BMW | Road Dirt

Arriving in Arequipa a week earlier, we were greeted with a plethora of “to do” items as we got ready to take seven riders on their first motorcycle tour in Peru. With Chip having had a job launching the Space Shuttle in his previous life, I asked if he would install the Cardo PACKTALK EDGE Duo units into our helmets. I was more than a little consumed with minutia as well as being a mechanical and electrical Muppet. I have a Klim adventure helmet and Chip wears a Bell Qualifier with built-in comms pocket.

Bikes We’d Like to Ride in 2025

by Road Dirt Crew | Jan 17, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

Every new year, we look forward to the press releases of new and/or upgraded motorcycles soon to debut. It’s an annual ritual in our world, and 2025 is no different. We peruse the press docs, dream and scheme about how we might get a ride on the ones we really like, and start making plans. Most of the bikes we dream about we eventually get a chance to sample; others, not so much. But it’s fun to dream, right?

Five Top Selling Motorcycles in America for 2024

by Road Dirt Crew | Dec 12, 2024 | Bikes & Gear | 3 |

The year 2024 has been an interesting one in the motorcycle industry. Consolidations and closures, the rise in used bike sales over new ones, new motorbikes and upgrades/revisions of existing models, the past year has been tumultuous for motorcycle brands in general, a downright roller coaster for American motorcycling in particular. Yet despite it all, motorcycling in the States is very much alive and well, as it is across the globe. Motorcycles are selling, and people are riding. Our lifestyle still means freedom, adventure, community, and connection- with the open road, our fellow riders, and our beloved machines. As we prepare to conclude another year, let’s take a look at a few of the best selling motorcycles in America over the past 12 months.

Neale Bayly Rides: The Threads of Life’s Tapestry

by Neale Bayly | May 6, 2024 | Legendary Bikes, Ride Life | 3 |

“Of course, when the Russians kidnapped me, they held me at gun point for 36 hours, but I’ve got to go…” as the phone line went silent. My mind drifted back to the day I crossed the Carpathian Mountains on my old KLR 650 and down into the city of Bucharest in search of my old friend, Simon. The year was 1996 and I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the mid ’80s when we ran together in our hometown on the coast in South Devon, England.

Neale Bayly Rides: Danger In Namibia

by Neale Bayly | Apr 1, 2024 | Ride Life | 0 |

As the torrential rain relentlessly pounded the slippery dirt road beneath my boots, I watched in horror as the BMW F800GS in front of me dived into some deep water, churned and ground its way forward, then spat a submerged rock from under the front wheel causing it to lurch sideways. Desperately trying to use forward momentum to right the bike, the rider found himself stalling out in thigh-deep water, left leg submerged and sinking into the sand with his right leg stuck over the bike as it attempted to push him down under the fast-flowing water. With the two of us alone, now long separated from our group, I had to act quickly as I had no idea how long he could last in such a precarious position.