Features

This weekend, MotoAmerica’s King of the Bagger series is getting a big boost on the international stage as a supporting class to the MotoGP round at Circuit of the Americas. Bagger racing has been around for a few years now, but this was the first time it took place at the same track and weekend as MotoGP.

In January 2020 Norton Motorcycles, then owned and run by UK entrepreneur Stuart Garner, collapsed into bankruptcy, and on April 17 that same year was acquired from the liquidator for a cash payment of £16 million by India’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer, TVS Motor Company. Currently manufacturing more than three million powered two-wheelers annually at its Hosur factory outside Bengaluru, TVS has also been associated with German giant, BMW Motorrad since April 2013.

A major racing news bombshell dropped on, of all days, April 1, as Liberty Media, the owner of Formula 1, announced it was acquiring Dorna Sports, and both MotoGP and World Superbike racing. Of course, it was no joke, especially not when a $3.8 billion dollar transaction is involved. While it’s too early to know how this development will change things, we’ve already seen concerns raised about how much it will cost to watch these racing series, either on television, streamed, or in person.

After releasing the limited edition LXP Orioli at EICMA, MV Agusta officially announced the regular production model today, under the name Enduro Veloce. While we’re always glad to see another adventure bike on the market, we, like many others, weren’t sure we’d ever see the Enduro Veloce actually go into production.

Can you feel it? The sun on your shoulders, the warm breeze, and the longer days? The time we have been waiting for months is now here. It's time to fill the tanks, start the engines, and let the good times roll. Spring is here, and it's time to ride and explore Ontario’s awesome motorcycle roads!

I’ve heard plenty about the weekend ADV-immersion trainings that have an incredible way to kickstart the adventure bike journey that so many are seeking. There is absolutely something special about the type of people that give in to that urge to spend the whole day charging up and down the trails on heavy adventure bikes, and something even more particular about the folks that turn around and make it their mission to share that same passion and joy on the trail with others. Austin Moto Adventures is one such place.

[Kyra, KS] My Hard Enduro journey started with a crash. A big one. I didn’t break or tear anything, but I’ve done what is (so far) lasting damage to my sternum or diaphragm or somewhere in the chest cavity. An injury which still seems a mystery to my physician. That fateful moment, sprawled out in the middle of a dirt road in Baja, set off a chain of events which led me to become the rider I am today: a mediocre, albeit eager… kook. But a kook with better posture, focus, and sight, as well as significantly greater confidence. Time will tell if the latter is growing faster than my skills. Nonetheless, I’m still learning. However, my technique is tenfold what it was during my pivotal collision with the ground. And with every training session, each clinic, and all those drills take me yet another tire rotation to my goal. Towards the finish line at Romaniacs (*cough* 2025).

Yesterday, Triumph announced the 2024 Rocket 3 Storm GT and R, the latest iteration of its plus-sized cruiser. Triumph says they are more powerful than the previous Rocket 3 models, claiming 180 hp at 7,000 rpm and a whopping 166 lb-ft. at 4,000 rpm.

Throwing the 390 Adventure into some dirt at the bottom of a hill wasn’t ideal, but as I was nearly at a complete stop, it wasn’t the dramatic dismount I had pictured when worrying about the training I was in the midst of. My friend Hailey was cruising down the trail after me and coasted to a stop as I hit the kill switch and turned to look at the bike, splayed across the silty clay colored dirt like a bright orange toy. Another rider stopped just ahead of us, throwing his kickstand down and yelling ‘I’ll get it” over the sound of other passing bikes. “Don’t help me!” I yelled back. This was the first time the bike had been on its side and I was eager to see how it felt to pick up 387 pounds of small adventure bike. Grasping the handlebar closest to the ground and the grab bar at the back of the seat, I was surprised when the bike lifted clear of the dirt on the first try, and with a pause and some extra effort, it was vertical again a few seconds later. Maybe she’s born with it... maybe it was the adrenaline. I didn’t get a chance to test the theory again during the full day ADV Class I was participating in, though if that was due to skill or caution, we’ll never know.

Last month, we asked for our Question of the Day whether people expect anti-lock brakes to come standard on all streetbikes, or perhaps offered as an option. There were some good responses to that, both for and against ABS, but it brought a related question to mind: what should be offered as standard equipment that currently isn’t standard on all motorcycles?

Here at MO, we always do our best to bring our readers information about all the latest new motorcycles. Of course, not every motorcycle gets updated every year, and all manufacturers bring back several models from the prior year, often with a fresh paint scheme or a slight price adjustment. These so-called carry-over models don’t get the same attention as the newest and latest, but they’re an important part of the motorcycle industry.

It’s Feb. 28, 2024, which means today is the fourth anniversary of Jochen Zeitz being appointed acting (initially) president and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson, replacing Matthew Levatich.

If you’ve had a pulse the last five years or so, you’ve noticed the urge to take two wheels into the dirt has swept through the motorcycle community like a rogue wave. Riders across age ranges, experience levels and even financial demographics have turned to off-road, not instead of, but in addition to any and all riding they were previously doing. So it’s no surprise to see small-sized ADV bikes plodding along behind the surge like the sure-footed mules that they are. Standing out in the crowd is a gem that Yours Truly is about to get to know extremely well.

Imagine just five years ago, if I showed you a picture of a red Grand Prix motorcycle and a red motocross bike, and told you one was a Ducati and the other was a GasGas, you probably wouldn’t even bat an eye. But if I told you the MotoGP bike was the GasGas, and the Ducati was the dirt bike, you probably would have thought I was nuts.

Almost every major motorcycle manufacturer offers some sort of special or limited edition model, something with a little extra pizzazz beyond the run-of-the-mill production model. Whether it’s an anniversary paint job, or dressed up in items from the accessory catalog, special edition models give us something a little, well, “special”.

“People that still use ABS.”

That was one of many replies left in a previous Question of the Day about motorcyclist pet peeves, but somehow it stuck in my head a lot longer than the others (and yes, we do read them all).

What’s the worst motorcycle color?

Last week, American Honda announced a number of models returning for 2024 with no notable changes, save for new color options and some price adjustments. Of course, what caught our eye was the confirmation that the previous-generation CBR600RR was returning to the U.S. for 2024, despite the fact most other major markets are getting a new-and-improved version.

Ducati found it fitting to have the global press launch of its latest up-spec adventure bike in the north African country of Morocco – an amazing place to ride motorcycles, based on my previous experience. While riding impressions are embargoed for at least a few days, I wanted to take our readers along on a sort of “behind the scenes” journey to get a taste of the sights and adventures experienced abroad.

In the aftermath of Evans' passing, his family has had to make a lot of hard decisions. One of which was deciding what to do with Evans' beloved motorcycles – his KTM 790 Duke and Kawasaki KLX300. And when I say beloved, I mean it. Evans had reached a renaissance in his riding career. With his children older and more independent, he was able to rediscover his love for motorcycling. The 790 Duke gave him a lot of joy, and upgrading it to meet his definition of a 790 Duke R was a source of pride for him.

Have you ever wanted a time machine? Well, this might be the closest we're going to get. Up for grabs is a 1930 Indian Four that comes to us from Bring A Trailer and was kept in storage for seemingly ever. It even carries that all-important patina to show for it – hence the caption at the top, which was taken from one of the comments on the BAT listing. The current owner acquired it in 2020 and had it put back into running order with a working carburetor and magneto. Other than those two items and a fresh set of tires, this Indian Four wears the marks of having been on this earth for 94 years – and counting!

I've said it before and I'll say it again – I can't wait for Yamaha to release an R9. It makes sense to fill the gap between the R7 and the R1 with an R9, and since Yamaha already fills that gap in its MT naked bike lineup, it only seems inevitable that a fully-faired Yamaha Triple will arrive. Of course, this love and yearning for an R9 all stems from what is now the MT-09. But back when it was introduced, it was called the FZ-09. Silly naming confusion aside, the FZ/MT-09 has been a hit from the start, and what we have here is a clean example of a first-gen FZ-09 from our sister site fz09.org that has clearly been cared for. The best part? The seller is asking a very modest price for it – $4,999. The second best part? They've already done a lot of the basic upgrades that the bike should have in the first place. As always, the listing is posted below. If you're interested, go on over to fz09.org and contact the seller there.

For the first Friday Forum Foraging feature of 2024, we have a motorcycle that needs no introduction. Honda's RC51 will go down in history as the bike that beat Ducati at its own game. Honda took advantage of the Superbike rules of the early 2000s that allowed V-Twin engines a 1000cc displacement while the four cylinders were capped at 750cc. In the hands of Colin Edwards, it would go on to win two World Superbike titles – both in thrilling fashion.

Do you want a 2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX for just $12,500? Really, it can be yours for a steal. Few bikes out there today provide the kind of thrill that the supercharged H2 series from Kawasaki can. So, why's it so cheap, you ask? Well, therein lies the rub. This particular bike, which comes to us from our sister site Ninjah2.org, has a blown engine. Specifically, the number 2 cylinder dropped a valve. The seller doesn't say how it dropped the valve, but the pictures and the seller's listing provide us with a glimpse into the bike's short 6200-mile life.

When we attended the Annual AHRMA Racing Barber Vintage Festival for the first time in 2019 with all-electric Lightfighter v1, we had almost no expectations, especially when we entered the Pro Cup Race on a whim. After the high of the Laguna Seca race round this season though, “the return” crept into our collective sub-conscience, albeit along with loftier expectations.  Taking not one, but two v2 bikes to the hallowed ground of Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama in October would be the ultimate test to see just how far we’ve come in three seasons of development. And after a successful race weekend at Laguna, we were also anxious to see how well our setup translated to a very different track layout and surface. 

You might be used to seeing Harleys decked out in chrome, but this 40-year-old Honda might have them beat. Feast your eyes on this 1984 Honda VT700C that's up for sale in Salem, Ohio, coming to us from our sister site Hondashadow.net. Admittedly, I don't know much about these bikes so I'm going to go off the seller's listing. Originally a black bike, the chrome tank, side panels, and fender were a factory option – and a rare one at that. Not seen are the gold decals that are also part of the package but are not installed. Those, along with the original black tank, are included in the sale.

In this second segment of Alan Cathcart's interview with Markus Schramm, the retiring BMW Motorrad chief executive officer discusses the company's approach to electric mobility, and why hydrogen power may not be the answer for motorcycles and scooters.

The year 2023 has seen BMW Motorrad celebrating its Centenary as a motorcycle manufacturer, while also for the first time in the company’s history breaking through the 200K barrier in terms of annual production entering its anniversary year. In 2022, BMW saw 202,895 motorcycles and scooters sold – an increase of 4.4% compared to 2021. Germany remained the company’s largest single market, with 24,129 motorcycles and scooters sold there, while France also registered record sales with 21,223 vehicles delivered, 6.7% up on 2022. North America was the German company’s third largest market, with an 11% increase to 20,295 units sold, helped again by a record number of bikes delivered, this time in the USA (17,690 units/+10.4%).

For the right person, salvage-title motorcycles can be a great hack for scoring great deals on a bike you otherwise couldn't afford. The catch is that a salvage title usually means it's been in an accident and has damage the insurance company didn't want to bother fixing.

Have you heard of the Autocycle? If the answer is no, don't be ashamed. It's certainly an oddity, and in this case, only 326 examples were made. What we're looking at exactly is a 1986 Owosso Pulse Autocycle made by the Owosso Motor Car Company of Owosso, Michigan between 1985 and 1990. It's kind of like an enclosed streamliner you'd see making land-speed record attempts, with one wheel in front, another in back, and an outrigger with two more wheels jutting out from either side. But think of the outrigger more like training wheels on a bicycle – only one of those wheels is touching the ground at any time.

Talk about a bike I didn't know I wanted. Well, technically I don't, but I'd sure like the chance to twist the throttle on this. What we're looking at is a 2006 Harley-Davidson VRSC, built by ML Customs, which we found on our sister site, 1130cc.com. It's already unique because it has carbon fiber bodywork, but what makes this one really stand out is the supercharger on the side of the engine. It ads a bit of fiestyness to an engine that wasn't tame in the first place.

I'll be honest. I forgot about Honda's CTX700. Basically the cruiser version of Honda's ultra-commuter NC700X, the CTX700 faded from my memory banks. Maybe because it was underwhelming, maybe because it's about as vanilla as they come, or maybe because it's just plain ugly, the CTX700 failed to leave a lasting impression (the NC700X is a different story. I actually like it. But that's for another time).

Learning to ride a motorcycle, it’s said that to become proficient you should remove as many possible obstacles you can control which could distract you from the task at hand. And while this may seem like obvious advice, what is often overlooked is fitment – being totally comfortable on your bike.

The cool thing about motorcycles is that they can serve as time machines if you find an original, unmolested one. That's what we have here with this 2007 Ducati Monster S2R1000 found on our sister site DucatiMonster.org. Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, this Monster looks to be nicely maintained, and with only 3800 miles on the clock, is basically new other than a fork seal that could use replacing.

These days the Triumph Speed Triple is considered relatively tame compared to the class of big displacement naked bikes, but one could argue the class wouldn't exist if it weren't for the Speed Triple. Originally introduced in 1994, this 1996 version, as found on our sister site TheSpeedTriple.com, is a rolling piece of history. And now it can be yours for $4000. Judging by the pics and the seller's description, it looks to be in fairly good shape for a 27-year-old bike, though the seller states the fork seals and tires are likey due for replacing soon. The full ad is copied below, but as always, if you're interested in the bike, click the link to go to the original listing and contact the seller.

One of the many uses of this space is to highlight odd, strange, or interesting motorcycles that are for sale on the internet – or even to highlight clever for-sale posts of otherwise ordinary motorcycles. Today, I think we've definitely achieved our goals for Friday Forum Foraging. This land speed racer was originally built in New Zealand, where it took multiple top-speed records. It was brought to the US in 2013, where it currently holds a speed record of 188.6 mph. All this from a 1,000cc four-cylinder engine plucked off a 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000 (granted, with a couple of modifications). Not bad, eh?

Personally, I'd rather see this 1982 Honda CX500 Turbo get restored and put back on the road (it's so close), but I'm not blind to the fact there are people out there who covet the CX500 to turn into cafe racers or some other custom. Located in Washington DC, this seller came to the realization that many of us encounter when it comes to restorations (myself included): sometimes life just gets in the way. Now their loss is your gain. And for $3500, you could come away with a mechanically sound cult classic. It's got some scratches and dings, and could use a proper install of the fairing, but that all seems like minor stuff for an otherwise ready-to-ride motorcycle.

Some would say BMW's K1200LT doesn't get the credit it deserves for being an uber touring rig. Probably because a certain Honda Gold Wing keeps stealing all the touring thunder. However, if you're looking to do some serious touring, don't have a lot of money, but do have ambition and just a little bit of knowledge on how to fix stuff, this 2000 K1200LT is calling your name.

Some girls spend their time talking about love and life. Others work together to advance their careers. But these two friends are joining forces to follow a passion. To set some impossible goals and push each other to reach them. Anastasia (Ana for short) plans to go the distance at the Dakar Rally. And Kyra intends to punish herself to no end at Romaniacs. Both have a lot of hurdles standing in their way. And together, they hope to overcome them one-by-one. Ana’s ethos is “no excuses''. While Kyra’s rationale is that “the time is now”.

Apparently a cult classic among enthusiasts (I had no idea), you can help save this 1987 Honda Rebel 450 from the unfathomable fate of... its current owner. Found on our sister site, the Honda Rebel Forum, This person is tempted to chop the bike up and do irreversible harm to it in the name of customization, but he's relying on you to save this otherwise mostly-in-tact Rebel 450 and keep it in its current state. The modest $2000 he's asking would then go towards buying something else. Presumably something he or she won't feel so bad chopping up.

Riding affordable motorcycles, like we did in our $7000 Shootout, showcases just how much motorcycle you can get for not a lot of money. Which is good, because blowing your load on a bike without leaving any margin for gear is a bad idea. With four different riders, we give you four (mostly) different options for gear – including threads for women.

If you want to eat up miles in absolute comfort and travel at highway speeds effortlessly, with tons of power and a six-cylinder purr at your command, this 2019 BMW K1600GT is calling your name. This one comes to us from our sister site K1600forum.com, wherein the seller bought it with intentions of grand touring in mind, but life had other plans for him. This particular K1600GT has some choice upgrades like a Bren tune for added power, a top case, handlebar risers, and crash bars. Just to name a few. It looks like a great touring machine and is priced to sell at $16,000.

If you're like me, then any mention of a Nicky Hayden edition motorcycle automatically triggers thoughts of the Honda RC51 of the early 2000s. The bike that Nicky took to an AMA Superbike championship (back when the competition was extremely stiff), one could say it was also the bike that springboarded him to a career on the international stage.

It is with heavy heart that we must share some tragic news with you today.

Losing a friend is never easy, and recently the MV Agusta community lost one of its own. Motorcycle.com has no affiliation with the rider or his motorcycle, but when we came across this post from our sister site MVAgusta.net, we felt we had to pass it along. For sale is his nicely kept and tastefully modified 2007 F4RR 312. Back when it was introduced in 2007, the F4RR 312 was the ultimate F4. Backed by its 1078cc inline-Four, the RR was capable of going 193 mph – or, you guessed it, 312 kph.