Matthew Crawford is a practicing motorcycle mechanic out of Richmond,Virginia. He’s also an excellent writer who holds a philosophy degree from the prestigious University of Chicago. This unusual trifecta informs “Shop Class as Soulcraft: an Inquiry Into the Value of Work.” Anyone who’s changed their oil or timed a distributor (remember them?) will appreciate the result.

It should be obvious, but one of the perks of being in the business of evaluating motorcycles is the opportunity to see and ride a huge variety of bikes.

Recently, while returning a CRF230M to American Honda’s main offices I spotted the new-to-the-U.S. NT700V sitting amongst the gaggle of bikes set aside for the moto media.

Since the bike has yet to be formally introduced to all media, I certainly wasn’t able to ride, but I did saddle up to it and fiddle around, so I thought I’d pass on a few firsthand quick-take notes.

After I posted the preview for the new Spyders, the forum board got me fired up again. Every time I write about something eccentric, the progeny of Merriam Webster like to write in and remind me that Spyders aren’t motorcycles. I would disagree, but no one will remember this next time no matter what I say, I’d put money on that.

There’s a difference between what you believe and what you know. Nowhere in the construct of the word motorcycle does it suggest a limit on the number of wheels. Are you riding motor-bicycles? Are you riding at all? KPaul? The very ‘first’ motorcycle had 4 wheels by the way. Damn you facts!

What would be your opinion on the Enicycle? Or a trike? Don’t answer that….

How about we just call the Spyder a motor-tricycle? Better yet, let’s call it a Reitwagen (riding car) from now on. And, yes, I got that from Wikipedia.

Although motorcycles are most commonly two-wheeled motor vehicles, they can be so much more. The world isn’t flat anymore!  And if you don’t like choppers, sport bikes, dualies or whizzers, don’t ride ‘em. That just leaves more for me to ride!

QLINK have published a post on their blog to respond to the QLINK XF200 bike review that was published on motorcycle.com.  After reading the review, QLINK felt there were some issues that were raised in the article that needed more explanation and clarity.

Hit the jump to read what they had to say.

Harley-Davidson is giving you a platform to express yourself and state what you love about living and riding in the land of the free.  Head on over to their free country web page, find your favorite 2010 model, make your statement on riding and living free in America and share it with the rest of the world!

Screw it. Lets Ride! (you gotta love that slogan)

It seems the idea that there is a “special edition” Honda Fury has achieved urban-legend levels.

Motorcycle.com recently spoke to Jon Seidel of American Honda to clarify some of the controversy generated in www.furyforums.com regarding a special edition Fury model.

According to Seidel, no mention was ever made to the media during the Fury’s press unveiling or in any press material or at any other time, “that any Fury color or specific Fury model was a special edition.”

Seidel stated that he also queried Honda’s product planning department about the existence of any special edition models and reported that no information had ever been released or implied from Honda Product Planning as to the existence of a Fury SE.

Picture a Motorcycle in your mind, any Motorcycle. It could be one you own, want to own, one you’ve seen. Can you picture it?  What Brand is it?  What Model, year, how fast does it go?  You can probably picture each of these elements vividly. Well, how about the color – did you see pink?

If you did, you’re probably a numbered few who did. Fewer who would admit it!

The holiday season is over but winter is still here, much to the chagrin of us motorcyclists in the snowbelt. Maybe you’ve washed and waxed your bike until it can’t get any cleaner. Maybe you’ve been tinkering around the garage a little or maybe you’ve watched Wild Hogs and The Wild One a few dozen times. Regardless, you want something more visceral, more lively and interactive to get your blood racing. Pilots often use simulators to keep their skill set fresh while car and bike racers use them to become familiar with new tracks and keep their reflexes sharp.

Back in November, we posted a story about motorcycle riding being linked to impotence, citing a study from Japan that was published in the International Journal of Impotence Research. Yes, apparently there is an entire journal with an unrelenting focus on our fun bits. I digress. Anyhoo, the study suggested that men who ride motorcycles are at risk of impotence and urinary problems due to the vibration of the engine damaging nerves in our happy place.

MO readers piped up in large numbers, adamant that years of riding hadn’t prevented their little soldier’s from standing at attention. According to patent-granted author Randall Dale Chipkar, they may be half right. “More studies are needed to determine the cause,” says Chipkar, who believes that the focus of the study was based on limited information and too few variables, making it inconclusive the motorcycle seats are the cause of impotence.

There are few topics of discussion that can create more separation and conflict than religion or politics, unless of course you manage to combine religion and politics. That is precisely what happened in Ontario, Canada when a devout Sikh by the name of Baljinder Badesha decided to wear his turban instead of approved head protection while riding his motorcycle.

Badesha was handed a $110 ticket for riding without a helmet northwest of Toronto. His defense was that his religion forbids him from covering his turban and he shouldn’t be made to choose between his faith and his motorcycle.