DON WILLIAMS

To mark its 10th anniversary this year, Minnesota-based Victory gave a handful of its Vision Tour bikes a makeover that includes chrome trimmings and billet wheels. The company also added a Garmin GPS system, an XM radio, a CB radio, and an intercom. Victory is limiting production of the anniversary model to 100 examples, priced […]

The Benelli Tornado Tre 1130 delivers performance that is equal to its appearance, which is among the most graceful in motorcycling. With the $17,900 Tornado—which, in a departure for a bike, is powered by a 3-cylinder engine—the 88-year-old Italian marque has reasserted itself as a top sportbike manufacturer. Although the bike’s claimed 161 hp does […]

The V-Rod Muscle represents a departure for Harley-Davidson. Instead of being an all-American iron horse, the bike is an aluminum-clad drag-strip denizen with a pedigree from across the Atlantic: A liquid-cooled, 122 hp, 1,250 cc Revolution V-twin engine designed in conjunction with Porsche Engineering powers the new Harley. Although its 240 mm rear tire suggests […]

Powered by the latest 4-valve version of Moto Guzzi’s transverse-mounted, 90-degree, 1,151 cc V-twin engine, the Stelvio 1200 4V is a versatile machine. The $14,990 bike has the horsepower essential for long-distance interstate touring, it offers the low-rpm torque needed for off-pavement maneuvering, and it handles admirably on serpentine roads such as those of its […]

Two hundred horsepower may seem trifling to sports car aficionados, but it is a magic number for motorcycle enthusiasts. While it will likely fall a few horsepower short of that figure, the all-new 2009 Star VMAX should rewrite the quarter-mile record books for production motorcycles. The bike’s muscular, 1,679 cc, short-stroke V-4 powerplant will conspire […]

With its radical custom appearance and retro styling, Harley-Davidson’s new Softail Cross Bones might be the perfect motorcycle for indulging the conflicted psyches of maturing baby boomers. Harley-Davidson, however, clearly considers the Cross Bones to be a vehicle for reaching generations X and Y. The bike’s online promotional videos cast forth age-appropriate cultural references, from […]

Like the Ducati Desmosedici RR, the Suzuki B-King debuted as a prototype long before it became a production motorcycle; it originated as the Boost-King concept bike at the prestigious Tokyo Motor Show in 2001. Few expected the machine with startling anime-inspired styling to make it to the showroom floor without losing its radical essence. For […]

It may be something of an understatement when Kawasaki describes its all-new sport-touring machine, the Concours 14, as a “Transcontinental Supersport.” Able to reach near-hypersonic speeds, thanks to a motor based on the Ninja ZX-14’s powerplant, the motorcycle feels as if it is designed to circumnavigate the globe—?quickly. Were it able to avoid the ?inconveniences […]

There is a constant battle of sensibilities when creating a custom motorcycle. Appearance considerations are pitted against practical riding concerns, and each builder makes his own determinations. Big Dog Motorcycles straddles the line between the pure custom builder and the mass-produced cruisers with its S&S-powered, canine-inspired lineup. The newest addition to the pack is the […]

A street-only adventure motorcycle, the $11,000 Triumph Tiger 1050 is an intoxicating blend of tourer and street fighter. Not coincidentally, the Tiger shares its spectacular triple-cylinder motor—precisely retuned for its torque-demanding application—with the Triumph Sprint ST sport-touring bike and Speed Triple back-alley brawler. The Tiger’s tall perch presents to the rider a panoramic view of […]