Road Dirt

PREVIEW: Honda CB750 Hornet vs Yamaha MT-07

Posted by Rob Brooks | Aug 28, 2025 | Bikes & Gear |

I must state from the start, I have a great affection for both of these bikes, having ridden them both pretty extensively over the last year. I love middleweight twins in general (heck, I own a Triumph Bonneville 900), and these motorcycles are an absolute thrill to ride. We have ridden every current iteration of Yamaha’s 689cc engine, in their Tenere 700, R7, XSR700, and last year’s MT-07, and that “CP2” crank is a torque monster for its displacement. Then my recent stints with the new CB750 Hornet have sold me on Honda’s new little beast, and their 755cc Unicam stinger mill that powers it.
This will be fun, to say the least.

Phil’s Op-Ed: Breaking Down Barriers to the Ride Life

Posted by Phil Gauthier | Aug 26, 2025 | Ride Life |

At Road Dirt we talk, write about and live the “Ride Life”. It’s more than a slogan, it’s a way of life for us. We believe riding unencumbered by seatbelts & cages lets the soul truly experience travel in a special way. We love sharing how beautiful riding a motorcycle can be by soaking in the sun and wind and aromas you just can’t experience in a car (cage for those in the know). We hope that our stories will motivate people, young and old, to consider buying a motorbike and joining the riding community to experience the joys we all do on two.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Roadster Redefined

Posted by Rob Brooks | Aug 22, 2025 | Bikes & Gear |

Riding west out of Milwaukee, we hit I-94 and lit out for Wisconsin’s historic Kettle Moraine Trail region. After navigating around then out of the city, we opened up the throttles of the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 motorcycles and shot over to the passing lanes. Running up through the gears, I was once again amazed at the power the Sherpa 450 single can make, this time in a street-oriented roadster style motorbike. Pinning it in every gear, I was shifting at 8-9K rpm, and found myself doing 92 mph by the time I caught the lead group of riders. And I still had throttle left. “Geez, will this ‘do the ton’ if I stayed on it??” I wondered aloud.
Impressive.

Just Along For The Ride

Posted by Mike Boyd | Aug 20, 2025 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads |

For the last several years, my friend Max and I have been taking summer motorcycle road trips in August. This year I decided I would take all of my Road Dirt and social media friends along for the trip, by documenting our travels on Facebook. Max was riding his 2014 Harley Road Kiing and I was riding my 2018 Honda Goldwing.

Beaubier Makes History

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Aug 17, 2025 | Industry & Racing, Ride Life |

In March of 2010, a fresh-faced 17 year old named Cameron Beaubier won the first AMA professional race of his career at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Today, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, Beaubier won his 90th career race, making him the winningest road racer across all classes in AMA Pro Racing history. He’s now a 32-year-old, five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, husband, and father. And arguably the face of the series.

EAGLERIDER Motorcycle Rentals- Go Ride

Posted by Rob Brooks | Aug 13, 2025 | Bikes & Gear, Ride Life |

The idea for EagleRider was birthed in 1992, in the imaginations of two AT&T employees, Chris McIntyre and Jeff Brown. The coworkers and friends wanted to take sabbaticals from their jobs and travel around the country on Harleys. At the time, neither owned a motorcycle yet, so they tried renting bikes from dealerships, unsuccessfully. Discovering there were no rental services across the country, the two had the idea to start their own. As they both put it, “We saw demand, but no supply!” They figured that plenty of men and women riders, when traveling, would jump at the chance to rent a motorcycle when away from home. They figured correctly. Chris and Jeff were soon joined by Peter Wurmer and Robert Pitts, and the friends opened their first rental shop in Peter’s garage in San Pedro, CA, with four motorcycles the guys purchased themselves.
And to quote English historian John Wade, “The rest is history.”

Dunlop RSIV vs Bridgestone T33- Midsummer Observations

Posted by Ted Edwards | Aug 11, 2025 | Bikes & Gear, Nuts & Bolts |

Bridgestone’s new for 2025 T33 Battlax is here to take on Dunlop’s Roadsmart IV for bragging rights as King of Sport Touring Tires. It is a big task. Nothing so far has been able to unseat the Dunlop as the best all around sport touring tire on the market.

MotoAmerica Loves VIRginia

Posted by Geoff & Barb Nickless | Aug 8, 2025 | Industry & Racing |

Perhaps you have heard of the Virginia tourism slogan, Virginia is for Lovers®? Our weekend at VIR (Virginia International Raceway) had us fall in love with Virginia! Race weekend at VIR excited riders, fans, and photographers with its natural beauty. The last two days of July in the mid-Atlantic brought stifling heat and high humidity to this beautiful location. However, it didn’t slow down the work that had to be done setting up the course and the paddock. The anticipation of great racing action was in the air! Fans also began to arrive at VIR to spend a fun weekend camping and RVing. Everyone was excited for MotoAmerica’s return after a three-year absence.

Yamaha XSR700: Back to Basics

Posted by Christian Pierce | Aug 6, 2025 | Bikes & Gear |

For most riders, there exists a motorbike that made us fall in love with motorcycling. These are the near-perfect bikes that seal our fate and turn us into lifelong motorcycle enthusiasts. In riding the 2025 Yamaha XSR700, my passion for two-wheels was instantly renewed by this same experience. This is one of those bikes, one I will speak of years from now, as one of the best motorcycles I’ve ever ridden. So, prepare yourself for a glowing review of the XSR700, as I celebrate my rejuvenated appreciation for motorcycling thanks to this stellar offering from Yamaha.