Rob Brooks

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.”

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.

Rob’s Monthly Musings: Full Circle

Posted by Rob Brooks | Nov 25, 2024 | Ride Life |

Sitting in a breakfast diner outside Charlotte, North Carolina, Neale Bayly and I are chowing down on scrambled eggs and bacon, chugging coffee. While prattling on about future Road Dirt story ideas, he suddenly stops, looks me in the eyes and suggests, “Rob, you should write a monthly ‘column’ yourself. Several of us write monthly musings for Road Dirt, but our readers don’t get that from you, the ‘head honcho’ so to speak. You’ve got so many personal stories to tell of your own, I believe the Road Dirt community would love getting to know you a bit better, don’t you think?” I had honestly never thought about that. Maybe I should. So here I go with some personal reflections on November.

2024 Honda SCL500: Scramble On

Posted by Rob Brooks | Nov 12, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

On a beautiful, cool Autumn morning, my friend and Road Dirt colleague Phil G and I set out on a day ride together. Pointing north, we rode up toward the old historic towns of Dahlonega and Dawsonville in the North Georgia foothills. Caught behind a slow moving dump truck for several miles at one point, suddenly Phil lurched left and throttled hard on his Harley, roaring past the dump truck on a long, empty straight stretch. Already in sixth gear, I followed suit on the Honda SCL500, hurrying to catch up. The “Scrambler” howled as I pinned the throttle, and the diminutive twin hurtled forward, hitting 90 mph by the time I caught up with Phil’s Road Glide.
Impressive, for a little motorbike not a third of the displacement of Phil’s big Hawg…

Harley-Davidson Dealerships Closing at Alarming Rate

Posted by Rob Brooks | Oct 31, 2024 | Industry & Racing |

I read a notice today concerning the closure of a significant Harley-Davidson dealership in Southern California, the Los Angeles Harley-Davidson in Fullerton. As of October 31, 2024, this legendary motorcycle dealership is closing its doors. The news came after several other industry posts I recently read, confirming the closure of multiple large and noteworthy H-D dealerships across the country. Taboo Harley-Davidson in Alexandria, Louisiana shut down on October 16, New York City Harley-Davidson back in September, as well as about five to six others over the past couple of months.
What is happening at the Motor Company?

Recent Study: The Most Dangerous States For Motorcyclists

Posted by Rob Brooks | Oct 29, 2024 | Ride Life |

We recently were sent the results of a 10 year study concerning motorcycle injuries and fatalities state by state across America. Utilizing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the law firm of Easton & Easton in Southern California compiled some eye-opening stats that we thought were worth sharing. Motorcycling is more than a hobby for many of us; in some ways more than even a passion. Motorcycle riding is a way of life, a lifestyle that we embrace, a culture we join and participate in. And because we love it so much and it’s so ingrained in our daily lives, we need to be aware of the dangers all around us and the inherent risks involved, so we can live and ride accordingly.

FIRST LOOK: 2025 Triumph Trident 660

Posted by Rob Brooks | Oct 8, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

What is unique about any triple cylinder motorcycle engine, and it’s certainly true of Triumph’s 660, is the happy medium it takes between a twin and a four. The Trident triple delivers 90% peak torque from 3,600-9,750 rpm, giving the rider kind of a “best of both worlds” between a twin and four-cylinder engine. You get the lowdown pull and strong mid range of a twin, with the high revving top end power of a four. Plus, who doesn’t love the sound of a throaty triple?

MotoAmerica 2024 Wrap-Up at NJMP

Posted by Rob Brooks | Sep 30, 2024 | Industry & Racing |

The 2024 MotoAmerica motorcycle road racing season ended very differently than it began. Jake Gagne and the Attack Yamaha Racing team were preparing to take a record 4th-in-a-row Superbike championship, Rahal Ducati Moto was predicted to claim the Supersport championship with PJ Jacobsen, Kayla Yaakov and Corey Alexander all contending in the class, early pundits were predicting Kyle Wyman would return the factory Harley-Davidson team to the top rung in the King of the Baggers series, with the other series (Twins Cup, Stock 1000, Super Hooligans, and Junior Cup) all up for grabs.
By season’s end, the landscape looked much different.

2024 Yamaha MT-07: Scrappy and Brash

Posted by Rob Brooks | Sep 23, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

I must confess- I don’t like riding this motorcycle.
From the torquey parallel 689cc liquid-cooled twin, the upright and comfortable “street fighter” riding triangle, to the thrilling, arm-stretching acceleration when twisting the throttle, and that deep guttural growl through the 2-into-1 exhaust, the 2024 Yamaha MT-07 just does me in.
I don’t like riding this motorcycle- I love riding it.
And therein lies my problem with this bike…