Originally published in Slipstream magazine, April 2017. Welcome to the third and final part of our series examining the state and future of the motorcycle industry. Congratulations if you’ve made it this far, and hopefully some of the facts, figures and arguments put forward in the first two-part have resonated somewhat, or at last made you…
Originally published in Slipstream magazine, March 2016. Welcome back for the second part in our three-part series analysing the State of the Motorcycling Industry. Some of you let us know last month that you were surprised at how opinionated the piece was, and you know what – you’re absolutely right. It’s my opinion that the motorcycle…
Henry Ford is said to have opined that, should he have asked people what they wanted from a future transport solution they would have simply requested a faster horse. Apple famously made its fortune delivering products that nobody knew they wanted, and it’s arguable that the original BMW R80GS did the same thing. Journalists at…
Originally published in Slipstream magazine, February 2018. It’s been another year of launches, announcements and behind-the-scenes news from the global Motorcycle Industry. Some of it is business as usual, still more represents continuing trends, but beneath it all lies evidence of growing bewilderment and panic amongst the world’s top manufacturers that evidences itself in almost everything…
Originally published in Slipstream magazine, October 2017. While there are an increasing number of examples to the contrary, the vast majority of all motorcycles ever made have shockingly poor headlights. My indignant rage towards the pantheon of motorcycle manufacturers is tempered by the fact that most people don’t often ride at night, allowing the humble headlight…
Originally published in Slipstream magazine, September 2017. I opened my wardrobe recently to discover that I owned more pairs of motorcycle boots than I did normal shoes, and significantly more motorcycling suits than formal wear. Don’t even get me started on gloves, base layers, and heated vests – I seem to collect them. This may sound…
Originally published in Slipstream magazine, July 2017. Regardless of whether you have ever taken an extended, long-distance tour by bike or not, everyone has their own idea of what a “motorcycle trip” looks like. It’s even possible that many of us never consider that others might plan and execute their two-wheeled vacations in a completely different…
Originally published in Slipstream magazine, July 2016. Along with power output and brakes, a motorcycle’s suspension is the component most often discussed in any new review, yet it’s the part most often ignored by riders. Suspension doesn’t work on-demand like brakes or throttle, doesn’t make any cool noises, and is usually tucked away out of sight.…
Originally published in Slipstream magazine, May 2016. Scotland is one of those tour destinations that’s often overlooked, particularly by those of us in the southern parts of these British Isles. There are plenty of reasons for this: it’s still in the UK, and so it doesn’t feel like you’re really going on holiday, yet it’s far…
Originally published in Slipstream magazine, March 2016. Normally, this is the time of year when you start reading magazine articles about “Preparing yourself and the bike for the riding season”. They usually discuss cleaning the mice out of the airbox, checking the tyres for dry-rot and how to troubleshoot battery issues after a long winter on…
Boy Meets Bike 
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