This week, Editors Don Williams and Nic de Sena discuss the new 2024 Aprilia RS 457. This is Aprilia’s newest entry into the highly competitive lightweight sportbike class. The smallest RS has it all, including a parallel-twin motor, full electronics suite, and an excellent handling chassis. What’s not to like? Nic shares his thoughts on the Aprilia, where he rode it on track in Italy, sharing the track with Maverick Vinales. Sounds like fun!

In the second segment this week Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with Mark Foster, Founder and expert roaster of the acclaimed Fosterbuilt Coffee, based in the Catskill Mountains of New York state. Well what does that have to do with motorcycles, I hear you ask. Well, Mark is also a passionate motorcycle guy, and in this month of April he’s giving away a custom Royal Enfield 350 motorcycle. Please visit the Fosterbuilt Coffee website for details of how to enter to win. Watch the video here. But hurry, you only have a few days to get your entry in! 

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This week, Editors Don Williams and Nic de Sena discuss the 2025 Triumph Daytona 660. The all-new middleweight triple stands out amongst the well-established parallel twins in the class—and it does it for an exceptional price. 

In the second segment this week I chat with the three founders of Moto-Cyco Touring Adventures. Pat Campbell, Greg Mason, and Scott Urwick want to share their passion for themed guided tours throughout what they believe is the best place in the United States to ride—New England.  

All three guys (and their wives!) are serious motorcycle enthusiasts with more than three-and-a-half decades of combined riding experience. They have led safe, organized group rides for over 10 years and collectively, they average more than 50,000 miles of riding every year.

The themed rides sound spectacular, and after hearing their story I believe you will feel the same. I hope you will consider joining them on one of their rides.   

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This week, Editors Don Williams and Nic de Sena discuss the latest addition to the Harley Icons Collection, the 2024 Harley-Davidson Hydraglide Revival. This beautiful new softail commemorates the 75th anniversary of the hydraulic telescopic fork debuting on a Harley-Davidson. Don rode the Hydraglide Revival with his usual enthusiasm for all of these Icons Collection bikes, and of course he answers the big question: does the Hydraglide ride as beautifully as it looks?  

Fair warning: The second segment this week is going to be controversial. Were you taught NOT to cover the brakes when riding? Were you taught NOT to brake on entry into a corner? Were you ‘coached out’ of new rider training because you didn’t grasp it quickly enough?

It seems that although new rider training is excellent in many regards, there are certain fundamentals being taught that are just plain wrong. At best, they’re causing recently new riders to leave the sport—and at worst, these incorrect fundamentals are costing lives.

This episode, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with several people who recently attended new rider training to get their take. The main discussion is led by Nick Ienatsch of Yamaha Champions Riding School, one of the several passionate voices trying to get things changed.

Whether you think you’ve been taught correctly or incorrectly, this segment will be of interest to you. We need training groups and indeed, the industry itself to get behind this movement to evolve and improve these significant points. We need those with a passion to ride motorcycles to stick with it, and not get put off and leave the sport. If you agree, please leave a comment on our social media or message us directly. Let’s get the word out and make a positive change!

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This week, Editors Don Williams and Nic de Sena discuss the new Moto Guzzi Stelvio. It has been around eight years since Moto Guzzi updated the Stelvio, and so expectations were quite high when Nic went to the launch in Spain. Don chats with Nic about his experiences with the new Stelvio, and whether this new version is now a credible ADV bike.  

Motos and Friends is brought to you by Arai helmets. Yes, there is such a thing as “The Arai Difference” and it reflects the company’s incredible attention to detail. For instance, if your experience has been that helmets are hard to get on, then try the Arai Contour-X, designed with a wider bottom opening for easier on/off; it is the helmet you’ve been waiting for. Once on, you will be amazed at the extreme comfort of the Contour-X, a key benefit for long-distance touring.

Another example of “The Arai Difference”: Side Air Channels. The Corsair-X utilizes internal ducting, which effectively increases the extraction of hot, moist air from the eye-port area, to both help reduce shield fogging and increase your comfort. Get to your local Arai dealer and try the Contour-X and the Corsair-X, you won’t be disappointed! If you want to learn more, visit AraiAmericas.com.

In the second segment this week, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with Ray Hammons. Despite his mature age, a couple years ago Ray realized a long time dream—to learn to ride a motorcycle. To say that he jumped in with both feet is somewhat of an understatement. Ray was fortunate enough to attend the YCRS Champ Street School when he first got his license, and interestingly, he credits the school with saving his life almost immediately. The topic of whether you should cover the brake when riding is actually quite controversial, and if you do it during an MSF course, you will fail. This is patently wrong, and Ray is clearly hoping the right people wake up, and this change is made to rider training across the country.  

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Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends, brought to you by the Editors at Ultimate Motorcycling magazine.  I’m Arthur Coldwells.

This week, Editors Don Williams and Nic de Sena discuss the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide. The new Street Glide has had a total revamp, from the new fairing and lights, to the engine and chassis, the Street Glide is now an even more serious bagger than before. Nic and Don take us through their experiences with the new machine and why they’re so pumped on the changes.

In the second segment this week, recently appointed Head of MV Agusta North America, Luca Dovesi, chats with me about his vision for MV Agusta North America. Luca talks about the challenges he’s facing and how he plans to leverage KTM’s sales and distribution expertise to rebuild faith in the MV Agusta brand. We all know that the Italian manufacturer has always designed and produced the most exquisite and innovative motorcycles. But now, with the Pierer Mobility Group’s considerable commitment and horsepower behind them, the future just might be looking pretty bright for MV Agusta, and us, the consumers in America.

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

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This week, Editors Don Williams and Nic de Sena discuss the new Triumph Scrambler. This model uses the 1200 twin engine from the Bonneville range, and it in two distinct flavors, the X and the XE. Previous versions of the Scrambler were not very off-road focused, however Triumph has changed all that, and Nic had the opportunity to do a lot of pretty hard-core desert riding in his quest to find out how capable the Scrambler truly is once it goes off-pavement.   

In the second segment this week, I chat with the recently appointed Head of MV Agusta North America, Luca Dovesi. Luca started his career with Ducati in Thailand, and he then moved on to KTM Singapore where he was head of After Sales and Network Development. Three and a half years later, in January 2023, he was brought in by KTM from Singapore, to head up the re-organization and re-emergence of MV in the US. As Head of the premier brand of Italian performance motorcycles, Luca’s energy and enthusiasm came across very clearly as we talked about the progress made so far, and what KTM’s plans are for the storied Italian marque.   

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

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This week, Senior Editor Nic de Sena brings us his thoughts on the new Suzuki GSX-8R. This is the fully faired, slightly more sporting version of the excellent GSX-8S upright middleweight that came out last year. The 8R uses the same new, highly acclaimed, super-smooth parallel-twin engine seen on several models, and clearly putting it into a really sporting-style motorcycle makes sense. Nic spent a couple of days on both the street and at Chuckwalla Raceway in California on the new bike.     

In our second segment this week, Neale Bayly chats with Paul Murphy of Meticulous Restorations. Paul is a world-class restorer, currently operating out of Canada;  he has restored some amazing machines.       

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

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Whether you define the new Royal Enfield Shotgun as a cruiser or a bobber, it is certainly an awesome-looking retro-styled motorcycle. Kelly Callan recently spent a couple of weeks with the new version of the 650-twin, and she gives us her thoughts.  

In our second segment this week, Teejay Adams chats with the one-time USA coast-to-coast speed record holder, Andrew Pieper, about the trials and tribulations of that challenge. The shortest distance between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is the distance between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Diego, California. To attempt to do this trip in one go isn’t an easy endeavor, and it requires a lot of pre-planning, and a team of people to help make it a success. Andrew’s time was very recently beaten by a few minutes, so naturally he’s planning on getting the record back! His chat with Teejay is an interesting insight into his preparation and how he actually did it.    

Andrew Pieper World Record YouTube

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Triumph’s revamped Tiger 900 lineup looks like a high-end, highly capable ADV styled motorcycle. Senior Editor Nic de Sena recently visited Malaga, Spain to ride the Rally and GT Pro versions. Nic gives us his thoughts on what has changed with the new Tiger, and a comparison between the two variations.   

In our second segment this week, Teejay Adams chats with Aussie motorcycle racer Tayla Relph. Tayla was recently selected to enter the inaugural FIM Women's Motorcycling World Championship, that is starting this year. Tayla talks about the physical and financial challenges, and the motivation that has brought her to competing at the top of her sport. Here’s a little known fact: Teejay’s son Reed went to high-school in Brisbane with Tayla!

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

2024 Triumph Tiger 900 Lineup First Look

2024 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro Review 

2024 Triumph Tiger 900 Pro GT Pro Review

TaylaRelph#28 Instagram 

TaylaRelph#28 Facebook

Tayla Relph Email

Reed Peters Photography Landscape Architect

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This week’s first segment features Senior Editor Nic de Sena, freshly returned from India, where he rode the all new Royal Enfield Himalayan ADV bike. The Himalayan has gone through a generational upgrade, with a bigger, more powerful motor and the addition of Showa suspension just to start with. Royal Enfield is clearly upping its game, and Nic gives us his thoughts on the new machine and where it fits into the market.

Motos and Friends is brought to you by Arai helmets. Yes, there is such a thing as “The Arai Difference” and it reflects the company’s incredible attention to detail. For instance, if your experience has been that helmets are hard to get on, then try the Arai Contour-X, designed with a wider bottom opening for easier on/off; it is the helmet you’ve been waiting for. Once on, you will be amazed at the extreme comfort of the Contour-X, a key benefit for long-distance touring.

Another example of “The Arai Difference”: Side Air Channels. The Corsair-X utilizes internal ducting, which effectively increases the extraction of hot, moist air from the eye-port area, to both help reduce shield fogging and increase your comfort. Get to your local Arai dealer and try the Contour-X and the Corsair-X, you won’t be disappointed! If you want to learn more, visit AraiAmericas.com.

In our second segment this week, I chat with Chris Fillmore from the Pierer Mobility Group, the owners of the KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas brands. After retiring from his professional superbike racing career, Chris has now worked for PMG for around 10 years, including his recent stint as the manager of the flat-track racing program. Chris and I talk about his race experience from Motocross, Supermoto, Superbike, as well as his insight into riding a flat-track motorcycle as well. Chris’ laid-back demeanor belies his incredible ability to go fast on just about any motorcycle.

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2024 Arai Americas Brochure

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