Nic de Sena, Author at Ultimate Motorcycling https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/author/nic-de-sena/ Motorcycle Reviews, News on Motorcycles, Specs, Test & Race Results Tue, 24 Oct 2023 23:36:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cropped-UMC_LOGO_512x512-140x140.jpg Nic de Sena, Author at Ultimate Motorcycling https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/author/nic-de-sena/ 32 32 The Throttle Stop – November 2023: Once More Unto the Breach https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/10/24/the-throttle-stop-november-2023-once-more-unto-the-breach/ Tue, 24 Oct 2023 15:10:19 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=270891 I’ve always wanted to type out the words, “Once more unto the breach,” and have some sort of context for it. The phrase is a fine example of overt drama, hence why I enjoy using it when doing things that are decidedly not serious. That brings us to the here and now. Every time we […]

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]]> 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR vs. Yamaha YZF-R7 Comparison https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/10/17/2023-kawasaki-ninja-zx-4rr-vs-yamaha-yzf-r7-comparison/ Tue, 17 Oct 2023 16:28:58 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=270759 Every so often, a paradigm shift occurs, and the sportbike segment is positively percolating with change. These things come in cycles, with one manufacturer pushing the envelope and others following suit. Rigid displacement doctrine, expected features, and pricing are all being rethought with the 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR and Yamaha YZF-R7—two motorcycles that apply wildly […]

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]]> 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R First Look [Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/10/04/2024-kawasaki-ninja-zx-4r-first-look-fast-facts/ Wed, 04 Oct 2023 19:34:53 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=270380 Meet the 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R ABS, Kawasaki’s latest addition to its growing family of 400cc inline-four-powered motorcycles. The ZX-4R takes the title of the base bike within the Japanese brand’s lightweight sportbike range, offering a slightly easier pathway to ownership with its lower $9399 MSRP. The higher-specification 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR, replete with its […]

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]]> The Throttle Stop – October 2023 – Farewell, Evans Brasfield https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/09/27/throttle-stop-farewell-evans-brasfield/ Wed, 27 Sep 2023 21:43:02 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=270100 On September 13, Editor-in-Chief of Motorcycle.com Evans Brasfield was involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident while riding on Big Tujunga Canyon Road in the Angeles National Forest. A suspect was apprehended that same evening. He is survived by his loving wife of 30 years and two teenage daughters. The news of Evans’ passing hit the […]

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]]> 2023 Aprilia RS 660 Trofeo Review [Laguna Seca Tested] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/09/27/2023-aprilia-rs-660-trofeo-review-laguna-seca-tested/ Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:59:18 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=270097 Race bikes are undeniably special. With no street-legal considerations to spoil the fun, the sleek, uninterrupted lines of track-ready bodywork give a glimpse into a designer’s idyllic vision, one that isn’t weighed down by lighting, turn indicators, mirrors, or frilly creature comforts—pure, uncompromising performance. Any would-be speed merchant is captivated by the litany of go-fast […]

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]]> Jake Gagne Interview [MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Speaks] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/09/18/jake-gagne-interview-motoamerica-superbike-champion-speaks/ Tue, 19 Sep 2023 05:34:51 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269792 You might not guess it from Jake Gagne’s mellow demeanor, but he has been the man to be for three years running in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Gagne’s dominance kicked off in the 2021 season and hasn’t relented. He recently wrapped up his third-consecutive title fight with two rounds left on the 2023 calendar. Gagne […]

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]]> 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Review [13 Fast Facts From the Track] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/09/12/2024-kawasaki-ninja-zx-6r-review-13-fast-facts-from-the-track/ Tue, 12 Sep 2023 07:50:07 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269647 Team Green keeps the supersport dream alive with its updated 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, bringing a handful of updates to its faithful 636cc inline-four-powered motorcycle. While Kawi’s Japanese competitors have allowed their offerings to collect over a decade’s worth of dust or disappear from many markets, the ZX-6R enjoyed meaningful tweaks along the way, and […]

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]]> The Throttle Stop – September 2023 [Motorcycle Commentary] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/29/the-throttle-stop-september-2023-motorcycle-commentary/ Wed, 30 Aug 2023 00:05:16 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269300 Life on the wrong side of 35 is pretty much the same as before. My joints seem to creak a bit more these days, and I feel sore after track days to that extra degree, but we’ll blame that on my age instead of taking responsibility for stretching. Remember, kids, always stretch and hydrate before […]

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]]> 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Review [16 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/25/2023-harley-davidson-cvo-road-glide-review-16-fast-facts/ Fri, 25 Aug 2023 08:24:12 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269211 After 120 years of business, Harley-Davidson has figured out exactly what buttons to push within its fan base. The Badge-and-Sheild brand’s CVO lineup is nothing short of a love letter to the American V-twin touring faithful, used as the vessel to showcase H-D’s latest technologies, exclusive paint finishes, and new powertrains. This year, the 2023 […]

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]]> 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Review [12 Sport-Touring Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/19/2024-yamaha-tracer-9-gt-review-12-sport-touring-fast-facts/ Sat, 19 Aug 2023 08:26:01 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269073 Here, there, everywhere. That is the underlying motto of Sport Touring. In recent years, Yamaha has leaned on its middleweight Tracer family of motorcycles for precisely that, repurposing the lively triple-cylinder CP3 engine and frame of its spirited MT-09 lineup for touring duty, decked out with long-distance fixings—luggage, creature comforts, and helpful rider aids. It’s […]

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]]> 2024 Krämer GP2-890RR First Look [For Track Lovers Only] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/03/2024-kramer-gp2-890rr-first-look-for-track-lovers-only/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 16:35:48 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=268647 Meet the 2024 Krämer GP2-890RR, the latest turn-key track bike from Krämer Motorcycles that will surely turn the heads of racetrack-focused riders. Given the current crop of incredible sport machines on the market, that statement might seem overzealous, but here’s the rub—a 138 horsepower, premium chassis components, and an ultra-light wet weight of 313 pounds […]

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]]> 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide Review [18 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/07/26/2023-harley-davidson-cvo-street-glide-review-18-fast-facts/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 08:11:43 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=268426 2023 is a significant milestone for Milwaukee’s own Harley-Davidson, who happen to be ringing in 120 years of cranking out all-American V-twin machinery right in the good ol’ US of A. That anniversary deserves a hearty bash of its own, which the Motor Company threw at its hometown—a city brimming with baggers, brats, and breweries, […]

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]]> The Throttle Stop – August 2023 – You’re Speaking My Language https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/07/26/the-throttle-stop-august-2023-youre-speaking-my-language/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 19:35:46 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=268432 According to strangers on the internet, one can easily distinguish an American from a crowd of Europeans by the way they eat. If you’re thinking, “Well, of course. I’d just look for the person attempting to order food that isn’t on the menu while violently butchering the local language and somehow managing to be the […]

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]]> 2023 MV Agusta Dragster America Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/07/12/2023-mv-agusta-dragster-america-review/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 20:16:34 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=268051 All self-respecting kids treated their bedroom walls like canvas, one that helps them peer outside their respective bubbles. Given Italy’s ability to export everything that looks cool and goes fast, it seemed ludicrous to look anywhere but to the boot-shaped nation from my Southern Californian perspective—motorcycles, cars, fashion, and cuisine. Do I dare continue? Despite […]

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]]> 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR Review [13 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/07/03/2023-kawasaki-ninja-zx-4rr-review-13-fast-facts/ Mon, 03 Jul 2023 16:05:39 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=267600 Sportbikes were massive in the 1980s and 1990s, and the collective knee-dragging consciousness had its nose firmly planted in motorcycle mags, inhaling every line about potent new 400cc machines from Japan. These miniaturized superbikes had it all—ultra-high-revving screamer engines surrounded by top-spec chassis technology of the day, creating a balance of power and handling that […]

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]]> 2023 BMW M 1000 R Review [19 Fast Facts: Track and Street Test] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/06/23/2023-bmw-m-1000-r-review-19-fast-facts-track-and-street-test/ Sat, 24 Jun 2023 05:54:50 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=267277 There is a simmering arms race in the Super Naked category, and the 2023 BMW M 1000 R is the newest piece of high-tech weaponry to enter the battlefield. Armed with the latest-generation ShiftCam-equipped inline-4 from the S 1000 RR superbike, along with its updated electronic aids, the M 1000 R has ascended to the […]

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]]> The Throttle Stop – July 2023 – ¡Viva la Revolución! [Commentary] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/06/25/the-throttle-stop-july-2023-vive-la-revolution-commentary/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 05:33:29 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=267330 The saying goes, “There’s no replacement for displacement.” It’s a maxim that the American motorcycling public has come to adopt wholesale over the years. As engine displacement grew, so did our collective appetites for greater performance, which resulted in manufacturers pumping out ever-powerful machinery to satisfy our desires. We Americans want it, we need it, […]

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]]> 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R First Look [9 Fast Facts; 42 Photos] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/06/08/2024-kawasaki-ninja-zx-6r-first-look-9-fast-facts-42-photos/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:22:21 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=266859 Flip the pages of your calendar to the 1990s, and you’ll see that the Supersport category was King. High-revving, inline-4-powered race-replicas packed garages near and far, with every major manufacturer leaning into the “Win on Sunday; Sell on Monday” marketing mantra. Save for a precious few holdouts, such as the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, the 600cc […]

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]]> 2023 Ducati Monster SP Review [9 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/05/23/2023-ducati-monster-sp-review-9-fast-facts/ Wed, 24 May 2023 01:46:06 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=266347 A handful of motorcycling namesakes need no introduction, and Ducati’s Monster is one of them. Over its roughly three-decade tour of duty, the Italian firm’s versatile naked bike has helped shape and define the category by balancing real-world street practicality with thoroughbred performance. Now armed with the coveted SP-badging and requisite sporting upgrades, the 2023 […]

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]]> The Throttle Stop – June 2023: The Bear on an Aprilia Tuareg 660 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/05/24/the-throttle-stop-june-2023-the-bear-on-an-aprilia-tuareg-660/ Wed, 24 May 2023 20:47:36 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=266355 Earlier this year, I proudly proclaimed that I’d ride ADV more often, more single-track on dual-sport bikes, and get dirt under my fingernails regularly. We’ll call it a change of scenery from the asphalt-oriented motorcycles that I’m typically hovering around. They transport me to quiet canyon routes or racetracks to do all my extracurricular riding. […]

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]]> King Of The Baggers S&S Cycle Indian Challenger Test https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/04/22/king-of-the-baggers-ss-cycle-indian-challenger-test/ Sat, 22 Apr 2023 07:51:43 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=265639 Where there is racing, there is rivalry, and healthy competition brings out the best in techs, mechanics, and racers as they work toward a common goal: victory. One of those classic feuds started brewing over a century ago between Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle—albeit with a roughly five-decade respite on Indian’s part, officially. This goes far […]

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]]> The Throttle Stop – May 2023 – Saltine Diet https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/04/25/the-throttle-stop-may-2023-saltine-diet/ Tue, 25 Apr 2023 20:16:16 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=265666 Ah, my triumphant return to the column. Last month, as surely some of you didn’t notice, my column was absent from our April issue of Ultimate Motorcycling. Associate Editor Gary Ilminen took up the reigns with a guest spot and filled my proverbial boots quite well. Unfortunately, your humble motorcycle scribe had fallen ill with […]

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]]> 2023 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Review [14 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/04/12/2023-husqvarna-norden-901-expedition-review-14-fast-facts/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 06:28:01 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=265411 The 2023 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition is built for exactly what its name implies. It takes the capable Norden 901 travel enduro, bolts on a heaping dose of helpful touring accessories and, most importantly, features upgraded long-travel suspension to ensure wherever your dart lands on the map, you’ll have everything you need to get there. […]

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]]> 2024 Triumph Bonneville T120 DGR Limited Edition First Look https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/04/04/2024-triumph-bonneville-t120-dgr-limited-edition-first-look/ Tue, 04 Apr 2023 11:01:01 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=265147 By now, The Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride (DGR) has become part of the modern motorcycling lexicon, helping raise awareness and funds for men’s health charities across the globe. The DGR was founded in Sydney by Mark Hawwa, who hit on a “dapper” theme for the inaugural ride in 2012, uniting fans of vintage or classic motorcycling […]

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]]> 2024 Triumph Street Triple 765 Review: R and RS [16 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/03/05/2024-triumph-street-triple-765-review-r-and-rs-16-fast-facts/ Mon, 06 Mar 2023 04:48:18 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=264372 The naked middleweight category is positively buzzing, flaunting potent offerings from all corners of the globe. Hailing from Old Blighty is Triumph’s Street Triple lineup, a class staple as it enters its fourth generation with the road-focused 2024 Triumph Street Triple 765 R and racetrack-ready Street Triple 765 RS models—lest we forget the sold-out Street […]

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