Motos and Friends from Ultimate Motorcycle magazine

Ducati DesertX + Dale Wagler and his BMW 1250 GS Adventure (Owner Review)

In this week’s first segment, Senior Editor Nic de Sena take a look at the Ducati DesertX ADV bike. Powered by the same liquid-cooled V-twin motor as several other models in the Ducati range, the DesertX is another entry into the upper-middleweight class of ADV machines. The big question of course, is can the DesertX make its mark and differentiate itself from a growing field of competitors?

The second segment is the premiere of our new series of ‘Owner Reviews’. These are real-world opinions of machines owned by everyman riders. For this first one, I chat with my friend Dale Wagler. Dale is a former Marine and hard-core street- and dirt-bike rider. Dale recently acquired a new BMW 1250 GS Adventure, and he gives us his thoughts on the bike’s positives—and a few negatives too.  

If you’d like to be considered for a future Owner Reviews segment on an episode of Motos & Friends, please email us at producer@ultimatemotorcycling.com and tell us briefly about your bike. We’d love to hear from you!  

So, from all of us here at Motos & Friends… we hope you enjoy this episode!

KTM Super ADV R + Lightning Motorcycles’ Richard Hatfield

Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends—the weekly Podcast brought to you by the editorial team at Ultimate Motorcycling. My name is Arthur Coldwells.

In this week’s first segment, Editor Don Williams rides KTM’s new 1290 Super Adventure R. This hardcore ADV bike is big, powerful, and a true expert-level machine. Interestingly, it has multiple points of adjustment within its highly capable electronics package, and Don discovered several big surprises where the bike changed personality completely. His is an intriguing look at one of the most capable off road ADV bikes on the market today.  

In the second segment, I chat with Richard Hatfield, CEO of Lightning motorcycles. This silicon valley based manufacturer was founded in 2006, and having racked up several notable race victories (including Pikes Peak in 2013 with the late Carlin Dunne on board) Lightning have certainly dominated in racing terms. In another first, Lightning has just announced a new rapid-charging battery technology that may well bring electric motorcycles into becoming real-world, practical transport.

So from all of us here at Motos & Friends… we hope you enjoy this episode!

 

Yamaha MT-10 SP + Val Collins with Teejay Adams

Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends—the weekly Podcast brought to you by the editorial team at Ultimate Motorcycling.

My name is Arthur Coldwells.

In this week’s first segment, Senior Editor Nic de Sena rides the much anticipated Yamaha MT-10 SP. That’s the model with the Ohlins semi-active suspension. It’s only been available in Europe for the last couple of years, but finally the good news is, that it’s coming to America. The big question is, whether the extra 3k you’re going to have to pony up for the Ohlins is actually worth it, or perhaps there’s just not that much improvement over the stock KYB suspension that has suited the Yamaha MT-10 so well until now?       

In the second segment, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with Val Collins. Val grew up on motorcycles and learned to love speed, however her real love is Formula 1 tunnel-boat racing. These are the guys and gals that are strapped into a tiny cockpit and then hurtle down the straights at 120 mile per hour and pull 5G in the corners. We attended the recent season finale in Lake Havasu and watched our friend Mike Quindazzi try to take the win. Val chats with Teejay about her love for two-wheels and tunnel-boats. Yeah, it’s crazy stuff.

From all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode and have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Lake Havasu F1 heat race

Buckshot Racing Facebook

Valerie's Art Gallery

 

EICMA show round up with Don Williams

Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends—the weekly Podcast brought to you by the editorial team at Ultimate Motorcycling.

This week’s we only have the one segment… But if you’re interested in a tasting of what’s to come in 2023, then you’ll want to listen to Don Williams’ roundup from the very recent EICMA show in Milan, Italy.

Don tells us about new machines coming from some of the major manufacturers, including the Honda XL750 Transalp, the CL500 scambler styled machine, and Honda’s light-touring machine derived from the Honda Rebel 1100—and it comes in the DCT version.

From Suzuki of course we have the main models featuring that all-new parallel 800 motor we talked about last week. News of the all-new V-Strom 800 DE ADV bike, and the naked upright GSX-8S, are eagerly anticipated, especially by our staff here at Ultimate Motorcycling!

Indian have done some interesting things with its lineup of various versions of the awesome FTR 1200, and Royal Enfield have produced a cruiser—the Super Meteor 650—that features its 650 twin motor that powers the Interceptor.

From Italy, Aprilia has gone to extremes with the 660 Extrema—basically a track ready version of the well-acclaimed machine. Yamaha interestingly, has revamped the Niken GT—one of the most interesting motorcycles I’ve ever ridden. 

Lastly, Don tells us about Kawasaki’s newly announced Electric Hybrids Hydrogen fuel cell machines—those are a peek into the near future for sure; love ‘em or hate ‘em, you’d better get used to them as they’re just around the corner.

EICMA is arguably the most important show in the world for motorcycling, so from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy Don’s round-up this episode!

Suzuki’s New Motor + Mark Leiss and The Cannonball Run on a 1928 Indian Chout

Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends—the weekly Podcast brought to you by the editorial team at Ultimate Motorcycling. My name is Arthur Coldwells.

This week’s two show segments highlight two very cool engines. There’s much more to a vehicle than just the engine of course, but for motorcycles, the engine is of course, the heart of the machine.

The first of the two motors is explained by Editor Don Williams, who tells us about a brand new powerplant from Suzuki, just announced at this week’s EICMA show in Milan.

The second motor is the Indian Chief inside an ex-Max Bubeck Indian 101 Scout from 1928. It's entered in next year’s Cannonball Run.

Both of these engines hold some surprises. The Suzuki motor is an exciting departure for the brand.  It's an upper-middleweight parallel twin, set to power several exciting new models from Suzuki.

The Indian Chief motor’s story, is told by new owner and vintage bike enthusiast Mark Leiss. He tells us all about not just this bike, but it’s late owner: land speed record holder and AMA Hall of Famer, the legendary Max Bubeck.

Bubeck held land speed records for several decades, and is considered one of the more important figures in Indian Motorcycle history. Mark has drafted in the Sturgis Hall of Fame builder Micah McClosky to ride the bike in the Cannonball. This is no easy feat for either the rider, or the support crew.  Mark explains the superhuman effort it takes to finish, let alone win, a Cannonball Run.

So from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!

Vespa 300 GTS + Cyndi Sadler of Sportbike Track Time

Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends—the weekly Podcast brought to you by the editorial team at Ultimate Motorcycling. My name is Arthur Coldwells.

Vespa is possibly the storied name among scooters. The Italian marque produces premium quality machines that excel in urban environments. And what better urban environment to test a Vespa than in the heart of Italy—Rome? Senior Editor Nic de Sena took himself there—not to splash around in the Trevi fountain as one might assume, but to actually ride the new Vespa 300 GTS in its natural habitat. If you live in Rome, you need a Vespa like the Pope needs a balcony. If you live elsewhere—well you be the judge after you hear what Nic has to say.   

In our second segment, Editor-at-Large Neale Bayly chats with Cyndi Sadler, co-owner of track day provider Sportbike Track Time –the biggest provider of track days on the East Coast. Cyndi is a real rider and loves her track days riding her Honda 125 two-stroke GP bike.

So from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!

Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S + Karl Hoffman with TJ Adams

Hello everyone and welcome once again to the Ultimate Motorcycling weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends. My name is Arthur Coldwells.

Moto Guzzi just launched the new V100 Mandello S and Senior Editor Nic de Sena went to the event in Italy. The hallowed Italian marque has radically redesigned its flagship motor—while managing to keep its iconic v-twin look. There are some big changes though, and not just to the motor; the new Guzzi looks fast and sporting. Nic gives us his thoughts and tells us whether the new Guzzi actually delivers on its considerable promise.

In our second segment, Associate Editor Teejay Adams chats with artist Karl Hoffman. We recently met Karl at his Art Gallery H in the small, historic town of Tubac, Arizona. Karl’s life journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and of course it has involved motorcycles pretty much all the way.

As a painter and jewelry designer, Karl’s fine art and spectacular jewelry is absolutely spellbinding—as an artist herself, Teejay spent a long time talking to him and admiring the fruit of his considerable talents. His life story was so compelling she decided on the spot that she’d like to share it with you. This is the first part of two.

So from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!

Art Gallery H in Tubac, AZ (video)

Artist Karl Hoffman with Teejay Adams

 

Moto Guzzi Mandello S

 

Kawasaki Z900SE + Max Nicholson with Neale Bayly

Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends, brought to you by Ultimate Motorcycling. 

The Kawasaki Z900 is really good motorcycle—personally, I’m a fan. The Z900 with its inline-4 screamer engine and excellent handling rides extremely well, especially on the street. However, it does have a few shortcomings, especially if you have a penchant to take it to a track day occasionally. That’s not to say you couldn’t have fun on it—of course you could. However, Kawasaki has released the SE version of the Z900, and Senior Editor Nic de Sena gives us his view of whether the fairly significant upgrades are worth it or not.    

In our second segment, Editor-at-Large Neale Bayly chats with Ducati aficionado and collector Max Nicholson.  Max has owned and ridded many classic Ducatis, among them his very special Hailwood replica MH900E. This was a hand built, limited edition tribute machine designed by the legendary Pierre Terblanche.

In 2002 Playboy magazine cited the MH900E as the “most beautiful motorcycle in the world”. Only 2,000 were built over a two-year period. Max and Neale take time to chat about his various bikes, and some of the interesting additions he’s made to his version of the iconic MH900E .

We hope you enjoy this episode!