Impaired Motorcycle Operation - Riders Helping Riders (Final Report)

Impaired Motorcycle Operation - Riders Helping Riders (Final Report)  Share and Bookmark Complete list of NHTSA's RSS Feeds . Additional Resources Volume III: Student Guide (DOT HS 810 908) Riders Helping Riders (RHR) is an instructional program designed to encourage motorcyclists to intervene to prevent drinking and riding by their motorcyclist peers. The program is based on focus group research which found that riders consider themselves to be united by an interest in riding, and willing to help other riders in need, but that a sense of individualism limits the extent to which riders are willing to intervene in drinking and riding. RHR is intended to convince motorcyclists that an impaired rider needs their help, and that they are in the best position to provide help.The program provides a "toolkit" of techniques for separating drinking from riding, discouraging riders from becoming impaired, recognizing impairment, and discouraging impaired riders from riding. An optional role-playing module is included. At the end of class, students are asked to sign a pledge to do their best to help an impaired rider live to ride another day. RHR was developed with the assistance of instructors from the South Carolina Rider Education Program and pilot tested by instructors of Georgia's Department of Driver Services, Motorcycle Safety Program.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Motorcycles/Impaired+Motorcycle+Operation+-+Riders+Helping+Riders+(RHR)

Yamaha Claims It Will “Change the Sport Motorcycle World” on June 11 (News)

84 Comments Yamaha Claims It Will "Change the Sport Motorcycle World" on June 11 In the now time-honored tradition of teaser videos, Yamaha has produced the following vid in advance of unveiling a new model on June 11.  In the text accompanying the video, which is also printed below, Yamaha claims the bike is "a new kind of brutal animal, which is about to change the sport motorcycle world." Of course, we have come to expect a large dose of hyperbole when new models emerge, and the video tells us nothing more than the new bike will have upright ergonomics (evident from the rider's position).  We have long advocated upright ergos (see our 2006 discussion here , and our more recent comments on the strengthening trend). Aside from the seating position, nothing else is revealed at this point. It should be noted that Yamaha has broken new ground in the past (their lead in the development of four-stroke motocross bikes beginning with the YZ400 comes to mind), so it is within the realm of possibility that there is something groundbreaking here, as well. We suspect, however, that this new model will be an upright sport bike, not unlike other nakeds, featuring some styling exercises designed to appeal to younger, independent thinkers similar to those targeted by the Bolt . We will all find out on June 11. Here is the text from Yamaha, followed by the video: While some onlookers may see Japan just as a traditional and respectful society where conformity is the norm, behind this stereotypical image lies a vibrant sub-culture where new fashions and ideas are constantly emerging. From the spectacle of drift racing through to the insanity of Japanese speedway, the other side of Japanese society has been responsible for some wild and wonderful trends. The same creative forces that drive the darker and unconventional side of Japan now have created a new kind of brutal animal, which is about to change the sport motorcycle world.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2013/05/yamaha-claims-it-will-change-the-sport-motorcycle-world-on-june-11/

Team SBK Ducati Alstare SBK Race Recap & Results – Donington Park (Industry Press Releases)

No Comments Team SBK Ducati Alstare SBK Race Recap & Results – Donington Park Donington Park (UK), Sunday 26 May 2013: the fifth round of the World Superbike championship took place today at Donington Park but for Team SBK Ducati Alstare, on track with three riders this weekend, it was a somewhat difficult day; while Canepa brought his 1199 Panigale home in eighth and thirteenth place, Badovini finished race one in eleventh position and Checa, after suffering with severe pain in his shoulder during race one (in which he finished twelfth), decided not to participate in the second race. Race 1 – Warm and sunny conditions for race 1 today with temperatures of 15˚C and a track temperature of 26˚C. Starting from ninth on the grid, Canepa was eighth at the end of lap one, followed by Checa and Badovini, placed eleventh and twelfth. Towards mid-race Niccolo' made a small mistake, going long, which relegated him to thirteenth place, immediately behind his two team-mates. Lapping at a similar pace to each other during the second half of the race, Ducati Alstare's three flag bearers were unable to close the gap that had opened ahead of them meaning that they crossed the finish line in eleventh (Badovini), twelfth (Checa) and thirteenth (Canepa) position. Race 2 – Due to severe pain in his left shoulder both during and after race 1, Checa decided against riding in race 2. The track temperature had increased to roughly 40˚C for race 2. At the end of the opening lap Canepa was in eleventh place, ahead of Badovini, twelfth, and immediately behind Cluzel. On lap seven Badovini unfortunately made a mistake that caused him to lose several positions. From that point on he started to push to make up lost ground but as he entered turn 2 he lost the front which sadly brought his race to a premature end, although fortunately the Italian rider was not hurt in the crash. Canepa, lapping with the same pace as Cluzel immediately ahead of him, finally got past the French rider on lap seventeen, moving into eighth place as a result. He managed the final part of the race well, keeping his closest rival firmly behind him to cross the line in final eighth position. Carlos Checa: "Seeing how the first race went, and the pain that I had in my shoulder both during and after the race, we decided that it was best not to force things by participating in the second. To tell the truth I thought things might be worse today, at what is one of the most physical tracks but, having said that, I need more time to recuperate and get my strength back as I'm suffering particularly in the changes of direction and when entering left-hand turns, where it's important to have both arms at 100%. Of course it's not an injury that affects me in my day to day life but at 300km/h it really hurts. Now we have two weeks, in which I'll continue with the various treatments in preparation for Portimao where I hope to be stronger. From the next round I'd like to be able to focus more on the sporting side of things and less on health issues." Ayrton Badovini: "In the first race I lost too much ground in the opening laps and after that there was no way to reach those ahead of me. I felt we made a good step between race 1 and race 2 – in the second I had similar pace to the group ahead of me but unfortunately I lost the front entering turn 2. I didn't hurt myself but it was a pity because I wasn't doing badly. Now I want to continue with our work to better understand what works and what works less well, in order to make less mistakes during the weekend and to be faster in the next races." Niccolò Canepa: "Considering that these were my first races I'd say that we are coming out of this weekend with a fairly positive outlook. We've worked well and if we'd had more time on track on Friday then I think we could have done better. We're not far off I don't think, with a bit more time to set the bike up for me and my riding style we could probably have done more. I'm just sorry for the mistake in race 1 but these things can happen in racing. I'd like to thank Francis Batta, Ernesto Marinelli and the team for giving me this opportunity and thanks also to Ducati's development team who've worked so hard for me this weekend." RESULTS: Race 1 – Sykes (Kawasaki); 2. Melandri (BMW); 3. Guintoli (Aprilia). Race 2 – 1. Sykes (Kawasaki); 2. Guintoli (Aprilia); 3. Laverty (Aprilia) CLASSIFICATION: Riders - 1. Guintoli (Aprilia) 173; 2. Sykes (Kawasaki) 169; 3. Laverty (Aprilia) 149; 4. Melandri (BMW) 127; 5. Davies (BMW) 112; 6. Baz (Kawasaki) 95; 7. Rea (Honda) 89; 8. Fabrizio (Aprilia) 86… 13. Badovini (Ducati Alstare) 37; 14. Checa (Ducati Alstare) 33… 18. Canepa (Ducati Alstare) 11. Manufacturers – 1. Aprilia 208; 2. Kawasaki 180; 3. BMW 175; 4. Honda 96; 5. Suzuki 82; 6. Ducati 65
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2013/05/team-sbk-ducati-alstare-sbk-race-recap-results-donington-park/

How to choose the right helmet.

How to choose http://thepersonalinjurydirectory.com/blog/category/motorcycle-accident-attorneys/ the right helmet.  Share and Bookmark
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Motorcycles/How+to+choose+the+right+helmet.

Donington Park WSB Results (News) (Race Results)

4 Comments Donington Park WSB Results Kawasaki's Tom Sykes won both races at Donington Park yesterday during Round 5 of the WSB championship series. Sykes domninated the weekend, particularly during Race 2 where he had a very sizable gap over the competition at the  checkered flag. In Race 1, Marco Melandri (BMW) and Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) followed Sykes home in second and third place, respectively.  Guintoli moved up to second place in Race 2 with Eugene Laverty (Aprilla) finishing third. Guintolli has a narrow points lead in the championship over Sykes.  For additional details, results and points, visit the official http://attorney-in-temecula.com/more-information/personal-injury/ WSB site  here .
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2013/05/donington-park-wsb-results/

How to choose the right helmet.

How to choose the right helmet.  Share and Bookmark
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Motorcycles/How+to+choose+the+right+helmet.

Devastating News for all at TAS Racing (Industry Press Releases)

No Comments Devastating News for all at TAS Racing Team Suzuki Press Office – May 28.   TAS Racing regrets to announce the untimely death of Japanese rider Yoshinari Matsushita following an incident at the Ballacrye section of the TT Circuit yesterday evening during un-timed practice at the Isle of Man TT. Having made his TT debut back in 2009, Yoshinari was an experienced competitor on the Isle of Man and was scheduled to make a one-off appearance for the Northern Ireland-based team in this Motorcycle Accident Lawyer year's TT Supersport races. Team Manager Philip Neill said: "Everyone within our team is devastated about tonight's terrible events. We were very much looking forward to working with Yoshinari during TT2013 and pass on our deepest condolences to his family and fellow team members." Suzuki Motor Corporation in Japan wishes to pass on its condolences to Yoshinari's family and friends. A statement issued by the Auto Cycle Union reads: ACU Events Ltd regrets to announce that Japanese rider Yoshinari Matsushita, 43, was killed during the qualifying session at the 2013 Isle of Man TT Races in an incident at Ballacrye in the North of the Island. The session was immediately red flagged following the accident. Yoshinari, from Saitama in Japan was an experienced racer who first competed at the TT Races in 2009. As well as competing regularly in the Superstock and Superbike classes he also finished fifth in the 2011 TT Zero for electric bikes. He was also 2008 Motegi Endurance race winner. The ACU wishes to pass on their deepest sympathy to Yoshinari's family and friends. Gary Thompson, MBE, Clerk of the Course, ACU, commented: "Yoshi was a really popular competitor who had a large number of friends in the TT Races paddock. He was a genuine and friendly character who always had time for everyone. He will be sorely missed." The Coroner of Inquests has been informed and an investigation into the circumstances of the accident is underway.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2013/05/devastating-news-for-all-at-tas-racing/

How to choose the right helmet.

How go to choose the right helmet.  Share and Bookmark
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Motorcycles/How+to+choose+the+right+helmet.

Impaired Motorcycle Operation - Riders Helping Riders (Final Report)

Impaired Motorcycle Operation - Riders Helping Riders (Final Report)  Share and Bookmark Complete list of NHTSA's RSS Feeds . Additional Resources Volume III: Student Guide (DOT HS 810 908) Riders Helping Riders (RHR) is an instructional program designed to encourage motorcyclists to intervene to prevent drinking and riding by their motorcyclist peers. The program is based on focus group research which found that riders consider themselves to be united by an interest in riding, and willing to help other riders in need, but that a sense of individualism limits the http://cortrightlaw.com/personal-injury/motorcyle-accidents extent to which riders are willing to intervene in drinking and riding. RHR is intended to convince motorcyclists that an impaired rider needs their help, and that they are in the best position to provide help.The program provides a "toolkit" of techniques for separating drinking from riding, discouraging riders from becoming impaired, recognizing impairment, and discouraging impaired riders from riding. An optional role-playing module is included. At the end of class, students are asked to sign a pledge to do their best to help an impaired rider live to ride another day. RHR was developed with the assistance of instructors from the South Carolina Rider Education Program and pilot tested by instructors of Georgia's Department of Driver Services, Motorcycle Safety Program.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Motorcycles/Impaired+Motorcycle+Operation+-+Riders+Helping+Riders+(RHR)

FIXI Crescent Suzuki Set for Donington WSB (Industry Press Releases)

No Comments FIXI Crescent Suzuki Set for Donington WSB Team Suzuki Press Office – May 21.   FIXI Crescent Suzuki is in England this weekend for the European round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship at Donington Park; an event that the team considers its first 'home' race of the season. With the team's title sponsors, FIXI, based in London and the squad's operational headquarters at Crescent in southern England, plus the majority of the squad, including racer Leon Camier, hailing from the UK, the Donington event is a real homecoming for the Suzuki WSBK outfit. Camier is hoping to be fully fit at Donington following the knee injury he sustained earlier in the season that has seen him compete at below full-strength at the last two events. He has worked hard on his fitness and will be heading to his home race in a positive and invigorated frame of mind following a tough training regime to build his race fitness and stamina. Jules Cluzel is returning to a circuit that holds fond memories for him from last season. The Frenchman immediately made himself at home around the Donington layout, as he took Pole Position in the Supersport class and followed that with third in the race. His ability to quickly-learn circuits on the Yoshimura-powered GSX-R will again be put to the test as he continues with his impressive rookie season in the Superbike arena. He is still suffering more from the after-effects of the accident at Monza that cost him the nail on his little finger, but he is determined to not let that hinder him this weekend. The 4,023m-long Donington Park circuit is round five of this season's championship, set in a natural amphitheatre in the Derbyshire/ Leicestershire countryside; and has many exciting corners set over its elevation changes. It is one or the riders' favourite circuits of the year and not many tracks have a sight to compare with the entire field roaring down Craner Curves on the first lap – possibly one of the best stretches of asphalt on the entire calendar. FIXI Crescent Suzuki will start the weekend with practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, which will hopefully see Camier and Cluzel advance to the Superpole on Saturday afternoon where the pair will be challenging for the best grid positions for Sunday's two 23-lap races. Leon Camier: "I am really looking forward to Donington Park; it's great to race at home and I'm sure we'll have a big crowd there to cheer us on. I have been working hard to get fully fit and now hope my injuries allow me to push to 100% and get the FIXI Crescent Suzuki up to where we need to be. The GSX-R's engine performance has improved massively; we now need to focus on getting out of the slow corners cleanly and putting the power to the ground! Donington is one of those tracks where outright speed is not a necessity, so that should be an advantage to us." Jules Cluzel: "Donington is a really important race for the whole team, it is a totally English squad, with the exception of me and another guy – so I guess I will need to be a 'Rosbif' for the weekend! My finger is still quite sore and if I put gloves on, it is painful, but it is only a finger and it won't stop me from riding. I was really disappointed after Monza because I think we had the chance of a good result in both races, but some bad luck and I think an unfair decision for the ride-through cost us. We have to put that behind us now and start working hard again at Donington; it is a track I really like and one that I went very well at last season. I know some of the guys have huge knowledge of the place – including Leon – so it won't be easy, but I will try to learn as quickly as possible and hopefully give all our sponsors and fans something to cheer about on Sunday."
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2013/05/fixi-crescent-suzuki-set-for-donington-wsb/

Impaired Motorcycle Operation - Riders Helping Riders (Final Report)

Impaired Motorcycle Operation - Riders Helping Riders (Final Report)  Share and Bookmark Complete list of NHTSA's RSS Feeds . Additional Resources Volume III: Student Guide (DOT HS 810 908) Riders Helping Riders (RHR) is an instructional program designed to encourage motorcyclists to intervene to prevent drinking and riding by their motorcyclist peers. The program is based http://cortrightlaw.com/personal-injury/motorcyle-accidents on focus group research which found that riders consider themselves to be united by an interest in riding, and willing to help other riders in need, but that a sense of individualism limits the extent to which riders are willing to intervene in drinking and riding. RHR is intended to convince motorcyclists that an impaired rider needs their help, and that they are in the best position to provide help.The program provides a "toolkit" of techniques for separating drinking from riding, discouraging riders from becoming impaired, recognizing impairment, and discouraging impaired riders from riding. An optional role-playing module is included. At the end of class, students are asked to sign a pledge to do their best to help an impaired rider live to ride another day. RHR was developed with the assistance of instructors from the South Carolina Rider Education Program and pilot tested by instructors of Georgia's Department of Driver Services, Motorcycle Safety Program.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Motorcycles/Impaired+Motorcycle+Operation+-+Riders+Helping+Riders+(RHR)

FIXI Crescent Suzuki Set for Donington WSB (Industry Press Releases)

No Comments FIXI Crescent Suzuki Set for Donington WSB Team Suzuki Press Office – May 21.   FIXI Crescent Suzuki is in England this weekend for the European round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship at Donington Park; an event that the team considers its first 'home' race of the season. With the team's title sponsors, FIXI, based in London and the squad's operational headquarters at Crescent in southern England, plus the majority of the squad, including racer Leon Camier, hailing from the UK, the Donington event is a real homecoming for the Suzuki WSBK outfit. Camier is hoping to be fully fit at Donington following the knee injury he sustained earlier in the season that has seen him compete at below full-strength at the last two events. He has worked hard on his fitness and will be heading to his home race in a positive and invigorated frame of mind following a tough training regime to build his race this link fitness and stamina. Jules Cluzel is returning to a circuit that holds fond memories for him from last season. The Frenchman immediately made himself at home around the Donington layout, as he took Pole Position in the Supersport class and followed that with third in the race. His ability to quickly-learn circuits on the Yoshimura-powered GSX-R will again be put to the test as he continues with his impressive rookie season in the Superbike arena. He is still suffering from the after-effects of the accident at Monza that cost him the nail on his little finger, but he is determined to not let that hinder him this weekend. The 4,023m-long Donington Park circuit is round five of this season's championship, set in a natural amphitheatre in the Derbyshire/ Leicestershire countryside; and has many exciting corners set over its elevation changes. It is one or the riders' favourite circuits of the year and not many tracks have a sight to compare with the entire field roaring down Craner Curves on the first lap – possibly one of the best stretches of asphalt on the entire calendar. FIXI Crescent Suzuki will start the weekend with practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, which will hopefully see Camier and Cluzel advance to the Superpole on Saturday afternoon where the pair will be challenging for the best grid positions for Sunday's two 23-lap races. Leon Camier: "I am really looking forward to Donington Park; it's great to race at home and I'm sure we'll have a big crowd there to cheer us on. I have been working hard to get fully fit and now hope my injuries allow me to push to 100% and get the FIXI Crescent Suzuki up to where we need to be. The GSX-R's engine performance has improved massively; we now need to focus on getting out of the slow corners cleanly and putting the power to the ground! Donington is one of those tracks where outright speed is not a necessity, so that should be an advantage to us." Jules Cluzel: "Donington is a really important race for the whole team, it is a totally English squad, with the exception of me and another guy – so I guess I will need to be a 'Rosbif' for the weekend! My finger is still quite sore and if I put gloves on, it is painful, but it is only a finger and it won't stop me from riding. I was really disappointed after Monza because I think we had the chance of a good result in both races, but some bad luck and I think an unfair decision for the ride-through cost us. We have to put that behind us now and start working hard again at Donington; it is a track I really like and one that I went very well at last season. I know some of the guys have huge knowledge of the place – including Leon – so it won't be easy, but I will try to learn as quickly as possible and hopefully give all our sponsors and fans something to cheer about on Sunday."
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2013/05/fixi-crescent-suzuki-set-for-donington-wsb/

How to choose the right helmet.

How to choose the right helmet.  Share and Bookmark
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Motorcycles/How+to+choose+the+right+helmet.

2013 Triumph Tiger Explorer XC: MD Ride Review (Bike Reports) (News)

51 Comments 2013 Triumph Tiger Explorer XC: MD Ride Review Before our readers enter into a rant about why these large, heavy adventure bikes are not sufficiently dirt worthy, I need to editorialize briefly. For most riders, the appeal of the new, large displacement Adventure bikes has nothing to do with their off-road capability.  Zero.  These bikes are frequently viewed as superior road machines . . . superior to many competing sport tourers and full dress tourers for both commuting and touring.  They are primarily bought for this reason, not for their dirt worthiness. Having said that, these bikes do have varying degrees of ability to travel off-road.  Many owners will never take them there, but they have the ability, nonetheless. So if  you are shopping for a street bike in the sport tourer category, for instance, will you be better off with an adventure touring bike?  Quite possibly.  For many riders, the bolt upright seating position and relatively forward peg placement is simply more comfortable than the riding position offered by sport tourers that hang on to the pretense of sportiness with lower bars and more rearward peg placement (often with less leg room, as well).  One of the most comfortable freeway jaunts I can recall occurred while I was aboard a large displacement Adventure bike. Which brings us to the subject of this test, the 2013 Triumph Explorer XC.  A huge machine, no doubt, with its elevated seat height (32.9 adjustable to 33.7 inches) and claimed wet weight of 586 pounds. The XC takes the standard Explorer that we have tested previously (see Gabe's report here , and our report from the world press launch here ), and adds features to improve its dirt capabilities, including steel-spoked wheels (abandoning the cast wheels of the standard model) that are nevertheless tubeless, crash bars, under-engine bash plate, hand guards and dual 55-watt fog lamps.  The rest of the technical details are identical to those described in Gabe's story . The headline feature is Triumph's all-new 1215cc 3-cylinder engine.  The largest transverse triple ever created by Triumph. The engine is fantastic.  With peak horsepower of 135 at the crank and nearly 90 foot/pounds of torque, this is an extremely fast motorcycle.  Not just fast, it pulls effortlessly with that mountain of torque.  The smooth feel and shrieking turbine-like sound are characteristic of Triumph triples. The seating position, including the seat itself, is hard to fault.  The bars are comfortably high and close, placing your wrists at a natural angle.  The seat is firm enough to be comfortable on longer rides, and broad enough to distribute your weight well beyond your sit bones.  Wind protection was good, with minimal buffeting at the helmet level. On-road handling initially revealed a vague feeling from the front end.  As we noted nearly a decade ago with Suzuki's V-Strom, some adventure tourers are delivered without enough weight on the front wheel, necessitating the addition of spring preload in the shock and/or sliding the forks up a few millimeters in the triple clamps.  We did both, sliding the forks roughly 5mm.  The result was a much more confident-feeling front end and more accurate steering. We got comfortable enough on the big Explorer XC to utilize nearly all of the very generous lean angle on the street (resulting from all that ground clearance).  The wide bars made it fun, and easy, to throw the big Tiger on its side.  Is it the most nimble Adventure bike we have ridden?  No.  The huge engine displacement and corresponding crank intertia mean it won't change direction like a Suzuki V-Strom 650, for instance.   What it has is added straight-line stability over a smaller, nimbler mount. The six-speed transmission offered more than enough gear choices given the extremely broad plateau of torque, but it was still nice to have an overdrive sixth gear for fuel economy on the superslab.  Speaking of which, we averaged 39 mpg while riding the bike more aggressively, no doubt, than you would in day-to-day use. The 5.3 gallon tank should get you well beyond 200 miles between fill-ups on a tour, because we are confident that you can achieve 45 mpg while cruising on the highway.  Given the engine performance on offer, not too bad. The large dial that allows you to easily change rear spring preload without tools comes in handy.  You can not only quickly adjust weight distribution and handling with this feature, you can accommodate passengers/luggage loads.  We added 3 turns (equaling 3 clicks) of preload before escorting a relatively small female passenger to dinner one evening. The instrumentation (described in our earlier stories) is both legible and complete, and includes a very precise fuel gauge. Off-road the big Explorer XC is a handful.  It doesn't like to change direction quickly on loose soil or gravel, but the suspension works to carry speed on fire roads and through more gradual corners.  I was able to comfortably travel 60 mph, or so, across the desert, with the suspension keeping things under control, on moderately rough roads. On the street, the extra suspension travel and 19″ front wheel provide another benefit versus traditional sport tourers, i.e., better absorption of small bumps.  This is another reason why some riders now prefer adventure bikes for touring.  Honda's big sport tourer, the ST1300, has an 18″ front wheel for similar reasons. The extra features offered by the XC (features you could add to your standard Explorer through the Triumph accessories catelogue) do improve its dirt worthiness.  The high-speed desert travel I described would have concerned me a lot more without the engine bash plate and crash guards, and with the cast wheels found on the standard Explorer.  Visions of cast wheels collapsing in aggressive off-road riding would have been dancing in my head, otherwise.  The traditional, steel-spoked wheels on the Explorer XC look extremely stout and are undoubtedly leagues stronger. So what we have here is a large, extremely comfortable and powerful Adventure bike that changes directions easily, and confidently, on the street, while offering the ability to take you off-road where a traditional street machine would falter.  Appropriately painted Khaki Green, the 2013 Triumph Tiger Explorer XC also looks the part.  The typical comment was "That bike looks badass", and one could imagine that it was morphed out of something seen in Mel Gibson's Mad Max movies.   The U.S. MSRP is $17,199.  For additional details and specifications, visit Triumph's web site .
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2013/05/2013-triumph-tiger-explorer-xc-md-ride-review/