riding

Ride Review of BMW R18

by Anthony Conroy from https://www.post-gazette.com BMW’s R18 First Edition is powerful, simple and sophisticated Size isn’t everything, the old saying goes, but when you take a ride aboard BMW Motorrad’s R18 First Edition, its size is impossible to ignore. Put a leg over the seat, settle in and take in those two massive, chromed cylinder covers sitting in front of you, each one its own 901cc power-making factory. It’s like sitting on the neck of a shiny hammerhead shark. The engine — a twin-cylinder configuration known as a Boxer — has been BMW’s signature since 1923. But the Boxer on the R18 is the largest the German manufacturer has ever produced, with a claimed output of 91 horsepower and 116 pounds-foot of torque. Other manufacturers will claim to have bigger and better numbers, but the R18 isn’t designed for life on the rowdy edge. It’s a power cruiser, but with the soul of something vintage and simple. A modern throwback, if you will. In fact, despite the $20,000 price tag, there aren’t many frills. Some adjustability in the rear, none in the front. Heated grips. A reverse gear. BMW’s automatic stability control, which is essentially traction control. And three power modes: Rock, Roll and Rain. For our purposes, those might as well have been called Road Rage, Easy Jaunt and Tip-Toeing Through the Puddles. In other words, let’s Rock. The R18 has a keyless ignition and once the starter is pushed, the bike thunders and shudders to life. At stops, there’s quite a bit of vibration, but that’s exactly what you’d expect with two giant metal buckets rotating and internally combusting between your legs. The vibrations don’t exactly fade away once on the go — you’ll see a lot of blurring in the rear view mirrors, but I never felt […]

Ride Review of BMW R18 Read More »

Damon Motorcycles new members

A big welcome to Doug & Michael! At Damon, we continue to expand and grow our team to deliver not just a ride, but an enhanced experience for the next-generation of motorcyclists. Thus, we are proud to welcome CMO & VP Brand Doug Penman and Head of Design Michael Uhlarik to Damon’s executive team. Doug Penman, CMO & VP, Brand – “I look forward to creating the most exhilarating, unexpected, and fierce mobility brand the motorcycle industry has ever seen.” Michael Uhlarik, Head of Design – “I’m excited to design the Damon motorcycles of the future… and to cement the company’s legacy as the leading innovator in two-wheel safety, technology, and performance.” An international award-winning motorcycle designer and product planner, Uhlarik created the market-leading Yamaha TZR-50 and the award-winning Yamaha MT-03. He has also contributed to designs for the R6, FJR1300, & M1 MotoGP bike, collaborated on motorcycles such as the Aprilia Dorsoduro, SportCity, & Atlantic, and authored the Derbi Rambla. Penman is an entrepreneur and creative with broad-ranging venture capital, marketing strategy, and brand expertise. He has launched and accelerated the momentum for Intel, Microsoft, Volvo, Toyota Scion, Peugeot, SanDisk, QuantumScape, Dell, Coca-Cola, UBTech, and Philips. As pioneers in their respective fields, Doug and Michael are tightly aligned on both purpose and creative vision to fuse the functions of product design and brand & marketing. Their work will ultimately give you a more charged, inspired, and personal riding experience. Celebrate with us. 2021 Green GOOD DESIGN Award We’re honoured to win an accolade from the oldest and most established awards program for the most innovative and visionary new product design worldwide. ⁠ 2021 Fast Company World Changing Idea Award We’ve been recognized with an “Honorable Mention” in the Transportation category for this prestigious award. 21 New Damon Family Members

Damon Motorcycles new members Read More »

Authorities remind people about safety and motorcycle awareness

State Authorities in California, Maryland and Wisconsin announce recommendations for safety and awareness on Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month DMV reiterates safe riding practices in respect to Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by The Bakersfield Californian from https://www.bakersfield.com The California Highway Patrol is emphasizing safe riding and driving practices in May as part of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. In a news release, the CHP said that more than 500 people were killed in motorcycle-involved crashes in California in 2020 and more than 11,500 people were injured. There are more than 1.4 million licensed riders in the state, the CHP said. With those numbers in mind, the agency strongly encourages all riders to enroll in the California Motorcyclist Safety Program. The CMSP has 98 training sites throughout the state and trains approximately 55,000 motorcyclists each year. For more information or to find a training site near you, visit californiamotorcyclist.com or motorcyclesafetyca.com. The CHP added that motorcyclists can help protect themselves by wearing proper safety gear including a U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant helmet, following the speed limit, riding defensively, and always riding sober. Drivers should always look at their mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and always keep a safe distance. The CHP promotes motorcycle safety with the Get Educated and Ride Safe program, funded by a $750,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. All eight CHP field divisions will hold outreach events to promote motorcycle safety throughout 2021 under the GEARS grant. “Motorcyclists who are responsible, informed, and properly equipped can help reduce rider deaths and injuries,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. “Motorists are also key to reducing crashes by being aware of the dangers and challenges of motorcycle riding. Taking the time to look twice for motorcyclists can save a life.” May

Authorities remind people about safety and motorcycle awareness Read More »

Free Safety Course Included with Motorcycle Purchases

by Annie Lindgren from https://northfortynews.com Fort Collins Motorsports (FCMS), in partnership with Indian® Motorcycle of Fort Collins (IMOFC), has announced it will offer a free safety course to riders (valued at $250) with the purchase of any new make or model motorcycle from its dealership. “Safe riding should always be a priority, and we’re excited to have an opportunity to tap into our IMRG network so that we can offer this course for free to customers,” said Jeff Sroufe, general manager of Fort Collins Motorsports. “With May being Motorcycle Safety Month, we want to ensure all of our fellow riders are equipped with knowledge of important skills to help them ‘live to ride and ride to live’ while on the open roads.” With two dates to choose from, on May 8 and August 14, 2021, the safety course event will take place on-site at the IMOFC dealership (1800 SE Frontage Rd., Fort Collins, Colorado 80525). During the four-hour safety course, expert training will be provided by a local police officer and certified motorcycle instructor, who also acts as VP and safety director of the Northern Colorado Indian® Motorcycle Riders Group (NOCO IMRG). Designed for every level of motorcycle rider experience, the course will cover key safety topics in a real-world style setting. Safety topics include threshold braking, obstacle avoidance, slow speed precision, and more. Each course has been organized into a three-part format, starting with an educational ‘Listen & Learn’ segment, followed by a live demonstration to ‘Watch & Learn,’ and ending with a supervised ‘Ride & Learn’ practice session. Upon making a qualifying motorcycle purchase, riders will receive access to register for the course through an exclusive direct link. FCMS is also offering the educational (Listen & Learn) segment as a complimentary video download for those pending or without

Free Safety Course Included with Motorcycle Purchases Read More »

Harley-Davidson Pan America Riding Review

by Basem Wasef from https://www.rideapart.com Running trails and getting dirty with Pan America. Harley-Davidson has been about as relevant in the big bore adventure segment as a skateboard at the Dakar. Having loafed on the ADV genre for decades, The Motor Company is finally taking a swing at the segment with the 2021 Pan America, a purpose-built adventure bike to battle stalwarts like the BMW R 1250 GS/GS Adventure, KTM 1290 Super Adventure, and Triumph Tiger 1200. The Pan Am boasts familiar H-D visual elements wrapped around some impressively future-forward technology. This new tech is benchmarked against a field that’s seen numerous iterations and refinements over the years. First (and perhaps foremost) in this image-conscious category, the clean-sheet Pan America strikes a look that stands apart from its rugged competitors. Harley says its styling aligned with the brand’s design language. There’s also a prevailing visual sentiment that departs from the familiar with an unapologetically brutalist look: blocky shapes, menacing headlamps with a secondary strip of lean angle-sensitive adaptive drew headlamp inspo from the Fat Bob and fairing cues from Road Glide, keeping the bike’s LEDs positioned above, and an imposing chunkiness that disregards any attempt at being pretty. Of course, the highest-stake component isn’t its looks, but rather the all-new Revolution Max powerplant. The liquid-cooled, 1,252cc, 60-degree V-twin shares the same bore and stroke as the late, great V-Rod, but has next to nothing in common with any existing Harley engine apart from its dimensions. Equipped with dual overhead cams, variable valve timing, and a lofty 13.1:1 compression ratio, the fully counterbalanced engine requires premium fuel but returns a stout 150 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 94 lb-ft at 6,750 rpm. That’s more horsepower but less twist than BMW’s R 1250 GS’ 136 hp/105 lb-ft, but well below the hot-rodded

Harley-Davidson Pan America Riding Review Read More »

Motorcycle Cooling Vests Product Review

A Cooling Vest Can Be a Godsend in Triple Digit Heat! Photos and text by Gary Mraz It gets hot there in the South West this time of year and a cooling vest can be a godsend in triple digit heat. There are a lot of options for us motorcyclists, and evaporative cooling vests are common. You pull them out when needed, soak them in water and become a human swamp cooler. Ice-chilled cooling vests require ice packs or cooling packs that can freeze at a moderate temperature of 58° Fahrenheit. There are even thermoelectric cooling vests utilizing water pushed through tubes with motors and batteries. Click Here to read this exclusive Product Review on Bikernet. Join the Cantina – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

Motorcycle Cooling Vests Product Review Read More »

The Story Behind the Notorious Widows Sons

A Family Riding Club within the FreeMason Organization By Bandit with photos from David Dolph And no, they are not destined to take over the world. A brother in the Widows Sons club contacted Bikernet recently. David Dolph told me, “We are a Masonic Riders Association and a group of Master Masons who have come together to promote Freemasonry within the motorcycling community and help introduce motorcycling to our non-riding Masonic brothers. Our first priority, is to aid & assist widows and orphans of Master Masons.” Click Here to read this Feature Article on Bikernet. Join the Cantina – Subscribe Now https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

The Story Behind the Notorious Widows Sons Read More »

New Neurobiological Study Finds Riding a Motorcycle Can Decrease Stress and Improve Mental Focus

from http://www.healthnewsdigest.com The results of a neurobiological study, today published in Brain Research, yielded pioneering scientific evidence revealing the potential mental and physical benefits of riding a motorcycle. Researchers recorded participants’ brain activity and hormone levels before, during, and after motorcycling, driving a car, and resting. While riding a motorcycle, participants experienced increased sensory focus and resilience to distraction. Riding also produced an increase in adrenaline levels and heart rate, as well as a decrease in cortisol metrics – results often associated with light exercise and stress-reduction. “Stress levels, especially among young adults, continue to rise, and people are exploring pathways to better their mental and physical health. Until recently, the technology to rigorously measure the impact of activities like motorcycling on the brain didn’t exist,” said Dr. Don Vaughn, the neuroscientist who led the research team. “The brain is an amazingly complex organ and it’s fascinating to rigorously investigate the physical and mental effects riders report.” Results Highlights: Riding a motorcycle decreased hormonal biomarkers of stress by 25% Sensory focus was enhanced while riding a motorcycle versus driving a car, an effect also observed in experienced meditators vs non-meditators Changes in study participants’ brain activity while riding suggested an increase in alertness similar to drinking a cup of coffee “While scientists have long-studied the relationship of brain and hormone responses to attention and stress, doing so in real-life conditions such as these is rare,” explained Professor and senior team member, Dr. Mark Cohen. “No lab experiment can duplicate the feelings that a motorcyclist would have on the open road.” “The differences in participants’ neurological and physiological responses between riding and other measured activities were quite pronounced,” continued Dr. Vaughn. “This could be significant for mitigating everyday stresses.” Research Overview The research team monitored participants’ electrical brain activity and heart rate, as

New Neurobiological Study Finds Riding a Motorcycle Can Decrease Stress and Improve Mental Focus Read More »

San Francisco International showcases early American motorcycles

by Colleen Morgan from https://www.moodiedavittreport.com An exhibition exploring the history and development of motorcycling has opened at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The SFO Museum exhibition, in the International Terminal Departures, started on 11 February and will run through 19 September 2021. According to exhibition organisers, early American motorcycles “reflect a bygone era of mechanical innovation and bold industrial design”. They are prized by collectors around the world and displayed on vintage rides, endurance runs, and at special events. The exhibition presents fourteen ‘exceptional’ examples made prior to 1916, along with a collection of rare engines and photographs from the pioneering era of motorcycling. It follows the development of the motorcycle – “one of the earliest and most exciting applications of another new invention, the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine” – from the 1890s until 1915. The exhibition highlights the progress of motorcycle technology during that period and the evolvement of riding “from a novelty, to a hobby, sport and a reliable source of transportation”. As the presentation points out, “motorcycling in the early twentieth century was always an adventure”. “Road conditions were generally poor and hitting a pothole or other hazard on a motorcycle supported by a primitive, stiffly sprung suspension could easily throw a rider off the bike”. It also underlines the need for “athletic ability” to start and ride these machines and that motorcyclists had to be mechanically minded to keep them in working condition. Early American Motorcycles is one of several exhibitions which are running for limited periods at the SFO Museum. Others include Hair Style, Instrumental Rock ‘n’ Roll, Paula Riff, Amelia Konow   and Alternative Process by the San Francisco University School of Art. The airport also offers a strong line-up of permanent exhibitions which include Pan American Airways, Harvey Milk ‘Messenger of Hope’ and Spirogyrate,

San Francisco International showcases early American motorcycles Read More »

Harley-Davidson announces the “Get Out and Ride” Sweepstakes

Harley-Davidson celebrates a New Year with 80 Prizes for the Rides ahead. MILWAUKEE (February 8, 2021) – Harley-Davidson’s mission brings people together and helps riders experience freedom for the soul. Harley-Davidson is celebrating its mission with the “Get Out and Ride” sweepstakes. There are 80 prizes to win in honor of the 80th Anniversary of Daytona Bike Week, and one custom grand prize motorcycle to celebrate the start of a new year of riding. “Following Harley-Davidson’s global celebration of riding at the virtual H-D 21 event, we’re excited to get riders rolling into a great year ahead,” said VP Marketing Theo Keetell. The “Get Out and Ride” Sweepstakes is Harley-Davidson’s invitation to kick off the riding season and rediscover the road.” From February 8 to April 16, Harley-Davidson is giving riders reason to celebrate with a sweepstakes that everyone in the U.S. can participate in. Through riding-related activities and visiting your local Harley-Davidson® dealer, participants earn entries for a chance to win prizes celebrating the community and spirit of two wheels. This includes a custom 2021 Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® motorcycle and weekly drawings for 80 additional prizes. “Get Out and Ride” Sweepstakes Riders can earn entries by participating in the following: Enter the “Get Out and Ride” Sweepstakes Come back for instant win prizes throughout the campaign Visit your local participating Harley-Davidson dealership Demo Harley-Davidson motorcycles The “Get Out and Ride” Sweepstakes is a perfect opportunity to demo, try-on, and experience all the new Harley-Davidson® products for 2021 including motorcycles, parts and accessories, and general merchandise. For more information visit: https://harleydavidson.promo.eprize.com/getoutandride/ NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.  LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES (D.C.) 18 YEARS AND OLDER.  VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Promotion ends 4/16/21. For Official Rules, alternate method of entry, prize descriptions and odds

Harley-Davidson announces the “Get Out and Ride” Sweepstakes Read More »

Scroll to Top