9 - 2024 | Road Dirt

MotoAmerica 2024 Wrap-Up at NJMP

Posted by Rob Brooks | Sep 30, 2024 | Industry & Racing |

The 2024 MotoAmerica motorcycle road racing season ended very differently than it began. Jake Gagne and the Attack Yamaha Racing team were preparing to take a record 4th-in-a-row Superbike championship, Rahal Ducati Moto was predicted to claim the Supersport championship with PJ Jacobsen, Kayla Yaakov and Corey Alexander all contending in the class, early pundits were predicting Kyle Wyman would return the factory Harley-Davidson team to the top rung in the King of the Baggers series, with the other series (Twins Cup, Stock 1000, Super Hooligans, and Junior Cup) all up for grabs.
By season’s end, the landscape looked much different.

MZ’s Moto Memories: Honda VT500 Ascot

Posted by Mark Zweig | Sep 27, 2024 | Legendary Bikes |

Business was good and life was sweet, and that always meant (for me, at least) that it was time to buy either a new (to me) car or motorcycle. In this case, it was a Craigslist ad in the next town over, Holliston, for a super clean 1984 Honda VT 500 Ascot. I always liked those bikes. They have 50 horsepower V-twins with 6-speed gearboxes and shaft drive, along with a radiator and a 1980s interpretation of flat track styling.

Through The Lens: Texas Heat At COTA

Posted by Geoff & Barb Nickless | Sep 25, 2024 | Industry & Racing |

Traveling to Texas to photograph a MotoAmerica event at COTA (Circuit of the Americas) is always fun but brings with it intense heat and humidity. This year was business as usual, with 99 degrees and 63% humidity! Everyone in the paddock and the loyal fans hunkered down to enjoy the races while trying to stay hydrated and cool.

2024 Yamaha MT-07: Scrappy and Brash

Posted by Rob Brooks | Sep 23, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

I must confess- I don’t like riding this motorcycle.
From the torquey parallel 689cc liquid-cooled twin, the upright and comfortable “street fighter” riding triangle, to the thrilling, arm-stretching acceleration when twisting the throttle, and that deep guttural growl through the 2-into-1 exhaust, the 2024 Yamaha MT-07 just does me in.
I don’t like riding this motorcycle- I love riding it.
And therein lies my problem with this bike…

Ken’s Op-Ed: Riding the Tail of the Dragon, Pt. 2

Posted by Ken "Hawkeye" Glassman | Sep 19, 2024 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads |

It seems that while riding on the fabulous roads that lead to and from the Dragon, some of the riders in the group got separated from each other, which is not unusual. It was before GPS, but they all had maps, and the route was not very complicated. But one guy (I’ll call him Jack . . . short for Jackass) fell quite a bit behind, whether intentional or accidentally. At some point he decided to catch up to the group. So he began to speed up and got frustrated by the slower moving traffic on the two lane roads. “Jack” began to pass cars and other traffic by crossing the double yellow lines and passing on the left and right at breakneck speeds. Apparently, some of the folks he blew past were startled and other drivers got the crap scared out of them. Someone among them called the police on Jack for riding like a crazy man.

Through The Lens: Tea Cup Two-Day Trials

Posted by Geoff & Barb Nickless | Sep 16, 2024 | Industry & Racing, Legendary Bikes |

Geoff and I are always trying new things and photographing a two-day vintage trials event in the wilderness of Mendocino County, California was our latest adventure. It is quite different than trying to capture the speed of road racing or the slide of dirt trackers. Figuring out how to make slow and precise look exciting is more difficult than it looks. The rugged terrain and slippery footing sent us both sliding down more than just a couple of times over the two days.

Ken’s Op-Ed: Riding the Tail of the Dragon

Posted by Ken "Hawkeye" Glassman | Sep 12, 2024 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads |

I first rode the Dragon way back in 2007 when they referred to that area as Deals Gap, and it boasted a small 1-story motel with a place to stop for some refreshments and food, and of course a souvenir shop. I took some photos, bought the t-shirt. It also had a huge old tree, with hundreds of pieces of motorcycle wreckage hanging ominously from it’s many branches recovered from the numerous crashes, (sometimes fatal) warning folks what had occurred on that road, and what may happen if ridden beyond one’s capabilities. The “tree of shame”, they call it.

Honda’s New E-Clutch Technology

Posted by Rob Brooks | Sep 9, 2024 | Bikes & Gear, Nuts & Bolts |

Honda’s all new E-Clutch system really makes these bikes very versatile. You essentially get two motorcycles in one. You can engage the hand lever clutch and ride manual, or engage the E-Clutch and simply tap up/down through the gears. We sampled the CB650R about a year ago, and for my size, it was the perfect fit (not to mention the sexiest pipes in the industry). So Honda’s installing the E-Clutch system in this and the sport model makes this bike even more inviting, not just to younger, new, and potential riders, but also to somebody like me. I loved it.

Neale Bayly Rides: Mishaps & Second Chances

Posted by Neale Bayly | Sep 5, 2024 | Legendary Bikes, Ride Life |

‘Where ignorance is bliss tis folly to be wise,’ should have been stamped on my birth certificate. Spinning down into my hometown on a beautiful late summer’s morn, around the crack of eleven, on a new 1983 Honda CBX550, all in the world was well. August in South Devon, England is charming, and my friend was waiting at our local café on the terrace to share his latest horse racing system that was going to make us rich. Having found the joy of credit, credit cards, bank loans and financing, we were basking in the joy of fast motorcycles, pockets full of drugs, and the other accoutrements of our newfound wealth.
We just hadn’t figured out how to pay it back yet.