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?   

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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.

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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!  

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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!  

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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:

  @ultimatemotorcycling

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

In our first segment, Senior Editor Nic de Sena rides the new Ducati Monster SP. This is the super-duper very tricked out version of the new Monster—it has all the cool stuff including full Öhlins suspension. It’s a pricey moto for sure and that almost puts it into its own class in the upper-middleweight range.

In our second segment, I chat with film Writer, Producer and Director, Mark Neale. Mark is the guy who wrote and directed the series of movies covering MotoGP from the early 2000s on. The series started with the iconic documentary, ‘Faster’, and ended with ‘Hitting The Apex’ in 2015. Brad Pitt narrated that one, and indeed, he had a vital hand in getting it finished.

[View Official Trailer YouTube]

Interestingly, the movie is still relevant now, some 8 years later, and Mark’s stories of how the movie came to be, and his interactions with the people and riders involved make for some entertaining listening.    

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

If you want to find out more about luxury motorcycle tours around Italy check out MotoCalifornia.com

We love your feedback! Please send us your comments and suggestions at [email protected]   and if you like Motos & Friends, hit the Subscribe button!

Motos and Friends is powered by the Yamaha R7. The R7 is part of Yamaha’s R World, and the R7 is your gateway to a new generation of supersport machine.

In our first segment, Editor Don Williams checks out the new Honda Rebel 1100T with the DCT gearbox. This is a different kind of cruiser; it certainly has some sportiness to it, and with a nod to touring with small bags and a fairing, it’s easily capable of day-long rides too.

In our second segment, Associate Editor Teejay Adams talks to A-list Hollywood stuntman, Joe Bucaro. Joe has spent nearly 40 years riding and crashing motorcycles; drifting and crashing cars, and stage-fighting as the stunt double for many of your favorite action stars. Joe has doubled extensively for Gerard Butler in most of his movies; Jason Momoa in the upcoming ‘Fast and Furious 10’; and also for stars such as Chris Pratt, Vince Vaughan, Steven Seagal and countless others. In Butler’s latest movie ‘The Plane’ Joe tells us about a two-and-a-half minute fight sequence that they managed to shoot in just one, complete take.

Joe’s fearlessness and incredible talents on a motorcycle, in a car, on a horse, and of course his fighting skills, have kept him kinda safe over the years, and still doing what he loves. This chat is a fascinating and entertaining peek behind the curtain into Hollywood and the fun of making movies.

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

We love your feedback! Please send us your comments and suggestions at [email protected]   and if you like Motos & Friends, hit the Subscribe button!

Motos and Friends is powered by the Yamaha R7. The R7 part of Yamaha’s R World, and the R7 is your gateway to a new generation of supersport machine.

In our first segment, Editor Don Williams takes to the urban streets on Royal Enfield’s new Hunter 350. This is not an ADV bike as the name might imply, it’s targeted at the city rider and powered by the company’s single-cylinder 350 motor that also powers a couple of other models too. Don gives us his impressions on whether the Hunter’s modest price is reflected in the quality of this new bike.  

In our second segment, Editor-at-Large Neale Bayly chats with Drew Alexander. Drew has spent his career as parts manager for both Bob’s BMW and Battley’s BMW dealerships in Maryland, and indeed he’s now returned to Bob’s famous dealership. But Drew is a lot more than that. He’s President of his local BMW club; on the board of the national BMW Riders Association, and he's hosting the upcoming rally in West Virginia in September.

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

We love your feedback! Please send us your comments and suggestions at [email protected]   and if you like Motos & Friends, hit the Subscribe button!