Road Dirt Crew

Dakar Rally 2021

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Jan 11, 2021 | Industry & Racing |

The new year kicked off with the most grueling race on the planet, the annual Dakar Rally. In its second year hosted by Saudi Arabia, the race is circumnavigating the Saudi peninsula, covering over 4600 miles in 13 days, with one day reserved for rest and repairs. The race kicked off on January 3 in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and will ultimately conclude there on January 15. In between, riders and drivers in all classes must traverse some of the most desolate, unforgiving, barren terrain on the earth.

Road Dirt 2020 Year In Review

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Dec 31, 2020 | Ride Life |

Concluding our 2nd year as a motorcycle media source, we at Road Dirt experienced quite a trip around the sun in 2020. Incredible road trips, fantastic bike and gear reviews, breathtaking places, heart-pounding racing, but best of all, amazing people.

Legendary Bikes: Craig Vetter’s Design Legacy

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Dec 21, 2020 | Industry & Racing, Legendary Bikes |

Sound design was once an under-appreciated aspect of success within the motorcycle realm. For such objects of desire that aim to stir heart and soul, nailing an appealing shape and silhouette was enough to make or break the British entrants of the 60s and 70s.

Legendary Bikes: Harley’s VR1000 and V-Rod Destroyer

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Dec 9, 2020 | Legendary Bikes |

By 1987, the Harley-Davidson Motor Company had regained its financial footing after independence from corporate owner AMF. Part of the company’s plan for reinvigorating the brand lay in a time-honored strategy – factory-sponsored racing. But years of tepid technical advancement in their product line had left the Motor Company woefully uncompetitive on the racetrack. A radical leap in engine and chassis development was needed – advancements which would help Harley-Davidson navigate the subsequent decades.

Legendary Bikes: War of the Superbikes

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Oct 23, 2020 | Legendary Bikes |

The 1970’s were not only known for the explosion of high-performance Muscle Cars, but the introduction of a new segment of production motorcycles called Superbikes.

Legendary Bikes: Peter Egan’s 1974 Norton Commando

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Aug 28, 2020 | Legendary Bikes |

Peter Egan has been called America’s Favorite Automotive Writer. A Wisconsin native, Egan held unprecedented dual editorial positions with both Cycle World and Road & Track magazines for nearly three decades before semi-retiring from his monthly columns in 2013.
In that time, he rode and reviewed hundreds of motorcycles, but none remained as close to his heart as the Norton Commando. In fact, it was “Dateline: Missoula,” a story about an ill-fated, cross-continent trip on a Commando which was his first published article for Cycle World back in December 1977. Egan wrote, “So it seems I owe my journalism career to that Norton as well. If I’d bought a Honda, god knows what I’d be doing now. Possibly something useful to humanity. That or sleeping under a bridge.”

Legendary Bikes: 1958 Ariel Square Four Chopper

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Jul 27, 2020 | Legendary Bikes |

I must admit, I’ve been fascinated with the old Ariel marquee for about 10 years, since I first laid eyes on one in a moto mag, then at a moto show. The unique Square Four engine configuration, the quintessential Brit bike lines, and those pipes! I’m in love with them. So when I beheld this radically raked out and customized Ariel chopper in the Throttlestop Museum up in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, just up the street from the fabled Road America racetrack, I was awestruck. I had to learn more. To combine the best of the British motorbike scene with the American chopper culture of the late 60s- mid 70s, was pure steel poetry with this build.

Legendary Bikes: 1968 Egli Vincent Black Shadow Recreation

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Jun 10, 2020 | Legendary Bikes |

One look is all it takes to fall in love with the unique architecture of the 1968 Egli Vincent Black Shadow Recreation. This gorgeous piece of machinery is produced by Vincent expert Patrick Godet, a French designer given sole license to produce frames by original designer Fritz Egli himself. The story of this beautiful bike began in 1967, when Swiss engineer and racer Fritz Egli teamed up with Vincent to create an updated bike frame worthy of “the world’s fastest engine”.

Legendary Bikes- The 1939 Velocette Roarer

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | May 5, 2020 | Legendary Bikes |

We love motorcycles. All of them. But we must admit to a soft spot for vintage, those legendary bikes of yesteryear. With that in mind, we plan to occasionally showcase a piece of classic iron that we find particularly compelling. This one comes courtesy of Mecum Auctions, via our friend Bill Braile of POIM (Pics of Interesting Motorcycles). We hope you enjoy this little slice of motorcycle history. Heck, we might have to dedicate a new page to these!