Cycle World Podcast

Can you imagine a motorcycle universe without the Adventure Bike? But before the 1980 BMW R 80 G/S (Gelände/Strasse) there really wasn't such a thing. Now ADVs have spawned an entire culture of two-wheel adventuring. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer talk about the origins of the BMW GS and its evolution to the new R 1300 GS. Join us on our hour-long adventure!

So much of great-working motorcycle comes down to precise heat management of the engine, tires, gears, brakes, and more. Technical Editor Kevin Cameron takes a deep dive with Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer on the many effects of heat and the cascading influence it has on overall motorcycle performance.

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The joke goes, "The only way to get suspension to work in the 1970s was to not let it!" We've come a long way, and that was the beginning of the suspension revolution that brings us to today's generally great components and all the world-class stuff going on in racing. Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer and Technical Editor Kevin Cameron start with the basic forces at work including what's called V-squared damping (say "ouch!") move to friction dampers and damper rods, and finally get up to the beautiful and easy-to-work on high-performance cartridge dampers on the best bikes of today. And the side stories are almost half the fun. Ride with us!

Metals are absolutely key to our good times on two wheels. Steel, Aluminum, Chromium, Nickel, Copper, Brass, Magnesium ("electrified dirt") and all the alloys make up our most loved form of transportation and good times. As ever, CW Technical Editor Kevin Cameron knows a lot of key details which he shares with Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer and the rest of us. Thank you for all the support of the podcast and please let us know in comments what you like and what you don't—but leave Hoyer's headphones out of it... :)

What are opening and closing ramps on a camshaft profile and why are they so important? Why do we use nested or beehive valve springs? When is it best to use pushrod valve actuation or DOHC shim-under-bucket tappets or finger followers? Should we drive cams with gears, chains, or belts? Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer (but mostly Kevin...) talk about the intricate details of opening and closing valves and different types of drive systems.

A long-time US KTM employee described in the early days when the head of the company mortgaged his house to buy some box vans. Contrast this to KTM's American HQ opened in 2023 that cost $53 million and racing on the world stage from hard enduro to MotoGP. Yes, a lot has changed for KTM, once the builder of quirky dirt bikes but now making every kind of motorcycle with an obsession for high-performance and light weight, and growing across brands that include Husqvarna, GasGas, MV Agusta, and ebikes under the Pierer Mobility umbrella. Where did KTM come from and where is it going? Listen to take the ride with Kevin Cameron and Mark Hoyer.

Moving the problems! Alternative front suspension has some advantages over the telescopic fork that's on nearly every motorcycle made today—front swingarms, Hossack, RADD, Troll Engineering, girder—but these other designs never take over. Some problems are solved, but new ones emerge! Technical Editor Kevin Cameron has seen them all and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer has ridden many. Why does the telescopic fork keep winning? Listen to the Cycle World Podcast to find out.

The amazing journey by Butler & Smith BMW to build championship-winning superbikes out of BMW flat-twin touring bikes in the 1970s. First 750cc, then 900cc, we look at how BMW won the 1976 AMA Superbike Championship. Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer joins Technical Editor Kevin Cameron, who recalls his time with builders Udo Gietl and Todd Schuster to explain the amazing transformation of these motorcycles into the remarkable high-performance machines they became. Unbelievable detail here, folks.

Ducati is more than just a motorcycle brand to many, bordering on religion—or as its detractors might say: a cult. The CULT OF DESMO! Technical Editor Kevin Cameron and Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer start with the early days of Ducati's singles and move through the inception of the Desmodromic valve train, the first 90-degree V-Twins, and the racing success that followed. Ducati today is built on a constant state of revolution and evolution. The duo discuss the brand that is nearly synonymous with the color red, Italian style, and racing performance. Join us!