#EvansBrasfield

Remember when having a quick-shifter on a production motorcycle was a Big Deal? Now, the top-of-the-line bikes have both upshifting and downshifting covered with the auto-blipping throttles. So, where does that leave those of us with unassisted shifting on our motorcycles? Do we have to go buy gadgets like a HealTech Quick Shifter Easy? Of course, the answer is no. You just need to perform proper clutchless upshifts, like performance riders did for generations before quick-shifters became available. When it comes to downshifting, you’ll still have to use the tried-and-true method of matching the engine speed with the throttle while you manipulate the clutch.

Anyone who has witnessed a washing machine walking its way across the basement floor can understand how important balancing the load on rotating objects can be. Some people mistakenly think that, because modern wheels have gotten so much lighter and better balanced, they don’t need to balance wheels when fresh tires are installed. This is wrong. Even the smallest difference in weight is amplified many, many times as the wheel rotates. Also, your tires will wear more evenly and your bike will be more stable with balanced tires.

Why would anyone want to change their own tires? Isn’t it hard work that usually involves at least one bleeding knuckle? Don’t the tools cost a small fortune when you consider that shops only charge about 25 bucks for the service? Well, some riders don’t live within a few miles of a bike shop. And some folks, well, they’ve always got to do things themselves.

Summer is upon us, and that means that vented gear is in high demand. While the options of flashy, multicolored sporty bike jackets are numerous, finding a good looking black vented jacket that can be worn on a variety of motorcycle types can be a challenge. The Alpinestars Brera Airflow Jacket is a great option for someone looking for a classically styled black (or brown) leather jacket in a slim, European fit.

Lubing your motorcycle’s cables should only take a few minutes, but it pays dividends every time you operate a control. For the throttle cables, unscrew the throttle housing on the grip and adjust the cables for maximum slack. After you release one of the cables, the other will slip right off. For the clutch cable, screw the adjuster all the way in for maximum slack but line up the slot in the adjuster with the slot of the lever holder. You should be able to pull the end of the cable free of the adjuster and release the cable.

Fastrack Riders is a popular track-riding organization that has expanded way beyond that of the typical group devoted to giving street riders the opportunity to ride their motorcycles at their limits in a proper closed-course environment. With the majority of its events being held at Fontana, California’s Auto Club Speedway, Fastrack is the venue’s official motorcycle partner. The 2.36-mile road course on the inside of the superspeedway features 21 turns and a section of banking that allows the current generation of sportbikes to really clear their throats. In addition to its exclusive relationship with Auto Club Speedway, Fastrack is sponsored by BMW and KTM.

Typically, when we perform a comparison test, we select bikes in the same category to see which one works best. This time, however, we’re approaching this comparison with a few long-lingering questions in mind: How does having a fork-mounted fairing or a frame-mounted fairing affect the dynamics of a motorcycle? Does having the weight of the fairing on the fork make it floppy at low speeds? Do fork-mounted fairings interact with prevailing wind or turbulence coming off of vehicles? How noticeable is the improved wind protection on the frame-mounted fairing – particularly during cold-weather riding?

I’ve lived and worked most of my adult life on two wheels, and as such, I’ve experienced some pretty awesome rides across these United States. All the rides mentioned in this list are ones that I have personally taken. Since I have split my years between the two coasts, the routes do favor those areas, but I’ve also managed to rack up a few in the central U.S., too. I see this list as a leaping off point, one in which I start the conversation, and you, the reader, fill in the blanks for the areas I’ve missed. What we end up with could be a great collection of motorcycling journeys. Ideally, we’d come up with one in each of the 50 states. So, read my picks and then start adding more.

Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to read MO’s first ride review of the 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS. If not, you should go take a look at our impression of Kawasaki’s gentleman’s sport-touring motorcycle. From its aggressive good looks to its romping engine, the Ninja 1000 has a lot to offer someone who likes their open-class performance wrapped in a highly streetable package.

The 9th Quail Motorcycle Gathering took place last weekend, and I was finally lucky enough to attend for the first time. Despite the cold weather, the event more than lived up to my hopes, even if I only had two hours to wade through 350 motorcycles. Our stringer, Geoff Drake, covered the event and the winners that were chosen by people who are experts about historic motorcycles, so you should definitely check that out. This article includes my subjective favorites from the Quail, purely the result of my quirky mechanical tastes. So, let’s see what tickled my fancy.

In an era in which adventure-styled motorcycles seem to be taking over the sport-touring class, the 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS stands out as a great example of a traditional sport-tourer. Kawasaki has taken the heart of a sportbike and wrapped it with a package that can tackle almost any task a rider could want, from commuting to canyon scratching to touring to the occasional track day. Outfit it with the optional $1165 saddlebags, and you’ve got a mount that would be a great multi-state companion for less than $14,000.

Spring is here, and the season for observing Homo Motorcyclismus, the North American Motorcyclist, in its natural habitat has begun. During the colder months, many will hibernate, but the sharp eyed observer can occasionally spot a particularly hardy motorcyclist braving the wind chill for short periods. Spring is the time when herds of motorcyclists begin to repopulate the roadways. Summer offers the prime time to spot motorcyclists in the wild, as their numbers are at the maximum and breeding season is at is peak.

Depending on your perspective, washing your motorcycle is either a great way to spend some quality time with your bike or a chore that prevents you from riding. Either way, the benefits from washing your bike are measurable. First, it’s clean and looks good, providing you with a feeling of pride when you’re out on the road. Second, cleaning your bike protects your bike from the ravages of time. Oxidation never sleeps. Cleaning off harsh road grime and adding protective coatings helps delay its progress. Finally, staying intimately acquainted with your motorcycle can actually help you spot troubles before they develop into something more serious.

One could take two approaches to understanding what BMW has done to the R nineT to give us the 2017 BMW R nineT Racer. The glass half-empty crowd will talk about the components that fell away to help keep the Racer’s price down. The glass half-full perspective would stress the cool new additions to the platform that resulted in the Racer.

What if a tire manufacturer told you that their new street tire had the performance chops to take 3.5 seconds off the best lap of the previous-generation tire at Spain’s Circuito de Cartagena? That’d get your attention, right? It got mine, but then again, I was sitting in a press briefing in one of the pit boxes at the Losail International Circuit so soon after the first MotoGP of the 2017 season that the rider name boards were still in place.