#ChurchOfMo

With Suzuki's recent announcement that it was adding more road-going versions of its new V-Strom 800 to the lineup, we thought it a good time to look back into the MO archives and read up on the OG V-Strom – the one with the 650 V-Twin also used in the SV650. So, in this Church feature, we look back at Sean Alexander's ride aboard a first-generation V-Strom 650. Sean being Sean, it even comes with an obligatory wheelie shot, too.

With Kawasaki's recent announcement that it is releasing electric motorcycles for the European and US markets in 2024 (along with a hybrid, but that's another story), we thought we'd take a look back at the last time Kawi shook up the little bike market – arguably a class it helped shape. Back in the day, the Ninja 250 was the beginner bike to have. Mostly because it was the only option available unless you wanted a cruiser. After a decades-long run, Kawi finally upgraded it for 2013 by making it bigger... by a whopping 50cc. And thus, the Ninja 300 was born. Now comes the time that I date myself, because I was there at the introduction of the bike and now I bring to you my own words from ten years ago. Sheesh.

Normally our Church features are about bikes from the past. But today we're making an exception to the rule to bring you the first post Evans Brasfield contributed to MO. To keep his spirit alive, today we're looking back at a timeless topic of motorcycling, written in a way that only Evans can deliver. The information is as relevant now as it ever was, too.

It's ugly and it's weird, but holy moly is it dependable and extremely practical. We're talking of course of the Honda NT700V. Back in 2010, Honda decided to bring this oddball commuter motorcycle to the US after sales of the bike in Europe were very strong. Unsurprisingly, it didn't see the same fate here. It goes without saying that use cases in Europe are very different than they are here, but we're sure for those people who bought one with the intent of getting to and from the office – with maybe the occasional weekend tour thrown in – the bike was a fantastic companion. Here, former MO staffer, and all-around great guy Alfonse Palaima tells us what the NT700V is like to ride.

In light of our upcoming First Ride review of the 2024 Kawasaki ZX-6R, we thought it would be a good time to revisit one of the first sportbikes to shake up the establishment – the original 2003 ZX-6R, powered by a 636cc engine. At the time, the supersport wars were starting to heat up and each of the Big Four Japanese manufacturers were trying to out-do the other. The 636 turned heads because of the bigger displacement compared to the competition (a standard 599cc version was also made to appease the racing rule-makers).

If a Speed Triple is good, then a Speed Four must be better. Right?

Little did we know in 2006 how the motorcycle industry would come crashing down just a short time later with the global recession. But while the whole world was riding a financial high, it makes for an interesting time to take a look back at the state of Harley-Davidson. Or, at least the models in its lineup at the time. We're taking a particular interest in this story because of our recent Friday Forum Foraging post featuring a nicely-tuned VRSC-F. The V-Rod engine was a big departure for The Motor Company, and is a source of constant "what if" questions about what could have been.

In 1999, Yamaha blasted the liter-class sportbike doors wide open with the YZF-R1. It made quick work of all the competitors around it and launched the epic sportbike wars that would continue for the next decade or so. The first challenger to Yamaha's throne? Another mighty motorcycle – the 2001 Suzuki GSX-R1000. By no means is the Gixxer slow, but as we look back at this review from the track intro at Road Atlanta more than 20 years ago, it's amazing that today's 1000cc sportbikes are making 50 more horses from the same displacement. But it's also these early bikes that remind us how lucky we are today to have rider aids like traction control, wheelie control, and slide control to save us from ourselves.

The year is 2001 and the off-road world is in a strange period. Four-strokes were starting to stake a foothold in the dirt scene, even in motocross, and as such, the manufacturers were trying to figure out how much to expand their product offerings. For riders who didn't care much for the jumps and whoops of the moto track and like to play more off-road, it was a hassle to adapt a motocross bike for the occasion. Hence, Yamaha jumped in with the 2001 WR426F. Here, we share our review from 22 years ago.

If you came up in motorcycles anywhere from the late 1980s until the 2000s, then you've probably got a memory of the Kawasaki Ninja 250. The Little Engine that Could, this little 250 sportbike likely started the riding careers of many of you reading this, and even if it didn't, you probably at least have a story about one. For this Church feature we take you back to the year 2000, a time when some thought the world was going to end and computers wouldn't know how to handle the millennium change. Luckily those things didn't happen, but even if they did, the little Ninja 250 would have kept on trucking. It was starting to feel dated even back then, but that didn't stop our test team from showing it praise as a kind little bike for newbs to learn the ropes on. Enjoy this look back in time.

Normally, Church of MO features are all about motorcycle reviews we've done from a time long, long ago. It's fun to take a trip back in time to see what we thought about yesteryear's motorcycles back when they were new. Today's Church feature is a little different. Today's motorcycles are basically sophisticated computers on two wheels. Making them go faster or perform better is less the result of turning a wrench, and more a product of pushing a button on a laptop. But tuning via computers instead of wrenches isn't a new concept. As proof, we take you back to the year 2000 and this ECU module to improve the performance of... a Harley-Davidson Dyna. Although the Dyna was carbureted, playing with spark and altering when the air/fuel ratio goes pop compared to what the factory says is still a staple of tuning today.

Last week, we posted about how Kawasaki is set to reveal 16 new models on June 6, including a revamped ZX-6R (and probably a ZX-6RR). That's good news for the ailing middleweight sportbike contingent and a sign that 600s aren't dead – at least not yet. So, to appreciate where the ZX-6R is going, we thought it would be appropriate to take a look back to 1998, and our review of the ZX-6R, to see where the bike has been.

It seems like, if you've been riding long enough, you'll have a Honda Shadow story. These seemingly innocuous cruisers are a good gateway into the world of cruisers if you want to dip your toes but can't get your hands on American iron. But what were these bikes like new? Leave it to Billy Bartels to tell you...back from 1997.

Kawasaki's ZX-7R is a perfect example of motorcycle engineering refinement. In 1993 Kawasaki designed the new generation ZX-7R that has, to this day, remained virtually unchanged. For 1997 Kawasaki continued to refine rather than redesign. It's hard to argue against this approach as it is obviously working on the racetrack. Doug Chandler's performance on the Muzzy Superbike is proof enough that this machine is extremely competent.

For those of you who poke fun at Harley-Davidson for not moving forward at the pace of modernity or technology, today's Church of MO will either solidify your beliefs or make you think twice about The Motor Company. Here we have Billy Bartel's review of the 1997 Harley-Davidson Dyna Low Rider.