#ChurchOfMo

In the pantheon of American motorcycle badasses, sitting high amongst the crowd are Steve McQueen and Evel Knievel. In 2006, our very own Gabe Ets-Hokin and Pete Brissette set out to pay homage to the two legends, riding the marques that McQueen and Knievel are most associated with. So for this week’s Church feature we revisit the McQueen vs. Knievel Road Test, pitting the Triumph Scrambler against the Harley-Davidson Sportster. The test location was special as well: San Francisco, a city both men have a connection to, as the story goes on to explain. Read on to see the antics Gabe and Pete got themselves into in their quest to emulate two of America’s motorcycling icons.

“The e-bike continues to evolve.” That was the subhead used by former MO staffer, Jeff Cobb, when describing the 2010 Zero S and DS. Having just ridden the 2015 Zero model line, and claiming the electric motorcycle has finally arrived, for this week’s Church feature we revisit Cobb’s review of the then-new 2010 Zero S and DS. A lot has changed in the moto landscape since 2010, and Zero’s transformation in the last five years has been extensive. In 2010, range and power were major issues (not to mention the odd styling). Compare that to today and each measure of the bike’s performance has increased several times over. Continue that trend into the next five to 10 years, and the future of electric propulsion is destined to make major leaps and bounds. For now, however, let’s look back at 2010, and the Ford Model T of Zeros – the S and DS. Also, be sure to check out the three-page photo gallery for more pictures.

Our man Yossef is at it again. This time, he’s testing the not-sent-to-America Honda CBF1000 of 2007 vintage. In Europe, anyway, middleweight naked bikes were experiencing success. Bikes like the Yamaha FZ-6, Suzuki GSR600, and even Honda’s own Hornet were popular items. So, it seemed like a liter-class version of the same models were a natural progression in popularity. Especially since, in the case of the CBF1000, its CBR1000RR-based engine was plentiful. As competent as the CBF1000 was, as Yossef explains, it doesn’t quite strike a chord the same way Yamaha’s FZ1 – or even Kawasaki’s Z1000 – was able to do. Maybe that’s why the bike never came to this side of the pond. Read on to see Yossef’s full breakdown of  the 2007 Honda CBF1000.

Whenever former staffer, and now MO contributor and guest columnist, Gabe Ets-Hokin, talks about bromances, as he did in his recent Skidmarks column, further investigation is needed. In his column, Gabe talks about his first time meeting Lee Parks, forming an instant bond with the riding skills master. Buried in that column is a link to this magical experience Gabe had riding motorcycles in Lee’s front yard, then shooting guns in the back. This story from 2005 was too good to let rest in a hyperlink in a column, so for this week’s Church feature we’re re-publishing it in all its glory. 

In his 2006 review of the BMW K1200R, former MO staffer and current MO contributor, Gabe Ets-Hokin called the Bavarian muscle bike a “Gorilla In A Tuxedo.” It’s an appropriate term, as the 1157cc inline-Four packs an approximately 140 hp and 80 lb-ft punch. Essentially a naked version of the K1200S, the lack of any substantial bodywork exposes the K bike’s funky styling and gives a better view of the Duolever front suspension. But as Gabe points out, the big takeaway from the K1200R is its refined approach to going blisteringly fast. Here’s Gabe to give you his complete take on the K1200R from eight years ago. Also, be sure to check out the photo gallery for three pages full of K1200R pictures.

For this holiday edition of our weekly Church feature, we turn to 2006, and a motorcycle many surely wanted Santa to bring them: the Ducati Monster S4Rs. By this point, Ducati had figured out that plucking the engine from their full-fledged superbikes and stuffing them into the Monster chassis was a recipe for success, and the S4Rs was no different. Though the 999 may not have been the 916 successor Ducati were hoping for, its engine was nonetheless a wickedly exciting thing, and its use in Monster trim would be no less thrilling. How thrilling? Once again, here’s Yossef Schvetz to tell you. And once you’re done reading the story, be sure to check out the photo gallery for more images.  

With MO’s own Sean Alexander fresh off a plane from Sicily after riding the latest Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS/LT, the time was only right to revisit the original Kawasaki Versys. To do it, this Church feature goes back to 2007, and contributor Barry Winfield’s account from his brief time with the 2008  Versys 650. In many ways old and new are virtually identical. However, with the 2015 updates, that 2008 model almost seems obsolete by comparison. Here now is Winfield to give you the lowdown on Kawasaki’s 2008 Versys. Also, don’t forget to visit the robust four-page photo gallery for a heap more pictures.

This week, we once again visit with Yossef Schvetz. His adventures this time involve him on Moto Guzzi’s new 1100 Breva almost a decade ago. A former Guzzi owner himself, Schvetz shows some restraint when presented with the Big Breva, but turns out to be pleasantly surprised after learning more about it and spending some time in the saddle. So without further ado, here’s Yossef to tell you all about the 2005 Moto Guzzi Breva 1100. Also, don’t forget to visit the 3-page photo gallery for heaps more pictures.

For a motorcycle built to suit the needs of American riders, it’s a shame the Kawasaki Z 750S, the topic of this week’s Church of MO, failed to resonate with American consumers. By all objective measures it was competent machine for someone looking for the modern day Universal Japanese Motorcycle. Maybe it was lost in the shadows of its bigger sibling, the Z1000. Here, we travel back to 2005, and the Z 750S press introduction. Our very own Gabe Ets-Hokin got to burn some miles with the naked bike, where he had this to say. Also, don’t forget to check out the three-page Z 750S photo gallery for more pictures.

For this week’s Church feature, we check back in with our pal Yossef Schvetz. The year is 2005 and his travels find him somewhere in Italy, pondering the ideal motorcycle for this particular adventure. A 450 Supermoto would be an ideal mount for the twisty pass he’s occupying, but the drone to get to this magical area would be torture. The remedy, he reckons, is Ducati’s Monster S2R. An interesting choice considering there are faster, more brutish Monsters in Ducati’s lineup. Well, Yossef has a reason behind his particular mount. Let’s have him take it from here. For more pictures, be sure to check out the original story’s photo gallery.

If there’s one thing you can count on in the world of motorcycledom, it’s that MV Agustas will always be beautiful. Case in point: the Brutale. In this case, the 750cc inline-Four Brutale S, designed by none other than the great Massimo Tamburini. In this week’s Church of MO feature we go back to 2004, and Sean Alexander’s impressions of the stunningly beautiful 750 Brutale. Sean was still at his fighting weight back then, AMA racing and all, which makes his thoughts about the MV all the more interesting. Does beauty translate into a winning street and track naked? Read on to find out. Also, be sure to check out the five-page photo gallery for a lot more pictures.

The 2015 model year is seemingly about the resurgence of the liter class superbike. However, another area gaining momentum for the new year is the adventure (and psuedo-adventure) market, with KTM, Ducati, Kawasaki, Yamaha and BMW but a few of the OEMs throwing their hats in the ring. One of the OG players in the game is Suzuki, with its V-Strom 650, and in this week’s Church feature we’ll take a look at this very bike, from the eyes of then-MO-Chief-turned-MO-Editorial-Director Sean Alexander. What’s amazing is that the V-Strom is still around today. It’s been updated in many ways, but that fantastic V-Twin engine from the SV650 lives on! Read on to see Sean’s thoughts about what is now a hugely popular go anywhere, do anything motorcycle. Also, be sure to check out the photo gallery for a plethora of pictures of Sean, uh, shall we say, thoroughly enjoying his time on the V-Strom.

Admittedly, when I saw the title to this story, originally penned by relatively recent MO re-hire, John Burns, while digging through the archives, I was confused. The modus operandi has usually been to list the make, model and year of the bike. Intrigued, I clicked on “ Kawasaki Slips Into Something More Comfortable…” only to find ol Johnny Boy wonderfully rambling on about giving up his trusty ZRX1200 for a then-new Z1000. The year was 2003. I hadn’t yet made my way into the moto-journo biz yet, but I remember seeing the Z1000 for the first time in my local dealer and being awed by just how different it was to anything else. The 2014 Z1000 is equally as polarizing, so now, 11 years later, let’s take a look back at what Burns thought of that original Zed1k. Also, don’t forget to check out the original story’s full image gallery for more pictures.

In 2003 the streetfighter scene was just starting to pick up, with virtually every manufacturer bringing something to market to appeal to the younger, edgier, crowd. Those who wanted to go fast, but had no interest in the racetrack. Hell, streetfighters appealed to those with hardly a care about abiding by the law. Wheelies, attitude and street cred was where it was at. That’s why the BMW Rockster was such an anomaly. BMW, the company which, at the time, was building its reputation as your father’s motorcycle, saw a chance to hop on the streetfighter bandwagon and repurposed its existing R1150R to appeal to a younger crowd. Did it work? Let’s see what Jason Roberts thinks.

The Ducati Multistrada has been getting a little buzz this week, as Ducati announced the Multi would be the first recipient of its new DVT engine with variable valve timing. The Multi has long been a favorite touring bike amongst the MO staff, so for this week’s Church feature, we travel back to 2003 and the original Multistrada. Remember the air-cooled engine? The upper fairing piece that swiveled when you turned the bars? It was a unique bike (this was also the era of the 999 Superbike, remember?), but we liked its quirks. Here, we get Yossef Schvetz’s take on the Multi. The bike, which, at the time, was difficult to place into any pre-existing category. Also, be sure to check out the photo gallery for more pictures.