2011 Yamaha FZ8 Review – 8 is the new 6
Sun, 8/08/10 – 23:56 | One Comment

While the Yamaha’s Fazer family has been a European mainstay since 1998, it’s still relatively new in Canada. For 2011 Yamaha has delivered the FZ8, a bike that owes much to its bigger and more brutish sibling the FZ1, and surprisingly little to the defunct FZ6. That positions the bike to be novice and intermediate rider friendly, so it needs to be both frisky (or even occasionally ferocious) and friendly all at once.

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2011 Yamaha FZ8 Review – 8 is the new 6
Sunday, 8 Aug, 2010 – 23:56 | One Comment
2011 Yamaha FZ8 Review – 8 is the new 6

While the Yamaha’s Fazer family has been a European mainstay since 1998, it’s still relatively new in Canada. For 2011 Yamaha has delivered the FZ8, a bike that owes much to its bigger and more brutish sibling the FZ1, and surprisingly little to the defunct FZ6. That positions the bike to be novice and intermediate rider friendly, so it needs to be both frisky (or even occasionally ferocious) and friendly all at once.

Ducati Multistrada 1200S Review II – The End of Sportbiking As We Know It
Wednesday, 21 Jul, 2010 – 22:46 | 18 Comments
Ducati Multistrada 1200S Review II – The End of Sportbiking As We Know It

In Part 1 of our two part Multistrada 1200 S review we examined the bikes Urban and Touring modes. This instalment we unleash Sport mode and take the Multistrada 1200S onto BC’s fire roads before making our conclusions.

Ducati Multistrada 1200S Review I – The End of Sportbiking As We Know It
Monday, 19 Jul, 2010 – 14:02 | Comment
Ducati Multistrada 1200S Review I – The End of Sportbiking As We Know It

Purported to be a bike of “endless transformations” the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring aims to be the biking answer to all riders, but beyond the one-size fits all ethos does the new Multi live up to the hype? In Part 1 of our two part review we examine Urban and Touring modes to find out.

Ducati Streetfighter Review – A Wolf in No Clothing
Monday, 28 Jun, 2010 – 14:09 | One Comment
Ducati Streetfighter Review – A Wolf in No Clothing

I’m shooting through the corners on a vicious tide of acceleration, noise and quick gratuitous gear changes. An angry right hand sees the bike smash towards the horizon as time dilates like a once cool Matrix special effect. The Ducati Streetfighter 1098 willingly responds, launching me into the next penal code with a twitch of remorseless unforgiving throttle. With the first ride there’s no doubt that Streetfighter doesn’t mean naked or softer; this is a superbike… stripped.

2010 Suzuki GSX1250FA Review – The Respect It Deserves
Tuesday, 22 Jun, 2010 – 9:01 | 17 Comments
2010 Suzuki GSX1250FA Review – The Respect It Deserves

Suzuki has divorced the name “Bandit” for the GSX1250FA, much as it has the GSX650F, untying the bike from what has become a lineage of bland visual design and daily commuter associations. Then the Japanese brand went a step further and gave the FA a GSX-R fairing treatment and headlight, so the response at first glance from those at a recent group ride was, “I thought you were bringing the Bandit.”

Arctic Challenge Counterpoint: A Personal Evolution of Adventure Riding
Monday, 21 Dec, 2009 – 15:46 | 3 Comments
Arctic Challenge Counterpoint: A Personal Evolution of Adventure Riding

In his counter point to the Arctic Challenge, Joe Lloyd argues that in our rush to embrace the bigger is better marketing message, many riders are too quick to overlook the lighter cheaper bikes that hooked us on adventure riding in the first place. Case in point, the Suzuki DR650.

Arctic Challenge Part 2: KTM 990 Adventure vs. BMW R1200GS Adventure & F800GS
Thursday, 17 Dec, 2009 – 10:33 | 5 Comments
Arctic Challenge Part 2: KTM 990 Adventure vs. BMW R1200GS Adventure & F800GS

In Part 2 of the Arctic Challenge the BMW F800GS, R1200GS Adventure and KTM 990 Adventure take to the dirt as we try to find the king of the adventure hill, in our survey of the three most asked about adventure bikes for 2009.

Arctic Challenge Part 1: KTM 990 Adventure vs. BMW R1200GS Adventure & F800GS
Wednesday, 9 Dec, 2009 – 19:53 | Comment
Arctic Challenge Part 1: KTM 990 Adventure vs. BMW R1200GS Adventure & F800GS

Three top-notch adventure bikes, the KTM 990 Adventure BMW R1200GS Adventure and BMW F800GS and it all comes down to the Dempster Highway – seven hundred and thirty-six kilometers of dirt, clay, mud, shale and gravel… The perfect environment for the ultimate adventure comparison.

2010 Ducati Hypermotard 796 Launch Review
Thursday, 15 Oct, 2009 – 11:55 | Comment
2010 Ducati Hypermotard 796 Launch Review

Costa Mouzouris brings us the 2010 Ducati Hypermotard 796 Launch Report from Bologna, Italy, enjoying the European roads and a bit of a shower.

2009 GSX-R 1000 – The One-Litre Angel
Thursday, 1 Oct, 2009 – 18:35 | Comment
2009 GSX-R 1000 – The One-Litre Angel

Why? Why did I forsake the litre-bike? Why did I wait so long to begrudgingly throw a leg over the 2009 GSX-R 1000? True, I thought I’d grown up making litre-bike immaturity a thing of my past, and that I’d moved on to more upright and relaxed rides. Then the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 proved me utterly and completely wrong.

2009 Suzuki Gladius – Just don’t call it Gladys
Sunday, 14 Jun, 2009 – 19:12 | 2 Comments
2009 Suzuki Gladius – Just don’t call it Gladys

If you were in the market for a sword, what would you be after? A finicky, finesse-centric epee? A saber? Which is just a long skinny hassle? Anything long and you’d forever be inadvertently skewering people in lineups and crowds. No you want something short, manageable and without airs – you’d want a Gladius.

Ducati Hypermotard-A for Adventure
Thursday, 28 May, 2009 – 11:44 | 2 Comments
Ducati Hypermotard-A for Adventure

There’s a lot of buzz about Ducati’s upcoming Adventure oriented Multistrada replacement, but do we really have to wait? We at OneWheelDrive.Net have gotten impatient. Well, that and our 640 Adventure is waiting for parts, so can our long term loaner Hypermotard stand in?

K1300GT and K1300S
Friday, 15 May, 2009 – 18:17 | 4 Comments
K1300GT and K1300S

If the 2009 BMW K1300GT and K1300S have a hallmark over their previous 1200 incarnations, it’s progress. But, trumping the slatherings of electronics, enhanced mechanicals, improved braking, and revised suspension may be… switch gear.

Konker KSM200 – Konkered Expectations
Sunday, 10 May, 2009 – 11:58 | One Comment
Konker KSM200 – Konkered Expectations

I’m skimming over a thoroughly potholed logging road in the shadow of the Chief just outside Squamish, BC. Below me is the Konker KSM200, a diminutive supermoto and one of the first wave of the storm of Chinese motorcycles to reach our shores.

Ducati Monster 1100S
Sunday, 10 May, 2009 – 11:40 | Comment
Ducati Monster 1100S

There it is, the scrape of hard knee puck plastic against pavement – proof positive of the Ducati Monster 1100S’s prowess. At coffee shops the world over Monster owners will high-five over lattés celebrating what great riders they are, the truth is in the bike though.

2009 KTM RC8 1190 – Poetry as Blood Sport
Thursday, 5 Mar, 2009 – 10:59 | Comment
2009 KTM RC8 1190 – Poetry as Blood Sport

I’d boxed this guy up and shoved him away into a corner of my mind. I thought I’d moved on to more sensible things like adventure and touring, replacing this raving self with a better person, a responsible rider who takes the high road and chooses his moments. Then KTM comes along and hands this speed-ist hooligan a 155hp and 88.5 lb-ft of torque sledgehammer labeled RC8.

BMW F800GS – A Small Adventure
Thursday, 19 Feb, 2009 – 19:33 | Comment
BMW F800GS – A Small Adventure

Brapppppp! In the far lane a rider on a R1200GS Adventure (GSA) has just sailed through an opening in rush hour’s waning traffic. Well played sir, but BMW’s F800GS isn’t so easily tossed aside. The GSA may have more guts, but it also has more mass, and the F800GS is proving epee precise and saber effective at slicing its way through the automotive throng.

Irrational Adoration: Best Western and Harley-Davidson Press Tour
Thursday, 5 Feb, 2009 – 12:45 | Comment
Irrational Adoration: Best Western and Harley-Davidson Press Tour

I throw the Harley-Davidson Sportster Nightster into the corner, hard and fast enough that it wobbles on Quebec’s pavement chop. This will pass, but sometimes a little active intervention helps – we throttle on out of the apex to a scrape of the peg. A long straight and the little Sportster’s needle brushes 160kph, this Harley-Davidson/Best Western press tour hasn’t been going to plan, but thundering down the straight and setting up for the next corner I can’t help but crack a smile.