Cycle Guide Magazine

Long Beach Motorcycle Show Report: Old-School Cobra Customs

2010-12-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

Dain Gingerelli ran into Cobra Engineering’s Denny Berg at the Long Beach motorcycle show this past weekend. Here’s what Berg had to say about a couple of bikes of his that almost stole the show. Let’s face it, we’re not as young as we used to be. Most of the photos of me in action during my road racing years are in black and white, for crying out loud, and no disc brakes. So yeah, we’ve all

Product Review: Roadgear Gen3 Coconut Socks

2010-11-23T11:12:00.000-08:00

After a long, hot day in the saddle it’s a relief to kick back and relax. But when you kick off your riding boots does the offensive odor from your tired, sweaty dogs make it smell like you have one foot in the grave? If so, here’s a possible cure, Roadgear’s Generation 3 Coconut Socks. Don’t be fooled by the name. You won’t be wearing gutted coconut shells. But the socks are made using

On The Road Again: Motorcycle Escape Is Back!

2010-11-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

It's all too common these days to read about print titles going under, so it's doubly nice to see one coming back, and not only that, but one as consistently good as Motorcycle Escape.From Escape editor Andrew Cherney: @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Calibri"; }@font-face { font-family: "Georgia"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin

Cleared For Take-Off: How To Commute Without Splitting Lanes

2010-11-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

How long before Harley-Davidson introduces the Hang Glide?

Product Review: Progressive Suspension 465 Series Shock

2010-11-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

Stock suspension isn’t as bad today as it was back in the days when everyone swore the factories used fish oil for damping fluid, but that doesn’t mean it’ll never wear out. After 31,000 miles the rear shock on my 650 V-Strom was starting to feel limp, so I checked into a new one. The retail price of the OE unit—a breathtaking $1,006.04—suggested it was filled with diamonds, not fish oil. My

Product Review: Ed Hardy Captain America Helmet

2010-11-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

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Honda CRB250R: Let's Get Small. And Racy.

2010-10-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

The American motorcycle market is top-heavy with large, expensive bikes that are not only hard to justify buying in these sucky economic times, but difficult for new and returning riders to warm up to because of their intimidating performance. There are exceptions, such as Kawasaki’s evergreen 250 Ninija, which was the third-best-selling on-highway bike in the U.S. from June 2009 to May 2010,

Ride Smart To Ride Far: Secrets Of Long-Distance Riders

2010-10-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

By any reasonable standards of behavior, Iron Butt riders are nuts. Anyone who is driven—there's no other word to describe it—to ride in the legendary event, in which the top riders will cover more than 11,000 miles in 11 days, is more than likely a few foot-pounds shy of fully torqued. And yet there is method to the madness of Iron Butt competitors, as well as the legions of LD (long-distance)

Product Review: HJC CL-16 Helmet

2010-10-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

“You get what you pay for” is often used to justify high prices. The implication is that cheap goods are somehow inferior to ones that cost more. The HJC CL-16 sells for a suggested retail of $129.99-$144.99, depending on color and graphics. Compared to helmets running in the $400-$600 range, that’s pocket change. But do you get what you pay for, or do you get more, or less? The CL-16 has a

On The Cutting Edge Of Speed: The World's Fastest Lawnmower

2010-09-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

For various technical reasons our Bonneville coverage wasn't what we'd hoped for. To make up for it, we present this video, which pretty much speaks for itself.

Daingerous Liaisons: 13th Annual 2-Stroke Extravaganza

2010-09-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve always been a two-stroke fan because I used to road race them at Southern California tracks. Eventually, along with my brother Alan and a gaggle of other talented riders, I gained a reputation as an RD Yamaha specialist. Without boring you with the details of those halcyon days, all of us top RD riders did pretty well for ourselves, gaining the respect of our peers

Product Review: Pirelli Scorpion Trail Tires

2010-09-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Some riders choose dual-sports and adventure bikes because they want to ride both on and off the pavement. Others appreciate the upright seating and plentiful aftermarket luggage options such bikes offer. That’s what led me to my 650 V-Strom, which I’ve ridden off pavement for maybe 100 miles, but over 31,000 on the street. Until now, however, I haven’t found a rear tire

Product Review: Ricor Intiminator Fork Valves

2010-09-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Even though many budget bikes have engines with fuel injection and four-valve cylinder heads, their suspension—particularly the front fork—remains mired in the past, relying on inexpensive damper rods to help control wheel movement instead of the sophisticated cartridge damping found on pricier models. Ricor’s Intiminator fork valves bring cartridge performance to damper-rod bikes. Some

The Norton Project

2010-09-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

Salt Shakers: Dispatches From the BUB Bonneville Speed Trials, September 1, 2010

2010-09-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

The racers churned up the salt on Tuesday, completing 351 runs that resulted in 50 AMA records (pending confirmation by officials) and numerous FIM records. Racing continues on Wednesday, but wind conditions have kept the streamliners from running today. “But the regular bikes are okay to run,” said Denis Manning. Some notable records and speeds include a sidecar from

Salt Shakers: Dispatches From the BUB Bonneville Speed Trials, August 31, 2010

2010-08-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

We’re back! Heavy rain Sunday night created a major setback for the racers on Monday morning, and yesterday both the long and short courses were closed until after lunch. “We had to wait for the salt to dry out,” said Denis Manning. By early afternoon things were “back on track,” so to speak, and by the end of the day 127 runs had been completed. When the last bike made

The Fastest Motorcycle On Earth: What A Long, Fast Trip It's Been

2010-08-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

This morning at 7 a.m., the action kicked off at the BUB Speed Trials in Bonneville. Our man on the salt, Denis Manning, owns the current motorcycle land speed record holder, a streamliner called BUB Seven. Here's a video of B7 setting that record with Chris Carr at the controls. Remember, it's over in a few minutes, but it took decades to get there.

The Freddie Spencer Challenge: You Boys Go On Ahead, I'll Catch Up:

2010-08-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

Starring Jacques Somebody (sorry, Jacques, can't make out the spelling of your last name from the narration) in a 200-horsepower Nissan ZX turbo, Sam McDonald on a Honda 700 Sabre, and Freddie Spencer on a Honda 500cc GP bike. Note legendary tuner Erv Kanemoto holding Freddie's bike. Note also that this was filmed on the old nine-turn Lagaun Seca track.

Video Review: The World's Fastest Indian

2010-08-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

“The World’s Fastest Indian” is the story of Burt Munro, the legendary motorcycle racer and speed-record holder, and his journey from his home in New Zealand to the Bonneville salt flats with his ancient Indian streamliner in tow. It ought to be a pretty good story, but somehow manages not to be. After glossing over Munro’s motivation for traveling halfway around the world to set a speed

Salt Shakers: Dispatches From the BUB Bonneville Speed Trials, August 27, 2010

2010-08-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Racers and spectators have already started showing up for the BUB Speed Trials, which get underway August 28. Fortunately the pit area is finished, but it’s always best to check to make sure the outhouses are stocked with TP before you make your move. LSR record-holder Leslie Porterfield, who also holds the title of World’s Fastest Woman, is scheduled to race this year.

Salt Shakers: Dispatches From The BUB Bonneville Speed Trials, August 26, 2010

2010-08-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

The countdown continues for the BUB Speed Trials that get underway Saturday, August 28. The BUB crew is busy grooming the salt some more today, with most of the work completed. Meanwhile, the weather remains perfect and the salt continues to cure for what’s expected to be some of the most ideal conditions in years for the racers. “The place is absolutely still,” reports Denis Manning today. “

Salt Shakers: Dispatches From The BUB Bonneville Speed Trials, August 25, 2010

2010-08-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

The BUB Bonneville International Speed Trials are scheduled to start on Saturday, August 28, at the Bonneville Salt Flats, and Cycle Guide Magazine will be posting updates from the Great White Dyno, relaying dispatches from our cub reporter Denis “Bub” Manning. Yep, the Bub behind the Bonneville hubbub will be checking in with us daily to give us the latest news on salt conditions, who’s fast

From the Cycle Guide Archives: Exhibition Of Speed

2010-08-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

“It takes less than 30 seconds to travel one mile—that is, if your speedometer is registering 130 mph. I know because I took the Honda CBX to the Bonneville Salt Flats last September to find out.” –Cycle Guide, December 1979 My tenure at Cycle Guide officially began in March of 1979. I was hired as the resident top gun, the guy who gathered the hard numbers for our test bikes. Being young,

From the Cycle Guide Archives: 1980 Honda CBX

2010-08-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

My Ride-It-Up/Ride-It-Back Record was actually a sidebar feature to the road test of our 1980 Honda CBX. We had a lot of fun putting that issue together because we spent a lot of time aboard that six-pack bike. There was the usual accumulation of road miles, each of us racing to grab the keys to the CBX every day at closing time. “It was natural for us to run the 1980 CBX at

Video Review: 2010 Isle of Man Official Review

2010-08-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever ridden down a favorite country road and found your progress slowed by traffic, or gravel on the pavement, or absurdly low speed limits, and wondered what it would be like if you could sweep away all of these petty distractions and tackle that road at full speed? If you really want to know what it’s like to ride flat-out at over 100 mph into a blind corner