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Dunlop Q5S Long Term Track & Street Test

Posted by Ted Edwards | May 30, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

I wondered how the stellar Dunlops would perform long term as both a street tire and trackday weapon. The Q5S tires have a harder center compound for street mileage so I kept them on my Honda Superhawk for the duration of the 2023 riding season for commuting, touring and canyon sprint miles, using them as most riders would for a whole year. Then, last week, after a full year with the tires on the bike, I returned to MotoAmerica’s early summer race venue, The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington for a second thrashing to see how they would fare after a full season of use.

Harley-Davidson Freewheeler Trike

Posted by Rob Brooks | Feb 23, 2024 | Bikes & Gear, Ride Life |

I must admit, I had never ridden a true trike before, as in single wheel up front, dual wheels/dual axle in the rear. I’ve taken Can-Am Spiders for a spin, we’ve reviewed the Polaris Slingshot before, but my first time on Mike’s trike was an education. Lena, Mike’s wife, recently let me borrow their trike for a couple of weeks, so I spent my first day familiarizing myself with the handling and maneuvering characteristics.
Riding a trike is wholly different than riding a bike.

Triumph Motorcycles British Invasion Tour

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Feb 19, 2024 | Bikes & Gear |

Triumph North America has been touring their 2024 motorcycle lineup across the States over the past couple of months, showcasing their latest and greatest for the new year. Road Dirt guys Rob and Phil had the chance to attend the “British Invasion Tour” evening in Atlanta, and Triumph threw a fantastic party. With a packed house of Brit bike enthusiasts, a local blues/rock act keeping the place hopping, and the drinks flowing, Triumph pulled the wraps off several new models they’ve debuted for 2024, for patrons to get up close and personal with.

MZ’s Moto Memories: 1976 Kawasaki KH500

Posted by Mark Zweig | Jan 17, 2024 | Legendary Bikes, Ride Life |

I don’t remember why I went in there in the first place but I do recall seeing a super low-mile 1976 Kawasaki KH500 on the showroom floor. It was a metallic orange color and didn’t even have 500 or 600 miles on it and looked brand new. They wanted $995 for it. So I worked them down to $895 and bought it.

Triumph Debuts Their TF 250-X Motocross Bike

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Nov 29, 2023 | Bikes & Gear, Industry & Racing |

Triumph Motorcycles has officially launched the new TF 250-X, revealing a class-leading power to weight ratio and the most complete specification package ever to launch into the ultra-competitive 250cc motocross market.

Long Term Review: 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+

Posted by Rob Brooks | Oct 27, 2023 | Bikes & Gear |

A salesman at a motorcycle dealership once confided in me, “To really familiarize yourself with a motorcycle, really get to know it, you need to live with it for a while. Take it home with you, ride it all day, wake up to it the next morning and ride it some more. A short 2-3 mile test ride really isn’t enough to get a true feel for a bike.” I’ve come to agree with him. Whenever we get a motorcycle to review, we try to keep it for at least a month for that very reason. The better we come to know the bike, the better we can communicate it to you.

The Wild World of Motorcycle Sidecar Racing

Posted by Road Dirt Crew | Oct 16, 2023 | Industry & Racing, Legendary Bikes |

It’s a physically demanding sport, especially for the copilot, hence our comment about Tina. Battling G-forces back and forth to keep the rig planted on all three contact points, both riders must be both strong and flexible, and be in complete sync with each other. Mike and I observed it up close trackside at Barber, as teams tore around the highly technical course at breakneck speeds. I’ve ridden at high speed around tracks like this on a motorcycle, experiencing the g-forces on a bike, but can hardly imagine the exertion it takes to keep riders and machine planted while speeding around a course, battling those forces on a sidecar. These racers, particularly the passengers, are another level of tough.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles

Posted by Rob Brooks | Oct 4, 2023 | Bikes & Gear, Ride Life, Rides & Roads |

Lyle and I are on a multi-day, multi-state road trip, commemorating (or commiserating?) both turning 60 years old. We try to make a big road trip together with every new decade we reach. We did it when we both turned 40, then a huge one when we both hit the half century, and now here we are rolling into our 60s, out rocking down the highway again. We’ve both been motorcycle riding since our youth, and over the years we’ve made many day trips, weekend hops, and these milestone rides over the years. As I’ve written before, we go way back with each other.

Legendary Bikes: Kawasaki Samurai 250 A1

Posted by Mark Zweig | Aug 28, 2023 | Legendary Bikes |

Gary also owned a 1967 Kawasaki Samurai A1SS that he kept at my house because his aunt and uncle wouldn’t let him have a bike. It was blue with twin chrome high-mounted side pipes. The A1SS was the street scrambler version of the Kawasaki A1, released in 1967 as the first “fast” Kawasaki. It was a 250cc two-stroke rotary valve twin, with a claimed 31 hp from the factory. Kawasaki marketing said it would do the quarter mile in 13.8 and had a 105 mph top speed. Whether or not those numbers were true, we thought that motorbike was the fastest thing in the world!