BEST WEIRD motorcycles of 2021! This year I started with a list of 22 really off the wall strange motorcycles. Was not too hard to work it down the best 9.
Just a quick note, these motorcycles may have been around for a few years, but I first noticed them this past year.
Which is your favorite weird motorcycle for 2021?
Be aware that this motorcycle recall list is for the United States for the last 30 days, there is no way I could cover the entire world. But in the world of global manufacturing, if a motorcycle is being recalled in one country there is a good chance it is under recall in others.
Also, this should not be considered a definitive list, check for yourself if you have any questions.
If you are US based use the NHTSA website http://www.safercar.gov. Enter your VIN number to see if your motorcycle is affected by the recall.
If you are based outside the USA, use the appropriate website to locate recalls that may impact you.
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NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V023000
Manufacturer BMW of North America, LLC
Components SUSPENSION
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 K1600 GT, K1600 GTL, and K1600 B motorcycles. The link strut connecting the rear suspension to the frame may have insufficient strength, which can cause the link strut to become damaged.
Remedy Dealers will replace the rear link strut, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 15, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V014000
Manufacturer KTM North America, Inc.
Components SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Summary KTM North America, Inc. (KTM) is recalling certain 2022 Husqvarna 350s and Husqvarna 501s motorcycles. The brake pad retaining clips on the front brake caliper may have been mounted incorrectly, which could result in loose or detached front brake pads.
Remedy Owners are advised to not ride their motorcycles until the repair has been performed. Dealers will replace the front and rear brake pad retaining clips, free of charge. Owners notification letters are expected to be mailed in January 2022. Owners may contact KTM customer service at 1-888-985-6090. KTM’s number for this recall is HTB2111. This recall supersedes NHTSA recall 21V-678. Motorcycles that were previously repaired under recall 21V-678 will need to have the new remedy performed under this recall.
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RIDE ON, RIDE SAFE
This is my take on motorcycle news that grabbed my attention. There is a whole lot more out there, but this is the news that I want to discuss. Drop me a note if you disagree with my take.
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Up Shift – Royal Enfield’s Tour of the South Pole – A month or so ago I mentioned that Royal Enfield was going to ride to motorcycles to the South Pole. On December 16, 2021, Santhosh Vijay Kumar and Dean Coxson reached the South Pole on board their Royal Enfield Himalayan. It took them 15 days, a bit longer then expected due to a blizzard that forced a detour.
My Take – No world records involved just the bragging rights that the Himalayan motorcycle can take you on any adventure. Congrats to the riders and Royal Enfield! Oh and yes, it is summer at the South Pole, with temps getting to a balmy -22F.
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Hitting Neutral – Motorcycles with Speed Limiters – Are motorcycles to fast? Whether or not you agree some motorcycle manufacturers are going to limit the top speed of their bikes. Those top end motorcycles, or superbikes, are going to be limited to 300KPH or 186MPH.
This is an attempt to appease politicians and safety activists ahead of any legal action taken by those politicians at the behest of the safety activists. So, the next batch of superbikes will be slower than the current models. Not sure that has ever happened before.
My Take – Is 200MPH to fast on a motorcycle, other then on a track? Well yes, of course it is. But, I do not like that we have to be forced to do something in the hopes that the politicians and activists will be appeased because they will NEVER BE APPEASED.
I have said it often in this blog, the end goal of safety activists, like the Vision Zero zealots, is to end motorcycling completely.
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Ride on, Ride Safe
Last year I had a hard time deciding what would make the “Best of” Motorcycle Memes for 2020… not so much this year.
I started out with 19 and these 9 memes came to the top for the Best of 2021 pretty quick.
My favorite this is the Ducati one at the top. May or may not be true….but funny!!!
Covid is once again impacting the artistic (or crazy) side of motorcycling. The number of new, cool or just fabulous examples of motorcycle tank art was limited for 2021.
By limited I mean… I did not see a lot of good tank art. Instead of the 9 best we have the 7 best motorcycle tanks for 2021. Where I know the artist I include the information, but the internet is not good about attribution.
Sigh
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Ride On, Ride Safe
What has happened to Easyriders magazine?
In the lead up to Christmas 2021 when, at a local bookstore, I noticed the latest issue of Easyriders magazine. But that magazine did not look at all correct, it did not have a hot bike and girl on the cover.
In fact, glancing through it at the newsstand, it did not have “really” have any hot bikes and no nude or scantly clothed women.
The new Easyriders magazine looked more like coffee table style magazine then anything else. All this raised my curiosity to find out just what happed to the old school motorcycle magazine.
Death of Easyriders Magazine
The original Easyriders magazine was a champion of the counterculture, on the road biker symbolized in movies like “Easyrider”. But, as we all know, the printed word is in decline due to the evolution of digital media. From my point of view, magazines have been the hardest hit with many, to many, motorcycle magazines failing to survive the transition.
Easyriders magazine started in the early 1970s and always showcased the best motorcycles from across America along with the aforementioned scantily clad women. Later Easyriders would host and run events, rallies (or as they called them rodeos), and motorcycle shows.
From what I can gather, that Easyrider magazine closed its doors and auctioned off what was left in 2018.
So, What Happened Next?
It appears that a Canadian clothing company called StrongHold now owns the name and trademark of the old company. If you go to the new Easyriders website you can purchase $16 shaving kits, $30 t-shirts, $25 boxers, and $60 hoodies.
The magazine, as noted above, is now more “up-scale” targeted to a very different audience then the original Easyriders. On their website they state that this is an “Elevation of an Iconic Brand”, that it is more then a magazine it is a lifestyle.
I purchased the second issue and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Short stories and great pictures laid out in a modern format; the magazine looks nothing like the classic version.
Rodeos and events
Easyriders did support three events 2021 but the long running, over 30 years, rodeo in Chillicothe, OH will not be back in 2022 but not due to the pandemic.
The town, fairgrounds and county will not allow the Easyriders event to return because, during the 2021 event, there was, very nearly, a “gang” battle.
According to reports an undercover cop stopped the unnamed biker gangs from starting a shootout when he spotted “his” gang putting guns together and getting ready to move against their rivals. The gangs were not identified.
Easyriders is dead, long live Easyriders.
I am sure many purest will not like the new Easyriders but, at least it is still around. I don’t have any issue with the new direction while at the same time, I am kind of missing the old magazine. Things change and in this new age, at least we still have a motorcycle magazine on the news stand.
Ride On, Ride Safe
(If I did not get anything right, please let me know!)
Be aware that this motorcycle recall list is for the United States for the last 30 days, there is no way I could cover the entire world. But in the world of global manufacturing, if a motorcycle is being recalled in one country there is a good chance it is under recall in others.
Also, this should not be considered a definitive list, check for yourself if you have any questions.
If you are US based use the NHTSA website http://www.safercar.gov. Enter your VIN number to see if your motorcycle is affected by the recall.
If you are based outside the USA, use the appropriate website to locate recalls that may impact you.
*****
NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V987000
Manufacturer Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Components ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Honda Rebel 1100 (CMX1100) motorcycles. The radiator cap may have been improperly formed during manufacturing, which could create an insufficient seal.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the radiator cap and refill any lost coolant, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 13, 2022. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda’s number for this recall is KN1.
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NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V940000
Manufacturer Zero Motorcycles Inc.
Components SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Summary: Zero Motorcycles, Inc. (Zero) is recalling certain 2022 SR, SR/F, and SR/S motorcycles. The incorrect rear brake pads were installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 122, “Motorcycle Brake System.”
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rear brake pads, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 20, 2021. Owners may contact Zero customer service at 1-888-841-8085. Zero’s number for this recall SV-ZMC-022-018.
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NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V865000
Manufacturer Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Components ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Summary: Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (Yamaha) is recalling certain 2016-2021 FJR13 motorcycles. The Engine Control Unit (ECU) programming installed under Recall 20V-813 (990141), that was designed to prevent gear damage, may prevent the engine from accelerating as intended.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to ride their motorcycles until they are repaired. Dealers will reprogram the ECU, free of charge. Motorcycles that were previously repaired under recall 20V-813 will need to return for the new remedy. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 9, 2021. Owners may contact Yamaha customer service at 1-800-962-7926. Yamaha’s number for this recall is 990152.
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Ride On, Ride Safe
This is my take on motorcycle news that grabbed my attention. There is a whole lot more out there, but this is the news that I want to discuss. Drop me a note if you disagree with my take.
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Down Shift – Apple recommends not mounting their phones to the motorcycle! – Even though one of the latest iPhone commercials show their phone mounted to a scooter, Apple says that is a no no. Apparently the image stabilization technology of the phone can be degraded or destroyed by the vibrations of the motorcycle. There report state “motorcycle engines generate intense high-amplitude vibrations, which are transmitted through the chassis and handlebars. It is not recommended to attach your iPhone to motorcycles with high-power or high-volume engines due to the amplitude of the vibration in certain frequency ranges that they generate.”
My Take – WOW, no word on if this violates the iPhone warranty or not. But, after years of seeing how Apple works, I bet the next phone will have a clause about how mounting to a motorcycle will violate the warranty. In the meantime, if you us the iPhone mounted to your bike, look for some form of vibration reduction mounting systems.
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Up Shift – Triumph reaches 1,000,000 – A milestone to say the least. This number is only counting the motorcycles that Triumph has produced since its “re-launch” over 30 years ago. The one millionth bike is a Tiger 900 with a special paint and appearance package.
My Take – I am of two thoughts on this 1) That is an average of only 32,000 motorcycles a year how have they survived with that small of an annual number … what is the mark-up on Triumph motorcycles? 2) Getting to that number of bikes through all the ups and downs our economies have experienced is a testament to good management and good motorcycles.
*****
Ride on, Ride Safe
Be aware that this motorcycle recall list is for the United States for the last 30 days, there is no way I could cover the entire world. But in the world of global manufacturing, if a motorcycle is being recalled in one country there is a good chance it is under recall in others.
Also, this should not be considered a definitive list, check for yourself if you have any questions.
If you are US based use the NHTSA website http://www.safercar.gov. Enter your VIN number to see if your motorcycle is affected by the recall.
If you are based outside the USA, use the appropriate website to locate recalls that may impact you.
*****
NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V901000
Manufacturer Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Components FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 NC750XD motorcycles equipped with 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmissions. The fuel injection control module software may be programmed incorrectly, which can result in insufficient fuel when stopping, or accelerating from a stop.
Remedy Dealers will reprogram the fuel injection and dual clutch transmission software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 7, 2022. Owners may contact Honda Powersports customer service at 866-784-1870. Honda’s number for this recall is KN0.
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NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V836000
Manufacturer Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Components EQUIPMENT
Summary Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (Yamaha) is recalling certain 2021 Tracer 900 GT (MTT9GTM) motorcycles. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) printed on the Federal Certification label may not match the VIN stamped on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, “Certification.”
Remedy Yamaha will notify owners, and dealers will install a correct certification label, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 5, 2021. Owners may contact Yamaha customer service at 1-800-962-7926. Yamaha’s number for this recall is 990151.
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Ride On, Ride Safe
It is that time of year again. Time to think about holiday gifts for your beloved motorcyclist (or crazy biker). This year I looked at what I would want for ME! Lucky for me they are quite applicable for any biker, rider!
9. Clear lens glasses – When it starts to get dark sunglasses are not the best thing to be wearing, been there, did that, did not like it. Having a second set of clear lens glasses or transition glasses will help your motorcyclist a lot.
8. Heated gear – We all “Just Want 2 Ride” right. The gift of heated gear will extend the riding season weeks or months depending on where you live.
7. Bike manual – The shop manual for your motorcyclist’s specific make and model. He or she may never use it for doing the hard work but knowing what is needed is always helpful before taking the motorcycle into the shop.
6. Lip balm/Suntan Lotion – Now how long has that stick of lip balm been in your biker’s pocket or saddlebag? If anything like what is in my bags…..2 to 4 years old, LOL Get them a replacement.
5. Handlebar Cell Phone Holder – There are a LOT of different types of phone holders out there. Some work better with certain phones so make sure you know what your motorcycle rider uses before buying the handlebar holder.
4. Frame them – Frame a nice picture of them with their motorcycle. Simple and cheap but you might have to snoop on their phone to find the best one!
3. Helmet – Is your biker’s helmet more than 5 years old? If so, ask some sneaky questions to find out what they like in a helmet. Full face, modular, open face, there are so many possibilities… maybe a gift certificate for a helmet might be better.
2. Custom Dynamic Motorcycle Lights – Custom Dynamic makes SUPER bright, eye catching lighting for motorcycles. I have several sets on my bike and wish I had more! Look at the ProBeam LED Motorcycle Turn Signals. These turn signal lights are really DIY
If I could get a commission on every purchase of Custom Dynamic lights I have influenced, I would never have to pay for this website again.
1 – Membership in the AMA – That is the American Motorcycle Association not he medical association (or the version of the AMA in your area). Membership not only gets you things like emergency towing it gets you a voice in Washington DC. The AMA is the biggest (but not the only) motorcycle lobbyist group trying to protect your right to ride. This is, most likely the most important motorcycle gift idea on the list!
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 
