You might expect Italy's most popular scooter to come with an Aprilia, Piaggio, or Vespa nameplate, but the top selling step-through in the land that invented la dolce vita is actually the Honda SH150i.

New to Honda's lineup as an early 2010 entry, the 153cc two-seater has a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled powerplant, linked brakes, and available accessories like a top case and a tall windshield.

I'm still recording fuel economy data and noting riding impressions, so I won't be posting a review right away. In the meantime, take a look at shots of Honda's new entry in my 2010 Honda SH150i Photo Gallery.

Related:

• 2009 Yamaha Zuma 125 Review
• 2009 Yamaha Zuma 125 Scooter Photo Gallery
• 2009 Aprilia SportCity 250 Scooter Review
• 2009 Aprilia SportCity 250 Scooter Photo Gallery
• 2008 Vespa S 150 Scooter Review
• 2008 Vespa S 150 Scooter Photo Gallery

Photo © Basem Wasef;
Click for 2010 Honda SH150i Scooter Photo Gallery

Harley stock is still down in the dumps, but that's not stopping the Motor Company from standing behind the value of their Sportster lineup, which includes the XR1200, Nightster, and Iron 883.

A just-announced promotion enables new Sportsters bought between July 1, 2009 and August 31, 2009 to be traded in within a year for one of the brand's twenty so-called "Big Twins" or three V-Rod models. Those who choose to trade up will get full MSRP for their Sportster, regardless of how much they spent on the bike. Sportster buyers should note that the calculated MSRP includes factory equipped options, but excludes parts and accessories, taxes, titles, licenses, set-up/prep charges, Extended Service Plan, GAP coverage and any dealer add-ons.

For more, visit h-d.com/ridefree.

Related:

• 2009 Harley-Davidson Buyer's Guide
• 2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Buyer's Guide
• 2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200 Review
• 2009 Harley-Davidson Iron 883 Review
• 2009 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle Review
• 2007 Harley-Davidson XL1200N Sportster Nightster Review

Photos © Harley-Davidson;
Click for reviews

I hadn't heard from my friends at Kawasaki from a while, so imagine my excitement when they called with an invitation to ride at the Americade Rally, one of our 10 Great American Motorcycle Events. But I had one small problem: I was already booked on another trip.

That's when I called up Jason Fogelson, our esteemed SUV Guide who happens to be an avid motorcycle tourer and an occasional reviewer of bikes (he wrote up the Harley-Davidson Cross Bones, Nightster, and Yamaha Star Raider for us, among others.

Read all about his experience in his Americade: The Thinking Man's Motorcycle Rally article, and stay tuned for Jason's riding impressions of the Vulcan 900 lineup.

Related:

• Ten Great American Motorcycle Events

Photo © Fonzie;
Click for article

When I first started to ride, I experienced a certain feeling of freedom-- and nothing since has quite matched that sensation. I'm also lucky enough to call America home, and though bike testing has taken me around the world, I've found no culture that respects individuality quite like we do here.

I hope you get to enjoy every aspect of freedom we're fortunate enough to have this July 4th-- from the thrill of riding on two, three, or however many wheels you choose to, to the joy of living in such a great country. Ride safe, be well, and have a great Independence Day.

Related:

• Why Ride?

Photo © Getty Images;
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will decide by next year whether or not anti-lock brakes should be mandatory on motorcycles, according to a Detroit News story cited on The Kneeslider. The report also mentions that fatal accident rates are 28 percent lower for bikes equipped with anti-lock systems, and that motorcycle fatalities per million miles traveled have nearly doubled between 1997 and 2007. Though NHTSA frequently enforces the implementation of safety technology into automobiles, their involvement in motorcycling tends to focus more on helmet usage and the prevention of drunk riding.

Personally, despite one disconcerting experience with ABS nearly a decade ago, I've since toured on ABS-equipped Harleys in the rain, ridden trails on anti-lock brake-equipped BMWs, and even tracked Honda sportbikes with linked stoppers designed to prevent lock-up. Every one of those experiences have been positive, and ABS has even saved my bacon on more than one occasion. Anti-lock systems are now standard on some Harleys and optional across a variety of manufacturers on everything from dual purpose bikes to scooters-- and in many cases, they can be disabled if the rider chooses.

That said, do NHTSA's attempts to help us keep the shiny side up annoy or encourage you?

Related:

• Honda Announces Combined ABS for Sportbikes

Photo © Basem Wasef;
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I haven't seen Transformers 2 yet-- that critically panned, $400 million juggernaut-- but Aprilia and Megan Fox alone seem like pretty good reasons to check out the summer pic. Also featured in the flick is BRP's Can-Am Spyder, which I've tested in both standard and semi-automatic iterations.

In honor of the three-wheeler's appearance in the big budget tent pole, 220 Can-Am Spyders and 410 owners turned Universal CityWalk into "Spyderville" last weekend, then proceeded to invade Angeles Crest Highway, one of my favorite stomping grounds.

Remember when these three-wheelers looked shockingly weird? At this rate, Spyders will become just another part of the ever eclectic roadscape.

Related:

• Aprilia Continues Transformers 2 Marketing Blitz with Megan Fox, RS125, and Some Dude
• 2009 BRP Can-Am Spyder SE5 (Semi-Automatic) Review
• 2008 BRP Can-Am Spyder Review
• BRP Can-Am Spyder Photo Gallery

Photos © BRP
Click to enlarge

Leaning a sportbike over just might be the ultimate act of two-wheeled faith: Will your tires slide or maintain grip? If you need to emergency brake to avoid an obstacle, can they handle the added cornering load? How will they perform if they're not up to temperature?

I recently tested Dunlop’s newest tires—the Sportmax Q2— at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada, and the track setting allowed me to ride the rubber with an arsenal that included a Honda CBR1000RR ABS, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Kawasaki ZX6-R, and Yamaha R1.

How did this high-tech, two-compound tire fare on the twisting, 3.5 mile course? Read my Dunlop Sportmax Q2 Tire Review to find out.

Related:

• How to Prepare for a Track Day
• 2009 Honda CBR1000RR ABS Photo Gallery
• 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Review
• 2009 Yamaha R1 Photo Gallery

Images © Brian J. Nelson, Dunlop;
Click for Dunlop Sportmax Q2 Tire Review

Gas prices getting you down? Seems every time fuel costs rise, scooters get renewed interest from the general public. It's no wonder Honda has added the SH150i and Elite scooters to their lineup, and other manufacturers are drawing attention to their step-through offerings.

Yamaha's value scooter proposition is their new-for-2009 Zuma 125, a rugged looking ride that offers nifty features like brushguards and a built-in key lock. How does she ride? Find out in my 2009 Yamaha Zuma 125 Review, and see more in my Zuma 125 Photo Gallery.

Related:

• 2009 Yamaha Zuma 125 Photo Gallery
• 2008 Aprilia SportCity 250 Review
• 2008 Vespa S 150 Review
• 2009 Yamaha TMAX Scooter Review
• Motorcycle Sales Down 30.5%, Offroad Bikes Hardest Hit

Photo © Yamaha
Click for 2009 Yamaha Zuma 125 Scooter Review

Styling cues from the muscular M109R and M90 have trickled down into the just-unveiled 2010 Suzuki Boulevard M50 (click photo to enlarge), and the cruiser-- one of our Ten Great Advanced Beginner Motorcycles-- gains a whole lot of road presence.

The refreshed ride features a re-sculpted saddle that matches the new rear rear section, and the 16 inch aluminum wheels are now finished in silver. Up front, a new cowl adds substance around the headlight, while the water-cooled, fuel-injected 805cc V-twin gains a chrome-plated finish, among other changes.

There's no official price yet for the 2010 Suzuki Boulevard M50, but if it stays in line with the rest of the Suzuki lineup, anticipate a competitive MSRP.

Related:

• Ten Great First Motorcycles
• Ten Great Beginner Bikes
• Ten Advanced Beginner Motorcycles
• 2009 Suzuki M90 Review
• 2009 Suzuki M90 Photo Gallery

Photo © Suzuki; click to enlarge

When it comes to scooter styling, Vespa usually sticks to the classic formula while Aprilia tends to go modern. In the case of the Zuma 125, Yamaha takes the rugged route, with two huge headlights, handgrip brush guards, and big, round tires.

See more of this new scooter in our 2009 Yamaha Zuma 125 Photo Gallery, and stay tuned for a review.

Related:

• 2008 Aprilia SportCity 250 Review
• 2008 Vespa S 150 Review
• 2009 Yamaha TMAX Scooter Review

Photo © Basem Wasef; click for 2009 Yamaha Zuma 125 Scooter Photo Gallery