Ironhardt takes us through New England to the Bar Harbor, Maine ferry that takes so many motorcyclists to the southern tip of Nova Scotia. From there, it’s north to Cape Breton on a trip that involves some family history. “I am in some way recreating a trip that my dad took from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia during the 1980s on his Kawasaki,” Ironhardt says in the description.

But he’s exploring more than his heritage and the landscape around him. He says he’s fascinated by the responses he gets to the question “How did you get into motorcycling,” and he talks about his own moto development process as he rides along on his 2012 Triumph Bonneville SE.

Watching this video, I see a lot of roads I recognize, and I see the kind of touring that many serious motorcycles are into, those early-season rides before the tourists take over the roads. And I recognize the same quirk-of-fate story that put Ironhardt on two wheels for life, just like so many of the rest of us. It’s the basic bike story that many of us think of on the days we’re stuck in the office, or snowed in all winter long. Maybe it’ll inspire your own trip, to tell your own moto history stories?

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According to Motorrad Online magazine, the new Italjet Dragster 700 will be powered by a liquid-cooled parallel twin engine with DOHC top end, EFI and four valves per cylinder head. Thanks to the modern design, the engine is supposed to make 68 hp at 8,500 rpm. And it’s an engine that our Euro readers should be very familiar with, as it’s the made-in-China twin that also powers the Benelli TRK702 adventure bike. That engine is ultimately produced in China by Benelli’s owners, the QianJiang Group. According to Motorrad Online, that also means Italjet will be able to offer an A2-legal version of this scooter, to fit into the graduated licencing system.

Because it’s originally a motorcycle engine, this powerplant comes with a six-speed gearbox that includes a bike-style foot shifter instead of a twist-and-go throttle. Final drive is via chain, not belt. Top speed, according to Italjet, is more than 190 km/h.

The rest of the scoot is exactly what you’d expect. It’s a stretched-out step-through (maxi-scooters tend to be longer, to fit that engine into the chassis). There are 15-inch wheels front and back, and the chassis is visibly beefed up to handle the extra power, with dual Brembo brake calipers up front mated to 270 mm discs, and another Brembo caliper in rear with a 230 mm disc. ABS, of course, is standard. So is an Akrapovic exhaust, and the suspension is from Ohlins.

We do get this image of the beefed-up Dragster 700 chassis, which looks a lot more capable than any other scoot we’ve seen recently. Photo: Italjet

Aside from the engine, it seems the rest of the Italjet Dragster 700 is built in Italy, or at least assembled there (most motorcycles these days are built from parts collected all over the world, and it seems Italjet spec’d high-quality parts for this one).

Motorrad Online reports base price will be 12,900 euros, which works out to roughly $14,000 USD. The Dragster 700 is supposed to be officially revealed at EICMA in 2024, and given the vagaries of our world economy, perhaps the MSRP will change by then anyway.

And if you want to buy one in the US? Genuine Scooters in Chicago has planned to bring Italjet machines into the US before, but we’ve heard nothing so far about this one.

The post Maxi-Scooters Are Dead… Or Are They? appeared first on Adventure Rider.

Joy Machine is a YouTube channel focusing on moto travel around North America, riding old-school bikes down back roads. You should recognize a lot of the landscapes along the way. Check out their visit to Monument Valley or the Bonneville Salt Flats.

If you go to their channel, you’ll see lots of their EVO-powered Harley-Davidson complete with king-and-queen seat, and on some trips Nika rides her Royal Enfield 650 Continental GT.

And of course they have an Instagram account filled with their adventures, like every good, modern influencer does.

YMMV on whether or not you like their adventure footage. It’s certainly not based on a modern ADV bike with long-travel suspension and farkles galore. However, I appreciate their channel for showing that it’s still possible to get out there and see the world using the equipment you own. And considering all the Old-Man-Shakes-Fist-At-Cloud comments that we see whenever this site has a story about young people and motorcycling, I say it’s good to see that some of America, at least, is still in love with the open road.

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“You have a lumbar sprain,” he said. He handed me a sheet of paper. It warned me not to lift anything, not to exercise. I could go for a walk, and that was it.

I nodded, pocketed the paper, and left. I didn’t tell him that the next few weeks would be my busiest time of the 2024 motorcycle season, with lots of dirt roads and dual sport riding. My backache treatment was going to simply have to wait—I had to ride the KTM Adventure Rally that weekend!

Calabogie Peaks Resort served as home base, with plenty of room for demo bikes and guests, along with space to run bike skills-based challenges at the day’s end. Photo: Lindsay Donovan

Touchdown in Ottawa

This year, after running the event in Quebec and in British Columbia before that, the KTM Adventure Rally Canada moved to the province of Ontario, based  out of the Calabogie Peaks Resort. This optimistically-named ski hill was obviously not as busy in the summer months, so they had plenty of room on-site for camping, demo rides, vendors and everything else that goes along with the rally. I flew to Ottawa mid-week; KTM picked me up with some other attendees, and we drove a couple of hours to Calabogie.

I’d be borrowing a GasGas ES700 Enduro for this year’s rally, so on Thursday, I spent a few minutes setting it up how I liked, and took it on a shakedown ride. That evening, it was time to put together a team, before the riding started Friday.

I’m a big fan of KTM’s big single, and now that you can also get it in GasGas clothes, I asked to borrow one for the rally (and ride it home after, for some other projects). I was riding the only GasGas bike there, but there were quite a few Husqvarnas, and I expect the red machines will slowly become more prevalent as well. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

Back on the dating scene

I’ve been married for almost 20 years now, but at the KTM rally, I’d have to go back into the dating scene. Thankfully, this time I was only looking for short-term teammates, not a life partner. To run the rally, KTM requires its riders be in a team of 2-4 riders (some teams had five). As I’d arrived solo without arranging anything beforehand, I needed to find some riding buddies.

KTM calls this process “speed dating.” They threw all the unaffiliated riders in a room, and left it to us to sort out our teams—chaotic, perhaps, but practical. This way, if you don’t like your teammates, you have nobody to blame but yourself, since you picked them.

“So, uh… wanna ride together tomorrow?” Photo: Zac Kurylyk

My plan was simple: Grab ahold of the most sensible-looking guys I could find. I planned to run the easier R2 route (KTM divides the rally into R1 and R2 routes; R1 is shorter and much more technical, with trails that can be tricky in parts). I ended up quickly pairing with brothers Jean (who rode a KTM 790 Adventure R) and Pierre (who rode a Yamaha Super Tenere). They’d ridden in from the Montreal area, and we all seemed to be interested in running the same speed. Another guy, Darryl, joined up with us briefly, then ditched us to go ride with his former enduro buddies. I figured he’d be getting his Moto Guzzi V85 TT into a bit more of a flap than he’d be comfortable with, but certainly didn’t hold it against him. If my old riding friends showed up, I would have wanted to join with them too.

Thursday night, we had dinner, a brief safety meeting, and then bed. Friday morning, it was time to ride.

Heading out on Friday morning, Day 1! The R1 riders left a half-hour earlier, to give them more time on the tricky sections. Photo: Lindsay Donovan

Gravel travel

The safety meeting told us the R2 route was 70 percent road, 30 percent gravel. Maybe that was the case, but the slower pace on the unpaved section made it feel more like a 50-50 or even a 40-60 split. Not that you couldn’t have ripped through these sections if you wanted to, on the appropriate bike, but as they were all public roads, it would have been a bad idea. There’s no quicker way to get an event shut down than to rip up a dirt road through a campground at warp speed, and we were cautioned to be sensible as we rode past cottages and cabins. There were a lot of these along the way—I had no idea there were so many old-school log buildings in this corner of Ontario. The scenery was pure back-country St. Lawrence Lowlands stuff; evergreens and hardwoods that were finally in full summer greenery. Small farms and lots of vacation properties, but nothing very ostentatious. People go here to fish in the spring and summer, and hunt in the fall. It’s not the glammed-up Muskokas.

Some of the R2 consisted of easy county roads through farm country, but there were stretches of very fun two-laners through the woods as well. The end of Day 1’s riding was particularly enjoyable. Photo: Lindsay Donovan

The end of each day saw riders doing skills-based challenges at home base, trying to earn extra points and end up as top-scoring team in their class. Photo: Lindsay Donovan

The roads we traveled were in excellent shape, even the unpaved ones. The gravel was smoother than most of the paved roads in my home province of New Brunswick, and I could have used my Bandit 1200S for most of the day’s riding, if I’d taken my time. The only tricky spot would have been right before lunch, where a grader had freshly churned the soil. One of the teams in front of us had a rider come off her bike there and break her collarbone. It was a tough way to end her rally, and a good reminder that even if the roads were easy, we needed to stay alert.

We were done by late afternoon, and after dinner and a warning again to watch our speeds around the civilian population, it was bedtime. The KTM rally has two days of riding, and the weather forecast looked like it could get tricky the second day. It was best to be ready for an early start, especially since the day’s heat had beat us up pretty badly. I was guzzling down a drink every time we stopped, and still felt light-headed at points.

Hot, hot, hot! For the riders on the R1 sections, there were plenty of warnings to not get in over their heads as temperatures rose. As this hillclimb shows, the R1 route was considerably more difficult than R2, although it was supposed to be easier than the R1 route used last year in Quebec… at least, that was the case before it started raining. Photo: Steve Shannon

Keeping KTM’s parts counter in business… Lots of riders needed new windscreens or mirrors or signals or other small parts after tipping over in the rally. Photo: Steve Shannon

All bike brands are welcome at the KTM Adventure Rally Canada, but KTMs were the overwhelming majority of what I saw on-site, and 790 and 890 models were the most popular of those, I think. There were lots of V-twin Katooms on site as well, though, including some older 1190, 1090 and 990 models. Photo: Steve Shannon

Harder times

On Saturday, our team left in the middle of the R2 exodus from rally HQ (the R1 riders headed out first). The skies threatened rain, but didn’t immediately follow through on that threat—but overnight, many of the unpaved sections we rode had received a soaking, which kept the dust down.

The dirt roads were a little more tricky on Saturday’s ride, with more logging roads instead of cottage roads, and one particular section that had sand everywhere. Pierre lost the Super Ten’s front end in a corner here, but he toughed it out, quickly picked the machine back up, and we went rolling on to our lunch stop—a picnic beside a waterfall. It was beautiful, and a real treat to have a break in such a place once I’d applied some bug spray. Thankfully, Jean had remembered to bring a bottle of repellent, and it was strong stuff—after slathering it on, my lips went numb for a few minutes.

Our picnic lunch stop on Day 2. Good thing my teammate remembered bug spray! But the view was gorgeous, and the rain held off while we ate. Photo: Lindsay Donovan

Here’s the cool restaurant where we ate our lunch on Day 1, complete with vintage taxidermy all over the walls. Photo: Lindsay Donovan

After downing a sandwich, some veggies, a cookie and a drink (KTM provided a similar lunch stop both days), we were back on the trails for the final miles—and here our difficulties started. For extra points, we could ride a more-difficult side route, and Jean, Pierre and I all felt up to it. Off we went, first down a steep, rocky hill which had a rather inconveniently-placed bog hole at the bottom. We got through with no drama and down the trail we went, discovering even more bog along the way. It turned out the previous night’s rain had made this section considerably more challenging, and the riders who went before us had churned the muck up even worse.

Part of the problem was that the riders themselves and their bikes were laying on their sides in the mud. Now, I’ve been to enough ADV rallies to see this sort of thing play out a few times, and I knew what to do—park the bike and get pushing and pulling. We had everyone else out shortly, and it was our team’s turn. Jean made it through with some careful riding; Pierre’s tires let him down, and he ended up in the mud under his Yamaha. We got him out, and then it was my turn.

Rain made the unpaved sections more challenging towards the end of Day 2, although the showers the night before were much appreciated, as they kept the dust down! Photo: Steve Shannon

Back at home base, the grounds were slowly getting more and more soggy as the cloudbursts hammered the area. Let’s have a shout-out to Marc Brunet and the other KTM staff who ran the mechanics’ tent/truck through the rally. Without their help, a lot of riders would have not been able to patch their bikes up after beating them around on the trails. Photo: Lindsay Donovan

I eyed up the mud, and simply braced the bike against my hip and rolled it through on foot. Cheating? Maybe, but it sure worked a lot better than the riders behind me who thought the only answer to this oozing obstacle was to pin-it-to-win-it. While KTM’s ADVs can handle extremely difficult terrain, the dual sport GasGas is so much lighter that it made the bumps, ruts, muck and everything else a lot easier. Hey, I was conserving my energy, so I could help push out the next crew of riders who’d fallen into the axle-deep mud after I went through …

After helping other riders through the boggy parts, we were still delayed as we waited for Pierre’s machine to cool. It wouldn’t be a proper rally without a little bit of technical difficulty! Photo: Zac Kurylyk

Pretty soon everyone was clear, and then it was time to roll—except Pierre’s Super Tenere hadn’t taken kindly to its mud bath, and was now overheating. We sat there, the bike cooling down as more teams passed us by, just a couple of chumps roadside trying to deal with a problem that was only solvable by waiting. The sweeps caught up, and after we all poked and prodded at the radiator fan for a few more minutes, the machine had cooled sufficiently and we were on our way. The rest of this optional section was relatively easy, and then we were back on pavement and headed for gas and the K&P Trail. The skies were getting darker, and it was time to make time…

The last blast

The K&P stretch started off dry, but the weather didn’t stay that way for long. Since we never stopped to put on rain gear, we were soaked within minutes. This section of decommissioned railbed runs in a straight line, but we ended up off-course thanks to both Jean and I having problems with nav equipment (his tablet stopped charging, my GPS truncated the tracks).

The K&P Trail is a bumpy-but-straight run if you’re running it in dry weather. In the rain, those holes fill up as water spills over from the many ponds alongside the old railbed. Photo: Steve Shannon

Ruh-roh! Thankfully none of these water holes was deep enough to pose a serious problem, and if there were other hazards lurking beneath the surface, at least we never hit them. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

What to do? In a break in the light (for now!) rain, we figured out our issues, I swapped my cellphone in for my GPS, and led the way down the potholes and washouts of the K&P as we headed back for HQ.

This was the most enjoyable riding all week, but it could have been seriously sketchy, as massive puddles completely cut off the road, with bog on each side. There was no way around; the only answer was to blast through, and hope you didn’t hit a rock and go over the bars. Thankfully, the K&P sees enough use that it’s kept relatively clear, and we were able to set a pretty fast pace through here as the clouds opened up again and poured watery fury. I’m talking standing-in-front-of-a-fire-hose levels of rain, and it would have been most unpleasant if this had happened earlier in the day. We were only 45 minutes from camp when it started, so we just toughed it out, returning to the resort to find water, water everywhere. Everywhere except the dining hall, where a final feed and the awards went on well into the evening.

Back for more?

This is the first time I’ve done both days of the KTM Adventure Rally Canada; I attended the 2019 rally, but Day 2 was canceled by snow that year. I also stopped by the 2023 rally on my way to James Bay, but only for the final evening’s fun, with no time on the trails. I was glad that everything worked out for a visit in 2024, and I have to give KTM a thanks not just for inviting me, but also for making me want to return again in 2025.

Given my doctor’s advice about my back, and also because I was going in blind without knowing my teammates ahead of time, I stayed on the easier R2 course. But when you hear about the challenges that the R1 riders overcame, you always end up wanting to put yourself to the test again next year. Photo: Steve Shannon

Worn-out sweeps at the end of the day! Photo: Lindsay Donovan

See, the rally organizers are smart. They get you hooked on an easy route with just a little bit of drama. You get a taste for that, and as long as it ends well, you’re keen to go back for more, especially when you hear the stories about all the riders who were on the more-difficult R1 route, and conquered it. Yeah, their bikes were beat-up, and a few of the riders were a bit banged-up too, but they’d proved to themselves that they could do more than they’d realized was possible. I saw this happen every year at the Fundy Adventure Rally, when I was an organizer there—the challenge of the event was an addictive drug. It’s the same with the KTM rally, and if I had a team of riders that was up for it, I think the more-difficult route would be even more fun in 2025.

Besides—after considerable misgivings about attending the event against my doctor’s orders, I must say that after the rally was over, my lower back felt the best it had been in weeks. Maybe the best answer to life’s problems, even the physical ones, is to challenge yourself and involve a motorcycle along the way?

The KTM Adventure Rally USA runs in South Dakota this year, in October. See more information here.

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To that end, MV has put its hottest four-cylinder into this machine, with DLC-finished cams, dual fuel injectors per head, titanium connecting rods, radial valves and plenty of other mechanical trickery (previously, this engine was in the Brutale 1000 RR). MV Agusta says the engine makes more than 205 horsepower and pushes out 86 pound-feet of torque, with a redline at 14,000 rpm.

Very sporty indeed, and that muscle is backed up by an IMU-governed electronics package with all the usual trickery: leaning-sensitive ABS and traction control and front wheel lift control. Of course there are multiple engine power output modes, and all of the safety systems are adjustable so you can fine-tune your feedback.

MV Agusta used a steel trellis frame for the Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro, with aluminum reinforcement plates. The suspension is from Ohlins, with a NIX-series fork and TTX-series shock, and an adjustable steering damper as well. All the fine-tuning of the damping on these systems can be done electronically (fork preload set manually).

The bodywork is made of carbon-fiber, and MV Agusta says it’s supposed to look like their 500cc two-stroke GP machines of the 1970s. It is certainly a very different look from the mantis-like aesthetics that have typified the sportbike scene in recent years.

Asking price? In Europe, 70,700 euros. That’s a lot of money for a toy like this, even if it’s a special-edition machine. Two predictions: One, this bike will sell out with no problems, despite the MSRP. Two, there will be a less-expensive version revealed on the show circuit soon.

The post Back To Business As Usual: MV Agusta Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro appeared first on Adventure Rider.

Flying Eyes sent me three sets of their glasses: the Kingfisher, the Osprey and the Luzon glasses. The Kingfisher and Osprey are Wayfarer-style frames and the Luzons are made for prescription lenses (they sent them to me with demo lenses, since I don’t wear prescription lenses). The first two sets of glasses come with a soft bag and a semi-rigid, zippered foam case. The Luzon frames have a classy leather-look case and a separate flat case that holds the detachable shaded lenses. Flying Eyes offers a wide range of lens tints; they recommend non-polarized lenses for riding wear. The Osprey glasses came with a green-tinted non-polarized lenses and matte black frame; the Osprey glasses came with copper-tinted polarized lenses and a tortoiseshell frame. The Luzon glasses came with matte black frame and the detachable sunglasses lenses had a red mirrored finish.

The pre-curved frames of the Flying Eyes glasses, and their flexible 1mm-thick material, make them very comfortable under a helmet. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

I have been wearing the Kingfisher and Osprey glasses for the past few months while both driving and riding. I’ve done thousands of miles with them. Here are some observations:

The flexible frames are both comfortable and convenient

I’ve worn all sorts of sunglasses in my motorcycle helmets over the years, and found that rigid frames would often fit awkwardly. Because they were stiff, they’d get pushed into the wrong position by helmet padding. The Flying Eyes frames’ flexibility made them better fit my head and the contours of my helmet. And because there is a slight hook at the end of the frame arms, they are a bit more secure than my old American Optical aviators (I wore the classic AOs with their straight arms as motorcycle sunglasses for years).

The flexible frame arms also mean that if you throw these glasses into your tankbag or your jacket pocket inside their soft baggie case, you don’t have to worry about them getting bent out of shape. Alas, my old AO glasses, robust as they were, got beat up by such treatment after a few years. You could break the Flying Eyes glasses through carelessness, but it would be hard to bend them.

The Osprey glasses. Basically, Wayfarer-style glasses made to fit into a motorcycle helmet. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

The Kingfisher glasses. I got these with polarized lenses and liked the glare reduction, but they did occasionally have distortion when the light caught them funny behind my helmet’s shield. Nothing unsafe, but some people wouldn’t like it. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

Flying Eyes says their frames are made of “Micro-thin Resilamide.” I’m not sure if that’s a proprietary material, but bendy eyeglass frames have been on the market a while under other names. What I really liked about Flying Eyes’ frames was their thin form factor. At only 1mm thick, they didn’t take up much space inside my helmets, or dig into my head. Plus, they’ve been designed to fit inside a narrow helmet eye opening. If you’ve ever had big-frame sunglasses that were too bulky to fit in a helmet, you’ll understand why this is a good thing.

The frames come with a lifetime warranty, and you can get them in just about any popular style you want (wraparounds and aviators are also available).

Flying Eyes recommends non-polarized lenses

I’m no sunglasses-ologist, but I can see the difference between crappy shades and a medium-quality set. I have yet to drop truly high-level coin on sunglasses, but my AOs, my Wiley-X aviators and my Native fishing glasses were miles and miles ahead of their Wal-Mart equivalents. I can’t speak to the entire line of Flying Eyes’ glasses, but the ones I had were certainly better than the Wal-Mart shades, and the non-polarized Osprey lenses cut the sun better than my old AO non-polarized AO lenses. As for the polarized Kingfisher lenses, I’d put them roughly on-par with the Revant replacement lenses I have in my Wiley-X glasses, but the clarity is not as good as the pre-Luxottica lenses from Native (I don’t have a pair made since their buyout, so I can’t compare to those lenses, but the pre-buyout Native lenses had amazing clarity for driving, even in low-light conditions).

The flexible frames mean these sunglasses are easy to carry inside your jacket pocket as well. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

In other words: I think the impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses that Flying Eyes uses are middle-of-the-road quality. Because they’re not glass, I think that you might expect it’s easier to scratch them, but if you take care of them, that’s less of an issue. However, remember that if you ride with your helmet’s shield open, you will get bugs hitting your glasses. Sooner or later, they’ll beat up your lenses as a result. For that reason, I generally wore my helmet’s shield in the down or partway-down position while wearing these lenses.

As said earlier, Flying Eyes recommends non-polarized lenses for riding use:

Polarized lenses aren’t recommended for motorcycles due to increased difficulty in seeing other vehicles or road obstructions. We recommend solid tint lenses to provide full shade coverage for motorcycling and other motorsports.

Our Mirrored Rose lens is an excellent choice for a high-contrast, rose-tinted lens that helps you see road obstructions and other motorists.

I don’t know if that’s a real danger, but I do note that the polarized lenses can make for a bit of a wonky visual distortion when you’re wearing them under the helmet shield in the flipped-down position. I think I prefer the non-polarized lenses, having used both sets for many miles this year.

Flying Eyes will sell you sunglasses in all sorts of styles. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

Flying Eyes’ lenses come with a one-year warranty. You can buy replacement lenses directly through their webstore; it appears pricing starts around $100.

Are they for you? It depends

These sunglasses make your life more comfortable on the road. They fit nicely in your helmet, and they are built to last for miles. But they’re quite pricey, with an MSRP that starts around $317 in the US.

For me personally, that would probably rule them out, if I was buying a set of glasses specifically for wearing on the bike. I’m not saying they’re not worth it—I’m saying I’m too cheap, and I rarely wear sunglasses while riding.

However, lots of people do wear sunglasses while riding, and I think that if you’re the kind of rider who likes comfort on the road, then maybe you’d be interested in trying out one of Flying Eyes’ fit kits, at least (see more info here).

A nice, comfortable option for riders who want something to wear with their helmet. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

I think this is especially for the Luzon frames. If you wear prescription eyeglasses every day, it would sure be nice to have a set that was made to wear under a moto helmet, and having a set of detachable sunglasses lenses (they’re held in place by a magnet) would be even better. Check back with me in a decade; I’m sure I’ll need glasses by then, and have more thoughts on this design…

In closing: I’m neither recommending these frames to you, nor am I urging you to stay away. But they’re an option worth knowing about, and if you can get your hands on a pair in-person, they might make your riding life a lot more comfortable.

For a full look at their lineup, visit FlyingEyesOptics.com.

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2025 Yamaha TW200

The Tee-Dub is unchanged for 2025 except for Bold New Graphics. That’s no surprise; the TW200 is practically unchanged since its debut back in 1987, and that’s partly why people like it so much. It’s one of very few dual sports available with a carburetor, and it’s the only one currently sold in the US with chunky, oversized tires front and rear.

The world’s most fun bike at slow speeds? Quite possibly. Photo: Yamaha

The 18-inch front wheel and 14-inch rear wheel mean low ground clearance compared to most dual sports, but this bike can handle sloppy terrain that would suck up other bikes.  It’s an easy dual sport for beginners to ride, especially since the seat height is so low, and while it’s not very fun to ride fast off-road, the TW200 might be the machine that’s the most fun to ride slow.

That front tire doesn’t always bite into gravel roads as hard as you’d like, but it’s useful if you ride a lot of boggy terrain. Photo: Yamaha

If you want to fix the low fuel capacity (1.8 gallons), there are aftermarket solutions. You can find luggage racks and skid plates and handguards and all the other basic parts as well. But if you want more muscle? Just learn to be contented with the 13-ish horsepower. Yeah, you can put on a new carb and big-bore this bike, but that’s missing the whole point. It’s a light (278-pound wet weight) machine that is made to enjoy at a sensible pace.

MSRP for the ’25 model is $4,999. More deets here.

2025 Yamaha XT250

The XT250 is the indirect descendent of the XT225, which was closely related to the TW200. It has an air-cooled 249cc single-cylinder engine, vs. the Tee-Dub’s 199cc single. The XT is also fuel-injected. But don’t expect a lot more power from the XT; it’s still a slow-ish bike. However, with a low seat height (32.7 inches, about an inch more than the TW200), it’s easy to ride for beginners or shorter-statured exerienced riders—or anyone who just wants or needs a small bike. The tire on that 21-inch front wheel is much more skinny than the TW’s front tire, but the XT is a better bike for gravel road riding than the TW.

The easy-to-ride XT is a small machine, but if you wanted an affordable bike to explore South America, you can find parts easily once you’re down there. Photo: Yamaha

The aftermarket will give you the basic parts you need to improve your XT: A skid plate, handguards, luggage rack, and so on. You could do much worse if you wanted an affordable bike to explore developing countries—these bikes are actually built in South America, so parts supply shouldn’t be a problem down there!

Like the TW200, the XT only gets a paint job for 2025. Asking price in the US is $5,499, making it one of the cheapest dual sports you can buy this year; more info and photos here.

The post Basic Bike: The Tee-Dub Returns For 2025! (And The XT250) appeared first on Adventure Rider.

The more time I spend car camping, the more I wonder if overlanding is even a real hobby? Seems as though all other outdoor hobbies end up overlanding and car camping as a normal means to be outside and do their other activities. So sure, overlanding can still be a stand alone hobby, but is it really good enough all by itself? Seems that driving forest service roads just for the sake of driving and finding a place to camp gets old pretty fast.

It’s worth noting that 208Tyler is talking about 4×4 overlanding. You know the type—jacked-up Tacomas with roof tents and lots of added accessory lights. And 208Tyler points out that despite all this expensive equipment, people are basically just doing the same old outdoors activities they did before these trucks were available. They’re fly-fishing or hiking or camping.  And his point is valid; only 25 years ago, people I know used their family cars to drive the same roads to the same wilderness places that people feel they need skid plates and big mud tires to reach now.

He’s not the only person pointing this out. Other YouTubers are saying similar things (see here for another perspective on how companies are piling in to take advantage of the boom in the overlanding market).

If overlanding has changed over the past few years, has adventure motorcycling changed with it, as it’s basically the same thing? Photo: Marcus Stevens/Shutterstock.com

But does this mindset apply to adventure motorcycling as well? After all, it’s basically the same thing as overland 4×4 travel, right?

I think adventure motorcycling is somewhat different from four-wheeled overlanding and is therefore immune from some of the silliness in that scene.

First off, overland-style SUVs and trucks are often expensive versions of their more standard-oriented counterparts, while many ADV bikes and dual sports are priced in line with other machines in the lineup. Truck overlanding is increasingly becoming the arena of the wealthy, while a motorcycle traveler can buy a Honda XR150L or Trail 125 for well under $5,000. Even Honda’s CRF300 dual sport series, which are used by high-profile ADV travelers around the world, are around $6,000 brand-new and realistically affordable for most people. Compare this to the world of 4×4 overlanding, where trucks and SUVs have skyrocketed in price. There is no real truck/SUV equivalent to the budget bike.

Second, the four-wheeled overland scene is obsessed with specialized gear that isn’t really needed for what often amounts to glorified car camping. While this is somewhat true of the ADV motorcycling crowd, the reality is that if you’re living off the bike, specialized camping gear makes much more of a difference than it does with a truck.

Third, there is an element of danger, exposure to the elements and requirement of operator skill in adventure motorcycling that keeps some of the riff-raff out. It’s harder to be an ADVer than a 4x4er, period.

While there is a stereotype of ADV bikes parked at the coffee shop, those riders and that mindset isn’t what the video above is talking about. And if you *are* using your ADV as intended, then my contention is that the specialized gear makes way more sense. Photo: Einar Magnus Magnusson/Shutterstock.com

Fourth, while we certainly have some issues with designer silliness in the ADV world—seat height is a massive issue—the reality is that the shape and form of dual sport bikes and ADVs is much more of a necessity than much of the stuff you see in the truck and SUV world. Cruisers and sportbikes, the two main styles of bikes in the pre-2008 world, are unsuitable for most unpaved roads. An ADV bike is in many ways a return to traditional do-it-all motorcycle design, not a deviation down a side road of self-indulgent design wackiness.

This doesn’t mean that the ADV community is immune to all the foibles of the overland truck world. The stereotype of the lawyer who only rides his GS to Starbucks is a real thing (neatly replacing the stereotypical lawyer who rode his chopper to Starbucks). But those riders who are actually out there doing the thing are less guilty of the mistakes of the 4x4ers.

Or at least that’s my take—I’m curious to hear from y’all, especially the old-timers on the forum. Is adventure riding getting as silly as overland truck travel? And if that’s the case, does it even matter?

The post Discuss: Is Overlanding A Sham? And Is ADV Riding Following? appeared first on Adventure Rider.

What exactly can the 13-person council do to help the NHTSA make riders safer? Their PR lays it out in vague generalities: “Areas of concern to the MAC include motorcyclist safety, construction, maintenance practices, barrier and road design, and the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies.”

Practically speaking, it’s easy to think of the sort of subjects the council can advocate the NHTSA to change. The biggest issue that’s looming for motorcyclists is the imminent rise in autonomous cars, which do the driving for their owner. Even if their owners aren’t supposed to let the car do all the thinking and steering for them, they are, and the results have been fatal. This issue is going to become increasingly prominent in the months and years to come.

Other stuff is the same old problems we’ve been facing for years: cheese-grater roadside barriers, lane sharing and so on.

The MIC says the 13-person council includes: Sunshine Beer and Jay Jackson, representing motorcyclist associations; Roberta Carlson, Manjunathan Kumar, James Andrew Landini, Rita Jean Lybek, and Ray Pierce, representing state governments; Roy Fair and Chanyoung Lee, representing road safety data and engineering professionals; Kevin Marshia, representing state transportation officials; Eric Perry, representing traffic safety systems professionals; and Jason Tolleson and Acting MIC President and CEO Scott Schloegel, who will represent motorcycle manufacturers and distributors. Their appointments are for two-year terms

Thankfully, this isn’t one of those lobbying appointments where the feds don’t want to hear the advice given—or at least, the feds aren’t playing it that way. NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said “We are committed to reducing motorcycle fatalities and making our roads safer for riders, and these 13 individuals will guide us in crafting new policies and strategies to save lives.” Well, that sounds promising at least. Let’s hope it results in positive change.

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Last week, we showed you the first official look at the new 2024 BMW R1300 GS Adventure. Feedback on the new model’s looks were mixed, but we only ran a few pix in that piece. Now, here are the rest of the photos, starting with the design shots. Remember, BMW has a new big boss in the design department (Alexander Buckan). Buckan took over in late 2023, so while he would have had input on this bike, it was most certainly underway long before he came to the helm.

2024 BMW R1300 GS Adventure — The Design

And here’s a few dozen photos of the new bike.

2024 BMW R1300 GS Adventure — In the flesh

2024 BMW R1300 GS Adventure — In the Studio

2024 BMW R1300 GS Adventure — The ASA system

BMW’s Automated Shift Assistant (ASA, for short) is its new twist-and-go transmission. This offers push-button shifting as well as auto shifting, with no foot lever for gear changes. Here are BMW’s photos of the bikes configured for this usage. Remember that this is optional; buyers can certainly have a standard six-speed shift setup, as that is the R1300 GS Adventure’s stock configuration.

More details

For Mike’s full write-up on the new bike, click here. Obviously, the machine is based around the new R1300 platform, with the updated flat twin engine combined with a new chassis and a larger fuel tank, as is standard on Adventure-series models for years now. But note that it doesn’t come with a 21-inch front wheel; the only current options are 19-inch front wheels. Does that suggest we’ll see an even more rugged version of the machine, the much-rumored M-series model, with the larger hoop up front? Stay tuned.

The post BMW R1300 GS Adventure appeared first on Adventure Rider.

Here’s what Damon bigwig Jay Giraud said in the PR:

For years now the motorcycle community has been asking about when Damon will become a publicly traded company, so they can help drive its success. I’m thrilled that we’ll soon be able to make it a reality.

The PR opened with an announcement that “Damon Motors Inc., makers of high-performance electric motorcycles that are safer, smarter, and cleaner with up to 200 mph, 200 hp, and 200 miles of range, today provided an update on the previously announced proposed business combination (the “Business Combination” or “BCA”) with Grafiti Holding Inc. (“Grafiti”), a former subsidiary of XTI Aerospace, Inc. (formerly Inpixon, “XTI Aerospace”).” The deal they’re putting together is supposed to close in coming months, as long as it passes through regulatory approvals. Right now, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is going through the company’s proposal for a public listing on the Nasdaq exchange. From the PR, it appears they’re looking to close this deal by September 30, after it’s been in the making for about a year.

But if you’re wondering when you can buy a Damon, or get a bike that you paid a deposit on? There’s no mention of a timeline. We do know Damon’s plans for a Canadian factory have been put on hold, and they reportedly planned to build a factory in California last we heard. But plans can change fast in the world of EV motorcycles.

The post Damon Motors Says It’s Still Headed For For The Stock Market… appeared first on Adventure Rider.

That’s changed, partly due to advances in the underlying technology and partly due to the rise of competition in this market. One of those new competing companies is ZOLEO; I’ve been using a ZOLEO  satellite beacon/comm unit for a while now, and I reckon this device now has this tech at a point where it is both usable and affordable enough for the average ADVer.

The ZOLEO satellite communicator

The ZOLEO satellite communicator is a small plastic gadget that fits in the palm of your hand, roughly the same size as an old flip phone. The device itself doesn’t appear very impressive. It has a couple of exterior buttons, including an SOS button covered by a flap to prevent accidental emergency alerts. A second button serves to send out “I’m OK” check-in messages, including GPS coordinates. A third button serves as power on/off switch.

The LEDs give you basic information on the device and its status. Interface with the phone app for full usability. Photo: Zoleo

A micro-USB port on the side charges the device. LED lights on top indicate battery status, and tell you when the device is on and tracking your moves, and when it has sent a message.

The device itself appears simple but has much more capability when paired with a smartphone app.

Too bad they didn’t use USB-C charging… Photo: Zac Kurylyk

Keeping safe and keeping in touch

The primary function of the ZOLEO is to serve as an GPS beacon that can guide help to your location (it uses the Iridium satellite network). If you crash your Tenere in a no-cell-service  area of the Montana BDR and you need medical help, you can press the SOS button. Here’s how ZOLEO describes what happens:

When our emergency response coordination partner receives your SOS alert, they’ll know the GPS coordinates of your ZOLEO device. They will confirm your alert and contact the appropriate authorities to dispatch help. With progressive SOS from ZOLEO, you’ll also receive step-by-step status updates throughout the incident via the ZOLEO app.

Using the ZOLEO app, you’ll be able to message back and forth with emergency response coordination partner to exchange updates until your emergency has been resolved.

Even if you’re using the ZOLEO communicator on its own, without the app, you’ll get confirmation that your SOS message was received (via the LEDs on the device). How’s that for peace of mind?

Read more on the SOS function here.

ZOLEO also offers a tracking function that is closely tied to the GPS beacon’s capability. You can set the device to ping the satellite network with your geolocation at set times, then view these pings as a breadcrumb trail-type “trip” on a map that you can share through ZOLEO’s website. Like other satellite comms, this device can also be connected to Spotwalla to share this information easily.

Users can also press the “check in” button to send a one-time ping to pre-designated contacts that shares an “Everything’s OK” message, and also a GPS location (optional).

It’s small enough to fit in your pocket if needed. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

You don’t need to keep the ZOLEO connected to your phone to use its basic tracking/emergency beacon functions, although I think it greatly improves the usefulness of the emergency features. But once you connect the app to the device, its capabilities are greatly expanded. Essentially, the ZOLEO serves as a link between your phone and the Iridium satellite network, allowing two-way texting and weather service updates.

Both functions are fairly simple. The texting tab of the app uses a simple mini-keyboard touchscreen interface like any other texting app. You can set the ZOLEO to check for new messages at various time intervals, including an “always-checking” mode, which depletes the battery more quickly.

Click on the weather tab in the app, and you can get a forecast for your area sent to your phone over the Iridium network. You can also drag-and-drop a point on a map to select a forecast (provided by AerisWeather) for a different area. The forecast will give you current conditions (temperature and wind details, UV index, visibility), as well as hourly forecasts for the next 44 hours and a daily forecast for the next five days.

Note that all these functionalities are paid for by a subscription. All features are not included on a basic subscription.

A flap covers the SOS button, as safety against unwanted button-mashing. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

Using ZOLEO

Downloading the app (I installed the Android version) was easy; charging the device was easy, and so was pairing it via Bluetooth. Connecting the device to Spotwalla was easy as well—input the correct IMEI number, and you’re all hooked up—the website easily explains it here.

Once in use, the device continues to be straightforward to use. The app interface is easy to understand. However, there are a couple of caveats that I think motorcyclists should remember when they use this for adventure travel.

First, the off-grid messaging feature is fantastic. I was able to send text messages to my family from the Canadian wilderness, well outside cell range. This functionality could save your life, or at least salvage a trip in a pinch, if you needed to text someone to help you find a campsite or walk you through a mechanical fix, etc.

An example: Last summer, in the middle of a forest fire near James Bay in northern Quebec, hundreds of miles away from cell service, I met with some fellow evacuees who used their ZOLEO to get information on avoiding the blaze (and also to reassure them that we weren’t all being burned to a crisp). If you’re the adventurous type, sooner or later you’ll get into a situation where this capability will prove beneficial,

However, do not expect the same real-time messaging capability as your cellphone on a 4G tower. Even with the always-checking-for-messages function enabled, there was a noticeable delay in messaging with contacts, thanks to the intricacies of the network (remember, all messages have to be beamed through a satellite first). You can use this function for reliable communication, but don’t expect the same function as your cellphone when you’re in standard wireless coverage. As well, always-on messaging depleted the battery more quickly.

But if you want to have reliable two-way communication, hassle-free through a trip in the wilderness inside North America, or in other countries where a wireless phone may be a frustrating thing to figure out, then ZOLEO’s capability is worth considering. It’s usable in any country on earth, and that alone will make it very attractive to the long-haul traveler.

Second, I think the weather forecast function is also well worth having. If you think about it, this could be a very useful feature for someone riding in the backcountry even in North America, where a forecast may not be easy to get if you’re outside cell service. If you’re in another part of the world where you don’t understand the local language, and maybe not even their alphabet, then this could be even more valuable.

Third, I think that the tracking feature is useful, but users should realize it was designed for slower-moving hikers/canoeists/etc., not for motorcyclists. ZOLEO builds a breadcrumb trail by pinging GPS info back to the Iridium satellites, and the lowest interval current offered between pings is six minutes. A motorcycle can cover a lot of time in six minutes, and while you can view a longer trip and see the route rather easily, when you zoom in on a shorter ride, you get only a rough approximation of the route.

See the two tracks below. The first was recorded over 12-minute check-in intervals. The second was recorded with 6-minute check-ins. You can see them more easily at the links here and here.

As you can see, the six-minute intervals end up with a much closer following of the ride, but it’s imperfect.

Fourth, battery life obviously depends on several factors—how often you check in, how many messages you’re sending, etc. I found that with minimal messaging and high-frequency tracking, I could get about four days out of the battery. Stretch your GPS pings to longer intervals and you could get much more life from the battery. Of course, if you can charge the battery regularly, this is not a real concern anyway (unless you forget to do so, which I did regularly).

Would I buy one?

ZOLEO lent me this device for the test for free. But I will say that this is the first time I’ve used a communicator and thought afterwards that the pricing was affordable enough to tempt me. It does have some minor drawbacks, but those are more than offset by the affordability of the device and its subscription plans.

For years now, I’ve been riding the trails of eastern Canada solo. I’ve managed to avoid injury or serious disaster, but I’ve been in spots (through my own stupidity) where I would have been in very bad shape had something gone wrong. And when I’m not riding my motorcycle, I’m often hunting or fishing in similar locations. I’ve often though to myself that an emergency beacon is something I should consider, just for the sake of my family.

The buy-in price of $200 USD is very affordable, considering the capabilities (the SPOT Gen4 device is $50 cheaper, but doesn’t offer two-way messaging or weather). Furthermore, ZOLEO’s monthly plans seem reasonable to me, starting at $20 a month (which includes GPS tracking, SOS services and 25 free messages, and then 50¢ a message after that). That’s less than a tank of gas on many bikes these days, and while money is getting tight for many riders, the emergency capabilities of this device could insure you from far worse problems.

Plans reach a maximum of $56 US a month for unlimited messaging, and of course you can deactivate your plan if you’re not going to be using your device for a while—see more info here.

Only you can judge whether or not the plans will work for you, but for me, I think I’ll at least keep the ZOLEO around for summer riding season.

The post ZOLEO Satellite Messenger appeared first on Adventure Rider.

Rally Raid has just announced it’s getting ready to kit out the mini-scrambler with hard parts that will make it a better off-roader. Specifically, it’s offering a lowered “Level 1” suspension that’s intended to make the bike easier to ride for short-legged motorcyclists. The shock has an adjustable lower mounting eyelet that allows the rider to reduce rear ride height in a range of 20-50 mm. The shock also has improved, adjustable damping, more oil capacity (resisting shock fade) and a preload adjustment collar at the base of the shock for easy access. Buyers can opt for a range of spring rates, to match their loaded weight (rider plus luggage).

Rally Raid also offers a Level 2 shock for the Scrambler 400X, which retains stock seat height. Rally Raid says the standard Scrambler 400X already has plenty of suspension travel, so the Level 2 shock instead focuses on improved (and adjustable) damping, as well as an easy-to-reach preload adjustment collar at bottom of the shock, and your choice of spring rate.

Rally Raid also offers a new 150 mm Fork Kit that gives spring preload adjustment, your choice of spring rates, and a higher front end that balances out the bike’s stock nose-heavy stance:

Our comprehensive longer-travel fork kit completely replaces the internal components with our own design 22mm diameter open cartridges (one in each leg), offering +10mm spring preload adjustment and individual rebound and compression damping adjustment in the replacement fork caps.

Our Scrambler Fork kit is available with a choice of two spring rates (standard and heavy duty), comes complete with our special fork cap tool and a bottle our recommended weight fork oil, and is designed for DIY fit at home.

Rally Raid also offers new Excel tubeless spoked rims (19-inch front, 17-inch rear). Here’s their description from the ADVrider forum Vendors thread:

Here at Rally Raid Products we pioneered retrofitting cast-wheel bikes with our own in-house designed and machined hubs laced with stainless steel spokes (which resist corrosion) to high-quality [Excel] tubeless rims, which are then professionally vulcanised by BARTubeless to offer fully guaranteed and warrantied tubeless spoked wheels, which are a direct replacement fit for the OEM cast wheels, including accepting all the original brake disc, ABS and drive sprocket hardware making the swap both easy and more affordable.

Rally Raid also offers luggage options for the Scrambler 400X, and instrument mounts. Check out their thread for full details, and an explanation of why they’re offering what they’re offering, and why they shied away from some other farkle options. And below, you can see Nathan Millward’s YouTube video showing off the kit:

The post Rally Raid Kits Out The Triumph Scrambler 400X appeared first on Adventure Rider.

Last weekend in Super Hooligan racing action at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, racers on Pan America 1250s took four of six podium positions, including both race wins.

Super Hooligan racing runs alongside the MotoAmerica superbike series. The bikes are race-prepped street models like the Indian FTR naked bike series, or Harley-Davidson’s Pan America adventure bike series. In this case, the riders at Ridge Motorsports Park were on machines built off a Pan America Special.

Here’s how Harley-Davidson said the race went:

On Saturday, pouring rain created challenging racing conditions and caused the race distance to be shortened from 8 to 6 laps of the 2.47-mile, 16-turn Ridge course. On the first lap, Wyman jumped from eighth position on the starting grid to second place and took the lead on lap 2 with a pass of Team Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Cory West. Wyman was leading by 1.3 seconds when the race was red flagged for a crashed bike on the track surface. West led Wyman briefly when the race was re-started, but West slid off the track in turn 3 and Wyman, in smooth control on the wet surface, sped away from the field. KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Schultz moved into second place. Wyman crossed the finish line 7.99 seconds clear of Schultz for a 1-2 finish for the KWR/Harley-Davidson team. S&S/Indian rider Tyler O’Hara finished in third place, more than 13 seconds behind Wyman.

On the next day, on a dry track:

West, Lewis, and O’Hara broke away from the field on lap 2, and Lewis got past West for the lead on lap 3. Lewis then pulled away, opening a gap of more than 4 seconds by lap 6 of the 8-lap race. A short off-track bobble on the final lap cost Lewis some time but he still beat O’Hara to the finish by 2.00 seconds. West finished third, 4.895 seconds back.

At the end of the second doubleheader in the Super Hooligan series, Wyman is now second overall, behind Tyler O’Hara (who’s currently riding an Indian).

Other racing endeavors

At this point it’s worth noting that Harley-Davidson seems keen to get their bike out in competition, as we already saw Juan Pedrero Garcia piloting a Pan America in the Africa Eco Race this year. He didn’t win, but he did finish the race on the basically-stock machine. It leaves us curious as to what else this motorcycle is capable of?

The post Harley-Davidson Pan America Nabs Super Hooligan Wins appeared first on Adventure Rider.

What’s the Chevron doctrine?

Here’s how Wikipedia explains the Chevron Doctrine:

Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that set forth the legal test for when U.S. federal courts must defer to a government agency’s interpretation of a law or statute.[1] The decision articulated a doctrine known as “Chevron deference”.[2] Chevron deference consisted of a two-part test that was deferential to government agencies: first, whether Congress has spoken directly to the precise issue at question, and second, “whether the agency’s answer is based on a permissible construction of the statute”.

Basically, the Chevron Doctrine allowed bodies like the EPA to effectively interpret federal rules and enforce those interpretations as law, without the interpretations actually being passed as law. And seeing how much of the moto world is affected by the EPA and other federal bodies, surely that would mean that we’d see a floodgate of cool new bikes coming to the US, right? The so-called Secret Bikes of Japan and others like them? Small-bore, high-revving two-stroke race replicas like the Yamaha RZ350 F1? Mini-ADVs like the Honda AX1?

Sorry, but probably not.

Rockin’ in the Free World

The reality is, those bikes don’t really exist anymore.

The markets that used to buy those machines (Japan, Europe) now have stricter emissions laws than the United States. Ever wonder why the DR650 is still sold in North America, but not in Europe, or Australia, or pretty much anywhere else? According to moto industry consultant Michael Uhlarik, it’s not because of some weirdo grandfather clause.  It’s because the DR650 still meets North American emissions and safety standards, and it doesn’t meet the standards anywhere else.

The myth: Overseas markets are full of fun two-strokes like the old Yamaha TDR250 models, offering excellent power-to-weight ratios and the classic smell of burning premix.

In the 1970s through the 1990s, the US had stricter emissions laws than some other markets. That meant the States got choked-up carbureted four-strokes that didn’t run well, while even their neighbors to the north in Canuckistan got bikes that were properly jetted as Papa Suzuki intended. Two-stroke streetbikes basically disappeared from the US in the 1980s while they continued sales for a decade or more in other markets with lax laws.

This has changed, says Uhlarik. Now the countries building motorcycles have their own strong emissions laws, and it has meant the death of those JDM pocket rocket bikes that y’all lusted over 25 years ago, when the EPA said you couldn’t have them.

The reality: The Japanese domestic market, which is ground zero for this stuff, does have some cool bikes, but they’d be considered underpowered for North American buyers. The NX400 is the perfect example. It’s the same thing as the NX500, but with a smaller engine. Photo: Honda

For evidence, check out this article we wrote back in January. Japan doesn’t get a hotter version of the new NX500, and they don’t get some ring-dinging two-stroke substitute. Instead, thanks to their various regulations, they actually get a smaller-capacity version of the same bike, the NX400. It’s the same with Kawasaki’s new 500 models; in Japan, they’re 400s. The Secret Bikes of Japan are now wimpier versions of their global-market cousins. Forget about the TDR250. Those days are gone.

But what about the practical four-strokes?

Now some of you might point out that there are plenty of cool, non-two stroke bikes that don’t come to the US. What about machines like the Yamaha PG1, a Honda Trail 125 lookalike that’s sold in Asia, but not the States? Maybe clearing the red tape would open the doors to those bikes?

The Yamaha PG1 and similar machines aren’t banned from the US market by the three-letter agencies. It’s the manufacturers themselves who choose not to bring them here, or choose to only import small numbers that don’t meet demand. Photo: Yamaha

The reality is that these bikes aren’t coming to North America based on OEM choices. Yamaha could almost certainly bring the PG1 to the US, but they choose not to based on economics. Maybe they would have to jack the price up so high that buyers would rebel and boycott the machine (that’s what happened to the Suzuki TU250X). Or maybe their dealers would rebel because they didn’t understand and didn’t want to sell the machine (that’s what happened to the entire Harley-era Buell lineup). There’s a lot more to this business than just the slobbering “Cool bike, me want!” notes in the comment section.

There are some signs that the economics of the business are changing. We wouldn’t see the Honda XR150L here otherwise. But don’t expect the overturning of Chevron to bring in a flood of little step-throughs and underbone bikes.

Uh, what about US domestic production?

Good point. The Chevron Doctrine would also have affected companies who wanted to build bikes in the US. Maybe Harley-Davidson will introduce something different and interesting? Maybe a new company like Janus will start up, building bikes that weren’t legally sellable before?

The Janus 450 Gryffin is $13,495, the same price as a good European dual sport, with technology from the 1980s. This market is small and entirely dominated by economic realities. Photo: Janus

Again, probably not. The number-one restriction on domestic motorcycle production is not environmentalists or safety Nazis or any of the other stock Big Government bogeymen. The problem is money. Look at the Janus lineup. These bikes are made with Chinese engines. Their chassis is based on principles that were discovered generations ago. And their 250cc models start at $6,995 (Currently, there’s a sale on! Act now!). The 450cc Janus models start at $13,495.

Maybe the fall of the Chevron Doctrine will encourage someone else to go the Janus route, building simple machines at the boutique level, but don’t get too hopeful. The market for these bikes is small, due to the price tag dictated by American production.

The takeaway

To be clear, I’m not saying a bunch of smog-spewing two-strokes would be a good thing for the US anyway, but I know lots of people would love to be able to buy the oddball and interesting bikes that we don’t get here.

Forget the Secret Bikes of Japan or other markets. Now, US customers have access to fun motorcycles that the rest of the world will probably never get another chance to buy, at least not brand-new. Photo: Honda

Just let me close this piece by saying this. As humans, we love to complain about any woe, real or imaginary. The fact that we can’t get bikes that are sold in overseas markets is just one more of those issues we can gripe about.

But the reality is that North Americans currently have it pretty good. We can still buy bikes that have long been outlawed in the rest of the world. Americans can buy big thumpers or four-cylinder superbikes or twin-cylinder ADVs that just aren’t available in many other markets. Maybe that’s the ultimate way to celebrate Independence Day today—by exercising your freedom to own and enjoy your Honda XR650L?

The post Independence Day, the Chevron Doctrine, and Secret Bikes of Japan appeared first on Adventure Rider.

The idea is this: The basic skills of balance, clutch control, throttle control and body position are the same no matter what size your bike is. Traction eRag’s crew will teach you these skills on an enduro bike (which they provide as part of the program) and then you can go home and put those skills to use.

Here’s what the program covers, according to the eRag site:

• Bike setup for off-road use
• Default body position
• Weight distribution
• Energy conservation techniques
• Static balance
• Lifting your motorcycle properly
• Full lock turns
• Head position
• Braking techniques (basic and advanced)
• Turn initiation
• Basic and advanced cornering
• Weight/deweight
• Unloading the front wheel
• Basic obstacle crossing techniques
• 180 turns in small spaces
• Hill climbs and descents
• Trail riding
• Skill based games and challenges!

The five-day training camp will run in British Columbia, Canada sometime around the end of August and start of September. Organizers are still working out some details.

To take part, you must apply (see their site here) and if you’re accepted, you get a detailed list of what gear to bring. They emphasize that you want dirt bike gear, not heavy-duty ADV kit. When the camp runs, you’ll fly from your home to Vancouver International airport (that airfare isn’t included in the price). From there, you’ll fly to Traction’s local airstrip (that airfare is included). Six nights’ lodging is included in the price, and your breakfast, trail lunch and dinner. The all-inclusive price is $4,475. For more info, check out their site here.

The post Traction eRag Working On New “Cross Training ADV” Camp appeared first on Adventure Rider.

The older I get, the more I believe in “Buy once, cry once.” Buy cheap gear and it’ll fail when you need it, and you’ll end up spending as much money in the long run. Or if you really want or need certain specs and capability, but you compromise on pricing, you’re often unhappy and buy what you really want, eventually. So how did I end up with a $175 CAD no-name tent off Amazon, instead of buying something from a reputable manufacturer like Big Agnes or Eureka? Even those tents are fairly mid-range in pricing and they have a good reputation, so why spend less?

Really, I just wanted to see if I could handle life in a tent again. For the past decade, I’ve mostly camped in hammocks, but I wanted to try a tent out to see if it offered any advantages I’d been missing. Instead of stuffing my bulky old hand-me-down four-man Wal-Mart tent onto the bike, I decided I’d try something newer and smaller. I wanted it to be bikepacking-friendly, since those bicycle-oriented tents come with shorter poles that also fit easier onto a motorccle.

Enter the Naturehike Cloud Up two-man tent! I seriously considered a few different options before pulling the trigger here, and almost ended up with a small backpacking setup from The North Face. But the Naturehike freestanding, two-layer tent seemed better-reviewed, even though it was a no-name brand from China, and all the specs seemed to indicate it would pack nicely in my moto luggage. Storage size is about 16×5 in, and the tent weighs between 3 and 4 lb, depending how many of the accessories (groundsheet, pegs, etc.) that you’ve got packed. Not bad for $175ish CAD (currently, Naturehike lists the tent at $179 at Amazon.com).

Camped in the infield fog at Atlantic Motorsport Park, I could overlook a bit of condensation. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

First trip

The first trip with this tent was the Canadian Superbike race weekend at Shubenacadie, where I stuffed the tent into a Nelson-Rigg tailbag, along with a sleeping bag, sleeping pad and whatever else I needed for the weekend. Surprise, surprise—it all fit. While I would have needed to pack a few more clothes for a longer trip, I was definitely well on my way towards trimming down my previously too-bulky camping setup.

My initial tent setup was performed in the dark, with a flashlight, so I guess you could say it’s pretty non-complicated. Just make sure you’ve got the right tentpoles at the right end of the tent, and it all snaps together quickly. String out your guylines, snap on the fly, and you’re ready to go. It’s hard to get wrong, as long as you’ve got your groundsheet out in a level area.

Considering we woke up the next day with the Atlantic Motorsport Park infield blanketed in thick fog, it was no surprise the inside of the tent had some condensation. It dried out quickly in the scorching mid-July sun and the next day, with no fog and more attention paid to venting, I had no issues. I was already a happy camper, no pun intended, by the end of my first trip with the tent.

At a campground in Newfoundland. I had on-and-off rain most of this trip, and the tent did not leak. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

The rest of the summer

Although I didn’t get as much opportunity to travel as I’d hoped this year, I did take the Naturehike tent on my trip through Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in August, and the Fundy Adventure Rally Reunion in September. My initial findings were reinforced; the tent vents fairly well if you take the time to stake it out properly (and dries quickly when you don’t). Throughout my trips, it was waterproof through all rainstorms. It packed nicely into my luggage, compared to other cheap tents I’ve owned. The two-man size is perfect for one large guy and some luggage (I typically left my boots and riding gear under the tent’s tiny vestibule and brought what I needed inside). It’s quick and simple to set up.

Spec sheet

See Naturehike’s specs below.

Image: Naturehike

Not ultralight, but if you’re riding anything but a lean, mean enduro, this will work.

The problem (?)

I liked my tent well enough that I plan to use it into the future, and I’d recommend it as good value for money. It held up fine to my summer’s camping trips, and frankly if I get another couple of seasons out of it, I’ll feel I got my money’s worth. The only part of the tent that feels weak (besides the chintzy pegs) is the aluminum poleset. To be clear, I think they’ll last the natural life of the tent, but they don’t feel like they’d take much abuse, either.

But there was another potential issue with the tent, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. It’s very similar to the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 bikepacking tent. Take a look at the photos below, and you’ll see what I mean.

On the left, the Big Agnes tent. On the right, the Naturehike tent.

Is it an actual copyright or patent infringement? That’s a question for the courts, not for me. And if it isn’t a legal issue, then does it matter? Mankind has been making tents for thousands of years, and if there are no actual laws being broken, do we care if they look alike? After all, the Big Agnes is still a different tent, even it looks the same.

I really don’t know, and I don’t know if I’d buy this Naturehike tent again. There is more to life than saving short-term bucks; we want to support companies that innovate and improve their products and stand behind them. Big Agnes itself makes tents in China’s Guangdong Province, so I have no problem buying the Naturehike due to its origins in China—I’m just not sure that the designers weren’t too close to the line.

But this sort of thing is everywhere, even in the moto industry. Ever wonder why all the four-cylinder UJMs are so similar? If Honda popularizes the four-stroke dual sport, does that mean nobody else can ever make one? Does Harley-Davidson hold a patent on the potato-potato sound? How many luggage manufacturers, helmet manufacturers, jacket manufacturers are all gaining inspiration from each other? If it’s not a legal problem, does that make it right?

That’s a personal consumer choice you must make. If you are OK with buying this Naturehike tent, well—you’ll easily track it down via Google, but I do note that prices have risen since I bought mine last summer. If they rise much more, the Big Agnes tent won’t be that much more expensive, as long as you can find one in stock.

The post Adventures In Frugality: Naturehike Cloud Up Tent appeared first on Adventure Rider.

Normally, SR75 races in Arenacross and Supercross, but it occasionally dabbles in these kinds of projects as well. You might remember we’ve seen a similar project before. Back in 2022, SR75 built up a V-Strom 650 XT for desert racing—we covered that build here.

A heavy-duty skid plate is essential for desert racing. Photo: Suzuki UK

The 2024 build is headed down a similar direction, beefing up a V-Strom 800DE with armor for protection and an FMF exhaust for less weight and perhaps a bit more bark from the engine. RM-Z450 handlebars swap out for the originals, and there are new, tougher wheels from ENVY, retaining the DE model’s 21-inch front hoop but switching the 17-inch rear for an 18-inch. This gives better choice of tires, an obviously important benefit while racing. In this case, SR75 gave their project bike a set of Dunlop D209RR tires with mousses instead of tubes.

They’re still working on the project; if we get another peek at it, we expect higher-spec suspension. And we do expect to get another peek at it, because SR75 seems to be planning on actually racing this machine. Maybe in the Africa Eco Race, to challenge the Aprilia Tuareg and Yamaha Tenere 700 teams that are currently tops there? We wouldn’t be surprised!

Less weight, more noise (and maybe more horsepower, if tuned correctly). Photo: Suzuki UK

“Racing RM-Zs around the world might be our bread and butter but we’re also always up for a project build like this,” said SR75 team owner, Geoff Walker. “We produced the SR75 V-Strom 650XT a couple of years ago, and as soon as the 800DE was launched we were always keen to get our hands on one.

“There will probably be a couple of other tweaks made before we go racing, but we think we’ve taken what was already a solid base package for an adventure bike you could hard ride off-road or into town for a coffee—it’s that versatile and usable—and turned it into a bike that can hold its own in a competitive rally.”

The post Stronger Strom: SR75 Mods A Suzook 800 For Desert Racing appeared first on Adventure Rider.

Electro-safety systems are the latest add-on that motorcycle OEMs are pioneering, having reached the practical limits of power and braking. These days, the action is all in the world of adaptive cruise control systems, which are governed by radar sensors. These smart systems can keep you following another vehicle at a constant distance in traffic, and they can also warn you that someone is approaching quickly from behind.

Survue’s technology takes this idea a step further. Rear-facing radar systems have been available for bicyclists for years, but they can’t interpret the information they collect. Survue’s system uses AI (or so they call it) to analyze the data taken in by its sensors, and then their on-bike gadgetry can inform the rider of an impending dangerous situation—a too-close pass or a rear-end collision—and it can also flash a brake light brightly, to alert a distracted driver of an impending crash.

Survue says it works this way:

Videos of collisions from behind and close passing vehicles are recorded using the predicted vehicle course rather than accelerometers. This reduces false positives and endless sifting of video data. Survue is the only taillight that automatically records close passing vehicles … Cyclists receive alerts based upon approaching vehicle speed, direction, and vehicle type rather than just the speed.

Their assembly on the back of the bike has a brake light that flashes for the benefit of following motorists, as well as an onboard speaker that emits a tone to alert the rider of the situatuion. Their device also connects to an app which can give audio or visual cues, so the rider isn’t startled.

Sifting through their Kickstarter campaign here, you can see how the technology is designed for bicyclists, but could definitely be adapted for motorcyclists. No doubt some of the big OEMs are already working on similar tech, and if not, once they see this they will be.

The post Survue AI-Powered Danger Detector: Bicycle Tech That Could Work For Motorcyclists? appeared first on Adventure Rider.

The Touratech DirtDaze Rally is officially scheduled August 14—18, running at the North Haverhill Fairgrounds in Haverhill, New Hampshire. That’s where it has run since 2020, after moving from the original location in Vermont. In the NH location, there are 20-amp and 30-amp hookups for campers for those travelers who want luxury. And there is plenty of tent space, and lots of stuff to do on-site.

But remember, you have to register to go to DirtDaze. The cost is $169; Here’s what what that gets you:

• Access to DirtDaze every day of the event. Includes Dirt Obstacle Course, Seminars and Clinics & Riding Contests
• Choice of 1 Guided Ride w/Lunch
• GPX Self Guided 1/2 Day Routes
• Access to Factory Demos, Thursday – Saturday
• Official 2024 Touratech DirtDAZE T-Shirt
• Saturday Prize eligibility (~$20,000 in prizes!)

That price doesn’t include camping, which is another $50 for the Wednesday-Sunday event. RV parking is $240 for the event. The organizers also give us this note on the sign-up page:

IMPORTANT: You can now choose your breakfasts and dinners individually! They’re made fresh, onsite, and are a bargain. But, you have to choose them before the rally. They won’t be available for purchase onsite. (Not choosing the meals means you are opting to NOT eat the rally meals for Breakfasts and Dinners, and means you’ll cook at your camping/RV site or you’ll eat offsite.)

If you wait to register on-site, the cost is $199/per person if there’s any space left, but if the event is sold-out, which happens, then you’ll be out of luck.

ADVwriter Kate was there in 2021 as a volunteer; she wrote up here experiences here at ADVrider.

Touratech DirtDaze: How Was It?

The post The DirtDaze Rally Is Just Around The Corner appeared first on Adventure Rider.

What was interesting was Yamaha’s description of the system at the end. The marketeers told us not to worry; the new push-button shifting offered a refined-yet-racy experience that users would love:

ENJOYMENT

MT has been developed to amplify the fun of sports riding, maximising the power characteristics of our crossplane-concept engine designs and sportiest ride modes. And with the speed and precision of each shift more consistent than when using even the latest quickshifter, the excitement and adrenaline of the fast gear changes in the sportiest of riding conditions take the thrill to the next level. In all modes, Y-AMT delivers a high level of refinement that enhances the overall experience, allowing you to focus more on the riding and less on the mechanics, immersing yourself in the enjoyment and precision of the ride.

EXHILARATION

As all our technological developments, Y-AMT was born from Jin-Ki Kanno, which is our goal of providing you with the seductive exhilaration of becoming one with the machine. That’s why Y-AMT makes each ride even more fun and engaging, immersing you into a flow state where every movement feels natural and precise. Fostering a true symbiosis with the bike, Y-AMT allows you to focus on throttle, braking and cornering. The result is an adrenaline-filled ride that transforms every journey into an exciting and unforgettable experience.

Color me skeptical. I know there may be some advantages to using push-button shifters over a standard shift lever. If you’re riding to the limit of your capabilities, and your machine’s capabilities, the handlebar switchgear will work more quickly than a foot shifter, and you don’t have to worry about body position. But for those of us who aren’t heeled over on a racetrack corner, are we going to notice those advantages? I doubt it.

The first big-name bikes with an auto gearbox were Honda’s two-speed Hondamatic models of the late 1970s and early 1980s, with a CB750 four-cylinder and CM450 twin-cylinder version. These machines had their fans, but neither lasted terribly long in the lineup, and neither was known for their performance. They came with no clutch lever, but did require shifting from low to high gear.

The truth is, my wife’s SUV has push-button shifting capability, and we never use it. Same for my pickup truck. The last sedan that we had also had the option, and we never used it. But when we were on the lookout for an economy car, having a manual five-speed transmission was high on our list of important features. Even though we bought a budget beater, driving that Nissan is 100 percent more enjoyable thanks to the manual transmission. Even my wife, who is no gearhead or motor-maniac, enjoys the five-speed more than an auto or CVT.

Why? I think it’s because it gives you something to do, and lets you feel more in control of the machine. For the same reason, lever-action rifles and pump-action shotguns and revolvers will always have their fans—people who enjoy shooting these firearms more than their semi-auto counterparts, because of the greater inter-connectivity between man and the mechanical. And also because they perceive these systems as being less finicky and more reliable.

That’s not necessarily true. Reducing a mechanical system’s inputs to a stream of zeros and ones seems to reduce errors. Look at the difference between EFI and carburetors. EFI just works, while most carburetors require an expert hand’s maintenance, sooner or later.

For decades, semi-auto gearboxes, which required foot shifting between gears but no clutch lever, were standard in the ATV world. Motorcycles with this arrangement were very common in the underbone bike scene (think Honda Trail or Cub models). Now, this layout is still standard in the Asian market, and has returned to North America in the miniMOTO lineup.

The problem comes when these digitalized systems break down; a bad sensor, trouble in the wiring, whatever. Very few of us can fix a fuel injection system roadside; the good thing is, you almost never have to do so. But every system is eventually going to fail, especially if the factory hasn’t quite perfected it. Just ask owners of fuel-injected two-strokes.

Anyway, the OEMs aren’t switching to auto-shifting gearboxes for reliability’s sake. I’d sure like to know why they are. It’s not because these systems offer a riding experience that motorcyclists are craving; I hear just the opposite sentiment from most riders, even though some very experienced riders do tell me they prefer the auto-shifting capability of something like Honda’s Africa Twin.

Just as Honda led the way with the Hondamatic in the past, and then DCT bikes in the 2010s, now its E-clutch technology introduced at EICMA in 2023 has preceded a host of similar designs from the other OEMs. Most do not have a shift lever like the E-clutch design does. Photo: Honda

I do have some theories.

The first one is obvious: In an era where more motorists aren’t used to working a clutch, maybe the OEMs figure an auto-shifting bike will make it easier to ride. Uh, perhaps. But is it really that hard to learn a clutch, and will it really make an appreciable dent in motorcycle sales to offer a broad range of twist-and-go bikes? Smarter people than me are number-crunching these questions for the OEMs, and my skepticism may be totally unfounded, but I don’t think twist-and-go is the answer to improve European and North American motorcycle sales.

The second theory: Maybe it’s all about demographics, and western markets don’t matter at all? The reality is that hundreds of millions of riders in developing countries are starting to see their standard of living slowly increase, and they want bigger motorcycles—and they’re currently used to twist-and-go step-throughs and underbone bikes. Maybe the OEMs want to introduce auto gearboxes for these riders?

The third theory: Maybe the OEMs know something we don’t, and we’re about to see government legislation that requires twist-and-go gearboxes. This wouldn’t surprise me, but I do think it’s unlikely.

My fourth theory, and the one I think is probably the closest to the truth: OEMs are desperately looking for ways to tack on added profit margins and ways to reduce their manufacturing cost. They’re going to build bikes with quickshifter circuitry built-in anyway, so why not figure out how to either reduce costs or increase MSRP while they’re at it?

So here’s what’s coming next: The Y-AMT gearbox, with push-button shifting or twist-and-go riding, your choice. Most other OEMs are releasing similar tech, including KTM, Honda, BMW and Kawasaki. Within five years, I think every OEM will offer this, perhaps even as standard on many models. Photo: Yamaha

The end result is that twist-and-go bikes are going to become increasingly common in our showrooms, and very well may take over the entire market. It’s what happened with electric start and EFI. How will longtime riders, lovers of the clutch-and-gearshift arrangement, react? Does it really matter what we think, if someday in the future we don’t even have a choice? And will new motorcyclists want “the real thing,” if it’s not even offered anymore?

The post Even Better Than The Real Thing appeared first on Adventure Rider.

The first look at the bike came from social media, with reveals of the bike from RE’s management and a teaser from Isle of Man TT legend Guy Martin.

Here’s a look at the bike courtesy of Siddhartha Lal, Royal Enfield’s managing director:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sid Lal (@sidlal)

And here’s another viewing angle of the Guerilla 450, from Govindarajan Balakrishnan, Royal Enfield’s CEO:

 

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A post shared by Govindarajan Balakrishnan (@govindarajan52)

And here’s Guy Martin, telling us he’s excited to promote the new bike when it’s officially revealed:

 

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A post shared by Guy Martin Racing (@guymartinofficial)

On July 17, the bike will be officially unveiled in-person in Barcelona, but you can also expect a virtual reveal over YouTube and probably other Internet streaming sites.

When it gets here, we expect the engine to have the same tune as the liquid-cooled 450 Himalayan, as that’s practical and keeps costs down—expect 40 horsepower and 19.5 pound-feet of torque from the engine. It’s the most up-to-date engine in Royal Enfield’s lineup, with shim-under-bucket valve adjustment, EFI, and two ride modes. Switchable ABS comes standard, and Tripper GPS. We expect to see those on the Guerilla 450 as well, with the same basic frame (maybe a change to the steering angle) and 19-17 wheels.

The post New Royal Enfield Guerilla 450 Scrambler Coming In Mid-July appeared first on Adventure Rider.

Of course we already have the standard BMW R1300 GS on the market right now. This all-new machine was launched in fall of 2023 with quite a few improvements over the previous-gen R1250 models. As we told you at the launch:

A new liquid-cooled design allowed BMW to shrink the engine’s size, and cut weight while increasing output to 145 hp at 7750 rpm and 110 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. These are both improvements on the ’23 1250 model, which made 136 hp and 105.5 lb-ft of torque. The engine is still a DOHC setup with four-valve Shiftcam heads. Compression is now 13.3:1; previously, it was 12:5:1. Stroke is decreased, while bore is increased.

The standard R1300 GS also went on a significant weight loss program, and is overall a more compact, smaller machine, reversing a trend for the GS flagship models to get bigger and bigger. And along with the base model, the R1300 GS was released in three sub-models, the Triple Black, GS Trophy and Option 719 Tramauntana. But there was no Adventure variant, with bigger tank and beefed-up suspension.

Now, it seems that’s coming, and we will likely see this as the first application of BMW’s new Automated Shift Assistant technology.

Stay tuned; we’ll share the updated news as it comes through! And while you wait, you can read Costa’s review of the base-model R1300 GS here.

The post BMW R1300 GS Adventure Is Coming July 5! appeared first on Adventure Rider.

What’s new? It’s all bolt-on stuff, with no changes to the engine (which would be expensive, since all this stuff goes through regulatory agencies) and no changes to the electronic safety/stability systems (why mess with what works?). The suspension is the same as the base model, and so is the fuel tank and frame. That means you should expect 110 horsepower at 9,250 rpm, and 68 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. Major engine maintenance intervals are a very generous 9,000 miles apart, or every 24 months. This ain’t your daddy’s fussy Ducati L-twin.

Ducati’s upgrades to the Discovery model include hard parts that make the bike more rugged for off-road use. The Ducati DesertX Discovery gets beefed-up handguards, engine crash bars, added protection for the radiator and water pump, and a heavy duty skid plate (the standard DesertX also comes with a skid plate, but it’s not as robust).

There’s also a taller screen to cut windblast on the highway and a set of standard heated grips. A new centerstand makes long-haul touring easier; now, you can easily stand up the bike to clean or adjust the chain or perform other maintenance.

Finally, the Discovery model also gets the Ducati Multimedia system as standard, including turn-by-turn satnav capability through Ducati’s Link app. And of course it gets its own special paint job.

You can buy soft bags instead, if that’s your jam, because these hard panniers aren’t standard equipment. Photo: Ducati

Add it all up and this bike is basically a pre-built adventure tourer, with the basics added to keep you protected and comfortable. You can buy this and hit the road with minimal need to add your own farkles. You will need to add your own luggage system, though, since these bikes don’t come with hard bags standard.

MSRP for the DesertX Discovery is $19,995 US, right between the base model ($17,995) and the DesertX Rally ($22,995). For more details, check out Ducati’s website.

The post Ducati DesertX Discovery: The Middle Machine appeared first on Adventure Rider.

That tame air-cooled engine was still enough to haul you down secondary roads, but you wouldn’t have much fun on the interstate. Photo: Monster Powersports

It came from the 1980s!

The Honda Rebel CM250 debuted in 1985, but the machine is actually a descendent of the CM185 Twinstar, an even more humble and uninspiring bike from the late 1970s. By the mid-’80s, Honda had refined the beginner bike formula to a basic foundation of an air-cooled 234cc parallel twin engine with two-valve cylinder heads. Honda used the same engine in the Nighthawk 250 standard bike as well, claiming it made 16 horsepower and 12.4 pound-feet of torque. Not too exciting, even in the mid-1980s learner market.

But Rebel buyers weren’t looking for a rocket. They wanted an easy-to-ride, easy-to-buy bike, and the Rebel’s low 26.6-inch seat height made it easy to throw a leg over; a 320-pound wet weight meant it was easy to keep the bike centred and upright at a stop. Fuel economy was fantastic, around 70 mpg for most users. The CDI ignition didn’t need fettling, like a points system, which would have been common on the second-hand bikes of that time. There was even a disc brake up front, something that was unheard of on beginner bikes less than a decade earlier. So while the Rebel was a cruiser, built after a pattern that began decades earlier in the US, an ocean away from Honda’s headquarters, it was actually as modern as you could practically build a cheap beginner bike at the time of its debut. And people liked that, so Honda kept on building them for a really long time.

A lot of owners tricked these bikes out with a sissy bar and saddlebags, trying to fake the bagger look. Mercifully, this machine has been spared such indignities. Photo: Monster Powersports

The basic beginner bike

There were occasional breaks in production, but Honda built this design off-and-on for 31 years. The last air-cooled Honda Rebels were sold in 2016, and the next-generation Rebel 250/300 models debuted in 2017, based around the same liquid-cooled single-cylinder design that Honda debuted in the CBR250 in 2011.

That’s a lot of beginner bikes built, but it wasn’t just newbies and MSF courses that bought these bikes. Amusingly, the Washington, D.C. police department was also a customer. They lacked the usual accoutrements of a police bike, running just a top box and windshield with a big POLICE sticker across the front (see photos here). They used them for light-duty work in urban areas, and probably would have been a lot better off with dual sport bikes for that purpose—but when it was time to switch, they bought Sportsters instead, which seems like a sideways step at best. Somewhat amusingly, the complaint at the time was that the Rebels couldn’t keep up with street traffic in DC, which makes you wonder why they bought them in the first place.

The engine cases appear to have some scuffed paint or corrosion, but otherwise, this bike looks pretty clean. Photo: Monster Powersports

The Rebel cruisers were popular with civilian buyers who just wanted an affordable small bike that looked kind of like a Harley, but without the price tag. In my area of North America, the most common Rebel 250 owners that I saw were younger female riders and small-statured older male riders who were often happy to add a few stickers of bald eagles or Confederate flags to let onlookers know that while they were riding a 16-horsepower bike, they were still bad-asses at heart. Or so they thought, as they rode down to darts night at the Legion.

The Rebel also had a few fans in the custom bike scene. With its raked-out look and a set of twin shocks that ended right behind the rider’s saddle, it was easy enough to give the bike a Konged look. A busy afternoon with a socket set and maybe an angle grinder, and presto, instant bobber! While I’m not a huge fan of poorly-done homebuilds, I do think it was pretty hard to mess up a Rebel, and if you did, well, no purists were complaining about the violation.

The bike’s chrome generally seems pretty clean, which is an indication it was probably taken care of. Photo: Monster Powersports

The Rebel today

Today, the new Rebel 300 is better than the original in every way but one: Pricing. The new 300 is fairly affordable by 2024’s standards, at $4,849. But if you just want a cheap bike, you can get a very clean used Rebel 250 for little money.

Consider the machine here, a 2000 model at Monster Powersports in Wauconda, Illinois, with only 3,642 miles on the odometer. Asking price is $2,399; maybe they could do better than that, maybe they won’t. But that’s not very much money for a bike that looks pretty new. While I would recommend an XT250 or TW200 or something like that for a first bike, you could do a lot worse than something like this pristine Rebel.

I almost ended up on one of these in my college days, and it probably would have been a much better choice than the poorly-running KZ750 L3 I ended up on instead. Photo: Monster Powersports

Or you could buy this 2009 model from a private seller in Mexico, New York, with a set of saddlebags thrown in and a $2,500 price tag and only 1,908 miles on the odometer. Based off its mileage, that bike isn’t even ready for its second oil change. And if you’re in college, and you need cheap wheels, something like this might get you by until you can buy something you like better.

That’s when I first saw the Rebel. I remember sitting at my desk in college, thinking of how I needed wheels, and the very first time I ever looked at a bike was when I logged on to Honda’s website to check out what they had in a student’s price range. I didn’t buy one, because I didn’t have the money in cash-in-hand. But I often wonder: If I’d started my riding career on a new or new-ish bike that just worked without the years of breakdowns and misery that I went through on a collection of poorly-running UJMs—would I be the same motorcyclist I am today, or would I even be a motorcyclist at all?

With that in mind, maybe you don’t want a bike like this, if you’re a newbie. Maybe it would make your moto life too easy?

The post 2013 Honda Rebel: Thirty Years Of College Bikes appeared first on Adventure Rider.

The book itself was first published in 1968 by photographer Danny Lyon. It’s based on photos of his time riding with the Chicago Outlaws motorcycle club, and he also included interviews at the back with the one-percenters and their families. The book was much less controversial than Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels, and was certainly less sensational in its content. Filmmaker Jeff Nichols got his hands on the book years ago and used it to develop a movie, filling around Lyon’s work with his own narrative inspired by the interviews, photos, and by biker history. There were changes—a fictional club, the Vandals, stands in for the Outlaws—but if you’ve read the book, you can see it’s referenced constantly in The Bikeriders.

The Bikeriders book was far less lurid and sensational than Hunter S. Thompson’s book, although both dealt with outlaw bikers from the same era. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

Nichols’ film premiered in 2023, but was dropped by distributor 20th Century Studios (Disney) before it hit theaters. Focus Features is now distributing the film domestically in 2024, with Universal handling international distribution.

I say all that to say this: It’s been a long journey to get this story to a theater near you. So should you, in turn, get yourself to the theater to watch it?

I think that depends on what you want out of it.

If you want a bikesploitation flick with gratuitous violence and sex, this isn’t the film. Yeah, there are two-fisted brawls, and worse, but none of that is played up for Tarantino-style shock. And nobody is running around naked, even half-naked. There are no ridiculous drug deals or arms sales going down. This isn’t Sons of Anarchy, not even close. The criminality of the gang is glossed over, just as it is in all those old one-percenter autobiographies, at least until the statute of limitations expires. But neither does it portray all these bikers as folksy heros, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It shows them for who they are. At their best, they’re chain-smoking, drunken scofflaws. At their worst, the club’s worst members are vile and murderous.

It isn’t what I’d call an arthouse piece either, although I really liked the narrative process, using the original book’s interviews as a way of advancing the story. Some of the actors are very good. Jodie Comer does an excellent job of playing a non-glamorous mid-western biker old lady. With his baggy clothes, stocky frame and limited dialog, Tom Hardy looks like the sort of guy who’d run a post-war biker gang, but end up overwhelmed. As for Austin Butler, who plays the lead (I guess), he constantly looks like he’s consciously playing a part, trying to look like every causeless greaser rebel that ever graced the drive-through screen. I’m not sure if this was intentional, and I’m not sure it works, but he’s very recognisable as a stock character in these sorts of films.

Many of these riding scenes looked like they came from the book’s photos, or Donald Shebib’s 1966 documentary on the Satan’s Choice club in Canada. Photo: Focus Features

Other touches were just a bit off. The music seemed like Nichols was trying to pull a Scorsese here, and I think he misses the mark on the soundtrack. The bikes themselves hardly look like the far-out choppers that one-percenters rode in the 1960s. But it was obvious that he’d put a lot of work into getting very small details right, particularly the description of how the club evolved at the end of the film. Because that’s what this film is really about. Just like Easy Rider is about the end of the American Dream, so is The Bikeriders.

And it’s funny. In Easy Rider, the quintessential bikesploitation film, the lead character Wyatt bemoans the loss of individualism and freedom that is spreading across the US at that point, in the late 1960s. Yet it’s drugged-up long-haired hippies similar to Wyatt who are responsible for the changes in the Vandals at the end of The Bikeriders, as they take control of the club from the short-haired beer-drinking greasers who founded it.

So. If you want  to watch a film about biker gangs that doesn’t glorify crime, I think you can enjoy The Bikeriders. Really, it’s more of a romantic drama that isn’t terribly romantic, as it’s set inside a biker club whose membership changes from mere rowdies to morally degenerate rapists, echoing the decline of Western culture. If anything, I would call it a hopeful tragedy, and it’s probably the best thing playing in most theaters right now, although that is admittedly a very low bar.

For whatever it’s worth: I will probably watch it again. The scenes of the Vandals riding around in the harvested cornfields of the Midwest fall were beautiful. It’s mid-summer here in Canada, but those shots made me look forward to the fall, when I’ll be riding the farm roads I grew up on. It’s the first time I’ve seen a Hollywood film that realizes the moto-world doesn’t begin and end in California, and for that reason alone, I’d re-watch it.

Check out your local theater times if you want to watch The Bikeriders on the big screen. It’s not currently streaming, and I think it’s worth the in-person trip to the theater anyway. And if you want to see an actual film critic’s opinion on the piece, Google it. I’m no Siskel or Ebert, nor do I play them on television.

The post I Watched The Bikeriders So You Wouldn’t Have To appeared first on Adventure Rider.

What’s the Iron Butt Rally?

The Iron Butt Association bills itself as the “World’s Toughest Motorcycle Riders.” These long-distance riding enthusiasts collect around the IronButt.org website to particpate in individual challenges for long-distance riding certificates; the 1,000-miles-in-24-hours Saddlesore 1000 challenge is considered a sort of baseline, but there are many other challenges—see here.

The biggest challenge of them all is the Iron Butt Rally, which runs every two years. This event is based in North America, with most mileage in the US. The Iron Butt Rally sends motorcyclists across the continent over a roughly two-week period to collect scavenger hunt-style points. The winning riders usually end up covering well over 10,000 miles over the course of the event. Obviously, this pace doesn’t leave much time for eating, sleeping, or anything else while they’re on the road, and there is no prize for winning besides bragging rights. Indeed, like the Dakar Rally, just finishing the Iron Butt Rally has become a badge of honor in itself.

You can see our past coverage of the Iron Butt Rally here.

What’s happening in 2025?

The Iron Butt Rally runs every two years, and since the last event was in 2023, we would have expected another one in 2025. Unfortunately, the Iron Butt Association had this post from rally organizer Lisa Landry on June 10, saying she and fellow organizer Jeff Earls would not be running the rally in 2025:

Hello everyone-
The following note was sent to Iron Butt Rally volunteers a few minutes ago.
Friends,
We know this email is overdue and apologize for the delay. There have been issues needing resolution before we could open the drawing entry window for a 2025 Iron Butt Rally. Mike and team have been working to determine a solution but it continues to elude us. Despite an impressive safety record, the availability of insurance for the event at the top level has evaporated.
Lisa and I had planned for 2025 to be our “farewell tour”. We both felt we had one more rally in us and had decided on a theme before leaving Pittsburgh. Late last year we started lining up the usual types of facilities and joked about the places you might get sent. That was not to be.
It is with sadness that we are announcing that Lisa and I will not be at the IBR helm. It has been an honor to be allowed the opportunity to put our spin and energy into the event and to work with this talented and enthusiastic team. All of you who have volunteered to help with the event are amazing; whether that be scouting locations far and near, scoring riders, manning bonus locations, or helping make sure registration and finish check in go smoothly. None of these events would have been possible without you. From the bottom of our hearts …Thank you.
We don’t know what form the Iron Butt Rally will take in the future. A hallmark of the event is that each has been different than the previous. We look forward to seeing what shape it takes and following along.
Lisa and Jeff

That is the only real info on the situation.

So what’s next?

Obviously, the hardcore Iron Butt riders want the rally to go ahead, and they’re hoping that someone else can take over the event. At this late point in the game, that seems unlikely for 2025, especially since new organizers would face the same challenges with insurers that the current organizers are facing.

With that in mind, some riders are making backup plans—the word on the street is that the Scooter Cannonball is seeing an uptick in registrations from IBA riders who are looking for a new two-wheeled fix. Makes sense, as that step-through event has a great reputation of its own, and has proven popular with many serious (and not-so-serious) riders over the years.

However, it would be sad to see the IBA’s legendary long-distance rally shut down because of difficulty finding insurance and organizers. Hopefully, someone will be able to work things out, even if 2025 may not be possible to arrange at this point.

The post The Iron Butt Rally’s Future Is Uncertain appeared first on Adventure Rider.

The researchers are working with partners to analyze data from drunk drivers, which they compiled by putting 60 subjects through simulated driving scenarios that span three levels of alcohol intoxication. They took video of these drunk drivers and separated it into three different categories of intoxication (“sober,” “low” and “severe.”). The video data was analyzed by a machine learning system

Their PR says “Researchers then presented a machine learning system that uses discernible cues from standard RGB (red, green and blue) videos of the driver’s faces to gauge the degree of alcohol related impairment, these included facial features, gaze direction and head position.” In other words, the camera could watch the driver, and figure out how drunk they were. PhD student Ms Ensiyeh Keshtkaran said they were able to be fairly accurate, detecting levels of intoxication with an overall accuracy of 75 percent for the researchers’ three-level classification system.

The university’s staff says that to their knowledge, this is the first impaired driving test that has been developed using a standard RGB camera. They believe it could be used not just for vehicles equipped with a camera monitoring system, but perhaps even for smartphone cameras, making it easier to detect intoxication. This could let drivers (or party hosts, or bartenders) check for impairment before getting behind the wheel. The new technology does not require extended observation of a motorist’s driving in order to determine impairment, as opposed to some other systems.

ECU Senior Lecturer Dr Syed Zulqarnain Gilani said “This research confirms that it is possible to detect intoxication levels using just a simple camera. The next step in our research is to define the image resolution needed to employ this algorithm. If low resolution videos are proven sufficient, this technology can be employed by surveillance cameras installed on roadside, and law enforcement agencies can use this to prevent drunk driving.”

Considering how many riders have been hit by impaired drivers over the years, and how many riders who crash their bikes due to their own impairment, this tech could save a lot of lives down the road. If we hear more about its development, we’ll keep you posted.

The post Safer Roads? New In-Car Camera Tech Could Detect Drunk Drivers appeared first on Adventure Rider.

Those are Yamaha’s words, not ours. When Yamaha Motor Europe officially confirmed the AMT gearbox, their PR made it very clear that this isn’t some airy-fairy pie-in-the-sky concept; the release says it’s coming soon, featured on different bikes, and with Euro 5 regulations around the corner, it seems likely we’ll see this auto-shifting tech introduced on the company’s popular models at that point.

Yamaha previously had featured clutchless shifting with its FJR1300, but the new gearbox works more like the quickshifter systems that have spread across most OEM’s lineups. As we told you upon our initial sighting of the system:

The patent drawings show Yamaha including two actuators on the CP2 engine; one controls the clutch, the other controls the shifter. There’s no shift lever (unlike the Honda E-clutch and BMW designs) and no clutch lever (BMW’s ASA has no clutch lever, but the Honda E-clutch design does, the DCT doesn’t). A set of buttons on the left handlebar switchgear are all that’s needed to shift up and down through the gearbox.

Now we have more info. Their PR doesn’t get into the specific technical details, but the basic details of how to operate the new gearbox are simple. You get a shift lever on the left-hand handlebar that allows you to flick up or down between gears with your finger or thumb, “manually” running the gearbox using the MT function. You can also run the gearbox automatically using the AT function, which has D+ Mode (for quick and sport gear changes) or D Mode (for softer gear changes, perhaps more appropriate for around-town riding).

Here’s what Yamaha’s Euro website tells us about the system:

Y-AMT allows you to fully focus on enjoying the sports performance offered by your motorcycle, by delivering consistently linear shifts to create the most engaging riding experience with the choice of a slick, finger operated manual shift (MT) or a two-mode fully automatic transmission (AT).

MT: MANUAL TRANSMISSION

With MT, fast and precise gear shifts are just at your fingertips, without having to manually operate a clutch lever. Shifts are controlled with the index finger and thumb, via two see-saw shifting levers – a plus lever for upshifts and a minus lever for downshifts. For greater control in sportier riding, the plus lever can also be pulled to shift up and pushed to shift down with the index finger alone, offering greater freedom, as there is no need to remove the thumb from the handlebars.

AT: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Using AT, you can choose between two programmes to suit different riding scenarios – easily switchable at any time via the dedicated MODE button. D+ MODE offers a sporty gear change by shifting later in the rev range to maintain the thrill of the ride while still offering the benefits of a fully automatic transmission. D MODE delivers a softer gear shift experience, while maintaining a low rpm, to maximise confidence during low speed, urban riding and manoeuvrability. While in AT, you can also choose to shift manually at any time by simply using the see-saw shift levers.

Your finger and thumb easily flick the gearbox up and down. Photo: Yamaha

Who wants this system? In our last article on Yamaha’s auto-shifting gearbox, inmate ScottFree asked:

Hmm… on a semi-auto transmission, is it less effort/more efficient to shift with two buttons on the handlebar or with your foot? It’s not obvious to me which is better.

Good question. Inmate flynnstigator replied:

Hands. My 2007 Yamaha FJR1300 AE has both, and I only use the one on the left handlebar now, although it was nice to have the foot lever in the beginning to make it an easier learning curve. It’s faster, feels more precise, and I can position my left foot wherever I want while changing gears.

Yamaha’s new auto-shifting gearbox design works with technology similar to a quickshifter’s components. Photo: Yamaha

Yamaha’s PR says eliminating your foot from the shifting process allows you to better focus on body position and the total package of your control inputs.

With a closer and more refined connection to the brain than the feet, the hands are one of the most tactile and powerful tools the human body has. Shifting by hand alone, as opposed to a foot-and-hand combination, is not only quicker but requires less thinking time, allowing you to hyper-focus on throttle and brake application, lean angle, body position and tyre grip levels to intensify the ride. With Y-AMT, you don’t have to move your left foot from the footpeg, allowing you to instead focus on body position and weight distribution through the pegs in order to enhance the control of your motorcycle, especially in cornering.

Maybe this is indeed the case, but it will be a hard sell for many riders. But for the reticent holdouts, Yamaha is promising that the manual gearbox function will still offer excitement while riding, “allowing you to focus more on the riding and less on the mechanics, immersing yourself in the enjoyment and precision of the ride.” They’re playing up the sporty angle here, saying the Y-AMT will make each ride “even more fun and engaging, immersing you into a flow state where every movement feels natural and precise.”

Stay tuned, because no doubt we’ll have the first ride reports on this tech in only a few weeks or months

The post Yamaha AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) Will Let Your Fingers Do The Shifting appeared first on Adventure Rider.

You might remember hearing about this lawsuit previously on ADVrider, as it came in the fallout from an FTC decision to enforce H-D owners’ right to repair their bikes with non-OEM parts. You can see that decision here; it laid down a framework for Harley-Davidson (and other companies) for their actions going forward, but there’s nothing to address these companies’ past behavior. See below:

The orders require the companies to take multiple steps to correct their unlawful behavior:

• Prohibit further violations: The companies will be prohibited from further violations of the Warranty Act, and in Harley-Davidson’s case, the Disclosure Rule. They will also be prohibited from telling consumers that their warranties will be void if they use third-party services or parts, or that they should only use branded parts or authorized service providers. If the companies violate these terms, the FTC will be able to seek civil penalties of up to $46,517 per violation in federal court.
• Recognize consumers’ right to repair: Harley-Davidson and MWE Investments will be required to add specific language to their warranties similar to the following: “Taking your product to be serviced by a repair shop that is not affiliated with or an authorized dealer of [Company] will not void this warranty” and/or “using third-party parts will not void this warranty.”  Weber must add to its warranty a statement that “Using third-party parts will not violate this warranty.”
• Come clean with consumers: The companies must send and post notices informing customers that their warranties will remain in effect even if they buy aftermarket parts and/or patronize independent repairers.
• Alert dealers to compete fairly: Harley-Davidson and MWE Investments are being required to direct authorized dealers to remove deceptive display materials, train and monitor employees, and not promote branded parts and dealers over third parties.

Some owners were unhappy with this, and thought Harley-Davidson should have been forced to pay out money to customers affected by their business practices—and they lawyered up to that end:

In this multidistrict litigation, fifteen plaintiffs, who purchased Harley-Davidson motorcycles from various dealerships and reside in eleven different states, claim that Defendants Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group LLC and Harley Davidson Motor Company Inc. (collectively, Harley-Davidson) used its warranty to force Harley owners under warranty to purchase Harley-Davidson-branded parts, instead of other available aftermarket parts.

Reuters has uploaded the entire legal decision here, but the TL/DR is this: These riders took Harley-Davidson to court over it, but they won’t get a payout. Instead, they’ve had their arguments rejected by a federal judge, with each of their complaints addressed in that document. Mostly, it comes down to this: The paperwork from Harley-Davidson told the riders that if they used non-OEM parts they “may” void their warranty. The judge said this didn’t mean the same as “will,” and also rejected the litigants’ other complaints which included allegations of common law fraud, fraudulent concealment, and more.

This decision comes down to specific legal language, so if you’re actually interested in digging into the details, the best approach is to read the judge’s decision carefully. The litigants have 30 days to file an amended complaint, but if there’s no amended complaint filed by early July, this case is over and dismissed.

The post Class-Action Lawsuit Against Harley-Davidson Over Warranty Terms Dismissed appeared first on Adventure Rider.