First Impressions

Every now and then you come up on something amazing in the online classifieds. Generally I don't look twice at a $30,000 item as I'm scrolling through the motorcycle pages, but in this case I stopped and feasted my eyes on a beautiful and one of a kind piece of artwork.

Not only a motorcycle made of wood, but an absolutely exquisite piece of artwork.

Few things say "I give up" quite like looking over your shoulder at what used to be your dignity as you drive off on a Segway. Luckily, these four electric unicycles add to that list.

Hero is an Indian motorcycle company. We're talking Bollywood Indian, not Burt Munro Indian. Here in North America, the average non-motorcyclist may not have heard of Hero. Hell, even the average motorcyclist may not have heard of Hero. In North America we think we know what big name motorcycle companies. In North America we think we know that big name motorcycle companies sell big bikes. In North America we think the Harley-Davidson brand is the be all and end all of motorcycle marketing and merchandise sales. In North America we think we know big. We don't.

KYMCO Movie 150

Yesterday CMGOnline mentioned a rumor about Kawasaki planning a naked Kawasaki Ninja 250R or naked Kawasaki Ninja 300R... My own thoughts? I'm thinking more downscaled ER6n... turned ER250C, as the prototype model name on tmcblog seems to suggest.

Are they real? Who knows. The public is definitely seeking more of a naked, streetfighter look. The morning after a night of philandering downtown I found a a visitor parked next to my Suzuki Boulevard M50 on Front St. in downtown Toronto. See pics below.

If this era of motorcycling will be remembered for anything, it's the revival of old school. Finally, after featuring so much from the motorcycle community, we're featuring something from an OEM. Royal Enfield is getting in on the craze with their very own Chrome Cafe Racer. You know, for those of us who can't invest a whole lot of time, or talent, into the return of retro. See the pics you can't find anywhere else on the web!

I once learned the hard way that if a motorcycle has been too molested, that is, if it’s been too modified by the wrong hands, it should be avoided. Last night, whether out of stupidity, forgetfulness, or a stroke of genius, I decided to ignore this lesson.

I bought a heavily modified 1990 Honda Hawk NT650 GT, with various Honda and Buell pieces on the front, Ducati parts on the back, and some aftermarket parts thrown in for good measure. I’m diggin’ it.

Neither sportbike, nor cruiser. Neither Harley, nor Porsche. The Street Rod is a conundrum of a motorcycle. Original V-Rod owners and fans wailed about the suspension, both front and rear, and the V-Rod's unsporting handling, particularly in corners. Say what you well about Harley-Davidson's creative and marketing departments but these guys know exactly what they're doing and they know how to take a hint.

The secret is out! KYMCO has announced their new 2012 models. They will be offering four new scooters to us, with the new models ranging from 50cc to 200cc. The new models feature some great tech specs and these scooters shouldn't be overlooked by any current or future motorcycle rider.

The all new 2011 KYMCO Downtown 300i's have landed in Canada, many have been awaiting its arrival date. The Downtown 300i was designed with maxi-scooter performance and sport bike agility for the perfect scooter experience. The scooter looks particularly sharp and looks equally as good on paper. We took our first look at two of them today at Studio Cycle Group in Toronto.