Every stop sign is an opportunity to launch a little harder and let the two-stroke sing a little longer. Ed and his TL follow as I confuse commuters with my mutated-leaf-blower-on-crack exhaust note, my GPS giving instructions in my ear as we criss-cross the city. By the time we hit the Golden Gate bridge, my cheeks hurt from smiling.
Aprilia does not even bother to pretend that their new Dorsoduro 900, the “there can be only one” simplification of the previous 750 and 1200 versions, is anything but a one-trick pony.
While some brands are focused on making a good electric motorcycle, Alta decided to simply make a good motorcycle, one that happens to be powered by electrons instead of ancient dinosaur remains...
The bike makes a remarkable visual statement. The metallic gray version I first observed in the wild was just perfect: the piping on the pleated seat, the round headlight, the dirt track-style knobbies. It made me stop and look.
The XSR is an attention seeker in the no-longer-available King Kenny paint scheme, and the mild XS650 influence is noticeable. It's not a full on retro-posing bike, but it’s also not “just a regular old motorcycle.”
