Columns

Riding through Olympia Pass in Peru Rene Cormier jokes that the 2003 BMW F650GS Dakar that he no longer rides has been “put out to stud.” It’s still on the road, though, being trailered to speaking engagements so that it may be seen by other envious motorcyclists – riders who wish …

By Bob Rosen Since starting RKA Motorcycle Luggage in 1985, Kathy and Richard (center and right in the picture) have continuously expanded their offerings of well-made, American-built Cordura luggage to feature an exceptionally diverse collection of products.  Their products application page lists just about every popular brand of motorcycle. Those in need …

By Steve Smith “Ride like you are invisible.” This sage advice has been around a long time and is still relevant today. Out on the road, it sure seems like we are invisible. Other drivers look right through us or 

Lee Ann Sullivan with her collection of motorcycles As a children’s author with 23 titles to her credit, Lee Ann Sullivan of Salisbury, CT is accustomed to researching before sitting down at her laptop to write. It was an assignment a decade ago for what would eventually became the 2004 book …

Most activities have expressions and sayings that are associated with them. For instance, in golf, there’s the line “never up, never in” to describe a timid putt that fails to make it to the hole. In cooking, there’s the old favorite that “a watched pot never boils,” which can be …

  Here in the Northeast, there is an 800-pound gorilla that enters the room every November – the weather. It has an enormous impact on every dealer, and there isn’t a single thing the dealers can do to change the temperatures or precipitation levels that are headed their way. They can, …

Nathan Muscaro of New Hartford pops a wheelie on his 2014 KTM 500 EXC.  Winter is the time when most of us put our bikes into storage and stuff our riding gear into the closet, although there are a few hardy street riders who don’t mind a little salt on the …

By Bob Rose With the unlikely name of Dad’s Vintage Ads, you will find this Tennessee based mail-order company to have a veritable treasure trove of old bike info in the form of vintage motorcycle ads and magazines. The site is organized by brand and features a lot of way-cool …

  How does the dealer decide what to charge you for repairs and maintenance on your bike? If you’ve been to a dealership a few times, you probably think you have a pretty good idea of how things work. But, there’s a lot more going on that isn’t obvious to the average …

Dave Rosen and his Thruxton at New York’s IMS When the January/February 2014 issue of “Motorcycle Classics” magazine arrived recently, I immediately noticed the full-page Triumph advertisement on the back cover. It shows a customized Thruxton model being ridden on the Bonneville Salt Flats by pro motorcycle racer Jason DiSalvo, its …

By Steve Smith Most of us are thinking motorcycles during the winter, but cannot do much riding. This down time is a perfect opportunity to tune up your mental skills or, if you’re planning on getting into motorcycling, to prepare for

Kawasaki W80 It was at the end of last year that I was griping about the fact that Moto Guzzi doesn’t sell its Bellagio mid-sized cruiser here in the U.S. and that got me thinking about other models that never see our shores. While Honda withheld its CB1100 for a …

By Bob Rosen “Motorcycle Classics” is a magazine dedicated to all things vintage. Their website is loaded with interesting restoration stories and hundreds of photographs.  Pay particular attention to the title bar listing different countries of origin.  Clicking on the country of your choice will bring you into a world of bikes …

As motorcycle enthusiasts, we get a real kick out of accessorizing our rides, maintaining them, acquiring riding gear and occasionally buying a new or used bike. We have many choices of how and where we can scratch this itch, and local dealerships are always glad to provide an outlet for spending urges.

  Heading into the colder season many people begin thinking about the next riding season. This includes entry riders who are considering their first motorcycle. Some have some prior riding experience with dirt motorcycles or ATVs, but many have never ridden a motorcycle before.  Here are some tips to help