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Articles of Interest

2011 Sprint GT is spotted!
Through sheer good luck rather than planning, I have actually had a chance to have an up close and personal look at Triumph's recently announced Sprint 1050 GT. Most US Triumph enthusiasts won't be able to check out a new Sprint GT until it arrives in US showrooms late this year but, well, timing is everything. Sunday, June 13th was "Triumph Day" at London, England's iconic Ace Cafe and that just happened to coincide with a leisure day at the end of our two week motorcycling tour through the UK. Would we like to spend a sunny Sunday checking out Triumphs of all definitions? More....

ABS - The Future is Now!
At Martin Motorsports, we've grown increasingly familiar with the application of ABS (Antilock Braking Systems) to motorcycles. Each of our brands, Triumph, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha have ABS as an available feature on selected current models. We've also noticed that each new model year invariably brings more models equipped with this feature. Now, in the face of some recent studies from both the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) and the HLDI (Highway Loss Data Institute) we find ourselves pondering a not so distant future where ABS could be found on virtually all street bikes. More....

Thunderbirds in San Diego
Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a day with Triumph’s new Thunderbird.  Triumph had invited several dealers to come to San Diego, CA to get some seat time riding their new 1600cc cruiser.  At 1600cc (or 1700cc, more about that later) the Thunderbird is the mid size cruiser in Triumph’s lineup, sandwiched between the duo of Americas and Speedmasters at 900cc and the Rockets at 2300cc. 
 Our original route was to take us to high elevations (Palomar Observatory, 5600 fasl) but a prior week of severe storms in southern California left roads covered in mudslides and mountain passes buried in several feet of snow.  That’s fine for an enduro but not really ideal for a big cruiser.  The boys from Triumph did their homework, as the roads (sections of CA76 and CA79) were well suited to explore and exploit the big parallel twins’ power and maneuverability.  Our 100-mile loop began gently weaving its way across the valley floor then we slowly began to climb our way through the foothills of the Volcan Mountains.  Temperatures were cool (mid 40’s) by California standards, but rose throughout the day to the upper 60’s. More...

Contents under pressure
If you aren’t technically minded, maintenance topics don’t tend to make exciting reading.  Tire pressure is no different, but what if I told you proper tire maintenance could save you hundreds of dollars and possibly your life? It’s doubtful most of us check tire pressure in our cars each and every time we go out, and this habit transfers to our motorcycles.  In a car, a minor change in air pressure results in inconvenience.  On a bike, a few lost pounds of air pressure make an immediate impact on the handling of the vehicle, tire wear, and general safety.  We recently had a woman bring her bike into service, who demonstrated this. More....