12 - 2024 | Road Dirt

Top Five Fave Bikes of 2024

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Dec 27, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

Looking back over the year, several motorcycles stand out in our minds as bikes we really enjoyed riding and sampling. So here are our top five favorite motorcycles that we got to ride in 2024. We’ll review them in reverse order from fifth to first. We also have a couple of “honorable mentions” to toss in at the end. We must point out that there was not a bike we rode this year that we didn’t enjoy, so just because some don’t make the list doesn’t mean they are not great motorbikes. We just decided to drill down on a few of our faves.

MZ’s Moto Memories: Christmas Motorcycles

Posted by Mark Zweig | Dec 23, 2024 | Legendary Bikes, Ride Life |

Back when my oldest girls were young, I also owned a bunch of motorcycles. I was riding pretty much every day myself, and I used to occasionally “ask Santa” to get them motorcycles for Christmas.

Spotlight: 100 Years of the AMA

Posted by Rob Brooks | Dec 20, 2024 | Industry & Racing, Ride Life |

The AMA is the largest motorcycle rights organization in the world, and has inspired the founding and growth of similar organizations for motorcycle riders in other countries across the globe.

The Long Way Home

Posted by Rob Brooks | Dec 16, 2024 | Ride Life |

One mid-December afternoon, the wife sent me on a short “honey-do” run up town for some Christmas gift cards. I of course chose to ride, this time selecting the small Honda SCL500 we still had on loan. The perfect bike for negotiating small town traffic, the little scrambler is also ideal for detours on the way home. Riding back out of town, I veered southeast away from the suburban sprawl and out into open country still dotted by gently rolling hills covered in horse and cattle pastures. I passed a small neighborhood at one point and noticed what appeared to be a father and daughter decorating the front entranceway with lights and wreaths. The little girl turned and waved enthusiastically as I rode by, so I gave her a wave back and a beep on the horn, to which she clapped as I viewed in my left rear mirror. Returning home, Lisa quipped, “That took longer than expected. Have any trouble finding everything?” I replied with a wry grin, “No trouble at all.”

Five Top Selling Motorcycles in America for 2024

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Dec 12, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

The year 2024 has been an interesting one in the motorcycle industry. Consolidations and closures, the rise in used bike sales over new ones, new motorbikes and upgrades/revisions of existing models, the past year has been tumultuous for motorcycle brands in general, a downright roller coaster for American motorcycling in particular. Yet despite it all, motorcycling in the States is very much alive and well, as it is across the globe. Motorcycles are selling, and people are riding. Our lifestyle still means freedom, adventure, community, and connection- with the open road, our fellow riders, and our beloved machines. As we prepare to conclude another year, let’s take a look at a few of the best selling motorcycles in America over the past 12 months.

First Look: 2025 Triumph Bobber TFC

Posted by Rob Brooks | Dec 10, 2024 | Bikes & Gear, Legendary Bikes |

Triumph Motorcycles has a custom bike division, called “TFC” for “Triumph Factory Custom”, not unlike Harley-Davidson’s CVO line. Each year, the brand designs and builds limited edition models for their TFC line, and sent us a few early press photos of a Bobber TFC 1200 they are looking to bring to market in the new year. They’ve made more than aesthetic upgrades for this custom model- they have also made a few significant changes to the overall design and function of the Bobber in general. We’re unsure if these will translate to the base model Bobber, or remain on this custom version.

Neale Bayly’s Moto Flashbacks: Broken Bikes and Bones

Posted by Neale Bayly | Dec 4, 2024 | Ride Life |

Life has a way of sorting itself out and somehow, we all made it back to England. My mother got back to her usual high-pitched soprano from the wedding-induced contralto, and life carried on. Dickie loaned me his Honda CBX550 so I could get around, and just when things were beginning to pick up another little faux pas was about to happen…

Gear Review: Peak Design Motorcycle Bar Mounts, Part 2

Posted by Ken "Hawkeye" Glassman | Dec 2, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

In my 71 years of life, I have almost always found that spending a few more dollars on buying a quality product is cheaper in the long run, because the product usually lasts longer and will offer conveniences and features that lesser quality products do not. That goes for many items, like large and small household appliances, tools, furniture, and almost anything you view as non-disposable. I seldom regret buying a high quality item. So when a company called Peak Design contacted us about sampling and reviewing their all-new cell phone mounts for motorcycles, we of course were willing to try them out.