Hey guys, Graham here, and last week, we’re at Triumph’s demo day in lovely Concord, California to test ride the all-new for 2011 Triumph Tiger 800.

I was riding the extra tall XC version, which sits a few inches higher than the standard Tiger, but is mechanically identical. I can’t emphasize enough how thankful tall guys like me are that Triumph takes the time to make the taller model. Check it out.

The Tiger 800 is built around a fuel injected 799 cubic centimeter three cylinder engine, which Triumph says has been designed with a long stroke for improved low end torque to suit the demands of the 473 pound motorcycle both on and off the road.

The all-aluminum motor puts out 95 horsepower and 58 pound feet of torque.

But more important than the specs is how the engine feels on the road, and it’s simply suburb. Unlike torquey, single cylinder dual sport bikes that rocket out of the hole only to fall flat at higher RPMs, the Tiger pulls smoothly from a start and just keeps going, it all feels very progressive and predictable, which suits the sort of big mileage riding that the bike is designed for.

I do, however, have one gripe about the engine: It sounds like a vacuum cleaner, which was confirmed by the gentleman behind me after the ride.

Needless to say, the tall and upright bike was easy and comforting to ride through town traffic, but it got even better when we hit the twisties. While it’s tall stance means the Tiger will never corner as hard or change direction as fast as it’s sportier stablemates, but it will get down into a corner when you ask it to. But the Tiger really shines when the road conditions deteriorate. While the guys on the Speed Triples and Supersports had to straighten out and stand the bikes up going over the rough stuff, the firm but long-travel suspension of the Tiger soaks bumps and cracks up like they’re not even there.

Our test bike did without the optional anti lock brakes, but even with ABS, the Tiger sells for about 12,000 dollars, which undercuts it’s chief rival, the BMW F 800 GS by nearly 1000 dollars.

We haven’t had the chance to ride one of those yet, though, so far now, the Tiger 800 XC has set the bar pretty high.

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Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at the pre-order price for a limited time.

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Hello everyone, here is a teaser video of our latest test ride of the BMW F800 GS courtesy of San Jose BMW.

We took this 85 HP dual sport motorcycle through the twisty south bay hills, mud, and dirt. Just listen to that engine roar.

Boasting 62 ft·lbs of torque, it had ample power to propel us up steep grades and over tricky obstacles.

The unique thing about this middleweight bimmer is that with the gas tank in the rear, under the seat, the engine can sit higher allowing for more ground clearance.

Equipped standard with Pirelli Scorpion Trail tires on 21 inch diameter front wheels, the transition from street to dirt is nearly seamless.

A comfortable stretch from the ground to the 34.6 inch seat height, the riding position allows an equally good view of the dusty terrain ahead or the miles of bumper to bumper cars.

With plenty of zip in the throttle, this motorcycle can stir up quite a dust cloud, or tear down the highway with ease.

Standard package priced at $12,900 with center stand and anti-theft alarm priced separately at $175 and $395. The 2011 BMW F800GS is available in Lava Orange Metallic with Black Satin, or Alpine White color schemes.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at the pre-order price for a limited time.

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Hey, what’s up guys? Today, we thought we would change it up a bit, and toss our track suits and knee sliders into self storage for a bit of riding on the open road. I personally dusted off my riding jeans, leather jacket, shades, and boots for a bit of relaxed riding. Paul? Well, wait and see.

I also wanted to take this time to pimp Space Maker, the leading way in domestic and business self storage solutions. They want you to know, their centers are more than somewhere to leave your possessions, they are a valuable extension of your home or office.

Anyways, a special thank you to the folks at Ace Motorsports in Concord for providing us with the Thruxton and Scrambler 900. The full article will be featured in our 2011 print issue which is just around the corner. In the meantime, here a sneak peek at what’s in store for you.

Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek. The full article will be published in our 2011 annual print issue. We are quite excited about it since it will be double the size of our 2010 issue, at 100 pages, in full color. Be sure to check our Facebook page often for more updates.

I guess it is time to go retrieve our gear from our storage center. It is really quite convenient and affordable nowadays to have extra room to store our stuff. The garage has been pretty cluttered lately. Another recently discovered benefit of separate storage, was during our garage flood. All of our stuff would have been water damaged and smelled had it been in the garage. So be sure to check out our sponsor, and put your unused goods into storage.

Be sure to log on to Triumph Boards for more triumph related information. Stay tuned.

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Hi guys, this is Paul here with another update on our KTM RC8. We scheduled to pit our Austrian rocket against the current king of the hill, the BMW S1000RR. In this video you will get to see a quick glimpse of some of the roads that we pit these two motorcycles on. A quick thanks to the folks over at Moto Marin for providing us with the BMW.

We also have some sad news to report. We did not know this at the time of testing, but found out that MotoMarin in San Rafael, CA shutdown just last week and is no longer in business. Our best wishes go out to the former employees.

Please pick up our 2011 Annual Issue due out soon to read the full article.

Check back here often for more updates or log on to KTM Boards for more KTM fun.

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Hi guys, Paul here again. At the Ace Motorsports Ducati Demo Day I was able to ride the 2010 Ducati 848 Dark. The bike is essentially a regular 848 with a matte black paint job. While the guided tour was not long enough or fast enough to fully test the new 848, it was enough to give me a sample of the characteristics of the motorcycle in crowded street riding and short trips through town.

At the slowest speeds, around parking lots, or making u-turns, the 848 Dark is easy to keep under control. The clutch is easy to operate to keep the massive 849.4cc L-twin engine from stalling. Like previous models of the 848, the 2010 Dark version still suffers from the hand-pinching inability to turn the wheel to full lock. With delicate finger placement on the outer edges of the handles and some clever body positioning, it is possible to nimbly maneuver the 848 Dark in tight spaces. Three-point turning is a classic fallback skill that will still need to be employed in some situations.

On the open road is where the 2010 Ducati 848 Dark starts to shine. The desmodromic controlled 134 horsepower engine can start to breathe and propel the rider to adventure. Zero to forty disappears in an unadvised blink of the eye. You might have gone to 60 or 80 MPH if you had blinked both eyes, but eventually you will need to shift into second. The same easy action clutch level that allowed for easy low speed cruising works effortlessly with the shift lever to make changing gears a dream. Despite an aggressive body position and the forward pitch of the seat, the rear sets are in an unusually comfortable position preventing fatigue and strain when shifting gears or weighting the pegs.

While there is no 848S edition with Ohlin suspension upgrades, the forks are available as an upgrade. The stock 41mm Showa shocks still do a good job reducing wheel hop, and front end diving. During heavy braking, utilizing the twin semi-floating discs and Brembo calipers, the Showa shocks hold their own reasonably well. It is not as static upfront as it could be, but you never feel like you are going to slip off the front.

In addition to the carbon fiber mudguards and tank panels that are available as Ducati brand accessories, there is also a windscreen that is 30mm taller than stock. This may seem like a boon, saving your head from the wind noise and improving the aerodynamics of the motorcycle, but you would be wrong. When you are riding on city streets, it is not practical to be in a full tuck with your chin on the gas tank, eyes peering up through the windscreen. The visibility of the road around you is slightly impaired by your lower eye level, and you stick out as a target for police.

These are just minor concerns compared to what you are giving up in the jet stream, wind resistance. It is counter conducive for top speed and acceleration to want to increase wind resistance, but for comfort and long-term riding, it is worth losing the one-eighth second from your quarter mile. As you are riding down the street, with your abdomen resting on the shrewdly sculpted gas tank, taking your weight off your back, your helmet floats just above the stock windscreen. The wind resistance blowing on your visor and embracing your head lifts the weight off your straining neck muscles, relaxing your upper back, and allows you to ride fatigue free for hours.

While we are all eagerly awaiting the next generation of changes to the Ducati 848, visit Ducatist and take part in some exciting motorcycle discussions.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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