Motos and Friends from Ultimate Motorcycle magazine

Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends, brought to you by the spectacular Yamaha R7 – a new generation of supersport machine.

Harley-Davidson has just announced the latest CVO versions of its Street- and RoadGlide models. To say there have been major changes to these classic machines would be an understatement. Nic de Sena recently rode both motorcycles in Milwaukee and he gives us a run down on what has changed with each one, and his thoughts on whether you need to find around 45 grand to put one of these puppies in your garage.

This week’s snippet features the Alpinestars Tech Air 5 vest. Teejay Adams bumped into Aryan Fakoor at Southern California’s Rock Store who spent his own hard-earned money on the cutting edge technology of this safety under-garment.

In our second feature segment, Teejay Adams talks with Steve Piehl. Steve has had a long and interesting career marketing in the motorcycle industry, and currently works for the Tucker range of brands. 

So from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling—we hope you enjoy this episode!  

Welcome to Motos and Friends, Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast brought to you by the spectacular Yamaha R7 – a new generation of supersport machine. 

MV Agusta is one of the truly storied names in motorcycling, and the heritage of the Italian brand is evident in every one of its spectacular machines. Recently I had the opportunity to ride the Brutale 1000RR in Italy, and I was able to chat with Teejay Adams about the machine. As it happens, she is the owner of an MV Agusta herself. Her ride is a 2019 Brutale 800 RC. That’s the Limited Edition super-sporting version of the Brutale 800 that comes with an SC Project full titanium pipe and separate ECU. These incredible machines are billed by MV Agusta as ‘Motorcycle Art”. Teejay and I pass our thoughts on and whether we agree with that sentiment.   

00h:17m:07s

Associate Editor Neil Wyenn brings us our Snippet this week. Lately he’s been trying out the Sena Impulse modular helmet with the built-in comms system, and he gives us his thoughts on that.  

00h:27m:15s 

In our second feature segment, Editor-at-Large Neale Bayly chats with legendary moto-journalist Mat Oxley. Mat’s incredible MotoGP reporting resume is made even more credible by own seriously accomplished racing pedigree. He’s won at the Club and Endurance levels, and he’s competed and won at the Isle of Man TT as well. During his long journalism career, he’s got to know the legends incredibly well. Guys like Mick Doohan, Kenny Roberts, Valentino Rossi, and even older riders like Gary Nixon, have all been written about by Mat. So if you’re interested in what it’s like to be a moto-journalist and a career MotoGP guy, the Mat will fill in the blanks. For those of you with a sensitive disposition, I should warn you that there’s some salty language in this chat.    

So from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling—we hope you enjoy this episode!  

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Welcome to Motos and Friends, Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast brought to you by the spectacular Yamaha R7 – a new generation of supersport machine. 

The much hyped Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR is a small bike that is claimed to punch well above its weight. Senior Editor Nic de Sena rode the punchy little Ninja around Thunderhill and gives us his impressions of whether this new lightweight will gain any traction in the market.

00h:40m:40s

Associate Editor Jonathan Handler brings us our Snippet this week, and he talks about his new BMW Motorrad denim jacket. This jacket is listed at an eye-watering $559, so I was curious to hear Jonathan’s take on the jacket’s quality and design.    

00h:47m:39s

In our second feature segment, Editor-at-Large Neale Bayly chats with Wes Robinson. Wes has spent a lifetime buying, riding, restoring, and racing mainly American V-Twin motorcycles. His career includes time spent as an AMA racing Tech.  

So from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling—we hope you enjoy this episode!  

We love your feedback! Please comment or suggest:

  @ultimatemotorcycling

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Welcome to Motos and Friends, Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast brought to you by the spectacular Yamaha R7 – a new generation of supersport machine.

Teejay Adams is not very experienced when it comes to riding off-road, so she was the perfect rider to go try out the new entry-level Honda XR150L, and indeed, she rode it both on the street and in the dirt as well. I was curious as to what she would think, as on the face of it, this incredibly inexpensive machine is very attractive, but let’s be honest here, is it a real motorcycle, or is it just too underpowered and lightweight to be of use in the real world?   

20m:27s

Our Snippet this week comes to you from Alpinestars. The iconic Italian apparel manufacturer has an impressively large range of product, and as great as that is, it also may make it difficult to pick out what you might want.  Recently I wore some A’Stars streetbike gear that impressed me, and Teejay sampled some of the Alpinestars off-road range of items that she liked.

31m:42s

In our second segment, Teejay Adams chats with Somer Hooker, he’s an expert in the world of vintage motorcycles and the chief judge at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, and many others including the Salon Prive at Blenheim Palace, in the UK. He is the author of many articles which have been published in classic motorcycle magazines, and he has worked in residential therapeutic programs for children and youth, as well as helped establish the first residential program for autistic children in Tennessee.

So from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling—we hope you enjoy this episode!  

We love your feedback! Please comment or suggest:

  @ultimatemotorcycling

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Welcome to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast, Motos and Friends, brought to you by the Yamaha R7 – a new generation of supersport machine. 

On paper, the BMW M 1000 R is an absolutely spectacular machine. It’s the upright naked superbike version of the S 1000 R, with the motor from the track-focused S 1000 RR in a comfortable to ride package. In our first segment this week, Nic de Sena takes the M 1000 R on to the street and to the track, and he reports back on what all the fuss is about.   

00:39:34. Our snippet this week comes to you from the MV Agusta factory is Varese, Italy. As you may or may not know, KTM’s parent company—The Pierer Mobility Group—late last year acquired a significant stake in the fabled Italian racing brand that produces arguably the most beautiful motorcycles in the world. I spoke to three of the key players (Timur Sardarov, CEO; Luca Martin, COO; and Florian Kecht, CSO for KTM) in that partnership. I managed to get their take on exactly what PMG will bring to MV Agusta, how likely the company is to survive, and whether this is real—or just smoke and mirrors.

01:06:27. Our second segment, brings you Part 2 of Neale Bayly’s fascinating chat with iconic racer and 5-time Daytona 200 Winner, Scott ‘Mr Daytona’ Russell. The native Georgian of course needs no introduction, but in case you missed it, you can hear Part 1 of his interview ‘Scott Russell Unfiltered’ here. Neale and Scott have been friends for many years, and Scott opens up about the challenges he’s faced; the ups and downs of life after racing—after that unfortunate and horrendous crash at Daytona that ended his career. We’re happy to say that Scott is thriving now.    

So from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling—we hope you enjoy this episode!  

We love your feedback! Please comment or suggest:

  @ultimatemotorcycling

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 Have you seen the Yamaha Sport Heritage range of classically styled, performance motorcycles? I’ve been riding the gorgeous-looking Yamaha XSR900 and loving its incredible do-it-all performance.

Our featured motorcycle this week is one of the lesser known ADV bikes—the Aprilia 660 Tuareg. This good looking middleweight machine seems as though it is often overlooked, so Nic de Sena took a Tuareg 660 to the recent Alpinestars Rally in Big Bear, California. He rode it hard across a variety of trails for two days, and tells us why he thinks this bike might deserve a place in your garage.

Our Snippet this week comes to you from Bhroman. You can check out his YouTube channel at Bhroman Braapsody. He lives in North Carolina and his moto passion takes him on a yearly cross-country trip in some manic time. This year he’s doing it on his Indian motorcycle and raising money again for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, also known as Ride for Kids. Last year he raised $12,000, and of course his goal this year is more.

In our second segment, Teejay Adams chats with Ed Stiley of MotoMachines.com. Ed’s Dad approached him about starting a moto-business when Ed was still in college, and kinda on a whim, he said yes. Turns out his Dad knew what he was doing, and Ed is also pretty switched on himself. Motomachines.com has thousands of motorcycle product SKUs and caters to over 700 models of motorcycles, so Ed knows what he’s talking about when it comes to aftermarket parts!

So from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling—we hope you enjoy this episode!   

We love your feedback! Please comment or suggest:

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Have you seen the Sport Heritage range of Yamahas? They are the classically styled performance motorcycles taking the US by storm. I’ve been riding the gorgeous-looking Yamaha XSR900 and its great looks are more than backed up by its phenomenal performance. Visit YamahaMotorsports.com to find out more about the exciting Heritage line, or check it out for yourself at your local dealer today.

Editor Don Williams is a dirt-bike nut. He rode competitive Trials for over 30 years, and he and his wife ride every weekend—and sometimes more—on every type of off-road machine they can lay their hands on. Interestingly, he’s never had the chance to ride a Grand National Cross Country off-road race course, but recently he finally had the chance to do so. As a guest of KTM, Don was able to sample the range of KTM Cross Country XC models, and in this first segment he tells us about the differences he found, as well as the thrill of riding a full GNCC course for the first time.      

In our second segment, Teejay Adams chats with a couple of adventure-seeking Aussies. Stu and Janell and their three dogs, have been riding all over the world for the last ten years—and visited 108 countries—aboard their two BMW 650 GS adventure motorcycles. Calling themselves “The Pack Track” their adventures are chronicled on their blog. Teejay gets the lowdown on some of their experiences—good and bad—and the challenge of crossing borders with canines along for the ride. Actually, they will be touring the USA from June to October this year, starting in Sacramento, California, before making their way across to the North East part of the US, and then finishing back in Dallas, Texas where they first started. On the tour they will be giving free presentations at a number of motorcycle dealerships, so check out their schedule and hopefully get along to meet them in person.   

So, from everyone here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode.

We love your feedback! Please comment or suggest:

  @ultimatemotorcycling

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Motos and Friends is brought to you by the Yamaha Heritage line. The Yamaha name stands for a heritage of motorcycle performance and classic styling. Visit your local dealer to find the 2023 Yamaha sport heritage bike for you.

This week we decided to change it up a little and we’re bringing you three segments in this episode.

In our first segment, I chat with Associate Editor Jonathan Handler, freshly returned from a trip to Germany to ride the interesting new BMW R 18 Roctane. This all out cruiser features the impressive BMW R 18 motor which has had a slightly mixed reaction in its other iterations. I have to say, in this particular model, the big boxer twin seems like the perfect fit for someone who wants a seriously powerful cruiser that’s a little different from everything else out there. Let’s see if Jonathan agrees with me!

In our second segment, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with Ritzo Muntinga of SPC Power Clutch. Ritzo introduces the sintered aluminum indestructible clutch. The company now has a patent on these clutch plates and frankly they sound like a game-changing idea. If you’re a seriously heavy clutch user, especially in sport such as off-road, Motocross, and so on, or perhaps you’re a drag racer or stunt guy, then you’re going to be really interested in what Ritzo has to say.

In our third segment, Teejay chats with Angie Sandow. Angie plays guitar in her AC/DC cover band, she’s an author, motivational speaker, and of course a motorcycle rider. Interestingly, she’s also partially handicapped—she only has one hand. To hear how she overcomes life’s challenges—and still gets to play guitar and ride her motorcycle—are amazing. Her bubbly personality and sheer strength of will come across are inspiration indeed.       

So, from all of us here at Motos and Friends—we hope you enjoy this episode!

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Motos and Friends is brought to you by the Yamaha R7, your gateway to a new generation of supersport machine.

In our first segment, Editor Don Williams rides the new Suzuki GSX-8S. This highly anticipated upright-naked sportbike features the all-new parallel twin from the big S, and we have been very excited to try it out. Don really liked the motor in Suzuki’s new V-Strom, so it’ll be interesting to see if it is perhaps even better suited to a street bike. The big question of course, is who exactly is the target rider for the 8S?

Speaking of sportbikes, the Isle of Man TT is arguably the most fearsome, intense—as well as the longest—motorcycle race in the world. The Superbike races are around 225 Miles and 1200 corners, including 2 full pit stops! It takes a very special level of skill, courage, and yes, a large dollop of insanity too, to ride in, let alone win, a TT race.

The TT is always the first week in June, so it's on right now—see the links below. Just in time for this year’s event, I chat with my Aussie friend, Rennie Scaysbrook. Rennie is the Road Test Editor for Cycle News magazine here in the US. As a fellow journalist, he and I have tested motorcycles at tracks all over the world; he’s a great guy, a good laugh. He holds the record for the challenging Pikes Peak Hill Climb, so as you might imagine, he’s an especially talented rider too.

Rennie rode the IOM TT last year in the Supersport category and acquitted himself well, despite some technical gremlins. He’s riding again this year for the Craig Wilson team, but this time he’s on a Superstock-class Honda Fireblade CBR1000RR-SP. Now that’s a whole different ballgame!

Rennie’s descriptions of riding the sections around the famed TT course are absolutely electrifying. Do you think you’ve got the mental fortitude, concentration, and level of skill that it takes to thread the TT needle on country roads through tiny villages at 195 miles per hour? Rennie’s take on riding the TT will likely answer that for you.

This chat is a doozy—so hold on to your hat for this one.

• Rennie Scaysbrook: 2022 Isle Of Man Video Diary

• The Big Book of Motorbikes + Coloring Book

• Videopass $29.99

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This week's Motos & Friends is all about motorcycling icons; we’re focused on the heritage of motorcycling.

Speaking of heritage, have you seen the Yamaha Sport Heritage range of classically styled, performance motorcycles? I’ve been riding the gorgeous-looking Yamaha XSR900 and its great looks are more than backed up by its incredible performance. Visit YamahaMotorsports.com to find out more about the exciting Heritage line, or check it out for yourself at your local dealer today.

Our featured motorcycle this week is Harley’s new addition to its Icons Collection: The 2023 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Highway King. This new machine is a beautifully styled tribute to the 1968 Electra Glide FLH, but of course now with modern motor, chassis, suspension and so on. Don Williams rode the machine to er… Williams in Arizona and reports back on his adventure and what he thought of the bike.

In our second segment, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with Kelly Knievel. He’s the son of 70s stunt-riding icon, Evel Knievel, and brother to the late Robbie Knievel. Kelly is a producer, actor, and the head of K&K Promotions, which owns the rights to Evel Knievel’s name.

Evel Knievel of course, needs no introduction. He was the literally the ultimate showman. His many stunts included jumps over cars, buses, as well as attempts at the fountains at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, and at the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. Having grown up in this legendary family, Kelly’s memories of both his father and his brother are fascinating to hear.    

The Evel Knievel Museum is in Topeka, KS

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