Gary Ilminen, Author at Ultimate Motorcycling https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/author/gary-ilminen/ Motorcycle Reviews, News on Motorcycles, Specs, Test & Race Results Fri, 28 Jun 2024 06:55:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/cropped-UltimateMoto_Circle-512x512-1-32x32.png Gary Ilminen, Author at Ultimate Motorcycling https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/author/gary-ilminen/ 32 32 2015 Triumph Bonneville T214 SE Test [10-Year Owner’s Report] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/06/27/2015-triumph-bonneville-t214-se-ten-year-test-owners-report/ Fri, 28 Jun 2024 06:55:46 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=283902 The 2015 Triumph T214 Bonneville SE is my third Triumph Bonneville model. The other two—a 2003 Bonneville America and a 1977 Triumph T140J Silver Jubilee Edition 750 Bonneville—set the stage for my interest in the T214. The Bonneville America was a beautiful silver-on-black stretched-out cruiser, while the Silver Jubilee was a gorgeous limited edition commemorating […]

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]]> Lucas Oil Synthetic Motor Oil and Rear Gear Oil Change Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/06/17/lucas-oil-synthetic-motor-oil-and-rear-gear-oil-change-review/ Tue, 18 Jun 2024 03:54:56 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=282095 Lucas Oil has been in the high-performance lubricants biz for a long time. Founded in 1989, the Indianapolis-based company has been on the cutting edge of product development and improvement, often through the experience gained from the torture-testing of heavy-duty trucking, agricultural machinery, and racing. That experience has translated into some top-line performance products for […]

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]]> 2024 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials Dates Set for August https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/06/09/2024-bonneville-motorcycle-speed-trials-dates-set-for-august/ Sun, 09 Jun 2024 23:26:25 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=278230 Attention, speed aficionados, as your days of summer are rapidly approaching. The 2024 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials are running at the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway from August 24-29. The event has several names and sanctions—Bonneville Motorcycles Speed Trials, AMA Land Speed Grand Championship, and FIM Land Speed World Records—and many ways to compete on […]

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]]> Triumph: Pictorial History of the Great British Marque Book Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/06/03/triumph-pictorial-history-of-the-great-british-marque-book-review/ Tue, 04 Jun 2024 03:34:55 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=278036 It is unlikely you’ll find anyone with greater insight and experience in the pantheon of great British motorcycle brands than author James Robinson. He edited the Mortons Scrapbook Series we reviewed some years ago, which covered AJS and Matchless, Norton, BSA, and Triumph. He is also the Editor of the Mortons-published The Classic Motor Cycle […]

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]]> Harley-Davidson Leaning Trike: Ready For A Comeback? https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/31/harley-davidson-leaning-trike-ready-for-a-comeback/ Sat, 01 Jun 2024 04:27:48 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=278005 Harley-Davidson rolled out the new Tri-Glide in 2012, its first non-conversion three-wheel road bike since its Servi-Car was discontinued in 1973. From 2008 to 2012, the Tri-Glide was a Harley-Davidson factory assembly of an aftermarket-developed conversion kit for the two-wheel Ultra Classic. That configuration results in two driven rear wheels and no ability to lean […]

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]]> Study Reveals Motorcycle Gear That Works [Crash Protection] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/28/study-reveals-motorcycle-gear-that-works-crash-protection/ Wed, 29 May 2024 03:23:23 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277894 We recently shared data from a study that compared various helmet configuration types regarding effectiveness in preventing head and neck injuries. Now, check out the data from a study on the efficacy of gear intended to protect the rest of a rider’s body. Motorcycle Protective Clothing: Protection from Injury or Just the Weather? is an […]

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]]> VNM Sport ActivCool-GP Compression Pants Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/20/vnm-sport-activcool-gp-compression-pants-review/ Mon, 20 May 2024 19:11:16 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277734 Over the years, I’ve paid scant attention to the baselayer clothing I wore when I was motorcycling when it was warm, and only a little more when snowmobiling or cold-weather motorcycle riding. Until relatively recently, cold-weather riding gear usually consisted of long johns under heavy jeans and a lined leather jacket or an insulated snowmobile […]

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]]> Selling Your Motorcycle Through a Broker: Top 10 Things to Know https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/16/selling-your-motorcycle-through-a-broker-top-10-things-to-know/ Fri, 17 May 2024 02:10:02 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277638 As a motorcycle owner, the day may come when you consider selling your beloved machine. Not so many years ago, the options for doing that were pretty basic and limited. One was to put the bike out at the end of the driveway with a  For Sale sign on it. Another was to put a […]

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]]> 2024 Spring Slimey Crud Café Racer Run Report [Commentary] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/13/2024-spring-slimey-crud-cafe-racer-run-report-commentary/ Tue, 14 May 2024 03:27:41 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277461 Good weather tends to bring out a lot of riders for the Slimey Crud Café Racer Run in Wisconsin. The Spring 2024 event was no exception; in fact, this time around, the event’s weather overperformed. Clear skies and warming temperatures resulted in a jaw-dropping crowd materializing at both the start point in Pine Bluff and […]

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]]> The Rambler’s Companion Book Review [Riders Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/03/the-ramblers-companion-book-review-riders-library/ Fri, 03 May 2024 22:22:37 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277170 Richard Worsham is not out to change the world. Well, at least, not the entire world. Worsham is out to help us re-think how we see the world of motorcycles and motorcycling. In his new book, The Rambler’s Companion, Or, the Art, Practice, & Enjoyment of Lightweight Motorcycling, Worsham helps us reconnect with the kind […]

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]]> Old Bike, New Battery: What Could Go Wrong? [EBL Li-Ion Test] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/02/old-bike-new-battery-what-could-go-wrong-ebl-li-ion-test/ Fri, 03 May 2024 00:30:47 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277163 Given the opportunity to check out state-of-the-art technology, a person would usually jump at the chance, right? With so much publicity—good and bad—about lithium-ion batteries, and armed with minimal previous experience with lithium-ion batteries beyond the ones for electronic devices, I couldn’t help but be a little apprehensive about using one in my 50-year-old Honda […]

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]]> World’s Fastest Blind Motorcyclist: Meet Ninja-Mounted Ben Felten https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/04/30/worlds-fasted-blind-motorcyclist-meet-ninja-mounted-ben-felten/ Tue, 30 Apr 2024 08:53:44 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277078 Motorcycle racing—any kind of motorcycle racing—takes a certain degree of fortitude. Now, imagine doing it while being unable to see where you are going. It would take a remarkable person to do that at any level, let alone to go after a world land speed record. You’re about to meet just such a person. His […]

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]]> Hogslayer Reanimated: Dragstalgia 2024 Awaits Revival https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/04/26/hogslayer-reanimated-dragstalgia-2024-awaits-revival/ Fri, 26 Apr 2024 19:47:03 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=276604 From 1972 to 1975, the Top Fuel class of motorcycle drag racing was turned upside down when Harley-Davidson’s utter domination of the world championship was ended by a radical machine built in Wisconsin. Despite the Dairyland birthplace of Hogslayer, the machine that would capture four consecutive NHRA class titles was not powered by a V-twin. […]

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]]> Ultimate Motorcycling 20th Anniversary; Gary Ilminen Reflects https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/04/25/ultimate-motorcycling-20th-anniversary-gary-ilminen-reflects/ Thu, 25 Apr 2024 08:05:01 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=276920 As an adolescent mini-bike riding wannabe motorcyclist, I had dreams of someday writing for a motorcycle magazine like I read back then. Thanks to Ultimate Motorcycling Editor Don Williams and Ultimate Motorcycling Prez Arthur Coldwells, I’ve been able to do that for more than 12 years now. It’s hard to thank those guys enough for […]

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]]> Centerstand – May 2024 – Commentary: Still Not Saddle Sore https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/04/16/centerstand-may-2024-commentary-still-not-saddle-sore/ Wed, 17 Apr 2024 02:50:17 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=276801 Fifty years ago, I was standing in the showroom of Ave’s Sport Shop in Hurley, Wisconsin. I was goggle-eyed over the new Honda motorcycles that were being filtered into the display area, alongside the 1973 model Ski-Doo snowmobiles left over from the winter’s inventory. Like the other cash-poor gawkers, I lingered long by the mighty […]

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]]> Is A Full-Face Motorcycle Helmet Safer? The Data Speaks! https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/03/17/is-a-full-face-motorcycle-helmet-safer-the-data-speaks/ Sun, 17 Mar 2024 07:05:12 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275740 Ever since the advent of the full-face helmet back in the 1960s, there has been a debate about whether it is the most effective form of head protection. Indeed, some observers suggest helmets, in general, may contribute to certain injuries, such as concussions and neck trauma. There is also an argument that post-crash airway management […]

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]]> The Dunlop Dynasty Book Review [Rider’s Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/03/04/the-dunlop-dynasty-book-review-riders-library/ Tue, 05 Mar 2024 07:11:33 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275514 Among the legendary names in professional motorcycle road racing, most of the greatest names refer only to one individual, not multiple greats from the same family—not so with Northern Ireland’s Dunlop family. The story has the scope and scale to require remarkable skill and experience to tell it properly. Stephen Davison is just such an […]

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]]> AGV Tourmodular Helmet Recall [2022 Chinstrap Issue] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/03/01/agv-tourmodular-helmet-recall-2022-chinstrap-issue/ Sat, 02 Mar 2024 02:16:13 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275449 On February 13, 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the recall of 2,142 AGV Tourmodular helmets. According to the NHTSA Safety Recall Report, NHTSA Recall #24E-014, the ratchet-style chin strap buckle may fail to engage correctly on some of these helmets, creating the potential for the helmet to come off in a […]

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]]> Harley-Davidson Hybrid Concept First Look [Commentary] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/11/harley-davidson-hybrid-concept-first-look-commentary/ Mon, 12 Feb 2024 07:29:56 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274902 Harley-Davidson long ago discovered that the secret to survival in the motorcycle business—indeed, any business—is the ability and agility to change with the times. The Motor Company’s 120-year history is that of a living, dynamic enterprise, rather than a footnote in America’s industrial history, is because it has adapted, changed, diversified, retrenched, and advanced as […]

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]]> Indian Brake Light Recall Possible; 2019-22 Models Included https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/01/31/indian-brake-light-recall-possible-2019-22-models-included/ Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:25:11 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274579 In a decision handed down January 29, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has denied the petition filed by Indian Motorcycle on behalf of Polaris for a finding of “inconsequential noncompliance” related to noncompliance with FMVSS 108 governing lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. According to the NHTSA filing, Indian filed an original noncompliance […]

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]]> Top 11 Motorcycle Helmet Innovations [Safety and Convenience] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/01/04/top-11-motorcycle-helmet-innovations-safety-and-convenience/ Fri, 05 Jan 2024 06:59:30 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273710 The features and functional capabilities of motorcycle helmets have come a long way in recent years. At one time, helmets tended to be hot, heavy, inconvenient, and minimally protective at best. These days, those shortcomings have been addressed by a variety of technically advanced design and material innovations. Here are our Top 11 Motorcycle Helmet […]

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]]> Top 10 Motorcycle Reads from 10 Years of Rider’s Library https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/23/top-10-motorcycle-reads-from-10-years-of-riders-library/ Sun, 24 Dec 2023 06:45:02 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273409 Ten years ago, I got the green light for my idea of curating a Rider’s Library. The goal was to give some space to motorcycle literature, both new and old, knowing that motorcycle riders are often readers with a great interest in the incredible range of motorcycle literature topics. That makes Ultimate Motorcycling the only […]

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]]> Ruroc Atlas 4.0 Carbon Helmet Review [Stormtrooper Style] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/17/ruroc-atlas-4-0-carbon-helmet-review-stormtrooper-style/ Mon, 18 Dec 2023 04:20:27 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273053 For more than 40 years, the Lucasfilm Star Wars franchise has been a force in the entertainment world. Related spin-off motion pictures, television shows, and a nearly endless range of products all owe their existence to that enduring science fiction classic. Now, Ruroc Limited, based in Gloucester on the eastern bank of England’s River Severn, […]

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]]> NHTSA Convening Motorcyclist Advisory Council https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/16/nhtsa-convening-motorcyclist-advisory-council/ Sun, 17 Dec 2023 05:36:55 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272735 Section 24111 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Ref. 49 U.S.C. 355), requires the establishment of a Motorcyclist Advisory Council (MAC). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has begun implementing that Congressional mandate. The public notice on the formation of the MAC was published in […]

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]]> Arai VAS-V Max-Vision Faceshield Review [Mirror Finish] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/15/arai-vas-v-max-vision-faceshield-review-mirror-finish/ Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:36:02 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272712 Arai helmet owners will want to consider acquiring one of the new Arai VAS-V Max-Vision Shields with the mirror treatment ($117 MSRP). Unlike the previous version of the VAS-V shields, the Max-Vision versions are Pinlock-prepared. The VAS (Variable Axis System) Arai faceshield increases the helmet’s functionality by toning down the sun’s brightness, giving your eyes […]

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