On Sept. 28, 2023, BMW Motorrad celebrated the 100th anniversary of its first production motorcycle (the R 32) by unveiling the latest version of its best-selling motorcycle, the 2024 BMW R 1300 GS. With a pedigree that goes back 43 years to the original R 80 G/S, which introduced the Gelände/Straße (“off-road/road”) concept and started the adventure bike revolution, the R 1300 GS is new from the ground up. Only the butterfly valves and a few bolts and connectors carry over from the R 1250 GS.

Development of the R 1300 GS started six years ago – two years before the R 1250 GS was introduced. Having squeezed as much as they could out of the existing platform, which started with the R 1200 GS introduced in 2004, BMW’s designers and engineers knew that taking the R-series GS into the future and maintaining its position in the market required a clean-sheet design.

Related: 2021 BMW R 1250 GS 40 Years Edition | Road Test Review

BMW R 1300 GS: New from Stem to Stern

The design objectives were to make the R 1300 GS lighter, more compact, more powerful, and more capable than its predecessor. The only thing that couldn’t change was the engine configuration; the new GS had to have a flat-Twin boxer, but nearly everything else about the engine is new. Displacement increased from 1,254cc to 1,300cc, achieved by a larger 106.5mm bore (up from 102.5) and a new crankshaft that shortened the stroke to 73mm (from 76). Peak horsepower increased from 136 to 145, peak torque increased from 105 to 110 lb-ft, and there’s more torque throughout the rev range, with more than 96 lb-ft available from 3,600 to 7,800 rpm (redline is 9,000 rpm).

GEAR UP

• Helmet: Shoei Hornet X2
• Jacket: Tourmaster Ridgecrest
• Gloves: Tourmaster Overlander
• Pants: Tourmaster Ridgecrest
• Boots: Sidi Adventure 2 Gore-Tex

Like its predecessor, the new boxer has air/liquid-cooled cylinders, ShiftCam variable valve timing, and DOHC with four valves per cylinder. The cams are driven by a new timing chain arrangement, with the right cylinder’s timing chain in front of the cylinder and the left cylinder’s timing chain behind the cylinder. Helping achieve the increased power and torque result are revised cam timing, larger valves (44mm intake, up from 40; 35.6mm exhaust, up from 34), and a higher compression ratio (13.3:1, up from 12.5:1).

The R 1300 GS has four standard ride modes: Road, Rain, Eco, and Enduro. Optional Ride Modes Pro adds three additional modes – Dynamic, Dynamic Pro, and Enduro Pro – and the two Pro modes can be customized. Each mode has presets for various standard electronic functions, including throttle response, Dynamic Traction Control, cornering ABS Pro, Dynamic Brake Control, MSR (engine braking torque), and Hill Start Control Pro, as well as optional Dynamic Suspension Adjustment.

Claimed wet weight for the R 1300 GS is 523 lb – 26 lb less than the R 1250 GS. Despite the increase in displacement and power, the engine is nearly 9 lb lighter, while the entire powertrain is more than 14 lb lighter. A new lithium battery shed another 5.5 lb, and reducing fuel capacity from 5.3 to 5.0 gallons saved 1.8 lb. The gearbox was moved under the engine, which was made possible by reducing the number of transmission shafts from three to two. The more compact engine allowed BMW to package everything more tightly and better centralize mass. Even though the engine was moved up to accommodate the gearbox, the bike’s overall center of gravity and weight distribution have not changed.

As part of the GS’s tighter packaging, the previous tubular-steel space frame has been replaced with a precisely formed and laser-welded sheet-metal main frame that uses the engine as a structural component. The tubular-steel subframe has been replaced with a cast-aluminum subframe that is said to be lighter, stiffer, narrower, and more tightly bonded to the main frame. Since the weight of the rider, passenger, and luggage is carried by the subframe, the new design improves stability and riding dynamics.

For three decades, the R-series GS platform has used BMW’s proprietary Telelever front suspension system, which separates suspension forces from steering inputs. The Telelever uses a swingarm that connects the frame to the lower triple clamp through a ball joint. The fork’s stanchions slide within the tubes like on a telescopic fork, but the fork doesn’t control damping; that’s handled by a single central shock between the Telelever’s swingarm and the frame. The tops of the fork stanchions are connected to the handlebar plate via ball joints. As the suspension moves through its stroke, the swingarm moves through an arc, and the upper and lower ball joints compensate for the Telelever’s torsional movement.

The R 1300 GS is equipped with the next-gen EVO Telelever system, which eliminates the ball joints atop the fork tubes and instead uses a metal flex plate between the handlebar plate and the upper triple clamp. The flex plate accommodates the Telelever’s torsional movement but does so with less friction and more stiffness than the ball joints. To further reduce friction, a radial spherical plain bearing connects the upper triple clamp to the steering stem, which is guided within the frame via a cylindrical roller bearing at the top and a deep-groove ball bearing at the bottom. There’s also an extra roller bearing for the ball joint that connects the Telelever swingarm to the lower fork bridge. Increasing the front wheel axle’s diameter by 0.2 inch to 1.0 inch contributes additional stiffness to the front end, and the new axle is 1.7 oz. lighter.

There’s also a new EVO Paralever rear suspension. Moving the gearbox under the engine allowed the single-sided swingarm to be made longer for better traction (wheelbase has increased by only 0.2 inch). The EVO system has a stiffer connection between the rear shock and the frame, and the swingarm bearing is arranged off-axis to the rotation of the cardan shaft joint. The driveshaft has larger universal joints, and a longer rear-axle wheel stub makes it easier to remove and mount the rear wheel.

The optional Dynamic Suspension Adjustment not only electronically adjusts damping depending on suspension mode and conditions, it also automatically adjusts preload to compensate for varying loads. Within the front and rear shocks’ remote reservoirs are secondary springs that allows DSA to use different spring rates for on-road and off-road ride modes.

Two new suspension options are also available. One is adaptive vehicle height control, which lowers seat height from 33.5 to 32.3 inches and can be set to automatically adjust seat height or to stay at the low or high heights. In the other direction, sports suspension, which is designed for aggressive off-road riding, adds 0.8 inch of front/rear travel and firmer damping.

With its sharper beak, more integrated bodywork, and new frame and subframe, the styling of the R 1300 GS is a radical departure from the R 1250 GS, so much so that initial reactions were mixed when we posted an announcement online. While styling is highly subjective, the new GS is best appreciated in person; photos don’t do it justice, and I count myself as a fan of the new look.

The R 1300 GS has a more aggressive and aerodynamic profile, with a flatter tank and a slimmer tailsection. Perhaps most controversial of all is the centralized X-shaped headlight that replaces the asymmetrical headlight that’s been a signature GS styling element for many years. The new design was guided in part by new homologation requirements but also by a desire to create a distinctive new look that will be instantly recognizable.

Riding the BMW R 1300 GS

We spent two days riding the R 1300 GS on- and off-road for nearly 300 miles at the global press launch in southern Spain. Over the past 15 years, with thousands of miles ridden on intros, road tests, and nearly a dozen overseas tours, I’ve logged more miles on BMW R 1200/1250 GS models than any other motorcycle. Hands down, the R 1300 GS is the best GS yet. The traits that the boxer-powered GS are known for – engine character, balance, comfort, and versatility – are better than ever. It looks and feels much slimmer than before, and the increased power and torque are impressive.

Thanks to the stiffer chassis and new EVO Telelever/Paralever suspension, the R 1300 GS feels more stable both on-road and off-road, yet its steering is lighter and sharper. Whereas the previous Telelever setup offered responsive handling but muted feedback, the EVO Telelever sends clearer signals to the rider through the handlebar.

During our off-road test, we rode the Trophy variant of the R 1300 GS with cross-spoke wheels and Metzeler Karoo 4 tires. Balanced and predictable low-speed handling has long been a hallmark of boxer-powered GS models, and the R 1300 GS chugged along happily on singletrack gravel trails and wooded paths. At higher speeds up and down an unpaved road covered in fist-sized rocks, the GS improved upon what it’s known for: handling better off-road than a bike of its size should. Standing on the pegs felt very natural thanks to the slimmer tank and midsection and 1.2-inch-taller handlebar.

Our off-road test was no more than 10 miles total, primarily just a photo opportunity at an enduro park in a former rock quarry. We made fast runs on gravel, slow runs on rocky singletrack, and chugged up a rocky road to a vista high above the Mediterranean coast – enough for a taste test but certainly well short of a full meal. We’ll have to wait until we get a test bike to do a more thorough assessment of the bike’s off-road prowess.

On-road is where we logged most of our miles, everything from freeways to traffic-choked city roads with slippery roundabouts to a 10-course meal of backroads that snaked from the coast up into the mountains and back down again. The GS was responsive and easy to handle in all conditions, but it really came alive on tight, twisty roads in the Sierra de las Nieves range. I was able to push harder with more confidence, especially with the firmer suspension damping in Dynamic Pro mode.

The added power and torque allow the R 1300 GS to launch forward quickly with a flick of the wrist in almost any gear or rpm, yet the bike doesn’t feel edgy or aggressive. The revamped boxer runs more smoothly, which long-distance touring riders will appreciate. Whether light pulls on the lever or hard squeezes, the GS slows down with precision and power, enhanced by the electronic wizardry of cornering ABS and semi-active suspension.

Not only does the new GS handle, accelerate, and stop better than the R 1250 GS, it’s also more comfortable. At 33.5 inches, its nonadjustable seat height is the same as the low position on the 1250. I’m 6-feet tall with long arms and a 34-inch inseam, and the ergonomics of R-series GS models have always suited me. The 1300’s taller handlebar opens up the rider triangle, which I found agreeable whether seated or standing. We tried two different windscreens, the short Sport windscreen and the electrically adjustable windscreen with side deflectors, and both managed airflow well, the latter providing more protection at any height.

BMW R 1300 GS: The Every Bike

State-of-the-art technology has always been an important aspect of the GS. The R 1300 GS has more standard features than before, including the electronic rider aids listed above along with a 6.5-inch TFT with connectivity, tire-pressure monitoring, heated grips, cruise control, handguards with integrated turnsignals, Keyless Ride, a 12V socket, and a smartphone charging compartment with a USB port.

Since the R 1300 GS is the continuation of its best-selling model line, BMW Motorrad tried to ensure that almost any customer preference will be satisfied. Four model variants are available:

• The base model R 1300 GS has a Sport windscreen and a 33.5-inch seat height, and it comes in Light White with a two-tone black/gray two-piece rider and passenger seat.
• The Triple Black variant has a black-on-black color scheme, an electric high windscreen with side wind deflectors, comfort seats, comfort passenger footpegs, and a centerstand.
• The Trophy variant has a red/white/blue Racing Blue Metallic colorway as well as a high rider’s seat (34.2 inches) and a Sport passenger seat that give the appearance of a one-piece rally seat.
• The Option 719 Tramuntana variant has an Aurelius Green Metallic paint scheme and special finishes, a gold anodized handlebar, cross-spoke wheels with gold rims, and a rear luggage rack.

There are three options packages:

• The Premium Package adds lean-sensitive Headlight Pro, Dynamic Suspension Adjustment, Shift Assistant Pro, Riding Modes Pro, Sport Brakes, Central Locking, preparation for navigation, a chrome-plated exhaust manifold, Vario side and top case mounts, handguard extensions, and the new radar-enabled Riding Assistant, which includes Front Collision Warning, Active Cruise Control, and Lane Change Warning.
• The Comfort Package adds an electric high windscreen, a centerstand, a Comfort passenger seat and footpegs, and a luggage rack.
• The Enduro Pro Package adds handlebar risers, engine protection bars, an enduro aluminum engine guard, short enduro handlebar levers, GS adjustable rider footpegs, an exhaust mount for single seat, adjustable foot brake and gearshift levers, large frame guards, and narrower turnsignal stalks.

And there are more than 60 individual options and accessories. Depending on how the R 1300 GS is configured, there are seven seat heights to choose from ranging from 31.5 inches to 35 inches. There are four different suspension options to choose from: Series (manual adjustment), DSA (Dynamic Suspension Adjustment), DSA + Sport Suspension, and DSA + Adaptive Vehicle Height Control. There are different windscreens, footpegs, levers, protection bars and guards, wheels, and a dizzying area of luggage options.

By completely overhauling the R-series GS platform, BMW Motorrad risked alienating some of its core customers and possibly jeopardizing sales of its flagship motorcycle. But it’s also no surprise that the most powerful, capable, and sophisticated R-series GS made its debut during BMW Motorrad’s 100th anniversary. It’s the perfect motorcycle to carry the marque into its next century.

Check out more new motorcycles in Rider’s 2024 Motorcycle Buyers Guide.

2024 BMW R 1300 GS Specs

• Base Price: $18,895
• Warranty: 3 yrs., 36,000 miles
• Website: BMWMotorcycles.com

ENGINE

• Type: Air/oil-cooled, longitudinal opposed flat Twin, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
• Displacement: 1,300cc
• Bore x Stroke: 106.5 x 73.0mm
• Compression Ratio: 13.3:1
• Valve Insp. Interval: 6,000 miles
• Fuel Delivery: Fully sequential EFI, 52mm throttle bodies x 2
• Lubrication System: Wet sump, 4.2 qt. cap.
• Transmission: 6-speed, hydraulically actuated slip/assist wet clutch
• Final Drive: Shaft

CHASSIS

• Frame: Two-section sheet metal main frame w/ engine as stressed member, cast-aluminum subframe, single-sided cast-aluminum swingarm
• Wheelbase: 59.8 in.
• Rake/Trail: 26.2 degrees/4.4 in.
• Seat Height: 33.5 in.
• Suspension, Front: EVO Telelever w/ single shock, fully adj., 7.5 in. travel
• Rear: EVO Paralever w/ single shock, fully adj., 7.9 in. travel
• Brakes, Front: Dual 310mm floating discs w/ radial-mount opposed 4-piston calipers & ABS
• Rear: Single 285mm disc w/ floating 2-piston caliper & ABS
• Wheels, Front: Cast, 3.00 x 19 in.
• Rear: Cast, 4.50 x 17 in.
• Tires, Front: Tubeless, 120/70-ZR19
• Rear: Tubeless, 170/60-ZR17
• Wet Weight: 523 lb (factory claim)
• Load Capacity: 502 lb
• GVWR: 1,025 lb

PERFORMANCE

• Horsepower: 145 @ 7,750 rpm (factory claim)
• Torque: 105 lb-ft @ 6,500 rpm (factory claim)
• Fuel Capacity: 4.5 gal.

The post 2024 BMW R 1300 GS Review | First Ride appeared first on Rider Magazine.

The BMW R nineT (“ninety”) was introduced in 2013 to celebrate BMW Motorrad’s 90th anniversary. That’s the same year the “water boxer” R 1200 GS debuted, marking a shift from air/oil cooling to air/liquid cooling. The same engine in various states of tune made its way to other R-series models, but as the first model in BMW’s new Heritage line, the R nineT retained the air/oil-cooled version of the boxer.

Designed as a modular platform that would not only allow multiple model variants but also customization by owners, the R nineT’s chassis consisted of BMW’s Paralever single-sided swingarm with shaft drive and a conventional inverted telescopic fork instead of the Telelever setup used on other R-series models. The R nineT was stylish in a classic sense, with gloss black paint that honored BMW’s long history of building black bikes, brushed aluminum tank sides and tail cowl, and spoked wheels.

The first BMW R nineT was followed by a succession of cool retro-inspired models: the stripped-down Pure, the cafe-styled Racer, the high-piped Scrambler, and the ’80s throwback Urban G/S. Each one was a sweet piece of German eye candy, fun to ogle and fun to ride, though the stretched-out riding position of the Racer brought to mind a medieval torture rack (Ja, you vill tell us vhat ve vant to know!).

Rider received an R nineT Pure test bike in 2017, and its simplicity appealed to me. I threw a bag on the tank and another on the passenger seat, bungee-corded a tent on top, and hit the road for a couple of days. As I wrote in my review, “From the first time I started it until the last mile I rode it, the R nineT Pure reminded me of why I fell in love with motorcycling. It’s not about what brand you ride or a bike’s horsepower or specs. It’s about the freedom to get away, to be out in the world.”

Related: 2017 BMW R nineT Pure | Road Test Review

In 2019, BMW unveiled the R nineT /5, with its tank and front fender finished in Lupine Blue with white double pinstripes, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the “slash five” series. Two years later, to celebrate 40 years of the GS line, BMW revealed a stunning yellow-and-black version of the Urban G/S that was inspired by the R 100 GS.

GEAR UP

• Helmet: Scorpion EXO-R1 Air Juice
• Jacket: Highway 21 Primer
• Gloves: Highway 21 Jab Full Leather
• Pants: Highway 21 Stronghold
• Boots: Fly Racing Tradesman

It’s fitting, then, that for its centennial this year, BMW Motorrad created a 100 Years Edition of the R nineT, along with a similar commemorative edition of the R 18 cruiser. Production of both models is limited to 1,923 units worldwide to honor the year BMW started manufacturing motorcycles.

Related: 2023 BMW R nineT and R 18 100 Years Heritage Editions

As with other R nineT models, the 100 Years Edition is powered by the classic air/oil-cooled 1,170cc opposed flat-Twin with a longitudinal crankshaft, a 6-speed transmission with a hydraulically actuated single-plate dry clutch, and shaft final drive. Claimed output for the engine is 109 hp and 85.5 lb-ft of torque – enough to push the 487-lb motorcycle down the road with gusto.

To appropriately honor such a signficant milestone, the R nineT 100 Years Edition is dripping with factory-custom details. Since BMW Motorrad’s earliest days, code number 719 has represented special customer requests that were fulfilled at the factory using top craftsmanship. Today, Option 719 parts are upgrades over stock items and are made of high-end materials or created using small-batch processes. The 100 Years Edition features the Option 719 Shadow and Shadow II Billet packs, a set of black anodized parts with milled surfaces, including the cylinder head covers, front engine cover, oil filler plug, seat holders, hand levers, rider and passenger footpegs, bar-end mirrors, and hydraulic reservoir covers.

There was no doubt that a motorcycle commemorating BMW Motorrad’s 100th anniversary would be painted black with white double pinstripes, and the front fender, tank, and rear seat cover are finished in a special Avus Black. BMW motorcycles are not known for lots of chrome, but one of the company’s most iconic models – the R 75/5 with the “Toaster” tank – had chrome-plated tank panels and side covers.

The R nineT’s tank and rear seat cover feature Classic Chrome, a “paint on chrome” process that uses Chromium III, which is REACH compliant (an EU health standard). The parts are polished to a high gloss, immersed in a series of electoplating baths (copper, nickel, and chromium), painted in multiple layers, and finished in a clear coat. The result is a stunning mirror finish that fades into the black paint that surrounds it. The exhaust manifolds are also chrome plated, while the twin silencers have a brushed aluminum finish.

Continuing the black aesthetic are Option 719 Classic spoked tubeless wheels with black anodized rims that pair well with the black on the tank knee pads, tubular steel frame, swingarm, fork tubes, and air intake snorkels. There’s a splash of color, albeit a dark one, on the two-tone black/oxblood red seat.

All those details add up to a head-turner of a motorcycle whose beauty is more than the sum of its parts. Frankly, the R nineT 100 Years Edition made me a little nervous. I was afraid of scratching it or, heaven forbid, tipping it over. But this motorcycle isn’t a showpiece – it’s meant to be ridden, and I’m happy to report that I got my jollies scraping down the peg feelers and narrowing the chicken strips without incident.

Those familiar – or in some cases obsessed – with the R-series air/oil-cooled boxer Twin already know its sound and feel are unmistakable: the raspy burble upon start-up, the deep bass chug-a-lug at idle, the crankshaft twist when revving it at a stop, the steady lope at cruising speeds, and the authoritative bark under acceleration. The one-two, one-two cadence of the boxer, with both pistons pushing outward and pulling inward simultaneously, each 360 degrees from the other on the suck-squeeze-bang-blow cycle, is like a heartbeat: lup-dup, lup-dup, lup-dup. No wonder rolling on the throttle feels so invigorating!

As a roadster, the R nineT has an agreeable seating position, with a modest reach to a wide, upright handlebar, a reasonable amount of bend in the knee, and a flat saddle. The thinly padded seat will encourage most riders to take a break well before the 4.5-gallon tank’s low-fuel light comes on. In standard trim, the 100 Years lacks a passenger seat, though it does have passenger footpegs, and a pillion seat is available as an accessory.

With a wet weight well below 500 lb and roughly 100 hp reaching the rear wheel, the R nineT scoots along briskly when asked to do so. Its compact dimensions, taut suspension, and strong brakes are perfect for a sporting pace, allowing it to bend into corners eagerly and rewarding the rider with a satisfying rush upon exit.

Despite its classic styling, the R nineT 100 Years Edition is thoroughly modern. It doesn’t have BMW’s latest air/liquid-cooled 1,254cc boxer with ShiftCam variable-valve technology because the radiator and attendant plumbing would detract from the styling, but it’s equipped with Ride Modes Pro (Dynamic, Road, and Rain), ABS Pro, Automatic Stability Control, Dynamic Brake Control, Dynamic Traction Control, Dynamic Engine Brake Control, and LED lighting with an Adaptive turning headlight. As with most contemporary motorcycles, these electronic aids operate behind the scenes and don’t interfere with the riding experience.

Instrumentation is appropriately subdued, with a pair of round analog gauges – speedometer on the left, tachometer on the right – with white type on a black background. Inset at the bottom of each gauge is a digital display for various settings and information. The bike is also equipped with cruise control, heated grips, and a USB charging port.

Atop the R nineT 100 Years Edition’s tank is a chrome badge engraved with “1 of 1,923” and the “100 Years BMW Motorrad / Make Life a Ride” logo. The badge marks this as a special bike, not just because it’s built in limited numbers and adorned with custom parts and finishes but also because of what it stands for. It represents a century of hard work and innovation, highs and lows, successes and failures. It connects the past to the present, and it is a symbol of BMW’s values, capabilities, and ambitions. And for that, it’s worthy of respect and admiration.

2023 BMW R nineT 100 Years Edition Specs

• Base Price: $19,995
• Warranty: 3 yrs., 36,000 miles
• Website: BMWMotorcycles.com

ENGINE

• Type: Air/oil‑­cooled, longitudinal opposed flat‑­Twin, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
• Displacement: 1,170cc
• Bore x Stroke: 101.0 x 73.0mm
• Compression Ratio: 12.0:1
• Valve Insp. Interval: 6,000 miles
• Fuel Delivery: Fully sequential EFI, 50mm throttle bodies x 2
• Lubrication System: Wet sump, 4.2 qt. cap.
• Transmission: 6‑­speed, hydraulically actuated dry clutch
• Final Drive: Shaft

CHASSIS

• Frame: Tubular‑­steel bridge frame w/ engine as stressed member, Paralever single‑­sided cast-aluminum swingarm
• Wheelbase: 58.5 in.
• Rake/Trail: 26.8 degrees/4.3 in.
• Seat Height: 31.7 in.
• Suspension, Front: 43mm inverted fork, fully adj., 4.7 in. travel
• Rear: Single shock, adj. for spring preload (remote) & rebound damping, 4.7 in. travel
• Brakes, Front: Dual 320mm floating discs w/ radial‑­mount opposed 4‑­piston calipers & ABS
• Rear: Single 265mm disc w/ floating 2‑­piston caliper & ABS
• Wheels, Front: Spoked, 3.50 x 17 in.
• Rear: Spoked, 5.50 x 17 in.
• Tires, Front: Tubeless, 120/70‑­ZR17
• Rear: Tubeless, 180/55‑­ZR17
• Wet Weight: 487 lb
• Load Capacity: 461 lb
• GVWR: 948 lb

PERFORMANCE

• Horsepower: 109 @ 7,250 rpm (factory claim, at the crank)
• Torque: 85.5 lb‑­ft @ 6,000 rpm (factory claim, at the crank)
• Fuel Capacity: 4.5 gal.
• Fuel Consumption: 38 mpg
• Estimated Range: 171 miles

The post 2023 BMW R nineT 100 Years Edition Review | Road Test appeared first on Rider Magazine.

America should designate a national park dedicated to motorcycles, and I nominate the Barber Vintage Motorsports Park. Set on 880 acres in the lush, rolling hills east of Birmingham, Alabama, it’s a motorcycle dreamland. A 16‑­turn, 2.4‑­mile racetrack designed with input from John Surtees and Dan Gurney winds through the campus. There are no grandstands, just well‑­manicured grassy hillsides where spectators can spread out chairs, blankets, and umbrellas.

The crown jewel, of course, is the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, which holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest collection of motorcycles: more than 1,800 of them representing 200 manufacturers from 22 countries.

More than 1,000 motorcycles are on display at any given time, and they are spread out over five floors in a spacious, well‑­lit cathedral of speed and engineering. The top floor of the museum houses the Barber Advanced Design Center, an industrial design lab.

Barber has hosted rounds of AMA/MotoAmerica Superbike racing since 2003. I attended the Superbike races in 2004, where I watched the dominant Mat Mladin battle it out against Jake Zemke and Miguel Duhamel. It also hosts American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) racing.

Barber hosts two annual motorcycling events: Barber Small Bore, which celebrates the wild and wacky world of minibikes, and Barber Vintage Festival, which brings together vintage bike fans for a three‑­day festival packed with AHRMA races, demo rides, bike shows, seminars, museum tours, vendor areas, and a huge swap meet.

This past October, the 18th annual Barber Vintage Festival hosted the inaugural BMW Motorrad Days Americas – a spin‑­off of the event that takes place every summer in Germany – to celebrate the 100th anniversary of BMW Motorrad.

See all of Rider‘s BMW coverage here.

BMW invited members of the motorcycle media and friends of the brand to be part of the event, which gave me the opportunity for a long-overdue visit to the festival and museum. I’ve been told that you can’t do justice to the museum in less than a full day, and truer words have never been spoken. The scale, depth, and breadth of the collection is mind‑­boggling.

On Friday, our chummy group of motojournalists saddled up on a fleet of BMW R 18 Roctanes to ride from our hotel to Barber. We were joined by Peter Nettesheim and his daughter, Kate. Nettesheim’s New York home showcases the world’s largest collection of BMW motorcycles. He owns at least one of every BMW model built between 1923 and 1970, including the oldest known example of the first motorcycle BMW built, the 1923 R 32, as well as various newer models and an extensive collection of BMW paraphernalia.

Upon arriving at Barber, I hopped on one of the shuttles that carries visitors along the park’s ring road surrounding the racetrack and ferries them to the museum, the Fan Zone, the swap meet, the Proving Grounds, the paddock, and the spectating areas. Motorcycles were parked on nearly every available patch of grass, and the age range and diversity of bikes were impressive. The blue smoke and ring‑­a‑­ding sounds of 2‑­strokes filled the air, and old‑­school minibikes piloted by hipsters and overgrown boys zipped around everywhere. Harleys, Hondas, and Hodakas of various vintages and conditions sat proudly on makeshift kickstand pads, some with “For Sale” signs tucked into the handlebars. Name any motorcycle brand, and it was represented somewhere by someone.

My first stop was the sprawling Proving Grounds, which was the staging area for demo rides offered by BMW, CFMOTO, Indian, KTM, Royal Enfield, Triumph, Yamaha, and electric bike maker Ryvid. BMW had an enormous fleet of bikes on hand and was offering both on‑­road and off‑­road demos. Next to BMW’s demo area, our very own Quinn Redeker gave hourly police‑­style riding demonstrations on a BMW R 1250 RT‑­P, and his humor and skills weaving through tight cone patterns kept folks thoroughly entertained.

Related: Motor School with Quinn Redeker: Hi, My Name is Quinn

Near the Proving Grounds was the Isle of Triumph, an immersive fan experience located inside the racetrack with live music, a bike show, art installations, and vendors selling food, drinks, and merch.

Next, I made my way over to the Henderson Auctions Fan Zone, which overlooks the racetrack and had a bouncy‑­house kids zone, American Motor Drome Company’s Wall of Death, the Urias Family Globe of Death, and a vendor area, where I visited our friends at Royal Enfield, SW‑­Motech, and Wunderlich America.

Taking up most of the real estate in the Fan Zone was the BMW Motorrad Days Americas area, which included displays of current and historical models, a beer garden, a stage with live music, a merchandise store, and partner displays, including Edelweiss Bike Travel, RawHyde Adventures, and the BMW Performance Center.

On the stage at noon, GS Brand Ambassador Shawn “Rock On” Thomas and BMW Motorrad VP Region Americas Trudy Hardy gave a few introductory remarks before pulling a cover off the 2024 BMW R 1300 GS – the bike’s first public showing since being announced on Sept. 28 (see page 7 for details). After Stefan Reiff, BMW Motorrad’s VP of Customer, Brand and Sales, gave an overview of the new GS, Thomas rolled it off the stage, and I captured a short video of him starting up the bike, which is available on the Rider YouTube channel. The R 1300 GS was on display the rest of the weekend, giving folks a chance to check out the bike up close.

Related: BMW Motorrad Unveils 2024 BMW R 1300 GS at Barber Vintage Festival | Videos

At dinner on Friday night, I had the privilege of sitting with Udo Giestl, who worked as an engineer for Butler & Smith, the former U.S. importer for BMW motorcycles. He built the R 90 S racebikes that Reg Pridmore, Gary Fisher, and Steve McLaughlin campaigned in the inaugural 1976 season of AMA Superbike racing. McLaughlin and Pridmore finished 1‑­2 in the Daytona 200 that year, and Pridmore won the championship.

On Saturday, Giestl’s son, Eric, led the BMW parade laps on a restored version of Pridmore’s R 90 S racebike, and he was flanked by Peter and Kate Nettesheim on two vintage BMWs from Peter’s collection.

That same day, Revival Cycles hosted a BMW‑­only ride‑­in bike show, which included well‑­maintained bikes of new and old vintages as well as various customs, like an R 75/5 chopper with a raked‑­out springer front end. I joined several other journalists for an in‑­depth tour of the BMWs in the Barber Museum given by BMW archivist Fred Jakobs, who had traveled from Germany to attend the event.

It was a full, fun weekend with more to do than there was time to do it. No word yet whether BMW Motorrad Days Americas will become an annual event, but no matter what, put the Barber Vintage Festival on your calendar (Oct. 11‑­13, 2024), and make sure you allow plenty of time to explore the museum.

For more information, visit the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum website.

The post Inaugural BMW Motorrad Days Americas at Barber Vintage Festival a Success appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Having recently celebrated my 50th birthday, I’ve already slipped into the old guy pastime of nostalgia, feeling wistful about days gone by. Seems like just yesterday that I was the know-nothing FNG on Rider’s staff, having just crawled out of the post-Hurricane Katrina, post-divorce wilderness, desperate to turn my life around. Within my first two months, still just a clueless oaf who won the dream-job lottery, I had not only reveled in the glory of being featured on the cover of the magazine but also suffered the humiliation of crashing two test bikes.

Perhaps to get me out of his hair while he decided if I was worth the trouble, former EIC Mark Tuttle handed me the key to a 2008 Can-Am Spyder and told me to get lost. Rather than being in the doghouse, my leash was unclipped. I packed my gear, hit the road, and returned one week and 2,600 miles later.

I’d like to think I’ve grown not only older but a little wiser since then. While that last part is debatable, the Spyder has certainly come a long way since my first ride. What started out as a single model introduced in 2007 – the Spyder RS roadster – has evolved into three model families: the playful Can-Am Ryker, the cruiser-like Spyder F3, and the touring-ready Spyder RT, with a total of 10 models between them. All share what parent company BRP calls “Y-architecture,” with two wheels in front and one in the back.

As three-wheeled vehicles (3WVs), Can-Am Rykers and Spyders don’t lean like two-wheelers do. Many motorcyclists dismiss them outright because of that, but their inherent stability is what the buyers of over 282,000 Can-Am 3WVs sold over the past 16 years love most about them.

I like anything on which I can go fast and have fun. Two wheels, three wheels, no wheels – doesn’t matter. Over Labor Day weekend, my brother-in-law and I bombed around on a pair of Sea-Doo watercraft (also made by BRP) at speeds up to 55 mph on the Intercoastal Waterway in Jacksonville, Florida, roosting spray and jumping waves with huge grins on our sunburned faces. So it felt perfectly natural to come home to California and hoon around on backroads and dirt byways on a Ryker Rally.

Can-Am Ryker Rally Redux

Introduced in 2019, the Can-Am Ryker is the youngest member of the company’s 3WV tribe, and it was designed to attract new riders. All Spyder F3 and Spyder RT models are powered by a 115-hp, 1,330cc Rotax ACE (Advanced Combustion Efficiency) inline-Triple, and their model-year 2023 prices range from $18,499 to $30,999. The Ryker provides a more accessible entry point in terms of power and price. The base model is available with a 50-hp 600cc Rotax ACE parallel-Twin for $8,999 or an 82-hp 900cc Rotax ACE inline-Triple for $10,699.

Related: 2024 Can-Am Spyder F3 and RT Review | First Look

Like their Spyder brethren, Rykers are equipped with a Bosch-engineered Vehicle Stability System, which includes stability control, traction control, hill-hold control, and ABS. Spyders have Dynamic Power Steering, but Rykers do not, which gives them a more direct and natural handling feel. Rykers also have a driveshaft (Spyders are belt-driven), fully automatic CVT transmissions with reverse, and the UFit system, enabling handlebar and footpeg position to be adjusted without tools. Accessory body panels available in a wide range of colors allow Ryker owners to personalize their machines.

The Can-Am Ryker 900 has a standard ride mode, as well as Eco, which softens throttle response for better fuel economy, and Sport, which has more aggressive throttle response, turns off traction control at the rear wheel, and reduces VSS intervention to allow greater slip angles (slides).

Can-Am also offers two up-spec 900cc models: the Ryker Sport ($11,899) and the Ryker Rally ($13,899), both of which add cruise control and a MAX mount behind the rider’s seat for an accessory top trunk or passenger seat. The Sport adds a sport comfort seat, a full rear fender, and sport-style trim and finishes.

The Rally, which is designed to be ridden off-road, has reinforced wheels with rally tires, front grille protection, a rally handlebar with handguards, large cleated footpegs, an aluminum skid plate, a pre-filter for the air intake, mud flaps, auxiliary LED lights, and an Akrapovič exhaust. Instead of Sport mode, it has a Rally mode calibrated for low-traction surfaces.

Our Ryker Rally test machine was clad in all-black bodywork with a white handlebar and white wheels. (For 2024, Rally models will come with Hyper Silver wheels.) Since most of the Ryker is covered in matte-black plastic, we brightened it up by replacing the standard Intense Black front and side accent panels with the racier Heritage White IV set ($399.99), which has yellow and red stripes on a white background. The body panel kit, however, doesn’t extend to the accessory Mono Seat Cowl ($114.99) fitted on our test unit’s MAX mount, which would have rounded out the go-fast aesthetic.

Hoon Dog

With its twist-and-go CVT, peppy engine, Rally mode, wide handlebar, low seat, and feet-forward riding position, the 2023 Can-Am Ryker Rally is what Dr. Frankenstein would get if he stitched together a scooter, a cruiser, a go-kart, and an ATV. That may sound a little weird, but the result is a riding experience like no other.

GEAR UP

• Helmet: Arai XD4
• Jacket: Scorpion Yosemite
• Gloves: Scorpion SGS MK II
• Pants: Scorpion Covert Pro Jeans
• Boots: TCX Infinity 3 Gore-Tex

At a stop light, take your foot off the brake pedal and pin the throttle, and the Ryker will light up the rear tire for a moment before the electro-nanny, er, VSS kicks in and the rubber hooks up. According to the owner’s manual, Rally mode is only intended for unpaved roads, but in the interest of thorough evaluation, I tested it on pavement and had a fair amount of fun. But with an 82-hp engine powering a 668-lb (dry) machine, we’re not talking Dodge Hellcat-like smoky burnouts or drifts.

Get the Rally on dirt or gravel, however, and it parties like it’s 1999. A quick flick of the wrist gets the rear wheel spinning, and if you keep giving the Ryker throttle, it will slide around until your arm gets tired. The tricky bit is correct steering input. Kick the tail out and steer to match the rear, and you’re treated to a sweet crossed-up powerslide. But kick the tail out with the handlebar turned in the other direction, and the front end will push sideways. Or you can go totally gonzo and pin the throttle, crank the bar, and whip the Ryker around in a donut while kicking up a giant cloud of dust.

Since I’m not an expert off-road rider or rally car driver, it took me a while to get the hang of things. But, like sex and pizza, even when it was bad it was still pretty good, and I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun raising hell on wheels.

The Ryker was very forgiving of my mistakes, and even a few close calls were handled with minimal drama thanks to the stability of the two front wheels and the VSS, even with intervention reduced. Had I tried half the antics I did on the Ryker on an adventure bike, I would have been on my butt many times over.

Related: Can-Am Motorcycle Videos Celebrate Brand’s 50-year History and Its Electric Future

Street Wise

As with adventure bikes, most Rykers will spend the majority of their time on pavement. Of the hundreds of miles I logged on the Ryker Rally, only a few dozen were off-road. On the street, the Ryker is engaging and responsive. Between the continuously variable transmission and shaft drive, there’s a bit of driveline lash when first rolling on the throttle from a stop and at low speeds, but I quickly got used to it.

Response from the throttle-by-wire is direct with no delays or snatchiness, and power builds steadily with no apparent dips. The ACE inline-Triple, however, lacks character. Smoothness is a virtue on a touring machine such as a Spyder RT, but for a vehicle Can-Am says is “designed for fun,” I wanted more liveliness, more audible rumble. Even though the Rally has a racy-looking carbon-tipped Akrapovič exhaust, it emits only the mellowest of burbles.

Riding a Ryker at a sporting pace can be quite a workout. What a 3WV gives in terms of stability, it takes away in terms of graceful agility. Whereas a motorcycle rolls into and out of turns, the Ryker must fight against body roll, with weight pushing against the outside front wheel and lightening the inside wheel. As a motorcycle leans into a corner, centrifugal force pushes the rider down into the seat. Because the Ryker doesn’t lean into turns, the rider must brace themselves against the outside peg and actively lean their body to the inside. Keeping the Ryker on a steady line through a corner while keeping its 5-foot width between the mustard and the mayo also requires muscle at the handlebar. With no hand brake lever, all braking force goes through the foot pedal, which engages the calipers on all three wheels simultaneously. It took a while to adapt, but there’s plenty of stopping power at the ready. 

A low center of gravity, double A-arms with an anti-roll bar, and adjustable KYB high-pressure gas shocks keep the Ryker stable, and the VSS applies braking to the outside wheel as needed to maintain control, but if you go into a corner too hot, it will understeer and push sideways. The front suspension does a good job of isolating and damping hard hits, and overall, the chassis provides a smooth, steady ride. With three separate wheel tracks, though, it can be difficult to dodge potholes or debris in the road. The situation was even more challenging off-road when trying to avoid big, sharp rocks. With only 4.8 inches of ground clearance, care must be taken to avoid high-centering the Ryker on rises, ridges, and ruts.

Dial it back, however, and the Ryker settles into comfortable docility. Thanks to its 26.6-inch seat height and adjustable ergonomics, it fits a wide range of riders. The wide, soft seat is comfortable but lacks the support needed for a full day in the saddle. (Can-Am’s accessories list includes comfort seats for the rider and passenger, along with windscreens, luggage, audio, heated grips, and much more.) The steady thrum of the engine becomes an asset on the freeway, with the three automobile-sized contact patches and two front wheels keeping the Ryker steady in crosswinds.

Amenities on the Ryker Rally include cruise control, dual USB ports, LED lights on the front fenders, and a 7-liter lockable glovebox that will hold an extra pair of gloves and a couple of water bottles but not much else. When the ignition is turned off, the Ryker beeps until you engage the parking brake (at a stop the CVT is always in neutral). Instrumentation consists of a small orange-backlit LCD display that, by today’s standards, looks outdated. Information is limited to speedometer, tachometer, odometer, A/B tripmeters, clock, ride mode, fuel level, and distance to empty. Like other Can-Am 3WVs we’ve tested, a heavy throttle hand combined with a low power-to-weight ratio on the Ryker Rally returned poor fuel mileage – just 30.3 mpg, or about 160 miles per tank.

The Kids Are Alright

When I tested the original Spyder in 2008, it was a novelty, something futuristic and intriguing to everyone from teenagers and their soccer moms to members of the Peacemakers MC when I rode it to their bikini bike wash fundraiser in Utah. A decade and a half later, the Spyder is all grown up, having become an established, tax-paying member of the powersports community. The Can-Am Ryker, on the other hand, is young and brash, more interested in fun than respectability. And the Rally is the most mischievous one of the bunch.

2023 Can-Am Ryker Rally Specs

• Base Price: $13,899 ($14,599 in 2024)
• Price as Tested: $14,413 (Exclusive Panel Kit, Mono Seat Cowl)
• Warranty: 1 yr., unltd. miles w/ roadside assistance
• Website: Can-Am.BRP.com

ENGINE

• Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse inline-Triple, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
• Displacement: 899.3cc
• Bore x Stroke: 74.0 x 69.7mm
• Compression Ratio: 11:1
• Valve Insp. Interval: N/A (self-adjusting)
• Fuel Delivery: EFI w/ 46mm throttle body & throttle-by-wire
• Lubrication System: Dry sump, 3.0 qt. cap.
• Transmission: Fully automatic CVT w/ reverse 
• Final Drive: Shaft

CHASSIS

• Frame: Tubular-steel space frame w/ cast aluminum single-sided swingarm
• Wheelbase: 67.3 in.
• Rake/Trail: N/A
• Seat Height: 26.6 in.
• Suspension, Front: Double A-arm, dual high-pressure gas remote-reservoir shocks w/ 4-postion compression & preload adj., 7.3 in. travel
• Rear: Single, multi-link high-pressure gas remote-reservoir shock w/ 4-position compression & preload adj., 7.1 in. travel
• Brakes, Front: Dual 270mm discs w/ 2-piston calipers & ABS
• Rear: Single 220mm w/ 1-piston caliper & ABS
• Wheels, Front: Cast, 16 x 4.5 in.
• Rear: Cast, 15 x 6.5 in.
• Tires, Front: 145/60-R16
• Rear: 205/55-R15
• Dry Weight: 668 lb
• Load Capacity: 412 lb
• GVWR: 1,080 lb

PERFORMANCE

• Horsepower: 82 @ 8,000 rpm (factory claim)
• Torque: 58.3 lb-ft @ 6,500 rpm (factory claim)
• Fuel Capacity: 5.3 gal.
• Fuel Consumption: 30.3 mpg
• Estimated Range: 160 miles

See all of Rider‘s Can-Am coverage here.

The post 2023 Can-Am Ryker Rally Review | Road Test appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Knowing I’d be riding more than 1,000 miles during the dog days of summer – when Sirius, the “Dog Star,” rises with the sun, which ancient Greeks believed brought heat, drought, bad storms, bad luck, and mad dogs – I opted to wear my Schuberth E2 modular helmet for the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ press launch in Idaho and my two-day ride home to California. I wanted comfort, ventilation, minimal wind noise, and the convenience of a flip-up chinbar. The E2 delivered.

Related: 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Review | Road Test

We wrote a Schuberth C5 modular helmet and SC2 Communicator review for our September 2022 issue, and the E2 is largely the same helmet but with more ventilation and an ADV-style peak visor. The C5/E2 have an intermediate-oval head shape with more interior space than their C4/E1 predecessors. To improve comfort, the chinstrap, which fastens with a quick-release micro-lock ratcheting mechanism, was moved forward, and the chinbar’s new pinless locking mechanism prevents the helmet from becoming tighter when the chinbar is closed.

The E2’s shell is made using Schuberth’s Direct Fiber Processing method, where glass fiber is combined with a special resin and compressed in a vacuum at high pressure, and the shell is reinforced with a basalt layer for added strength. The size medium tested here weighs 4 lb, 6 oz.

Inside the E2 is a dual-density EPS liner, a drop-down sunshield, and a removable/washable Comfort Fit interior with CoolMax antibacterial fabric and customizable pads. The helmet is prewired for the SC2 communication system ($349, sold separately), with HD speakers and antennas for FM, Bluetooth, and Mesh already installed.

See all of Rider‘s helmet reviews here.

Comfort for the E2 was good right out of the box, and it improved as the helmet molded to my noggin. Ventilation is excellent, with two intake vents on the chinbar, a large central intake on the crown, exhaust vents on the rear spoiler, and air-flow channels built into the EPS liner. One gripe is that the chinbar intake vent just below the faceshield pushes open and closed, and I often bumped it closed accidentally when opening the faceshield.

As the faceshield snaps shut, two small tabs near the shield’s base plate lock it closed. When closing the shield from one side or the other, occasionally one or both tabs would not engage to fully close the faceshield. However, it locks closed easily if I spread my hand apart and push the shield closed from both sides with my thumb and forefinger. Schuberth’s patented memory function keeps the faceshield open at a desired level after opening and closing the chinbar, and a Pinlock anti-fog insert is included.  Motorcycle windscreens can introduce turbulence, but the E2 slices through the air cleanly, and the adjustable peak visor provides shade without getting caught in the wind. When I stood up on the Tracer’s pegs to stretch my legs, I was enveloped in smooth, quiet air, allowing me to simply enjoy the thrum of the engine.

The Schuberth E2 sells for $799 in one of three solid colors and $899 for the E2 Defender graphic or one of four Explorer graphics.

The post Schuberth E2 Modular Helmet | Gear Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.

What do Evian spring water, Gruyère cheese, and St. Bernard dogs have in common? Prior to going on the Western Alps Adventure with Adriatic Moto Tours, I didn’t have a clue. But on the seven-day motorcycle tour through Italy, Switzerland, and France this past July, we got to visit the places where these things originated.

No one goes to the Alps – especially not motorcyclists – for overpriced bottled water, strong cheese, or big slobbering dogs. We go for the roads, particularly the winding sort that rise and fall as they crest passes where the air is ethereal and the sky is so blue it looks like a backdoor to heaven.

We go to lose ourselves in wonder, to have our heads in the clouds – literally and figuratively – as we take in heart-achingly beautiful vistas and admire peaks and valleys worth fighting wars over.

But, ugh, planning a motorcycle trip through the Alps is such a pain. How will you rent a bike? What route should you take? Where should you stay? Where should you eat? And what’s French for “I’ll have another large beer, please”?

Instead, I rely on the experts, the folks who have scouted the routes, the hotels, and the restaurants. It’s all new to me anyway, so I’ll take a curated, stress-free experience over being my own bumbling tour guide any day.

Related: Endless Curves | Adriatic Moto Tours Sardinia and Corsica Tour Review

I flew into Milan, Italy, a day early to get acclimated. Coincidentally, I arrived on the same flight as Jim, an attorney from Seattle who’s a veteran of more than a dozen tours with Adriatic Moto Tours.

After checking into our hotel, a former royal villa built in the early 1900s that now has modern air-conditioned rooms, a restaurant, and a lovely pool, Jim and I took the train into Milan to visit the Duomo, one of the largest cathedrals in the world.

The next day, we met our guides and fellow riders. In addition to Jim and me, we met a third American, David, a tanned retiree from Florida. Hailing from Canada were Ben from Toronto and Simon and Marie-Claude from Quebec City, and there was Linda from Australia and Malcolm from New Zealand. Matej, our tour leader, and Jure, our van driver, are both experienced guides from AMT’s home country of Slovenia, and they kept the tour running like a well-oiled machine. Everyone was easy to get along with, and we quickly gelled as a group and shared inside jokes and friendly comments on WhatsApp.

AMT’s rental fleet includes mostly BMWs plus a few Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha models. Bikes come equipped with a top box and a GPS unit pre-programmed with daily routes, which allows riders to venture off on their own without worrying about getting lost or finding the hotel. Accommodations on this tour were comfortable and charming, our luggage was always delivered to our room before check-in, and meals were delicious and unique to local areas.

Some tours start off gradually, but the Western Alps Adventure kicked off like a cowabunga cannonball into the deep end of the pool. After a short stint on the freeway to get out of Milan, we crossed into Switzerland, and it was game on.

First, we summited Nufenen Pass. Next, we stopped at the Hotel Belvedere, which is situated inside a hairpin overlooking the Rhône Glacier and was featured in a car chase scene in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. Then we climbed a little higher to Furka Pass, all before having lunch in the ski resort town of Andermatt.

While trying to digest quattro stagioni pizza, we rocked and rolled our way to Susten Pass. Down, down, down we went into the valley before making our fourth and final climb of the day to Grimsel Pass, where our hotel was located on the shore of a postcard-perfect alpine lake. Before dinner, a few of us took a bonus ride on a narrow panoramic road that goes to a glacier.

We ended our first day with beers on the patio overlooking the lake and a comfort food dinner of potato soup, veal piccata with pasta, and panna cotta. Sleep was well-earned, deep, and enhanced by clean, cool alpine air drifting in through the windows.

Day 2 started with sunrise over Grimsel Lake and a hearty Swiss breakfast, fortifying us for another full day of riding. Bombing back down the winding road from Grimsel Pass with zero traffic was like being on a private track.

After that early burst of adrenaline, the rest of the day was mellow. We rode into a valley of high cliffs with glacier-fed waterfalls and had coffee near Lauterbrunnen. We had lunch in Gruyères, a medieval walled hilltop village where we had the eponymous cheese mixed in a shredded potato dish called rösti. In the afternoon, we summited Jaun Pass and crossed into France for an overnight stop in Évian-les-Bains, a city on Lake Geneva that sends its bottled mineral water around the world.

Riding in the Alps is like a yo-yo: up and down, mountain to valley, valley to mountain, again and again, with hairpins, sweepers, and every conceivable type of curve. Day 3 was scenic, pleasant, and exotic enough to remind us that we were far from home, experiencing another part of the world. We had coffee in Annecy, known as the “Venice of France” because of the canals that run through the old town, and then lunch at an outdoor cafe at Col de Granier, a notch carved in the Massif de Chartreuse. At our hotel in the ski area of Villard-de-Lans, we had a gourmet dinner on a patio with mountains rising all around us.

On Day 4, we rode through the damp, dark, narrow Gorge de la Bourne, where the road cuts into the limestone walls as it runs along a mountain stream. We climbed high and rode Combe Laval, one of France’s “balcony” roads chiseled into and through limestone cliffs. Then we summited several passes – Col de la Machine, Col de Rosset, and Col de Grimone – and cruised through fertile valleys full of sunflowers and lavender.

Make no mistake, this is a rider’s tour, with days full of twisties, climbs, and descents and minimal sightseeing. On Day 5, our rest day, we forfeited the “rest” part and rode over Col de Vars and into the thin air of Mercantour National Park. Just below Col de la Bonette, we relaxed in Adirondack chairs and sipped coffee in the pure alpine air on a bluebird day and then looped around the treeless Cime de la Bonette. What goes up must come down, and we retraced our route for a totally different experience. Every right became a left, every foot of climbing became a descent.

Day 6, July 14, was Bastille Day, France’s national holiday, and we celebrated by bagging four alpine passes, including Col de Montgenèvre and Col du Mont-Cenis, where we rode along the shore of a turquoise lake. After having oven-fired pizzas on a patio for lunch, the high point of the day was climbing more than 3,000 feet in 8 miles through green mountains covered with wildflowers and cut deeply by snowmelt waterfalls and creeks to Col de l’Iseran (9,068 feet), the highest paved pass in the Alps.

After our fourth pass of the day, Col du Petit St-Bernard, where we crossed back into Italy, we rode through the 7.2-mile Mont Blanc Tunnel. We emerged back in France near our hotel in Chamonix, a bustling alpine city full of hikers, mountain climbers, and tourists.

We began our last day with a gondola ride to the top of Aiguille du Midi to see Mont Blanc (15,778 feet), the highest mountain in Western Europe, and the surrounding peaks and glaciers. After summiting Col de la Forclaz, we began the long climb to our last pass, Col du Grand St-Bernard, where a hospice founded in 1049 used St. Bernard dogs in mountain rescues.

Upon arriving back in Milan, Matej and Jure popped corks on bottles of prosecco, and we all toasted to a fantastic tour. Grazie mille, Adriatic Moto Tours!

The next Western Alps Adventure runs July 13-21, 2024. Visit the Adriatic Moto Tours website for more information.

See all of Rider‘s international touring stories here.

The post Adriatic Moto Tours Western Alps Adventure Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.

We were honored to attend the grand opening of the American Honda Collection Hall, a 20,000-square-foot museum dedicated to Honda’s rich history in the United States. It is serves as an extension of the massive, multistory Honda Collection Hall located on the grounds of the Twin Ring Motegi racetrack in Tochigi, Japan. American Honda’s press release below provides more details, including how the public can visit the museum. Scroll down to see photos of all 20 iconic motorcycles currently on display in the hall. –Ed.

The new American Honda Collection Hall officially opened its doors on Sept. 12, 2023, in Southern California. The hall offers visitors a glimpse of more than 60 historic and significant Honda and Acura automobiles, motorcycles, power equipment, race machines, engines, and concept models, as well as images, graphics, and video presentations. The products on display represent the more than six decades since American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was established in 1959 as the first Honda company outside of Japan.

Related: Honda Celebrates 60 Years in America

Community leaders joined Honda officials, associates, and retirees for the grand opening, celebrating the new 20,000-square-foot display connected to the main lobby of American Honda headquarters in Torrance, California.

“Our new American Honda Collection Hall reflects the important connection between the dreams and passion of Honda associates and the joy experienced by customers who love their Honda products and racing fans thrilled by our checkered flag successes,” said Noriya Kaihara, President & CEO and director of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and chief officer of Regional Operations (North America). “Everyone at Honda is honored to share the expressions of our history in America that are on display in the form of products and technology that have helped move people and society forward.”

Open to the public free of charge during scheduled public “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” events, the American Honda Collection Hall pays tribute to Honda’s unique contributions to American’s lives and highlights significant milestones in the history of Honda in the U.S.

Some examples of products currently on display:

Motorcycles at American Honda Collection Hall:

• 1962 Honda 50/Super Cub – One of the first three models Honda sold in the U.S. The Super Cub is now the overall bestselling vehicle globally with over 100 million sold to date.

Related: 2019 Honda Super Cub C125 ABS | First Ride Review

• 1970 Honda CB750 – Widely considered the first superbike and called “the Motorcycle of the Century” by Motorcyclist magazine.
• 1973 Honda CR250 Elsinore – Honda’s first production motocross motorcycle and the first product Honda manufactured in the U.S., named after the famous Elsinore Grand Prix.
• 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing – Redefined long distance touring motorcycles with a revolutionary horizontally opposed 4-cylinder engine.

Related: 2021 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT | Road Test Review

• 1981 Honda CBX1000 Super Sport – Honda’s first motorcycle with over 100 hp, powered by a 1000cc 6-cylinder engine.
• 1983 Honda VF750F – The revolutionary VF750F used a liquid-cooled DOHC V4 engine and a stiff square-tube frame that also helped it dominate superbike racing in the mid ‘80s.
• 1990 Honda VFR750R/RC30 – A homologation special created for competition in the World Superbike Championship.
• 1992 Honda NR750 – The most technically advanced motorcycle at the time, iconic for its oval-piston engine design and other innovations. 
• 2004 Honda RVT1000R/RC51 – A street version of Honda’s championship winning V-twin superbike.

(Scroll down to see more motorcycles in the American Honda Collection Hall.)

Cars:

• 1965 Honda N600 Coupe – The first Honda automobile sold in the U.S. used an air-cooled 600cc 2-cylinder engine and retailed for just $1,395.

• 1975 Honda Civic CVCC Hatchback – The first car to meet the emissions standards of the 1970 U.S. Clean Air Act without the need for a catalytic converter.
• 1979 Honda Accord CVCC Hatchback – The first Accord debuted in 1976 as a three-door hatchback powered by Honda’s revolutionary Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion (CVCC) 4-cylinder engine.
• 1985 Honda CRX Si – The first performance Honda Si model sold in America, a sporty 2-seat coupe with Honda’s advanced PGM-FI fuel injection.
• 1986 Acura Legend – The performance luxury touring sedan that launched the Acura brand alongside the Integra.
• 1991 Acura NSX supercar – The revolutionary hand-built, exotic mid-engine sports car that showcased Honda’s technical prowess.
• 1997 Honda CR-V – Honda’s first in-house SUV helped establish a new breed of compact sport utility vehicle with car-like ride and handling.
• 2006 Honda Insight – Introduced in 2000, Insight was the first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid passenger vehicle sold in the U.S.

Power Equipment:

• 1964 Honda CB30 Marine Outboard Engine – Honda’s first outboard marine engine featured a revolutionary four-stroke design.
• 1965 Honda E300 Generator – The first generator to combine 300-watt output with quiet and easy-to-use operation in a compact enclosure that could be carried with one hand.
• 2023 Honda GF5 Marine Outboard Engine – Compact and lightweight portable outboard engine provides a complete performance package for small boats and dinghies.

Racecars:

• 1992 Acura Spice GTP-Lights – Powered by a modified Acura NSX V6 engine, carried veteran driver Parker Johnstone to the Drivers’ championship in the IMSA Camel GT Lights series.
• 1996 Reynard 961-031 Indy Car – Honda/Reynard driven by Indy Car Drivers’ Champion Jimmy Vasser and Rookie of the Year Alex Zanardi.
• 1997 Acura Integra Realtime – RealTime Racing and the Acura Integra Type R forged a race-winning record that remained unbroken after nearly two decades.

Related: 2023 Honda SCL500 Review | First Ride

The display at the American Honda Collection Hall will be updated several times a year to showcase different products and themes.

The Collection will serve as an educational and cultural hub for the Southern California community. Honda will begin hosting regular “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” events at its Torrance campus on the third Saturday of every other month, with attendees welcome to tour the American Honda Collection Hall.

The inaugural event will take place Saturday, October 21, and will include special activities, such as giveaways, special displays, vendors, food trucks, music and more. All interesting automobiles and motorcycles from all manufacturers and eras are welcome for attendees to display. To learn more about the Collection Hall and event information, visit HondaCollectionHall.com.

Public “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” Event Schedule

• Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Saturday, April 20, 2024, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Saturday, June 15, 2024, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

More Motorcycles on Display at American Honda Collection Hall

The post 20 Iconic Motorcycles at the New American Honda Collection Hall appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Scramblers had their heyday during the ’60s, which was before my time, but I’m a big fan of their spirit and style. They embody a carefree attitude and the freedom to go wherever, as well as a simplicity not offered by many modern, hyper-focused bikes. The best word to describe the new 2023 Honda SCL500 is “playful.” It blends cool retro style, a user-friendly engine and chassis, and a budget-friendly price. 

Scramblers are perfect for Ventura, California, the coastal surf town that I call home, and that’s exactly where Honda hosted its press launch for the SCL500. A lightweight, no-frills motorcycle is great for bopping around city streets, cruising up the coast, exploring backroads, and even getting a little frisky in the dirt, though the only time we left the pavement during our test ride was to turn around in dirt pull-outs during photo stops. 

Inspiration for the SCL500 comes from Honda’s own back catalog, namely the 250cc CL72 from 1962-65 and the 305cc CL77 from 1965-67. Like the SCL500, these early scramblers were based on streetbikes, and all three models share common styling elements: fork gaiters, knee pads on the gas tank, bench seats, high-routed exhausts, and twin rear shocks. 

Another thing the SCL500 has in common with those early CLs is a parallel-Twin engine, though the older versions were air-cooled while the modern one has a radiator. The SCL’s 471cc Twin is a versatile mill that’s also found in the CBR500R sportbike, CB500F naked bike, CB500X adventure bike, and Rebel 500 cruiser. (The last time we put any of these bikes on the dyno was 2017. The CB500F made 46 hp and 31 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheel, and the Rebel 500 made 41 hp and 30 lb-ft.) 

Related: 2020 Honda Rebel 500 ABS | Road Test Review 

As much as I appreciate high-tech features on many of today’s motorcycles, there’s something to be said for a bike with nothing to figure out. Swing a leg over the SCL500, thumb the starter button, drop it into gear, and then just ride. Throttle response is user-friendly, power delivery is linear, and the slip-assist clutch makes gear changes effortless. The engine is smooth and doesn’t vibrate much, nor does it radiate excess heat. But it doesn’t exude much character either. 

A sturdy tubular-steel trellis frame holds everything together, and the bike, which has a narrow 3.2-gal. tank, is slender between the knees. The SCL500’s suspension, a nonadjustable 41mm fork and dual shocks with two-step preload adjustment, has 5.3/5.7 inches of front/rear travel, which is more generous than its adventure-ish CB500X stablemate (4.7/5.5 inches).

For a sub-$7,000 bike, the ride is surprisingly plush, though the suspension’s softness leads to some fork dive during braking and seesawing over big bumps. More rebound damping would be nice, at least for a 200-lb galoot like me. 

Related: 2019 Honda CB500X | First Ride Review 

The SCL500 rolls on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear cast wheels shared with the CB500X, and the SCL is shod with Dunlop Mixtour block-tread tires that provide reasonably good grip and handling. ABS is standard, and there are single-disc Nissin brakes front and rear, with a 2-pot caliper pinching a 310mm disc in front and a 1-pot caliper slowing a 240mm disc out back. The brakes don’t offer much power or feel, but they’re perfectly fine for riders who are newer, lighter, or less aggressive than I am. 

The SCL500’s chassis geometry favors stability over agility, which further adds to the bike’s approachability. But its lightness (just 419 lb ready to ride), the width of its handlebar, and the narrowness of its tires (110/80-19 front, 150/70-17 rear) mean that the SCL can be tossed around like a ragdoll. 

With my 34-inch inseam, I was a little folded up on the SCL500 with its low 31.1-inch seat height and high footpegs. The cleated footpegs have vibration-damping rubber inserts that can be removed to add a skosh more legroom, but the better option for me was the accessory tall seat, which adds another inch of foam for more height and support. At $64.95, it’s reasonably priced, though it only comes in brown. 

GEAR UP

• Helmet: SMK Retro Adventure 
• Jacket: Highway 21 Winchester 
• Gloves: Highway 21 Jab Full Perforated 
• Pants: Fly Racing Resistance Jeans 
• Boots: Fly Racing Tradesman 

The SCL500 is the kind of bike that lends itself to customization. In addition to the tall seat, other factory accessories include a headlight visor, a high front fender, handguards, a number plate-style rear side cover, rally footpegs, a center tank pad, a 14-liter left-side soft saddlebag, a rear carrier, a 38-liter top case, heated grips, and a 12V socket. Vance & Hines also offers a high-output slip-on exhaust that is compliant in all 50 states. 

Other than limited legroom for my frame, my only real complaint about the SCL500 is its instrumentation. It has a single round instrument panel that’s light-on-black LCD. Available features includes a clock, a gear position indicator, a speedometer, a fuel gauge, and multifunction display that can be scrolled through for different info (odometer, tripmeter A/B, average mpg A/B, instant mpg, and reserve fuel tripmeter). The instrument panel lacks a tachometer, it’s difficult read in bright sunlight, and it’s all but useless when wearing polarized sunglasses. For a retro bike like this, an analog speedometer with an inset multifunction display would be sweet. 

After logging just over 100 miles in and around Ventura, mostly on backroads where I did my best to wring the SCL’s neck, the bike’s fuel economy reading was 60.6 mpg. That translates to 194 miles of range, which would be even higher for a typical owner who cruises around or commutes in a less caffeinated, type-A state of mind.  

All in all, the Honda SCL500 is a helluva lot of fun, and in Candy Orange, it turns a lot of heads (a more subdued Matte Laurel Green Metallic color option is also available). 

2023 Honda SCL500 Specifications 

• Base Price: $6,799 
• Website: Powersports.Honda.com 
• Warranty: 1 yr., unltd. miles 
• Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse parallel-Twin, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl. 
• Displacement: 471cc 
• Bore x Stroke: 67.0 x 66.8mm 
• Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated slip/assist wet clutch 
• Final Drive: Chain 
• Wheelbase: 58.4 in. 
• Rake/Trail: 27 degrees/4.3 in. 
• Seat Height: 31.1 in. 
• Wet Weight: 419 lb 
• Fuel Capacity: 3.2 gal. 
• Fuel Consumption: 60.6 mpg (per bike’s instruments) 

See all of Rider‘s Honda coverage here.

The post 2023 Honda SCL500 Review | First Ride appeared first on Rider Magazine.

When a bike wins Rider’s Motorcycle of the Year award, as the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT did in 2021, it’s a special machine that beat out dozens of others in the year it was selected. But every motorcycle, even very good ones, can be made better. Just two years after earning MOTY honors, we have the new and improved Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+.

What does the ‘+’ at the end of the name entail? Quite a bit, actually. Tucked under the nose of the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ is a new millimeter-wave radar that continuously measures distance to vehicles ahead and enables two features: adaptive cruise control and a radar-linked Unified Brake System. Also new on the GT+ are integrated ride modes, the next generation of the KYB Actimatic Damper System (KADS) electronic suspension, an updated quickshifter, a new 7-inch TFT display with simplified menus, new switchgear, and integration with the Yamaha MyLink and Garmin Motorize smartphone apps.

This fourth generation of the Tracer 9 platform – which began with the FJ-09 for 2015 and became the Tracer 900 GT for 2019, the Tracer 9 GT for 2021, and now the Tracer 9 GT+ for 2024 – is about refinement. It adds useful tech and smooths out a few rough edges but retains what has made the FJ/Tracer a Rider favorite for nearly a decade. As we wrote when the Tracer 9 GT won MOTY in 2021, “Thanks to steady evolution and improvement over three generations, Yamaha has demonstrated just how good a modern sport-tourer can be, especially for riders who value agility over couch-like luxury. Performance, sophistication, comfort, versatility, load/luggage capacity – the Tracer checks all the right boxes and leaves nothing on the table.”

Returning unchanged is the star of the show – the liquid-cooled 890cc CP3 inline-Triple with a crossplane crankshaft, which made 108 hp at 10,000 rpm and 63 lb-ft of torque at 7,200 rpm at the rear wheel on Jett Tuning’s dyno. The CP3 has always been an exciting engine that’s full of character, and it continues to deliver in spades. As before, wrapped around the engine is a controlled-fill diecast Deltabox aluminum frame that is both strong and light. The GT+ also has an aluminum swingarm, a steel subframe, and lightweight spinforged wheels shod with excellent Bridgestone Battlax T32 sport-touring tires. A comprehensive electronics package, 30-liter side cases, LED cornering lights, heated grips, a height-adjustable windscreen, adjustable ergonomics, and many other useful features are all part of the deal.

Since this review takes a deep dive into the new tech, I’ll cut to the chase: The Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ gets a big gold star for being a fantastic, well-rounded, well-sorted sport-tourer. For this test, I logged over 1,400 miles in three days, and my admiration for the bike deepened with each passing mile. Although its $16,499 MSRP is $1,500 above that of the previous model, the GT+ offers a level of technological sophistication that isn’t available on another motorcycle priced less than $25,000.

Related: Yamaha Announces Updated Ténéré 700, Other Returning 2024 Models

ACC and UBS on the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+

A millimeter-wave (mmWave) radar system emits short-wavelength electromagnetic wave signals that are reflected by objects in their path, allowing the system to determine the distance and velocity of those objects. In the case of the Tracer 9 GT+, the radar detects vehicles ahead in the same lane – it’s unaffected by vehicles going in the same direction in adjacent lanes or approaching vehicles in opposing lanes. When adaptive cruise control (ACC) is engaged, the system shows a car icon if a vehicle is detected within a certain range. If the vehicle ahead is traveling at a slower speed than that set for cruise control, the Tracer will slow to match the lead vehicle’s speed and maintain a set distance. A trigger on the left grip allows the rider to select among four set following distances, ranging from a minimum of one second to a maximum of two seconds. With the mmWave radar box tucked into a central cavity between the headlights and weighing only 7 ounces, it has minimal impact on aesthetics or overall weight.

After riding 200 miles around Boise, Idaho, during the one-day press launch, I logged two consecutive 600-mile days riding home to Ventura, California. Day 1 took me due south from Boise through the empty high desert of southwestern Idaho, down into Nevada to Eureka, and across Nevada’s basin-and-range landscape on U.S. Route 50 – “The Loneliest Road in America” – to Carson City. On Day 2, I climbed up the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range, rode along the shore of Lake Tahoe, crossed into California, and bagged four of the highest paved Sierra passes – Ebbetts (8,730 feet), Monitor (8,314 feet), Sonora (9,624 feet), and Tioga (9,945 feet) – before cruising south on U.S. Route 395 and west on State Routes 14 and 26 to the coast.

There were few people in these wide-open spaces, and the heaviest traffic I encountered was millions and millions of Mormon crickets that covered some of the roads in Idaho and Nevada for miles. At times I shared the road with a coyote, a few antelopes, and several fast-moving pikas, their tails sticking straight up in the air as they scurried across the hot asphalt. Temperatures ranged from 50 to 100 degrees, and several desert rainstorms provided cooling relief from the summer heat.⁠

I’ve never been a heavy user of cruise control – I’d use it occasionally to give my right arm a break, to do some stretches, or to keep the bike at a steady speed while I opened or closed vents in my jacket – but I disliked having to disengage and re-engage cruise control when I came upon other vehicles in my lane. But I used adaptive cruise control for much of my 1,200-mile trip home. I’d set it to avoid the speed creep that can happen on long rides, sometimes leading to unpleasant interactions with the local constabulary. When I’d come upon a vehicle ahead of me, ACC would adjust the bike’s speed using engine braking, and then, if necessary, the front and rear brakes. If I changed lanes to overtake the vehicle, ACC would accelerate to the set speed.

ACC works from 20-99 mph in all gears, and only if traction control, slide control, and (front wheel) lift control are turned on (which they are by default in all ride modes). When using ACC’s acceleration and deceleration toggle switch, speed can be adjusted in 1-mph or 5-mph increments. Furthermore, using inputs from the 6-axis IMU (inertial measurement unit), ACC employs cornering assist (limits acceleration when leaned over), passing assist (smooths acceleration when the turnsignal is on), KADS integration (adjusts suspension damping to limit chassis pitch), and a rider warning system if following distance is too close. While all the different features of ACC may make it sound complicated, in practice it is very intuitive to use. ACC, however, is not a collision avoidance system or some sort of autopilot; the rider needs to stay engaged at all times.

The mmWave radar system also enables a radar-linked Unified Brake System that Yamaha says is a world-first technology on the Tracer 9 GT+. Using inputs from the IMU, suspension control unit, and engine control unit, the system adjusts braking and suspension forces to help keep the motorcycle under control. If the rider applies the brakes and the radar system detects an object or vehicle in the road, UBS will apply additional front/rear braking as needed, and compression damping will be increased to prevent chassis pitch. The Brake Control (cornering ABS) system must be turned on, and UBS works whether or not ACC is engaged. UBS is not an emergency braking system; it provides assistance only if the rider is already on the brakes. To support UBS and improve overall braking performance, Yamaha increased the diameter of the Tracer’s rear brake disc from 245mm to 267mm and made the rear brake pedal slightly wider with a more beveled shape.

GEAR UP

• Helmet: Schuberth E2 Modular
• Jacket: Fly Racing CoolPro Mesh
• Gloves: Fly Racing Brawler
• Pants: Fly Racing CoolPro Mesh
• Boots: Fly Racing Milepost

I used ACC for many hours of my two-day ride home, and how it worked when I approached or passed other vehicles on the road was obvious. Perhaps because there was little traffic on the road, I don’t recall any moments of hard or abrupt braking that would have engaged the radar-linked UBS function. An icon will flash on the TFT display, similar to a traction control light flickering when rear wheel spin is being managed, but I didn’t see such an icon. Then again, if I’m braking hard to avoid hitting something, I’m focused on the road and not on the dash.

Other New New on the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+

Whereas ACC and UBS are new features, other updates refine existing ones. The quickshifter previously allowed clutchless upshifts during acceleration and clutchless downshifts during deceleration. On the GT+, the quickshifter also allows upshifts during deceleration (e.g., to limit engine braking) and downshifts during acceleration (e.g., to assist with making a pass). Also, the quickshifter can be used when ACC is engaged.

From a user-interface perspective, two of the best upgrades on the Tracer 9 GT+ are the move from a pair of 3.5-inch TFT displays to a single 7-inch TFT display and revised switchgear. The TFT has crisp, full-color graphics, three display modes, and an anti-glare coating that makes the screen legible even in bright sunlight. Simplified menu systems are more intuitive than before, and the joystick and home button on the left grip make navigating between screens, menus, and functions easy (though occasionally I’d mistake the joystick for the turnsignal switch, which is just to the left of it). All the switches have ergonomic shapes, a tactile feel, and new backlighting.

The Tracer 9 GT+ offers Bluetooth connectivity, allowing a smartphone and up to two headsets to be connected to the bike for controlling music and phone calls. The free Yamaha MyLink app allows text messages and incoming call info to be displayed on the dash, provides weather info and alerts, and allows use of the Garmin Motorize navigation app (subscription required – $4.99/month or $39.99/year). I used both, and Garmin Motorize was especially useful because it displayed Garmin’s familiar GPS screen right on the TFT display, eliminating the hassle of mounting a separate GPS unit or my smartphone on the bike for navigation. Using the Garmin app, however, was a drain on my iPhone’s battery, going from 100% to about 50% in just a few hours. There is a USB-A outlet just below the dash, so I ran a charging cord from the outlet to the phone in my pocket as needed.

As much as I liked the features and capabilities of the Yamaha MyLink and Garmin Motorize apps, I do have a couple nits to pick. First, the Yamaha app must be paired to a smartphone via wi-fi, but when the bike is shut down (such as removing the key to open the fuel filler) and then turned back on, the bike and Yamaha MyLink app wouldn’t always reconnect automatically. Sometimes it would be just a matter of opening the app and tapping the paired device button to reestablish the connection. But occasionally it would connect and then quickly disconnect, saying “communication error.” I’d get stuck in a connect/disconnect loop until finally the app and the bike decided to start talking to each other again. When on the side of the road after a photo stop or at a gas station during a long day’s ride, such connectivity issues can be frustrating.

My other nit to pick may reflect my personal proclivities and be completely irrelevant to others. When the Garmin Motorize app is being used, a long press of the home button on the left grip switches between the main screen and the navigation screen (a short tap of the home button brings up other functions). When the navigation screen is up, only limited vehicle information is displayed: coolant temperature on the left, fuel level on the right, and along the top, speed, ride mode, gear position, quickshifter status, and one of only four data points: odometer, tripmeter 1, total travel time, and clock, which can be scrolled through using the joystick. One of my favorite data points is ambient temperature, but it’s not available on that screen.

When adaptive cruise control is engaged, ACC info replaces the engine temperature gauge on the left side of the navigation screen. Switching over to the main screen, ACC info is also shown on the left, and it replaces the vehicle info that is normally displayed on the left side of the screen. On the right side of the screen, the rider can choose three vehicle info “favorites” from among the following: ambient temperature, coolant temperature, average speed, tripmeter 1, tripmeter 2, total trip time, average mpg, instant mpg, and low-fuel tripmeter (which begins counting once low-fuel warning comes on). Three of the remaining vehicle info data points are shown on the left, and the rest can be scrolled through using the joystick but their order can’t be changed. And when ACC is engaged, the remaining vehicle info data points are not available.

Riding the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+

Whew, that was a lot of technical info! But for those who are interested in keeping abreast of new technology, we do our best to report them. Now comes my favorite part of the review: what it’s like to ride the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+.

As mentioned, the Tracer’s 890cc Triple is a gem of an engine. Yamaha’s “crossplane concept” design means that each crankpin is offset 120 degrees from the next, and the three cylinders fire sequentially (1-2-3) in even 240-degree intervals. The engine is versatile, remaining smooth and docile at low revs and cruising along at highway speeds with minimal vibration, but it’s ready to party with a quick twist of the throttle. Horsepower builds linearly to its peak at 10,000 rpm, while torque holds steady: 54-63 lb-ft between 3,000 and 10,200 rpm (redline is 10,500). With a max of 108 hp, the Tracer doesn’t launch out of corners like an open-class sport-tourer, but keeping revs in the sweet spot between 6,000 and 9,000 rpm will please all but the greediest power addicts.

Rather than power modes (four), suspension modes (two), and electronic rider aids (traction control, slide control, and lift control) that must be adjusted separately as on the previous model, Yamaha made the Tracer 9 GT+ more user-friendly by giving it integrated ride modes with intuitive names and presets for all of the above: Sport, Street, Rain, and a Custom mode for those who like to tinker with settings.

With an upright seating position more like an adventure tourer than a traditional sport-tourer, the Tracer 9 GT+ is comfortable for long rides and allows the rider to quickly adopt an attack stance as needed, with the wide handlebar offering ample steering leverage. With a curb weight below 500 lb, a robust chassis, and frame geometry that favors agility, the Tracer loves to dive into and out of curves and responds obediently to small inputs. Strong, responsive brakes shed speed with good feedback or stop quickly as needed, and the 6-speed transmission changes gears effortlessly with either the slip/assist clutch or the quickshifter. The adjustable windscreen and standard hand guards provide good wind protection, and the revised seat, which has a new shape and cover, is reasonably comfortable but could use more support for long days in the saddle.

We’ve been heaping praise on the FJ/Tracer platform for years, while also pointing out flaws. With each new generation, Yamaha has addressed many of those flaws while also raising the bar in terms of performance, technology, safety, and convenience. If Rider selected a Motorcycle of the Decade, the Tracer 9 GT+ would be on the short list.

2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Specifications

• Base Price: $16,499
• Warranty: 1 yr., unltd. miles
• Website: YamahaMotorsports.com

ENGINE

• Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse inline-Triple, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
• Displacement: 890cc
• Bore x Stroke: 78.0 x 62.1mm
• Compression Ratio: 11.5:1
• Valve Insp. Interval: 26,600 miles
• Fuel Delivery: EFI w/ YCC-T & 41mm throttle bodies x 3
• Lubrication System: Wet sump, 3.4 qt. cap.
• Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated wet slip/assist clutch & up/down quickshifter
• Final Drive: O-ring chain

CHASSIS

• Frame: Cast aluminum w/ engine as stressed member, cast aluminum swingarm & steel subframe
• Wheelbase: 59.1 in.
• Rake/Trail: 25 degrees/4.3 in.
• Seat Height: 32.3/32.9 in.
• Suspension, Front: 41mm inverted fork, electronically adj. rebound & compression, manually adj. preload, 5.1 in. travel
• Rear: Single shock, electronically adj. rebound, manually adj. preload (remote), 5.4 in. travel
• Brakes, Front: Dual 298mm discs w/ 4-piston radial calipers & ABS
• Rear: Single 267mm disc w/ 2-piston caliper & ABS
• Wheels, Front: Cast, 3.50 x 17 in.
• Rear: Cast, 5.50 x 17 in.
• Tires, Front: 120/70-ZR17
• Rear: 180/55-ZR17
• Wet Weight: 492 lb
• Load Capacity: 407 lb
• GVWR: 910 lb

PERFORMANCE

• Horsepower: 108 @ 10,000 rpm (rear-wheel dyno)
• Torque: 63 lb-ft @ 7,200 rpm (rear-wheel dyno)
• Fuel Capacity: 5.0 gal.
• Fuel Consumption: 45.9 mpg
• Estimated Range: 230 miles

The post 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Review | Road Test appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Some memories are indelible. Etched clearly in my mind is a moment that happened 25 years ago when I went to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City for the Art of the Motorcycle exhibit. As I walked through the lobby and approached the exhibit, front and center on a mirrored pedestal was an MV Agusta F4, a stunning red and silver machine designed by Massimo Tamburini. Its quartet of underseat exhausts looked like God’s own pipe organ.

A decade later I joined the staff at Rider, and over the years that followed, I never got a chance to ride an MV Agusta. The brand always seemed to be on shaky ground, with ownership changing hands several times. The bikes were exotic and produced in small numbers, so opportunities to test them were few and far between.

My chance finally came when MV Agusta hosted a press launch in Los Angeles for the Dragster RR SCS America Edition, a limited-production model designed for the U.S. market.

MV Agusta and ’Merica!

Fifty years ago, MV Agusta released the 750S, the Italian company’s first model to sport a red, white, and blue paint scheme as a nod to the American market. Recent decades have seen several limited-edition “America” models – a Brutale 750 in 2004, a Brutale 1090 RR in 2012, a Brutale 800 RR in 2017, and a Dragster 800 RR in 2018.

Next in line, announced on July 4, 2023, is the Dragster RR SCS America, priced at a cool $28,247 to honor the 247th anniversary of American independence. With a stars-and-stripes logo on the tank, a mix of Ago Red and Mica America Blue paint with white accents, and “America Special Edition” stitched in white on the red seat, it’s the second most patriotic-looking motorcycle I’ve ever seen (it would be the most patriotic motorcycle I’ve ever seen had the American-made Buell Freedom Edition Hammerhead 1190 not been announced just days before the MV).

Only 300 Dragster RR SCS Americas will be made, each with a serialized number laser-etched on the triple clamp, and all are slated for sale in the good ol’ U.S. of A. Each bike comes with a Special Parts Kit that includes a transparent clutch cover, a dedicated motorcycle cover, and a certificate of authenticity.

Related: 2020 MV Agusta Brutale 800 Rosso | Road Test Review

Not Your Daddy’s Clutch

The SCS in the model name stands for “Smart Clutch System” and refers to the bike’s hydraulically actuated SCS 3.0 Radius CX semi-automatic clutch, made in collaboration with Rekluse. It’s a slick system. Just hold in the clutch lever when starting the bike, and then ignore it the rest of the ride. The up/down quickshifter assists with smooth, fast gear changes, and the clutch automatically disengages when coming to a stop.

One of the SCS clutch’s coolest features is launch mode. At a stop, pull in the clutch lever, pin the throttle, and wait for the light to turn green. When it does, dump the clutch and you’ll be treated to the bike’s fastest possible launch time: 0-100 kph (62.1 mph) in 3.55 seconds. Works like a charm too. Lining up next to Rennie Scaysbrook, the road test editor at Cycle News who holds the motorcycle record at Pikes Peak and is way faster than me, the SCS launch mode let me get the drop on him a couple of times.

For those who want to use the clutch lever, it’s still fully functional. For trackdays or personal preference, the SCS function can also be disabled. And unlike Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission, which adds more than 20 lb of weight compared to a conventional transmission, the MV’s SCS clutch is only 1.3 ounces heavier than a regular clutch.

Horses of Courses

GEAR UP

• Helmet: Scorpion EXO-R1 Air
• Jacket: Scorpion Optima
• Gloves: Scorpion SGS MK II
• Pants: Scorpion Covert Ultra Jeans
• Boots: Fly Racing M21 Riding Shoes

At the heart of the MV Agusta Dragster RR is a thrilling mill: a liquid-cooled 798cc inline-Triple with a 13.3:1 compression ratio and DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder and DLC-coated tappets. It churns out a claimed 140 hp at 12,300 rpm and 64.2 lb-ft of torque at 10,250 rpm.

Motorcyclists are a greedy lot, and we always want more power. MV offers an accessory Akrapovič titanium exhaust with a dedicated ECU that bumps up peak power to 148 hp at 12,800 rpm while shaving off nearly 18 lb of weight (claimed dry weight for the stock bike is 386 lb). As appealing as the Akrapovič exhaust is, it’s a shame it requires the removal of the elegant triple-tipped stock exhaust.

The Dragster’s Triple sounds like a diesel at idle, but spin up the revs and it wails in a way that only an odd number of cylinders can, mashing up the rumble of a Twin and the scream of a Four. Response from the throttle-by-wire system is direct and snatch-free, and there are three standard ride modes: Sport, Race, and Rain. Pairing a smartphone with the MV Ride app allows a rider to create a custom map. Adjustable parameters include gas sensitivity (throttle response), max engine torque, engine braking, engine response, rpm limiter, quickshifter, traction control, and wheelie control. Choose your own adventure.

The MV Ride app also allows a rider to record a trip, which will show a map of the route taken and provide statistics such as average speed, max speed, max throttle, and max roll (lean) angle. Our test ride on public roads, for example, covered 60.2 miles at an average speed of 18.6 mph (we spent a lot of time in L.A. traffic and idling between photo passes). My max speed was 74.5 mph, and my deepest lean angle was 47 degrees. Rennie was certainly faster and leaned over more.

Made in Italy

MV Agusta is a storied Italian manufacturer that was founded in 1945 by Count Domenico Agusta. The brand has an impressive record on the racetrack, having won 270 Grand Prix races, 38 World Riders’ Championships, and 37 World Constructors’ Championships, many of those wins and championships courtesy of legends like John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, and Phil Read.

Following the death of Count Agusta in 1971, the company went through a roller coaster of highs and lows. It was acquired by the Castiglioni family in 1992, sold to Malaysian car maker Proton in 2004, sold to an Italian holding company for 1 euro in 2005, acquired by Harley-Davidson in 2008, and sold back to the Castiglioni family for 1 euro in 2010. Mercedes-AMG acquired a 25% stake in 2014, which was sold in 2017 when a Russian investment fund headed by the Sardarov family acquired a 49% stake, and the Sardarovs acquired 100% of the company in 2019. The brand is currently enjoying another high point. In late 2022, Pierer Mobility, the Austrian company that owns KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas, acquired a 25.1% stake, with assurances to provide marketing, distribution, purchasing, and supply-chain support.

Related: KTM to Distribute MV Agusta Motorcycles in North America

Although the brand’s fortunes have fluctuated, the support from Pierer Mobility puts it on a much more solid footing. MV Agusta motorcycles are built in small quantities, with an emphasis on the company’s “Motorcycle Art” motto. They are still built on the shores of Lake Varese in Italy, and MV claims that 75% of the parts on its motorcycles are manufactured in Italy.

MV Agusta: Rideable Art

On the road or at a bike night, the Dragster RR SCS America won’t be confused with another motorcycle. Its color palette, its sharply edged and creased surfaces, and its unique details give the America the exclusive look its price tag commands. The most eye-catching feature is the carbon fiber cover on the rear wheel, which has teardrop-shaped cut-outs and the “RR” logo. A trio of slash-cut exhaust tips are finished in black, though they’d pop more in silver against the black of the rear tire and wheel cover.

The Dragster also has one of the most unique tailsections of any motorcycle. Beneath the rider’s portion of the seat is negative space, and below the passenger seat is what looks like the open mouth of a bird, with the lower edge framed in red LED lighting. Under the tailsection are passenger pegs that can be discreetly tucked away or folded down for use.

As a naked sportbike, the Dragster has an upright handlebar with bar-end mirrors that can be folded back – a useful feature when we were lane-splitting through rush-hour traffic on Sunset Boulevard. Front and center is a 5.5-inch TFT display with bright, crisp, easy-to-read graphics, and navigating through the bike’s menus and settings was intuitive.

Got Curves?

After escaping the traffic, we headed into the Malibu hills on roads familiar to every L.A.-based sport rider and SoCal motojournalist: Topanga, Saddle Peak, Piuma, and Mulholland. They are tight, technical roads, and the MV Agusta’s light weight, compact dimensions, counter-rotating crankshaft (which reduces gyroscopic effect), and premium components made it an ideal canyon carver. The fully adjustable suspension, with an inverted 43mm Marzocchi fork and a Sachs shock, is tuned for speed over comfort, but it kept the chassis in check, and the adjustable steering damper diffused any twitchiness.

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV sport tires are grippy and lend themselves to fast, confident transitions. Good braking power and feel come courtesy of Brembo M4.32 radial calipers squeezing 320mm floating discs up front and a Brembo 2-piston caliper squeezing a 220mm disc out back, with Continental cornering ABS getting your back. A 6-axis IMU informs other electronics as well, including eight-level lean-sensitive traction control, front-lift control, and rear wheel lift-up mitigation.

Happy Birthday, America

Every MV Agusta is a special motorcycle. They have Italian flair, they are fast and fleet, and they are unique. The F4 I saw in the Guggenheim 25 years ago commanded admiration, respect, and envy. And now that I’ve ridden an MV Agusta, I know they are much more than visual art. They are visceral art too, which triggers a deeper level of desire. The Dragster RR SCS America is an exceptional motorcycle that celebrates American exceptionalism. Buon compleanno, America!

2023 MV Agusta Dragster RR SCS America Specs

• Base Price: $28,247
• Website: MVAgusta.com
• Warranty: 3 yrs., unltd. miles
• Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse inline-Triple, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
• Displacement: 798cc
• Bore x Stroke: 79 x 54.3mm
• Horsepower: 140 @ 12,300 rpm (factory claim)
• Torque: 64.2 lb-ft @ 10,250 rpm (factory claim)
• Transmission: 6-speed, hydraulically actuated semi-automatic wet clutch
• Final Drive: Chain
• Wheelbase: 55.1 in.
• Rake/Trail: NA/4.1 in.
• Seat Height: 33.3 in.
• Dry Weight: 386 lb (factory claim)
• Fuel Capacity: 4.36 gal.

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