Mototrope

Test rode the new Triumph Tiger 800XC

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 May 2011 20:34:00 +0000

Last month, I started looking at the new Triumph Tiger 800XC as a possible ride for my cross-country trip which is just around the corner in July. This bike has gotten incredible reviews in the trade and by new owners. I first spotted the Triumph at the International Motorcycle Show in February in Chicago and loved the way it looked. Once I sat on it, it seemed like the perfect fit for me. I talked to the dealer at the show and as soon as they got a demo, I was going to come out and take it for a ride.

Last week, I finally got to the dealer and took the Tiger for a 45 minute ride. I wanted to make sure that I could ride on the highway for hours on end without feeling like I was riding on an off road bike. The instruments on the bike was familiar since I've been riding Triumphs for several years now. The engine started with barely a whisper and as I rode out of the parking lot, I already felt comfortable on the bike, as if I'd ridden it many times before. Then as I shifted to second and then third, I realized that this inline triple engine was very different than anything I'd ever ridden before. It was in fact, the smoothest engine I've ever ridden on, even more effortless than the BMW r1150r boxer engine. It didn't matter whether I was on 2nd, 3rd or 4th gear, the engine ran so smoothly, I didn't feel like I was pushing it at all. I kept looking at the indicator on the dash which identified what gear I was in. It was then that I realized that I missed the torque and feel of my V-twin Ducati and Moto Guzzi engines. After getting over the slight disappointment of the torque, I got on the highway and there, the Triumph Tiger really came to life for me. I loved the smooth triple engine and I was able to ride through the highway traffic with no effort and really appreciated the lightness of the bike.

I returned from the ride and wished that the Triumph Tiger 800xc had a little bit more power. If I wasn't looking for a cross country ride, I think I would have considered this Tiger more seriously. As I parked the bike, I looked over and saw the Ducati Multistrada 1200 that I test rode last fall staring at me.

Did anyone really get to ride much in April?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 May 2011 01:27:00 +0000

I heard on the radio that it had been 50 years since we had this much rain in April. I was walking back to work on Michigan Ave. last week on a rare sunny day and I saw a group of riders buzzing through town on their sports bikes. It was about 1:30 in the afternoon and I had a twinge of jealousy as the last of the riders weaved through the traffic past where I was walking.

Noticing a few bikes out and about in Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:41:00 +0000

BMW spotted on Fulton Market and Clinton.

Hard to believe a place like this exists; past, present or future. Power on Deus!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:25:00 +0000

Deus Canggu
In Bali surfing and motorbikes have always been fused together. In the early days surfers only access to remote breaks, other than on foot, was on 2 stroke trail bike. Today most surfers still get to the same breaks on two wheels.

Deus promotes and celebrates a custom motorcycle culture that first appeared in Europe and America in the 1940s that has recently been revived by groups of young enthusiasts in Japan, America, Australia and now Indonesia.

The company has built the Temple of Enthusiasm in Canggu, Bali. The 2000sqm site is a clever combination of new and 100 year old traditional Indonesian wooden houses, taking references from the kampung, or traditional Indonesian home village. This somewhat eclectic collection of buildings house the showroom, art gallery, workshop facilities, photographic studio, artists studio, and even a surfboard shaping bay. Connected by a wide verandah full of tables and chairs that is the Deus Cafe, where Canggu locals, pro surfers and artists rub elbows with riders gassing up on caffeine whist out on their Bali excursions. A melting pot of ideas and ideologies, a Warung of Knowledge.

While the sale of custom motorcycles and surfboards are at the core of the business visitors to the Deus showroom will find hand built fixed gear bicycles and a range of Deus brand clothing, bags and accessories as well as a range of items which feature timeless design and reflect the Deus culture. Art is a very important part of the Deus mix and besides our own art gallery which will be filled with prints and paintings by artists such as, Andrew Wellman, Robert Moore and Dustin Humphrey, not to mention regular exhibitions by these and other invited artists, we have an artists workshop where invited artists will come to work and ultimately hold an exhibition.

We are united in our belief that modern motorcycling & surfing have been hijacked by marketing forces and we harbour a desire to introduce a new generation of rider to that same pure enthusiasm that kick-started our own love of motorcycling & surfing.

Now, another reason to plan a trip to Bali...

Triumph returns to the Chicago International Motorcycle Show

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Last weekend, I attended the International Motorcycle Show in Chicago. Attendance on opening night was much greater than the previous couple of years – and significantly larger than the opening night crowd at the Detroit show which I attended last month. Adding to the excitement in Chicago was the appearance of Triumph after a seven-year absence from this venue. I was especially excited to see the new Tiger 800 and 800xc Adventure models and the newly updated Speed Triple. The Tiger 800 series enters Triumph into the growing adventure riding category competing directly with the very successful BMW 800GS and 1200GS series. The new Tigers have been getting generous reviews by both the European and North American press and they didn’t disappoint. The bikes on display were a huge draw throughout the night.

The other bike that I was really interested in seeing was the newly updated 2011 Speed Triple. I had always been drawn to the idea of the Speed Triple with its torqued out 1050 engine but I felt like the design had become too dated over the years. For the 2011 model, Triumph increased the torque by 7% and completely redesigned the chassis with a new aluminum twin spar frame. They also fitted a wider back tire and added twin headlamps making the new Speed Triple look even more aggressive than before, and in my opinion, more contemporary and appealing. I think we'll be seeing a lot more Triumphs on the road this year.

Beautiful Chaos

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:52:00 +0000

Quiet first night at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in Detroit

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 23:32:00 +0000

Last weekend, I stopped by the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, Michigan to see the Progressive International Motorcycle Show, touted as the largest motorcycle show on the planet. Having attended the show in Chicago in recent years, I was disappointed that BMW and Ducati were absent (BMW was missing in Chicago last year as well). Triumph is a participant this year but not in Detroit. Present were, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Harley Davidson, Victory, Can-Am and Indian. Additionally, there was a nice display of custom choppers along with the usual suppliers, vendors and clubs representing both the national and local motorcycle scene. What was somewhat surprising was the fact that there were hardly any people there on opening night. It was a tough weather night with snow falling heavily but c’mon, this show comes around only once a year! I’ll attend the Chicago show in a few weeks. BMW, Ducati and Triumph all have new bikes to introduce in 2011. Let’s hope the attendance will be better.

Both Progressive and Allstate Insurance companies had significant presence at the show. Even though Allstate was not a sponsor of the traveling show, they had two large booths where mechanics and other presenters provided hands-on demonstrations on how to perform valve-adjustments to providing information on how to buy the right fitting protective gear. Unfortunately, all the booths were sparse without a big showing that evening.

This custom triumph was one of the highlights of the show for me. You could hardly call this a Triumph, but they used the Triumph badge on the gas tank. It was a beautifully built bike. Note the large rotors on the front tire. The rear tire had a similar set up. And the way they connected the handle bars into the fork was a great design element. The front shocks system was built into the center right behind the headlight. Just beautiful and amazing!

The cross-country 2011 Rolling Reunion will cover 2995 miles

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 02:44:00 +0000

This is the riding route Forrest sent for the summer ride. Nine days of riding covering 2995 miles. The longest riding day will be 371 miles. I'll have to decide whether to ship my bike from Chicago to Virginia Beach (where we will begin the ride) or to ride there. After nine days of riding, when we reach Santa Monica, California, I'll have the bike shipped back to Chicago.

The 2011 Moto Guzzi Stelvio is now equipped with a new 8.4 gallon tank

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 02:05:00 +0000

Now we just have to wait and see if Moto Guzzi will really deliver this by Spring of 2011. I'm not going to hold my breath but I'll be the first in line to see it when it arrives.

Four retro Hondas just five blocks from each other in Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:49:00 +0000

Walking back to the office from a meeting, I came across four nice looking Hondas from the past, all within five blocks of each other. All in great shape and well-cared for. Made me wonder if the riders knew each other.

Another hot day in Chicago. More riders in shorts.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:41:00 +0000

We were going about 75. Shot out of the window with the "Hipstamatic."

The Beaches neighborhood has a great vibe for riders in Toronto.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:12:00 +0000

Last week, my family spent a week in Toronto and we stumbled on to an area called The Beaches. The Beaches is a neighborhood located on the east side of the "Old City" of Toronto. We walked through the main "downtown" area, which is a few blocks from the actual beach. Considering how close we were to downtown Toronto, it was really a pleasant surprise to learn about this neighborhood since it had such a different vibe than the city. A vibrant community with mostly independent stores, restaurants and cafes, the main commercial area was full of young parents with children, nannies, dogs and their owners, and motorcyclists. It was great to see so many bikers in one concentrated area. It reminded me of London, except the Beaches is much more casual. I saw several bikers riding in shorts and t-shirts (I don't think you'll see too many riders like this in London). The Beaches has one main strip called Queen Street East. I noticed that several bikers seemed to be just cruising up and down this strip. We were there during the middle of the day and wondered what all these people did for a living as the streets were full of people. I suppose there were a certain number of tourists but most of the strollers seemed to be locals.

After walking through the main strip (which took about 30 minutes), we decided to stop for lunch and settled on a small corner cafe called Juice and Java. In addition to coffee and smoothies, they had a nice selection of food that included salads, sandwiches, quiches and crepes. They also had a nice outdoor seating area but there were a couple of smokers so we ate in their upstairs dining area, a quiet and secluded space above the main floor.

I didn't miss riding all week until we came to the Beaches neighborhood. It was fun to see so many riders and to experience another vibrant and active area of Toronto.

More riders in shorts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:15:00 +0000

Last Saturday was another scorcher in Chicago. Walking down the 900 block of West Armitage Avenue I came across several more riders in t-shirts and shorts. The young women and her passenger on a beautiful black Triumph Thruxton rode by wearing a t-top and shorts and I barely noticed that her motorcycle was as big as some of the cars parked on Armitage Avenue. It just so happened that on this day, there was a street exhibit of a dozen or more small cars organized by Teeny Tiny Productions, who brought the traveling exhibit of small cars from Europe, the United States and Japan to Chicago. It was a fun summer day of people watching – along with the added attraction of cars that were as small, or big, as motorcycles.

Another guy in a t-shirt and shorts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:32:00 +0000

It's been pretty hot in Chicago lately. We're seeing a lot more riders in t-shirts and... well only a few in shorts. Cool bike however!

iPhone 4 Film - "156 Turns" - Ducati Multistrada - Pikes Peak

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:22:00 +0000

This is really a fun movie on the new Ducati Multistrada filmed entirely on an iPhone. In case anyone thought the new Multistrada was too pristine to mix it up on rough surfaces, take a look at this. The iPhone capture is pretty impressive also.

It looked like a dead body lying there

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 19:59:00 +0000

2:00 pm: Wood Street, just south of Cortland.

Why we ride: If you have to ask

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Riding a motorcycle can make you feel joyous, powerful, peaceful, frightened, vulnerable, and back out to happy again, perhaps in the same ten miles. It is life compressed, its own answer to the question "Why?"
Melissa Holbrook Pierson

The Perfect Vehicle is one of my favorite books about what its like to ride a motorcycle. I've given it out to a few of my friends over the years. Every winter, I pick up the book and read a few pages just to remind myself that spring will come and I will be on two wheels again.

More motorcycles in NYC these days? Just wondering.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:49:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I was in New York City for two days and stayed at the Thompson Hotel near Prince and Thompson. It had been several years since I was in this area of Manhattan and was surprised to see so many scooters and motorcycles parked along the streets of SoHo. It was dreary and rainy during my visit so I didn’t see many riders but I was energized to see a bike parked on just about every street I walked through.

In Chicago, don't push your luck

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:31:00 +0000

I ran across this photo I took in Chicago (on Delaware Street by the Hancock Building) earlier this year. After spending time in London last month, I couldn't get over how "English" this photo felt to me with the uniformed Four Seasons doorman and the church in the background. At the time however, all I was thinking about was how lucky this Vespa owner was for not getting a ticket parked on the sidewalk in Chicago!

This Yamaha 1670cc air-cooled Beast isn’t available in the U.S.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:23:00 +0000

I always liked the look and idea of this bike from afar. The Yamaha MT01 is sold in Europe and Asia, but not in the U.S. It’s a 1670cc bike built with tons of torque. It’s not a sports bike and definitely not a tourer, but something about this bike always spoke to me. As we were walking towards the train station after dinner in downtown Prague, I came across the MT01 and knew instantly what it was. It’s really a beautiful bike. It would be a perfect commuter bike with lots of power and grunt for the streets of Chicago – as long as rush hour traffic wasn’t too bad.

This Monster was barking!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:18:00 +0000

There must be stringent motorcycle noise laws in Prague; and throughout Europe. During my visit I did not notice any excessively loud pipes until this Ducati blasted past me on one of my walks through Prague. In fact I only saw one Harley Davidson motorcycle during my entire stay in Prague and London. And even then, it was a rare, quiet Harley. Cruisers were just a rarity in the two cities I stayed in Europe. And they were all quiet, except for this Ducati bad boy.

In Prague, park at your own risk

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:13:00 +0000

The owner of this orange bike just missed having this dog piss on his baby. Perhaps the only peril of parking a motorcycle on the sidewalks of Prague…

In Prague, people seem to park their bikes just about everywhere but on the streets

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:08:00 +0000

In walking the streets of Prague, I noticed that people predominately park their motorcycles on the sidewalks. Is this just a blatant disregard for the law? Even the Police officers who rode on their slick Can-Am Spider Trike parked on sidewalks. Can you imagine this in the U.S.?

Prague is steeped in history and cobblestones

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:01:00 +0000

Whenever I travel to another city or country, I try to imagine what it might be like to explore on a motorcycle. One day, I imagine I’ll ride a bike through Europe or maybe through Asia. Along with this, I recognize the potential dangers of riding in a new place, with different driving laws, language, culture and even different driving directions than in the U.S. But the excitement of riding in a new place is always exhilarating and that’s what keeps us exploring. I was fortunate to spend a few days in Prague last month and I couldn’t get over how beautiful the city was. In addition to the centuries old buildings, many of the streets of downtown Prague were still cobblestone. Just amazing to look at and experience – unless you were on a bike.

Statistically, I read that there were more motorcycles per person in the Czech Republic than in the UK, but I saw far fewer bikes in Prague. Between the cobblestones, congestion of cars and the electric rail cars, I wondered what the stats for motorcycle accidents looked like in Prague. Even with Prague’s aggressive drivers, massive tourist population and cobblestoned roads, I think it would still be a blast riding through the streets of Prague – I could do without the rail cars however.

The mystery bike on Fulton Market

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:49:00 +0000

This "Mystery Bike" has been parked across the street from my office on Fulton Market – under cover the entire winter through sleet, snow and rain. I've been eying it every day to see if the owner will ever show up.