Honda

Bare bones — naked bike, anyone? — and gnarly, the Ruckus looks like it’s right out of Mad Max. Even though it does have a 50 cc engine, no one is going to say, “Awww, isn’t that cute?” when you ride by on a Ruckus. Granted, you won’t be going very fast, so on-lookers will get a good, long look.

Honda produced its CBR125R for one reason, and one reason only; as a trainer bike for new riders who are into, or who want to be into, supersport motorcycles. It’s built to deliver the same eager and agile handling as its larger-displacement siblings, just with a powerplant that meets A1 license requirements. Big-bike style and feel helps train the next generation of would-be fiery-eyed pegdraggers, whether they be destined for that actual “Track Life,” or just want to look like they are. The 125 cc bracket may be the lowest meaningful classification, but it’s also one of the most important as it targets the entry-level market and represents the first real opportunity to instill some brand loyalty. Let’s check out Honda’s littlest CBR today and see what all the Red Riders have going on over there, then we’ll see how it stacks up against one of its domestic competitors.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda CBR125R.

Honda gave its CRF1000L “Africa Twin” a complete overhaul for the 2018 model year, a rebuild so complete that the new version shares not a single part with the old, according to the factory. Engine improvements include both hardware and software that starts with a Throttle-by-Wire system that enables even more electronic wizardry under the hood, as it were. The improvements make their way into the gearboxes on both the manual tranny and the optional, auto-shifting DCT. The factory buffed safety as well with a handful of new features such as the Emergency Stop Signal feature that flashes the hazards during hard braking actions. There’s plenty more packed in there, so let’s go ahead and get into the details.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Africa Twin.

Constructed mainly to please the young and new riders looking for some fun and entertainment, Pocket / Monkey bikes piece of machinery. It is quite literally the most accessible motorcycles to ride with advanced suspension, a strong steel frame, alloy wheels with disc brakes, grippy, all-weather tires and racy, naked-bike styling that will have you grinning all day long.

This is our list of the top seven pocket bikes on sale in 2018 designed in a class and style of a mini motorcycle. Originally designed to help introduce children as young as 8 to the world of motocross, these mini motorcycles have gained their fair share of adult fans too. Pocket bikes provide high-octane, adrenaline-fueled fun in a smaller, safer package.

For some people, adventure is about finding your way through the unknown to see things no one has and doing things most haven’t. But unless you plan on walking, you need the right tool to get there. This is where these adventure touring machines comes in and sweeps you off your feet in the most humble and matured way.

Here are our top ten adventure tourers of 2018 that come with some impeccable versatility to trout the lands across the globe. With the looks and utility of a capable off-roader and the balance and handling of a sport-standard, adventure motorcycles are a bipartisan look at how to tackle paved roads and dirt. Big and powerful engines, long travel suspensions and a higher riding position with multiple rider aids adorn these machines.

Full dresser, full dress tourer, or dresser are jargons for machines that love to hit the asphalt covering some major miles in the most sumptuous comfort. With complete sets of saddlebags and top box to carry all your and your passenger’s belongings, dressers are the ultimate cruising weapons that give you creature comforts like no other on two wheels.

Coming in hot with full fairings to protect you from the elements, large engines, navigation systems, an all-important music, and connectivity options and by far the most comfortable seats, here are our top ten dressers of 2018 that does all of it in luxury:

Baggers are nothing but motorcycles with large motors with plenty of low-end torque, forward set footpegs, and a laid-back reclined riding position defining any modern-day cruisers, with an addition of saddlebags. Meant for long distance travel, baggers maintain agility, an open feel, and classic motorcycle styling. In addition to the bags, they will often have windshields, partial fairing, a more comfortable seat, better suspension, larger tank, and forward controls.

Touring is synonymous with motorcycles; it’s an integral part of the riding experience. No other feeling satisfies a man’s desire for freedom, to head in a direction unknown. And if you don’t have the right tool to do it, the whole feeling just becomes uncanny. Here is our list of top ten baggers of 2018 touring the roads of the world:

Being the closest thing to flying without leaving the ground, Cruisers have been the incarnation of the ‘30s to ‘60s American lifestyles. Large motors with plenty of low-end torque, forward set footpegs, and a laid-back reclined riding position define any modern-day cruisers. Traditionally, large V-twins ran under the hoods, but inline engines have become more common these days.

Here is our list of the cruiser motorcycles of 2018 that gets us to simply cruise, at one with our bike, taking in the sights and smells, the cool air washing over, and supposedly cleansing the soul. Basically defining the concept of motorcycling, cruisers keep us wandering off with just a twist of the throttle to the unknown.

Peugeot Motocycles and Honda hit the 2018 Paris Motor Show with new models from France’s premier scooter manufacturer and a much anticipated CB for the Red Riders.

Continue reading for more on the show.

Timeless designs that take you back to the pre-’60s era, heightened feeling of riding free-spirited machines and the sense of freedom. This is what a modern-day classic motorcycle offers without that knuckle bending fixes and ghastly scenes of oil dripping everywhere. Here are our top ten standard/classic motorcycles of 2018 that take us back to the time from the ’60s.

Recalling the past glories, these neo-classic motorcycles have still managed to retain the charm and posterity of minimalistic elegance along with providing modern day mechanicals and the bits. They run on efficient high output engines that are both reliable and powerful and are equipped with state of the art suspension and brake setups that will bring the bike to a halt not far from their point of application unlike the yesteryears.

Call them bikes that perfectly fill the gap between thrilling sportsbike and the gigantic touring machines, sports-tourers are simply long haul motorcycles with sportbike expectations built to get the best out of that long way home. Here is our list of 2018’s top ten machines offering the same capabilities as touring bikes but without sacrificing any of the sporty performance.

They tend to be a bit lighter and corner well but aren’t the most comfortable. The riding position tends to be a bit more relaxed compared to sports machines, there’s better wind protection, much better pillion comforts, transmission with lower gearing and usually a whole quick release pannier system designed in.

Although not an official segment of motorcycles, our lifestyle for daily transportation in urban communities have given rise to street motorcycles that are lightweight and nimble for the concrete jungle. Being an agile handler while looking the part is how we need our commute through the asphalt.

This is our list of the machines we think can handle those demands better than any other. A motorcycle with an upright riding position, lacking plastic fairings for that narrow lane splitting ability and a lightweight construction for the ease of flickability is what we are looking for, and here are our top ten:

Honda brought one of its most recognized model families into the 21st century with a complete overhaul of the much celebrated Rebel range in 2017. Available as the Rebel 300 and 500, this reworked line features water-cooled mills and fuel-injection induction control to meet modern and near-future emissions standards. A sportier look greets the eye this time around, though the Rebel still targets the same small-[cruiser-mot392], entry-level market.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Rebel 300 and Rebel 500.

Honda showcased the current CBR 1000RR at the 2016 Intermot. It is an all-new redesigned package from Honda which showcased major updates from since nearly a decade to give them a fighting chance in the already competitive high-tech superbike arena.

Ever since its launch, it has been proving its mettle on the track and on the road. And with Honda’s proven reliability, Honda wants to ramp it up and tickle the liter-class market with an updated CBR1000RR. Well, for now, they have filed for trademarking the name “Fireblade” in the US market, and we cannot stop smiling. Some say the 2019 model will make 212 hp even. Drooool.

Honda made an honest attempt to capture that look and feel of yesteryear with the Shadow duo, the big brothers to the Rebel range. Maybe just a little too honest – is that a mechanical drum brake I see? Still with a 745 cc engine and a wide-ratio transmission, the Shadow Phantom and the Aero fill the "cruiser" slot quite adequately for Honda.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Shadow Phantom and Shadow Aero.

The Honda designers targeted the outlaw chopper culture of the ’60s and ’70s, and managed to turn out a fairly faithful interpretation in the Fury, which is carried into 2019 though we lost its stablemate, the Stateline, from the lineup in 2017. The deep saddle and cut-down rear fender combined with the sweep of the fuel tank give it that stretched, custom look. For the American market, the 52-degree V-twin fits right in with a 1,312 cc engine that isn’t so big as to be intimidating. Join me as I critique Honda’s attempt to recapture our glory days.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Stateline and Fury.

Introduced by Honda in 2003 as a race replica version of Honda’s CBR600F series, the CBR600RR was the most successful at the Supersport World Championship from 2002 to 2008, and again in 2010 and 2014. It was Honda’s more street-oriented 600-class sports bike that received periodical updates all the way until the 2013 model that lasted till the beginning of 2017, just when the Euro-IV norms kicked in. (The US markets still run the same model even today.)

Fresh new information from the CARB documents confirm the return of the most prolific mid-weight sportsbike, and this time, it is going to be 22 pounds lighter than the one it is replacing. In a bid to get back into the market after almost half a decade of no development on this particular platform, Honda will leave nothing to chances.

Honda carries its venerable XR650L line into 2019, but to be honest, it’s almost completely unchanged from the original version unleashed on the world back in 1993. Before you scoff, I would point out that sharks haven’t changed in millions of years, having evolved long ago into creatures perfectly suited to their environments, and apparently, so it is with the XR650L. The Red Riders got it right out of the gate with this one, and popular support keeps the bike on Honda’s showroom floors even after nearly a quarter-century. I want to see what Honda has going on over there that gives this bike such longevity.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda XR650L.

Honda’s latest generation of 600 cc, CBR supersports toes the family line with its race-winning blend of power and maneuverability all packed onto a MotoGP-inspired chassis. Much like the original CBR600RR that hit the streets back in ’03 and was built as a racebike replica, the current model features a strong engine along with a front suspension featuring Honda’s 41mm Big Piston Fork for superb handling and snappy action, plus MotoGP-inspired bodywork in a race-tested aerodynamic supersport design.

Continue reading for more my review of the Honda CBR600RR.