Best of the rest

Welcome to Best of the Rest, an idea we’re trying out at CMG.

We strive to bring you good stories here at CMG, but we can’t cover everything.  A couple weeks ago, we told you we’re testing a format we’ve seen successfully implemented in other media, a weekly round-up of the best stories and columns from other sites. 

We’re not shifting towards becoming content curators; the plan is to still provide original content from the worlds of racing, adventure riding and general motorcycling news, like we always have. We just figured our readers might enjoy reading the same stories we enjoy reading, so we’re experimenting with the idea of a once-a-week collection of stories from other publications, with the sole aim of sharing the fun.

Check out the links, read the articles, and let us know if this format works, or could be tweaked. We didn’t receive any angry complaints last week, but if this format works for you, or doesn’t, please let us know.

Return of the Cafe Racer — Triton from GasBox

When you think of a Triton cafe racer (Triumph motor, Norton frame), you think of Merry Olde England, the Ace Cafe, and the 59 Club. Alas, the true glory days of the cafe racer are gone, like everything else that was good about the ’60s and ’70s. Now, the scene is about style, not substance.

However, one shop in Cleveland, Ohio, seems to be keeping the spirit of the Triton alive, as this article on Return of the Cafe Racers shows. The bike could definitely use a set of air filters, but aside from that, she’s a beaut, and not built out of a CX500 or some other cheap surplus platform. Nice work, GasBox! It really has that swoopy, airy look that prevailed before the mean, lean Japanese machines took over.

Lanesplitter — I Put A Cupholder On My Motorcycle And I Regret Nothing

Is drinking coffee while you ride safe? Probably not. But if you’re a commuter, or a long-distance tourer, you’ve probably idly kicked the idea around sometime. Here’s a guy who put a cupholder on his bike, and loves it. Yet another good reason to own a flip-face helmet! In the interests of safety, he advises not actually drinking while you ride, but says it’s a good way to sneak a drink at stoplights — something we suspect Gold Wing owners have been doing for years.

Bikewriter — Canepa up on assault charges? And memories of other dick moves

In the aftermath of news about Nicolo Canepa’s assault charges following an on-track incident, Mark Gardiner once again draws on his racing experience to talk about dirty deeds at the track. This time, it’s his days in the Loudon Road Racing Series.