Riding a motorcycle is a high-flying endorsement of the inviolability of human agency. Choosing to swing a leg over a motorcycle, dropping the clutch, and speeding into the unknown requires forethought and a clear-eyed vigilance. It entails a parley of acting and reacting. And every so often, it demands taking some moments to self-reflect. Which is exactly what I...

BMW’s R 12 S is presented as the modern embodiment of the 1974 R 90 S with its aluminum gas tank in two-tone Daytona Orange paint, a solo seat, and plenty of heritage nods. But heritage is easy to style and hard to earn. The real question is how well the R 12 S channels the magic of that...

If Stark Future isn’t on your radar, you either aren’t interested in dirt bikes or haven’t been paying attention. The company got off to a slow and rocky start after it shocked the industry when it quietly developed the Varg MX model and then sprung it on an unsuspecting motocross market in December of 2021. After taking orders for...

Talking recently about its two-year spell under KTM ownership, MV Agusta’s Italian-born CEO Luca Martin told Cycle World: “For a couple of years MV Agusta has been seen as the cherry on top of the cake, while the cake itself was the big KTM conglomerate.“Now,” Martin said, referring to the Italian marque’s new independence from KTM and the Pierer...

Before iPhones, streaming services, and $7 lattes, neighbors’ yards were littered with fallen bicycles, open garages were a gathering place for kids, and the only rule followed was “Be home before the street lights are on.” That’s what riding the Honda Dax 125 reminds me of: a time when life was much simpler and our joys were much simpler.The...

Now free of the troubled KTM group and under the control of the Russian Sardarov brothers’ Art of Mobility company, there’s a fresh energy around MV Agusta. Much is promised for 2026 and beyond, but the first machines to emerge from the Varese factory since it regained independence in July are these, the Ottantesimo collection of 80th anniversary specials,...

Suzuki’s DR-Z has been a long-standing staple in the dual sport segment since its inception in 2001. Known for its versatility, reliability, and respectable off-road performance, the DR-Z continued to sell well, both new and used. But due to Euro 5+ emission standards, 2024 models of the DR-Z400S and DR-Z400SM could only be sold in North America. For the DR-Z...

Primordial adventure motorcycles evolved from streetbikes, growing longer legs and appendages suited to the task of taking on uncertain routes and varied terrain. Now they have become one of the most popular motorcycle segments, supplanting sport-tourers, nakeds, and standards as the do-it-all motorcycle in your garage. Harley-Davidson even stepped out of its tried-and-very-true cruiser mindset with the Pan America...

As unlikely as it was for the original 1980 BMW R 80 G/S to launch the Adventure Bike Movement, it was even more unlikely that this motorcycle would also become the basis for the machine that won the most epic long-distance off-road rally in the world—Paris-Dakar.And it didn’t just win it once, it did the deed four times with...

Suzuki introduced the DR-Z400SM in 2005 during the pinnacle of the supermoto era. Mounting sportbike wheels on dirt bikes started with the made-for-TV ABC Superbikers race events in 1979 and gained popularity in the years that followed. By the early 2000s pro motocrossers including Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana, Jeff Ward, and Mike Metzger were competing in events such as...

There’s nothing groundbreaking about the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450—at least from the vantage point of 2025. In 10 or 20 years, however, it may be given an entirely different appraisal. By then, the Guerrilla 450 may be deemed an inflection point, the right bike for the right time. It just might represent a shifting in the balance of the...

The middleweight, multicylinder adventure-bike market has never been better than right now. But until recently, Honda didn’t have a serious contender in this category in the US market with nothing sitting between the Africa Twin at the top and the CRF300L Rally at the bottom. The introduction of the XL750 Transalp to the US for 2024 changed all of...

To comprehend the mainstream of American motorcycle touring, you have to understand the 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra. Just how predominant are Harley tourers on US roads? Since 2000, Harley-Davidson has sold over 2 million touring bikes, and according to Jochen Zeitz, outgoing president, chairman, and CEO of Harley-Davidson, last year, The Motor Company held 74.5% of the US...

Manufacturers’ motorcycle ranges are increasingly built around a small and cost-effective stable of engine platforms—and none demonstrates this trend more clearly than Suzuki, whose versatile 776cc parallel twin finds its way into two more new bikes in the middleweight sector. Already proven in the GSX-8S, GSX-8R, and V-Strom 800, the 82-hp twin now appears center stage in the new...

KTM is known for its racing endeavors and performance-driven production bikes that often come with a premium price tag. But with a mutual partnership with the Indian manufacturer Bajaj, KTM applies its “Ready to Race” philosophy to affordable motorcycles such as the RC 390, 390 Duke, and 390 Adventure. Last year at EICMA, KTM announced it was extending the...