Chronicles
BMW Motorcycle Training Classes
Last fall, I was invited to join the BMW Motorcycles new on- and off-road training program for motorcyclists at the BMW Performance Center near Spartanburg, South Carolina. The facility, located behind the BMW manufacturing plant and used successfully by car drivers for many years, was recently expanded for motorcycle training. The off-road area is...
6th Annual Femmoto Track Event
Created in 2002 by Bonnie Straswer, co-owner and organizer of Sportbike Track Time, Femmoto is a women's track day weekend that was born from the need for a safe environment where women could push their limits and test their skills in a focused way. The event has paralleled the growing number of women embracing the sport of motorcycling as riders. The...
The Legend of the Motorcycle 2007
Unofficially billed as "Pebble Beach for Bikes," the Legend of the Motorcycle is a celebration of motorcycles intended to rival the best concours d'elegance for cars....
The 2007 BMW MOA Rally
Amid the farms in dairy land, nearly 8,000 motorcyclists and aficionados gathered for four days of motorcycle talk, seminars, and rides at the Washington County Fair Park in West Bend, Wisconsin....
Motorcyclist Down!
Every time I see a motorcyclist spread-eagled on the pavement or hear about a fatal crash, I ask myself whether this pastime I love so much is worth the attendant risks. There's no doubt that safe riding skills can substantially reduce the probability of having accidents, but they can't eliminate the risks. This is where protective riding gear comes...
Motorcycles – Hobby or Passion?
At a dinner party recently a friend introduced me to a woman sitting near me at the table."Dave's hobby is motorcycles," he said."Well, I wouldn't put it that way," I immediately replied, without thinking."Oh, how would you put it?" the woman asked as we shook hands.This had me stumped for a few seconds. I hadn't really given it any thought. It just...
Best Western and Harley-Davidson Reward Riders
One of the curious things about traveling by motorcycle (and particularly by Harley-Davidson) is the mixed bag of perceptions and receptions that one encounters along the way. Some friendly folks stride right over before you even have time to kill the ignition and eagerly chat you up about where you've been, where you're going, and what kind of bike...
Helmet Help
Let's get this out of the way up front: whether you wear a helmet is your choice – or not, depending on where you ride. You do the research, you decide. I never ride without one for three reasons: good or bad, I like my face the shape it is; wind in your hair and bugs in your teeth are seriously overrated; and I feel naked without one. If you've...
Breganze's Best Rally in B.C.
If Ducati is the Ferrari of motorcycles, then Laverda must be the Lamborghini.Produced in small numbers, and always sport oriented, Laverda's big twins and triples defied the established paradigm that Italian motorcycles were small and light with suspect electrical systems. Massimo Laverda's designs were robust and hugely durable, with ancillaries chosen...
When The Pavement Ends
If you do enough motorcycle touring in North America, sooner or later you'll end up where the tarmac turns to dirt. Though it may be just a break in the highway for construction, or a side road leading to your campsite, you'll need to modify your riding technique to stay upright, especially when surface conditions change – as they almost certainly...
