Author Archives: Jasper

A while ago I wrote about the Triumph Scrambler 1200 Bond Limited Edition. This time I come with something even sexier: The Hedonic Triumph Thruxton 1200R. When reading about this interesting looking bike it becomes clear it is controversial, to say the least. Some say it is a brute, other claim it is an ‘elegant motor with bags of refinement rather than pure brute force’.

Frenchman Serge Heitz’s Hedonic dedicated 150 hours of his life customizing it, he changed the faring, the front fender and many more things as you can see here. Truly a work of art. I would recommend you to have a look at this awesome custom builder. Serge can make anything made from steel look sexy. Check out his workshop here.

I know we mostly write about modern adventure bikes and that is for a reason. But there are definitely some beauties out there. Renowned custom bike builder Nick Christian is a big fan of the Munch Mammoth and swears by it but I prefer the sound of the Honda CBX 1050. Even though Nick says Honda didn’t have their sh*t together at the time, that sound is just, well, better than a F1 car! It comes to stage with an unparalleled symphony that makes necks turn around. Unfortunately it only produces a meager 105HP, which is not much nowadays.

What do you prefer? Decide after watching (and listening) and let me know in the comments!

Video 1: 1972 Munch Mammoth

Video 2: 1978 Honda CBX 1050

I love drinking loads of coffee and riding fast, this helps me to stay awake. Ryan F9 comes up with a number of other strategies to prevent dozing off and I wonder what you do to survive long haul trips on your motorcycle.

Ryan discusses the Naturalistic Driving Study which over the course of a number of years researched what causes accidents in traffic. Fatigue is a serious problem on long distances and believe it or not, waking up and leaving early is the solution to this problem. Learn all about it here.

Ryan continues with some long haul comfort mods for your bike such as a 150 dollar clip on visor against buffering and flies in your face and cramp buster throttle assist for people with arthritis. Check it out here.

What do you do to stay awake on long trips? Let us know in the comments!

Many of us know a person struggling from the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is estimated that 8% of Americans (24.4 million people) has PTSD. This is equal to the entire population of Texas. The long-term effects can be devastating to both the individual and family as can be seen in movies like the Hurt Locker (2008) and The Deer Hunter (1978), to name a few. I briefly mentioned PTSD here.

A while ago I read about the Motorcycle Relief Project (MRP) which was founded by Tom Larson. Like many Moto Intel Report readers know, Tom became aware of how therapeutic it is to ride a motorcycle when he needed to relax and blow off some steam. He couldn’t help but think that taking veterans with PTSD and other injuries on motorcycle adventure trips could be a great way to help them to let go, learn some tools for managing stress, and connect with other veterans with whom they may have something in common. The result is Motorcycle Relief Project.

Brian Steuber a former U.S. Army staff sergeant says “My medical prescription is 800-plus pounds of American-made metal and chrome. No drug can compare; no feeling is better. That’s why I ride.” This is a common theme among vets who ride and many would like to see more vets on motorcycles. PTSD and stress in general are not unique to veterans and can affect anyone. That means riding can be a prescription for everyone. A ride is a form of relaxation – a way to remove yourself from everyday mundane life, crowded roads, and hectic and/or stressful situations.

Cycleworld makes another comparison:

“A strong argument can be made that a member of the United States military and a roadracing champion are similar. Both accept high risk, both must be fit, benefit from practice and training, work with teams, are supported by technical machinery. Both must be exact in high-pressure situations, and both suffer from mistakes.”

It just happens to be a perfect fit and many people benefit, not only veterans. Married people use riding to get rid of frustrations. Cycleworld’s Mark Thompson states the following:

“I had long understood the mood enhancing benefits of motorcycle touring, the mindful contemplation produced by days of cruising on roads like the Blueridge Parkway, but was unaware of the therapeutic benefits of track riding. I quickly discovered the effects of being hyper focused.”

With so many people suffering from PTSD and not everybody having the opportunity to let it all go at the racetrack by themselves on a local track, we knew a commercial party would come up with something and Motorcycle products retailer J&P Cycles did exactly that. It is enabling customers to invest in Wind Therapy, a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) offered through 22Kill, a non-profit dedicated to traditional and non-traditional support for U.S. Military veterans.

Riding has always been a part of Stephanie Cutts’ life, for better or worse. Her husband, Frank, died in a motorcycle accident. But the 35-year-old Navy veteran has continued riding, both to honor his memory and because of the relationships she has developed in the motorcycle world. Cutts describes the motorcycle community is a vibrant, supportive group that brings together anyone who loves bikes as much as she does. It has been especially hospitable to veterans seeking healthy outlets to combat PTSD or other mental-health symptoms related to their time in the military.

“When you’re riding, there’s so much going on that your body seizes on that adrenaline,” he said. “It puts you in a place where you’re around like-minded individuals … For the most part, everybody that I’ve met is extremely friendly and wants to be involved and wants to get to know you. It’s a great community full of nice, genuine people.” Stephanie Cutts, a Navy veteran from Greenville, S.C

Of course there is no real cure to PTSD and we are not claiming that riding motorcycles is a cure. But it does help to get your mind of things and it is a helluva lot of fun and when you are having fun, everything is put in perspective. Go get some training with a licensed motorcycle instructor and enjoy the ride.

People do it to clear their mind, or sometimes to avoid personal disasters. Going for a ride has helped people deal with PTSD and other mental disorders. US army veteran Andy Brown talks about the exhilaration and how riding the bike well helps to deal with anxiety. His BMW R1200ST forced him to focus on the here and now thus giving him the tools to practice mindfulness. Read all about how this army veteran used riding to deal with his PTSD.

What to do if you have 4000 bucks to spend on a bike? This means you either buy a cheap new bike or you go for more quality but that means you have to get somebody else’s used bike. Bikebandit thoroughly investigated this and they came with some interesting findings.

It will probably not surprise anyone that this top 10 is compiled of mostly Japanese brands. My personal favorite is the Suzuki SV650 which was my loyal companion on so many trips. The unkillable Kawasaki KLR 650 is also a really good option which we have discussed here in the Moto Intel Report.

Harley Davidson is an old time favorite, when touring a Harley in the USA you really understand why Americans love this brand so much. People waving on the side of the road, friendly conversations in roadside restaurants and people helping out when it breaks down. Just a totally different experience from doing the same thing on a Japanese bike!

Enjoy reading Bandit’s recommendations!