review
BMW Motorcycle Turn Signal Relay
Replacing a turn signal or directional relay on a BMW R100RS I recently purchased an R100RS (see photo), and as I was going through it to check the routine maintenance and prepare it for the state’s motor vehicle inspection, I noticed that the turn signals were not working correctly. When the turn signal was on …
Ducati GT1000 and SportClassic Fork Guards
Fork Guards for the GT1000 I received an email a few weeks ago from Paul Smith (no, not that Paul Smith), letting me know about some GT1000 SportClassic fork guards he had for sale. Paul makes the fork guards, which will fit the Ducati Sport 1000, Sport 1000 S and the GT1000. He does not have a …
Ducati GT1000 Fairing
Fitting a Monster Fairing to a Ducati GT1000 I saw a monster fairing fitted to a Gt1000 at the Corbin seats web site (here) and it looks great. Tried the same with items sourced in Australia. Thought I might pass on these notes in case someone else out there thought of doing the same. The …
RiderLight Helmet Wireless LED Brake Light
RiderLight Wireless Light Review Easy to install wireless LED brake light strip attaches to helmet. Comes on steady when brakes are applied; after 5 seconds the LEDs flash. Has button for continuous blinking emergency display. Provides potentially greater visibility at night or in inclement weather. Brake lights and motorcycle visibility continue to be one of …
Ducati GT1000 Center Stand
Ducati GT1000 Centre Stand Before I get into the fitting of the stand I’d like to pass on a few things that I’ve discovered. There were two centre stand kits available for the Ducati SportClassic range when I purchased mine. One kit is designed to fit the Sport 1000 (bike info) and the Paul Smart 1000 (bike info). …
Ducati Riding Experience Review
The Ducati Riding Experience For the fifth year in a row, Ducati will be organizing a series of riding courses aimed at those who would like to learn how to ride a motorcycle or improve their street or track skills. The 2004 edition of Ducati Riding Experience saw a massive influx of attendees, both male …
Ducati Slipper Clutch – STM Slipper Clutch
Ducati Slipper Clutch – STM Slipper Clutch Diagram of an STM Slipper Clutch for a Ducati – More info can be found on the STM site; STM slipper clutches can be purchased (if you have a big wallet!) from Hard Racing. (Thank you Chris Edwards and the Mid-Atlantic Ducati club for these diagrams!) STM says : “It’s the only slipper …
LED Flashlight
An “Advanced” LED Flashlight The machinist in me was intrigued at the ad for a “CNC machined aluminum LED flashlight”. I just had to have one. The price was high at $24.95, and then there was the 5 buck shipping charge, but hey — what price quality? A nice CNC-machined “billet” flashlight would look great …
Motorcycle Accessory News
Ducati Fast Throttle Cam The Electraeon Fast Throttle Cam for Ducati motorcycles allows the throttle to reach full open with 75% rotation of the hand grip compared to the stock throttle cam. Reducing the amount of hand grip rotation provides greater control and comfort by allowing the throttle to reach the full open quicker and …
PUMA Ducati Sneakers
Ducati and Puma Announce Panigale Footwear Inspired by PUMA’s motorsports tradition, the two iconic brands invent the “Moto Lifestyle”. The first fruits of the PUMA – Ducati collaboration — the Panigale — arrive in stores this April. The shoe is specifically designed by Puma with creative insights from the Ducati Design Team. T he name …
Ducati Multistrada 620 Hugger
It took me just about one year to get this hugger installed on my Multistrada 620. Hopefully you can do it in about 1/52 of that time. The story starts on March 15 of 2008, when I ordered the “official” Ducati carbon fiber hugger for the Multistrada 620 from the local dealer. They charged my …
Ducati GT 1000 Saddlebags
Tight tolerances make this job more difficult than it should be. The bags can interfere with the frame and the saddle. And watch out for soft aluminum threads, which strip all to easily! I bought the GT1000 back in August of 2006, ordering a set of Ducati saddlebags and windscreen on delivery day. But I’ve …
Ducati Case Guard – Chain Guard
Ducati Case Guard – Chain Guard The old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is a rather appropriate description of this small item. However the word “pound” should be replaced with “a couple hundred pounds and a fistful of cash”!!! This little item can literally save you that much. What …
Ducati Substitute Oil Filters and a Multistrada 620 Oil and Filter Change
Ducati Substitute Oil Filters and a Multistrada 620 Oil and Filter Change Editor’s Note: Most of the information you’ll need to change the oil and filter on a Ducati Multistrada can be found in my Ducati Oil and Filter Change article. After a year or so of ownership, I had changed the oil and filter on the …
Ducati GT 1000 ECU, Throttle Body Balance and Lean Running Fix
GT1000 ECU Replacement To make a long story even longer, my GT 1000 has been popping and backfiring on the overrun since it was brand new. But lately it’s been stalling when I come to a quick stop, especially when the engine temperature is under 180 degrees F. I thought the popping sounded cool and …
Ducati GT 1000 Throttle Cable Adjustment
Ducati GT 1000 Throttle Cable Adjustment I’ve been noodling on the possible reasons for the GT1000’s super-sensitive throttle. It could be anything from a too-light flywheel to fuel injection and probably is amplified by the abundance of torque from the 1000DS engine at low RPMs. But something Chris told me about similar problems with the …
Ducati Sport Classics Parts & Accessories
Ducati Sport Classics Parts & Accessories We’re starting to collect lots of information on parts and accessories for the GT1000 and the Ducati Sport Classics, so we’ll list them all here. If you’d like to add something or if you’d like to write an article about installing an accessory or a repair or maintenance task …
EXO StormRider Heated Vest Review
Powerful Heat With the EXO StormRider Heated Vest The fabrics used in the EXO StormRider are of high quality and the vest is very nicely made. It’s comfortable and useful whether the heating elements are turned on or off. The special fabric does not use traditional internal wiring, which allows it to provide very even …
Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP Race Replica Street Bike
Desmosedici V-4 Racing Replica Street Bike: Another Ducati Dream Comes True Ducati gives the go-ahead for the MotoGP replica bike. The announcement was made at WDW2004 in front of thousands of Ducati fans. Misano Adriatico (RN) 22 May 2004 – In the magical atmosphere of the WDW (World Ducati Week, the giant bi-annual meeting of …
Ducati Sport Classics Features
Ducati SportClassics Technical Features Chassis The SportClassic models all take advantage of the signature Ducati ALS 450 steel tubular trellis frame, specifically engineered to give the bikes precise and confident handling. The frame’s high torsional rigidity ensures gratifying, sure-footed road manners even when pushed to the limit. This trellis frame is used on all Ducati …
G-Line Women’s Motorcycle Clothing
The G-Line Doheny Jacket & Pants The latest industry figures show that women are the fastest growing segment of the sport. There are now over 4.5 million women motorcycle riders, and that one out of every three riders enrolling in motorcycle training classes is a woman. I’ve had motorcycle industry executives downplay the role of …
Scorpion Fem-TECH Women’s Motorcycle Clothing
Scorpion Announces the New “Fem-TECH” Line of Motorcycle Clothing Good things come to those who wait. Starting March 2008 ScorpionExoWear will be available to female riders. Fem-TECH is the first collection of women’s gear to be released by Scorpion Sports Inc. ScorpionExoWear for men was first introduced in August of 2007, with everything from mesh …
Super G Women’s Motorcycle Clothing
Hein Gericke Announces the New Super G Line of Motorcycle Clothing Here’s an interesting press release that came our way from Hein Gericke. The Super G clothing lineup looks very interesting, with over-the-top designs and graphics that have a semi-custom appearance. The clothing is offered in four themes: Tatoo, Skulls, Character and Punk Rock, which …
Roadgear MultiTasker Briefcase
Roadgear MultiTasker Briefcase Commuting to work or school on a motorcycle or scooter sounds like a lot of fun, but reality often leavens the thrill. There aren’t many places with a perfect dry and sunny climate that encourages carefree two-wheel commuting. Most of us have to consider things like the type of outerwear that will …
Suzuki V-Strom 1000 ABS Tank Bag
Suzuki V-Strom 1000 ABS Tank Bag Review and Installation The Suzuki V-Strom 1000 ABS tank bag accessory is a high-quality (and expensive) piece of luggage. It may be worth the cost though, because the bag fits the bike perfectly and it mounts on a ring lock on top of the fuel filler, so there’s nothing …
The Suzuki GW250 Tank Bag
Suzuki GW250 Tank Bag Review and Photos The Suzuki GW250 tank bag is an excellent piece of luggage. It’s very nicely made and as you’d expect, it’s a perfect match for the curvy GW250 fuel tank. The bag has a rubberized bottom and fully 6 large 60 mm diameter magnets, which grip tightly to the …
Happy Trails Panniers Review
Super-Solid Hard Bags Happy Trails makes several different types of panniers and the Imnaha version is the smallest and lightest. The Imnaha bags are probably too small for true long-distance adventure touring, but they’re rugged and waterproof and their light weight is barely noticed on the DR650. The mounting rack system makes it all work, …
Eclipse Luggage
Eclipse motorcycle luggage has been made in the U.S.A. for just about as long as I’ve been riding motorcycles. The company was started in 1973, and it was in the spring of that year, if I recall correctly, that I purchased my first bike, a 1968 Bultaco Metralla (of all things). Back in those days, …
Motorcycle Touring Bag
Motorcycle Touring Bag One of the benefits of soft vs. hard luggage for motorcycles is the ability to use the soft stuff for multiple purposes. Let’s face it, you’d look pretty dorky carrying a Jesse aluminum pannier into a Vegas hotel. But most of the recent crop of motorcycle soft luggage not only looks cool, …
The FAMSA Tank Bag on Tour
The FAMSA 246 tank bag system consists of a base plate and two separate bag modules that can be used individually or zipped together to create one large tank bag system. The larger of the two modules has an expanding mid section that allows you to roughly double its capacity by undoing a zip that runs all …
FAMSA 246 Motorcycle Tank Bag
FAMSA Model 246 I remember the first time I saw a tank bag on a motorcycle. It was back in the early ’70’s, and European motorcycles were as rare as hen’s teeth in my neck of the woods. But there it was — a BMW, flat handlebars, cruising right down Main Street, and what was that thing …
Chicane Canyon EX Tank Bag
Motorcycle tank bags are available in all different shapes and sizes, with prices that will fit just about any budget. From tiny bags that can perch on top of the smallest fuel tanks, to condominium-sized Haulmeisters like the Famsa Model 246, soft saddlebags and even over-the-shoulder messenger bags, there are plenty of storage options. Perhaps Chicane USA …
Wolfman Tank Bag
The Wolfman Explorer Tank Bag Have you ever purchased a piece of gear that looked great on the shelf or in the catalog, only to find that it seemed to have been designed by someone who had never seen a motorcycle? The Wolfman Explorer tank bag neatly disposes of such nonsense with smart features and …
Timbuk2 Messenger Bag
Messenger bags were originally used to rush important documents back and forth by bicycle messengers in big cities like New York and London. In the beginning, they were known as courier bags. They were, and still are, dumpy looking things that get the tar beat out of them by their banzai owners. Somehow, the bike messenger …
Ducati and MV Agusta Photos
Ducati and MV Agusta Photos I went to the Duc Pond Motorsports Ducati open house during the summer and took some photos, and finally got around to posting them here. Duc Pond sells Ducati and is also the newest MV Agusta dealer in the area. You’ll notice the photo of the black Multistrada 620; this is where I …
2006 Ducati 999R Xerox and Ducati ST3 ABS Preview
In the run-up to the presentation of its complete Model Year 2006 range at EICMA in Milan from 15 to 20 November, Ducati chose the prestigious Motorcycle and Scooter Show in Birmingham (UK) to preview two of its new models due out next year. The first is an exclusive version of the 999R, in the …
Moto Guzzi MGS-01 Corsa
Moto Guzzi North America will be offering 50 MGS-01 “Corsa” track ready motorcycles to the US market later this year. A street or “Series” version is expected to follow in the 3rd quarter of 2004. The MGS-01 Corsa comes to life from the imagination of the famous Moto Guzzi Style Laboratory. In early 2002, with …
Water Cooled Moto Guzzi V11 GT
Moto Mag sent us these photos of a Moto Guzzi; supposedly the V11 GT prototype. I had originally thought it might be a prototype of a water cooled sport-tourer, but sources tell me it’s air cooled.These photos were taken several years ago, but the design still looks great today. Will it ever be built? Who knows…! …
Moto Guzzi Nevada Classic 750 i.e.
With the arrival of the new Nevada Classic 750 i.e., Moto Guzzi becomes one of the few motorcycle manufacturers in the world to boast entire range equipped with electronic fuel injection and catalyzed exhausts with Lambda oxygen sensor emission control. Every model in Moto Guzzi’s 2004 range fully complies with Euro 2 standards. The Nevada …
