Motorcycle Trip Planning

2018 Harley-Davidson Deluxe Review – First Ride : 2018 Harley-Davidson Deluxe Editor Score: 821.75% Engine 16.0/20 Suspension/Handling 11.75/15 Transmission/Clutch 7.5/10 Brakes 8.0/10 Instruments/Controls 4.0/5 Ergonomics/Comfort 8.5/10 Appearance/Quality 9.5/10 Desirability 8.5/10 Value 8.0/10 Overall Score 81.75/100 By now, most motorcyclists have learned of the big changes in the Harley-Davidson Softail line, how it has swallowed its Dyna siblings, added the Milwaukee-Eight engine, and been reborn as a modern interpretation of a cruiser. However, perhaps no other manufacturer is more aware of the weight of a marque’s history than Harley. Which explains why the designers at the Motor Company expended so much effort in getting the classic models like the 2018 Harley-Davidson Deluxe right. They knew that if they were able to modernize the more classically styled models, they could take some liberties with the bikes where they wanted to push the envelope. The Deluxe provides a prim

2017 Kawasaki Versys 650 LT vs. 2017 Suzuki V-Strom 650 | Comparo Review : We’re in search of The One bike, and these two 650cc adventure-sport tourers are at the top of many a rider’s list. Inexpensive, versatile and fuel-efficient, they do a lot of things well. But there can be only One… Photos by Kevin Wing. In his Rider Test of the 2017 V-Strom 650, Rider’s  Senior Editor Drevenstedt mentions The Question: “If you could only own one motorcycle, what would it be?” After the requisite moaning and gnashing of teeth, for many riders (including some of the Rider  staff) the answer comes down to one of these two: the Kawasaki Versys 650 or Suzuki’s V-Strom 650. Inexpensive, versatile and fuel-efficient, they are the Swiss Army knives of the motorcycling world. The Versys 650 LT comes standard with color-matched hard luggage and black handguards. Tall and compact, it’s more street-oriented than the V-Strom, with 17-inch wheels and Dunlop Sportmax tires. While it feels physically smalle

Live With This: 2017 Ducati Multistrada 950 Review : 2018 Ducati Multistrada 950 Editor Score: 86.75% Engine 18.0/20 Suspension/Handling 13.0/15 Transmission/Clutch 8.0/10 Brakes 9.0/10 Instruments/Controls 4.0/5 Ergonomics/Comfort 8.5/10 Appearance/Quality 9.0/10 Desirability 8.5/10 Value 8.75/10 Overall Score 86.75/100 Yes, we just included the new 2017 Ducati Multistrada 950 in a little three-bike comparison test last week, where it finished less than one percentage point away from the win. Since then, I’ve had the chance to spend more time on the bike in my native habitat, and I can now reconfirm how right I was in the first place! As usual. Mostly. The 937cc Testastretta 11-degree V-Twin is a tremendously sweet “little” motor to use, and if we could travel back in time and run it against a Raymond Roche Ducati 888 (which at the time was “big”), I think the two would be right on par with each other – right at 100 smooth and progressive horses at the rear wheel. The gearbox

Ocean to Desert: Riding Oregon West to East : Brogan Hill Summit sunset, on the final stretch east to the Oregon border with 360-degree views of canyon country. Glad I looked in the rearview mirror. Photos by the author. Coastal prairies, mountain forests, high deserts—Oregon has it all, the perfect venue for a three day, three-border road trip. My ride, a brand-new 2017 Indian Springfield I named “Big Red,” weighs in at 862 pounds wet and outweighs me 7-to-1, so it had my attention and respect. I filled the hard bags and strapped a gear bag over the passenger seat, promising to break the bike in gently. Since I’m “inseam challenged” at 5 feet 5 inches, the Springfield’s low seat height makes it easier to ride, and hoisting it off the sidestand is manageable. “Big Red,” a 2017 Indian Springfield, at the dealership in Vancouver, Washington. Nervous and excited, I rode from Vancouver, Washington, south down Interstate 5, about 35 miles to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Stop-and-go late a