Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Having your motorcycle stolen somehow feels like more of a personal attack than theft. In many cases, we are more attached to our two-wheeled friends than the four-wheeled ones. Unfortunately, motorcycles are also easier to steal, making them targets for purloiners.

Until recently, motorcycle GPS trackers were difficult to install, difficult to use, and sometimes, not that reliable. If you go to a professional to have a GPS tracker installed, it is also get quite expensive. As well, conventional GPS trackers are often connected and run on bike’s battery. So if a thief cuts off the wire, the backup battery will only last a couple of days. This left an opportunity in the market for something new, something better.

Since 2013, the Monimoto founders, part of another company at the time, have been developing and innovating their personal take on motorcycle anti-theft solutions. In 2016, Monimoto evolved into its own company which then allowed the company’s founders to dedicate all of their resources to create what they had envisioned.

With technology and expertise on their side, Monimoto developed an autonomous battery-powered GPS device. The company believes that protecting the bike must be simple and affordable for any rider, which is why Monimoto strives to offer a convenient way to install and use its motorcycle alarm and tracking system.

The Monimoto 7 is a brand new product. It’s a smart GPS tracker that can be used on motorcycles and almost any other vehicle to boot. The 7 is even smaller, easier to install, and more compact than the previous version. It uses LTE-M (LTE Cat-M1) and 2G networks to inform the user something is awry, which work within the United States and Europe (You can find a list of supported countries and carriers here.)

The best way to experience the great outdoors and Northern Ontario wilderness is on two wheels! The north is big and full of endless trails and gravel roads to explore, which makes this area one of the best in the world for riders who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban roads and highways. This is a place where you’ll ride to communities where they count moose, cross boundaries where the water runs in a different direction and find historic sites that date back to the original exploration of Canada.

So where do these recommendations come from?  I’m a multi-year competitor and finisher of the Canada’s Toughest Off-Road Motorcycle Race the Corduroy Enduro, simply put I live to ride my one-wheel drive! Point your compass or GPS north and experience one of these great adventures this year!

Through a leg over the seat, flip up the kickstand and let’s shift right into first gear.

Ah, Los Angeles. The city of angels and Dodger dogs, beaches and mountains. It’s the land where everyone is famous – or trying to be. People from all over call LA home, and the result is a really amazing place, steeped with rich traditions and cultures from all over the world. 



But all most people think of when someone says Los Angeles is the snarling traffic and congestion. LA is a big place, and the car culture runs thick here. That means traffic, unfortunately, is just a way of life. 

Or is it? There’s a lot to see and do in LA, and one of the best ways to do it is on a scooter. Scooters like the new Piaggio BV 400 and Suzuki Burgman 400. Both scoots occupy that middle ground in scooterdom above the teeny scoots you might see bopping around metropolitan European cities, but also aren’t as gargantuan as the 650cc-plus scoots that could classify as the full-touring dressers of the scooter world. These, we think, strike that Goldilocks area of power, size, and storage capacity to make them perfect for getting around LA without all the stress.

If you didn’t know, we’re big fans of Racer gloves around here, having tested no less than five different models throughout the years. First, there was the Warm Up gloves, then the High Speed, the Stratos Goretex II, Sprint, the High Racer, and finally the Multitop 2. As you can see, we’ve gone through a few Racer gloves over the years, and for the most part, we’ve come away really happy with them. Though the name might say Racer, the Austrian company makes gloves for all different kinds of riding – and you certainly don’t need to be a racer to wear them. 

With Racer’s latest glove – the Hi-Per – it certainly helps to be a racer. The third glove in Racer’s race glove lineup, the Hi-Per slots in between the flagship High Speed glove and the High Racer. At $259.99, the middle-tier price point puts it only ten bucks higher than the High Racer and 20 bucks below the High Speed. 

Construction

All that is to say there really isn’t much separating any of the three race gloves from Racer. However, in the Hi-Per’s case, we start with the obligatory full-gauntlet design with kangaroo leather on the palms for maximum feel of the controls. Cow leather makes up the rest of the glove. In the critical palm area that’s prone to be one of the first things to hit the ground in a fall, you’ll find Knox SPS palm sliders. As you can guess from the name, the palm sliders enable the hand to glide across the pavement better than pure leather, reducing the risk of the hand catching and rolling in a way it shouldn’t.

Our new friend Christian Brix, whose excellent book about a solo trek through Africa we reviewed here last July, has decided he’s now a rallyist, or whatever you call masochists who ride things like the Gibraltar Race, 2021. After completing that one, Christian had some thoughts (and some photos) to share with us. He’s pretty fun reading, no?

Having recently completed the Gibraltar Race 2021, I sat down on my return to ponder why I do such absurd things to myself and my motorcycle. I’m not sure I found my answers, but the following is what I discovered.

I am not on holiday when I do these races… they are not relaxing or easy. I do not come home refreshed, but broken, both mentally and physically. As I don’t have a lot of money, I find a funny thing happens when I spend so much on something like this; I end up taking it seriously, preparing properly and ensuring I really apply myself. Holidays don’t do this for me. 

For the boring bit; I stripped down my 2015 XT660Z Tenere (the precursor to the now wildly famous T7) to make sure she was ready for the task and packed plenty of spare parts and tools. For myself, I continued to run three times a week, managed two online Pilates classes a week, and for the final 4 weeks pre-race did two gym sessions with a Personal trainer to be ready. That may seem over the top, but if you’ve ever done a race like this, you’ll know it’s not.

Last summer, we published photos of a very raw BMW GS prototype undergoing testing. The test mule was heavily disguised, to the point of having panels with a fake trellis covering the real subframe.

The prototypes were so raw, it was difficult to tell exactly how much of it would make it to a production model. About the only thing we could be sure of, is that the engine was brand new. The test bike had covers over the cylinder heads, obscuring their appearance. While they did accomplish that job, they also prevented the cylinders from getting much air cooling. Along with the larger radiators, we concluded that the engine was entirely liquid-cooled, which would be a first for a BMW R model.

Motorcycle.com has now uncovered evidence that the new engine would be larger than the current R 1250 GS’ 1254cc displacement, and that BMW will be introducing three new GS models: the R 1300 GS, R 1400 GS, and M 1300 GS.

The proof comes to us from BMW itself. Specifically, to an online form on a BMW website for requesting service. That such a form exists is interesting itself, as it doesn’t appear to be fully functioning. The form included a dropdown menu for owners to select the model that needs service. It includes a lengthy list of BMW motorcycle models dating back decades, and intriguingly, includes the three, unannounced GS models.

Harley-Davidson will announce its next Revolution Max-powered Sportster model on April 12. The Motor Company dropped a short music-themed teaser video titled “Instrument of Expression,” to promote the announcement, and offer a few tantalizing glimpses of the new model.



Harley-Davidson previously teased the next Sportster model last July, revealing a design with more traditional styling than the Sportster S. A dimly-lit shot of the whole bike at around the 12-second mark reveals a motorcycle that resembles photos Harley-Davidson sent out in a survey to select people, with similar details like the engine, fuel tank and the seven-spoke wheels.

The sign-up page on Harley-Davidson’s website for updates on the new Sportster provides another look, this time revealing a headlight fairing and another look at the front end that also matches what we saw from the survey images. We can also make out a telescopic fork and a rear shock mounted right behind the seat, presumably matched with a second shock on the left side. This suggests the new model will have more typical cruiser performance than the Sportster S which employs an inverted fork and monoshock.

And while we’re on the topic of great Suzukis, 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of its very successful V-Strom, and possibly the real beginning of the Adventure Bike era that BMW semi-invented. About the turn of the century, the leading edge of Boomers began looking for motorcycles that didn’t hurt their aging backs, but still made them look like swashbuckling action heroes to people who didn’t know any better. Suzuki followed its usual formula to great success: Keep it light, simple, powerful and affordable.

It’s always fun to read the armchair quarterbackings of our beloved MOrons in the Comments whenever a new motorcycle springs into view, and the latest iteration of Suzuki’s naked GSX-S1000, harumph, was no exception. Some hate the angular new styling, some defend it. Some lament the demise of Suzuki in general, some admire the company’s resourcefulness in doing less with more. Repeatedly. And everybody knows how they could do it better.

Editor Score: 87.25%

At the same time, rumors of the death of the Hamamatsunian manufacturer are as usual, greatly exaggerated, and the new GSX-S1000 is what it’s always been – an approachable, muy powerful, not-frilly motorcycle for the masses – and a much-improved one compared to the slightly disappointing Katana we traveled to Kyoto to ride a few years ago. I mean, I wasn’t disappointed at all, thanks to the Wagyu beef and the Toto Washlets, but lots of other people were.

2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000 First Look

2020 Suzuki Katana Review – First Ride + Video

Bombardier Recreational Products announced Can-Am is returning to the motorcycle business with a new range of electric two-wheelers. A teaser video suggests at least four different models are in the works, with BRP expecting to reveal the full lineup in mid-2024.

The teaser offered several glimpses of one model, a naked motorcycle with upright bars, a large digital display and a single-sided swingarm. At the end of the video, the roadster is joined by three other models. Though they are shrouded in darkness, we see enough of their silhouettes to infer the range will include an adventure bike, a bobber and a touring or sport-touring model. In a press release (included in full below), BRP says “riders can expect these new state-of-the-art electric Can-Am motorcycles to be perfect for everyday commuting and, to stay true to the track & trail heritage of the brand, recreational on- and off-road riding.”

The press release is a little short on details, however, but we can makes some educated guesses about what to expect.

We expect that the electric powertrains and batteries will be built upon Alta Motors’ technology. BRP acquired the rights to certain assets including intellectual property and patents of Alta in early 2019, after the upstart electric brand ended operations. At the time, BRP said it had no interest in restarting Alta, but wanted the assets to “complement its ongoing research and development”.

In 2020, BRP filed a patent application for a “method for assembling motorcycles of a family of motorcycles and corresponding motorcycles.” The patent describes a modular construction that would allow for a number of different configurations for different types of motorcycles.

Triumph’s open-class ADV bike, the Tiger 1200 (or Tiger Explorer depending on what era we’re talking about), had begun to get a little long in the tooth. The big cat hadn’t received a major overhaul since its introduction in 2012 – only receiving incremental upgrades to keep the machine relevant over the past 10 years. The Brits did give the bike some refreshes and new tech over that time, but nothing compared to the latest iteration that I was lucky enough to get a proper two-day test of around the backroads and trails of the Iberian Peninsula.

Editor Score: 89.5%

All-new! We hear all too often. Fortunately, however, when asked what components had been carried over from the previous Tiger 1200 family to these new models, Chief Engineer Stuart Wood replied with a smile, “I believe there are a few fasteners.” The 2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 is truly a ground up redesign. Before we dig into the bits and bobs, as they say, let’s take a look at what we have in the Tiger 1200 lineup. 

All in the family

Five models make up the Tiger 1200 line for 2023. We have the GT subset which includes the standard GT, GT Pro, and GT Explorer. These models make up the more road-focused variants in a line which offers loads of touring comfort and tarmac performance, while still being game for the odd adventure. The Rally Pro and Rally Explorer models are better equipped for off-road expeditions with longer travel suspension and a 21-inch front wheel, among other things.

This weekend, at the 2022 Osaka Motorcycle Show, Honda revealed the new Hawk 11, a new café racer based on the Africa Twin and NT1100 sport-tourer platform. And while Honda released several details about the Hawk 11, there is still a lot of vital information that has not been provided.

Officially, Honda says the Hawk 11 has only been confirmed for the Japanese market as a “planned commercial vehicle.” Honda made no mention about whether the Hawk 11 would be released in the U.S. or Europe, but given the site of the launch, that wasn’t unexpected. The Hawk 11 isn’t even mentioned on Honda’s official consumer-facing website for Japan yet, so we also don’t know how much the Hawk 11 will cost.

Here’s what we do know.

Visually, the Hawk draws from the design language of Honda’s naked roadsters such as the CB1000R and CB300R. The fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) fairing is a first for these Neo Sports Café models, but follows a recent industry trend with models like the MV Agusta Superveloce, and Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR. The Hawk 11’s modern-retro aesthetic is matched by the circular LED headlight and underslung mirrors.

Our favorite high-tech Slovenian pipe benders are at it again, now with a new slip-on system for Yamaha’s super-gnar 2022 MT-10 naked bike. Designed with a not-accidental resemblance to the Akrapovič exhaust for the Yamaha R1 Superbike, this new version of the EC/ECE type-approved Slip-On Line system is constructed using high-grade lightweight titanium in the link pipe, end cap, and muffler outer sleeve – which is sandblasted for an enhanced, satiny appearance.

For 2022, Yamaha says the next evolution of its 998cc CP4 crossplane four-cylinder is “the most potent and technologically advanced engine ever seen” in a Yamaha hyper-naked. Fuel injection settings have been optimized, and design of the intake and exhaust have been modified to lend the MT-10 an even torquier, more street-focused engine character.

But Akrapovič offers a way to make the bike a little more unique: Descended from Akro’s original hexagonal muffler of 17 years or so ago, the new conical muffler design represents the latest evolution, providing a sharper, racier sound and faster acceleration – while enhancing the MT-10’s already instantaneous and smooth throttle response. Producing a deep, full, and vivid sound, the Slip-On Line (Titanium) offers simple plug-and-play installation, and requires no remapping of the bike’s stock fuel injection.

As if that weren’t enough, the package includes a forged carbon-fiber heat shield, which is Akrapovič’ first use of this technology on a motorcycle system. This simple-to-install upgrade offers a new dimension to the Slip-On Line (Titanium) exhaust system. It couldn’t be much easier to fit, but once on your bike it creates a distinctive and integrated high-tech look for the entire system, and shaves about 0.3 pounds in the process.

While most MO readers will naturally associate Segway with the mobility device from which it takes its name, the company is really much more than that. What you may not know is that the majority of rentable e-kick scooters that have popped up in major metropolitan areas are manufactured by Segway for the rental companies. Similarly, along with its partner company Ninebot, Segway’s products are now on sale in “225 countries and regions,” with subsidiaries established in Beijing, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Seoul, Munich, Changzhou, Shenzhen, and Tianjin. With mobility products ranging from the ubiquitous hoverboard to kick scooters capable of reaching speeds of over 40 mph plus the selection of the company’s off-road powersports offerings, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the company has entered the sit-down scooter market.

The Segway E1120A is a two-seater scooter that will soon be available in the US market, and given MO’s love of EV two-wheeled transport and scooters in general, you can bet we will test one as soon as we can get our hands on one. Why? Because the E1120A appears to offer much of the utility of lightweight ICE scooters.

Resting on 12-inch tubeless tires and weighing in at just under 200 lb., the E1120A can carry a rider around town at speeds up to 30 mph. Since the battery is under the floorboards, the under-seat storage is a capacious 27 liters – more than enough for most quick errand runs. With a claimed range of 35 miles, the E1120A should be enough for most urban users, but a second battery can be installed to double the range. A conventional fork and dual shocks handle the bumps, and 220mm front and180mm rear discs handle braking duties.

Well lookit that: I was already a Buell apologist 20 years ago. The low-handlebarred XB9R was Buell’s first with the sweet Verlicchi fuel-in-frame design, but it was the XB9S that came out the following year that we still covet. Meanwhile, taste may finally be catching up to the new Ducati 900SS Pierre Terblanche designed in 1998.