Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

The Unseen Walls: Overland Solo Across Africa on a Motorbike

by Christian Brix

It looks like a lot of fun when you watch Ewan and Charley set out on an epic motorcycle adventure, but well-funded expeditions with camera crews and large budgets are more the exception than the rule. Far more common is the lone introvert struggling with internal demons, or sometimes an external demon in the form of an ex-mate or someone who needs escaping from. Christian Brix isn’t really either of those. When he found himself with the means and leisure to set out across Africa, the 30-year old Englishman (who lived in the US until he was ten) even met a nice girl just before he left, who flew in to meet him for a couple of badly needed nice holidays en route.

Anyway, it’s mostly the loners who come up with the most interesting books. Looking at you, Ted Simon. Brix’s mother was a flight attendant, which meant he was already a traveller. But it was stumbling upon Jupiter’s Travels in a London bookstore that got him on his first motorcycle. Soon after, he was travelling all over Europe by bike. Then another book –  the classic Heart of Darkness – made him decide Africa was where he needed to go to learn about the world he hadn’t already seen.

Describing himself as a “happy nihilist,” his book “is about running from the ills of the Western world, unintentionally and unfortunately heading into the bigger ills of the Third World. Then trying to navigate back out of them.” In the dedication, there’s, “The grass is always greener where the dogs are shitting,” which kind of lets you know what you’re in for. We’re not just in it for the Instagram posts. Think An Idiot Abroad, but an idiot wouldn’t be able to even begin this trip much less survive it.

Now that we’ve all been uncooped up for the last year-and-a-half (those of us who ride at least) it’s time to recoop in large crowds again to ogle the vehicles we’ve been riding around on and in for the past century. It only stands to reason. And what better place to do that than the late Bob Petersen’s namesake automotive museum on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax in LA? ADV: Overland Exhibit’s got adventure bikes ranging from a 1903 California to the Triumph that won the 1966 Baja 1000, futuristic concepts, 23 adventure-touring motorcycles and race vehicles from 1930 to the present, and sci-fi and NASA off-world exploration vehicles.

The fun starts tomorrow, June 3, and there will be an opening reception on July 15th complete with a drive/ride-in event on the Petersen rooftop, where many a smokey burnout photo shoot took place once upon a time.

From the event program: In 1903, crossing the USA on wheels had never been done, but that changed when George Wymans rode a California motorcycle for 50 days from San Francisco to New York. In 1912, nobody had circled the globe on a motorcycle, but that changed when Carl Stearns Clancy straddled his Henderson Four and headed east. In the next 100 years, brave men and women struck out to see the world on wheels, making epic journeys recorded in books, films, and television. Folks more technically-oriented imagined travel off-world, on the Moon or Mars or beyond, in science fiction and actual space programs. 

Since hearing usually plays second fiddle to vision when riding motorcycles, people sometimes forget how vulnerable their ears are out there on the road. The sound of your helmet traveling through the air at highway speeds is more than enough to damage your hearing over the long term – or even the short term if you’re wearing an open face or half-helmet. While it may go counter to your initial thoughts, wearing earplugs can actually help you hear better. When your ears aren’t completely overwhelmed, you have the ability to hear more sounds.

Motorcycles And Hearing Loss

Until recently, your primary choice for protecting your ears was the faithful foam earplug. The good news is that, when properly inserted, they work better than just about anything else at lessening the intensity of the sound reaching your ears. However, they have some shortcomings. First, if improperly inserted, their effectiveness is radically lessened. Second, many riders feel that the uneven damping of frequencies make sounds muffled and unclear.

Currently, we’re experiencing a Gold Rush of new earplugs directed towards powersports and other noisy activities. These new generation earplugs have actually been tuned for the frequencies they attenuate, making it possible for riders to protect their ears and still be able to carry on a conversation at a stoplight.

What Are The Best Motorcycle Earplugs?

This is really a loaded question, as there are so many variables that come into play, not least of which is the shape of your ears. As such, there is no single answer. Are you trying to block certain frequencies, or do you simply want to block as much noise as possible? Do you want your earplugs to have speakers built-in, or is a simple piece of foam all you need? Ultimately, the best earplugs are the ones that fit your needs and your budget. Read on to find what the best motorcycle earplugs are available for riders.

I heard about the Big Bear Run a few years ago. It was just before the 25th annual event and I was bummed to realize that my schedule wouldn’t allow me to attend. Maybe next year, I thought. Well, the 26th event came and went, and I found myself muttering those same three words. One thing was for sure though, the only way I was going to attend the event was to attempt the infamous “Hard Way.” For perspective, this year only 57% of riders who attempted the hard route actually finished, and those brave souls were awarded a finisher’s plaque for the feat afterward. 

When Kawasaki contacted me to gauge my interest in attending the event on the new KLX300, I thought to myself, “The bike might be a bit of a handicap – at least with me piloting it – but I’m up for the challenge,” fully assuming we would be tackling the hard route. Our crew would consist of just three riders: Nic de Sena from Ultimate Motorcycling, Brad Puetz, PR Supervisor at Kawasaki USA, and myself. Soon after committing to the event, I was told that we would be taking the “advanced easy” route. It turns out not everyone takes a sadistic approach to off-road riding. Rad Brad assured me it would be a fun low-key weekend, which was exactly what I needed after figuratively and literally being at WOT for weeks. I was in.

2021 Kawasaki KLX300 Review – First Ride

Catching just the beginning of weekend traffic as it began to clog the southern California freeways, I made it up into the mountains in a reasonable amount of time. I had loaded up my truck with the necessary gear, and Kawasaki had my bike prepped and waiting for me when I arrived. Just about the time I get overwhelmed with this gig, I’m reminded of the perks. 

Reax is a relatively new name in motorcycle apparel, but most riders are probably familiar with the company behind it: retailer RevZilla and its parent company, COMOTO. Reax was only founded in 2018, but it’s been able to establish itself relatively quickly, thanks to RevZilla’s large online presence, along with its sister brands, J&P Cycles, and Cycle Gear.

RevZilla’s experience as a retailer gave REAX a head start on knowing what consumers want in motorcycle gear. REAX gear tends to have a very understated style, with a clean look and minimal branding. REAX motorcycle gear tends to be functional, providing features and a level of protection riders want at a reasonable price point.

MO Tested: Reax Gloves, Jacket, And Jeans

As an in-house private label, REAX is only available through RevZilla and Cycle Gear, which does limit your ability to shop around for better deals. The plus side, though, is that there’s no middle-man, allowing REAX to keep the prices fairly reasonable.

Shinko isn’t as well-recognized a motorcycle tire brand as the likes of Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli or Dunlop. Part of that is because the company is relatively new to the game. The Shinko Group was founded in Japan in 1946, producing bicycle tires and tubes as the country emerged from the Second World War. Shinko didn’t really get into motorcycles, however, until 1998, when it acquired the tire technology and molds from Yokohama.

The company continues to build on the foundation of Yokohama’s technology, conducting R&D in Japan. Shinko tires are made in South Korea, with the company churning out about 200,000 tires each month.

Though it is a bit of an underdog in the motorcycle tire market, Shinko has been able to establish a niche by offering affordable prices compared to the larger brands, while still offering solid performance.

The whole point of an action camera is to put the viewer in your seat. In our case, it’s to bring the viewer along for a ride with us and to see all the things we see in the moment. From close passes to stunning scenery, recording your ride allows you to relive those special moments over and over again. Not to mention it gives you proof when your friends say video or it didn’t happen.

Mounting a camera to the side of the helmet gets us pretty close, but it’s not quite the same angle or perspective. The chin mount is a popular alternative, too, and while this gets us pretty close to having the same views, it’s not quite the same. With the Cambox MkV4 Pro, the viewer gets to see things just as you do because of the genius mounting location – right above eyebrow level.

What?! Tell Me More

Unlike basically all other action cameras on the market, the Cambox MkV4 Pro is not a small rectangular box with a lens attached. Instead, its thin plastic housing is shaped to match the curvature of your forehead, and the included velcro strips allow it to attach to the top of your helmet’s eyeport. The lens is in the middle, thus giving the viewer almost exactly the same view that you have.

If you’re not familiar with Cambox, the French company makes all kinds of similar cameras for equestrian and action sports. The early days involved mounting the cameras to the underside of the helmet visors horse jockeys would wear. Of course, seeing the footage of a live animal underneath the jockey bucking, turning, running, jumping, and otherwise doing all the elegant things horses do, the idea quickly grew legs, since it’s fairly obvious a camera like this would be popular for tons of helmet-wearing athletes.

Twenty years ago, Honda gave the Gold Wing 300 more cc, a 6-disc CD changer, and 27.9% more sportiness. Calvin spent a week in Ohio riding around on it eating fatty foods, and filed this report.

Sidi Adventure 2 Gore-Tex Mid

When the time was drawing near for our big middleweight adventure shootout in March, I had the feeling it would be a good time for me to up my foot protection. I didn’t wanna wear big clonky motocross boots because they’re big and clonky. But I was afraid the Sidi Canyons that have been my go-to Adventure boots for longer than I’d like to admit might not be up to modern adventuring. More accurately, maybe my ankles, which are three times older than the Canyons, might not be up to it. How about a little more protection eh? Just in case.

I stumbled upon this sawed-off version of the Sidi Adventure 2 boot Ryan Adams reviewed a couple of years ago, and knew I must have them. The Mids obviously don’t protect as much of your tib/fibs as the higher version, but they do have a bit of padding in the uppers behind the protection the rubber/plastic buckles themselves provide. In exchange for the lack of a tall shin plate, you get easier in- and egress, greater flexibility and the ability to pull a regular pair of pants legs over the tops when formal occasions call for it.Like Ryan pointed out, the Adventure boot doesn’t have as much armor – or as much stiffness – as a true offroad boot, and neither do the Adventure Mids. Motonation (official US importer) has both boots listed in its “Touring/ADV” boot section. But as soon as I slipped them on, I immediately felt much more rigidity and more protection than my old Canyons. Toe and heelboxes are definitely thicker and more substantial. 

The two adjustable cam-lock buckles per boot lock your ankle firmly in place while almost completely doing away with my biggest complaint about my old Canyons: Instead of an acre of Velcro closing up the boot, now there’s only about a 2-square-inch triangle at the top of each flap. Once you’re in there, the ankle protection at both sides feels much more substantial, too.

Spy photographers have spotted what we assume to be the 2023 BMW R1300GS prototype undergoing testing at a facility that bears a striking resemblance to BMW’s Enduro Park Hechlingen where E-i-C Evans Brasfield attended a riding course, way back in 2013. Since this large training ground offers a wide variety of terrain to challenge a big bike, it would be an ideal facility to inconspicuously put a new adventure bike through its paces away from (most) prying eyes. 

The test bike appears to be an early prototype, lacking the level of finish one would expect from a motorcycle that’s closer to production. Much of the engine and areas around the subframe are covered up, but the bodywork, even in this early condition, shows a big departure from the current GS’ styling. 

What might be the most polarizing part of the new design is the GS’ face. It still has a beak, but the headlight is now integrated into the schnoz, smaller and farther down from the windscreen. Where you would expect to find a headlight, there’s just a flat, forward-facing piece of bodywork which looks like a good place to position a radar sensor for adaptive cruise control. The license plate holder likewise has a flat section that could accommodate a rear radar sensor for blind spot detection.

The tank cover appears to be one single piece, integrated with the radiator shrouds. Speaking of the radiators, the units here are tilted back with the bottoms jutting out from the bodywork. The radiators are much larger than the current GS’ cooling system, leading to another potentially big change.

When I first saw the spy photos, I noticed the cylinder heads were covered up and assumed BMW was trying to hide something. After a few minutes of trying to figure it out, it finally dawned on me. If the cylinders are covered in some kind of material, then they can’t get any air cooling. Together with the larger radiators, the logical conclusion is that the engine is completely liquid-cooled and not air-cooled with targeted water cooling on the cylinder heads as on the current GS engine. 

Did you hear that great cry of happiness that went up through the land? No, it wasn’t the cheers associated with the change of the MotoGP of the Americas from provisional status to active on the schedule– though we are sure that many American motorcycle racing fans are quite pleased. Instead, it was most likely the cheers of three loyal MOrons who are the winners of our MotoGP giveaway. As a quick reminder, these three lucky people  gave us their contact information in exchange for a chance to win a prize package worth $868 and including: 

All of these prizes were donated by XXLRacing.com, which is the U.S. licensed distributor of MotoGP swag. (You really should go check out their fanwear!)

But I digress.

The three winners have been announced, and are being contacted by XXLRacing.com to facilitate the delivery of the prizes. The rest of us can only sit back and be jealous of their good fortune.

The prize winners are:

Earlier this week, Harley-Davidson teased a new Revolution Max-powered model that will be revealed July 13. The announcement called it a new model for the “sport segment,” and included a glimpse of the bike, which bears a striking resemblance to the Custom 1250 concept first shown in 2018.

Here’s the original concept:

And here’s the latest teaser image:

Regular readers may have noticed that I’m partial to cruise control, to the point where I may have stated I wouldn’t buy a new motorcycle without it. Cruise control, in fact, is one of the best things the new Aprilia Tuono 660 in our lead photo has going for it. When I complained that the new Ducati Monster doesn’t offer the magic button in our May First Ride, I suffered the slings and arrows in the Comments section. The new Monster is now a ride-by-wire affair, and I’d heard from various knowledgeable sources that when ride-by-wire is already present – ie, the throttle is controlled by the ECU instead of the rider’s wrist – it’s a simple affair to add cc, mostly a matter of just adding the button and switchgear.

Born to Ride took me to task, as usual, pointing out that adding cruise control to any vehicle is way more complicated and expensive than that, in a torrent of officious comments that forced me to seek expert advice.

So we got hold of Stuart Wood, Chief Engineer at Triumph Motorcycles, who informs us:

Ride by wire is an enabler for cruise control but is not the only cost. If you have to write and develop cruise control software there is a lot of detail work, development and prove-off testing to do. If you already have cruise control software written and in production, it may be a case of developing and tuning it for a new application. But even this is time consuming and costly: You have to ensure that all functions work correctly for a particular bike with its individual combination of electrical and electronic components. The way the bike sets, cancels and resumes cruise control is critical and is thoroughly developed, tested and validated. 

Every feature that is added to a new model is subjected to the same degree of rigour and diligence in the design, development and prove-off process. I can’t give you numbers but there are real costs involved in adding any feature to a new model.

Mark Miller is absolutely enamored with the new, 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa. Don’t believe me? Read his First Ride Review here. Only the third iteration of Suzuki’s land-speed rocketship since it was born in 1999, the Hayabusa has developed all kinds of hype for how fast it’ll go – upwards of 200 mph if given the chance to stretch its legs without Big Brother holding it back.

With such a reputation to uphold, Suzuki found itself with a bit of a predicament; Yes, the new Hayabusa would need updating to meet Euro 5 requirements, which is convenient since it hasn’t been given a makeover for well over a decade, but there’s also a heritage and a recipe to honor. I can only imagine the design brief in some Suzuki boardroom went something like, don’t f*ck it up!

2022 Suzuki Hayabusa Review – First Ride

As Miller is happy to report in his written review, Suzuki surely has not. Critics may shout about the dyno numbers showing the new bike to have a few less horses than before, but really, dyno number jockeys are annoying and shouldn’t be the sole measure by which motorcycles are judged. For 2022 the ‘Busa burns cleaner, still makes massive amounts of power, can reach a (speed governed) 185 mph, and now comes with the requisite electronics suite any sportbike with this kind of straight-line performance should have. Tedious work in the wind tunnel has helped the bike remain stable at high speed, too.