The Torrance District Attorney charged Richard Pollock, 52, with burglary, possession of stolen property and vehicle theft earlier this week, said Detective Mick Gaglia with the Hermosa Beach Police.

Pollock’s criminal odyssey began in the early morning hours of Nov. 30 when it’s alleged he broke into a Hermosa Beach Fire station while firefighters were out responding to a call, according to a release. He searched through the firefighters’ personal possessions and found a set of keys belonging to one of the firefighter’s pickup trucks.

Pollock took the vehicle and drove to Victorville, where he allegedly tried to trade the truck in for a motorcycle at the Victorville Harley-Davidson dealership. When employees refused, he left, according to Gaglia.

On Dec. 2, deputies were called out to a Victorville convenience store after Pollock allegedly stole some merchandise, Gaglia stated. When confronted by authorities, Pollock reportedly began threatening the deputies and was arrested for making criminal threats and petty theft. Officials also learned Pollock had a warrant out for his arrest out of Lynwood for burglary.

Some time after his arrest, the firefighter’s stolen truck was found abandoned within Victorville city limits, Gaglia said. Inside authorities found items linking Pollock to the vehicle.

The vehicle was returned to the firefighter.

Pollock was identified as the person who allegedly stole the truck through surveillance video at the fire station. He’s still in local custody at West Valley Detention Center.

A search of county records shows Pollock has been arrested locally for a variety of crimes including driving under the influence, burglary, trespassing and disturbing the peace.

Beatriz E. Valenzuela may be reached at (760) 951-6276 or at BValenzuela@VVDailyPress.com.

Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Article source: http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/tries-31995-truck-firefighter.html

SEHER.NO: De fleste kjendiser prøver hardt å ikke la nakenbilder av dem selv lekke på nettet. For Jodie Marsh (33) er det helt motsatt. Hun liker nemlig å lekke dem selv.

Fredag morgen gjorde hun det igjen. På sin egen Twitter-profil benyttet realitystjernen anledningen til å poste en serie nakenbilder, der hun samtidig avslørte at hun kvelden i forveien hadde løpt rundt i sin egen hage uten klær…

Ifølge OK! Magazine hadde Jodie feiret bursdagens sin ved å posere naken på og rundt sin Harley Davidson. Det eneste hun har på seg er en pels fra hodet og nedover på siden av kroppen.

Bildene skal etterpå ha blitt fjernet fra Twitter. Men i sedvanlig Jodie Marsh-stil var de raskt tilbake igjen.

– Ok, her er de. Men se fort, før de blir fjernet igjen. I bursdagsantrekket på bursdagen min, skrev hun på sin Twitter-profil.

Dette er ikke første gang at den britiske modellen velger å vise fram kroppen for fansen. 33-åringen har nesten hatt det for vane den siste tiden. I oktober la hun ut bilder av seg selv – kun iført svært utfordrende undertøy.

Bli fan av Seher.no på Facebook her

Sjekk ut våre nye mobilsider på http://m.seher.no

Vi belønner gode kjendistips. Tips oss på 2255@shf.no, ring vår tipstelefon 22555522 eller send sms/mms med kodeord TIPS til 2255.

LES OGSÅ: Gjør nakencomaback etter sjokkbildene  

 Del+

Article source: http://www.seher.no/885881/jodie-marsh-ga-fansen-nytt-nakensjokk-paa-twitter

By
Jade Watkins

Last updated at 10:32 PM on 23rd December 2011

Their latest festive portrait has been branded ‘cold’ and ‘unfestive’.

But the Kardashians annual Christmas cards haven’t always been so contrived.

Take Khloe’s personal favourite, the Harley Davidson-themed shoot, where the entire clan are hilariously clad in nineties leather motorcycle jackets and denim.

Khloe’s favourite: Khloe Kardashian has opened up the family album to reveal the famous family’s cards from across the years, including this hilarious Harley Davidson-themed shoot

Just like Kim last year, the youngest Kardashian sister has opened up the family album to reveal the famous family’s cards from across the years.

Sharing them with fans via her blog, she wrote: Hi dolls!!!! Who’s getting excited for Christmas?! ME ME MEEEEE!!!!! LOL. In the spirit of the holiday, I thought it would be fun to share all of our family’s old Christmas cards. This Harley Davidson themed one will forever be my favorite haha.

‘Kris Jenner has always been one to go ALL OUT. My sisters and brothers and I used to get annoyed by her holiday enthusiasm when we were younger, but now I’m so glad we have these silly cards and memories to look back on!’

Frog-themed: The earliest snap in Khloe’s card collection show the family saying cheese alongside a giant green ninja turtle

As the years roll on and the family become more famous the images clearly become more and more glamorous.

The earliest snap in Khloe’s card collection show the family saying cheese with a giant ninja turtle.

The girls are dressed in
matching outfits to their mother, consisting of black long-sleeve dresses
and knotted pearl necklace, and Kourtney has a very Eighties bowl haircut.

The family is joined by Bruce Jenner’s children from his first marriages including Casey, Burt, Brandon and
Brody.

Matching: Matching outfits are once again the
theme, with the clan all wearing white shirts and
tartan ties and pulling funny faces as they pose with Santa Claus

Matching outfits are once again the theme the following year, with the clan all wearing white shirts and tartan ties, pulling cheesy faces as they pose with Santa Claus.

Kim’s signature long brunette locks are in a short bob and Khloe’s lighter locks are gradually darkening.

As the years roll on, Kris and Bruce’s two daughters Kendall and Kylie join the group for the snaps, which begin to become more posed.

A black and white shot show the girls all dressed in monochrome with Khloe this time showing off her derriere rather than Kim, who is wedged between her mother Kris and sister Kendall showing off her curves in a racy strapless dress 

Jenner’s other daughter Casey stands out in the snap with her statuesque height and blonde locks, as Rob wraps his arm around her.

Monochrome: A black and white shot show the girls all dressed in black with Khloe this time showing off her famous derriere

Kris is slipped into a sparkling sequined dress as a young Kendall wears a matching mini skirt to her mother.

The greeting inside the card is a poignant one, written in script underneath another image of the family blowing kisses.

‘Life is not measured by how many breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. May you be blessed with many breath-taking moment,’ it reads.

Blessings: The greeting inside the card is a poignant one, written in script underneath the family who are blowing kisses

Soon there is an obvious change, perhaps dating to the year the family found fame through their Keeping Up With The Kardashians reality TV show.

The girls now wear glamorous dresses, highlighting their expensive haircuts and gym honed figures.

Dressed in daring red and set against a white backdrop, they strike seductive poses in full length designer gowns, while Bruce and brother Rob wear dapper suits.

Getting glam: Dressed in daring red and set against a
white backdrop, the girls strike seductive poses in full length designer
gowns, while Bruce and brother Rob wear dapper suits for a more recent snap

The family’s 2009 card featured new additions, with pregnant Kourteney and Khloe’s husband Lamar, and even Ryan Seacrest making a surprise appearance.

The picture is taken in a more organic and special setting, Khloe’s September wedding to Lamar. 

Last year’s card was also a very glamorous affair indeed.

Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kyle, Kendall, Bruce, Rob, Kris, Scott, little Mason and Lamar are all featured in the card, which has a very vintage Hollywood air to it.

Kim said of the snap last year: ‘Every year the whole family gets together to take pics for our family Christmas card. This year was extra special because we had a new addition to the family… little Mason!

Special occasion: The 2009 card featured new additions,
with pregnant Kourteney and Khloe’s husband Lamar, taken at Khloe and Lamar’s September wedding

‘We went super glam this year and each went for our own look. Kourt chose a tailored suit to match Mason and Scott, Khloe went for gorgeous peach ruffles and I chose a floor-length white gown.  How stunning do Kendall and Kylie look!? This might be my favorite of all our family Christmas cards!’

This year the Kardashians came under fire for their sleek black tie card. 

Many thought the card was ‘cold’ and almost ‘creepy’ like with it’s stark aesthetic.

This time Kim, 31, decided for a suited and booted look for the family’s latest shoot.

Stylish: Last year’s card was also a very glamorous affair with the family opting for an Old-Hollywood theme

It was clearly a black tie affair, with her siblings also skipping cheesy festive sweaters for an altogether more sophisticated look.

Khloe, 27, opted for a variation of the same androgynous look with a sparkly jacket, white shirt and trousers.

Kourtney, 32, who is pregnant with her second child, vamped it up in a leather pencil skirt, white shirt and fur stole and kinky metallic-trimmed heels which she slipped on over stocking socks.

The Jenner girls, who are both still teenagers, both dressed well beyond their years for the photograph.

Aspiring
model Kendall, 16, put her catwalk worthy legs on show in a tiered
skirt which she wore with a sheer black top over a white shirt.

Frosty? This year the Kardashians came under fire for their sleek black tie card, with many thinking the image  was ‘cold’ and almost ‘creepy’ like with it’s stark aesthetic

Kylie, 14, slipped into a killer pair of heels and a black suit, which she wore with a pussy bow blouse.

The men – Rob, 24, Bruce, 62, Lamar, 32, and Kourtney’s partner Scott Disick, 28 – all wore sharp tuxedos for the occasion.

The family’s matriarch Kris, 56, provided the only splash of colour with a slinky and sparkly teal dress.

But it was little Mason, 1, who stole the show in his too cute trousers, bow-tie and braces.

In an effort to ensure the card is truly eye-popping, the family also provided a 3D edition.

Not so groomed: Khloe and her mother Kris both got caught in the wind this week

Kim wrote on her blog upon it’s release: ‘Here it is! Our 2011 Kardashian/Jenner family Christmas card!!!

‘It was shot by the amazing Nick Saglimbeni and there’s a special 3D version that you can view with 3D glasses. What do you guys think?

‘I love our family Christmas cards shoots and I think this one looks amazing!’

Share this article:

Article source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2078199/Kardashian-clan-wear-matching-motorcycle-jackets-vintage-Christmas-card.html

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Many Harley-Davidson workers considered unemployment as part of a work agreement reached with the company back in 2010.

Up to 250 union workers could see layoffs, and the company doesn’t know when or if the final decisions will be made. The company did ask for employees to take a voluntary layoff.

Business Journal Reporter Rich Rivito says the union representing Harley workers aren’t sharing how many employees may get laid off.

Both sides hope enough employees will volunteer to avoid forced layoffs. Rivito says, “In talking to management, there were very confident that they would not have to do involuntary layoffs here in Southeastern Wisconsin.”

A union representative wouldn’t talk about how many agreed to take pink slips, but told us he expects Harley-Davidson to fill product demand with less expensive seasonal workers following the layoffs.

Rivito says this round of layoffs could be the last. He believes the company’s worst days may be in its rear view mirror and their workforce is efficient and lean.

Article source: http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-20111221-harley-layoffs,0,5288877.story

Article source: http://www.hotbikeweb.com/features/1201_hbkp_2008_harley_davidson_rocker/

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla — (December 21, 2011) – AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. The 19-round 2012 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com schedule has 16 confirmed dates and three additional events in final negotiations.

Of the 16 confirmed events, the fire-breathing Grand National Twins will appear 10 times, which includes five half-mile and five mile tracks, and the 450cc Grand National Singles will be featured in three TT and three short track events. Every event on the 2012 calendar will also feature the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles class, which debuted in 2009 and showcases the future stars of AMA Pro Flat Track piloting 450cc single-cylinder machines.

Once again the season will kick off with the traditional Bike Week doubleheader on March 15th and 16th, 2012 at the DAYTONA Flat Track, which is located just outside of Turns 1 and 2 at the mighty Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. In the 2011 contest, Grand National Championship title contender Sammy Halbert swept the mid-week openers in dramatic fashion.

In the world of flat track racing, Memorial Day Weekend and the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. go hand in hand. May 26th, 2012 finds the Series at the Rodeo Arena for a TT race that serves to whet the appetite for the first “big bike” race of 2012, scheduled for the next day, May 27th, 2012. The Springfield Mile is one of the most coveted wins on the circuit and is one of the most highly-contested races each year.

Next up for the Series is a to-be-announced event scheduled for June 9th, 2012, with the series moving on to the first “cushion” race at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio three weeks later on June 30th, 2012. The 2011 season saw the return of pea gravel to the Lima half-mile oval and the return of the sideways, rooster-tail shooting action.

The Series heads farther East on July 7th as Hagerstown, Md.’s Hagerstown Speedway hosts the only round on the east coast that features what is typically a very smooth, and very fast, half-mile track. Many consider this venue the “home track” for defending Grand National Champion Jake Johnson, and the New Jersey native will surely be looking to repeat his 2009 victory.

I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich. returns to the series calendar on July 14th, 2012 with its always action-packed half-mile circuit, before the Series moves to the west coast on July 28th, 2012 for the Sacramento Mile at Cal-Expo in Sacramento, Calif., the highly-successful Bob Bellino-promoted event run alongside the California State Fair.

A drive up the coast will find the AMA Pro Flat Track stars back on their 450cc singles at the Castle Rock Race Park TT in Castle Rock, Wash. on August 4th, 2012. Next up is another TT, and the granddaddy of them all, scheduled for one week later at Peoria Race Park in Peoria, Ill. on August 12th, 2012. The Peoria TT has been a staple on the Grand National circuit since 1947 and still packs the hillsides with spectators eager to watch the high-flying singles take to the track.

The Indy Mile at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind., returns to the 2012 schedule on August 18th, 2012 and the event will once again coincide with both the Indiana State Fair and MotoGP’s state-side return for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Labor Day Weekend means a return to the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. for a Short Track and another Mile, scheduled for September 1st and 2nd, 2012, respectively.

September 8th, 2012 will mark the return of the Series to Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa. The 2011 event saw one of the closest finishes in the AMA Pro Flat Track’s long and storied history and all signs indicate that next year’s race will be just as close.

Details about an event scheduled for September 15th, 2012 will be released soon; following that race the Series will head to the Santa Rosa Mile at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, Calif. on September 30th, 2012. The last time a Grand National was held at the beautiful fairgrounds was in 1970, which saw Jim Rice win the contest on a BSA.

The last to-be-announced event on the schedule is will be held on October 6th, 2012 before the 2012 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com schedule comes to a close on October 13th, 2012 on the half-mile track at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.

Complete 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule:

March 15, 2012

Daytona Flat Track I

Daytona Flat Track, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Short Track

March 16, 2012

Daytona Flat Track II

Daytona Flat Track, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Short Track

May 26, 2012

Springfield TT

Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.

TT

May 27, 2012

Springfield Mile

Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.

Mile

June 9, 2012

TBA

June 30, 2012

Lima Half-Mile

Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio

Half Mile

July 7, 2012

Hagerstown, Half-Mile

Hagerstown Speedway, Md.

Half Mile

July 14, 2012

I-96 Half-Mile

I-96 Speedway, Lake Odessa, Mich.

Half Mile

July 28, 2012

Sacramento Mile

Cal Expo, Sacramento, Cailf.

Mile

August 4, 2012

Castle Rock TT

Castle Rock Race Park, Castle Rock, Wash.

TT

August 12, 2012

Peoria TT

PMC Race Park, Peoria, Ill.

TT

August 18, 2012

Indy Mile

Indiana State Fairground, Indianapolis, Ind.

Mile

September 1, 2012

Springfield Short Track

Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.

Short Track

September 2, 2012

Springfield Mile II

Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.

Mile

September 8, 2012

Knoxville Half-Mile

Knoxville Raceway,Knoxville, Iowa

Half Mile

September 15, 2012

TBA

September 30, 2012

Santa Rosa Mile

Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Mile

October 6, 2012

TBA

October 13, 2012

Flat Track Finale

LA County Fairplex, Pomona, Calif.

Half Mile

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

[ News Index ]

Article source: http://www.racingwest.com/news/articles/28156-ama-pro-racing-announces-2012-schedule-for-ama.html

In the recent past, the bikes that have reduced me to maddening mental midnight mathematics have, thankfully, been quite a few. The ones that really shone are in these pages. The least expensive Harley-Davidson 883 SuperLow, a motorcycle priced cruelly so that you cannot see it, grasp the price and not get a far away look in your eyes. Then there is the Suzuki Bandit 1250S, the least attractive looking machine here, the most powerful machine here, the most versatile machine here but not something that appeals directly to your heart. Its appeal is to my head. I know this is the one I will be able to ride daily without a care. Its bland styling means fewer people will want to clamber onboard to take pictures of themselves. Which means I can use it without being umbilically attached to it. Which is the case for both of the other motorcycles. The third bike is obviously the Ducati Monster 796, a motorcycle that remains one of the most intensely emotional experiences of them all. The only motorcycle that I sat on and just knew that I would have to own one day, beg, borrow or steal. Er… Borrow? Been there, done that.

To me personally, I like honesty in motorcycles. I like it when they are designed to be upfront about their abilities and intentions. These three are all exemplary.

The Monster, as we wrote in our test, is just outstanding. I love it in red, and this white is quite attractive as well. There is a sense of proportion to the tank, the way it interacts with the chunky forks and the red trellis frame and the sharp, short, weightless tail end that makes the Ducati such a wonderful motorcycle to look at. I still believe the older headlamp looked better than the new split beam job, but call me old-fashioned if you like. Up close, the Monster is neatly made, with some very highly detailed aggregates that give it that sense of being special, of being Italian, of being made by a race of emotionally extroverted Europeans. You can, in your head, see the Monster return from a great ride and talk voluminously about it afterwards, waving its arms and making gestures with its hands if you anthropomorphise gratuitously.

The Bandit is more reserved and in that sense quintessentially Japanese. Its styling is quite straight-forward, intently function oriented and in that sense, it lacks a little flair and a certain sense of occasion that I think Indian enthusiasts who are beginning to fulfil their big bike dreams are looking for. The fairing is a typical example of this. Its function is extremely well-appreciated – this is the only motorcycle in this company that will allow you to cruise, hypothetically of course, at 150kmph the whole day. You would be in physical pain from the wind blast on both of the other motorcycles. But just look at the fairing of something like the Kawasaki Z1000 or the Aprilia Dorsoduro or the KTM SuperDuke and you will see that Suzuki needn’t have played the styling so safe. That about sums the Bandit for me. It doesn’t look like much, but it gets the job done like few other motorcycles in India can.

Getting a specific job done, on the other hand, was never a Harley fixation in the first place. The SuperLow, still, gets the job done. Its job is to take the Sportster line, the entry-level Harley-Davidson line and give it a dash of spice. This it does amazingly. When I first saw it, I couldn’t believe how low and small it looked. And trust me, no matter what the pics say, the SuperLow is lower than that. But its air-cooled 883cc Sportster V-twin is now settled into a package that looks less like the stubby Sportster, and more like a Dyna. There is a large, glossy tank, the air cleaner on the right messes with your knee a little, the pegs are below your knees almost directly and the bike just ends a couple of inches behind your butt. It feels absolutely lovely to sit on and I absolutely salivated at the prospect of punting the tiny Harley through traffic, using the combination of its small size and excellent torque to great advantage.

That desire was partly fulfilled extremely rapidly, since that was the first bike I rode during the test. Abhay had warned me that the clearance was lower than the price, and he was spot on. Despite every attempt, the SuperLow determinedly ground out the frame rails on every speed breaker we encountered on the test save for two. But that is the sole blip on the radar. The engine makes a lovely swell of torque that begins early and feels so effortless that when redline arrives, it is always a surprise. But if you are redlining the motorcycle, you are doing it wrong. Listen to the lovely, loud Screamin’ Eagle exhaust at mid-revs and you understand that hurrying is not in the nature of the engine. That you can hustle a SuperLow but you probably won’t have all that much fun doing it. This is a bike that loves slow lollops and a 100-110kmph lope more than than flat-out road bashing.

Of the three, this is also the motorcycle most constrained by the condition of the road, and only partly because of the ground clearance issue. Ride quality is firm and supple on good roads but the format and the riding position cause bad roads to be felt sharply. Further, cornering the Harley is another experience. I knew stuff would grind down early and was being careful and then discovered that the bike was weird in the way the exhausts ground down long before the peg feelers has a shot at it. It feels like that the frame and the format can hack a lot more lean angle but the bike doesn’t. Clearly, once again, if cornering is your personal absinthe, the Harley isn’t for you. What it does is simple. It looks expensive. It looks great. It sounds like the true-blue Harley it is. It goes well while sounding properly awesome. It doesn’t hurt your bank balance significantly.

You could say the Monster does all of those things save for that last bit. But that would be a narrow perspective. There is an intangible, emotional directness to the Monster which is a huge turn-on for me personally. But leaving that aside, you still have a cornering demon of renown on your hands, a stable, planted, precise motorcycle that knows how to hunt down apexes without mercy. The 88PS 803cc air-cooled engine is perky and sounds great once revs are up, although like all Ducatis, it sounds less sweet at idle, especially on the stock exhausts. With the Akrapovic cans our test bike was wearing, the engine sounded deeper in note and more impressive right through the revs. Ride quality may be a bit stiff and service and sales infrastructure a bit thin on the ground, but these are substantially the only questions the Monster has no answers to.

The torquey engine barps through traffic easily while venting some heat on your legs, absolutely sings down the highway and while you might think that in the age of 200PS litre-bikes, 90PS is paltry, but you would be wrong. Between the precise, instant throttle response and the fact that you sit almost as it if the headstock is under your chest, the Ducati feels quick, alert and until you grow used to the throttle, slightly hairy. And when you climb off, it makes all the other bikes look somnolent in every department when it comes to responding to inputs.

And the Bandit is quite happy to let you dwell under the illusion. Initially, the Bandit feels possessed of an exceptionally heavy front-end, a slow-revving feeling engine (next to the Ducati) and a slightly heavy-footed, ponderous feel. Then you come to grips with it. And realise that the softness brings impressive smoothness and flexibility. In traffic, this is the motorcycle where you stop thinking about the gearbox and just open the throttle and expect traffic to drop behind you. It is nearly silent as stock and that bugs people, I gather, but I will tell you that the Bandit does highways in incredible comfort both for the passenger and the 99PS 1255cc engine and that again, makes this the most realistic ride here for someone who intends to all but live on the motorcycle in India. This bike also has the best accommodations for the pillion here, although we have noted that the co-rider on the Bandit gets a fairly large dose of hot air around their legs. Which the rider somehow doesn’t – the Bandit is the sole inline four we have tested in India that didn’t get cripplingly hot standing at traffic lights.

Given that the Kawasaki Ninja 650R is also within this price bracket I was desperate to include it in the test, but Bajaj were unable to source one for us in time. Since I have ridden that motorcycle over a fair distance and over fairly varied terrain, allow me to give you quick snapshot of how it would fit it. In nature, the 650R is practically a mini-Bandit. It has sharper styling, especially in the upper fairing which makes it look modern. The engine is refined and flexible and feels powerful without every losing its grip on refinement. There is capability in spades around corners and extremely well-tuned if basic suspension means ride quality is well damped and cornering is pretty neutral. Given that it’s roughly two lakhs cheaper than the Bandit but loses only 30PS to the big Suzuki, it is another persuasive motorcycle in the same league.

So, what would I put my money on. In the years of testing bikes, what I have come to understand is that motorcycles that provoke emotions are the best ones to own for people like me, people who have the privilege of riding a succession of machines as a matter of course. Which is why to me, the Bandit and to a lesser extent, the Ninja 650R are less appealing than the Harley and the Ducati. I would be happy to borrow the Harley from a friend as often as I could, but the clearance issue, especially in corners – which I love – is a big concern for me. And if I wanted a sporty Harley and went the XR1200 route, I’d find myself thinking why I wouldn’t pick up the Monster 1100 instead, a far more capable machine overall instead.

Which brings me to my personal pick, the Ducati Monster 796. It looks just the way I think naked bikes should, rouses all the right emotions for me and is not unreasonable to maintain or buy, though I hear resale values are weaker than all of this lot on the Monster.

But this test isn’t about me and it has three very distinct motorcycles here, all of which will enrich your motorcycling life. The Bandit I would recommend to a more mature rider, and not necessarily in age terms. If you want a real world motorcycle that will work with you unobtrusively, effortlessly and in all situations, the versatile Bandit is the way to go.

The Ninja 650R is similar in nature but sharper in feel, which is why I would peg that one as a bike for someone who is upgrading from an Indian machine and will move to a litre-bike within a couple of years. The 650 will be a great place to get your speed skills and big bike handling abilities sorted. And then you should be able to sell the bike for good money and move on.

The Harley is more than a motorcycle, it’s a lifestyle and an experience. It may not have the performance or the cornering ability of the other two here, but it doesn’t matter. The Harley is easy in town and really comes in to its own on the highway in a steady cruise. If cruisers are your thing, I cannot imagine a sweeter introduction into the family than the SuperLow. Hell, I cannot imagine why I would ask anyone to pick up any of the ‘regular’ Sportsters at all anymore.

The Ducati? Do I really need to say anything more about it? It won’t do bad roads all that well and will probably feel a bit slow in your hands a couple of years down the road. But they will be years you will always remember. Rides that will stay with you forever. And that promise of memories is what makes the Monster so special. It’s the one bike here that will not lose its appeal or sheen no matter what else comes into the garage.

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Article source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ducati-monster-796-vs-harley-davidson-883-vs-suzuki-bandit-1250s/213934-25-169.html