#EvansBrasfield

Here at Motorcycle.com, we try to cover the breadth of motorcycling. Every day, we strive to find and deliver the very best that the world of motorcycles has to offer. In the spirit of that endeavor, we look forward to the end of the year as an opportunity to gaze back over the past 12 months to see where we were successful. We’ve found the best way to gauge how well we have achieved our goal is to look at what articles our readers have been clicking on as they visited our site or queried search engines.

Royal Enfield has been on a roll lately. First, the manufacturer has a new engine to broaden its offerings, particularly in the U.S. market where the additional displacement makes for a more viable highway machine. Powered by the new 648 Twin, two new models will hit showrooms in 2018. Both the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 will be introduced in the coming months, and we’re anxious to throw a leg over them and see what this new engine brings to the table. Then there’s the adventure-focused Himalayan, which is based around a new 411cc single-cylinder engine and stands in between the lightweight and middle-weight offerings from other manufacturers.

Hopefully, you’ll never experience the sinking feeling of having your motorcycle suddenly sputter and die while you’re in the left hand lane of a crowded highway traveling at 70 mph. Or maybe it’s that mushy wobble of a rear tire that is quickly going flat. Mechanical problems are never fun, but on the interstate, they can be dangerous if you don’t take the proper steps. So, what’s a rider to do?

Bad habits are a part of being human. We know we shouldn’t do something, but gradually, over time, we might drift toward them. Or maybe we arrive at them through sheer ignorance. Whatever the reason, bad habits can lead to bad results. So, what do we do once we realize that we have some bad habits that need breaking? Before each ride, remind yourself of the proper technique you plan on practicing on the ride. Make it a positive instead of a negative. Say, “Today I will increase my following distance” instead of “Don’t tailgate.” By bringing the skills to the foreground before you ride, the bad habit you’re working on can gradually fade away and be replaced by a good habit.

So, you may not be rolling in the dough, but this list covers a wide range of cool gifts for less than $100. Something here is sure to put a smile on the face of your favorite motorcyclist.

The unofficial MO motto is “More is more.” So, naturally we were happy to learn at the International Motorcycle Shows Long Beach media day last week that Indian has released the Thunder Stroke 116-Cubic-Inch Stage 3 Big Bore Kit. What’s that, you say? Well, how does a claimed 15% increase in torque and a 20% bump in horsepower strike you? Yeah, us, too. So, if your Thunder Stroke 111 has started to feel a little anemic after reading this paragraph, moto-salvation is at hand.

So, you’ve got a 2017 (or are planning on buying a 2018) Aprilia RSV4 in an RR or RF configuration and you know what it really needs is more performance. Well, Aprilia’s got just the thing for you in the form of the Aprilia Racing Factory Works Kit. The special parts are developed by Aprilia Racing in conjunction with superstock and superbike championships around the world to assure their compliance to series rules. Racers (or riders with deep pockets and a disregard for street legality) who want to take their RSV4s to the next level should take a gander at these parts which are directed towards “maximizing engine performance, reducing overall weight, and improving aerodynamics.”

The Honda CB1000R, a legendary model from the company, had its latest iteration, the 2018 Honda CB1000R, unveiled today at EICMA in Milan. To escort the CB1000R onto stage for its debut was none other than five-time world champion Mick Doohan – a Honda legend in his own right.

Well, the rumors were true. Honda has updated the Gold Wing for 2018 – and the makeover is an impressive one! While we’re pretty sure that some of the nuts and bolts used in the previous generation made the transition, the rest of the motorcycle is brand spanking new. Honda’s stated goal for the upgrade was to use the restyle and improved performance to attract more than just the Gold Wing faithful and put to rest the myth that Wings are just for old riders. Well, the styling is certainly more aggressive, and the bike looks decidedly more swoopy. Losing eight inches of front-facing width can do that for a motorcycle. There’s so much that’s changed on the Gold Wing that we thought we should make a cheat sheet for you to peruse.

Not many manufacturers can say they’ve had a model in continuous production for 43 years, but Honda can make that claim with their legendary Gold Wing. Over those model years, Honda has set aside just six versions representing what it calls milestone models – the last of which was produced way back in 2001 with the introduction of the GL1800 Gold Wing. The Wing has been well overdue for an upgrade, and the rumor mill was in full-on salivation mode about the prospects of a ground-up remake for 2018.

Bruiser cruisers: the name pretty much says it all. These bikes combine the best performance that cruisers offer and wrap it in a package dripping with attitude to spare. For this comparison, we decided to stick with the V-Twin engine configuration. Why? Because the V-Twin is the just about the official engine configuration of cruiserdom – that and the fact that no Yamaha V-Max was available for testing. So, for this test we have the 2018 Ducati XDiavel facing off against the new for 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob. Both of these bikes have eye-catching good looks that exude function as well as style.

Way back in March of 2015 I reviewed the Sena 20S Motorcycle Bluetooth Communication System and found it to be my favorite of all the systems I’d ever sampled. I liked it so much that I bought a an extra mounting kit for it so that I could use it on my two favorite helmets, and when I wore something other than those two lids, I usually switched one of the mounts. In those two-plus years since the review, I’ve used the 20S on almost every single one of my motorcycle rides. It is an essential part of my motorcycle kit. That’s how much I’ve grown to love the Sena 20S. So, you can imagine how stoked I was when I received a pair of the upgraded Sena 20S EVO communicators.

I’ll go ahead and start with this: I’ve never been a fan of the Low Rider. Clearly that puts me at odds with tons of Harley-Davidson buyers. The Low Rider has been popular with both customizers and riders who prefer a more compact riding position (read shorter). I am neither. With this in mind, I’ll dive into what my time with the 2018 Harley-Davidson Low Rider was like.

Now that AIMExpo 2017 is complete, we’ve compiled our choices for the coolest stuff we saw while perusing the show. While the number of new 2018 model-year motorcycles was limited because of the show’s early date, that didn’t prevent the show from reflecting a vital motorcycle industry. So, as we reflect on last week’s show, here’s a list – in no particular order – of the top 10 products that we saw at the 2017 AIMExpo in Columbus, Ohio.

This just in from the “I wish they had these when I was a kid” Department: The Stacyc Electric Balance Bike is almost too cool for words. In recent years, we’ve seen balance bikes gain in popularity among parents who want to introduce young children to bicycles in a safe, confidence-inspiring way. The low seat height allows kids as young as two years old to sit on the seat and propel the bike by walking. So, what’s a father looking for a way to involve his son in his love of motorcycles to do? If your name is Ryan Ragland, you combine the strengths of a balance bike with a battery-powered electric motor and create the Stacyc Electric Balance Bike.