Rob Brooks

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.

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.

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.”

Gear Review: REV’IT! Sand 5 H2O Riding Pants

Posted by Rob Brooks | Aug 4, 2025 | Bikes & Gear |

We’ve long been fans of REV’IT!, whether it be their backpacks, riding jackets, gloves, or pants. I’ve personally never owned a piece of gear from them that failed me, yet. So when REV’IT! USA reached out to us about their new Sand 5 H2O line of adventure gear, I jumped at the chance to sample a pair of their riding pants.

Rob’s Musings- The Family of My Heart

Posted by Rob Brooks | Jul 10, 2025 | Ride Life |

Born from MacKenzie and Davidson roots, MacKenney reunions on my mother’s side, in memories of my childhood, were always filled with laughter, hugs, games, and lots of food. And they were always held outside, in an expansive backyard under towering oak and willow trees overlooking the Charles River, or by the waters of Hamblin Pond, a small bay near Falmouth Harbor on the Cape.

The Mighty Mini: Honda’s Dax 125

Posted by Rob Brooks | Jul 1, 2025 | Bikes & Gear |

With the rapidly growing popularity of small bore motorbikes these days, something we have documented frequently here at Road Dirt, Honda reached out and asked if we’d like to ride and review the 2025 Dax 125, otherwise known as the Trail 125. One look at the bike, it’s old school “t-bone” frame and design, and I had to ride one. It so recalled my cousin‘s old Trail 70, it made me think back and wish I had not been so easily deterred by that small pipe burn as a youngster.

Riding Honda’s 750 and 1000 Hornet

Posted by Rob Brooks | Jun 10, 2025 | Bikes & Gear |

I’m riding a 2025 Honda CB750 Hornet on this our first of a two-day press demo of the new Hornet 750 and 1000 models, and the roar of this 755cc twin as I’m galloping through the swift traffic is fueling my thirst to pin the throttle. This engine is howling, daring me to pour more coal to the fire. I’m obliging, at least as much as I’m able in the fast, dense traffic. Soon, we catch the front group, traffic thins as we roll northeast past Roseville, and we settle into a nice 75 mph cadence heading for the hill country before us.

What Is It With King Of The Baggers?

Posted by Rob Brooks | May 6, 2025 | Industry & Racing |

A guy standing next to me on the bridge, wearing a black patch-filled biker vest and a Harley-Davidson cap, commented, “The best race is about to begin! I came here specifically for this race today. Why would anyone want to leave now?!” Clearly most folks in attendance agreed with him. Everywhere around the track, for both the Saturday and Sunday races of this class, fans were pressed against the fences, to both see and feel this most remarkable category of motorcycle racing. And they were not disappointed.

GREAT ROADS: Cherohala Skyway

Posted by Rob Brooks | Apr 23, 2025 | Rides & Roads |

I first came to ride the Cherohala Skyway a few years after it opened, in 1998 or ’99. I rode up with a group of CMA friends from the Atlanta area, and we spent a day riding the parkway from Robbinsville NC to Tellico Plains TN. After a hearty late lunch at the popular Tellicafé on the western end of the skyway, the group turned around and rode back across that afternoon. It was early October as I remember, and the mountains were awash in the colors of autumn- gold, orange, red, purple, with pine evergreen interspersed.
It was magical. I was hooked.