Kawasaki

I guess you could say I am a “Kawasaki Man.” Out of the hundreds of bikes I’ve owned over the last 55 years, a bunch of them have been Kawasakis. I just like Kawasakis and always have. I owned two 2001 model Kawasaki W650s, both of which I kept for several years. I didn’t know much about them when I discovered a low mileage, custom-painted W650 for sale in a nearby town advertised on Craigslist. I got that first W650 in late summer of 2005, and then I picked up a second one just a few months later in St. Louis. I think I paid $3200 for the first one and only $2800 for the second one (it was such a deal I just had to buy it) and neither of them had more than 3000 miles on the clock nor a single scratch.

Neale Bayly’s Moto Flashbacks: Connecting The Dots

by Neale Bayly | Mar 4, 2025 | 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 Kawasaki KLR650 motorbike and down into the city of Bucharest in search of my old friend, Simon.

MZ’s Moto Memories: Christmas Motorcycles

by Mark Zweig | Dec 23, 2024 | Legendary Bikes, Ride Life | 0 |

Back when my oldest girls were young, I also owned a bunch of motorcycles. I was riding pretty much every day myself, and I used to occasionally “ask Santa” to get them motorcycles for Christmas.

The Long Way Home

by Rob Brooks | Dec 16, 2024 | Ride Life | 2 |

One mid-December afternoon, the wife sent me on a short “honey-do” run up town for some Christmas gift cards. I of course chose to ride, this time selecting the small Honda SCL500 we still had on loan. The perfect bike for negotiating small town traffic, the little scrambler is also ideal for detours on the way home. Riding back out of town, I veered southeast away from the suburban sprawl and out into open country still dotted by gently rolling hills covered in horse and cattle pastures. I passed a small neighborhood at one point and noticed what appeared to be a father and daughter decorating the front entranceway with lights and wreaths. The little girl turned and waved enthusiastically as I rode by, so I gave her a wave back and a beep on the horn, to which she clapped as I viewed in my left rear mirror. Returning home, Lisa quipped, “That took longer than expected. Have any trouble finding everything?” I replied with a wry grin, “No trouble at all.”

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.