Harley-Davidson riders are a famously dedicated group. Transforming one – even if briefly – into someone who cranes their neck at a cruiser motorcycle passing through Japan is truly something special. Road presence is the first hurdle: the bike needs to be big and tall in a way that feels distinctive, not derivative. The engine
There’s a special magic when a heavyweight muscle cruiser pulls up next to you at a red light – an uneven rumble you feel in your sternum, a front wheel that looks too small in size for everything behind it. Twist the throttle to green and the torque hits the pavement immediately, with no need
The American cruiser market has always been about spectacle. There’s chrome upon chrome, cubic inches climbing every model year, and a V-twin exhaust note loud enough to command attention. It’s a formula designed to sell upgrades, and for decades it worked exactly as intended. However, lately, there has been a different story playing out in
Something remarkable is happening in MotoGP, and its name is Ai Ogura. With a brilliant second place at the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring, the superfile Trackhouse Aprilia rider has done what seemed unthinkable at the start of this season – he has moved up to second in the MotoGP World Championship standings, and
All bike manufacturers have a model/lineup for which they are known worldwide. Ducati has the red-hot Panigale, Suzuki has the Hayabusa, and BMW has the GS. Similarly, Harley-Davidson is known for its Softails. For good reason too, as it is arguably the most popular cruiser lineup and the ultimate goal for most cruiser fanatics. Harley’s
Touring bikes change the way you think about distance. They’re big, comfortable, rollaway sofas packed with the latest and greatest technology on the motorcycle market. But the fun lies in the Sport Tourer. They’re not the biggest bikes out there, or the ones with the biggest engines or the highest prices, but they have the
The attitude of cruisers has always been first, everything else second. Among cruisers, helicopters take it even a step further. They have been stretched, stripped, and made to look different, not match together. Long forks, low seats, thin front wheels, and a stance that looks like it’s in motion even when parked. The problem with
Motorcycles often follow a predictable life cycle. A rider buys it, enjoys it for a few years, upgrades to something faster, and eventually moves on. While it may not be the smartest financial move, the automotive industry is built around this concept. However, some motorcycles quietly follow a different path. They aren’t defined by a
On a rainy San Francisco evening in late November 1959, thirty-three-year-old Japanese American poet, Albert Saijo, climbed into the back of an eastbound Willys Jeep station wagon. The wagon belonged to the red-haired poet Lew Welch, also thirty-three years old; In the passenger seat sat thirty-seven-year-old writer Jack Kerouac, looking fresh steve allen showAnd looking
Even at the risk of sounding like a geezer, I’ll ask you: Remember when sedans used to be simple? What do you get with fewer (and smaller) touchscreens, physical buttons, and a straight-up engine under the hood? These types of family-friendly sedans are in increasingly short supply these days. Well, definitely looks old now. I