Cycle World
CYCLE WORLD
AMERICA'S LEADING MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE
APRIL 2011
VOL.50 NO.4
Sience 1962
CYCLE WORLD (ISSN 0011-4286) (USPS 571.310), APRIL, 2011, volume #50, Issue #4, Is published monthly by Hachette Fllipacchl Media U.S., Inc., 1271 Avenue fo the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Pe rIodicals postage paid at New York, NY 10001 and at addftional mailing offices. Authorized periodicals post age by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada, and for payment In cash. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cycle World, P.O. Box 422515, Palm Coast, FL 32142-8704; U.S. and Canada: (800) 456-3084, ForeIgn: (386) 597-4375; cycleworld©emallcustomersenf Ice. corn. If the postal services alert us that yj7,~agazine Is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receiv:a corrected address
ROUNDUP
14 DAKAR 2011, STREET’S VIEW
14 HARLEY-DAVIDSON BLACKLINE FXS By Blake Conner
16 DISASTER AVERTED By Kevin Cameron
22 END OF AN EARACHE By John Burns
27 QUICKRIDE Husqvarna SMS630
28 QUICKRIDE Suzuki DR-Z400S
TEST
40 EYECON The Triumph Speed Triple’s new vison. By Mark Hoyer
76 KTM 350 XC-F Austria’s 350cc off-road racer. By Ryan Dudek
FEATURES
46 BLUE WATER, PALM TREES AND MOTORCYCLES Just 26 Miles Across the Sea... By Peter Egan
56 2011 YAMAHA FZ8 Next middleweight great? By Don Canet
62 ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES No more fumes? By Steve Anderson
COMPARISON
72 HONDA CBR250R VS. KAWASAKI NINJA 250R
Small but meaty.
By John Burns
pg .46
pg. 56
EVALUATIONS
86 FOUR HELMETS FOR THE ROAD Carrying your head in comfort and convenience.
88 ALPINESTARS BIONIC NECK SUPPORT Don’t test this at home kids, but we did.
90 TOURATECH ¡BRACKET For those who’d like to mount their iPhone.
RACE WATCH
100 NUMBER ONE Josh Hayes: AMA Pro American SuperBike champion. By Matthew Miles
pg.86
COLUMNS
10 UP FRONT IBOTY By Mark Hoyer
36 LEANINGS One Man’s Island By Peter Egan
38 TDC Coupling to the Load By Kevin Cameron
DEPARTMENTS
32 HOTSHOTS
82 NEW IDEAS
94 SERVICE
107 SHOWCASE
118 SLIPSTREAM
