If this trip isn’t on your travel bucket list, it should be

Story by Dustin Woods Photos by Dustin Woods and Alexe Sawicki

Whenever and wherever riding enthusiasts congregate and discuss the best places to ride, the old standards like the Pacific Coast Highway, Cabot Trail and Deal’s Gap come up often. I recently started hearing about another one lately that had me intrigued - The Lake Superior Circle Tour. The subject of perhaps the most famous Canadian ballad of all time, Gordon Lightfoot’s song about an ill-fated ship named the Edmund Fitzgerald and its 29 crew members warns of the peril such a treacherous body of water can hold.

Making motorcycle models out of old watch parts, an absolutely beautiful set of creations by Watch Part Motorcycles.

Five years ago today I purchased my first bike, a 2005 Derbi Atlantis 50cc two-stroke scooter. I bought it from a so-called “scooter dealership” (read: glorified clothing store with a service garage). They sold me a helmetthat was far too big, and couldn’t have be bothered to show me the controls to my new scooter after they handed me the key. That is to say, five years ago today is the day of my first two wheeled accident, about 10 feet down the alleyway from the first place I ever fired up a bike.

We’ve all been down this same, long road of learning. This short story looks back on how quickly motorcycling can become a way of life.

If this era of motorcycling will be remembered for anything, it's the revival of old school. Finally, after featuring so much from the motorcycle community, we're featuring something from an OEM. Royal Enfield is getting in on the craze with their very own Chrome Cafe Racer. You know, for those of us who can't invest a whole lot of time, or talent, into the return of retro. See the pics you can't find anywhere else on the web!

Who can deny Kawasaki's knack for creating great small displacement motorcycles? The company makes three 650cc motorcycles available in North America: the Versys, ER-6n, and the Kawasaki Ninja 650R. The latter is a great alternative for anyone wise enough to avoid to avoid a 600cc supersport as a first bike, but still wanting a motorcycle zippy looks and performance. Likewise, for those who value their power and fear they'll outgrow a Ninja 250 quickly, the Kawasaki Ninja 400R might be right for you.

The Yamaha V-Star250 has been around for generations, and aside from a name change, the bike has received no real improvements or changes in over twenty years. Formerly known as the Virago 250, the V-Star 250 is the beginner motorcycle cruiser that new motorcyclists continue to flock to year after year.

You’ll need to go back over a quarter century to the last era of motorcycling when small, beginner friendly motorcycles were this popular.Kawasaki’s Ninja 250 is the right bike at the right time. The Ninja’s 2008 restyling has made it a good looking to boot, with power to go beyond A to B.

There are so many reasons for today’s unprecedented hype in the 250cc sportbike class. Gas prices are soaring, the recession is shadowing over us, more great websites out there educating new riders on the importance of starting small. Whatever the case, the 250cc market is hot.

Adding to the Marauder 250, Suzuki has returned to a classic design: the single cylinder small displacement universal Japanese motorcycle (UJM). With a low price point, Suzuki’s TU250 aims to be the answer to a double-dip recession, offering motorcyclists a low cost, efficient method of transportation that’s light on fuel, maintenance, and on insurance.
Stop waiting for retro style... and start waiting for a retro style bike, that actually has some power...

The heart and soul of the Suzuki S40 is it's “Big Thumper” 650cc single cylinder engine. The model dates back to the 1986 Suzuki Savage 650. The Savage, later renamed the S40 saw no significant changes from 1986 to 2012 save for a drag style handlebar added in 2005. The full review is here:

How much do you know about your motorcycle's drive mechanism? Chain drive. Shaft drive. Belt drive. What's the difference? Which one's best for you? Your needs should be what determines your motorcycle drive mechanism, and here's some info to help!