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The Best Racing You’re Not Watching

Fri, 31 Oct 2008

I don’t think I’ll ever understand the American motorcycle racing fan. I recently rambled on how American race fans can’t hold a candle to the throngs of Euro bike race devotees. They may be a little crazy, but they routinely come out by the tens of thousands, and they’re rabid about the sport of roadracing.

Happy What?

Fri, 31 Oct 2008

For those paying attention to the motorcycle industry this year, you may have noticed how many anniversary models have launched. It’s a banner year for getting older. And it’s time again for Motorcycle.com to celebrate its birthday, on Saturday.

Motorcycles Claim More Marine Lives Than Combat in Iraq

Fri, 31 Oct 2008

Motorcycle accidents have allegedly taken more Marine lives in the last 12 months than enemy fire in Iraq, according to a recent report on CNN. Twenty-five Marines have suffered from fatal accidents in motorcycle crashes since November 2007. It was also noted that all but one of them involved sport bikes.

Honda Likes to Dress Up

Fri, 31 Oct 2008

Who doesn’t love Halloween? Well my neighbor down the street who turns off all his lights and flips the sprinklers on for Halloween night doesn’t, but he’s a jerk. Honda was in a Halloween spirit when they came up with this ad campaign consisting of some of their rides “dressed” in ridiculous outfits.

Knievel Glowing with Excitement for Halloween

Thu, 30 Oct 2008

I always thought that more things should glow in the dark and apparently I’m not alone. Stuff that needs to glow: Car keys light switches people who are about to jump me in a dark alley (so I can see them coming) golf balls dog poop so I can avoid stepping in it tv remote the toilet seat low door frames or anything else I can bump my head into. Glo-Tek has decided that maybe motorcycle and bicycle riders should probably glow too and have released a line of products to do just that.

Restoring a 1972 Harley is Scary Enough

Thu, 30 Oct 2008

Evan Cantrell is a 16 year old from Oxnard who will be using his ’72 Harley that he is restoring to make you afraid, very afraid. This year marks the 10th Halloween that the Cantrell family has gone overboard with the festivities. This year will have a haunted hotel porch theme.

7 Motorcycles for Those Who Can’t Stay Balanced

Thu, 30 Oct 2008

I remember my first bicycle. A blue frame with white handlebars and a long white banana seat for comfort. I was riding a Smurf.

XDL Championship

Wed, 29 Oct 2008

The Indianapolis MotoGP was arguably one of the most anticipated motorcycle events of 2008. It just so happened that the XDL had a stop of their tour in Indy at the same time. Coincidence?

How-To: Naked Conversion

Tue, 28 Oct 2008

Are you sick of that fiberglass fairing always blocking the wind and getting in your way? Pour gasoline liberally across desired surfaces, light a match and in no time you’ll have the bike of your dreams! Not only will you get rid of the fairing but also those pesky eyebrows your girlfriend has been bugging you to tweeze.

Harley Bridges Gap

Tue, 28 Oct 2008

Since the V-Rod came to fruition a number of years ago, it has been somewhat of an overlooked and under appreciated stepchild in the Harley Davidson family. Die-hard Harley guys just don’t seem to accept it as one of their kin. And why would they?

Motorcycle.com Weekly Community Round-up

Tue, 28 Oct 2008

The good old forums. The water coolers of the internet. The grapevine.

Ninja Comes Back to Life

Mon, 27 Oct 2008

Kyle Dansie purchased his 1986 Kawasaki Ninja ZX 900 on eBay for $500. At the time, it had roughly 18,000 miles on it with only the tires, frame and suspension in working order. Kyle then managed to convert this motorcycle not only to run without gasoline, but to harness solar power to charge it.

Half Sportbike + Half Sportcar: Suzuki SXForce Concept

Sun, 26 Oct 2008

How does that saying go? “Necessity is the mother of invention.” All the riders who regularly decide between two-wheels or four should get a kick out of the Suzuki SXForce concept. From the outside this peppy car looks like a highly-customized street dream.

Boots, Bikes and a Garbage Truck

Sat, 25 Oct 2008

A motorcycle convoy escorting a garbage truck carrying 140 pairs of boots was due to arrive at a police station in Texas today. I know, that sounds like the set up for a joke or a college prank, but it’s for a very worthy cause. The Reguladores Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club and garbage disposal company Waste Management, Inc.

A Man of LOVE

Fri, 24 Oct 2008

I had a unique opportunity this week to sit down with Oliver Shokouh, the founder of the Love Ride, only days before the 25th anniversary of the purportedly largest one-day rally in the world, kicks-off this coming Sunday, October 26. First and foremost I’m very grateful for Oliver to set aside over half an hour of his precious time so close to the event. Not only does he head-up this massive event, he’s also busy running the very busy and successful Harley-Davidson/Buell of Glendale (California).

Look, Look and Look Again

Fri, 24 Oct 2008

North America is not the only Continent in the world experiencing a dramatic increase in motorcycle registrations; you can add the land down under to the list. This is great news for the industry but it also has a downside, the increase of motorcycle accidents, which are up sharply. “Half of all crashes involving a motorcyclist and a car are caused by the driver failing to see the motorcyclist,” claims Tim Pallas, the Roads and Ports Minister.

Video: Tron 2.0 teaser shows off new Light Cycles

Fri, 24 Oct 2008

Tron, not my favorite movie of all time … but it did have those light cycles and deadly Frisbees. 26 years later these things have been deemed cool again and there’s enough nostalgia out there to warrant a sequel: Tr2n (or Tron 2.0). Jeff Bridges, star of the original Tron in 1982, is set to play “Kevin Flynn” again in this sequel alongside Eomer, son of Eomund.

BMW Standardizes Switches

Thu, 23 Oct 2008

Whenever you throw your leg over a bike that isn’t your own, there is always a few minutes needed to become familiar with the proportions and controls of the foreign machine. Getting a sense of the clutch release point, brake feel, throttle response and riding position may all differ from what you have been accustomed, but they slowly become second nature after enough seat time is logged. One such control that strays from this rule of thumb is the turn signal operation of many BMWs.

Hot Rod Caskets

Thu, 23 Oct 2008

The maker doesn’t want it; the buyer doesn’t use it; and the user doesn’t see it. What is it? A coffin.

“The Retriever” is Swedish for Tow Bike

Wed, 22 Oct 2008

The Honda GL1800 Goldwing may be a versatile vehicle, but a Sweden based company has developed theirs to be something much different; a recovery vehicle. According to their site, the process takes less than 90 seconds with a single operator using the handheld remote control. The bike can allegedly be driven like any other motorcycle when you are not towing a car behind you.

Welcome to The Sidecar – Motorcycle.com Blog!

Mon, 20 Oct 2008

Often times us journalists have heated discussions around the water cooler or thoughts that pass under the helmet that are not fit to print within the context of a feature or news story. Whether it be impressions of a bike that involve four letter words, travel adventures from the road or just funny things we share to entertain each other at the office, we never quite know what to do with them. Well, they can now be found here at our very own blog.

Mmmmm, Toasted

Mon, 20 Oct 2008

While some fortunate souls who live south of the Mason-Dixon line are able to ride their beloved beasts all year long, some are forced to put their hogs into hibernation by mother nature come winter time. Although most motorcyclists have little use for wintry weather, autumn is a truly beautiful time of year to ride. Granted, the days become shorter and the wind colder, but navigating your way through winding roads amid the vibrant colors of changing leaves is enough of a reward within itself.

KTM to Enter Supersport Category

Mon, 20 Oct 2008

As the off-road market continues its tailspin, Austria’s KTM is hedging its bets with a continued surge in its street motorcycle category. Its on-road push began with the liter-size V-Twins in the Adventure, Super Duke, and Supermoto bikes, followed most recently by the RC8 superbike. Now we hear word that the Austrian manufacturer will soon enter the supersport class.

14-Meter Bike Breaks World Record

Mon, 20 Oct 2008

The Beatles, Big Ben and The BBC – the UK has given the world so much over the years. Unbeknownst to many of their population, Britain has now made another contribution to the world – a 14 meter long motorcycle. Colin Furze, the builder, had to ride it 100 meters in order to qualify for the record, which he accomplished handedly.

Canadian Motorcycle Grand Prix?

Mon, 20 Oct 2008

When the FIA decided to drop the Canadian Grand Prix from the 2009 Formula One calendar, came as a surprise to race organizers and left North America without an F1 race. The race draws an estimated $100 million in revenue to the city of Montreal and the loss was great enough that bringing back the race became a campaign promise for a major Canadian political party in the recent federal election. Unfortunately, that party did not win the election and F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone recently closed the door on the possibility of the race returning to Montreal’s Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in 2009.

Do you Discriminate?

Mon, 20 Oct 2008

In my line of work, I am fortunate to ride many fantastic and notably different motorcycles. While some stand out as being superior, they all have something to offer their intended audience. As I could be on any number of models in any given week, I have never really been a die hard for any specific brand.

Suzuki Scooter Concept Turns Heads

Mon, 20 Oct 2008

The popularity of two-wheeled transportation certainly picked up this summer, thanks mostly to the economy. Not everyone who wants one however, has a choice they can live with. Stylistically scoots sold in the states have been rather traditional and staid, that is until now.

Fun finds on ebay

Mon, 20 Oct 2008

This will be the first of what I’m hoping is many posts on fun and weird motorcycle-related finds on everybody’s favorite online retailer – ebay. With Halloween just around the corner, we’ll look at the scarier side of motorcycles. First up is the very scary Dracucycle.

World’s First Double Arm Transplant

Fri, 17 Oct 2008

Many of us have read about the German farmer who lost both arms in an agricultural-related incident and has amazingly been the first recipient of a double arm transplant. Not only is this an incredible medical story, but it also reminds the rest of us to appreciate things we may take for granted. In addition to being able to eat and dress himself, one of his goals is to one day ride a motorcycle.

Used Review: Revit Ride jacket

Wed, 01 Oct 2008

Most jackets nowadays have a good standard spec, with armour and reflective panels, but the Revit Ride jacket is also well fitted and to me looks like it’s been designed with style as well as function in mind. There are some small details I’m fond of like the thin shiny leather strips used to cover the stitching on the arms and the big pockets at front, basically it doesn’t look like a hefty winter jacket but does the same job. For me it has the right balance between thick and chunky and lightweight and comfortable.