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2013 BMW C600 Sport in-action

2013 BMW C650GT and C600 Sport – First RideBMW takes aim at big-city traffic with a pair of 100-plus-mph cross-category two-wheelers.

Urban planners project that in fewer than 20 years, 60 percent of the world’s population will live in “megacities.” In the Fifties, only two metropolitan areas, Tokyo and New York, had 10 million-plus inhabitants. A little more than a decade from now, the number of such cities is expected to [...]

Ryan Dudek rides the 2012 Yamaha WR450F

2012 Yamaha WR450F – First RideYamaha builds a race-ready WR.

Yamaha is taking a new approach with its 2012 WR450F. Gone is the focus on fast, open desert and casual trail riding. Its new objectives are improved performance for cross-country and tighter woods-style enduro competition. There is more emphasis on racing, and the WR450’s high-quality components prove it. This is [...]

2013 Victory Judge powers through a turn

The Judge – First RideJudicious upgrades make this Victory sweet.

Photography by Jeff Allen It’s all relative, isn’t it? The last 16-inch-wheeled Victory we rode was the apehanger-equipped High-Ball just over a year ago, and I am happy to categorically state that for all-around riding and general comfort, the Judge is a distinct improvement, largely due to the deletion of [...]

Ducati 1199 Panigale S - First Ride

2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale S – First RideDucati builds a MotoGP Superbike.

Okay, so shoot me for using the “p” word when discussing something Italian, but Ducati really is a passionate company. Take my mechanic for the day at the 1199 Panigale launch, Walter Ansaloni. As he was swapping tires on the S models we were riding, he told me about his [...]

Mini-apes are just under shoulder height for 5'8" rider - 2012 H-D Seventy-Two

2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two XL1200V Sportster – First RideShowroom-floor old-school cruiser cool from Harley.

Photography by Jeff Allen As soon as Harley rolled out this pretty little redhead, I knew I had to ride it. You see, back in the day, I rode—or more accurately, performed roadside repairs on—a crazy Scandinavian-style hardtail Sportster chopper. I’m talking about a terrifyingly noodley 12-inch-over springer variety. My [...]

Eric Bostrom - First Ride - 2012 MV Agusta F3 675

Eric Bostrom – First Ride – MV Agusta F3 675Is Three greater than Four?

My journey back to Paul Ricard this past February for the press launch of the new MV Agusta F3 675 was special. This enchanting high-speed circuit is perched above the French Riviera in the arid mountains of Southern France. When I was in my early 20s, Paul Ricard was a [...]

Tucking in tight on the 2012 Suzuki GSX-R1000.

2012 Suzuki GSX-R1000 – First RideGixxer generation 5.5.

Wholesale change doesn’t often come quickly on the heels of resounding success. Since its debut a decade ago, the Suzuki GSX-R1000 has amassed an impressive tally of 37 combined world and national roadrace titles. The mighty Gixxer has proven particularly dominant in AMA Superbike, stringing together seven back-to-back championships from [...]

2012 Triumph Speed Triple R - First Ride

2012 Triumph Speed Triple R – First RideAnRchy from the UK: Triumph gives the Speed Triple the “R” treatment.

Dancing with the Speed Triple is more akin to a night on the town with Sid Vicious than a boring and graceful glide around the parquet. If there was ever a bike that likes to mosh its way through urban areas and backroads alike, the “Trip” is it. And yet, [...]

Moto Guzzi Griso 8V SE - First Ride

Moto Guzzi Griso 8V SE – First RideLasting character.

Photography by Jeff Allen When the Moto Guzzi Griso hit the market back in 2006, the sporty naked’s fresh styling and visceral twin-cylinder performance offered timely promise that the classic Italian bike maker had landed rubber side down and would forge full-speed ahead under its new Piaggio Group leadership. The [...]

Victory Hard-Ball - First Ride

Victory Hard-Ball – First RideHigh bars, hard bags and heaps of black: Victory’s badass bagger.

Photography by Jeff Allen There’s no doubt ape-hanger bikes are all about looking cool. And although this bars-in-the-sky style definitely makes some demands of the rider that more conventional cruisers do not, most riders who prefer their fists flying at eye level (or above) couldn’t care less. Apes are everywhere [...]