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!

ERSKINE LAW Presenting Sponsor for 2025!

Reasons To Ride is proud to announce the return of Erskine Law as a Presenting Sponsor for the 2025 Championship Bike Show Series and Reasons To Ride Magazines!  “Erskine Law is a solid law firm with an outstanding reputation for professional representation and taking care of their clients.  We are proud to represent them and recommend their services to riders…

TRO TECH TIPS: WINTERIZE YOUR BIKE

While I make every effort to ride year-round, the reality is that not only do I live in Ohio – I live in the “Snow Belt”.  Some “hard core” riders scoff at the idea of storing your bike, but reality is that at the very least you will be riding her less.  This is especially important if you have more…

Reasons To Ride – Volume 14 Issue 12

The December 2024 edition of Reasons to Ride is here, and it’s the perfect companion for wrapping up the year on two wheels. Packed with holiday-themed content, end-of-year highlights, and tips to prepare your bike for winter, this issue will keep your passion for riding alive during the colder months What’s Inside This Month’s Issue? Why Read the December Issue?…

Reasons To Ride Partnering with The Ticketing Co.

As we announced last month, Reasons To Ride has entered into a partnership with TheTicketing.Co to offer event pre-registrations and ticketing for events and concerts.  TheTicketing.co is a proven platform used by literally thousands of event organizers across North America.  In fact, over $50,000,000 in tickets have been processed by The Ticketing Co.  And now, Reasons To Ride is offering…

Group Riding, MSTA Sport-Touring Style

Part Three: Norm Goes on a Social Group Ride Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern This article is mostly for entertainment, but every bit of it is true. Names of people, motorcycle clubs, etc., have been omitted for obvious reasons. Prologue In 2007, a friend invited some friends and me to attend a flat track race at a fairgrounds about…

Veterans Riding Organizations

There are numerous motorcycle-oriented Veterans groups across the Midwest.  We believe that comradery and time with folks that you can connect to as a Veteran is invaluable.  We’ve included a few here in an effort to encourage those looking for Brothers and Sisters to ride with – to take the step and find a group.  For each, we’ve included a…

Reasons To Ride – Volume 14 Issue 11

The November 2024 edition of Reasons to Ride is a heartfelt tribute to the brave men and women who have served our country. This special Veterans Month issue celebrates the motorcycle community’s strong connection to our veterans through inspiring stories, patriotic events, and resources to support those who have served. What’s Inside This Month’s Issue? Why Read the November Issue?…

BIKE SHOW SERIES OCTOBER 2024 REPORT

RTR CHAMPIONSHIP FINSIHING OUT 2024 AND COUNTING DOWN TO 2025 This has been one for the books.  We’ve already hosted more than a dozen bike shows this summer, and we’re not done for the season.  While most of the shows were repeat – with some in their 4th, 6th, and 9th – even 14th year; we did have a number…

Fall in Central Appalachia

Backroads of Appalachia Spring sprung, Summer came and went, and now we have come to our favorite time of the year to Ride here in Central Appalachia! Fall has arrived and our leaves are changing colors daily and as the temperature cools down we are gearing up here at the WCMG for the last month of our season and it…

CMA Corner October 2024

Rock-tober! What a great year this has been! Just wound down September with Thunder on the Strip, ABATE Region 3 Toy Run and our own Ohio CMA State Rally and now can call the season complete with a trip to Arkansas for the final big Rally of the Year! We look forward to seeing you again in the coming season…