Latest motorcycle news, reviews, and editorials

Last November, Yamaha Motor Europe revealed a new Tracer 9 GT+ at EICMA, a new version of its Triple-powered sport tourer equipped with a 7-inch TFT display, adaptive cruise control, and a radar-linked unified braking system.

Yamaha Motor USA, however, remained quiet about it, and we later learned the Tracer 9 GT+ was not coming to the States for 2023. In fact, even the less techy regular Tracer 9 was left out of Yamaha Motor USA’s returning model announcements.

Modern motorcycle batteries have gotten so good that we largely don’t think about them until the sad day that we thumb the button and hear the starter struggle to get our Big Twin to crank through the compression stroke – or even worse, hear the dreaded click-click of a dead battery. Like it or not, batteries are consumable items on a motorcycle, and without proper care, can die on us at the most inconvenient times. So, if you suspect that your battery is getting ready to give up the ghost, we’re here to help you find a new battery to keep you headed down the highway. 

Today, CFMOTO unveiled its latest sporting entry into the U.S. motorcycle market. The CFMOTO 450SS comes equipped from the manufacturer with many features that belie its $5,499 MSRP. Although information is limited, here is what we know so far.

Harley-Davidson and Hero Motocorp announced a partnership back in 2020 for the distribution of existing Harley motorcycles and the development of a new range of models for the Indian market. We haven’t heard much from that arrangement… until now, when a selection of “spy photos” of a Harley-Davidson-branded motorcycle with a 400-ish cc Single landed in the hands of the Indian press.

EVO India published the photos, spinning a yarn about photos arriving on their doorstep in a brown envelope marked “top secret” and an anonymous note. We’ve run enough of them on Motorcycle.com and seen the feedback from readers scoffing at the “spy photo” trope, but these suspiciously well composed photos with a grainy black and white filter photos were clearly sent out from Hero Motocorp.

No matter where you are in the world, it’s practically impossible not to have noticed the yearly trend of dapper looking people riding their motorcycles. What started out as a local event in Sydney, Australia by Mark Hawwa in 2012 to bring people together, wear nice clothes, and raise awareness for men’s health, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride has grown to become one of the world’s largest road riding charity events. Today the DGR’s global reach spans over 800 cities, 90,000 riders, and has raised over $37.5 million for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health.  

For the past 10 years, Triumph Motorcycles has partnered with the DGR to not only provide financial support and resources, but to also help raise the profile of the event to a global audience. The partnership has spawned clothing collections and unique one-off builds, but now, Triumph has announced that, in celebration of its 10-year partnership, it’s launching the Limited Edition Bonneville T120 Black DGR. 

Only 250 of these DGR Bonnies will be made, with number 001 reserved for the highest fundraiser of the 2023 ride. Each of the bikes will come with a certificate of authenticity hand signed by Mark Hawwa and Nick Bloor, each with a unique number and VIN. As for the bike itself, it stands out from a standard T120 with a custom DGR paint scheme featuring two-tone metallic Phantom Black over Crystal White, which draws its inspiration from dress suits – appropriate for the DGR. Accenting the fuel tank and side panels are hand-painted gold pinstriping to mimic the gold accessories you’d wear along with your dapper clothing. Capping it off are the classy brown seat and official DGR branding. 

To get all the details about the Bonneville T120 Black DGR Limited Edition, see the press release below.

Begin press release:

Digging deep into our archives, we bring you this First Ride review of a legendary motorcycle: the 1995 Suzuki GSX-R1100. The GSX-R1100 became super popular in drag racing circles and for good reason – that 1074cc four-banger was made to zip you in a straight line quickly. If it was handling and circuit performance you were looking for, the GSX-R750 was the bike to choose. The 1100 was the sport tourer of the time even if it wasn’t supposed to be. At least we’d consider it one now thanks to its smooth, powerful engine, clip-ons above the triple, and comfortable seating position.

Let’s also take a step back and shed a tear for inflation. When it was new, you could walk out with one of these GSX-R1100s for $10,000 and have some cash left in your wallet. In 2023, a motorcycle with relatively similar performance would cost you twice as much! But instead of dwelling on the current, we’ll let you enjoy the past. Happy reminiscing.

BMW is preparing to add a new model to its 1,802cc boxer family, receiving type approval in Switzerland for a new variant called the R 18 Roctane.

The type approval data for the Roctane shows much in common with the existing R 18 models, but with some notable differences. For one, the R 18 Roctane has an internal model code of “0N61,” while the model codes for the R 18, R 18 Classic, R 18 B, and R 18 Transcontinental all have model codes beginning with “0L.” This suggests the Roctane differs from the other models in a fairly significant way, either with a chassis update or a different form factor. The variant’s name appears to be a combination of the “R” branding and “octane,” so a more performance-focused model may be in store.

Well, here’s something a little different, and it comes to us from our sister site psychobike.com. If you’ve ever wanted to give proper drag racing a try, this rolling chassis of a Hayabusa drag bike could be the perfect starter package. If you don’t know what a rolling chassis is, well, it can mean many things. At its most basic, a rolling chassis is just that – a chassis/frame and the required pieces to fit wheels on it so it can roll and move around. What we have here appears to be a complete motorcycle, minus an engine.

I don’t know much about drag bikes, but I do know a thing or two about building a bike into something to serve a specific purpose (track riding in my case): Unless you really love turning your own wrenches, and the associated costs of doing so, it’s easier and more economical to pick up someone else’s project that has most of the work already done. That seems to be the case here.

According to the seller, this rolling chassis has never been raced, will weigh well under 400lbs when ready to rock, and can get you into the mid-eight-second territory with a stock Hayabusa engine. It’s already setup to accept said Hayabusa engine, so if you have a modified one laying around, here’s the perfect home for it. Billet motor mounts, Brembo brakes, controls, wheels, tires, and bodywork are included. All this for $3800. Sounds pretty fun to us. Here’s the full listing:

Drag bike Chassis $3800
70” drag bike chassis, Chrome Moly Steel, super lightweight and super strong. NEVER RACED. Setup for a Hayabusa engine. Will run low to mid 8’s with a stock engine. Race ready will weight 340-360lbs.The motor unbolts and drops straight down (20m to remove) for easy access/maintenance.
10×26-15 rear tire on a 10” wheel.
Includes all of the following:
Powered coated chassis, billet motor mounts, front and rear Brembo brakes, master cylinders, throttle, power/start controls, front and rear wheels and tires. Fitted body. Standard front end and clip on bars. Correct offset front sprocket. Rear sprocket. Add your Busa engine and race..

See the full post at psychobike.com.

Writing about Ducati’s 2023 Streetfighter V4S is nice and all, but while at the Andalucia racetrack riding the bike, I also attached a GoPro to my helmet and spun some laps. This happened for a few reasons: first was so you, the viewer, could hear the amazing roar of an 1103cc V4 at 13,000-plus rpm. Next was to get an idea of the different challenges the Andalucia track poses. The camera doesn’t quite do it justice, and I never did figure all of them out, but the experience reaffirmed just how remarkable the 2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4S really is.

2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4S Review – First Ride

Crashing sucks, but getting hurt because you weren’t wearing the right gear stings just a little bit more. You all know to wear your helmets, jackets, pants, gloves, and boots – but what are you wearing under all that? If you’re not wearing at least a back protector then you’re missing out on a relatively inexpensive piece of kit that can make a big difference. Add in a chest protector, and you have two components that can further absorb some of the impact energy of hitting the ground before your body does. 

If you aren’t familiar, back and chest protectors are basically plastic exoskeletons with multi-density, impact-absorbing padding. Back protectors look similar to an armadillo’s shell, with numerous layers that articulate with the movement of your back, but also are difficult to hyperextend or bend backward. Chest protectors are basically trapezoidal pads that rest between your jacket and chest.    

Here, we’ve compiled a list of back and chest protectors you might want to consider before your next ride. While these products are highly rated, they are just a sample of what’s out there. Before we begin, it’s worth mentioning that, if you have the means, we recommend wearing an airbag vest instead of a back and chest protector. The level of protection from an airbag is far superior. We made an airbag buyer’s guide to show you what options are currently on the market if you’re interested. Can’t pop for an airbag right now? No problem. Here’s the next best thing.

While in Spain on the 2024 Triumph Street Triple R/RS intro, I crashed during the street portion of the ride. As much as I’d like to let this mishap go down the memory hole, it gave me the opportunity to abrasion and impact test some gear. Let’s set the stage, shall we: By making a series of small mistakes in an S-bend that combined to tuck the front end and put me on the ground at about 60 mph, I landed on my left knee and hip, followed by my torso and the underside of the left arm – all fairly typical of this type of crash. In those few seconds of sliding, the Alpinestars Caliber Jacket did its job of protecting my hide by sacrificing its hide. I won’t get into the specifics of the Alpinestars Caliber Jacket’s construction in this review. You can read about it here. What I want to focus on is how it performed in the crash, how much damage it sustained, the repair process, and why I decided to have it repaired.

MO Tested: Alpinestars Caliber Jacket Review

Crash Tested: Alpinestars Copper 2 Denim Pants Review

Polaris has launched a new online marketplace for buying and selling Indian motorcycles and other Polaris products. The Polaris Xchange portal allows customers to do all of their shopping online, with access to thousands of powersports vehicles across a network of participating dealerships. The Xchange also includes products from across the company’s powersports portfolio, including Indian, plus Polaris’ ATVs, side-by-sides, snowmobiles, and Slingshot auto-cycles.

The marketplace reflects evolving shopping habits that sees consumers do more and more of their research online. Through the Polaris Xchange, customers can search for a vehicle, pull up history and condition reports on pre-owned models, shop for accessories, determine trade-in value, and prequalify for a loan, all online without having to set foot in a dealership. All that needs to be done in person is signing the paperwork. Customers can then arrange for the vehicles to be picked up at the dealership, or have it delivered (though the delivery option is dependent on local laws and dealer participation).

“We are constantly infusing new ways of thinking and using our knowledge of the powersports customer to help advance our industry, introduce new people to powersports and enhance the experience for our owners and riders, and Polaris Xchange is another example of that industry leadership,” said Vic Koelsch, senior vice president, chief digital and information officer at Polaris. “Polaris Xchange simplifies the shopping process for customers, allowing them to do most of the process online before visiting their local dealership to sign the paperwork.”

The Polaris Xchange is a response to Harley-Davidson’s H-D1 Marketplace, but it takes the idea a few steps further. Launched in 2021, H-D1 is Harley-Davidson’s portal for shopping for pre-owned motorcycles, offering a wide selection of listings by accessing the inventories of hundreds of participating dealerships across the U.S.

Because supermoto stories are always a lot of fun, this week we bring you our pal Gabe’s story on taking his 2006 KTM 950 Supermoto out for a spin in the California Bay Area. If you know Gabe, then you’re familiar with his excellent storytelling. If you don’t, well let this piece introduce you to the wonderful mind of one of MO’s alumni. Of course, a great story deserves a great subject, and the 950 Supermoto was all about hooliganism before that was really even a thing. We’ll let Gabe take it from here.

The first step in getting more performance out of an engine is to let it breathe easier, and if there’s one thing Harley-Davidson owners like, it’s the distinctive sound of their V-Twin rumbling beneath them. Achieving that sound and performance requires replacing a combination of parts, mainly the stock air cleaner and exhaust.

Here, we’re going to focus on the first part of that equation: a Stage 1 air cleaner (also known as an air intake). A Stage 1 air cleaner typically is best for an otherwise stock Harley with no internal modifications done to the engine. Once you start modifying your engine in search of maximum power, then moving to higher stage components might be in order – but that’s beyond the scope of this list.

Below, we’ve listed some top air cleaners for Harley-Davidsons. Since there are so many types of Harley engines spanning back through the years, it’s best to take advantage of the model finder in the links below to see if there is something applicable for your bike. The selection below is far from exhaustive, as there are tons of models that aren’t on this list. This is more of a representation of what’s available on the market. From round elements to conical, there are a plethora of different designs to suit nearly everyone’s tastes.

You’ve read the review (maybe), now watch the video! Skirting through beautiful twisty bits of tarmac intertwined with rocky fire roads, the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE’s excellent new Parallel Twin engine is a peach. On road, the Twin powers out of corners with all of the punch expected of a 776cc 270-degree crank-driven Twin. Suzuki tells us the new engine puts out 84 hp at 8,500 rpm and 57.5 lb-ft of torque at 6,800 rpm. Off-road, the new power plant puts traction to the ground smoothly via the RbW throttle and is easy enough to modulate that traction control can easily be flicked off and forgotten about. The engine is the star of the show, but the V-Strom 800DE is an excellent sum of its parts and is the most off-road focused ‘Strom yet – this excites us (me).

2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE Review – First Ride

It’s posts like these that helped spawn the idea for these Friday Forum Foraging posts in the first place. This particular one comes from one of our sister sites, NinjaH2.org. We don’t know the seller, nor do we know the life circumstance that has caused them to sell this basically new 2022 Kawasaki H2 Carbon with only four miles on it, but this is definitely out of the ordinary. And that’s what we like around here.

For those who don’t know, the Kawasaki H2 Carbon is basically Kawasaki’s road-legal land missile. Built to go fast in a straight line, the aggressive and streamlined looks are only topped by the 1000cc four-banger strapped with a supercharger. The H2 and its variants are completely wild, and that supercharged engine is one of the coolest powerplants ever to grace a production motorcycle. If the urge to own one speaks to you, and you’re anywhere near Orlando with 35-large in your pocket, maybe give this person a call. His (or her) full listing is below, but follow the link at the bottom for two more pictures and contact information.

2022 H2 Carbon, has 4 miles on it. I purchased it and garaged it at my parents house and flew back to NY for work. I’ve never rode it. it’s basically brand new. I had it transported from the dealer to my mom’s garage. 2 keys included 1 open the other still in blue wrapping Extended warranty included. $35,500

See the post at NinjaH2.org.