Damon Powell, Author at Ultimate Motorcycling

Kawasaki KLX300 Long-Term Test [Beyond the Beaten Path]

Damon Powell — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 03:07:15 +0000

Building a best-selling motorcycle must be difficult. The manufacturers try year after year, tweaking each niche market with new clever designs and features. The beauty of a dual sport motorcycle is it can be used on the street and in the dirt, though it has challenges of its own. Do you design the bike to […]

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Bell Moto-10 Spherical Helmet Review [For Dirt Bike Riding]

Damon Powell — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:55:27 +0000

Over 55 years after its first full-face helmet hit the market, the Bell Moto-10 Spherical is the California company’s flagship off-road helmet. It has the features that most of us seek for head protection when riding in the dirt. The Moto-10 achieves protection, weight reduction, and extreme airflow, enhancing the rider’s experience and confidence. The […]

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2023 Honda XR650L Review [30th Anniversary Retrospective]

Damon Powell — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 06:05:16 +0000

Introduced in 1993, the Honda XR650L is sold today in nearly its original configuration—no significant changes whatsoever. Thirty years is a long time for any motorcycle manufacturer to continue without offering the latest technology or gadgets. Attracting buyers without new bells and whistles is unheard of in the developing world, yet the 2023 Honda XR650L […]

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2022 Honda Gold Wing Tour Automatic DCT Cross-Country Test

Damon Powell — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 07:08:44 +0000

Rather than flying from Southern California to Tennessee to catch a flight to Vietnam, how about riding a touring bike there in comfort? The prospect of riding the 2022 Honda Gold Wing Tour Automatic DCT on the journey made the choice easier. While I had to convince the wife that it’d be fine in the […]

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2022 BMW R 18 Transcontinental Test: A 3130-Mile Texas Tour

Damon Powell — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 09:15:12 +0000

Last-minute arrangements were quickly approved for a seat-of-the-pants trip to Austin from Tehachapi, Calif., to attend the Cardano Community Event at Consensus 2022, where crypto and blockchain techies across the globe gather to discuss all matters of this fast-growing industry. I wanted to be a part of it, and that required an appropriate ride—my Euro […]

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2022 Kawasaki KLR650 Adventure Test: Southwest Tour Ride

Damon Powell — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 08:23:14 +0000

When Ultimate Motorcycling Editor Don Williams is given an invitation to a bike introduction, he instinctively knows who to give the task to. In the case of the 2022 Kawasaki KLR650 Adventure, he guessed I’d be interested—and, of course, he was right. I bought my first new motorcycle off a Newport Beach showroom for a […]

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Klim Dakar Pants + Jersey Review: Adventure and Dual-Sport Ready

Damon Powell — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 08:01:51 +0000

There’s nothing like putting 1700+ miles on a set of off-road gear to get a sense of how it works. The Klim Dakar Collection is a competitively priced jacket/jersey/gloves/pants set designed for off-road riding. I grabbed the Dakar pants and jersey before taking off on an epic 2022 Kawasaki KLR650 Adventure trip, and here’s what […]

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Mitas Dual-Sport Tires Review: Terra Force-EF and EF-07 Majestic Enduro

Damon Powell — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 05:53:48 +0000

Mitas, part of the Swedish-based Trelleborg Group (annual revenue of $4 billion), is attempting to make inroads into the United States motorcycle tire market. Seasoned off-roaders are familiar with the Trelleborg name, as the company used to provide OEM tires to Husqvarna Motorcycles. In 1999, the Czechia-based Mitas purchased the nearly century-old Trelleborg motorcycle tire […]

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2022 Kawasaki KLR650 Adventure Review (19 Fast Facts)

Damon Powell — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 07:00:01 +0000

After dropping it from the lineup for three model years, Kawasaki brings back the wildly popular KLR650 for 2022. Kawasaki introduced the KLR650 in 1987 and last updated it in 2008. This much-loved mid-sized, single-cylinder dual-sport motorcycle receives many improvements and certainly satisfies a renewed interest in affordable, multi-purpose motorcycles with ADV styling. It’s back […]

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2021 Kawasaki KLX300 Review (11 Fast Facts For Dual Sport Riding)

Damon Powell — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 20:12:57 +0000

Last year Kawasaki brought the off-road-only KLX300R back to the market, which we have reviewed. This year, Kawasaki has upgraded the long-running KLX250 dual-sport motorcycle to the 300 class, with the 2021 Kawasaki KLX300. We took the new 300 out on the dirt and pavement to determine if the off-roader’s success has translated to dual-sport […]

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2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM Review (13 Fast Facts – Street + Supermoto)

Damon Powell — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 08:20:05 +0000

Last year, Kawasaki introduced the KLX300R dirt bike to its off-road lineup. We anticipated a dual sport version of the KLX300R, and we got it this year—the KLX300. What we didn’t know was that a KLX300SM was coming—a street-legal supermoto addition to the KLX300 family. As a reminder, a supermoto is a dirt-bike that has […]

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2020 KTM 350 EXC-F Long Term Test: For Family and Friends

Damon Powell — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 08:27:36 +0000

As a motorcyclist, nothing is more enjoyable than exploring every aspect of the machine and our chosen sport it embraces. Just going out on a weekend ride of various scenic views and challenging terrain makes a week of work disappear and melt away. As a street-legal off-road bike, it opens the doors to the best […]

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2020 Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200 ES Adventure-Touring Test

Damon Powell — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 03:07:59 +0000

The Yamaha Super Ténéré story begins with the TT500 off-road enduro machine released in 1975, and the XT500 dual-sport model the following year. These two big-bore four-stroke singles were the basis for the first adventure-genre motorcycles, just as the burgeoning rally competitions were beginning. The XT500 was a big hit in Europe, with Gilles Comte […]

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2019 LA-Barstow To Vegas Dual Sport Ride: KTM 690 Enduro R

Damon Powell — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 09:10:18 +0000

After 12 years of participating in the granddaddy of dual sport events in America since 1987, when it became a two-day ride, you would think I knew how to prepare for the 2019 LA-Barstow to Vegas (LA-B2V) day-after-Thanksgiving ride. But every year is not the same. Not in November. I joined nearly 500 participants on […]

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2018 Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT Test | Adventure Tour

Damon Powell — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 15:02:03 +0000

2018 Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT Touring Test Coming from a world of dual sport riding and rally racing, I personally seek motorcycles leaning toward the dirt. My description of an adventure motorcycle is one that can travel the dirt and unimproved roads of the world. That can be hard to do on the 2018 Suzuki V-Strom […]

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Klim Traverse Jacket and Pants Review | Plus Dakar Pro Gloves

Damon Powell — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 08:13:48 +0000

Klim Traverse Jacket and Pants Review | Plus Klim Dakar Pro Gloves Test It has been nearly 20 years since purchasing a lightweight enduro jacket and my old-school Malcolm Smith jacket needed to be replaced by something with modern performance and function, along with some contemporary styling. Enter the Klim Traverse Jacket and Pants combo. […]

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2016 Husqvarna FE 501 S Test | Dual Sport Review

Damon Powell — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 07:41:00 +0000

The Husqvarna FE 510 S is no clone of the KTM 500 EXC; it has a KTM-built 510cc SOHC motor, but its own frame and suspension.

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2015 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager Review | Sturgis Tour

Damon Powell — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 10:02:11 +0000

2015 Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager 1700 ABSA 3200-mile round trip from my home to the 75th Sturgis Rally was no short-term evaluation on the 2015 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager ABS touring cruiser. It was a good wringing out. This doesn’t include the 350-mile trip between Kawasaki Motors’ headquarters in Irvine, Calif., and my Tehachapi, Calif., home, […]

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2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure Test | Touring Monterey Bay

Damon Powell — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 18:32:10 +0000

2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure Test Considering BMW’s long reign over the ADV market and its worldwide appeal from enthusiasts and organized clubs, the touring-focused KTM 1290 Super Adventure must be an ambitious adventure bike. These were my thoughts as my desire to tour the back roads of the globe had me yearning for some […]

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2014 Kawasaki KLR650 New Edition Review: Dual-Sport Motorcycle

Damon Powell — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 22:19:56 +0000

2014 Kawasaki KLR650 New Edition My relationship with the Kawasaki KLR650 began in 1987 when I purchased the bike from a Newport Beach dealership. It fulfilled my need to release work stress on fire roads behind Camp Pendleton so I could face another week. Eventually the bike was transformed into the Dakar Rally machine — […]

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Beta 520 RS Review | The Italian Alternative

Damon Powell — Wed, 21 May 2014 18:57:17 +0000

Beta 520 RS Motorcycle Test When Cody Webb — endurocross, extreme enduro, and observed trials triple-threat — raced, and won, the gnarly King of the Motos race in California’s expansive Johnson Valley OHV Area on a Beta, it awakened many people to the brand that is a bit of a mystery to most motorcyclists. In […]

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