European Motorcycle Diaries

BMW World Stickers Update

2018-05-01T21:52:00.000+01:00

EMD readers offer

Save 10% on BMW World Stickers BMWworldstickers.com as featured in previous blog.

Just place an order directly via email or order on eBay using PayPal and quote: 'EMD'.

Take the world around your BMW GS

2018-04-25T22:00:00.000+01:00

If you have a BMW GS you now have two choices: You can take it around the world – or you can well, put the world around it. I guess there is a third option: Take the world with you when you go around the world on your GS.

BMWworldstickers.com is the brainchild of utterly charming and serious globetrotter Antonio ‘Tony’ Campos.

Lottie & I met Tony – a Spanish ex-pat settled in Blighty - at Bahnstormers' of Farringdon (Hampshire) season opener.

The irrepressible Tony has created a unique set of world maps that can be applied to all BMW GS models since ’04.

Tony has personally templated and developed these world maps to fit all modern GS BMWs. His website includes all options and some handy videos to make sure your decals get applied properly and ensure that Ghana doesn't end up due north of Greenland.

You can check out and buy the sticker sets here: BMWworldstickers.com

2018 BMW R1200 GS TE long term test - Part 2

2018-04-04T22:15:00.002+01:00

So I guess I have to admit that the world’s favourite adventure bike has to date largely passed me by. My choice. I tried one back at around the time that Ewan McGregor & Charlie Borman rode them from London to New York (the wrong way – across Russia) I didn’t like the book much and I didn’t’ like the bike either.

2018 BMW R1200GS TE

My ride at the time was a mad-as-a-box-of frogs bug-eyed neon green Triumph Speed Triple. I track-day’d the Strumpet in Spain, toured Europe and wheelied it to work. It had an attitude and I just loved it.

The GS by comparison seemed to have no tangible connection to the road, felt slow, and had a terrible clunky gear change. I just didn’t get it (maybe if I had tried to ride around the world?).

So now I have one to test – for a few months. So how will I get on with the bike I couldn’t get 14 years ago?

At last! A BMW whose footpegs don’t stab you in the calves. Despite feeling initially a bit low, the seating position seems perfect. Helped as the pegs are slightly further back than the GS800 (hence don’t get in the way when you put a foot down.) but also because the engine is narrower than a four they are closer together meaning that they can be lower.

First impression were mixed. It probably didn’t help that I had recently ridden a BMW XR and had an absolute blast. The XR is so ‘up for it’, so begging for an accomplice in crime, but equally incredibly sure-footed and precise. So the GS felt soft and ponderous by comparison.

On the positive side, just about all of the effects of shaft drive have been miraculously erased by 14 years of development. The gearchange is about as perfect as the best chain drive can provide. Getting off the 800GS (on comfort setting but still far firmer than the 1200) I handed over when I picked up the bigger bike onto the 1200 I am amazed by how the 1200 seems to sink by a couple of inches (no – it isn’t me – I weigh about 80kg or 176lb). Hitting the first main road, the bike floats with a see-saw motion that actually makes me think (maybe only think to be fair) that I am just getting the first sensations of motion sickness for the first time on a bike. Switching the suspension setting from ‘Road’ to ‘Dynamic’ fixes this in short and surprisingly dramatic order. They seem weirdly extreme. Can’t there be a setting in the middle – say ‘normal’?

I much preferred the bike on a second ride. It was raining hard when I left the office. Given the dark, cold commute in the rain, I would not have preferred to be on any other bike. Back on the previously disliked ‘Road’ setting it felt as sure-footed as any bike I have ridden in the conditions.

Otherwise the bike is lovely. I get the same feeling I always do when I climb on a telelever BMW: “The suspension feels very automotive – like a car”, which is I guess what you would expect. After all, your car doesn’t really dive when you hit the brakes does it? So I like and dislike the front-end suspension in equal measures. It feels both wonderfully insulated from road undulations – and it feels dreadfully isolated from what the road is telling you.

After the more off-road biased 800 the 19” front wheel seems a good compromise. The 800’s 21-inch wheel is handy off-road, but given the 800 is no Enduro ride, I’m not sure this concession to the dirt is worth it given the price you pay on the road. My commute includes 10 miles on a busy, fast dual carriageway. 80+ mph manoeuvring, and lane splitting takes a bit more concentration than it should thanks tothe 21-inch wheel. The 1200 on the other hand feels much more planted and like a touring rather than dual purpose bike. Although I have to say it lacks the athletic agility of my Multistrada.

Talking of which, I’m getting 46 mpg on my commute whatever I do. This compares with 44mpg for the Ducati. The gas mileage is slightly disappointing. 5% better fuel consumption for 25% less power seems a bit of a poor trade-off. On the other hand, the GS is also about 20% heavier.

Verdict so far? It’s competent, capable, grunty, wieldy. But would I buy one? TBD.

Next report: Riding the GS two-up, and unleashing it’s full potential now it’s run-in. Getting to grips with ESA, suspension settings and engine modes. And being mistaken for a policeman.

2018 BMW R1200 GS TE long term test - Part 1.2

2018-03-19T21:38:00.000+00:00

So first that puncture. I must say – getting one isn’t what it used to be. The first punctures I got on motorcycles went like this: You knew very quickly that you had a puncture. How? Well you were lucky not to fall off. Back in the day motorcycle tyres had inner tubes. When that tube went you normally had a matter of seconds – 30 if you were lucky – to stop riding before that tyre tried to roll off the rim. Then you pulled over, and stuck your thumb out in the hope of scrounging a lift from a passing motorist.

You didn’t call a friend on your mobile because you didn’t have one (mobile that is - hopefully you have a friend otherwise the next bit wouldn't go very well either). Later that day, you went to look for the bike with a mate with a van, hoping that it was still there. You then took it back to your or his place and got your tyre levers out. Lost: 1 day of your life.

The first I knew the GS had a puncture was the red flashing triangle on the dash. “Oh no, another sensor malfunction”. About three miles from the office I thought: “Well I’ll take a look when I get there. However, another glance down revealed ‘RDC’ and ‘BAR’ with two numbers. The left read 2.6, the right hand one read: 2.9, 2.8, 2.7. . .

But the bike felt fine. So I pulled over and kicked the rear tyre – like you do. Looks good. So back on the bike. 2.5, 2.4, 2.3. Just 2 miles to the office – better make a run for it. A bit like the mother-in-law who used to put her foot down if she was low on gas in order to get to a petrol station quickly and before she ran out.

By the time I turned into the business park, the rear of the GS did feel decidedly wayward and the read-out showed 0.3 BAR. By the time it stopped it looked like this:

Poor pic. but indicates front tyre at 2.6 BAR, rear tyre 0

The next was a bit different to the experience of my youth. A quick call to the BMW emergency line and an hour later the GS was loaded into a truck and strapped tightly down to be taken across town to my nearby friendly BMW dealership. Dropped there to be re-united with the bike at 5:30 and there she is - new tyre, cleaned (never an easy job in winter considering the off-road parts of my commute) and good to go (call out for Vines of Guildford - thanks guys).

I am gimmick and gadget-averse with bikes. I was so horrified by the first appearance of ABS I swore I would never buy one with it. Now I really wouldn't want one without it. The RDS (Reifendruckkontrolle. Yes - 'tyre pressure management' really is one word in German) system really works, and will flash a warning light when it detects a fast change in tyre pressure and switch the display to tyre pressures. On balance I would rather find out that way than say when you pitch it hard into a bend two-up and fully loaded.

Many things aren't what they used to be, and some are clearly better.

SPY SHOT: Triumph's Off Road-Capable Desert Sled Scrambler

2018-03-18T01:17:00.000+00:00

What has a 21" front wheel, 12"-plus front rake, tall upside-down forks, dual long-travel Ohlins rear shocks, and 320mm front discs with Brembo M50 calipers?

Stumped? There's also a 1200cc twin engine, and (hopefully) 96hp with 83lbs*ft of torque.

Plus real body armor to compliment the genuine off-road pedigree and capabilities. And how about that aluminum swingarm?

A-HA! You are thinking: A Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled!

WRONG!

And not just because the Duc puts out only 86hp and 65lbs*ft torque. But we understand why you were thinking Ducati. This bad boy is clearly intended to be a shot across Bologna's bow:

This beast mean business of the dirtiest kind! Courtesy of Bennetts.co.uk

And the shot is coming from Hinckley, England.

Triumph is headed for the roads unpaved and they aren't doing it with a retread-version of Steve McQueen's venerable, but very vintage, sled. This Scrambler, as well as the above goodies from Brembo and Ohlins, sports LED lighting and modern instruments, and that sweet, 8-valve liquid-cooled EFI engine:

McQueen's original 1963 Triumph Desert Sled racer

Still freakin' awesome, but not exactly awe-inspiring power by today's standards

No word yet on when we'll get to see this new Sled up-close, or even get the actual details (we are really hoping Triumph goes with the high-end tune on the engine) but the smart money says it will be this years INTERMOT or, not far from the home of a certain Duc, EICMA.

Sourced from Bennetts, Asphalt & Rubber

2018 BMW R1200 GS TE long term test - Part 1.1

2018-03-08T09:10:00.002+00:00

And what's the first thing that happened? 150 miles in.

This:

Help is on its way thanks to BMW 'Emergency Service'.

2018 BMW R1200 GS TE long term test - Part 1

2018-03-07T22:14:00.003+00:00

Something to aim for?

Golf & Harley Davidsons. I always felt that there was no point in rushing towards them. They were just an inevitable part of ageing, and therefore to be avoided while you could. Just like death, they will come to you in the end. Well neither a Harley (I have ridden a few though) or Golf have come my way yet. Contemplating my 59th birthday though, I am puzzled about the bikes I like best. Harleys are as unappealing to me as they have been since I first opened the throttle on a two-wheeler.

Instead, I still like the kind of bikes I always have. Bikes with an attitude. Ones that seem up for it the moment you swing a leg over them. Bikes that pull second gear wheelies off the throttle. Even my recent bike history involves the kind of bikes that I should have resigned from a long time ago. A Triumph Speed Triple, KTM 990 Supermoto, KTM EXC 300 (Enduro) 2-stroke, Ducati Multistrada 1200, and Panigale 1199. They are all bad boys in their own way – even the Multistrada – which is still just about the best wheelie bike I have ever ridden.

And those bikes are the ones that still do it for me. As such, the BMW GS, has never been on my bike bucket list. But now, courtesy of my daughter and her employer’s generous friends and family riders scheme, I am the proud user of a white R1200 GS TE for the next 5 months.

BMW R1200 GS TE

So as an absolute GS-sceptic I am probably the best person to test one. And given that I will probably cover a few thousand miles in that time, I will do my best to relate the experience on the EMD.

Next post - first impressions.

Triumph Factory Visitor Experience

2018-02-24T17:34:00.000+00:00

Triumph opened its doors and started rolling out the motorcycles way back in 1902. That's a lot of history, a lot of changes, and a lot of racing!

From the Ton-up cafe racers:

To the great Gary Nixon:

Gary Nixon was as fearsome on the flat track...

... as he was on the tarmac in Daytona

To the modern Daytona with Jason DiSalvo on the Team Latus Triumph Racing Daytona 675:

And toward the future and the next land speed record with TT Legend, Guy Martin, and the Infor Rocket Streamliner:

Three Triumph Rocket engines power this machine

And did we mention The King of Cool? Steve McQueen and his Triumph motorcycles raced across deserts, dirt, and movie screens worldwide:

"Racing is life. Everything before or after is just waiting." S. McQueen

But how does a company celebrate more than a century of this iconic motorcycle brand? With an all-new Factory Visitor Experience, of course! And that is just what Triumph has done, with the Factory Visitor Experience officially opening this 20 February, 2018.

Underscoring the importance of Triumph to British culture and history, Prince William was on-hand for the grand opening at the company's Hinckley facilities where the new Factory Visitor Experience is located:

The Factory Experience traces Triumph's history, immersing visitors in decades of moto- and popular-culture, so strongly influenced and inspired by the Triumph motorcycles. It takes people through the evolution of Triumph engineering and performance. Thrills them with Triumph's racing exploits. Takes a walk down Triumph's Avenue of Legends. And encourages them to dream along with the plans for the future, including the new Triumph Moto2 engines and dizzying land speed records.

And no tour would be complete without a full array of Triumph's most iconic motorcycles and styles. So. Many. Triumph!

Photo from the Triumph Owners Motor Cycle Club

Click HERE to go to Triumphs new Factory Visitor Experience site to learn more about this iconic brand and how to visit. We'll be making our travel plans!

Spotted! Prince William on Site to Open Triumph's New Factory Visitor Experience

2018-02-20T17:43:00.001+00:00

His brother Harry may be the better known motorcyclist now that Prince William has put his riding days behind him for his family, but he clearly still enjoys a proper motorcycle:

Prince William astride a Triumph Bobber

Prince William had a tour and checked out some of Triumph's newest models while official opening Triumph's new Factory Visitor Experience at the company's Hinckley headquarters.

Cheers!

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A Triumph(ant) Kalex Moto2 Machine

2018-02-19T18:04:00.001+00:00

Wanna see something cool?

I bet you do. How about Moto2 Kalex-Cool?

Absolutely!

Here you go: The new for 2019 Triumph-powered Kalex Moto2 racing machine:

The first of the bikes to use the 765cc three-cylinder Triumph engine

Oh, yeah. That's the catch. We still have one more season with the Honda-powered Moto2 bikes. But change is a-comin' to the Moto2 universe! Lots of it.

Just as fun as listening, and watching, the three-cylinder engine power the new Moto2 bikes, will be seeing how the Moto2 chassis-manufacturers adapt to the new engine.

Just 'cause Moto2 machines share an engine design and manufacturer, the chassis are designed and built by an array of companies, including the series-dominating German company, Kalex. (No big surprise Kalex is first to the line with the Triumph-ready chassis.) While we're not expecting wholesale revisions, there will be differences as chassis-builders move exhaust pipes and adapt to difference balancing needs and slight changes in configurations.

Can the 2018 racing season start yet?

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Sourced from Asphalt & Rubber

Electric Slide: Troubled Harley to go Electric with New Livewire eMoto

2018-02-13T23:45:00.002+00:00

Full Disclosure:

I've owned a Harley. A 2000 Sportster Low 1200 (converted from 800cc), to be exact. I rode it nearly cross-country, from Washington D.C. to Colorado, and all over the northeast:

When you forget a windshield on your Harley when riding in the (very rainy) Northeast.

Another Full Disclosure:

I've owned four Hondas, two BMWs, three Ducatis, a Triumph, a Suzuki, a Yamaha, and have spent quality, kidney-busting, time in India on a Royal Enfield Bullet 500. This motley assortment includes vintage motos, sportbikes, and naked standards, among others.

But I digress:

Why the full-disclosures? Fair to ask.

Its because I want to show I have something to compare against when I say that there should be no surprise that Harley has announced that it will be closing its Kansas City, Missouri, factory and consolidating production at its York, Pennsylvania, plant.

And that there should have been no shocked faces over yet another disappointing earnings report and a 6.7-percent drop in 2017 for year-over-year retail sales worldwide, or the even greater drop of 8.5% in its all-important U.S. market. H-D motorcycle shipment are at a 6-year low. The company is not expecting anything different out of 2018.

Harley-Davidson motorcycles are big, heavy, clumsy, and loud. This is not a compliment.

My very top-heavy Sportster, Harley's littlest moto, had a very not-so-little dry weight of 520lbs. Harley claims a top-speed of 93mph, which may have been possible with an hour of acceleration time, miles of flat, straight road ahead, and a tail wind behind you.

Born an 883, I did the 1200cc conversion so I wouldn't be run over from behind when traveling on any road with a 55mph speed limit or higher. I dragged pegs and pipes around corners and needed a football field-length of asphalt to stop, even with the steel-braided brake lines. The rear shocks were there only for the looks. The bike managed potholes with all the aplomb of a soggy paper towel.

Simply stated, you don't buy a Harley because of its performance. The bikes don't brake, don't corner, and certainly don't lend themselves to smooth and steady touring. Unless it was a heavily-tuned, purpose-built XR1200 flat tracker, I would never take a Harley to the track. Or trail. Or really anywhere that had curves or gravel. I wouldn't want to maneuver one of the bigger hogs through city traffic or in a parking lot.

You don't buy a Harley because of cost either. New, off-the-showroom-floor Harleys range between $15,000 and $19,000, or more. I just bought a quite decent car for significantly less than that.

Cost, weight, size, and maneuverability also conspire to make Harleys lousy starter bikes for moto-newbys.

Granted, custom builders are creating some very cool one-offs with Harley platforms, but they aren't buying these bikes new and they aren't catering to the inexperienced rider.

So why buy a Harley? People buy them, quite literally, to ride the nostalgia wave. Rolling out motorcycles since 1903, its a company with a lot of history and imagery, particularly during the Baby Boomer years. Fast forward a few decades, and the Boomers are retiring and ready to hit the open road, living out their Knieval/Dean/Brando/Fonda fantasies:

Reliving those glory years, Boomer-tyle

And this worked. For a while. But Boomers can only buy so many 900lb chromed out behemoths. And they keep aging. With no new riders coming in because of the aforementioned issues with cost and size. Every year, the average age of a Harley rider increases by one year. Not to be morbid, but... do the math. Its not hard to see where this was going.

Except Harley either ignore the math or added somewhere when they should have been subtracting. In 2008, faced with the most brutal economic crash since the Great Depression, Harley doubled down on the present and ignored its darkening future. It killed Buell, whose bikes did not compete directly with Harley models and were instrumental in bringing in new riders, and jettisoned MV Agusta, which again, filled a niche that Harley lacks. (Would it really be too much to ask for an American company to make a sportbike???)

Do I hold a grudge? Yes. Harley never should have killed Buell.

(Yet another disclosure: I've sworn never to own another Harley again after the company's inexplicably shabby treatment, and eventual dismantling, of Buell motorcycles. Does that make me bias? Possibly. But I think we all can agree that killing off Buell has only exacerbated Harley's currently issues. Karma is a tough bitch.)

The Buell S1 Lightening. And the reason I learned to wheelie.

I don't know if those moves "saved" Harley from financial disaster, but they are certainly a driving force behind Harley's woes now.

Harley is at the cross-roads. It needs to try something different because what its doing now isn't sustainable in the long-term. But Harley isn't know for change. Right?

Wrong!

Yep, you read that correctly. Harley is swinging for the fences in a game it has never played before: The Electric Motorcycle.

I'll give you a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor.

Seriously. The company that patented the teeth-rattling potato-potato thumping of its signature v-twin engine is going to make a bike that makes virtually no sound at all.

The Livewire:

The 2013 Livewire Concept

Harley has announced its eMoto will be buzzing off the production lines within the next 18-months, making it a market-leader in this new segment, with KTM the only company with an eMoto in production. Ducati is hinting at a future electric motorcycle (a move almost as shocking as Harley's). BMW produces an electric scooter.

Other than what we know of the original Livewire concept, not much is clear about the production Livewire's specs or appearance. Its guaranteed to be quieter than its fossil fuel-burning counterparts, and it wouldn't take much to make it quicker, or slimmer. The prototype from 2013 used a 7kWhr battery for its fully electric motor, pushed out 74-ponies with 56-lb of torque ,and had a range of 50-miles before needing a recharge. These concept specs are four years old. Its likely to have significant improvements, much as the technology behind motorcycle batteries has generally.

Harley claims that the bike represents a shift in the company's philosophy. According to H-D CEO, Matt Levatich, the company is abandoning the notion that it builds motorcycles in favor of a mindset revolving around building riders.

In Harley-world, this means adding 2-million riders to the brand over the next 10-years, through innovations like the Livewire, and new rider classes in the U.S. and Canada, as well as expanding markets such as Mexico, Brazil, and China, with the idea is that people who learn to ride on a Harley will continue to ride Harleys.

Good ideas, to be sure. The company must attract new and younger riders if they are going to survive the looming demographic apocalypse of their current customer base. But the company must address the issue of price; the bikes are too expensive for 20- and 30-somethings with entry-level salaries and crushing student loan debts:

And they must acknowledge practicality and performance. The bikes are too large for smaller and inexperienced riders. And too cumbersome and heavy for urban commutes, navigating parking lots when running errands, or even just taking a quick spin on some back roads. Most people just don't want a $15,000 chrome-covered lawn-ornament.

Here's to hoping the Livewire sparks a new era of innovation (and a sportbike, please!) at Harley and another 100yrs of motorcycle legacy.

Cheers!

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Bessie Stringfield, Motorcycle Queen of Miami and All-Around Badass

2018-02-09T17:02:00.001+00:00

Picture this:
Its 1930. You're 19 years old. And you have a 1928 Indian Scout motorcycle. Very few cross-country routes in the United States are paved; it will be a few more decades before the interstate exists.

What do you do?
If you were Bessie Stringfield, the answer was get on that bike and ride. And ride. And ride. Until you had been through all 48 states (Alaska and Hawaii were not states until 1959), Europe, Brazil, and Haiti. While you ponder this, remember that when Bessie didn't know where she wanted to go next, she'd flip a penny onto the map and then ride to that destination:

No pavement necessary.

No money? No problem.
Bessie paid her way by performing dangerous motorcycle stunts in carnivals. She entered and won flat track and hill climbing races, too. But being African-American and young and female was a trifecta of embarrassing for the men who lost to her, and she was frequently denied the cash prizes for her victories:

In case you're not familiar with the "Wall of Death."
Couldn't find a photo of Bessie in action, so Marjorie Dare (Doris Smith) will show you how it was done.

No place to stay? Whatever.
Bessie's Jamaican heritage gave inn keepers the excuse they were looking for to deny a room to a young woman traveling solo on a motorcycle. As a solo-traveling, female motorcyclist who has also been denied rooms at hotels, its a practice that has yet to go the way of other anachronisms, like the dinosaurs. Unlike Bessie, I can always find another place to stay. I'm white. Bessie wouldn't be deterred though. She would pull over to a filling station and sleep on her motorcycle for the night:

Portable sleeping arrangements and transportation: the versatile vintage Harley

Want to contribute to the WWII effort but aren't allowed to fight?
The child of immigrants, a Jamaican father and Dutch mother, and raised by an Irish immigrant woman (Bessie's parents died when she was five), Bessie believed in America's ideals of freedom, democracy, and hope, despite the racism and sexism that curtailed her own freedoms daily.

When WWII began, Bessie wanted to help in the battle against fascism. She couldn't fight in the traditional sense (the ban on women in combat wouldn't be lifted until 2013), but she could contribute the best way she knew how: Ride that Motorcycle!

Bessie enlisted as a civil courier for the U.S. Army, completing the difficult and rigorous motorcycle training without a problem. She spent four years delivering documents between U.S.-based Army facilities on her own 61-cubic inch Harley-Davidson, crossing the U.S. eight times:

Bessie in her WWII courier's uniform

Want to ride year-round, but the cops want to take your motorcycle away? Ride.
Like any proper motorcyclist, Bessie dreamed of year-round riding that didn't include rolling through snowdrifts. Raised in Boston, she appreciated the sun, palm trees, and balmy winters of the South. After her stint riding for the Army, Bessie picked up and moved herself to Miami, where the local police declared motorcycling unacceptable for women. Especially Black women.

Local cops repeatedly pulled her over and harassed her on the streets, telling her that: "Ni**er women are not allowed to ride motorcycles." Bessie's response? She marched (or more likely, rode) to the station and demanded to see the police captain, disputing the assertion that she couldn't ride. They went to a local park where he gave her a riding test. Needless to say, she passed. And with the blessing of the captain, the harassment by local cops, at least toward her, ended.

What do you do when you've done everything? Establish yourself an MC.
Settled into Miami and able to ride her motorcycle without interference, Bessie founded the Iron Horse Motorcycle Club (she also earned her nursing license), and resumed performing motorcycle stunts at shows. Her performances attracted media attention and the new nickname: "The Negro Motorcycle Queen," which later was updated to "The Motorcycle Queen of Miami." She remained the Queen, and on her motorcycle, right up until her death in 1993. She was 82 years young.

Bessie left tire tracks all over the argument that women, and African Americans, shouldn't ride.
Thank you, Bessie Stringfield!

Bessie is an inductee of the American Motorcycle Association's (AMA) Motorcycle Hall of Fame. She was honored by the AMA in 1990 as part of their inaugural "Heroes of Harley Davidson" exhibition. As she owned (and rode) 27 Harleys during her lifetime, she was a big part of the show.

In 2000, two years before the AMA voted her in as a member of the Hall of Fame, the AMA created the "Bessie Stringfield Memorial Award" to recognize superior achievement by a female motorcyclist. An honor, to be sure, but Bessie life, moxie, and motorcycle legacy, are Superior Achievements, no gender qualifications necessary.

Bessie Stringfield.

So, what are you going to do today?

Cheers!

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The Biggest Baddest Hooligan: Welcome the Newest Triumph Speed Triple

2018-02-05T16:53:00.000+00:00

Ready to feel old? Other than when you tried to roll out of bed this morning, that is (for those of you under 40-years, just wait.)

It has been 24-years since the release of the first generation Triumph Speed Triple on the unsuspecting public. Twenty. Four. Years.

At least its still more than half my lifetime ago?

I remember the motorcycle well. A fierce-looking street brawler. Perfect for urban commuter combat with taxis and pedestrians and buses and cage drivers. Aggressive in styling, aggressive with the torque. And, Hello Wheelies!

A girl's gotta have dreams, right?

I didn't have a motorcycle, yet. But the Speed Triple, along side the Buell Lightening S1, fit right in to my visions of my future, ultra cool, urban-dwelling self.

Twenty-four years later, I live in a large city and ride a Triumph Street Triple around town; I forgot to add a few inches of leg length to my future self, the Speedy is too tall for the constant start-n-stop of city riding. (Note to self: next time, ask for the loft condo and fat bank account, too)

I may have missed the mark on "ultra cool," as well. But the Triumph Speed Triple, while much evolved over the past two decades, most certainly has not:

1996

2007

2016

There's more competition in the Super Nakeds, a category created, and once dominated, by the Speed Triple. KTM's Super Duke, the Aprilia Tuono V4, the Ducati Monster 1200R and Streetfighter, pack a serious combo of powerful, torquey engines, drool-worthy styling, and top-flight electronics.

Its not enough to bring a knife to this fight. You had better be ready with the brass knuckles, a machete, nunchuku, along side traction control, ABS, Ohlins shocks, quick-shifters, adjustable riding modes, and ride-by-wire throttle control.

These ain't your parents' standards. These are SUPER Nakeds, badassery in the extreme:

A gaggle of badassery. How awesome must this sound?

Triumph's newest brawler iteration maintains its jailhouse looks and its 1050cc platform (a full overhaul to come for its 25th anniversary?).

No svelt, finesse moto to be found here.

Really digging the frame and sub-frame

The S3 has aged seriously well over the years.

Housed inside are over 100 new features, changes, and additions to the engine, resulting in ten extra ponies at the crank, totaling 148hp, with 86lbs•ft of peak torque.

There's four riding modes, five for the RS model - the Speed Triple S is missing the Track Mode - and the less-experienced, and experienced, riders alike will appreciate the safety back-up provided by an IMU-power traction control and cornering ABS system:

Ride with abandon, right to the edge! And with less fear of falling off with cornering ABS and Traction Control.

There's Brembo braking, Ohlins suspension, and exhaust note and power by Arrow for the RS.

No word on pricing, but you have to figure it will be priced to sell, competitive with the other Super Nakeds. Perhaps its time to fulfill my 24-year younger vision of self with this baddest of motorcycles?

What are YOU lookin' at?

For additional photos, there's the Mega-Gallery at Visordown: CLICK HERE

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VIDEO: The Biggest Baddest Hooligan, Triumph's New Speed Triple

2018-02-01T21:16:00.001+00:00

The Biggest. Baddest. Hooligan. Is (almost) here.

Triumph has released the final teaser video for the new Speed Triple, this time featuring four-time World Superbike Champion Carl Fogerty and two-time TT winner Gary Johnson. The racing legends pretend to have a rivalry, riding about on their respective S3's, but mostly they just look like they are having quite the ball out there.

The rest of us? Well, we are stuck with #motogoals, #motoenvy, and the ringing of that sweet Arrow exhaust note in our ears:

Does anyone else want to go out and ride?

The newest iteration of Triumph's street brawling' hooligan is officially released this upcoming Monday, February 5th. Not much else is known other than it will be a three-cylinder 1050cc engine and look similar to the current model.

And yes, Virginia, this beast will wheelie.

Burnouts, if not extra tire rubber, included.

Cheers!

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A New Year Project for Dave: 1974 Honda CB550F

2018-01-30T20:43:00.002+00:00

Every five years or so, I forget all the reasons why I do not do "projects bikes." You know, the "just needs a new battery and the carbs cleaned" super cool vintage machine project bike just waiting for that lucky person to take on that adventure of a lifetime? Or the "owner surely doesn't recognize what a great find this is, and that's the only reason its been sitting behind the garage for the past five years, doubling as a hotel for small rodents with a taste for electrical wires" project moto?

Its just an oil change away from being a daily rider, I swear!

Yeah, I thought so. If you ride, you know the bike. Perhaps you've even owned one. Or several.

There are many reasons I do not, or at least should not, do project bikes. These include minor matters such as I rarely have the time, money, space, or tools, and never all four at once, required to properly fix up such a gem-in-disguise motorcycle.

But mostly its the not-insignificant matter of lacking the requisite skills to repair or replace anything requiring more than a zip tie or few turns of a bolt. And without those skills, you need double the time and money. Something I never have. Not that it ever stops me from trying.

There was the 1975 Honda CB550, the Ducati Supersport, and the 1981 BMW R650LS, though in my defense, the Bimmer was not a project when I first purchased it, but only gradually became one as age, miles, and entropy worked their way through the various parts and pieces. In a fit of common sense, I sold the 1995 Honda CBR900RR before the same forces worked their way through it.

The best friends have garages. And tools. And lots of patience.

Chuck's Towing to the rescue. Again.

As with all project bikes, each seemed like a good idea at the time. A bargain, even. I would be the envy of... moto salvage experts everywhere?

And each ended the same way; sold off at an even lower priced bargain. Especially considering whatever funds already dumped into the project before finally coming to my senses once more.

You'd think I'd learn my lesson. I certainly thought so. Until I was down in sunny Florida, visiting a Ducati-Triumph shop where I once worked, and saw something not Ducati or Triumph. But Honda. Vintage four-cylinder Honda. A 1974 CB550. Just sitting there. In all its chrome-fendered glory:

How ever could I resist this face?

I had to have it. Because, you know, the first one I owned was a fantastic ride. On the rare occasion I got it to start and it didn't empty itself of all its oil before reaching the end of the block.

My former boss offered to sell it to me for $800. I convinced myself this little CB was just what, not I, but my patient and long suffering boyfriend, C., needed in his life. Even if he had never once expressed a desire to ride or own a motorcycle. Particularly one well into its fourth decade of existence. But wait until he saw what cool things I would do to it. For him, of course. And well within budget. Of course!

(Note to self: if someone offers, without prompting, to sell you a bike for $800, there is only one acceptable response: RUN AWAY and DON'T. Look. Back.)

We'll start with the most immediate issue that I failed to consider, other than the whole buying a bike I didn't need, couldn't afford, and that C. didn't want: I live in Washington, DC. The bike was in South Florida. I have neither a garage nor proper tools in either locale.

And about that budget...

I took the CB to one of my more favorite people, and master motorcycle technician, Dave Carton, who promptly unearthed from the innards of the bike, a cracked float bowl and mucked jets, not to mention a bent front wheel and leaky petcock.

Dave is an independent motorcycle tech, based in Delray Beach, FL, with nearly 30-years of experience and factory training and certification by Ducati, Triumph, BMW, Vespa, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Harley, and Victory. He got his start on vintage Harleys and has worked on the most sophisticated race bikes on the track today, including the Ducati Panigale and Aprilia RSV4. He is the only guy I trust with my bikes. I cannot say enough good things about him or his work.

And did I mention he rides a very sweet Triumph Thruxton?

Dave's very sweet Thruxton. My, um, well, uh... mostly functional CB.

Upon receiving Dave's report on the condition of my bargain bike, I thought long and hard about the actual, realistic prospects for my project. And, I doubled down, of course! I decided to not only replace the carbs and the front wheel, but the entire front brake master cylinder, chain, and tires. Because, Project Bike!

Out with the old...

In with the new. Custom. From California. Because Honda doesn't make these anymore.

Bike doesn't run right, but it has this awesome new master cylinder now!

What to expect from your project bike? At least the tank was rust-free.

And then I rode the bike to Marathon Key from Delray Beach. It did surprisingly okay. Other than an equally surprising top speed of 65mph. Um, yeah.

Dave opened up the engine upon my return: not one, not two, but THREE of the four cylinders were firing a low compression.

Just as fast parked as with the throttle wide open.

I handed over the keys and told Dave to work his magic. I don't need no stinking budget. But I do need more speed!

Dave has kindly agreed to take on "my" CB550 project and to allow me to keep referring to it as "my project" even though he's doing all the work. We'll be following his progress over the next few months with the goal of getting the bike back on the road with all cylinders firing, ideally at full compression, and eventually bringing it back up to DC.

A new project for the new year? Of course! And as long as I'm not doing the wrenching, this one might actually work.

To contact Dave with questions or a project of your own:
Dave Carton
TheTriumphTech@gmail.com
(561) 455-4693

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Happy 2018 and Hello, GP18 Livery!

2018-01-29T20:49:00.001+00:00

Happy New Year!!! May your 2018 be filled with glorious moto-adventure and all the twisty roads a rider could ever wish for:

WOOHOO!!!

Apologies for the belated 2018 best wishes, but even your friendly, neighborhood moto-blogger needs a vacation. But I'm rested and ready to go (even if my moto, trussed up for winter storage, is not), and what better way to celebrate the new year, and upcoming racing season, than with the unveiling of Ducati's MotoGP Desmosedici GP18 livery?

FORZA! (For those of you who are not on Team Ducati, there's a comment section ready and waiting. I look forward to hearing from you this season.)

Okay. So, this isn't the Desmo GP18, but that's not the point. This is all about the NEW livery design. And I have to say, the red, white, and silver/gray livery looks very sharp.

As for the GP18, I agree with the guys at Asphalt & Rubber, and put my money on seeing that beast in Qatar for the season opener.

And what about Ducati's MotoGP prospects? So glad you asked.

Last year, Gigi Dall'Igna, Ducati's MotoGP team boss, declared that Ducati would be competing for the championship. Cue: collective eye roll from just about everyone else. Which was fair, given the Desmodiabolica's dismal race record post-Casey Stoner.

By the end of the season, however, the only thing rolling was Ducati itself, with Andrea Dovizioso completing for the championship lead, eventually claiming second overall, and Jorge Lorenzo finally looking like the championship competitor Ducati thought they had signed two season earlier.

Will Dovi be looking over his shoulder for Lorenzo this season?

Lorenzo jokes he's only as valuable as his last race (a crash), but he was looking strong at the end of the 2017 season.

This year, when Gigi Dall'Igna spoke of competing for the championship, the eyes rolls were nowhere to be seen. Though some questions remain:

While we don't know what the GP18 will actually look like, we do know that whatever happens to its faring, whether sporting the hammerhead-style or otherwise, the grid's most powerful bike will be... more powerful. Yep, you read that correctly. Ducati has added even more ponies to the fearsome Desmo-engine.

Dall'Igna claims confidence that the added power will not make the GP18 any more difficult to ride than its less-than-cooperative predecessors. The newest iteration will sport updated aero-faring and chassis to help with turning, especially mid-corner, and adjustments to the first touch of the throttle, another major rider complaint.

Having a more compliant beast of a bike will go a good way toward helping Ducati secure its two top riders beyond this season. All the money in the world cannot always convince a competitive rider to stay on a losing bike. And Ducati has stated very clearly that they will not be issuing any exorbitant contracts going forward (looking at you, Jorge Lorenzo), a point underlined by the absence of a sponsor to take the place of the departing TIM.

In the end, its all speculation. Anything can happen on race day, as Dovi learned during his breakthrough season last year: "If there is one thing I learned last year, it's that nobody has any limits. I made the mistake in thinking that I did," he said. "Now I know everything is possible. But that doesn't mean I will win every race!"

Cheers!

Happy riders? Hopefully a sign of things to come!

For more photos of the GP18 livery, check out the spread at Asphalt & Rubber

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Think icy roads are dangerous on a bike? Wait 'til they start putting the salt down

2018-01-08T22:03:00.002+00:00

As I left the office car park I thought, “Oh, it’s been raining”. But turning out onto the dry road proved my mistake. The company that owns the business park we are located on is as ‘Health & Safety’ obsessed as our local authority. With the temperature hovering anywhere near zero, they cover the car park with enough salt to make it look as though there has been a surprise snowfall. It gets walked into the office where it has ruined the floor.

I’m not sure which worries me more riding a bike in winter – the possibility of hitting ice, or the salt-wet roads. Salt is hygroscopic – that is it attracts and absorbs moisture. Pure salt isn’t actually hygroscopic, but the stuff they throw on the roads is. It includes many impurities which as well as the odd rock which will crack your windscreen – especially when ejected at velocity out of a gritting truck – includes calcium chloride, and it is this mixed in to the salt that makes it attract moisture.

Given the choice between black ice and black ice with salt pummelled into it by vehicles, the choice isn’t too difficult to make. However, in Blighty, our local authorities responsible for reducing the danger of icy roads are most motivated (probably like their American cousins who operate in an even more litigious environment) more by a fear of failing to treat a genuinely icy road than by the fear of wasting their time (and our money) salting roads with next to no danger of any kind of ice.

Tonight was a case in point. The mercury hit a low of +2 deg. C last night. There has been a strong cool easterly wind for days, and our habitually wet winter roads have finally dried to a bone. Nevertheless, the gritters were out in force last night. The bright sunshine of the last couple of days replaced today by uniformly grey skies (reminds me of winter in Frankfurt, but with a distinctly English dampness in the air).

Perfect conditions for all that salt over the roads to turn into a slimy layer of emollient. The temperature according to my GS800 is about +5 deg. C, but judging by the state of the roads the gritters have been out again. I think the the Michelin Anakee 3 tyres - standard fitment on this bike are quite brilliant, but the roads are so slippery I take more caution than I would in the rain heading over the Surrey B roads.

However, once on the A3, although the slick blacktop should have made me think better, I get on with it. It’s a fast dual carriageway, but on a particularly sinuous section usually ridden at the standard issue 85mph-odd, a hatchback pulls out in front of me to overtake a truck. No drama, just slightly irritating. Irritating enough to encourage me to drop down two gears to allow me to dispatch the hatchback with a bit more alacrity than usual. I wasn’t’ expecting what happened next. Not immediately, but once the little GS got into its stride – a handful of wheelspin. Quickly curtailed by the traction control, I was nonetheless amazed.

Wheelspin in (almost) a straight line on a ‘dry’ road at 70mph isn’t what you expect on a GS800 – probably the bike with the flattest torque curve in the world. It certainly wouldn’t happen if the road was merely rain-soaked. Not very unnerving really in the circumstances, but a pretty good indication of the perils of coating otherwise dray roads in hundreds of tons of hygroscopic material when the danger of ice is essentially zero. 'Dry' raods made wet by a slurry of applied salt are horribly slippery and pretty dangerous.

Roll on springtime.

You Could be the New Owner of Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycles

2017-12-31T04:16:00.002+00:00

Click HERE to bid on the Excelsior-Henderson brand name.

Did you click it? Bet you thought we were joking, right?

This could be yours, plus a whole lot more.

Its true. Mecum Auctions is offering the rights to the iconic Excelsior-Henderson brand and all of its intellectual property in Las Vegas, January 23-27. Just look for Lot S173.

What all is included? Its not just the actual Excelsior-Henderson brand name. The winning bid receives rights to 10 federally registered trademarks, web domains, any previous motorcycle frame and engine designs, and 18 expired patents.

Plus bragging rights to the storied Excelsior-Henderson legend and legacy:

Excelsior meant racing excellence, with the first bike to reach 100mph

Excelsior-Henderson once stood tall as one of the Big Three American motorcycle manufacturers, alongside Harley-Davidson and Indian, as a racing and motorcycle powerhouse in dirt track, hill climbs, on race tracks, and on the road with its popular street bikes. 1912 saw the first motorcycle, an Excelsior, clock in at 100mph. Henderson became part of the Excelsior brand in 1917, the same year it was bought out by Ignaz Schwinn, of Schwinn bicycles.

The height of Excelsior-Henderson's heyday was in the 1920s, with its storied Super X 750cc model dominating the market the world over. And by the end of the 20s, Henderson-Excelsior have introduced the game-changing Streamline series, with a thoroughly modern styling and vastly improved four-cylinder engine.

Fast enough for a high-speed police chase.

And then, October 29, 1929, Black Monday.

Withe the onset of the Great Depression, what had once been sales in the tens of thousands was throttled down to just tens and hundreds. The company made the move to focus solely on less expensive, motorless, bicycles, shutting down production of Excelsior motorcycles. If not for this decision, Excelsior-Henderson may not have survived the 30s. But it never produced another motorcycle under the name Excelsior-Henderson again.

In the interim, Harley-Davidson has been only one of the original American Big Three to continue to chug along. The Indian brand did not survive in the long term, and was only recently brought back to life and the roads, by Polaris.

Excelsior-Henderson had a brief, and limited, resurrection in the 1990s, under Daniel Hanlon, who created a new Super X for modern times. A large v-twin cruiser, nearly two thousand of the Super X were produced before Excelsior-Henderson folded once again in 1999. The brand name has been available ever since.

Indian is doing well under the Polaris umbrella, and John Bloor's success with the British Triumph brand has provided a roadmap on how to build a successful and thriving motorcycle company. The Norton brand has had its ups and downs, but is still on track and producing four new models with sales worldwide. The insatiable demand for all things vintage certainly doesn't hurt the case for a new Excelsior-Henderson either.

Norton Comando 961 Cafe Racer, because why not another cafe racer?

It just may be be the right time for the iconic brand's resurgence. A strong name. A storied history. Solid economic conditions. And there is certainly room in the U.S. for another motorcycle manufacturer.

Could Excelsior-Henderson be in your future?

The Complete Mecum Action Brochure on Excelsior-Henderson and the offering

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Sourced via Mecum Auctions and Silodrome

MV Agusta Confirms Development of New Four-Cylinder Platform

2017-12-25T18:58:00.000+00:00

Its Christmas Day. Bells are ringing and engines are revving. What better way to recognize the day of giving and joy than an announcement of a NEW 1200cc Four-Cylinder MV Agusta platform?

Thank you, Santa Claus!

Because who wouldn't want and F4 under their Christmas tree?

MV Agusta (mostly) revealed the other half of its new Naked Triple Double-RR'd Duo (say that 10-times fast!) during 2017 EICMA, unveiling a new 800cc three-cylinder Dragster RR to complement the already-announced three-cyl Brutale RR. But was silent on the storied four-clinder models in the MV Agusta line-up.

Until now.

Following reports that MV Holding had finally completed the buyback of shares previously owned by Mercedes AMG, making Giovanni Castiglioni, MV Agusta's CEO, and the Sardarov family the sole owners. ComSar Invest, a Russian private equity investment firm ultimately controlled by Russian billionaire Timur Sardarov, bought into MV Agusta back in July, providing the company with enough cash to fund its recapitalization plan with creditors. With today's announcement, MV appears to be taking the next step and bringing a new four-cylinder platform to market in 2018.

Apologies to F4 and race enthusiasts in advance. You might have to wait a bit longer for your ultimate Christmas present. As shared previously by Castiglioni, but now more believable with MV's finances apparently sorted, the first of the fours will be the 1200cc Brutale.

The Brutale, along with MV's other naked street bikes, are the company's strongest sellers. We're not saying that a new F4 isn't on the horizon, its just that the new Brutale is necessary to come first and bring in a little more cash before a new superbike is released.

The newest 800cc Brutale

It won't be a moment too soon. As beautiful and fast as the MV Agusta F4 is, with the MV Agusta Reparto Corse World Superbike team finishing 8th in the Superbike World Championship 2017 standings, the current model has hit the limits of its performance, which may explain the reason racer Leon Camier has departed the team for the Red Bull Honda World Suerbike team for 2018.

From MV Agusta's Announcement:

“The turnaround that started at the beginning of 2016 shifted MV Agusta back to a positive result for the 2017 fiscal year thanks to the success of the new product range, first of all by the launch of the all new Dragster 800 RR, the company has raised the order portfolio higher than its estimated production.

“After having completed the three-cylinder models range, consisting of supersport, naked and sport touring bikes, MV Agusta is concentrating its future investments on the development of an all new 4 cylinder platform of which the first new innovative model will be launched during the year 2018.”

For those of you who want a deeper dive into the MV Agusta ownership structure(s):
MV Agusta Motor SpA is the division that we all associate with a traditional motorcycle manufacturing company. It is the entity that produces the MV Agusta street bikes.

MV Agusta Motor SpA is separate, on the corporate level, from the Castiglioni Research Center (CRC), which functions as the design studio, and the MV Agusta Reparto Corse racing division.

Since buying out Mercedes AMG, MV Agusta Holding Company is the sole owner of MV Agusta Motor SpA.

MV Agusta Holding Company is now jointly owned by GC Holding, a Giovanni Castiglioni-owned entity used for controlling and investing in MV Agusta, and ComSar Invest, an investment fund owned by Black Ocean Group. Black Ocean Group is an investment arm of Ocean Group International, which was co-founded by Sardarov and Oliver Ripley, a British citizen and CEO.

The exact percentages owned by GC Holding and ComSar Invest are unknown, but while GC Holding maintains a controlling share, it is fair to assume the Russian group commands a sizable share.

So. Many. Layers. Of. Companies.

Happy Holidays!

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Sourced from Asphalt & Rubber, Ultimate Motorcycling, WorldSBK

Saudi Ban on Women Motorcyclists is Lifted

2017-12-24T03:50:00.000+00:00

In a win for women and motorcycling, the Saudi Directorate of Traffic has announced that the women of Saudi Arabia will be permitted to ride motorcycles!

Congratulations Saudi Women!

The new directive comes three months after King Salman ibn Abdulaziz al-Saud issued a decree not only allowing women to drive automobiles for the first time in the Saudi Kingdom, but allowing them to do it while unaccompanied by a male guardian.

The decree is part of a larger effort on the part of the King, and Crown Prince Muhammad ibn Salman, to implement social and gender reform in the conservative country. Other reforms have included the lifting of the ban on women entering cinemas and allowing women into sports stadiums, with future plans to allow women to hold high bureaucratic office.

The new motorcycle vehicle laws will be fully implemented starting June 2018, applying equally to men and women, with the exception of all-women processing centers for those female drivers who are involved in an accident or traffic violation.

Saudi women have long protested the ban on their driving, with numerous female activists jailed, suspended from jobs, shunned by relative, and labeled as "loose" and immoral by the clerics, all for resisting the ban by getting in a car and driving. Now banned from preaching after speaking out against the King's driving reforms, one cleric went so far as to claim women must not drive because their brains shrink to a quarter of the size of men's brain when they go shopping.

"V" Is for "victory"

Prior to King Salman's decree, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world to ban women from operating a motorized vehicle. Under Saudi Arabia's "Guardianship" system, women cannot travel, study, work, seek healthcare, or even leave the house without the permission of a male family member, usually a father, husband, or brother. The World Economic Forum has ranked Saudi Arabia as the seventh worst country for women in its 2016 annual Global Gender Gap Report.

Saudi Arabia is also one of the only countries to enforce a public dress code. When in a public space, women must wear a dark abaya, which is a loose fitting robe-like dress, covering the entire body except the head. In addition to the abaya, some women may also wear a niqab, which covers their head, hair, and face, except their eyes:

Saudi women out and about

But don't expect the abaya to deter a determined Saudi woman from riding a motorcycle. You only have to look as far as Morocco to see how women can rock traditional dress and ride their motorcycles (photos by Hassan Hajjaj; for more, click HERE):

And, of course, there's no law against dressing up a motorcycle. The Japanese Bosozoku are taking that to a whole new level:

Because motorcycling isn't just for the boys. Woman can RIDE.

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For the Wish List: The Dainese72 Collection

2017-12-22T17:38:00.001+00:00

Whether cars, motorcycles, bicycles, furniture, or fashionable clothing, the Italians know how to design. Sleek, simple, classic, and always, always, always sexy. An Italian designer could make a stone look hot. Oh, yeah. Italian sculptors:

Michalangelo: Seating the bar high for Italian designers for centuries to come

So, when Italian sporting wear manufacture, Dainese, releases a new leather motorcycle jacket, one that pays homage to Italian moto racing in the 1970s, we are going to take notice. Because if the jackets look even half as good as the championship Italian motorcycles from that era, its a jacket that is going immediately on your want list: Introducing the new Dainese Rapida72

Soft leather outer, double snap color, and pre-curved sleeve, provide the vintage look. The removable soft Pro-Armor protectors certified to the EN 1621.1 standard in the shoulders and elbows, back protector pocket for Dianese G1 or G2 back armor, jacket-trouser connection loop, and internal security pocket for your smartphone, provide modern era safety and amenities.

Have to admit, we are fans of the vintage racing suits liner, too:

The Rapida72, the name being an obvious nod to speed and the year 1972, not coincidentally the year Ducati and Paul Smart blew away the competition at the Imola 200 and the year of Dainese's founding, is a stylistic throwback to the an era of Italian moto racing greatness. And just plain looks great.

As hot as it was fast: Paul Smart and Ducati take on the Imola 200

The Rapida72 isn't the only vintage throwback jacket in the new Dainese72 Collection. That's right, moto fans. There's more. Much more. And not just jackets. But pants, gloves, t-shirts, too.

Good bye savings. Put these on the Wish List!

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Sourced from Dainese and Silodrome

Moto Maintenance: Fuel Stabilizer, What Is It and Why You Should Use It.

2017-12-19T23:35:00.001+00:00

For those of us who reside in the northern climes of the northern hemisphere, it is that time of year: The Not-Motorcyle-Riding Season. BOO!!!

Even with the best of intentions, all but the most harden riders will turn to their four-wheeled transportation as the wind picks up, temps drop, and snowflakes begin to fall. Which means making the tough decision to put your bike "in storage" for the winter months or try to tough it out.

Depending on where you live, "in storage" may mean different things. For those of us in more urban areas with scare garage space, the choice is to take the bike to a shop that provides winter season storage, consigning it away for the next four months, unavailable on the warmer days when a ride would be possible, or leave it out on the street to brave snowplows and salt trucks during the worst of the winter season:

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

If you're lucky, you may have an enclosed backyard, where you're bike is still exposed to the elements, but less likely to be crushed by a Metro Bus driver unaware that the mound of snow was really your motorcycle:

Somewhere under that tarp is a Triumph Street Triple

And for those of you who have your own garage space, good for you! This offers the best of all worlds: a protected bike that remains available for a quick spin on mild days.

But whether you have your own garage, or choose to keep your bike out on the city streets or in the backyard, if you live far enough north, suitable riding days will be far and few. And despite what you may be telling yourself at the start of the season, your bike will be spending long stretches of time just sitting.

Very few of us are this guy

So, beware, and be aware, just as eating crap and being idle gunks up human arteries and damages our hearts, not properly prepping the fuel and allowing your bike to remain inert for long stretches likewise clogs the lines and injectors and harms the engine. Whether you are planning to leave the ignition switch to off the entire winter or hoping to get out for a few rides, you must prepare your bike.

Gasoline is a particularly potent hydrocarbon. For example, one gallon of gasoline contains roughly 132x106 joules of energy, or the equivalent of 36,650 watt-hours. In human terms, that gallon of gasoline would produce 31,000 food calories.

All that energy, when released, makes gasoline useful for powering things like our motorcycle's engine. But just as the combustibility of gasoline makes it a powerful source of energy, it also makes it less than stable. Left sitting long enough, gasoline begins to destabilize, with the problem becoming especially acute with today's ethanol fuel blends, which brings additional issues of water and moisture build-up. Ethanol-related issues, like phase separation, begin even more quickly in colder temperatures.

GUNK.

The end result of all this destabilization and separation is a gloopy, thick gunk that will corrode and damage fuel lines and seals, gum up carbs, and plug fuel injectors, rending your motorcycle sluggish at first, immobile at the end, and your bank account short quite a few dollars.

So how to stop this horror from happening to your moto? Two words: Fuel Stabilizer.

Star Tron Fuel Treatment

That's right. For less than the price of a pint of craft beer, you can head to your local motorcycle shop or hardware store, or order right online, and buy a bottle of magic potion (make sure its one that addresses water-in-ethenal problems as well as gas destabilization) that prevents your bike's fuel from separating into gunk and subsequently destroying your its innards. Pretty awesome.

Best of all, other than the price, its really easy to use. Take your bike out for a spin. Buy some fuel stabilizer. Stop at a gas station on the way home. Fill up the tank with gas, plus add the prescribed amount of stabilizer to the tank. Ride home.

Told you it was easy.

Other things you may want to do going into the season of bad riding weather include an oil and filter change, and keeping your bike's tires off the ground during storage, either using wheel stands or a center stand, or by placing plywood or carpeting under the tires to prevent moisture damage (not as effective if your bike lives outdoors.) Battery Tenders are a good way to preserve the battery during long periods of idleness as well. And definitely invest in a bike cover!

All of the above holds true during riding season as well. If you are going to be away from your motorcycle for long stretches of time, take the time to get it ready for its "vacation from riding." If you do not, all the horrible things described above will happen. Plus the added embarrassment of explaining to the service manager at your local shop how it happened to come about that your poor, neglected, unloved moto's fuel tank and jets were mauled by sludge-for-fuel, DURING RIDING SEASON. Don't be that person.

You know its been a while since the last ride, when...

Cheers!

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Info sourced from RideApart, HowStuffWorks, Bell Performance, and the Service Manager at Triumph of Dulles.

Holiday Scramble: What to Buy for your Favorite Motorcyclist

2017-12-17T00:19:00.000+00:00

It happens. We get it. One minute its Halloween, just barely the end of October, the up-coming winter holidays still safely off in the distance. The next thing you know, its December 17th and you are down to less than 10-days before the clock strikes Santa Claus. And you know what happens then:

EEK!!! Right?

Okay, so maybe the Winter Warlock doesn't show up at your front door, but you will be faced with some very unhappy moments if your favorite peoples don't get the goods they expected. Or, if you were a complete procrastination disaster, no goods at all.

Well, never fear, 'cause we have a few gift ideas, and a 15% discount, from our friends at Pure-Triumph and Pure-Ducati. The shipping deadlines might be tight, but the 15% discount is good through December 22nd. That's right, you've got time!

There are good gift suggestions on Pure Triumph and Pure Ducati, but we thought we'd add our own, broken down to help with even the most difficult recipients on your list. Cheers!

The Young'uns.
You can't start 'em too young or too fast. Its sort of like planning for the holidays. You think you have time and then, BANG! Junior decides he prefers NASCAR and the lil' Missy brings home an electric scooter.

Tell Junior no NASCAR pit crew every looked as good as this:

Fashion Shirt #7

The kid who wears a Speed Triple on her heart, grows up to command one:

Junior Script Tee

Because its better if baby drools on his Ducati bib rather than your Ducati Superbike:

Ducati Baby Bibs

Subliminal messaging:

Ducati Dog; a kid's best friend until their first Ducati

For more Ducati Kids' items, click HERE

The Separation Anxiety Sufferers.
Some folks just can't seem to function away from their motorcycles. During the long painful hours when they are at work, they can't focus, they're listless, they're more likely to be gazing out their window into the parking lot than at their computer screen. For them, the only solution is to bring their moto into the work with them and right onto their desks, where they can at least sort of look like they are working:

For the full range of Ducati bike models, click HERE

The Vain.
Ride a motorcycle and you will, unless bald, suffer major hair malfunction, commonly known as Helmet Hair. It afflicts the young, the old, male, female, the half-helmeted, and the full-face masked, the cruiser riders and the racers. It is an equal-opportunity hirsute horror show, and can crimp your post-ride style and confidence as badly as your hair.

With leads us to this: If you can't fight it, hide it.

Triumph Logo Cap

Ducati Sketch Beanie

Ducati Company Red Hat

For more Ducati headgear, click HERE

The Hipster.
Too bored to care, yet somehow still sport an immaculately groomed beard, are up on the latest fashions, and may erupt in an anti-commercialism tirade at any moment, all while wearing their very specific, Hipster-approved J Brand skinny jeans, Warby Parker eye glasses, and Fjallraven backpack. You know the Hipster when you see one. We don't hold it against the bikes, but Hipsters adore their Triumph Bonnies and Ducati Scramblers, making it simple for you to fulfil your Hipster's holiday wishlist:

Triumph Boyd Tee

Triumph Capron Tee

Triumph Bobby Leather Jacket

Triumph Classic Boot

Ducati Kick Flip Tee

Scrambler Checkered Button-down

Scrambler Ladies Hoodie

Scrambler Quattrotashe Leather Jacket

Scrambler Woods Backpack

For More Ducati Scrambler Apparel and Gear, Click HERE

The Branded.
Everything matches. Everything is the proper brand. Everything is properly branded. Its a learned skill to be this coordinated. We're making it easy for you:

Ducati Stealth C2 Leather Jacket

Ducati Sport C2 Leather Pants

Ducati Sport 2 Boots

Ducati Performance Gloves

Ducati Thunder Pro Helmet

The Interminably Cool.
The slouch. The stare. The je ne sais qois. Too cool for school, and a whole lot else. Their icon? The King of Cool himself, Steve McQueen. Avid motorcyclist and Triumph racer. Developed in partnership with the McQueen estate to honor the late racer and movie star, Triumph's Steve McQueen Collection has you, and your own King of Cool, covered:

McQueen Jacket

McQueen gloves

Triumph Vintage Logo Tee

Biltwell Helmet

The Traveler.
For those who can't always take their bike on their travels, there's still a way to travel moto-cool:

Triumph Leather Weekend Bag

Triumph Leather Wash Bag

Ducati Corse Gym Bag

Ducati Sketch Backpack

Ducati Corse Helmet Bag

Ducati Explorer Luggage

The Undecided.
For those who Just. Cannot. Make. Up. Their. Mind, we offer the Gift Certficate. The easiest most effective way to ensure that even the pickiest of moto-fans and gear-heads receive exactly what their little moto-hearts desire. Best of all, the Gift Certificate, which is actually a coupon code designed to simplify applying the gift at check-out, is emailed directly to you. No shipping costs or wait for delivery:

Pure-Triumph - Pure Ducati

Happy holidays and safe riding!

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Holiday Gifts for Your Love. Moto Love, That Is.

2017-12-13T02:53:00.002+00:00

More than a few motorcyclists have been accused by their significant others of having a love affair with their motorcycle. Its an accusation that may be fair in more than a few instances:

Him and her and Duc make THREE!

What can we say? We love our bikes.

And what do you do for the love of your life during the holiday season? Jewelry, clothing, assorted other bling, goodies, and toys, of course. Its no different for your that love in there garage, with two wheels.

But just in case you're stumped, we've got a few suggestions for your Ducati or Triumph motorcycle, with an assist from our friends over at Pure-Triumph and Pure-Ducati, who not coincidentally, have a holiday sale happening until December 22nd. 15% off EVERYTHING! Just use the codes: DUCATI-12PURE for Pure-Ducati, and PURE-12-XMAS over on Pure-Triumph.

RIZOMA. The Cartier of the motorcycle world.

Made in Italy. That's all you need to know. Italian design, Italian elegance, Italian super-hot-gotta-have-it-now-all-else-be-damned. Its classic, beautiful, and adds just the right amount of bling to your bike without transgressing into trashy.

While we focus on the European moto brands here at EMD, especially Ducati and Triumph, Rizoma makes parts and add-ons specifically for Ducati, Triumph, MV Agusta, Harley (yes, seriously), KTM, BMW, and the Japanese Big Four.

Some models get their own accessories, but even if yours does not, never fear: there's a whole list of universal goodies, such as mirrors, levers, fluid tanks, fenders and lights, just waiting to adorn your motorcycle:

Mirrors, fluid tanks, tank caps, oh my!

Sproket cover and right heel guard accessories for the Triumph Bonnie T120

Ducati Streetfighter with Rizoma turn indicators and full handlebar and controls treatment.

If your favorite moto sports a Ducati badge, you're in extra lucky territory this holiday season. Rizoma and Ducati announced a special partnership, which debuted during 2017 EICMA: A full Rizoma line exclusively designed for Ducati motos, introduced on the market under the new brand name, "Ducati by Rizoma" (you know, just in case you forgot it was a partnership between, yes, Ducati and Rizoma). Happily, the line is far more inspiring than the name:

Ducati XDiavel S accessorized with Ducati by Rizoma.

Rizoma is so good, it can take a gorgeous bike and bring it to near moto perfection. (Note: I say near-perfection because you can always do one more thing for your moto. It is never, ever finished... even when my bank account is.)

Just when you thought Triumph's Thruxton R couldn't get any better... there's Rizoma.

AKROPOVIC. TERMIGNONI. Because your bike should sound as good as it looks.

Bring tears to your eyes:

Or make you drool:

SHIFT-TECH. Too much carbon fiber is still not enough.

Light weight, super durable, and just simply better looking than the stock bits and parts off the assembly line. Your bike will love you for it. And if it takes off some weight and boosts some speed? All the better!

Nothing says "Love My Moto" like a carbon fiber slip-on with carbon fiber clamp.

Shift-Tech has been dealing in high-quality carbon fiber and other high-performance moto accessories for over 16-years, with each piece specifically designed to fit your moto's body design. Fenders, exhaust cans, gas caps, levers, and more. You can outfit your bike, piece by piece, or go all out, Shift-Tech style, like this all-carbon fiber Shift-Tech custom Ducati Streetfighter job:

Yep. This bike is for real...

... and it looks even better in-person.

BRITISH CUSTOMS. Ton-up, baby!

Predator pipes. Air box removal kit. Yep.

Predator pipes, plus tail tidy, air box removal.

Or, go for it with this sick 2-into-1 BC exhaust.

OHLINS. Because, suspension wins races:

And in case you ever wanted to know how the Ohlins TTX shock works (and why its called TTX), here ya go:

So many fun (and very necessary) accessories, yet never enough motorcycles. So treat your one and only, to the best holiday season ever. They will truly be the gifts that never stop giving.

Happy Moto Holidays!

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Retail Bankruptcy Scourge Spreads to U.S. Motorcycle Industry

2017-12-11T23:27:00.000+00:00

News of retail store closings and bankruptcy filings in the United States have become depressingly common in recent years. And now it appears that the bankruptcy scourge has come to the motorcycle industry with the announcement that the Motorcycle Aftermarket Group (MAG) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

While the Motorcycle Aftermarket Group may not be a familiar name, even to the most die-hard moto-devotees, the assortment of brand names owned by the group most certainly are, including: Renthal, Roland Sands Design, Vance & Hines, Tucker Rocky, and J&P Cycles.

Many of these brands will also be filing for bankruptcy as MAG attempts to restructure its debt and find new ownership. Ostensibly, by filing for bankruptcy, these companies will make it easier for MAG's new ownership to turnaround the overall business and return to profitability. (MAG is owned by Velocity Holding Company, but is colloquially known as MAG)

(MAG companies filing for Chapter 11 include: Rental Americas, Tucker Rocky, Performance Machines, Vance & Hines, J&P Cycles, Velocity Holdings Company, Velocity Pooling Vehicle, DFR Acquisition, Ed Tucker Distributor, Kuryakyn, MAG Creative Group, MAGNET Force, Motorcycle Superstore, Motorcycle USA, Motorcycle Aftermarket Group, Mustang Motorcycle Products, Ralco Holdings, and Rally Holdings)

The prevailing conventional wisdom these days is that the Internet is killing bricks & mortar shops and traditional retailing. How else can you explain over 6,700 retail store closings nationwide during a time when the economy is growing, the stock market booming, employment is low, and consumer confidence is high?

The thing is, e-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2017 totalled a mere 8.4-percent of total sales (not adjusted for seasonal variation or price changes). Granted, that percentage is a big increase over the 3.5-percent in the beginning of 2008, but at 8.4-percent, Internet sales have a way to go before total domination.

Moreover, many of the MAG brands have a strong online presence and brand recognition. Riders may be ordering their Kuryakyn parts online instead of through their local Harley shop, but they are still buying Kuryakyn. And MAG's Motorcycle Superstore brand is an online store only. If the Death-by-Internet theory is correct, it should have been untouched by bankruptcy.

So, if its not Amazon or eBay, then what is happening to our retail stores and brands? I have one word for you, apologies if you have a flashback to the go-go-greed-is-good 1980s: DEBT

80s Corporate Raider and Debt Dealer

Yep. Debt is back and it is BIG, BAD, and just as UGLY as it was before. Because if you think the current round of retail bankruptcy filings is bad, you ain't seen nothing yet.

According to a recent article in Bloomberg, private equity firms have been purchasing retail chains like so many pairs of cheap shoes over the past decade. Private equity firms are investment management firms, not publicly traded, that provide financial backing and make investments in startups and mature companies. Generally, private equity firms and their investors will acquire a controlling or substantial minority interest in a company and then look to maximize the value of that investment.

For the retail chains bought up by private equity firms, the quest to maximize profits has had devastating consequences. Private equity firms borrow huge sums to purchase a company. Once they have control, they raid the corporate cash reserves of the newly purchased company to pay off their initial loans and divert revenue to shareholders in the firm of dividend payouts. Once the cash reserves are depleted, they "lend" funds to the company, loading up the debt burden to the point that it is impossible to pay, particularly as rising interest rates have made it difficult for over-leveraged companies to roll-over debt and refinance.

And if a company can't pay its debts? Welcome to Chapter 11.

You would think the owners of the company, meaning the private equity firms that bought it, would be hesitant about driving their own assets into bankruptcy. But there is a method, and lots of money, to this madness.

Once a company is in bankruptcy, private equity firms can act as debtor-in-posession (DIP) lenders. DIP lenders are paid before other creditors during bankruptcy proceedings. And DIP loans often pay more than debt issued before the bankruptcy, have short maturities, and give the lender a seat at the negotiating table during the bankruptcy proceedings and do things like insist on selling off a company's holdings. In short, DIP loans are a great place to to stash dollars for the short-term with high yields.

So, back to MAG.

MAG has a debt problem. In its bankruptcy filings, it estimated assets between $1 - $10-million and liabilities between $100 - $500-million. A recent Asphalt & Rubber article had a best-guess estimate of $450-million. Translation: MAG is a seriously over-leveraged firm, meaning it has a unsustainably high debt-to-equity ratio ("leverage" is a term used to describe how much debt a company uses to fund its operations.)

Three private equity firms - Monomoy Capital Partners, BlueMountain Partners, and Contrarian Partners - have stepped in relieve MAG of $300-million of its immediate debt through a debt-for-equity swap, which is more than enough to make them controlling owners of MAG, and means that MAG owes these companies $300-million. Additionally, MAG has negotiated a $135-million DIP loan, which must repaid as part of the Chapter 11 restructuring.

Chapter 11 "restructuring" sounds like it could be a good thing. It gives MAG time to negotiate with creditors, and find good solutions to managing its debt and adjusting its operating in a way that will keep its many brands in business, preserving all the jobs associated with them, and create a healthy, profitable company for the long-term. Except MAG isn't MAG anymore. It is simultaneously owned by three private equity firms and heavily indebted to them.

Private equity firms exist to make their investors a whole lot of money. The three that own MAG didn't just decide one day to purchase an over-leveraged company and pay off its debts out of the goodness of their hearts. They brought their investors' money to the table because they believe they will be able to profit from this investment, which in all likelihood will mean bleeding MAG dry, selling off and liquidating its brand assets.

I hope I am wrong. I hope that MAG and its brands will emerge stronger than before. But I doubt it. Private equity firms make their money exactly by loading up companies with unsustainable debt payments and then wringing every last dime out of them by raiding assets and cash reserves, and then coming back to profit off the spoils if bankruptcy is declared.

This predatory financial behavior and debt-dealing is at the heart of the American retail apocalypse and it is set to put more than 8-million people out of their jobs and into the unemployment line over the next few few years, through no fault of their own.

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Sourced from Asphalt & Rubber, The New Republic, Bloomberg