Tips and Insights

Some things just aren’t done in polite society. You never ask to borrow someone else’s toothbrush. And you never ask if you can ride someone else’s bike. Unfortunately, some less-civilized soul may ask exactly this. Best be prepared to fend it off. Here are some useful responses. The Deflection “Sure—got a helmet? Hop on the back and I’ll take you for a spin.” The Mechanical Lie “Okay, but there’s some knocking sound coming from the engine. I need to get that looked at first.” Mañana...

Every day, one can see that times are changing. Real-time communication is becoming easier and more convenient, Google put its first self-driven car on the road, and electric vehicles are gaining in popularity.   California-based electric motorcycle company, Zero Motorcycles, is making headway in the North American and European market place. In 2014, the company broke a personal sales record, and predicts that 2015 will be even bigger– the company has been expanding into international...

1) The Panigale’s 1285cc Superquadro engine features the largest piston of any Ducati to date, measuring 116mm in diameter. As we learned in European Editor Bruno dePrato’s recent story on the engine, the decision to increase bore by 4mm rather than lengthen stroke was made to maintain the engine’s outer dimensions. Along with the new pistons come a new crankshaft, connecting rods, and steel cylinder liners. 2) Peak output is a claimed 205 hp. There’s also a claimed 15-percent increase in...

Has Riding a Motorcycle Really Become Safer? The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) reported the NHTSA's announcement of another drop in motorcycle fatalities for the second year in a row. These reports are always a year behind due to the nature of data collection and data aggregation. Nevertheless, the numbers are encouraging and may show the start of a trend towards safer motorcycling.   According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS data) that is collected by the federal...

Winter doesn't seem like a great time to improve your riding. Sure, there are books to read and videos to watch on technique, but not really much you can do, right? Wrong! Riding a motorcycle, particularly sport or track riding, takes a great degree of physical fitness. If you find yourself wearing out 15 minutes into a 20 minute session, you've got a hole in your game that has nothing to do with your tire pressures or what oil you use. If you want to get the most out of your machine, the...

Tires are the only things that keep our two-wheeled world from becoming a sliding mangled mass of guard rail debris and ruin.   Most stock tires that come on a motorcycle are, like everything else on a motorcycle, a major compromise in design. I have been riding a Yamaha Tenere with Bridgestone Battle Wing tires - pleasantly they work exceptionally well in all conditions.   Wet Weather Dry weather handling is always important, but tires really need to perform when the weather turns...

It’s that time of year - temperatures are starting to come down in most of the country. If you're like me, a Denver resident, you aren’t lucky enough to live in a southern hemisphere ocean border state (see: California). So it’s time to stick that bug-splattered textile jacket back in the closet and hunker down for another expletive-inducing winter. That doesn’t mean you need to put away your motorcycle in a dark closet until spring - but you do have to put away your ego and exercise extra...

Motorcycle jackets, suits, gloves and boots represent a significant financial investment. And, like any investment, you need to take care of it, ensuring you get the highest return. Luckily, with leathers, that’s easy. Here’s how to clean, protect and weatherproof your leather motorcycle gear. Wait, I Need To Maintain This Stuff?Yes. It always surprises me how few of my friends take care of their leathers. And how often readers express surprise that you’re supposed to do this. That’s crazy,...

1. Top off the tank After putting some fresh fuel in the tank, add the recommended amount of fuel stabilizer to keep the gas from deteriorating and leaving a brown layer of muck on your carburetor’s parts. Turn that baby on and let it run for a few minutes so the treated fuel can cycle through. 2. Fill up your fluids Double-check your bike’s brake, clutch, and coolant fluids, replacing or refilling if necessary. Remember to always use the type and amount of fluid recommended by your...

Those words from my oldest son were exciting to hear... and scary. This is the kid who rammed his Power Wheels into our fence repeatedly while aimlessly staring around and foot fully planted on the throttle. It was no doubt the same thing my parents thought when I begged them for my own motorcycle. They probably wrestled with the idea of a bike that would be safe and fun, but not so fast that I could get into a lot of trouble. At age 12, they decided on a Suzuki FA-50 moped. I think they...