Bikes & Gear
Evaluations & Recommendations
Legendary Bikes: Yamaha TW200
Deep in Yamaha’s motorcycle lineup, in the dark corners of the brand’s “warehouse”, there resides an anomaly, a time capsule that was never buried, an old workhorse that has never been put out to pasture. Few motorcycles, of any brand, have endured as long as this bike, mostly unchanged. In fact, 2027 will mark the 40th birthday of the TW200, a relic from the past that somehow remains a staple in Yamaha’s pantheon of legendary motorcycles.
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Introduction: Honda NT1100 DCT
With the departure of the wonderful Rebel 1100, Honda decided to fill the vacancy in Road Dirt’s Pacific Northwest Headquarters with their sport touring offering, the NT1100. The curious bit is that the NT1100 and the Rebel 1100 share the same parallel twin engine and DCT transmission but their purposes are polar opposites. Whereas the Rebel is the inviting cruiser, the NT1100 is the tall, high seat ride with touring intent and sporty features designed to make you thirst for the horizon.
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Western Odyssey, Part 2
The pilgrimage to the Great American Southwest restarts with a stop. Battling unyielding desert winds and homogenized souvenir shops pervasive from Kingman through Sedona and into Gallup, it was time to give man and machine a break. Three days visiting close friends in Santa Fe and out of the saddle was the tonic I needed. It was hard to leave; it felt good to be back on the road.
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Garmin Zumo XT3 Motorcycle Navigator
It would take a lot to convince me to ditch the maps, go digital and add yet one more thing to the cluttered dash of my bike, until Garmin sent me their newest motorcycle focused GPS system, the Zumo XT3 motorcycle specific navigator, abounding with features like smartphone connection, trip planning, lean angle sensor, group ride tracking and drag race timer. Drag times? Hmmm…
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First Impressions: Moto Morini Seiemezzo SCR 650
“Ah, ze Moto Morini! I have not zeen one of zese motorbikes for many years!” So began a brief conversation with an older gent who approached me at a gas station outside Cleveland, Georgia over the weekend. Out riding the Seiemezzo SCR 650 with my friend Harrison Vaughan of Kingdom Adventure Tours (he was on a Honda Africa Twin), I rightly guessed this elder gent was originally from Italy, which also explained his familiarity with the Italian motorcycle brand.
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2026 Honda Rebel 1100 DCT SE: Final Impressions
I remember how it felt the first time. At nine years old I threw a leg over a Honda Trail 90 and basked in the discovery of power, speed, wind and freedom, like God was pedaling my Schwinn Stingray, thrusting me forward with each twist of my mighty right wrist. I explored fields, streets and Pacific Northwest mountains just outside my back door with my smelly metal missile that opened up the world. Any motorcycle that recaptures that feeling of youth, the reason why we ride in the first place, is worth every cent. I never thought I would find it in a Honda Rebel.
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2026 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide ST: Milwaukee Rocket
Every once in a while, a bike shows up that’s actually built for a guy my size. I’m 6’2″ and carrying a little north of two-and-a-half bills, and most of the “sporty” stuff in the touring world feels like I’m folding myself into a lawn chair. So when Harley rang Rob in late June and asked if the Road Dirt crew wanted to spend some time on a 2026 CVO Street Glide ST, I think it took him about a millisecond to say yes. So we coordinated with H-D and a local YouTuber to pick up the “Milwaukee Rocket”.
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2026 Honda Rebel 1100 DCT SE- The Sport Naked
A few weeks ago, Honda North America dropped off a 2026 Rebel 1100 DCT SE at my front door. It was at my asking actually, to compare the revised 2026 model year’s new dash, seat and riding position to the previous model. I was not prepared for what happened next. Not at all.
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2026 Triumph Tracker 400: Lean & Mean
I’m developing a serious problem with this new Triumph Tracker 400 motorcycle.
Only a few weeks in, and I’m already addicted to this bike. When I first got it back to the shop, before anything else, I threw my gear on and took it for a spin. What was only supposed to be a 15 minute check ride turned into a bit over an hour. Then the next morning after the wife left for work, I hurriedly scarfed down some breakfast, threw the gear back on and lit out again. “Research,” I told myself.
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