J. Joshua Placa

Motorcycle Gear Review: Garmin Zumo XT2

Posted by J. Joshua Placa | Sep 25, 2025 | Bikes & Gear, Nuts & Bolts |

Garmin has built guidance systems specially made for hurling ourselves into the the wind with no need for real maps or even a sense of direction. The Zumo XT2 is Garmin’s latest platform for telling us how to get from A to B, the fast way or the scenic way, with pretty much every conceivable convenience stop along the way while also alerting us to sharp curves, state helmet laws, speed cameras, traffic conditions, ETA and probably a few more things I haven’t figured yet.

When the Ride Goes Wrong

Posted by J. Joshua Placa | Nov 29, 2024 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads |

There are times when nature, dumb luck and poor planning conspire against us. You can take all the usual and sensible precautions before rolling into the wild: check the weather report, carry your own personal chrome-plated barometer, even stick your head out the window. Feeling unencumbered and packing light, the skies are clear, a soft cool breeze caresses your cheek, the bike rumbles instantly to life and you think to yourself with a smile, what could possibly go wrong?

FIRST LOOK: 2025 Yamaha YZF-R9

Posted by J. Joshua Placa | Oct 9, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

Tucked inside an old, concrete smog-test garage in Los Angeles, Yamaha hid its newest edition of its R-series lineup. It didn’t seem much of a mystery to the seasoned sportbike journalists gathered around. Rumors spread, teasers released, sporty minds connected the dots, which led to the 2025 YZF-R9.

Motorcycle Gear: Of Leather and Lid

Posted by J. Joshua Placa | Aug 29, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

There is an old saying that gentlemen bikers can never have too many leather jackets. There are so many occasions to be prepared for when only the appropriate coat will do. So a diverse closet of casual, work, play and formal biker-wear is required. Of course, you need wet, cold, hot and the-weather-in-between seasonal gear, as well as the occasional need for, of course, Old West fringe or ski slope chic.

2024 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide Revival

Posted by J. Joshua Placa | Aug 19, 2024 | Bikes & Gear, Ride Life |

The 2024 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide Revival is right out of America’s Golden Age of Design, the Space Age thrust into artful forms of innovation and style. The Revival is an homage to the original 1956 Hydra-Glide (1949-’57), which introduced hydraulic front forks. It’s the fourth iteration in the Motor Company’s limited and numbered Icons collection, its factory version of a resto-mod. Earlier Icons included the 2023 Electra Glide Highway King, 2022 Low Rider Diablo and 2021 Electra Glide Revival. Modern performance wrapped in vintage looks can be an irresistible combination. I hope H-D continues bringing back its style heroes. Maybe a 1959 Sportster would be nice, or a ’36 Knucklehead.

Riding With The Ghost Of John Wayne, Part II

Posted by J. Joshua Placa | Jul 26, 2024 | Rides & Roads |

The badlands will change you. It can elevate your wanderings into something spiritual, or it can turn you savage. It is an unforgiving world with small tolerance for error or idiots. It will make you feel like the first to touch a new planet. It can uplift you to heights unimagined, or make you fight for your life.

Riding with the Ghost of John Wayne

Posted by J. Joshua Placa | Jul 4, 2024 | Rides & Roads |

I saw the nearly life-size cardboard cutouts everywhere- restaurants, saloons, souvenir shops, even gas stations. Wherever I wandered through “John Wayne country,” a place of sprawling red deserts, towering buttes and mesas and bone-dry ancient seabeds. It’s harsh and inhospitable to most creatures that don’t have scales or stingers, but there he was, ready to draw. Saddle up, pilgrim, it’s going to be a hot, dusty, spectacular ride.

The Budget Biker II: Don The Deal

Posted by J. Joshua Placa | Mar 29, 2024 | Bikes & Gear, Ride Life |

I’m not sure what really happened or how; do any of us when a nasty habit takes over? Something went wrong. Somehow I was drawn into this lurid world of pre-owned shoes and pants, and most seductive of all, perfectly broken-in jackets. Lord knows what stories their well-worn leather could tell.

Riding Through The Red Stone

Posted by J. Joshua Placa | Dec 5, 2023 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads |

There are some places on this planet that defy description. They are unexpected, ostensively in a different realm. Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “d’shay”), hidden deep within the vast Navajo Nation, is an epic wonder created by shallow seas that advanced and retreated over millions of years, leaving behind deep layers of scarlet stone. Of course, all wonders, natural and unnatural, are best seen from the saddle of your bike, or in my case, a Vampire.