I haven’t been on a vehicle with three wheels since I was a kid tearing around my family’s back patio on my Big Wheel. And I’ve never been on one powered by something other than my legs, so I was definitely curious about the experience of riding a 2023 Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-to-Sky.   

If I were a betting man, I’d guess BRP, Can-Am’s parent company, gets tired of hearing, “It’s not a motorcycle.” Well, after 1,100-plus miles on the top-of-the-line touring model, which included about 900 miles roundtrip from Southern California to the high desert of southern Utah and back, as well as taking it for a spin with several passengers, including my 11-year-old son, my “gradually coming around to anything less than four wheels” wife, and my 77-year-old father with Parkinson’s, I believe the Spyder defies a lot of categories.  

Down by the Seaside | Can-Am Spyder RT 

Before taking the Sea-To-Sky home from Torrance, California, I rode it to meet up with Kevin Duke, the EIC of our sibling publication American Rider, in Seal Beach for dinner. This is where the STS felt right at home: by the sea. I could envision myself regularly hopping on and cruising around any number of beach communities with some tunes cranking from the very capable six-speaker BRP Audio Premium sound system. And with the Luxurious Green Shadow paint, the color-matched top case, Sea-To-Sky badging and stitched seats, and 16-spoke prosecco wheels and prosecco-colored trims, you’ll look good doing it. Whether going up the coast or just to the market, the 47 gallons (178 liters) of storage is ample for whatever you need to carry along. And if not, it’s calibrated to pull a Can-Am trailer.    

After dinner, I hopped back on the freeway for a nighttime ride to my hotel. That’s when I discovered that only certain switches are backlit. The turn indicator switch is not one of them. Nor is the horn. As a result, I inadvertently honked at a few people when I was trying to let them know I was changing lanes. And while the signals are self-canceling, the switch is difficult to turn off when changing lanes, often just turning on the other signal. 

With rush-hour traffic cleared, I got my first taste of what the STS could do with a little breathing room. All Spyder RT models are powered by a liquid-cooled, 1,330cc Rotax ACE (Advanced Combustion Efficiency) inline-Triple making a claimed 115 hp at 7,250 rpm and 96 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm. Given its 1,021-lb dry weight, the power-to-weight ratio is fairly low. With a smooth throttle-by-wire, it doesn’t have any problem launching off the line, but if you need to quickly overtake at higher speeds, you’ll need to drop it down a gear or two. I would’ve welcomed a ride mode besides just standard or Eco that offered quicker power delivery. 

Related: 2024 Can-Am Spyder F3 and RT Review | First Look

Speaking of quick shifts, the RTs have a 6-speed semi-automatic transmission with shifting handled manually with thumb and index-finger paddles on the left grip. However, the left grip felt a little small for this arrangement. I don’t have big hands, but the space felt a little tight, especially with bulkier heated gloves, and I worried that I would accidentally trigger one of the paddles. The RTs will downshift automatically, but I had a couple issues with this, including responsiveness. When I would coast to slow from 6th, unless I applied the brakes, I could get down to around 1,800 rpm before it downshifted, which meant that if I needed to accelerate again in a hurry, I’d either be trying to do it in a too-high gear or have to quickly downshift manually. Also, when I was cruising around town (where the automatic downshifter works better), I sometimes forgot I had to manually upshift.  

However, the inline-Triple holds its own at speed, and for my early introduction to a Can-Am Spyder RT, it was a blast bombing down the California freeways and through the evening mist caught in the yellow halogen cones of light while Led Zeppelin wailed from the speakers. I was definitely grinning, so maybe the people I honked at thought it was out of exuberance.  

Spirit in the Sky | Can-Am Spyder RT 

The next morning, I started the 450-mile journey from sea level to my home at 6,000 feet, providing an idea of how this luxury tourer handles long hours in the saddle. However, I pushed it a little more than just a casual tour – strictly for research purposes, of course. 

GEAR UP 

• Helmet: Arai Quantum-X 
• Jacket: Fly Racing Off Grid 
• Gloves: Highway 21 Hook Glove  
• Pants: ScorpionEXO Covert Ultra Jeans 
• Boots: Joe Rocket Sonic X 

The first thing I noticed was how three wheels affects the suspension experience. The RT Sea-to-Sky has Sachs suspension components, nonadjustable in the front with 6.9 inches of travel and with self-leveling (as well as manual) air preload adjustment in the rear with 6.0 inches of travel. On two wheels, you only dip or rebound, but each side of the RT’s front suspension system works independently of the other, which creates a different plane of movement than two wheels. For example, if the road conditions are different on one side of the lane or you ride over a change in road surface at an angle, there is not just the front/back suspension travel but also a side-to-side change, which takes some getting used to. However, on a consistent road surface, I was able to get the Spyder just south of triple digits on a couple straightaways, and it was surprisingly smooth.   

Cornering is probably the biggest difference in the ride. The owner’s manual is very clear on this point: “Do not countersteer as you do with a motorcycle. Unlike a motorcycle, this 3-wheel vehicle cannot lean while turning. You must relearn how to turn. … You will feel sideways forces pushing you to the outside of the turn. … In tight turns, it may help to lean your upper body forward and toward the inside of the turn.” 

I couldn’t have said it much better. When cornering on a motorcycle, the rider and vehicle lean together. When cornering on a Spyder, the vehicle pivots and the rider leans to compensate for centrifugal forces. I went into several corners pretty hot, and it took some muscling to hold my line. All Can-Am Spyders are equipped with  a Bosch-engineered Vehicle Stability System (VSS), which integrates ABS, electronic brake-force distribution, traction control, and stability control, along with Dynamic Power Steering. Being new to the three-wheeled experience, I had to calm my nerves a bit until I got more comfortable with the dynamics. Only having a foot brake – albeit a substantially sized pedal – to control both front and back braking also required some adaptation.  

If you’re not in a hurry, these things won’t be as much of an issue. But if you’re wanting to push it a little more, it’s an engaging experience, in some ways more immersive and intense than riding a motorcycle. To maneuver at speed, I had to pay attention and work a little more.  

Given these experiences – which reminded me of riding ATVs in my younger, wilder years – even though people talk about how great Can-Ams are for those who don’t want – or are unable – to wrangle a bigger touring bike anymore, the RT is also a good match for those who are looking to transition out of the four-wheeler world into something they can pack up and take on the road while enjoying an open-air, full-body experience. 

However, when you do take it on a roadtrip, don’t expect stellar mileage. On my trip from California to Utah, I averaged 28.7 mpg. With a 7-gallon tank, this adds up to just over 200 miles of range. But with a roomy and plush seat composed of adaptive foam, wide and long footboards, an electrically adjustable windscreen, and adjustable side wind deflectors, it’s easy to do these miles in one sitting. Keep an eye on that range, though, as the countdown of remaining miles to fill-up disappears when you drop below 20 miles.  

You may also lose a little oomph in mountain passes. On the Black Ridge just south of my home, the interstate climbs about 2,000 feet over the span of a dozen miles, and when I hit a 15-mph headwind coming up the ridge, the RT couldn’t hold its speed. However, thanks to the three wheels, I never had any clench moments when I got blasted by crosswinds over the span of nearly 500 miles, and in hindsight regarding the climb in elevation, given the power-to-weight ratio, downshifting would’ve likely remedied the issue.  

Related: 2023 Can-Am Ryker Rally Review | Road Test

It’s a Family Affair 

With all those solo touring miles, once I returned home, I was excited to take the Spyder out with some pretty tough critics riding pillion.  

My 11-year-old son, who has ridden with me on most test bikes I’ve reviewed, said he loved it more than any of the others. In the October 2023 Exhaust Note, I talked about how he gets a little nervous leaning over on curvy roads, so I think he liked the stability on the Spyder. I also talked about his “flying” arms when we’re on straightaways. I caught a glimpse of those spread arms in the mirrors of the Can-Am, as well as hearing shouts of jubilation as we cruised the rural valley outside of town blasting Imagine Dragons, one of his favorite bands. (Did I mention that the sound system is one of the best I’ve heard?) 

My wife and I are on mostly common ground when it comes to music, and I often put our mellow Ray LaMontagne library on shuffle when we’re on two-wheel tourers, but the Can-Am felt better suited to the rowdier Nathaniel Rateliff. This is maybe why I ended up pushing it a little more when she was on the back. She had a similar difficulty getting used to the sensations of the three-wheeled suspension and cornering at higher speeds. However, she liked the wide seat and backrest and thought the grips were better situated than some other bikes, which were more of a reach for her and ended up causing back discomfort.  

My dad is an outlaw country guy. I’m also a Waylon, Willie, and Johnny fan, so I could’ve played that when we went for a ride, but I wanted him to experience the pure ride for what it was: his first time climbing aboard something with less than four wheels (or hooves) in decades, a moment especially poignant given his Parkinson’s diagnosis. We clunked helmets a few times, but about 20 minutes in, when I thought he might be getting tired, he gave me the thumbs up, and we kept going. 

I had prepped him with a few things to think about during the ride, and when we got back, I could tell he really enjoyed it, and I asked him to put together a couple paragraphs about his experience. He sent me about 2,300 words. And to think I used to get in trouble for not following directions.  

Because he has a way with words and makes some interesting observations about the nature of being a motorcycle journalist, I have included the (mostly) unabridged version after the spec chart below, but to summarize based on his “essay” and my conversation with him, riding the Spyder was a good experience. As with my wife, he appreciated the comfort of the ride, the generous room for a passenger, the cushy seat, large passenger footboards, and foam hand grips. 

“If my Can-Am ride antedated our (recent) final decision on new dining room chairs,” he wrote, “so comfortable was the seat on the Can-Am that there would now be four of them, each one parked on the four sides of our dining room table.”    

He also agreed with how smooth the ride was at speed, with no helmet buffeting – or anxiety – as we got up near 80 mph. Most important to him, however, was the sense of stability. Many injuries suffered by people with Parkinson’s are the result of falling, which starts with a lack of balance. 

“When we start to take a fall, we do not react appropriately. … The positioning of the handgrips and the legs of an individual riding pillion on the Can-Am, combined with the lack of leaning required from a passenger, contraindicate getting into a fall trajectory posture.” 

I was just glad he had fun. 

In “Everyday People,” Sly and the Family Stone sings about “different strokes for different folks.” The 2023 Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-To-Sky may be the perfect vehicle for those looking to transition from two wheels to something easier to handle or from a four-wheeler to something that opens up a new world of possibilities. Or just someone looking for a new experience.  

It’s a hard vehicle to define, but once you get over the fact that it’s not exactly what you’re used to, you can learn to enjoy it on its own terms. It gave me a chance to do something with my father that I may not ever get to do again, and for that, I will always be grateful.  

2023 Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-To-Sky Specs 

• Base Price: $32,999 
• Website: Can-Am.BRP.com 
• Warranty: 2 yrs., unltd. miles w/ roadside assistance 
• Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse in-line Triple, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl. 
• Displacement: 1,330cc 
• Bore x Stroke: 84.0 x 80.0mm 
• Horsepower: 115 hp @ 7,250 rpm (claimed) 
• Torque: 96 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm (claimed) 
• Transmission: 6-speed, semi-automatic w/ reverse 
• Final Drive: Belt 
• Wheelbase: 67.5 in. 
• Rake/Trail: n/a 
• Seat Height: 29.7 in. 
• Dry Weight: 1,021 lb  
• Fuel Capacity: 7 gal. 
• Fuel Consumption: 28.1 mph 
• Estimated Range: 197 miles 

See all of Rider‘s Can-Am coverage here.

Thoughts on the Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-to-Sky and other topics by Daniel R. Dail: 

My son Paul tests and reviews motorcycles for a living for two upscale magazines. I am moved to wonder how many men envy him in this, one of the more unusual, if not bizarre, mixtures of the arts and sciences that one can conjure up. 

In thinking about it, it may not be as strange as it seemed at first glance. Someone has to do it. I never gave it much thought until now, but machines can have a legacy that’s truly their own. Think not? Think again. The Ford Mustang. The 1932 Ford Coupe. The Harley Davidson 1948 Panhead, 1964 Chevy Camaro, 1964 Ford Edsel, and hundreds, perhaps thousands more. In each case, someone has to tell its story, set in motion those things that would become part of what that machine represents. Even in the case of classic failure (Edsel), someone has to start the record. 

Welcome to the intersection, the place where the impossible happens, the lamb lays down with the lion, a place where the sword ever so gently embraces the pen, and the covenant they share creates the story of a particular machine through the gauntlet, through fire and ice. That story may very well turn out to be that machine’s legacy. A motorcycle journalist position requires excellent judgment, a solid business acumen, and astute instincts for diplomacy when writing up the assessment report on a particular make or model of motorcycle. 

There are spectacular true accounts, especially in automotive history, whereupon the future of an entire company, its stakeholders, and employees were riding on the acceptance of a new model or concept, only to be driven askew by a negative review. Occasionally, a sword can be withdrawn in time to stem the hemorrhaging; rarely, if ever, can this happen with the pen. 

I can give no assurances that Paul himself is fully cognizant of the enormous power he wields in carrying out of his duties in what his older brother has labeled a dream job. Whether a novelist or essayist, while holding a reader’s interest is important, holding their trust is the Holy Grail. History is replete with accounts of multitudes of humanity who have given over the gift of their trust to a charismatic leader only to be richly rewarded; others have paid the ultimate price for the misplacement of their gift of trust. They didn’t drink poison from the cup because they were thirsty; they drank it because they trusted the person serving it to them. I am of the opinion that trust has been undervalued – not given its due. 

Paul’s typical first ride on a particular motorcycle to which he has been assigned originates in traffic-choked Los Angeles County, population density over 2,400 people per square mile and 89 feet in elevation, and it draws to a conclusion about 450 miles away in Iron County, Utah, density 15 people per square mile and elevation just under 6,000 feet. 

Much of the ride is on the high desert (aka cold desert) biome of the Mojave, a moody, ever-changing landscape with a beauty all its own that can suddenly be interrupted by a hostile paint-stripping sandstorm or a 30-degree temperature plummet that can only be a prelude to a marble-sized summer hailstorm. Then there’s the much feared and much maligned gully washer. Torrents of water seemingly appearing out of nowhere, laying to waste everything in its path. 

Much of this rather fragile land has not taken kindly to the scars carved into its surface by marauding throngs of dirtbikes, dynamite blasts which would become manmade gorges, and incessant assaults from a developer’s bulldozer. They tear out the sage and uproot the juniper trees and then name the streets after them.  

There is a rich history of native people inhabiting parts of Mojave, but for the most part it is rather hostile to human habitation. There, a lone motorcyclist has to develop good instincts for changing conditions. 

Compared to Paul, I am an imposter, a poor replica of the real thing. But here I am, neither a writer nor motorcycle afficionado, preparing for a small taste of what my son does professionally. But I am a creature of my own design. I am what I call a “word stylist,” an inferior subspecies of writer who writes from a place of raw emotion and who has but a fleeting acknowledgement of the rules of punctuation and sentence structure. 

I am schooled in the sciences, so it doesn’t make sense that I am so attracted to “paragraphical” sentences and the use of ten words when five will do nicely. I like to push the limits of language. I think that there is a certain elegance in the use – but not overuse – of archaic words and phrases. Elaboration knows no better friend than I. 

So how do I earn the reader’s trust? The first thing that I must do is remember is to stay in my own lane, figuratively speaking. I have been invited to be a guest on board the Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-To-Sky (hereafter, the “Can-Am”). Nothing more. I will not handle any controls, bells, or whistles unrelated to my role as an uninformed passenger with a paucity of technical acumen aboard a behemoth of a machine that bears no resemblance to the arachnid for which it is named. Looking down from aloft, there is an unmistakable likeness to a scorpion, however. Somebody really missed the mark naming this machine. And “Sea to Sky”? Out of fairness, there is no ocean front nearby to Cedar City, but the whole time I was on board the Can-Am, not once did it leave solid ground to become airborne. 

After I have become thoroughly saturated by the experience aboard the Can-Am, like Paul, I will be asked to write about it, but unlike Paul, my testimony will be stripped of technical jargon or inference made from previous experiences because I haven’t had any, unless you count a Cushman Highlander and a Triumph 250cc bike in the early 1960s. 

My contribution will be largely sensory: What does it feel like? So it would seem that my value to this story is that I don’t know very much, and if I can own up to it (stay in my lane) and not try to convince the readers otherwise, I will have served my purpose. 

Particularly pertinent to this venture into the unknown are my age – I am 77 – and that I have a neurodegenerative disorder, Parkinson’s disease. This makes me susceptible to a myriad of symptoms that, without some accommodation, might make the ride on the Can-Am something less than a good idea. 

Seventy-seven years requires little in the way of an explanation. I didn’t do anything wrong, and I didn’t do it on purpose; it just turned out that way on my last birthday. 

Parkinson’s disease is another set of circumstances and plays heavily into what I can say about the view perched in the “not aloft” of the passenger seat of the Can-Am (there is no awkward towering over the driver). 

Were I asked to give a one-word description of the Can-Am, it would be “generous.” There is more than ample room for driver or passenger to mount first, assisted by the three points of contact with the ground. For someone with Parkinson’s, this could be the difference between going or having to stay home.  

On this particular day, I sauntered up, stepped on the main footboard with a confidence bolstered by the size of it, hoisted my right leg over the seat back, and eased slowly down the backrest gently kneading my lower back, waist, and rib cage as I settled down onto the seat with its rather complex combination of tucks, rolls, and rises. The seat pad yielded in places, and I redirected my legs to the large, stirrup-like 4×6-inch passenger footboards and tested the soft, ample 12-inch foam handgrips. 

This may be as good a place as any to mention that my wife and I had been searching for some new dining room chairs about the same time as I took my ride on the Can-Am. For the dining room chairs, comfort needed to be the most important feature. We longed for those seemingly irretrievable days when family and good friends could sit around the dining room table for hours after a meal and just talk. Everything from Russia’s war in Ukraine to the possibility of a particular horse winning the Triple Crown might be discussed. No TV, and cellphones turned off. Just good conversation with people you care about. 

We finally found chairs that looked like they would serve our needs nicely on Amazon, but if my Can-Am ride antedated our final decision on new dining room chairs, so comfortable was the seat on the Can-Am that there would now be four of them, each one parked on the four sides of our dining room table. 

The basic platform of all Can-Am cycles is the same three-wheeled configuration of two up front and one behind. My assignment is very specific on this point. I’m bound to the notion of being someone who knows very little – or nothing – about the technical specifications of this machine and therefore have nothing of substance to say about this configuration without running the risk of not staying in my own lane as I promised I would do. I will leave the merits and drawbacks to others. I am confident, however, in saying the Can-Am gives an amazing sense of stability because of its three-wheel configuration. 

Those of us with Parkinson’s disease don’t do well in crowded places, so riding pillion on a 4-inch-wide seat pushed up over the back of the driver would not be my idea of an ideal cycling experience. Neither would the reciprocal – nothing to give stability, or a sense of reckoning with the natural forces in the world within which we exist. Take gravity, for example. Taking any statistic on falling and adding Parkinson’s disease and adjusting for age, and it is worse.  

Everything about falls, including occurrence, injury, hospitalizations, and deaths due to falls is worse with Parkison’s. Over time, the disease erodes one’s ability to react, reaching a point where, when we start to take a fall, we do not react appropriately. An example of appropriate reaction would be to raise your arms to cover your head or your face to lessen the damage done on impact or put your hands out in front of you to lessen the impact itself, to “break the fall.” 

Falling is a surprisingly complicated action involving a large number of soft tissues and organs laid upon or protected by a rigid framework and a nervous system firing at blinding speed in an effort mitigate the damage. However, there is little in the way of mid-fall recovery when someone has Parkinson’s. Once you are in a fall trajectory, you are most likely to be consumed by a kind of helplessness so overwhelming that it is somewhat akin to being pulled into the fall. The trajectory is like a vacuum tube: You are literally sucked into it.  

I have no first-hand experience to draw upon since my Parkinson’s diagnosis, so I must speculate that the leaning that is part of negotiating turns on a two-wheel motorcycle would not bode well with the balance problems of the kind that often accompany Parkinson’s. Leaning is also one of the ways we end up in a fall trajectory. 

However, the positioning of the handgrips and the legs of an individual riding pillion on the Can-Am, combined with the lack of leaning required from a passenger, contraindicate getting into a fall trajectory posture. Additionally, the adjustable windscreen cuts a wide swath, leaving both passenger and driver well-protected from windblast, even at speeds in excess of 75 mph, which gave me an added sense of security. 

So now we come to the elephant in the room. What is someone with Parkinson’s disease doing on a motor-driven cycle anyway? Well, PD is progressive disease: In early stage, it may not even be noticeable; at end stage, you’re more worried about where your next breath is coming from than going on a motorcycle ride (suffocation is responsible for a lot of deaths in people with PD). It’s what comes between early and end stage that really matters. And isn’t that pretty much the way it is for everyone, PD or not? Michael J. Fox made a couple of movies and filmed several episodes of the TV show Spin City in early-stage PD. Who knew? Now in the middle stages of PD, the disabling effects are considerably more evident. Perhaps he might have second thoughts about jumping on a Can-Am and taking an afternoon ride. Me? I wouldn’t give it a moment’s hesitation – at least not today. Just watch me. 

This machine, the Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-To-Sky literally shouts the words “Riding Two Up,” given its generous dimensions, stability, and passenger accommodations aplenty. 

Fifteen years after my diagnosis. I awaken almost every morning knowing that as soon as I wipe the sleep from my eyes, the fight for who will rule this day will already be under way. It’s going to be one helluva battle, and I am going to be right in the thick of it. My opponent is Parkinson’s disease. Some days I do pretty well – other days, not so much. But every day, every single day that I show up, PD will know it has been in a fight. 

That is how I have earned Parkinson’s creds. It’s the same way Paul has earned motorcycle and writing creds…it’s the hard way. And because I have stayed in my own lane, shown the readers that I trust them, and because Paul Dail is my son, it has hopefully earned me at least a glimpse of the coveted treasure, the Holy Grail: the reader’s trust. 

The post 2023 Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-To-Sky Review | Ridden and Rated appeared first on Rider Magazine.

When I’m on my cruiser, I like the feel of air passing over me while riding backroads, but in the colder months – or when I’m on the interstate, which has a speed limit of 80 mph where I live – a windshield offers a pleasant reprieve that lets me enjoy other aspects of riding. My wife appreciates it too.

The factory windshield on my 2004 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail was starting to yellow and haze, which can be a serious problem when riding toward the setting sun. It also had some pitting, not to mention a few unsightly scratches from an incident I’m too embarrassed to relate. The scratches weren’t directly in my line of vision, but they were still right up front, detracting from an otherwise nearly flawless 20-year-old bike. So I was excited when I discovered National Cycle made a replacement.

Related: A Tale of Two Brothers and a Deal for a Harley-Davidson

But let’s be clear (pun entirely intended), the SwitchBlade 2-Up Quick Release Windshield is more than just a replacement; it’s a step up. National Cycle has had various SwitchBlades in its lineup – including the shorter Chopped windshield – for about as long as my bike has been around. The 2-Up matches the dimensions of my stock windshield and, as the name implies, provides good wind protection for both rider and passenger.

The 2-Up is constructed of 4mm polycarbonate with National Cycle’s exclusive Quantum hardcoating for scratch resistance. In a Taber abrasion test, the Quantum hardcoating measured 10 times more abrasion resistant than FMR hardcoated polycarbonate and 33 times more than acrylic. National Cycle also claims Quantum offers 2.5 times more UV protection than FMR.

The difference in visibility between my old windshield and the SwitchBlade 2-Up (MSRP $409.95 with a three-year warranty against breakage) was immediately apparent and pleasing. Installation of the hardware ($110.95, sold separately and model-specific) was quick and easy, but I recommend saving your old hardware. The windshield installation directions specify that a “slight flexing” of the shield might be required to get the lower notches on the lower spools, but I couldn’t bend the shield enough before getting blocked by the stock light bar, so I had to use a couple of my old washers for the lower spools. Even then, I had to loosen the top lights on the bar to squeeze the shield over the main nacelle and between the light bar and the fork.

After making these accommodations, the windshield now pops on and off without any problems. I love the completely unencumbered view from behind the handlebar of a cruiser, but the SwitchBlade 2-Up Quick Release Windshield allows me to choose the wind protection when I want it, combined with a crystal-clear view that should last for another 20 years.

See all of Rider‘s Parts & Accessories reviews here.

The post National Cycle SwitchBlade 2-Up Quick Release Motorcycle Windshield Review | Gear appeared first on Rider Magazine.

When it comes to leather motorcycle jackets, Joe Rocket doesn’t make the motorcycle-apparel equivalent of Chef Gordon Ramsey’s often cited cardinal sin of too many offerings. The company keeps it simple – just five choices. Of these, the Sinister is the most geared toward sport riders.

See all of Rider‘s apparel reviews here.

From a protection standpoint, the Sinister doesn’t fool around. It’s made of 1.2-1.4mm embossed cowhide and has injection-molded reinforced shoulder caps with removable CE Level 2 shoulder and elbow armor and a spine pad. Reflective trim and a jacket-to-pants fastening system are additional safety elements.

When I put on the jacket, it feels substantial. And it’s not just my imagination; it weighs about 6 lb, which is on par with my leather cruiser jacket. However, for all that substance, the Sinister is more comfortable than I expected. It has precurved sleeves, which can feel somewhat constricting, but it balances this with Full Flex ribbed elbows for added mobility. It also has stretch panels in both the underarms and sleeve undersides, plus an adjustable waist.

There are zippered vents on the biceps and the back that provide sufficient, if somewhat underwhelming, airflow. I would welcome chest vents in the form of a couple pockets in addition to the three existing ones (two external and one internal), but I can see why the company didn’t want to disturb the aesthetic, which is definitely an asset worth noting.

The Sinister is clearly going for a particular style, and if that is your thing, this jacket pulls it off. When I put it on, between the six-pack “abs” on the front (which seem more form than function), injected shoulders, and general sturdiness, I feel like Batman. I feel like a badass. Problem is, that’s not necessarily who I am. I enjoy riding sportbikes and pushing myself, but I don’t pretend to be a racer. And I’m not crazy about the giant “Rocket” logo across the front and back. I don’t mind supporting the brand, but it feels like overkill. But who knows? With all that protection on me, when I’m hustling down a backroad, instead of Batman maybe I’m Rocket Man.

The Joe Rocket Sinister jacket comes in sizes S-3XL for $399.99.

The post Joe Rocket Sinister Leather Motorcycle Jacket | Gear Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.

I love riding and testing motorcycles. However, to do the latter, I have to make a 900-mile roundtrip from my home in southern Utah across the Mojave Desert to L.A. to swap test bikes. The most direct route is on Interstate 15, which is dull for long stretches, and weather can be a challenge. In January, there’s usually snow on the ground where I live; in July, temperatures soar well above 100 degrees in the desert. Another consideration is the type of bike. Doing the trip on a naked sportbike makes for a long, achy day. But I recently returned from Southern California on a 2023 BMW R 1250 RT, and the ride home gave me a good taste of the sport-­tourer’s capabilities. It’s a bike I would gladly – and comfortably – ride 500 miles a day in any season.

Where Sport Meets Touring

Sport-touring bikes must serve two masters – they must deliver sport performance but they must also be comfortable enough to ride for long periods of time. The RT does both in spades.

The bike is powered by a liquid‑­cooled 1,254cc boxer Twin with throttle‑­by‑­wire, a 6‑­speed gearbox, and a slip/assist clutch. The engine makes a claimed 136 hp at 7,750 rpm and 105 lb‑­ft of torque at 6,250. Adding ShiftCam, which varies valve timing and intake valve lift, to the mix meant that the R 1250 RT gave me the power I needed whenever I needed it.

With the frequent pace changes while navigating L.A. freeways, I could easily adapt to the flow of traffic without constant gear changes. There were several occasions when I accelerated quickly, got up to a comfortable speed, and was zipping along before realizing I was still in 4th or 5th gear without any complaint from the engine. Whenever I needed to overtake on a two‑­lane, a quick twist of the throttle in 4th brought immediate response, turning 60 mph into 80‑­plus before I knew it and leaving the other vehicle fading in my mirrors with plenty of passing time to spare.

And all this was in Road mode. The R 1250 RT, which has a base price of $19,695, comes standard with three ride modes – Road, Rain, and Eco – as well as Hill Start Control, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), and full integral ABS Pro. Our test bike was equipped with the optional Premium, Comfort, and Dynamic packages, for an as‑­tested price of $26,570. Among the equipment included in these packages is Ride Modes Pro, which adds Dynamic mode along with engine drag torque control (reduces slip at the rear wheel), Hill Start Control Pro (automatically engages the hill‑­holding function), and Dynamic Brake Control (activates in the event of emergency braking).

In Dynamic mode, DTC kicks in later than the other ride modes, and throttle response is more direct. Road mode was sufficient for most riding, but Dynamic mode added to the enjoyment of riding through twisty sections of road like I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge and, closer to home, Utah State Route 14 through Cedar Canyon.

GEAR UP

• Helmet: SMK Titan Carbon
• Jacket: BMW Motorrad 100 Years Roadcrafted Denim
• Gloves: Joe Rocket Super Moto
• Pants: Joe Rocket Anthem Jeans
• Boots: Joe Rocket Sonic X

When it came time to reign in that power, twin 4-piston calipers and 310mm discs up front and a 2-piston caliper and 277mm disc in the back provided immediate response. The Telelever architecture of the front suspension, combined with the linked cornering ABS, means that when you need to shed speed fast, the bike remains composed and doesn’t suffer from excessive front end dive. Rather, it feels like the whole bike lowers, which is especially handy when cornering.

Our bike was equipped with Gear Shift Assist Pro, but from 1st to 3rd gear, I found the quickshifter a bit clunky. I experimented with a variety of rpms but could never quite find the sweet spot. However, it was seamless from 4th to 6th.

The R 1250 RT has a 10.25-­inch color TFT panel offering anything you’d need – and then some – including connectivity and integrated navigation. When I was going through the owner’s manual before picking up the bike, I thought I’d have difficulty figuring out all the functions and settings, between the menu rocker button, Multi-Controller wheel (which goes up and down and side to side), and various menu hierarchies. However, once I was on the bike, it was surprisingly intuitive. I usually kept it on Pure Ride view, which fills most of the screen with the tach but also shows the gear indicator and speed in a nice big font (for us old guys), and in the top right corner, you can use the rocker button to switch through info functions such as tripmeter, range, odometer, and fuel gauge. A push of the Multi-Controller wheel allows for a customizable split‑­screen view.

All lighting is LED, the turnsignals are self‑­canceling, and the standard headlight adjusts for optimal lighting on straight stretches based on ride height sensors. Our bike was outfitted with the Adaptive Headlight feature, which also optimizes lighting in corners.

Related: BMW Motorrad Unveils 2024 BMW R 1300 GS at Barber Vintage Festival | Videos

The BMW R 1250 RT Party of Two

For all that sport performance, the R 1250 RT is also a touring bike, and since my favorite person to tour with is my wife, I took her out for a spin to get her impressions.

When she climbed aboard, the optional Dynamic Electronic Chassis and Suspension Adjustment automatically adjusted the rear shock’s preload. It will also account for the added weight of gear in the saddlebags. The semi-active suspension has two modes – Road and Dynamic – for general-purpose or sporty riding, and in both modes, the system adjusts damping in real time to keep the chassis stable under acceleration, braking, and other conditions.

With a curb weight of 615 lb, the RT is not a light bike, and the whole package gets heavier when you add a rider, passenger, and gear, so Hill Start Control Pro came in handy when stopped on inclines. I’m pretty used to my heavy cruiser, so I didn’t have any problems pushing the BMW around, but a reverse feature would be useful.

Whether slaloming through the Virgin River Gorge or overtaking cars on the freeway, the RT runs so smooth – a quality my wife appreciated – that you can quickly find yourself going…well, too quickly. Cruise control is a good way to self-impose a speed limit. In addition to the standard Dynamic Cruise Control, which holds a set speed on descents, our bike had the optional Adaptive Cruise Control that uses a radar sensor to detect vehicles in front and adjust speed accordingly. It can be set to three distance ranges – short, medium, or long – that determine the distance behind other vehicles before the bike decelerates. The system has two settings – Comfortable or Dynamic – that affect deceleration and subsequent acceleration when the path is clear again.  

The electric windscreen is another feature my wife and I appreciated. She said it provided a good bit of protection for her. I’m just shy of 6-feet, and if I sat very upright, the wind caught the top of my helmet. In a more relaxed riding position, it was quiet enough that I could clearly hear the music from the bike’s dual speakers while wearing my full-­face helmet, even at 85 mph, although I needed to have the volume turned up all the way. However, with the windscreen down, I might as well not have been playing music at all. Connecting a headset would be the ideal solution.

The seat is something else that got high marks from both of us. She appreciated the width and cushiness, and I appreciated the ride duration it provided. When returning the bike, I rode for almost three hours before stopping – an easy feat for the bike’s 6.6-gallon fuel tank – and I felt just fine. The only thing my wife didn’t like was the lack of something behind her. Most of her riding has been on my cruiser with a backrest. BMW has an accessory top case that would provide some reassuring support.

You’ve Come a Long Way

In 1978, BMW Motorrad introduced its first Reise‑­Tourer, or “travel tourer,” the R 100 RT. It was powered by the 980cc /7 “Airhead” boxer Twin, had a full fairing adapted from the R 100 RS, and had Krauser-made saddlebags that looked like black suitcases.

In the 45 years since, the RT has come a long way. Engine displacement has grown by 274cc, power has increased from 70 hp to 136, liquid cooling has been adopted, and innovations such as the Telelever, Paralever, and ShiftCam have been added along with a full suite of electronic rider aids.

The RT has always been a solid, comfortable, reliable touring machine, but over the years it has evolved into a sophisticated, exciting sport-tourer. Solo or two‑­up, with a light or heavy load, the BMW R 1250 RT is a highly capable and thoroughly enjoyable motorcycle. When the time came, it wasn’t easy to part with.

2023 BMW R 1250 RT Specs

• Base Price: $19,695
• Price as Tested: $26,570 (Premium, Comfort, and Dynamic packages)
• Website: BMWMotorcycles.com
• Warranty: 3 yr., 36,000 miles
• Engine Type: Air/liquid-cooled, longitudinal opposed flat-Twin, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl. & ShiftCam variable valve timing
• Displacement: 1,254cc
• Bore x Stroke: 101.6 x 76.2mm
• Horsepower: 136 hp @ 7,750 rpm (factory claim, at the crank)
• Torque: 105 lb-ft @ 6,250 rpm (factory claim, at the crank)
• Transmission: 6-speed, hydraulically actuated slip/assist wet clutch
• Final Drive: Shaft
• Wheelbase: 58.5 in.
• Rake/Trail: 25.9 degrees/4.6 in.
• Seat Height: 31.7 in.
• Wet Weight: 615 lb
• Fuel Capacity: 6.6 gal.
• Fuel Consumption: 44.8 mpg
• Estimated Range: 296 miles

See all of Rider‘s BMW coverage here.

The post 2023 BMW R 1250 RT Review | Road Test appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Although I know my dad rode a motorcycle when he was younger, I don’t have any memories of him doing so. Nor do I remember our family camping when I was growing up. My wife and I have taken our kids camping a few times since they got old enough that it wasn’t too much of a hassle, but it has always been car camping. This past summer was busier than usual, and when I knew we weren’t taking our usual big family trip and I still had the CFMOTO Ibex 800 T (see my Ibex 800 T review here), I told my son, Jameson, that we should go motorcycle camping.

As with most things that elicit excitement in a 10-year-old, he latched on to that idea and wouldn’t let go, so I decided we better make it happen while I still had the bike. I wanted him to have that memory.

Of my younger children, my son has taken to riding with me more so than my 13-year-old daughter. It’s not a “teenager thing”; it’s just not her thing. But for whatever reason, my boy, who is fearful of many other things, likes to get on the back of the bike. He still gets nervous on curvy roads, but on straightaways, I’ll sometimes see him in the mirrors with his arms spread out like he’s flying. I can relate to that feeling. And maybe part of it is just doing something with Dad. I can get on board with that too.

So we planned our trip. Although we were only traveling a little over an hour away, it would be Jameson’s longest ride with me. It was also the first motorcycle camping trip for both of us. Honestly, it was about as close to car camping as you can get on a motorcycle – except not as comfortable since I couldn’t take as much on the bike as we normally shoehorn into the car. But we were only going to be gone overnight – and not far off the beaten path. We would be camping at a place that served diner food, but I wanted at least one meal cooked over a fire, so I packed some hot dogs – and marshmallows, of course. Otherwise, we went pretty barebones, with just a tent, two old sleeping bags, and some snacks.

Related: Motorcycle Camping Tips…From the Backyard?

When it comes to life with a 10-year-old, you’re not always sure when you’ve hit a homerun. Sometimes it’s obvious, like when they ask to do it all again the next weekend. Other times, you have to pry a little more, and when you have a gracious kid like mine, then you have to figure out if he’s just saying he had fun because he knows it’s important to you.

I know he enjoyed parts of the trip. He liked being on the back of the motorcycle – and I saw those arms spread out a few times. He didn’t like some of the twistier bits of the ride, but we talked about it that night at camp, and he felt more comfortable on the way back…I think. He was glad to arrive at our campground – especially since there was a pool – and he liked helping me with the tent. I made him leave his iPad home, which is a tough one for my kid, but we kept busy enough. Later that night in the tent, I caved and we watched a couple videos on my phone.

Mostly I’m guessing he enjoyed the experience because it was just him and me, but like most kids with a sibling, I think he might’ve liked it more if his sister had expressed some jealousy. But she didn’t. She at least displayed some interest when we showed her and my wife the pictures, but there was no request of “Can I go next time?”

Cooler temps might’ve helped as well. It’s hard enough convincing a kid to get in full gear in the summer – it’s hard to convince myself sometimes – and he was especially ready to be done by the end of our trip when it hit the 90s and we were waiting in a drive-thru for our burgers before going home.

Our trip was a month and a half ago. So far, he hasn’t asked to do it again, but the rest of the summer continued to be as busy as the first part, so we’ll see how it goes next year. I hope he had fun. Or at least I hope he remembers the good parts above the rest. I’d say that’s the goal of parenting in general.

The post Making Memories While Motorcycle Camping With My Son appeared first on Rider Magazine.

When something has been around for four decades, it’s usually because of a combination of inherent quality and general likability. Take a look at Rider magazine, for example. Next year, we celebrate our 50th birthday. There’s a reason for that. But quality doesn’t live in a vacuum. To survive – and even better, to thrive – there has to be change. Honda has succeeded in finding the next step in the evolution of the Honda Shadow Phantom, and the company hopes the changes, combined with a 40-year history, will help the bobber-style bike succeed in the middleweight cruiser market.

The Spirit of 750

The Honda Shadow was introduced in 1983 with two options. The larger of the two cruisers featured a liquid-cooled 745cc 45-degree V-Twin with SOHC and 3 valves per cylinder. It had a 6-speed gearbox, a slipper clutch, and shaft final drive. More than 19,000 Shadow 750s were sold that year.

Related: Retrospective – 1988 Honda VT800C Shadow

There were several other chapters in the Shadow story, but if we’re following the lineage to the Phantom, significant mileposts included the shift to a 52-degree V-Twin in 1988 with the 583cc Shadow VLX. The 52-degree V found its way to the larger displacement 750cc Shadow ACE in 1998, which dropped down to a 5-speed gearbox, chain final drive, and no slipper clutch. The Shadow Phantom was introduced in 2010 with blacked-out styling (the exhaust was still chrome), the introduction of fuel injection, and a return to shaft drive.

The 2024 Honda Shadow Phantom sees the blacked-out styling now carried through the exhaust – a good look that represents a more modern appeal. It still features a liquid-cooled 745cc 52-degree V-Twin, but machine-cut cylinder head fins add a nice visual contrast that makes the engine pop. There’s also a new two-tone paint scheme on the tank (Deep Pearl Gray or Orange Metallic), LED turnsignals, fork boots, shortened fenders, and a new single seat (a passenger seat and footpegs are available as accessories).

Colin Miller, American Honda assistant manager of public relations, said members of Generations Y and Z are more attracted to Honda’s Rebel platform, partially because of its more aggressive styling, and Honda is leveraging some of that style with the Shadow Phantom. Whereas the Shadow Aero still has the more laid-back appearance of a traditional cruiser with a swept-back handlebar and more relaxed seating, the revamped Phantom takes a more contemporary approach, with a new handlebar and clamp that puts the rider in more aggressive forward position. A graphic during the presentation showed the handlebar position close to that of the Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight.

And from a customization standpoint, while the previous model’s rear fender and license plate holder was one piece that had to be cut if a customer wanted to make changes, the holder on the new model can be unbolted to aid customization.

Another significant update to the Phantom is its stopping power. Braking in the front is still provided by a 2-piston caliper gripping a 296mm disc, but the previous rear brake drum has been replaced by a 276mm disc and 2-piston caliper, and a new ABS version is available for an extra $300.

Front suspension travel has been increased by half an inch (to 5.1 inches) but remains the same 3.5 inches in the rear courtesy of dual shocks with five-position spring-preload adjustability. Otherwise, seat height is essentially the same at a very cruiser-like 25.6 inches. Even though fuel capacity has been bumped 0.2 gallon to 3.9, curb weight of the 2024 model is 6 lb lighter at 543 lb.

Unlocking the Phantom Zone

The middleweight cruiser market exploded during the Covid pandemic. The wave crested in 2021, but Miller said Honda is hoping the Shadow Phantom will bring in both new riders and existing cruiser fans looking for something new. I don’t know about the younger generation – in more ways than just their riding preferences – but I can say this Gen X cruiser guy sure enjoyed the ride.

The first thing I noticed when firing up the bike was the rumble, which was surprisingly satisfying for a Japanese bike with the stock exhaust. The Phantom continued to impress as we rolled through the streets of San Dimas, California. When we tested the 2013 Shadow Aero, it made 44.7 lb-ft of peak torque at the rear wheel, with more than 40 lb-ft available between 2,200 and 5,000 rpm. I appreciated that level of low-end grunt when pulling away from intersections in town, and it held its own as we climbed 6,000 feet on State Route 39 to Crystal Lake.

Related: 2013 Honda Shadow Aero Review

The rear suspension was a little squishy in some of the bumpier parts, but that was likely a result of the preload being set for someone a little lighter than my two-plus bills. Fortunately, the new saddle is nice and cushy and didn’t give me any grief during the four hours I was on it.   

GEAR UP

• Helmet: HJC RPHA 91 Modular
• Jacket: Fly Racing Coolpro Mesh
• Gloves: Fly Racing Street Surveyor
• Pants: Highway 21 Blockhouse Jeans
• Boots: Highway 21 Low Primary Engineer  

The pull on the clutch lever was a little heavy, and I would rate it “medium.” Since I own an older cruiser, it’s not anything new to me, but many bikes today are equipped with slip/assist clutches, and once you get used to this feature, you notice when it’s not there. I was okay with the lever pull – although a slip/assist clutch would’ve lightened it – but there was a moment going up the twisty, narrow one-way route to Crystal Lake where a quick downshift, combined with some debris in the road, gave a hop of the rear wheel on a curve that was a little bracing.

At just $8,399 ($8,699 for the ABS version), the 2024 Honda Shadow Phantom may not have all the bells and whistles, but it is a very attractive proposition for either a new rider or someone looking to add another steed to their stable from a segment without a lot of competition.

Only Breath and Shadow

I had only one other issue with the Phantom. The bike has a decent 27.4-degree lean angle. However, when I put the arch of my boot on the forward-mount footpegs, if I didn’t want my toe resting on the brake pedal, the heel of my boot found the road surface before the pegs did. This required a shifting of my right boot to various positions, none of which were as comfortable or confidence-inspiring as having the peg positioned directly under my arch.

This is not to say that I was high-speed slaloming up the canyon. In fact, I was the most conservative of the riders that day on the winding SR-39. As to those peg scrapes, I was once advised by my colleague and editor-in-chief of our sibling publication American Rider, Kevin Duke: “Ride your own ride, but challenge your limits when your confidence grows.”

So I did. Most riders won’t treat the Honda Shadow like a sportbike, but it certainly responded to my prodding enough to make it a spirited ride up the winding SR-39. When it comes to riding my own ride, I like to cruise, take in the scenery, breathe the air, and get my heart pumping enough to remember I’m alive.

If you are of a like mind, you’ll be very happy with the Phantom. And for those of you wondering if it’ll haul a little ass, the Phantom has something for you as well, as I can attest based on the taillights winking in the distance ahead of me from some of the other riders in my group.

The new Phantom has brought the Shadow into the light, and it looks to be a bright future indeed.

Check out more new bikes in Rider‘s 2024 Motorcycle Buyers Guide

2024 Honda Shadow Phantom Specs

• Base Price: $8,399
• Website: Powersports.Honda.com
• Warranty: 1 yr., unltd. miles
• Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse 52-degree V-Twin, SOHC w/ 3 valves per cyl.
• Displacement: 745cc
• Bore x Stroke: 79.0 x 76.0mm
• Transmission: 5-speed, cable-actuated clutch
• Final Drive: Shaft
• Wheelbase: 64.6 in.
• Rake/Trail: 34 degrees/6.4 in.
• Seat Height: 25.6 in.
• Wet Weight: 543 lb
• Fuel Capacity: 3.9 gal.
• Fuel Consumption: 56 mpg (claimed)

See all of Rider‘s Honda coverage here.

The post 2024 Honda Shadow Phantom Review | First Ride appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Founded in 1972 by brothers in a small garage in India, SMK Helmets has grown over the past 51 years to become one of the world’s largest motorcycle helmet manufacturers. The brand is relatively new to the U.S. market, but it offers a full line of helmets, including full-face, modular, open-face, and off-road models.

See all of Rider‘s helmet reviews here.

In the full-face segment, SMK’s top-of-the-line model is the Titan Carbon. (A non-carbon version of the Titan is also available.) For weight reduction and impact resistance, the Titan Carbon outer shell material comprises carbon fiber composite and energy impact resistance thermoplastic (EIRT). An inner liner consisting of multiple densities of expanded polystyrene provides additional impact absorption, and the helmet is both ECE and DOT certified.

SMK says its helmets are designed and wind-tunnel tested to minimize drag, lift, and wind noise. The Titan Carbon holds up in the first two areas better than the last. On a Yamaha MT-09 SP naked bike on the interstate at 80-plus mph, I didn’t feel much buffeting with the 3.7-lb size XL I tested, but there was noticeable wind noise, which increased slightly with the top vent open, but earplugs mitigate that.

In terms of ventilation, the Titan Carbon has a chin vent, a top vent, and four exhausts. Both vents are easy to open and close, but a middling amount of air flows through the helmet with them both open. The interior is more comfortable on a warm day after removing the chin curtain and breath deflector.

The drop-down sunshield comes down far enough for good visibility while allowing a small gap to make it easy to read instruments on the dash, but the tinting is too light to reduce sun glare much. The faceshield locks and unlocks easily with a pushbutton above the chin vent, and the shield can be removed with a pair of quick-release levers that are simple to operate. A Pinlock anti-fog insert is included.

The Titan Carbon has a hypoallergenic liner with moisture-controlled fabric that keeps my head relatively cool and dry, even in the low 90s. The liner is removable and washable, and overall, the helmet fits quite comfortably, with no pressure spots on my intermediate-oval head. The helmet is secured with an adjustable quick-release ratcheting chinstrap.

Overall, despite wanting more ventilation and a darker sunshield, the SMK Titan Carbon is a well-made, feature-rich motorcycle helmet at an affordable price. It comes in solid (no color) for $279.99 and the Nero graphic in red or blue for $289.99. Available sizes are XS-2XL.

The post SMK Titan Carbon Motorcycle Helmet | Gear Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Scott Radabaugh was on the elliptical machine at his local gym when he felt the first signs of trouble.

“I started having chest pains,” he said. “It was a burning sensation, just like when you do intense exercise and feel that lactic acid burn in your muscles. I realized, ‘Oh my God, I’ve only got one muscle in the center of my chest.’”

After the pain subsided, Radabaugh called his doctor. Even though he was just 43 years old, he underwent an emergency quadruple bypass to prevent what would have otherwise been a fatal “widow-maker” heart attack. When Radabaugh recovered from the surgery, he discovered that the cause of his problems, a genetic condition known as Familial Hypercholesterolemia, was present in all three of his children – including his 5-year-old daughter, Chloe.

“Kids with FH look normal and healthy,” Radabaugh said, but he added that it can drastically reduce life expectancy to as young as adolescence. However, what started out as feelings of fear and anger at the diagnoses led to a bond between father and daughter over motorcycles, both riding and repairing them.

When Scott and Chloe – now in her mid-teens – shared their story with me, it really hit home, not only because it involves motorcycles but, maybe more importantly, because I’m a parent as well.

‘My whole purpose was to help save Chloe’s life’  

When my wife and I were expecting our first child, whenever people asked if I had a preference between a boy or a girl, I always said I wanted a boy. I wasn’t being misogynistic; I just understood boys better. Of course, I got a girl, and while I still have a lot to learn about females, there is definitely something to be said for the bond between fathers and daughters. I wouldn’t change a single day of the past 12 years. Coincidentally, my daughter is the same age Chloe was when she started undergoing aggressive treatment for FH.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia is a life-threatening genetic condition that causes extremely high levels of low-density lipoprotein, more commonly referred to as LDL or “bad cholesterol.”

“There are two types of FH,” Scott told me. “There’s heterozygous FH, meaning that you inherited the FH gene from one parent. And then there’s homozygous FH, meaning that you inherited the FH gene from both parents.”

Heterozygous FH, which Scott discovered he has, affects approximately 1 in 250 people. Since there are about 8 million motorcyclists in the U.S., Scott said “about 32,400 riders” have heterzygous FH. Unfortunately, according to the Family Heart Foundation, less than one third of people with FH know they have it.

“Most people think that high cholesterol is an adult-lifestyle disorder from eating too much bacon,” Scott said, but he added that’s not the case with FH, which is the danger of the condition. “You don’t look like a heart attack waiting to happen. Especially not a 5-year-old girl.”

He told me his wife also has heterozygous FH, and as a result – or at least one possible genetic result – their daughter Chloe ended up with the rare and more severe homozygous FH.

“Kids with the double defect, homozygous FH, can have heart attacks as toddlers,” he said. “And life expectancy can be like 16 or so.”

Fortunately, the Radabaughs caught it in time for Chloe to start receiving treatment, but Scott told me he struggled at the beginning.

“I was really angry at the whole process,” he said. “I was like, ‘This is the cruelest joke of all. I get to survive my quadruple bypass and then watch my youngest child suffer with this very serious and potentially fatal condition.’ But after I went through the stages of grief thing, I decided that my whole purpose was to help save Chloe’s life and just guide her through these tough times and try to find cures and treatments that will keep her safe.”

When Chloe started a new form of treatment in 7th grade, one that required her to miss school for a few days every two weeks, she got bullied. She told me it was mostly the result of the toxic friend group she was part of, but having to be gone so much didn’t help.

“Nobody understood it,” she said. “So I would try to explain it, but they didn’t really care.”

In her younger years, the FH had been mostly an inconvenience, she said, but as she entered adolescence, it became an issue of injustice, something that’s very important at that age.

“At that point, I was realizing that not everyone has to deal with this and was like, ‘Why do I have to do this? It’s not fair.’”

Scott Radabaugh isn’t a doctor, so when it came to medical treatments, he had to leave it in the hands of professionals. However, he is a motorcyclist, and when he realized his daughter was struggling, given his mission of providing guidance through her tough times, he leaned on what he knew.

“To help her, I’d take her on some speed runs on my 2011 Honda CBR1000RR,” he said.

“There’s a little place where we can kind of get away and open it up a little bit. And, you know, adrenaline is the best cure for depression in every motorcyclist. I think Chloe and I got up to maybe 127 mph one time. I’m not gonna win Parent of the Year for that, but she loved it!”

‘Chloe has the motorcycle gene’

Even though Scott had family connections with motorcycling in his younger years, he didn’t get his first motorcycle until he was 18, and even then, it was a surreptitious purchase.

“Some of my relatives used to own the first Harley-Davidson shop in Houston,” he told me. “They had a flat track, and my dad used to work at the concession stand.”

Scott’s relatives planned to give him a small trail bike as a gift. Another family had previously bought it for their son, but when he crashed it and broke his arm on the first day, they brought it back.

“It had a few scratches, but my relatives were gonna give the bike to me. I even got to sit on it and everything, but my parents must have seen that look in my eye, and they were like, ‘Oh hell no.’”

Later, when Scott went off to college at Texas A&M, he discovered there was a superspeedway right outside of town.

“So I bought my first motorcycle when I was 18 without my parents knowing. And I was actually doing club racing before my parents found out,” he said. “I remember my mom called the insurance company to ask a question about my car insurance. And they said, ‘The car or the motorcycle?’ That’s how I got busted.”

When I asked Chloe if she knew about this story, she grinned and said she had heard it before.

Scott said that nobody else in his family liked motorcycles. “As far as my kids, Chloe has the motorcycle gene. And there’s something to that.”

I can understand Scott’s sentiment. Motorcycling can be both a solitary and a group endeavor. I enjoy riding alone, but I much prefer to share the experience. I don’t have a lot of friends nearby who ride, so I was glad when my wife finally decided she trusted me enough to join me as a passenger. And I was even more excited when my kids expressed an interest. For Chloe, this interest started young as well.

“I remember that my dad always had a motorcycle in the garage. I always remembered seeing that,” she told me. “And he would take us to motorcycle races and stuff, which were always fun things to get to do. I would just sit back and watch it all. And then as I grew up, I started going on rides with my dad. I’d be on the back of his motorcycle.”

Scott said these experiences were “an amazing way” to connect with his daughter.

“We would stop and take breaks and get a cup of coffee or something to drink and just chitchat. The amazing thing about this is that an inanimate motorcycle has had such an impact.”

However, he said, the CBR1000RR wasn’t really comfortable for a passenger, so Scott set out to find a bike that would be more suitable for the two of them and that he could eventually give to his daughter.

He ended up getting a screaming deal on a 2019 Kawasaki W800 Cafe at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Because he saved so much money, he decided to trick the bike out and make it fun for Chloe.

“The next thing you know, we’ve got this freaking show bike,” he said, “but I also wanted to use the bike to raise awareness for FH, as a conversation starter.”

Scott describes the final look for the bike as a visual match of DNA and genetics, in keeping with the FH awareness theme, and it has been shown at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering in 2022 and other shows.

“The nickname of the bike is ‘Motorcycle Saves Lives,’” Scott said, “because the first one it saved was my daughter’s.”

Beyond the Kawasaki W800 Cafe: Building a Future Together

When it was time for Chloe to learn to ride, she started on a Honda CBR300R that belonged to John Bartevian, a hot-rod painter who did the paint work on the W800. Then she moved on to the Kawasaki W800 Cafe, but Scott said the bike soon became “almost too nice to ride because it was in all these shows.”

“So then she started learning how to ride my CBR1000RR, which was amazing.”

Chloe agreed. “You just can’t really get that feeling other than by riding. There’s no other way to experience it. It’s just really fun to be in control of something that can go so fast. I really like the adrenaline rush.”

Not long after, Scott bought a 2001 Honda CBR600F4i in “really rough shape” from Craigslist, and they started working together to rebuild it.

“She’s actually done most of the work on the whole thing,” Scott said. “There’s a motorcycle shop on Treasure Island, which is near San Francisco, called the Moto Guild. You take your bike there, and you can work on it in their shop, and they have instructors walking around or you can have private lessons. Chloe learned how to rebuild the front forks, change the sprockets, chains, brake rotors, brake lines. She’s almost gone through every system in the bike except into the engine. It’s amazing. She probably knows more about motorcycle repair than I do at this point.”

Beyond amazing, Chloe said she was a little surprised that she enjoys it as much as she does, since it wasn’t something she ever wanted to do when she was younger.

“Then we started customizing bikes,” she said. “And as I started learning about the different parts of the bikes, it was really interesting to me. And once I got the opportunity to work on a bike and help fix it up, I found myself enjoying putting it together and taking it apart and watching it get better. It’s a really good sense of accomplishment to see something that you fixed up from nothing basically.”

It’s also rare – and special – for a father and his teenage daughter to spend time together, sharing a common passion. That’s especially meaningful for Scott.

“The one thing that I really like most about working on bikes with Chloe is that it gives us time to talk,” he said. “It’s not the easiest thing for a dad and a daughter to have meaningful conversations, but when we’re working on a bike together, there’s nothing else to do except chitchat with each other.”

My own daughter is just starting into her teen years, a few years behind Chloe, and I can relate to this sentiment. Those years for girls are pretty foreign to me, and it’s everything I can do to find ways to relate to her and keep her talking to me. So it wasn’t surprising that when I asked Scott and Chloe what the future held, even though Scott had previously spent so much time talking about raising awareness of FH, his first response to this question was what he hoped to see for his daughter.

“I would love for Chloe to do a race school on a track,” he said, “because I feel like that’s where you really learn how to ride a motorcycle, and you really learn where the limits are, and it just gives you so much more confidence on the street.”

He also mentioned the Royal Enfield “Build. Train. Race.” program, which is exclusively for women.

For Chloe, both ideas sound fun, but when it comes down to it, what she really wants to do for now will be familiar to most of us.

“I just want to focus on riding.” 

For more information on the “Motorcycle Saves Lives” Kawasaki W800 Cafe, including specs and build details, or Familial Hypercholesterolemia, visit the Family Heart Foundation website.

The post A Father, A Daughter, and a Custom Kawasaki W800 Cafe That Saves Lives appeared first on Rider Magazine.

CFMOTO is no stranger to off-road vehicles. In fact, many of you may be more familiar with CFMOTO ATVs and side-by-sides, which the company has been selling in the U.S. for more than 20 years. Its first foray into the ADV market was the street-focused 650 ADVentura, announced in June of last year as part of the 2022 lineup. More recently, the company released the 2023 CFMOTO Ibex 800 T and Ibex 800 S, with the 800 T designed for “when the blacktop turns to dirt” – fitting since the bike is named after a wild mountain goat.  

Related: 2022 CFMOTO Motorcycle Lineup | First Ride Review 

Both the Ibex 800 T and S are powered by a liquid-cooled 799cc parallel-Twin with DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder borrowed from the previous-generation KTM 790 Adventure that makes a claimed 94 hp and 57 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip/assist clutch (the T also adds a quickshifter to the mix). Both bikes are equipped with throttle-by-wire and have two ride modes (Sport and Rain) and cruise control.

The Ibex 800 S ($9,499) rolls on cast wheels (19-inch front, 17-inch rear) and is aimed at street-focused riders. The Ibex 800 T ($10,499) has spoked tubeless wheels and is equipped with several upgrades, including a skid plate, centerstand, heated grips, a heated seat, a quickshifter, and both USB and 12V outlets. Our Ibex 800 T test bike was equipped with the pannier set ($1,699.99) for an as-tested price of $12,199.

Related: 2023 CFMOTO Ibex 800 S | First Look Review

When I fired up the Ibex 800 T for the first time, I found the aural quality of the engine to be kind of chirpy, but once you get moving, the billy goat gets gruff, producing a satisfying growl and a surge forward with some nice grunt in the midrange. However, the throttle-by-wire needs some fine tuning. In Sport mode, response was a bit too snatchy. This can be mitigated in Rain mode, but when the roads are dry, this seems more like a workaround than a feature. The throttle-by-wire also led to issues in the dirt, but more on that shortly. 

As this is an adventure-touring bike, it seemed fitting that my first experience on the bike was about 50 miles of interstate – and 3,000 feet of elevation gain – to my house. The 800 T has an adjustable windscreen, and it was quite effective at preventing buffeting for my 6-foot frame. I kept the windscreen at the highest position, but for those wanting it somewhere else, height adjustment is tool-less and quick, offering about 2 inches of range. 

GEAR UP

• Helmet: Fly Racing Trekker Pulse
• Jacket: Fly Racing Off Grid
• Gloves: Fly Racing Street Surveyor
• Pants: Fly Racing Terra Trek
• Boots: Fly Racing Milepost

The Ibex 800 T rides on spoked tubeless aluminum rims (19-inch front, 17-inch rear) wrapped in Maxxis MaxxVenture MA1 tires, which CFMOTO says are manufactured specifically for the bike. Their tread pattern is that of a 90/10 (road/off-road) tire, and as such, I felt the tires performed admirably on the pavement. They offered a smooth ride and weren’t noisy at high speeds, and when combined with the fully adjustable KYB suspension (6.3/5.9 inches of travel front/rear), they inspired more confidence than I was expecting when cornering. Even with the 37 lb of the accessory aluminum top and side cases added, I definitely enjoyed the ride when I was able to get it off the interstate and onto some state highways with more sweepers. 

CFMOTO Ibex 800 T: In It For the Distance…Mostly   

There were a couple issues I noticed during those first miles on the Ibex. First, there was something about the aerodynamics of the bike that caused a high-pitched, near-constant whistle between 65 and 80 mph. After a variety of experiments that included riding with different helmet styles with and without a peak visor, adjusting the windscreen height, and removing the cases, the skid plate, and the windscreen, the issue seemed to stem from having the windscreen in its highest position. We didn’t notice the whistling on our initial ride on the Ibex 800 T with a different rider, so individual results may vary.

Another minor issue is the cruise control. The buttons are large and easy to reach, but it tops out at 80 mph. In my home state of Utah, that’s the interstate speed limit, a speed that it seems like only the semis do…sometimes. The Ibex is a bike that feels steady at higher speeds, and I took it easily above 80 on a few occasions when I needed to overtake someone, but I was limited if I wanted to peg the cruise.       

Otherwise, this is a bike that is comfortable for the distance, especially on the highway. Its handling was a pleasure – even more enjoyable when I tested it without the added weight of the cases – and the handlebar is set at a good height and sweep and combines with an approachable 32.5-inch seat height (and a relatively wide and cushy saddle) for an upright position that matched my frame and 32-inch inseam. On a longer trip I took, I stopped every couple hours for gas, but there wasn’t any inordinate stiffness in my body as I stepped off the bike, and I was ready to hop back on as soon as it was filled up. 

The 7-inch TFT is clear and easy to read. The home screen includes everything you might want to see without feeling too cluttered, and the submenus offer a plethora of options, including three levels of heated grips and heated seats, handy features when I was climbing to higher elevations. Getting to the various submenus, however, requires a combination of long and quick pushes of several buttons that is reminiscent of the starting sequence of Furiosa’s rig in Mad Max: Fury Road, which can get a little cumbersome if you’re wanting to turn on those heated grips on the fly…or during the apocalypse. Once you get the sequence down, it’s pretty intuitive, but sometimes I got sent back to the main menu by accident, and there were times the menu froze up entirely for a moment. 

The bike’s navigation feature is also a little clunky. On my longer trip, I paired the bike to my phone with the CFMOTO Ride app and set a destination. The app offered a couple alternate choices to the main route, but when I selected one and set off, the navigation kept trying to take me on the original route, attempting to reroute me every time I ignored it. Also, even though the automated voice in my helmet was giving distances in miles, the display was giving me kilometers. My colleague Allison Parker had similar issues with the navigation feature on a different CFMOTO (see her 2023 CFMOTO 300SS First Ride Review here). At least I wasn’t being given distances in inches like she was, but there are certainly a few kinks to be worked out with the app’s navigation settings. 

However, I appreciated that all the home screen information was still displayed across the top of the navigation screen. And when it comes to connectivity and charging, the Ibex has two USB ports and a 12-volt port just below and on either side of the TFT display.    

And ‘When the Blacktop Turns to Dirt’? 

This is my first time on an ADV bike, and while I enjoyed the new experience immensely, I have seen comments from more experienced ADV riders that the Ibex 800 T in stock form may not provide as much adventure as they are seeking, although there are accessories that would take it up a notch. At a minimum, mounting more off-road-ready tires seems to be the consensus if you’re serious about really getting dirty. 

During my road test, while enjoying a highway tour on the bike, I spotted a dirt road in the distance that left the pavement, heading off into the hills between the sagebrush and pinyon junipers. It was a two-track intermediate dirt road, not too sandy, rutted, or rocky. I was comfortable in the standing position that suited my height without feeling strain in my back, and I rode relatively conservatively. However, given my limited experience, I felt hindered from pushing myself a little more by that snatchy throttle in Sport mode. I may have been physically comfortable standing at steady speed, but slight rolling on or off of the throttle threw me off balance.  

As far as stopping goes, both Ibex 800 models have J.Juan components, with radial-mount 4-piston calipers biting dual 320mm discs up front and a 2-piston floating caliper pinching a single 260mm disc in the rear. The brakes did a great job on the pavement, shedding speed when necessary without feeling too grabby. Both bikes also have cornering ABS. 

However, unlike some other ADV bikes on the market, ABS cannot be turned off on the 800 T, and there’s not an off-road ABS mode (which typically has less intervention on the front wheel and disables ABS at the rear).

As I was experimenting with the bike trying to minimize some of the jumpy throttle response in Sport mode, I switched to Rain mode, but it felt like there was more ABS intervention in Rain mode, which I wasn’t looking for on the dirt road. I switched back to Sport mode, as I hadn’t noticed the ABS intervention when riding with that setting, but for the rest of my novice dirt adventure, I was caught between wanting to push myself a little more but not feeling confident with the snatchy throttle responses. A dedicated Off-Road ride mode with soft throttle response, less power, and both ABS and traction control settings calibrated for low-traction surfaces would be a valuable addition to the Ibex 800 T.

On The Way to Staking Its Claim 

Besides not having switchable ABS, most of my nits to pick with the Ibex 800 T are pretty minor and will hopefully work themselves out in future models – or at least with a Utah version that ups the cruise control limit. When all is said and done, this is a fun bike that feels like it’s right on the cusp of staking its claim as a solid adventure-touring bike for a reasonable price.  

2023 CFMOTO Ibex 800 T Specs 

• Base Price: $10,499 
• Price as Tested: $12,199 (pannier set – $1,699.99) 
• Website: CFMOTOUSA.com 
• Warranty: 2 yrs., unltd. miles 
• Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse parallel-Twin, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl. 
• Displacement: 799cc 
• Bore x Stroke: 88 x 65.7mm 
• Horsepower: 94 hp @ 9,000 rpm (factory claim) 
• Torque: 56.8 lb-ft @ 7,500 rpm (factory claim) 
• Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated slip/assist wet clutch 
• Final Drive: Chain 
• Wheelbase: 60.3 in. 
• Rake/Trail: 25 degrees/4.06 in. 
• Seat Height: 32.5 in. 
• Wet Weight: 509 lb (without panniers) 
• Fuel Capacity: 5 gal.
• Fuel Consumption: 44 mpg
• Estimated Range: 220 miles

The post 2023 CFMOTO Ibex 800 T | Road Test Review  appeared first on Rider Magazine.

In my early days with Rider, the BMW R 18 caught my eye. I had never ridden a BMW, and as a cruiser guy it was right up my alley. When one of my fellow editors, Allison Parker, got a chance to ride an R 18 at the BMW U.S. Rider Academy, I expressed interest to Rider EIC Greg Drevenstedt about doing the same.

A few weeks later, BMW announced a new R 18 – the Roctane – and invited Rider to get a first ride on the bike in Germany, so I made my pitch. The ride would coincide with the recently opened 100 Years of BMW Motorrad exhibition at the BMW Museum in Munich, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to get a little additional perspective on how we got to this point.

I came away from the trip not only wiser but after two days of riding through the Bavarian and Austrian Alps, much happier.

BMW R 18: A Growing Family

The 2024 BMW R 18 Roctane is the fifth member of the R 18 family, which launched its first model in 2020 and was inspired by the iconic BMW R 5 from the 1930s. The Roctane, which BMW describes as a “cruiser, a bagger, and everything in between,” joins the standard R 18, the R 18 Classic, the R 18 B (Bagger), and the R 18 Transcontinental.

Related: 2022 BMW R 18 Transcontinental | Road Test Review

As with the other R 18s, the Roctane has an air/oil-cooled “Big Boxer” Twin engine displacing 1,802cc (or 110ci in the parlance of American cruisers) and mated to a 6-speed transmission, a single-plate dry slipper clutch, and a nickel-plated driveshaft. We dyno’d the 2021 R 18, and it made 109 lb-feet of torque between 2,000-4,000 rpm at the rear wheel.

This thing is a monster, figuratively and literally. The afternoon I arrived in Munich, I went to the BMW Museum. There are some amazing sights to be sure (more details are available here), but one area of note is dedicated to the R 18. It includes a display stand with the 1,802cc Boxer mounted on it. I had seen this display in a photo, but it wasn’t until I was standing in front of the massive engine that I truly realized why it is called the “Big Boxer.” With the partial exhaust pipes coming out of the cylinder heads and hooking down in front like mandibles, it looked like a giant alien insect head dipped in chrome.

Of course, that could’ve been the jetlag and an overactive imagination, but it was still pretty striking.

Beyond the engine, the R 18 Roctane also shares the same braking and suspension systems as its siblings, with 4-piston calipers biting dual 300mm discs up front and a single 300mm disc in the rear and a 49mm telescopic fork and central rear shock with travel-dependent damping, adjustable spring preload, and 4.7/3.5 inches of travel front/rear.

As to what makes the Roctane unique from other bikes in the R 18 family, one only had to step back and look at it next to other R 18 models at the launch, including the beautiful 100 Years Edition.

The Roctane has a blacked-out engine and drivetrain, a Dark Chrome exhaust, a black midrise handlebar, and a larger 21-inch front wheel.

The Roctane’s chassis geometry and seating position falls between that of the standard R 18 cruiser and the R 18 B(agger). Its 7.3 inches of trail is 1.4 inches longer than the R 18 but similar to the R 18 B, while its 67.7-inch wheelbase is right in the middle of the two bikes. At 28.3 inches, its seat height is about an inch taller than the R 18 and again similar to that of the R 18 B.

GEAR UP

• Helmet: HJC RPHA 91
• Jacket: Highway 21 Motordrome 
• Gloves: BMW Motorrad BoxerTorque
• Pants: Highway 21 Blockhouse Jeans 
• Boots: Highway 21 Low Primary Engineer 

Balancing the Past, the Present, and the Future

In the BMW Museum, there was a fascinating wall display of some of the different instrument panels used on the company’s motorcycles over the years, starting with the round analog speedo of the 1930s BMW R 61 and R 71 progressing to the much larger, rectangular display of the present-day BMW R 1250 RT and K 1600 GT.

BMW took a different tack with the newest member of the R 18 family. Again inspired by the 1936 R 5, the Roctane’s instrument cluster is incorporated into the top of the metal headlight nacelle, with a classic analog speedometer and an inset multifunction digital display. Some may wish for a little more than the understated display, but for a cruiser, the simplicity works. On the Roctane, in addition to speed, ride mode, and gear selection, you can scroll through other info such as rpm, time, odometer, trip meters, and fuel economy.

But wait, where’s the fuel gauge? Seriously, no fuel gauge? I’d like something more than just a warning.

Personally, I love that the ride modes of the R 18 family are called Rock, Roll, and Rain. While somewhat unorthodox, there’s no question of what you’re getting here, and I sampled all three modes on our ride – Rain not necessarily by choice, but it sure is pretty in Germany this time of year. 

Each mode moderates throttle response, traction control, and ABS but not the power, and while Roll and Rain were more sluggish, even in Rain, during a couple moments when I needed to overtake a car, the Roctane had what I needed. I just had to twist the throttle harder to get it. In Rock, there was no hesitation, and I was pleased to find that it wasn’t snatchy. Throttle response was immediate, powerful, and smooth, even polishing out some of the engine vibration present in Roll.

I would argue – and a BMW rep actually agreed with me – there isn’t really a need for Roll. Besides starting off the ride in Roll and using it coming down from the breathtaking cliffside Burghotel Falkenstein on some narrow, frost-heaved switchbacks that were wet from the previous night’s rain, I mostly kept it in Rock or Rain.  

When it came to rocking, the Roctane’s ample trail contributed to reassuring straight-line stability. Blasting down the autobahn at 140 kph (that’s about 87 mph to you and me, kids), it felt solid. There was a decent amount of windblast at those speeds, so if I had to do much of that, I’d be inclined to install one of BMW’s accessory windshields.

Among the journalists on hand during our ride, the general consensus was that the Roctane would be a better bike for cruising wide-open roads in the U.S. than bending through all the twists and turns in the Alps. Besides the highway stints, most of our high-speed riding over the two days consisted of long sweepers rather than twisties. Those were a true joy on the Roctane, but even for the few spots that were a little tighter, I didn’t have any problem flopping the bike from side to side, even with its 825-lb curb weight.

I was also pleased with the Metlzer Ultra Marathon tires, which were grippy in all conditions, from dry to wet to really wet on some occasions. This is a bike I would gladly take over the well-known Hogback of Scenic Byway 12 in my home state of Utah.

And even though the Roctane is a long, heavy bike, the Big Boxer helps keep the weight low and provides better than expected balance and maneuverability at low speeds. The R 18 Roctane can also be equipped with optional Reverse Assist and Hill Start Control, both of which would be especially handy if the bike was loaded to capacity.

There are a few areas in which the R 18 Roctane could be improved, the first being the position of the foot controls. As we noted in our review of the R 18 Classic, the location of the shift lever relative to the footboard made it nearly impossible to get my boot underneath it. I was able to upshift with the side of my big toe sometimes, but more often than not, I just used the heel shifter. However, given the midmount controls and my 32-inch inseam, it felt awkward. The rear brake pedal seemed similarly difficult to access with my boot. I love the long footboards on my cruiser at home, but on the Roctane, I found myself envious of the guys riding the R 18s with footpegs.

The second area in need of improvement is braking. Like other R 18s, standard equipment on the Roctane includes BMW Motorrad Integral ABS, where the hand lever applies braking force to both wheels but the foot pedal applies braking force only to the rear wheel. This is the first bike I’ve ridden with integral ABS, and while I was able to shed speed when necessary, I was surprised that the brakes didn’t feel more responsive, especially considering those big dual discs up front. I had to apply more pressure at the lever – while also trying to get my boot on that elusive rear pedal – than I would’ve guessed.

Finally, the top-loading, locking hard cases are stylish and easy to use, but at just 27 liters of capacity in each side, they are on the small side. (The saddlebags on the R 18 B and R 18 Transcontinental are the same size.)

What’s Next for the BMW R 18 Roctane? A Matter of Faith

Those who are considering the R 18 Roctane probably fall into one of three groups: 1) Those who appreciate cruisers and are curious about this one; 2) Those who love all-things-BMW Motorrad; or 3) Those who like Harley-Davidsons and have an open mind.

In any discussion of heavyweight cruisers, Harley-Davidson is always the elephant in the room, even if everyone tries to ignore it. At dinner on the first night, I had an illuminating conversation with Christian Pingitzer, BMW Motorrad’s head of product management, after he asked me about my personal bikes and I told him my main ride is a 2004 Heritage Softail Classic.

“We’re not trying to be the better Harley-Davidson,” he said at one point. “Harley is like a religion.”

It’s no secret that the R 18 models have not sold as well on this side of the pond as BMW might have hoped, and there’s no denying the Roctane bike looks more the part of an American cruiser than its predecessors. On the second day, Tim Diehl-Thiele, head of communications, said that the company was “fully on track” with sales of the R 18s in China and Europe, but “in the U.S., we need time.”

Then he went on to call H-D a “super cool brand” and also referred to it as a religion.

This is interesting to me. I’m a cruiser guy and I’m not religious, but I do agree that Harley-Davidson is like a religion. However, what I’ve come to believe since I’ve been with Rider is that BMW is something of its own religion, and they have their own passionate adherents who love the brand and ignore all the others.

Similar to how I choose to dabble when it comes to matters of faith, I also enjoy dabbling in a lot of motorcycle brands. When it comes to the Roctane, I enjoyed the thrill of the power coupled with the confidence it inspired and the comfortable cruising. And I look forward to seeing – and hopefully dabbling in – the future developments of the R 18 lineup.

2024 BMW R 18 Roctane Specs

• Base Price: $18,695
• Price as Tested: $21,900 (Mineral Grey Metallic Matte, Select Package, Reverse Assist)
• Website: BMWMotorcycles.com
• Warranty: 3 yrs., 36,000 miles
• Engine Type: Air-/oil-cooled, longitudinal opposed flat-Twin, OHV w/ 4 valves per cyl.
• Displacement: 1,802cc (110ci)
• Bore x Stroke: 107.1 x 100.0mm
• Horsepower: 80 hp @ 4,500 rpm (2021 R 18, rear-wheel dyno)
• Torque: 109 lb-ft @ 2,900 rpm (2021 R 18, rear-wheel dyno)
• Transmission: 6-speed, hydraulically actuated single-plate dry slipper clutch
• Final Drive: Shaft
• Wheelbase: 67.7 in.
• Rake/Trail: 34.7 degrees/7.3 in.
• Seat Height: 28.3 in.
• Wet Weight: 825 lbs.
• Fuel Capacity: 4.2 gal.

See all of Rider‘s BMW coverage here.

The post 2024 BMW R 18 Roctane | First Ride Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.