European Motorcycle Dealers Take it to the Track [Video]

For many, buying a motorcycle, especially a European motorcycle, is a big purchase. The aura of motorcycles from across the Atlantic rather than the Pacific adds an element of accomplishment and exclusivity to the purchase as well. As such, the buying experience should be more than just a simple exchange of money. That's where Balz Renggli and Paul Lima come in. The two friends are also owners of their own San Diego County-based motorcycle dealerships: Moto Forza andGP Motorcycles, respectively. Dealing exclusively with European motorcycles, the pair have earned a reputation in the Southern California area as one of the "go-to" dealerships if you're looking for a Ducati, KTM, Husqvarna, MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia,...

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2012 Piaggio Typhoon 125 Review

The latest trend among car manufacturers is reaching the coveted 40 mpg mark. It’s a nice, round number far exceeding what sedans — even the most miserly ones — were capable of only a few years ago. And with gas prices not getting any cheaper, it’s easy to see why fuel efficiency is so important. Of course, we motorcyclists have been touting the virtues of two-wheel fuel economy forever, and thePiaggio Typhoon 125 is the latest example why. Piaggio claims the Typhoon can achieve an astonishing 90 mpg from its tiny 124cc single-cylinder, four-stroke engine. This assumes its rider is delicate with the controls and avoids continued high speeds in order to achieve maximum fuel economy. In our real-world testing, which involved twisting...

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2012 Honda NC700X Preview

American Honda has finally relented and decided to import its most recent all-new model, first seen at last fall’s EICMA show in Milan. Unveiled today at the New York International Motorcycle Show, the NC700X is a multi-purpose, versatile machine with a big emphasis on utility, perfectly timed for today’s tight economic climate. Most impressive is the NC700X’s price, starting at an incredibly low $6999! For perspective, consider the NC-X’s most obvious competitor: Kawasaki’s Versys. It retails for an extra $900.Like the Versys, NC700X wears an adventurish costume that hints at off-road capability but doesn’t quire fulfill it. Both share a similar powerplant, a parallel-Twin engine. In the case of the Honda, it’s an all-new...

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2013 Victory Judge Preview

With the introduction of the muscle-car-inspired Judge, Victory has taken a sharp and deliberate turn from its well-worn path of creating blingy cruisers, bagger/touring rigs, and bobber-themed rides like the High-Ball and the newHard-Ball that melds bobber with touring.The Judge marks a change in Victory’s recent product offerings, but where the Minnesota-based company continues to stick to business-as-usual thinking is by placing its powerful Freedom 106/6 50-degree air/oil cooled, fuel-injected V-Twin with six-speed gearbox in yet another Victory motorcycle. This same engine that motivates many Victorys now also gives the Judge its go power. We’ve ridden the Freedom 106/6 many times over the years, and always come away impressed...

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Ontario's Motorcycle Trip Planner a Cut Above [Video]

This past summer I spent 40 days and 40 nights riding motorcycles around the great province of Ontario, analysing every paved surface from Thunder Bay to Ottawa, looking for the best rides. The product of this...ahem..."work" was a blog and two motorcycle routes now hosted on Ontario Tourism's brand new motorcycle trip planner athttp://www.gotourontario.ca/. While there are dozens of motorcycle trip planners all over the internet, Ontario's taken plenty of steps to make sure they're doing it right.First off, the Go Tour trip planner works by recommending a specific route rather than plotting a path from one point to another. Each route strings together the best roads in an area, avoiding major highways wherever...

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2012 Triumph America Review

Think of cruisers, and the usual suspects come to mind: Harley-Davidson, various offerings from Japan’s Big Four, Victory – in fact, nearly every OEM builds a bike to tap into the lucrative cruiser market.Triumph, better known for its hooligan-making naked roadster Speed Triple or its GS-inspired big trailie Tiger, wasn’t a name that surfaced much in cruiser circles. But that changed in 2004 with the introduction of the Rocket III, powered by a monstrous 2,294 cc (140.0 cu in) inline-Triple. The big, rear-tire-roasting power cruiser had cruiser fans’ heads spinning. Then in 2009 the British bike maker again caught the attention of cruiser lovers with the introduction of the Thunderbird and its large-displacement...

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