Track Days

October 19, 2026

Sport Touring CornerBy Norm Kern Motorcycle track days are organized events where riders take their bikes to a closed racetrack to ride in a controlled, traffic-free environment, typically divided into skill-level groups (novice, intermediate, advanced) with sessions lasting 15-20 minutes each throughout the day. They’re popular among those who want more than just street riding.…

About Quickshifters

October 14, 2026

Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern What is a Quickshifter? Quickshifters use a strain gauge sensor in the gearshift lever linkage that detects force on the gearshift lever when shifting. The signal is used to momentarily reduce engine power and unload the drive train to enable shifting to the next higher gear without having to use…

How to Store Your Motorcycle Over the Winter

October 9, 2026

A Simple Step-by-Step Guide to Protecting Your Bike During the Off-Season Storing your motorcycle properly during the winter months is essential to keep it in good condition and ensure a smooth ride when spring arrives. Cold temperatures, moisture, and long periods of inactivity can cause damage to your motorcycle if not addressed beforehand. This guide…

The Most Popular Concealed Carry Firearms

October 6, 2026

A Comprehensive Guide to Top Choices for Personal Defense In a world where personal safety and preparedness are rising concerns, the decision to carry a concealed firearm is an important one for many individuals. The choice of which firearm to carry is influenced by a range of factors including reliability, size, caliber, capacity, ergonomics, and…

Rider Hand Signals: Speak Up Without Saying a Word

October 5, 2026

Rider Hand Signals: Speak Up Without Saying a Word Long before Bluetooth headsets, phone mounts, and handlebar gadgets, riders had a simple way of keeping the pack together: hand signals. No batteries. No pairing. No dropped connection. Just a rider’s arm cutting through the wind, letting everyone behind them know what’s coming next. And truth…

CHASING THE LAST GOOD MILES

September 16, 2026

Fall can deliver the best riding of the year: crisp air, spectacular color and less traffic. It also quietly removes your margin for error. Shorter daylight, cold pavement, wet leaves, low sun, fogged shields and deer can turn a familiar road into a different ride. TREAT FALL AS ITS OWN RIDING SEASON The smart move…

Reasons to Ride Ride Stop Poker Cards!

September 15, 2026

Something to go with those custom poker chips you’ve been collecting! Yet another crazy idea from your friends at Reasons To Ride – Ride Stop Poker Cards! Every year, we hand out thousands of promotional cards featuring upcoming rides, motorcycle events, and recommended Ride Stops. This year, we decided to do something a little different—and…

Layering Your Motorcycle Gear

September 14, 2026

A few suggestions for Staying Safe and Comfortable on the Road This time of year – riding a motorcycle can expose you to changing weather conditions – including wind, temperatures, and rain (maybe even ice and snow!)  It’s important that you dress appropriately – and we usually recommend layering your riding gear.  Layering not only…

Downsizing My Dual Sport Bike

September 9, 2026

Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern As my regular readers know, I have been downsizing my bikes to postpone aging out. The process began in 2020 when I added a 650 Suzuki V Strom XT to my stable and learned I could live with a much lighter chain drive bike.  Last September I purchased a…

What is Moravec’s Paradox and What it has to do With Motorcycling?

September 3, 2026

Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern Moravec’s paradox is an observation by artificial intelligence and robotics researchers that reasoning requires very little computation while sensorimotor and perception skills require enormous computational resources. What does that have to do with riding motorcycles? For me, everything! When I read about Moravec’s paradox the other day, it took…

Reasons To Ride Blogs ///

Reasons to Ride is your one stop for all reasons to ride, from flat track racing to articles from industry leaders. Enjoy blogs from Reasons To Ride Contributors!

A Passion for Motorsports and Photography

Reasons to Ride is proud to work with photographers such as Stephen Tripp One of the most important components of a magazine, a website, or even social media is the photography and imagery of the pages or sites.  Visual images allow us to connect and experience – or re-experience in some cases – events, destinations, or even machines such as…

Group Riding, MSTA Sport-Touring Style 2025

Part Three: Norm Goes on a Social Group Ride In previous articles we discussed the Sport Touring riding style- riding a fun, challenging road, at a brisk pace, getting in the “zone” of total concentration on a capable motorcycle, often with a small group of like-minded friends. Most other riders do what I call Social Group riding, which has different…

Your Spring Pre-Flight Inspection

If there’s an issue, it’s better to discover it in your garage than on the road! 1. Start with a Thorough Inspection Before you even start the engine, take a good look at your bike.  Inspect the frame for any cracks or signs of damage. Straddle the motorcycle and bounce a few times to make sure the front and rear…

FLAT TRACK RACING

Flat Track is the oldest form of motorcycle racing, ranging from 1/10th of a mile ovals to mile long ovals with speeds up to 135 mph on dirt. The tracks vary in consistency with multiple forms of material on the surface from clay based to crushed limestone. The technique of riding these tracks also changes slightly, making flat track a…

Reasons To Ride – February Volume 15 Issue 2

The February 2025 edition of Reasons to Ride is here, packed with content to fuel your passion for motorcycles all month long. From scenic Valentine’s Day rides to cold-weather tips and upcoming events, this issue will keep you inspired and ready for adventure as you prepare for the spring riding season ahead. What’s Inside This Month’s Issue? Why Read the…

CMA Corner Jan 2025

In the year 2025… Yes, I know it’s 2525 in the song, but you know how it is when you get a song in your head! How are you all doing? Did you have a great holiday? Did you maintain while gathering with the fam? It’s hard to do sometimes, but I must tell you, when it’s all said and…

Reasons To Ride – Volume 15 Issue 1

Welcome to the January edition of Reasons to Ride! This issue is packed with everything you need to jumpstart your riding adventures for the new year. Whether you’re planning your next big trip, looking for the latest motorcycle gear, or exploring upcoming events, this issue has you covered. What’s Inside This Month’s Issue? Why Read the January Issue? If you’re…

Beginning a New Adventure – Sport Touring Corner

Beginning a New Adventure  Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern In 2020 I was feeling the need to downsize from my beloved Yamaha 1300 FJR sport touring bike. As I get older and lose body strength, I wanted to transition to a lighter bike. I bought a Suzuki 650 V Strom XT, my first Adventure style road bike, which weighs…

NOW BOOKING FOR 2025

Reserve your date for a RtR BIKE SHOW, TATTOO PARTY, SOUND COMPETITION, or PHOTO SHOOT! As the year winds down, it’s time for us to focus on next year’s event schedule.  One of the biggest challenges we face every year is trying to develop a schedule that covers “our market” with active appearances and reaches the most riders – without…

BECOME A LOCAL ROAD REP

If you’re a rider that’s active in your local riding community, we’d invite you to consider becoming a Local Road Rep for Reasons To Ride.   This is NOT meant to be a high-pressure sales position and is probably best as a fun side gig for those that want to get involved in the local riding community.  It might be…