Portland to Dakar: a riding movie
First there was motorcycle drifting vs car drifting and it was good. Then Nick and Ernie raced a cop car up a mountain in Oregon and it was better. Now, Ernie Vigil sets out on an epic journey aboard a … Continued
Mad Men and Motorcycling
Oh how bubbles burst. We North Americans are used to the popping sound that accompanies the sudden destruction of a previously cherished truth. We understand the consequences of calling bullshit when we see it, like Bostonians did in 1776 when … Continued
An adventure in farkleization
This is the new Triumph Tiger Explorer XC. That’s the big, 1,215cc ADV bike, not the surprisingly capable 800cc version. Where the Triumph Tiger 800 XC gains longer travel, taller, higher-quality suspension, a 21-inch front wheel and other genuine mechanical … Continued
Nortongate
The online rumors and claims started around two years ago: all was apparently not well with Stuart Garner’s newly re-incarnated Norton…. Sections of the motorcycle media and consumer organizations were approached by unhappy customers, detailing their grievances. A UK bike … Continued
Brammo Empulse: the electric motorcycle has finally arrived
Electric motorcycles: slow, boring, short ranges, expensive. When I flew up to Oregon last week to ride the Brammo Empulse I expected a good bike. A practical commuter, an efficient appliance, maybe something a little bit fun. But, what I … Continued
Honda NC700X: the Swiss Army Knife of bikes?
Not sure if you know this about me yet, but I’m a knife nerd. Blame a youth misspent causing trouble in the outdoors. So, when they called this new Honda NC700X adventure-style, automatic-transmission equipped, half-a-car-engine thing “the Swiss Army Knife … Continued
The Laguna Seca Pilgrimage: 2012
“We’re gonna ride up to Laguna on Friday,” I shouted out of my helmet. Some guy named Sean that I’d met once and his girlfriend Tammy had run out of gas on their MV Agusta and I’d stopped to see … Continued