Remember in the bad old days when we had to tape directions to our bike’s gas tank? Well, smartphones have become an essential part of riding, and fewer and fewer of us can find ways to leave them behind when we go on our rides, particularly since you can track and share your rides with your buddies. However, playing music and running turn-by-turn directions can drain your phone’s battery. Naturally, we need a way to feed it while out on the road. While some phone mounts have built-in wireless charging, the vast majority are just a means of securing your phone to your motorcycle. So, here is o ..read more

Where do we even start with this one? Found on our sister site, CTX1300forum.com, there’s a lot to talk about with this CTX1300. Though I suppose we could start with the CTX1300 itself. If you don’t remember, the CTX1300 is a little bit like a space-age cruiser. You’ve got that long and low appearance we’re used to with cruisers, but with a very distinct, almost futuristic, style that clearly can’t be lumped in with your traditional cruiser. Honda was going somewhere with this, we’re just not sure where. Then there’s the engine. Based on the VFR1200 V4, this compact four-cylinder packed a ..read more

Just a week after announcing the 450SS sportbike was coming to the U.S., CFMOTO adds another adventure bike to its lineup for 2023. The CFMOTO Ibex 800 S will be available for $9,499, while the slightly more adventure-ready Ibex 800 T trim comes in at $10,499. The Ibex 800 is powered by a 799cc DOHC Parallel-Twin with a 75° offset crankshaft that is heavily based on KTM’s 790 engine. CFMOTO claims 94 hp at 9,000 rpm and 56.8 lb-ft. at 7,500 rpm. The Bosch electronic fuel injection system offers two ride modes: Sport and Rain. Cruise control and cornering ABS come as standard, with a 7-inch TF ..read more

The Route Napoleon is considered one of the best drives across France. It starts near the French Riviera and runs up to the southern tip of the Alps. The route earns its namesake by following the path that the one-time French emperor used to covertly make his way north after escaping his first exile. Despite wet conditions with gravelly sections enroute and frost at higher elevations, it was a most excellent place to have our first dance with Suzuki’s new naked, the 2023 GSX-8S. The second of two 776cc Parallel Twin-powered models from Suzuki, the GSX-8S proved its mettle over just a single da ..read more

You don’t get a name like Elite without earning it (or buying it in this case), and today Indian has introduced two model lines to get the Elite treatment: the Pursuit Elite and Chieftain Elite. What makes these models Elite? All you have to do is look at them to figure out what sets them apart from the standard models. For the Pursuit, this is the first time it will be getting Elite treatment, which consists of Super Graphite Metallic and Black Metallic paint schemes nicely offset with bronze details throughout to exude an air of exclusivity the base models can’t touch. In the Chieftain’s cas ..read more

The California Air Resources Board has issued an executive order for what we expect to be an updated Kawasaki Z650RS for the 2024 model year. The update is expected to be relatively minor, adding traction control to the Z650RS. The update would bring the retro RS model in line with the more modern-styled Z650 and the Ninja 650, both of which were updated with traction control for 2023, as well as the Versys 650 which received traction control in 2022. Below, we present the executive order for 2023 model updates. In past filings, Kawasaki tends to refer to new or updated motorcycles by its mode ..read more

Last November, Yamaha Motor Europe revealed a new Tracer 9 GT+ at EICMA, a new version of its Triple-powered sport tourer equipped with a 7-inch TFT display, adaptive cruise control, and a radar-linked unified braking system. Yamaha Motor USA, however, remained quiet about it, and we later learned the Tracer 9 GT+ was not coming to the States for 2023. In fact, even the less techy regular Tracer 9 was left out of Yamaha Motor USA’s returning model announcements. For those who were considering the GT+, we have good news: Yamaha is preparing to add the Tracer 9 GT+ to its North American lineup ..read more

Modern motorcycle batteries have gotten so good that we largely don’t think about them until the sad day that we thumb the button and hear the starter struggle to get our Big Twin to crank through the compression stroke – or even worse, hear the dreaded click-click of a dead battery. Like it or not, batteries are consumable items on a motorcycle, and without proper care, can die on us at the most inconvenient times. So, if you suspect that your battery is getting ready to give up the ghost, we’re here to help you find a new battery to keep you headed down the highway.  What to look for Th ..read more

Today, CFMOTO unveiled its latest sporting entry into the U.S. motorcycle market. The CFMOTO 450SS comes equipped from the manufacturer with many features that belie its $5,499 MSRP. Although information is limited, here is what we know so far. The CFMOTO 450SS engine sports a compact, modern design and a claimed 50 hp. The 450SS is powered by an all-new 450cc parallel-Twin engine. The counterbalanced Twin features a compact layout, 270° crankshaft, and liquid-cooling. Although not mentioned in the release, we assume the DOHC operate four valves per cylinder. The bore and stroke is 77.0 mm x ..read more

Harley-Davidson and Hero Motocorp announced a partnership back in 2020 for the distribution of existing Harley motorcycles and the development of a new range of models for the Indian market. We haven’t heard much from that arrangement… until now, when a selection of “spy photos” of a Harley-Davidson-branded motorcycle with a 400-ish cc Single landed in the hands of the Indian press. EVO India published the photos, spinning a yarn about photos arriving on their doorstep in a brown envelope marked “top secret” and an anonymous note. We’ve run enough of them on Motorcycle.com and seen the feedbac ..read more