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SUSAN CARPENTER / THROTTLE JOCKEY
THROTTLE JOCKEY
Ducati's new 696 Monster is antipasto on a salad bar budget. Despite upward price pressures on motorcycles, especially from the European manufacturers, Ducati's newest take on one of its oldest and bestselling models is holding the line at a reasonable $8,775.
THROTTLE JOCKEY
The police motorcycle -- favored by the CHP and the L.A. Sheriff's Department -- keeps drivers in line.
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I'd like to begin this column with an apology. I'm sorry for ruining your day.
Tricia Helfer and Katee Sackhoff of 'Battlestar Galactica' will ride their motorcycles in other shows this summer.
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Sport bikes stay in competition with annual overhauls.
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What does that get you? A bike Zeus could love.
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As gasoline prices soar, scooter sales are booming. From mini to maxi, they'll take you from the corner grocery to the freeway (and some of these cycles get more than 100 miles per gallon).
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The Swiss quadricycle has a BMW powertrain, the heart of a motorcycle and the suspension of a race car. If only it could be registered in California.
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Is it cold in here, or is it me? Maybe I'm just feeling the cool from Aprilia's new Shiver, in all its freak-out orange glory.
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Custom ace Ian Barry and actor Jason Lee are behind the Bullet Falcon, crossing a 1950 Triumph Thunderbird with a 1920s board track racer aesthetic.
THROTTLE JOCKEY: Honda CBR1000RR
Redone for 2008, the CBR1000RR is ultra fast and easy to use , with systems that makes its power user friendly.
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In bringing the newest Ulysses to market, Erik Buell has lived quite the odyssey -- from farm boy to Superbike racer to Harley-Davidson engineer to Buell Motorcycle Co. founder, chairman and chief technical officer.
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There's no standardized test for bikes' fuel economy, so where are figures coming from? Hint: the EPA emissions test is involved.
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A small California company is bringing back a bike popular a century ago.
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The single-cylinder, street-specific Duke was born to accelerate and brake hard. But is it an aristocrat through and through?
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There are many ways to learn Italian. You can take a language class and memorize the words. You can travel to Italy and experience the culture. Or you can ride Ducati's new 848, which will give you an entirely different lesson in Italian.
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Dual-sport bike is also an easy rider.
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It may have started as a dirt bike, but after customization it's been transformed into the Super Single. Will it catch on with road racers?
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Not to rub it in, but I do have a dream job. I get paid to ride motorcycles. I get to ride all the newest stuff. And I get to ride most of it before it's even available to the public.
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Sales are down, costs are up. Despite that, bike makers are optimistic. Expect new models, even a new niche.
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The new VTX1300T is a meat-and-potatoes sort of cruiser.
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The company's middleweight bike is ready for a wild time; it's no commuter.
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This battery-assisted bike is not only good for the earth, it's good for the wallet.
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Suzuki B-King is for Lord Vader. His chariot awaits.
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TAKE 15 pound-feet of torque. Factor in 22.5 horsepower. The numbers don't add up to bragging rights, especially for an Italian sport bike manufacturer.
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It's a nifty ride, but China's Jialing JH600 dual sport bike would need refinement and a price cut before cracking the U.S. market.
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Overhauled for 2008, the Hayabusa boasts extra horses, but user-friendliness is also one of its goals.
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Hey, did you hear the one about Jay Leno and his eco-friendly Burbank garage?
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Buell Motorcycle Co. has long billed itself as the lone manufacturer of U.S. sport bikes, but that claim should come with an asterisk.
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Victory Motorcycles isn't just cruising with its '08 Vision
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Protective garments can, at the least, offer essential abrasion resistance.
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The company's newest canine is smaller and was built for more entry-level riders.
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My wheels were rolling along, alternately sliding and gliding over sand, rocks and dirt.
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The new 2008 Concours 14 comes in a single color that's more appropriate for Seattle than SoCal. It's gray.
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Kawasaki's new Versys is a versatile machine that's equally at home on canyon roads and congested streets.
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Big Bear Choppers makes a bike just for women. But it's not a perfect fit.
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The new Vectrix Maxi Scooter, which has been in the works for more than 10 years, is now officially on the market
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Ducati's latest is so high-strung it should run on Ritalin.
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American IronHorse's Slammer is the goth fan's dream: big, bad and outta control. In other words, the 'Omen' of motorcycles.
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Q: In looking at your riding clothing on the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob segment, I wondered if you had ever written anything on protective clothing recommendations.
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Of the firm's three new bikes, this could be the most popular because it's well-designed, easy to ride and reasonably priced at $14,795.
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From its mesmerizing stern to its cool handlebars, the newly minted '08 Rocker C has a custom-shop look.
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For motorcycles, front-end accidents are 'most harmful'
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Question: How do scooters under 50 cc fit into the world? About two years ago, I was about to purchase a Honda Ruckus for local trips under five miles, but I couldn't get a clear answer from the Honda dealer on how it should be licensed and where I could ride it. Further, campus cops couldn't decide if it had to be parked with motorcycles or bicycles. Are mopeds handled differently than scooters? What about those skateboard things with two-stroke motors?
-- Peter LaBarba, Long Beach
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It won't earn you any street cred and it feels kind of flimsy, but the ST performs respectably and the gas mileage can't be beat.
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BMW fills a graying market niche with its nimble, mid-size F 800 S.
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I'VE never gone so fast on a motorcycle. My top speed: 163 mph.
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Big and beefy with a purr like a kitten, Triumph's Rocket III is a seductive anti-Harley cruiser.
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KAWASAKI'S KLR650 has been the bestselling dual sport for the last few years, but that hasn't stopped owners from complaining. The saddle was as comfortable as a plank of petrified wood, they whined. The windshield didn't live up to its name. The spongy rear shock forced their spines to pick up the slack, and weak brakes were cramping their style.
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THE market for 600 cc sport bikes is screaming. Japan's middleweight repli-racers aren't just moving faster than ever before, they're selling, and being redesigned, at record speeds.
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WARNING: Dozens of bugs were sacrificed for this review.
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The Ducati 1098 S is so slick, so fast, so Elite Model beautiful that saints with sinner inclinations should beware.
THROTTLE JOCKEY | SUSAN CARPENTER
IN the world of cruisers, there are Gingers and there are Mary Anns -- bikes that like to gussy up and make a grand entrance, and more understated models that can leave the house without double dipping the mascara. Star Motorcycles' new 1300 cc V Star is definitely a Mary Ann -- unintimidating, low maintenance and just as happy to grab a burger as dine on filet mignon.
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It isn't easy being old.
Tag along on an L.A. road trip with the original biker iconoclast, Peter Fonda.
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It's a different kind of triple threat as two new three-wheelers take on America.
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The Spyder, with its greater stability, has the potential to open up a new market segment.
In the '70s, Erik Buell was an AMA superbike racer. In the '80s, he added Harley-Davidson engineer and Buell Motorcycles founder to his resume. Now, the Buell chairman and chief technical officer is fronting the Thunderbolts rock band and designing a line of guitars. In both fields, he says, it's all about making people feel good.
Supercross delivers not only speed and thrills in packed stadiums but also stars within fans' reach.
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Don't be intimidated. These four motorcycles are geared for beginners.
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No matter how expert we become at carving canyons and generally high-tailing it through the streets on two wheels, we have to learn the basics to get there. Since 1987, almost 500,000 Californians have learned those basics in a parking lot, where they could dump the bike and go wide in turns without shame.
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