Handlebars : Handlebars : Guide to East Tennessee's Motorcycle Community

Handlebars

Editor's Note by Coury Turczyn

Dealing With Tough Times

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010

Last year was lousy for the motorcycle industry. Sales took a steep plunge after the economy cratered and people started spending less and less on leisure-time activities or hobbies. Although East Tennessee is a motorcycling haven, it's not immune to the domino effect of plunging sales. And neither are we. Full story »

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Vintage: Fred's Garage by Fred Sahms

Vintage Motorcycling at Daytona Bike Week

Friday, March 5, 2010

This winter has sucked; there’s really no way around it. Even Mr. Ride-Every-Day Geoffrey Greene would agree. I check the Accuweather.com five-day forecast hoping for a dry 44-degree weekend day, so I can get a ride in. That’s pitiful for East Tennessee, a region I personally have touted to friends in the far North as offering “year-round riding.” This year, electric gear has been my friend, but more than the cold and snow, TDOT’s road salt has kept me off the bikes. Full story »

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Budget Bikes For Under $2,500

Yamaha RD350: Two-Stroke Fun Machine

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

The RD350 is a 1970s-era Yamaha that is powered by a two-stroke, twin-cylinder engine with a displacement of 348ccs. The RD’s power band is very peaky thanks to its two-stroke power plant, but in actuality the peakiness of the motor is one of the traits that makes this bike so much fun to ride. A single disc on the front and a drum brake setup on the rear stops the bike, and (for its time) its weight of around 350 pounds wet was feather light. Full story »

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Ride Routes

Riding 'Round Chilhowee Mountain in East Tennessee

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

If you’ve ever traveled through Seymour on Chapman Highway you’ve seen the main destination for this ride, the top of Chilhowee Mountain. Commonly referred to as Bluff Mountain, this is the big mountain you are looking at when you sit at the red light at the intersection of Chapman Highway and 411 in Seymour, traveling toward Sevierville. It is also the mountain you see on your left as you ride 321 toward Townsend. For years “Bluff Mountain,” which runs from Pigeon Forge to Walland, was the central gathering place for off-road riders in the area. Talk to any old school dirt-bike rider and you will hear them talking about riding “on Bluff.” Full story »

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Profiles in Motorcycling

Sixty Years and Six Cylinders

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

Bill Powell, is a Floridian who recently moved to Tennessee for health reasons. He’s 72 years old, and rode his first motorcycle right about 60 years ago. Powell tallies off the long list of motorcycles he’s owned: a KZ1 900, a Honda 450, a Honda two-cylinder 160 that he track-raced briefly. All those machines have come and gone. There’s only one bike that Powell has hung on to, and moved to Tennessee with him: a red and black 1979 Honda CBX 1000, with 36,000 miles on it. Full story »

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Handlebars' Ultimate Motorcycle Gift Guide

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

The assignment was simple: Pick your top five motorcycle goodies, no matter how big or small. But when you consider the limitless possibilities, the task suddenly gets difficult: Which moto obsessions should you feed? There can be so many. Nevertheless, our staff of contributors rose to the occasion with some interesting picks to consider this holiday season. Full story »

2010 Can-Am Spyder RT: Three-Wheeled Technological Showcase

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

I rode the Can-Am Spyder when it was first introduced almost two years ago, and one of the thoughts that crossed my mind was that this would be a good platform for a touring machine. Evidently I wasn’t the only one who had this idea, and now Can-Am has come out with a touring model, the Can-Am Spyder RT Roadster. Full story »

More Take That Ride: New Bikes

It's a Mod World

Steve Gilkey's 1984 Harley-Davidson XR1000

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

"This is an ’84 XR1000, even though it’s stamped ’83. All the black ones were ’84s, almost at the very end of the run. They made less than 150 of the black ones, and they were offered to Harley dealers if they would take another grey one. Not many dealers could even sell the first grey XR, so there weren’t many black ones made. They were supposed to be this big sales success, but they weren’t. For that nine extra horsepower over the $3,995 Sportster, the XR1000 was $7,995." Full story »

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Gearing Up

Knoxville-Area Motorcycle Jacket Retailers

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009

A list of local moto shops that offer motorcycle jackets in the Knoxville area. Full story »

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Leather, Textile, or Skin?

Off Road & Dual Sport: Getting Dirty by Russ Townsend

Dodging Trees in Bybee for the Volunteer Hare Scrambles

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

On Nov. 8, 150 dirt bike racers from around the Southeast gathered in beautiful Bybee, Tenn. for the Volunteer Hare Scrambles, round four of the 14-round SETRA Hare Scramble series. In case you are wondering, Bybee is the community located off of I-81 at exit 12, close to Newport. This was same location where the BMW Adventure ride was based earlier this year. Full story »

More Off Road & Dual Sport: Getting Dirty by Russ Townsend

Spike & Me by Carol Watkins

Spike Speaks

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

Dear Santa: First of all, I want to thank you for having all the motorcycle stuff available for my human to look at. She got so engrossed in her virtual shopping experience that she didn’t even pick out a new bike. I was worried there for a few days. She rode a few bikes that looked pretty impressive: the new Victory Vision, the Kingpin, the Triumph Bonneville, Thunderbird, and Rocket, and even a three-wheeled Can-Am thing that didn’t even look like a motorcycle. Full story »

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Sportbikes: 6th Gear by Ben Steinberg

The Pose Factor

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

By now, many (if not most of you) have seen the now infamous Harley guys episode on South Park. I’ve got to admit, it was a great satire on the wonderful world of poser bike owners. You know the kind... the ones that shine their rides up to run 10 miles into town for a coffee or beer at their closest watering holes, all the while revving the motors and trying to look the badass. Weekend warriors. Full story »

More Sportbikes: 6th Gear by Ben Steinberg

Cruisers

Road Resolutions, 2010

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

Well, the new year is nearly upon us—just after we get through the holiday season with all its hustle and bustle, planning and fretting over gifts and holiday dishes to be cooked. With the advent of January 1, many of us have New Year’s Resolutions on our minds. We resolve to lose weight, get busy exercising, fix something around the house, etc. As for myself, I have learned not to set the bar too high, to keep things reasonable and attainable. Full story »

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Scooters: Scoot Around Town by Melanie DiClaudio

The Hills Had Eyes

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009

The first weekend of October, the Hill City United Scooter Club (Chattanooga) held a rally in Ocoee, Tenn. Truth be told, I’d really been looking forward to it. We haven’t gone to many rallies this year and it was Hill City’s first camping rally after having thrown two city rallies and then Amerivespa last year. Full story »

More Scooters: Scoot Around Town by Melanie DiClaudio

News Briefs

Wings Across Tennessee Raises Funds for Children's Hospital

Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009

Last month, The Goldwing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) of Tennessee came through Knoxville on their annual trip across the state to deliver their donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Full story »

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My Bike: Readers' Rides

Honda Hawk GT: The Cult Bike That Almost Got Away

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009

Every rider is convinced that there is one magical motorcycle in this world that will bring ultimate satisfaction. And it’s usually just outside of our reach—too rare, too expensive, or too dangerous to actually own. But we keep our eyes peeled, scanning the classifieds, searching the Internet, peering into open garages, just in case. Full story »

Letters to the Editor

Radio Talk

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

Yuri Zuev: It is obvious that one radio station cannot satisfy all the listeners with various demands and tastes. But one can do better that WUOT. [“No Static At All?” by Chris Barrett, Oct. 22, 2009] I have nothing against classical music, but not all day long every day. Classical music lovers have no one else to turn to? What about people who want to hear news and analysis, meaningful conversations worth listening to? Full story »

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The Long Way: Readers' Travel Tales

Betty’s Excellent Adventure

Monday, June 29, 2009

Betty and I crossed the George Washington Bridge around 6:30 Wednesday evening. Stopping every 20 feet or so there was plenty of time to breathe in the city and feel the warm embrace of our fellow travelers. They honked, waved and drove really close, trying to get a better look. You’d think they’d never seen a Ninja 250 with a Tennessee tag; much less one named Betty. Full story »

Newbie Journal: Countersteer by Patrick Beeson

Riding the Long “Tail”

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Highway 129, or “The Tail of the Dragon” as it’s more commonly known, is a dream road for many motorcyclists with its 318 turns in 11 miles. But for the unprepared, or unskilled, it can be a nightmare. Mention riding the Dragon to non-motorcyclists you’ll get responses full of words like “die,” “death,” “insane,” and “stupid.” These really aren’t the best words to have in your head when skirting Tellico Lake on the way to see if the hype is real. Full story »