- Ultimate Motorcycling https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/reviews/touring-motorcycle-reviews/ Motorcycle Reviews, News on Motorcycles, Specs, Test & Race Results Fri, 31 May 2024 06:48:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/cropped-UltimateMoto_Circle-512x512-1-32x32.png - Ultimate Motorcycling https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/reviews/touring-motorcycle-reviews/ 32 32 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Southwest Ride [Desert Tested] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/30/husqvarna-norden-901-expedition-southwest-ride-desert-tested/ Fri, 31 May 2024 06:44:59 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277969 “Why is there another Husqvarna motorcycle in our garage?” my wife asks. She usually has a lot of patience with my motorcycle obsession, so her query was more out of curiosity than anything else—at least, I think/hope. It’s a good question, though. After spending months with a Husqvarna 701 Enduro Project Bike, trying to create […]

The post Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Southwest Ride [Desert Tested] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS Test To Death Valley https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/24/2024-mv-agusta-turismo-veloce-lusso-scs-test-to-death-valley/ Fri, 24 May 2024 08:22:13 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277814 Friday at 0730. It’s cold, rain is predicted, and we’ve mountains to ride over on our long-planned Death Valley trip. Thoughts of punking out enter my mind, but I’m committed to my riding brothers to make this trip. I wrap myself in my best Held Hakuna battle suit and boots, throw an electric vest underneath, […]

The post 2024 MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS Test To Death Valley appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Moto Guzzi V85 Lineup Review: Strada, TT, and TT Travel https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/10/2024-moto-guzzi-v85-lineup-review-strada-tt-and-tt-travel/ Fri, 10 May 2024 18:18:39 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277380 How do you weigh authenticity? In these conversations, words like tradition often emerge from the mist as the preeminent yardstick. And if that’s how we’ll measure Moto Guzzi, then the historic Italian firm certainly meets that standard, pointing to its over-a-century-old Mandello de Lario-based factory, where every Goose has flapped the roost. Of course, the […]

The post 2024 Moto Guzzi V85 Lineup Review: Strada, TT, and TT Travel appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce Review [18 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/04/15/2024-mv-agusta-enduro-veloce-review-18-fast-facts/ Tue, 16 Apr 2024 06:14:30 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=276799 Brand management is not for the faint-hearted. Porsche risked its reputation as a premium sports car brand when it brought the Cayenne SUV to the market in 2002. While the faithful considered it the End Times, 22 years later, the two best-selling Porsches are the Macan and Cayenne SUVs. MV Agusta faced the same style […]

The post 2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce Review [18 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide Revival Review [9 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/03/29/2024-harley-davidson-hydra-glide-revival-review-9-fast-facts/ Sat, 30 Mar 2024 06:15:57 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=276209 Almost by chance, I’ve turned out to be the go-to reviewer of the bikes from the Harley-Davidson Icons Collection. I rode the 2021 Electra Glide Revival and 2023 Electra Glide Highway King from Los Angeles to show off to my dad in Williams, Arizona. I tore around California’s Central Valley and various mountain ranges in […]

The post 2024 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide Revival Review [9 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Moto Guzzi Stelvio Review [17 ADV Touring Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/03/10/2024-moto-guzzi-stelvio-review-17-adv-touring-fast-facts/ Sun, 10 Mar 2024 09:56:44 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275634 If any motorcycles embody the adage, “Variety is the spice of life,” it’s those that wave the adventure-touring banner. These all-arounder globetrotters will invariably pound pavement from dusk ’til dawn, venture beyond asphalt’s end, or dip treads in water crossings. And one of Italy’s fabled manufacturers is again answering the mountain’s call with the 2024 […]

The post 2024 Moto Guzzi Stelvio Review [17 ADV Touring Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Review [17 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/27/2024-harley-davidson-road-glide-review-17-fast-facts/ Wed, 28 Feb 2024 07:32:23 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275374 It has been a busy few years for The Motor Company’s Road Glide franchise. It started in 2022 with the ST model inspired by MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers racing series. Last year, the CVO Road Glide got an attention-grabbing revolutionary new fairing, the Milwaukee-Eight VVT 121 motor, and plenty of other significant upgrades. This […]

The post 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Review [17 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST Review [13 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/25/2024-harley-davidson-cvo-road-glide-st-review-13-fast-facts/ Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:54:45 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275327 The sheer spectacle of MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers (KOTB) is undeniable. American V-twin touring machines transformed into 620-pound superbikes is a unique head-turning display and a golden opportunity for manufacturers. Drawing parallels between conventional sportbikes on the dealership floor and what’s seen lapping racetracks worldwide is child’s play for any marketing team. But what […]

The post 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST Review [13 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> Bypass I-40 on Route 66 [H-D Electra Glide Highway King Ride] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/19/bypass-i-40-on-route-66-h-d-electra-glide-highway-king-ride/ Tue, 20 Feb 2024 07:00:15 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275194 My last ride from Los Angeles to see my dad in Williams, Arizona, was literally a jarring experience. I was aboard the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Highway King. It’s a beautiful motorcycle that embraces an era that featured the last stand of Route 66, as it was replaced by Interstates. In Arizona, that meant I-40, and […]

The post Bypass I-40 on Route 66 [H-D Electra Glide Highway King Ride] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE LT+ Long-Term Test https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/18/2023-kawasaki-versys-1000-se-lt-long-term-test/ Mon, 19 Feb 2024 06:20:23 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275182 Kawasaki must have arrived at the name Versys because it is built for versatility, and the word “versatility” appears on the website when describing the ADV-styled 2023 Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE LT+ sport tourer. The Versys SE LT+ 1000 is not a pure sport bike, though with the Ninja 1000 powerplant, 17-inch wheels with street […]

The post 2023 Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE LT+ Long-Term Test appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Review [18 Fast Facts; 44 Pics] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/13/2024-harley-davidson-street-glide-review-18-fast-facts-44-pics/ Wed, 14 Feb 2024 07:40:11 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274987 The 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide is the most significant upgrade to the model since it was introduced in 2006 (no, the 1984 FLHX doesn’t count). Sure, the Rushmore introduction in 2014 was huge, as was the addition of the Milwaukee-Eight motor a couple of years later. Regardless, this is the boldest redesign of the Street […]

The post 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Review [18 Fast Facts; 44 Pics] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro Review [11 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/08/2024-triumph-tiger-900-gt-pro-review-11-fast-facts/ Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:07:20 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274867 The Adventure market is as diverse as the animal kingdom, creating happy hunting grounds for Triumph’s middleweight ADV Tiger 900 platform. When launched four years ago, these British kitties quickly earned apex predator status, but of course, the folks at the Hinckley factory can’t leave well enough alone. The now three-bike ambush of Tiger 900s […]

The post 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro Review [11 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro Review [11 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/01/19/2024-triumph-tiger-900-rally-pro-review-11-fast-facts/ Sat, 20 Jan 2024 06:30:43 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274217 The middleweight adventure segment has captured the industry’s collective gaze as every manufacturer takes the plunge with offerings spanning the full ADV spectrum. Four short years after its introduction, the 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 range continues with many updates aimed at not merely keeping up with the Joneses, but also making the middleweight class green […]

The post 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro Review [11 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 BMW R 1250 RS Review [with Premium Package] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/22/2023-bmw-r-1250-rs-review-with-premium-package/ Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:20:23 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273337 With Associate Editor Jonathan Handler occupied with building the Ultimate Motorcycling BMW R 1250 RS Project Bike, I thought it was a good time to revisit the stock RS. Well, okay, not quite stock. We procured a 2023 BMW R 1250 RS with two of BMW’s packages—the essential Premium Package ($2900) and the good-looking Style […]

The post 2023 BMW R 1250 RS Review [with Premium Package] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+ Review [A Dozen Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/14/2024-suzuki-gsx-s1000gx-review-a-dozen-fast-facts/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:38:05 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272686 The 2024 Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+ is the latest sport-touring feather to join the burgeoning GSX-S family cap. As the youngest sibling of the troupe, the GX+ seizes upon today’s trends within the sport-touring market, which often embraces ADV influences, while melding them to established 17-inch-wheel platforms such as the Japanese manufacturer’s own GSX-S1000GT/GT+ that the GX+ […]

The post 2024 Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+ Review [A Dozen Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Touring Test: Las Vegas Bound https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/08/2024-yamaha-tracer-9-gt-touring-test-las-vegas-bound/ Fri, 08 Dec 2023 22:37:09 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272500 When Ultimate Motorcycling got wind of my upcoming trip from my home in Los Angeles to Las Vegas, a desert settlement in the state of Nevada, we decided to turn it into a travel story. Rather than ride my Moto Guzzi V7 III Special again, as I did on my summer trip to Maryland for […]

The post 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Touring Test: Las Vegas Bound appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> Husqvarna 701 Enduro Project Bike: Touring and Trail Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/05/husqvarna-701-enduro-project-bike-touring-and-trail-review/ Wed, 06 Dec 2023 01:09:22 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272444 Ah, the mythical, perfect unicorn! We humans seem to be in constant search of it, whether it is the perfect relationship, perfect job, or perfect motorcycle; we know it is out there, and we are determined to find it. I am not immune to this, despite having access to a plethora of cool bikes as […]

The post Husqvarna 701 Enduro Project Bike: Touring and Trail Review appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 BMW R 1300 GS Review [19 Fast Facts From Spain] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/11/30/2024-bmw-r-1300-gs-review-19-fast-facts-from-spain/ Thu, 30 Nov 2023 21:14:06 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272248 BMW Motorrad celebrated its centennial anniversary with the launch of its completely re-engineered flagship adventure bike—the 2024 BMW R 1300 GS. Reincarnated from the wheels up with a 1300cc powerplant, the new form factor is both lighter and more powerful than its 1254cc predecessor and packaged in a sportier aesthetic that ushers in a new […]

The post 2024 BMW R 1300 GS Review [19 Fast Facts From Spain] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Review [13 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/11/16/2023-ktm-1290-super-duke-gt-review-13-fast-facts/ Fri, 17 Nov 2023 07:16:55 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=271770 The 2023 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT is different. It’s different in many ways, but above all else, the sport aspect of this sport-tourer shines brighter than most. Coming from the Ready To Race brand, that might be as shocking as a revelation as water being wet or the sky blue. As such, the Super […]

The post 2023 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Review [13 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Honda Transalp Test On BDR-X PA Wilds Route https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/11/06/2024-honda-transalp-test-on-bdr-x-pa-wilds-route/ Mon, 06 Nov 2023 20:54:28 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=271241 Going on a manufacturer’s launch of a new adventure motorcycle is always something of a, well, adventure. We always have to ascertain just how dirtworthy an adventure motorcycle is. The manufacturer is welcome to its ideas, but we draw our own conclusions based on the ride. Then there’s the route the manufacturer selects for the […]

The post 2024 Honda Transalp Test On BDR-X PA Wilds Route appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> Ducati ST3 S and Moto Guzzi Breva V 1100 Test [Colorado Tour] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/29/ducati-moto-guzzi-test/ Wed, 30 Aug 2023 05:49:32 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269314 There’s no doubt that there was symbolism in the air. We were at the Handlebars Bar and Saloon in Silverton, Colo., enjoying an authentic western lunch celebrating the 25th anniversary of our first ride together. Of course, this time, rather than two-up on a 1981 Yamaha 550 Seca in Southern California, we arrived on a […]

The post Ducati ST3 S and Moto Guzzi Breva V 1100 Test [Colorado Tour] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Review [16 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/25/2023-harley-davidson-cvo-road-glide-review-16-fast-facts/ Fri, 25 Aug 2023 08:24:12 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269211 After 120 years of business, Harley-Davidson has figured out exactly what buttons to push within its fan base. The Badge-and-Sheild brand’s CVO lineup is nothing short of a love letter to the American V-twin touring faithful, used as the vessel to showcase H-D’s latest technologies, exclusive paint finishes, and new powertrains. This year, the 2023 […]

The post 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Review [16 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Review [12 Sport-Touring Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/19/2024-yamaha-tracer-9-gt-review-12-sport-touring-fast-facts/ Sat, 19 Aug 2023 08:26:01 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269073 Here, there, everywhere. That is the underlying motto of Sport Touring. In recent years, Yamaha has leaned on its middleweight Tracer family of motorcycles for precisely that, repurposing the lively triple-cylinder CP3 engine and frame of its spirited MT-09 lineup for touring duty, decked out with long-distance fixings—luggage, creature comforts, and helpful rider aids. It’s […]

The post 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Review [12 Sport-Touring Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 BMW R 18 Classic Review [Big Boxer Experience] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/18/2023-bmw-r-18-classic-review-big-boxer-experience/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 21:59:40 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269037 Taste or attraction can be a peculiar thing, and that might explain why I basically ignored BMW Motorrad’s lineup of R 18 bikes for almost three years. Now, upon rumination, I find them irresistible. I think my penchant for sport and sport-touring bikes fogged my vision, and it took some saddle time to overcome this […]

The post 2023 BMW R 18 Classic Review [Big Boxer Experience] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide Review [18 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/07/26/2023-harley-davidson-cvo-street-glide-review-18-fast-facts/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 08:11:43 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=268426 2023 is a significant milestone for Milwaukee’s own Harley-Davidson, who happen to be ringing in 120 years of cranking out all-American V-twin machinery right in the good ol’ US of A. That anniversary deserves a hearty bash of its own, which the Motor Company threw at its hometown—a city brimming with baggers, brats, and breweries, […]

The post 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide Review [18 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]>