Rob Brooks

2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450: Road and Dirt

Posted by Rob Brooks | Aug 26, 2024 | Bikes & Gear, Rides & Roads |

Ripping down Utah State 40 through the vast and beautiful Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, our motorcycle entourage suddenly arrived at our dirt turn-off. Pulling over before descending into the deep and somewhat narrow canyon, our Royal Enfield group leader gave us a few pointers about the route they’d scouted the day before, then down we rode into the ravine. The ride on 40 had been glorious, over the hills and around the lakes in this portion of northeast Utah. The warning signs at the beginning of the off-road section of our ride alarmed me, however. “Travel At Your Own Risk”, “Dangerous Road Ahead”, among others had me wondering why I was here. I’m primarily a street rider, and I feared this segment might take me way out of my wheelhouse and skill level.

ADV Racing at Sturgis TT

Posted by Rob Brooks | Aug 15, 2024 | Industry & Racing |

So it’s not surprising that another new category has been introduced, this time in American Flat Track. The category, called AdventureTrackers, made its inaugural debut at Sturgis, SD recently with its first race conducted on a road/dirt course of the Sturgis TT.
Not only was it a successful race, but it appears a new rivalry has emerged as a result, between Harley-Davidson teams racing the Pan America 1250, and teams running Triumph’s Tiger 1200 GT and Rally Pro bikes. A Honda Africa Twin team ran as well, and some big-name racers piloted these ADV bikes in the race. It appears the trial run of the class was a crowd pleaser as well, with lots of social media buzz about the race from Sturgis attendees on hand for it.

Better On A Bike

Posted by Rob Brooks | Jul 16, 2024 | Ride Life |

I’m no poet, but while seated in an aircraft at 35,000 feet somewhere over the Arabian Sea west of India, these words began to materialize in my head. Returning from a 16-day mission/relief trip to Indonesia with 127 Legacy Foundation, I longed to unwind on a motorcycle and ride off into uncrowded countryside. Through exhaustion, overseas illness, and jet-lag, I mused, “I’m always better on a bike.”

Motorcycle Gear: Alpinestars Tech-Air 3 Airbag Vest

Posted by Rob Brooks | Jun 17, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

A couple of years ago about this time, I had a low speed slideout while making a left-hand turn onto another road. I hit an unseen patch of gravel that had washed out onto the road from a storm the previous day, and I hit it while leaning left to negotiate the turn. The Yamaha XR900 I was riding lost traction, and I went down pretty hard on my left side. The bike was fine, mostly, as the handlebar and a couple of left side frame sliders prevented any real damage. My HJC i10 Robust helmet took a knock on the left side, so I had no head or neck injuries. I rode the bike home with no problems. Over the next day or two however, my left side shoulder, ribs and hip became a little sore from the impact.
It wasn’t long thereafter that I took an interest in the growing array of wearable airbag offerings on the market for motorcycle riders.

This Old Bike And Me

Posted by Rob Brooks | Jun 7, 2024 | Ride Life |

I took my old 1978 Kawasaki KZ 650 out for a ride on a recent Sunday afternoon. The skies were clear, a warm gentle breeze was blowing, and I needed some alone time on a motorcycle. It had been a few weeks since I had last ridden the old bike, and it took a little coaxing to get her to fire up and settle into a smooth idle. Opening the petcock, adding some choke, thumbing the starter a couple of times, a little throttle massage until she was warm, then we were off into the rolling countryside south of our north Georgia home.

MotoAmerica’s Mathew Scholtz: Back In The Race

Posted by Rob Brooks | May 20, 2024 | Industry & Racing, Ride Life |

For Mathew Scholtz, 2024 began with much uncertainty and a measure of disillusionment. “I contemplated returning home,” to his native South Africa, he confided. The acclaimed Superbike superstar was without a racing team, without a job, and due to timing, wasn’t certain any team in the American motorcycle road racing series known as MotoAmerica would be able to bring him onboard.
From the top tiers of North American motorcycle racing, to “moto-homeless”, the new year was off to rocky start for one of the most beloved riders in the paddock.

Yamaha MT-09 Ride & Review

Posted by Rob Brooks | May 10, 2024 | Bikes & Gear, Rides & Roads |

The MT-09 has been a staple in Yamaha’s “Hyper Naked” sportbike lineup for ten years, alongside their MT-07 twin, both best sellers in the American market. We’ve had the opportunity to sample the torquey triple mill in their “Sport Heritage” XSR900 a couple of years ago, and were so impressed with the Tracer 9 GT+ that it won our 2023 Bike of the Year. So when invited out to sample the powerplant in their naked sportbike iteration, I jumped at the chance.

Predictably Unpredictable: MotoAmerica at Road Atlanta

Posted by Rob Brooks | Apr 23, 2024 | Industry & Racing |

For years now, the MotoAmerica motorcycle road racing series has opened its season at Road Atlanta, with unpredictable, sketchy conditions always a possibility. This year‘s season opener was no different, with a hot and humid Friday for practicing and qualifying, followed by a near perfect day on Saturday with gentle breezes, partly cloudy skies and temps comfortably settling in the 70s, then Sunday brought a chilly rain and temperatures hovering in the low 50s.
The only thing predictable about our weather this time of year, is it’s unpredictability.

Cleaning & Polishing Motorcycle Pipes

Posted by Rob Brooks | Apr 17, 2024 | Nuts & Bolts |

There are several inevitabilities in motorcycle riding and maintenance, and one of them is pipe discoloration. Over time, our pipes blue, yellow, darken, retain imprints and fingerprints, and just get downright unsightly. And whereas the rest of your motorcycle can be washed, cleaned, polished, and made shiny again, the same can’t always be said for your exhaust pipes. Due to extreme heat, time, exposure, and their own composition, keeping pipes clean and shiny is just a much more difficult job.