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Last Call to Vote!

Triumph Motorcycles

It's still a close race between the Bonneville and Thunderbird, but the polls for our long term Triumph tester are closing this weekend-- if you haven't voted yet, now's your chance!

The Best New Bikes for Newbies:

Motorcycles Spotlight10

Basem's Motorcycles Blog

Honda Confirms Five More 2010 Motorcycles... But Dude, Where's The CB1100?

Friday November 13, 2009
2010 Honda Interstate Honda has confirmed five more motorcycles for their 2010 lineup, but don't brace yourself-- the bike's aren't all-new groundbreakers like the much-ballyhooed VFR1200F. Among the 2010 announcements is the Sportster-like Shadow RS, the familiar ST1300 sport tourer, and three Fury chopper variants-- the Sabre, Stateline, and touring-equipped Interstate... but dude, where's the CB1100?

2010 Honda Shadow RSThe naked, 1960s-inspired CB1100F concept and even sexier CB1100R rocked the scene back in 2007, and made another appearance at this year's Tokyo Motor Show. But we haven't heard a peep as to whether or not the bikes are destined for production, which only makes me pine for them more.

Check out the new 2010 models in this updated 2009/2010 Buyer's Guide, and drop a line if you-- like me-- would like to see the CB1100 come to fruition!

Related:

Photos © Honda; click for Buyer's Guide

End of an Era: Last Buell Rolls Off the Assembly Line

Thursday November 12, 2009
The last Buell motorcycle It's barely been a month since the shock announcement that Harley-Davidson is discontinuing Buell, and a final reminder of the now defunct brand was released today: this shot of the very last Buell-- a Lightning XB12Scg-- being rolled off the East Troy, Wisconsin assembly line.

26 years and 136,923 bikes after Erik Buell founded his company, Buell Motorcycles is no more. Will they rise from the ashes and get rescued by another corporate giant, or become a footnote in motorcycle history? What would you wish for Mr. Buell?

Related:

Photo © Buell; click to enlarge

Disembodied, Diesel Helmet-Wearing "Quique" Character Makes Motorcycle Promos Fun Again

Thursday November 12, 2009
Diesel helmet There isn't a whole lot of innovation in the motorcycle ad industry these days. Sure, Harley made waves with their "Screw it, Let's Ride" campaign, but the marketing landscape is-- for the most part-- pretty drab.

But when I read our moderator Carrie's forum thread about a certain YouTube video depicting a helmeted, disembodied Argentinian dude by the name of "Quique," I discovered something refreshing. In contrast to this typically flashy promo that promotes the same product, the "Quique" video comes across as disarmingly different... even if it's not exactly your cup of tea.*

Diesel deserves kudos for producing a viral video that's more concerned with amusement than it is with the hard sell. Though gory stuff like this still makes me hesitant to wear anything less than a full-face helmet while I ride, at least I'm not likely to forget the story of "Quique" any time soon.

Sources: About.com Forum, YouTube, quiquethehead.com

* Which I experienced firsthand when I showed the video to my wife, who didn't see the humor in the piece... does that make me easily amused?

Screen Grab © Diesel

South Park Slams Loud Harley Riders, Predictable Controversy Ensues

Wednesday November 11, 2009
South Park Harley F-Word Episode "Why is it that every time we try to have a relaxing day," Cartman declares at the top of a much-discussed South Park episode, "a bunch of a******s on their Harley motorcycles show up?"

We've seen plenty of Harley hatin' here on our blog comments, but the show adds a whole new dimension to the anti-H-D stance. The episode-- available gratis on South Park's website-- depicts a pack of bikers whose disruptively loud Harleys prove too irritating for the truth-blurting, foul-mouthed lead characters. As the decibel assault escalates, the kids take the matter into their own hands, lobbying to have the dictionary definition of the term "f*g" changed to "annoying, inconsiderate Harley riders."

I won't put too fine a point on the suggested correlation between the Harley-Davidson brand and raucous exhausts, but if you've ever been annoyed by loud bikes, you can probably identify with the outrage expressed in the episode. And regardless of your stance on the ever-popular debate as to whether or not loud pipes save lives, you'll likely find humor (or irritation) in the show that's so controversial, the New York Times has reported that a gay advocacy group is protesting of the episode. Watch the 22-minute show here, and let us know: does South Park go too far, or do Harley riders really deserve a bad rap?

Sources: Hell for Leather Magazine, South Park TV, New York Times

Related:

Photo © South Park Studios; click to enlarge

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