Customizers and fabricators have stuffed different versions of Harley-Davidson’s V-twin engines into their off-road and adventure bikes for years. There was no shortage of them at this year’s One Moto Show in Portland. Still, when it came time for Harley-Davidson to reveal their own take on what a Harley-Davidson Adventure bike should look like, they didn’t disappoint. Now please H-D, make it.
There are people who like motorcycles and then there are people who think, dream and breath motorcycles. These people don’t have a passing interest in motorcycles, motorcycle riding and motorcycle racing. They immerse themselves in the hardware, riding techniques and the culture of motorcycling. Motorcycles become part of their DNA. The late Tom White fell into this zealot category as a connoisseur, aficionado and supporter of everything motorcycles. Another rider who falls into the motorcycle zealot category is J. Mark Donaldson. He is in Europe on an extended motorcycle adventure…
Earlier this year I shared the most amazingly trippy promo video from Travel Oregon. The animation features a few mountain bikers so I filed it under “Cycling.” Well, Travel Oregon is back with another “Only Slightly Exaggerated” promo spot and this one features a motorcycle rider ripping it up on some sand dunes. You’ve got to look closely and the dune buggy gets more screen time than the bike, but it is so cool to see a state promoting itself for off-road motorcycle riding. This part of the video is…
I intend (hope and dream) to ride all or part of the TransAmerica Trail in 2020, but what would be the best bike? While Husqvarna and KTM offer high-performance, dual-sport bikes, they require race-bike-level maintenance and would need expensive suspension mods to get the saddle down to a manageable height. I didn’t want the weight and complexity of bikes like the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure or the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R. I needed something easy to maintain, comfortable to ride and light enough to pick it up if…
I’m headed up to the Oregon/Washington border to ride the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route from Stevenson, Washington, to the Canadian border (and I’ll carry my passport in case I want to cross). The plan is to depart Stevenson on July 12th and work my way up the route. I don’t have a tight schedule and I don’t plan to set any speed records. Looks like it will be a solo ride, but I’d be stoked to be joined by other riders along the way. Drop me an email (jimmymacontwowheels@gmail.com) and…
When I pleaded with fellow motorcycle riders to give up on the waving thing, I didn’t realized I was kicking a hornet’s nest. It became apparent how passionately riders look forward to the friendly exchange. One rider felt threatened that I was trying to take away his freedom of choice. I didn’t get one rider who agreed to give the waving thing a break. So next time you are riding and the other rider doesn’t wave back, that’s me. A WAVE OF RESPONSES Ramblin’ Bob Well, it obviously bothers you…
The July/August issue of Motorcyclist arrived today with a disappointing editorial. It would be the last print issue. Motorcyclist has survived 108 years but most of those years were before the internet. Motorcyclist was well worth the annual subscription price. Unfortunately, that price wasn’t enough to keep the magazine in the black. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you how to save money on your subscription. The message displayed when you hit the “subscribe” button on their website says, “We are sorry to inform you that Motorcyclist Magazine is discontinuing publication.…
Isn’t it about time we motorcyclists gave up on this waving thing? A motorcyclists has every right to wave at another rider (or bicyclists, or pedestrian or Food truck for that matter), but don’t lay the guilt trip on me if I don’t wave back. I may feel it is a bad time to remove my hand from the handlebar, or a bad time to pay attention to you instead of that SUV drifting over the centerline while the driver is texting or I might just be tired of waving.…
I wasn’t surprised that so many Jimmy Mac On Two Wheels readers were able to identify the mystery component pictured in the June 13th Running When Parked. That’s because I figure there are not a lot of youngsters visiting my page and the folks who do visit are mechanically savvy. A total of 94 readers took the time to write and identify the components as the motorcycle’s electrical system’s points and condenser. And six of those respondents wrote “Let me get right to the points” in the email’s subject line.…
The SoCal Vintage MX Classic 10 was run at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino on Saturday, June 13th with a large crowd of young and old racers ready to do battle on machines older than this year’s high school graduating students. The vintage iron, and in some cases vintage racers, did battle like it was 1975. SoCal Vintage MX Classic #10 Race Results Race: 1 Finish Number Brand Member # Name City,State Moto 1 Moto 2 Points MCV Meis Cup INT (Vintage) 1 249 MAI Robbie Conklin Oceanside, CA…