian (developing the FTR750), and the XR750 was still their benchmark. Even though the Indian is doing really well, they still sometimes look for ideas from the XR750. It's pretty crazy to think it was designed and built 50 years ago.” Throughout its 50 years the Harley-Davidson XR750 has defined flat track racing. Now five decades later, race teams still look to the XR750 for racing inspiration and solutions. (Dave Hoenig/)That same sort of awe is shared by the sport’s fan base at large. Bekefy, who worked at Ducati, IMZ Ural, Mission Motors, Alta Motors, and Triumph prior to taking his current position at H-D, still views the XR750 through the eyes of a fan. “When I was a young kid from San Francisco, Harley-Davidson was two things: Easy Rider and flat track. I knew all these names; Parker, Springer, and for sure Carr. NorCal has a deep flat track legacy regardless of brand or rider, but those names I knew like I knew the states’ names. “It’s a legacy alive in the pits of AFT racing today. It’s awesome to hear stories of how the XR750 has played a pivotal role in the racing community. From late-night wrench sessions to the checkered flag, so many people have fond memories of the bike, and that continues to stick with me.” While not intentional, it’s apt Bekefy should mention Easy Rider; the XR750’s generations-spanning success is due in no small part to the fact that, for all its power, it’s a famously easy-riding machine—albeit a machine far removed from the “Captain America” and “Billy Bike” H-D Hydra-Glide choppers featured in the film. Kopp explained, “I see a fair amount of young kids who hop on an XR750 for the first time and do pretty darn good. I just think it generally puts the power to the ground and is such a super-easy bike to ride—big flywheels, doesn’t rev up all that quick… Joe Kopp chasing the titan Parker at the 1999 Indy Mile. (Dave Hoenig/)“Actually, to me, as a racer, it could be kinda frustrating when we went to an easy track—like a real round, circle track that wasn’t real technical. When we were all on XR750s, everybody was so dang fast. Instead of five or six guys up front, it was 15. I was like, ‘Oh s—t, here's another one of those races.’ ” Bill Werner had a hand in developing the original cast-iron XR750 first introduced in 1970, and then played a critical role in transforming it into the all-dominant aluminum XR750 in the years after that. As a race tuner of XR750s, he’s credited with 13 Grand National Championships and 130 main event wins. In other words, he knows its secrets better than anyone. And one of those secrets is the fact that riders tuned themselves to the XR750 as much as the bike was tuned to them. Due to its rider-friendly nature, decades of racers built their styles around its strengths, creating a feedback loop of championship-winning glory. MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden chases the lead pack at the 1999 Springfield Mile on his XR750. (Dave Hoenig/)Werner said, “So many riders, their internal clocks—their skill sets—revolved around the unique idiosyncrasies of that motorcycle. So when they jumped on something else that was foreign to them, that accelerated differently, like the Kawasakis and stuff that had lighter flywheel mass and maybe more horsepower, some guys found it difficult to adapt to something different from what they knew.” Incredibly, even while celebrating the 50th anniversary of the XR750, it’s not dead yet, even if the factory Harley-Davidson squad moved on with the XG750R a few years back. The XR750 reigned supreme at the very pinnacle of the sport as recently as 2017, when Jeffrey Carver Jr. dominated the Lone Star Half-Mile, leaving a stacked field of Indian FTR750s, Kawasaki Ninja 650s, H-D XG750Rs, and Yamaha FZ-07s in his wake. And just last season, Danny Eslick raced his way into the main and snared a handful of championship points on an XR750 at the Lima Half-Mile. Reflecting on its modern-day success, Parker said, “You can look at the lap times over the decades. Bryan Smith only recently took one of the records I had at Springfield. Some of these other bikes may be faster, but it just delivers the power and the traction to the ground and that’s what really matters.” Parker finished second here ahead of George Roeder during his last full season of competition in 1999. (Dave Hoenig/)Kopp took it a step further. “I've got a really good, fresh one, sitting inside my home. If I ever dig it off the shelf for my kid, I would update the suspension, but other than that, she's ready to go. I think they're still good. I'm getting excited talking about it—this is making me want to go race again.” Ask a flat track fan to draw a picture of a racebike and you will get some approximation of the Harley-Davidson XR750. (Harley-Davidson /)An exhaustive history of the XR750 could fill a book (in fact, it has), but over the next few weeks we’ll continue to hit some of the highlights. We’ll take a closer look at the development of the XR750 as well as some of its brightest champions, and finally investigate the plausibility of number 503. In the meantime, if you’re in need of an on-theme stress reliever that will let your mind race while your body shelters in place, Harley-Davidson has offered up this XR750 coloring page. Source

2020 Honda CBR500R (Honda /)Sliding itself among the other smaller-displacement Honda sportbikes is the 2020 CBR500R. With a 471cc parallel-twin engine pumping ponies to the pavement, this is a great transition bike for beginners who are climbing the displacement ladder from the CBR300R to the CBR650R and beyond. It is equipped with rider aids like slipper/assist clutch and optional ABS, and endowed with electronics like an LCD screen and LED headlights. 2020 Honda CBR500R Reviews, Comparisons, And Competition Little guys put up a good fight and the beginner class of motorcycles is chock-full of fully faired competition from the Yamaha YZF-R3 to the Kawasaki Ninja 400 and larger-displacement Kawasaki Ninja 650. The CBR500R finds itself in the middle ground of a displacement shootout. Honda CBR500R Updates For 2020 The Honda CBR500R received some significant updates in 2016 and then again in 2019. Although 2019 saw updates like an increase in power, more aggressive styling, a nicer sound, and other functional upgrades, no major changes were announced for 2020. The base price carries over into 2020 at $6,699, an ABS option is available for an additional $300 and both versions will be available in Matte Gray Metallic and Grand Prix Red. 2020 Honda CBR500R Claimed Specifications Price $6,699 Engine Liquid-cooled DOHC parallel twin Displacement 471cc Bore x Stroke 67.0 x 66.8mm Horsepower N/A Torque N/A Transmission 6-speed Final Drive Chain Seat Height 30.9 in. Rake 25.5° Trail 4.0 in. Front Suspension 43mm fork; 4.3-in. travel Rear Suspension Preload adjustable; 4.7-in. travel Front Tire 120/70R-17 Rear Tire 160/60-17 Wheelbase 55.5 in. Fuel Capacity 4.5 gal. Claimed Wet Weight 419 lb. Source

2020 Honda CBR300R (Honda /)What do you look for in a beginner sportbike? Is it low cost? Nimble handling? Or even just the superbike-like styling? Well, the 2020 Honda CBR300R is a small-displacement sportbike that touches on all counts. 1) It only costs a base MSRP of $4,699. 2) It weighs only 357 pounds and has a low 30.7-inch seat height leading to easy maneuverability and beginner approachability. And 3) it takes its styling from its bigger CBR-RR siblings. Powered by the same 286cc single-cylinder engine as the naked CB300R and CB300F models, the CBR300R offers a user-friendly entry point into full-faired sportbike riding. The relatively low 30.7-inch seat height and nimble chassis make navigating dense traffic flow easy, while still offering enough sporting capability to conquer the twisties. 2020 Honda CBR300R Reviews, Comparisons, And Competition “My first bike was…” Many manufacturers want to fill in that blank with their entry-level bikes. This, in turn, loads on the competition in the faired sportbike category. Among the small Honda’s competition is the Suzuki GSX250R, Yamaha YZF-R3, Kawasaki Ninja 400, and KTM RC 390. 2020 Honda CBR300R (Honda /)Honda CBR300R Updates For 2020 No model updates were highlighted for 2020. The CBR300R is available in Matte Black Metallic and Grand Prix Red. 2020 Honda CBR300R Claimed Specifications Price $4,699 Engine Liquid-cooled DOHC single-cylinder Displacement 286cc Bore x Stroke 76.0 x 63.0mm Horsepower N/A Torque N/A Transmission 6-speed Final Drive Chain Seat Height 30.7 in. Rake 25.3° Trail 3.9 in. Front Suspension 37mm fork; 4.7-in. travel Rear Suspension Preload adjustable; 4.1-in. travel Front Tire 110/70-17 Rear Tire 140/70-17 Wheelbase 54.3 in. Fuel Capacity 3.4 gal. Claimed Wet Weight 357 lb. Source

2020 Kawasaki KLX230R (Kawasaki/)The Kawasaki KLX230R is a new model to Team Green’s lineup for 2020, which fills the gap between the KLX140G and KLX300R. With its smooth, yet capable air-cooled four-stroke 230cc engine and nonadjustable conventional fork, the KLX230R is a trailbike that is intended for the adult recreational off-road rider looking to conquer moderate adventures. 2020 Kawasaki KLX230R Reviews, Comparisons, And Competition Our sister publication Dirt Rider put the 2020 Kawasaki KLX230R through its paces at the intro of the bike near the Lily Prairie Staging Area in Jacksonville, Oregon. Off-road editor Andrew Oldar thoroughly enjoyed blasting around the dusty trails on the KLX230R, noting its impressive handling: “The KLX230R has a very light and nimble feel on the trail along with intuitive, predictable handling.” 2020 Kawasaki KLX230R (Kawasaki/)Two competitors of the 2020 Kawasaki KLX230R include the 2020 Yamaha TT-R230 and the 2020 Honda CRF250F. With its suggested retail price of $4,399, the KLX230R is the least expensive of the three, but only slightly. The green machine is $50 less than the TT-R230 and $200 less than the CRF250F. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. Kawasaki KLX230R Updates For 2020 The Kawasaki KLX230R is new from the ground up as 2020 is its first year on the market. 2020 Kawasaki KLX230R (Kawasaki/)2020 Kawasaki KLX230R Claimed Specifications Price $4,399 Engine Air-cooled SOHC single-cylinder Displacement 233cc Bore x Stroke 67.0 x 66.0mm Horsepower N/A Torque N/A Transmission 6-speed Final Drive Chain Seat Height 36.2 in. Rake 26.5° Trail 4.4 in. Front Suspension 37mm conventional fork, nonadjustable; 9.8-in. travel Rear Suspension Preload adjustable; 9.9-in. travel Front Tire 80/100-21 Rear Tire 100/100-18 Wheelbase 53.5 in. Fuel Capacity 1.7 gal. Claimed Wet Weight 254 lb., 258 lb. (CA model) Source

Tony Prust leading the way on the 2019 Built to Ride Tour. (Monti Smith /)With a $10,000 prize on the line, Tony Prust of Analog Motorcycles approached the Built to Ride Tour with a plan. The rules are simple—show up with your bike, ride from stop to stop, and at the end of each day, the public votes on which custom bike they liked the most. At the final stop of the tour, the votes are tallied and the builder with the highest total wins the prize. No second place, no input from the editorial staff. With roughly 700 miles of riding from day 1 to day 4, Tony brought a highly modified 1976 BMW R90/6—a bike that would not only handle the distance with ease, but strike just the right balance between custom and classic to take home the big prize as well. 1976 BMW R90/6 built by Analog Motorcycles. (Monti Smith /)I first met Prust at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering in 2015, when he brought his custom 1949 Indian Scout café racer out from his home in Chicago and won Best Modified/Custom Class. I had seen him at other motorcycle shows over the years, always with some brilliantly updated classic motorcycle. Sure, he works on modern bikes, but after looking at his lineup of past work, it’s clear he leans toward the older platforms when starting a build. But one thing I hadn’t known about Tony until the tour? That dude can ride. Öhlins shocks, Analog Motor Goods subframe, machined hubs, custom seat—yet still maintaining a classic BMW feel. (Monti Smith /)Tony tries to get out to the track as often as he can, and he’s not the guy who has an old Honda RC51 in the garage, no, he builds these bikes up to actually handle and perform as best they can—by modern standards, not those of the time they were initially built. Looking at the BMW, I’m sure many of the passersby paid no mind to the incredible amount of work that was put into this machine, but that’s sort of the brilliance of it. The chassis has been upgraded, the lines have been smoothed and enhanced, the engine’s performance has been totally upgraded, but when you step back and look at it—it’s still an R90/6. Split valve covers on the R90/6’s boxer engine. (Monti Smith /)Starting with the chassis, an Analog subframe was installed with Öhlins shocks mounted to it, and the swingarm braced. The fork was disassembled and rebuilt with Race Tech Gold Valve Emulators and lowers to run dual front brakes, mounted to Analog’s own triple trees and bar clamps, then braced for stability. The hubs of the wheels were machined and modified, then laced up himself with spokes from Buchanan’s Spoke & Rim out in California. Now that the bike was able to turn and stop, it was time to focus on the “go.” Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. Analog Motorcycles’ 1976 BMW R90/6. (Monti Smith /)The engine was rebuilt by Motorworks Chicago with a Siebenrock 1,000cc big-bore kit. The stock flywheel was lightened and a larger, deeper sump was installed to increase the engine’s oil capacity. A new K&N air filter is used inside the drilled-out airbox and paired with Analog’s own slip-on muffler kit to increase airflow all around. Two Mikuni round-slide carbs replaced stock units, and a Boyer Bransden electronic ignition system was set up for timing. Last but not least, a set of split valve covers are bolted to heads—another subtle detail that those in the know get very excited about. The bike now puts out more power, revs up quicker, and cools itself more efficiently. Motogadget controls, turn indicators, and mirrors keep things tidy at the handlebars. (Monti Smith /)The stock R90/6 gas tank was maintained, helping keep the classic BMW aesthetic, but Analog Motor Goods badges replace the originals. A custom rear fender was fabricated and the stock front was trimmed up a bit. The seat pan and corresponding battery box were fabricated in-house, then the seat was shipped off to Dane Utech (@plzbeseated) for upholstery. Once all the bodywork was done, classic BMW-style paint and pinstriping were handled by Artistimo Custom Design in Wisconsin. A custom choke removal cover bearing the Analog Motorcycles logo. (Monti Smith /) A custom housing was made to fit the new Daytona Digital gauge into the back of the headlight. (Monti Smith /)From both an aesthetic and functional standpoint, most of the bike’s now-modern feel comes from the components at the handlebars. Renthal bars were fitted with a suite of Motogadget components including m.Switch Minis to handle the electrical components, m.Blaze bar-end turn indicators, and m.View dropdown mirrors, with the whole bike wired through a Motogadget m.Unit wiring system. Finally, powdercoated levers were mounted to a Magura clutch perch and master cylinder. Tony Prust’s custom BMW on a back road outside of Johnson City, Tennessee. (Monti Smith /)Tony’s build perfectly walks the line between classic and custom. Those who don’t know what they’re looking at will see a beautiful vintage bike. Those who do can appreciate the time, effort, and good taste that went into putting this machine together. And it managed to make it the 700 miles of the Built to Ride Tour without a single hiccup. Prust managed to hold a consistent lead in the polls throughout the Tour and it was announced on the final day that he was the grand champion, taking home the $10,000 prize. He has been invited back to the 2020 tour, and we can’t wait to see what he brings. The 2019 Built to Ride Tour invited lineup. (Monti Smith /)For more information on the 2020 Built to Ride Tour, head to builttoridetour.com. Source

The Atlas Nomad was one of the bikes the “newest” Norton brand was poised to debut in 2020. (Norton Motorcycles/)Norton Motorcycles went into administration—the rough UK equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the States—back in January amid stories of growing debts and undelivered bikes, legal action over unpaid taxes, and a brewing scandal over a mishandled pension scheme. Now the company’s official administrators, the managers brought in to deal with the mess and tasked with recouping as much of creditors’ money as possible, have published their report and proposals for Norton’s future, pulling back the curtain to reveal details of the company’s dire financial situation. This V4 SS superbike was one of the few models to actually come off the Norton assembly line, though it was approved for international sale. (Norton Motorcycles/)The Background Norton Motorcycles was formed in October 2008 by CEO Stuart Garner and some backers with the purpose of buying Norton LLC, the American company that owned the Norton brand name along with the Commando 961 prototypes developed by Kenny Dreer. Dreer had spent years consolidating Norton’s scattered trademark rights and trying to relaunch the brand with his updated version of the 1970s Commando. Related Content: Stuart Garner Fails To Appear At Hearing Garner, whose background included running a string of firework import and sales businesses in the UK, saw an opportunity to bring the evocative Norton name back, hoping to emulate the success of the Triumph brand since its rebirth under the ownership of John Bloor. Norton purchased the lavish Donington Hall in 2013 to serve as the company’s corporate headquarters. (Norton Motorcycles/)However, Triumph’s revival emerged after years of R&D and the bikes were built at an unassuming factory in Hinckley. It was also able to sustain years of losses before becoming profitable, financially supported by Bloor’s massive house-building empire, and the marque shunned media attention. Norton’s approach couldn’t have been more different; Garner established a headquarters at the luxurious Donington Hall and instantly started courting the media with big promises for his relaunched brand. He also created a complex web of companies around Norton, buying chassis maker Spondon to help develop his new Norton models and setting up a bewildering number of businesses from the same headquarters. Four of these—Norton Motorcycles Limited, Norton Motorcycle Holdings Limited, Donington Hall Estates Limited, and Priest House Hotel Limited—went into administration at the same time. However, Garner is still running several other businesses including real estate firm Greensward Limited, British Motorcycle Manufacturing Academy Limited, Norton Racing Limited, and Spondon Developments Limited. He’s also recently resigned the directorship of another, somewhat mysterious business going by the name NMC123 Ltd, formerly known as Ttorpa Limited, Norton Motor Cars Limited, and Norton MC Limited. His wife, Susannah, was appointed as director when he stepped down, at the same time the company name changed from Norton Motor Cars to Norton MC, and just a month later another name change to NMC123. Big Promises In addition to selling various models derived from Kenny Dreer’s reengineered Norton Commando 961, Norton embarked on ambitious plans to develop completely new bikes. The most notable was, of course, the 1,200cc, 200-hp V4 superbike announced in 2016 in “RR” and “SS” forms. Small numbers of the V4s started to trickle off Norton’s production line in 2019, but lacked the international type approval needed to be sold in many parts of the world. Related Content: 2015 Norton Commando 961 Sport Dyno Test By then, Norton’s plans had been scaled up again, with the firm promising new 650cc twins in the form of the scrambler-style Atlas Ranger and Atlas Nomad, the sporty Superlight, and the ambitious Superlight SS—complete with a supercharger, a carbon fiber frame, and a claimed 175 hp. However, while plenty of people put down deposits, the 650cc twins didn’t reach customers before Norton went into administration in late January this year. This scrambler-style Atlas Ranger was another of the new 650cc parallel-twin models promised by Norton. (Norton Motorcycles/)How Deep Is The Financial Hole? Despite the big talk and disproportionate press coverage, the administrator’s report shows that Norton Motorcycles only employed 64 staff members when it went into administration. Since then, that figure has dropped to 58. The firm’s administrators haven’t been able to establish precise numbers as to how many bikes Norton actually built, but it’s not likely to be a lot. When the administrators were called in, there were only 70 bikes in Norton’s possession and 24 of them were customer bikes in for servicing or warranty work. There were just 14 bikes under construction at the end of January and none were near completion, and Norton also owned 13 finished bikes and a further five display models in other countries. All pretty small numbers. But the debts are vast. Norton’s only secured creditor was Metro Bank—the company that also called in the administrators in the first place. It was owed 4.04 million pounds ($5.04 million) by Norton Motorcycles at the end of January, a figure that’s still rising as it provided an additional 550,000 pounds ($686,000) overdraft facility by the time the report was written. Metro Bank is also the main secured creditor of Donington Hall Estates, another of Garner’s companies that went into administration at the same time, with it owing 3.07 million pounds ($3.83 million). Priest House Hotel, another Garner firm in administration, owes Metro Bank a further 3.6 million pounds ($4.49 million). That’s a total of 10.71 million pounds ($13.36 million) owed to a single bank, not including the additional 550,000-pound overdraft. And it’s just the tip of the iceberg; Norton Motorcycle Limited’s unsecured creditors include Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (the taxman) who’s asking for 695,097 pounds (around $870K) and customers who’ve put down deposits worth 3,375,167 pounds (roughly $4.21 million). Trade creditors are owed another million, with a further million owed to “other” creditors. The total, according to Norton’s own records, is 6,232,828 pounds ($7.78 million). However, that might not tell the whole story, since at the time the administrators wrote their report, they had received claims from unsecured creditors totalling 7,195,689 pounds ($8.98 million). Even if we put aside the money owed by Priest House Hotel, as it’s not directly connected to the Norton businesses, that brings the total owed to somewhere in the region of 14.3 million pounds ($17.84 million). Related Content: Norton Launches First Teaser Video on Its New V4 Superbike Incredibly, Norton has also been the recipient of several million pounds of government grants over the last few years, which means the total amount of money that’s gone into the business is significantly higher. The numbers also don’t account for the money in Norton-related pension schemes, put by some at around 14 million pounds ($17.47 million), that was wiped out when the firm went into administration. Norton has also claimed to make millions more from licensing deals, selling the rights to license-build its planned 650cc twin-cylinder to Chinese firm Zongshen in 2017, and rights to make the old air-cooled 961 twin to another Chinese company, Jinlang, in January this year. Happier times: Testing the SG5 racebike in 2016, prior to heading to the Isle of Man TT. (Norton Motorcycles/)What’s Next? Regardless of the precise numbers, it’s clear that Norton has chewed through tens of millions of pounds and in a decade of production hasn’t turned out a vast number of bikes. As such, it’s no surprise that BDO, the company acting as Norton’s administrator, isn’t expecting it to be sold as a going concern (basically, a whole and complete business unit). That would mean finding a buyer who was happy to take on the debts with the plan of keeping the business going and repaying what was owed, and nobody is likely to want that kind of commitment. The administrators’ proposal says: “Due to the extent of the Company’s known liabilities (including sums owed to Holdings), it is not considered that the Company will be rescued as a going concern.” However, there’s plenty of interest from potential buyers who want to snap up part or all of Norton’s assets. The most valuable is Norton’s intellectual property, which will include the brand, trademark rights, and the designs of its bikes. It’s valued at 5,237,572 pounds ($6.53 million) according to Norton’s own accounts, though BDO isn’t putting an estimate on how much it might actually sell for. Beyond that, Norton’s chattels are valued at 3.47 million pounds ($4.33 million), its investment in Norton America LLC is put at 1.53 million pounds ($1.91 million), and there’s around another 1.8 million pounds ($2.25 milion) in other assets. BDO received an astounding 331 “expressions of interest” in Norton, which dropped to 169 when interested parties were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements to get access to financial and operational information. Of those, 29 made formal offers for Norton Motorcycles Limited by the February 21 deadline, and eight of those progressed to a second phase, where they were given site visits and management meetings. A deadline for “best and final” offers was set for March 25, 2020, with “a view to concluding a transaction as soon as possible thereafter.” The implication is that a decision will be made on Norton’s future very soon. While the company is unlikely to be sold as a going concern, it’s possible that a single buyer will take possession of the naming rights and IP of the firm’s existing models. Potential buyers are rumored to include Indian firm TVS, and it’s very likely that Chinese companies will also be tempted. While some fans might like to see Norton become part of Triumph—with echoes of the old Norton-Villiers-Triumph arrangement of the 1970s— Triumph has already said it’s not interested. The Superlight SS was claimed to output 175 bhp. We might never know. (Norton Motorcycles/)Will Norton’s Directors Face Penalties? There’s understandably a lot of concern over the behavior of Norton’s directors, notably CEO Stuart Garner, in the run-up to the firm’s failure. In particular, Garner was summoned to a hearing from the pensions ombudsman over complaints regarding the pension schemes that were invested in Norton. He didn’t show up. There have also been calls for a government investigation into the millions of pounds of taxpayer money poured into the company despite the fact that it wasn’t close to profitability. The report from BDO says: “The Joint Administrators have a duty to investigate the affairs of the Company, to establish if there are any actions that can be pursued for the benefit of the creditors as a whole, and also to investigate the conduct of the director. In this latter respect, the Joint Administrators must submit a confidential report to the Secretary of State regarding the conduct of all directors during the three years before the Administration. “… the Joint Administrators have instructed the Forensic Services team of BDO LLP to assist in their investigations including, but not limited to, the events leading up to the Joint Administrators’ appointment of all companies in the Group, the conduct of the respective directors, and to assess the completeness of the respective books and records.” Although not related to Norton Motorcycles, the Priest House Hotel, another of Garner’s businesses to fall into administration on the same day as Norton Motorcycles, lists him as a secured creditor, and is owed 567,028 pounds ($707,397). That means he’s among the first in line to receive money if the business is sold. Like Norton, Priest House Hotel’s administration is being overseen by BDO, which doesn’t expect the company to be sold as a going concern and instead has received “significant interest” in the hotel and its assets. Source

The Atlas Nomad was one of the bikes the “newest” Norton brand was poised to debut in 2020. (Norton Motorcycles/)Norton Motorcycles went into administration—the rough UK equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the States—back in January amid stories of growing debts and undelivered bikes, legal action over unpaid taxes, and a brewing scandal over a mishandled pension scheme. Now the company’s official administrators, the managers brought in to deal with the mess and tasked with recouping as much of creditors’ money as possible, have published their report and proposals for Norton’s future, pulling back the curtain to reveal details of the company’s dire financial situation. This V4 SS superbike was one of the few models to actually come off the Norton assembly line, though it was approved for international sale. (Norton Motorcycles/)The Background Norton Motorcycles was formed in October 2008 by CEO Stuart Garner and some backers with the purpose of buying Norton LLC, the American company that owned the Norton brand name along with the Commando 961 prototypes developed by Kenny Dreer. Dreer had spent years consolidating Norton’s scattered trademark rights and trying to relaunch the brand with his updated version of the 1970s Commando. Related Content: Stuart Garner Fails To Appear At Hearing Garner, whose background included running a string of firework import and sales businesses in the UK, saw an opportunity to bring the evocative Norton name back, hoping to emulate the success of the Triumph brand since its rebirth under the ownership of John Bloor. Norton purchased the lavish Donington Hall in 2013 to serve as the company’s corporate headquarters. (Norton Motorcycles/)However, Triumph’s revival emerged after years of R&D and the bikes were built at an unassuming factory in Hinckley. It was also able to sustain years of losses before becoming profitable, financially supported by Bloor’s massive house-building empire, and the marque shunned media attention. Norton’s approach couldn’t have been more different; Garner established a headquarters at the luxurious Donington Hall and instantly started courting the media with big promises for his relaunched brand. He also created a complex web of companies around Norton, buying chassis maker Spondon to help develop his new Norton models and setting up a bewildering number of businesses from the same headquarters. Four of these—Norton Motorcycles Limited, Norton Motorcycle Holdings Limited, Donington Hall Estates Limited, and Priest House Hotel Limited—went into administration at the same time. However, Garner is still running several other businesses including real estate firm Greensward Limited, British Motorcycle Manufacturing Academy Limited, Norton Racing Limited, and Spondon Developments Limited. He’s also recently resigned the directorship of another, somewhat mysterious business going by the name NMC123 Ltd, formerly known as Ttorpa Limited, Norton Motor Cars Limited, and Norton MC Limited. His wife, Susannah, was appointed as director when he stepped down, at the same time the company name changed from Norton Motor Cars to Norton MC, and just a month later another name change to NMC123. Big Promises In addition to selling various models derived from Kenny Dreer’s reengineered Norton Commando 961, Norton embarked on ambitious plans to develop completely new bikes. The most notable was, of course, the 1,200cc, 200-hp V4 superbike announced in 2016 in “RR” and “SS” forms. Small numbers of the V4s started to trickle off Norton’s production line in 2019, but lacked the international type approval needed to be sold in many parts of the world. Related Content: 2015 Norton Commando 961 Sport Dyno Test By then, Norton’s plans had been scaled up again, with the firm promising new 650cc twins in the form of the scrambler-style Atlas Ranger and Atlas Nomad, the sporty Superlight, and the ambitious Superlight SS—complete with a supercharger, a carbon fiber frame, and a claimed 175 hp. However, while plenty of people put down deposits, the 650cc twins didn’t reach customers before Norton went into administration in late January this year. This scrambler-style Atlas Ranger was another of the new 650cc parallel-twin models promised by Norton. (Norton Motorcycles/)How Deep Is The Financial Hole? Despite the big talk and disproportionate press coverage, the administrator’s report shows that Norton Motorcycles only employed 64 staff members when it went into administration. Since then, that figure has dropped to 58. The firm’s administrators haven’t been able to establish precise numbers as to how many bikes Norton actually built, but it’s not likely to be a lot. When the administrators were called in, there were only 70 bikes in Norton’s possession and 24 of them were customer bikes in for servicing or warranty work. There were just 14 bikes under construction at the end of January and none were near completion, and Norton also owned 13 finished bikes and a further five display models in other countries. All pretty small numbers. But the debts are vast. Norton’s only secured creditor was Metro Bank—the company that also called in the administrators in the first place. It was owed 4.04 million pounds ($5.04 million) by Norton Motorcycles at the end of January, a figure that’s still rising as it provided an additional 550,000 pounds ($686,000) overdraft facility by the time the report was written. Metro Bank is also the main secured creditor of Donington Hall Estates, another of Garner’s companies that went into administration at the same time, with it owing 3.07 million pounds ($3.83 million). Priest House Hotel, another Garner firm in administration, owes Metro Bank a further 3.6 million pounds ($4.49 million). That’s a total of 10.71 million pounds ($13.36 million) owed to a single bank, not including the additional 550,000-pound overdraft. And it’s just the tip of the iceberg; Norton Motorcycle Limited’s unsecured creditors include Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (the taxman) who’s asking for 695,097 pounds (around $870K) and customers who’ve put down deposits worth 3,375,167 pounds (roughly $4.21 million). Trade creditors are owed another million, with a further million owed to “other” creditors. The total, according to Norton’s own records, is 6,232,828 pounds ($7.78 million). However, that might not tell the whole story, since at the time the administrators wrote their report, they had received claims from unsecured creditors totalling 7,195,689 pounds ($8.98 million). Even if we put aside the money owed by Priest House Hotel, as it’s not directly connected to the Norton businesses, that brings the total owed to somewhere in the region of 14.3 million pounds ($17.84 million). Related Content: Norton Launches First Teaser Video on Its New V4 Superbike Incredibly, Norton has also been the recipient of several million pounds of government grants over the last few years, which means the total amount of money that’s gone into the business is significantly higher. The numbers also don’t account for the money in Norton-related pension schemes, put by some at around 14 million pounds ($17.47 million), that was wiped out when the firm went into administration. Norton has also claimed to make millions more from licensing deals, selling the rights to license-build its planned 650cc twin-cylinder to Chinese firm Zongshen in 2017, and rights to make the old air-cooled 961 twin to another Chinese company, Jinlang, in January this year. Happier times: Testing the SG5 racebike in 2016, prior to heading to the Isle of Man TT. (Norton Motorcycles/)What’s Next? Regardless of the precise numbers, it’s clear that Norton has chewed through tens of millions of pounds and in a decade of production hasn’t turned out a vast number of bikes. As such, it’s no surprise that BDO, the company acting as Norton’s administrator, isn’t expecting it to be sold as a going concern (basically, a whole and complete business unit). That would mean finding a buyer who was happy to take on the debts with the plan of keeping the business going and repaying what was owed, and nobody is likely to want that kind of commitment. The administrators’ proposal says: “Due to the extent of the Company’s known liabilities (including sums owed to Holdings), it is not considered that the Company will be rescued as a going concern.” However, there’s plenty of interest from potential buyers who want to snap up part or all of Norton’s assets. The most valuable is Norton’s intellectual property, which will include the brand, trademark rights, and the designs of its bikes. It’s valued at 5,237,572 pounds ($6.53 million) according to Norton’s own accounts, though BDO isn’t putting an estimate on how much it might actually sell for. Beyond that, Norton’s chattels are valued at 3.47 million pounds ($4.33 million), its investment in Norton America LLC is put at 1.53 million pounds ($1.91 million), and there’s around another 1.8 million pounds ($2.25 milion) in other assets. BDO received an astounding 331 “expressions of interest” in Norton, which dropped to 169 when interested parties were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements to get access to financial and operational information. Of those, 29 made formal offers for Norton Motorcycles Limited by the February 21 deadline, and eight of those progressed to a second phase, where they were given site visits and management meetings. A deadline for “best and final” offers was set for March 25, 2020, with “a view to concluding a transaction as soon as possible thereafter.” The implication is that a decision will be made on Norton’s future very soon. While the company is unlikely to be sold as a going concern, it’s possible that a single buyer will take possession of the naming rights and IP of the firm’s existing models. Potential buyers are rumored to include Indian firm TVS, and it’s very likely that Chinese companies will also be tempted. While some fans might like to see Norton become part of Triumph—with echoes of the old Norton-Villiers-Triumph arrangement of the 1970s— Triumph has already said it’s not interested. The Superlight SS was claimed to output 175 bhp. We might never know. (Norton Motorcycles/)Will Norton’s Directors Face Penalties? There’s understandably a lot of concern over the behavior of Norton’s directors, notably CEO Stuart Garner, in the run-up to the firm’s failure. In particular, Garner was summoned to a hearing from the pensions ombudsman over complaints regarding the pension schemes that were invested in Norton. He didn’t show up. There have also been calls for a government investigation into the millions of pounds of taxpayer money poured into the company despite the fact that it wasn’t close to profitability. The report from BDO says: “The Joint Administrators have a duty to investigate the affairs of the Company, to establish if there are any actions that can be pursued for the benefit of the creditors as a whole, and also to investigate the conduct of the director. In this latter respect, the Joint Administrators must submit a confidential report to the Secretary of State regarding the conduct of all directors during the three years before the Administration. “… the Joint Administrators have instructed the Forensic Services team of BDO LLP to assist in their investigations including, but not limited to, the events leading up to the Joint Administrators’ appointment of all companies in the Group, the conduct of the respective directors, and to assess the completeness of the respective books and records.” Although not related to Norton Motorcycles, the Priest House Hotel, another of Garner’s businesses to fall into administration on the same day as Norton Motorcycles, lists him as a secured creditor, and is owed 567,028 pounds ($707,397). That means he’s among the first in line to receive money if the business is sold. Like Norton, Priest House Hotel’s administration is being overseen by BDO, which doesn’t expect the company to be sold as a going concern and instead has received “significant interest” in the hotel and its assets. Source

A superbike without bodywork creates engineering challenges to combat changes in downforce and traction management. (Ducati /)Historically, the streetfighter idea—a powerful sport motorcycle without a fairing and with a more upright riding position—came into being when sporting young riders crashed the plastic and low bars off their bikes and, unable to afford original replacement parts, created a new style. In practical terms, the streetfighter concept also allows the manufacturer to offer its premium Superbike in a form that allows the comfort of a less athletic riding position. This is Superbike performance, repackaged in a manner that a wider range of riders can enjoy. The Streetfighter V4’s seat padding thickness is 2.4 inches and rider and passenger seats are lowered by 1 inch from the Panigale. Wheelbase is slightly increased (19mm) over that of the faired models (1,488mm versus 1,469mm) to restore stability and wheelie resistance lost in the form of a reduced load on the front tire caused by wind pressure on the rider’s more upright body position. I am told that had Ducati not given this model its array of four downforce winglets, it would have been necessary to extend the wheelbase even further. These wings on the Streetfighter V4 add 74.9 pounds of downforce at 186 mph. (Ducati /)In a streaming video, Ducati test rider Alessandro Valia provided actual values for the downforce produced by the winglets at various speeds, as follows: 93 mph: 19.8 lb. 124 mph: 30.8 lb. 155 mph: 52.9 lb. 167 mph: 59.5 lb. 186 mph: 74.9 lb. The counter-wheelie effect of this downforce is obvious, and we must remember Valentino Rossi’s famous remark: “The wheelie is the enemy.” When your bike wheelies, it stops steering. That’s okay if you regard wheelies as a form of recreation, but if you’re trying to go somewhere quickly, having no steering is a biggie. Other benefits of downforce are greater high-speed stability (stability comes from the tire footprints, so the bigger they are, the greater the stability), reduced braking distance, and better turning from throttle-up. Wheelies look cool but they are inefficient when making forward progress is most important. (Ducati /)Valia also described a “new mapping philosophy” employed to deal with the torque saturation that exists in the first four gears. He showed a family of mapped-in falling torque curves starting from various possible throttle angles. Torque saturation means that full throttle is always enough to lift the front tire. That being so, it is desirable to have in place systems to make it easier for the rider to find the throttle position that does not waste time by exceeding the wheelie limit torque. Harley-Davidson did a very similar thing in a completely non-electronic way 48 years ago in developing the engine of its long-serving and very successful dirt tracker, the XR-750: H-D gave it a naturally decreasing torque curve, dropping at about 6 pound-feet per thousand rpm. This was in its effect a natural traction control system. As the rider feeds the throttle to begin the drive off a corner, if the rear tire slips, engine revs rise and rear wheel torque decreases. This falling torque may actually cause the tire to re-grip, and if not, it will make action by the rider much easier by biasing torque change in the right direction. The desired result is a perfect match between tire thrust at ground level and the bike’s wheelie limit (which is the thrust required to just lift the front tire). This is achieved by Ducati’s variable torque saturation software. Valia also presented an explanation of the EVO2 Ducati Traction Control system. The goal of all such systems is not to prevent tire spin altogether, but to hold it at the value that delivers maximum thrust for acceleration. A first take on how to do this by electronic intervention would be to set a “spin target” (since the system carries a lean-angle-sensing inertial measuring unit, this target is automatically modified at lean angles other than zero). When spin in excess of the target is detected, engine torque is reduced. A lean-angle-sensing inertial measurement unit allows the EVO2 Ducati Traction Control system to adjust torque dependent on not only throttle position and tire spin but also on how far the Streetfighter V4 is leaned over. (Ducati /)A graph of rear-tire spin versus time is presented, showing a “spin oscillation band” in which rear-tire slip varies in a cyclic manner. At the Goodyear tire test at Daytona in 1979, I could hear this spin oscillation as rider Mike Baldwin accelerated hard off turn 1—a rapid “woo-woo-woo” from the engine sound at what is surely the motorcycle’s weave frequency (two to three cycles per second). When I asked Valia about this frequency, I was told, “The graph shows the rear wheelspin that usually has the same frequency of the body oscillation during acceleration.” In the EVO2 version of Ducati Traction Control, the system triggers not just from a specific level of spin, but also from how fast spin is increasing (the derivative of spin). As soon as slip rises with a certain gradient—no matter what its amount at that moment—action is taken. If action were not taken, the slip value could shoot up almost uncontrollably. Because it doesn’t wait for a specific value of spin, but rather acts as soon as rapid increase is detected, intervention is faster and smoother, reducing the width of the spin oscillation band by approximately 25 percent and thereby improving tire grip. When I asked, “What else do I need to know to understand this system?” I was told, “It comes from the MotoGP experience. We race it on the GP18.” Source

KTM’s 390 Adventure has plenty of big-bike attitude with a small-bike price tag. (Jeff Allen /)Third gear, flat out, pitched sideways, and standing on the pegs on an uphill sandy wash road I thought, Yeah, I could be very happy with this bike. And would I have plenty of cash left in my pocket to travel. KTM’s 2020 390 Adventure may only have 373cc, but it has plenty of big-bike attitude. This isn’t a beginner’s-only, low-spec and -tech affair. No, this is a motorcycle befitting KTM’s Adventure badge. Quinn Cody joined me for the first ride of the 390 Adventure. Cody is a four-time Baja champ, Dakar racer, and is now an R&D rider for KTM. His input shaped much of how this smaller adventure performs, especially when it comes to suspension and handling. For me, this is where the 390 Adventure shines. Cody has helped KTM move away from soft, street-focused suspension settings that compromised off-road capability and performance. MSRP of the 2020 KTM 390 Adventure is $6,199; you get plenty of adventure motorcycle for that price. (Jeff Allen /)And it’s a great direction to take, the 390’s 43mm WP Apex fork is stiff enough to handle some serious off-road, albeit at a sane pace as you still only have 170mm (or 6.7 inches) of travel available to you. Compression and rebound damping is adjustable via clicker knobs at the top of the fork caps. The baseline setting handled dirt roads and small bumps with ease, a few more clicks to the compression (right) side added a bit more resilience when the going got rough. Suspension performance from the WP Apex fork and shock is above what would be expected from a small adventure motorcycle. The 390 Adventure can handle some serious terrain. (Jeff Allen /)At the back, a WP Apex monoshock is mounted directly to the aluminum-die-cast lattice-form swingarm and supplies 177mm (or 7 inches) of wheel travel. It is adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping only, but I had no valid complaints. Yes, you will bottom the suspension if you ride it like a dual sport, but even when you do, the rear doesn’t buck sideways and forward control is maintained. The 390 Adventure can handle any terrain put before it as long as you attack it at the proper speed. Street handling does not suffer for off-road ability. Suspension balance on the street makes for a planted and very taut ride on the road. At 387 pounds fully fueled, the 390 is light and agile, easily tipping into corners on the 19-inch front and 17-rear cast wheels fitted with Continental TKC70 tires. Communication from both ends is great, especially considering the 50/50 dirt to street composition of the tires. I feel the off-road-level spring rates actually help with bike balance and fore and aft weight transfer when acceleration and braking. As good as the KTM 390 Adventure is in the dirt, it’s even better on the street. (Jeff Allen /)KTM also helps the rider out in the two aforementioned actions with big-bike-level rider aids. Although there are no rider modes—you don’t really need them with a rear wheel output of 37.5 hp and 23.2 pound-feet of torque as measured on the Cycle World dyno—there is lean-sensitive traction control that has two options: on or off. Lean-sensing also applies to the ABS braking system that has an off-road mode that turns off the ABS to the rear tire for sliding in the dirt while keeping the ABS engaged at the front. You cannot turn the ABS off completely—one of the only gripes I have on the bike. Braking performance from the Bybre units was excellent. The front 320mm slowed the 390 with authority and communicative feel on the street while still having a light touch in the dirt. Rush into a dirt corner too fast, however, and you will quickly find the dirt-ABS setting is not as refined as on the bigger KTM Adventures. One blown corner and desert detour was all it took for me to remember. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. KTM’s plucky single lifted from the 390 Duke is highly entertaining and gives enough motor to get down the freeway. Although you will be buzzing the engine pretty high up in the digital tach at a California-normal 80 mph. Top speed will break into the triple digits if you have the wind at your back. The power is lower than the last 390 Duke (40.5 hp and 26.1 pound-feet), yet the torquey nature of the 390 Adventure’s engine is a blast on twisting roads and really comes into its own in the dirt. Forward thrust is only limited by the TKC70 tires that do like to spin up when the dirt is loose. More aggressive tires would really wake this thing up in the dirt. The KTM 390 Adventure is powered by the same 373cc single that is used in the 390 Duke. (Jeff Allen/)Take a seat on the 390 Adventure and you look down a very familiar landscape if you have sat on the 790 Adventure models. A 5-inch TFT full color dash is perched proudly behind a short windscreen that is attached to the LED headlight housing that is very much a spitting image for the 790’s unit. A four-button control pad on the left side of the handlebars commands all of the menus found within. And there is plenty to control, like the KTM My Ride function that pairs to an app on your phone for turn-by-turn directions and allows for control of music and phone calls through your headset. The switch gear along with the grips have a bit less refined feel and look than the 790. This is one of the only indications the 390 is built in India, the other being all of the quality-control stickers and marks all over the bike. KTM has also equipped the 390 with an optional Quickshifter+ that gives clutchless upshifts and downshifts. Control of all functions of the KTM 390 Adventure’s 5-inch TFT dash is done via your left thumb. (Jeff Allen /)The seat is a tallish 33.7 inches for the small ADV segment, but you more than make up for it with ground clearance (7.9 inches) and suspension travel. There is plenty of room to shift your weight on the rider’s seat in the dirt, and it also provides plenty of options for long stretches on the road. Reach to the off-road-type footpegs is roomy for my 5-foot-10 frame and the effort to go from seated to standing is low, again thanks to that seat height. Although the seat height is 33.7 inches, the 390 Adventures seat gives you plenty of room to get comfortable. (Jeff Allen /)After a 250-mile day on the street and in the dirt, the $6,199 price tag of the 2020 KTM 390 Adventure has me daydreaming of a long ride down the Baja peninsula with plenty of pesos in my pockets for tacos and beachside accommodations. It’s a capable, comfortable, and entertaining adventure motorcycle, displacement be damned. Its street civility and off-road chops will allow it to hang with larger and much more expensive adventure motorcycles. KTM listened to the fans and gave them what they have asked for: a small-displacement motorcycle worthy of the KTM Adventure name. The 2020 390 Adventure is a worthy off-road mount that lives up to the KTM Adventure name. (Jeff Allen /)2020 KTM 390 Adventure Specifications Price: $6,199 Engine: 373cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled single Bore x Stroke: 89.0 x 60.0mm Compression Ratio: 12.6:1 Clutch: PASC mechanically operated slipper Fuel Delivery: Bosch EFI, 46mm throttle body Transmission/Final Drive: 6 speed/chain Cycle World Measured Horsepower: 37.5 hp @ 8,970rpm Cycle World Measured Torque: 23.2 lb.-ft. @ 6,990rpm Frame: Steel trellis Front Suspension: WP Apex USD fork, adjustable for compression and rebound damping; 6.7-in. travel Rear Suspension: WP Apex monoshock, adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping; 7.0-in. travel Front Brake: Bybre radial-mount 4-piston caliper, 320mm disc w/ ABS Rear Brake: Bybre 2-piston floating caliper, 230mm disc w/ ABS Wheels, Front/Rear: Cast wheels; 2.5 x 19 in. / 3.5 x 17 in. Tires, Front/Rear: Continental TKC 70; 100/90-19 / 130/80-17 Rake/Trail: 26.5° / N/A Wheelbase: 56.3 in. Seat Height: 33.7 in. Fuel Capacity: 3.8 gal. Cycle World Measured Weight: 387 lb. Warranty: 1 year Available: April 2020 Contact: ktm.com GEARBOX: IMAGE: AB9T3286.JPG | The KTM 390 Adventure is light and responsive on the road. Helmet: Fasthouse Bell Moto-9 Flex Jacket: Rev’It Offtrack Jersey: Fasthouse Dickson Pant: Fasthouse Grindhouse Gloves: Fasthouse Speed Style Air Boots: Sidi Crossfire 3 TA Goggles: 100% Armega Source

The 2020 KTM 390 Adventure is the Orange Brigade’s all-new and highly anticipated addition to its Adventure lineup—including the 790 Adventure and 1290 Adventure models. It’s the smallest bike of the bunch, being powered by the same liquid-cooled, 373cc single-cylinder engine found in the 390 Duke. The Adventure model, however, is wrapped in a steel trellis frame derived from KTM’s 450 Rally racer, and comes equipped with more dirt-oriented WP Apex suspension and visual cues adopted from its siblings. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. Dyno numbers on the 2020 KTM 390 Adventure. (Robert Martin/)We strapped the 2020 KTM 390 Adventure to our in-house Dynojet 250i dynamometer, recording horsepower and torque measurements. The small-displacement Adventure laid down 37.5 hp at 8,970 rpm and 23.2 pound-feet of torque at 6,990 rpm. Source

Welcome to Part 4 of our Fear and Lean Angle study. This week: The on-board engineer’s role in lean-angle-reduction. (At the Apex Photos/)In Part 1 of this series, we discussed my habit of holding the brake lever longer than Chris Peris or Kyle Wyman when we’re lapping together. That extra trail-braking reduces my midcorner speed to match my lean-angle risk level tolerance. My tolerance levels are lower than theirs so I go slower to run the exact same lines. I’m more scared than they are. We equated lean angle with risk because a tire’s traction is divided between lean angle and/or brakes and throttle. I’ve admitted that while I might have the skill to run the lean angle of Chris and Kyle, I did not have the motivation to risk the possible consequences. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. What’s the reward? That is the key question we ask ourselves to help street riders, trackday participants, and non-professional (no money) roadracers find sensible answers. In Part 2, Freddie Spencer’s thought of We want to run maximum lean angle for the shortest time possible ruled the article. Read that carefully: The world champ wasn’t saying don’t lean over to maximum, he was exhorting us to spend as little time at max lean angle as possible. This is because riders who enter corners at madcap speeds (no trail-braking) spend all day to get direction—meaning their exits suffer. And this sport is all about exits. Street riders who run into corners sans control (brakes) and rely on deep lean angles will eventually be hurt by their ever-changing surroundings and unforgiving road verges. In Part 3, we ran through logical, linear ways we can improve our lean-angle confidence, and confidence comes from healthy progression: As in, staying healthy so you can progress! I admitted to raising my lean-angle tolerance throughout an AHRMA racing weekend as successful lapping increased my confidence in tire performance. I got braver in little, successful steps. Part 4: The Onboard-Engineer’s Movable Mass At ChampSchool we put it quite simply: The primary reason to hang off to the inside of the bike is to run less lean angle at the same cornering radius. My smart engineer friend goes a few steps further, telling us it’s the combined bike and rider center of mass that affects lean angle, so if we can move that combined mass inside of the bike’s centerline, we run the same radius on a meatier part of the tire. The contact patch only recognizes one mass—the combined mass of bike and rider—so riders who move their center of mass (chest) to the inside can be safer. This engineer friend is a ChampSchool grad, so safer means less risk because lean angle is equated to that risk. So riders, we gotta move to the inside of the bike. Draw a line straight up from the center of your fuel tank and get your head and chest to the inside of that line—to the right side for right-hand corners, the left side for left-hand corners. Or take more risk. You Mean, Hang Off Like Márquez? Yes, on the track. But if you or your friends are hanging off far enough to drag a knee on public highways, you will run out of time to react because your cornering speeds will be so high. Go to the track! Part of the reserve we should ride with on the street is a reserve in body position. ChampSchool’s David Bober demonstrates ideal street body position: Knee out slightly to support his upper body that has moved to the inside of the bike’s centerline. He is poised to move more if necessary. (Highway Jon Photo/) ChampSchool’s Ryan Burke demonstrates how much riders can do with their upper body. Note that his knee is out slightly to help support his weight on the right footpeg. If you practice this all-in upper-body move, you will be ready when gravel appears across the lane in a blind right-hand corner. Same radius, less lean angle: Game changer. (Burke Collection /) Same rider, same corner direction, different bike—what’s changed? Ryan has moved his butt off the inside of the seat and flexed his right knee out toward the ground, fully committing to the advantages of body position. This is the least amount of lean angle that Ryan can run on this bike at this pace in this corner. For the street, not moving our butts, or moving them only an inch or two, helps remind us that we must ride with a reserve for the unexpected. Personally, I find that limiting my body movement limits my street speeds. (Luke Hummel/) My friends Glenn and Catherine Dickerson are excellent examples of riders who use a lot of body position on the street but combine it with the discipline to limit their cornering speeds. Their body position allows them to reduce lean angle, and their discipline reminds them that the street is not a racetrack. Of course, they’re lucky because they live at a racetrack! (Dickerdog Collection/) I love my AHRMA brothers and sisters deeply, and I want to speak to them in this article: The more you can imitate the body positions of GP/SBK/MotoAmerica champions, the safer you will be. Faster too, but more importantly, safer. Here, Andrew Cowell leads a student in the AHRMA school (graduate from school on Friday, race the weekend!), illustrating the student’s next steps in his progression: body position. See how the student’s head is on the high side of the bike, making his ride riskier…and slower. (AHRMA/)Timing Too What is not discussed enough is the timing of our body in its movements. Everyone talks about position, but how and when we get in position will close this article and this series. Think of your footpegs as axes (plural of axis, really!) of the gyroscope that is your motorcycle. At the point you want your bike to begin turning, move your head in that direction. If you’re in combination corners, move your head from side to side to match the time you’d like to load that inside axis. Most of us move too fast, too soon. We lurch to the side and then have to pull the bike down on top of us. Slow those movements, time them with your desire to divert your bike’s path from upright to turning. We’ll close with my friend Shane Turpin’s memorable advice: Shane Turpin has been consistently quick for decades on a wide variety of bikes. This champion’s advice on riding, especially body-position movements: “This is a symphony, not a rock concert.” Smooth out those body movements, time them with your bike’s direction changes. Jumping or lurching around on the bike can be just as bad as grabbing and stabbing at the controls. (Turpin Collection/)More next Tuesday! Source

Yamaha’s 2020 MT-03 does more with less. The latest naked MT is the smallest in displacement, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a blast to ride. (Joseph Agustin/)Sometimes the old adage of less is more still rings true in motorcycling; Yamaha’s 2020 MT-03 is a shining example. It’s the smallest and newest addition to the MT line and is now available for riders in the US. It shares much with its small-bore supersport cousin, the YZF-R3, including the chassis and engine, albeit with a more relaxed and upright riding position without a fairing. Naked doesn’t translate to stripped down for the MT-03; Yamaha has brought to market a full-featured small-bore that new riders will find usable and confidence inspiring. And as skills grow, so will the capability and fun. At $4,599, it has the lowest MSRP in the small-bore naked class, but it has the stance and presence of the other more powerful MT models. Yamaha says MT stands for “Master of Torque”—more of an attitude with this MT than a reality of engine performance. Sharp lines and LED headlights, taillight, and turn signals are what you would expect from more expensive machines. It walks the walk of its MT-07, MT-09, and MT-10 siblings, but with less thrust and cut available from the right grip. Yamaha’s MT-03 has an MSRP of $4,599 complete with ABS and LED lighting as standard equipment. (Joseph Agustin/)Powering the MT-03 is the same fuel-injected, 321cc parallel twin used in the R3. Featuring a 180-degree crankshaft, a 11.2:1 compression ratio squeezed by forged pistons connected to carburized connecting rods, and four valves per cylinder with dual overhead cams, the MT-03 engine is claimed to be easy to control for beginners while being entertaining for experts. Without question this is the case. A 321cc parallel twin powers the 2020 Yamaha MT-03. It may be small but it is entertaining. (Joseph Agustin/)The MT-03’s engine loves to be revved; it’s not a torque monster, but a short first and second gear get it off the line quick enough to surprise more than a few red light jockeys. Third and fourth gear are where the MT finds its groove on the back roads. Off-corner grunt is smooth, predictable, but not prodigious. Momentum is your friend, and this littlest MT will teach a new rider how to maximize momentum if they want to run with the big(ger) boys. Once in the upper rev range, it builds entertaining power—still smooth and friendly, but with a kick in the rear that you won’t find below 6,000 rpm. Don’t lug it out of corners; wring it for every tick on the tach, and smile. Momentum is your friend when getting from corner to corner. The MT-03 may not lay down serious torque, but it’s willing to make serious time if you are. (Joseph Agustin/)Throwing the MT-03 around shows its real strength: a light and flickable character that despite its lighter suspension settings is still composed when pushed. On the road, the small Yamaha tips into the corners quickly and easily without requiring much input from the rider. Midcorner corrections and bumps don’t upset the chassis, even with my 230-pound frame. It’s very much a rock in the corners—once again satisfying to any and all riders. Light and flickable are the two best descriptors of the 2020 Yamaha MT-03, yet despite its featherweight feel the chassis is planted and stable when the pace increases. (Joseph Agustin/)Rear suspension duties are handled by the same monocross rear shock with seven-step preload adjustment that is fit to the R3. While at the front, the MT gets softer front springs in a 37mm KYB inverted fork, though with 6mm more of internal preload. Compression damping has also been decreased for a less aggressive ride. Some sections of the Hill Country roads outside of Austin, Texas, are potholed and rough. But despite the decrease in compression damping and lighter fork spring, the MT-03 is compliant on less-than-perfect roads without an overly soft or wallowy feel. The rear shock could use a tick more rebound for someone my size, but let’s be clear: I’m not the target customer for this machine; less, let’s say, rotund riders won’t have an issue. Overall it’s impressive the ride quality Yamaha was able to provide on a budget-minded motorcycle. The rider triangle is comfortable overall, but riders with longer legs may find an issue with the flared area of the fuel tank just above the knees. (Joseph Agustin/)Ergonomics are relaxed with a handlebar attached to a new top triple clamp that positions the rider's hands 1-1/2 inches higher than the R3 and 3/4 inch further back. Footpeg position is also the same as the R3 and the seat height of the MT is the lowest in the class at 30.7 inches. On the road, the seating area felt cramped due to the flared area at the top of the tank, which Yamaha described as a “wide shoulder stance.” At 5-foot-10 my knees were at the limit of space available; long-legged riders take note. The 298mm single front disc is matched to a twin-piston Akebono front caliper, and has a beginner-friendly initial bite with adequate power for the MT-03’s intended usage. When more is asked and you get deep into the lever, the front brake feels wooden—squeeze harder and nothing really happens past a certain point. But this is right at the performance envelope of the bike. In 90 percent of duty, the front brake is just fine. At the back the single-piston caliper and 220mm disc have plenty of power and feel. ABS function is seamless, only activating when truly needed. ABS is standard and not switchable on the MT-03, but overall the braking package is well sorted. At the most aggressive applications of the front lever the front brake feels wooden and lacking in power. (Joseph Agustin/)Overall, the MT-03 is a great naked machine, for all riders. Just as Yamaha has promised, it’s a great entry into the MT naked lineup that provides enough performance to entertain riders with more experience. Don’t think of it as an R3 without a fairing. Its less makes it much more—more or less. The 2020 Yamaha MT-03 is a welcome addition to the MT line—for all levels of riders. (Joseph Agustin/)2020 Yamaha MT-03 Specifications MSRP: $4,599 Engine: 321cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled inline twin-cylinder; 8 valves Bore x Stroke: 68.0 x 44.1mm Compression Ratio: 11.2:1 Transmission/Final Drive: 6-speed/chain Fuel Delivery: Fuel injection Clutch: Wet, multiplate Frame: Diamond-type tubular steel Front Suspension: 37mm inverted telescopic fork; 5.1-in. travel Rear Suspension: Monocross single shock, adjustable for spring preload; 4.9-in. travel Front Brake: 298mm hydraulic disc w/ ABS Rear Brake: 220mm hydraulic disc w/ ABS Tire, Front/Rear: 110/70-17 / 140/70-17 Rake/Trail: 25.0°/3.7 in. Wheelbase: 54.3 in. Ground Clearance: 6.3 in. Seat Height: 30.7 in. Fuel Capacity: 3.7 gal. Claimed Curb Weight: 373 lb. Availability: Now Contact: yamahamotorsports.com GEARBOX: 2020 Yamaha MT-03 Gearbox (Joseph Agustin/)Helmet: Arai Defiant-X Jacket: Alpinestars Domino Tech Hoodie Pant: Alpinestars Copper Denim Gloves: Alpinestars Spartan Boots: Alpinestars Faster-3 Rideknit Shoes Source

2020 Yamaha YZ250 (Yamaha /)First introduced in 1974, the Yamaha YZ250 has stood the test of time. The YZ250 is an ideal bike for a rider who wants a two-stroke motocrosser that is fun to ride and easy to maintain, while rebelling against the modern-day four-strokes. It has a long power delivery, plush KYB suspension, and proven durability. Of the big six manufacturers, Yamaha is one of only three to still offer a 250cc two-stroke motocross bike in 2020 and is the last premix-burning quarter-liter MXer from Japan. It’s also the only bike in its category to come with a cable-actuated clutch. 2020 Yamaha YZ250 (Yamaha /)2020 Yamaha YZ250 Reviews, Comparisons, And Competition The Yamaha YZ250 hasn’t changed much since 2006, but it has remained as a competitive package in recent years, as evidenced by a comparison test conducted by our dirt-only sister publication, Dirt Rider, between the YZ250 and KTM 250 SX. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. Along with the 250 SX, the YZ250’s competition in the two-stroke motocross bike segment includes the 2020 Husqvarna TC 250 and 2020 TM MX 250. With its suggested retail price of $7,499, the YZ250 is $800 less than the 250 SX, $900 less than the TC 250, and $1,696 less than the MX 250. 2020 Yamaha YZ250 (Yamaha /)Yamaha YZ250 Updates For 2020 The only difference between the 2019 and 2020 Yamaha YZ250 are the radiator shroud graphics. 2020 Yamaha YZ250 Claimed Specifications Price $7,499 Engine Liquid-cooled single-cylinder Displacement 249cc Bore x Stroke 66.4 x 72.0mm Horsepower N/A Torque N/A Transmission 5-speed Final Drive Chain Seat Height 39.1 in. Rake 27.7° Trail 4.8 in. Front Suspension 48mm inverted fork, fully adjustable; 11.8-in. travel Rear Suspension Fully adjustable; 12.4-in. travel Front Tire 80/100-21 Rear Tire 110/90-19 Wheelbase 58.3 in. Fuel Capacity 2.1 gal. Claimed Wet Weight 227 lb. Source

Drag racing champion Rickey Gadson (Meekail Shaheed/)At the end of 2018, rumors began to swirl that Triumph Motorcycles was working on a new Rocket 3, the company’s biggest and most powerful motorcycle. This caught the ­attention of 11-time motorcycle drag racing champion Rickey ­Gadson. He knew about the first-generation Rocket 3: a 2,294cc, 765-pound hunk of British steel that boasted nearly 150 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. He had ridden drag racing and land-speed builder Bob Carpenter’s modified “Silverback” Rocket 3, going deep into 8-second E.T.s at over 150 mph. What would this new, more-powerful, and lighter Rocket 3 be capable of in stock form? We wondered as well, so we made the call to the legendary drag racer. We also ­wanted to understand Gadson’s tuning and riding ­technique as he searched for his best time on the world’s ­largest-displacement production motorcycle. News spreads quickly in the motorcycle drag racing world; not long after Gadson was handed the keyless ignition fob of a 2020 Rocket 3 R and his following Instagram posts chronicling delivery, Gadson’s phone lit up. “When will you hit the strip?” “What do you think it will run?” “What does it weigh?” He was on a mission to find out. RELATED: 2020 Triumph Rocket 3 R And GT Review First Ride Triumph came at the 2020 Rocket 3 with a clean sheet. An all-new 2,458cc, 12-valve, longitudinally mounted inline-triple powers both the Rocket 3 R and GT models. The R model has a more aggressive stance and cockpit—a light-to-light roadster intent on turning far sportier motorcycles and muscle cars to shrinking violets when the red light goes out or someone gives the signal. Claimed horsepower is 165 at 6,000 rpm, and peak torque is a stout 163 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm, although near-peak torque is achieved from 2,000 rpm until it slightly tapers at around 5,500 rpm. Triumph also stripped 88 pounds from the Rocket 3 R, 40 of that from the engine. Triumph’s Rocket 3 is no longer a wolf in sheep’s clothing; it clearly wants to run for pink slips. (Meekail Shaheed/)The other 48 is reduced thanks to an aluminum frame that is 50 percent lighter. This smaller, more mass-centralized frame allowed the Rocket to become more svelte—a relative term; think a leaner sumo wrestler. No longer is the Rocket a cruiser with a tractor engine. “It’s now a street bruiser; and everyone that looks at it knows it,” Gadson said. With that, predictions were postulated online, and surely some bets were made. Not many doubted a sub-11 second pass, some claimed it would easily get into the nines, but Gadson had no idea of his own. There was no frame of reference; his bread and butter is sportbikes. He decided to take it out on the street for a ride before loading the trailer for the track. “First off, the tire pressure was way too high; it would spin the rear tire when I was testing on the street,” Gadson said. “It had 40 pounds in the rear. But man, it is a great streetbike. It’s rock-solid, the ­suspension is great. I hit some good corners, and damn, is it stable. It’s comfortable, smooth. It’s ­nothing you’d expect, that’s for sure. They turned what was a sedan into a GT.” Finely balancing rear-wheel traction and front-wheel lift is what Gadson does best. (Meekail Shaheed/)Gadson locked up a private test day at Silver Dollar Motorsport Park with a fully prepped track for the Rocket 3 R. He also invited six-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion and builder of the fastest drag baggers, George Bryce, along to check out what the Rocket would do in 1,320 feet. Bryce would be ­Gadson’s barometer as to just how fast the Rocket is in the heavyweight cruiser world. Right out the gate, with reduced rear-tire pressure but stock-from-factory suspension settings, Gadson and Rocket tripped the lights at 10.701 seconds at 126.02 mph. That might not have seemed quick for the forum soothsayers, but Bryce was floored. “Rickey, do you understand what that means? This is a motorcycle without any modifications; what you just went is a fully, and I mean fully built bagger. After ­spending $20,000,” Bryce explained. Triumph increased the Rocket 3’s displacement 164cc yet cut weight and size from the longitudinally mounted inline-triple. (Meekail Shaheed /)This was the first run, a baseline. Now it was time to get to work, to do what Gadson does best—fine-tune the setup to shave hundredths and then thousandths of seconds from that first exploratory run. A damping adjustment here, a pound of air pressure there; little things matter and Gadson knows them all. Thirty years of winning or losing by pieces of time faster than a lightning flash has given him a skill for setup that few can match but most admire. First thing: His initial tire pressure decrease was too much. The track was perfect. Too perfect, in fact. The bike would either wheelie or bog because traction was so high; finding a balance to widen the margin between the two made getting off the line more consistent. 10.686 seconds at 124.56 mph. Now that the rear tire was sorted, the next link in the chain was clutch-lever adjustment. “I was concerned on how the clutch would hold up, and what the feedback would be like,” Gadson admitted. “This was some serious abuse on it, but it never changed its feedback; it never got hot on me. And of course, there’s still the same clutch in it.” It’s all about how the clutch locks up. A softly sprung clutch lets the rpm run away and slips; a stiff clutch is too abrupt and can spin the rear or bog the engine. Gadson adjusts the lever in or out depending on a clutch’s feel: Too soft is closer to the grip so the clutch has more time to lock up; too stiff, take up is set near the end of travel to get the revs up before the lock. The Rocket 3’s torque-assist clutch was consistent all day long with a quick lockup, and pickup stayed in the ­middle of the lever’s path all day. After all mechanical adjustments are complete, Gadson adjusts himself to cut a last few thousandths from the timeslips. (Meekail Shaheed/)10.625 seconds at 125.83 mph. Now Gadson could turn his attention to suspension tuning. Keeping the front end from coming up too high required nothing more than a flat-blade-screw screwdriver trained on the 47mm Showa inverted fork’s rebound-damping adjusters. Nearly closing the ­rebound-damping circuit at just one click out slowed the extension of the fork and halted the momentum of the bike pivoting around the rear axle. Gadson describes this as turning the front end into dead weight. 10.607 seconds at 124.55 mph. The rear suspension was too soft and in need of more compression damping and slower rebound. Clockwise clicks to both adjustment screws let the rear settle just fast enough to take the shock out of the system when the bikes weight shifts to the rear without a bounce-back that would unload the tire. 10.586 seconds at 127.37 mph. Now he had to adjust himself; body placement is the final piece of the puzzle. He needed to get out of the air as quickly as possible. “Although the handlebars are the lower ones, those bars are high as hell for me,” Gadson said. “Even in a tucked position, your hands are up in the wind and as high as your shoulders. Once I hit second gear, I’d move my left hand in and grab as far inside the handlebar as I could—like a flat-track racer.” His throttle hand had to stay out in the wind, but Gadson would tuck his elbow next to his body. Final result: 10.562 seconds at 126.41 mph. After 17 passes, what does it mean that one of the greatest drag racers of all time was able to carve 139 thousandths of a second from the Triumph’s initial elapsed time? That’s a bike length at the end of the quarter-mile, absolute domination in an actual race. But really it shows how truly fast the Rocket 3 R is for such a big motorcycle. Its consistency also begs for choice mods to launch it harder and burn the quarter-mile faster. Rickey ­Gadson (Meekail Shaheed/)Gadson was left impressed with the stock Rocket 3 R, citing an aggressive look and repeatable performance that goes hand in hand. It’s no longer a sleeper; it’s a block-to-block bully. “It says 2,500cc right on the valve cover for everyone to see,” Gadson said. “If that’s not intimidation for your ass, I don’t know what is. Come on and try me.” 2020 Rocket 3 R Displacement: 2,458cc Horsepower: 134.7 hp @ 5,600 rpm Torque: 142.5 lb.-ft. @ 3,900 rpm Weight: 677 lb. MSRP: $21,900 Source

2020 Honda Rebel 300 (Honda /)The Honda Rebel has been introducing motorcyclists to life on two wheels since the 1985 Honda Rebel 250 and continues to do so with the revised 2020 Honda Rebel 300. Thanks to this entry-level cruiser’s unintimidating power, low seat height, long wheelbase, and light handling, riders can feel confident and more comfortable in the saddle. While the Rebel 300’s engine remains unchanged for 2020, other comfort and handling updates have been applied, allowing the model to continue its leadership in the beginner-friendly cruiser class. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. 2020 Honda Rebel 300 Reviews, Comparisons, And Competition When the 2020 Honda Rebels were revealed at EICMA, Cycle World contributor Ben Purvis stated that Honda “has tucked and tweaked the duo [Rebel 300 and 500] to make them a more tempting proposition.” And talk about tempting, the 2020’s MSRP is $4,499, which has only seen a $100 increase since its last major revision in 2017. The beginner cruiser category competitors include the Indian Scout Sixty, Yamaha Bolt, or Royal Enfield INT650. 2020 Honda Rebel 300 (Honda /)Honda Rebel 300 Updates For 2020 Honda added an assist and slipper clutch to the 2020 Rebel 300 which is said to reduce clutch lever effort by 30 percent. The suspension also has revised oil levels and receives updated bumper rubber, while spring rates have also been stiffened to improve overall comfort and handling. Likewise, the seat sees a new thickness and density to promote better comfort. A repositioned and reshaped LED headlight is paired to new LED turn signals and a redesigned LED taillight. Honda offers this Rebel in Blue Jeans Metallic, Matte Fresco Brown, and Graphite Black colorways. 2020 Honda Rebel 300 (Honda /)2020 Honda Rebel 300 Claimed Specifications Price $4,499 Engine Liquid-cooled DOHC single-cylinder Displacement 286cc Bore x Stroke 76.0 x 63.0mm Horsepower N/A Torque N/A Transmission 6-speed Final Drive Chain Seat Height 27.2 in. Rake 28.0° Trail 4.3 in. Front Suspension 41mm conventional fork, nonadjustable; 4.8-in. travel Rear Suspension Preload adjustable; 3.8-in. travel Front Tire 130/90-16 Rear Tire 150/80-16 Wheelbase 58.7 in. Fuel Capacity 3.0 gal. Claimed Wet Weight 364 lb. Source

2020 Honda CB500X (Honda /)The 2020 Honda CB500X is a midsized adventure motorcycle ready to hit the backcountry fire roads or carve the daily commute. It is based around the same 471cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine that powers the Rebel 500, CBR500R, and CB500F, but is built for adventure at an economical price point. In 2019, Honda updated the CB500X with a dirt-minded 19-inch front wheel, longer-travel suspension, taller windscreen, and other bits to increase its off-road focus, while still encompassing worthy on-road merits. Thumbs-up, Honda. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. Get the latest in motorcycle reviews, tests, and industry news, subscribe here for our YouTube channel. 2020 Honda CB500X Reviews, Comparisons, And Competition Our testers had the chance to ride the Honda CB500X in comparison to the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 and found that the Honda is “happy to lug along in the dirt with plenty of low-end torque or trot along the highway at a few thousand rpm, all the while netting at least 50 mpg. If you intend to stack miles on your mini ADV, the Honda is a more suitable touring partner.” Growing in popularity for its do-it-all capabilities, the ADV category’s competition is quite stiff and now the smaller and middleweight subcategories have grown in recent years as well. Competition includes the new KTM 390 Adventure, Kawasaki Versys-X 300, BMW G 310 GS, and Suzuki V-Strom 650/650 XT. Honda CB500X Updates For 2020 There are no significant updates to the CB500X for the 2020 model year. Along with the standard model ($6,699), Honda does offer a CB500X ABS model ($6,999). They are both available in Grand Prix Red. 2020 Honda CB500X Claimed Specifications Price $6,699 Engine Liquid-cooled DOHC parallel twin; 4 valves/cyl. Displacement 471cc Bore x Stroke 67.0 x 66.8mm Horsepower N/A Torque N/A Transmission 6-speed Final Drive Chain Seat Height 32.7 in. Rake 27.5° Trail 4.3 in. Front Suspension 41mm fork, nonadjustable; 5.9-in. travel Rear Suspension Preload adjustable; 5.9-in. travel Front Tire 110/80-19 Rear Tire 160/60-17 Wheelbase 56.9 in. Fuel Capacity 4.6 gal. Claimed Wet Weight 430 lb. Source