(November 5, 2009) - Harley-Davidson announced plans to commemorate the 2nd Annual Women Riders Month in May 2010 by hosting women riders in its hometown of Milwaukee, Wis., on May 22 and 23, 2010. Women Riders Month is designed to celebrate the millions of women who have already grabbed life by the handlebars, as well as inspire more women to experience the freedom of the open road.

Chinese bikes have gotten a bit of a bad reputation. Perhaps it's not entirely undeserved, but Johnny "Pag" Paganini would like to change all that. "The China hurdle, some people can't go with it, but it's getting better, " says Pag. To beat the rap, Johnny Pag Motorcycles (JPM) went with a single, proven liquid-cooled 300cc parallel twin to power all of their American-Designed bikes. This made stocking parts far easier than if there had been a variety of power plants. And stock parts they do, with every part for each of the bikes sitting on the shelf at their Irvine, CA stockroom.inline_mediumwraptextright26954395/newsandupdates/0912_crup_johnny_pag_motorcycles0912_crup_20_z+johnny_pag_motorcycles+bikes.jpgTrue

2010 Stratoliner Deluxe
Star is introducing a new bagger, the 2010 Stratoliner Deluxe. Powered by Star's 113 cubic-inch (1854cc) air-cooled, pushrod V-twin, it's certainly no slouch in the power department. Featuring a full front fairing and large color-matched locking hard sidebags you'll be set for the long haul. Making the trip even more pleasant is an audio system with high fidelity speakers, handlebar mounted controls and an iPod jack.

When Triumph launched its 2300cc Rocket III in 2004, the biggest challenge it faced was marketing. How do you position the largest production motorcycle engine on the planet? Over the years Triumph has tried to squeeze the Rocket into different niches, morphing the original Rocket into the more relaxed, floorboard-ed Classic, and most recently, into the touring-biased Rocket III Touring, complete with windscreen and hard bags as standard equipment.inline_mediumwraptextright31066671/newsandupdates/0910_crup_2010_triumph_rocket_iii_roadster0910_crup_01_z+2010_triumph_rocket_iii_roadster+right_side_view.jpgTrue

Back for 2010 is Star's pure evil VMAX. Similar to its re-introduction last year, the 2010 'Max is a limited-edition model available only by special pre-order from August 4th to November 30th, 2009. The 2010 VMAX has not been updated mechanically, but just read our Magnificent Muscle test

With lackluster financial results looming, Harley-Davidson has announced plans to discontinue the Buell motorcycle line and is actively seeking buyers for the recently acquired MV Agusta unit.

The heart of the motorcycle market these days is bikes like this. Suzuki's new M50 is a continuation of the lineup that started out four years ago with the M109 and continued with the Motorcycle Cruiser shootout-winning M90, now appears in a 805cc version. Many of the familiar lines of the M-series will be readily apparent, from the controversial headlight cowl, to the flowing tank, and the wide boat-style rear. Like its big brothers, the M sports an inverted front end, sleek multi-function display, LED taillight, and a respectably wide rear end with a 170-series tire beneath the fender.

The GoldWing is back for another go-round. Seemingly limiteless options on the legendary luxo-tourer include GPS navigation, an airbag, XM radio (with NavTraffic and NavWeather). New colors for 2010 Metallic Red and Metallic Black join Metallic Titanium and Pearl Yellow. Check out our next issue for a roundup test of all the luxury tourers including the GoldWing, Star Venture, 2010 Kawasaki Voyager, Victory's Vision, and something called a 2010 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited that we haven't even seen yet.

As editors of this magazine, we've frequently had to ride the line between functional and good-looking riding gear. On one hand pure sport and pure touring apparel works great, but frequently looks a little too racer boy or ubertourer techno geek. On the other hand the old-school jeans, chaps and leather jacket combo leaves much to be desired when it comes to keeping cool or impact protection. Things have been changing recently, and one of the companies that is perhaps most guilty of racer boy technical clothing is turning over a new leaf.

Daytona Bike Week is traditionally the start of the new riding season, which is why this year Triumph chose Daytona to introduce the Triumph Thunderbird. The Thunderbird is the latest new model to share its storied name with the past. The original Thunderbirds were produced from 1950 to 1966 and were legendary in both styling and performance; they were also the first Triumph to sport the 650cc engine.

For the first time in Royal Enfield's history, they are introducing an all new fuel injected engine to power their next generation Bullet. Royal Enfield is a manufacturer that has made a career of recreating vintage designs and until now, every Bullet that came off the assembly line in India has been virtually identical to the 1955 original. The new fully-integrated unit construction EFI motor will be available in both the Bullet Classic C5 and the Bullet G5 which is available in both Classic and Deluxe trims.

Sabertooth Motorcycles offers an alternative to the run of the mill cruiser, big v-twin bikes and other high-performance motorcycles. The company operates out of Piedmont, South Carolina with in-house frame building, sheet metal fabrication, paint operations and assembly. Their proprietary frame and swingarm design has undergone extensive finite element analysis (FEA) testing to ensure structural integrity of the components under stress. Their main model is the WildCat followed by the Midnight WildCat and the WildCat X, all powered by Ford V-8s.

I'm a solo rider. Not a militant "lone wolf" kinda guy, just someone who prefers the simplicity and tranquility of riding by myself. I can't imagine why I would need music in my helmet and the only thing in the seat behind me is generally covered in zippers and pockets. So why was I swapping saddles, adding luggage and installing the first sissy bar in my 35-year riding career? A fine question and one that initially I found difficult to answer.

Motor technology and metallurgy may have come a long way in the past 100 years, but according the Mike Hanlon, build quality and tolerances have not. His awe at the beauty and engineering that went into the early handbuilt machines of 1910 is what inspired him to bring them back with his Timeless Motor Company of El Paso, Texas.

With the release (and our first ride) of Honda's Fury, the debate of what is a cruiser or a chopper and where the line is will only increase. Here's where we sit: it's a cruiser. Choppers are supposed to be daring, handbuilt, innovative machines built to test the limits of geometry, engineering, art and good taste. The Fury is a conventional, production motorcycle. While we salute it for taking some steps that neither Honda, nor the mainstream high-volume motorcycle industry has ever taken before, the fact remains that it's a just a product, not a lovingly hand-built bike for one guy and one guy (or gal) only.

Okay it's a dirty little secret that magazines get a ton of mail form guys behind bars, but this one was different. Wayne Houff is an artist who sells his work online, and he's really good. Shown is a colored pencil sketch of his 2004 Indian. He also has a ton of other work available on his website; motorcycle, music, and religion-related, as well more general stuff. It's commendable that the Oregon corrections folks allow a talented artist like Wayne do something other than rot behind bars while serving his time, or write to magazines for free handouts all day. www.artfromprision.com

The American Motorcyclist Association would like to remind you and everyone you know that they worked very hard to get motorcycles included in 2009's new vehicle tax deduction. So go buy one! The AMA's Governmental Relations VP explains: "When it appeared that motorcycles were going to be overlooked in this bill, the AMA and the Association's members, along with Harley-Davidson and others, took our case straight to Capitol Hill and persuaded lawmakers that this was the right decision. This victory is particularly gratifying because it represents a community-wide effort to elevate motorcycles as a recognized and viable means of transportation in America. Motorcycles are vital to the reduction of traffic congestion, provide efficient use of limited parking, have far less impact on our roads and bridges, and contribute significantly to our nation's efforts to consume less fuel. Our success today clearly indicates that our legislators are listening."

We welcome your comments and criticisms. Send them to Motorcycle Cruiser, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515, or cruiser@sorc.com. All materials sent to the editors will become the property of Motorcycle Cruiser and cannot be returned.

Unveiled in New York City January 16th, Victory's CORE concept motorcycle is roughly the polar opposite of the company's flagship Vision tourer. Stripped to just the bare essentials of an engine, wheels, and just enough other stuff to control it.

After H-D dropped the standard Sportster 883 from the lineup, the bottom rung on Harley's ladder was looking a little bare with just the 883 Low and 883 Custom models remaining. Never fear, Dark is here. As in Harley's Dark Custom line. Rolled out officially as a marketing device a year ago with the introduction of the Cross Bones, but going back over a decade with blacked out models like the Night Train, the Dark Custom line is coming into its own as a brand parallel to Harley-Davidson's other families of bikes.

When we ran our 2009 New Model Buyer's Guide, some folks "noticed" we omitted the new Indians from the mix. We decided to remedy that, lest some of our more enthusiastic readers show up with scalping on their minds.

Did you build models as a kid? Triumph will let you regain that feeling with their new "Create my Triumph" accessory online tool. You can now design the Triumph of your dreams virtually. Begin by picking a model and then chose your color and add in the accessories. You'll be able to choose from the full line of genuine Triumph accessories. As you outfit your Triumph, the image automatically updates. When you're satisfied with your personalized Triumph, you can save, print or email all the details including a complete parts and price list. Check it out at www.triumphmotorcycles.com. -AT

Cupertino, Calif. (3 March 2009) - Ducati North America announced today that its dealers across the country have begun delivering the highly-anticipated 2009 Superbikes - 1198 S and the limited-edition 1098 R Troy Bayliss Edition.

We already knew - the men, that is - that we're at the top of food chain, but here's further, incontrovertible proof that bigger is badder.