Modular helmets

I think BMW was the first to market a modular helmet back in the 80's. Almost all helmet manufacturers have at least one of these designs now. They make a lot of sense for riders who wear glasses--like me. The convenience of putting on an open-face helmet with full-face protection.

Buell Blast

The Buell Blast is a 500 single derived from half of a Sportster V-twin engine. It's belt-driven and very underpowered. It's also the cheapest bike Harley makes. But, if you want a street thumper over 250cc that isn't a cruiser or a supermoto, this is your only choice here in the States. What this bike needs is a displacement increase to 650cc...

Café racer

The Triumph Thruxton is an homage to the old café racers of the 70's. Riders would install rear-set foot pegs/controls and clip-on handlebars for a road-race seating position. They were just going out of style when I first got into riding as manufacturers were beginning to come out with more sport-oriented models right off the showroom floor. This bike reminds me of one of my favorite classics: the Norton Commando.

Makin' it mine...

Every motorcyclist adds some personal touches to his bike to make it his own. A few of the factory options I'd like for a DR650 are a luggage rack, skid plate and the shorter kickstand necessary when the suspension is adjusted to lower the seat height. I've decided since I'm not going to be racing it like an idiot off-road I can live with a little less ground clearance and suspension travel (it's still more than a KLR or any street-only bike).

Kawasaki Ninja 650R

Kawasaki's Ninja 650R is a liquid-cooled inline-twin with an upright riding position and a full-fairing. This bike would be ideal for commuting and solo sport-touring. It was designed with beginning and returning riders in mind. It's certainly a more attractive bike than Suzuki's 650 V-Strom (cooler name, too).