Generally I have found that if you stay out of shape, you get a much better workout. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, running—everything is more difficult and more intense, and you're worn out in way less time. Right? Sometimes lately I have wished this broken logic were true.
I must take exception to something Don Canet wrote about the Tuono in the August test of naked bikes: "Its soul-stirring exhaust note and slick quickshift action rival the exhilaration of squeezing off a clip of M16 rounds." Impossible. M16 rounds must be removed from the clip and inserted into a magazine.
American-style touring usually asks for one thing: a relaxed state of mind. Or perhaps that's what it's meant to induce. Winding down roads in the hilly country around the Mississippi River south of Minneapolis and Red Wing (home of the world's largest boot), I contemplated that chicken-or-egg question regarding my state of mind.
Honda's CBR650F seems to confuse some people. After all, it's a 650cc, four-cylinder middleweight sportbike that's not as fast or as light as the 600cc supersports, and it doesn't offer their roadrace-quality handling either. Who needs a bike like that?
The most versatile MXer gets another trick up its sleeve
KAWASAKI
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KAWASAKI
KX450F
$8699
Ryan Dudek
For the past few years, Kawasaki has made its KX450F highly adjustable. With two-position footpegs and four-position handlebar clamps, the bike has offered versatile ergonomics. Additionally, the KX-F has three ignition coupler maps for quick trackside changes to power delivery.
Wild new three-wheel Polaris lets you carve canyons with a friend at your side
WHY THE GM FOUR-CYLINDER?
POLARIS
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POLARIS
SLINGSHOT
$19,999
Andrew Bornhop
Polaris is on a roll, racking up more than $4 billion in expected sales this year. Clearly, the Minnesota-based manufacturer can afford to have a little fun. For proof, look no further than the Slingshot, a dramatic three-wheeler that goes into production this fall.
Here's a slogan that Victory has coined for its latest bagger, the 2015 Magnum: "Envy Comes Standard." Is the new bike, which is based on the Cross Country platform, worthy of such Praise? Victory officials naturally think so. “The Magnum brings even more attitude to a bike that is already well known for that,” one company rep said.
Naked new 2015 HondaCB300F costs only $800 more than a Grom
Honda
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Honda
CB300F
Andrew Bornhop
Here's what you need to know about Honda's new 2015 CB300F: 1) It weighs only 348 pounds with a full tank. 2) It gets a claimed 71 mpg. 3) It costs only $3,999. Wow, that’s only $800 more than a Honda Grom. For that money, you’re getting an entry-level naked that can be ridden on the freeway, an upright urban machine that’s appealing largely because of its simplicity.
For years, BMW's K1300S has been the Bavarian answer to Kawasaki's ZX-14R Ninja and Suzuki's Hayabusa. Although focused more on sporty touring than rocket ship performance, the 1,300cc inline-four-powered machine is equally at home on the autobahn.
Kawasaki Motors USA announced it will sell 300 ZX-14R Limited Edition 30th Anniversary motorcycles. The individually numbered Ninjas are painted the exact shade of Firecracker Red and Metallic Graystone seen on the original 1984 Ninja.
BMW's new Two-in-One sport-touring gloves are pure genius. Two interior chambers—"Proof" and "Grip"—are clearly labeled. Slide your hand into Grip and your palm is in direct contact with highly abrasion-resistant 0.7mm-thick kangaroo leather, perforated for venting and offering excellent tactile feel.
Hey, what's AMA Pro SuperBike racer Josh Hayes doin' in the dirt? He's testing Arai's new VX-Pro4 helmet, which, among other things, has an updated chin bar vent grille and greatly improved ventilation. Up front, a taller and wider peak improves roost deflection, while strap locators keep goggles in place.
For kicks, here's our list of Ten Best winners from the October1989 issue. Apart from one American and one Austrian, all were from Japanese manufacturers: BEST SUPERBIKE: YAMAHA FZR1000 BEST 750cc STREETBIKE: SUZUKI 750 KATANA BEST 650cc STREETBIKE: YAMAHA FZR600
Pata Honda World Superbike rider is on track for his best season
JR ON LAGUNA SECA
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Matthew Miles
RIGHT NOW, THE SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS VERY BALANCED. Honda, Aprilia, Kawasaki, and Suzuki have won this year, and Ducati got very close. INTRODUCTION OF EVO HAS REALLY BOLSTERED THE GRID, BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN A FAN OF TWO SPECIFICATIONS WITHIN A CLASS.
If you like to wander off the beaten path, chances are you might find yourself in inclement weather and without the possibility of starting a fire to cook/heat food. Chemically activated by water, the MEALSPEC Gen2 Cooking Bag ($2.50 each) is a military-spec device that can cook for up to an hour at 190 to 220 degrees.
MEALSPEC
[no value]
$29.95
An old bandanna might work, but If you really want to filter dust and pollutants from your lungs while riding, the RZ Mask ($29.95) has replaceable Active Carbon Filters to remove 99 percent of air Impurities. Neoprene construction allows the mask to fit comfortably under helmets and goggles, while one-way valves expel condensation.
MEALSPEC
Pocket Survival Pak
$34
Getting stranded in the wilderness while riding can be a life-threatening affair. Be prepared with S.O.L.’s Pocket Survival Pak ($34) and Adventure Medical Kit ($17). These kits are packed with useful items that can make the difference between surviving or permanently becoming one with the land.
MEALSPEC
GS Tool Bag
$55
You can never have too many tools, but modern bikes don’t offer much underseat storage and typically don't come with useful tool kits anymore. Held’s GS Tool Bag ($55) has 3 liters of capacity and straps onto the bottom of the current-generation BMW GS’s tall rack. It’s tucked out of the way but still easily accessible.
MEALSPEC
Jacket Liner
$209.99
Nothing can ruin a ride like being cold. Motorcyclists have depended on heated garments for years, but Venture Heat’s Jacket Liner ($209.99) features the latest microfiber heating elements for improved flexibility, better coverage, and more uniform heating. Its heated gloves can be plugged into pre-wired connectors in the sleeves.
Protection is paramount in any serious racing glove, and while several sport-oriented gloves offer sufficient armor, few provide superb fit and comfort as well. Japanese riding-gear specialist Kushitani, known for producing high-quality racing suits that are as cozy as your favorite pair of pajamas, has incorporated a wealth of racing experience into the design and construction of its GPR 6 leather racing glove.
Buried way down on the spec chart for many cars—sometimes even that little econo-box your neighbor drives—is a feature called Brake Assist. Its purpose is simple. When Brake Assist senses a sudden brake-pedal application, the system applies the brakes harder than your actions call for.
Dirt-tracker/engineer Al Gunter put it into words when he told his protégé, Dick Mann, "Don't try to beat those guys using their ideas. They've had 'em a lot longer than you have. You need an edge, something nobody else has but you." He could very well have had Tom Sifton in mind.
DESIGNING THE R nineT WAS EASY. IT WAS CONVINCING BMW TO BUILD IT THAT WAS HARD.
BMW
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BMW
R nineT
$14,900
Brian Catterson
Changing a brand's image isn't easy. And it's especially difficult when you're talking about a 90-year-old motorcycle manufacturer that's known for being conservative. For decades, BMW motorcycles carried a stigma. Politely, they were gentlemen’s sport-tourers.
R nineT designer Ola Stenegärd believes the future of motorcycling lies in the past
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BC
OLA STENEGÄRD is no stranger to Cycle World. Back when he was a custom builder making a name for himself in his native Sweden, his Honda VTR1000-based power cruiser was featured in our popular "American Flyers" series. Educated at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, he did stints at Saab and the late Indian Motorcycle Company before winding up at BMW Motorrad, where today he is head of vehicle design.
THE WORLD'S MOST HATED MOTORCYCLE BUILT BY THE WORLD'S MOST HATED MOTORCYCLE CUSTOMIZER
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PAUL D'ORLEANS
BMW HAS SOUGHT MANY COLLABORATIONS with famous customizers in recent times, but the one it might regret, this deconstruction of the new R nineT, is with El Solitario Motorcycle Club of Galicia, Spain. Savvy factories collaborate with hip builders to take their bikes to places in-house design teams just can't go—even when those designers include Ola Stenegärd, who builds choppers in a humble garage he shares with his boss, Edgar Heinrich, the top moto man at BMW.
THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME BMW WORKED TO CHANGE ITS IMAGE
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Ray Blank
The now-classic BMW R90S of 1974-'76 was an unlikely motorcycle from the Munich-based company. And now, 40 years later, it's equally unlikely that a group of diehard enthusiasts would gather to celebrate the sporting machine and the men who made it happen.
OUR MOUNTAIN ROOKIE PUTS IN A PRO PERFORMANCE AT PIKES PEAK
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Don Canet
Like most racers, I have a list of epic racing events I want to compete in on my bucket list. Isle of Man is one of them. Suzuka 8 Hours is one. Pikes Peak International Hill Climb...wasn't one of them. Not until the whole course was paved a few years ago, anyway.
GUY MARTIN BUILDS A TURBOCHARGED, BIG-BORE SUZUKI GSX-R1100 TO TAKE ON AMERICA’S OLDEST ROADRACE
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Gary Inman
"It's different, isn't it? I just want my eyes opened. I know there's more to motorbike racing than what I do," says British real-roads racing specialist Guy Martin, explaining why he's halfway up an American mountain at 4:15 a.m. He's sitting in the back of a rented U-Haul van parked between trees in the temporary pits of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Q: I have a 2013 Yamaha YZF-R1. So far my riding has been on local highways here in the Ozarks. I have been asked to come along with some others on a 4,000-mile trip to South Dakota and back home. I took my bike to the dealer for new tires and its 4,000-mile service.
BASIC SPECS: This Ducati is powered by one of the great engines of its generation, a 992cc, sohc, two-valve-per-cylinder, 90-degree V-twin that’s rich in character and packed with torque. It’s a perfect complement to the Sport Classics’ retro styling.
Dorna wants lots of entries and close, exciting competition. What’s wrong with that?
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Kevin Cameron
Big changes are coming to the Superbike World Championship next year, a transition from nearly full-race machines based on production bikes to a controlled-cost class, closer to stock, and more similar to British Superbike or Super-stock.
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