Rob Brooks

Diamond Gusset Jeans – GET THEM AT THE GREAT AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE SHOW

Many companies today provide quality protective clothing for motorcycle riders. Blue jeans are often the go-to pant for bikers, for their comfort, utilitarian function, and general good looks. Yet often, these offer sub-par protection in the event of an “off.” Several companies offer armored jeans, with sewn-in protection at key points around the garment. Companies like Joe Rocket, Icon, Alpinestars, and Cortech are among those who offer high quality riding jeans. At a recent Great American Motorcycle Show, I had the privilege to meet with David Hall of Diamond Gusset Jean Company, a unique, all-American outfit based in Bon Aqua,…
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Motorcycle Riding Good For Health, New Study Shows

Motorcycle Riding Good For Health, New Study Shows Milwaukee, WS- An old motorcycling adage asserts, “You never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrist’s office,” and now medical science proves it true. In a recent neurobiological study conducted by a team of researchers at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and funded by Harley-Davidson, it was found that motorcycling “increased metrics of focus and attention, and decreased relative levels of cortisol, a hormonal marker of stress.” Dr. Don Vaughn and his research team outfitted 50 experienced motorcycle riders with mobile EEG monitors, then turned them loose to go…
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Suzuki Files Unique Engine Patent

Suzuki Files Unique Engine Patent Suzuki Motorcycles recently filed a patent for a very unique motorcycle engine configuration. In patent application drawings that have been released, a single cylinder setup appears to be indicated, with the cylinder heads just above horizontal and positioned up close to the front forks. According to a report by Cycle World, the configuration could be used for singles or multi-cylinder inline engines. The cylinders appear to be tucked up between the frame rails, running parallel with them. The configuration puts the transmission lower in the cradle, and the crankcase closer to the rear of the…
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Track Drying Compound Burns Motocross Riders

Track Drying Compound Burns Motocross Riders Multiple Monster Energy AMA Supercross racers sustained severe rashes and burns due to a lime compound added to the track sand last weekend at the San Diego Petco Park race round. At least 20 riders suffered from painful, widespread rashes and 2nd-degree chemical burns following the races last Saturday, say AMA Supercross sources. The culprit appears to have been a substance called QuickLime, a granulated lime that is mixed with track sand to help absorb moisture and maintain the consistency specs necessary for indoor Supercross racing. San Diego experienced heavy rainfall leading up to…
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American Brands Issue Latest Sales Reports

American Brands Issue Latest Sales Reports Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycle companies both issued their 2018 earnings statements last week, and their reports were a mixed bag. Harley’s statement showed sales down 10.2 percent in 2018 and down 6.1 percent worldwide, and their 4th-quarter profit was less than half a million dollars, compared to $8.3 million a year before.   Polaris, the owner of Indian Motorcycle, also posted 4th quarter sales drops in their motorcycle division to the tune of 15 percent, mostly due to the plummeting sales of their three-wheeled Slingshot roadster. Their Indian sales were a bit more encouraging,…
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Triumph Bonneville Icons Tour

Triumph Bonneville Icons Tour   Triumph North America has been busy this winter, offering press releases and first looks of their new 2019 Bonnevilles, set to hit dealerships soon. The company has set a precedent of touring their “Bonneys” across America every winter since the complete remodel of the line for 2016, and now other motor companies have begun doing the same thing, Ducati being the most notable. Dubbed the “Bonneville Icons Tour” this year, Triumph has been giving up-close and personal encounters with their all-new Speed Twin models, their new Scrambler XE and XC, the Speedmaster cruiser, and the…
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New Study Shows Cell Phone Laws Save Motorcyclist’s Lives

New Study Shows Cell Phone Laws Save Motorcyclist’s Lives   A recent study in Florida showed states with stricter “cell phone use while driving” laws have seen reduced fatalities among motorcyclists. Gulcin Gumus of Florida Atlantic University and Michael T. French of the University of Miami looked at government stats over an 11-year period, from 2005 through 2015, to determine whether or not such laws were making a difference pertaining to riders. We motorcyclists make up only 0.6% of vehicle miles traveled on American roads, but make up an alarming 14% of U.S. traffic fatalities. Other recent studies have asserted…
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Messy Opening Round of Supercross 2019

Messy Opening Round of Supercross 2019 With the beginning of a year, a new season of motorcycle racing kicked off over the weekend with the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. And what a crazy kickoff it was.     Southern California is prone to early January rains, and true to form, the sky opened up over the city and stadium, dumping hours and inches of rainfall on the track and riders. This made an already technical course a slough of muck and mire.     Opening heats and qualifiers on Friday in both the…
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Triumph Revamps the Rocket III for 2019

Triumph Revamps the Rocket III for 2019 Triumph Motorcycles appears to be developing and delivering an all-new Rocket III beast in 2019, lining up Ducati’s new Diavel in it’s crosshairs. An official design sketch was revealed at the annual Triumph dealers conference back in the fall, with a brief glimpse of a “test mule” ridden across the stage to corroborate the artwork mock-up. That was it- no further info was offered at the time. Now some spec details are emerging, and the upgraded bike looks to be a muscular marvel indeed. Triumph asserts the new Rocket III will make in…
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Last Ride of Rolling Thunder

Last Ride of Rolling Thunder Washington, DC - After 32 years of riding to our nation’s capital in support of America’s military, veterans, POWs and MIAs, the annual Rolling Thunder “Ride For Freedom” will be permanently parked after the May 2019 event. Citing increased conflicts with Pentagon parking officials and annual rising costs to put on the weekend of events, RT leaders decided to “hit the brakes” following this next upcoming ride. Gus Dante, Rolling Thunder board member, spoke to local news network WTOP in Washington stating, “We had so many problems in the last two or three years with…
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U.S. Senate Passes Motorcycle Profiling Resolution

U.S. Senate Passes Motorcycle Profiling Resolution The U.S. Senate unanimously passed Res. 154, a measure which "promotes increased public awareness of motorcycle profiling, encourages collaboration and communication with the motorcycle community and law enforcement to engage in efforts to end motorcycle profiling, [and] urges state law enforcement officials to include statements condemning motorcycle profiling in written policies and training materials."   Basically, the resolution declares that law enforcement should not treat citizens differently because they ride motorcycles or associate with motorcycle riders. One example of this took place in 2015 when bike-only checkpoints were eliminated. Although the vast majority of…
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The Wonder of the Wise Men – Rob Brooks

Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been intrigued by the account of the wise men in the New Testament book of Matthew 2:1-12, these magi (from the Greek term “magoi” meaning “wise men” or “learned ones”) who crossed a continent to visit and pay homage to the Christ Child. Even now, as a moto-traveler and part-time history teacher, the story and journey of these men is a yearly favorite of mine to read and reflect upon during this season. You probably know the story of how they showed up in Jerusalem not long after Jesus’ birth, inquiring as…
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The Course that can Save your Life

ProRider Atlanta The Ultimate Rider Course It is widely understood and acknowledged that motorcycle police officers are among the best trained and most proficient riders on the planet, in any country. The extensive and strenuous street training they undergo challenges the limits of man and machine. Very few police officers undertake the vigorous course. Fewer still successfully complete it. Yet those who do possess a skill level in riding virtually unknown to the rest of the motorcycling world. Ken Anderson is one of those elite riders. With over 30 years experience as a motorcycle officer, including hundreds of hours of…
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Suzuki Ceases Production of the Legendary Hayabusa

Suzuki Ceases Production of the Legendary Hayabusa Suzuki Motorcycles has announced the cessation of production on their legendary GSX1300R Hayabusa sportbike, after a 20-year model run. The announcement came as a surprise to some (author included), amid speculation that Suzuki would actually soon debut an upgraded model. This is truly the end of an era in the world of +1000cc Superbikes, or as one writer called them, “Hyperbikes.” Since its premiere back in 1999, the Suzuki Hayabusa has been a dominating force of a street bike, leaving other manufacturers chasing shadow and exhaust for years. With an initially unrestricted top…
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JD Beach to Race in AFT & MotoAmerica

Pulling Double Duty JD Beach to Race in AFT & MotoAmerica   Phoenix, AZ- 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport champion JD Beach is going to be quite busy next season, as he has signed with Attack Performance/Estenson Racing to compete simultaneously in Superbike 1000, as well as Estenson Racing’s team in American Flat Track. Beach will be running a Yamaha in both series, a YZF-R1 in MA, and an MT-07 in AFT. “I’m really looking forward to racing Superbike next year,” Beach said. “It’s going to be great working with Attack again. I feel really lucky that Estenson Racing decided they wanted…
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Number of Women Riders is Growing

Number of Women Riders is Growing Recent Survey Shows Shift in Rider Demographics   Irvine, CA (PR Newswire) - According to a recent survey, nearly 1 in 5 motorcycle owners in America is now female, compared with 1 in 10 less than a decade ago, based on data accumulated by the Motorcycle Industry Council. In fact, the data suggest that women may soon comprise ¼ of total motorcycle ownership in the U.S., a major shift in motorcycling demographics. Among all age groups surveyed, women riders now make up fully 19% of American motorcycle owners. The survey showed the greatest growth…
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