adventure riding

Suzuki pulled the wraps off a completely new motor this week at the EICMA in Milan, Italy, and introduced the first two bikes that will utilize the mill, the 2023 GSX-8S and V-Strom 800DE. With this completely new mill for the brand, and two bikes it will first appear in, Suzuki seems committed to manufacturing a versatile powerplant that can be put to use in an ever wider array of motorcycles in the future.

Road Tripping a 2022 Yamaha Ténéré 700

by Rob Brooks | Jun 17, 2022 | Bikes & Gear, Rides & Roads | 0 |

I am ascending into a low cloud bank outside Hiawassee, Georgia, and visibility is limited to about 30 yards in front of me. I’m on GA 75, a twisting, curvy state road winding its way across the mountains, and rain has been pelting me since pulling out of town. My pace is slowed, both the windshield and Transitions face shield on my Bell Qualifier helmet are covered in dancing water droplets, and I’m intently peering through the fog, throttling this 2022 Yamaha Ténéré 700 cautiously across the soaked road surface.

2022 Yamaha Ténéré 700 First Impressions

by Rob Brooks | May 25, 2022 | Bikes & Gear | 4 |

First introduced in 2019, Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 has been a runaway hit for the “Tuning Fork” moto brand, despite the pandemic difficulties it debuted under. It’s midsize displacement, narrow body and tank, flat seating and neutral riding position, as well as a reasonable price tag, have given it a wide appeal in the ADV motorcycle segment. Yamaha offered us an opportunity to sample one for a couple of months, and we were more than a bit enthusiastic.

Playing In The Dirt Again

by Rob Brooks | May 4, 2022 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads | 6 |

I am chasing Barry down another rarely-travelled unpaved road out in east central Georgia, barely able to make out his silhouette ahead of me from the cloud of red clay and gravel dust he and others ahead of him are kicking up. I’m alternating between sitting and standing, bouncing and sliding along about 45 mph, hard on the little 300’s throttle, trying to keep them at least vaguely in sight. I am telling myself, audibly at times, “Relax, breathe, keep a loose grip on the grips, let the bike float and move beneath you. You’re doing fine.”

Royal Enfield Reveals The Scram 411

by Rob Brooks | Mar 16, 2022 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

Royal Enfield pulled the wraps off a new motorcycle they’ve developed, called the Scram 411. A more street-oriented version of the widely popular Himalayan, the Scram 411 is being billed as an “ADV crossover” by the brand. In the vein of the scrambler genre many motorcycle manufacturers have been churning out in recent years (Ducati Scrambler 800, Triumph Scrambler 1200, etc.), and the long history of on/off road, high-piped scramblers of old (remember the old single thumper Honda scramblers of the 60s-70s?), Royal Enfield thought their Himalayan, with its 411 single-cylinder motor and Harris Performance chassis, would be the ideal platform for their own interpretation of the style. In their words, “the Scram 411 combines spirited agility on urban streets, with competent rough-roading capabilities. Focused and purposeful changes in the riding geometry and ergonomics make it ideal for in-city riding, as well as unpredictable, challenging trails off the urban grid.”