Sommaire pour April 2015 de Cycle World

America was founded on big, shiny ideas that were brought to life with massive amounts of torque used over vast expanses of territory. Our three “America Beef” contenders are fine examples of this. There are other kinds of touring bikes that can cover miles with a similar level of comfort, and many can do it faster, but none accomplish it with the same quality of movement and the relaxing cadence that US bike buyers continue to choose in huge numbers. The only bike that comes close is the Honda Gold Wing. And, in fact, the only reason the Gold Wing exists is because Americans are so…American. No other culture in the world wants to tour the way we do, and few have the vast expanses that make these machines so…

Tailoring the Vulcan S ergonomics is just the beginning, as Kawasaki has developed a line of Genuine Accessories to further personalize your new Vulcan. As delivered, the Vulcan S model is a solo mount, but there’s a 2-Up kit that includes passenger seat ($124.95), footrests ($239.95), and backrest/bracket ($634.90). For those looking to make an extended trip, a touring-type windshield with mounting brackets ($556.85) is available, as well as quick-release saddlebags/supports ($954.85). There’s also an LED light bar kit ($495.95), a gear-position indicator ($259.95), a DC power outlet ($34.95), and a helmet lock ($114.95) should you have budget remaining.…

cw 25 YEARS AGO Viewing the trio of open-class road burners on the cover was a trip down memory lane. I vividly recall the day I spent aboard the uniquely styled BMW K1, the shrink-wrapped Honda CBR1000, and the megafast Kawasaki ZX-11, riding each for action photos in the Santa Monica Mountains. This was only my second Cycle World assignment as a freelance tester for hire, and I found it difficult to fathom that Editor David Edwards would entrust a pair of $8,000 Japanese sportbikes and a $12,990 BMW to a wet-behindthe-ears roadrace refugee such as myself. Of the three bikes, the mighty Ninja remained etched in my mind for years. A feature titled “Superbike Number One” offered a look way back to the V-8-powered Curtiss. The bike was built…

Big adventure bikes have an insatiable appetite for rubber. Each machine is on its fifth set of tires (including the stock sets). Due to the significant number of off-road miles, knobbies have won the day. After trying out Kenda’s (kendatire.com) Big Blocks (which were great in the dirt but not so grippy on road), we returned to our favorite ADV tire, Continental’s (contionline.com) TKC80. Not only do these tires bring out the very best in these bikes off highway—clawing for traction in Mexican silt, climbing up slickrock faces in Utah, plowing through boulder gardens in Colorado, and hopping over tree roots in the Sierras —but they work well on asphalt too. They are easily the single best performance modification you can make to a big ADV machine. The shortest life…

BLAKE CONNER The single most memorable moment for me with these two bikes was when Dudek and I rode the Slickrock Trail in Moab, Utah. At the time, I fully understood that we were doing something that few others would attempt on such big machines, especially with such major consequences for a mistake (250- to 500-foot cliffs!), and, stupidly, we had the bags attached. But we survived. It wasn’t until I went back on a KTM Freeride 250 R and rode the trail again that I fully grasped how insane we (at least me) were to ride ADVs there. JEFF ALLEN Just the sight of either of these bikes gets the road-trip part of my brain firing. Baja, ADV Rally, Yosemite, Baja again, 1,000-mile three-day weekend? No problem. A 2,500-mile…

JETTING OFF? Q:Recently, I came across information which implied that when increasing displacement—such as installing a big-bore kit on a bike engine—if the carburetors stay the same throat diameter, the jetting might need to be leaner than that used with the previous smaller displacement. This seems counterintuitive. A larger-displacement cylinder would require both more air and more fuel, so why would leaner jetting be needed? ROBB MILLET MILFORD, MA A:I learned about this effect from the different cylinder sizes on three different Kawasaki two-stroke racers I worked with, all of which used the same-size 35mm carburetor. The 167cc cylinder of the H1-R 500 triple needed a 310-330 main jet, yet on the 250cc cylinder of the H2-R 750 triple, the same carb needed a 260-270 main jet. And on the…

First, slow the hell down. I’m still trying to read and fully synthesize all the information in the February issue. I barely have 300 miles on my S1000RR, and I am already going to be steamrolled by a 200-hp Yamaha R1? All I can say is Suzuki better step up to the plate quick or else the GSX-R name will be quickly forgotten. One note to bike designers: Is it possible to make a fast, functional bike that also looks good? All these additional sweeps and strakes are just bad ornamentation. Remember the Ducati 916 and the 1990 GSX-R? TREVER SKILNICK CYCLEWORLD.COM WANTS AN H2R TEST I quote Mark Hoyer from page 30 of the February 2015 issue: “The H2R trackbike remains the fire-spitting, glowing-hot, 300-horse no-holds-barred monster we showed…

By building the YZ250FX, a race-ready cross-country racer, Yamaha has taken a page out of KTM’s playbook. That’s a good thing because this new 250FX is essentially the award-winning YZ250F motocrosser with additions that make it appeal to the off-road market—namely, a six-speed wide-ratio transmission, an electric starter, and an 18-inch rear wheel. And after throwing a leg over the 2015 Yamaha YZ250FX, I’m impressed. This tuned-for-off-road YZ-F is an instant hit. Power from the rearward-slanted 250cc single is great. Plenty of low-end oomph means there are no issues when trying to get up and over rocks or out of steep ravines. Roosting out of corners is fun too. This bike is motocross fast on corner exits, yet the power delivery is smooth and controllable for navigating technical terrain. The…

For years, the Far Western Tavern (farwesterntavern.com) in Guadalupe has been our go-to place for steaks on the Central Coast. But they closed shop recently because of earthquake retrofit issues with their building. Not to worry. The Minetti family built a new restaurant in Orcutt, even disassembling the massive wood bar and bringing it with them. While we miss the original decor with its steer-hide curtains, the rib eyes are as flavorful as ever, still cooked over local oak. Looking for tri-tip in Santa Maria? We were, so we headed to Jocko’s but found a two-hour wait. So we rode over to Shaw’s Steakhouse, which has been serving Santa Maria barbecue since 1953. They took us right in and served us tri-tip cooked over oak, complemented by linguica sausage and…

There has been a lot of buzz about the KTM 1190/1190 R’s airbox ingesting dust and dirt during extensive off-road riding. The fact that the KTM’s second scheduled service interval wasn’t until 9,300 miles—and that access to the air filter requires laboriously removing the fuel tank—kept us from catching the issue any earlier. While on our Adventure Rally in California last September, Ryan Dudek began experiencing hard starting (due to tight valves), which led him to remove the tank and airbox cover to discover that the throttle body mouths were coated in dust and grime. With 8,020 miles on the clock, the KTM was taken to Orange County KTM to diagnose the issue. Despite a completely clean air filter, enough dirt, sand, and dust had been ingested to destroy our…

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARING OIL Q:I have owned a 2004 Honda Gold Wing since new. It has 36,000 miles. It has always been well cared for and adult-ridden. I have used the same synthetic oil since the second oil change and do those every 4,000 to 5,000 miles. I have had absolutely no problem with the bike beyond alternator brushes. I changed the oil and filter just before a 4,000-mile trip. Four full quarts, like always. With about 3,200 miles done, the oil light came on. I dumped in a quart and made it home. I drained the oil to see what might be going on. One and a half quarts was all that drained out, including filter. There’s no leak underneath where the plug and filter are, as I have had…

1 SNARL FOR ME Sometimes you just want to look badass. And no other helmet on the market has more of a snarling face than Shark’s Raw ($289.95–$299.95). This helmet is a hybrid of an open-face and an old-school MX-style lid, featuring a built-in goggle with a Carl Zeiss antifog/scratch lens and customizable face mask (camo, Union Jack, etc). +33 4 91 18 23 23 shark-helmets.com 2 ADV TRANSFORMER With the popularity of ADV bikes and adventure-touring, billed hybrid helmets have become super popular. And this new lid from Touratech, the Aventuro Carbon ($649), is really three helmets in one. Without tools, it can be transformed from an ADV helmet into a visor-less MX lid or no-bill street protection. (800) 491-2926 touratech-usa.com 3 “WISH” LID Italian racing legend Valen tino…

All my life I have heard tell of, “When men were men,” which smugly implies that today’s males are by comparison underinflated. While heroic storytelling has a tradition, this kind of thing makes me suspicious. We know that US astronauts were trained to land the space shuttle (they say experienced military pilots crash the simulator for about two weeks before they get a glimmer) but did not once have to take over from the automated landing system. Does the ALS make them less manly than the Soviet cosmonaut who had to manually recover a tumbling space capsule, not being sick into his helmet while firing attitude-control thrusters to restore stability? No, it does not, for all who operate in the void of space go in harm’s way. I therefore state…

Each day, when riding and photography were finished, we relaxed and overnighted at the 1880 Union Hotel (unionhotelvictmansion.com) in Los Alamos, a former Wells Fargo stagecoach stop. It’s a great place, a 14-room hotel rebuilt in 1915 that looks like an old Western set, replete with creaky wood floors. With no TVs or phones in the rooms, time slows down there. When we weren’t in the Buffalo Room playing pool, we were luxuriating upstairs in the parlor, discussing whatever it was that needed to be discussed. Best of all, the 1880 Union Hotel is in a choice location. It’s only 140 miles north of Los Angeles, right off Highway 101, and there’s a craft beer place (Babi’s Beer Emporium) just a short walk away. And, oh, yeah, let’s not forget…

BMW R1200GS ADVENTURE “Phenomenal bike. Handles great and is super comfortable on trips. I got almost 14K miles on mine with zero issues.” James Reese “I have a 2014 GSA. I often say to people that it may not be the best at certain individual things but is quite simply the best all-rounder by a long way. I have an assortment of bikes, and invariably when I head out for a spin I will take the GS.” Brian McGonagle “I love mine. All the things they say about it being a versatile, Swiss army knife bike are true, but what is harder to put into words is the comfort it brings to any task. With street-oriented tires it does very well in the twisties of the North Carolina mountains (almost…

YEARS SOLD: 2008–present MSRP NEW: $19,999 (’08) to $20,999 (’15) BLUE BOOK RETAIL VALUE: $10,855 (’08) to $15,785 (’14) BASIC SPECS: The Vision Tour makes use of an air-/oil-cooled, SOHC, 106-inch V-twin featuring closed-loop fuel injection and an overdrive six-speed gearbox. Its split dual exhaust with crossover delivers a pleasing rumble, the engine producing 88 hp and 105 pound-feet of torque on the CW dyno. This bike, with a 66-inch wheelbase, a robust alloy frame, and suspension featuring a 45mm fork and a single shock, has an impressive GVWR of 1,414 pounds. Triple disc brakes are linked rear to front with ABS offered standard in later models. WHY IT’S DESIRABLE: The Vision’s styling might not be for everyone, but this heavyweight distance runner’s smooth, competent, and surprisingly agile handling is…