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2026 Honda Rebel 1100 DCT SE- The Ultimate Commuter?
We all have to get to work somehow, but its more fun when you do it on a motorcycle. Deciding to ride the bike to work is a simple choice when your bike is easy to ride, nimble, and attractive. A relaxing ride that can slice through traffic makes you more likely to ditch the keys to the cage and throw a leg over the motorcycle. Honda solved that dilemma for me when they dropped off a 2026 Rebel 1100 DCT SE at my garage a few weeks ago. Since then I have piled on hundreds of commuter miles and along the way discovered that the Rebel, while designed as a cruiser, just might be the perfect commuter bike.
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The Writing On The Wall
Our life is but a blip in the expanse of time and tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Money, fame, and millions of Facebook or Instagram followers will not buy anyone an extra day. God decides that. It made me reflect on how I would end the sentence on the board. If I had the chalk, what would I write? Years after taking the picture, I know the answer.
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Ural Motorcycles 80 Year Anniversary
So when I recently discovered Ural Motorcycles was celebrating 80 years of continuous production this year, I decided to dig a little into their history. Borne of war, during the bloodiest conflict of the 20th century, and designed for the harsh conditions of the European and Russian battlefields, the Ural has stood the test of combat and time, outliving every other piece of military machinery of that era.
Top Five Favorite Motorcycle Movies
We got thinking about the motorcycle movies several of the Road Dirt guys have mentioned before as film favorites, and thought we’d share them here. They’re not the usual “bad boy” or “biker gang” movies that have been a dime a dozen over the years. These are movies that we feel really capture in some way our collective moto culture. And we love them.
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Dunlop RoadSmart IV vs Michelin Road 6- Long Term Handling Test
New tires are a gift to motorcycle handling, fresh rubber turning your bike into a dance partner with nimble feet and newfound agility. Yet tires do not stay perfectly round for long as accumulated miles flatten rubber eliminating the roundness of honeymoon handling bliss. Much of a tire’s life is spent squared off and how a tire handles at mid-life is a concern of many rider.
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Dunlop Roadsmart IV vs Pirelli Angel GT- 2022 Results
The only way to scientifically compare the mileage of one motorcycle tire versus another and finally put the mileage question to rest forever is to completely control for every single variable: bike, rider, terrain, weight, speed, inflation pressure, etc..which is impossible for an average rider.
Unless you work for Road Dirt Motorcycle Media. Because we do those things.
Dunlop Roadsmart IV vs. Michelin Road 6: Dry Handling Comparison
For the second year in a row, Road Dirt will be pitting two tire giants against each other in a head-to-head battle for sport touring tire supremacy. Last year, Dunlop’s Roadsmart IV easily won the test over Pirelli’s Angel GT with better dry handling, equal wet weather grip, better long term handling and a shocking 70% more tire life. Conversations with riders and comments from both of my readers asked about Michelins touring giant, the Road 6. So once again, I twisted the arm of my touring companion Dave “White Girl” Wensveen and convinced him to join me for another summer of testing.
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Harley-Davidson Freewheeler Trike
I must admit, I had never ridden a true trike before, as in single wheel up front, dual wheels/dual axle in the rear. I’ve taken Can-Am Spiders for a spin, we’ve reviewed the Polaris Slingshot before, but my first time on Mike’s trike was an education. Lena, Mike’s wife, recently let me borrow their trike for a couple of weeks, so I spent my first day familiarizing myself with the handling and maneuvering characteristics.
Riding a trike is wholly different than riding a bike.
2024 Motorcycle Sport Touring Tires Shootout: Final Results
We test tires because you just never know. Bikes are different, riders are different, seasons are different and as we are finding out, tires are different. Much, much different. We test tires by attempting to control for everything- riding the same bikes, at the same time, with the same riders and same fuel loads following each other all season. We even order the same coffee, all in the name of accuracy. Sometimes the results are predictable and other times, as in this test, the results are shocking.
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The Shark And The Bat
In the world of American made touring bikes, the battle for fairing dominance often comes down to personal taste (look and feel) over performance. I must admit, when initially shopping for my first bagger I was drawn to the look of the batwing fairing on the Harley Davidson Street Glide. The idea of cruising behind a set of 12” bars with my feet up on highway pegs just felt right in my mind. So in September 2017, I made that dream a reality and picked up a 2014 Street Glide.
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Triumph Speed 400 Ride & Review
The Triumph Speed 400 is that pint-sized chihuahua that comes charging into the dog park, confidently yapping at the bigger canines, who give him a wide berth out of sheer respect (yes, I’ve seen this at our nearby park). It’s that good.
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Aaron’s Story
I was swinging on our front porch with my wife the other night, the sun having set behind the tree line, and the woods around our North Georgia home were awash in the glow of dozens of fireflies. It’s late spring, and I suddenly found myself reflecting on a treasured friendship with an old adolescent pal named Aaron Smith. I’m not sure what triggered the memories, but I lingered there in the gathering dusk, even as Lisa excused herself and stepped inside. I bid welcome to the images, conversations, and shared experiences with my old friend, allowing them to fill my consciousness. I sat and savored, like watching a great old movie I’d seen before, but worth the viewing again and again.
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Riding The Dark Side: Car Tires On Motorcycles
We’ve done a fair amount of tire testing in the last couple of years, with Ted Edwards and Dave Wensveen logging thousands of miles across the western states. One unconventional option that we’ve never tried but still fuels debate in some circles is using automotive tires on motorcycles. While motorcycle tires are specifically designed for the unique demands of two-wheeled vehicles, some riders still think it’s worth exploring the possibility of installing car tires on their bikes. Most of us respond with, “Are you nuts?!” Yet we still occasionally meet riders who swear by them. So, let’s take a deep dive into the pros and cons of using automotive tires on motorcycles, and see where we can park this debate.
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Kawasaki’s Killer Modern Retro Lineup
Its no secret at Road Dirt- we love classic motorcycles. Sure, sport bikes are thrilling, ADVs are fun in the dirt, and cruisers/tourers are the way to travel. But there’s something nostalgic about old motorcycles that still rev our hearts, and we always gravitate toward “modern classics” when brands design and offer them. Heck, I love my 2017 Triumph Bonneville 900 Street Cup, and when our friend Steven Kent of Law Tigers bought a 2018 Z900RS, we had to spend a day chasing each other around Georgia Lake Country on our retro-cool, slightly-larger-than middleweights.
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Long Term Review: 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+
A salesman at a motorcycle dealership once confided in me, “To really familiarize yourself with a motorcycle, really get to know it, you need to live with it for a while. Take it home with you, ride it all day, wake up to it the next morning and ride it some more. A short 2-3 mile test ride really isn’t enough to get a true feel for a bike.” I’ve come to agree with him. Whenever we get a motorcycle to review, we try to keep it for at least a month for that very reason. The better we come to know the bike, the better we can communicate it to you.
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