Ted Edwards

Tire-d Ruminations

Posted by Ted Edwards | Sep 2, 2025 | Bikes & Gear |

Much trust is placed on those black donuts, much more when compared to automobile tires. Whereas a motorcycle has two oval contact patches roughly a credit card in size, passenger cars have four square contact patches, each about the size of 4” x 6” picture, or larger, and consequences for motorcycle tire failure are more disastrous. No driver has ever lowsided their Ford F150 after tucking the front end while trail braking into a corner. No driver has ever highsided their Honda Accord with too much throttle application on corner exit.

Dunlop RSIV vs Bridgestone T33- Midsummer Observations

Posted by Ted Edwards | Aug 11, 2025 | Bikes & Gear, Nuts & Bolts |

Bridgestone’s new for 2025 T33 Battlax is here to take on Dunlop’s Roadsmart IV for bragging rights as King of Sport Touring Tires. It is a big task. Nothing so far has been able to unseat the Dunlop as the best all around sport touring tire on the market.

5 Questions with Miranda Cain

Posted by Ted Edwards | Jul 23, 2025 | Industry & Racing, Ride Life |

Royal Enfield’s all female “Build.Train.Race.” program started with a ladies flat track exhibition race in October of 2020. Road racing was added in 2021 and the series joined the MotoAmerica race series full time in 2022. During MotoAmerica’s stop at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington recently, I enjoyed a conversation with Miranda Cain, who is in her second year with the program.

Summer Tire Test 2025- Dunlop Roadsmart IV vs Bridgestone Battlax T33

Posted by Ted Edwards | Jun 24, 2025 | Bikes & Gear, Nuts & Bolts |

However, while some of these claims are true, some are not. Our years of testing has shown that even in this age of technological advancement you can go wrong with your tire choice. Over the past three years and tens of thousands of miles of testing we have found differences both subtle and massive among the sport touring tires. Fellow tester and tire geek Dave Wensveen and I have seen it all from brilliant handling and amazing wet grip to tires that degrade after only 2,000 miles. There are brilliant tires out there, really good tires and absolutely bad tires. Road Dirt is here to help you make an informed choice.

The Worst Road In The World

Posted by Ted Edwards | Jun 9, 2025 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads |

Two weeks deep into my journey through the west I am passing through Tonopah to overnight at Ely and eventually ride the Bonneville Salt Flats. Highway 6 connects Tonopah to Ely, a 168 mile stretch of highway dissecting the hot gut of Nevada. There are no services on the road, no towns, no stops, no gas stations, no civilization, not a damn thing. One hundred and sixty eight miles of empty. This crappy Subway restaurant is the last oasis on the way to nowhere, and my last taste of electricity, indoor plumbing and air conditioning. At least the employees here are friendly, or trying to be.

GREAT ROADS: North Cascades Pass

Posted by Ted Edwards | May 22, 2025 | Rides & Roads |

North Cascades Pass Highway 20 opens in early May if we are lucky, when the snowplow coming from the east meets the snowplow coming from the west. For a few brief months during the summer the gates to heaven open. It is seventy miles between dots of civilization so if something goes wrong, you are on your own. This is the Pacific Northwest, remember.

Fight For Donni

Posted by Ted Edwards | Mar 21, 2025 | Ride Life |

Donni Reddington is one of us. A passionate, highly skilled motorcycle rider, Donni has collaborated with Road Dirt on several stories over the life of our little publication and community, contributing photography, riding stories, bike/gear reviews, and lots of laughter. We love her, and are thankful to know her.

Gateway To Greener Fields: Uncle Gary’s VFR

Posted by Ted Edwards | Feb 25, 2025 | Ride Life |

If I showed you a picture of my uncle Gary’s motorcycle you would conjure up the image of the stereotypical risk-taking sport bike rider. You know them: road rashed leathers, surgical scars, pointy collarbones punctuated from fractures, two bum knees and an endless list of speeding tickets from multiple states stapled to stories of hooliganism. You would not picture Gary Edwards, a tall, athletic basketball player with a high IQ and a closet of neat suits. But oh how he loved his machines. Most of all, his 2001 Honda VFR.

Bloomberg Article: A Road Dirt Response

Posted by Ted Edwards | Nov 19, 2024 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads |

To Gideon Litchfield and his article for Bloomberg magazine titled “The Allure of The Motorcycle is Stalling Out,” I say come. In his article the author celebrates his new US citizenship by embarking on a three and a half week, 5000 mile ride across America. Stating that his primary sensations were discomfort and boredom, Litchfield asserts motorcycling is pointless, perilous, impractical, the least freeing form of transportation there is and it is a bad idea in general. The only reason to do it, he says, is that it is “sexy”.