Motos and Friends from Ultimate Motorcycle magazine – Details, episodes & analysis

Hello everyone and welcome to the Motos and Friends Podcast, brought to you by Yamaha.

Discover the thrill of the open road with the 2024 Yamaha Tenere 700, the ultimate adventure bike designed to conquer any terrain. The Tenere 700 has a powerful 689cc liquid-cooled, inline twin-cylinder engine, delivering adrenaline-pumping performance for both on-road cruising and off-road exploration. It's built for the bold; ready to tackle gravel, dirt, or pavement with equal confidence. With a lightweight chassis and long-travel suspension, every ride feels effortless, offering agility and stability in every twist and turn. Plus, adjustable suspension means you can tailor the ride to suit your adventure style. Learn more at YamahaMotorsports.com and visit your Yamaha dealer to experience the thrill of the Tenere 700 for yourself.  

Honda’s legendary engineering prowess has led to many innovations over the years. Not least, Honda was the first company to come up with a seamless transmission in MotoGP, and of course we’re now seeing the incredible Dual Clutch Transmission on several models, the favorite of mine being the outstanding Gold Wing touring bike. Well now we’re seeing something very different again. The new Honda CBR- and CB650R models are now equipped with Honda’s all-new E-clutch technology. This automates the clutch operation with computer-controlled electronic assistance—while still allowing the rider to use the clutch manually if they want to! This amazing innovation will especially appeal to new riders, but clearly it could be fitted to just about any of the Honda range too. Nic de Sena has ridden using the new e-clutch, and he and Don discuss the pros and cons.

In our second segment this week, Teejay Adams chats with Mark Long of the relatively new Driven to Ride podcast that shares the stories of motorcyclists from all walks of life. Mark came to podcasting via radio, so he’s a genuine professional in the audio world, and as an avid motorcycle rider, it seems like a natural fit to have him around in the motorcycle audio business. Mark explores his life-changing experiences on two wheels, with one of his first ventures to the iconic Sturgis motorcycle rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota. If you haven’t listened to Driven to Ride, then you really should. Anything we can all do to help bring more enthusiasts to motorcycling has to be a good thing!

By the way, if you’re into Dual-Sport riding, then should check out the new Arai XD-5. It’s completely redesigned, and typical Arai, every improvement is made with a priority for protection. For example, the new visor system is designed to maximize vision and surface area to glance off impact energy whilst at the same time offering easy installation and removal. 

Arai is obsessed with every detail; there is such a thing as “The Arai Difference”. A helmet is not only about safety, it’s also about comfort. The incredible fit and plush interior of any of the Arai helmets is immediately noticeable.

So get to your local dealer and try out the full range of Arai helmets. You will be instantly amazed at the fit and all-day comfort of any Arai helmet. You should also check out AraiAmericas.com to learn more.

We love your feedback! Please comment or suggest:

  @ultimatemotorcycling

 @UltimateMotoMag

 @UltimateMotorcycling

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Hello everyone and welcome to the Motos and Friends Podcast, brought to you by Yamaha.

Discover the thrill of the open road with the 2024 Yamaha Tenere 700, the ultimate adventure bike designed to conquer any terrain. The Tenere 700 has a powerful 689cc liquid-cooled, inline twin-cylinder engine, delivering adrenaline-pumping performance for both on-road cruising and off-road exploration. It's built for the bold; ready to tackle gravel, dirt, or pavement with equal confidence. With a lightweight chassis and long-travel suspension, every ride feels effortless, offering agility and stability in every twist and turn. Plus, adjustable suspension means you can tailor the ride to suit your adventure style. Learn more at YamahaMotorsports.com and visit your Yamaha dealer to experience the thrill of the Tenere 700 for yourself.  

There’s nothing quite like massive amounts of torque to make a motorcycle accelerate in a real hurry, and that is one of the allures of an electric motorcycle. In this week’s first segment, Don Williams talks about riding the new Verge TS Pro. There are several areas where this bike is unusual, not least its looks. But its claimed torque output of 738 ft/lbs is such a ludicrous-sounding number it raises a bunch of questions. Having ridden it briefly around Malibu, Don fills us in on whether this very different motorcycle is actually worth a real look.   

In our second segment this week, Teejay Adams chats with Rick Glover and his son Cooper. Cooper is only just a teenager, but he’s shown real promise on the racetrack, and indeed, he won the SFLMiniGP series Championship in 2023. Truth is, America needs these youngsters to progress in the sport so that we can have real competitors once more at the MotoGP level. Cooper’s Dad Rick fills us in on the effort and commitment needed to bring his son to the forefront of motorcycle racing with the ultimate goal of reaching the world stage.

So, from all of us here at Motos and Friends, we hope you enjoy this episode!   

By the way, if you’re into Dual-Sport riding, then should check out the new Arai XD-5. It’s completely redesigned, and typical Arai, every improvement is made with a priority for protection. For example, the new visor system is designed to maximize vision and surface area to glance off impact energy whilst at the same time offering easy installation and removal. 

Arai is obsessed with every detail; there is such a thing as “The Arai Difference”. A helmet is not only about safety, it’s also about comfort. The incredible fit and plush interior of any of the Arai helmets is immediately noticeable.

So get to your local dealer and try out the full range of Arai helmets. You will be instantly amazed at the fit and all-day comfort of any Arai helmet. You should also check out AraiAmericas.com to learn more.

We love your feedback! Please comment or suggest:

Instagram links:

Cooper Glover Racing

SFLMiniGP

Facebook Links:

Cooper Glover Racing

SFLMiniGP

  @ultimatemotorcycling

 @UltimateMotoMag

 @UltimateMotorcycling

 [email protected]

This week, Editors Don Williams and Nic de Sena discuss the 2025 Triumph Daytona 660. The all-new middleweight triple stands out amongst the well-established parallel twins in the class—and it does it for an exceptional price. 

In the second segment this week I chat with the three founders of Moto-Cyco Touring Adventures. Pat Campbell, Greg Mason, and Scott Urwick want to share their passion for themed guided tours throughout what they believe is the best place in the United States to ride—New England.  

All three guys (and their wives!) are serious motorcycle enthusiasts with more than three-and-a-half decades of combined riding experience. They have led safe, organized group rides for over 10 years and collectively, they average more than 50,000 miles of riding every year.

The themed rides sound spectacular, and after hearing their story I believe you will feel the same. I hope you will consider joining them on one of their rides.   

We love your feedback! Please comment or suggest:

  @ultimatemotorcycling

 @UltimateMotoMag

 @UltimateMotorcycling

 [email protected]

Hello and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends.

We’ve been astonished by the audience our little show has garnered so far—in fact after a little over one year of doing this we’ve just crossed over 3 Million downloads. That’s amazing, and we’d like to thank each and every one of you for tuning in and listening to our drivel …er I mean carefully crafted entertainment.  We love hearing your feedback, so please feel free to leave comments on the Ultimate Motorcycling Facebook page, or of course you can email us at [email protected].

This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Yamaha is highlighting the YZF-R7 that launched a few months ago. It’s a great mid-level option sports machine that gives the perfect balance between rider comfort and true supersport performance.

The Podcast is also brought to you by Schuberth Helmets.

This week’s episode features Senior Editor Nic de Sena’s impressions of the new Harley-Davidson Nightster. This is one of the new generation of the iconic Sportster range and it features the Revolution Max 975T liquid-cooled twin cylinder engine. This new gen bike manages to bring the latest tech to the Sportster, without losing that retro-cool that is so much a part of every Harley-Davidson.  

In the second segment we chat with another motorcycle industry icon – Roland Sands. Roland is legendary for his custom designs and of course now for his racing exploits with his team in the Hooligan class. Roland’s resume is too long and varied to go into here, so please listen in and get a small inkling into what makes him such a legend. He’s actually going to be the guest of honor at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering on May 14th, so if you feel like a trip to the gorgeous Quail Hotel in Carmel Valley, you’ll get to meet Roland and see some stunning motorcycles too. The link for tickets is here in our show notes.

From all of us at Ultimate Motorcycling, thanks again for tuning in please enjoy this latest episode!

Read our 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster Review

Read our review of The Ronin CE Jacket ~ Roland Sands Design Leather

Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends, a weekly podcast brought to you by the editorial team at Ultimate Motorcycling. 

In this week’s first segment Editor Don Williams brings us his thoughts on Suzuki’s eagerly awaited GSX-S 1000 GT… that’s the sport touring version of the company’s upright naked sport bike. Don has just returned from a successful two-day, 750-mile round trip on the GT and it seems that overall, he was quite impressed by the bike.

The second segment is the final one in our series from Brisbane, Australia. Associate Editor Teejay Adams and myself chatted with motorcycle adventurer Rusty Mac about his guided outback touring company Australian Backroads Motorcycle Touring. Rusty has been taking all-comers on day-trips for many years, and has now branched out into overnight trips as well. So if you’re perhaps interested in riding some of Australia’s roads less traveled, then Rusty is the guy to show you the best places to visit, and have the best experience.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Check out the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ here

Rusty Mac and Australia Backroads Motorcycle Touring company website

Australian Backroads Motorcycle Touring Facebook page

Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends—a weekly Podcast brought to you by the editorial team at Ultimate Motorcycling.

This week we go retro! We start off the first segment with Senior Editor Nic de Sena talking to us about the new Kawasaki Z650 RS. This retro-styled moto follows after the huge success of the Z900 RS, and it follows the same inspiration as its sibling. The KZ650 back I the seventies was a brilliant machine that combined relatively light weight and a motor that revved to the moon, so it quickly gained popularity and sold very very well. The new Z650 RS plays to the visual strengths of the original and certainly for me, the flawless emerald green, pinstriped paintwork, and the gold spoke-type wheels are very evocative of the original.

In the second segment, Neale Bayly continues his chat with Brian Slark—the man who helped bring Norton to the United States. Brian talks to Neale not just about his amazing career, but he also gives us some insight into the burgeoning motorcycle industry of the late sixties and early seventies in America. The rivalry between Triumph, Norton, and of course the other now extinct British brands such as BSA, AJS and Matchless was pretty fierce apparently, and Brian’s first hand witness account to the whole era is fascinating.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Check out our review and pictures of the Kawasaki Z650RS here

Hello friends—welcome once again to the Ultimate motorcycling podcast, Motos and er… Friends. 

In the first segment this week, Editor Don Williams talks with Associate Editor Freeman Wood, who recently returned from Portugal and riding both the GT and Rally Pro versions of the all new Triumph Tiger 1200. The Gt version is more street-oriented than the Rally Pro, and if you’re in a quandary about which one interests you the most, Freeman’s comments may help clarify things.

In the second segment, I get to chat with ex-500cc Grand Prix racer, Paul Lewis. I met him once way back when—and he said to me “Arthur, you’ve got to understand, going fast on the racetrack is all about commitment.” No kidding.   

In the early 80s, towards the end of Barry Sheene’s remarkable career, Paul burst on to the World Championship road race scene and caused quite the stir, setting pole position in his very first race at Donington Park.

Paul later raced at Daytona for several years running—including one year riding the John Britten Pre-cursor machine. Nowadays, Paul is a principal at Salt Motorcycles—a gorgeously retro, hand-built in Australia, café racer based on the KTM 300cc 2-stroke dirt bike motors. Fast and very light Salt Motorcycles must be an absolute blast to ride.

Paul is a real character; he’s raced against many of the absolute best from the GP heyday, and I loved catching up with him and hearing about some of the craziness of the past 500cc Grand Prix era.

I know you’ll absolutely love this episode.   

Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro Fast Facts Review

Salt Motorcycles, Brisbane, Australia

YouTube: Paul Lewis in 1983 Bathurst Western Underwriters 1000 NOTE: Due to a technical glitch the download figures were restarted after 2 days. To get the correct total downloads for this episode please ADD 18,186 to the number below.

This week brings you a V-twin extravaganza! Well… that’s a bit of an exaggeration of course, but suffice it to say that in the first segment Nic de Sena talks to us about Ducati’s new Streetfighter V2—the one based on the Panigale V-Twin, not the V4. The twin cylinder motor is to some people the very essence of Ducati, and the Streetfighter with the latest generation V-twin motor proves that Ducati is still very much committed to it.

I recorded the second segment on our recent trip to Queensland, Australia. As you may know, the original Brough Superior motorcycles were first manufactured in England in the 15 years or so before the outbreak of the second World War. At the time, the Brough was so exquisitely made that George Brough claimed them to be “the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles” and indeed, they really were. The Brough Superior name was purchased a few years ago, and a French design company developed a new version of the Brough based on the original ethos of innovation and spectacular quality. Serial production in very limited quantities started in 2016.

Fred Drake is the importer and distributor of Brough motorcycles in Australia, and I was fascinated to visit the Brisbane showroom and chat with him about the motorcycles that he has such passion for. I urge you to visit Fred’s website and take a look, you’ll find it at Brough Superior Australia. I promise you won’t be disappointed!  

Hello listeners and welcome once again to Motos and Friends, a weekly Podcast brought to you by Ultimate Motorcycling.

This week we bring you the newly updated Suzuki GSX-S1000. Suzuki has updated their naked liter-bike upright with several fairly significant upgrades, and Senior Editor Nic de Sena tells us all about it.

In the second segment, Editor at Large Neale Bayly sits down at the Barber Advanced Design Center at the Barber museum in Birmingham Alabama, and chats with Brian Slark, the gentleman who – among other things – brought Norton motorcycles to America. This is the first part of three, and gives and introduction to Brian and how he got started in motorcycling.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Suzuki GSX-S1000

This week, Associate Editor Teejay Adams and I get to ride a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 for our travels around Brisbane, Australia, thanks to the team at Motorcycle Holdings who arranged it.

In Royal Enfield tradition, the Interceptor 650 features the larger twin-cylinder engine in a retro styled package with a ton of charisma. It turned out to be really fun ride—we were pleasantly surprised by how it performed.

In the second segment, I get to chat with one of my longest-standing industry buddies, Robert Pandya.

Robert was recently named COO of the Buffalo Chip Campground in Sturgis, South Dakota. The legendary Chip is the central part of the Sturgis rally every year, and with the redoubtable energy of Robert Pandya, I expect to see the attendance grow exponentially. We’ll see. Robert’s a fun guy to talk to; I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy this episode!

Royal Enfield Australia

Cannon Coffee