Friction Zone Motorcycle Magazine

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May 2012 Issue Shipped to Dealers on April 25

This website offers a preview of Friction Zone—an award-winning, monthly, motorcycle magazine for riders of all types of street bikes.

Friction Zone is the only motorcycle magazine—print or internet-based—that includes official motorcycle accident reports. These reports make excellent tools for improving your accident-avoidance skills. From bike and product reviews to local trip ideas to technical articles, Friction Zone has something for everyone.

You can receive Friction Zone by mail by subscribing, or visit our distribution page to see where you can pick up your free copy each month.

Be sure to check out our Previous Issues.


May 2012 Issue Online

This month's issue is online as a PDF.

All Trip CDs are available now!

Click here to visit the ordering page.


Poll of the Month—Motorcycle Clubs

How do you feel about motorcycle clubs?

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I love them and am a member of more than one!0%
I love them but only belong to one.0%
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Bike Review Victory Hard-Ball

At first blush, Victory's Hard-Ball is a "what the heck were they thinking" motorcycle. Combining a motorcycle with the touring credentials of the Cross Roads with the in-your-face attitude of the Vegas High Ball doesn't make sense on any rational level. Ape hangers on a touring bike? Hard bags and aggression? Really? However, the smart folks at Victory know that people buy motorcycles with their hearts, not a check list. Still, the Victory's designers decided to aim a bit lower than the heart and grab riders by the short hairs…

Cover Story Electric Motorcycles—The Next Big Thing?

Electric automobiles were popular over a century ago when they competed with clunky steam cars and smoky, hand-cranked gasoline engines…

Discover California Tehachapi

Some travelers are a little obsessed with such things as dams, tunnels, trains, bridges, and so forth, and will sometimes go great distances to see these man-made wonders…

From the Editor Opening New Doors

Since I have gotten into dualsport riding, riders often ask me which I like better—street or dirt…

Lost In America Lists of Stupid Things About Motorcycling

Do you ever make lists of things?…

On the Scene—California Alcohol and Riding Never Mix

It was a dry, warm, summer evening when a 30-year-old rider on his brand new 2012 Yamaha R1 was riding in light traffic conditions…

Special Feature 2Sammy Tanner—22 Years of Flat Track Racing

Most people below a certain age in the motorcycle industry know Sammy Tanner as the Southern California Arai Helmets distributor. While most of us are aware that he was a great flat track racer in his day, if you want to learn about what it was like racing in the 1950s and 1960s, you need to sit down and talk with Tanner. Just be prepared to talk for a while, because not only was he a great racer, but also he's a great storyteller that can make an afternoon disappear. Tanner will be the grand marshal at the Ascot Park Reunion scheduled for May 12 (www.ascotflattrack.com) and his career was honored with the Dick Hammer Award at this year's Trailblazers' banquet (www.trailblazersmc.com)—on top of being inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999…

Previous Issues


Copyright © 2012 - Friction Zone

Cover Story

Discover

Dualsport

From the Editor

Lost In America

On the Scene

Product Review

TechTips

Videos

Friction Zone is available at dealers, accessory shops, and popular motorcycle hangouts throughout the western United States.

If you can't get Friction Zone at your local shop, either ask the dealer to stock it, or you can receive a year's subscription for only $30.

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