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Ride review: Triumph Tiger Explorer XC
Ugly, but almost the best bike I've ever ridden. Almost."Hold me closer, ugly dancer." That's the song I found myself singing to the almost-wonderful Triumph Tiger Explorer XC recently as I explored...
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Test rides
It looks the part...Almost exactly five years ago, I set out on a Great American Road Trip that took me across both the width and length of the United States. That adventure lasted nigh 3 months and...
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Ride review: Victory Jackpot
Victory JackpotI'll admit right up front that I've never really liked the look or the idea of the Victory Jackpot. To me, it represents an outdated OCC-style of thinking: motorcycles as ridiculous...
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'2-Wheel Conveyances Embracing Alternative Fuel Sources' -- A guest post
The following is a guest post, provided to me by a digital PR company that is trying to sell you something in a clever way. As this blog has grown more popular (thank you!) I have found myself...
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Ride review: Victory Cross Country
Victory Cross CountryA strange and interesting thing about the Victory Cross Country: it gave me the worst riding experience of my life, and yet the reason for that terrible experience is so easy to...
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A thousand-mile ride to John Muir's native land: Part I
My routeI suppose the best thing to do is to split my adventure into four posts, commenting on the days I actually spent riding to and from Scotland, rather than talking too much about the space in...
View ArticleJay Leno's 1962 Norton 650SS and the value of pondering
I thought I'd share this video of Jay Leno talking about his 1962 Norton 650SS. I can't say I have any real love for Nortons, but I understand those who do love them, and he says a lot of things in...
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Part II: A ride to John Muir's native land
A panoramic view from the summit of Cairngorm Mountain in Scotland I spent a few days in the Lake District, my bike protected from the frequent rain by a heavy-duty cover I had bothered to strap to...
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Part III: Leaving John Muir's native land
At Carter Bar, marking the England-Scotland border.If life were a TV series, this episode would probably, for the sake of dramatic license, start with me standing on a no-name country lane, somewhere...
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Part IV: The final day
An incredibly common sight in Wales.It took me nearly an hour and a half to pack everything up and get it on my bike. And as had been the case in previous parts of my journey, I felt annoyed at the...
View ArticleThoughts upon travelling at 110 mph
If you are a member of the South Wales Police Department I want to stress to you that the following story is totally made up. Actually, let me extend that to all police forces in Her Majesty's United...
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Ride review: Yamaha XV950 / Star Bolt
Yamaha XV950Imitation, Charles Caleb Colton famously noted, is the sincerest form of flattery. If that's true, the flattery the Harley-Davidson Iron 883 receives from Yamaha's XV950 is enough to make...
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Bring on the Buell 1190AX
The EBR 1190RXCrikey, that seat looks uncomfortable!I'll admit I've never really been a Buell guy. That is to say, I've never really been that hot on the look of the bikes he's produced. The guy...
View ArticleService temporarily disrupted
Hello. Just a quick note to apologise for the sudden quietness on the blog. The lovely Mrs. Cope and I are in the United States for a few weeks and I'm finding myself too occupied with the consumption...
View ArticleFinding Main Street
Full of all the hipster clichés you can imagine, but still an enjoyable little film:Finding Main Street from Sole Creative on Vimeo.
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What I Want: Harley-Davidson LiveWire
Don't hate on the future: the Harley-Davidson LiveWireWe seem to have fallen into an unhappy pattern in the modern era: any time anything happens –– anything at all –– there is an instant chorus of...
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Where fat, old men ride bikes
Stillwater, MNHola, by the way. I was so eager to write up a post about the Harley-Davidson LiveWire as soon as I got back that I didn't even take the time to mention it's good to be back. Well, back...
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Bring on Dirt Quake IV
Dirt Quake II by Iron Bird from SIDEBURN on Vimeo.I'm missing Dirt Quake III this weekend and I can't help feeling ridiculously foolish for doing so. Oh, sure, I have a good reason for doing so --...
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Gear review: Viking AXE Saddlebags
Viking AXE SaddlebagI've been a little sloppy about posting ever since Jenn and I returned from the United States, because the weather here in Her Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern...
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The search for true love
Honda CBF600 SA5Many, many moons ago, when I was attending college at a forgettable Midwestern state university deep in the heart of American farmland, I dated a girl who was, by any metric I chose,...
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